UPDATE: I think it's pretty safe to call this one.  After a lovely 688 votes, Askren takes it easily, 69%-30%.

It's finally here, the finals of the month-long Mizzou 25 contest, the tournament to decide the best, most influential, most likable Mizzou athlete of the past 25 years.

Mizzou 25 was been set up in four 8-athlete regions: the Norm Stewart Region (basketball), the Larry Smith Region (football), the Joann Rutherford Region (all sports), and the Harold "Spider" Burke Region (fan favorites).  After 28 matchups, we had our regional champions: Anthony Peeler, Chase Daniel, Ben Askren, and Pig Brown.  Two lopsided semifinals later, we have our finalists.  As expected, it's come down to Askren vs Daniel.  (Click here for the bracket and here for previous Mizzou 25 posts/polls.)

Ben Askren vs Chase Daniel
	vs
2004-07		2005-08
Stats 03-04: 32-5, National Runner-Up 04-05: 34-3, National Runner-Up 05-06: 45-0, National Champion 06-07: 42-0, National Champion Career Record: 153-8 Two National Titles		Stats 347 passing yards, 57 rushing yards, 2 total TDs, 1 season-saving, come-from-behind win 3527 passing yards, 379 rushing yards, 32 total TDs 4306 passing yards, 253 rushing yards, 37 total TDs Record: 27-12 Bowl Wins: 2
The Boy: Everything Chase Daniel is to the Mizzou Football team, Ben Askren was to Mizzou Wrestling.  He's easily the best wrestler in Mizzou history, and one of the nation’s best wrestlers of the decade.  All he did was win the last 87 matches of his career.  He’s a two-time national champion at 174 pounds (and two-time national wrestler of the year) for a school devoid of many titles, and only OSU’s Chris Pendleton prevented him from being a four-time national champion. During a redshirt season at Mizzou that was encouraging but did not come close to preparing Mizzou fans for what laid ahead in his career, he began to develop his own brand of ‘funk’, utilizing his lankiness, creating a wrestling style that continuously put his opponents off-balance, and being good enough at that style to rack up 91 career pins, 3rd-best in NCAA history, and win two Hodge Trophies, wrestling's version of the Heisman.  That's right--he's the Archie Griffin of wrestling! Askren is one of the greatest athletes (possibly the greatest), personalities, and afros in Mizzou history, so much so that he's begun appearing on local commercials endorsing local companies.  When's the last time a Mizzou wrestler had that sort of stature? chitowntiger: I know I've waxed poetically on Ben before, but I'm not going to pass up a chance like this. When Coach Smith started, everyone told me to believe in him, because he'll do great things. Being a Catholic and a Cubs fan, I'm not short on faith, so I bought in on Brian. Ben is who made me proud of that faith. Ben is who let me smugly say to the guy wearing an Iowa wrestling shirt, "Yeah, I was a manager for Mizzou wrestling. Have you seen how we're doing this year?" Ben is who started a wave of fantastic out-of-state recruits. Ben is someone that all wrestling fans and Tiger fans should be proud of, because he is an excellent representative of our sport and our school. The Beef: My only lament about Askren's career is that he never got to beat that absolute CRAP out of Hendricks at 165...I would have gone almost ANYWHERE to see that happen. My biggest memory about Askren was actually in a match I never saw at the National Duals in 2007.  Askren moved UP in weight and took on #2 ranked Roger Kish of MN at 184.  I remember The Boy telling me he had defeated Kish 5-4.  To me, that was insane, knowing that Askren had actually certified to start the season at 165, but wrestled at 174 all that time, but that he could go up even further and still beat the #2 wrestler in the country at that weight...just insane.		The Boy: Chase Daniel is quite simply the realization of all the hope we’ve ever had for a Mizzou player or a Mizzou team.  We wanted Corby Jones or Brad Smith to get Heisman hype, and Daniel finished fourth in the Heisman voting in 2007.  We yearned for Corby’s teams and Brad’s teams to break through that 8-win barrier and put together a memorable season with as few "What If’s" as possible...and under Daniel’s guidance, Mizzou simply went out and won 12 games in 2007, earning its first #1 ranking in 47 years in the process. We all know the Chase Daniel story by now.  He was raised to play football.  While most kids his age were learning to drive, he was learning the intricacies of the spread offense.  Every time he went to the bathroom in his Southlake home, he was surrounded by inspirational quotes from Vince Lombardi, et al.  He was born for stardom.  And he proved himself a man of his word, staying committed to Mizzou even when Texas came calling. If Brad Smith saved the Pinkel Era with his performance in the 2005 Independence Bowl, Chase Daniel saved the moment that saved the Pinkel Era.  With Smith strug-a-ling mightily against Iowa State and stinging from a cheap shot, Daniel entered the game with Mizzou down 10.  Two no-huddle drives later, it was tied, and Mizzou won in OT.  They wouldn't have qualified for a bowl without that win.  It was at that moment that people realized, "Hey...I sure am gonna miss Brad Smith, but I think our future's pretty bright."  (That's what I was saying, anyway...ahem.) There's really no need to rehash much of the last two years, is there?  Almost 8500 total yards and 70 TDs?  20 wins?  A New Year's Day bowl?  A #1 ranking?  The highest expectations ever for a Mizzou team (in 2008)?  You know the story.  You're along for the ride.  This short, squatty gunslinger from Southlake has transformed the Mizzou program, and he's not done yet. fltfire: I'll never forget snagging the mizzou magazine from my parents when Chase signed. "The Chase is on" read the cover and I began to believe that Mizzou football was actually going to get over that 8 win hump. Although well into my 20's I remember feeling like a little kid reading about the possibilities of Mizzou's future with Daniel. Never before was I more excited about a football recruit and never has any Mizzou recruit lived up to the hype as fully as Daniel. As I get older it will only be more and more difficult to surpass that feeling that stays in my memory. I can tell you exactly where I was, down to the chair I was sitting in, when I first heard Chase had committed. As I age it will only be more and more difficult to replicate that feeling.

