some mizzou fanbase observations

[ballz2thewall]

i've been around quite a few.

here's one thing that predominates:

they have absolutely NO sec instinct whatsoever.  they have no feel for the conference as a whole or the teams in it.

of course they're new to it, so there's that.

nevertheless; they're very ignorant of team reputations, traditions, types of offenses and defenses played. they do not seem to identify at all with the sec.

by comparison, atm is markedly different.  perhaps that's because of the swc connection somewhat.  but i don't think that's the biggest factor in the differences.

i think that the typical sec fan [sans mizzou] is far more radical and interested in college sports in general than the typical mizzou fan.

i've noticed this for some time; not just this year.

have y'all noticed this?

[SoCal Hog]

My in-laws graduated from Mizzou, and my wife was born in Columbia. They absolutely hated the idea of joining the SEC. Said Mizzou simply didn't fit geographically, culturally, etc. So it does not surprise me to hear someone else say much the same.

[dj shanon "Notshavin" smeya]

Did you HAVE to use A&M as a comparison??

Those are the goofiest, least knowledgeable, strangest, clueless, rudest, dorkiest, pea-brained bunch of fans on the planet....in ANY sport.

[LAHog124]

Did you HAVE to use A&M as a comparison??

Those are the goofiest, least knowledgeable, strangest, clueless, rudest, dorkiest, pea-brained bunch of fans on the planet....in ANY sport.

Their fan base is a weird cult basically.

[ballz2thewall]

Did you HAVE to use A&M as a comparison??

Those are the goofiest, least knowledgeable, strangest, clueless, rudest, dorkiest, pea-brained bunch of fans on the planet....in ANY sport.

nah; not at all by a long shot, man.  those guys know who's who, what's what, and why.

the typical mizzou fan thinks of ohio when they hear lsu. they don't know of olemiss/misstate and bama/auburn rivalries.  they don't know of socar/clemson [yeah; i know].

they don't know its a big deal for florida to play fsu, even though its non-conference.

i hear this and similar stuff all the time.  i have a lot of mizzou friends and i travel there quite a bit and hang where they hang.  they just don't seem to know.

[Uncommon]

Said Mizzou simply didn't fit geographically...

Agree with her there since Slive couldn't do the common sense thing and put them in the West and Auburn in the East.

[dj shanon "Notshavin" smeya]

nah; not at all by a long shot, man.  those guys know who's who, what's what, and why.

the typical mizzou fan thinks of ohio when they hear lsu. they don't know of olemiss/misstate and bama/auburn rivalries.  they don't know of socar/clemson [yeah; i know].

they don't know its a big deal for florida to play fsu, even though its non-conference.

i hear this and similar stuff all the time.  i have a lot of mizzou friends and i travel there quite a bit and hang where they hang.  they just don't seem to know.

And you think A&M does???

Mizzou is definitely a misfit in the SEC but Aggies don't belong on this planet.

[Augustus]

i've been around quite a few.

here's one thing that predominates:

they have absolutely NO sec instinct whatsoever.  they have no feel for the conference as a whole or the teams in it.

of course they're new to it, so there's that.

nevertheless; they're very ignorant of team reputations, traditions, types of offenses and defenses played. they do not seem to identify at all with the sec.

by comparison, atm is markedly different.  perhaps that's because of the swc connection somewhat.  but i don't think that's the biggest factor in the differences.

i think that the typical sec fan [sans mizzou] is far more radical and interested in college sports in general than the typical mizzou fan.

i've noticed this for some time; not just this year.

have y'all noticed this?

It's all perception. I hate mizzou, but what you speak of them also pertains to A&M. They are no different, except in the way they were catered to when they joined.

A&M is just as new and clueless to the SEC as mizzou is.

And... since you brought it up.. there are some SEC diehards that still think Arkansas is still "young & dumb" to the SEC. To be perfectly honest.

[dj shanon "Notshavin" smeya]

A&M is in a league all it's own.

Crazy people.

[redeye]

I like Missouri and I'm glad they're our SEC rival, but I still think they belong in the B1G.  I've always thought that and have expected it to happen for decades, before the race toward "super conferences" even began.  The B1G was stupid not to take them, imo.

