Spent some time this week in Columbia, MO for work. I decided to use the trip to scout them as a potential SEC member. Here is my report:
Is Mizzou an SEC school? Let's take a look at the major factors in play when determining a school's SEC-iness (yes, pronounced sexiness):
Co-eds:
I asked around and apparently their girls wear sweatshirts and jeans to football games. Not SEC-iness.
HOWEVER, every waittress we had this week was smoking hot. Definite SEC-iness.
Community:
Columbia Airport is smaller than GTR. SEC-iness.
They film a reality show about a truck stop there. SEC-iness.
I passed 3 dozen farms and the largest trailer park I've ever seen on the way from the airport to the campus. Mondo SEC-iness.
Downtown Columbia is a cool strip with lots of restaurants and bars. Good brewery there as well. SEC-iness.
Culture:
There was an 'Occupy Columbia' movement on the steps of City Hall. Not SEC-iness.
The 'Occupy Columbia' movement consisted of 2 hippies playing frisbee. SEC-iness (even State has 2 hippies).
City Hall had a display commemorating the lynching of a black man falsely accused of raping a white co-ed. The students apparently were the ones who lynched him. Unfortunately typical historical SEC-iness.
Fit:
I asked 10 or so graduates of the university and current residents of Columbia whether they'd rather the Big 10, Big 12, or SEC. All of them voted Big 10. Not SEC-iness.
One stated it was because it was a better fit academically in a very condescending manner. The irony of this missplaced pretentiousness left me confused as to whether this was total SEC-iness (ala Ole Miss) or complete non SEC-iness, ala every northern school that thinks because they are located in the north you automatically learn better there. But given that we were within 2 miles of a cow farm, a trailer park and the truck stop with it's own TV show, I decided this was much closer to the Ole Miss sort of completely un-self-aware pretentiousness. SEC-iness.
Stadium:
70,000+ seats. Dead SEC-iness.
Several people mentioned to me that this week's game against Okla State was a sell out - their pride over this fact led me to believe that that sell outs don't happen very often: Utter non-SEC-iness.
Overall:
It was freakin' freezing there in mid- October. I assume this happens other places as well (UK, UT), so I guess it's acceptable. No one outside of the state gives a flying 17 about this school, however it appears that EVERYONE in the state does. That's a good thing. 2 hours from KC and 2 hours from St. Louis - I'm guessing we'll find good BBQ for tailgating there. They identify with Kansas and Illinois as their cheif rivals, which I think has more impact on their desire to stay 'mid-western' than anything. Howevwer, I can see a date in the near future when the Mizzou-Arky game becomes deadlier than the Hatfields and McCoys.
They are not the perfect fit and would leave the SEC in a heartbeat for the Big 10. Unfortunately for them, they are too redneck for the Big 10 but can't bring themselves to admit it. They also know that they'll have no shot at competing in the SEofC. So I'll forgive them for not wanting to come get crushed. However, I believe the SEC will crush their dissent and make them resign themselves to the fact that resistance is futile. While they're not complete SEC-iness, they have enough to get my recommendation.
Is Mizzou an SEC school? Let's take a look at the major factors in play when determining a school's SEC-iness (yes, pronounced sexiness):
Co-eds:
I asked around and apparently their girls wear sweatshirts and jeans to football games. Not SEC-iness.
HOWEVER, every waittress we had this week was smoking hot. Definite SEC-iness.
Community:
Columbia Airport is smaller than GTR. SEC-iness.
They film a reality show about a truck stop there. SEC-iness.
I passed 3 dozen farms and the largest trailer park I've ever seen on the way from the airport to the campus. Mondo SEC-iness.
Downtown Columbia is a cool strip with lots of restaurants and bars. Good brewery there as well. SEC-iness.
Culture:
There was an 'Occupy Columbia' movement on the steps of City Hall. Not SEC-iness.
The 'Occupy Columbia' movement consisted of 2 hippies playing frisbee. SEC-iness (even State has 2 hippies).
City Hall had a display commemorating the lynching of a black man falsely accused of raping a white co-ed. The students apparently were the ones who lynched him. Unfortunately typical historical SEC-iness.
Fit:
I asked 10 or so graduates of the university and current residents of Columbia whether they'd rather the Big 10, Big 12, or SEC. All of them voted Big 10. Not SEC-iness.
One stated it was because it was a better fit academically in a very condescending manner. The irony of this missplaced pretentiousness left me confused as to whether this was total SEC-iness (ala Ole Miss) or complete non SEC-iness, ala every northern school that thinks because they are located in the north you automatically learn better there. But given that we were within 2 miles of a cow farm, a trailer park and the truck stop with it's own TV show, I decided this was much closer to the Ole Miss sort of completely un-self-aware pretentiousness. SEC-iness.
Stadium:
70,000+ seats. Dead SEC-iness.
Several people mentioned to me that this week's game against Okla State was a sell out - their pride over this fact led me to believe that that sell outs don't happen very often: Utter non-SEC-iness.
Overall:
It was freakin' freezing there in mid- October. I assume this happens other places as well (UK, UT), so I guess it's acceptable. No one outside of the state gives a flying 17 about this school, however it appears that EVERYONE in the state does. That's a good thing. 2 hours from KC and 2 hours from St. Louis - I'm guessing we'll find good BBQ for tailgating there. They identify with Kansas and Illinois as their cheif rivals, which I think has more impact on their desire to stay 'mid-western' than anything. Howevwer, I can see a date in the near future when the Mizzou-Arky game becomes deadlier than the Hatfields and McCoys.
They are not the perfect fit and would leave the SEC in a heartbeat for the Big 10. Unfortunately for them, they are too redneck for the Big 10 but can't bring themselves to admit it. They also know that they'll have no shot at competing in the SEofC. So I'll forgive them for not wanting to come get crushed. However, I believe the SEC will crush their dissent and make them resign themselves to the fact that resistance is futile. While they're not complete SEC-iness, they have enough to get my recommendation.
