December 5, 2007
Missouri faithful take heart.
Even though our beloved Tiger football team lost convincingly in the Big 12 Title Game and even though the morning after looks bleak indeed, I am happy to tell you that there is reason for joy. Missouri, this is not Mudville, nor am I a Pollyanna.
Missouri fans do not put away your black and gold just yet. Here is why.
This morning I awoke hurting and disappointed, and the very last thing I wanted to do was watch sports announcers on television carry on about how Mizzou lost. I did not want to read any sports section in any newspaper or read any online commentator's column saying, "I told you so". I was already sick to death of it all, and it had not been eight hours since the game ended.
My MU flag was still flying outside my house, my Mizzou stocking still hung by the fireplace with care, and a tiger tail still attached to my car. Should I take them down or leave them up until the bowl game, most likely a bowl we will not want to go to anyway?
What should I do?
Providentially, the phone rang about then, and it was my sister calling from Denver. I told her I had a huge Missouri "ouchy" and my heart was aching for our Tigers. She told me to hold on and wait just a minute. "Don't go there," she said.
She continued, " This morning I did not want to read any paper either or watch a single sports show on television, but there they were anyway. No escaping the news. So I watched and read, and wonder of wonders, the announcers and writers were not rubbing salt in our wounds. Instead, these commentators went on and on about how great the Missouri team is, what a wonderful feel-good story their season became, and how exciting it was to watch those Tigers vault to No.1. These normally cynical commentators said they loved the Missouri fans, too. Then, they went on to say how they did not like the Oklahoma coach's braggadocio after the game."
Yes, Virginia there is a Santa Claus.
My sister added, "And this is coming from Denver where they could care less about Mizzou. Isn't that amazing!"
For the first time in memory, Mizzou was on the national radar screen and had everyone's rapt attention. Our adored football team with 11 wins (so far) and our Heisman Trophy candidate Chase Daniel gave us publicity one cannot buy. Recruiting at MU is looking great, we hear, and academic admissions are up 20% for next year's freshman class. Fox 4 in Kansas City did a piece last week titled, "I wanna be a Tiger" because high school seniors are flocking in droves to the university. Newspaper writers and television and radio commentators have been abuzz about Mizzou for weeks. Yes, all things Mizzou are popular and will continue so for a long time to come, thanks in great part to our football team.
These are heady days for MU.
So, not much has changed around my house after all. My MU flag is still flying, my Mizzou stocking is still on the fireplace, and my Tiger tail still sailing in the wind. A bowl game to anywhere the Tigers play sounds mighty good to me.
It is a great time to be a Tiger.
Yes, Virginia there is a Santa Claus.
