I respect Kim Anderson and wish him well. To my knowledge he is a quality man/coach and has a great record.
On the other hand, I don't want to see Mizzou or any other SEC school climb out of the bBall hole most of them occupy.
I still think KU doesn't need them as in playing them.
What say you?
@JayhawkRock78 no Missouri and no WSU!
Thanks 22,
We have Nothing to gain playing these teams.
KU fills AFH against anyone and commands the lion share of tickets (if not all) if we play in KC. So we don't need to do anyone any favors. Especially Those who left our conference.
@JayhawkRock78 or those who call us names!
@JayhawkRock78 I don't have much opinion on the hire itself, but the fans' reactions during the whole process have been priceless. They are truly delusional. They severely over-value their place in college athletics. They seriously think they could (and should) have landed Gregg Marshall. Or Ben Howland. Or Jay Wright. Or Shaka Smart. Or any of a dozen other good coaches that wouldn't touch that job short of backing up a brinks truck to their homes.
And no, we don't need to play them.
Mizzou will always be them and KU will always be KU.
Bill Self has taken the appropriate stance on the prospect of KU playing Missouri. I stand with BIll Self.
As long as he can keep misery's impressive streak of never dancing on the final weekend of the tournament I'm glad they hired him.
Maybe because I wasn't raised in Kansas and only lived there during my college years, but I can say I miss playing them. And I think we should. I doubt it will happen however.
@icthawkfan316 Don't we all over-value our place in college athletics? I think many here do, which is fine, it's part of being a fan.
I've always felt that we should play MU. It was a terrific rivalry that excited our fan base. Most say that the greatest regular season home game or road game was something MU related.
We have chosen to take that rivalry away. I know MU left, but they are willing to play. So it is our choice. I would much rather play MU than go to Colorado, or have Georgetown at home.
Truly a case of cutting off your nose, to spite your face.
Kim's a girls name [{sarcasm font}]
I agree with @HighEliteMajor and @wissoxfan83 . I miss playing MU. It was one of the strongest and most passionate rivalries in all of college sports. It was on the level with OU-Texas, Florida-Georgia, Alabama-Auburn, USC-UCLA, Duke-UNC, etc. I think something is lost for KU by not having a big time rivalry like that (and no, K-State does not count).
Some of the best and most epic KU games were against MU. Who can forget that wild finish in KC in football when Reesing hit Meier for the game winner? There are at least a dozen classic basketball games in the last fifteen years. MU brought out the best in our players on the court/field and we brought out the best in them. Those were almost always great games and its unfortunate that we won't play them because they made the decision that was in their best financial interests.
That's the thing here. We talk about tradition and all of these things, but the truth is all of that went out the window when the Big 12 was formed in the first place. We can't begrudge schools for going to conferences that put them in the best financial position when that was the whole reason the Big 12 was created in the first place. It just so happened that 15 years later, the landscaped had changed. But I think games between KU and MU would be intense and passionate, and more than that, would give KU an even bigger stage, particularly in football, where they could get exposure in the SEC footprint by playing MU.
I would support playing MU, or Nebraska or Colorado, or A&M because it just makes competitive sense in both football and basketball. By playing them out of conference we could get exposure into a different region, which is important, especially when you're discussing national prominence.
I look at it this way. We didn't leave the big 8 for the big 12. The big 8 remained intact and expended to add some Texas teams. So all big 8 rivalries continued, plus we added a few with texas teams. THEN, Mu actively sought a way out begging the big 10 to take them. Eventually they left for greener pastures as did others. I feel some of us nearly got left in the cold. Our football has been dismal so we don't look so attractive if the conference were to go poof.
Luckily the big 12 remains a power conference so it looks like the super conferences will be calling the shots the next time we play musical chairs.
And HEM you are right, it is a double edged sword. We are hurting ourselves, but I see it this way. People will ALWAYS watch KU play. Who watches MU out side alums and teams/fans that play them that day. I just feel they have a lot more to gain than KU does if we resume play. And yes, I am still pissy about all the teams that left.
And part of that is being surrounded by A&M fans here- they are REALLY obnoxious. The SEC is on such a roll that's not going to change anytime soon.
MU has the resources and the money to hire a top tier coach but, IMHO, they hit a single when a home run was needed.
A program that chose Snyder over Self obviously does not have the vision or desire to become an elite program. They are happy with their football program and basketball apparently is not priority.