They really are out of place in the SEC, although I've always thought the same of us a little, too.  I think this has caused problems for Arkansas over the years, but nothing in comparison to the problems it's causing for Missouri.  Eventually I suspect they'll be fine, but they've joined a conference where no one gives them any respect or even treats them as a real member, despite all the success they've had over the past decade.  I think they're shell-shocked a little and I can't blame them.  Even though I think we've experienced this a little, the SEC was much easier when we joined and we were also treated much better.

[Mike Irwin]

Once again permit me to relate my memories from the 2012 game in College Station.

I had the good fortune of not seeing that place in the two decades after Arkansas left the SWC. Now I was back.

We woke up to a downpour the morning of the game. Once dressed I looked out the window of the motel and noticed something I had never seen before. The downspouts only reached a few feet below the rain gutters on the roof. Our vehicle was parked in front of and below one of these downspouts. It might as well have been parked under Niagara Falls. Only in College Station, a place loaded with engineers, would you see something this goofy.

One of our guys made a mad dash for the Suburban. After getting soaked trying to get through the driver's door he quickly discovered another problem. Apparently building codes do not exist in that place. When we'd pulled in the night before the parking lot had been almost empty. Now it was full and there was not enough space from the back of the Suburban to vehicles parked in front of the other side of the motel for us to pull out.

I'm not kidding. In order to clear the back of the two vehicles parked beside us so we could pull out of our parking space we would have had to ram the back of the vehicle parked behind us.

While we were scratching our heads trying to figure out what to do a man came out and drove off in the vehicle parked to the left of us. With more room to cut the front wheels and back out sideways we were able to free ourselves.

Once at the stadium I boarded an elevator to the press box. The Aggie version of Hog Heaven is located one level above the press box. Several Aggie boosters were on the elevator. One of them noticed my Razorback Nation shirt and the following conversation ensued.

Aggie: What do y'all Arkies think of our football stadium?

Me: I was here many times in the old SWC days. It hasn't changed. You guys still have that problem with bats roosting under the stands. It really smells bad.

Aggie: Don't ya'll have bats in Arkansas?

Me: We do but they have enough sense to stay in caves where they belong.

At that point the door opened and I stepped into the press box but as I was exiting the elevator I heard the Aggie say to the guy next to him, "He said bats are smarter in Arkansas than they are here. That ain't true, is it?"

[Exit Pursued by a Boar]

I like Missouri and I'm glad they're our SEC rival, but I still think they belong in the B1G.  I've always thought that and have expected it to happen for decades, before the race toward "super conferences" even began.  The B1G was stupid not to take them, imo.

They really are out of place in the SEC, although I've always thought the same of us a little, too.  I think this has caused problems for Arkansas over the years, but nothing in comparison to the problems it's causing for Missouri.  Eventually I suspect they'll be fine, but they've joined a conference where no one gives them any respect or even treats them as a real member, despite all the success they've had over the past decade.  I think they're shell-shocked a little and I can't blame them.  Even though I think we've experienced this a little, the SEC was much easier when we joined and we were also treated much better.

Mizzou didn't have what the Big Whatever the number is wanted, AND it was trying to escape the Texas League that is/was the Big 12.  So, when the SEC opened it's doors they flew in. At the time, if you recall, there was real talk of the Big 12 folding and of teams like Kansas and Kansas State being left in the cold.  Mizzou didn't get its first choice, but took what it could get.  I never got why the SEC did what it did.  St. Louis and KC markets, I suppose and in-roads into Illinois. 

West Virginia would have been a better get culturally, but not as many tv sets.  OU/OSU weren't coming.  Indiana was less of a fit and wouldn't come.  Could we have gotten Maryland as the B1G eventually did? Maybe.  Would we have wanted to?  Ga. Tech wasn't get in, even if it wanted.  FSU wasn't. Clemson wasn't. Again, even if they had wanted. Miami???  I don't think Florida would have gone for that. Louisville?  Not if UK had a say.  Cincinnati?  An interesting choice both in terms of football and basketball, but probably not.  I think the powers that be in the SEC got the best school they could get at the time.  Do I believe Mizzou would jump at the chance to join the B1G?  Absolutely.  But that conference has evidently made the determination that they don't fit academically. Remember the University of Chicago is a part of the B1G's Board of Presidents.  It sees itself as an academic union first and foremost.  Vandy is about the only school that would fit that culture.

