In Nick Wright’s mind, he always plans to do at least one live episode of his “First Things First” show from Kansas City.
Wright expects that’ll usually be during a Chiefs Super Bowl parade, but there wasn’t one this year. But Wright will be in Kansas City on Friday at Power & Light for a live episode of Fox Sports’ “First Things First.”
The show will air from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., and Wright will be joined by co-hosts Kevin Wildes and Chris Broussard. Former Kansas City radio broadcaster Danny Parkins will be part of the show, too.
The event is free and Wright is planning to reward fans who show up ready for TV.
“If you bring a “First Things First” specific sign ... I’ll buy your first round of beers,” Wright said in a phone interview. “I’m just going to bring a wad of 20s and hand them out to people with signs. And while I’m not encouraging people — I of course never would — to boo Kevin Wildes, I just want people to stay true to their heart.”
Wright was born and raised in Kansas City and got his start at 96.5 The Fan when it was still 610 Sports Radio.
When the Chiefs became a dynasty, public sentiment turned against them nationally. In the past year, there has been talk of the Chiefs being lucky, getting help from the referees, etc.
Wright has been arguably the Chiefs’ biggest public defender through it all. He’s a fierce guardian of coach Andy Reid, quarterback Patrick Mahomes, tight end Travis Kelce and defensive lineman Chris Jones.
“It has been truly insane that my favorite sports team ever and my hometown team and the team that I grew up (cheering), my first-ever media was being 11 years old, waiting in the Arrowhead parking lot going back from Chiefs games, calling in as Nick the Kid to the Chiefs postgame show with Bill Grigsby,” Wright recalled.
“Because of what Patrick and Andy and Travis and Chris have done, I get to essentially do a Kansas City talk show, at least a few segments a week on national TV, because they are the team in the sport.”
National sports talk shows come and go each year, but Wright has thrived with “First Things First,” and he noted a special connection between the show and Mahomes.
“First Things First” debuted on Sept. 5, 2017, two days before Mahomes suited up for the first time with the Chiefs. Mahomes sat for most of that first season, but the franchise’s fortunes changed the following year when he became the starter.
“His instant rise to being the best quarterback in the league, and the Chiefs, shortly thereafter rise to being the most talked about, intriguing and these days, I guess, polarizing team in the league,” Wright said. “It has been obviously serendipitous for me professionally, but also I’m a die-hard fan, and I’m 40 years old. My entire life, the Chiefs were the team that was pretty consistently good in the regular season. I think in the 90s, they had the second- or third-most wins of any team in the league, and then just invented new ways to break your heart in the postseason.
“Patrick was the first quarterback drafted by the Chiefs to win not a playoff game, but a single game since Todd Blackledge. (in 1983)”
All those terrible postseason defeats under Marty Schottenheimer, then Dick Vermeil and then early in Reid’s tenure in Kansas City are part of Wright’s DNA..
But he also got his professional start in Kansas City and this is where he met and his wife and they exchanged their vows last year at Union Station in a ceremony officiated by Wright’s childhood friend, Mayor Quinton Lucas.
“The fact that I get to talk about them and also talk about my city, is a dream come true,” Wright said. “For people that don’t know my story, my dad is a lifelong Kansas Citian and was the president of the Kansas City firefighters union for my childhood and, well, end of adulthood, was pretty involved, at least, had been in the Kansas City political scene. And is entrenched there.
“My roots there run very, very, very deep. And I can’t wait for Friday, because when we’ve done shows there in the past we’re at the Chiefs parade. So, obviously, it’s the Chiefs event. and we get to preview the game of the year and hopefully set the table for the Chiefs getting a little get back.”
Friday’s details
Wright and Parkins have known each other since they were students at Syracuse in 2005. Their time at 610 AM overlapped, too. Wright is thrilled to have Parkins join “First Things First.” And they’ll talk about this week’s top NFL game.
“It’s a Super Bowl rematch. It’s the first truly massive Fox game of the year. I think it’ll be the highest-rated football game until we get to Thanksgiving, and it has the defending champion against the defining team of the era,” Wright said. “So it’s that event Sunday, and for us, to be there in Kansas City where, obviously I’m from, where Danny Parkins, who just became a part of the ‘First Things First’ team, he did radio for years, where Wildes likes to claim he’s beloved in Kansas City, but we’ll let the fans determine that, given his quick switch to Eagles allegiances. All of it is awesome.”
WHEN: Friday from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.
WHERE: Power & Light District
COST: The event is free