The Zou

Is Chase Daniel a clutch QB?

2008-10-14T16:49:00.001-05:00

Kool-Aid drinking Mizzou fans be warned: You won’t like what you are about to read. After watching Chase Daniel struggle in the fourth quarter on Saturday against OSU, I started thinking about some of his other clutch (or not-so-clutch) performances. There’s no doubt that Chase Daniel is a legit Heisman contender, a tremendous quarterback, and one of Mizzou’s all-time greats. But for all of his accomplishments, Chase has sometimes struggled to perform when the chips are down. By my count, Mizzou is 4-6 in close games in which Chase Daniel has started, with four of those being “artificially” close games where the defense gave up a bunch of points late in the game. That means the Tigers are 1-5 under Daniel in closely contested nail-biters. This is not an indictment, just an observation. Interpret it as you will.

Blowout wins (more than 10 points)

Record: 21-0

List: Murray State ’06 (47-7), Ole Miss ’06 (34-7), Ohio ’06 (31-6), Colorado ’06 (28-13), Texas Tech ’06 (38-21), Kansas State ’06 (41-21), kU ’06 (42-17), Ole Miss ’07 (38-25), Western Michigan ’07 (52-24), Illinois State ’07 (38-17), Nebraska ’07 (41-6), Texas Tech ’07 (41-10), Iowa State ’07 (42-28), Colorado ’07 (55-10), Texas A&M ’07 (40-26), Kansas State ’07 (49-32), Arkansas ’08 (38-7), SEMO ’08 (52-3), Nevada ’08 (69-17), Buffalo ’08 (42-21), Nebraska ’08 (52-17)

Stats: 6,213 yards, 59 TDs, 12 INTs

Per game: 295 yds/game, 2.8 TDs/game, 0.6 INTs/game

What do these numbers mean?

When Chase Daniel is on his game and given time to throw, he is one of the best quarterbacks you will ever see. The numbers are actually less gaudy than I expected, but two factors account for that. First, Chase spent a lot of time on the bench in the fourth quarter (and sometimes the third quarter) of these games. Second, a few of these games (i.e. Texas Tech ’07, Arkansas ’08) were dominating rushing performances because the defense chose to take away the passing game at the expense of giving the running backs a field day. Bottom line is that these numbers prove what we all know: Chase Daniel is a really good QB. These games were blowouts because Chase played well – he didn’t play well because they were blowouts. The key seems to be getting Chase off to a good start and avoiding early sacks or turnovers that might get him rattled.

Artificially close games (defense lets them back in it)

Record: 3-1

List: Oregon State ’06 (38-39), Illinois ’07 (40-34), kU ’07 (36-28), Illinois ’08 (52-42)

Stats: 1,373 yards, 11 TDs, 1 INTs

Per game: 343 yds/game, 2.75 TDs/game, 0.25 INTs/game

What do these numbers mean?

If you’ve been following Mizzou during the Chase Daniel Era, you know exactly how this story goes. The offense builds a huge lead in the second half, only to see the defense collapse late in the game. Usually the Tigers hold on (thanks largely to timely plays by Chase on offense), but it came back to bite them in the 2006 Sun Bowl when the Tigers blew a double-digit lead in the second half. As the numbers show, Chase is typically brilliant in these games.

Truly close games

Record: 1-5

List: New Mexico ’06 (27-17), Texas A&M ’06 (19-25), Iowa State ’06 (16-21), Oklahoma ’07 – reg. (41-31), Oklahoma ’07 – champ. (17-38), Oklahoma State ’08 (23-28)

Stats: 1,774 yards, 5 TDs, 8 INTs

Per game: 296 yds/game, 0.83 TDs/game, 1.3 INTs/game

What do these numbers mean?

Here’s what has begun to concern me about Chase. He is an amazing quarterback who truly shines when things are going his way. The question is what happens when faced with adversity. The numbers show that his game slips when the chips are down in a close game. The anecdotal evidence bears this out. Chase has only led one game-winning or game-tying fourth quarter drive in his career, and that was his freshman year, when he came in for an injured Brad Smith against Iowa State. In games where the action went back and forth throughout, Chase has just one win. Games are obviously won and lost by teams, not individuals, but Saturday’s loss to OSU got me thinking about how Chase performs in the clutch. Against Texas A&M in 2006, the Tigers had two fourth quarter possessions in Aggie territory, but failed to score the go-ahead touchdown. In 2006, Daniel nearly led a game-winning drive that was denied by the infamous “holding” call. Most recently, Chase threw two fourth quarter interceptions against the Cowboys on Saturday that ended Mizzou’s chances to win the game. Then there are the two Oklahoma games from 2007. In both games, Chase was rattled by the OU rush, leading to untimely turnovers when the game was hanging in the balance. The moral of the story is that while Chase is a great quarterback, teams can beat Mizzou if their offense keeps up the scoring pace and their defense gets under Chase’s skin. That doesn’t make Chase a bad quarterback, but it seems to be the only way to beat the Tigers.

Blowout losses (more than 10 points)

Record: 0-2

List: Oklahoma ’06 (10-26), Nebraska ’06 (20-34)

Stats: 528 yards, 2 TDs, 5 INTs

Per game: 264 yds/game, 1 TD/game, 2.5 INTs/game

What do these numbers mean?

There’s not too much to learn here. You can’t really tell if Mizzou got blown out because Chase didn’t play well, or if Chase didn’t play well because Mizzou got blown out. It’s only happened twice in his career, and Mizzou was pretty clearly outclassed in both games. Bottom line is still the same, though: If you can stop Chase Daniel, you stop Mizzou.

Arch Rivalry Recap

2008-09-02T13:48:00.000-05:00

By Commissioner

The Good

-Jeremy Maclin snatched momentum away from the Illini with a 99-yard kick-off return to put the Tigers back in front just 13 seconds after falling behind. I’m not sure Mizzou has ever had a game-breaker like Maclin and it’s scary to think what could happen if he’s knocked out of a crucial game (more on this later).

-On a rough day for the defense, Sean Witherspoon stepped up and single-handedly sealed the win for the Tigers with two huge interceptions.

-With the spotlight on him in his first college game, Elvis Fisher delivered in a big way at left tackle. He kept Chase Daniel clean all afternoon (the vaunted Illini D-line never put much pressure on the QB, and the one sack late was a coverage sack). Perhaps Fisher’s best effort was on Derrick Washington’s second touchdown run, where he opened up the whole on the left side, then sprinted downfield and knocked Vontae Davis out of the play.

-Speaking of Washington, he was incredible in his debut, averaging nearly 10 yards per carry and scoring twice. His second touchdown run – thanks to some poor tacking by the Illini – made him look like Earl Campbell.

-Daniel turned in a good performance that would be great for most other quarterbacks. Throwing for 314 yards and 3 TDs is a good way to start off the Heisman campaign.

-Chase Coffman also left his mark on the game with more than 100 yards receiving and a touchdown. The play everyone will remember came early in the second half, when he juked past two defenders, jumped over a third, and carried a host of tacklers for 10 more yards. If he’s not an All-American, the voters simply are not paying attention.

-Also worthy of note: Styker Sulak was all over the field, notching 3 huge sacks and blocking an extra point... Jeff Wolfert nailed a career-long 51-yard field goal and was excellent on kickoffs... Tommy Saunders not only caught two touchdowns, but also wrangled three bad snaps as the holder on special teams and filled in admirably as a punt returner.

The Bad

-Daniel’s one mistake was a big one. He failed to look before throwing a screen pass, which ended up in the arms of an Illinois defender, who took it to the house.

-Injuries seemed to plague the Tigers on Saturday. I – along with every other Tiger fan – was holding my breath when Maclin went to the locker room. Luckily he will be back soon. The news is not so good for Steve Redmond, who is lost for the season. There was another scary moment when Carl Gettis – the lone bright spot in the Mizzou secondary – went down with an injury, but he appeared to be okay.

-We’ve come to expect such great things from William Moore that we are disappointed when he doesn’t completely dominate a game. He still led the team in tackles and was apparently limited by an injury... so hopefully we’ll see him have a greater impact on games going forward.

-Fourth and inches. I’m not saying we have to have a fullback. I’m not even saying we have to get under center. But why in the world do we insist on running a QB draw with Chase when everyone in the world knows it is coming? At least put a running back in there to disguise it or something. Frustrating.

The Ugly

-There’s no getting around it... Mizzou’s secondary played an ugly game on Saturday. Giving up 5 touchdown passes to anyone is bad. Giving up 5 touchdown passes to Juice Williams is just ridiculous, regardless of how much time he spent with Donovan McNabb this offseason (Did you know he spent a week with him? Did you?). I’m not sure whether the blame goes to the coaches or the players or both, but it better be sorted out by the time conference play arrives.

Play of the Game

There are plenty to choose from here – Spoon’s pick-6, Washington’s incredible run, Coffman’s hurdle – but the play of the day was clearly Maclin’s kick-off return. The Illini had all the momentum at that point, but Maclin took it all away in just 13 seconds. Kudos also to Earl Goldsmith for throwing two great blocks on the play.

Hit of the Game

Surprise, surprise. The winner here was not Sulak, Moore, Spoon, or any of the other heavy hitters on defense. Instead, it was 5’5” Tremane Vaughn, who laid a serious blow on an Illinois receiver late in the second half.

Seen and Heard in the Stands

Commissioner and Co. showed up in the ESPN broadcast after Mizzou’s first touchdown if you look very carefully... No near-fights with Illini fans this year, which was nice... I didn’t hear any B-C-S chants from the Illini. I wonder why... Crowd looked to be about 55-45 in favor of the Tigers, but there were a surprising number of empty seats in the upper deck... I received a text message and two voicemails telling me that Maclin’s injury was just a sprain. You guys know me too well; we were freaking out... Gold Rush was about 75 percent effective, but not nearly as good as Nebraska last year... Right before the opening play of the second drive, Born-a-tiger called a fake to Maclin on the end around, followed by a hand-off to Washington off the right side. The man knows his Tigers because that’s exactly what Mizzou did, gaining about 20 yards...

MU-Illinois Preview

2008-08-28T21:58:00.000-05:00

By Commissioner

Well, it’s almost time to get the 2008 season underway. This year’s opener is huge because it will set the tone for the season. Win, and the Tigers are set up for a run at the national title (there’s something I never thought I’d be writing without sarcasm). Lose, and there will be talking heads all over the country lining up to say 2007 was a fluke. We can still have a great season with a loss on Saturday, but if we want a season for the record books, the Tigers need a win.

That being said, I have the utmost faith in Coach Pinkel’s ability to get his guys ready for this game. After all, as important as this game is, the Tigers have shown repeatedly over the last year that they can win big games. You can’t tell me this is any bigger than kU last year and we know how that ended up. You also have to like the senior leadership on this team. Do you really think Chase and Wily Mo will let these guys lose focus? Bottom line, they’ll be ready.

But what about Illinois? They don’t have the same expectations, but they also have no reason to fear the Tigers. Mizzou never connected with a knockout punch last year when they were up big and the Illini climbed right back into it. They know (think?) they can play with the Tigers, and confidence is huge this early in the season. That’s why I the game will be a lot closer than most Tiger fans (and the Vegas oddsmakers) seem to think.

Tigers to Watch:

We know what to expect from guys like Chase Daniel, Chase Coffman, Jeremy Maclin, William Moore, Jeff Wulfert, etc. So that’s not where I’ll be watching. Like so many other Mizzou fans, I’ll have my eyes trained on the left side of the offensive line to start the game. If Elvis Fisher can get the job done on the left side, it could be an easy win for the Tigers. But if the D-line can get pressure on Daniel’s blind side, causing turnovers, etc., it could get messy.

I’m also excited to see which of the freshman receivers leaves his mark on the game. Jerrell Jackson has been making dazzling plays in practice, and Andrew Jones should see some time at TE. But I’m sure Wes Kemp will want to get in there and do his best Jeremy Maclin impression by putting on a show in his hometown. Brad Smith also had his coming out party at the Dome. If one of these freshmen can make a similar first impression, it will be a long day for the Illinois secondary.

Illini to Watch

Everyone is going to talk about Juice Williams and Arrelious Benn. But I’m not really worried about either of them. Mizzou tends to handle mobile quarterbacks pretty well, and Benn can only do so much with Juice throwing him one-hoppers. I’ll be watching junior running back Daniel Dufrene to see if he can step into the big shoes left by Rashard Mendenhall. Dufrene had 58 yards in last year’s game on only six carries. The Tigers have to slow him down to win.

The marquis player on the other side of the ball is Vontae Davis at cornerback. Tiger fans might remember Davis from his blocked punt in last year’s contest. He will, of course, be matched up against Maclin. I’m sure Davis is great, but I’m amused by the number of Illinois fans who think Davis simply cancels out Maclin. You can’t take Maclin out of the game with single coverage, and I hope the Illinois coaches are dumb enough to try. That’s not an insult to Davis, who is a very good DB... but Mizzou just does too much with Maclin for one guy to stop him. I’ll say this though... if Davis is able to man up Maclin all day and shut him down, he’s probably the best DB in the country. The bad news for Illinois: Last time I checked, we have more than one receiver. Who’s covering the rest of them?

Keys to the Game:

1. Battle in the trenches: I really think this game will be won or lost in the trenches. Oklahoma showed last year that the only way to stop Mizzou’s offense is to get pressure with the front four. The Illini D-line is not nearly as good as OU, but they are talented and going up against a somewhat inexperienced MU offensive line. If they can pressure Chase, they’ve got a chance. On the flip side, I’ve heard that Illinois is going to blitz a lot. Let’s hope so, Tiger fans. They might get to Chase a couple times, but he’ll also burn them repeatedly. If you are Illinois, the pressure has to come up front.

2. Mizzou getting on top early: I haven’t seen the Illini this year (obviously), but I have to assume that they are a similar team – which means they aren’t really built to come from behind. On the flipside, they have the ability to grind out the clock with Juice and Dufrene if they get a lead. While I don’t expect the Tigers to fold under the pressure, things could get interesting if Illinois takes the lead late in the game. But if Mizzou gets ahead by a couple scores early, I think this one could be over. Do you really see Juice Williams throwing it all over the field and leading them to victory? I don’t. But I know you’re all thinking, “Uh, what about last year?” That brings me to point 3...

3. Killer instinct: For years, Pinkel’s teams didn’t have it at all (see: the entire 2004 season). Last year, they showed it in flashes, pummeling Nebraska and Arkansas. But for every 41-6, there was a game where the Tigers were up big in the second half and then seemed to stop playing. That’s why MU fans have a completely different view of the Illinois and kU games last year than our opponents. We remember being up big and we remember winning. We conveniently forget that empty feeling we all got when we thought it might slip away. Hopefully the Tigers have learned their lesson. I don’t want Pinkel to worry about running up the score... and that goes for the whole season. If we’re up 21, make it 28.... make it 35. I would much rather defend the Tigers against critics who say we run up the score than blow a 24-point lead in the second half.

Prediction:

Last season, the Tigers only scored fewer than 30 points once. I don’t see it happening on Saturday, and I think that’s the only way Illinois wins it. Mizzou 34, Illinois 27.

Pop quiz:

Can you name the only two Tiger starters who are not from Missouri or Texas?

It's funny how things change...

2008-08-27T10:12:00.001-05:00

By Commissioner

In anticipation of bringing back The Zou after a year and a half hiatus, I was reading through some of the old posts. I stumbled across this entry from April 13, 2006, outlining the “simple truths” of being a Mizzou fan. It reminded me just how much the perception of Mizzou athletics has changed thanks to the unforgettable 2007 season. The question is, what does the future hold? Mizzou fans are wired to wait for the other shoe to drop – and with good reason: Fifth Down, Flea Kicker, Tyus Edney, etc. But should we? Let’s a take a look back at those “truths”.

If Mizzou has a top 25 preseason team and a consensus All-American, the team WILL fall apart and the player WILL underachieve or get injured.

Part of what made last season so remarkable is that no one outside of Tiger Nation saw it coming. There were no accolades (with the possible exception of Martin Rucker) and no preseason ranking, despite being picked to win the Big XII North. With a Top-10 preseason ranking and preseason All-Americans in Maclin and Willy Mo, this year will really test this truth. But don’t you trust this group of Tigers a lot more than the past?

If Mizzou is the front-runner for a top-flight recruit, he WILL change his mind.

This is simply not true any more – at least in football. Now we’re taking recruits from other schools (Blaine Gabbert, Wes Kemp, etc.). I think the whole “we don’t recruit, we select” thing is WAY over the top at this point, but the culture has definitely changed. It’s changed in basketball too: We’re not even in the running for big recruits. Sigh.

If there is an important personnel decision to made, the athletic department WILL handle it poorly.

There hasn’t been a big hire since Anderson, so it’s hard to say at this point. The closest example is how they handled all the suspensions of the basketball team last year. In my opinion, it was a joke. A bunch of guys are involved in the same incident, but the only one who gets kicked off the team is the one who is injured and can’t play? It just made us look stupid. But, I will give credit where credit is due... Alden was right when he decided to hold onto Pinkel.

No matter how badly the revenue sports perform, a non-revenue sport WILL accomplish something great to keep Alden looking good.

This is only partly true. The non-revenue sports are still performing at a high level... but Alden emerged from last year’s football season looking like a genius (except for that whole bowl game fiasco).

Gary Pinkel WILL struggle against against mediocre teams from kansas, but win a big game or two late in the season to make fans forget that his team has underachieved.

This is also not true anymore. Pinkel has crushed kU and K-State in each of the last two seasons. He’s also gotten the monkey off his back by winning at Colorado and other road venues. Next up is winning at Nebraska for the first time since 1978. Now if only we can beat Oklahoma...

The basketball team WILL inexplicably win a couple big games in the middle of the season, tricking Mizzou fans into believing that it has finally turned the corner.

This is still true, but Mizzou fans stopped falling for it a couple years ago. Really, after Mizzou blew out Texas last year, did anyone think they could compete in the Big XII? I sure didn’t. I do think Anderson will get it turned around eventually... I just hope there are some fans left by the time he does.

Bottom line: We WILL be a second-tier athletic program until the problems are fixed… and that means we need change in the athletic department.

This is an interesting point. On one hand, we still have not won a Big XII title in a major sport. We haven’t won a national championship since the 1950s. But yet... something feels different. Mizzou is on the cover of Sports Illustrated. Chase, Maclin and Co. are on the front page of every college football Web site. Last year’s MU-kU game was one of the highest rated games ever.

In 2006, I wrote “[M]any Mizzou fans seem to have a false sense of where Mizzou fits in the national consciousness . . . . They expect national titles, even though they have no reason to. Then, when the teams inevitably fall short, they get upset. They say people should be fired. They tear apart 19-year-old kids on the Internet. They say we are cursed. But maybe the only curse we have is a fan base with unreasonable expectations.” Well, just two years later, Mizzou football is firmly planted in the national consciousness. And those national championship aspirations? They’re looking a bit more reasonable these days. It’s amazing how quickly things can change. Let’s just hope it continues.

On hiatus...

2008-07-01T19:50:00.001-05:00

In case anyone ever checks in on our little site, I thought I would let you know that we've been on a bit of a hiatus for more than a year while I finished up law school and started studying for the bar. Look for a new and improved Zou to return in the fall when I get some free time... at least until I have to start a real job.

The U

2007-05-30T23:22:00.001-05:00

#2 Miami Hurricanes

Record: 36-22

Bid: At-large, from ACC

Regional Appearances: 36

CWS Appearances: 22

National Titles: 4

Players to Watch: For starters, there are some names on the roster that should be familiar to folks in Columbia. Sophomore CF Blake Tekotte was a star at Hickman and hit .345 this season while appearing in all 57 games for the Hurricanes. Fans from St. Louis should recognize the name of Jason Hagerty, a freshman catcher who was the 2006 Missouri Gatorade Player of the Year. Given Miami’s storied history, it’s hard to blame these kids for leaving the state, but it sure would be nice if they regretted that decision by next Monday… Miami’s biggest threat at the plate is sophomore first baseman Yonder Alonso (.378, 18 HRs and 74 RBI). The fact that he was only a second-team All-ACC selection with those numbers goes to show how deep that conference is… The pitching rotation is led by freshman left-hander Eric Erickson (10-3, 2.00), who was an All-ACC selection. Junior lefty Scott Maine (5-5, 3.03) appears to be the No. 2 starter, striking out 73 batters in 92.0 innings pitched… Danny Gil (3-0, 3.73) is probably the best arm out of the bullpen, appearing in 31 games and earning 5 saves.

Pretty much anyone who follows college baseball can tell you that Miami has a rich tradition of winning. Their trip to Columbia marks the 35th consecutive regional appearance for the Hurricanes, which is an NCAA record. Miami has also won 13 consecutive regionals and appeared in last year’s College World Series. Even more daunting is the fact that Miami is 27-2 in its last 29 regional games and has not suffered a regional loss to a team other than Florida since 1998. Still, history alone will not get Miami through to the next round and this year’s Hurricane squad is not as dominant as we have come to expect. Despite winning 10 of their last 13 games, they earned only a No. 5 seed in a very deep ACC tournament and ended up falling to No. 8 seed Wake Forest. They’re bound to lose eventually… right?

It’s hard to know what exactly to expect from Miami this weekend. They have played extremely well at times, including two wins against No. 3 Florida State and No. 13 Clemson. But they also had their share of bad games against teams outside the top 100 in RPI, including two losses to Mercer (RPI 101), a loss to St. Bonaventure (RPI 204), and a loss to North Florida (RPI 152). The one thing we do know is they have postseason experience, so being away from home probably won’t bother them. After all, they made it to the College World Series last year without hosting a regional. I know I’m not going out on a limb here, but it wouldn’t surprise me at all to see Mizzou and Miami facing off on Sunday for the Regional Title. Who comes out on top is anybody’s guess… but my gut reaction, unfortunately, is Miami. Prove me wrong Tigers!

Let's play ball!

2007-05-29T21:53:00.000-05:00

By Tiger Fan

After a LONG hiatus as I finished up my second year of law school, I’m back to preview the Columbia (yes, MISSOURI) Regional for the NCAA Baseball Championship. This, my friends, is a program on the move. Congrats to Tim Jamieson and Co. on their fifth straight postseason. I’d love to see other teams at Mizzou step up and match that consistency. I’ll preview Kent State and Louisville today, Miami on Wednesday and our Tigers on Thursday, so keep checking back for updates. I will also be in Columbia on Friday for Game 1, which should ensure two things based on this year’s track record: 1) rain, and 2) a Tiger victory. Mizzou-Rah!

#4 Kent State Golden Flashes

Record: 33-24

Bid: MAC Tournament Champions

Regional Appearances: 8

CWS Appearances: 0

National Titles: 0

Players to Watch: Senior Andrew Davis led the Golden Flashes in hitting for the second straight year, batting .335 and driving in 53 runs. He was the only player to start all 57 games and also holds Kent State’s career hits record… Freshman Anthony Gallas was a big source of power for Kent State, hitting 10 HRs, driving in 43 runs and registering a .554 slugging percentage. On the flip side, Gallas also leads the team in strikeouts with 48… On the mound, righthanders Evan Smith and Kyle Smith have made the most starts for KSU this season and both have ERAs under 4.00. Ryan Davis, who has earned 8 saves, is the Kent State closer… Earlier today, Baseball America predicted that Chris Carpenter might get the start against Mizzou on Friday. Carpenter does not have a lot of starts this year because he is coming back from injury, but he has gone 4-0 in five starts with a 3.55 ERA and 25 strikeouts.

After falling just short of the NCAA tournament a year ago, Kent State is excited to be headed to Columbia. They are coming in with quite a bit of confidence, too. They already beat No. 3-seed Louisville earlier this year and the Golden Flashes have won 16 of their last 17 games. KSU also took 2 of 3 from Florida in Gainesville, which doesn’t mean as much as it has in years past, but is still impressive for a No. 4-seed. Much like the Tigers, Kent State has found ways to win all year, including four extra-inning victories and a number of one-run games. All in all, Kent State is a solid team that will certainly not be a pushover. I don’t see the Tigers losing on Friday, but anything is possible in baseball… particularly if Carpenter plays at his best. The bottom line is this: If the Tigers from Saturday’s 13-1 win over OSU show up, we will win. If the Tigers who lost to Baylor and Oklahoma show up, things could get interesting.

#3 Louisville Cardinals

Record: 40-22

Bid: At-large, from Big East

Regional Appearances: 2

CWS Appearances: 0

National Titles: 0

Players to Watch: The senior tandem of Isaiah Howes and Logan Johnson anchor the Cardinals’ attack. Howes hit .387 with 15 HRs and 55 RBI. Johnson hit .372 with 13 HRs and 55 RBI… CF Boomer Whiting is the nation’s top base-stealer, with 69 stolen bases… On the mound, it’s all about junior Zack Pitts (Big East Pitcher of the Year) and freshman lefty Justin Marks (Big East Rookie of the Year), each of whom has started 15 games. Pitts has eye-popping numbers: his 8-3 record is accompanied by a 1.78 ERA and 80 strikeouts, compared with only 21 walks. In his first year, Marks has compiled a 7-2 record with a 2.44 ERA and struck out 72 while walking only 26… Trystan Magnuson handles the closing duties for Louisville, recording 8 saves and striking out 49 while giving up just 5 earned runs in 31 appearances.

Many have said that Louisville is a weak No. 3, but I’m just not seeing it. Perhaps the Big East is not the strongest baseball conference, but Howes and Johnson have put up huge numbers that have been complemented by equally impressive pitching. The rest of the line-up seems to drop off considerably after their star players, but if they are all playing well, I’m not sure it will matter. The loss to Kent State earlier this season has to be a concern for Cardinal fans (as does their 7-10 mark against the Golden Flashes all-time), and they have a very formidable opening round match-up with perennial power Miami. Still, it’s not crazy to think Louisville can make some noise in this regional. The question is, where do they turn for pitching after Pitts and Marks? The answer is not readily apparent, which probably means Columbia will be their last stop this season.

Please remain calm...

2007-01-14T12:42:00.000-06:00

By Tiger Fan

Ladies and gentlemen of Tiger nation, I implore you: Take a deep breath and calm down. I'm well aware that we have started 0-3 in conference play. I'm aware that ISU and KSU are not good teams. I'm aware that this may be a long season. But didn't we already know this was going to be a long season? How quickly we forget...

Cruising Tigerboard, I'm reading that Hannah (our best player, mind you) should be benched. Anderson (who has coached 16 games) should be fired. His system (which is being run by a very average team) will never work. It's a ridiculous reaction to a few tough games.

Let's a take a step back. The only reason we have these expectations for Anderson is that he came in and started off 9-0. No one expected that, but as soon as it happened, many Tiger fans somehow shifted their expectations from "first-year coach in a rebuilding year" to "conference contender." If you look at this objectively, we have one of the worst teams in the Big XII from a talent perspective. We finished 11th last year, and we lost our top two scorers and only legit big man from that team. Now, we have six new players on the roster and everyone is learning a new system. We have no inside presence. Our best player is in his first D-I season. Our best pure shooter (Matt Lawrence) can't create his own shots.

If anything, Anderson should be lauded for getting to 11-5 with this team. People are all worked up about the five losses, but three of those five games could have gone either way. Illinois came down to the final shot. ISU needed some questionable officiating and a lucky tip-in to win. KSU won by 4 despite shooting 43 free throws. If a few bounces had gone our way, this team could be 14-2, with Tiger fans declaring CMA coach of the century. I'm not trying to make excuses for this team... the losses to Purdue and Texas were ugly, and ISU and KSU should have been wins. But I can promise you this: With this talent, Quin would have lost all these games and probably would have lost to Arkansas, Davidson and at least one other patsy.

The point is, everyone needs to calm down. Before the season started, we all knew it would be a tough year. Then these guys got off to a hot start and everyone determined that Anderson was the second coming. Now Missouri fans have expectations that are impossible to meet with the talent we have.

I also have some bad news: It's not likely to get much better this season. We will get killed on Monday in Lawrence. We may only win 4 or 5 games in conference. We probably won't make either postseason tournament. But you all knew that was likely when the year started... you just got caught up in the hype and wanted to believe Anderson could work miracles. CMA is good, but he's not that good. We're heading in the right direction, but it's going to take time. So everyone needs to take a deep breath and relax. Things will get better eventually.

Braggin' Rights Live Blog

2006-12-19T22:25:00.000-06:00

By Tiger Fan and Born-a-Tiger

Well, it’s that time of year again. Time for the Braggin’ Rights game… lately, an annual ritual where Mizzou fans gather together and bemoan the demise of their basketball program. The Tigers haven’t won since 1999. I’ve been there the last two years and that hasn’t helped, so I’ll try watching it at home with Born-a-Tiger and Fannette this year. Last year’s 82-50 loss was the worst in series history, so it can’t get any worse. Right? Game on… let’s end this drought!

8:00: Certainly Duke is Duke… but they’re trying real hard to screw over Mizzou fans by blowing a 10-point lead against Kent State and sending things to overtime

8:05: Looks like Duke will pull this out, despite being incredibly overrated. In fact, Kent State fans have begun an overrated chant (down 5). And apparently Ohio State is struggling against the Cyclones. What the heck? Anyway, it’s over… let’s go to the real game.

8:09: As the team takes the floor, Born-a-Tiger suggests that Mizzou invest in a Mission:Impossible-style mask so that DeMarre Carroll can pretend to be Kalen Grimes. Or, CMA could do start Leo Lyons in his place. That could work.

8:15: Nolan Richardson was just spotted in the stands with a straw hat and a gray moustache. I think he’s trying to blend in…. ‘cause, you know, that’s what everyone else is wearing.

8:19: Stefhon Hannah is starting out hot and the Tigers have weathered the opening storm from the Illini. It’s 8-10 at the first timeout… I’ll take that.

8:27: Illinois fouls Grimes in an attempt to front him. Apparently they think he’s good and… OOOOHHHHH, Grimes with a huge put-back. Perhaps we were wrong about Kalen. Perhaps.

8:30: Illinois seems to be scoring at will right now, but they’re taking some tough shots and they happen to be going down. I’m okay with those shots… and if they really keep making them, we’re not going to win anyway.

8:37: And it seems that everyone on both teams is in foul trouble. Advantage: Mizzou.

8:49: I correctly called a Jason Horton miss at the free throw line, then Born-a-Tiger calls two straight misses by Pruitt, specifically naming where on the rim it will hit. Nice.

8:59: I was all set to say that the “Grimes fade-away count is at one”… but he traveled

9:02: The Tigers lead 38-35 at the half. Any Tiger fan who won’t take that is delusional. No popcorn showers this year. Great half of coaching.

9:06: Thinking back, the Tigers have been down at halftime a lot in this series and they always play better in the second half. I wasn’t a math major in school, but I’m pretty sure if we outscore them in the second half this year, we’ll win. Write that down.

9:10: As halftime continues, Fannette wanders into the room and I tell her we’re down by 20. She looks confused… not because she doesn’t think this is possible, but because we haven’t been screaming nearly enough to be down 20. Ah, college basketball.

9:23: Yikes. A quick 6-0 run by the Illini. Too many second chance points. Good time out by CMA.

9:29: Brian Randle gets his third foul. Born-a-Tiger says he looks hurt. I say he look stupid in his t-shirt. Fannette says he looks Mexican. Classic.

9:30: Fannette points out that I am also wearing a t-shirt under my jersey. Touche.

9:32: Why is Sean Sutton considered a first-year coach? Hasn’t he realistically been the coach at OSU for several years because his dad is a drunk? I’m just asking.