Yesterday was Ben Askren Day, so today we focus on his opponent in the upcoming Mizzou 25 finals, Chase Daniel.  To get to the finals, Daniel steamrolled everyone in front of him, beating Corby Jones (87%-12%), Martin Rucker (75%-24%), Brad Smith (77%-22%), and Pig Brown (88%-11%).

As with Askren yesterday, feel free to share your Daniel thoughts, stories, videos, and links in comments.

(Ben Fredman)

(Showmenews)

(Sarah Becking)

(SI)

Click 'Full Story' for videos, links, and more.

Over the next couple days, we're going to be taking a community look at the two finalists before the finals at the end of the week.  First up is the champion of the Joann Rutherford Region, Ben Askren.  To get to the finals, Askren defeated Renee Kelly (91%-8%), Christian Cantwell (88%-11%), Lindsey Hunter (80%-19%), and Anthony Peeler (61%-38%).

Share your Askren thoughts, stories, videos, and links in comments.  I'll add some to the post itself as the day progresses.







(Credit to the Columbia Tribune, Tech-Fall.com, and Daylife.com for the pics.)

Click 'Read More' for video and links.

UPDATE: Called after 108 votes.  Daniel wins, 88%-11%.

We've accomplished something special for Mizzou 25, the tournament to decide the best, most influential, most likable Mizzou athlete of the past 25 years--we've found a way to put the words "Mizzou" and "Final Four" together!!!

Mizzou 25 was been set up in four 8-athlete regions: the Norm Stewart Region (basketball), the Larry Smith Region (football), the Joann Rutherford Region (all sports), and the Harold "Spider" Burke Region (fan favorites).  After 28 matchups, we've got our regional champions: Anthony Peeler, Chase Daniel, Ben Askren, and Pig Brown.  Click here for the bracket and here for previous Mizzou 25 posts/polls.

The bracket was set up before the creative detour.  That's right, I re-seeded!  Since the football and basketball brackets were easily the most popular and highly-debated, I rearranged things so that the champs of those regions didn't have to face each other in the semifinals.  Here are the official Final Four matchups:

3/28: Anthony Peeler vs Ben Askren
3/31: Chase Daniel vs Pig Brown

Who faces Askren in the finals?  You decide!

Chase Daniel vs Pig Brown
	vs
2005-08		2006-07
Stats 347 passing yards, 57 rushing yards, 2 total TDs, 1 season-saving, come-from-behind win 3527 passing yards, 379 rushing yards, 32 total TDs 4306 passing yards, 253 rushing yards, 37 total TDs Record: 27-12 Bowl Wins: 2		Stats 32 tackles, 0.5 tackles for loss, 1 forced fumble 70 tackles, 8 tackles for loss, 3 INTs, 1 forced fumble, 2 glorious fumble recoveries, 1 TD Career Record: 20-7 Bowl Wins: 1
The Boy: Chase Daniel is quite simply the realization of all the hope we’ve ever had for a Mizzou player or a Mizzou team.  We wanted Corby Jones or Brad Smith to get Heisman hype, and Daniel finished fourth in the Heisman voting in 2007.  We yearned for Corby’s teams and Brad’s teams to break through that 8-win barrier and put together a memorable season with as few "What If’s" as possible...and under Daniel’s guidance, Mizzou simply went out and won 12 games in 2007, earning its first #1 ranking in 47 years in the process. We all know the Chase Daniel story by now.  He was raised to play football.  While most kids his age were learning to drive, he was learning the intricacies of the spread offense.  Every time he went to the bathroom in his Southlake home, he was surrounded by inspirational quotes from Vince Lombardi, et al.  He was born for stardom.  And he proved himself a man of his word, staying committed to Mizzou even when Texas came calling. If Brad Smith saved the Pinkel Era with his performance in the 2005 Independence Bowl, Chase Daniel saved the moment that saved the Pinkel Era.  With Smith strug-a-ling mightily against Iowa State and stinging from a cheap shot, Daniel entered the game with Mizzou down 10.  Two no-huddle drives later, it was tied, and Mizzou won in OT.  They wouldn't have qualified for a bowl without that win.  It was at that moment that people realized, "Hey...I sure am gonna miss Brad Smith, but I think our future's pretty bright."  (That's what I was saying, anyway...ahem.) There's really no need to rehash much of the last two years, is there?  Almost 8500 total yards and 70 TDs?  20 wins?  A New Year's Day bowl?  A #1 ranking?  The highest expectations ever for a Mizzou team (in 2008)?  You know the story.  You're along for the ride.  This short, squatty gunslinger from Southlake has transformed the Mizzou program, and he's not done yet.		Rptgwb: If you were to build a human out of the 2007 football team, it might look something like this: Chase Daniel was the face, Gary Pinkel the brains, Lorenzo Williams the mouth, William Moore the hands, and Martin Rucker/Chase Coffman the "juevos." But only one player was the heart: Pig Brown. Our fair Cornelius may have saved Mizzou's season on several occasions before anyone even knew how special of a season it would turn out to be. Against Illinois, his 100+ yard fumble return was a 14-point swing that completely changed the momentum of that game. Later, his interception iced it and gave Mizzou its signature non-conference win. Once conference play began, Pig was all over the field. Against Nebraska, his thundering (albeit illegal) hit on Maurice Purify helped set the tone in the secondary for the unit to become one of the most punishing in the Big 12. Against Texas Tech, where the physicality of his secondary became VERY apparent, Pig turned the "Air Raid" offense into his personal playground. He finished the day with 14 tackles, 4.5 of them for loss, as well as a pick and two breakups. His injury against Iowa State could have been devastating, but both Pig and the Tigers refused to let "Brian Smith syndrome" kill the momentum they'd built early in the season. His emotional contribution to his team and the program was actually most apparent when Gary Pinkel broke his own rule to allow the injured Pig to travel to road games, helping spur Mizzou to a 55-10 thumping of Colorado in Boulder. Pig may have only been on the field for eight games in only one year with Mizzou, but for a website that loves stats like "points per play," I'd be hard pressed to find someone with more "contribution to the program per appearance" than Pig Brown.

