“Year after year, the bowl selection process slights the Missouri football program. Year after year, lesser teams – like Kansas and Iowa State from the Big 12 Conference – earn invitations to better bowl games. Year after year, Mizzou fans complain about this travesty. And year after year Mizzou fans fail to support the Tigers to the maximum, thus perpetuating the problem. They have only themselves to blame for this annual aggravation. Missouri football has a lot of loyal supporters, but it needs more.”Jeff Gordon, writer, St. Louis Post-Dispatch
GH: The college bowls are an absolute mess and have been for two decades or more. They are a joke that tugs at the heartstrings of loyal fans each holiday season, pretending to be a test of these fans’ and alums’ dedication to their school. In my mind it is complete bullshit. Read on.
“We just need our Missouri fans there (at the bowl game). It’s real critical that we show well as we build our program. We’ve got the fan base to do it. They’ve just got to get onboard. Mike Anderson uses that, ‘You go to root on the Tigers.’ That’s what they do at Nebraska, at Oklahoma, Texas and Texas A&M. They don’t care where they’re going. They don’t care who they’re playing.”
Gary Pinkel, urging Tiger fans to buy tickets to Mizzou’s yet-to-be-announced bowl game, 610 AM
GH: Pinkel was a guest on Bob Fescoe’s morning show Wednesday and he spent the better portion of his time urging MU fans to buy tickets to the Tigers’ upcoming bowl game. He used the word “critical” and talked as if his 10-year-old program at MU was in the building stages. I disagree with almost everything Pinkel had to say to his fans. Read on.
Gary Pinkel, urging Tiger fans to buy tickets to Mizzou’s yet-to-be-announced bowl game, 610 AM
GH: Pinkel was a guest on Bob Fescoe’s morning show Wednesday and he spent the better portion of his time urging MU fans to buy tickets to the Tigers’ upcoming bowl game. He used the word “critical” and talked as if his 10-year-old program at MU was in the building stages. I disagree with almost everything Pinkel had to say to his fans. Read on.
“(Mizzou) fans regularly complain about Missouri’s inability to play at the Texas-Oklahoma-Nebraska level. … Our answer to that question is another question: When will Missouri fans support their program at the Texas-Oklahoma-Nebraska level?”
Jeff Gordon, writer, St. Louis Post-Dispatch
GH: To compare Mizzou with the football followings at Texas, Oklahoma and Nebraska is ridiculously unfair. Those schools combine to own over 20 national titles. Mizzou has none. Mizzou doesn’t own a Big 12 title and hasn’t won a conference crown outright since 1960! Mizzou put 60,000-plus gold-clad crazies inside Faurot for every game this season. A season that some called the easiest non-con schedule in the country. I would say that kind of following deserves more than a verbal poke from their head coach.
Jeff Gordon, writer, St. Louis Post-Dispatch
GH: To compare Mizzou with the football followings at Texas, Oklahoma and Nebraska is ridiculously unfair. Those schools combine to own over 20 national titles. Mizzou has none. Mizzou doesn’t own a Big 12 title and hasn’t won a conference crown outright since 1960! Mizzou put 60,000-plus gold-clad crazies inside Faurot for every game this season. A season that some called the easiest non-con schedule in the country. I would say that kind of following deserves more than a verbal poke from their head coach.
“Why did the Cornhuskers fly past the Tigers in the Big 12 North and get the Big Ten invite many Mizzou fans coveted? Fan/booster/sponsor support played a huge role in that. The Cornhuskers are an economic juggernaut. Forbes notes that Nebraska season ticket holders forked over $15 million last season just to keep their seats.”
Jeff Gordon, writer, St. Louis Post-Dispatch
GH: Who is to say Nebraska fans are the ones doing it right? Yes, I too am afflicted with the terminal Red Fever as a native Nebraskan, but I understand this is a disease that not all fan bases should be expected to endure. I spent almost two decades traveling the country each fall to watch games that were blowouts by halftime. I loved every dollar of it. But I can understand why that is not the priority of most Mizzou fans. Being a fan does not mean you lose all powers of logical reasoning…especially to support a bowl system that serves no purpose other than to fill bowl people’s coffers and reward the athletes and coaches with a nice holiday trip.
Jeff Gordon, writer, St. Louis Post-Dispatch
GH: Who is to say Nebraska fans are the ones doing it right? Yes, I too am afflicted with the terminal Red Fever as a native Nebraskan, but I understand this is a disease that not all fan bases should be expected to endure. I spent almost two decades traveling the country each fall to watch games that were blowouts by halftime. I loved every dollar of it. But I can understand why that is not the priority of most Mizzou fans. Being a fan does not mean you lose all powers of logical reasoning…especially to support a bowl system that serves no purpose other than to fill bowl people’s coffers and reward the athletes and coaches with a nice holiday trip.