EFBAB

[ballz2thewall]

I like Missouri and I'm glad they're our SEC rival, but I still think they belong in the B1G.  I've always thought that and have expected it to happen for decades, before the race toward "super conferences" even began.  The B1G was stupid not to take them, imo.

They really are out of place in the SEC, although I've always thought the same of us a little, too.  I think this has caused problems for Arkansas over the years, but nothing in comparison to the problems it's causing for Missouri.  Eventually I suspect they'll be fine, but they've joined a conference where no one gives them any respect or even treats them as a real member, despite all the success they've had over the past decade.  I think they're shell-shocked a little and I can't blame them.  Even though I think we've experienced this a little, the SEC was much easier when we joined and we were also treated much better.

yes, no doubt. i've noticed this sense of dissonance among them and figured too it may be due to what you've mentioned.

but arkansas was a very good fit for the sec.  we had a lot of history the mississippi schools, alabama schools, and lsu.  in the eastern part of the state there is a great deal of back and forth, largely non-sport related, but sport, too.  we also have and had a strong border connection to the state of tennessee.

a good history of this is when we reignited ole miss on our schedule in the early 80's, it was considered the rekindling of an old rivalry.  at that time fans around 40+ years old very much considered ole miss in that way. it bled downward to the youngers by osmosis.  we always heard about the hated ole miss growing up.  same for state and lsu to some extent.

you're very right mizzou belongs in the b1g. 

[MuskogeeHogFan]

Once again permit me to relate my memories from the 2012 game in College Station.

I had the good fortune of not seeing that place in the two decades after Arkansas left the SWC. Now I was back.

We woke up to a downpour the morning of the game. Once dressed I looked out the window of the motel and noticed something I had never seen before. The downspouts only reached a few feet below the rain gutters on the roof. Our vehicle was parked in front of and below one of these downspouts. It might as well have been parked under Niagara Falls. Only in College Station, a place loaded with engineers, would you see something this goofy.

One of our guys made a mad dash for the Suburban. After getting soaked trying to get through the driver's door he quickly discovered another problem. Apparently building codes do not exist in that place. When we'd pulled in the night before the parking lot had been almost empty. Now it was full and there was not enough space from the back of the Suburban to vehicles parked in front of the other side of the motel for us to pull out.

I'm not kidding. In order to clear the back of the two vehicles parked beside us so we could pull out of our parking space we would have had to ram the back of the vehicle parked behind us.

While we were scratching our heads trying to figure out what to do a man came out and drove off in the vehicle parked to the left of us. With more room to cut the front wheels and back out sideways we were able to free ourselves.

Once at the stadium I boarded an elevator to the press box. The Aggie version of Hog Heaven is located one level above the press box. Several Aggie boosters were on the elevator. One of them noticed my Razorback Nation shirt and the following conversation ensued.

Aggie: What do y'all Arkies think of our football stadium?

Me: I was here many times in the old SWC days. It hasn't changed. You guys still have that problem with bats roosting under the stands. It really smells bad.

Aggie: Don't ya'll have bats in Arkansas?

Me: We do but they have enough sense to stay in caves where they belong.

At that point the door opened and I stepped into the press box but as I was exiting the elevator I heard the Aggie say to the guy next to him, "He said bats are smarter in Arkansas than they are here. That ain't true, is it?"

Write that book when you retire, Mike. Too many really good stories that only you know about.

[secfan30]

Once again permit me to relate my memories from the 2012 game in College Station.

I had the good fortune of not seeing that place in the two decades after Arkansas left the SWC. Now I was back.

We woke up to a downpour the morning of the game. Once dressed I looked out the window of the motel and noticed something I had never seen before. The downspouts only reached a few feet below the rain gutters on the roof. Our vehicle was parked in front of and below one of these downspouts. It might as well have been parked under Niagara Falls. Only in College Station, a place loaded with engineers, would you see something this goofy.

One of our guys made a mad dash for the Suburban. After getting soaked trying to get through the driver's door he quickly discovered another problem. Apparently building codes do not exist in that place. When we'd pulled in the night before the parking lot had been almost empty. Now it was full and there was not enough space from the back of the Suburban to vehicles parked in front of the other side of the motel for us to pull out.

I'm not kidding. In order to clear the back of the two vehicles parked beside us so we could pull out of our parking space we would have had to ram the back of the vehicle parked behind us.