9:44: After Kalen knocks down a jumper, the announcer says, “Grimes, not known for his post moves…” Yeah, that’s what you want to hear about your big man. But hey, he’s playing well tonight.

9:57: This one’s not over yet, but with Mizzou down five, you have to look at second chance points. Illinois has 20 so far… teams won’t get that next year with Carroll in the mix.

10:15: Ahhhhh… free throws, rebounding and a lane violation are going to cost us the game. That’s a shame. It’s been a great game.

10:17: It’s not over yet, but the Tigers trail by three with 11.7 to play. They should have gotten it back on the last in-bound (the Illini player traveled and there was a held ball), but Illinois used its last timeout. It will come down to this possession.

10:18: STEAL! Tigers have 4.8 seconds to tie it. What a game!

10:19: Hannah loses it on his way up and that’s it. He was open but it just slipped out of his hands. His reaction? “F***ing crap.” Interesting choice of words to sum up the end of an interesting game. The final is 73-70 and while the Tigers need to beat these guys soon to keep the rivalry interesting, Mizzou fans should feel pretty good about this. It was a great game and it could have gone either way. Unfortunately, the guys just couldn’t quite pull it out and CMA becomes the first coach in the history of this rivalry to lose in his first year. Oh well… we’ll get them next year. And I mean it this time.

Weekly Report

2006-12-14T11:07:00.000-06:00

By Tiger Fan

Allright, law school exams are over, so I finally have to time to weigh in on all the issues in Columbia. So, without further ado...

Ticket scalping
Is anyone really surprised that the Sun Bowl ticket situation has turned into such a fiasco? It just wouldn't be a Mizzou sporting event without the athletic department screwing things up. When I first heard that they were giving away free tickets to students, I thought it was great... it's about time Mike Alden acknowledged the fact that the athletic department is actually tied to a university full of students. But almost as quickly, I realized this would be a disaster. Let's see: "poor" students who are crappy "fans," free tickets, eBay, a game in freakin' El Paso smack dab in the middle of winter break... what could go wrong?

I'm torn about who to blame for this. The athletic department is stupid for not seeing this coming. The fans who are buying the student tickets are stupid for encouraging it. And the students themselves are just jerks... and terrible fans. We actually had this happen with Zou Crew student tix to the Braggin' Rights game a couple years ago and those responsible were kicked out of the organization. The bottom line is that no true Tiger fan would take advantage of the AD's generosity and try to turn a profit for themselves. It is amusing to me to hear the students justify selling their tickets: "Well, they shouldn't have given them to us" (classy)... "Everyone knows Mizzou football is just about tailgating anyway" (I'm sure the players would appreciate hearing that. Plus, I've got bad news for the Mizzou tailgaters out there: Our scene is fine, but it's no better than most other Big XII schools and pales in comparison to anything in the SEC)... "I'm a poor college student" (give me a break)... "Who wants to ride to El Paso in a bus and sleep four to a room?" (Um, I think that's called a road trip. Those kind of memories are what college is all about. Besides, I thought you were poor?)... and my personal favorite, "Do you know how much an All Sports Pass costs? I'm just trying to recoup some of my investment. All student tickets should be free." (Are you freakin' kidding me? All Sports pass costs $207. That's less than season football tickets cost and then you get all the other sports for free. If anyone needs to recoup their investment it's someone who actually paid the AD face value for their tickets. The AD loses money on All Sports Passes. And sure, there are some schools where they let kids in free... but there are also schools like Ohio State where freshman get the distinct privilege of buying tickets to ONE game. I think Mizzou is at a happy medium).

Lost in all this is the bigger problem: The AD has only sold a couple thousand tickets, well short of the mark required by the Sun Bowl. If we don't get there, it will COST the AD around $200,000. Nice work, Tiger fans. Here's the bottom line: We should never complain about getting passed over by a better bowl. Mizzou fans have proven we don't deserve it.

Fan support
Speaking of Mizzou fans, what the heck is going on in Columbia? I understand that there was some snow and all, but let's show some support for the basketball team. They're 9-1 and off to their best start since 2001 (when they went to the Elite Eight), but no one seems to care. It's pathetic. Only a few years ago, Hearnes was overflowing with people because the AD thought all the students would skip the Iowa game at the start of Christmas break and resold the tickets... but then all the students showed up. Now? Either our student "fans" are pathetic or they have seriously raised the academic standards at Mizzou. Come on folks, get to a game. It takes two hours and if that makes a difference in your studying, you're probably screwed anyway. CMA is not Quin Snyder and he has these guys playing with heart. They deserve your support.

I guess part of the problem may be the geniuses in the athletic department, who seem to be doing everything possible to discourage student attendance. According to this story in the Tribune, Alden apparently called in the police at 3:00 a.m. to prevent students from lining up early for Braggin' Rights tickets. Yes, this is the same guy who won't let students camp outside the arena before big games (that's why the annual Zou Crew camp-out for kU seats was always at Tiger Plaza). Name for me another big-time program that would turn away students who were camping out for seats. I'll wait.... Back? There aren't any. Some Mizzou fans want to believe we have a big-time program, but we won't until our crappy leadership stops doing stuff like this. It's a Catch 22: The AD complains that we don't have any fan support... then the fans show up and he calls the police. Brilliant. How does this man still have a job?

Wrestling
The other team that deserves your support is the Mizzou wrestling team, currently ranked No. 1 in the country. Take a minute to let that sink in. No. 1 in the nation. Could you imagine what game day would be like if football was No. 1? Basketball? Ben Askren already brought Mizzou one national title and is working on another. Now, his brother Max is looking to do the same. These guys are the real deal.

Elson Floyd
I'd be remisced if I didn't mention the departure of University of Missouri President Elson Floyd. He's not directly related to the athletic department, but after the Ricky Clemons debacle, he will be forever tied to Quin, Alden, etc. I'm torn about what to think. On one hand, I'm all for getting rid of the entire regime that killed the basketball program and embarassed Mizzou on a national scale. Quin's gone... Floyd is gone... Alden is the only one left. The thing is, Floyd didn't really do anything wrong. Sure, his wife was completely out of line and embarassing, but can he be blamed for his wife's conduct? It always seemed to me like he got caught in a bad situation where he reached out to a student in trouble, and Clemons made him look like a fool. On the other hand, if you look at the big picture, he was good for the academic side of the university (which is why it exists in the first place, isn't it?). Most faculty members supported him, and he did a good job of keeping the state from slashing Mizzou's budget more than necessary. I think the Tiger fans who are cheering his departure are taking a somewhat myopic view of the situation. Overseeing athletics at Mizzou was a very, very small part of his job. Floyd was supervising the operation of four campuses throughout the state. He must have been doing a good job, otherwise Washington State wouldn't have offered him so much money to leave. He always seemed like a nice guy to me (can't say the same for his wife), so I wish him all the best. I just hope the UM system can find a suitable replacement to run the SCHOOL. If you have a problem with ATHLETICS, fire Alden. Maybe the new guy will do it...

Thoughts on Mizzou-Purdue

2006-12-09T15:16:00.000-06:00

By Tiger Fan

Before everyone starts jumping off a bridge because of the 79-62 loss to Purdue, let’s remember a few things: 1) a couple months ago, we all would have been thrilled with a 9-1 record right now… 2) this was our first road game and it showed… 3) Purdue is a pretty good team… 4) this game was a lot closer than it looks from the score. It was tied at the half, but we just couldn’t buy a basket in the second half. It doesn’t matter how well you play defense if you can’t score (they scored 39 in the first, 40 in the second… we scored 39 in the first, 23 in the second). Now, here are some specific thoughts:

-First off, let’s talk about ESPN 360. I can’t emphasize this enough... it SUCKS. Explain to me why I should like watching a game in a little 5x5 box in my computer instead of getting it on MSN or FOX. I feel bad for Big Eleven fans who apparently have to watch games like this all the time. For about half the game, it re-buffered every two or three or three seconds so you had no idea what was going on. Strangely, they didn’t have any problems with the ESPN ads. And I’m not sure where they got those announcers, but they were terrible. I’m almost hoping that they just hired the normal TV crew that does Purdue games because otherwise, they showed an incredible lack of professionalism in professing their love for Purdue throughout the game. Also, they apparently didn’t do any research on Mizzou before we got there. Through the whole first half, they kept talking about how “Mizzou is going to stick with the press here” and “There’s no way they can do this for 40 minutes.” Um… yeah… that’s exactly what we do. I guess we’ll have to deal with that until people get used to Mike Anderson. One interesting note: according to this crack announcing squad, comedian Martin Lawrence has turned into a white small forward who plays for the Tigers…

-Missouri probably thought it was a good idea to have Big XII refs in a Big Eleven venue. What the AD failed to remember is that Big XII refs suck. If Tom O’Neil and Steve Weimer call all the Mizzou games as tight as they did in the first half, we may be the first team ever to forfeit a game because the whole team fouls out.

-As expected, our interior defense and rebounding is TERRIBLE against a team with some real size. They gave up way too many second chance baskets on the offensive end and they made some kid named Landry look like Shaq. We also took at a lot of bad shots… and missed a lot of free throws… and we have to find a way to get Matt Lawrence open… and we will lose at least one or two games this year because Grimes sucks. He refuses to attack the basket, opting for the fade-away every time. That’s not what you want from your big man. The good news is that most of these things can be fixed.

-Apparently Purdue fans are really lame or they haven’t watched much basketball. Based on all the booing, they apparently expected a foul every time anyone was touched. I also thought it was funny to hear them get frustrated when their players continually dribbled into double teams. You would hear the whole crowd yelling, “Go! Come on!”

-A few plays that stood out: Mizzou’s first basket was a great dish from Horton to Grimes for a monster jam, Hannah scored six points in about 20 seconds to give us the lead in the first half thanks to the press, Tiller hit a 30-footer with a guy in his face as the shot clock expired, K-Law made a great block on a Purdue fast break and then saved the ball from going out of bounds. The only problem? All these plays happened in the first half.

MU-ISU recap

2006-11-20T13:06:00.000-06:00

By Tiger Fan

We've all seen great games where everyone played well and it was a shame that someone had to lose. Last year's Rose Bowl, the amazing ND-USC game and even this weekend's epic between Michigan and Ohio State. Saturday's game between Mizzou and Iowa State was not one of those games. It's a shame that anyone had to win. Pretty much everyone other than ISU's Kock turned in a poor performance, including the refs. As mad as we were about the phantom holding call, our group of Mizzou fans had to admit we didn't deserve to win as we headed for the exits. Once we got to the bars, we were greeted by plenty of Cyclone fans who said they didn't deserve it either. But as much as we'd like to just erase this game from our collective memory, it happened. Here's a look at all that went so horribly wrong.

ISU
On the surface, it may not look like the Cyclones did anything wrong. After all, they won the game and their fullback turning tailback Ryan Kock turned in a huge day. But ISU actually blew several chances to put the game away... only to be aided by poor officiating or mistakes by Mizzou. Early in the game, trailing 10-7, the Cyclones stalled inside the 10 and were set to kick a field goal... when Mizzou jumped offsides. Only then did ISU take the 14-10 lead. On a crucial fourth and 2 in the third quarter, they didn't stick to their bread and butter by rushing up the middle. Instead, they rolled out Bret Meyer, who replays show was knocked out of bounds a yard shy of the first down... but the referees gave them the spot anyway. On third and goal from the 2 with a chance to ice the game, they got cute and went for a play action pass instead of sticking with Kock. The result was a sack. Then they missed a field goal and gave Mizzou a chance for the win. McCarney was out-thinking himself more than Gary Pinkel on Saturday... and that takes some effort. I'm not trying to take anything away from ISU... they came to play. But they didn't execute well and they made some very bad decisions. A good team would have exploited those. Unfortunately...

Mizzou
...Missouri is not a good team. It's becoming clearer and clearer that while this team might have more talent than past Missouri teams, they are very poorly coached. The offensive line can't block anybody. Our running backs can't hold onto the ball. Our defense can't make any adjustments (ISU ran the same cut-back play with Kock over and over again). And we call some of the most asinine plays you have ever seen. The Tigers ran the same flanker screen at least 6 times. All our running plays require our backs to run 10 yards to the sideline before going up the field. And why on earth would you line up in the shotgun on fourth and inches with the game on the line. I know Chase got in, but I guarantee that no one would have called holding on a QB sneak under center. Why put our crappy o-line in the position of having to pull and block somebody in space? It just doesn't make sense. The only player who played well was Chase, who turned in an absolutely heroic performance. It would have been legendary but...

The Refs
...Castleberry and his crew sucked on Saturday. According to the KC Star, Walt Anderson, who is the Big 12 head of officials, has already called Pinkel to say that the phantom holding call was incorrect. Big surprise there, considering the flag came in three seconds after the play ended and Wyrick was laying flat on his stomach at the time of the alleged penalty. Look, I'm not pinning this all on the refs, the game should never have been that close... but the fact is that they took the game-winning touchdown off the board with a bad call. Also, what most MU fans are missing is that the officiating was terrible throughout the game. Ignoring the fact that Chase scored twice and wasn't given credit for either score, here's a quick rundown of some fascinating decisions from Saturday's game:
-After allowing blatant holding by both teams throughout the game, the refs call three holding penalties on the Tigers in the fourth quarter.
-On the final drive, Jared Perry catches a short pass on the sideline, takes one step forward, gets hit, takes one step back and goes out of bounds. The ref calls him in bounds and signals for the clock to run.
-The refs consistently spot the ball about a yard ahead of where it should have been. The most blatant example was on the aforementioned fourth and 2 when Meyer rolls out and dives for the first down marker. The ref picks up the ball, LOOKS AT THE FIRST DOWN MARKER, then sets the ball down even with it. Despite the fact that Meyer dove three yards to get there and it was anything but an obvious call, they don't measure. The replay shows that Meyer's hand hits the chalk with the ball at least a yard shy of the first down.
-On a kickoff return in the second half, two MU players chase the kick returner out of bounds. The replay clearly shows that neither one touches the returner, although one does slam into an ISU coach who doesn't get out of the way in time. Mizzou is flagged for a 15-yard late hit. On Mizzou's next offensive series, Daniel is leveled going out of bounds. Frankly, it was a clean hit... but in the interest of consistency, there's no way he didn't deserve the penalty.
-The replay officials were just as bad. They reviewed two obvious Mizzou catches in the first half (both upheld) but didn't review Meyer's fourth down plunge. Also, the Tigers had to waste a timeout and beg for Daniel's flipping TD run to be reviewed. I still believe he was in, but I know there wasn't a good camera angle. The replay official confirmed the ruling on the field.

The only good thing I can say about Saturday's game was that it was exciting... mainly because you never had any idea what would happen next... and then you never knew if it might be overturned by a ref. Let's just chalk this up to a learning experience: Mizzou learned that you can't overlook anybody, ISU learned that it's best offensive strategy is to keep handing the ball to a huge white kid and the refs learned what holding is. And I learned once again why it sucks to be a Mizzou fan...

Basketball season is here

2006-11-09T13:27:00.000-06:00

By Tiger Fan

In case you are looking for a way to pass the time this weekend with the football Tigers on a bye week, let me remind you that the Mizzou basketball team opens play this weekend with three games in three days. Things tip off Friday night… but it won’t be on TV for some reason. Anyway, I’ve had the opportunity to watch both of the exhibition games so far this season and I’ve been generally pleased with what I have seen. I’m not expecting a Big XII title or anything, but at least we have a reason to pay attention again. Here’s a rundown:

Good news…

-Stefhon Hannah is the best point guard Mizzou has had in a long, long time. I’ve heard lifelong Tiger fans compare his abilities to those of Melvin Booker. He’s very quick, plays solid defense, knocks down 3s and throws a killer alley-oop. Too bad he wasn’t around for the end of the Rickey Paulding era.

-Marshall Brown will need to step up this year if the Tigers are going to accomplish anything. So far, so good. It may just be the inferior opponents, but Brown has been doing a good job of attacking the basket… plus, playing with Hannah really seems to elevate his game.

-Matt Lawrence has proven himself to be a good shooter when he gets the chance. That’s something we will desperately need.

-The new system is fun to watch. Even when Mizzou was obliterating the Lithuania Academy, I was entertained by all the steals and fast breaks. It’s probably a product of the system, but the Tigers also seem to be playing with a lot more energy and heart

-Stefhon Hannah is the best thing that ever happened to Jason Horton. First, Hannah’s presence keeps Horton from bringing it up the court and pounding it into the floor for 20 seconds. And second, he is pushing Horton and making him a better player. Have I mentioned how excited I am about Stefhon Hannah?

-Volkus seems like a solid contributor. He’s not going to win any style points, but he’s not afraid to get in there and rebound… which is good because don’t really have any big guys inside to handle that.

-Butterfield has more touch than I expected.

-Tiller appears to have all the physical tools and is a solid defender. Now it’s just a matter of refining his game to make him a complete player

-Grimes is quicker after shedding a few pounds in the offseason.

-We are scoring at a much better clip this year. I know that UMR and Lithuania Academy are horrible, but we scored 105 and 94 respectively. That’s much better than the totals we put up in last year. Unfortunately, I remember the days when we used to do that during the actual season… of course, I also remember needing a buzzer beater to beat the EA Sports All-Stars.

-We have a chance to surprise some people because this system allows us to play beyond our talent level. If we were playing in Quin’s “system” with this year’s talent, we would lose a TON of games

-We have a coach that is actually coaching this year. Seriously. Every time you look over there, Anderson is standing up, calling out instructions, moving guys around. Maybe I have forgotten that Quin used to do this, but I remember looking at the bench last year during the Braggin’ Rights game and seeing Quin sitting down and looking defeated. Attitude reflects leadership.

Bad news…

-We’re going to get killed inside this year. Definitely once Big XII play starts but maybe even before then. We better steal the ball before they get into a half-court set or we will be in big trouble. It sure would be nice to have DeMarre Carroll right about now… or Ty Morrison… sigh…

-… or Leo Lyons, for that matter. Lyons has been out for the exhibition games with undisclosed academic troubles. Great... just what we need. Hard to believe Kentucky wanted this guy.

-Keon Lawrence and Glen Dandridge are hurt and probably will be for at least another month. We know what Dandridge brings to the table and I can easily see him starting over Lawrence in this system. It fits his game perfectly. We still don’t know about K-Law. If the rumors are true, we want him out there ASAP.

-Mike Anderson Jr. isn’t a big addition, but at least he’s not using a scholarship. I have a sneaky suspicion that once everyone is healthy, we won’t be seeing very much of him.

-Grimes is being way too fancy with his shots. In both exhibition games, he was the biggest player on the floor, but he was shooting fade-aways and jump shots. He needs to take it strong to the rim and go through people. If he can’t be tough inside, it’s going to be a long season.

1978

2006-11-07T12:14:00.000-06:00

By Tiger Fan

I meant to post this on Friday, but I never got around to it. This was supposed to be the MU-NU preview. We all know how that turned out. But I think a lot of this is still worth pondering. Enjoy.

1978.

That’s the last time the Tigers won in Lincoln. Let that soak in for a minute: It was 28 years ago and a lot has changed in nearly three decades. The Internet didn’t even exist, let alone blogs. Heck, no one who writes for The Zou was even alive yet. Kellen Winslow was still playing for the Tigers. We had a goofball Republican as our President. Gas prices were high. There was a crisis in the Middle East… okay, maybe some things haven’t changed, but you get my point. It’s been a REALLY LONG TIME since the Tigers beat the Huskers in Nebraska.

Perhaps more importantly, it has also been quite a while since the Tigers played in a game with so much on the line. Saturday’s winner is all but assured of a Big XII North Title. I know some may mock this “achievement” since it is akin to being the smartest kid in the slow class, but let’s remember for a moment that this is Mizzou we are talking about. In the 11-year history of the Big XII, we have exactly one conference title (softball in 1997). Beggars can’t be choosers. If Mizzou somehow wins on Saturday, it will likely propel them to the first 10-win season in decades and a shot winning the Big XII Championship in Kansas City. Fans can grumble all they want about bad coaching and last week’s ugly performance against OU, but I’m not sure anyone could be disappointed with a 10-win season.

Of course, it’s also not the end of the world if the Tigers lose on Saturday. As I have established, it’s been almost 30 years since we won in Lincoln, so there’s no reason to expect it now. Nebraska opened as a 7-point favorite and the Huskers should be angry coming off two straight losses. Let’s be honest: If the Huskers bring their A-game and the Tigers play like they did last week, Mizzou will lose by 30. Even if both teams play top-notch football, it’s a toss-up at best. So let’s say the Tigers lose… but let’s also say they finish the year by knocking off ISU and kU. I still think Tiger fans have to be pleased with the season. Yes, they could have won against A&M or OU, but can anyone tell me with a straight face that they predicted 10 wins for this team back in August? I for one would have been thrilled if you told me we’d go 9-3 this season.

So what will happen on Saturday? That’s anybody’s guess. If we get the Tiger defense from the Tech game and the Tiger offense from the KSU game, it could be exciting. But if we turn the ball over like we did against OU and A&M, it will be a long afternoon. Nebraska has its own fair share of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde syndrome. The team that almost beat Texas would likely dominate the Tigers… but the team that almost lost to kU in Lincoln is very beatable. The $1,978 question is which teams will show up.

2006-10-31T12:29:00.000-06:00

Happy Halloween!

What if...

2006-10-30T12:50:00.000-06:00

By Tiger Fan

I said in Friday's preview that the game against Oklahoma would establish whether the Tigers are contenders or pretenders. Unfortunately, it looks like we are the same old Mizzou. But the amazing thing is, despite how terrible the game was, the Tigers were just a few plays away from winning it. Don't believe me? Ponder this:

What if...

...Chase Coffman hauls in the wide open pass in the first quarter and puts the Tigers up 10-0?

...OU linebacker Zach Latimer doesn't accidently come on a blitz and intercept a tipped pass?

...Tony Temple switches hands to avoid the fumble?

...the offensive line actually blocks somebody so that the Tigers don't lose 21 yards on a fumble?

...the punt unit puts a body on Jason Carter to give Crossett time to punt?

...the refs make the correct call of running into the kicker?

...Mizzou does the smart thing by not even rushing the punter in the first place?

...Mizzou makes smarter play calls on its four chances from inside the two-yard line?

...Xzavie Jackson doesn't make stupid play by throwing Gutierrez out of bounds after the play was dead, extending the OU drive?

It's a sad game to play, but the fact is that if any one of these plays turns out differently, Mizzou could have won. If two or three turn out differently, the Tigers could have blown them out. All in all, it was a terrible day for the Tigers. The officiating was poor, but it didn't cost us the game. We lost because we were getting killed at the point of attack on both sides of the ball. And we lost because Gary Pinkel turned in one of the worst coaching exhibitions I have ever seen. I felt like it was 2004 all over again. Mizzou displayed all the signs of a poorly coached team on Saturday. If these things aren't fixed, we could finish 7-5. Seriously. Just when you thought it was safe to be a Mizzou fan...

Biggest... game... EVER... at least until next week

2006-10-27T15:00:00.000-05:00

By Tiger Fan

Before I get to the preview, a few thoughts on our last few games (I’ve been kind of busy and unable to weigh in as much as usual):

-The Texas Tech game is a perfect example of why it is difficult to be a Tiger fan: We were up 24-0 and while I was thrilled, I was sitting there waiting for the other shoe to drop. Then it started… 24-7… 24-14… 24-21… NO, NOT AGAIN! Thankfully the Tigers pulled it out, but I really wish they wouldn’t do that to us. I’m only 23, I can take it… but one of these days an older Mizzou fan won’t be so lucky!

-There were obviously lots of problems with the A&M game. The fumbles killed us (while I’m sure Marcus Woods is a nice guy and a hard worker, I don’t know if he will ever touch the ball again) and Pinkel’s asinine fake field goal attempt after the delay of game will be joke-fodder for years to come. But Will Franklin’s fumble at the goal-line is one of those plays that just seems like it will come back to haunt you. I’m not blaming the ‘Copter… the Aggie defender made a great play. And it completely changed the tone of the game. I am certain the Tigers win big if he scores on that play. Instead, the Aggies marched down the field and took the lead. So what’s the big deal? Right now, it’s just one loss. But put a star next to that play. If the Tigers finish one game out in the Big XII North race, you’ll know why.

-On a brighter note, great win last week by the Tigers to finally end the 13-year losing streak to KSUcks. Daniel looked great after the first play and the defense was lights out after making that stop on fourth-and-goal. A lot of folks were concerned about how many rushing yards they gave up, but I don’t think it was a big deal. First, the Wildcats racked up a lot of those yards late in the game after several reserves were in the game. Second, I think most of the missed tackles can be attributed to the rain. Take Freeman’s big run in the third, for example. Four Mizzou players were in exactly the right place, but they slipped and fell because of the wet turf. That’s just unlucky. The early forecast looks like that won’t be an issue vs. OU. Speaking of which…

I’ve discovered that something interesting happens when a college football team is winning consistently: Each game becomes more important. This may not be news to the Ohio State and USC fans of the world, but Mizzou fans haven’t had a one-loss record this late in the season in decades. You know, this winning thing is kind of fun. Anyway, the point is that this Saturday’s game against Oklahoma is the biggest game of the year – if not the decade – for the Tigers... well okay, at least until next week’s showdown with Nebraska.

But you get the idea: This is big-time stuff. It’s a chance for Mizzou to prove that it deserves all the national attention. It’s a chance to silence the nay-sayers. And it’s a chance to show that Mizzou has finally turned the corner under Pinkel. I think a win on Saturday would prove the Tigers are for real and will be a legitimate force in the Big XII for years to come. A loss proves that we really are the beneficiaries of a weak schedule and despite the 7-1 record, we’re the same old Mizzou.

Everyone wants to talk about beating Nebraska next week and winning the Big XII North. While that would obviously be great, I think the game against OU is more important for long-term success. No one outside Columbia will pick Mizzou to win in Lincoln… but we’re supposed to beat the Sooners on Saturday. Good teams win the games they are supposed to win. So we’ll get to find out if we have a good team. If the Tigers win on Saturday, we should end up with at least 10 wins… which is remarkable when you consider what this team has been over the last 20 years. And after that, if we were to beat Nebraska to win the North, it would be icing on the cake. But first things first… let’s go get the Sooners:

Coach

This one is pretty easy. Bob Stoops took over an Oklahoma program in the late ‘90s that had fallen out of the national spotlight. But it didn’t take him long to restore that tradition: He’s got a .824 winning percentage and has led the Sooners to seven bowl games (including four BCS games), three Big XII titles and the 2000 National Championship. He’s also 2-0 vs. Pinkel. Nothing against Gary, but there’s no argument here.

Advantage: Oklahoma

Defense

OU is always known for having a tough defense, but prior to doing some research, I was under the mistaken impression that the Sooners were having an off-year. That’s simply not the case. Oklahoma boasts the top defensive unit in the Big XII and No. 11 in the country, allowing just over 266 yards per game. Normally the Tiger offense wins games through the air, but they will need to establish the ground game in this one. Oklahoma ranks just 41^st against the run compared to 11^th against the pass. Many have also bemoaned Missouri’s porous rush defense, but it’s worth noting that the Tigers only give up about 110 yards per game on the ground. I think the defensive battle will be won by whichever team can stuff the run. OU Linebacker Rufus Alexander leads the team in tackling and seems to be on the watch list for every meaningful defensive award. Injuries will also play a role in this one: OU’s starting strong safety Reggie Smith will be limited with a broken tibia (though he may still play) while the Tigers will be without All-American candidate Brian Smith for the rest of the year. His replacement, Styker Sulak, will need to have a big game for Mizzou to be successful on defense.

Advantage: Oklahoma (by just a hair)

Offense

The hurdles facing the Oklahoma offense this season have been well-documented: QB Rhett Bomar was kicked off the team and Heisman candidate RB Adrian Peterson was lost for the season two weeks ago with a broken collarbone. Senior WR Paul Thompson has been a solid replacement at QB, but his inexperience limits the Sooners play-calling. While Thompson can’t always make the big plays, he has made up for it by being very efficient and not making mistakes. For most of the season, the offense has focused on Peterson, so the Sooners will turn to Allen Patrick in his absence. Patrick ran for 110 yards last week against Colorado. Also look for Jacob Gutierrez to get some touches in the backfield. On the Mizzou side, everyone named Chase continues to be amazing. I think Tony Temple and Earl Goldsmith will be the key to a Tiger win. If they can run on the OU defense and set up the pass, it could be a fun day for Mizzou.

Advantage: Mizzou

Special Teams

OU has a very good special teams unit. The only good news is that top return man Reggie Smith probably won’t be available for returns because of his injury. Wolfert has been fine on field goals for the Tigers, but we need to fix our punt and kickoff coverage quickly.

Advantage: Oklahoma

Bottom Line

OU has won 15 of the last 16 against Mizzou, but the Tigers are favored by a couple points on Saturday. Things are pretty much as even as they could be for this game: OU averages 32 points per game, Mizzou averages 33… OU gives up 16 points per game, Mizzou averages 15… neither team has beaten a top 25 team… both teams have dominated inferior competitions. The Sooners seem to have the better defense, while the Tigers seem to have the better offense. I really have no idea what is going to happen on Saturday, which is why I think it is hilarious that so many fans on both sides are extremely confident that their team will win big. This one will go down to the wire and if it were in Norman, I would pick the Sooners. But it’s not… so I’m picking the Tigers, 24-21.

Can't spell SUcKs without KSU

2006-10-17T21:13:00.000-05:00

By Tiger Fan

Let’s not beat around the bush: There’s no reason the Tigers should lose this weekend. None. Zero. Zip. Zilch. Nada. The only way it happens is if they are completely overlooking KSU in anticipation of next week’s showdown against OU… and even then, I think the Tigers could wake up in time for the second half and still win by a touchdown. If anything, Mizzou should be more focused than usual coming off the loss to A&M.

The line is Mizzou by 16.5, but let’s give some credit where credit is due: K-State has won 13 straight against the Tigers, so I don’t think it will be the cakewalk that some are predicting. However, these aren’t Bill Snyder’s Wildcats. They started the season by squeaking out a one-point victory at home against I-AA Illinois State and lost two weeks ago to Baylor. Yes, THAT Baylor. Other wins this season have come against powerhouse teams Florida Atlantic, Marshall and Oklahoma State.

All that being said, I hope the Tigers wipe the floor with KSU on Saturday. I’ve only been around for the last five losses, but it was five too many. Now, on to the preview:

Coach

KSU fans were quite excited when Ron Prince arrived last December to lead the Wildcats. They envisioned big things from the former UVa offensive coordinator and he started off on the right, putting together a solid recruiting class and stealing Josh Freeman away from Nebraska. But now that there is actually football being played, life isn’t so rosy in Manhattan. Rumor has it that after the loss to Baylor, Prince started kicking seniors and team captains out of practice. Starting offensive lineman Matt Boss left the team. Now there are five freshman starting on offense, including the right side of the offensive line and Freeman at QB. Prince was an offensive line coach before he became a coordinator, but you wouldn’t know it by watching his o-line this year. Pinkel has been a different coach for most of the year, but he reverted to his old ways a bit last week. No matter which Pinkel shows up on Saturday, he’s in better shape than Prince right now.

