My Interview With The Griffon Yearbook

It was a nice surprise for me to receive a request for an interview this past week from Lauren Dillon, a member of The Griffon Yearbook staff, to discuss my thoughts about the Chiefs training camp & MWSU. I have not been the focus of an official media interview for over 10 years when I was president of the Kiwanis Club of St. Joseph discussing the club's operation of the beer garden at the Trails West Festival. However, I have mixed thoughts pertaining to the ultra-modern method Lauren chose to conduct the interview which was via e-mail. In my most humble opinion being in the media business for nearly 20 years I feel the personal touch is completely removed from the interviewing process using this method. E-mailing someone you wish to interview a message requesting the interview, then asking them to simply reply to a list of questions and e-mail them back before a deadline that just happens to be within just a few days was a professional first for me. No offense to Lauren. However, most short or long distance interviews can start with an e-mail request but the interview needs to be conducted at least over the phone so there can be some follow up information given to each question or concern by both parties.

Enough of my ranting about interviewing skills. On to the interview, which asked some of the questions I have vowed that this blog will try to answer for MWSU students. All of Lauren's questions will be in italic type with my responses in regular type.




When does construction begin?

According to a published report at missouriwestern.edu, MWSU hopes to break ground by June of 2009 for the indoor football practice facility.

Would construction have to be completed before the Chiefs come?

According to the report I referred to earlier, “the majority of the indoor practice facility would need to be completed by the summer of 2010 for the Chiefs to begin holding training camp at MWSU.” Unless there are circumstances that would prevent this, this does not appear to be an obstacle keeping the Chiefs from having their first camp at MWSU in July/August of 2010.

Specifically, how would bringing the Chiefs to Western benefit the St. Joseph community?

Tourism and cash flow will be the main benefits to the business community. Those who will be coming to watch practices will be spending at restaurants, hotels, gas stations, retail stores, and other local attractions. Word-of-mouth advertising is something that can’t be sold and has a value unlike any other marketing. Those who visit St. Joseph might be doing so for the first time and if they have a good time at an affordable price, those people will recommend to their friends that they should visit St. Joseph. This is a thing that could benefit the community all year long. Getting people on the campus of MWSU brings a great recruiting opportunity for the university. A lot of people who could be potential students or be parents of potential new students have never heard of Missouri Western. The athletic department will get a serious boost in recruiting better student athletes by having state-of-the-art facilities.

What is your opinion on bringing the Chiefs here?

I think it’s great the Chiefs are coming here. A lot of Chiefs season ticket holders are from St. Joseph and areas north of St. Joseph into Iowa and Nebraska. A lot of local area children who would not get many opportunities to attend regular Chiefs games can now come out to MWSU and get a close look at their favorite players, probably even get to visit with them from time to time and get the opportunity for photos with players who would be willing to do so. At regular season games security is so tight it is very difficult to get close to the field. Even in training camp the national media follows every NFL team. This means that St. Joseph, MO and MWSU will be getting a lot of mentions when the team is here. Lets just hope that there are not any reports of trouble with the players encountering fans away from campus in any negative ways. I can remember when the Chiefs had training camp at William Jewel in Liberty, MO. It was always a great atmosphere for families and passionate fans that just wanted to have a little clean fun. I think that is what is going to happen here.


How will this affect Western students, in any positive or negative way?

The positives include better athletic facilities, new classrooms, and a better workout facility for all students. A huge new parking lot is coming that MWSU students have needed for years! I’m expecting catering services to be greatly improved and some policies for catering exclusiveness to be amended. These facilities are being constructed without any additional costs to MWSU students who surcharged themselves to create the Max Experience. The new baseball stadium was coming anyway due to Max Experience funds but is now coming much sooner due to the Chiefs investment to speed up the building of the indoor football facility that would have consumed much of the Max Experience funds meaning the new baseball stadium would’ve been several more years down the road than it will be now. Students can now support Griffon baseball easier than trying or not trying at all to find Phil Welch Stadium. MWSU has long been criticized for not being a school with a lot of campus life. Keeping more sports teams playing on campus creates more of a traditional campus atmosphere and brings more of the community to campus.

Will student fees increase to pay for the construction?

Student fees from the Max Experience were going specifically for the specific improvements the Chiefs require to bring their training camp to MWSU but it was a slow process of obtaining the funds from semester to semester. With the Chiefs investment in the football-oriented facilities more Max Experience funds can now go to the new baseball stadium and new women’s softball stadium not to mention speed up the time frame for their construction.

During the time period the Chiefs are here, would it be affecting the school’s sports practices?

I can’t imagine how it really would. Their presence could delay the start of football practices for MWSU. If that is the case it would not probably be for long.

How much is the construction going to cost the school overall?

According to the numerous published reports MWSU must bring at least $3-$3.5 million dollars to the table for it’s share of the construction cost of the indoor practice facility. I am not sure if that is going to be the final number. I would ask the athletic director for that figure.

Is the state helping to pay for the new buildings at all?

I am not sure. That would also be a question for the athletic director.

What were the reasons that the Chiefs chose Western?

MWSU, The City of St. Joseph, Buchanan County, The Convention & Visitors Bureau, and local politicians worked together to sell the Chiefs on St. Joseph & MWSU for the past several years. MWSU is close enough to KC to attract fans and generate interest in the team yet far enough away to have players focus primarily on playing football. The Chiefs have always said (under previous management) that the hot, humid weather in Missouri is the reason they went to Wisconsin. However if they had a climate controlled practice facility they would entertain offers to bring their camp back to the KC area. St. Joseph was aggressive in luring the Chiefs here and found a way to get a financing package created that would benefit them and MWSU. For the Chiefs they can pay $10 million in taxes to the state or take that same money, donate it to a state university for the construction of an indoor practice facility, bring their training camp back to Chiefs country, and leave a lasting positive effect in an area where they have many paying customers a.k.a. season ticket holders.

What new buildings/facilities are being built during construction?

The new indoor football practice facility will provide MWSU football with new coaches offices, locker rooms, and film meeting rooms that can be used for classes in the off season. There will also be a couple of new large lecture hall/classrooms for the university in this new facility. The biggest thing students will benefit from is the new parking lot that will be constructed where the current women’s softball facilities are behind the press box of Spratt Stadium. Students have been crying for additional parking since the mid to late 1980’s.





James Richmond can be reached via e-mail at jrichmond1@missouriwestern.edu