“There you go Missouri fans. Gary Pinkel basically calling you out saying the reason we’re getting shafted in these bowls is because of you. Missouri’s got a rep that they don’t travel well. They wait to see what game they’re going to. … He’s basically sending a message to his fans; if you want better bowl games you have to go. You can’t sit on the sidelines and watch on TV and bitch and moan about the bowl games you were screwed out of.”
Bob Fescoe, 610 AM
GH: Fescoe is an admitted Jayhawk homer and Mizzou hater. But even he should understand that his scorn for homebound MU fans is misplaced. Instead of ridiculing fans for not spending thousands of dollars they might not have, I applaud loyal fans who refuse to buy into the BS that is the BCS. Fescoe should as well.
Bob Fescoe, 610 AM
GH: Fescoe is an admitted Jayhawk homer and Mizzou hater. But even he should understand that his scorn for homebound MU fans is misplaced. Instead of ridiculing fans for not spending thousands of dollars they might not have, I applaud loyal fans who refuse to buy into the BS that is the BCS. Fescoe should as well.
“You talk about building something, (Pinkel’s) been at this program for 10 years! He’s got a losing record against top-20 schools. For all these games he’s won they’ve been against a bunch of nobodies. So Gary Pinkel needs to hold up his end of the deal!”
Caller Will, a well-known Tiger fan, 610 AM
GH: Tiger fans who heard Pinkel’s pleas on Fescoe’s show were not pleased. Read on.
Caller Will, a well-known Tiger fan, 610 AM
GH: Tiger fans who heard Pinkel’s pleas on Fescoe’s show were not pleased. Read on.
“Get Gary Pinkel back on the phone! And you tell him that if he (thinks) Missouri fans are the ones that are keeping him from being like Texas A&M, Oklahoma, Texas and Nebraska – tell him it’s his football team! Win games at Texas Tech and places like that, places he’s supposed to win so that he can go play for a Big 12 championship or get better bowls or BCS bowls that Missouri fans will actually want to spend money on.”
Caller Cody, 610 AM
Caller Cody, 610 AM
“I would love to spend a week perusing around in San Diego but I’m sorry that I have finances and a family to care of. And then all of a sudden…I’m being blamed because we don’t get good bowls? That’s bullcrap! You tell Pinkel that he needs to start winning some more games and that he needs to get some more (players) out there that can win him some games! And then we’ll come out and show him that we absolutely support him.”
Caller Cody, 610 AM
GH: This is crazy. Mizzou goes 10-2 and Pinkel has his fan base pissed at him because he’s unhappy with “only” 6,000 MU fans traveling to the all-but-worthless bowls Missouri has been invited to the past few years.
Caller Cody, 610 AM
GH: This is crazy. Mizzou goes 10-2 and Pinkel has his fan base pissed at him because he’s unhappy with “only” 6,000 MU fans traveling to the all-but-worthless bowls Missouri has been invited to the past few years.
“It’s unbelievable how many excuses Missouri fans are making now and trying to blame the team.”
Bob Fescoe, after numerous callers attacked Pinkel’s attempt to urge fans to buy bowl tickets, 610 AM
Bob Fescoe, after numerous callers attacked Pinkel’s attempt to urge fans to buy bowl tickets, 610 AM
“Fescoe and (Josh) Klingler turned it into Pinkel calling out the Mizzou fans more than the coach (did).”
Shan Shariff, who hosted his show following Fescoe’s, 610 AM
GH: Shariff was correct on this point. While Pinkel definitely urged MU fans to get behind his bowl-bound Tigers, he in no way came off to me as shaming his fan base. Fescoe and Klingler did that after the MU coach had hung up.
Shan Shariff, who hosted his show following Fescoe’s, 610 AM
GH: Shariff was correct on this point. While Pinkel definitely urged MU fans to get behind his bowl-bound Tigers, he in no way came off to me as shaming his fan base. Fescoe and Klingler did that after the MU coach had hung up.
“I think MU’s Mike Alden ought to hire Lew Perkins to negotiate MU’s bowl position. And I’m only about half-way kidding.”
Mike DeArmond, Twitter
Mike DeArmond, Twitter
“Don’t attend any other bowl other than the national championship. You are enabling the NCAA. You (Pinkel and Missouri) had your chance to win over all your recruits but you got beat by the Red Raiders and you got smoked by Nebraska. The biggest win you’ve had in the past 10 years couldn’t even get you to the Big 12 Championship game.”
