Ouch

[Justin Spencer]

I'm heading to the Mizzou vs. Missouri State baseball game in Springfield on Wed. That is one school that Mizzou should start a rivalry with, even though it would be one sided it would be great for the state and great for MSU. Unfortunately for some reason it seems as if Mizzou isn't willing to start a home and home rivalry with them. Obviously talking basketball in this case, guess they could do football too, if MSU still has a team (they might not after the game).

[ness]

Geez. I sure wish Mizzou would have stayed put to continue our "tradition rich" rivalries with West Virginia and TCU.

I was wondering when someone would bring that up

IF they bolt, I get downright starry-eyed dreaming of future match-ups against the likes of SMU, Rice, School of the Ozarks, and the University of Phoenix.

LOL.

[stlfisher]

Texas holding the conference hostage? Yes, no other conferance will take them with the Longhorn network and they will not budge from that. The Big 12 is the only conferance that agreed (stupidly to do it). No other conference does this. The thing is if the big 12 does disband Texas would be a huge get for any other conference. So yes they are clearly holding the conferance hostage and they are doing it well.

Bill Self continually crying? Ugh...yeah a lot!

Staying in B12 was a huge risk? Yep, so why did 4 schools leave?

KU had no options if B12 fell apart? Currenlty, the Big East would be the most likely option...a step down most would say.

Conference alignment is critical for a university? Yes, or we wouldn't be seeing all this scrambling.

No penalty for leaving? Not in the SEC. Fact.

C'mon, man. It's hyperbole, spin and half-truths. It is the truth.

It is what it is -- greed, plain and simple. Mizzou wanted more, couldn't get it and jumped for the money, flushing your pride, regional ties, traditions, and history. You don't fit down there, you never will. Short-term gain, long term bust. Enjoy the ride.

It is also about stability. Why stay in a conferance that is not treating it members equally. Why are other instuitions leaving? The Big 12 did not put a premium on equal partnership for the well being of the whole conferance. Every other conferance does. The Big 12 put a premium on making some instuitiions happy at the expense of others. The was a huge mistake. Enjoy eating the scraps from Texas

[stlfisher]

I'm heading to the Mizzou vs. Missouri State baseball game in Springfield on Wed. That is one school that Mizzou should start a rivalry with, even though it would be one sided it would be great for the state and great for MSU. Unfortunately for some reason it seems as if Mizzou isn't willing to start a home and home rivalry with them. Obviously talking basketball in this case, guess they could do football too, if MSU still has a team (they might not after the game).

I would like to see Mizzou play them as well as SLU. I think that would be great for the state. There really isn't much of a reason to not play them in basketball. There are plenty of games to make your schedule stronger if need be...unlike in football.

[ozark trout fisher]

I agree with that. Anyway, both Missouri State and SLU might as well be Duke and North Carolina compared to some of the teams we scheduled this year including Binghamton (rated the worst team in college basketball this season), Kenessaw State (who was also RPI 300+), and Southeast. Year in and year out both Saint Louis and MSU are going to at least be quality, RPI top 100 opponents. I know Missouri State had a tough year this season and was a little bit below that, but most years they're right on the NCAA tournament bubble (and always seem to get left out for some reason.) Why not schedule those two schools instead of two more games against cupcakes that can only hurt your RPI and NCAA tournament seed, or chances for selection if we're on the bubble?

And maybe it could start a couple of nice rivalries in the process.

[joeD]

Man, what is about rivalries? Rivalries are for high school. You know, when you and the Beaver put your Mayfield letterman sweaters on, get in the car and pick up Whitey and Lumpy (sorry, CLARENCE) and go across town to the "big game."

This is 2012 college athletics. Schools are interchangeable. It's now a spectacle for fans to watch.

[ozark trout fisher]

Man, what is about rivalries? Rivalries are for high school. You know, when you and the Beaver put your Mayfield letterman sweaters on, get in the car and pick up Whitey and Lumpy (sorry, CLARENCE) and go across town to the "big game."

This is 2012 college athletics. Schools are interchangeable. It's now a spectacle for fans to watch.

Let's just say we see this very differently and leave it at that. If you're a sports fan at all, I don't know how rivalries can NOT be part of what draws you to them, but that is just my opinion.

[joeD]

I understand your points completely. I do. I get it. I've been involved in sports one way or another my whole life. As a fan, I root for my teams (SLU, Mizzou, St. Louis Blues, Rams, Cards) regardless of who they're playing. Rivalries don't affect my level of interest or viewing pleasure. I just enjoy the athletic competition between teams and/or individuals. And if I know someone who is a diehard, rabid fan of (name your team), I go out of my way, and take great pleasure, in poking him with a stick.

Anyway, different strokes. No big whup.

[Al Agnew]

Almost every top college basketball program schedules cupcakes. Mizzou's problem this year was that the teams that they scheduled that weren't ordinarily cupcakes (like Villanova, for instance) happened to be pretty close to cupcakes this year. I have no problem with a few cupcake games.

The question of whether a rivalry would develop if Mizzou played SLU or MO State is not so simple, in my opinion. Like it or not, MO State is still a mid-major team in a mid-major conference, and SLU is barely above that, if at all. So if Mizzou plays them, everybody would expect Mizzou to win, and if they lost it wouldn't look too good. Most rivalries are between colleges that are perceived to be at the same level. Maybe that's why Mizzou doesn't seem to want to play SLU and MO State. In a way, I'd love to see them play SLU, but there's a downside for me as well. Since I like both Mizzou and SLU, if they played each other, one would lose. As a fan of both, I kinda don't want to see a "sure" loss on the schedule of either. Hey, when Mizzou played Kansas, I wanted to see KU lose as much as I wanted Mizzou to win. I don't want to see either Mizzou or SLU lose.

And don't get me wrong, I'm not saying MO State or SLU is in reality "beneath" Mizzou to play. Both are excellent programs capable in about any year of beating about anybody, and it looks like SLU could be very good for the next few years as long as Majerus is coaching them.

[Guest]

Almost every top college basketball program schedules cupcakes. Mizzou's problem this year was that the teams that they scheduled that weren't ordinarily cupcakes (like Villanova, for instance) happened to be pretty close to cupcakes this year. I have no problem with a few cupcake games.

The question of whether a rivalry would develop if Mizzou played SLU or MO State is not so simple, in my opinion. Like it or not, MO State is still a mid-major team in a mid-major conference, and SLU is barely above that, if at all. So if Mizzou plays them, everybody would expect Mizzou to win, and if they lost it wouldn't look too good. Most rivalries are between colleges that are perceived to be at the same level. Maybe that's why Mizzou doesn't seem to want to play SLU and MO State. In a way, I'd love to see them play SLU, but there's a downside for me as well. Since I like both Mizzou and SLU, if they played each other, one would lose. As a fan of both, I kinda don't want to see a "sure" loss on the schedule of either. Hey, when Mizzou played Kansas, I wanted to see KU lose as much as I wanted Mizzou to win. I don't want to see either Mizzou or SLU lose.

And don't get me wrong, I'm not saying MO State or SLU is in reality "beneath" Mizzou to play. Both are excellent programs capable in about any year of beating about anybody, and it looks like SLU could be very good for the next few years as long as Majerus is coaching them.

Thats exactly why Arkansas will NEVER play Ark State.

We have everything to lose and they have everything to gain.

Not a good business model for keeping fans happy..