The Royals opened the 2015 season with a seven-game winning streak after losing to the San Francisco Giants in the last World Series. After winning these seven games, the team has won three and lost three as of Tuesday, Apr. 21. Kansas City fans have been showing their allegiance to the team by wearing powder blue; you can almost always see someone on campus wearing Royals gear. This is a very powerful and meaningful tradition in the Kansas City area. This has led to the Royals selling more merchandise than any other team since the playoffs last season.
Statistically speaking, Lorenzo Cain, outfielder, is leading the team with a .377 batting average and an on-base percentage of .469. Salvador Perez, catcher, and Mike Moustakas, infielder, are leading the team with three home-runs each, with 12 runs-batted-in from Perez. Rookie Paulo Orlando, outfielder, has had five triples on the season. He leads the team and the entire league in triples.
With the season just getting started, Royals fans have a lot to anticipate. Currently, the team is in second place in the Central Division of the American League behind the Detroit Tigers.
Worried about missing out? On May 16 and 20, students with a valid ID can get a ticket for just eight dollars.
In the realm of soccer, Sporting Kansas City has had two wins, two losses and three draws in this year, having a mediocre start to their year. They are coming off of a season in which they finished tenth in the Major League Soccer (MLS) standings. They are currently ninth in the Western Conference.
Sporting’s Krisztian Nemeth, forward, and Ike Opara, defender, are tied at two goals each for the year. Dom Dwyer, forward, leads the team in shots-on-goal with seven. Benny Feilhaber, midfielder, has had five assists. Lastly, keeper Luis Martin has had 19 saves.
With the season taking off, Sporting hopes to have a repeat of their 2013 season, in which they won the MLS Cup.
In offseason news, the Chiefs are looking forward to the NFL draft next week, in which they hold the 18th pick. The team will then begin preparation for training camp.
The NFL schedule was released earlier this week. The Chiefs will be featured in three primetime games. One is against the Denver Broncos, another against the Green Bay Packers and the last one against the San Diego Chargers. The team also plays the Detroit Lions in London, England Nov. 1. The Chiefs went 9-7 last year, finishing second in the American Football Conference (AFC) West. They did not make it to the playoffs, which is a goal they aim to meet this season.
With all seasons either underway or soon-to-be underway, Kansas City sports followers will have many opportunities to build and reflect upon the sports culture that is highly valued here in the City of Foundtains. Attendance for Sporting KC and Royals games have gone up over the past three years, and with the Power and Light District growing more and more popular among sports fans, viewers can watch the games at watch parties while socializing in huge crowds.