Shan Shariff, 610 AM
Shan Shariff, 610 AM
“This is about you as a Tiger fan being blamed for not attending a meaningless event. You shouldn’t care at all about some stupid, pointless road trip so Missouri can be crowned the 23rd best program in the country. I just want to hear from the Missouri fans who don’t care about the meaningless bowls. Because that means you’re smart. You get it”
Shan Shariff, 610 AM
GH: I have never attended a bowl game…not even the season-ending bowls where Nebraska played for the national title. I have always considered them a bit of a fan fleecing at a time when money was tough enough. From the looks of the crowds for most of these post-season bowls the past decade, many people feel exactly the same. The bowls are sick and one way to help them get well is to stop feeding them.
Shan Shariff, 610 AM
GH: I have never attended a bowl game…not even the season-ending bowls where Nebraska played for the national title. I have always considered them a bit of a fan fleecing at a time when money was tough enough. From the looks of the crowds for most of these post-season bowls the past decade, many people feel exactly the same. The bowls are sick and one way to help them get well is to stop feeding them.
Greghall24@yahoo.com and Twitter / greghall24
tough to travel…and base is small
MU has a market problem. Within a one hour drive they have
a bout 150,000 people…not all mu fans.
KU has about 1.4 million ….with a large alumni base in topeka/and
kc.
Its rough for weeknight games in columbia….and the people there
have never really taken to basekball.
Good opponents get good attendance…lesser opponents get less
atendance.
MU fans are unusual. they showup for big games…stay home for
smaller games…its a fact.
Traveling to the texas bowlvis tough…except for those fnatics…
get into a bcs bowl with good weather and you’ll get a great
crowd…but mu doesn’t get those.
Alden needs to step up…we’re a top 10 basketball and football
school….few school that i know of canclaim this…so alden needs
to step up and guarantee a major bowl some money and get mu
on the big bowls…not the texas or insight bowl.
Step up…we;ll be in the top 4 or 5 football programs next year…
another good bsketball year with recruiting and more experience
so alden needs to make a move and step up the bowl situation.
Besides that mu is set to take off….take off to the big 10…..
tcu was just a minor move….theres still more to come…expect more
moves soon……..sorry ku…you’re going to be left behind!
greg…why no articles on border war?
didnt see any coverage on this big game…40,000 mu fans showed
up….15,000 ku fans……
come on ….give some credit…mu is a top football team…with some
big wins…and some stupid losses (texas tech) mu cpould be in
bcs this year………….
GH, You’re All Over the Map…
…inconsistent on this one. On this side, you claim Nebraska has a huge bowl following because folks like you sat through 10+ years of blowouts, yet yours is the program that fired a 10-win head coach that had Bo Pelini as DC and still sent tons of fans to Callahan-led bowls. Why does KState send 40K to every bowl? Why did KU get the Orange Bowl in their fluke season? Each program is different. KStaters are driven by decades of want. KU got the Orange Bowl because Lew Perkins knows how to twist scroti. Huskers show up because they are in the middle of nowhere, and have NOTHING else in their lives to look forward to. Missouri fans have a lot more to do. Their basketball is good. There are pro baseball and football teams on their radars, and not-to-forget, meth production takes time and resources.
Lots to do
If you like baseball, we have the Cardinals. If you don’t like baseball, we have the Royals. Mizzou fans are holding out for the Aloha Bowl, but will be disappointed when they find out Greyhound can’t get them there.
I am probably a good example of a typical
Mizzou fan because I’ve never been to a bowl. It’s not a statement against the bowl system, I just have other priorities during the holidays. Call me a bad fan but I’d rather watch it on television. I don’t care which bowl game it is, either. If we win it we’ll probably finished in the top 10 and have a high ranking going into next season like we did back in ’08. ¶
Now … back to the meth lab.
Sorry, Greg, your wrong on this one …
…and Ptolemy is right.
NCAAMBB……JJJJJ
JAYHAWKS!!! Bitchez………
Selby better than K.Irving? Oh My………
MU football….see Lubbock-Naval Academy-……
MU BB 40 Mins of Chaos….Nothing Melvin Watkins can’t fix!
"Savvy" Tiger fan? Haven’t seen one yet
JK … but I do think it’s giving any fan base too much credit to suggest they’re staying away from bowl games to make some sort of political statement about the bowls. For whatever reason, they don’t care.__________________________________________ I disagree with Shariff about the bowls being meaningless: they’re another opportunity to watch your team play. For most fans, that’s a good thing, regardless of the corruption of the system or the lack of a "true" national championship.
