Sports Illustrated praises CoMo for its diversity, burgers

Yes, there are lots of things going on in the world of football right now, but when it comes to defending our college town, priorities need to be set.

On Monday, Sports Illustrated placed two Mizzou-centric places on some “best of” college town lists. First, and more generally, Columbia, Mo. was named the fifth best college football town in the country.

But beyond the weird beauty of that campus landmark, Columbia boasts a vibrant art scene. The Blue Note, a local music venue, attracts a solid lineup each year, as does the Roots n Blues n BBQ Festival every fall. And there’s plenty of good food to choose from...

We’ll get to that food comment in a minute.

By process of elimination, Columbia is SI’s second-highest SEC city, only ranking behind Athens, Ga. It probably helps that Joan Niesen, former Tiger and one of the Journalism School’s finest products of the 21st century, is the writer of this particular column. Still, it’s nice to see CoMo getting a little love.

Now to the other list Sports Illustrated made yesterday. While running down their choices for The Greatest College Town Eats a certain Columbia favorite not only made the list... it topped it!

If you’d like a game of pool to go along with your burger, you can get one here—but really, Booches delectable beef patties need very little in the way of adornment.

Two things, because I could very easily turn this into a full editorial at the drop of a hat.

1. I’m very happy to see Columbia get this type of love. It’s good for the city, especially for traveling fans who may or may not plan a trip based on what they’ve heard about the town they’ll be visiting.
2. Booches is not the best burger in Columbia. It may not even be top three. And while I do understand that nostalgia is a powerful thing, and it’s impossible to separate college memories from our enjoyment of certain establishments, I will never understand overpaying for a burger that is far too small and fairly mediocre.

That’s it. I’m ending on that note. Please be kind to me in the comments.

Yesterday at Rock M

• Damarea Crockett, J’Mon Moore and the possibility of Mizzou Football
• 2019 Season Opponents Preview: Southeast Missouri State Redhawks
• Mizzou Football Position Previews: The Defensive Line

More Links:

• PowerMizzou subscribers have plenty to feast on, including Gabe’s Monday morning thoughts, a Sean Williams break down on a new 2020 offer and an examination of a Georgia DE’s recruitment.
• Jordan Geist as a Gladiator? It checks out.
• Maurice Massey, the true freshman, is GETTIN’ UP!

• Dave Matter details how Mizzou plans to clean up the special teams play and who will cover if Albert Okwuegbunam has to miss time.
• Alex Schiffer detailed a tight battle for a starting linebacker position, while Gary Debore detailed future plans for the Rivalry Renewed alumni games. They sound incredible, even if the Tigers and Jayhawks aren’t squaring up this year.
• Mizzou high-jumper Roberto Vilches earned a bronze at this year’s Pan American games.
• Congrats to former Tiger Harold Brantley on his new status as Arena League champion!