KSHB 41 reporter Tod Palmer covers sports business and eastern Jackson County. Share your story idea with Tod.
Kansas City sports teams are no strangers to pop-culture crossovers in recent years.
Most notably, Taylor Swift's relationship with Travis Kelce has spawned an unparalleled nexus among Chiefs Kingdom and Swifties, but the Current’s inclusion in season four of “Ted Lasso” might be the most uniquely Kansas City crossover.
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“I think it's amazing,” Current midfielder Claire Hutton said. “I was talking to my parents the other day about it and they're telling me to basically go find wherever he (Jason Sudeikis) is and get back the film. And I'm like, ‘I'm not weird like that. Y'all can come visit and do that, but I'm not doing that. But it's amazing.”
Still, Hutton and her teammates are undeniably excited as “Ted Lasso” wraps up filming after 10 days in Kansas City for the fourth season, which will feature Sudeikis as Lasso coaching the fictitious AFC Richmond women’s team.
“We've seen that he's been repping the current, which is really cool,” Current forward Michelle Cooper said. “... I had the pleasure of meeting him. He's super awesome, and I think it's really exciting to see that the Current is going to be, or has the possibility to be represented, on a stage as big as ‘Ted Lasso.’ But I think it's super cool to see him here in KC, and I love that he's investing in what we're investing in as well. We have a shared mission.”
Cooper and her teammates certainly noticed when Sudeikis, who also has been spotted courtside at Caitlin Clark games in college and the WNBA, wore a teal Current jacket during filming on the Country Club Plaza last week.
“I'm so excited to watch the new season and just see how they implement what we have here and just the connection,” Hutton said. “Obviously, he's from Kansas City, so showing his hometown roots and showing where he came from is awesome.”
Sudeikis, who grew up in Overland Park and graduated from Shawnee Mission West High School, plays the titular character in Apple TV’s sweet-natured smash hit.
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As much buzz as “Ted Lasso” filming around Kansas City, including scenes at CPKC Stadium, during the last two weeks has generated, the Current’s home stadium is pretty famous in its own right.
“I think Jason Sudeikis owes the Current a big thank you, because they already are on the global stage as the first stadium devoted to women's sports,” Current fan Monica Marrocco said.
Of course, Marrocco understands that it’s a cool moment for the Current, who could find themselves garnering interest from a new avenue of fans much like Swift’s appearance at Chiefs games introduced the team to new devotees.
“Women are killing it right now, and we have been, but it’s just getting more viewership,” she said. “I would like it to take more than a male celebrity to highlight the incredible work that the women are doing, but I'm grateful that this is there at least. ... I think it'll do great for the viewership, also for ‘Ted Lasso’ and the KC Current and women's sports in general, so I'm a fan.”
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