HEADLINE!!!!
I agree, the bowl system sucks. I suppose there are some fun aspects to it, especially for the players who get feted for a week and they get presents like an X-Box or whatever, but does anyone other than the fans of the schools playing it really care about the Meineke Car Care Bowl or the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl? Of course not.——————————————————————————————————————————————— But, on the other hand, the bowls themselves do care whether teams travel well. Ptolemy
Bowling for $
So, if Mizzou goes to San Diego and plays in between Christmas and New Year and I want to go, without a prepaid 60 day out reservation, a round trip ticket is approximately $700 a piece. Tickets to the game..probably in the $75-$100 range a piece. Hotel room for two days…$400 and that’s for a cheap one. Meals, drinks and such, over $200. That’s over two grand. Drinking rum and tonics and farting on my couch while eating crap in front of the bigscreen…$0. And I’m a fan.
Ding! There’s your reason.
Rum and tonic?
Haven’t tried that. What kind of rum?
reasonable mizzou fans
I agree with MU fans who say meh to a non-bcs bowl. think about it in ncaa basketball terms. you go to early round games if it’s convenient and close, but you shell out some time and money for final four. that’s it. bcs = final four. don’t waste time on the smaller bowls.
No one’s wrong here….
The bowl system is what it is. We all know how it works. Here’s the deal for Mizzou fans…MU can’t get by on it’s historical name alone, so it had better win a bunch of games and the fans had better show up and travel. Barring that, you’re going to get a 2nd tier bowl most of the time. That’s just how it works. Bitching about it, and eating your coach alive when he’s just stating facts is counterproductive. And hey, I understand not wanting the shell out thousands of dollars around the holidays. It doesn’t make you a bad fan. I’d have to pay for a total of 6 people in order for my family to go. And our kids would rather take a vacation in the summer time. You won’t hear me whining about what bowl MU gets. That’s just the way it goes. And really, after the BCS games, all you have is a glut of football games with jagoff corporate sponsorships. Is there really that much "prestige" difference between the Alamo, Insight, & Holiday Bowls? No. The Cotton Bowl is slightly better if on tradition alone. But not a hell of alot. And with the BCS Championship having it’s own game, even the non championship BCS games are fairly worthless. It’s not like any of those teams are in the running for the big prize either. Too much fuss is being made over who goes to what bowl.
Derrick Washington gets to play
The University of Missouri just accepted an invitation to The Finger Bowl to take on the Beavers of Oregon State, declining an invitation to go to San Francisco and play in The Fruit Bowl against Oral Roberts.
You’ve got bad information, Dick.
It’s the Beavers of Oregon State and the Gamecocks of South Carolina. The Trojans of USC and the Spartans of Michgan State also want to be involved. It would be called the Rubber Match. (Is there such thing as Spartans anymore?) The Packers want the Fruit Bowl bid.
Reality 101
Pinkel was simply dealing with the situation as it exists. If fans nationwide didn’t attend the El Stinko Hot Sauce Bowls that are offered below the top tier, then there’s the remote possibility the system would change, but 1.) They won’t and 2.) even if they did, the Big Bowls are so flush with money that they could leverage against a playoff system. It won’t be until school officials begin hectoring the NCAA (and maybe even Congress, sad to say) for a playoff for the sake of integrity (pause for derisive laughter) — insofar as they can maintain similar financial benefits — that there’s even a chance of it happening. Good luck with that.
So Pinkel isn’t the bad guy, simply a realist. As the coach, his interest is only in getting the fan base motivated to improve the program’s image by attending the play-for-pride bowls. It is, though, a two-edged sword; so long as the Tigers fail to win the big games they need to — like the 2007 Big 12 Championship Game, not to mention at Nebraska and Texas Tech this year — the team does not quality for the BCS bowls directly as a result of its play on the field. Missouri can’t have a championship tradition which does not exist; Nebraska’s and Oklahoma’s are established.
Pinkel wasn’t dumping on Missouri fans, but merely making a statement of fact. Winning tends to cure all those ills.
Disagreeing just to disagree?
You disagreed with Pinkel’s speech to MU fans. You disagreed with Fescoe’s take on MU fans. Then you disagreed with MU fans who called up angry at Pinkel for what he said. Strange. But then you redeemed yourself by backing Shan Shariff, who’s rapidly becoming the most entertaining and insightful sports radio host in KC. 610 should boot Fescoe and give Shariff a 4-hour slot from 7am-11am. Rising star.