UPDATE: After 108 votes, we're calling it.  Askren wins, 61%-38%, and moves on to the Mizzou 25 finals.

We've accomplished something special for Mizzou 25, the tournament to decide the best, most influential, most likable Mizzou athlete of the past 25 years--we've found a way to put the words "Mizzou" and "Final Four" together!!!

Mizzou 25 was been set up in four 8-athlete regions: the Norm Stewart Region (basketball), the Larry Smith Region (football), the Joann Rutherford Region (all sports), and the Harold "Spider" Burke Region (fan favorites).  After 28 matchups, we've got our regional champions: Anthony Peeler, Chase Daniel, Ben Askren, and Pig Brown.  Click here for the bracket and here for previous Mizzou 25 posts/polls.

Now it's time to take a creative detour.  That's right, I'm re-seeding!  Since the football and basketball brackets were easily the most popular and highly-debated, I'm arranging things so that the champs of those regions don't have to face each other in the semifinals.  Here are the official Final Four matchups:

3/28: Anthony Peeler vs Ben Askren
3/31: Chase Daniel vs Pig Brown

So without further ado...

Anthony Peeler vs Ben Askren
	vs
1990-94		2004-07
Stats 88-89: 10.1 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 2.8 APG 89-90: 16.8 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 5.8 APG 90-91: 19.4 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 5.0 APG 91-92: 23.4 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 3.9 APG Record: 96-33 NCAA Tourney Wins: 3		Stats 03-04: 32-5, National Runner-Up 04-05: 34-3, National Runner-Up 05-06: 45-0, National Champion 06-07: 42-0, National Champion Career Record: 153-8 Two National Titles
Michael Atchison: Perhaps the most dizzying all-around talent ever to play at Mizzou, Anthony Peeler could slash, pass, score and defend the perimeter as well as any Tiger in history. A 6’4" guard from Kansas City’s Paseo High, Peeler was the Big Eight Newcomer of the Year in 1989, as he helped the Tigers reach the NCAA Sweet Sixteen. In his sophomore season, Peeler showed his remarkable versatility, averaging 16.8 points, 5.4 rebounds, 5.8 assists, and 2.0 steals en route to being named first-team All-Big Eight. He also became just the eighth Tiger to score 40 points in a game as he drilled Iowa State for 42, including a perfect 20 for 20 from the free throw line. After he lost the early part of his junior season to academics, Peeler returned and averaged 19.4 points, 6.2 rebounds and 5.0 assists. Peeler was even more dominant as a senior, winning the Big Eight scoring title and Player of the Year honors, and leading a group of young role players to the NCAA Tournament. But the most vivid memory of that season came in a loss, when he scored an electrifying 43 points at Kansas. His 1,970 career points rank him third all-time, and he remains number one in assists (497) and steals (196).		The Boy: Everything Chase Daniel is to the Mizzou Football team, Ben Askren was to Mizzou Wrestling.  He's easily the best wrestler in Mizzou history, and one of the nation’s best wrestlers of the decade.  All he did was win the last 87 matches of his career.  He’s a two-time national champion at 174 pounds (and two-time national wrestler of the year) for a school devoid of many titles, and only OSU’s Chris Pendleton prevented him from being a four-time national champion. During a redshirt season at Mizzou that was encouraging but did not come close to preparing Mizzou fans for what laid ahead in his career, he began to develop his own brand of ‘funk’, utilizing his lankiness, creating a wrestling style that continuously put his opponents off-balance, and being good enough at that style to rack up 91 career pins, 3rd-best in NCAA history. Askren is one of the greatest athletes (possibly the greatest), personalities, and afros in Mizzou history, so much so that he's begun appearing on local commercials endorsing local companies.  When's the last time a Mizzou wrestler had that sort of stature?

UPDATE: Called after 106 votes.  Pig takes it, 54%-45%.

It's Elite Eight time for Mizzou 25, the tournament to decide the best, most influential, most likable Mizzou athlete of the past 25 years!

