Too much Chiefs in Kansas City media this week? We don’t win the Super Bowl every day | Opinion

No downside

Will Mr. Grumpy Pants who wrote the letter to the editor complaining about the wall-to-wall Chiefs coverage in Kansas City media go back to living under a rock? (12A) Or maybe we found the one Eagles fan who lives in Liberty.

My complaint is that there isn’t enough coverage. This team is one for the ages. The Chiefs bring everything from entertainment, to class, to massive amounts of revenue to our beloved city and fans around the world. Kansas City finally has a Michael Jordan-esque player and a team that is consistently winning — on the world’s biggest sports stage with more than 100 million people watching.

This should be celebrated for years to come. Patrick Mahomes is a once-in-a-generation talent in the biggest sport in the U.S., and he is here in our town. Enjoy it and embrace it, KC.

And let’s be honest, there really isn’t much worth celebrating in this world of COVID-19, spy balloons, earthquakes and two sides in government that will never agree on anything.

Finally, some good news worth celebrating, and it is right here in Kansas City.

- Joe DeMarco, Overland Park

It stands for …

Isn’t it obvious? MVP: Most Valuable Patrick.

- Robert Rouen, Blue Springs

Missouri’s shot

Here’s the headline running on multiple national and international news websites: “Missouri votes against banning children from carrying guns in public.”

Isn’t it heartwarming to know our lawmakers are preserving our image as a Second Amendment haven — even if it means tolerating kids with guns out in the open?

- Brian Casey, Kansas City

Kids’ health

If the last several years taught us anything, it’s that mental health matters — including children’s. From early childhood to adolescence, an estimated 20 million youths are diagnosed with mental health conditions. Depression and anxiety, among the most diagnosed mental health conditions in children, have risen in recent years, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Children’s mental health is of the utmost importance for our youths to thrive. As a music therapist, I know mental health affects every part of children’s lives, including their physical and emotional health, success at school and work and socialization with others. For children to receive effective and efficient care for mental health concerns, communication among their caregivers and other care providers (such as teachers and coaches) must be frequent and clear.

Some signs that children may need evaluation and treatment:

▪ Sleeping too much or too little, or having frequent nightmares.

▪ Academic struggles or decline in grades.

▪ Talking often about fears or worries.

▪ Complaints of frequent stomachaches or headaches with no known medical cause.

▪ Lost interest in typically enjoyed activities.

Our children matter. If we believe they are the future, we must ensure that their future prioritizes mental health.

- Shelbi Polasik, Kansas City

You’re mad now?

Recently, I listened to an interview on a news program with Sen. Marco Rubio, who derided the negligence and irresponsibility he thought President Joe Biden showed in failing to act quickly when he was alerted of the Chinese surveillance balloon over American air space. (Feb. 16, 2A, “China threatens US entities over downing of balloon”)

My mind went to another incident in recent times where Americans’ lives were at stake. Our vice president and House speaker were being hunted down. Policemen were being battered. And while all this was unfolding, our then-president took absolutely no action to stop the violence. He watched. He did nothing for hours.

I do not recall Marco Rubio or many other Republican politicians saying they were bothered by that lack of action. Partisan politics at its best.

- Marjorie Livingston, Overland Park