Missouri Fans

[Sooner Born Sooner Bred]

You guys stay classy.

They booed everytime Kansas was mentioned, even for the scholastic awards.

Then they booed our band.

But the kicker was when they did their little cheer while our players were hurt.

[Youngsooner]

Seriously? I wasn't at the game... that's terrible :\

[OKC-SLC]

Mouth

breathers.

[sooner59]

Yep, every time we had a player down, they started to cheer and do chants and their band played. Pretty classy, huh? And don't even get me started about the refs. We deserved most of our penalties, but they held so many times and there were no calls. One time, we had a guy on his back and a Mizzou player was on top of him slamming him up and down on the ground, and I watched a ref look at it and turn his head. Ive never believed much in ref-biases in games, but im wondering about that guy. There was no excuse to let that go on.

[insuranceman_22]

Went to the game and sat in an Oklahoma dominated area. We had a few Mizzou fans sprinkled in (one sat next to us) and he was a nice guy & a good fan. We talked before the game and he was telling me about Daniel and how good he was, but he also mentioned the this was going to be Daniel's opportunity to either prove it or be exposed. He didn't cheer when a Sooner was down or anything like that......I know he's just one guy, but I'll promise you these tig's are even in same ballpark as the cajun tig's.

[insuranceman_22]

aren't even in the same park as the cajun tig's. (sorry)

[Ardmore_Sooner]

aren't even in the same park as the cajun tig's. (sorry)

Give em time to liquor up like in 2002 and they are just as bad. Trust me I was there.

[garland sooner]

I went there last year to their game in Columbia. It was the most laid-back gameday atmosphere I have ever felt. (Then again, it was right after the Cards won the World Series.)

Went to the game, SBSB was right on. if you boo any school's alma mater before the game, 'cept texas, you have no class.

[soonermeteor]

Yep, every time we had a player down, they started to cheer and do chants and their band played. Pretty classy, huh? And don't even get me started about the refs. We deserved most of our penalties, but they held so many times and there were no calls. One time, we had a guy on his back and a Mizzou player was on top of him slamming him up and down on the ground, and I watched a ref look at it and turn his head. Ive never believed much in ref-biases in games, but im wondering about that guy. There was no excuse to let that go on.


I and everyone else around me couldn't believe the refs let that Mizzou player continue to attack our Sooner. He finally threw the flag after about 10 seconds of watching it happen, and then it was some stupid offsides call? I was so mad they watched as a blatant fight was breaking out during the game. I joked to my friend it would have been better if they had even called a personal foul on the sooner just to acknowledge they saw it happen. Does anyone know who the sooner was who had to put up with this crap? Add that to Malcolm Kelly's slam into the bench and i had no respect for those refs. They also let their guys pull our runners down LONG after forward progress was stopped. We would start to scream or boo because they let the Missouri players man handle our runners for seconds and yards.

It was terrible. :mad:

[n8v_ndn]

I was in section 337. Saw 2 women escorted away by cops in the 1st half (couldn't tell their affiliation). The kicker was this drunk a55 female "Sooner" fan who was cursing at this family wearing black ("You're team sucks! Missouri SSSUUCCKKSS!!!"). It got to the point where the kids looked kinda scared, so the Dad had to go get security. They eventually positioned a guy to watch her the rest of the night. We don't need 'fans' like that and it really ****es me off when they come out.

[OSUAggie]

Just out of curiosity, which fan base(s) do you guys find to be tolerant or "classy" or whatever other semi-positive word fits?

[AlabamaSooner]

Just out of curiosity, which fan base(s) do you guys find to be tolerant or "classy" or whatever other semi-positive word fits?

Both OU/Bama games were awesome to attend because there was no bad-mouthing or anything. A lot of respect and it made it a great atmosphere both times. So from an OU standpoint, I'd say Bama fans (even though I'm one anyway).

I've had good experiences with Nebraska fans as well. Basically a 180 from Texas fans. My one trip to College Station in 2004 went very well as well regarding fans. Never had one bad thing said to me and most were really polite. Although I realize that's probably not everyone's experience down there.