Advantage: Mizzou

Defense

The K-State defense has faired much better. In two match-ups vs. top 10 offenses (Nebraska and Louisville), the Wildcats have held their opponents below their season averages in points and yards. They gave up just 24 points to Louisville and 21 last week to the Huskers. Unfortunately, the offense let them down, coming up with just nine points combined in the two games. KSU ranks No. 36 in total defense and No. 30 in scoring defense, allowing 17 points per game. As we found out last week, the Tigers are very beatable if they turn the ball over… and the Wildcats have forced 14 turnovers through seven games this season. Sophomore DE Ian Campbell has been the leader on defense this year with 38 tackles with 12.5 for a loss and was the Big XII Defensive Player of the Week after the win over Illinois State. The Tigers should also keep an eye out for senior linebacker Brandon Archer, who has been a Mizzou killer in the past. He has returned interceptions for touchdowns against the Tigers in each of the last two seasons. Yes, the Wildcat defense is pretty solid… but they’re not on par with Mizzou. Even after last week’s debacle, the Tigers still rank No. 18 nationally in total defense. Put these guys up against a weak o-line and things could get ugly in a hurry. The only downside is that the Tigers will be without starting safety Brandon Massey, who is suspended for violating team rules according to the Columbia Tribune.

Advantage: Mizzou

Offense

The Tigers are ranked No. 15 in the nation in total offense and they average 32 points/game. Chase Daniel continues to prove he is a stud. I think it is pretty clear that if the offense manages to hold onto the ball (particularly at the goal line, Will Franklin), they can rack up the points. As for K-State… yikes. They rank 93^rd in total offense and 93^rd in rush offense. They fair slightly better in the passing game (No. 59), but that probably has more to do the fact that they have been playing from behind several times this season. The position players are okay – and true freshman QB Josh Freeman (who will be making his second career start on Saturday) certainly has potential – but none of that matters when your offensive line is terrible… and K-State’s line is terrible. Brian Smith and Co. should have a blast this weekend.

Advantage: Mizzou

Special teams

Mizzou’s special teams unit runs hot and cold (See: Adam Crossett’s 79-yard punt last week… followed by a 39-yard shank). The Tigers’ net punting game ranks No. 91 in the nation. Not to be outdone, the Wildcats come in at No. 94. The bad news for the Tigers is that K-State has a superior return game (and I’m sure I’m not the only one who remembers the damage done by Wildcat punt returners in the past). They rank No. 2 nationally in kick-off returns and No. 38 in punt returns. It should surprise no one that the Tigers aren’t even close. KSU kicker Jeff Snodgrass is just 10 of 15 on the season, but probably has more range than Wolfert. Meanwhile, Wildcat punter Tim Reyer averages more than 40 yards a punt.

Advantage: KSU

Bottom line

The Tigers should end more than a decade of futility on Saturday. They have superior athletes and superior coaching. Isn’t it nice to be able to say that about a Tiger team? The only thing that could get in the way would be overconfidence. But if Pinkel’s boys have any pride, they will come out looking for blood on Saturday to avenge the last 13 years. I think the KSU defense will keep it closer than we would like, but the Tigers will win on Homecoming, 24-10.

Myths and Facts

2006-10-12T22:51:00.000-05:00

As we prepare for Saturday's game, let's take a look at a few myths floating around about the MU football team.

Myth: Chase Daniel has not faced a lot of blitzes this season.

Fact: Chase Daniel has, in fact, faced significant blitzing schemes. New Mexico blitzed on almost every play, and almost every team Missouri has played has used several blitzes. The Missouri offensive line has done a nice job picking up the blitz, and Daniel has done a good job hitting his short options. Daniel has great accuracy on short patterns and fantastic touch over the middle, and he is calm and collected. He is fully equipped to handle the blitz.

Myth: The Missouri offense didn’t play well against Texas Tech.

Fact: It is silly to interpret Missouri’s yardage total from the Tech game as Missouri not moving the ball offensively. When your defense returns two interceptions for scores, that eliminates two offensive possessions. When your defense causes fumbles and you recover them at the 14 and the 44, that’s going to limit yard totals. When Daniel and the Tigers needed to move the ball, they did. Tech in no way shut down the Missouri offense.

Myth: Graham Harrell handed the game to Missouri

Fact: Only one of Harrell’s turnovers came on a play he wasn’t feeling significant pressure (the second interception). On the screen interception, Harrell had to release the ball because he had Brock Christopher in his jock. The three fumbles, obviously, were caused by pass rushes. The second pick was simply a fantastic athletic play by Willy Moore. Moore was at least 15 yards away from the ball when Harrell threw it, but he read the play, made a great break and wrestled the ball away. None of Harrell’s turnovers were Neil O’Donnell-to-Larry-Brown-in-the-Super Bowl interceptions. Turnovers don’t happen by accident, folks. Something forces them.

Myth: The crowd noise will affect Missouri’s playcalling.

Fact: I’ll present two arguments. Argument No. 1: Missouri couldn’t hear against Texas Tech, and it didn’t cause any problems. This team has faced a loud crowd. Argument No. 2: Missouri’s offense is called in by arm signals from the sideline. All the players are looking over every play – crowd noise has no effect on that. Missouri made it through the Tech game without a false start, so this shouldn’t be a problem.

Gig'em Tigers

2006-10-12T21:30:00.000-05:00

By Tiger Fan

This is a big weekend for the Tiger Fan Family. My parents both went to Texas A&M, so I grew up as a huge Aggie fan. To this day, one of my favorite sporting event memories was celebrating with my family in our Ohio living after Sirr Parker scampered into the end zone in overtime to beat K-State for the Big XII title. But now I have split loyalties: 23 years of cheering for the Aggies from afar vs. 5.5 seasons of living and breathing Tiger football (first in the band, then in the front row of Tiger’s Lair, now as an alumni season ticket holder).

When I decided to come to Mizzou, this was supposed to be pretty easy. A&M was a football school, so I could cheer for the Aggie football team. Mizzou was a basketball school, so I could cheer for the Tigers on the hardwood. But a funny thing has happened… the Tiger football team is on the rise while the Aggie basketball team will be a preseason top 10 selection. What the…?

Still, when my mom asked earlier this year who I would be cheering for, I said I would wait and see who needed the game more. But that’s not going to work either. The Tigers are an almost unprecedented 6-0 and suddenly have a chance to compete for a Big XII title. Meanwhile, the Aggies are 5-1 and need this win to start regaining some respect (and Coach Fran may need it to keep his job). Decisions, decisions.

The most disappointing thing this week has been the behavior of both sets of fans on message boards. Some Aggie fans are living in the past, pretending that opposing teams never win at Kyle Field, Mizzou’s win over Texas Tech was a fluke and the Aggies will win in a blowout on Saturday. Not to be outdone, many Mizzou fans have suddenly developed a superiority complex, refusing to believe the Tigers could possibly lose on Saturday and it is disrespectful for anyone to say otherwise.

The truth is somewhere in the middle (Born-a-Tiger will sort some of that out in his Myth and Fact piece). I personally think Mizzou will win on Saturday if the Tigers play their best game, but it certainly won’t be a blow-out. Most people are latching on to Texas Tech comparisons to make their predictions: Aggie fans point out that Tech “handed the game to Missouri” with five turnovers and A&M actually held the Red Raiders to fewer yards. Mizzou fans point out that the Tigers won by 17 on the road in Lubbock while the Aggies lost at home. In reality, the games can’t really be compared. Because of the turnovers, Tech ran 77 plays against Mizzou compared to 56 plays against A&M. Yes, the Tigers gave up more yards (456 to 433), but they only gave up 5.9 yards/play compared with 7.7 yards/play for the Aggies. That’s the beauty of statistics… look long enough and you can find one that backs up your opinion.

Anyway, I’m looking forward to a great game this weekend. Contrary to some of the garbage that has been posted on the net this week, Missouri and Texas A&M are both great schools with great traditions. This is a big game for both teams, so let’s all bury the hatchet and hope for an exciting, safe game for both sides… and then we can focus all our negative energy on t.u. and kansas. Now, on to the teams:

Offense:

When the Aggies have the ball:

If A&M is smart, their game plan will revolve around pounding the ball in the rushing game via RBs Jorvorski Lane (who is an absolute beast) and Mike Goodson (the quicker back) and QB Steven McGee. The Aggies boast the No. 13 rushing attack in the nation, averaging 203 yards/game on the ground. The Tigers counter with the No. 10 run defense. Something has to give… but it’s hard to be sure what to make of either side. A&M has compiled its stats against Army (56^th best defense), Louisiana Tech (118), UL-L (87), Texas Tech (30) and kansas (83). Meanwhile, Mizzou has yet to face a legit rushing attack: Ole Miss (56), Ohio (95), Colorado (44), Tech (104), NM (102).

McGee, the reigning Big XII Offensive Player of the Week, has also shown the ability to throw the ball well (see: his game-winning drive last week against the beakers) and has a talented corps of wide receivers, headlined by TE Martellus Bennett. Up front it will be strength vs. strength as the solid A&M O-line goes up against the dangerous Mizzou defensive line.

Look for the Aggies to grind it out and try to keep Mizzou’s high-powered offense off the field as much as possible. But don’t be surprised to see them mix in some deep pass plays to keep the Tigers honest… and with Coach Fran, you never know when a trick play might be coming.

When Mizzou has the ball:

Contrary to what many think, the Tigers have a balanced attack, averaging 179 yards/game on the ground (25^th nationally) and 244 yards/game through the air (29^th nationally). That adds up to a unit ranked No. 15 in total offense. The Tigers will be facing off against the nation’s No. 35 defensive unit… but those stats include three games against teams with offenses ranked above 80^th. I think the Tigers will be able to move the ball against A&M. The Aggies seem to be under the mistaken impression that the Mizzou offense relies solely on short passes, kind of like Texas Tech. If they crowd near the line to take away short routes, they will be introduced rather rudely to Wiliam Franklin and Jared Perry. Regardless, just like Bennett on the other side, I can’t see the Aggies matching up favorably against TEs Rucker and Coffman. Oh… and I haven’t yet mentioned Tony Temple and Chase Daniel (who gets kinda angry when he plays Texas teams).

QB Advantage: Mizzou

RB Advantage: TAMU

O-Line Advantage: TAMU

Receiving Advantage: Mizzou

Overall offense: Mizzou

Defense

On defense, A&M runs an unorthodox 4-2-5 after getting destroyed by opposing passing attacks last season. The Aggies are strong up front with defensive ends Harrington and Jack. Tiger fans should also keep an eye out for linebacker Justin Warren, who has been a tackling machine this season. Despite improvements from last year, the weakness still lies in the secondary, which is great news for Chase Daniel and Co. The Aggie defense is solid, but they don’t compare favorably to the nation’s No. 11 defense. The Tigers, with a superb defensive line, excellent linebackers and a solid secondary, have allowed just 11.8 points/game this year. One of the keys to the game will be the possible return of DT Ziggy Hood. If Ziggy is back, A&M will have a tougher time running the ball.

DL Advantage: Mizzou

LB Advantage: Mizzou

Secondary Advantage: Mizzou

Overall defense: Mizzou

Special Teams

Here’s the painful part about being a fan of both A&M and Mizzou: You have to watch them play special teams. Mizzou has looked better in recent weeks (in fact, the only big return they gave up against Tech was because Crossett outkicked his coverage), but you never know when we might return to the days of the 10-yard punt. Wolfert has been pretty solid on field goals for the Tigers, but I still hold my breath any time the field goal team trots onto the field. The one thing I will say is that Mizzou has blocked a lot of kicks this year. As for the Aggies, things aren’t much better… though Kerry Franks has shown he has the potential to be dangerous in the return game. Given that this is a big game for him, don’t be surprised to see Coach Fran pull out a fake kick at some point on Saturday.

Advantage: Even… in a bad way.

Bottom line

I think this will be a close game and the Aggies are very capable of winning it if they can move the ball effectively on the ground. It’s not like it was in the early ‘90s, but it’s still never easy to go into Kyle Field and come out with a win. If TAMU keeps the Tiger offense off the field and holds them under 20 points, they will win. But I don’t think it will happen. I’m picking the Tigers to continue their magical season and come back to Columbia for Homecoming next weekend with a 7-0 record. Mizzou wins it, 31-24.

A rant from a fellow Mizzou fan

2006-10-12T14:16:00.000-05:00

From the mouth of SEMO Tiger, a friend of Born-A-Tiger's and former contemporary of Rocky Mountain Tiger-All we're asking for is a little R-E-S-P-E-C-T:

"After listening to "experts" claim for weeks that Missouri hadn't beaten anybody and therefore couldn't be that good, I had a feeling a new excuse was coming after the Tigers blitzed through Texas Tech. And that new excuse is that Texas Tech handed the game to Missouri and that the Tigers will get their wake-up call at Texas A&M.
How exactly did Texas Tech hand us that game? Sure, the Red Raiders turned the ball over five times. But, last I checked, defenses have a lot to do with turnovers. There are such things as gift turnovers, of course. A botched snap is one that a defense doesn't cause, but the Red Raiders had none of those. Colorado's punter dropping the ball against Mizzou earlier this year was a freebie, but Texas Tech refused to punt for the most part, so there went that one. Most sports fans remember Larry Brown winning a Super Bowl MVP thanks entirely to two gift interceptions thrown right at him and nowhere near a wide receiver. But, neither of Graham Harrell's picks fall under this category, either.
Nope, Mizzou's defense is the reason the Tigers won that game — along with some help from Chase Daniel and the offense in putting together the biggest drive in recent Missouri history to answer when Tech pulled within 24-21. The Tigers harassed Harrell into a pitiful performance, one that included him being pulled alongside Red Raiders' coach Mike Leach to see how easy it is to pick apart a defense. The two interceptions were both caused by great defensive plays — one caused by pressure from Brock Christopher forcing Harrell to throw the ball quickly and right into the waiting hands of Xzavie Jackson, who made a great play in smelling out the play; the other just a phenomenal job by William Moore in reading Harrell's eyes and jumping the route. Harrell's three fumbles were the result of consistent pressure. The first popping loose when Marcus Bacon grabbed a hold of Harrell's arm as the Tech QB readied to throw; the second coming out when Brian Smith stripped Harrell, only to watch Harrell scoop the ball up and get stripped again — this time by Lorenzo Williams; the third forced on a Jackson sack. Every single one caused by Tiger pressure. Plus, if Tech was handing us the game, I doubt if Harrell scoops that second one back up.
For the Aggies, if Tech's offense likes to just give away possessions, why did the Wrecking Crew only come away with one fumble?
It's probably because no team just loses possession, repeatedly. The other team's defense forces miscues. Mizzou's does. Which is a large part of why this Tiger team is for real.
The other reason why Mizzou is good, damn good, for the first time since before any of us were alive is as simple as two letters: T.M. Chase Daniel indeed is The Man. He may not measure up in height and he may be a little stocky, but what all those Texas coaches couldn't measure and ignored, was the fact that T.M. is a winner. He makes everyone else on the team better. He knows how to get the best out of each — yelling at some, coddling others. As great as Brad Smith was, he wasn't a leader and he didn't make the other Tigers better. Rather, they stood around and watched as he put on marvelous displays of individual greatness. That is something Chase Daniel can not do. He won't dazzle as an individual, but he is putting on a dazzling performance of greatness — it's called the revitalization of the Missouri football program. His leadership can be summed up best by safety Pig Brown: "It is to the point where if I have Chase Daniel on my team, I'm pretty sure I'm going to win."
To Every True Son, I say, In Chase We Trust."

2006-10-10T18:52:00.000-05:00

This was the scene at last year's MU-NU game in Columbia. Even though the Tigers couldn't pull it out, we had a ton of fun. Let's break the attendance record again this season!

MU-NU Volleyball Preview

2006-10-10T18:42:00.000-05:00

By Tiger Fan

The football team’s surprising 6-0 start has been dominating the Mizzou sports headlines – and deservedly so. But the biggest sporting event in Columbia so far this year is taking place at the Hearnes Center Wednesday night. The undefeated, No. 1 Nebraska Cornhuskers come calling to take on No. 15 Mizzou. That’s right, it’s Mizzou vs. Nebraska on Oct. 11. If that date sounds familiar to you (and it should), that’s because it has been exactly three years since the Tiger football team ended 25 years of futility against Nebraska. Can the same thing happen tomorrow? Let’s hope so… but it would be a huge upset. How huge? The Tigers are 3-61 all-time against Nebraska, NU has won the last 21 matches in Columbia (dating back to 1982) and the Huskers have won 50 of their last 52 overall.

The odds may seem insurmountable, but that’s where the fans come in. Last year I made the trip to Columbia from St. Louis on a Wednesday night with Born-a-Tiger and Rocky Mountain Tiger to watch this game and had a blast. It was the most fun I had a Mizzou sporting event all last year. You know if the No. 1 football team in the country came calling, you would be there. So if you are anywhere near Columbia tomorrow night, get to the match. It starts at 6:30 CST. Let’s break 7,300… shoot, break 8,000. Screw it: Hearnes holds 13,611 people. There will be plenty of room. Try to fill it up. By the way, it’s “Can the Huskers” night, so you get in free with two canned goods. And the first 400 students get free pizza. There just aren’t many excuses to miss it, folks.

But if for some reason you can’t be there (like me… I’ve got class at Wash U), catch it on TV. Fox Sports Midwest is carrying the game in St. Louis, KZOU in Columbia and MetroSports in KC. Since most folks probably don’t follow college volleyball too closely, here are a few things to be aware of before Wednesday’s big match:

Five things to know about the Tigers…

In case you have been living in a hole, let me introduce you to Wayne and Susan Kreklow. Most Mizzou fans have spent the last six years whining about Quin Snyder or calling for Gary Pinkel’s head, blissfully unaware that the biggest athletic turnaround at the school was quietly taking place at the Hearnes Center. It’s hard to believe that just six years ago, the Tigers were at the bottom of the Big XII. Mizzou’s volleyball team had been in shambles since the early ‘80s, but it didn’t take the Kreklows long to turn things around. The Tigers have posted 20-win seasons in five of their first six years at Mizzou and earned the school’s first-ever postseason win in 2002. They may have been overlooked at first, but it’s not a secret anymore… look no further than the attendance figures and the win-loss record.
The 2005 campaign was the most successful season in Mizzou volleyball history. The Tigers advanced to the Elite Eight of the NCAA tournament for the first time, knocking off perennial power Hawaii before losing to Tennessee. The Tigers finished the season No. 8 in the country with a 25-5 record. Two of those losses came to Nebraska.
The star of last year’s team was Mizzou’s first-ever AVCA All-American Lindsey Hunter, but now that she has graduated, you might be wondering how Mizzou can replace her. Of course, we also thought there was no way to replace Brad Smith. Here are some names to know: Senior Jessica Vander Kooi, who was an honorable mention All-American a year ago, leads the team and was named to the preseason All-Big XII. Tatum Ailes is the reigning Big XII Libero of the Year. And last but not least, keep an eye out for Nicole Wilson, who was also an honorable mention All-American last season.
The Hearnes Center is quickly becoming one of the toughest places in the country to play. The Tigers ranked 6^th in the nation last year in attendance and had a record crowd of 7,298 for last year’s game against the Huskers. Mizzou ranks No. 8 in attendance this year and is currently in the midst of an 11-game home winning streak. The student section, known as Volley Zou, is seated close to the action and is developing a reputation for intimidating opposing teams who aren’t used to getting heckled on the road. Let’s keep it going and rattle the Huskers!
Something to keep an eye on… Nicole Wilson and her sister, RS freshman Megan Wilson are both from Lincoln, Ailes is from Bellevue, NE, and RS freshman Amanda Hantouli is from Omaha. Do you think these girls will be pumped up to take on the Huskers? You bet.

Five things to know about Nebraska…

Nebraska annually fields one of the top teams in the nation. The Huskers are currently ranked No. 1 in the country and come to Columbia with a perfect 15-0 record. Despite all their success (eight final four visits and 22 NCAA tournament appearances), they have won only two national titles (1995 and 2000). Hmmm… lots of hype, lots of conference titles, lots of Final Fours, but unable to win the big one... this reminds me of someone… oh yeah, kU basketball. And if that comparison doesn’t get you fired up, I don’t know what will.
The Huskers boasted three first-team All-Americans last season and two of them are back. Senior Christina Houghtelling was the AVCA Player of the Year last year and 6’5” junior Sarah Pavan was named a first-team All-American for the second straight year in 2005. Of course, I’m a little confused on how Pavan can be an all-American… ‘cause she’s from Canada.
Nebraska has only dropped three games all year and have yet to be pushed to a five-game match (for those who are new to college volleyball, it’s a best of five affair… the Huskers usually win 3-0). While impressive, it should be noted that they have only faced three top 25 foes: No. 23 Minnesota, No. 22 San Diego and No. 20 Cal Poly. Mizzou should be their hardest test to date. The good news? The Tigers have also played three top 25 teams: No. 2 Penn State, No. 10 Texas and No. 17 Santa Clara. The bad news? Mizzou lost to Penn State and Santa Clara.
Despite a 35-1 record and a roster packed with All-Americans, the Huskers were swept three games to none in last year’s national title match against Washington.
Nebraska has two players named “Dani” and one named “Kori.” I don’t know about you, but I can stand that insufferable “i” at the end. I’ll just assume they dot it with a little heart. But here’s the real question: nobody named “Brandi” or “Traci” playing volleyball in Nebraska?

2006-10-08T18:33:00.000-05:00

Ha ha... Tech fans react after the second consecutive interception return for a touchdown. A 38-21 victory at Texas Tech and a 6-0 start? Seriously? You bet... Go Tigers!

Top 10 basketball plays

2006-10-06T08:15:00.000-05:00

By Tiger Fan

All right Tiger fans, I know we're all pretty excited about the football team's success, but we can't forget that basketball season is right around the corner. Mizzou Madness tips off the season next Friday and the first exhibition game is less than a month away (Nov. 3 vs. UMR). I know we've been down on the basketball team in recent years, but I think the arrival of Mike Anderson is the beginning of an exciting new era of basketball at Mizzou. So, to get everyone pumped up, here's a look back at the 10 best plays of the past five seasons. Enjoy!

10. Clarence Gilbert wins the Guardians Classic at the free throw line – Nov. 21, 2001
Gilbert hit 1-of-2 free throws with .8 seconds left to give the No. 5 Tigers an amazing come-from-behind win over No. 9 Iowa. Admittedly, the play itself was not all that exciting, but it was the culmination of wild final minute that saw the Mizzou overcome a 77-71 with 41 seconds to play. After 3s from Kareem Rush and Rickey Paulding, Gilbert’s 27th point of the night gave the Tigers a 78-77 victory that the folks in Iowa City are still angry about.

9. Marshall Brown seals a victory over Indiana with a 360 dunk – Dec. 19, 2004
Yes, it was ill-advised. And yes, it was unnecessary. But man was it fun to see him throw it down and hear Mizzou Arena really explode for the first time. After trailing by as many as 17, the Tigers took a one-point lead on a Linas Kleiza free throw with less than a minute to play. Indiana got one last chance, but Bracey Wright was stripped going down the lane and Brown got the ball on a breakaway. He threw down a one-handed 360 dunk with less than a second to play and pandemonium ensued.

8. Wesley Stokes beats SLU at the buzzer – Dec. 3, 2001
If you followed the 2001-02 team at all, you knew what was supposed to happen with the game tied at 67 and 4.8 seconds to play. Get the ball to Rush or Gilbert. But when Wesley Stokes saw the floor open up in front of him, he went for it. The result was a tough 18-footer at the buzzer to give Mizzou a 69-67 win in St. Louis. I was watching this one at Buffalo Wild Wings in Columbia and the place erupted. I remember hugging people I didn’t know. Great moment… still gives me chills.

7. Travon Bryant beats the buzzer in the Big XII Tourney – March 14, 2003
Speaking of unexpected heroes… Mizzou and Oklahoma State we tied at 58 with 35 seconds to play in the Big XII quarterfinals. Jimmy McKinney drove for the game-winner but the ball was knocked away. It went off two OSU players and straight into the hands of Bryant, who instinctively put up the short jumper. The buzzer sounded as the ball rattled off three sides of the rim and in. That set up a semifinal date with the beakers. This shot always reminds me why dorm life is fun sometimes. We were sitting around, eating pizza and on the edge of our seats watching this one. Bryant’s game winner sent us spilling into the hallway in celebration.

6. A half-court heave by he who shall not be named – Feb. 1, 2003
If had come from someone other than the infamous No. 0 (cough, Clemons, cough), it would be even higher. With the No. 25 Tigers trailing Colorado 35-34 just before the half, Clemons took the pass off a missed free thrown, raced down the floor and buried a running half-court heave as the buzzer sounded. The entire place went insane. The game was over right then… no need to play the second half. A Colorado player later commented that it sounded like a bomb went off. If I recall correctly, the cheering continued for several minutes after the teams left the floor. As an interesting side note, a photographer for the Columbia Tribune actually captured this moment of euphoria... but you may remember that the athletic department came under scrutiny the next year for using that picture in its media guide. See, the thing is, the AD put their PhotoShop skills to work and removed Mr. Clemons from the picture. In so doing, they actually cut yours truly out of the picture and superimposed our good friend Yellow Suit Guy into the pic for the second time. Ah yes, Mizzou: We’re on the Move.

5. Gardner lights up kU – Jan. 16, 2006
It’s hard to pick out a single play from Gardner’s 40-point explosion against the beakers last year. I thought about including Moody’s Misses on this list, but it was depressing to think that one of the best Mizzou plays of the last five years was a guy from kU missing some free throws. So it has to be Gardner’s 3-pointer that tied the game with 5.6 seconds to play. It was the final basket in a wild seven-point comeback by the Tigers in the final 30 seconds. This was probably the craziest game I have ever been too… and it was amazing.

4. Kevin Young sets the tone against OU – Feb. 26, 2003
He only scored two points… but what an awesome two points they were. Young, a freshman at the time, got a rare start at power forward alongside Arthur Johnson and took full advantage. Just 16 seconds into the game, Young backed down All-American candidate Jabahri Brown and dunked it right in his face. The crowd went nuts and the tone was set. The Tigers went on to a 15-point route of No. 3 Oklahoma, 67-52. Young later said, “"That dunk wasn't a matter of being focused; it was matter of wanting to win.”

3. Paulding learns to fly against Ohio State – March 16, 2006
This is the first of a Rickey Paulding trifecta to top the list:

It may not look like much in the live version, but make sure you see the slow-motion replay. Paulding takes off from near the foul line and throws it down with authority. Unbelievable. This one had special meaning for me because I’m from Ohio and all my OSU friends had been talking smack. As I’m sure you know, the No. 12-seed Tigers went on to beat the Buckeyes 83-67 and advance to the Sweet 16.

2. Paulding jumps over a K-State player… literally – Feb. 28, 2004
The Tigers were trailing 39-31 with 17:07 to play in Manhattan when Paulding got the ball and dunked over (and I mean over) Frank Richards. Here’s the play:

The dunk sparked Mizzou to a 76-69 win. It also caused a bit of an uproar in Wildcat country because Richards was called for a blocking foul, rather than a charge on Paulding. They may have a point… but watch it again. Can you really punish a guy who just jumped over someone? I think not.

1. Ridiculous half-court alley-oop from Stokes to Paulding – Dec. 15, 2001
It’s the only play on the list that didn’t lead the Tigers to victory, but it’s still the best play I’ve seen in the last five years. During the first half of a game between No. 2 Mizzou and No. 15 Iowa, Stokes brought the ball up the floor and around mid-court, heaved it toward the student section. Paulding came out of nowhere, grabbed it and slammed it home with one hand over the top of Iowa’s Reggie Evans. I was in the front row of Zou Crew that day and I distinctly remember Paulding’s feet flying past my face before he got the ball. Simply an incredible play. As you can tell from the pic below (click on it for a larger version), the standing room only crowd loved it. But unfortunately, the Tigers still lost in a big way, 83-65.

by Mark Schiefelbein

Let the tortillas fly...

2006-10-03T20:19:00.000-05:00

By Tiger Fan

This Saturday’s game in Lubbock could be the turning point of the Tigers’ season. Okay, okay… I’ve said this before, but I mean it this time. Seriously. A win against the Red Raiders could propel Mizzou to heights that, well, quite frankly, we never imagined before the season began. A loss would prove to all the prognosticators and so-called experts that Mizzou’s best start since 1981 can be attributed to an easy schedule, not a good team. At that point, we’d be right back where we started. An average team with average expectations.

Frankly, I’m not sure the Tigers can get it done on the road this week, but I don’t see that as the harbinger of doom that some fans seem to. Before the season, few would have predicted a Tiger win against Texas Tech. Now folks are acting like it’s a must-win game. An important game? Yes. A must-win? No way… even if the Tigers lose, they are still ahead of where many predicted at this point in the season.

The Tigers are 3-2 all-time against Tech. The last meeting was the famed 62-31 Mizzou victory in Columbia… the year before that was a 52-38 win for Tech. This year Vegas favors the Red Raiders by 4. Tech is No. 24 in the USA Today poll and Mizzou is No. 25. It doesn’t get much closer than this. Let’s break it down:

Coach

Mike Leach is in his seventh season as head coach. He has a 52-29 overall record, including a 9-3 mark last year, which was good enough for second in the south. There’s no doubt that Leach has turned things around in Lubbock. The bigger enigma in the coaching comparison is Pinkel. Since his arrival in Columbia, he has been known as a tough guy with the media and a coach who fails to make in-game adjustments. We’ve all seen Pinkel get out-coached and we’ve all seen him blow big leads. But so far this year, it’s like Mizzou has a whole new coach. Pinkel is so comfortable with the media that he actually gave FOX his first eight plays last week and brought a cake to a presser earlier this season. Despite sub-par starts against Ohio and Colorado, the team made good adjustments at halftime (particularly on the defensive end) and pulled away in the second half. Is it a new era or the result of mediocre opposition? We’ll find out on Saturday. But let’s remember, last time these two faced off, Pinkel tore the Raiders apart with an awesome game plan on the way to a 62-31 beat down. Until Leach responds, I’m giving the edge to Mizzou.

Advantage: Mizzou

Offense

Anyone who has paid any attention to the Red Raiders since Leach took over seven seasons ago knows that Texas Tech is going to throw the ball early and often. Tech has led the NCAA in passing each of the last four years and is on track to contend for the title again. The Raiders boast the No. 3 passing attack in the nation, led by sophomore QB Graham Harrell in his first year as a starter. Harrell has a solid corps of receivers to throw to, including senior Robert Johnson (who pulled in three TDs against A&M last week), senior Joel Filani (who averages 89.2 receiving yards/game), and senior Jarrett Hicks (a preseason all-conference selection who was recently reinstated by the NCAA). MU has its own talented receiving corps, but the difference could be the Tiger running game. Tech is ranked 104^th in rushing offense, while Mizzou brings a more balanced attack to the table: 21^st in rushing and 21^st in passing. If Tony Temple and Co. can get going, they could have a lot of success against a Tech defense that ranks 77^th against the run. I think that is one of the keys to Saturday’s game. So what do all these numbers add up to? Offensive production that has been almost identical: Tech puts up 33.8 points/game as opposed to Mizzou’s 33.4. Looks like the first team to 30 will probably win. I think Tech has the advantage on offense, but here’s something to keep in mind: The Red Raiders have put up the bulk of their yards against defensive units that rank 113^th (SMU) 119^th (UTEP), 46^th (A&M) and 110^th (TCU) against the pass.

Advantage: Texas Tech… but not by much. If it was in Columbia, I might go with the Tigers. It’s that close.