While we were scratching our heads trying to figure out what to do a man came out and drove off in the vehicle parked to the left of us. With more room to cut the front wheels and back out sideways we were able to free ourselves.

Once at the stadium I boarded an elevator to the press box. The Aggie version of Hog Heaven is located one level above the press box. Several Aggie boosters were on the elevator. One of them noticed my Razorback Nation shirt and the following conversation ensued.

Aggie: What do y'all Arkies think of our football stadium?

Me: I was here many times in the old SWC days. It hasn't changed. You guys still have that problem with bats roosting under the stands. It really smells bad.

Aggie: Don't ya'll have bats in Arkansas?

Me: We do but they have enough sense to stay in caves where they belong.

At that point the door opened and I stepped into the press box but as I was exiting the elevator I heard the Aggie say to the guy next to him, "He said bats are smarter in Arkansas than they are here. That ain't true, is it?"

Hahahaha awesome! It's always nice to read these stories

[Inhogswetrust]

Once again permit me to relate my memories from the 2012 game in College Station.

I had the good fortune of not seeing that place in the two decades after Arkansas left the SWC. Now I was back.

We woke up to a downpour the morning of the game. Once dressed I looked out the window of the motel and noticed something I had never seen before. The downspouts only reached a few feet below the rain gutters on the roof. Our vehicle was parked in front of and below one of these downspouts. It might as well have been parked under Niagara Falls. Only in College Station, a place loaded with engineers, would you see something this goofy.

One of our guys made a mad dash for the Suburban. After getting soaked trying to get through the driver's door he quickly discovered another problem. Apparently building codes do not exist in that place. When we'd pulled in the night before the parking lot had been almost empty. Now it was full and there was not enough space from the back of the Suburban to vehicles parked in front of the other side of the motel for us to pull out.

I'm not kidding. In order to clear the back of the two vehicles parked beside us so we could pull out of our parking space we would have had to ram the back of the vehicle parked behind us.

While we were scratching our heads trying to figure out what to do a man came out and drove off in the vehicle parked to the left of us. With more room to cut the front wheels and back out sideways we were able to free ourselves.

My wife's nephew is an engineer and graduated from Colorado School Of Mines. When he graduated he got a job in Houston with one of the large oil companies. Of course being in Houston he was surrounded by Aggie engineer graduates at work. He said they were the most arrogant AND dumbest bunch of engineers he ever worked with.

[KCHOGFAN]

Once again permit me to relate my memories from the 2012 game in College Station.

I had the good fortune of not seeing that place in the two decades after Arkansas left the SWC. Now I was back.

We woke up to a downpour the morning of the game. Once dressed I looked out the window of the motel and noticed something I had never seen before. The downspouts only reached a few feet below the rain gutters on the roof. Our vehicle was parked in front of and below one of these downspouts. It might as well have been parked under Niagara Falls. Only in College Station, a place loaded with engineers, would you see something this goofy.

One of our guys made a mad dash for the Suburban. After getting soaked trying to get through the driver's door he quickly discovered another problem. Apparently building codes do not exist in that place. When we'd pulled in the night before the parking lot had been almost empty. Now it was full and there was not enough space from the back of the Suburban to vehicles parked in front of the other side of the motel for us to pull out.

I'm not kidding. In order to clear the back of the two vehicles parked beside us so we could pull out of our parking space we would have had to ram the back of the vehicle parked behind us.

While we were scratching our heads trying to figure out what to do a man came out and drove off in the vehicle parked to the left of us. With more room to cut the front wheels and back out sideways we were able to free ourselves.

Once at the stadium I boarded an elevator to the press box. The Aggie version of Hog Heaven is located one level above the press box. Several Aggie boosters were on the elevator. One of them noticed my Razorback Nation shirt and the following conversation ensued.

Aggie: What do y'all Arkies think of our football stadium?

Me: I was here many times in the old SWC days. It hasn't changed. You guys still have that problem with bats roosting under the stands. It really smells bad.

Aggie: Don't ya'll have bats in Arkansas?

Me: We do but they have enough sense to stay in caves where they belong.

At that point the door opened and I stepped into the press box but as I was exiting the elevator I heard the Aggie say to the guy next to him, "He said bats are smarter in Arkansas than they are here. That ain't true, is it?"

I can relate.  I was at that game.  That stadium is due a serious upgrade.  I can fondly remember the rain seeping through into the concession areas and restrooms.   