[Doged]

Just out of curiosity, which fan base(s) do you guys find to be tolerant or "classy" or whatever other semi-positive word fits?

Alabama comes to mind first. Those were some epic tailgates!

I've never been to a OU-Georgia game but I went to a couple of Georgia home games and their fans were a lot of fun. They have a game day atmosphere that will match anyone's, I think.

The Oregon fans were great except on the message boards after the bad call in the last game of that series. Then they got all wonky and the more their season fell apart the worse they got. In person they were good people at all three of those games.

I had a good time with the Washington fans in Norman. I understand they're a bit edgy over the possibility we won't repay that visit next season, but that's understandable and I won't be going, anyway.

Oddly enough I've never had a single bad experience with Texas fans, although the smack used to get pretty intense down in the West End area. I haven't gone to West End for pre-game in a few years now, though... figured I'd leave it to the younger crowd. ;)

I had one very memorable tailgate and game experience in Ames some years ago (the only time I've been there). One of the most fun road trips I've ever taken and one of the friendliest group of fans I've been around.

There are many others. The list of fan bases I have no respect for is a lot shorter than the ones I respectfully disagree with, which is most of them, and of course the majority of fan bases I've just never encountered as we haven't played them or I wasn't at that game.

Asshats hang together and I can generally spot them and just avoid them without giving them much thought.

[Ardmore_Sooner]

Kansas State, Baylor, Air Force, Tulsa fans rock, Iowa State. Never had any problems at away trips at any of these places. To be honest Colorado fans aren't near as bad as they used to be.

[SoonerShark]

A female friend of mine took a male foreign visitor from Belgium who spoke English only as a third language to an OU game in Stillwater. He wore an OU colored shirt to the game. After an OU win, a woman who appeared to be in her sixties and who was wearing prison garb/Cowboy orange began to scream at this poor visitor. He was horrified at the assault.

I have had no problems with the Cowboy fans in Stillwater, but I appear to be in the minority. The poor Belgian should have been told that the Cowboy cultists appear to be jealous that their football program's superiors, Texas and Oklahoma, continue to be superior year in and year out, which boils into nearly compulsive rudeness by a large percentage of its fans, although not the majority. Toss a bottle Cowboys! BrokeBottle Cowboys.

[MarylandSooner]

I was sitting in section 143 and this female OU fan was so drunk that she was screaming Chase Daniel is a MF at the top of her lungs over and over again until I think she passed out or something. There were young fans and older fans all around it was very sad.

[pott_2]

I have always had good experiences with the Nebish crowds. They really get into the game... I do want to kill myself evertime I hear "GO BIG RED" over and over and over and over and over.............................................. ..

[DenverSooner751]

Just out of curiosity, which fan base(s) do you guys find to be tolerant or "classy" or whatever other semi-positive word fits?

CU's fans weren't half bad this year. Actually, they were really fun in my section.

Others that I have enjoyed my time around, 'Bama, Air Force and Boise.

As much as I hated the BSU game, we were sitting in a sea of Taco Bell blue but they were all pretty cool.

Mizzou fans have the same problem as most little brother type schools, they lack the experience needed to know how to act. They're use to losing all the time.

My fav though was when 'Bama cam to Norman. Best traveling fans I ever met.

[Sooner Born Sooner Bred]

I'm not talking about the isolated jerks that are found in every fanbase. We all have those. What this thread specifically addresses are the fans as a whole cheering when we had guys hurt on the field. Before the game I wondered if they were going to boo during the National Anthem too.

[OKLA21FAN]

i just say this,

Joe C needs to rethink putting the student section 'on the split' right next to the MU fans. that was just asking for trouble.



but for the most part, the MU fans were good, of course after the game they were not as talkative or 'reasonable' when asked to 'slid their table' over a bit so more OU fans could have a seat in the bars on the walk. ;)

[Partial Qualifier]

A female friend of mine took a male foreign visitor from Belgium who spoke English only as a third language to an OU game in Stillwater. He wore an OU colored shirt to the game.

Taking a foreign visitor to Stillwater was mistake #1.

[Monster Zero]

I spent a winter in Omaha a few years back and people went out of their way to be nice to me because I was from Oklahoma. (One guy at the job was a jerk, but he was a jerk about something other than OU/Nebraska.)

