So, I’m about to report the sort of thing that I’ve previously made fun of in no uncertain terms.
It appears that unless something drastic happens in the coming days or weeks, Mizzou and the Big XII are as good as Splitsville. After a four-hour curator’s meeting on Tuesday, MU chancellor Brady Deaton was given permission by the board to seek conference alignment elsewhere.
While it’s still far from certain, this feels, well, certain. Much more so than any of the previous speculation and rumors that have plagued the internet. Hey, when KC Star Mizzou beat writer Mike DeArmond (@sptwri) is throwing it out there (“My prediction: Missouri is out of the Big 12 Conference and into the SEC by next season.”) in his Tweets, it’s gots to be true, yo.
As Kansas City Star scribe Sam Mellinger astutely responded, “the man is connected.” And he’s right. He’s also right when he said, “if it’s not an official break-up, sure sounds like #Mizzou is asking to see other people.”
Love ‘em or hate ‘em, if you’re a fan of collegiate sports in the greater Kansas City metro, this is a little bit of a blow. The respectable conference that once held court in homes across the land has been fractured into a thousand splinters of confusion and betrayal.
And yet… interim Big 12 commissioner Chuck(les) Neinas is clinging to the delusional fantasy that somehow, someway, something magical will be worked out. From KC star college beat writer Blair Kerkhoff’s Twitter feed: “Neinas statement: “Missouri is a member in good standing in the Big 12, and I anticipate (MU) will continue to be a member of the Big 12.”
I know he’s crazy, you know he’s crazy, but does he know he’s crazy? That’s the question.
In response, 610 AM’s Nick Wright said, “That statement from Neinas is the first of his tenure that I really don’t like. Complete BS. Either make a meaningful statement or stay quiet.”
That begs the question, what ‘meaningful’ statements has Neinas really made in his (most recent round of) days on the job? He was brought in to save the conference—or at least not burn the kitchen down while the parents were away—and losing Mizzou is as good as a three-alarm blaze. I haven’t heard much from him at all, let alone anything inspiring or particularly encouraging.
Yes, it’s a sad day for college athletics in these parts, Virginia. It’s just too bad egos and greed are killing a multi-generational tradition.
As WHB 810’s Nake Bukaty (@nate_bukaty) tweeted, “The KU/MU rivalry is one of the things that makes KC a unique & special sports town. It’s dead if they separate. Thus, a sad day for KC.” And by golly, I think he’s right.
But hey, at least we’ve got the Chiefs, right? Right?
Welcome to America
Greed does and will destroy all that is good anywhere at anytime.
Loyality is no longer ever an issue anymore.
Follow the money and screw the masses is the American way.
It’s ironic that a fanbase with so many backwoods rednecks like Missouri would wind up in the SEC. Talk about poetry.
After all the rumors, hopes and fears, uncertainty and waiting, the day has finally come. Took ’em long enough didn’t it? The last puppy left in the window has finally been picked up by a new owner. Soon it’ll be yesterday’s news that none of those conferences were ever really sure they wanted Missouri…SEC, Big Tweleven, ACC, Pac-12…it was like ol’ Mizzou was the average looking broad sitting by herself at the bar, stirring her drink and sneaking glances at all the single guys hanging around, but nobody would ever call the bartender over to buy ol’ Mizzou a round. Night after night after night there they sat, waiting and waiting and waiting until finally someone mosied on over. Nevermind that it was a drunk redneck who saw some low hanging fruit and figured what the hell. Nevermind that before he could raise one finger and blink twice Mizzou was on his arm clutching tightly with a big shit eating grin ear to ear, glowing with joy. That’s irrelevant. This is a time for celebration, reflection and fond farewells.
Yes, enjoy your new life ol’ gal. We’ll miss you around these parts. It’ll be an adjustment for everyone not having you around but we’ll survive. Life goes on. Just remember though, no matter who you play in the SEC, you’ll never have as much fun playing Alabama, LSU and Georgia as you did getting fired up to play Kansas. Whether it was basketball or football, playing Kansas was the peak and culmination of your season every year. Say bye bye to all that. Sure, you’ll schedule a yearly Border War in football and find a way to play every year in basketball, but it won’t be the same. So be it. It was fun while it lasted. Goodbye ol’ Mizzou. We’ll miss you.
Party’s Almost Over
Many sociologists predict that with the high, and still rising, murder, incarceration and high school dropout rates of young black males,the most physically developed and talented will be too dead, too imprisoned or TOO STUPID to be able to participate in college sports by 2030.
Nobody’s gonna get excited watchin a bunch of pasty white hillbilly’s, rednecks, chubby suburbanites or inbred Texans ballin’ on the gridiron or hardwoods.
It was fun while it lasted.
I hesitate to weigh in but..
Talking to some of MU’s more fervent fans – guys well versed in college sports – they say just playing home games against some of these legendary teams will result in adding 20,000 more seats to MU’s stadium and drawing tens of thousands more fans.
In other words, playing against the ghost of Bear Bryant is a pretty big deal
not a done deal
when the school calls me and bids on my property just east of the stadium i know its real. They’ll need to expand the
stadium and the parking lots.
If it happens fine…if not…i can still put up with the worthless ku fans another year…i said it was gong to happen..
and now its very close.
Good luck to mu….this could be very very big for the school…
go tigers!
Hearne…more crappy sources…where do you get those ideas from.
And this is not a scoop for you hearne…this has been said by kansas in public and in private….
fambrough….suck my d*ck.
KU/MU at arrowhead does not make this a “special and unique”
sports town.
MU clobbering the daylights out of poor/out of shape/fifth tier athletes every year gets very boring.
How many years does mu have to beat the crap out of ku until fambrough comes back and says
“stop the slaughter”.
Please…please….that games one big party for mu fans.
and don’t forget ku people…noone gives a shit about basektball…except you!
Noone is beating dcown your door or knocking on your coaches hotel room to beg you to
come into ther league…
ku shoudl be fine playiing kstate…baylor….missouri state….wichita state….nebraska at omaha…
baker….devry…and olathe east/north/south etc. (yes…olathe could beat ku!)
re: I HESITATE TO WEIGH IN BUT..
Hearne 12:29:30 AM – Wed. Oct 5. 2011
Talking to some of MU’s more fervent fans – guys well versed in college sports – they say just playing home games against some of these legendary teams will result in adding 20,000 more seats to MU’s stadium and drawing tens of thousands more fans.
In other words, playing against the ghost of Bear Bryant is a pretty big deal
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Not surprising. Championships were never Missouri’s thing, but getting fired up for a regular season game against a team because it used to have a famous coach who’s been dead for 25 years, now that’s something to train hard for.
By Golly
Brandon please come back from the 40’s. If that means not talking to the 60 something people writing here. By Golly by all means please do. Shucks Rick