@JayhawkRock78
You are right, we did not leave the Big 8 for the Big 12, but UT, A&M, Baylor and Tech all left Rice, TCU, Houston, and SMU out in the cold. It took TCU 15 years to get back into a major conference. Rice has not recovered yet. SMU is just starting to recover. Houston has been up and down.
The Big 12 did not cost us anything, but it did cost those four schools that were left out quite a bit. We weren't the ones standing on the outside looking in the first time, but that doesn't mean that there weren't losers in that deal. Yes, we were very nearly losers the second time around, but it can't be ignored that someone lost the first time.
@justanotherfan
You are correct, they all got burned. Checking student bodies they are all small schools (under 10k students) save U of H. I don't know what the student body was way back when, but it is primarily a commuter school here in Houston and has grown a lot thanks to the oil boom. Unfortunately small school alums don't travel well and therefore don't fill there portion of large visitors stadiums. Well, that's what I hear folks like A&M grads gripe about. It probably has more to do with historical performance and perception.
@justanotherfan What is interesting, of course, is that KU has played Colorado and was set up to play A&M in KC, but won't play MU
@JayhawkRock78's comment about the Big 10 is interesting. I personally think MU got played by the Big 10, who was after NU all along. MU's open courting of the Big 10 got the whole realignment mess moving, thus putting NU in play. MU looked silly in the entire process, claiming academic alignment and all of that garbage. Then the Big 10 said no thanks. And MU went to the SEC, for academic alignment, I presume.
@HighEliteMajor
I figured Colorado was scheduled because Self was doing Tad Boyle a favor, and KU alums in Denver had a history of big turnouts.
Of course the last time we visited, Tad made a big deal out of selling tickets to limit pro-ku fans. It worked.
I wonder if Self will schedule more games with them.
I do expect SMU and Wake Forest to be scheduled in the near future.
To those claiming that KU-MU was a rivalry...was it really? Not in basketball. In football for sure, although lately our football team is a joke and theirs has ascended, but a 57-54-9 record in favor of Missouri is a pretty close rivalry over 100+ years of play. On the other hand, a 172-95 record in favor of Kansas in basketball is not a rivalry. The winning percentage is even wider in the past 25 years. Quite honestly, I don't care much for college football, so losing that game doesn't bother me one bit.
I'm thankful that our players never have to endure the garbage spewn at them from MU's fans. No more personal attacks regarding family members. No more sleepless nights because the Antlers obtained their phone numbers and spent all night prank calling them. Had their program and fanbase displayed a small modicum of class, maybe I'd feel different.
Did the thought once enter my head the past two seasons "this is fun, but it would be so much better if we played Missouri."? No it didn't. Renewing games with them only serves to elevate the pathetic Missouri program. Their whole existence was predicated on fabricating a "rivalry" with blue blood KU. Without us, they are fading further into obscurity. And that is the ultimate win by KU. To watch them squirm and beg to continue to play them; because they need it. They miss the one sell-out in their building. The one time they can manufacture some excitement for their program. It serves no purpose for KU's program. Sometimes it's an RPI boost, sometimes not. We'll sell out every game regardless. The buzz around our program exists year round, regardless of the slavers from the east.
Any games played against Colorado, or any future games against the likes of aTm or Nebraska are a giant "F.U." to Missouri.
@icthawkfan316 well said! I do like fb though, wish we could be respectful!
@icthawkfan316 Although we disagree on this particular topic -- and I acknowledge that yours is likely the more rational position -- we share an unabridged dislike, or hate, for all things MU. Beautifully written.
And did I hear that MU hired a woman as their head men's basketball coach? The first openly gay football player, now this. Wow.
@icthawkfan316 Sooooooooo - you aren't really a fan of Mizzou?
OH! Stupid story (you're forewarned). My wife was off work a few days ago, so she goes to Abilene, Ks to do some antique shopping. (yippee) So happens Abilene has a Russell Stover's chocolate factory there AND they have a retail store where they sell all things chocolate, many are deeply discounted prices - seconds/rejects and so forth.
Anyhoo - she comes home toting BAGS of chocolate and explains to me (while I'm reading the first thing I grabbed so I didn't really have to pay attention) what everything is and what a great price she got.
So - she hides a bunch of the stuff where I can't find it (cuz I DO have a bad sweet tooth), but then dumps a couple of bags of goodies in the drawer where we stash that kind of stuff. Later that evening I reach in there and grab out a little packet of something (she told me they were "turtles", chocolate/caramel/nut delights!) and tore it open and munched down the treat.
