Mizzou Links, 7-7-09

Leo Lyons' time to impress the Indiana Pacers started yesterday...and while his team won, a "DNP -- Coach's Decision (pdf)" isn't really much of a good opportunity, huh?  Hopefully he gets an opportunity soon.

Yesterday was Monday, which meant two things: 1) How I Met Your Mother re-run last night, and 2) Case of the Mondays!

Looks like Mizzou has offered a new Texas RB--Angleton's Henry Josey, who has one pretty good trait for a running back: "I love to score."  Who doesn't?  Meanwhile, PM subscribers can check out the latest on a Michigan athlete who was on campus for an unofficial visit yesterday.

While at PowerMizzou, you can also check on Gabe's "Scouting the Big 12 North QBs" write-up.  I don't understand some of the ratings on the 1-10 scale, but it doesn't make it any less interesting to read, I guess.

Another day, another Columbia Trojans article, this one from our friends at the Missourian.

The Trojans are a newly-formed semi-professional football team in the North American Football League. Every Tuesday and Thursday, they practice at the Rock Bridge High School’s football field and play games on Saturdays. No one is paid to play for the Trojans. In fact, the players paid all start-up fees: $200 or more for pads, helmets and jerseys, willingly paid for the chance to suit up for a football team once more.

Continuing their position-by-position preview of our first 2009 opponent, it's time for Hail to the Orange to take a look at UI's linebackers.

Here's the reason SI's Stewart Mandel is one of my favorite mainstream college football writers: when something's stupid, or a big, fat waste of time, he calls it just that.

If the government were to actually pursue an antitrust case against the BCS -- and let's be honest; these hearings are mostly for show -- the bowls and the major conferences would presumably trot out all manner of evidence proving the system has actually promoted competition from the second-tier conferences. The Mountain West and WAC, for example, have placed four teams in BCS bowls over the past five seasons. Prior to that, no current member of either league had played in the Orange, Sugar, Fiesta or Rose bowls since BYU's 1974 Fiesta appearance. Nor did such leagues previously receive annual BCS financial handouts like they do today. The MWC, WAC, MAC, C-USA and Sun Belt shared a combined $19.3 million in BCS revenue last season.

Meanwhile, one couldn't help but laugh at Rep. Barton during that House hearing in May when he waved his big, scary trump card at stone-faced BCS coordinator John Swofford. Barton threatened to pass a piece of legislation that "will prohibit the marketing, promotion, and advertising of a postseason game as a 'national championship' football game, unless it is the result of a playoff system." That's it? A name-change? I'm sure House leaders will clear their calendars for that vote.

Quickly to baseball, where the Missourian checks in on former Tiger Evan Frey.

Finally, this has nothing to do with Mizzou, but Rocky Top Talk has an outstanding recap of one of the craziest Saturdays in recent football history--conference championship week, 1998.  Three teams--K-State, UCLA, Tennessee--entered the week undefeated and with a legitimate shot at the BCS title game.  Two blew second-half leads, while the other faced a surprising deficit halfway through the fourth quarter.  And Ohio State, who had choked away a loss to Michigan State a few weeks earlier, almost managed to squeeze back into the title game.