Even the two kids who messed with me at a stop light because of my Oklahoma tag did it in a nice way.

[tbl]

Why doesn't anybody call out the bad Sooner fans when they're acting like fools??? I've never seen that at any of the games I've been to, but I can guarantee you I would call them out on the floor, especially if they're cussing and there are kids around. If it was a belligerent moran that it was obvious would lead to a fight, I'd personally call security.

[pweitkem]

The report that the Missouri fans were yelling at our band and booing constantly is accurate. The Mizzou fans were all talking trash at halftime... and they had two cheers going constantly m-i-z... z-o-u. and another one where a Misery fan 'Who's the number one team in the nation?!' to which all the other Misery fans would yell 'Mizzou!!!!'
Paul decided to make up a counter cheer that worked quite well - when walking through a crowd of Missouri fans at halftime I would yell 'Who's the number one team in the nation!' and then just before they would yell 'Mizzou!!!' I'd say, 'for another hour and a half!'. That one really got some 20 year old drunk college student mad at me and he started walking my way... I guess when I smiled at him very calmly and he got a little closer recognizing that I wasn't worried and much, much larger then he is he promptly flipped me off and walked away.

[okiediva]

they were chanting M I Z BEAT OU...not m i z z o u...Either way showed how much class they had to chant that while our players were hurt.

[OKLA21FAN]

they were chanting M I Z BEAT OU...not m i z z o u...Either way showed how much class they had to chant that while our players were hurt.
and on the flip side, when a MU player was down. the OU section i was in, gave him a standing ovation when he got up (after basically sitting in silence while the MU player was being attended to)



i did have one MU fan come up to me after the game expressing just 'how classless OU fans were for the 'overated' cheer'

i responded with, 'you are in the big leagues now, and with that comes that cheer. OU fan hear that in the final moments of almost every OU loss, it just come with the territory. take it as a compliment'


he still didn't like my response very well ;)

[MamaMia]

With the game being so late and the booze flowing freely down the river all day long, of course there were loud and mouthy fans from both teams, but the OU side of the stadium did not erupt in cheer when they had players down, nor did the Pride start playing a single note during their alma mater chant. To do anything but shut the hell up and wait to clap for the injured kids making their way off the field is totally unacceptable, and any fan who does anything else is nothing but a piece of scum.

[colleyvillesooner]

A little over stated to say they "cheered" an injured player. The did start their chants during it, but it's not like they announced it over the PA that someone was injured on the field and they all clapped and cheered. I don't remember their band playing either during a downed player, but I could be wrong.

I didn't like that they did even that, or started the MIZ-ZOU chant during The Chant.

Fans were fine where we were at on the Riverwalk after the game.

[okiediva]

I didnt say they cheered...I said they started their chant while our player was down. Yes, their band played while both DJ and Lewis were down.

[MamaMia]

A little over stated to say they "cheered" an injured player. The did start their chants during it, but it's not like they announced it over the PA that someone was injured on the field and they all clapped and cheered. I don't remember their band playing either during a downed player, but I could be wrong.

I didn't like that they did even that, or started the MIZ-ZOU chant during The Chant.

Fans were fine where we were at on the Riverwalk after the game.


Oh good grief colleyville. Their ban played and they did cheers and chants while our players were down! Totally unacceptable and beyond rude. What part of that do you not get? :rolleyes:

[colleyvillesooner]

Oh good grief colleyville. Their ban played and they did cheers and chants while our players were down! Totally unacceptable and beyond rude. What part of that do you not get? :rolleyes:

I get it, and I didn't like it.

[soonerboy_odanorth]

Where oh where have teh kittahs gone,

Oh where oh where can they be?

[MamaMia]

I get it, and I didn't like it. Okay. well, good then. :)

[TopDaugIn2000]

We've had both Nebraska and Baylor fans join our tailgate parties; before, during, and after games. Always very pleasant and respectable folks that just wanna see a good game.

[StiffyMU]

since I can't post new threads, congrats to OU you destroyed us twice this year and are the better team. Let's turn our wrath on the weak-*** Big 10 and lack of a conference championship.

