Mizzou Links, 5-28-10

Big 12 Baseball Links

Now that Mizzou has been eliminated from Big 12 title game contention, tomorrow will officially be the last time Aaron Senne and the seniors take the field in a Mizzou uniform.  A tip of the cap to all of them.

• Texas A&M 7, Mizzou 2
  Big 12 Sports.com: Texas A&M in Finals After Defeating Mizzou
  MUtigers.com: Tigers Fall to Texas A&M
  The Missourian: Missouri falls to Texas A&M at Big 12 Tournament
  Houston Chronicle: A&M defeats Missouri to earn berth in Big 12 title game
  
• The Trib: MU's Liberto makes impact in return from broken jaw

Mizzou Softball Preview Links

• MUtigers.com: Tigers Look to Return to WCWS
  MUtigers.com: Softball Fan Primer - NCAA Super Regional
• The Missourian: Columbia NCAA Softball Super Regional Info
• The Trib: Nottelmann comfortable in spotlight
• KC Star: Marston leads Mizzou into softball super regionals
• Post-Dispatch: Taylor keys MU's softball title hopes

Football Links

• The Trib (Dave Matter): Four and Out
• Dr. Saturday: College Football Hall of Fame takes care of a little old business
• Buff Zone: Failure-to-appear warrant issued for CU football player Markques Simas
• Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Tony Barnhart): Is the BCS supposed to be fair?

Mizzou Basketball Links

• The Trib (Steve Walentik): One more take on Tyler Stone's transfer (as posted in FanShots late last night)
  

Other Basketball Links

• Kansas
  Joe Posnanski: A Ticket Scandal
  KC Star: OU's Castiglione aware that Oklahoma was mentioned in KU report
  KC Star: KU officials say new director of ticket operations wasn't involved in scandal
• Oklahoma
  The Dagger: Oklahoma's Tiny Gallon defends himself against allegations

Other Mizzou Links

• Mizzou Track & Field
  MUtigers.com: Farmer, Dixon Highlight Day One at NCAA First Round
  

Expansion

• KC Star (Campus Corner): Big 12 Playing the Blame Game

  Now, as far as Missouri and/or Nebraska being disloyal to the Big 12 by considering better pay days if invited to and accepted into the Big Ten?

  Well, Castiglione seems to understand that he would do the same thing if OU were presented with a similar opportunity, which the Sooners might well be at some point. What Castiglione sees as a valid objection is the public way that consideration seems to be playing out.

  "It’s all the talking about it that has gotten under the skin of some people," he said. "It seems to some people like they’re trying to play both ends against the middle."

  ...

  Rather than harp about how Missouri and Nebraska seem to be hurting some feelings around the Big 12, the way some Big 12 officials - including Commissioner Dan Beebe - are posturing and posing, they have no one to blame but themselves.

  When all this talk began with Missouri being willing to listen to bettering itself outside the Big 12, Beebe and league athletic directors could have acknowledge that concerns over revenue splits and the Texas-centric bowl process were valid and would be addressed. Instead, what we’ve heard is how wonderful everything is in the Big 12 and a growing chorus of petulant bleating.
  
  Echoed in some quarters of the media - i.e., highlighting the number of sports championships or titles not won by Missouri as some convoluted sort of reasoning against the value of seeking a better financial package - as evidence that the Big 12 is somehow being wronged.

  Here's my question: is Beebe going to give Texas the same ultimatum he gives Mizzou and (maybe) Nebraska at the Big 12 meetings?  After all, UT's "We're keeping our options open" talk (in regard to independence) is every bit as bad as anything anybody actually associated with Mizzou's athletic department has said.  Plus, how exactly would Texas creating their own TV network help the conference?  Are they going to ask Texas the same stupid "Are you in or out, a**holes??" questions everybody now expects them to ask Mizzou?  I think we know the answer.
  
  (That, and ... to Mike Dearmond and everybody else in the media: if we end up in the Big Ten one day, it's not because of revenue splits and the bowl process.  Again, those are about Reasons #6 and #10.  They're annoying and frustrating, but ... TV REVENUE AND ACADEMICS.  That's why we would accept a Big Ten bid, and associating anything else to a possible move is just a distraction.  It's like breaking up with a girl who cheated on you twelve times and saying it's because she snores.)
  
  And speaking of Texas...
  
• Dawg Sports: "Don't Mess With Texas": Why Snagging the Longhorns is Critical if the SEC is to Survive Big Ten Expansion

And this doesn't necessarily have to do with extinction, but with my love of the What If game, I would be remiss if I didn't pass along a lovely post from SBN's Rutgers site, On the Banks, entitled "What If? Five Big East historical counterfactuals."  Fun.