Mizzou 25 has been set up in four 8-athlete regions: the Norm Stewart Region (basketball), the Larry Smith Region (football), the Joann Rutherford Region (all sports), and the Harold "Spider" Burke Region (fan favorites).  To see where the bracket currently stands, click here.  We are to the regional finals!

Here are your Elite Eight matchups:

3/24: Melvin Booker vs Anthony Peeler (Norm Stewart Region)
3/25: Brad Smith vs Chase Daniel (Larry Smith Region)
3/26: Ben Askren vs Lindsey Hunter (Joann Rutherford Region)
3/27: Pig Brown vs Demontie Cross (Harold "Spider" Burke Region)

Mizzou's hardest-hitting safety of the '00s versus Mizzou's hardest-hitting safety of the '90s.  Apparently hard-hitting safeties are fan favorites!

Pig Brown vs Demontie Cross
	vs
2006-07		1994-96
Rptgwb: If you were to build a human out of the 2007 football team, it might look something like this: Chase Daniel was the face, Gary Pinkel the brains, Lorenzo Williams the mouth, William Moore the hands, and Martin Rucker/Chase Coffman the "juevos." But only one player was the heart: Pig Brown. Our fair Cornelius may have saved Mizzou's season on several occasions before anyone even knew how special of a season it would turn out to be. Against Illinois, his 100+ yard fumble return was a 14-point swing that completely changed the momentum of that game. Later, his interception iced it and gave Mizzou its signature non-conference win. Once conference play began, Pig was all over the field. Against Nebraska, his thundering (albeit illegal) hit on Maurice Purify helped set the tone in the secondary for the unit to become one of the most punishing in the Big 12. Against Texas Tech, where the physicality of his secondary became VERY apparent, Pig turned the "Air Raid" offense into his personal playground. He finished the day with 14 tackles, 4.5 of them for loss, as well as a pick and two breakups. His injury against Iowa State could have been devastating, but both Pig and the Tigers refused to let "Brian Smith syndrome" kill the momentum they'd built early in the season. His emotional contribution to his team and the program was actually most apparent when Gary Pinkel broke his own rule to allow the injured Pig to travel to road games, helping spur Mizzou to a 55-10 thumping of Colorado in Boulder. Pig may have only been on the field for eight games in only one year with Mizzou, but for a website that loves stats like "points per play," I'd be hard pressed to find someone with more "contribution to the program per appearance" than Pig Brown.		Art: For many years, he was the only tackler standing between a ball carrier and the endzone, and he always made the open field tackle.  For a while he was the leading tackler in MU football history. The Boy: When I came to school in '97, Demontie Cross, the 6'4, 210 transfer from St. Louis (via Univ. of Illinois) had already gone from human being to myth.  To listen to the stories, he prevented 150 TDs by himself (hell, the numbers almost back that up) while playing with two separated shoulders, one kneecap, a broken ankle, and both a sports hernia and a regular hernia (whatever the difference is).  He'd crush somebody, somehow drag himself to his feet, then do it again. How hard did Demontie hit?  Try 9 forced fumbles in his last 22 games as a Tiger.  How well did he tackle?  Not only did he become Mizzou's all-time leading tackler in just three seasons, but he also had 249 solo tackles!  He was the last person standing between opponents and the endzone so often, and his heroic efforts allowed hope for the future to build as young offensive players like Corby Jones and Brock Olivo and Devin West developed. I talk a lot on RMN about Success Rates and stats like that, but the definitive proof that I don't yet know what I'm talking about when it comes to defensive stats is that I'm pretty sure Demontie Cross wouldn't have scored very well when it came to Success Rates.  If there were a TDs Saved category, however...Cross would be #1 all-time.  And if ever there were a Tiger who deserved more team success than he got, it was Demontie.

UPDATE: Called after 86 votes.  Lindsey put up a good fight, but Askren's basically unstoppable.

It's Elite Eight time for Mizzou 25, the tournament to decide the best, most influential, most likable Mizzou athlete of the past 25 years!

Mizzou 25 has been set up in four 8-athlete regions: the Norm Stewart Region (basketball), the Larry Smith Region (football), the Joann Rutherford Region (all sports), and the Harold "Spider" Burke Region (fan favorites).  To see where the bracket currently stands, click here.  We are to the regional finals!

Here are your Elite Eight matchups:

3/24: Melvin Booker vs Anthony Peeler (Norm Stewart Region)
3/25: Brad Smith vs Chase Daniel (Larry Smith Region)
3/26: Ben Askren vs Lindsey Hunter (Joann Rutherford Region)
3/27: Pig Brown vs Demontie Cross (Harold "Spider" Burke Region)

Today, it's the best wrestler in Mizzou history against the best volleyball player in Mizzou history.

Ben Askren vs Lindsey Hunter
	vs
2004-07		2002-05
The Boy: Everything Chase Daniel is to the Mizzou Football team, Ben Askren was to Mizzou Wrestling.  He's easily the best wrestler in Mizzou history, and one of the nation’s best wrestlers of the decade.  All he did was win the last 87 matches of his career.  He’s a two-time national champion at 174 pounds (and two-time national wrestler of the year) for a school devoid of many titles, and only OSU’s Chris Pendleton prevented him from being a four-time national champion. During a redshirt season at Mizzou that was encouraging but did not come close to preparing Mizzou fans for what laid ahead in his career, he began to develop his own brand of ‘funk’, utilizing his lankiness, creating a wrestling style that continuously put his opponents off-balance, and being good enough at that style to rack up 91 career pins, 3rd-best in NCAA history. Askren is one of the greatest athletes (possibly the greatest), personalities, and afros in Mizzou history, so much so that he's begun appearing on local commercials endorsing local companies.  When's the last time a Mizzou wrestler had that sort of stature?		The Boy: How good was Lindsey Hunter?  Not only is the 2005 All-American (and US Volleyball team member) Mizzou's all-time assists leader, but the distance she put between herself and #2 or #3 on the list is staggering.  Her 6097 assists is a ridiculous 1143 ahead of #2 on the list and 2285 ahead of #3.  Current setter Lei Wang will likely finish #2 all-time...and she may not come within 1000 of Hunter. The setter has as much or more impact on a team's success than a point guard in basketball or even a QB in football.  Hunter spoiled Mizzou fans by making the job look really easy.  Her success lies not only in her career assists, but also in Mizzou's unprecedented success during her four-year tenure.  In the four years before Hunter arrived at Mizzou, the Tigers averaged 17 wins a year and went 0-2 in the NCAA tourney.  The two years after?  A 17.5-win average and 1-2 in the tourney.  Hunter's four years?  22.5 wins a year, and a 5-4 tourney record, including the exhilarating, dominant 2005 run to the Elite Eight.  Hunter was the catalyst for Mizzou's surge as a volleyball power, and the Tigers haven't yet matched her success since her departure.

UPDATE: Called after a lovely 228 votes.  Daniel wins 77%-22%.  It's Daniel vs Peeler in the Final Four.

It's Elite Eight time for Mizzou 25, the tournament to decide the best, most influential, most likable Mizzou athlete of the past 25 years!

Mizzou 25 has been set up in four 8-athlete regions: the Norm Stewart Region (basketball), the Larry Smith Region (football), the Joann Rutherford Region (all sports), and the Harold "Spider" Burke Region (fan favorites).  To see where the bracket currently stands, click here.  We are to the regional finals!

Here are your Elite Eight matchups:

3/24: Melvin Booker vs Anthony Peeler (Norm Stewart Region)
3/25: Brad Smith vs Chase Daniel (Larry Smith Region)
3/26: Ben Askren vs Lindsey Hunter (Joann Rutherford Region)
3/27: Pig Brown vs Demontie Cross (Harold "Spider" Burke Region)

We should really rack up the vote totals for these matchups, so be sure to pass this along to whoever may be interested.  And if you feel like it, share why you voted the way you did in comments.  Talk about a tough vote...let's see where this one goes...it's like the chicken vs the egg here...and I feel sick thinking about voting against either one.

Brad Smith vs Chase Daniel
	vs
2002-05		2005-08
Stats 2333 passing yards, 1029 rushing yards, 22 total TDs 1822 passing yards, 1310 rushing yards, 28 total TDs 2185 passing yards, 553 rushing yards, 24 total TDs 2304 passing yards, 1301 rushing yards, 29 total TDs Record: 25-23 Bowl Wins: 1		Stats 347 passing yards, 57 rushing yards, 2 total TDs, 1 season-saving, come-from-behind win 3527 passing yards, 379 rushing yards, 32 total TDs 4306 passing yards, 253 rushing yards, 37 total TDs Record: 27-12 Bowl Wins: 2
The Boy: I'm going to steal The Beef's line here--nobody had a more enigmatic career than Brad Smith.  When he came to Mizzou, only one QB had ever pulled of a 2000/1000 (passing/rushing yards) season.  He averaged one for his career.  If I attend Mizzou games for the next 50 years, #16 will still end up with probably 4-6 of the Top 10 most amazing plays I've ever seen.  He would slow up as he was heading out of bounds, and as the defender slowed up as well, he'd tiptoe right by them.  He would effortlessly juke out two guys converging on him from two different directions.  He was the first Mizzou QB to beat Nebraska in 25 years, and he did it twice.  He's Mizzou's career rushing leader, and oh yeah, he passed for 8600 yards as well.  Plus, the profile he earned for Mizzou over his four years was the best recruiting tool this staff had from 2003 to 2006. And yet...Mizzou's success with him was limited.  The more teams saw him, the more they figured out how to stop him.  Whether the fault of the Mizzou coaching staff or Brad's own limitations, when it was time for Brad to become more threatening with his arm to break out of the containment teams were putting on his feet, it didn't happen.  The first two years of his career, Mizzou went 13-12.  The last two, they went 12-11. In the 2005 Independence Bowl, however, Smith unleashed his best, most inspiring half of football, and in the process, he possibly saved the Pinkel era and set Mizzou on the course down which they're travelling today.  Down 28-7 to South Carolina late in the first half, Brad used his arm to move Mizzou down for a TD, cutting the score to an attainable 28-14 at halftime.  And then he used his feet to complete the comeback.  His 59-yard run late in the fourth quarter set up the go-ahead TD (scored by him, of course) in a 38-31 win.  You simply cannot underestimate this moment when considering the trajectory of the Mizzou program.  You just cannot.		The Boy: Chase Daniel is quite simply the realization of all the hope we’ve ever had for a Mizzou player or a Mizzou team.  We wanted Corby Jones or Brad Smith to get Heisman hype, and Daniel finished fourth in the Heisman voting in 2007.  We yearned for Corby’s teams and Brad’s teams to break through that 8-win barrier and put together a memorable season with as few "What If’s" as possible...and under Daniel’s guidance, Mizzou simply went out and won 12 games in 2007, earning its first #1 ranking in 47 years in the process. We all know the Chase Daniel story by now.  He was raised to play football.  While most kids his age were learning to drive, he was learning the intricacies of the spread offense.  Every time he went to the bathroom in his Southlake home, he was surrounded by inspirational quotes from Vince Lombardi, et al.  He was born for stardom.  And he proved himself a man of his word, staying committed to Mizzou even when Texas came calling. If Brad Smith saved the Pinkel Era with his performance in the 2005 Independence Bowl, Chase Daniel saved the moment that saved the Pinkel Era.  With Smith strug-a-ling mightily against Iowa State and stinging from a cheap shot, Daniel entered the game with Mizzou down 10.  Two no-huddle drives later, it was tied, and Mizzou won in OT.  They wouldn't have qualified for a bowl without that win.  It was at that moment that people realized, "Hey...I sure am gonna miss Brad Smith, but I think our future's pretty bright."  (That's what I was saying, anyway...ahem.) There's really no need to rehash much of the last two years, is there?  Almost 8500 total yards and 70 TDs?  20 wins?  A New Year's Day bowl?  A #1 ranking?  The highest expectations ever for a Mizzou team (in 2008)?  You know the story.  You're along for the ride.  This short, squatty gunslinger from Southlake has transformed the Mizzou program, and he's not done yet.