[Zoufan]

i've been around quite a few.

here's one thing that predominates:

they have absolutely NO sec instinct whatsoever.  they have no feel for the conference as a whole or the teams in it.

of course they're new to it, so there's that.

nevertheless; they're very ignorant of team reputations, traditions, types of offenses and defenses


played. they do not seem to identify at all with the sec."


Actually making across the board assumptions on the basis of a tiny sample size thru Hawg glasses is not much different than stereotypes I see all programs including our own making.  Worrying about who isn't in the SEC, like the couch burners,  FSU thug nation etc or who is Mizzou or ATM, is time wasted. 

Tenner seems much worse than Hog nation about claiming on their boards that Mizzou doesn't belong and is not a strong enough program to be in the SEC.  For 3 years they've also claimed they were going to give the poor tigers a beat down on the field.  Maybe next year, they are O-3.

Away from the anonymity of message boards ive been  fortunate to go to every venue now in the east except Florida and visited Ole Miss last year and enjoyed fans we met at all of those places.  Most fans at least when sober and treated with respect from the fans of visiting school . 

I hope everyone coming to the zou this week enjoys our hospitality as much as I have visiting other sec venues. Should be a good game with a lot on the line for both teams. 










by comparison, atm is markedly different.  perhaps that's because of the swc connection somewhat.  but i don't think that's the biggest factor in the differences.

i think that the typical sec fan [sans mizzou] is far more radical and interested in college sports in general than the typical mizzou fan.

i've noticed this for some time; not just this year.

have y'all noticed this?

[Hoggish1]

I like Missouri and I'm glad they're our SEC rival, but I still think they belong in the B1G.  I've always thought that and have expected it to happen for decades, before the race toward "super conferences" even began.  The B1G was stupid not to take them, imo.

They really are out of place in the SEC, although I've always thought the same of us a little, too.  I think this has caused problems for Arkansas over the years, but nothing in comparison to the problems it's causing for Missouri.  Eventually I suspect they'll be fine, but they've joined a conference where no one gives them any respect or even treats them as a real member, despite all the success they've had over the past decade.  I think they're shell-shocked a little and I can't blame them.  Even though I think we've experienced this a little, the SEC was much easier when we joined and we were also treated much better.

Spot on.  In about 25 years the SEC will almost be ready to accept Mizzou and aTm...

[wildturkey8]

The SEC said much the same things about Arkansas.  I think the Aggies have been greeted much more warmly than Mizzou, with that being said.

[NEA_Hogfan1]

Did you HAVE to use A&M as a comparison??

Those are the goofiest, least knowledgeable, strangest, clueless, rudest, dorkiest, pea-brained bunch of fans on the planet....in ANY sport.

^^^^^^this^^^^^^
Most A&M fans get on my nerves. I guess I haven't been around enough Missouri fans yet to make a judgement call. I think the SEC force rivalry set with them in us will never ignite to more than a spark. They should've let things be, or at least gave us A&M on Thanksiving week. Our history with them goes a lot further than A&M and LSU.

[NEA_Hogfan1]

I like Missouri and I'm glad they're our SEC rival, but I still think they belong in the B1G.  I've always thought that and have expected it to happen for decades, before the race toward "super conferences" even began.  The B1G was stupid not to take them, imo.

They really are out of place in the SEC, although I've always thought the same of us a little, too.  I think this has caused problems for Arkansas over the years, but nothing in comparison to the problems it's causing for Missouri.  Eventually I suspect they'll be fine, but they've joined a conference where no one gives them any respect or even treats them as a real member, despite all the success they've had over the past decade.  I think they're shell-shocked a little and I can't blame them.  Even though I think we've experienced this a little, the SEC was much easier when we joined and we were also treated much better.

It's odviouslly not causing them too many problems. They've been at the top of their division two years straight. Of course it's the east divsion so that's not saying much at the moment.

[NEA_Hogfan1]

The SEC said much the same things about Arkansas.  I think the Aggies have been greeted much more warmly than Mizzou, with that being said.

I can't disagree with you on that. A&M has fit right in like they were here before we were. Even their fans act like they belong to the SEC more than we do.

