re: A&M and Mizzou Fans

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You'll aren't similar to the SEC at all

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I beg to differ. St. Louis and New Orleans are very similar in a lot of ways, we aren't geographically in the same area but come to the STL and you can get the same cuisine, same accent, same demographics, a lot of people here come from the South, including my family. Politics may not be similar in both respected states but I lost a cousin of mine in Katrina. So in other words we here to stay Jethro.

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Very few people today are aware of that story. It's what sets SCAR apart from all others ... because we told them to go frick themselves, to pound sand up their asses ... we didn't wait on another conference to show us some love, just like when we fired on Fort Sumter, we did what was right in the face of overwhelming odds ... and won big time in the long run.

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Every program has a responsiblity to take care of themselves and look out for their best interest. It sounds like Mizzou and Texas A&M have both done the best that they could have done considering. Texas A&M is currently recruiting at a high level and Mizzou's system puts out good teams regardless of how they get players. Gary Pinkel is very underrated.

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Gary Pinkel is very underrated.

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Yes he is. He's actually one of my favorite coaches. I like him a lot ... respect him too. He can definitely coach, has a good eye for talent and seems to be a good developer too. Mizzou and he are a good fit and I actually like having them in the conference, but I do think they would be a better fit in the West.

We'll never accept their rivalry application btw.

There was no Big 12. Mizzou was just a school that happened to play the same teams each year. No offense to my Aggie brothers and sisters, but we really didn't give much of a shite about them and I'm sure they gave even less of a shite about us. Things were different in the Big 8, but once Texas was let in, everything changed.

Being in the SEC (even if we are the gay uncle scrooster) is no comparison. Not everyone buys into the conference pride thing and that's cool. But what the SEC gets overall is that the whole is worth more than the sum of the parts. Look no further than the TV contracts and SECN. Compare that to LHN and no conference network.

On a competitive level, frankly it's no comparison. OU and Texas, while quality programs, would become very average if they were playing in the SEC week in and week out. Give OU LSU's schedule last year for example and they probably lose 3-5 games, especially if they had to play LSU itself as well. Texas...doesn't even go bowling.

But not just football. Not just the competition level but the support given to non-revenue sports is something I never noticed in the Big 12. Volleyball. Softball. Gymnastics. Baseball. It seems every time I turn around, the SEC is littering the top 10 or top 20 in nearly every sport.

All of this has forced Mizzou to step up it's game, which is what it has needed as a University. Football is already seen changes. Softball is already getting a new complex. Baseball changes are on the horizon as our coach's contract is up this year. My only wish is that the SEC would also buy into dominating basketball as much as the other non-revenue sports.

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Bottom line is New Orleans is a unique city and no other city in the country is like it especially not a Midwest city like at St. Louis.

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St Louis is a pretty badass city itself. As a baseball fan I have always respected the way they show up and root for their teams.

I have lived in SEC country for a long time so I never once regretted leaving the B12. I think some of the folks in western MO probably had reservations just because they were close to many B12 schools (old Big 8), but that perception was shaken already when Texas created the LH Network. Plus, the move has created a lot of energy among other MU sports to improve facilities and be more competitive.

And unlike the Rant, almost all the SEC fans I have met at road games have been very friendly and welcoming. Kentucky fans were asses last year, which was strange, but who knows.

One last point. Our admin didn't beg the B10 or the SEC to get in. President Deaton truly tried to keep the B12 together until the OU prez made his famous statement about not being "wall flowers" in the realignment game. In fact, many alumni were pulling our hair out thinking he was doing too much to keep MU int he B12. Deaton finally called the UF president and inquired about the SEC when it became clear that the other schools would happily leave MU and others high and dry.

I doubt there are more than a handful of MU alumni that would tell you today they wish MU was still in the B12. It has been great for sports and I think MU academically has a great deal in common with other flagship SEC schools.

Personally, I loved the Big 8. Real good rivalries and a good cultural fit. Then Bevo came in and dragged along 3 other Texas schools and the Big 12 sucked from the start. I have no animosity for Iowa State, Kansas State, the two Oklahomas, or even kansas, a great rivalry with Civil War roots (you DO know Missouri was a member of the CSA and had a star on the Stars and Bars, right?). But I want Bevo and the conference to fail, and fail in a big way. I'm so glad we are gone.

My wish was to join the Big 10 all along. Better fit regarding culture, academics, and geography. And a better mix of sports, with men's soccer, wrestling, and ice hockey, and stronger basketball programs.

Having said that, I am thrilled with our move to the SEC. As others have pointed out, it has forced us to step up our game regarding not only football, but all sports. Rivalries will develop over time. As our chancellor said at the time, this was a 100-year decision. I love the tailgating and football game-day atmospheres. I have been to Tennessee, A&M, Ole Miss, and Vandy, and we have been treated like welcome guests at each place.

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we didn't wait on another conference to show us some love

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You don't know our history either. Even though Mizzou wouldn't benefit from equal revenue sharing, we were often the loudest voice for this and against other items whose sole intent was preferential treatment for bevo at the expense of the smaller schools.

in my circle they are extremely similar. Maybe the Mizzou people here that grew up in West County may say theres no common ground, but my kinfolks bought all their traditions with them. I know threads were started almost everyday back mid 2011 & 2012 about this and it always seems to ruin a really good topic with all the hatred. I didn't make assumptions or statements about St Louis being better so don't put words in my mouth. My Granny came from Jennings, La. Yep right there alongside I-10 & Mom's pops was from Hope, Arkansas. You are absolutely correct in saying that the two Mardi Gras don't even compare. Bourbon St is a hell of alot better than Russell and 10th in February. The one thing that always seems to come up in these kinda threads are political affiliations. Let's not ruin this thread this time ok......