[Civicus_Sooner]

Believe it or not, aTm fans are pretty cool. My experiences down there have always been cordial. Even after we ripped their hearts out.

[cheezyq]

...They also let their guys pull our runners down LONG after forward progress was stopped. We would start to scream or boo because they let the Missouri players man handle our runners for seconds and yards.

I'm not going to bash the refs as much, because even though the final tally was lopsided. There were some questionable misses on the holding, but it went both ways, actually. There was a play were Finley was holding as Bradford rolled out to pass it to Chris Brown.

But what you mentioned above bugged me, though. I saw that on numerous plays, and it was hard to believe how long they were letting dead plays continue. They did that on the first MU play of the game where OU sniffed out the screen and OU drove that player back 11 yards. I kept wondering when they were going to blow the whistle on that play, and finally the MU player throws the ball for an incompletion. At first they ruled it as an incompletion, meaning 2nd and 10, and I was miffed. But they eventually changed it and placed the ball correctly.

But the main point was that we're fortunate that there were not more injuries on both sides as the refs kept the whistle in the pocket.

[Lott's Bandana]

i did have one MU fan come up to me after the game expressing just 'how classless OU fans were for the 'overated' cheer'



Funny, they were doing it to KU in Arrowhead nary a week earlier...loud enough for me to hear it over the tv broadcast.



I also found it weird during the pregame that I held no animosity toward their fans. Not like at the TXFair, S'water or even in Boulder. They were irrelevant, almost transparent and frankly, and I don't say this flippantly - I am being serious, a little starstruck. The only thing I saw they had that had any kind of "tradition" to their football program was the tail thingy hanging out of the trunk of their car. (I saw a Sooner fan driving back yesterday with one hanging out from under the hood!)












^












.

[Breadburner]

Scoreboard!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! X 2

[herewego]

I can't speak for all Missouri fans, only this one. First, I'd like to congratulate the Sooner football team and the fans for a job well done saturday night. Your team was clearly the better team and they performed flawlessly with the exception of the penalties. I hate hearing that some of our fans did not have good sportsmanship but it would be easy to label a whole group based on a fews actions at any college football game.

Bottom line, you guys won deservedly and now get to play in a great BCS bowl. I believe there would be an arguement for you to play in the NCS as well, seeing how things have gone.

As for us Mizzou fans, we'll suck it up and root for our team - we're extremely proud of our accomplishments as well. A year ago we would have been thrilled to have our team play in the Cotton Bowl - to think that we even had a chance to play somewhere else is pretty amazing in itself.

I fully expect your Sooners will stomp West Virginia and wish you the best. Here's to a great bowl week and next season.

[OUmillenium]

Classy post and congrats on a great season.

spek

[bluedogok]

I had a row in front of me and a few a couple of rows behind me, had no problems with either other than their cheering irritated me but that is to be expected. Overall, there didn't seem to be too many issues in our area (Section 139) by either fan base.

[salth2o]

Its hard for some fans to "act like they have been there before" , when (in their lifetime, they have never been there.

[OKLA21FAN]

before the game, there was some good hearted 'banter' on the river with a few MU fans during lunch and drinks.

the 'got me', with some Car Dealership humor', and i got them with 'did you just buy that Missouri apparel a couple of weeks ago? look on the bright side, you can still get an in-store credit since it's under the 30 day policy' ;)


but when talk took a more serious note, i mentioned to them that if MU was to win the game that night, most Sooner fans would be cheering them on in the 'big dance'. they seemed genuinely surprised by that

with only a few exceptions, the MU fans were great and fun to hang around with.

[Outopia]

Just out of curiosity, which fan base(s) do you guys find to be tolerant or "classy" or whatever other semi-positive word fits?

Well condescending aggie, Oregon Fans at the Holiday Bowl were very well behaved, as were the Boise fans.

The worst I have seen were the Virgina fans in the Gator Bowl in 1991. Their band did a very tasteless send-up of OU and the State of Oklahoma at half-time. OU's team, with Cale Gundy and Mike Gaddis, blew them away start to finish in that game. Virgina was actually favored in that game, and their band must have bought into that. They should have had a back-up plan. I have never seen another team's band put on such a performance of poor sportsmanship. The pride did their normal routine at half. The Virginia Band made me always pull for whoever they were playing against ever since.