Defense

The other key to Saturday’s game will be whether the Tiger defense can stand up to its first real test. Mizzou currently ranks No. 2 nationally in total defense, but they have yet to face a team like Tech. If the Tigers can live up to their No. 10 pass ranking, they will win. Mark it down. But that’s a big if. The Red Raider defense has allowed just 15.4 points/game so far and ranks No. 9 nationally against the pass. The unit is led by DE Keyunta Dawson, who led the team last year in sacks and tackles for a loss. Dawson was named a second-team all-conference player before the season. It’s a solid unit, but I think the Tigers are better.

Advantage: Mizzou

Special Teams

Tech has a solid kicker in Alex Trlica, who needs just five points to become the school’s all-time leading scoring leader for a kicker. In all likelihood, he’ll reach that mark Saturday against the Tigers. The Red Raiders also have an experienced punt returner in Danny Amendola, who has 907 career return yards. The Tigers answer with a serviceable kicker in Wolfert and a continuing adventure in the return game. This seems like a no-brainer.

Advantage: Texas Tech

Bottom Line

Even if the Tiger D brings its A-game, expect a high-scoring affair. The over/under is 55, but these two teams have averaged 66.6 points/game in their first five meetings. If Mizzou’s D-line can rattle the young QB and Temple can establish the running game, I like our chances. But I’m going to pick Tech on Homecoming in a shootout, 34-31. I’m also going to hope I’m wrong for the first time this season.

Your Saturday game preview

2006-09-28T17:26:00.000-05:00

It’s almost game time, Tiger fans. Time to get up. Really. Seriously. Stop worrying, stop waiting for the other shoe to drop. It isn’t. At least not this week against Colorado. Trust me – the Tigers are going to exterminate the Buffaloes on Saturday even more completely than westward-expanding Americans did in the 1900s. And I’m going to tell you why.

TigerFan is in Columbus trying to convince a law firm to employ him for the summer, so you’ll get my take of things this week. Hey, it was either that or let Fanette handle the gig, and I don’t think anyone wants that, do we?

All right, let’s get to business:

MU’s offense vs. CU’s defense – Colorado’s D is by far the strength of this team. It’s front seven is fast and formidable, and its safeties are pretty good, too. Defensive tackle George Hypolite was a terror against Georgia, and his impact must be limited. The Buffs held Arizona State in check and shut down Georgia’s offense until late. But according to my sources (and unlike Chris Mortenson, I actually have them), Rudy Carpenter isn’t nearly as good as we all thought before the season, and that Georgia’s offense is extremely mediocre … I see four keys for Mizzou’s offense to line Colorado up in the sights of its buffalo gun:
1) Chase Daniel must limit his mistakes. Chase hasn’t been as accurate the past two weeks, and he must regain that form for Mizzou’s offense to hum. No picks, and no fumbles, either, please. (Can you pass that memo to Marcus Woods, please? And maybe show him how to call for a fair catch?)
2) The offensive line must come up big. This will be by far the most talented line and linebacking group Missouri has faced, and the men in the trenches must give Daniel time to throw and also create some creases for Tony Temple. Keep an eye on youngster Ryan Madison, who needs to help center Adam Spieker and Monte Wyrick keep Hypolite in check. If the line can give Daniel time, the Tigers should be able to hit a deep throw or two to a receiver on a double-move.
3) The receivers and backs must take care of the ball. This team is good enough to get away with a negative turnover margin in nonconference play, but that will kill them in Big 12 play. (Side note: we should be relieved that Mizzou now is good enough to overcome such mistakes in nonconference play – they would have killed the Tigers in the past).
4) Missouri must use the tight ends to open up the middle and draw attention from safeties and linebackers. This open up the short passing game with the receiver

Advantage: Missouri. Colorado’s D is very good, but Missouri is balanced enough to and post 21-30 points if it executes efficiently.

CU’s offense vs. MU’s defense – Colorado’s offense has been horrible this year, and we all know what MU’s defense has done (for those of you who don’t: No. 1 in the nation). Colorado quarterback Bernard Jackson is a great runner, but he has struggled throwing the ball this year, and the receivers aren’t imposing. Center Mark Fenton, the team’s best lineman, also is questionable for the game as I write this. This matchup does not break CU’s way: scrambling quarterbacks generally have a tough time against cover 2 schemes, and that’s exactly what Missouri runs. The defensive line must shut down Colorado’s running game by itself for the Tigers’ D to be most effective, and it has the depth and talent to do so. But don’t fear: Even if the Tigers are forced to play David Overstreet or Brandon Massey in the box as an extra run defender, Darnell Terrell, Dom Johnson and Hardy Ricks are more than capable of shutting down the Colorado receivers in one-on-one matchups.
Advantage: Missouri. Jackson will make a few big plays with his feet, but as long as Missouri stays fundamentally sound in its scheme and tackling, Colorado should continue to have problems moving the chains.

Special Teams – Colorado has Mason Crosby, which is enough to tip this matchup the Buffs’ way. But Jeff Wolfert has been steady as Mizzou’s placekicker, and kicker-turned-punter Adam Crossett has showed a nice leg and an ability to pin teams deep. I’d say something about CU’s punting game, but does anyone really care?
Advantage: Colorado. Two words: Mason. Crosby.

Coaching – I hate to say it, but I’m starting to believe a little in Gary Pinkel. Missouri actually made adjustments at halftime last week, and the result was a dominating performance by the defense in the second half. Colorado coach Dan Hawkins is great, there’s no doubt, and normally I’d give him the edge here, but I think the fact that he doesn’t have his own players yet limits his impact on the offense. He has breathed life into his defense, but he’d need a trip from Barry Bonds’ training staff to bulk up the offense.

Advantage: Even. Pinkel has his system in place, and it’s amazing how much better he looks with a QB that can chuck it. MU’s playcalling still could use some help, but Hawkins’ has exactly turned this offense into a world beater, either.

Prediction:
Missouri is too talented and deep on defense for Colorado’s undermanned offense to be a true threat. The only way Missouri blows this game is if they have several turnovers in Crosby field-goal range and are unable to move the ball against the Buffs’ D. Don’t see that happening.

Missouri goes to 5-0 on the year with a 31-13 win, and we never hear rumors about Gary Barnett becoming the coach at Missouri again.

Ohio, The State University

2006-09-19T18:29:00.000-05:00

By Tiger Fan

Like many MU fans, I had a fleeting moment of terror the first time I looked at Sept. 23 on this year’s schedule and saw the word Ohio: “Oh crap, we’re playing the Buckeyes?” Upon further review, I was relieved to see that it was the Bobcats coming to town, not the No. 1 team in the nation. Not to belittle the Bobcats, but I think most anyone would rather play Ohio, the state university, than The Ohio State University.

It was after recovering from that scare that I realized how fun this game could be. You see, I have a bit of an extra stake in this one. I grew up in Cincinnati and roughly a third of my high school class went to OU, including several close friends of mine (one of whom will be in Columbia on Saturday). In fact, one of my friends once tried out to play quarterback for the OU football team. I know all about the O-Zone cheering section. I’m well-versed in the Shaq of the MAC. I’ve been to Athens, OH, several times (a fun town and a beautiful campus, but I’d recommend avoiding the Ruby Tuesday’s. Just trust me.). In fact, I even won a video game national title with the Bobcats on NCAA ’06.

These facts aside, playing OU offers a myriad of jokes. For starters, check out the definition of a bobcat. That’s right, their ferocious mascot is only slightly larger than your average house cat: 36 inches long and 16 to 30 pounds. Advantage: Mizzou. Then there’s the whole Frank Solich drunk-driving date-rape thing. It’s probably best that all the writers here at The Zou have graduated… because I can only imagine what inappropriate saying would be painted across the front of the Tiger’s Lair if we were still there. But enough about all that. There’s a game to be played.

Coaches

Tiger fans should remember Frank Solich from his days at Nebraska. Solich coached the Huskers from 1998-2003 and compiled an overall record of 58-19 during that time, including a 5-1 mark against the Tigers. Of course, the last time Solich coached in Columbia, Mizzou beat Nebraska for the first time in 25 years and the goalposts came down. Solich is now in his second season at Ohio. The Bobcats finished 4-7 last season, but did score a major non-conference victory over Pittsburgh on national television in the first home game of the Solich Era. His arrival has also brought increased interest in the program, including more donor money and a record crowd of 24,545 at the Pittsburgh game (yes, roughly half the size of the crowd we had for Murray State). Unfortunately, the biggest news of his tenure has been less than flattering: Solich was arrested for DUI in November of last year. Solich tried to fight the charges by pointing to evidence of GHB (a date-rape drug) in his system, but this was unsuccessful… not to mention even more embarrassing than the original incident. Still, Solich has a clear track record of success on the field. He was the Big XII Coach of the Year in 1999 and 2001 and has a career winning percentage over .700. Pinkel has none of these things… yet.

Advantage: Ohio

Defense

The Bobcats rank 17^th in the nation in pass defense, which could be a concern for Mizzou fans because of the Tigers’ pass-happy spread attack. However, this ranking is inflated by the fact that Ohio’s last two games have been against Northen Illinois and Rutgers, two teams that love to run the ball. In those two games, opposing running backs racked up 196 and 195 yards, respectively. Tony Temple could have a big day if he hangs on to the ball. The more telling stat is that the Bobcats rank 46^th overall in total defense. While Rutgers is a program on the rise, the Bobcats have yet to face an offense with Mizzou’s athleticism… and they definitely have not faced this kind of passing attack. Ohio is led on defense by senior linebackers Matt Muncy and Tyler Russ. Muncy is a third-year starter, a Lombardi Award candidate and a preseason All-MAC selection. He’s the one to watch on defense. The test will be how these linebackers can match up with Rucker and Coffman. My guess is that they won’t (mainly because the Tiger attack was able to completely neutralize preseason All-American Patrick Willis of Ole Miss), but I could be wrong… after all, I’ve never seen these guys. Still, you’ve got to give the defensive edge in this one to the nation’s No. 2 defense (that’s Mizzou) until someone proves otherwise. The Tigers have only given up three offensive touchdowns this season and all three have come in garbage time.

Advantage: Mizzou

Offense

After three games, the 2-1 Bobcats enter Saturday’s contest ranked 103^rd in total offense and 67^th in scoring offense. On paper, that doesn’t seem to match up well with the Tigers, who are averaging 485 yards a game, good enough for 5^th in the country. So far this season, Mizzou has already scored five more touchdowns than Ohio. But that doesn’t mean the Bobcats are completely without weapons on offense. Senior QB Austen Everson started all 11 games for the Bobcats a year ago and has thrown for four touchdowns this season, including three against MAC rival Northern Illinois. Running back Kalvin McRae was a preseason All-MAC selection but so far this season, he has only rushed for more than 100 yards in one game. The Bobcat offense has been inconsistent: They struggled against Div. I-AA foe Tennessee-Martin but then racked up 510 yards of total offense against Northern Illinois. As evidenced by the offensive numbers, it looks like the Bobcats rely on a solid defense for not only field position, but also for putting points on the board. Quite frankly, they simply fall short of the Tigers athletically. Rumor has it that the Ohio O-line may be the team’s biggest weakness. If so, it’s going to be a long day going up against Brian Smith and Co.

Advantage: Mizzou

Special Teams

We all know that Mizzou’s special teams can be a little bit… well… special. Our net punting average is 32.8 yards per punt, which ranks the Tigers 86^th in the country. That’s more than five yards per punt shy of OU’s average. Also, the Bobcats have one of the top 20 return games in the country, averaging more than 15 yards per return. Nothing jumps out about the Ohio placekicking game on paper, but we all know Mizzou’s is nothing to write home about either. The good news for the Tigers is that the Bobcats struggle to protect on kicks, as they had a punt and field goal blocked last week. The big guys up front for the Tigers have already shown a propensity this year to block kicks, so don’t be surprised if they come up with another big play on Saturday.

Advantage: Even… and completely unpredictable

Bottom Line

Ohio may be the best team the Tigers have played so far this season. They knocked off a tough Northern Illinois team on the road that hung with the Buckeyes for a while in the opening week of the season. Don’t be surprised if the Bobcats make some noise in the MAC this year and finish with a winning record. Solich has things headed in the right direction. That being said, I can’t see the Tigers losing on Saturday. They just have too much offensive firepower and too much speed and athleticism on defense. The Bobcats may hang around for a while, but I’m guessing Mizzou will eventually wear them down and win big, 31-10.

Kudos and Concerns

2006-09-18T21:28:00.000-05:00

By Tiger Fan

Any win on the road is a good win for the Tigers. That being said, there was certainly room for improvement in Mizzou's 27-17 win over New Mexico on Saturday. The defense was stellar and the offense rolled up a ton of yards but continually squandered scoring opportunities. Without further ado, here come some kudos and concerns.

Kudos to Big XII Defensive Player of the Week Brian Smith, who had a ridiculous game: 6 tackles, 5 tackles for a loss, 4 sacks and a forced fumble. He's now just a few sacks shy of becoming the Big XII's all-time sack leader and looked absolutely unstoppable against the Lobos

...but the Tigers have to be concerned about Ziggy Hood. The starting tackle has a broken foot and will be out at least 4 weeks.

Kudos to Tony Temple who rushed for 168 yards, the biggest total for a Tiger since Zain Gilmore rushed for 169 yards against OSU in 2000

...but Tony, you gotta hang onto the football!

Kudos to Chase Daniel, who threw for 199 and one touchdown and also ran for one

...but Daniel looked rattled at times by the Lobos' defensive schemes. That has to be a concern as we head into Big XII play against some serious defenses.

Kudos to Earl Goldsmith, who played well in relief of Temple. The thing I like about Goldsmith is that he actually runs north and south. As I've said before, our guys have to stop dancing and get some yardage. Five yards is better than two, but our guys are looking for 80 yards on every play. But Goldsmith seems to get that and was rewarded with a touchdown

...but the only reason Goldsmith was on the field was that Marcus Woods continues to disappoint. Two words: FAIR CATCH! He almost coughed up another one this week. If he had, we might be talking about another Tiger collapse on the road. Also, he seems to be the biggest backfield dancer of the bunch. He's got speed and talent. Let's see it!

That's all for now. Check back soon for the Ohio preview... I've got a personal stake in this one, so it should be good.

New Mexico, New Result

2006-09-14T14:05:00.000-05:00

By Tiger Fan

We all know that Mizzou loses at least one game every year that it shouldn’t. More often than not, it happens in the non-conference schedule. Names like Bowling Green (twice), Troy State and most recently, New Mexico, come to mind. A lot of people seem to think that this year’s debacle will be Saturday’s game at New Mexico (I even predicted that in my uber-early Mizzou football preview back in April). On some levels this makes sense: the Tigers tend to struggle on the road… we lost to New Mexico last year… no other game on the early schedule looks like a disaster. But having seen Mizzou play a couple games, I’ve changed my mind from my spring preview. The Tigers won’t lose this game – nor should they. And if they do, heads should roll.

This year’s New Mexico team is not the team that beat Mizzou last year in Columbia. Gone are WR Hank Baskett (who terrorized the Tiger secondary with 203 yards and three touchdowns a year ago) and RB DonTrell Moore (who racked up 111 yards on the ground). Also gone are three starting offensive lineman and eight defensive starters. No matter what happens on Saturday, one thing is clear: It will not be a repeat of the 45-35 loss from a year ago.

The bottom line is that the Tigers will only lose this game if they fail to play at their best. Asked earlier this week what concerned him about Mizzou, New Mexico coach Rocky Long replied with “Everything.” Come Saturday, Tiger fans should just sit back and enjoy (and watch on TV if you’re in Columbia, St. Louis or KC). The Lobos are better than Murray State, but this one shouldn’t even be close. I’ve seen Mizzou fail in games like this before, but I just don’t see it happening this time (and yes I am knocking on wood as hard as I can right now). Now for the match-ups:

Coach

Long has been the head coach at New Mexico since 1997 and although he has a career record of just 46-50, he is the winningest coach in school history. Long has turned around what was once an abysmal program and the Lobos have been bowl eligible every year since 2001. He loves smash-mouth football, as evidenced by his comments earlier this week that criticized the spread offense. Long outcoached Pinkel and Co. last year, but I don’t think it happens again. Based on UNM’s loss to D-IAA Portland State to start the year, it looks like the coaching staff is still getting used to its new offensive coordinator and new defensive scheme. Plus, if last year’s game against Troy is any indication, Pinkel knows how to get his team fired up to avenge bad losses.

Advantage: Mizzou

Offense

As indicated above, the Lobos no longer have the services of the two players who torched the Tiger defense last year. They are also without starting QB Kole McKamey who was injured in the Lobos’ win over New Mexico State. What’s left is basically Marcus Smith, a former tailback who tallied three touchdowns and 179 receiving yards last week against the Aggies after posting 85 yards against Portland State. WR Travis Brown also has potential. But for Tiger fans fearing a flashback to last year, let’s remember that this year’s secondary is much-improved. Darnell Terrell, Domonique Johnson, Brandon Massey, David Overstreet, William Moore and Pig Brown have all shown themselves to be hard hitters. Even if it does get into a shootout, the Tigers can always rely on Franklin, Coffman, Rucker and Ekwerekwu for big catches. Lobo fans are excited that they put up 34 points on NMSU, but let’s remember that the Tiger offense put up 34 points on an Ole Miss defense with an All-American center.

Advantage: Mizzou

Defense

The Lobos return only three starters from a year ago and will need to play every bit as well as they did against NMSU (recording six sacks and forcing five turnovers) if they want to stop the potent Mizzou attack. Rocky’s teams are known for blitzing on defense to rattle young quarterbacks, but Chase Daniel has shown that he has ice in his veins (need I remind anyone of last year’s Iowa State game?). The defense also takes a lot of chances, which can be interpreted two ways: UNM fans hope it means a few turnovers. I’m pretty sure it means lots of big plays down field for the ‘Copter. How do they stack up against Mizzou? The Tigers are currently second in the nation in total defense, allowing just 156.0 yards per game. The Lobos give up more than 382 yards per game, ranking them 93^rd.On Saturday, they have to taken on a Tiger offense that ranks No. 5 in total offense with 530 yards per game.

Advantage: Mizzou

Special Teams

Mizzou’s kicking game continues to be an adventure. We’re just miss a 30-yard-field goal as we are to make a 55-yarder. Punts of 20 yards no longer surprise me. Our return guys are just as likely to take one to the house or fumble. Meanwhile, New Mexico’s kicker Kenny Byrd is a preseason second-team All-American and was a Lou Groza Award semifinalist a year ago. Why can’t we ever get these guys at Mizzou? Lobo punter Jordan Scott is also solid. I’m going to give the edge to New Mexico, but don’t be surprised if Mizzou makes a big play in the return game this week. They’ll be itching to make something happen after Pig Brown’s kick was called back last week.

Advantage: New Mexico

Bottom Line

Can Mizzou lose this game? Well, it is still Mizzou we are talking about. Stranger things have happened. But I don’t think they will. They have superior athleticism on offense and a swarming team defense that is playing with an intensity that has been missing in years past. Add in some inspiration from Rocky, who seemed to imply that the Tigers can’t play smash-mouth football, and I think Mizzou runs away with this one, 38-14.

Hoopage...

2006-09-12T01:04:00.000-05:00

Missouri revealed it wants the Mike Anderson era to start off on the right foot.
The Tigers, who released their much anticipated (at least by me) men's basketball schedule Monday, will play a record 21 home games, including two exhibitions, in the 2006-07 season, including nine straight to begin the season. Coming off their worst ever Big 12 Conference finish, the Tigers will host such heavyweights as North Carolina A&T, Lipscomb and Stephen F. Austin.
After their opening stretch of home "tests," the Tigers travel to Purdue for their only trip outside the state of Missouri in 2006. They conclude the nonconference schedule concludes on Jan. 2, 2007 against Mississippi State.
Four days later, the Tigers begin Big 12 play at home against Iowa State then travel to Texas. For the second straight year, the Tigers won't conclude the year against kansas, for they host the beakers on Feb. 10 and travel Jan. 15 to Craphole, USA. Both of those games will be on national television.
Rocky Mountain Tiger will be in attendance when the Tigers travel to Boulder to prove once again Ricardo Patton is a terrible coach on Jan. 24 and encourages fellow Tiger fans to make the trip as well.

http://mutigers.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/sched/miss-m-baskbl-sched.html

Game Recap from Tiger Fan

2006-09-11T11:57:00.000-05:00

On the Field:

-Chase Daniel certainly seems to be living up to the hype. I know he hasn’t played a really solid defensive unit yet, but his accuracy is deadly if he gets enough time. Can’t complain about 332 yards of total offense and two TDs.

-We all knew the defensive line was good, but who knew the rest of the unit would be so solid? After two games, the Tigers are giving up a mere 156 yards per game and rank second in the NCAA in total defense. Say what you want about Ole Miss, but Schaeffer, McCluster and Green-Ellis are legitimate weapons who accomplished pretty much nothing on Saturday. And how about Marcus Bacon? Twelve tackles, a forced fumble and an interception. Nice work from the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week. Massey’s second pick in as many weeks was also ridiculous.

-After the second heart stopping punt return by Marcus Woods, half the stadium was waving, showing him how to call fair catch. He chose not to listen and fumbled away the next one. I don’t care what green light the coach gives you… if there are two guys on the other team standing in front of you, call the fair catch!

-Speaking of bad coaching, Pinkle’s clock management at the end of the first half was about as bad as the Seahawks in last year’s Super Bowl. What a disaster.

-Clearly we are getting a lot of offensive production, but we’d be getting even more if our players would spend less time juking and more time running north-south. Our guys like to dance after they catch a ball rather than lower their shoulder and pick up a couple more yards. Running backs on sweep plays are the worst offenders. They are looking for the 80-yard run instead of the 7-yard run… and ending up with the 2-yard run.

-I didn’t see the block in the back on Pig Brown’s punt return TD (mainly because they didn’t show the replay… more on that later). But I don’t think it matters: Pig should be returning our punts… and not just because his name is Pig.

-Nice to see Brandon Coleman finally get a TD. How long has he been here now? Seven years? Eight?

-Mark it down: Mizzou will lose at least one game this year because of the inconsistent kicking game.

Seen and Heard in the Stands

-I noticed that the Ole Miss fans removed their hats for our alma mater. Very classy move. Half our fans don’t even do that.

-Everything you hear about the elaborate tailgating set-ups at Ole Miss is true. Example? One group had a three-foot high ice sculpture of Colonel Reb in Columbia on Saturday.

-“That’s a terrible kick,” says Born-a-Tiger as Adam Crossett’s kickoff lands in the back of the end zone for a touchback. Yeah, we figure he’s one of those guys who jumps up every time Albert Pujols hits a pop-up to the centerfielder.

-I found the Ole Miss band to be somewhat annoying. You basically couldn’t hear either band because they spent the whole game playing over each other. But I guess that’s pretty typical any time a band travels. Remember when Mizzou’s band used to go places?

-Not sure what exactly it said, but apparently part of the Tiger’s Lair message was directed at a big-name recruit in attendance on Saturday. Nice work guys!

Pleasant/Irritating Athletic Department Notes:

-Who the hell is wearing No. 16? And why? Before anyone freaks out, I’m not asking you to retire Brad’s number. I’m aware of the “rules” on that. But how can the coaching staff and the veteran players let this happen? I don’t know anything about freshman DB Kevin Rutland, but unless he’s the second-coming of Deion Sanders, he should not be wearing No. 16 the year after Brad graduated. It’s that simple. At least they haven’t given out No. 25… yet.

-I noticed an unusually high security presence at Saturday’s game. Not sure why. But at least they are actually doing something… one cop made me turn out the contents of my cargo shorts. Apparently my camera was riding a little low.

-Why do we have Band Day? What purpose does it serve? Is there a big demand for out-of-sync drumming at half time? Am I the only one who hates this every year?

-Obviously they did this last week, but this is the first time I saw it: I love the smoke when the team is coming out of the tunnel. Really cool effect. Plus, if we’re going to dress like an Arena League team, why not go all out with the transformation?

-Show some freakin’ replays! There were several plays in the game that were questionable, but I don’t know if the refs made the right call because the folks running our Jumbotron don’t show replays of controversial calls. What do they think is going to happen? If we see an incorrect call, are we going to run onto the field, grab the ref, take him to Harpo’s and cut him up? By not showing it, you give fans no option but to boo. At least if we saw a replay, we could make an intelligent decision. Grrrr….

Probably being heard around the water cooler this morning...

“I don’t care if I have to quit my job, I’m going to the game at Ole Miss next year”… and lest you think I’m joking, my friend Mike actually did say that this morning.

Who's ready for girls in sundresses?

2006-09-05T19:59:00.000-05:00

By Tiger Fan

Lest there be any doubt, Mizzou’s game on Saturday against Ole Miss is one of the key games of the season. A win against an SEC foe should propel the Tigers to a 5-0 start and the best season in years. It would also reinforce all the optimism felt by most Mizzou fan’s after last weekend’s drubbing of Murray State and help to put some butts in the seats at Faurot as the season moves forward. A loss against the Rebels would prove that we’re not, in fact, on the move. It would prove that we still can’t take care of inferior opponents. If we can’t beat Ole Miss, do you really think this is the year we finally beat KSU? Knock off Oklahoma? Make it to a real bowl game? No way. So basically, there’s nothing at stake on Saturday… except maybe the whole season.

Coach

By now, we’ve probably all heard the story of Ed Orgeron arriving at Ole Miss, taking off his shirt and challenging his players to fight him. There’s no doubt about it, the former USC defensive coordinator is tough – and if everything in that story is true, he’s pretty much insane. Orgeron is in his second year at Ole Miss after serving as the defensive mastermind of the Trojans’ national championship teams in 2003 and 2004. Although he only put together a 3-8 record last year with the Rebels, recruiting is Orgeron’s specialty (he was named the National Recruiter of the Year by the Sporting News in 2004 and was responsible for recruiting players like Reggie Bush and Matt Leinart). The coach brought his recruiting touch to Ole Miss and lured in a top-10 recruiting class for this season. But can he succeed as a head coach? That remains to be seen. You can’t read too much into last season, mainly because Orgeron was stuck with the players recruited before his arrival. I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt in this game because of one simple stat: national championship rings. Orgeron 2, Pinkel 0.

Advantage: Ole Miss

Defense

The discussion of the Ole Miss defense has to begin with senior linebacker Patrick Willis. Already on everyone’s 2006 Butkus Award watch list, Willis earned first-team All-American honors last season and seems like a mortal lock to repeat that feat this season. And before you think that it will take 11 guys to stop the Mizzou offense, I ask you to look no further than the game against Troy State in 2004 and a man named DeMarcus Ware. Willis is coming off foot surgery, but he seemed to be in great shape in last week’s win over Memphis: 12 tackles, 1.5 for a loss and a fumble recovery. Still, a few things are worth noting. First, Ole Miss lost it’s entire D-line to graduation last season and even if 5-star freshman tackle Jerrell Powe is declared academically eligible this week, they don’t look to be solid up front. In fact, they just moved a true freshman o-lineman to DL for depth. Ouch. Compare that with a Mizzou D-line that goes at least six deep and has multiple All-Conference contenders. Point Mizzou. Second, the Rebels gave up 374 yards, including 149 on the ground, to a Memphis team that is ranked 81^st nationally by College Football News and is without last year’s star at tailback, DeAngelo Williams. (As a comparison, Mizzou gave up just 150 total yards last week). Third, the Rebels Secondary is relatively inexperienced and although Jamarca Sanford is very solid at strong safety, Mizzou brings its own talented safety to the table in David Overstreet. I know you can’t read too much into one game, but you would have to think the Tigers from Missouri will be able to pile up even more yards than the Tigers from Memphis. Bottom line: Willis will be a handful for the Tigers, but if they can keep him in check, good things will happen.

Defensive line advantage: Mizzou

Linebacker advantage: Ole Miss

Secondary advantage: Even

Offense

The inexperienced Ole Miss offense is led by Brent Schaeffer, a former Elite 11 quarterback who transferred away from Tennessee in 2005. Before you get all riled up about Schaeffer, let me remind you that Mizzou also has an Elite 11 QB on its roster: Chase Patton, who sits third on the depth chart. As it turns out, high school accolades aren’t nearly as important as college performance. So far, Schaeffer has struggled in the latter category. He started as a freshman at Tennessee before losing his spot to Erik Ainge after breaking his collarbone. Last week, in his debut with the Rebels, he was 7 for 16 for 97 yards, but scored twice on the ground. Mizzou sometimes struggles with mobile QBs, so this could pose a challenge. The most explosive weapon for Ole Miss, however, is freshman WR Dexter McCluster. He is generously listed at 5’9” (about my size) but used his quickness last week to rack up 268 yards of total offense and a touchdown in his first college game. Mizzou will need to keep an eye on him, as he has the ability to make plays all over the field. If Mizzou settles into its traditional “five-yard-cushion” coverage, things could get ugly. But one McCluster doesn’t add up to a Coffman, a Franklin, a Rucker and an Ekwerekwu. BenJarvus Green-Ellis (who apparently comes from a family that struggles to settle on one name) leads the way at running back. He transferred from Indiana in the spring of 2005 and racked up 127 yards and two TDs in last week’s opener. He is a hard-nosed running back who likes to get a lot of carries. We have seen lots of running backs like that wear out the Mizzou defense in the past. With so many newcomers, the Ole Miss offense is still trying to bring it all together. Still, they were efficient in last week’s game and did not turn the ball over. Having a unit like that will always give you a chance to win.

Offensive line advantage: Mizzou

Quarterback advantage: Mizzou

Running back advantage: Ole Miss

Wide Receiver advantage: Mizzou

Special Teams

Last week in this space I correctly predicted that Mizzou would probably block a kick against Murray State. Don’t look for that to happen this week. The SEC athletes will be much better than those in the OVC. Also, with SEC Freshman of the Week McCluster returning kicks, anything could happen. The Rebels return their punter and kick-off specialist from a year ago. The only question mark could be freshman kicker Joshua Shene, but his track record is impressive: Overall Kicking Champion at the 2006 National Punting and Kicking Competition Expo (maybe Pinkel should check that event out some time) and No. 2-rated kicker by Scout.com last season. Sounds like a solid group to me.

Advantage: Ole Miss

Bottom Line

This won’t be the cake-walk that many Mizzou fans foolishly seem to think it will be. In fact, I see no reason for all the brash predictions of a blow-out. Last time I checked, we’re still Mizzou and these are the types of games we usually lose. Should we win on paper? You bet. Will we win? That’s harder to say. But I have faith that the Tigers can get it done. Chase is the type of player who steps up in big games and while Willis is an amazing talent, he can’t guard four receivers and a running back on every play. I think Mizzou wins it in a nail-biter, 30-28.

Ten observations from Saturday's game

2006-09-04T14:34:00.000-05:00

By Born-a-Tiger

Well, since I was the only one of the crew who could make it to the game last Saturday (read: the only one loyal enough to go… just kidding, guys), here are a few quick thoughts about the Tigers’ home opener.

