Mizzou Links, 7-19-10

First, I want to re-emphasize just how well I feel Mike Alden and Brady Deaton handled themselves in the e-mails that the Trib revealed yesterday (discussed in the FanShot below).  The exchange where Beebe says "You're making us look bad!!!" and Deaton responds with "No, we're doing our job, just like everybody else," (only with a lot more words) was outstanding.  I realize we can't control the narrative, and when it comes to narratives, it's the cattier the better, but yesterday's Trib article reaffirmed that Mizzou's administrators handled this whole issue the exact way I hope I would have handled it if I were in such a position.  It didn't work out specifically how we all wanted it to, but kudos to Mike Alden and Chancellor Deaton regardless.

Mizzou (and Big 12) Football Links

• PowerMizzou: Fall camp preview: Quarterbacks
  PowerMizzou: Fall camp preview: Tailbacks
  PowerMizzou: Fall camp preview: Receivers
• The Trib: Huskers vs Horns highlights 2010 slate
• The Trib: Carrying the flag for the Big 12 (an interview with Joe Castiglione)
  

  Q: You touched on this last month in Kansas City, and being an old Big Eight guy, did you ever wake up one day during this realignment saga and experience some sadness that what was once a great conference is now gone? Nebraska was such a major part of this league for a long time and had been part of some historic rivalries. Throw Colorado in there, too. Regardless how strong the conference will be in the future, how personally difficult was this to witness?

  A: I don’t think you can say it any better than you did. When one sits in a place and observes what just happened, even though we might have a very strong stake in the development of the conference or the changes that may occur in the conference prior to even the Big 12, recognizing those that contributed to making these rivalries what they are, to now realizing some of that tradition is over after this year, it is tough. Over decades, there have been changes. Over decades, schools have joined conferences and made changes in their philosophy and stepped out and joined other conferences. It’s hard to recall all the reasons those changes occurred previously. I’m sure in this particular case, institutions had their own reason to seek another opportunity.

  This is all water under the bridge now, but it wasn’t like there was anything wrong with the Big 12. That’s what I kept trying to say during those meetings. "Tell me what we’re missing here?" We’ve had teams compete for and win national championships in every sport we sponsor on a consistent basis. And not just once in a while, or once in a great while. We’re not embellishing or exaggerating. The proof is right there for everybody to see. These teams are getting stronger and stronger, and it seemed like eight or nine months ago we were reading stories about how the conference has gotten stronger across the board and how there wasn’t as much disparity between a weaker team in a certain sport versus a stronger team as there once was. The gap had closed. There were all sorts of facts that people could cite to justify a statement for supporting the Big 12.

  ...

  You want to subscribe to a feeling of disappointment or anger or disillusionment or whatever it is, but you’ve got to get over it. Because we’re moving forward. And I think the arrangement we have now and the strength of the league that can develop with 10 schools can still allow us to reach the same kind of goals and play the same type of role in the landscape of college sports that we were.

• Lincoln Journal-Star: Breaking down key Big 12 defensive players

  5. Will Ebner, Missouri: Big hitter. Tough, too. Consider that Ebner was back on the field two weeks after having arthroscopic surgery on a knee he injured against Nebraska. He had 78 tackles last year (9 1/2 for loss) and that was despite starting seven games. And with Sean Weatherspoon gone, expect Ebner’s impact to be even more magnified.

• PowerMizzou: Sean Weatherspoon: 'Mr. Personality'
• Orangebloods.com: Breaking down the Big 12's best offensive linemen (Spoiler Alert: they love Mizzou's line)
• Dallas Morning News / Seattle Times: How Pac-10 is affected without Texas Longhorns
• Dawg Sports: A Word About Preseason College Football Predictions Before I Make Any
• Oklahoma
  Daily Oklahoman: Ex-OU linebacker Torrance Marshall becoming a firefighter

Mizzou (and Big 12) Basketball Links

• The Trib: Laurence Bowers back in the game after surgery
• Tulsa World: Shock could use player like [Paul] Pressey right now
• Texas A&M
  Aggie Athletics: Texas A&M's Roland Appeal Denied
  The Dagger: It's a shame we've seen the last of Derrick Roland at Texas A&M
• Oklahoma
  Daily Oklahoman: Ex-OU star Hollis Price enjoys experience of playing in Europe

Other Mizzou Links

• Mizzou Baseball
  The Trib: MU pitching coach headed to TCU
  SimmonsField.com: Tony V to TCU
  SimmonsField.com: Tony V

And don't forget ... coming soon ...