When I, and my family, walked into the stadium that night, this one (of a group of several) Virginia fans came up to me and put his arm around my neck like we were friends and started talking smack. He smelled like a liquor bottle. I was kind to him, though I could have kicked his a$$ (he had several of his buddies with him watching this unfold). I was cordial, and my wife was very glad, and disimissed his talk about how OU had no chance in a friendly way. You can tell when a fan base has been there before from one that hasn't, and Virginia's hadn't. All these years later, they still haven't. For that reason, it makes me happy in my pants :).

Their fans were alot like yours aggie, only they have alot more of them, very envious and prone to their mouths writing checks their team can't cash.

[bosworthsteroidmafia]

I thought the mizzou fans were pretty respectful on the whole, the obvious exceptions being drunken kids and people who cheered for injuries.


No matter what they did, though, nothing could have hurt worse than being down 21 in the fourth, watching their NC hopes go down the drain, and hearing 75% of the stadium cheering "OVERRATED!"

[r5TPsooner]

I have nothing to report on MU's fan base, but OU really F'd there season up.

[Jason White's Third Knee]

I can't speak for all Missouri fans, only this one. First, I'd like to congratulate the Sooner football team and the fans for a job well done saturday night. Your team was clearly the better team and they performed flawlessly with the exception of the penalties. I hate hearing that some of our fans did not have good sportsmanship but it would be easy to label a whole group based on a fews actions at any college football game.

Bottom line, you guys won deservedly and now get to play in a great BCS bowl. I believe there would be an arguement for you to play in the NCS as well, seeing how things have gone.

As for us Mizzou fans, we'll suck it up and root for our team - we're extremely proud of our accomplishments as well. A year ago we would have been thrilled to have our team play in the Cotton Bowl - to think that we even had a chance to play somewhere else is pretty amazing in itself.

I fully expect your Sooners will stomp West Virginia and wish you the best. Here's to a great bowl week and next season.

Great post and I am pretty sure that most of the posters on this board would agree that MU should be in the BCS. It's an odd exclusion to say the least.

Well, kick the **** out of Arky, will ya?

[soonersweetie]

In regards to the Riverwalk, one thing I wondered when we were down there was how do they keep all the "drunks" from falling into that river? There aren't any barriers or railings or anything, one slip and you've fallen in.

Great time though, for the most part both sets of fans were great around where we were.

[TheHumanAlphabet]

aren't even in the same park as the cajun tig's. (sorry)

May not be, but they are the worst fans I've been exposed to, including 2 trips to Columbia with the Pride. They threw shi'ite at us and the State Troopers wouldn't do anything as well, they were being pummeled by the fans too...I have never thought of classy and Mizzou fans in the same thought or sentence.

[soonerbrat]

only one mizzou fan said anything remotely smacktalk to me before the game..all he said was "it's gonna be a long drive home" and I said "no matter who wins..yours will be longer :D" the mizzou fans I talked to after the game were all pretty nice. There was one girl at the bar where we went afterwards and she came up to me and congratulated me and wished us the best...then a little later, someone bought me a shot and she thought it would be fun for me to just tilt my head back while she poured it in my mouth for me..she missed. I ended up with that shot all over my chin, chest and shirt. I think she was being passive agressive ;)


but the chanting and band playing during when our players were down REALLY bothered me.

[Killerbees]

The miz fans around me ( sec 147) were alright except when they got too excited when they tied the game before half. I just wanted them to shut up right about then but if the situation was reversed I would be doing the same. I did have a bunch of them flipping me off on the drive down though and yelling some crap I couldnt make out cuz we were doing 80 down an interstate.

The chanting and band playing crap really got on my nerves though.

I do know that the San Antonio area car washes made some jack that next morning because I only saw a couple Miz cars on the way back still decked out. lol

[Jdog]

You guys stay classy.

They booed everytime Kansas was mentioned, even for the scholastic awards.

Then they booed our band.

But the kicker was when they did their little cheer while our players were hurt.