[stankyhank]

I think the Aggies have been greeted much more warmly than Mizzou

I think this has to do with SEC fans being impressed by the size of the crowds that come to Kyle Field. I was at the A&M game a couple weeks ago and it was loud, but I was not super-impressed. We had a great time, though, and everyone was really friendly. My 65-year-old dad loves it when young people buy him drinks.

The non-love shown to Mizzou in the SEC is mostly Finebaum and message-board based. Sometimes message board people forget that they are not the only type of fan out there. I know TONS of Mizzou fans who don't even know what Tigerboard is.

As for the Mizzou/Arkansas rivalry, I don't believe it will take long at all for it to heat up. Three years, max. It is national spotlight game between border states. I love it.

Mizzou grad '96

[Bacons Rebellion]

When Arkansas joined the SEC, we had much more SEC tradition than Missouri. We had played Ole Miss for 10 years straight and played LSU and Ole Miss forever into the 50s, and the majority of our bowl games had been against SEC teams (Missouri's bowl games were not against the SEC. Our Indy Bowl and Cotton Bowl were exceptions)

Our coaches had traditionally come from the SEC -- Barnhill, Bowden Wyatt, Frank Broyles, even Jack Crowe and Kines. There was already some deep SEC DNA in Arkansas.

My recollection was that a lot of Arkansas fans were thinking, "Holy #@$&, we're going to the SEC? We're trading Rice, Baylor and TCU for Tennessee, LSU and Auburn? Gulp."

[willyacs]

You have to think of someone more as an enemy, not an afterthought, for them to be considered a rival. Correct? This is just a game. Not a rivalry game. Don't see it ever being.

[stankyhank]

You have to think of someone more as an enemy, not an afterthought, for them to be considered a rival. Correct?

Ask Tennessee. We beat them three times in a row and now they hate our guts.

You and I can pick this conversation back up in 2017.

[Darren DeLoach]

I have lived in Missouri almost 16 years now. Most in my area know more about the Razorbacks than you would believe. Most really remeMber the basketball battles back in the days of Doug Smith, Anthony Peeler, and MAYDAY...Also, we have living here former Razorbacks Nathan Norman and William Hampton. The fanbase was not very prominent the first 7 or 8 years, but the locals have all jumped on the bandwagon since Mizzou has put together a good run. Their merchandise was once not very visible, but its now everywhere. There is little respect for the state of Arkansas here, but they seem to get that we are a good program wit a better history than theirs.

I hope they can become a force in the east every year, and that gives these neigboring states something to really stir a bloody rivalry.

[DEVICEHIGH]

Write that book when you retire, Mike. Too many really good stories that only you know about.

I'd love to read it.

[regi]

My in-laws graduated from Mizzou, and my wife was born in Columbia. They absolutely hated the idea of joining the SEC. Said Mizzou simply didn't fit geographically, culturally, etc. So it does not surprise me to hear someone else say much the same.

I agree, they are a terrible fit, they are very much Big10 Yankees at heart.

[regi]

Agree with her there since Slive couldn't do the common sense thing and put them in the West and Auburn in the East.

Slive wanted them in the East, Bama, UT, UF and LSU would not agree do to their own interests not being met.

[rickm1976]

Did you HAVE to use A&M as a comparison??

Those are the goofiest, least knowledgeable, strangest, clueless, rudest, dorkiest, pea-brained bunch of fans on the planet....in ANY sport.

Hey, I have some close friends who are Aggies, and they are great people.  I will say that they have some of the weirdest, goofiest traditions though.  I lived around them in San Antonio for 18 years, and went to several Aggie home games with them, but I never did figure out what all the bizarre cheers, gestures, etc. were supposed to mean.  I guess you have to be an Aggie for it to make any sense.

[Horsesrus]

I was born, raised and have always lived in St Louis.  I firmly believe Missouri is not a fit for the SEC.  There are far more professional sports fans in St Louis and Kansas City.  Missouri gets very little media coverage in St Louis compared to the professional teams.  Local media knowledge of Missouri and the SEC in general is poor.  It is improving thanks to the St Louis newspaper hiring Dave Matter from Columbia to cover Missouri sports.  He does a good job increasing awareness and is steadily improving knowledge of Missouri and the SEC.  I listen exclusively to sports radio in St Louis and couldn't tell you much of anything about most players at Missouri.  There is just so little coverage and when they attempt to talk about anything in the SEC it is almost comical.