1) Our receivers are a lot better than I thought. I always knew Will Franklin had crazy athleticism, and I always knew T. Rucker and Chase Coffman were huge, fast targets with good hands . . . but I didn’t realize how good these guys were (OK, maybe I knew how good Coffman was) until Saturday. It’s amazing what a receiver can do after the catch when the ball hits him in the hands . . . and it’s amazing how dangerous Franklin can be downfield when the quarterback actually can throw the deep ball.
2) On a related note, the passing game looks pretty good when the QB is actually accurate. Watching Chase Daniel run once is enough to make you realize we aren’t going to have any “third and Chase” plays. But watching him throw bullets on the money all over the field is pretty nice.
3) On another related note, it’s going to be hard to stop “out” patterns to MU’s tight ends – Daniel has the zip to make the throw, and Coffman and Rucker are so dangerous in the middle, so quick and so big, that play should be almost unstoppable.
4) We had a flashback to the Brad Smith days when Brandon Coleman came in to mop up (after Daniel set the school record for passing TDs). Coleman had a long run on a QB keeper . . . and an interception on an out pattern that was thrown 3 feet behind the receiver. (Side note: I’m a huge Brad Smith fan, obviously, but his failings in the passing game prevented the Tigers from ever reaching their potential, no matter how many school records he set).
5) The defense overwhelmed the smaller and slower Racers, but there still were things you could take away from the game. Namely: this defense swarms to the ball like no Tiger team in recent memory. The secondary is big and fast, and phenom linebacker Brock Christopher looked good.
6) Stryker Sulak is more than just a cool name. He just might be Missouri’s best defensive player – which is a good sign, considering he’s competing with a preseason All-Big 12 safety (David Overstreet, who didn’t see much action because the front seven did its job), a preseason All-Big 12 tackle (Lorenzo Williams) and the guy who probably is the Big 12’s future all-time sack leader (Brian Smith). Sulak showed the same burst and energy off the edge that made him a starter as a freshman last year, and he also showed good discipline.
7) MU’s defensive line is going to be it’s bread and butter. Three good ends, three good tackles. The secondary looks like it has the athleticism to take advantage of the mistakes the front four should force, but the Tigers need to stop dropping easy interceptions (I remember at least two that were dropped).
8) Dedrick Harrington continues to disappoint me. Remember when Deke was a freshman and looked like he was going to be a big, big star? Yeah, me too. He failed to make an impact again on Saturday. Maybe it’s the way they use him, maybe it’s inattention on my part, but I don’t remember Harrington making one play on Saturday.
9) Tony Temple reminded me why he was the No. 2 running back in his class. Remember who was No. 1? Just some guy named Adrian Petersen. It was against an inferior opponent, obviously, but TT showed the quick start-and-stop ability that made him so highly regarded out of high school. And he didn’t fumble, which always is his biggest question mark. Looks like he didn’t lose any quickness or agility when he bulked up.
10) There’s no reason this team shouldn’t start the season 5-0 and win 9 games. The schedule is soft . . . Ole Miss this week is the biggest obstacle, in my opinion.

It might not mean much, but....

2006-09-03T12:46:00.000-05:00

By Rocky Mountain Tiger

After their 47-7 defeat of Murray State, the Missouri Tigers lead the nation in total offense. Their 589 yards is 5 better than Nebraska, which is second in the nation. The Tigers rank sixth in passing offense and 10th in rushing. In addition, the Tigers rank 11th nationally in total defense, after yielding 150 yards. Too bad we can't play the Racers every week.

MSU is coming to town (and I don't mean SMS)

2006-08-27T17:58:00.000-05:00

By Tiger Fan

With less than a week until kick-off, it’s time to get serious. No more reveling in Brad Smith’s glories of old. No more tales of days gone by. It’s time to look ahead and see what’s coming. And the first team coming? Murray State.

I’ve never heard of the state of Murray, so I got out a map to find it. Still unable to locate this fine institution, I turned to Google. As it turns out, Murray is not actually a state… but Murray State University is located in Murray, Kentucky. It’s also known as Kentucky’s Public Ivy University, whatever that means. But lest you think I am making fun of the good folks at Murray State, I’ll point out that they rank in the top ten among public master’s level universities according to U.S. News and World Report, coming in two spot’s behind Missouri’s own Truman State University (FYI: the state of Truman has also eluded me). Also, some of you may recall that the Racers nearly beat the Tiger basketball team in 2004 in a very forgettable 59-55 game in Columbia. Unfortunately, their football team has not received the same level of acclaim. Despite a somewhat proud history that includes eight conference titles, the Racers finished 2-9 last season competing in the Ohio Valley Conference of NCAA’s I-AA class. Their lone foray into Division 1 last season was a 38-6 loss to Mississippi State. To put it bluntly, if Pinkel loses this one, he should be fired on the spot. Not in the locker room. Not in a post-game press conference. Right there, on the field, after he finishes shaking hands with the Racers coach. Why? Let’s break things down:

Coach

After last season’s disastrous campaign, the Racers fired coach Joe Pannunzio and replaced him with Matt Griffin – who at the time was the coach at conference rival Tennessee-Martin. Griffin seems like a good guy (he loves spending time with his wife and three kids), but his coaching resume is rather short: He was the head coach at Tennessee-Martin for three years, leading them to one winning season (last year’s 6-5) mark. Really not enough there to know what he’s got, so as much as I hate to do it, I have to say Pinkel has the edge. However, it’s worth noting that MSU has produced solid coaches in the past, like Virginia Tech’s Frank Beamer and Arkansas’ Huston Nutt. If Griffin is on par with those guys, look out.

Advantage: Mizzou

Offense

The Racers return eight starters, led by QB Ryne Salyer who threw for 1,062 yards and eight touchdowns a year ago. But three others – including Marshall transfer Zac Barnard – are all vying for the starting position. Whoever earns that spot will be handing off a lot to RB Chad Cook. The senior led the team in rushing last season with 635 yards and three touchdowns. Jonathan Eiland and Rod Harper headline the wide receiving corps. I’m sure these guys are fine, but they’re not match for Chase Daniel, Tony Temple, Will Franklin, Chase Coffman, Martin Rucker, etc.

Advantage: Mizzou

Defense

Seniors Gerald Goldberg and Barry Thomas lead a thin defensive line and could be paired with two freshman for the opener against the Tigers. Nathan Williams, a junior, leads a linebacking corps that also has its share of question marks. The most solid defensive unit for the Racers is the secondary, led by free safety and team captain J.R. Webber. Again, Mizzou’s athleticism will win out in the end. Comparing the units side-by-side, its hard to see how the Racers can match up with a Mizzou d-line that goes seven or eight deep and a secondary highlighted by All-Big XII candidate David Overstreet.

Advantage: Mizzou

Special teams

Murray State returns punter Tim Wright and place-kicker Gary Cross from last year’s squad. Wright averaged more than 35 yards per punt last season. As we all know, Mizzou’s special teams can be, well, special. The kicking game should be hit and miss again this season. But as we’ve seen against I-AA teams in the past, it doesn’t always matter how good the kicker is. Don’t be surprised if the Tigers bust through and block a kick or run one back.

Advantage: Mizzou (but not by much)

Bottom Line:

Let’s see, a Big XII team at home against a team that finished 2-9 last season in the OVC. Even if the Racers and dig deep and hang around for a while, they’ll eventually succumb to Mizzou’s superior athleticism. I’ve complained often about Pinkel, but I don’t even think he can screw this one up. It will be exciting to see what Chase Daniel can do, but Tigers fans should be wary of using this game as a barometer for the season. I’m picking the Tigers to roll, 42-10… setting off a rash of unreasonable expectations in the Tiger nation.

Who's ready for some football?

2006-08-23T22:54:00.000-05:00

By Tiger Fan

Well folks, football season is FINALLY right around the corner. In case you're not ready yet, here's a look back at the 10 best Mizzou plays from the last five seasons. If these highlights don't get you excited, nothing will. And if I missed anything, let me know!

10. Justin Gage takes a bubble screen to the house - Oct. 26, 2002
Yes, yes... we all hate the bubble screen. But it worked this time to the tune of 62 yards... the longest pass of the Gary Pinkel era. Unfortunately, Gary has been trying to replicate it ever since.

9. Jason Simpson strips away Nebraska's shot at victory - Oct. 22, 2005
In the third quarter, Terrence Nunn was on his way to a touchdown that would have given Nebraska the lead. But Simpson managed to chase him down and rip the ball away around the 10-yard line. David Overstreet fell on it at the 3. Ten plays later, the Tigers were in their endzone, on the way to another win.

8. Shirdonya Mitchell snatches victory from the hands of defeat - Oct. 2, 2004
With the Tigers leading by 8, Colorado was driving for the game-tying score. It looked like Joel Klatt had connected with Evan Judge for a touchdown, but Mitchell wrestled the ball away for an interception with 6:47 to play to seal the win.

7. Brad Ekwerekwu revives his QB skills - Oct. 8, 2005
With 34 seconds left in the first half, the Tigers got the ball back after an OSU fumble in Stillwater. Ekwerekwu took advantage, taking a reverse from Brad Smith, pulling up and throwing into the end zone for Sean Coffey. Coffey managed to fight off the defender and make a circus catch.

6. The longest run of Brad's career - Oct. 22, 2005
Brad Smith had many historic runs, but none was longer than this one. He took the snap and ran right up the middle untouched. He went 79 yards to the house for his second rushing touchdown of the game.

5. Chase Daniel's coming out party - Oct. 15, 2005
We all know the story by now. Brad Smith goes down against ISU with five minutes to play and the Tigers trailing by 10. In comes Chase Daniel. Daniel's 4-yard touchdown pass to Sean Coffey in the back of the endzone with 20 seconds to play tied the game at 24 and send it to overtime.

4. Marcus King makes bowl history - Dec. 30, 2005
There were a lot of big plays in Mizzou's historic Independence Bowl comeback, but none was bigger than King's 99-yard interception return. South Carolina was leading 21-0 and driving for another score when King snagged the ball on the one and raced 99 yards for the score. It was the longest INT return in Mizzou history and set an Independence Bowl record. It also turned the tide of the game as the Tigers went on to win, 38-31.

3. Brad Smith's coming out party - Oct. 5, 2002
The game is legendary: 213 yards and two touchdowns on the ground, 178 yards and a touchdown through the air. Mizzou's near-upset of No. 1 Oklahoma made Smith a household name nationwide. And his 25-yard TD with 10 minutes to play to put the Tigers ahead 24-23 would have been the biggest score of his career... were it not for The Fake I. Still, it was the birth of third-and-Brad. On the play, the Tigers needed just a few yards. Brad smashed into the pile and found nothing. But when he bounced it to the outside, he needed only to juke past one OU defender to take it all the way.

2. Outlaw to Smith - Oct. 11, 2003
We all know what Brad can do with his feet and arms. But on this rainy October night, we got a taste of what he'll be doing in the NFL: using his hands to catch passes. If his 47-yard dash to the endzone against Nebraska was any indication, he's in for quite a pro career. Smith took the lateral pass from former QB Darius Outlaw and got behind of a wall of blockers who escorted him to the endzone and a 14-7 lead.

1. The Fake II - Oct. 11, 2003
Sesay, Sesay! Boom boom, Sesay! It's all Kadlec could say... and who could blame him. It seems Gary Pinkle learned something from Bob Stoops the year before. Trailing 24-21 with 12 minutes to play, the Tigers lined up for what appeared to be the game-tying field goal try. Instead, back-up QB Sonny Riccio rolled out and hit tight end Victor Sesay for a 15-yard touchdown pass. Mizzou took the lead 28-24 and never looked back. They went on to beat Nebraska for the first time in 25 years.

Summer updates

2006-07-21T12:08:00.000-05:00

Just some quick notes from this week...
1 - Martin Rucker and David Overstreet were named to the media's All-Big 12 first team. Overstreet, an honorable-mention All-Big 12 player in 2005, led the Tigers with a career-high 100 tackles. He added two interceptions, three fumble recoveries and eight passes broken up, as well. Rucker, a junior tight end, had 47 catches, 567 yards and one touchdown a year ago - the first of two figures which led the team. In just two seasons, Rucker already ranks sixth alltime in Mizzou history among tight ends with 66 career catches for 830 yards. Rucker is a preseason candidate for the Mackey Award as well, awarded to the nation's best tight end.

2 - Jimmy McKinney signed to play basketball with Deutsche Bank Skyliners of the German League. McKinney finished his career ranked among Missouri's top 10 in a number of statistical categories, including free throw percentage (6th - .798), assists (8th - 349), three-point attempts (8th - 371) and three-point field goals (10th - 123). McKinney also made an impressive 115 starts during his four seasons and played in 123 consecutive games after missing the first game of his career with a fractured frontal sinus.

3 - Thomas Gardner played in the Rocky Mountain Revue with the San Antonio Spurs. The Revue was scheduled to finish today.

Good News

2006-07-19T20:43:00.000-05:00

By Tiger Fan

So I have some good news for those of you who are tired of checking in here to get perspective on the Tigers and find news about the Reds or Bengals or whatever other random sports events strike my fancy that day. I've got a new blog going over on the Sporting News Web site where I can discuss my Cincinnati roots or other non-Mizzou thoughts. It's called The Ickey Shuffle, so if you happen to enjoy my takes on life outside The Zou, check it out. Or don't. Whatever you prefer. This probably means there won't be many updates here until football season gets underway, but I'm sure you all can manage for another month or so. Thanks for reading.

THE REDS DID WHAT?

2006-07-13T20:32:00.000-05:00

By Tiger Fan

Here's something Mizzou fans can relate to: It's getting more and more difficult to be a Cincy sports fan. The Reds are making trades for 50 cents on the dollar and half the Bengals are in jail. I know most of you don’t care, but I have to get this off my chest. My hometown Reds just made an absolutely TERRIBLE trade. I know, I know… I’ve been complaining about their lack of bullpen help for months. But how do you trade Lopez and Kearns unless you are getting a known quantity in return? When I saw that they traded those two, I opened up the article, expecting to see that they got Soriano or Livan Hernandez or some well-known closer. Five random members of the Washington Nationals? Ouch.

I have liked most of Wayne Krivsky’s moves so far this year, but I have to say I don’t get this one. After the Arroyo-Pena trade earlier in the year, the ongoing outfield questions seemed to be answered for the Reds. But now, two of the four quality outfielders are gone. Somehow we went from having too many good outfielders to having too few. Meanwhile, Lopez was paired with Brandon Phillips to make one of the most promising young middle infield combos in the majors. Why screw that up? The Reds aren’t going to win it all this year; anyone who thinks otherwise is fooling himself. I like that Krivsky is willing to make moves to compete, but I think he made an unnecessary desperation play here. The only thing I can figure is that he’s hoping to find a closer or a solid starter among these young pitching talents… but the Reds coaching staff isn’t exactly known for developing players like that. Let’s take a look at the players involved:

The Reds lose…

Austin Kearns, OF
-26 years old
-.267 career batting average
-.358 career OBP
-Cannon arm in right field

Felipe Lopez, SS
-26 years old
-Batting .268 this season with .355 OBP
-23 stolen bases this season
-2005 NL All-Star

Ryan Wagner, RP
-Minor leaguer who was a first-round pick in 2003
-23 years old
-8-4 with 101 strikeouts this season

The Reds get…

Gary Majewski, RP
-26 years old
-162.1 career innings pitched, 3.27 ERA
-96 strikeouts, 67 walks in his career

Bill Bray, RP
-23-year-old lefty
-23 career innings pitched, 3.91 ERA
-16 strikeouts, 9 walks in his short career

Royce Clayton, SS
-36-year-old veteran
-Probably a defensive upgrade
-Currently day-to-day with a shoulder injury
-.259 career batting average
-.313 career OBP

Brendan Harris, INF
-25 years old
-Major League debut in 2004
-.210 career batting average
-.275 career OBP
-Fifth best Nationals prospect, according to Baseball America

Daryl Thompson, SP
-20 years old
-Still in A-ball
-6-12 career record
-127 strikeouts compared to 54 walks for the career
-Seventh best Nationals prospect, according to Baseball America

And for anyone who thinks former All-Star reliever Eddie Guardado (acquired last week by the Reds) is the answer, check out his stats this season:

24 innings, 8 HRs allowed, 11 walks, 23 strikeouts, 1 win, 3 losses, 5 saves, 5.25 ERA

Not terrible, but not particularly good. I’m not sold. Prove me wrong Eddie.

P.S. What the heck is in the water over at Paul Brown Stadium? The Bengals have a chance to make some noise next year, but only if they can stay out of jail. To recap: Chris Henry has been arrested four times since December, fifth round choice LB A.J. Nicholson is facing robbery charges and 91st overall pick Frostee Rucker has dealt with charges of spousal battery and vandalism. Now comes word that Odell Thurman might miss the first four games of next season due to a drug suspension. That might explain why the Bengals took a chance on another troubled player in today's supplemental draft. Ahmad Brooks has some serious talent, but he also had some serious off-the-field issues that got him kicked out of the University of Virginia football program. I hope the Bengals can get things under control over there because right now they are a tough team to cheer for. Can anyone say Ricky Clemons? Sigh...

Intimidating stadiums

2006-07-12T22:20:00.000-05:00

By Tiger Fan

Matt Hayes of the Sporting News recently wrote a blog entry that ranked the most intimidating stadiums in the Big XII. It caused quite a stir over on Tigerboard where Tiger fans apparently thought Faurot Field came in too low at No. 10. Personally, I think that is about right as far as intimidation goes… but there’s a lot more to ranking Big XII stadiums. I came up with three sets of rankings: best intimidation, best tradition/in-game atmosphere and best gameday atmosphere. Here is the first of those lists. Look for the others in coming days.

1. Texas

As much as I hate the ‘horns, I have to put them No. 1 on this list. When you’re looking at how intimidating a stadium is, you have to consider the team that plays there. Texas is the defending national champion and rarely loses at home. That means they are sure to be playing with loads of confidence – not to mention a loud, full house

2. Oklahoma

OU is another school that fills the stadium for every game. They have history of winning, which means the fans know how to get it done too. When their stars are healthy, the team can be pretty intimidating too.

3. Texas Tech

Red Raider fans who were whining about their No. 6 spot over at the Sporting News site might be pleased with this ranking, but it’s not a compliment. Sure, they’ve played well at home in recent years, but Texas Tech is intimidating because their fans are crazy (in a bad way). After years of getting beaten down by Texas A&M and Texas, they go nuts for every win. Remember a few years back when they tore down the goalposts and rammed them into the Aggie fan section? Is that intimidating? Perhaps. Classy? No way.

4. Texas A&M

Aggieland was one of the most intimidating stadiums in the nation throughout the ‘90s. I wish that was still the case. But now that they Aggies aren’t winning like they used to, the intimidation is suffering too. I’m not questioning the 12^th Man, but you can’t claim to be the most intimidating stadium in the Big XII if you only win half your home games. I hope the Aggies turn it around and give the fans at Kyle Field something to yell about again. Until it happens, opposing teams simply are not as scared to visit College Station as they used to be.

5. Nebraska

The Sea of Red is still intimidating to most opponents – particularly the I-AA teams the Huskers have been bringing in the last couple of years – but NU is basically getting by on reputation at this point. Some teams (a la Missouri) still can’t win in Lincoln, but other teams have definitely figured out how to get it done. While the aging Husker fan base usually makes nice with opposing fans, they’re reaching the point where it’s nice for opposing teams to visit too. And that’s not intimidating.

6. Colorado

It’s never easy to win in Boulder: 1) the air is thin, 2) the fans are crazy and 3) the Buffaloes always seem to play better than predicted. Remember last season against Nebraska when they had to clear out an entire section of the stadium because of wild fan behavior? As with Texas Tech, it’s not something to be encouraged, but it is intimidating. Also, if you visit, make sure to watch out for flying marshmallows.

7. Kansas State

In the late ‘90s, KSU would have been higher on the list. But as the team has gotten worse, so have the fans. They do get up for the big games… and that makes sense. After all, what else are you going to do in the middle of kansas.

8. Mizzou

Here are the facts: 1) we only get up for big games… and only when we think we can win (compare Nebraska ’03 or Oklahoma ’02 with Texas ’05), 2) if the game is before 2:30, most students aren’t showing up until halftime, 3) unless it’s a one possession game, the alumni are leaving before it’s over, 4) we only make noise on third down… and that’s rare, 5) our students like to get down on the alumni for not cheering, but half of them don’t cheer either, and 6) the corporate atmosphere created by Alden brings in a lot of money but it doesn’t created an intimidating atmosphere. So why are we No. 8? Because everybody else is worse. If Tiger fans want to complain about this ranking, show up to non-conference games and cheer like it’s Nebraska. Prove me wrong. When Mizzou fans are at their best, Faurot is one of the craziest fans in the Big XII. Unfortunately, we’re usually not.

9. Oklahoma State

Mr. Hayes got this one right: If the Sooners are in town, it is – as the name implies – bedlam. Otherwise, they just seem kind of cooky.

10. Iowa State

A classic big game school. I’ve seen them play Nebraska with a packed house going crazy. I’ve also seen them play Mizzou with a chance to lock up a Big XII North title and completely lay an egg. Any place where Mizzou can play well on the road is not intimidating.

11. kansas

You know I wish I could put them last, but I can’t. The fair-weather football fans at kU have tried to step it up in recent years. But the last time I was there, the stadium was only 3/4 full and the crowd noise was pathetic – and they were playing Mizzou. Isn’t that a rivalry game? If you can’t intimidate a rival, it’s time to pack it up.

P.S. Urine bombs and profanity don’t count as intimidation… we’ve come to expect that.

12. Baylor

Only the Bears could keep the beakers out of the basement. Their fans match their team, which is simply pathetic, as we all know. The good news? Things are starting to turn around for Baylor on the field. Maybe the crowds will follow. That’s what I am rooting for… that way I can put kU fans at the bottom where they belong.

What happened to the soccer I used to play?

2006-07-03T10:34:00.000-05:00

By Tiger Fan

Since we’re in the midst of the summer lull for Mizzou sports, I thought I’d take this opportunity to talk about the World Cup – an event I was truly excited about a month ago, but now I find depressing. No, it’s not the pathetic showing put forth by Team USA. And no, it’s not because all the games happen while I’m at work. The 2006 World Cup is depressing because it is proving American soccer critics right.

I’m not talking about the ignorant meatheads who argue that soccer is boring or claim that soccer players aren’t real athletes. These assertions will always be foolish. Anyone who thinks soccer is boring doesn’t understand it and anyone who thinks soccer players aren’t real athletes have never tried to play. I actually heard a radio commentator say recently that the only people who play soccer are those who can’t excel in football, baseball or basketball. Really? I’d like to see great “athletes” like Cecil Fielder or David Wells try to stop a shot from David Beckham or watch even the best DBs in the NFL try to keep up with DeMarcus Beasley or Ronaldinho… for an entire 90 minutes… without a 35 second break between each play.

But this year’s World Cup has proven the other two most popular criticisms of soccer: 1) The refs have too much power and discretion, and 2) The players act like wimps because they are constantly taking dives. In all my seasons of soccer, I never thought these were legitimate knocks. Now I’m finding that I agree.

Growing up, I played soccer two seasons a year for 13 years, starting at the tender age of five. I also was a referee for several seasons. In all that time, I never received a yellow card… and I only issued one as a ref. More importantly, I’m happy to say that I can’t think of a single game that was decided almost entirely by the refs. Sure, there were games where we thought the officiating was pretty bad, but it was usually bad all the way around and could be chalked up to the fact that the guys reffing a bunch of 10-year-olds didn’t have a whole lot of experience.

Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for the referees at this year’s World Cup. They seem to think that fans have traveled thousands of miles and paid thousands of dollars to see the referees decide the outcome of games. It’s been ridiculous and disgraceful. The most blatant problem has been the record number of yellow and red cards, which has been well documented. After the first round of play, more cards had been issued than in any previous World Cup. That meant some of the world’s best players were watching games from the sideline. If the cards were justified, that would be one thing… but most of them have not been. To me, cards are only warranted when a) the player committing the foul did so out of bad sportsmanship or b) the player committing the foul put the other player at a serious risk of injury. That’s it.

The other problem has been penalty kicks. When I was a ref, I never wanted to call a PK that would decide the game. The closer a game was, the less likely I was to call one. In other words, if it is a tie game late in the second half, it will need to be a blatant foul in the box to get the call. It’s like the way refs used to call basketball: No autopsy, no foul in the final 10 seconds or so (of course, they seem to moving away from that in the NBA… just ask the Mavericks).

The World Cup refs apparently don’t share my philosophies, as we have seen countless games decided by cards and penalty kicks. Here are some examples:

-USA v. Italy: I’m not sure if this game would have turned out differently without the cards, but the unfortunate thing is that we will never know. Three players were ejected from this game and in my opinion, all three were bad decisions. The elbow that broke McBride’s nose deserved a yellow card, nothing more. Same with Mastroeni’s slide tackle. And Pope’s tackle, while dangerous, was not severe enough in my opinion to give a second yellow card for. It should have been 11 on 11, not 10 on 9. As much as I hate to say it, the only thing the ref did right in that game was disallow Beasley’s goal.

-Netherlands v. Portugal: Sixteen yellow cards! Four red cards! I know it was a chippy game, but come on – that’s ridiculous. I didn’t actually get to see the game, but I can’t imagine anything short of a Ron Artest-style melee in the stands that would warrant that many cards. The ridiculous part is how those cards would affect whichever team won that game for the rest of the tournament. Amazingly, Portugal still beat England without the services of three starters, but you have to think all those cards will come back to haunt them at some point. Here’s a situation where a ref is deciding not just the game, but affecting the entire tournament. Absurd.

-USA v. Ghana: To be clear, USA played poorly throughout the tournament and did not deserve to beat Ghana and make it to the second-round. That being said… the penalty kick called against Onyewu was ridiculous. Both guys were pushing and yes, had it been in the middle of the field, I would have been okay with a penalty against either one of them. But in a game that important, I just don’t see how a referee can justify a penalty kick in that situation. To me, that’s a no-call. There was still lots of time left and it should have been left up to the players to decide that match.

-Italy v. Australia: This is the most clear-cut example of a referee deciding a match in the entire tournament. The referee awarded a penalty kick to Italy in stoppage time of the 90^th minute on a play that replays showed was probably a dive. If you are that referee, you have to be absolutely certain about that call. But Totti took the dive and the ref bailed out a 10-man Italy squad on the game’s final play. I know it’s easy to say from home on my couch, but I swallow my whistle in that situation.

The Italy game leads me to the other problem with soccer today: diving. Italy is the biggest culprit, but everybody does it. And I don’t know why. Maybe they teach them this practice at a young age in other countries, but no one ever did that when I was playing. No phantom fouls. No fake injuries. No dramatic exits from the field, only to return completely healthy one minute later. Just good, hard soccer. I left the field twice for an injury in my playing career: once when I broke my arm in half playing goalie and once when I broke my ankle. That’s it. Every other time I just got up and kept playing. That includes several times when I was bleeding and once when I broke my other arm. Now, the point is not to make me sound like some sort of tough guy. But the fact is that I wanted to keep playing, so I sucked it up and went back out there. That’s what we are taught to do as Americans.

Other countries apparently don’t share this attitude and I think that’s what turns Americans off to soccer. We enjoy stories about guys like Willis Reed or Kirk Gibson who were seriously injured but played through the pain. That’s why we hate it when we see an Italian player get clipped on the ankle and roll around on the ground for five minutes like he’s going to die… only to get carried off on a stretcher, spray some icy hot on it and check back into the game.

Don’t get me wrong, I still love soccer and I’m still watching every possible minute of the World Cup. But what depresses me is that these problems with the game are overshadowing the aspects of the game that make it fun. Lots of people are asking whether soccer can ever catch on in this country on a professional level. Until we get the reffing and the diving under control, the answer is no.

NBA Draft, Live Blog

2006-06-29T10:34:00.000-05:00

By Tiger Fan

Well, with MU greats such as Thomas Gardner, Kevin Young, and Jimmy McKinney all eligible for this year’s draft, I figured I should keep track of things to be sure I capture the moment. Here’s how it all went down:

6:32: The pregame show is finally over and Toronto is on the clock. I’ve never understood why the first team even needs to go on the clock. We always know who they’re going to pick anyway. A quick shot of the green room shows No. 1-pick-to-be Andrea Bargnani looking rather awkward in a suit that’s too small. Of course, nothing could be more awkward than the mere presence of Adam Morrison, seated nearby. Dan Patrick tells us that Bargnani’s nickname is The Magician. Seeing that he’s going to be picked first in the NBA Draft after averaging just 11.5 points and 4.1 rebounds in Europe, I’d have to agree with that nickname. That is magic.

6:37: Toronto takes the 7’1” Magician… who is handed a hat by a woman who can’t be more than five feet tall. Highly comical. Fannette weighs in for the first time: “I didn’t even know they played basketball in Italy. I just thought they made spaghetti.

6:40: NY fans incessantly boo The Magician during his interview with Stu Scott. His explanation: “I’m from Europe.” Oh… now it makes more sense.

6:43: Aldridge to the Bulls… er… Blazers via trade. Hopefully he doesn’t play as still as he looks with the commish. Interestingly, I didn’t know Aldridge had a criminal record. You would have though the Blazers would go with laptop-stealer Marcus Williams or drunk driver J.J. Redick here. Or, you know, actually make a good PR move and bring in local favorite Adam Morrison. But what do I know.

6:49: Morrison goes next to Charlotte and Dan Patrick begins filling us in on his college career… and his diabetes… and the insulin shots he takes every day. Thanks for the medical history. Fannette adds to the commentary: “What you may not know is that he also had some blood in his urine last time he peed.”

6:53: Our first Dick Vitale sighting. Underlying his criticism of The Magician? He can’t believe no one from Duke has been drafted yet.

6:56: The Aldridge-Tyrus Thomas trade makes no sense for the Blazers. Aldridge still would have been on the board at No. 4. Foolish.

7:03: As we go to commercial, it seems that EA Sports has fallen on hard times financially. That’s the only possible explanation for an NBA Live ’07 ad campaign focused on Adam Morrison crying.

7:08: Kevin Garnett might not have to kill anyone with his gat’ after all. The Wolves make a great pick in Brandon Roy at No. 6. He may be the best player in this draft.

7:14: Fannette looks up from the paper she is writing and gestures toward Stephen A. Smith: “That guy is so annoying. Who is that? ‘Cause he needs to shut up.”

7:21: Rudy Gay was just picked No. 8, which proves the NBA Draft is a crapshoot. From what I can tell, Rudy Gay is Rickey Paulding: an athletic swingman who can dunk and shoot the 3, but lacks any heart or killer instinct. Paulding plays in Israel. Gay is going to be a millionaire. Go figure.

7:30: An hour into the draft and Thomas Gardner is still available. I don’t believe it.

7:34: Forget what I said about Garnett. Minnesota just trade Roy, who they took at No. 6, to Portland for Randy Foye, who was picked No. 7. This doesn’t make any sense. If Minnesota wanted Foye (who will be good, but not as good as Roy), why didn’t they just take him? Were they just trying to screw over Portland and get some cash? Is this the first draft-day trade where the players names have rhymed? I need answers.

7:37: The Sonics just drafted the black Shawn Bradley from Senegal. This guy should be on posters for years to come… of course, they will be posters of other people.

7:42: Redick is picked No. 11 and Vitale thinks it is a great pick. Really? I’m stunned. Honestly. I didn’t see this coming. Biggest surprise of the draft so far.

7:59: The ESPN takeover of the sports world is complete as David Stern actually banters with Dan Patrick before introducing the pick of Ronnie Brewer to the Jazz.

8:04: Stern just announced the Foye-Roy trade and looks as confused as I was.

8:30: After a boring half-hour, the Knicks are on the clock…

8:32: The Knicks’ fans seem to want Marcus Williams… ‘cause, you know, with Nate Robinson, Stephon Marbury and Steve Francis on board, there really aren’t enough guys in the backcourt who want the ball in their hands.