Much to my horror - I finally looked at the wrapper that the candy came in - a frickin black and gold wrapper with a Missouri tiger logo slapped across the front of it. We had DOZENS of the damn things. I took them all out of the wrappers and threw them in zip-lock baggies.
I gave her THAT look and all she could say is " You don't eat the stupid wrapper - get over it". Could this be grounds for divorce?
Could this be grounds for divorce?
@nuleafjhawk I think first you'd need to investigate if Missouri got any residual income from this. Was it officially licensed chocolate and therefore the university got a cut of what your wife spent? Did your wife therefore, unknowingly, support MU athletics? (gasps) The horror, THE HORROR!
I think secondly you should schedule a visit to the doctor to check for intestinal parasites.
@nuleafjhawk you must eat them as fast as possible! Get rid of them!
@icthawkfan316
" Was it officially licensed chocolate and therefore the university got a cut of what your wife spent?"
You know, I was laughing at the whole situation until you brought this to my attention..... Now I'm actually kind of stewing about it. Could you please retract that statement and erase it from my memory?
In all seriousness, I try not to hate anybody or anything, but dang it - I really do have a problem with MU.
@Crimsonorblue22 I like the way you think!
@HighEliteMajor I won't deny some fond memories beating them. TRob's heroics in the final game culminating in the Self roundhouse fist-pump thing (as ralster once described it). Tyrel Reed burying a 3 and talking shit to the crowd while coming back down the court. But I also carry the sting of Christian Moody missing two free throws with a second left and sending us to defeat, or the meltdown earlier in the TRob year where we had that huge lead and let MU come back and win on us (both games that year had the fans outraged over the officiating. I think it was PhogMarch/MarchPhog that posted pages of the stuff on kusports following the loss).
Norm Stewart was the man we loved to hate and he had his own KU cheer whenever he got out of his seat to complain to the refs. He was a rival that would not spend a dime in Kansas. For all of that, we at KU respected his coaching ability and especially the year he went undefeated in the Big 8. Roy brought him to KU after his retirement and 16,300 fans gave him a standing ovation when he finally sat down. Here's hoping an old school alum with 2 - D2 National championships will create a rivalry again when all of the hatred for the previous MU decisions, someday ends. Kim Anderson, a Norm Stewart guy is really the only one MU could hire to possibly regain the chance to play KU again.
@nuleafjhawk I don't have a Men in Black memory neuralizer, so you're out of luck there. But maybe look at it like this - Norm Stewart famously would not spend one cent in the state of Kansas. By your wife buying this chocolate, you know she is nothing like old Norm.
Sorry, that's the best I got.
@nuleafjhawk the only way to sell their merchandise is to discount it!
The Wards have a store in Fairway less than a mile from the state line. The last time I was in the store it looked like the KU stuff was the big seller as the other schools (MU, KSU) had smaller displays. I wonder if KU sales = MU sales in Kansas City, MO locations.
Good news: Missouri installed artificial turf in their football field. Bad news: Their cheerleaders will have to find a new place to graze.
Bad news: Missouri's library was broken into. Good news: They've found a book to replace it.
Good news: Norm Stewart went hunting with Dick Cheney. Bad news: Dick missed again.
Good news: I-70 was built crossing the state. Better news: Time spent in the state for cross country travellers has been reduced.
Good news: Thiefs broke into the Mizzou arena. Bad news: Their quest for stealing final four banners came up empty.
Good news: TV stations in Missouri upped their coverage by increasing their broadcasting power. Bad news: More couches and TV's on front porches across the state.
Good news: Missouri lost the Civil War: Bad news: The Union let them back in. (history buffs, leave me alone on that one!)
Good news: The Mississippi River has meandered to the east into Illinois. Bad news: Even the Mississippi River wants to get away from Missouri.
Good news: NBA wanted to honor former Missouri players in the league. Bad news: They only found two.
Good news: Missouri left for the SEC. Bad News: The SEC wants to send them back citing that they're a classy league, and Missouri "is dragging them down". Even noted tree poisoner from Alabama was disgusted by the thought of Missouri being in their classy league.
RCJHKU!
@wissoxfan83 Lol - Good Stuff !! Great way to start my day!
@nuleafjhawk Here's a positive spin regarding those Mizzou-wrapped chocolates:
You have 2 choices:
In a Forrest Gump way, since ya never know whatcha gonna get, throw em out & be done with em. OR
Eat them all, as Jayhawks are pretty good at chomping down on Mizzou! And we have the record to prove it...