Another factor is Missouri was awful for several years until Pinkel arrived.  I am 48 and for several of those years the Tigers were dreadful so unless you had a direct connection to the university there was a large amount of apathy in the big metropolitan areas.  I personally have had only a token interest in Missouri sports and make no great effort to watch any of their games.  I, like 99% of you on Hogville, set my schedule around Hog games and read every piece of Razorback information I can get a hold of. 

Missouri enrollment has been increasing and I have nephews and nieces in their 20s who are following Tiger sports more closely due to recent success.  However they have very little knowledge of the SEC and don't have the fanaticism of other SEC states where college sports rules, to care enough to learn more about the conference.  My daughter is a senior at Arkansas and can speak in great detail about any team in the SEC.  I doubt any member in my family who went to Mizzou could name the teams in each division correctly. The Big Ten would have been a much better fit for Missouri since they have a high opinion of their academics and less interest about their athletic endeavors.  There may be a change in the next generation but there's no guarantee they will ever be a fit.

[Inhogswetrust]

I'd love to read it.

If there is ONE thing ALL Hogvillians CAN agree on is that they would love to talk Mike into writing that book!

[Inhogswetrust]

I was born, raised and have always lived in St Louis.  I firmly believe Missouri is not a fit for the SEC.  There are far more professional sports fans in St Louis and Kansas City.  Missouri gets very little media coverage in St Louis compared to the professional teams.  Local media knowledge of Missouri and the SEC in general is poor.  It is improving thanks to the St Louis newspaper hiring Dave Matter from Columbia to cover Missouri sports.  He does a good job increasing awareness and is steadily improving knowledge of Missouri and the SEC.  I listen exclusively to sports radio in St Louis and couldn't tell you much of anything about most players at Missouri.  There is just so little coverage and when they attempt to talk about anything in the SEC it is almost comical.

Another factor is Missouri was awful for several years until Pinkel arrived.  I am 48 and for several of those years the Tigers were dreadful so unless you had a direct connection to the university there was a large amount of apathy in the big metropolitan areas.  I personally have had only a token interest in Missouri sports and make no great effort to watch any of their games.  I, like 99% of you on Hogville, set my schedule around Hog games and read every piece of Razorback information I can get a hold of. 

Missouri enrollment has been increasing and I have nephews and nieces in their 20s who are following Tiger sports more closely due to recent success.  However they have very little knowledge of the SEC and don't have the fanaticism of other SEC states where college sports rules, to care enough to learn more about the conference.  My daughter is a senior at Arkansas and can speak in great detail about any team in the SEC.  I doubt any member in my family who went to Mizzou could name the teams in each division correctly. The Big Ten would have been a much better fit for Missouri since they have a high opinion of their academics and less interest about their athletic endeavors.  There may be a change in the next generation but there's no guarantee they will ever be a fit.

There are sports teams in a LOT of the old SEC states as well. That doesn't take away from the rabid support the SEC teams in those states get. It shouldn't in Missouri also but you are correct it does. I think one of the main reasons is that they have not been a traditional college football power as you mentioned. But another reason I believe is they were not in a conference that was considered so good top to bottom as the SEC. Before it was Nebraska and OU and then quite a bit of drop off yearly for most years in the old Big8. Then with the merger to form the Big 12 there was others as well that stepped up. Mizzou wasn't very good until Pinkel arrived to make them consistently better..........The difference with Arkansas was as you mentioned NO professional teams in the state. Mizzou has always had the potential to be consistently good but just like Arkansas fans they have had to learn to adapt to the rigors of the SEC. We perhaps had a little bit of a head start in there fans perspective due to as others have said playing SEC teams so much in the past even before we joined them.   

[spe450]

I know TONS of Mizzou fans who don't even know what Tigerboard is.

Probably better for them.  That thing is painful.

[UAfanatic]

The amount of crazed Mizzou fans probably equals the amount of true A-state fans.. if the team dips a little.. they just move on to one of their 2 NFL teams, which are more important to them anyway.

It's the kind of fans and kind of school..

Not SEC.

A&M .. yep it's a cult.. but because of that, they belong in the same class as bama or LSU fans..

We bad mouth are own team too much to be this kind of fanbase right now.. we're hurt from years of arguing and crap.. yeah.. it originated because we cared in just as crazy a way.. but a lot has made it more distant w/o the blind trust of these other teams.. that DOES NOT mean that we fit better in another conference.. it just means we need to heal.