8:34: Stern toys with the crazed crowd by announcing a trade…

8:35: After all the suspense, Isaiah doesn’t disappoint. With the 20^th pick, the Knicks take… WHO? Renaldo Balkman? The NIT MVP? Only Isaiah could do this. Unbelievable. Spike Lee is giggling nervously. Stephen A. is speechless. What a disaster.

8:47: Marcus Williams is finally picked by the Nets with their first of two straight UConn picks. If I were the Nets, I would have picked him with their second pick, just to screw with him. Of course, I know learn that he’s been taunted for months by his own mother, so it probably wouldn’t phase him.

8:52: Josh Boone goes No. 23. He would have won Ugliest Player honors were it not for Mr. Morrison. Boone is the fourth UConn player selected in the first round, which has only happened twice before. Of course, the 2005 UNC team and the 1999 Duke team each made the Final Four.

9:11: ESPN informs us that Jordan Farmar goes to the Lakers as part of the Shaq trade. Well, now that we know that, maybe it was a good trade. I mean, Farmar’s gotta be good for at least one title, right?

9:14: The Blazers get Sergio Rodriguez. He goes by “Spanish Chocolate.” What could go wrong? It’s part of the fourth trade by the Blazers… and it’s the third unnecessary one. Brilliant.

9:19: We’ve got our first crier. It’s not Morrison. Ladies and gentlemen, Maurice Ager! Of course, I would probably cry too if I found out I had to listen to David Hasselhoff music all the time. And now… the Knicks’ circus is back!

9:25: Mardy Collins to the Knicks. Not a terrible pick… if you’re a team that doesn’t need to win immediately. Which the Knicks do.

9:30: Final pick of the first round: Joel Freeland from… England? Yikes. Watching the video “highlights” of this guy, I gotta say I’ve seen more talent at the MU Rec Center in pick-up games. I mean, he’s tall, but otherwise… The ESPN guys say he’s a “project.” Translation: He’ll never see the floor in an NBA game. A fitting end to an odd first round that took way too long.

11:10: It’s finally over. Thomas Gardner was not picked. However, two players from Senegal, two players from Israel, one player from Nigeria, one player from the Ukraine, and one player from Bosnia were selected. Ouch. Now, I don’t want to go all Dick Vitale on you here, but… while I think Thomas made a mistake by going pro – and I know I’m not a scout – I don’t know how you can look at highlights of these lanky foreign guys rattling in lay-ups against a bunch of stiffs in Europe and see more potential than you see in a guy who dropped 40 on kansas and was one of the scoring leaders in the Big XII. TG should have stayed in school, but I also think he could help an NBA team more than at least 10 players selected in the second round. Best of luck in Europe, Thomas!

More like Sensodine...

2006-06-06T15:18:00.000-05:00

As everyone knows by now, Mizzou knocked off Pepperdine to advance to the NCAA baseball super regionals. But what you might not know is that Pepperdine coach Steve Rodriguez is a bit of a baby (though you might have guessed that when you heard the MU announcing team talking about his strategy for giving a relief pitcher extra time to warm-up. Rodriguez pretends a position player is injured in some minor way and goes out to talk to him. Brilliant!). Don't believe me? Check out today's Post-Disgrace recap.

C'mon Steve... comparing a preseason No. 10 team with two early round pitchers on it to the Devil Rays? You're better than that. Or maybe you aren't... after all, this is the third straight year your squad has lost in the regional final. Is it hot in here, or is that just the seat you're sitting on?

Moving on (as Pepperdine seems unable to do)... Missouri is rewarded with a matchup against national power Cal State Fullerton (you know, the 2004 national champs). Big reward, huh? But when you have a dominating pitcher (that's you, Max) and a damn good one (Nathan Culp) throwing two of the three games, you always have a chance.

My concern isn't the pitching, though. It's the hitting. Brock Bond, John McKee and J.C. Field have all picked it up as of late. The problem: preseason All-American and junior U.S. team member Hunter Mense still is hitting less than .250, and Zane Taylor remains a pretty unimposing cleanup hitter. Those two have to do more for the offense to produce, and the offense has to produce to hope for a series win against CSF.

But whatever the outcome, the Tigers still made it out of the first weekend. Two freshmnan starters got big-game experience. MU increased its national signature in baseball. That's good stuff, folks. Good enough that I'll be satisfied if the season ends this weekend. But that doesn't mean I'm not hoping for more!

Coming Thursday A look at Cal-State Fullerton's likely starters and starting lineup.

2006-06-06T14:02:00.000-05:00

Tiger ace Max Scherzer was drafted No. 11 overall earlier today by the Arizona Diamondbacks. Scherzer's selection marks the first time a Tiger player has been selected in the first round of the MLB draft. Nathan Culp was selected by San Diego in the fourth round. Congrats to Scherzer and Culp... but let's hope we see them a few more times in a Tiger uniform, starting on Friday!

Malibu Regional Recap

2006-06-05T20:24:00.000-05:00

By Tiger Fan

In case you haven’t heard by now, the Tigers beat Pepperdine by a score of 8-3 earlier today to clinch their first-ever NCAA Regional title (no, I didn’t get anything done at work today after 3:00). The win also marked the first time a No. 4 seed has won a region since the tournament expanded to 64 teams. For those of you who don’t follow college baseball, this is the equivalent of reaching the Sweet 16 in the NCAA basketball tournament. Next up for the Tigers is a trip to the Super Regional for a best of three series against Cal State-Fullerton. At stake is a trip to the College World Series in Omaha and a chance to play for the national championship.

If this sounds like an improbable turn of events to you, you’re not alone. Just two weeks ago, Mizzou was on the outside of the NCAA tournament picture looking in. But since then, the Tigers have won 10 of their last 12 games, including a sweep of No. 3 Texas (which has since been knocked out of the NCAA tourney) and four straight wins in elimination games this weekend. The two losses in that stretch have been heartbreaking one-run games that were decided in the ninth inning. I don’t know much about Cal State-Fullerton, but if the Tigers keep playing like they have been, they are going to be mighty tough to beat. It should be an interesting series when things get underway on Friday.

The Tigers’ regional win is the result of a wild weekend of baseball that saw them lose their opener against Pepperdine on Friday with their ace Max Scherzer on the hill, survive a 14-inning battle with Cal-Irvine on Saturday, win two games on Sunday with two freshman pitchers recording complete game victories and knock off Pepperdine again today with their closer Taylor Parker filling in at starter. The amazing thing is that after all of the madness, things are set up perfectly for the Tigers as they head to the Super Regional. Scherzer was able to rest up and should be ready to show what he is made of on Friday after not pitching his best against Pepperdine. Then Nathan Culp will be ready to go on Saturday. And if a third game is needed after that 1-2 punch, Rick Zagone is coming off a complete game win with lots of confidence. Behind the starters is a bullpen that has been playing well and a line-up that seems to be hitting better with each passing game. The CS-F series is by no means a gimmie – they are one of the top teams in the country – but you have to feel good about how things are shaping up for the Tigers right now.

I’ll be in Las Vegas this coming weekend, so I won’t be glued to my computer like I was last weekend (ask Fannette; she’ll tell you that 9 hours of listening to baseball on a computer in one weekend is a bit much). But since I was able to tune in this weekend, I'd like to give out some Malibu Regional Awards:

MVP(s): Rick Zagone and Aaron Crow

The entire pitching staff turned in an amazing performance, but Zagone and Crow really stood out. The two freshmen turned in back-to-back complete games on Sunday when the Tigers needed it most. After the 14-inning affair on Saturday, lots of Tiger fans were wondering how the Mizzou pitching staff would survive on Sunday. But Zagone and Crow answered the call, allowing two just two runs between them as the Tigers knocked off both UCLA and Pepperdine. That is clutch. I don’t think they are quite ready to replace Scherzer and Culp, but after Sunday’s performance, I’m already looking forward to next year.

Gutsiest Performance: Taylor Parker

After pitching 1.2 scoreless innings in Saturday’s game to earn the W, the Tiger closer came back today and made only his fifth career start. He pitched 5.2 strong innings, allowing just 2 unearned runs on five hits and pitched his way out of a couple tight jams. Parker wound up the day with his second win of the tournament.

Unsung Hero Award: Travis Wendte

If you look at the stats from this weekend, Tiger reliever Travis Wendte’s numbers won’t dazzle you. But while Wendte didn’t earn a win or a save on Saturday, he saved the season for the Tigers. He pitched five scoreless innings against the Anteaters, and recorded several crucial outs with the winning run just 90 feet from home. None of these other guys could have done what they did if it weren’t for Wendte.

There’s a Reason We’re His Fan Club: Gary Arndt

Our boy Gary turned in a solid performance this weekend, particularly Saturday. In that game, he made a diving catch for the third out in the 13^th inning that saved the season and he turned the game-winning double play in the bottom of the 14^th. Oh, and he also had a homer and 3 RBI in that game. If the scouts were watching, you might see Gary get drafted in tomorrow’s MLB draft.

Improbable Clutch Hitter Award: J.C. Field

One of the most productive Tigers this weekend was J.C. Field… yes, that J.C. Field. We all know he’s a great catcher, but J.C. isn’t usually known for his hitting prowess or his speed on the base paths. But that wasn’t the case this weekend. J.C. had an RBI single in the ninth on Friday to bring the Tigers within one. He scored the winning run on Saturday when he chugged all the way home from second in the 14^th. He scored the go-ahead run in the fifth inning on Sunday. He had an RBI and a run scored on Monday. Forget the ninth spot in the order… let him bat clean-up if he’s going to hit like this.

And while we’re at it, let’s move the 6-7-8-9 hitters to the top of the order. This weekend, John McKee, Brock Bond, Gary Arndt and J.C. Field (who usually occupy those spots in the order) accounted for 11 runs scored and 9 RBI. Can’t ask for much more from the bottom half of the order. Finally…

Pinch-Hit Hero Award: Ryan Lollis

He only had one at-bat on Saturday, but he came up huge when it mattered most. Lollis stepped in to pinch-hit for Trevor Helms with two outs in the 14^th inning on Saturday. Lollis ripped a two-strike single to right, allowing J.C. Field to score what would be the game-winning run.

Thrill of Victory, Agony of Defeat

2006-06-04T21:18:00.000-05:00

By Tiger Fan

After a wild weekend of baseball, Mizzou is still alive in the Malibu regional (they have just knocked off Pepperdine 4-1 as I write to force another game on Monday). To say that the games were close would be an understatement. The Tigers lost a heartbreaker to Pepperdine 3-2 on Friday, won in 14 innings against Cal-Irvine on Saturday and slipped by UCLA 2-1 earlier today on the strength of a complete game by Rick Zagone. The Friday and Saturday games illustrated what is best (and worst) about college sports: the thrill of victory on Saturday, compared to the agony of defeat on Friday.

Both games went down to the wire as I listened intently on my computer. Friday night, Trevor Helms was robbed of the game-tying RBI in the ninth when the Pepperdine second baseman made a diving stop and threw him out by inches. A painful loss. Saturday, J.C. Field chugged home for the go-ahead run in the 14^th and the Tigers sealed the victory with double play in the bottom of the inning. A thrilling victory.

Most fans have experienced both of these sensations and that’s what makes sports so great. You never know what is going to happen. Yes, it seems like Mizzou fans often get the agony more than thrill (see: Tyus Edney, the Fifth Down, the Kicked Ball… all before my time as a tiger fan), but we’ve had our thrilling moments too. It’s hard to say at this point where this weekend’s games fall in my history as a sports fan, but below are my 10 most thrilling moments (sometimes a moment, sometimes a whole game) and my 10 most agonizing losses. I’m sure some of the Tiger fans out there have shared these moments. Check out my list and feel free to discuss your own memories in the comments section.

Thrill of Victory:

Mizzou-Nebraska – October 11, 2003

It had been 25 years since Mizzou beat Nebraska. But on a cold, rainy night in Columbia, Brad Smith turned in another electrifying performance and the Tigers came from behind to win 41-24. There are too many magical moments in this game to recount them all. We sat in the front row of Tiger’s Lair that night: shirtless, chests painted, freezing cold, soaking wet. We screamed so loud that Fannette’s vocal chords were cramping the next day. When it was over, we stormed the field and accompanied the goalpost to Harpo’s, where I personally cut off the piece of history that sits proudly on my desk. Somewhere around 1:30 in the morning as I was heading home, I realized I was still shirtless and covered in smeared paint. What a night.

Mizzou-kU basketball – March 6, 2005

As a senior at Mizzou, I had endured four long years without ever being on hand to see the Tiger beat kU. After years of seeing talented Tiger teams fall apart against the beakers, I wasn’t optimistic when the highly ranked gayhawks came calling against the NIT-bound Tigers. But then Jimmy McKinney got hot. So did Thomas Gardner. Mizzou got out to a big lead and withstood a late kU rally for the 72-68. Yellow Suit Guy, The Nethead, Tiger Fannette and I helped lead the charge as the students rushed the floor. Truly an amazing way to finish up my college career.

Texas A&M beats Kansas State for the Big XII title – December 5, 1998

The No. 10 Aggies (who I’ve cheered for since birth) trailed No. 1 by 15 as the fourth quarter began, but the Aggies tied it at 27 with just over a minute to play. The Aggies dragged down a K-State receiver at the two-yard line as time expired, sending the game to overtime. On third-and-17 in the second overtime, Aggie running back Sirr Parker caught a quick slant, eluded a tackle and raced 32 yards for the game-winning touchdown. I went crazy with my parents in my living room. Our dog was even jumping around. After that, all I remember is running through my neighborhood with a Texas A&M flag. It was bedlam.

Mizzou-kU basketball – January 16, 2006

In the midst of another mediocre season, Tiger Fannette and I returned to Columbia earlier this year without much optimism as the Tigers took on kansas. For 38.5 minutes, it looked like we were right. With about 90 seconds to play, the beakers led by 11. They led by 7 with 30 seconds remaining. But Thomas Gardner, who scored 40 that night, was on fire and he tied the game with 5.6 seconds to play. kU’s Christian Moody missed two free throws with 0.4 seconds remaining and Mizzou won it in overtime, 89-86. Sitting up high, Tiger Fannette and I had to deal with abuse from kU fans for the entire game. Needless to say, they didn’t have much to talk about when the final horn sounded.

Reds sweep the A’s to win the World Series – October 20, 1990

If I had been more than seven years old, this would probably be higher up on the list. The Reds weren’t supposed to have a chance, but they won four straight games instead. I remember that my grandparents were staying with me and I was allowed to stay up late to see the game, which was being played in Oakland. I watched the whole thing with a broom in hand… and when the Reds took a 2-1 lead in the eighth inning of game four, I got to start waving it around. One inning later, the Reds were world champs.

2005 Independence Bowl – December 30, 2005

Anyone who saw this game knows that it started out as an “agony of defeat” story. As I sat at my home in Cincinnati watching the game, I started making and receiving angry phone calls to and from my Mizzou friends. 21-0 in the first quarter? Are you serious? But I kept telling my family that I thought the Tigers could still come back. When it was 28-14 at halftime, my friends were urging me to head out for the evening, but I stayed put. Then the defense clamped down and Brad Smith started playing like, well, only Brad Smith can. When the dust had cleared, it was an unbelievable 38-31 victory for ol’ Mizzou. I finally headed out to meet up with my friends, but I did so sporting a Kellen Winslow jersey and a big smile.

Mizzou-Oklahoma State basketball – February 24, 2004

In the midst of a disappointing season, I actually thought about not going to this game. I had to work at the Missourian all day, so I wasn’t able to get there in time to secure my usual front row Zou Crew seat. In fact, I got there right before tip off and watched my first and only game from the Hearnes Center upper deck. Early on, I couldn’t believe how out of it all the fans were up there. Some of them didn’t even seem to know what was going on. But by the time OSU’s John Lucas missed a jumped as time expired in the second overtime (giving unranked Mizzou a 93-92 victory over the No. 6 Cowboys), even the upper deck fans were on their feet and going crazy. It was a wild game and an electric atmosphere. As we sang the alma mater up in the rafters, I remember hoping that the last game played at Hearnes would be just as thrilling. Unfortunately, we all know that didn’t happen.

Mizzou-SEMO baseball – April 30, 2003

This isn’t a game many people remember (mainly because there weren’t many people there – the official attendance was 619, but that seems hard to believe), but it’s one of my favorite Mizzou memories. The Tigers trailed SEMO 10-6 going to the bottom of the ninth and most of the fans who did show up started filing out early. But I stayed put with three of my friends and we were handsomely rewarded. The Tigers clawed their way back into it and Ryan Rallo hit a game-winning two-run homer into the left field bullpen with two strikes and two outs to give Mizzou an 11-10 win. We went crazy, running up and down the bleachers and screaming like crazy. The win was made even sweeter by the fact that the SEMO fans in front of us had been giving us a hard time all game long. Truly a great moment.

Mizzou-SLU basketball – December 3, 2001

This was my first – and best – experience watching a Mizzou road game at a Columbia sports bar. As naïve freshmen, we had no idea that you needed to show up early at Buffalo Wild Wings to get a table to watch the big game. We rolled in right as the game started, only to discover that there was nowhere to sit. Luckily, they let us stand in the entry, and I’m glad we did. When Wesley Stokes hit the game winner at the buzzer, giving Mizzou a 69-67, the place went crazy. Drinks went flying. Everyone was high-fiving and hugging. And then everyone left, meaning that we could stay and enjoy some victory wings.

Albert Pujols steals the soul of Brad Lidge – October 17, 2005

I’m not going to pretend to be a Cardinals fan. But I watching last year’s NLCS at Mike Duffy’s Sports Bar in St. Louis with a room full of Cardinals fans, I definitely got caught up in the moment. The Cards entered the ninth inning trailing the Astros 4-2, with the Astros just three outs away from clinching the series. The St. Louis fans were looking pretty devastated, but all of that changed with one pitch. Pujols crushed a three-run homer to left off Houston closer Brad Lidge and the place went ballistic. I was hugged by people I didn’t know. People were standing on tables. Pandemonium. Houston went on to win the series, but Albtert’s homerun will be remembered for a long time… and Lidge hasn’t been the same since.

-Honorable mention: Reggie McNeal completes a Hail Mary touchdown at the end of the first half against Oklahoma State, my alma mater Lakota East beats West at basketball for the first time in school history, MU beats kU in the 2003 Big XII Tourney, Mizzou makes the Elite Eight by beating UCLA

Agony of Defeat:

“A dagger in the heart of everyone” – January 8, 2006

The Bengals hadn’t been in the playoffs in more than a decade, but Carson Palmer and Chad Johnson led a high-powered offense that had Cincinnati fans believing again. After winning the division, the Bengals took on the Steelers in the first round of the playoffs in front of a sellout crowd of orange and black. The stage seemed set for the Bengals to make up for years of terrible play. Then it happened. On the second play of the game, Palmer unleashed a 66-yard completion to Chris Henry… and then Steelers d-lineman Kimo von Oehlhoffen landed on Palmer’s leg. I knew immediately that he was seriously hurt. I screamed at the TV. Things were thrown. Neighbors were probably terrified. As it turns out, Palmer tore both his anterior cruciate ligament and medial collateral ligament. Game over. Season over. Dream over. The Steelers, of course, went on to win the game 31-17 and later won the Super Bowl. I actually think I went through the stages of grief on this one: This cannot be happening (denial)… Why is this happening? (anger)… Okay, I’ll accept this if Kitna can lead us to victory (bargaining)… Fine, I don’t care anymore (depression)… I still don’t think I’ve reached the acceptance stage over.

The last game at Hearnes Center – March 7, 2004

The scene was set for a story-book farewell. The Tigers were playing the archrival beakers. Mizzou was saying good-bye to four great seniors (Rickey Paulding, Arthur Johnson, Josh Kroenke and Travon Bryant). We needed the win to make the NCAA tournament. It should have been a perfect ending to the decades of basketball at the Hearnes Center. For most of the game, it looked like things would go according to plan. The game was close, but AJ was playing out of his mind. He finished the game with a career-high 37 points and eight rebounds. Jason Conley threw down a dunk with 49 seconds to play to give the Tigers the lead and, after an Aaron Miles 3-pointer, Conley made two free throws to tie the game at 82 with 15.4 seconds to play. But someone forgot to tell kU freshman David Padgett how this story was supposed to end. He hit the game-winning basket over AJ with 2 seconds to play. The Tigers lost the last game ever played at the Hearnes Center, 84-82. All I remember after that game was stunned silence. We probably stayed in the arena for at least an hour after the game. We didn’t want it to end that way. But it did.

Kirk (bleepin’) Hinrich – March 9, 2003

The AP recap of the game begins like this “Kansas needed two improbable long shots to wrap up its second straight Big 12 championship.” That doesn’t do it justice, but it gets the gist of it. Aaron Miles and Hinrich both made wild, buzzer-beating, garbage three-pointers in the final minute. Hinrich’s shot broke a 74-all tie with 23 seconds to play. Mizzou lost the game 79-74. It was the first home game we had lost all season and to be honest, we didn’t know how to react. I just remember sitting in stunned silence, wondering how it got away. Here’s what it looked like.

Super Bowl XXIII – January 22, 1989

Again, if I was more than five years old, this might be a more traumatic moment for me. As it is, Joe Montana’s game-winning 92-yard drive with 3:02 to play against the Bengals is one of my earlier memories. To be fair, I don’t actually remember the game (although I’ve seen the highlights) but I remember three things: a) My favorite player at the time, Tim Krumrie, got hurt, 2) The Bengals lost, 3) Everybody we were watching the game with (I believe a church gathering) was really bummed. Now I understand why. The only thing I could think of that would be worse is if the franchise quarterback had his knee blown out on a freak play… oh wait…

The Fake – October 5, 2002

It was Brad Smith’s coming out party. He carried the ball 26 times for 213 yards and two touchdowns while adding 178 yards and another score through the air. Mizzou trailed Oklahoma 23-7 in the second half, but Smith’s 25 scamper with 10 minutes to play put the Tigers ahead 24-23. The atmosphere at Faurot Field was electric. Mizzou had the No. 3 team in the country on the ropes. You could feel the upset. And then, OU faked the field goal. The defenders were there, but somehow freshman tight end Chris Chester managed to catch the ball between two sets of hands with 6:33 left for his first career reception. The Tigers never recovered. I was in the band then, so I had a clear view of Chester’s catch. There’s no way he makes that catch 99 times out of 100. The defense was perfect. An inch either way and it’s incomplete and the Tigers win… all right, I have to stop…

The Unlucky Block – January 20, 2004

Let’s set the stage: Mizzou leads No. 14 Texas 61-58 in Columbia with just seconds remaining. Royal Ivey drives the lane and puts up a lay-up to put the Longhorns within one. Tiger center Arthur Johnson steps up and makes a huge block. The only problem? The ball lands in the hand of Brian Boddicker, who calmly knocks down the game-tying 3 with 6.9 seconds to play. Ivey went bonkers in overtime and the Tigers lost 79-75. I was quite upset after the game and when I got to my car afterward and found a parking ticket, courtesy of MUPD, I pretty much lost it. The whole thing actually led to a bit of a fight between Fannette and myself. Apparently, she thought I was taking the whole thing a little too hard. Me? Hard to believe.

MU-kU football – November 20, 2004

Mizzou had everything to play for: a shot in the Big XII championship game, Senior Day, a rivalry game against the beakers, and a chance to overcome the embarrassment of blowing a 21-0 lead against KSU two weeks before. On a personal note, it was the last home football game of my college career. As usual, I braved the cold and stood shirtless in the front row of Tiger’s Lair despite the cold. Unfortunately, the Tigers failed to grasp the importance of this game. In fact, they pretty much didn’t show up. The Tigers trailed 21-0 at halftime and ended up losing 31-14. We took out our frustrations on small plastic megaphones that had been given out to the student section. When Rocky Mountain Tiger stopped by to see us near the end of the game, there was a graveyard of megaphones that had been crushed on the brick wall above Dan Devine’s name. Buried with them was Mizzou’s chance at a bowl game.

MU-Iowa basketball

This one also requires the scene to be set: Mizzou entered the game 9-0 and ranked No. 2 in the country. So many students stuck around Columbia after exams that the Hearnes Center was oversold by thousands. The official attendance figure for the game was a sell-out, but there were students sitting with their feet over the balconies in the upper deck and we were jammed in shoulder-to-shoulder in the student section. The arena was rocking before the game and then, in the opening minutes, Wesley Stokes threw a sick half-court alley-oop to Rickey Paulding, who threw it down over two Iowa defenders. The place was going crazy… and then the Tigers stopped playing. They trailed by 11 at the half and ended up losing 83-65 to a team they had beaten just weeks earlier.

MU-kU baseball – May 27, 2006

This one is only a week old. Playing for a spot in the Big XII title game – and presumably with their season hanging in the balance – Mizzou battled back to tie the game at 3, only to blow it in the ninth. The Tigers gave up the winning run without the ball ever leaving the infield. He reached on a walk and advanced to second on a bunt. Then, with two outs, he reached third on an error at third base by Zane Taylor (who was only in the game because Brock Bond had been thrown out after starting a bench-clearing brawl). Then, the unthinkable. On a routine groundball, Tiger shortstop Gary Arndt tripped over his shoelaces and the throw to first was (arguably) late as the winning run scored. The Tigers went quietly in the bottom of the inning. I was at home in Cincinnati, so the only way I could track the game was through the Tigerboard live chat. Needless to say, I had to bite my tongue to keep from yelling during that ninth inning, as everyone else in the house was asleep. There was lots of cussing in the chat room that night, but this is a rare agonizing loss that had a silver lining: As we all know, the Tigers not only made the tourney, but have a shot at winning the Malibu regional tomorrow.

2006 NCAA Championship – January 4, 2006

This may seem like an odd choice, but I hate texas so much that seeing them win in one of the greatest college football games ever played drove me crazy. I was watching the game alone at Fannette’s apartment (she had gone to bed) and I really had to bite my tongue to keep from waking her up. Pillows were thrown. The floor was pounded. What had started out as a casual night of sitting on the couch watching football ended up with me six inches from the TV, living and dying with every possession. I can’t imagine what it must have been like to be a USC fan that night. Of course, I guess they do have another national title to fall back on… something I can’t say I have ever experienced.

Tigers Live Another Day

2006-05-29T22:26:00.000-05:00

By Tiger Fan

Well, there's never a dull moment with Mizzou baseball. After beating up on Oklahoma State and Oklahoma (both of whom have earned No. 1 seeds in the NCAA tournament), Tiger fans were thinking a Big XII title might make up for a mediocre season and the Tigers would sneak into the tournament. Afterall, Mizzou just had to beat kansas, right? But then Brock Bond got ejected, Zane Taylor couldn't fill his shoes at third and Gary Arndt tripped, leading to a 4-3 win for the beakers (who then went on to win the title... ouch). It looked like a terrible end to the season: the winning run was given up in the eighth without the ball ever leaving the infield. A tough ending for a tough season... or so we thought.

I tuned in to Monday's selection show, just to make sure nothing crazy happened. But low and behold, something crazy did happen. I was eating lunch with my family in Cincinnati (not exactly a college baseball hotbead) and I had convinced the rather confused manager of the restaurant to change one of the TVs to ESPN so I could watch. Then, when Mizzou was revealed as a No. 4 seed in the Pepperdine regional, I jumped up and cheered right there in the restaurant. Needless to say, no one knew what was going on and kind of looked at me strangely... and Fannette and the 'rents pretended not to know me... but who cares? We're in!

The crazy thing is, now that they're in, the Tigers have a shot to make a run. Pepperdine was not one of the teams seeded in the committee's top eight and now that Scherzer is healthy, a 1-2 punch of Scherzer and Culp with a little Zagone mixed in has to be one of the best rotations in the tournament. If the Tigers can keep hitting like they did in the tournament (okay, okay, I know we can't really count on five RBI from J.C. Field every night, but you get my point...), they've got a chance to be something special. After all, isn't that what we thought when the season started?

Everybody is 0-0 now, so the records don't matter. Throw all the bad losses out the window. I'm not sure how the Tigers got in (I can only assume that the committee focuses more on the last seven games of the season than all the games before that), but it doesn't matter now. Mizzou's perseverance shall be rewarded with a early June trip to Malibu. Tough gig fellas. But there are no gimmes from here. They want to be back in the Midwest in a couple weeks, playing Omaha. It's a longshot, yes. But with the way this season has gone, you can't rule anything out. We'll see which team shows up for the postseason starting Friday at 5:00 p.m. CDT. It's not over yet folks... it's not over yet.

2006-05-25T21:07:00.000-05:00

Mizzou basketball coach Mike Anderson addressed Tiger fans in St. Louis on Thursday night. For a recap of what Anderson had to say, read on.

An evening with Mike Anderson

2006-05-25T20:55:00.000-05:00

By Tiger Fan

I just got back from an Alumni Association Rally for new Mizzou basketball coach Mike Anderson and I must say I was very impressed. Anderson was met with two standing ovations from the crowd, but he also drew seven or eight more spontaneous ovations during his speech. For a minute, I thought I was at a State of the Union address… but then I realized that the man speaking actually knew what he was talking about. It remains to be seen how he will do on the basketball court, but I think Anderson is definitely winning the PR battle off the court, which is something Mizzou basketball desperately needs. He says all the right things and does it with the type of enthusiasm that can be infectious. I’ve liked the Anderson hire all along, but now I’m really starting to get excited about Mizzou basketball again. Cautiously, of course. Here are some more specific quotations from the evening:

-Corey Tate and Ryan Kiernan were both at the cocktail hour beforehand. I liked that Anderson made reference of these two during his talk. Anderson says he views the basketball team as a family, so these guys are already part of his family because they have contributed to Mizzou in the past. It’s definitely nice to see that folks like that support Anderson.

-“Mike Alden wanted so badly to be here, but he is caught in bad weather in Denver.” Oh darn.

-John Kadlec filled admirably for Alden, giving a quick update on the state of the department. Kadlec made specific mention of the baseball team, saying they are in a good position to win the Big XII tournament. (note: I think he’s right. The Tigers got a big win last night over Oklahoma State thanks to an excellent outing from Nathan Culp. That means Scherzer is available to pitch Friday against OU and Zagone can go Saturday against the beakers. If all goes well, that means Jamieson can start Culp in the championship game on Sunday and throw the whole staff at them if necessary… after all, if they don’t win, the season is probably over. But it’s still possible. And the Tigers are getting hot at the right time, having won five straight.) Kadlec also talked about spring football, observing that he thinks TEs Coffman and Rucker are ahead of where Tiger great Kellen Winslow was at this point in his career. That’s downright scary. (For anyone who doesn’t know, Winslow is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame and his No. 83 has been retired at Mizzou.)

-Anderson was charismatic and straightforward at the mic. He was honest too: “I’m not going to lie. At first, it may look more like 25 minutes of hell and 15 minutes of ‘What the heck are we doing?’” (I respect that kind of honesty.)

-More from Anderson: “I’m going to win a national championship. I don’t know when, but I’m going to do it. That’s just me; that’s Mike Anderson.” (Works for me.)

-On fan support: “I’m not going to be satisfied until we have 15,000 packed in there every night. And they’re going to be there to see us… not whoever we are playing.” (There’s a reason I know that the Hearnes Center holds exactly 13,611 people. It’s because we used to sell it out every game. Let’s find out what Mizzou Arena holds.)

-On the speed of play in his system: “If you take a bathroom break, you’re going to miss something.”

-On recruiting: “We’re going to start by putting up giant walls around the borders. Recruiting is the lifeblood of any program.”

-On his practices: “I like to encourage competition. Our practices are like war. That’s where you earn your playing time.” (He also said all the current players were gasping after the first drill of the first workout. That’s what I’m talking about.)