Yea, and we booed when a longhorns was mentioned.

The cheer with our guy on the turf was down was bad form.

I meet bad Miz zou (what was that about) fans and I meet good ones. they were all still better than most Texas, TT, CU, OSU, and KSU fans.

[GoTigers]

I went there last year to their game in Columbia. It was the most laid-back gameday atmosphere I have ever felt. (Then again, it was right after the Cards won the World Series.)

Went to the game, SBSB was right on. if you boo any school's alma mater before the game, 'cept texas, you have no class.

...
:confused:
.
.
.
:confused:
...

I've decided you're joking.

[Big Red Ron]

only one mizzou fan said anything remotely smacktalk to me before the game..all he said was "it's gonna be a long drive home" and I said "no matter who wins..yours will be longer :D" the mizzou fans I talked to after the game were all pretty nice. There was one girl at the bar where we went afterwards and she came up to me and congratulated me and wished us the best...then a little later, someone bought me a shot and she thought it would be fun for me to just tilt my head back while she poured it in my mouth for me..she missed. I ended up with that shot all over my chin, chest and shirt. I think she was being passive agressive ;)


but the chanting and band playing during when our players were down REALLY bothered me.Or she wanted to see you in a wet tee shirt and, uhm....lol

[OSUAggie]

Well condescending aggie, Oregon Fans at the Holiday Bowl were very well behaved, as were the Boise fans.

The worst I have seen were the Virgina fans in the Gator Bowl in 1991. Their band did a very tasteless send-up of OU and the State of Oklahoma at half-time.

"In the Fall of 2004, the Cavalier Marching Band returned to the field of Scott Stadium. The first marching ensemble in 40 years at UVa was 170 members in size."

hmmmmm (http://www.virginia.edu/marchingband/about.php)


Their fans were alot like yours aggie, only they have alot more of them, very envious and prone to their mouths writing checks their team can't cash.

Yes, we've never had very many fans for a sporting event in San Antonio.


I have never seen another team's band put on such a performance of poor sportsmanship.

Find a sense of humor and go to a Rice game.

[Wishboned]

"In the Fall of 2004, the Cavalier Marching Band returned to the field of Scott Stadium. The first marching ensemble in 40 years at UVa was 170 members in size."

hmmmmm (http://www.virginia.edu/marchingband/about.php)


I understand it's easy for an Aggie to jump on the first thing they see, like the hope and hype of a successful football season, only to be disappointed when the facts come to light like the first hit of another exercise in futility.



After receiving complaint after complaint about its numerous performances, the Virginia Pep Band spent the last portion of its existence under scrutiny and administrative censorship, resisting outside whispers to replace the increasingly unpopular ensemble. At one point in 1993, the Pep Band was replaced by a short-lived Sports Band but was quickly reinstated when the sports band flopped due to membership woes.



http://www.virginia.edu/marchingband/history.php

[Sooner24]

Alabama comes to mind first. Those were some epic tailgates!

I've never been to a OU-Georgia game but I went to a couple of Georgia home games and their fans were a lot of fun. They have a game day atmosphere that will match anyone's, I think.

The Oregon fans were great except on the message boards after the bad call in the last game of that series. Then they got all wonky and the more their season fell apart the worse they got. In person they were good people at all three of those games.

I had a good time with the Washington fans in Norman. I understand they're a bit edgy over the possibility we won't repay that visit next season, but that's understandable and I won't be going, anyway.

Oddly enough I've never had a single bad experience with Texas fans, although the smack used to get pretty intense down in the West End area. I haven't gone to West End for pre-game in a few years now, though... figured I'd leave it to the younger crowd. ;)

I had one very memorable tailgate and game experience in Ames some years ago (the only time I've been there). One of the most fun road trips I've ever taken and one of the friendliest group of fans I've been around.

There are many others. The list of fan bases I have no respect for is a lot shorter than the ones I respectfully disagree with, which is most of them, and of course the majority of fan bases I've just never encountered as we haven't played them or I wasn't at that game.

Asshats hang together and I can generally spot them and just avoid them without giving them much thought.

Man you must have been drunk if you thought the Duck fans were great up in Eugene. They were as bad a group of fans as I have ever seen on the road in a non-conference setting.