[Pig in the Pokey]

^^^^^^this^^^^^^
Most A&M fans get on my nerves. I guess I haven't been around enough Missouri fans yet to make a judgement call. I think the SEC force rivalry set with them in us will never ignite to more than a spark. They should've let things be, or at least gave us A&M on Thanksiving week. Our history with them goes a lot further than A&M and LSU.

imagine Sooner fans with okie lite's history.

[hog911]

I have to agree. My boss is a mizzou grad and he doesnt get the whole SEC thing yet.

[Lucky Draw]

 Every fan base has good and bad. Most of the honest Mizzou fans know the traditional powers and their history. Everyone I know respects it also. We are looking to become more involved. Arkansas fans seem to live and die with every game. That is what college football should be. We (Mizzou) as a whole will never live up to what you think we should be. We may not belong now, but I think you will respect our team Friday. They don't do anything but play hard and yes catch some breaks. But we put ourselves in position to capitalize on any oppertunity. You guys are physical and tough and pound the rock. Thats football 101 and Mizzou fans knew it was just a matter of time before you turned the tables on the SEC. That being said, these predictions of an asswhipping I just dont see it. I know the GA game is brought up but it was a perfect storm of ** football. If we play like that it will be 34-0 you guys. I just dont see it happening. Once again, nothing but respect for your team and your coach who truly loves the kids he coaches. Good Luck Hogs

[rtr]

I think this is much overstated.  Missouri is a border state in the same vein as Kentucky.

[KennyForAD]

They belong in the Mountain West. 

[rtr]

Southern and especially Southwest Missouri used to be owned by Arkansas.  A lot more following the Razorbacks.  However, since the move to the SEC you will see a lot more Mizzou t-shirts and hats, etc.  The move to the SEC has truly made it the State University for the entire state.

As I said, Missouri is a border state, in fact one of the 13 stars on the Confederate battle flag represents Missouri.  It maybe forced but this will become a heated rivalry.

[Rocky&Boarwinkle]

A&M is in a league all it's own.

Crazy people.

I was in College Station this Monday.  My daughter graduates this year and is planning on going in to meteorology. We have visited 12 schools in the last year, including Arkansas that doesn't have the program. 
We have been to Mizzou, Kansas, Illinois, N. Illinois, Iowa State, Purdue, Oklahoma, W. Illinois, Louisiana-Monroe, Nebraska, and lastly Texas A & M. 

The campus was nice, and they have a program that waives out of state tuition which makes them much more affordable than many of the others.  We went on a housing tour, and all sorts of other informational meetings, and we finished up with a general tour of the main part of the campus.  It went pretty well, with various snippets of information, including that Monsters, inc. was made by a lot of A & M grads, and they named Sully after one of the previous college presidents.  The tour ended up at the 12th man statue outside of Kyle field, and the tour guide goes on and on about the 12th man story, before trying to make everyone do one of their stupid farmer cheers.  After the group broke up, my daughter looks at me and says, "the guy didn't even play in the game.  He had been on the team earlier in the year before he went to concentrate on basketball.  Why do they make such a big deal about that? I think that is one of the stupidest things I have ever heard."

I couldn't agree more.  I think the only school she disliked more than A & M was Kansas, with Oklahoma not too far behind those two.  It really is too bad that no college in Arkansas has a meteorology program.

[KennyForAD]

Southern and especially Southwest Missouri used to be owned by Arkansas.  A lot more following the Razorbacks.  However, since the move to the SEC you will see a lot more Mizzou t-shirts and hats, etc.  The move to the SEC has truly made it the State University for the entire state.

As I said, Missouri is a border state, in fact one of the 13 stars on the Confederate battle flag represents Missouri.  It maybe forced but this will become a heated rivalry.

Why does the State of Missouri have anything to do with this?  Southwest Missouri State, or whatever they are called now, has as much claim to Missouri as Mizzou does, and they have at least as much success and tradition.  Lets start a rivalry with THEM

[ErieHog]

[Pig In The City]

I can't disagree with you on that. A&M has fit right in like they were here before we were. Even their fans act like they belong to the SEC more than we do.

Aggies entry into sec play would have been significantly different sans Manziel.

[dj shanon "Notshavin" smeya]

One of the greatest radio "drops" of all time!