UPDATE: 93 votes are in, and Anthony Peeler wins another one.  I would have guessed that he'd lose each of the last two matchups (to Doug Smith on resume, to Melvin Booker on sentiment), but instead Peeler is the first member of the Mizzou 25 Final Four.

It's Elite Eight time for Mizzou 25, the tournament to decide the best, most influential, most likable Mizzou athlete of the past 25 years!

Mizzou 25 has been set up in four 8-athlete regions: the Norm Stewart Region (basketball), the Larry Smith Region (football), the Joann Rutherford Region (all sports), and the Harold "Spider" Burke Region (fan favorites).  To see where the bracket currently stands, click here.  We are to the regional finals!

Here are your Elite Eight matchups:

3/24: Melvin Booker vs Anthony Peeler (Norm Stewart Region)
3/25: Brad Smith vs Chase Daniel (Larry Smith Region)
3/26: Ben Askren vs Lindsey Hunter (Joann Rutherford Region)
3/27: Pig Brown vs Demontie Cross (Harold "Spider" Burke Region)

We should really rack up the vote totals for these matchups, so be sure to pass this along to whoever may be interested.  That said...let's begin!

Melvin Booker vs Anthony Peeler
	vs
1990-94		1988-92
Stats 90-91: 8.3 PPG, 3.5 APG, 2.2 RPG 91-92: 11.6 PPG, 3.9 APG, 3.8 RPG 92-93: 15.8 PPG, 3.7 APG, 4.3 RPG 93-94: 18.1 PPG, 4.5 APG, 3.8 RPG Record: 87-37 NCAA Tourney Wins: 4		Stats 88-89: 10.1 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 2.8 APG 89-90: 16.8 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 5.8 APG 90-91: 19.4 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 5.0 APG 91-92: 23.4 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 3.9 APG Record: 96-33 NCAA Tourney Wins: 3
Michael Atchison: Little fanfare accompanied Melvin Booker’s arrival in Columbia. Norm Stewart discovered the unassuming point guard from Moss Point, Mississippi, while recruiting a more heralded peer. Good thing he did, because Booker spent the next four years maximizing his ability as well as any player in the Stewart era. A starter as a freshman, Booker deferred to Doug Smith and Anthony Peeler on the court. But he began to come into his own as a sophomore, averaging 11.6 points and 3.9 assists. With Peeler’s departure after the 1991-92 season, Booker assumed leadership of the team. His 15.8 points per game led the club in his All-Big Eight junior season. But it was Booker’s remarkable senior season that sealed his place among Mizzou’s all-time greats. His averages of 18.1 points and 4.5 assists per game do not begin to tell the story. On his way to becoming the Big Eight Player of the Year and a second team All-American, Melvin Booker imposed his will on each game, hitting every clutch shot in a season that saw the Tigers go a perfect 14-0 in the Big Eight and advance to within one game of the Final Four. Though his career began in virtual anonymity, it ended with Booker ranking among the greats in Missouri Tiger history.		Michael Atchison: Perhaps the most dizzying all-around talent ever to play at Mizzou, Anthony Peeler could slash, pass, score and defend the perimeter as well as any Tiger in history. A 6’4" guard from Kansas City’s Paseo High, Peeler was the Big Eight Newcomer of the Year in 1989, as he helped the Tigers reach the NCAA Sweet Sixteen. In his sophomore season, Peeler showed his remarkable versatility, averaging 16.8 points, 5.4 rebounds, 5.8 assists, and 2.0 steals en route to being named first-team All-Big Eight. He also became just the eighth Tiger to score 40 points in a game as he drilled Iowa State for 42, including a perfect 20 for 20 from the free throw line. After he lost the early part of his junior season to academics, Peeler returned and averaged 19.4 points, 6.2 rebounds and 5.0 assists. Peeler was even more dominant as a senior, winning the Big Eight scoring title and Player of the Year honors, and leading a group of young role players to the NCAA Tournament. But the most vivid memory of that season came in a loss, when he scored an electrifying 43 points at Kansas. His 1,970 career points rank him third all-time, and he remains number one in assists (497) and steals (196).

