It's unequivocally my favorite holiday of the year, and it's one where I'd like to take this opportunity to wish every single RMN reader a happy, healthy and prosperous Thanksgiving. In the spirit of giving thanks and in keeping with a tradition I started last year, here's a list of things I'm thankful for, dating back to last Thanksgiving.
I'm thankful for...
... perspective after tryptophan lured the Missouri secondary to sleep at Arrowhead last year. That is what happened, right?
... BCS chaos.
... special visitors to preview the Big 12 Championship.
... Tommy Saunders. Love that kid.
... Mizzou basketball STOMPING Cal, giving us our first true look ahead
... Jeremy Cheat Code Maclin and Chase Thrust Nunchuck Upward Coffman being named Walter Camp All-Americans (and a Mackey Award for Coffman)
... a depressing Mizzou/Illinois Braggin' Rights game, if only because it gave us the unhaunted Lou Brown thread and the funniest picture ever posted in the Mizzou Links
... the chance to send off the senior class with a victory in San Antonio, meaning 30 wins in three years. Yes, I'll always remember the Alamo....... Bowl.
... being where 2008 happened.
... Keith freakin' Ramsey down in Athens.
... Beef waxing poetic.
... proof that football season never really ends at RMN.
... the career of Jeremy Maclin and the tears that rolled down his face upon leaving Mizzou.
... the introduction of the RMN Wall of Excellence.
... being able to go back and laugh at the Mike Anderson vs. Doc Sadler hysteria.
... Mizzou basketball's blitzing turned laugher turned nailbiter in Stillwater.
... the state of Mizzou basketball.
... the much beleaguered Leo Lyons returning from his ticket-related benching to put in 30 as Mizzou pulled away from Baylor at home in front of the best non-Kansas crowd in Mizzou Arena history at that point.
... incredible tributes to Jeffrey Crawford, a close friend of many here at RMN.
... Sheldon Richardson putting on the Mizzou hat, even if he didn't qualify.
... Zaire dropping a shot at Flan Arena in Austin, giving Texan RMNers the chance to taste the tears of unfathomable sadness.
... the inaugural induction class into the RMN Wall of Excellence.
... "ZAIIIIIIIIIIRE TAYLOR!!!........... TIGERS WIN! TIGERS WIN!" A great win in front of a great crowd with a great Live Thread and great postgame reaction.
... the then almost-implausible realization that Mizzou controlled its Big 12 destiny in late February.
... statistical revenge on K-State. No longer was Mizzou the Hans Moleman to KSU's football.
... the chance to sit courtside at Allen Fieldhouse for one of the most incredible sporting atmospheres I've ever seen, even though we won't discuss the actual game.
... an incredible (and emotional) senior night for Mizzou basketball against Oklahoma to go undefeated at Mizzou Arena. Quoth Jeff Capel: "Not many people have (pause), hell, no one has come here and won."
... not having to care about MU's loss to Texas A&M.
... everything that led up to this, as well as the incredible time I had in Oklahoma City covering that team for three of the longest but most rewarding days of my life.
... MU's tournament berth giving birth to Better Know an Opponent.
... Mark Ellis: National Friggin' Champion. March was a REALLY busy month for Asian Kid.
... Kim English and ONIONS against Marquette. That, and Buzz Williams still whining. Over the line, mark it zero.
... the best post Bill has ever written, leading into the Memphis game.
... the moment that perhaps gives Armageddon a run as the best moment in RMN's existence, Mizzou's win over Memphis in the Sweet Sixteen. Naturally, there's a GIF party, a podcast, and a Hello World stats piece. In a related note, DENMON, OH MY.
... realizing how long this post is without even finishing basketball season.
... the Thank You thread once the magic finally ended.
... Mike Anderson becoming a true True Son.
... one of the best Paint jobs of the year regarding the Meme Madness controversy.
... hosting The Closers with our boy Sleepy.
... a plea to redraw the Big 12 football schedules.
... the Black and Gold game for giving us Special Forces and General Mills.
... Mizzou's greatest NFL Draft.
... a Big 12 and NCAA Regional Championship for Mizzou softball.
... and, oh yeah, FREAKIN' RUN RULING UCLA in the Super Regional.
... the return of ZouDave's videos.
... second place at the Big 12 Championship and yet another regional appearance for Mizzou baseball.
... a long summer. OK, maybe I'm not thankful for that.
... JYD to Memphis in the NBA Draft.
... finding the greatest wins in Mizzou football history.
... finding out that we've got ourselves a quarterback.
... hearing Zaire Taylor drop a Hustle and Flow RMN reference on TV.
... greatness, as told by Kim English.
... Joe Tessitore constantly mispronouncing "Danario," giving birth to the "Domino Axelrod" meme.
... a pure football rivalry and a storm/power outages giving us one of the most surreal football atmospheres I've ever seen in my life, loss be damned.
... SkyCam.
... a fantastic trip to see a fantastic Mizzou win in Manhattan.
... Tony the recruit becoming Tony the Tiger.
... Michael Atchison's ability to perfectly summate Mizzou basketball in prose.
... yet another fantastic year for Rock M Nation. Happy Thanksgiving. Enjoy the feast: