Bits and pieces

It's been a while and I apologize but I always said I was more of a college football guy.  Compound that as I've been bidding on a couple of outside projects and contemplating my own independent website and there just hasn't been a lot to talk about.  However, last weekend was the black and gold game and the 4th annual PowerMizzou tailgate so I'm feeling a bit recharged today.  Saturday was a beautiful day in Columbia and the tailgating was spectacular.  The football is usually (ok, always) secondary to getting back together with some good friends, trying out some new recipes and firing up the grill that's sat under the cover for the last 4 months.

The day before the game I had both smokers going and had 18 lbs of ham injected with honey and teriyaki sauce and a beer and pineapple marinade brisket that apparently was quite the hit.  My old tailgate buddy beach deep fried a couple of turkeys and we brought in wings and ribs from 2 of the local restaurants.  I'm going to guess we had around 150 in attendance, which made up about 1% of the 15,000 that reportedly attended the game.  One of the highlights for our group was Missouri basketball player Kim English stopping by to have a few photos taken with some of the kids.  I did hear one young man describe it as "like Christmas morning" after he'd had his photo snapped with Kim.  A fine representative for the university.

As for the game itself, well, I've never believed you could take anything from a spring football game when it's 1's against 2's, the quarterbacks can't be tackled and the play calling is vanilla.  But it was a nice diversion from the last 5 months of a fairly brutal winter here in the midwest.  And anyway, it may be just a scrimmage, but the Golden Girls were in mid season form.

Now something else that has raised its head this week is the Big 10 and expansion that may come a year earlier than previously announced.  Apparently the Tigers are now on a short list and many are thinking this could be something that happens within the next few weeks.  I really doubt that.  When this began, I thought that they'd prefer to drag it out and keep the conference in the headlines for as long as possible.  While I suppose they could have found some university or universities that have just blown their doors off, or maybe just worrying that the Pac 10 or another conference could leapfrog them, I kind of think this was just them throwing a little fuel on a fire that had started to go out.  I mean they can keep running it 24/7 on the Big 10 network but they have all of those fans anyway.  Why not throw out a few rumors and get everyone talking about it?  Hell, who knows.  Maybe I'm just jaded.

Finally we had the Mike Anderson to Oregon rumors floating around all weekend.  I've got pretty mixed emotions about this.  I believe it's his obligation to listen when he's offered a huge raise from someone else and I'm certainly glad he stayed.  I just hope this isn't something we're going to have to deal with on a yearly basis from now on.  If so, then he'd better have as good a year as this recruiting class indicates he might have or I can see the athletic department and fan base turning on him pretty quickly.
That's really all I have at this time, but don't be surprised if you see me opening up my own website before long.  I have some ideas that I'd like to try that just aren't possible with this platform and then I could overwhelm you with some cheesey advertisements just like this.Missouri Tigers 28"x40" Collegiate Banner Flag
Have a great week folks and I'll be back soon.

The 600 lb gorilla in the room.

So, last time I talked about the proposed Big 10 expansion and what it could possibly mean to the University of Missouri.  As I stated, there are 4 universities being mentioned as possible candidates.  It's a hot topic on sites such as ESPN, Fox Sports and most any college message board.  There are differences in opinion among Missouri fans as to this being a good move or not.  Most that would consider themselves to be traditionalists point out that the university would be leaving behind decade long rivalries with kansas, Nebraska and others that were built up during the Missouri Valley, Big 6, Big 7 and Big 8 days.  
While I agree that it would be hard to replace the sheer joy we get from hating some of these programs, you simply can't dismiss the increased revenue that would come from a move.  As I said in my last post, the Big 10 distributed 22 million dollars per team last year in the football portion of shared revenue.  By that I mean that Indiana received the same amount of television dollars that Ohio State and Penn State received.  Missouri was in the upper half of Big XII revenue and made only 13 million.  The conference simply doesn't make as much money due to the fact that they have so fewer potential viewers than Big 10 states.  Yes, Texas is one of the kings, but Missouri is the second most populous state in the conference and I just don't see people lining up to move to kansas, Oklahoma, Nebraska or Iowa.  Like it or not, the next television contract may not be significantly better and it's not going to compare to Big 10 or SEC viewership in my lifetime.

So we know that we'll continue to make less money in the Big XII, but would a 9 million dollar payday in football offset the increased costs incurred shuttling non revenue producing teams to Happy Valley, Columbus and Madison?  The simple answer would be, probably not.  However, there is more, much more in play here than a few dollars in athletic revenue.  The big dog here is admittance into the CIC, or Committee on Institutional Cooperation of which every member of the Big 10, plus the University of Chicago is a member.   While it may not be as satisfying as kicking a field goal in the final second of a game to finish off the beaks "history awaits" season, we need to remember that the main purpose of a university is to provide a quality education for it's students.  The CIC members engaged in over 6 billion dollars of funded research last year.  That currently amounts to 500 million per member.  Think that the medical and veterinary schools could find something to do with that grant money?  In addition member schools have saved over 28 million dollars due to increased buying power and less need to purchase items that can be shared by the member schools.  At a time when state budget cuts are threatening funding this is huge.  Therefore, while I (and you if you are reading this) are sports fans first, you must agree that financially this would be a huge boon for the university.   

So what happens now?  We know that the Big 10 has planned a 12 to 18 month study to determine who will receive the invitation.  My gut feeling is that they'd still love to add Notre Dame.  It's proximity to schools in the conference and it's academics make it the obvious choice.  However, they've turned down the opportunity before and I see little chance they'd accept this time.  While I think the conference is still extending feelers to them, we'll probably never know since they certainly don't want to be turned down a 2nd time.  That leaves us with the 4 institutions previously mentioned, unless they go completely against conventional wisdom and invite someone we haven't considered or decide to add more than one other member.  I think that both those possibilities are remote at best.  My best guess is that the Big 10 milks this for all that it's worth and makes sure that everyone in the country realizes what a financial windfall this will be for the lucky university chosen to become a member.  They've suffered a lot the last few years by bowl game failures and early exits from the NCAA tournament so they absolutely want someone that will boost their standing in the athletic community, but also find a school that matches up academically. 

While Missouri doesn't carry the academic reputation of Ohio State or Northwestern, they still are members of the AAU, which is a requirement for membership in the Big 10.  It is also a land grant research institution which happens to have a 1 billion dollar endowment.  The university is also one of only 6 institutions with a law school, medical school and veterinary school on campus as well as a world renowned school of journalism.  This is just nothing to sneeze at and we also have one of the better engineering schools in the country at Rolla which is part of the system.  Whether people want to admit it or not, the University of Missouri has much to offer the Big 10, including a pretty damn successful athletic department.
What's going to happen?  I have no freaking idea.  But I do know that if membership is offered, it will most likely be accepted and maintaining a rivalry with a bunch or corncob hat wearing hicks or Johnson County mama's boys won't play any part in the decision.  I apologize for the attempt at being serious in my last 2 posts, but this is a pretty important subject.  I promise to get back to my normal self next time.  Have a great week and stay warm. 

Big 10 expansion. What does it mean for Mizzou?

So the Big 10 found a way to put themselves in the spotlight for the next 12-18 months by announcing they were going to add a 12th member to the conference.  This is a big deal in college athletically and financially, and could very possibly start a chain reaction as other conferences try to claim a bigger share of the television pie due to an increased number of potential viewers.   This has a chance to provide more drama than Jon and Kate's divorce. 
The conventional thought is that this comes down to a 4 team race among Missouri, Rutgers, Syracuse and Pitt.  Based on an athletics based decision only, I think Syracuse and Pitt would both be eliminated immediately since I don't believe either wants to leave the Big East.  It's pretty clearly the best basketball league in the country right now and it's an easier run to a BCS bowl, but the Big 10 does offer an attractive slate of lower bowl affiliations that would be an improvement whether you came from the Big East or the Big XII for that matter.  Rutgers however has had very little basketball success other than a trip to the final 4 in the 1975/76 season.  (hey still one more trip than my Tigers have had)  Missouri would be leaving a conference they've been a member of since the Missouri Valley opened it's doors in 1907 with Missouri, Iowa, Washington (Missouri) and kansas.  That's giving up a heck of a lot of history right there.

However, when you compare the amount of television revenue and the distribution, you see that it would be quite a windfall for Missouri were it to receive an offer and then accept it.  The Big 10 distributed around 246 million dollars, around 22 million per team in an equitable split among all conference members.   While Missouri had a good year, finishing in the upper half of the conference at something less than 13 million, it wasn't as rosy for teams like Iowa State, Baylor, Colorado or K State.  Half of the television money collected for a game is the property of the featured teams.  So if you get less appearances, you get less money.  Kind of like having the Super Bowl champ get the first pick in next years draft.  So we immediately see a 9 million dollar raise for Missouri should a move occur. 
Another factor for whoever is offered are travel costs, particularly when it concerns the non revenue generating sports such as wrestling, gymnastics, soccer etc.  Trips to Iowa and Minnesota are going to be expensive from New York and New Jersey.  For Missouri there is no doubt that the travel to Ohio State, Purdue and Penn State are probably further than anything we have now, but the inclusion of Texas, particularly College Station, Waco and Lubbock are hardly day trips.  I don't see this as a deal breaker for anyone involved.

As to possible favorites, there have been rumors in both directions concerning all four of the Universities that are now considered favorites.  I've read that Penn State wants another team from the East to cut down on their travel expenses.  I've also read that they would like to renew their rivalry with Pitt.  Then a few days later that while they'd like another team from the east, no way they want it to be Pitt.  Which is true?  I have no idea. 
The claim with both Syracuse and Rutgers is that they can bring the New York City market if they are included.  However, there is no evidence that either would make much of a blip on the screen.  The fact is, New York has the Yankees, Giants, Rangers and Knicks in that order with the Mets and Jets catching anyone that's left.  Missouri offers the St Louis and Kansas City markets.  However, the Big 10 already has a good presence in the Lou, so the main target would be the KC area, which still would be shared with ku as well as K State.
So, we can see some pluses and minuses for all 4 contenders from both their standpoints as well as the Big 10's.  The Big East has less history but the current success as a basketball conference, while Missouri was one of the two original members left of the conference.  We'd have to remember we'd be losing rivalry's not only with the beaks, but long time conference members such as Nebraska, Iowa State and Oklahoma.  We also have built much of our football success on the staffs ability to recruit the state of Texas.  Would we have as much success if we played in the Big 10 Conference? 

The jury is mixed about whether this makes sense for Missouri athletically.  I personally imagine that Coach Pinkel would prefer staying in the current conference, and in turn, so would Mike Alden.  I think that it would be less important for Coach Anderson.  However, this decision, while it means much to athletics, may well be decided on the academic side.  We haven't talked about the elephant that's sitting here in the room.  That would be the CIC and that's what I'll talk about next time.  Stay warm folks.

Happy Bowl Season!

I love this time of year, other than it means college football season is almost over.  I've been getting ready for our annual Christmas trip to Colorado and doing some extra praying that I don't wind up face planting a tree.  I've been reading stories and message boards about how my favorite team was screwed in the bowl selection process.  (again)  And some interesting reading on how the Big 10 is planning on expansion and guess who is one of the prime candidates for said expansion?
All these will make some nice candidates for topics during the cold, dreary days of January.  For now, I wanted to take a quick look at the conference bowl match ups and give myself an opportunity to humiliate myself one last time with a few predictions.  I actually had a pretty good year straight up as I went 88-30.  The rub was against the spread where I wound up 57-57.  So really, if I had bet 50 toothpicks on every game I'd predicted, I'd have the same number I started with.  A lot of work to wind up exactly where you were when you started don't you think?
Anyway, let's start out with my favorite team.  Missouri travels to Houston to face the Naval Academy in the Texas Bowl.  I'm not going into the fact that the Tigers wound up in the 8th bowl to pick.  As I said before, that's a topic to talk about in January or even February.  The Tigers have had problems stopping the pass this season but have been one of the best in the Big XII at stopping the run.  Navy has a very good running attack but very little success throwing the ball.  I think this is a good matchup for the Tigers and the team is young enough that I don't think they'll go into the game flat because they think it's beneath them.  The Tigers open as a 6 point favorite and I happen to think this is a sucker bet.  I'm going to go with Mizzou to win and cover easily, 38-17.  Then we can move on to more interesting things such as what appears to be a top 15 recruiting class or a possible move to another conference.