UPDATE: Called after 56 votes.  Demontie takes it 66%-33%.  It's safety vs safety in the Spider Burke finals.

Two rounds are almost in the books for Mizzou 25, the tournament to decide the best, most influential, most likable Mizzou athlete of the past 25 years!

Mizzou 25 is set up in four 8-athlete regions: the Norm Stewart Region (basketball), the Larry Smith Region (football), the Joann Rutherford Region (all sports), and the Harold "Spider" Burke Region (fan favorites).  To see where the bracket currently stands, click here.

One Elite Eight slots remains!  Here are the Spider Burke matchups.

3/21: Pig Brown vs Devin West
3/22: Demontie Cross vs Matt Pell

Demontie Cross vs Matt Pell
	vs
1994-96		2004-07
Art: For many years, he was the only tackler standing between a ball carrier and the endzone, and he always made the open field tackle.  For a while he was the leading tackler in MU football history. The Boy: When I came to school in '97, Demontie Cross, the 6'4, 210 transfer from St. Louis (via Univ. of Illinois) had already gone from human being to myth.  To listen to the stories, he prevented 150 TDs by himself (hell, the numbers almost back that up) while playing with two separated shoulders, one kneecap, a broken ankle, and both a sports hernia and a regular hernia (whatever the difference is).  He'd crush somebody, somehow drag himself to his feet, then do it again. How hard did Demontie hit?  Try 9 forced fumbles in his last 22 games as a Tiger.  How well did he tackle?  Not only did he become Mizzou's all-time leading tackler in just three seasons, but he also had 249 solo tackles!  He was the last person standing between opponents and the endzone so often, and his heroic efforts allowed hope for the future to build as young offensive players like Corby Jones and Brock Olivo and Devin West developed. I talk a lot on RMN about Success Rates and stats like that, but the definitive proof that I don't yet know what I'm talking about when it comes to defensive stats is that I'm pretty sure Demontie Cross wouldn't have scored very well when it came to Success Rates.  If there were a TDs Saved category, however...Cross would be #1 all-time.  And if ever there were a Tiger who deserved more team success than he got, it was Demontie.		chitowntiger: When thinking about Matt Pell, Scottie Pippen pops into my mind. Much like Michael Jordan was the Chicago Bulls, Ben Askren was the star of the Tiger Wrestling, and deservedly so. However, the Bulls would not have won their titles without Pippen, and Missouri would have been just as lost without Pell. When Pell came to Columbia from Luxemburg, Wis., he would have been a natural at 174 pounds. Of course, Ben Askren was at that weight, so he spent his redshirt year at 157. The next year, Pell was happy to sacrifice for the team, moved up to 184 and qualified for NCAAs. In his next season, he cut down to 163, and shocked the wrestling world by earning All-American status. Large expectations loomed for Pell during the 2006 NCAAs, but he did not fare as well. Despite having a stellar season, he suffered a first-round upset and did not make it back to the medal stand. For his senior season, Pell steamrolled through the competition at NCAAs, racking up four pins and a third-place finish. The bonus points he earned put the Tigers over the top for a third place, Mizzou’s highest place ever. His career at Mizzou was history-making, but statistics are not what makes Matt a fan favorite. His constant drive to do what was best for the team is. Every Mizzou wrestling fan was frustrated with his junior NCAAs because we knew of his potential. Seeing him take third with a thrilling pin during his senior season was just as satisfying as Askren’s second national championship, because it was a realization of all that we knew Pell could do. Unlike Pippen, Pell would never sit out with 1.8 seconds left.

UPDATE, 9:12am (Saturday) - That didn't take long.  Pig leads by 5, and I'm calling it.

UPDATE, 8:53am (Saturday) - Pig leads by only 4, so I'm keeping the vote open a little longer.  Any Devin holdouts better emerge pretty quickly.

Two rounds are almost in the books for Mizzou 25, the tournament to decide the best, most influential, most likable Mizzou athlete of the past 25 years!

Mizzou 25 is set up in four 8-athlete regions: the Norm Stewart Region (basketball), the Larry Smith Region (football), the Joann Rutherford Region (all sports), and the Harold "Spider" Burke Region (fan favorites).  To see where the bracket currently stands, click here.

Two Elite Eight slots remain (or will shortly, once Hunter-Scherzer has some separation...vote if you haven't!)!  Here are the Spider Burke matchups.

3/21: Pig Brown vs Devin West
3/22: Demontie Cross vs Matt Pell

Today brings one of the more interesting matchups of the tourney...I have NO idea what to expect from this one...

