The KC Star says our long national nightmare is over, Mizzou has been extended an offer to join the SEC. Actually, Mike DeArmond of the KC Star says that and he says that because a booster says that. Hence the question mark above. "Don't believe anything until the ink has dried," is what I say. I also happen to say "Chop Mike DeArmond up into a bunch of little pieces and spread him from 'Bama to South Carolina if he's wrong on this one."
At any rate, SB Nation thinks enough of the report (or of DeArmond) that they are citing it, too.
PowerMizzou.com has a free article with some interesting questions:
(1) Could Mizzou make the move to the SEC independent of what Oklahoma and Oklahoma State decide?
(2) Will the desire to keep the Big 12 intact win out, if the Oklahoma schools opt to stay?
(3) If Oklahoma and Oklahoma State do leave, is that the final blow that cannot be overcome, and does that launch Missouri to the SEC? Or could Texas somehow scrape together enough support to keep the Tigers around and hold a watered-down version of the conference together?
My answers are YES, NO, YES/NO. What are yours? Post in the comments.
While you are posting consider answering any of these questions:
(1) How the hell are we going to compete in the SEC in football? One nightmare ends, another begins.
(2) Will the Bigelows get a divorce because one conference isn't big enough for the both of them?
(3) How much more racist does the Mizzou fan base need to get to fit into the rest of the SEC fan base?
(4) Does this mean we have to learn to speak pig, or whatever it is they speak in Arkansas at the games?
(5) What will the division alignment in the SEC look like?
(6) Will there be 14 or 16 teams?
(7) What will the fan base do to DeArmond if he happens to be wrong?
(8) Are there standard issue SEC jorts, or can we just make our own?
(9) Can kU be team 15 or 16 and at this point how much do your care?
(10) Will we have to share our "secret" of indoor plumbing with the State of Alabama?
(11) Can we now marry, or at minimum kiss our sisters?
(12) Would you rather be in a Big 12 with "leftovers" (Iowa State and Baylor type leftovers) or the SEC? or Would you rather be in the ACC or SEC?
Summary
Breathe easy. I'm feeling much better than when I wrote the "Fog of War" blog just a few hours ago. Worst case scenario we're move from the best football league in the country to the next best football league in the country. That's a pretty good worst case scenario.
My problem with all this is that the SEC has gone out of its way to not be the one to initiate any contact for fear of litigation. That's why A&M is STILL not officially part of the SEC. This could be one colossal screw up if this booster opened his mouth too soon. Baylor and the rest of the little 4 will have their lawyers ready to sue if this is how it went down.
ReplyDeleteOverall I'm more pleased with the prospect of having options than with the possibility of the SEC.
ReplyDelete1-Recruiting strategy is a wildcard in this, but we would manage. The much tougher mid- and bottom-of-conference games probably means about two more loses per season (we were already consistently losing to the top of the Big 12, so we can continue to lose to the top of a new conference), but there is no reason why we couldn't be comparable to schools like Arkansas and South Carolina who are competitive most years but rarely outstanding.
2&5-I assume there is no way we end up in the same division as UF/play them in football every year, which should help the marriage. The big problem is that this question will definitely be uttered by a certain 5'2'' Florida fan should Mizzou ever beat her beloved Gators "how did we get beat by a bunch of losers?". That will cause problems.
7-To his credit, DeArmond is forthcoming about his sources being a booster and someone at OU. And now a lot of people seem to be reporting it outside of the DeArmonds.
9&12-I like college sports for rivalries. And I don't like change. That is why preference order is getting the old Big 8 back together > the original 12 team Big 12 > Big 10 > ACC > SEC > Big 12/Big East scraps. And while I know everyone is focused on football, a move to the SEC in basketball could be pretty nice...at least in years in which we have a coach.
I'm a little worried that this is going to blow up in our faces like the Big 10 did last Summer. Wasn't there a report that we had been offered a spot, and then the Big 10 came out saying the they had done no such thing. I understand the hesitation for the SEC to verify these stories, but I don't want to get my hopes up (not that moving to the SEC would be great, but that we would be able to move anywhere).
ReplyDelete