K.C. trip, BBQ fix will have to wait

About two months ago, I was watching the AFC championship game on TV in my living room and my mouth was watering.

CBS, while in Kansas City, had sent its camera crews out around the K.C. area for some B-roll, and one of the places they ended up at was my new favorite BBQ dive -- Arthur Bryant's.

Of course Arthur Bryant's is nothing new to K.C., it's been around a long time. For me, however, it's a recent love affair. I had my first Arthur Bryant's experience just hours after watching the John Brown men's basketball season end last year at the NAIA National Tournament at Municipal Arena.

At that time, Arthur Bryant's was the only "famous" K.C. BBQ place I had yet to sample, so on the way out of town I decided to stop in for lunch.

It was -- simply put -- amazing, and I've been wanting to go back ever since.

So while watching the AFC title game and I'm watching brisket being sliced, and ribs being cut and sandwiches being coated in the famous barbecue sauce and wrapped up in paper to go ... well as I said, my mouth was just watering.

But I wasn't worried, a trip to Kansas City was imminent!

At that time, John Brown's men were a long way from clinching a trip back to the national tournament, but I felt all along that they were going to make it.

And they did make it.

The best part about going to Kansas City for the national tournament is the basketball spectacle at Municipal Arena with game after game after game. But the second best part is definitely the barbecue, and this year I was going to get my fix.

Not only was I going to go back to Arthur Bryant's, but with an extended JBU stay, I might have even gone back multiple times. I would have hit up Gates, Jack Stack, Joe's Kansas City Bar-B-Que (formerly Oklahoma Joe's).

Can you tell I love BBQ?

Unfortunately, as we all know now, the trip to Kansas City didn't happen due to concerns over the coronavirus. But don't feel sorry for me.

I'll get my K.C. BBQ fix in at some point.

For the John Brown Golden Eagles, their season -- along with 31 other teams -- ended last week with the cancellation of the NAIA Tournament and a stellar 28-5 record.

My heart goes out to those guys.

The last two years of covering JBU men's basketball have produced a record of 51-16, and it's been a lot of fun seeing their success.

Even with the NAIA's changing format of combining Division I and Division II for basketball, JBU should be in the hunt again the next several seasons.

I know that's not a lot of consolation for a season lost. But don't worry, we'll be eating BBQ again in the near future.

-- Graham Thomas is the managing editor for the Herald-Leader. He can be reached at [email protected]. The opinions expressed are those of the author.

Sports on 03/22/2020