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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, for the fourth straight year, here's a list of things I'm thankful for, dating back to last Thanksgiving.
Today, I'm thankful for...
... a ho-hum win in Kansas City in a series that had been anything but ho-hum in recent history. Not pictured: 17 personal fouls committed on blocks while returning Jordan Webb's 18th interception of the day (ed. note: slight exaggeration, but not by much).
... attending that game live so I, unlike Bill, didn't have to listen to Dave Lapham.
... the best basketball game I've ever witnessed in person, even though I want to stab Chris Wright for his role in it.
... the first 30 or so minutes of Mizzou's win at Oregon. Selective memory indicates the rest of the game never happened.
... Beating future division rival Vanderbilt at Mizzou Arena thanks to Marcus Freaking Denmon.
... an extremely personal selection for my favorite moment of the year: Calling Mizzou volleyball's return to the NCAA Tournament, in particular Mizzou pulling off the biggest upset in tournament history by defeating No. 5 Northern Iowa in an epic five-setter in a tremendous atmosphere at the McLeod Center.
...the opportunity to not merely be proud that I am a college graduate, but the opportunity to be proud that I am forever a Missouri Tiger and no one can take that away from me.
... Braggin' Rights. Again.
... Bill Carter's Insight Bowl photo gallery and Micah Hyde preventing any self-respecting Missouri fan from ever naming their child "Micah."
... Bill and I spending time in January previewing the impending quarterback battle (remember those times?)
... no longer being in a conference with Alec Burks.
... events transpiring that forced Bill to write the phrase "Phil Pressey took off the protective glove and went apes*** in the second half."
... destroying K-State at Mizzou Arena, giving us a chance to mock them for their imminent trip to the NIT and keeping our promising season rolling (ed. note - hindsight sucks sometimes).
... my favorite post I've ever written on RMN: The Swanson Pyramid of Greatness.
... SNOWPOCALYPSE 2011.
... Bill taking the blame for another loss in Lawrence.
... Getting To Know: Chelsea Thomas. Or as SleepyFloyd7 called it, Getting To Know Internet Humiliation.
... NFL Draft Profiles giving me excuses to post Aldon Smith snapping Carson Coffman in half and Blaine Gabbert grilling money.
... a forgotten Photoshop: Norm Stewart angry at his iPad.
... Gus Johnson at Mizzou Arena. Nothing else of note happened that day. One day, the NCAA will pass a rule saying that a game played during a broadcast interrupted by sun spots is not valid.
... the Big 12 Tournament and NCAA Tournaments mercifully euthanizing the end of that season.
... the perspective of knowing that we all are just pawns in Jimmy Sexton's game of million dollar chess.
... Chill out guys. Mike Anderson is coming back!
... LOL J/K.
... Matt Painter being the next coach at Missouri.
... LOL J/K.
... what Mike Anderson did in his time at Missouri, regardless of the infuriating manner in which it ended.
... Bill going HAM on Coaching Search profiles.
... Missouri's courage in forgoing billions of dollars in donations from an unnamed former RMN poster by electing to hire Frank Haith.
... two more first round draft picks for Mizzou.
... looking back at SPOOOOOOOOOOON.
... another Big Stubble Conference Championship.
... the moment in which I've never been prouder of this community: The RMN Tremendous Stubble Charity Drive.
... another WCWS berth. Appropriate response here.
... the most simultaneously exhilarating and heart-breaking softball game I've ever seen against Baylor.
... seriously, you guys:
... ZouDave serving as my colleague in epic nerdery.
... the return of MIZZOUEXPANSIONAPALOOZA, sponsored by Tums.
... Baby Beef's recollection of her first football season.
... SB Nation having the wisdom and foresight to hire Bill as a full-time writer. SBN is lucky to have him, and we're luckier to hoard him for ourselves.
... Friday Night football. Hey, did you know Brock Osweiler is 6-8?
... Henry Josey going all "Bo Jackson in Tecmo Super Bowl" on Western Illinois.
... three-plus Live Threads for Curatorapalooza.
... 100 Homecomings at Ol' Mizzou.
... the virtue of patience.
... Marcus Lucas in the Southeast corner of Kyle Field.
... One Mizzou.
... a fond "goodbye to Texas University," to borrow a phrase from Aggie parlance, at Faurot Field.
... the swift and thorough response by both Missouri administrators and Gary Pinkel to his arrest. Under circumstances that could have made me extremely ashamed of my university and those who lead it, I was happy to find a small measure of pride in the way a terrible situation and a horrible mistake have since been handled.
... the feeling of HOLY HELL against Notre Dame in Kansas City.
... HOLY HELL AGAIN against Cal.
... another year of continued success for Missouri athletics, and most importantly, the continued health of those close to us with whom we get to share its moments.
Bully to you, Mizzou, and Bully to you, RMN. Have a great Thanksgiving.