I should have addressed your chocolate dilemna. If you divorce her, please be sure that you find someone who wouldn't make an annulment worthy mistake like that again. Prenups might be able to take care of that. As for the chocolate itself. Don't eat it!!! Send some to me. Give it to the guy on the corner who needs it. Throw it at the welcome to misery sign if you ever pass one on the way to a Royals game or something. Feed it to the dog. Flush it down the toilet. Call a hazmat team and ask them what to do with it.
@icthawkfan316 Your sentiments most closely echo my own. Very well said. And this big giant "F.U." when we play other former Big12 teams, but NOT Mizzou comes straight from Bill Self! ...and I approve of his message...(lol!).
Again, as evidenced by his emotion after the Mizzou win in AFH, something we hadnt seen him do in 9 years anywhere, even after the NC win...and also by his statements in his own book, Bill Self has an axe to ground with Mizzou.
Bill Self's reasons (my guesses, at least):
They passed on hiring him in 2000, picking Quinn Snyder instead. Chose an unproven assistant over a guy that just went on an 32-5 Elite8 run with Tulsa, with no MickeyD level players.
The ceaseless, classless, tasteless behavior and taunts by the Mizzou fans. I mean to see and feel and suffer along with Thomas Robinson losing his mother, Jayhawk Nation, the players, and the coaches & several player-moms and Cindy Self (all who went to Thomas' room that awful night in support)...had to endure hearing those stupid (expletive) Mizzou fans chant "No Mom Tom" at Thomas during the game in Columbia. You want to talk F.O.E.? Well, when they chant that, now you're insulting the whole 'family'...not just Thomas Robinson. And who knows how many other Antler phone pranks, etc. have been pulled on Self personally, or even Cindy, and other players...? I personally sent several hundred $ to that 'Jayla Fund' in support of Thomas, so someone trying to insult our guy needlessly on natl TV was just disgusting, to me personally. Guys like TRob and Darnell Jackson will never be forgotten, no matter what. How is Self-father-figure going to tolerate one of his players getting treated such? Well, he is going to turn that tough-ass part of his personality against Mizzou, is my guess. And he even says such in his book.
Mizzou's actions very nearly destabilized the BigXII...we'll never know how close we came to being stuck in a forgotten timezone Pac12 or MountainWest league. Self knows the recruiting and mktg ramifications of that, and likely has used that angle to convince KUAthletics about KU not needing to spread our wealth with stinkin' Mizzou. I am sure our solid Kansas man (KU+KSU), Sheahon Zenger, fully agrees. He probably needs little convincing.
Rivalry? Isnt trying to arrange some non-conf (November) tournament meetings with other bluebloods like KY, UNC, Duke, MichState, etc...much better rivalries than the "University of Missouri"? Eh? And isnt such non-conf matchups great as an early-season yardstick "test" and for our RPI? Plus, the $$$ generated by such a matchup is plainly evident: Its always about the big TV markets on the East coast. Always. Must stay a part of that, and spin any rivalry to involve a big-market team. Mizzou, in that sense will no longer do. Just like playing WSU matters to nobody, I mean nobody outside the state of KS.
Even our players know the animosity, and have certainly tried to support their teammates. I recall quiet, reserved Tyrel Reed screaming at the Mizzou fans after he buried that corner 3...what would make him do something so emotional? And that 2nd to last game (in Columbia) where we blew the big lead...it was mostly Tyshawn's fault, and he simply felt awful after that game, apologizing publicly...he knew it should have never come down to 1 play where TRob charged/not-charged, when we had a several possession lead prior.
Well, Tyshawn Taylor certainly made good in the final meeting in Allen Fieldhouse. Tyshawn exorcised his own ghosts, and those of Moody, by his performance on the FT line. And TRob's swat of Pressey was the perfect, symbolic 'get the hell out of here'. And they can stay out. In the cold.
Forgot about the "no mom Tom" chants. Absolutely disgusting. Fantastic post, @ralster. I don't miss them one bit. Would rather keep building our healthy rivalries with Iowa State, Texas, Oklahoma State, etc.
Mizzou fans can keep on bragging about that time they made the Elite 8, and that other time they got second place in the SEC in football, and we'll let them continue their pathetic existence in peace.
And Ralster scores an ORANGE FAV FIVE.
Or is it the FAV-FIVE-FECTA
Approx-my compliments on the new feature.
@JayhawkRock78 ...FUELED FROM FAMBROUGH...