-On his offensive philosophy and game plan: “We attack on the offensive end just like we do on the defensive end. If we play the defense right, they won’t have time to set up whatever defense they are planning to use.” (At least one guy in the crowd seemed to question Anderson’s game planning skills because “everyone is pressing nowadays.” This is a prime example of basketball ignorance. Anderson’s game plan is not the type of press that kids are running in junior high… and he does it for the whole game, not just in spurts. I’m pretty sure Kentucky wasn’t ready for it a couple years ago when they lost to UAB in the tourney… and it worked pretty well for Arkansas when they won a national title. So I recommend that all the armchair point guards out there reserve judgment until you actually see it in action.)

-On his coaching style: “No one plays like us. They’re not going to be ready. But good coaches make adjustments. That’s how you win games.” (Any chance we could get him to have a little talk with Pinkle?)

Overall, Mike Anderson really won me over tonight. If you don’t get excited listening to him talk about the future of Mizzou basketball, I don’t know what to tell you. Things are finally moving in the right direction. What kind of guy is Anderson? After his speech, tons of folks were lined up to shake his hand and wish him luck. I didn’t want to take up much of his time, so I shook his hand, told him I was happy to meet him and that I am looking forward to the season. Before I could walk away, he stopped me: “It’s nice to meet you too. What’s your name?” So I told him and we talked briefly about my history with Zou Crew and such. It didn’t last more than 30 seconds, but things like that can really make a difference when it comes to establishing relationships between the athletic department and the fans. I think Anderson is a good coach, but he seems to be an even better person… and that’s exactly what Mizzou needs right now.

A Night of Sports

2006-05-23T22:30:00.000-05:00

By Tiger Fan

In between reading cases about Title IX and police brutality at work today, I was looking forward to settling in for a full night of sports on TV. What’s on tap? International soccer between USA and Morocco, Reds-Brewers, Red Sox-Yankees, the NBA Lottery, Pistons-Heat, Mighty Ducks-Oilers, Pujols-Bonds and more! I’ve got a Penn Station sub, a Oguchi Onyewu jersey and a working TV. Life is beautiful.

(All times CST... and this is, by far, my longest blog entry ever. Good luck to anyone who dares to read it.)

6:07: First out of the gate is USA vs. Morocco in a pre-World Cup friendly match. As the teams take the field, defender Corey Gibbs is only starter who surprises me… and it’s not a huge surprise.

6:15: The ref is calling a pretty tight, which is good because you would hate to see any U.S. players get hurt so close to the tournament. Not to state the obvious, but Oguchi Onyewu looks out of place. I think he got lost on the way to the NBA Eastern Conference Finals tonight. Also, USA captain Claudio Reyna is starting to look a little old… of course, he has been playing at the highest level since ’94.

6:21: What is up with the socks? And the shorts for that matter. I like the red and blue stripe on the jerseys, but having the stripe on only one sock on and the back of the shorts looks stupid. But that’s what you get when Nike is involved. The only good news is that they don’t have the stupid bib thing going on or the one sleeve of a different color that debuted in college football last year.

6:24: So much for no one getting hurt. Reyna is leaving the game with what looks like a hamstring injury. That’s not good news for this game, but luckily this game doesn’t actually matter. Let’s just hope it’s nothing serious. Pablo Mastroeni has checked in to replace Reyna and the captain’s armband has been passed to Landon Donovan.

6:30: Time for the Thomas Gardner sweepstakes. I’m switching over to ESPN to catch the NBA Draft Lottery, which pretty much guarantees that I will miss the first goal of the soccer match. Dan Patrick, Greg Anthony and Steve Lavin are apparently going to handle things for ESPN. Solid crew, but only ESPN could turn this extremely short process into a half-hour show.

6:33: The graphic on ESPN just informed me that Michael Olowokandi is a key free agent for the Boston Celtics this offseason. I’m pretty sure I could hear columnist Bill Simmons dying a little inside all the way from California.

6:38: Steve Lavin’s top 25 players just rolled across the bottom of the screen and Mizzou’s Thomas Gardner was not on the list. I’m stunned.

6:42: Patrick just finished off an interview with David Stern in which the commish said nothing all that important. Mark that down as 10 minutes of my life that I’ll never get back. As they go to commercial, they show me a rather awkward looking guy in a suit walking through an office. Apparently he is bearing the frozen envelopes. The best part of the show so far comes during the commercial break when Mizzou grad John Anderson stars with Maria Sharapova in a pretty funny SportsCenter commercial.

6:46: Dan Patrick now informs me that the actual lottery already took place in another room. Apparently all the teams know the results and so does the media, but the studio audience does not. Boy, the tension sure is mounting. Meanwhile, the team representatives seem to consist of Chris Paul, Gerald Wallace and a bunch of awkward looking guys in suits… most of whom you have never heard of.

6:51: Portland gets the fourth pick, even though they had the best statistical shot at getting No. 1. In all likelihood, it probably ruins Portland’s shot at getting local headcase Adam Morrison, who will probably already be gone by No. 4. That’s too bad because the mustachioed wonder would have fit in well (and by well, I mean poorly) with the rest of Portland’s thugs and miscreants. Oh well. I’m sure there will be someone in the draft with a criminal record. Anyway, when the camera comes to him, the Portland GM is writing something down. Apparently he is concerned that he will forget his number. Meanwhile, it seems my Reds have taken a 1-0 lead against Milwaukee.

6:54: The No. 1 pick goes to Toronto. So you have to feel good right now if you’re a power forward from BYU. Quite frankly, I’m stunned. I assumed it would go to Chicago, just because God hates the Knicks. Meanwhile, America thinks that the Raptors should take Adam Morrison first overall. Of course, more Americans vote for American Idol than vote for the President, so I don’t put much stock in what America thinks.

7:06: Why is Stephen A. Smith yelling at me? In the pregame show? If the soccer match wasn’t at halftime, I would not be on this channel right now. In fact…

7:11: We’re underway in Edmonton… I will say one thing for OLN: They managed get the game started a lot closer to 7:00 than ESPN did with the NBA game. Meanwhile, the soccer match is back from halftime and Bobby Convey has checked in, looking very English. This is the one sport where that is actually a compliment.

7:15: Three minutes in and we’ve got a fight going in the hockey game. Maybe this is worth watching… and about 10 seconds later, they’re at it again. All over the ice, in fact. Three guys in the box for Edmonton and four for the Ducks. Yowzers. Meanwhile, the basketball game is finally underway and Miami has jumped out to a quick 11-0 lead. It seems like they’re not rusty.

7:24: Holy cow, they’re fighting again at the hockey game. Apparently I don’t understand hockey. Five minutes in and it’s still 0-0, but nine guys are in the penalty box. But I’ll stick with it… I promised Rocky Mountain Tiger that I would give hockey a chance.

7:43: We’ve got a goal in Edmonton before we get a goal in Nashville. That makes it Hockey 1, Soccer 0 on the night. Meanwhile, back on ESPN2, I’m trying to decide which American name will be more fun to say during the World Cup: Cherundolo or Onyewu. I think depends whether you prefer the guy who is 5’6” or the guy who is 6’2”.

7:52: Junior has left the yard and the Reds take the lead 4-3. While we’re on the subject: The Reds have one of the best hitting outfields in the league and probably the best young infield in baseball. But the question is, who do you trade to get more pitching? The Arroyo trade has already shown how rewarding this can be, but who goes? Do you trade Griffey because he’s the oldest? But who will take his contract? Do you trade Kearns? Do you move Dunn to the infield and hope to clear some space that way? I’m not sure what the answer is. I feel like the Reds are close to getting to the next level, but they’re going to need at least one more quality pitcher.

7:57: We’ve finally got a goal in the soccer match in the 90^th minute, but it wasn’t for the home side. After weathering a barrage of shots from Team USA in the second half, Morocco broke free after a U.S. corner kick and got a goal in transition against very poor defense. Ouch.

8:00: It’s over in Nashville as Team USA loses 1-0. It’s an unfortunate result, but it’s certainly not the end of the world. This is why the team is playing these friendly matches. They made an unusually high number of substitutions today to try out a lot of different combinations and when Morocco finally pushed one through, some of the best American defenders were on the bench. Also, Morocco is not a pushover. They fell one game short of making the World Cup themselves. Team USA certainly has some work today before Cup play begins, but they can get there. They showed some flashes of brilliance on offense – particularly Convey’s bending free kick in added time that went just wide of the net – but they just didn’t manage to find the net. I think they’ll get to a level where they will be competitive in Germany, but I didn’t see anything tonight to make me question my prediction that they won’t make it out of group play. Next up on ESPN2? The WNBA… so I’m pretty much down to two channels until the Cards game starts.

8:06: A couple notes on the Heat game. First, Shaq just joined Wade on the bench with three fouls at about the five-minute mark in the first half. The Heat lead by three. Let’s see how long that lasts. Second, ESPN just showed Detroit Shock player Cheryl Ford in the crowd and Mike Breen commented that she looks just like her father (Karl Malone). The scary thing is that it’s true. Yikes.

8:19: It’s halftime in Detroit and Miami still leads by four. But I don’t think they can keep this going. I’m picking the Pistons to win this one.

8:40: As we come back from halftime, Jim Gray won’t get off the floor. He’s actually standing right where Ben Wallace needs to stand to inbound the ball. Brilliant. Moments later, Jason Williams slashes to the hoop for a lay-up. If you had told me two or three years ago that Williams would have been the starting point guard on a team in the Conference Finals that also had Gary Payton on its roster, I would have said you were crazy.

8:49: Wade leaves the game with his fourth foul. The Pistons take their first lead of the game. Yep. And by the way, after an exciting start, the hockey game has failed to keep my interest.

8:54: ESPN has been periodically going to this weird floating camera angle. I hate it. I’m about five minutes from e-mailing ESPN ombudsman George Solomon. Seriously. It’s that bad. And, I’ve been wanting to use the word “ombudsman.”

8:57: Between the second and third period, we get a look at the studio guys on OLN. There is a guy who has the side of his head shaved under his mullet. I can’t make this stuff up. Given the prevalence of trailer trash fashion sense in the NHL, I’m surprised that it’s not a more popular sport in the Deep South.

9:00: Flipping back to ESPN, I stop on the Deuce and learn that the Houston Comets are considered the WNBA’s first dynasty because they won four championships. That’s even more impressive than the USC football dynasty that won one national championship.

9:02: And the Reds have won 7-4. Every time it looks like the other shoe is about to drop for the Reds, they play the Brewers and get back in a rhythm. So from all of us to all of you, thank you Milwuakee! By the way (and I say this knocking as hard as I can on a piece of wood), Junior is beginning to look like the Junior of old. He has hit three homers in the last four games and has made several great catches out in center. I won’t count on it continuing, I’ll just enjoy it while I can.

9:14: Goooooooooooooaaaaaaaaalllllllll! I’ve been waiting all night to say it. I was hoping to use it for Team USA, but I’ll have to settle for the Oilers. Michael Peca nets his fifth of the playoffs and things are looking mighty grim for the Mighty Ducks, now down 2-0 in the game and the series.

9:16: Goooooooooooooaaaaaaaaalllllllll, again! Well that didn’t take long. Great goal from the Oilers and it’s 3-0. And here we go with more fighting… which also doesn’t take long as the Oilers’ player with dreadlocks (is that even allowed in the NHL?) drops the Mighty Duck aggressor almost immediately and the place erupts again. Okay, Rocky Mountain Tiger, you got me… this IS kind of exciting.

9:20: And heading back to the basketball game, I stop of FSN and see that Pujols has already hit a homer in the top of the first. The three-run shot is his 23^rd of the year. Take that, Barry Bonds.

9:22: Yikes. By the time I get back to OLN, Edmonton has scored again and this one looks to be over. The 3-0 series deficit will be tough for Anaheim to overcome. But that’s probably how it should be: A Canadian team playing for the Cup instead of a team from Southern Cal.

9:29: The Yankees have beaten the Red Sox 7-5. I don’t particularly care about either team (other than the fact that they usually play entertaining games), but I can’t believe that ESPN2 is actually running a WNBA game instead of Sox-Yankees.

9:31: Bonds has answered! (with an RBI single)

9:32: By the way, that John Anderson/Maria Sharapova commercial that was funny two hours ago is no longer even mildly amusing. That didn’t take long. Next!

9:33: In a fascinating turn of events, the Heat-Pistons game has devolved into a free-throw shooting contest between Ben Wallace and Shaq. Unbelievable. Pat Riley goes to the Hack-a-Ben while leading by nine points. Hopefully this won’t become a trend in this series, lest an entire generation of youngsters grow up unable to shoot free throws.

9:38: During a timeout in Detroit, I meander back over OLN to see if it’s gotten any uglier. As I get there, I’m stunned to see Anaheim score its third goal. WHAT?!?!?!? It’s now 4-3 with eight minutes to play. Are you kidding me? Only RMT knew hockey could be so compelling.

9:41: And just as I’m singing the praises of the NHL, one of the announcers calling the game on OLN makes one of the worst jokes I have ever heard. He said getting a good quote from someone who wants to be a dentist after his hockey carry is over would be like pulling teeth. If I had a pair of scissors, I would drive to Edmonton and cut that guy’s mullet off.

9:44: FSN just ran a Big XII baseball tourney ad. The Tigers were not in it. I’m mad. Mizzou has to win now, just for spite. By the way, if you are still reading at this point, I will mail you a used Metrolink ticket signed by yours truly. I’m not even kidding.

9:46: It’s all over in Detroit as the Heat take Game One 91-86. As a quasi-fan of the Heat (what can I say, I like Shaq), I’m happy to eat crow. Miami out-Pistoned the Pistons tonight, getting it done as a team. Alonzo Mourning, Antoine Walker and Gary Payton all stepped up tonight… and Wade managed to fight through foul trouble to play well. But this doesn’t necessarily put Miami in the driver’s seat. The Heat lost the Eastern Conference Finals last year in a series where the road teams won three of the seven games.

9:47: Back on OLN, the Oilers have scored again with about five minutes to play and it looks like it might actually be over this time… but the Ducks have shown they only need two minutes to score three goals, so who knows.

9:54: Wu, Wu, Wu. Kenny Wu! It’s now 5-4 with 1:45 to play. Anaheim has pulled the goalie. Hold onto your hats… I would recommend the Flying V here for the Ducks. Or maybe a knucklepuck. We all know that’s what Gordon Bombay would do.

9:59: Edmonton survives a late flurry of activity in front of the net and wins it. The No. 8 seed in the West is now one win away from the Finals. Whew, a wild four hours of sports. Hope everyone else was watching too! Until next time…

Good job, CMA!

2006-05-21T20:43:00.000-05:00

All right, it's time for me to make my return after allowing my esteemed colleague to dominate the postings for so long. You know what that means, folks! That's right, prepare for some mocking, and some bitterness. And maybe some analysis somewhere in between.

Well, the late basketball signing period ended this week, and Mike Anderson really impressed me with the players he was able to sign. He came in late and still got some good players who fit his system well. Here's my take on the class...

First and foremost, keeping New Jersey boy Keon Lawrence was huge. Though the Rutgers fans were convinced Keon would dump MU for the Scarlet Knights (though why he'd do that after already turning down one chance to get out of his LoI is beyong me), it didn't happen. Lawrence, by all indications, is a fantastic scorer. Coincidentally, that's MU's biggest need next season. Of course, this is an MU team, so I won't get my hopes up TOO high -- because then he'll bust for sure. But if Lawrence is the real deal, there's no telling what this team can do.

The biggest news of the signing period, though, was luring PG Stefhon Hannah away from Bob Huggins and the K-State kitties. At best, Hannah will start and be a big upgrade over Horton (read: won't spend 25 seconds pounding the ball into the court like he wants to kill it); at worst, he'll be solid and give the Tigers two point guards. Sorry, Thuggy bear.

DeMarre Carroll, a transfer from Vanderbilt, also should have a big impact - next year (damn NCAA regulations). OK, maybe this wasn't a hard sell for Anderson (after all, Carroll is his nephew), but he will give MU another athletic, combo forward, and that fits into this system perfectly (you reading this, Ty Morrison?)

SG J.T. Tiller sounds like a freakish athlete who likes to play defense. Good fit for the system.

The other signess, Vaidatos Volkus and Darryl Butterfield, won't be big stars, but if they play defense, rebound, and run the floor, they'll be doing their jobs.

And therein lies the biggest adjustment MU fans must make with Anderson as the coach. MU won't rely on any Arthur Johnson types in the future; CMA's system is about athleticism and length. Bigs such as Leo Lyons will be the norm now. Adjust we must...

So, with all that said, I'm optimistic about next season's team. I'm sure there will be growing pains, but I can see Anderson's plans starting to take shape. I'm looking forward to seeing the fruits of his labor a year or two down the road.

Born-a-Tiger, out

PS - Thomas Gardner signed with an agent, committing him to getting bypassed in the NBA draft. Good bye Thomas - we'll miss you - have fun playing in Europe.

2006-05-19T00:03:00.000-05:00

Tiger Fannette, Gary Arndt and Born-a-Tiger's girlfriend Carrie are pretty excited after a big win over Illinois. For more on Gary Arndt Night at T.R. Hughes Ballpark, check out the entry below.

Game Update, 5/17

2006-05-18T23:56:00.000-05:00

By Tiger Fan

Mizzou should really start paying me to attend baseball games. After last night’s 14-2 victory over Illinois at T.R. Hughes Ballpark in O’Fallon, the Tigers are now 4-0 on the year when I am in attendance. Alden, if you’re reading, I’m sure I could rearrange my schedule if you are willing to fly me in for the Big XII Tourney. Call me.

On the Field

-Gary Arndt had quite a night, going 3 of 5 with a HR, 3 RBI and 3 runs scored. We’ll talk more about Mr. Arndt later.

-The outcome of this one was never really in doubt. The Tigers led 6-0 after the first inning and the Illini starter was only able to record one out before being yanked. I’m not an expert, but that makes for a gawdy 162.0 ERA by my math. Does it even go that high? Yikes.

-Nathan Culp started for the Tigers and was dominant in one inning he played. He should be ready to go on Sunday against Texas. In fact, the Tigers had a perfect game going through 3.2 innings and a no-hitter through 4.1. The only Tiger pitcher who looked less than stellar was Nick Admire – and he still played quite well, giving up just one unearned run even though the bases were loaded. The second run of the game was unearned after John McKee tried to kill our cheering section with an overthrow to first base after making an amazing stop at third.

-Illinois failed in its quest to record more errors than hits in the game. I believe the final total was four errors and five hits. So close.

Crazed Mizzou Fan Notes

The discussion of crazed fans pretty much has to begin and end with our five-person crew down the first-base line. Illinois seemed to have a heckler behind the plate early in the game, but he shut up pretty quickly when the Tigers jumped out to 6-0 lead. But we stayed loud throughout, particularly after we determined that this was going to be Gary Arndt Night. As the public address guy was announcing the starting line-ups, Arndt was standing right in front of us. So when they got to his name, we jumped to our feet and went crazy. He turned, laughed and had a brief conversation with Tiger Fannette (more on that later). That’s pretty much all it takes to win us over, so we gave him a loud ovation when he took the field in the top half of the inning and an even louder ovation when he came to the plate in the bottom half of the inning with two men on base. Arndt promptly hit a three-run shot to left, sending us into a frenzy. Needless to say, the tone was set for the rest of the night: Arndt was cheered every time he took the field and he responded with several solid defensive plays, two more hits, two more runs and several smiles, thumbs up and even a tip of the cap. I only hope that Arndt didn’t get too much crap from his teammates on the way home, but we thank him for playing along.

Seen and heard in the stands:

-After getting Arndt’s attention before the game, Tiger Fannette told the Tiger shortstop that she would cheer for him all game if he got her a ball (side note: He wasn’t able to get one for her, but he did hit a foul ball our way that wound up landing right behind us and bouncing away. As well as he was hitting, I’m going to assume he did that intentionally). Anyway, that led to this classic exchange:

Arndt: I’ll see what I can do… but I don’t know where the balls are. They might be in the Illinois dugout.

Fannette: You don’t know where your balls are?

**Awkward silence from everyone**

-Heckle of the Night goes to Born-a-Tiger’s girlfriend Carrie in a huge upset. There were lots of experienced trash talkers on hand, but Carrie threw down the winner when the diminutive Illinois rightfielder reached first base on a single and was chatting with the rather tall Illinois first-base coach: “I didn’t know it was take your son to work day.” Solid.

-I was a big fan of the addition of Stumpy Joe’s BBQ for Wednesday’s game. I strongly encourage the organizers of this series to pursue this in the future.

Irritating/pleasant Athletic Department Decisions

-Good work by whoever handles the tickets at the Wood Bat Classic games. Last time I complained the lengthy ticket line. No such problem this time as the box office was handing out generic tickets rather than individually printed tickets. Nice adjustment.

Probably being heard around the (Tigers’) water cooler today…

“Great game the other night Gary… but did you really have to invite your ENTIRE family to the game to cheer you on. Wasn’t that kind of embarrassing?”

World Cup Preview

2006-05-16T22:04:00.000-05:00

By Tiger Fan

As we reach the summer lull for Mizzou sports, I figured it might be time to expand my coverage to include some other sports. And quite frankly, the sport I’m most qualified to evaluate is soccer. So, without further Adu, I present my 2006 World Cup preview (while sporting my Team USA Oguchi Onyewu jersey, of course).

Team USA

First and foremost, let’s take a look at the home side. The United States is sending a team to Germany next month that may be the best in U.S. history. They are currently ranked fourth in the world, but this seems a bit high to me. The World Cup organizers seem to agree, given that despite its lofty ranking and easy qualification, Team USA was not one of the seeded teams. The result? USA is joined in Group E by No. 2 Czech Republic and No. 14 Italy, in addition to lowly Ghana (ranking No. 50). The opening match for the Americans is June 12 against the Czechs (and I plan to be watching in a Vegas sportsbook).

When the official roster for the men’s national team was named earlier this month, it didn’t contain a lot of household names. That’s actually good news because it means that most of the players are coming from premier leagues in Europe rather than the MLS. Let’s go position-by-position:

Goalkeeper

Kasey Kellar, Tim Howard, Marcus Hahnemann

With 91 international appearances and 44 shutouts, Kellar is the senior member of a talented group. Howard and Hahnemann both play in the English Premier League while Kellar tends the net in the German Budesliga. Look for Howard, the former goalie for world power Manchester United, to get the start as Kellar is beginning to show his age.

Defender

Chris Albright, Carlos Bocanegra, Steve Cherundolo, Jimmy Conrad, Cory Gibbs, Eddie Lewis, Oguchi Onyewu, Eddie Pope

Albright and Pope are the best-known names on this list because they both play in the MLS, but neither is likely to start come tournament time. Five of the other six players play in top European leagues and those players have garnered a lion’s share of the caps in recent years. Lewis, Cherundolo and Bocanegra are all likely starters. The wildcard of the group is young Onyewu, who goes by the nickname “Gooch.” Onyewu is a 6’2” monster in the backfield that is just 24 years old and still getting better. Right now, he is playing Standard de Liege in Belgium… but rumor has it that a solid world cup could land him a transfer to one of the top teams in England.

Midfield

DaMarcus Beasley, Bobby Convey, Clint Dempsey, Landon Donovan, Pablo Mastroeni, John O’Brien, Ben Olsen, Claudio Reyna

Reyna is the captain of Team USA and will still play a pivotal role in the midfield, even as he begins to get older. But the stars of tomorrow (and if they can play well in the World Cup, the stars of today) are Beasley and Donovan. Both are explosive players and, particularly Donovan, will be the focal point of the U.S. attack. As for the fourth starting spot, look for it to go to Mastroeni, another veteran.

Forward

Brian Ching, Eddie Johnson, Brian McBride, Josh Wolff

McBride, with 90 international appearances, is probably the only guaranteed starter in this group. In all likelihood, the other spot will go to Johnson or Wolff, but don’t be surprised if Ching gets a shot as well. All four have had success scoring goals at the international level.

Coach

Bruce Arena

Arena has the longest tenure of any coach at this year’s World Cup, dating back to his hiring in 1998 after Team USA finished dead last in France. This eight-year period is one of the longest coaching tenures in international soccer history and Arena is largely responsible for changing the image of U.S. soccer from an international joke to an international force. Arena focuses on defense, which is good because he has solid defenders but his team lacks the athleticism to outscore teams like Brazil. Still, he has not garnered a lot of respect in European circles. A semifinal run in Germany would certainly turn some heads.

Unfortunately, given Team USA’s draw, I don’t see that happening. In fact, I don’t even think they’ll make it out of the first round. I think they beat Ghana, lose to the Czechs and tie Italy… but Italy advances with the second spot in Group E on the basis of goal differential. I hope I’m wrong, but I think this team will not be able to live up to the lofty expectations.

The Rest

So if I don’t think the U.S. will win it, who will? The easy answer is Brazil. They boast the world’s most electrifying player in Ronaldinho and a solid team behind him. They are the clear-cut No. 1 team in the world. But if you want a wildcard, look to Germany (the host country always seems to rise to the occasion) or Spain (the Spaniards are bound to win the big one eventually, right?)

Here’s how I think the tourney plays out (winner of group listed first, then runner up):

Group A:

Germany

Costa Rica

Group B:

England

Sweden

Group C:

Netherlands

Argentina

Group D:

Portugal

Mexico

Group E:

Czech Republic

Italy

Group F:

Brazil

Croatia

Group G:

France

Korea

Group H:

Tunisia

Spain

Round of 16:

Germany over Sweden, Mexico over Netherlands, Croatia over Czech Republic, Spain over France, Costa Rica over Sweden, Argentina over Portugal, Brazil over Italy, Korea over Tunisia

Quarterfinals:

Germany over Mexico, Spain over Croatia, Argentina over Costa Rica, Brazil over Korea

Semifinals:

Germany over Spain, Brazil over Argentina

Final

Brazil 3, Germany 1

Weekly report

2006-05-12T12:36:00.000-05:00

By Tiger Fan

Not a whole lot going on in Mizzou sports this week. I'm sure that has a lot to do with the fact that finals are coming to an end today in Columbia. Be that as it may, here's what has happened:

Tiger notes...
-The softball team is in the midst of a surprising run at the Big XII tournament. The No. 7-seeded Tigers knocked of the tenth-seeded Texas Tech Red Raiders 6-3. Then, the Tigers upset No. 2 seed Nebraska 3-0. Unfortunately, Mizzou suffered a 2-0 loss to kU (of all teams) on Thursday. But that doesn't mean it is over for the Tigers. They take on Texas A&M today for a chance to advance in the loser's bracket.

-This most recent loss to kU won't have any real impact on the Border War standings. Even before yesterday's loss, the beakers had an insurmountable 22-15 lead. kU clinched the win a few weeks back when kU finished ahead of Mizzou in the Big XII men's golf tournament.

-This weekend is a big series for the Tiger baseball team if they have any hope of making the postseason. Even though the series is in Lubbock, it is imperative that Mizzou win at least 2 of 3. Next wednesday, the Tigers take on Illinois at T.R. Hughes Ballpark in O'Fallon. As you might have guessed, the staff of The Zou will be on hand.

-No one seems to have any idea what is going on with Mizzou basketball recruiting. Quite frankly, that's probably for the best. As long as Coach Anderson knows what's going on, that's all that matters.

-The men's golf team will tee off next weekend in Cleveland, making its second consecutive NCAA regional appearance. Mizzou has tried to make a case for itself as a basketball school or a football school in the past, but given the success of the men's and women's golf teams, perhaps we are a golf school. Who knew?

-Four Tiger athletes were named to the Big 12's 10th Anniversary Track and Field Team: Christian Cantwell, Derrick Peterson, Knut Sommerfeldt and Anne Marie Brooks. For those of you scoring at home, that's four more than the number of Tigers named to the 10th anniversary football or basketball teams.

-Brad Smith will apparently get to keep his No. 16 with the Jets. The funny part is that Brad never really wanted 16. I recall that after his RS freshman season, he wanted to switch numbers but that athletic department wouldn't let him because it had already sold so many No. 16 jerseys. Now, it's hard to picture him wearing anything else.

Quick-hit non-Mizzou thoughts...
If anyone took me up on my demand last week that you begin watching the NBA Playoffs, I apologize. I have no idea how we could go from such an exciting first round to such a boring second round... Speaking of boring, apparently there's hockey on OLN. Something about some sort of cup, a guy named Stanley. I'm not really sure what's going on. And judging by the ratings, neither are most Americans... Three words: Ken Griffey Junior... But the scariest name in baseball right now? Albert Pujols. The guy is on pace to hit 83 homeruns. 83! It took him only 34 games to hit his first 18. To put that in perspective, Mark McGwire and Barry Bonds (both likely on steroids) took more than 40 games to hit 18 homeruns in their 70+ homerun campaigns. Obviously, Albert is probably going to slow down eventually, but there is not a single player in the league that I enjoy watching at the plate more than Pujols... And I think it's hilarious that Brad Lidge still hasn't recovered from Albert's bomb in last year's NLCS... Here's the biggest thing I learned from ESPN.com's list of the 10 best NBA point guards of all-time earlier this week: You don't need a good point guard to win an NBA title. Of the 10 players listed, five have never won a championship. Only Magic Johnson and Bob Cousy have won more than two. Meanwhile, please name for me the Bulls point guard that led them to six titles (Who knows?). Or the point guard for the Lakers during the Shaq-Kobe years (Derek Fisher... good, but not great). Or the point guard that propelled the Spurs to their recent titles (Tony Parker? Not bad now that he is learning to shoot... but Duncan carried those teams)... American Justin Gatlin set a new 100-meter sprint world record today with a time of 9.76. How fast is Gatlin? To put that in perspective for you football fans out there, that translates to a 3.62 to 40 time. Keep that in mind next time someone tells you Michael Vick has "world class" speed... With Jaguars wide receiver Jimmy Smith announcing his retirement yesterday, ESPN immediately began debating his Hall of Fame status. Let me settle this debate: if Art Monk isn't Hall of Fame material, Jimmy Smith shouldn't even be considered. That's nothing against Smith, but I think the Hall should be reserved for truly great players and although Smith was good, I don't think he was great...

Weekly Report

2006-05-07T15:24:00.000-05:00

By Tiger Fan

Law school exams are over, so that means that the Weekly Reports are back! Without further ado…

Tiger notes…

-For the definition of “too little, too late” please see the Mizzou baseball team. The Tigers have won seven of their last eight, but they are only 25-21. Even if they win out (which probably won’t happen given the two remaining Big XII series against Texas and Texas Tech), it probably won’t be enough to get the Tigers into the postseason. At this point, the only hope would be winning the Big XII Tourney. The crazy thing is, this team is entirely capable of winning that tournament. But I don’t think that will happen… in fact, I removed the College World Series from my personal calendar last week. Tough season for the Tigers.

-The rumors surrounding the men’s basketball roster seem to be clearing up. Kalen Grimes, Leo Lyons, Marshall Brown, Marcus Watkins, Glen Dandridge, Matt Lawrence, Jason Horton and Nick Berardini should all be back next season. James Douglas has reportedly not been attending workouts, so it looks like his short career is over. Keon Lawrence, Vaidatos Volkus and J.T. Tiller are all signed to join the team next season. Ty Morrison has officially signed at Creighton. And Thomas Gardner still claims he is going pro… but he can still come back and hopefully will.