Pig Brown vs Devin West
	vs
2006-07		1995-98
Rptgwb: If you were to build a human out of the 2007 football team, it might look something like this: Chase Daniel was the face, Gary Pinkel the brains, Lorenzo Williams the mouth, William Moore the hands, and Martin Rucker/Chase Coffman the "juevos." But only one player was the heart: Pig Brown. Our fair Cornelius may have saved Mizzou's season on several occasions before anyone even knew how special of a season it would turn out to be. Against Illinois, his 100+ yard fumble return was a 14-point swing that completely changed the momentum of that game. Later, his interception iced it and gave Mizzou its signature non-conference win. Once conference play began, Pig was all over the field. Against Nebraska, his thundering (albeit illegal) hit on Maurice Purify helped set the tone in the secondary for the unit to become one of the most punishing in the Big 12. Against Texas Tech, where the physicality of his secondary became VERY apparent, Pig turned the "Air Raid" offense into his personal playground. He finished the day with 14 tackles, 4.5 of them for loss, as well as a pick and two breakups. His injury against Iowa State could have been devastating, but both Pig and the Tigers refused to let "Brian Smith syndrome" kill the momentum they'd built early in the season. His emotional contribution to his team and the program was actually most apparent when Gary Pinkel broke his own rule to allow the injured Pig to travel to road games, helping spur Mizzou to a 55-10 thumping of Colorado in Boulder. Pig may have only been on the field for eight games in only one year with Mizzou, but for a website that loves stats like "points per play," I'd be hard pressed to find someone with more "contribution to the program per appearance" than Pig Brown.		The Boy: For his first three seasons at Mizzou, Devin West was part of a four-headed rushing monster in the backfield (along with Corby Jones, Brock Olivo, and Ernest Blackwell RIP).  He was like a colt at first--you could see an unbelievable amount of athletic ability in his 6'2, 220-pound frame, but it took him a while to get his legs to do what his brain told them.  He was one step away from returning a kickoff for TD about 16 different times, but never quite pulled it off.  Against Nebraska in '97, he broke a return out toward midfield, made the last guy in his way miss, then tripped over his own feet.  You could see a world of potential, but it hadn't quite been harnessed yet.  He had still managed 1,376 rushing yards the first three years of his tenure at Mizzou, but you could tell he had more to give. Then came his senior season.  All I really need to say about 1998: 32 carries, 319 yards. Actually, let's say a bit more.  When Corby Jones was severely limited due to turf toe halfway through '98, West began carrying more and more of the load.  Did he break down under pressure?  Nope...he said "hop on, boys", put the offense on his back, and posted a crazy 1,578 yards (143.5 per game) and 17 TDs (and an 18th via pass reception).  That year, he almost matched what Corby produced running and throwing.  We think back on the mid- to late-'90s as the Corby Years, and if we think of a second player, it's likely Brock Olivo.  But the person most responsible for what was then Mizzou's winningest season in 15 years (and first bowl win in 17) was #32.

UPDATE (11:48am Friday): Hunter wins a tight one.  After 73 votes, I'm calling it for her, 39-34 (53%-46%).

UPDATE (5:58am Friday): Hunter leads by only 2, so I'm going to do like I did for Pell-Atkins...I'm keeping the poll open until somebody leads by 5.

One round is in the books for Mizzou 25, the tournament to decide the best, most influential, most likable Mizzou athlete of the past 25 years!

Mizzou 25 is set up in four 8-athlete regions: the Norm Stewart Region (basketball), the Larry Smith Region (football), the Joann Rutherford Region (all sports), and the Harold "Spider" Burke Region (fan favorites).  To see where the bracket currently stands, click here.

Three Elite Eight slots remain!  Here are the Joann Rutherford matchups.

3/19: Ben Askren vs Christian Cantwell
3/20: Lindsey Hunter vs Max Scherzer

Lindsey Hunter vs Max Scherzer
	vs
2002-05		2004-06
The Boy: How good was Lindsey Hunter?  Not only is the 2005 All-American Mizzou's all-time assists leader, but the distance she put between herself and #2 or #3 on the list is staggering.  Her 6097 assists is a ridiculous 1143 ahead of #2 on the list and 2285 ahead of #3.  Current setter Lei Wang will likely finish #2 all-time...and she may not come within 1000 of Hunter. The setter has as much or more impact on a team's success than a point guard in basketball or even a QB in football.  Hunter spoiled Mizzou fans by making the job look really easy.  Her success lies not only in her career assists, but also in Mizzou's unprecedented success during her four-year tenure.  In the four years before Hunter arrived at Mizzou, the Tigers averaged 17 wins a year and went 0-2 in the NCAA tourney.  The two years after?  A 17.5-win average and 1-2 in the tourney.  Hunter's four years?  22.5 wins a year, and a 5-4 tourney record, including the exhilarating, dominant 2005 run to the Elite Eight.  Hunter was the catalyst for Mizzou's surge as a volleyball power, and the Tigers haven't yet matched her success since her departure.		The Boy: In the early-'00s, Tim Jamieson's tenure at Mizzou seemed to have plateaued.  After a 2nd-place conference finish and 39 wins in his second season ('96), Mizzou had averaged only 32 wins and a 7th place finish.  Then he put the ball in Max Scherzer's hands. Now...I don't want to over-generalize here.  It took many good hitters and pitchers to turn the program around--Nathan Culp was possibly as valuable as Scherzer, and the new crop of Mizzou pitchers might be even better--but with Scherzer's development from wild freshman to unhittable sophomore/junior, he became the face of a pitching staff that has only gotten better and better.  In 2005, Scherzer earned the Big 12 Pitcher of the Year award with a 1.84 ERA and 131 K's in 106 innings.  In 2006, he shook off an injury and pulled off a 2.25 ERA with 78 K's in 80 innings, saving his best performances for the stretch run of the season.  His emergence coincided with Mizzou's surge in both visibility and quality, and his meteoric development gave legitimacy to a coaching staff that now boasts one of the best pitching corps in the country.