Lamar Hunt, Jr.

There has been a myriad of ideas on what to do with the overabundance of so-called “free time” during the stay-at-home orders issued by most states.

Certainly, one can follow the news about the Coronavirus Pandemic closely and follow the guidelines to keep ourselves and loved ones safe. But we also see many people who do not have the luxury of just staying home and waiting it out. They have to get up and go to work and interact with people, some of whom are very sick with the virus or other illnesses.

Some have to contend with people who are frightened or just downright rude. People who are nasty and rude are typically just struggling with fear and insecurity  (something we can all relate to).

When we perceive that we are threatened in some way, we can lash out at others out of this fear and insecurity. Our culture and way of life in the USA has been turned upside down and our minds race with many “what ifs”. For example,

• What if it gets even worse?
• What if there is trouble with food supplies?
• What if someone near and dear to me is stricken with this virus and I cannot hold their hand, give them a hug, and comfort them.

I know I would be in a state of panic, yes… Continue reading →

No doubt many of us have been thrown for a loop with the spread of the Corona Virus or COVID 19. For many, our work life has been greatly altered. Ponder that Macy’s laid off most of their workforce (about 125,000 people) while the company was already in the midst of closing many stores permanently.  

We can look at the reason for these events, but really, it’s better to look at the “here and now”. What is happening, and how can you cope?  Tragedy seems literally a breath away.

On April 15^th, 2019 Notre Dame burned. 

Here is a reflection from that event.

A Cathedral burns – and it wasn’t just any cathedral.

Imagine one of your most prized possessions, like your home, going up in smoke.  Although you were able to save some special mementos, you are in shock as to how this could have happened.  Notre Dame survived the Nazi occupation, Napoleon, and the Enlightenment, among many other threats. Then one day, during major renovations, it just catches fire and is nearly gutted. What can this possibly mean? Is it just an accident, a misjudgment on somebody’s part? How can this be?

Did people actually worship here or was it merely a tourist attraction – a place to tour as a historical site with a… Continue reading →

I had the incredible opportunity to spend a week touring and learning about the most prominent landmarks of Catholicism in Ireland with fellow pilgrims. We encountered many stories, lessons, and practices that are at the core of Catholic faith, and my hope is to share a few of my learnings below.

First Day: Tour of Dublin

Trinity College with my wife Rita on our first day in Ireland.

Our first day was a long one due to travel from the U.S. We visited Trinity College where we saw the amazing “Book of Kells,” an illuminated manuscript Gospel book in Latin, containing the 4 Gospels of the New Testament: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

It is a masterwork of Western calligraphy and represents the pinnacle of insular art,  that is art produced in the post-Roman history of Ireland and Britain. These manuscripts were created around 800 A.D. and are on calfskin. You cannot take a picture of the originals, which are behind thick, dark glass.

After the viewing “The Book of Kells,” we saw the Long Room at Trinity College built between 1712 and 1732 and packed with over 200,000 books of the library’s oldest books. We saw a room which we could not photograph, where there were several people quietly restoring some of these books — certainly a room to visit for… Continue reading →

The Kansas City Star, NHL Hockey, and Lamar Hunt Jr.:  Sports columnist Sam Mellinger of the Kansas City Star published an insightful article over the weekend on the future of NHL hockey in the greater Kansas City metropolitan area.

Sam analyzes the relatively strong and growing local interest and support in the Kansas City Mavericks of the East Coast Hockey League and how Lamar and the Mavericks organization is helping to build a support system for hockey that will increase the likelihood that an NHL team may eventually want to make Kansas City its home.  Here’s a quote from Lamar that’s cited in the article:

‘The NHL has vaguely mentioned Kansas City as a possible expansion market, and the Sprint Center’s lack of an anchor tenant makes this a natural question. But, as best I can tell, no one from or representing Kansas City will be among those submitting bids for a team to play here.  Lamar Hunt Jr., who owns the ECHL’s Kansas City Mavericks, a minor-league hockey team that plays in Independence, called the NHL’s $500 million price tag for an expansion franchise “a ridiculously big fee,” and said that he is not aware of anyone in Kansas City who will make a push for a team.  “No, it’s not on my radar,” he said. “It’s not on… Continue reading →