-Marcus Watkins will probably play this season as a walk-on, which means his scholarship will be available. That means the men’s basketball team still has two scholarships available… and three if Gardner does not come back. Mike Anderson is still working to fill those spots. The leading candidates at this point are Stefhon Hannah and DeMarre Carroll. Hannah is a JuCo point guard from Chipola Junior College in Florida. Mizzou has not had much luck in the past with JuCo point guards (see Ricky Clemons, Randy Pully, James Douglas), but lots of folks like him. KSU coach Bob Huggins seems to be the only obstacle at this point to Hannah being a Tiger. Carroll is a sophomore guard at Vanderbilt who is looking to transfer. Thus, he would not be able to contribute until the 2007-08 season.

-The women’s golf team signed a recruit from Indiana last week named Michelle Morgan. The only question is whether any other women’s programs at Mizzou will be trying to get in on the act. In high school, Morgan earned all-conference honors in soccer, basketball and softball and reach the state finals in diving. Yowzers!

-In other women’s golf news, the Tigers have qualified for their fourth consecutive NCAA regional… which is more than the basketball or baseball teams can say.

-As I reported last week, Brad Smith and Tony Palmer were selected in the NFL draft. Four other Tigers have also been signed to free agent contracts: Marcus King with the Cowboys, Sean Coffey with the Chargers, Derrick Ming with the Bills and Calvin Washington with the Redskins.

-Just when things seem to finally be settling down over in the athletics department, the Board of Curators decided to make themselves look like idiots again. On Thursday, two members of the board called for the creation of a task force to oversee athletics on the four UM campuses state-wide. Apparently, this board of businessmen and women (several of whom hold degrees from SMS and one of whom is a donor to the SMS athletic department at the highest level) thinks that they are qualified to oversee the athletic department. But are they? The plan would call for a uniform enforcement plan for all four campuses – even though UMSL has an ANNUAL athletic budget of $300,000 and Mizzou has raised $1.2 million in booster donatios in the last MONTH. To make matters worse, the Curators promptly tabled the issue at their Friday meeting, proving once again that the left hand has no idea what the right hand is doing in the UM administration. As many qualms as I have with Alden, financing is not one of them. He has succeeded in more than doubling the athletic budget at Mizzou and the department is completely self-sustaining. I could go on, but Bryan Burwell wrote an excellent article on this matter in Friday’s Post-Dispatch. Rather than repeat his thoughts, I’ll just direct you to his column.

Quick-hit non-Mizzou thoughts…

If you haven’t been watching the NBA Playoffs, you should start now. Today. What have you missed so far? Instant classic buzzer beaters by LeBron James, Gilbert Arenas, Kobe Bryant, Dirk Nowitski and Kevin Martin. A triple-double by LeBron in his first playoff game. Kobe throwing down a nasty dunk on Steve Nash, only to have Nash get revenge by winning the series in seven. Shaq dropping 30 and 20 like its 1999. Dwyane Wade falling seven times, but getting up eight. The entire Nets-Pacers series (don’t worry, everyone missed that series. It was only carried on NBA network). The Mavs and Pistons looking unbeatable. The Spurs looking human. The Clippers (yes, those Clippers) winning a series time since 1978. And that was all in the first round!... Michelle Wie finally made the cut at a men’s event and everyone acts like this is a big deal. But lets get one thing straight: She’s still not even the best teenage golfer in the world, much less a top five player on the LPGA tour… The whole debate over whether MLB should authenticate the homerun ball when Bonds passes the Babe is ridiculous. Did everyone go crazy when Pete Rose passed the guy who was No. 2 on the all-time hits list? Did everyone go nuts when Hank Aaron passed the guy who was No. 2 on the all-time home runs list? The only time second place matters is in the Olympics. If Bonds wants recognition, he better slim down so his knees will last long enough to break Aaron’s record. Or he could just retire and we’d all be much happier… Does anyone even realize that the NHL playoffs are going on? Quick, name for me all the teams that are left. **awkward silence** Uh, the Red Wings? **awkward silence** That’s what I thought… Someone please explain to me how the Patriots wound up getting one of the best tailbacks in the draft, the best WR in the draft and one of the best TEs in the draft in the first three rounds. Man, they draft well…

Cincinnati sports notes…

I know most folks don’t care, but a few shout-outs about my hometown teams… The Reds are off to a blistering start and sit in first place in the NL Central with one of the best records in baseball. I think the fans are about 50-50: Some want to print World Series tickets, some are waiting for the other shoe to drop. I’ve followed Cincinnati sports long enough to fall firmly within the latter group. Unfortunately, I think it’s coming sooner than any of us thought. After taking four of five from the Astros and Cardinals, the Reds have dropped three of four to the Rockies and Diamondbacks. That is a BIG problem. There’s no way we can keep up this pace all year. If only we played in another division… I saw an interview with Steelers linebacker Joey Porter the other day on ESPN, during which he said that he doesn’t think the Bengals can compete physically with the Steelers. Really Joey? I know you won the Super Bowl last year, but you know you would have lost in the first round were it not for Kimo von Oelhoffen, right? You do know you didn’t even win the division, right? You do know that the refs gift-wrapped that Super Bowl for you, right? You do know Chad Johnson is not Jerramy Stevens, right? We’ll just see what happens this season... I’m not quite sure how to feel about the Bengals draft. On one hand, they did address some areas that need help. On the other hand, they failed pick up a much-needed TE, even though they had several chances to do so with good choices on the board. I felt like they picked Frostee Rucker a round or two early and I didn’t like the fact that they took three “project” players (all listed at wide receiver) with their final three picks. I thought we were pretty well set at wide receiver (Chad and T.J.) and kick returner (Tab Perry), but what do I know? Oh well. In Marvin we trust…

2006-04-30T18:27:00.000-05:00

Congrats to Tony Palmer (left) and Brad Smith on being selected in the NFL draft. Smith was selected as a wide receiver by the New York Jets and Palmer will play for the St. Louis Rams.

2006 Football Preview

2006-04-29T12:19:00.000-05:00

By Tiger Fan

Well Tiger fans, the NFL draft is upon us, which means football season is just a few months away. This season will be the first year of the post-Brad era and I think it will provide a clear answer to the question of whether Pinkel will be able to win big games without Brad. I’m not sure he can… but I sure do hope I’m wrong. Who knows? Maybe he’s got another red-shirt freshman waiting in the wings to shock us all like No. 16 did in 2002. Maybe Chase Daniel will make us forget the Brad Smith era faster than we ever thought possible. Maybe Mizzou really will challenge for the Big XII North title this year. Or… maybe they won’t. But either way, it should be fun.

Before I get to my preview, a bit about my ratings system:

A = The Tigers should outplay the opposition at that position in every game.

B = There will be flashes of brilliance, but also some growing pains.

C = Average. We’ve got guys to take up space, but they won’t outplay anyone good.

D = The unit will be okay most of the time, but there will be lapses that hurt the team.

F = Reserved for the positions that are a true liability to the team.

The Offense

Brad Smith has started the last 48 games for the Tigers at QB and holds almost ever significant offensive record in the books. The offense returns eight starters from last year’s squad, but Smith isn’t one of them and that’s bound to slow down the unit’s production. The good news is that Chase Daniel is not exactly a rookie: he played in 10 games last season, including leading a fourth quarter comeback against Iowa State. Let’s hope he continues to improve because if we have learned anything about Pinkel’s offense, it’s how important the quarterback is.

Quarterback – B+

Chase Daniel, Chase Patton, Brandon Coleman

I think Daniel will be a solid player, but it’s the depth of this group that makes me add the plus. If Daniel struggles, don’t be surprised to see Patton get some snaps to prove what he can do. It’s a unique luxury to have a former Elite 11 quarterback as a back-up and Pinkel shouldn’t hesitate to take advantage of it if need be. Of course, if Daniel’s performance in the spring game is any indication (11 of 12 for 120 yards and 2 TDs), there’s nothing to worry about – or else it’s our defense we need to worry about. Hard to say at this point, but SI.com identified Daniel as one of its “Stars of Spring”. Good publicity for an MU player? Best of luck Chase, you’re gonna need it.

Running Back – B-

Marcus Woods, Tony Temple, Jimmy Jackson, Earl Goldsmith, Connell Davis

I’ll reiterate my rating system: expect flashes of brilliance, but a lot of growing pains. The biggest key for this group will be avoiding injuries. Woods and Temple both have star potential, but have struggled with injuries over the last couple seasons (in fact, Temple missed all of spring practice with an injury). The other key will be holding onto the ball. Temple has always had fumbling issues and although Connell Davis has a surprisingly good spring, he put the ball on the turf a lot. Temple has shown the ability to make huge plays in the past, but he has also made critical turnovers. Who will we see this year?

Offensive Line – C+

Tyler Luellen, Monte Wyrick, Adam Spieker, Mike Cook, Joel Clinger

This veteran group of linemen seems to be getting a lot of hype in MU circles and I’m not sure why. Yes, it’s nice to have four returning starters on the o-line, particularly when the group is comprised of all juniors and seniors. But I don’t remember particularly good protection for Brad when he dropped back to pass last year. Since then, the Tigers lost their best o-lineman to graduation (Tony Palmer). I hate to be pessimistic, but I just can’t envision a scenario in which the line is able to improve significantly from one season to the next.

Tight End – A+

Martin Rucker, Chase Coffman, DeQuincy Howard

Tight end is the one position that Mizzou should dominate in every game this season. Most teams would love to have any one of the Tiger starters, much less both. Coffman was a freshman All-American a year ago and Rucker is a sure-fire NFL prospect. As a former tight end, Pinkel loves to run plays for his tight ends and that’s probably a good thing, since his tight ends are his two best offensive weapons. Daniel has already shown that Coffman is one of his favorite targets and I expect that to continue because it seems like no one can guard Coffman one-on-one: The linebackers are too slow and the DBs are too small. The only question is how a team with two All-American tight ends can run four and five wide receiver sets out of the shotgun on every play. Unbelievable.

Wide Receiver – B-

Will Franklin, Brad Ekwerekwu, Tommy Saunders, Greg Bracey

I’m willing to give this group the benefit of the doubt because, with all due respect to Brad Smith, he wasn’t the best passing quarterback ever to line up under center. All the wide receivers knew Brad was looking to run first and even if the ball was thrown in their vicinity, it might not be on target. With Daniel at QB, those excuses are gone. That being said, if the ‘Copter doesn’t take off as a star this season, this group will be mediocre at best. Franklin will have to step up and fill the shoes of the departed Sean Coffey – and Justin Gage before him. He doesn’t have the size of either No. 12, but he has superior speed and has the potential to be a tremendous deep threat. Will he reach his potential? That remains to be seen.

Punting/Kicking – D

Adam Crossett, Matt Hoenes

Yes, I know Crossett made some lengthy kicks late in the season. Yes, I know the coverage last year was worse than the actual punting. Yes, I know he played well in the spring game. But I’m being realistic… has there been any time in the Gary Pinkel era where you ever felt confident – or even comfortable – when it came time for Mizzou to make an important kick? I know I have never had that experience. It should not be a surprise when your kicker makes a field goal. It should not be cause for celebration when a punt goes further than 30 yards. It should not be an adventure every time you line up for an extra point. I hope I’m wrong about all this, but I’m sticking with historical precedent until someone proves me wrong. Crossett, PLEASE prove me wrong!

The Defense

John Kadlec was quoted last week as saying this might be the best Tiger defense he has ever seen at Mizzou – and given how long Kadlec has been watching the Tigers, that is really saying something. But I’m afraid I have to disagree. This is a solid unit, but I’m not even sure it is as good as last year’s squad. The defense lost just four starters, but that includes three members of the secondary. Hopefully some younger players will be able to step up and make plays because Mizzou’s pass defense was already porous with those senior leaders. If not, it could be a long season. The other key is for the Tigers to keep the defense off the field some times. Last year the offense ran more plays than any other team in the country… but they also ran them faster than any team in the country and often went three-and-out. That doesn’t give the D much time to catch its breath.

Defensive Line – B-

Brian Smith, Jamar Smith, Stryker Sulak, Lorenzo Williams

The top four defensive lineman from last season are back, as is regular contributor Xzavie Jackson. Defensive end Brian Smith is already Mizzou’s all-time sack leader and should draw a double team in most games, opening things up for others to make a play. If Pinkel sticks with last year’s game plan, Smith and Stryker Sulak could both play a few downs at linebacker in pass rushing situations. The big test for this defense will be stopping the run up the middle. That task will primarily fall to Jamar Smith and Lorenzo Williams. If you can’t stop the run, it will be very difficult to win in the Big XII.

Linebackers – C+

Marcus Bacon, Dedrick Harrington, Van Alexander, Brock Christopher

Bacon and Harrington head a rather shallow crop of linebackers for the Tigers. The departure of Derrick Ming will hurt the Tigers from both a leadership and playmaking standpoint. Bacon and Harrington are both pretty solid players but they are not the kind of dynamic playmakers the Tigers need in order to dominate defensively. Help could be waiting in the wings. Redshirt freshman Chad Washington has turned some heads in spring practice and recently signed Juco player Quaran Barge will be eligible in the fall. Hopefully, these players will be able to contribute right away.

Secondary – C

David Overstreet, William Moore, Domonique Johson, Darnell Terrell

Gone is the Tiger’s best playmaker from a year ago, Jason Simpson, and the top two corners, A.J. Kincade and Marcus King. The only good news in the secondary is the return of David Overstreet, who led the team in tackles a year ago and has All-Conference potential. The problem is a corps of DBs without much experience. Johnson and Terrell have both shown the ability to make big plays, but they have also been beaten on short passing routes in a defensive scheme that seems to encourage large cushions. Beyond these two, there is very little depth and if either of these two goes down with an injury, the Tigers could be in serious trouble. William Moore has also shown potential at free safety, but he will need to bounce back from an injury in the Independence Bowl. Without Overstreet, this group would be graded as a D.

Kick Returning/Coverage – F

This is a problem every year for the Tigers and there’s no reason to expect that it will get any better this season. Temple and Woods have both shown the ability to make things happen on returns, but it doesn’t happen consistently and the blocking is not good. As for the kicking coverage, it’s always an adventure – an adventure that usually allows several return touchdowns each year.

Game-by-game predictions: 7-5 (4-4)

This season is full of borderline games for Mizzou. They are perfectly capable of beating Texas Tech, Texas A&M, Nebraska and Oklahoma – but they are equally capable of losing those games. This should also be the year for the Tigers to beat the kansas schools – but history has shown us that is not always a given, regardless of the talent. It should be a wild season. The Tigers could finish 6-6 or they could finish 9-3. I’m guessing it’s going to be somewhere in the middle… and another middle-of-the-pack finish in the North. Hopefully, I’m wrong.

Murray State – W

If the Tigers don’t win this game against a I-AA opponent, they should just go ahead and quit… ‘cause it will be an ugly season. But that won’t happen. The Tigers should roll to an easy win (like they do in their first game almost every year), causing fans to become ridiculously optimistic and declare this the best Tiger team in history. That should be fun for a couple weeks.

Mississippi - W

This should be a fun game, and I think the Tigers pull it out. Ole Miss is an SEC school, but not a good one. This should only increase the unfounded euphoria in Tiger nation.

at New Mexico – L

Every year, the Tigers lose one of their non-conference games that should be easy wins (see: New Mexico, Troy, Bowling Green, Bowling Green). Last year it was New Mexico and I think the Lobos will do it again this year. It reminds me very much of the 2001-02 home-and-home series with Bowling Green. When the Falcons came to Columbia, nobody knew they were any good so we started jumping off bridges after the Tigers lost… but as it turned out, they were a pretty good team and made a bowl. Then they killed us the next year at Bowling Green. I think the same thing happens here and all the Tiger fans who had been talking about a Big XII championship for the first two weeks of the season will suddenly declare that the Tigers are terrible. Gotta love Mizzou fans.

Ohio – W

I don’t see the Tigers blowing this one – plus, I’ve got several Bobcat fans coming in for this game, so we have to win. Period.

Colorado – W

Every year it looks like Colorado will have a down year and it seems like every year, they figure out how to pull things together and steal another Big XII North title. But Barnett is finally gone and I don’t think Dan Hawkins will have them playing at a top level in his first season. It will be close, but the Tigers should win the Big XII opener.

at Texas Tech – L

For reasons that I don’t quite understand, Pinkel tends to coach well against Texas Tech. It doesn’t really make any sense, given that Tech passes on almost every down and we can’t usually defend the pass at all. I think Pinkel’s luck runs out this year and we lose a tough one on the road.

at Texas A&M – L

This has less to do with the talent on the field and more to do with the fact that Mizzou tends to struggle on the road. It should be a close game, but I’ll give the edge to A&M because they are playing in College Station.

Kansas State – L

The Tigers blow an easy home win every year and this will probably be it. KSU is not very good… but they haven’t been very good for a few years now and that hasn’t stopped the Tigers from blowing double-digit leads against the Wildcats in each of the last two seasons. I’ve never seen the Tigers beat KSU, so I’m giving the Wildcats the benefit of the doubt until I do.

Oklahoma – W

Almost as predictable as a bad Tiger home loss is an unexpected Tiger home win. I’m going out on a limb and saying that the Tigers shock the Sooners on Oct. 28 and the goalposts come down (in fact, if I wind up attending a wedding on that day instead of the game, it’s almost certain to happen). The Sooner offense is one-dimensional and the defense is not as good as it has been in the past. Pinkel has coached well against Stoops in their two previous meetings and I’m hopeful that will continue. Last time OU came to Columbia, the Tigers were one fake field goal short of a huge upset. I think they get it done this time.

at Nebraska – L

The Tigers should be able to beat Nebraska. After years of futility, they have gotten the monkey off their backs by beating the Huskers two of the last three years. Pinkel is like a completely different coach against Nebraska, taking chances and cutting folks loose to make plays. Despite stealing an Alamo Bowl victory last year, NU is not that good. But the Tigers haven’t won in Lincoln since 1978. That’s almost 30 years. I can’t bet against the Huskers until Mizzou proves they can do it.

at Iowa State – W

I haven’t heard anything about ISU in the offseason. We’ve beaten them the last three seasons. I think the Tigers pick up a rare road win and become bowl eligible.

Kansas – W

Senior Day. In Columbia. The Tiger seniors have never beaten kU. The beakers lost several key players off a good defensive unit and their offense still stinks. If Pinkel can’t motivate his guys to win the Border War, he should be fired. I don’t care how many games he has won and how many bowl games he has made. Four straight losses to mediocre kU teams with inferior talent is unacceptable. Show some heart! Show some pride! If not for the fans, do it for yourselves! And I think they will… capping off another mediocre season for the Tigers.

Just when you thought it was safe to be a Mizzou fan...

2006-04-23T15:49:00.000-05:00

By Tiger Fan

Rumors are now swirling that multiple MU basketball players are in legal trouble that, if true, would be enough to have them kicked off. Since it hasn't been reported anywhere, I'm not going to perpetuate the rumor by repeating it here (not to mention the fact that I don't have all the details). Let's hope it's not true because it's the last thing the athletic department needs... more PR problems

The biggest issue is that if every rumor regarding Mizzou players that is being published on the Internet right now is true, we will barely be able to field a team next season. Let's assume for a moment that Thomas Gardner really has no plans to come back. And let's assume that Keon Lawrence really does want to weasel out of his Letter of Intent and go to Big East school. And let's assume the new rumors are true. Combine all this with the graduation of Kevin Young and Jimmy McKinney and we are left with this roster:

Leo Lyons
James Douglas
Marcus Watkins
Jason Horton
Nick Berardini
Matt Lawrence
Vaidatus Volkus

Again, that's assuming that all this rampant speculation is true. Ideally, it's all BS and there are four or five more guys on next year's team, plus a recruit or two that Mike Anderson is able to nail down. Either way, I feel back for Coach Anderson. He probably knew the situation here was bad, but I'm sure he never imagined that he would have six scholarship players at the beginning of next season. I think he's a good coach, but no one can win with the line-up listed above. Let's just hope the rumor mill is wrong...

How has it come to this? Three years ago, we had a team with two preseason All-Americans (Rickey Paulding and Arthur Johnson), an NBA prospect (Linas Kleiza), a guy who led the nation in scoring as a freshman (Jason Conley), a former McDonald's All-American (Travon Bryant) and several solid role players (Josh Kroenke, Jimmy McKinney, Thomas Gardner and Kevin Young). It's crazy to think how quickly it all happened. Unebelievable. Nice work Alden.

kU in big trouble... or at least they should be

2006-04-22T14:00:00.000-05:00

By Tiger Fan

For most of my college career, it was kind of difficult to come up with good comebacks when chastised by kU fans. Sure, we knew our school was superior, but when we were losing to them two or three times a year in every sport, it was tough... not to mention our trouble with the NCAA. But recently, kU has been making itself into an easy target. We have split the season basketball series with them each of the past two seasons. They lost to Bucknell. Then they lost to Bradley. And now, this...

In a 25-page letter dated Feb. 16, 2006, the NCAA has charged kU with a wide range of violations, including the ever popular "lack of institutional control". The letter, released to the public yesterday, includes allegations of academic fraud and impermissible gifts involving the football team, impermissible gifts and cash payments from boosters involving the men's basketball team, and impermissible transportation involving the women's basketball team. Also identified were a myriad of unreported secondary violations in every sport from women's soccer to men's golf.

In fairness to kU, there's nothing here that they didn't turn up in an internal investigation last July. But the eleventh allegation in the letter -- the one that charged the department with "failure to exert appropriate institutional control" from 1997-2003 -- is the most damaging. The NCAA is still compiling more information before handing down its punishment (if you've been a Tiger fan for long, you are all too familiar with how long this process takes), but it doesn't look good for the beakers. How bad is it? The last Big XII team to be hit with the "lack of insitutional control" label was Baylor... and that was when one of their players murdered a teammate.

Clearly, kU isn't on the same level as Baylor, but one thing is very clear: these allegations are much more serious than the illegal flip-flops and phone calls that got the MU basketball team put on probation and eventually cost Quin Snyder his job. kU may not find out its fate until September, but "lack of institutional control" is not a label the NCAA throws around lightly. Saturday's KC Star reported that kU got the label for four reasons:
1. It went without a compliance auditor for 20 months
2. It failed to report 26 secondary violations in a timely manner
3. It failed to educate coaches and boosters about the rules
4. It allowed academic fraud and recruiting violations within the football program.

Suddenly, I don't feel quite as bad about losing to kU for the last three seasons in football. At least Pinkel runs a clean program. Later on Friday, kU showed its true character by announcing that it is working with Fatgino on a contract extension (they claim he didn't know about the problems... kind of like Nixon didn't know about Watergate, I would guess). Classy folks... but I would expect nothing less.

The amazing thing to me is how little the attention the media is giving this story. On Saturday afternoon, the Star's Web site had the kU story ninth on its sports page... below stories about the NHL and NBA playoffs (which don't involved KC at all) and a track meet. ESPN.com had no mention of the story on its front page and had a short piece buried in its college football section. Maybe it's because Columbia has more journalists per capita than any other city in the world, but it seems to me that the stories about the Mizzou investigations got a lot more play... and the school got a lot more criticism.

We'll have to wait a while to see how it all plays out. To me, this is a litmus test for the NCAA. They have historically been very hard on middle-of-the-road major conference teams (like Mizzou basketball, Michigan basketball or Texas A&M football), but looked the other way when one of the "legendary" college programs breaks a rule (like Ohio State football, Duke basketball or any sport at Texas). Unfortunately, kU hoops is one of those renowned programs... and as such, we might see their athletic department get a free pass (or at least a greatly reduced fare). I've always said the NCAA is somewhat corrupt and hands out punishments arbitrarily. That's why I think you'll see a lot of very angry Mizzou fans in September when kU comes out of this with a slap on the wrist. But I'll be happy to eat my words if the punishment for kU fits the crime. Or maybe I'll just save my words for kU fans the next time they try to talk smack...

Game recap

2006-04-20T14:49:00.000-05:00

By Tiger Fan

Hooray! The nine-game losing streak is over for the once-hyped Tiger baseball team. Mizzou knocked off SLU 4-0 at T.R. Hughes Ballpark in O’Fallon, MO, Wednesday night at the annual Wood-Bat Classic. As you might expect, several members of The Zou were on hand. Here’s how it all went down:

On the Field

-Eight Mizzou pitchers combined to hold SLU to one hit and strike out 11 batters. The Tigers were clearly using last night’s game to get some work for its bullpen guys as Brant Combs was the only pitcher to go more than one inning (he pitched two). The official scorekeeper gave the win to starter Rick Zagone, even though he only faced three batters. Nick Admire and David Cales each struck out all three batters he faced.

-Trevor Helms drove in the first two runs of the game with a homerun to left field in the second inning. It was only the fourth homerun of Helms career and it was all the more surprising given that the game was played with wooden bats.

-Helms created another scoring opportunity in the fourth by causing a big collision at first base. With runners at first and second, Helms bunted the ball toward first in an attempt to move the runners up. The first baseman and the pitch both broke for the ball, leaving no one at the bag. The SLU second baseman got there right as Helms arrived at the base. When the two crashed together, the ball went flying and Helms was safe at first. Derek Chambers came around to score to make it 3-0. Meanwhile, the SLU second baseman was struggling to get to his feet. Gary Pinkle may want to consider letting Helms try out at linebacker next season.

Crazed Mizzou Fan Notes

-The good news is that attendance was pretty good – and there were more Mizzou fans than SLU fans. The bad news is that the crowd was not into the game at all. Most folks seemed to be more interested in chatting than watching the game. Even when Mizzou scored, there wasn’t much of a reaction.

-We did meet one guy out front while waiting in the LONG ticket line (more on this later) who might be a bigger fan than any member of The Zou. He lettered in football under Don Faurot and he lettered in baseball under John ‘Hi’ Simmons. He has also missed just two football games since 1947 and carries a sweet tiger-striped cane with a tiger head at the top. We didn’t catch his name (his wife gave him the ol’ “Come on dear, it’s time to go into the stadium, no one cares…” look and he had to go)… but we’re going to try to look through some archives and figure out who he is. Either way, Tiger Cane Guy, we salute you.

Seen and heard in the stands:

-Tiger Fannette and Rocky Mountain Tiger’s girlfriend Heather apparently disagree with the long-held assumption that chicks dig the long ball. After a careful consideration of all the positions, they determined that they prefer the guys who serve up the homers. That’s right, pitchers. What’s wrong with everyone else? I’m just quoting here, but: Catchers are too fat, middle infielders are too small and corner infielders are too muscular. There was a close competition between outfielders and pitchers, but pitchers were given the nod for having better legs. Apparently, this is what girls think about at baseball games. Who knew?

-Frontier League commissioner Bill Lee was on hand at the home of the league’s River City Rascals, chatting up the umpires between innings.

-In the fourth inning, a SLU batter hit a high foul ball toward our front row seats on the first-base line. Born-A-Tiger and I jumped up to try to catch it while Tiger Fannette let loose a high-pitched scream of terror. Luckily, Tiger first baseman Derek Chambers snagged the ball a few feet from the stands and saved the day.

-This wasn’t exactly in the stands, but it wasn’t really part of the action either. We looked down to first base during one Tiger at-bat to see the first base coach on a cell phone. On the field. During the game. For the love of Joe Horn, what was that about? We asked for the number, but he didn’t respond…

Irritating/pleasant Athletic Department Decisions

-I’ll start with the kudos: I think the Wood Bat Classic is a great event every year. The Mizzou baseball team needs more exposure and this is a great opportunity to tap into the broad Tiger fan base in St. Louis and get some support for the Tigers. T.R. Hughes is a great venue… it’s too bad Mizzou can’t play all its games in a facility like that.

-This probably isn’t the AD’s fault, but the ticket booth at the stadium was a disaster. We arrived 20 minutes before the 6:30 first pitch and we were still in line as the first inning drew to a close. The folks selling tickets blamed the computers, but come on… it’s not like there were thousands of people there. If your computers are that slow, you’re better off handwriting the tickets. The tickets were my only complaint from a fun evening at the ballpark.

Other Tiger notes…

Consider this your weekly report… Golfer Stephanie Wavro – who lived on my floor at Mark Twain as a freshman – finished a surprising second at the Big XII women’s golf tournament this week. Wavro, a junior, recorded the best finish for a Tiger since 2003… Led by Wavro, the women’s team finished fourth at the tournament. Most importantly, they placed well ahead of kU, giving Mizzou three more points in the Border War standings… the kU now leads the Border War by just four points: 19.0-15.0. It looks like the contest will be decided by outdoor track and men’s golf. Come on Tigers, let’s do this!... Micaela Minner of the softball team became Mizzou’s all-time leader in career homeruns Wednesday in a loss to kU. Minner hit her 26^th career homerun in the seventh inning. Congrats go out to Minner, but the fact that the Mizzou record was 26 proves what I already suspected: Softball, while fun to play, is boring to watch… Gymnast Adrianne Perry is representing Mizzou today at the national championship meet in Oregon. Born-A-Tiger astutely pointed out last night that gymnastics is the only sport where athletes seem to peak in their freshman year. Why is that?

Albert freakin' Pujols

2006-04-17T09:36:00.000-05:00

By Tiger Fan

Normally, I try to stick to Mizzou sports. But sometimes, I witness something so epic that I feel the need to share. Plus, let’s be honest… there’s nothing all that exciting going on with Mizzou sports right now. I’ll say this: The much-hyped baseball team has completely fallen apart, blowing two four-run leads this weekend. There, now you’re up to date.

Moving on… I attended the Reds-Cardinals game yesterday at the new Busch Stadium to cheer on my hometown Cincinnati Reds. I left with one thought firmly imprinted in my mind: Albert Pujols is not human. With all due respect to guys like Barry Bonds and David Ortiz, Pujols is the most dominant hitter in the game. He long ago passed the “don’t go to the concession stand if there’s any chance he will come to the plate during the next inning” stage. I made Tiger Fannette wait a whole inning to get some nachos just to make sure we saw his next at-bat (which wound up being is second homerun). It’s reached the point where everyone in the stadium is surprised if he doesn’t hit a homer.

When the eighth inning ended with the Reds up 7-6 and I saw that Pujols was due up second in the ninth, I was just hoping that the Reds could get the first batter out so Pujols could only tie the game. When Jason Marquis singled up the middle to start the ninth, I called for the walk… I yelled for the walk… I begged for the walk. As Pujols stepped into the box, everyone in the stadium came to their feet in anticipation. Once David Weathers threw the first pitch and it was clear that they weren’t going to walk him, I started congratulating the Cardinals fans around me. Pujols then deposited a 1-2 fastball into the upper deck in left. Game over. The standing ovation lasted at least three or four minutes before Pujols took his second curtain call of the game. Well deserved.

The scary thing about Pujols is that he is still getting better. He’s only in his 20s and he is turning into a talented fielder as well. He robbed the Reds of several hits down the first base line throughout the game. Add in his three homeruns and five RBI and he was obviously the game’s MVP. And anyone who doesn’t think he is the MVP of the league hasn’t been paying attention.

A quick note on the Reds…

Why don’t they have a closer? You can’t send out Weathers or Kent Mercker all year to protect leads in the ninth inning when they have to go up against guys like Pujols and Derek Lee. It won’t work. We may set a record for ninth inning losses this season. Can anyone name for me the last good team without a bona fide closer? Remember what our bullpen was like when the Reds were good in the early ‘90s? Remember the Nasty Boys? Do the names Rob Dibble, Norm Charlton and Randy Myers mean anything to you? You have to have a closer! Excuse me, I have to go find something sharper than my computer mouse…