The next step in determining the future playing venues of the Chiefs and Royals rest with the Missouri statehouse.

After the state Senate failed to pass a state funding measure that could provide up to 50 percent of a new stadium for the Royals and a renovated Arrowhead State for the Chiefs, Gov. Mike Kehoe has called a special session to debate providing tax breaks that would keep the teams in Missouri.

On SportsBeat KC, The Star’s sports podcast, columnists Sam McDowell and Vahe Gregorian discuss the latest stadium developments and project what may happen with the Chiefs and Royals.

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The Chiefs effectively hired a couple of dozen new employees last week, seven of them through the NFL Draft and the remaining through subsequent undrafted free agency deals.

Their start date: How about now?

They all took part in a three-day rookie minicamp over the weekend, concluding Monday. As part of it, each of the seven draft picks, along with a couple of intriguing other names, spoke to the media.

I’ll apologize for the one-week reprieve you have from Blair Kerkhoff, our usual host, which leaves it to myself, Chiefs beat writer Jesse Newell and sports columnist Vahe Gregorian to cycle through our observations from the Chiefs’ rookie camp.

We follow with a conversation about the record-breaking barrage of home runs from the Kansas City Royals. Which Royals hitter needed a slump-busting blast the most?

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How did the Chiefs fare in the NFL Draft? Star columnist Sam McDowell and beat writer Jesse Newell break it down on SportsBeat KC, The Star’s sports podcast presented by Underdog.

The Chiefs entered the draft with eight picks, and after trades, finished with seven. Their first round pick, offensive tackle Josh Simmons of Ohio State at No. 32 overall, was the product of a trade.

The Chiefs addressed their biggest needs early, and took best available players with later picks. We discuss the best moves, the questionable ones and who can make the earliest impact.

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A year ago this month, Jackson County voters sent an emphatic message to the Royals and Chiefs: They didn’t want their taxes to help pay for a new stadium for the Royals and improvements for the Chiefs.

Since then, the teams have considered several options for their future homes but haven’t landed on one. Their Truman Sports Complex lease is expiring in 2031.

On SportsBeat KC, The Star’s sports podcast, columnists Sam McDowell and Vahe Gregorian share their thoughts about where things stand, what concerns have arisen since the doomed vote and where the Royals and Chiefs may end up.

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The NFL Draft spectacle grows near. Next week in Green Bay, Wis., 32 teams will look to improve their roster and once again the Chiefs will be among the last teams scheduled to select in the first round.

On SportsBeat KC, The Star’s sports podcast beat writer Jesse Newell and columnists Sam McDowell and Vahe Gregorian go inside the Chiefs draft room to determine the path of the NFL’s perennial power.

Which way to the Chiefs go in the first round? Defensive line? Tackle? What are the trade prospects with general manager Brett Veach?

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The NCAA men’s basketball tournament is over but not transfer portal madness. Players are spinning through the transfer mechanism in the new order of college hoops roster building, and Kansas and Kansas State are among those looking to reshape their teams.

On SportsBeat KC, The Star’s sports podcast, college beat writers Gary Bedore, Kellis Robinett and Shreyas Laddha discuss the portal’s impact on KU and K-State and provide the latest updates.

We open by breaking down Florida’s comeback victory over Houston in a thrilling title game, and wrap up with some spring football talk. But mostly...portal madness.

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Sporting Kansas City’s progress and popularity as an MLS franchise helped shape the region as a soccer hotbed to the point of landing games in next year’s FIFA World Cup, and no person was more responsible for that growth than Peter Vermes.

As the team’s losing trend continued early this season, Vermes and the franchise parted ways. On SportsBeat KC, The Star’s sports podcast, columnist Vahe Gregorian discussed Vermes’ important contributions to the area’s sports landscape.

Also, the Royals came out of the gate flat for their home opening series but got a nice lift from Kris Bubic in their first road game. And who saw this all-No. 1 seed Final Four coming? Someone on our show did.

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Hope springs eternal for the Royals as opening day approaches. The boys in blue enter this season coming off a playoff appearance and seemed to have bolstered the lineup and bullpen while maintaining their solid starting rotation.

On SportsBeat KC, The Star’s sports podcast, columnists Sam McDowell and Vahe Gregorian address expectations for manager Matt Quatraro’s team, and what to make of the late spring training roster moves.

Beat witer Jesse Newell joins the conversation as we switch to the Chiefs and their free agency activies as the period winds down. We also get in a little college basketball conversation after the sooner-than-expected losses by the Kansas Jayhawks and Missouri Tigers in the NCAA Tournament. How did it end so abruptly for the local teams?

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The Kansas City Royals are coming off a playoff season and bid for an encore. KC Star sportswriters break down the team on SportsBeat KC

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