Moving on to the Rolls Royce of the Big XII bowl package would always be a glorious December trip to sunny Shreveport, Louisiana where Texas A&M takes on the Georgia Bulldogs in the Independence Bowl.  Few places offer what the city of Shreveport does as you get a chance to share a shitty room at the local Super 8 with some of the cities finest cockroaches at only 200 dollars a night.  Missouri made 2 trips to the bowl game and I think that Mike Alden might have been fired had they wound up in this bowl game again.    The 'Dawgs open as a 7 point favorite in this one. I believe this game is a huge letdown for them following multiple trips to the BCS locations over the past few years.   I think that they'll have enough to win, although an upset wouldn't surprise me.  I'll go with Georgia to win, but fail to cover.  Dawgs 24-21.
In San Diego the Holiday Bowl pits 2 of the countries better defenses, as well as 2 head coaches most likely to be charged for attacking a referee as Bo Pelini and corn nation take on Mike Stoops and the Arizona Wildcats.  This game could set college football back 50 years.  The Wildcats open as a 1 point favorite.  I have no intention of watching this but I'll go with Arizona to win and cover, say about 5-3.  A late safety should put them over the top.  zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

In El Paso, Jim Harbaugh brings the Stanford Cardinal (they are still the cardinal aren't they) to play the Oklahoma Sooners and Big Game Bob Stoops.  Bob has had some problems in bowl games the past few years as they've disappointed in BCS appearances following successful regular seasons.    The Sooners finished the year a disappointing 7-5 after opening the season as a top 5 pick.  The Sooners open as an 8 point favorite in this one, but I'm going to go with Stanford in the upset, 31-30, as OU spends much of the game trying to figure out why a giant tree is dancing around the Stanford sideline.
We move on to the Insight Bowl in Tempe, Arizona.  This is the bowl game that logically Missouri should have been selected for.  However, they decided that picking a 6-6 Iowa State team that MU defeated by double digits would be a better selection to play a 6-6 Minnesota team.  The NFL network is a perfect place for this game since very little of the country will be watching it anyway.  Minnesota opens as a 2 1/2 point favorite.  I'm going with the Cyclones in an upset 23-17.
In Dallas, the first Cotton Bowl to be played in Jerry World will pit Oklahoma State against Ol' Miss.  Okie Lite finished the season in disappointing fashion when they were bombed by Oklahoma 27-0 in a game that not only offered bragging rights but a possible trip to Phoenix as the conference representative in the Fiesta Bowl.  Ol' Miss opens as a 3 point favorite but I think this won't be that close.  I'm taking the Rebels 31-24.
In San Antonio the Alamo Bowl matchup will be Texas Tech against another mediocre Big 10 team in Michigan State.  Tech hasn't had great luck in bowl games but I think the Spartains are just what they need for what ails them.  The odds makers have made Tech an 8 point favorite in this one but I'm predicting a blow out.  I'll take the Red Raiders 38-14 as Mike Leach makes his first statement about next years team down in Lubbock.

Finally in the game for all the marbles, Big XII champion Texas takes on the SEC champ Alabama.  In the title game against Nebraska, the Longhorns showed that they could play defense when their O wouldn't carry the day.  The Crimson Tide may well be better defensively than the huskers and I'm fairly confident their offense is much better.  The Tide opens up as a 5 point favorite.  I think this is a pretty good line.  I'm going to pull this one out my ass and predict the winner and your 2009 national champion will be 'Bama, 27-21.
I'm heading out this weekend for a well deserved rest in Colorado.  I'll see you guys after the first of the year and we'll have some things to talk about including bowl results, possible implications if Missouri would jump to the Big 10 and a possible interview that I'm trying to put together with former kansas coach Mark Mangino.  Have a great holiday folks and drive safely!
Merlin