Notre Dame and Alabama in that order for classy and friendly fans. I would add Air Force but since it was mostly OU fans at the game it was hard to tell. ;)

[The VIIIth]

A female friend of mine took a male foreign visitor from Belgium who spoke English only as a third language to an OU game in Stillwater. He wore an OU colored shirt to the game. After an OU win, a woman who appeared to be in her sixties and who was wearing prison garb/Cowboy orange began to scream at this poor visitor. He was horrified at the assault.
.

LOL, I'm getting this picture of a non english speaking tourist walking around Booneville with a red shirt on with the kind of dopey smile you assume when you have no idea what anyone is saying because you don't get the language...Suddenly, a wild haired old hag jumps out at you screaming invectives while dressed in colors you are used to seeing on the side of the road collecting refuse...

This is why the United States does not allow tourists to carry Roscoes.

[Crimson Blonde]

Didn't want to start another Missouri thread, but I just got this emailed to me, and wanted to pass it on......... :D

Open Letter to Missouri Fans:

Guys, Congratulations on a great season. You have clearly exceeded all expectations of your fans and the public at large. Breaking into the rarified air of the elite teams in college football requires some adjustments, however. You obviously need some guidance in this area, so out of respect for your effort this season I am offering the following 10 rules for you to implement next season:


1) When you lose a game, do not act as though you gave the game away and the other team did not beat you. Accept responsibility for the loss and be a gracious loser. EVERYONE remembers a ungracious loser (see Mack Brown), and it can taint your program for years to come (see Texas).

2) When you believe you were the better team after a loss, do not say so publicly. After all, the goal of the game is to score more points than the opposition. When the other team accomplishes that goal against your team, they probably had something to do with the win. This tends to annoy, if not enrage, the other team, and you never know when or how they might get the chance to extract some revenge. And they WILL extract their revenge.

3) Instruct your QBs to quietly get up off the turf and walk back to the huddle after a tackle, especially a sack. For a QB to get into the face of the other team's star linebacker is just bad judgment and portends a death wish. The guy probably outweighs your QB by 50 pounds and is faster, stronger, and meaner than your QB. And that LB has a license to kill by virtue of playing the position of linebacker.

4) Tell your star receiver not to "diss" the opposing coach regarding his recruitment during the week prior to their game against you. First, there are always two sides to the story. Second, it sounds like you're still upset about your 9th grade girlfriend and how that didn't work out. Move on. You made a choice, now live with it.

5) Tell your QB (and all players) that one responsibility of an elite team is being able to play on television with dignity and respect. Pilfering boogers from the catacombs of one's nose while on national TV is NOT a hallmark of a dignified team.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kEW8_KVhDFE

6) Although you are entitled to believe that the loss of a player to injury is the reason you lost a game, don't say so publicly until or unless that player shows (preferably in a rematch) that he can make a difference. When a player has a dog of a game in the rematch, it makes you seem disingenuous regarding your initial comments (see Tony Temple).

7) When you have been ranked number 1 in the polls for one game, refrain from running on the field with your index fingers extended. It makes you seem as though you think that everyone agrees. It also makes it clear you've never been in that position before. You remind the television audience of the loser who buys a new Corvette to impress the girls--then promptly wrecks it. Besides, your opposition may have something to say about your ranking, as was demonstrated in vivid clarity last night.

8) Educate your fans on the etiquette of supporting a highly ranked team when playing another highly ranked team that has lost only one game to your team since 1983. Humility is probably a better approach to the game, as opposed to cockiness, in your first 10-win season in decades.

9) Please educate your 6-foot tall QB that he is among the smallest players on the field at all times, so his opinions before, during, and after the game are probably best kept to himself. Otherwise, there are at least 11 guys on the opposing team who will make it their personal mission to separate his helmet (with head inside) from his body, ala Saddam Hussein.

10) Finally, a dose of reality is required. One season of 10 wins does not, by itself, allow you to enter football's elite. I suggest trying to do this a minimum of 3 seasons in 5 years before you start pronouncing yourself an elite program.

Best of luck in future years, kitty cats.