We could not have imagined a few years ago that the Dream It Do It campaign would lead to this, but it has, and we are grateful and pleased.

We learned recently that the economics of the proposals in the competing cities would be hard to beat. These were elements outside of our control and we know that our proposal is visually compelling, attractively located, experientially state of the art, and financially sound.

We have a large, diverse and well-educated work force that is highly productive, and that helps.

I see it as something that's going to expand the pie. It's going to cause somebody who's 3,000 (or) 4,000 miles away to look hard at spending the weekend in Kansas City. ... Ideally, it will combine with existing tourist possibilities and cause people to extend their stay for three or four days.

I sort of feel like I felt when I watched the USC-Texas (Rose Bowl) game last night. Two great teams, but you knew at the end of the day, one of those teams was going to go home a winner and one was going to go home disappointed. We are disappointed. We are not discouraged.

The Kansas City economy will continue to mirror the U.S. economy, and I don't see that changing anytime soon. One advantage Kansas City enjoys when it comes to job creation is a very diverse mix of industries. We have a well-balanced portfolio.