Sometimes it Rains

The Kansas City Chiefs are one of the few North American scholastic or professional sports organizations remaining with a mascot derived from Native American heritage. Season 2 of Sometimes it Rains chronicles the riches, to rags, and back to riches story of the Chiefs amidst the backdrop of an all too little know history of the Native American people in the United States that led to the intertwining of sports mascots, culture and politics.

When looking at the issue of Native American mascots in sports, so much comes down to a lack of knowledge concerning the history of Indigenous peoples and the relationship between Native Americans and The United States. We also look at the history of mascots in sports and how professional sports teams in Boston, Cleveland and Washington began to claim Native American iconography for their own.

Professional football comes to the Great Plains when an entrepreneur from Dallas decides to move his team to KC. A look at the history of the Kansas City Chiefs and how the name came about. We also discuss the ways in which the United States criminalized Native American culture and traditions in an attempt to force cultural assimilation. 

A look at the history of the “Tomahawk Chop” in sports and how it is emblematic of how much we “don’t” know of Native American history. We also take a look at how the movement to end the use of Native American mascots gained momentum in the 90’s and into the 21st century. 

A look at what the future might hold for the movement, including the recent significant steps taken by professional franchises to address the issue and what that might mean for the Kansas City Chiefs moving forward.

An incredible talent for hitting a baseball lands Willie a scholarship to South Carolina State and the opportunity to pull himself and his family out of poverty. As he works his way up the ranks from the minors to major league, Willie’s career path eventually leads him to Kansas City.

Also, Negro Leagues Baseball Museum president Bob Kendrick gives a history of baseball in KC.

A quick thanks to Bob Kendrick of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum and information on how you can help support the museum.

Willie finds his groove and the national spotlight as he helps lead the Kansas City Royals to an AL Championship and their first trip to the World Series. But he also finds a growing need for his new favorite pastime - cocaine. 

Also, a history of cocaine use in America and a look at how race has played a central role in U.S. drug policy.

As Willie’s cocaine use becomes increasingly routine, the end of every game is the beginning of the party, often with a handful of teammates at his friend and supplier Mark’s house. But the party turns sober quickly when the federal government’s burgeoning war on drugs sets its sights directly on Major League Baseball.

Also, a look at how the Reagan administration transformed U.S. policy in regards to drugs and the effect those policies began to have on incarceration levels in America.