Football Part I

I have to say I was disappointed with the way the Missouri Tiger football season came to an end. If you slept through the past month, Mizzou got beat by Iowa 27-24 in the Insight Bowl. Yep, that's right, the freakin Insight Bowl. I don't think quarterback Blaine Gabbert was at his best that evening, but you also have to give credit to the Hawkeyes who kept pressure on him and did a good job of covering up the Tiger's receivers.

I had to get up early the morning after the game so turned it off with the Tigers up 24-20. The first thing I did when I got up the next day was to get on the 'Net and learn that Mizzou had lost on a pass interception. Quarterback Blaine Gabbert, who has decided to turn pro, tried to force something that wasn't there. He said so after the game. And there are those in the St. Louis media who took potshots at Gabbert. But, I really can't be critical of him. He is a tremendous athlete with a gift and has made that pass many times in the past two years. (So Bernie Miklaz of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch get off of Gabbert's back). I was sad to see Mizzou lose it's bowl game for the second year in a row, but still this team had ten wins this year. Not too shabby.

With ten wins the Tigers should have been playing in the Cotton Bowl ahead of Texas A&M. Missouri had a better record than (A&M) and destroyed the Aggies back in October 30-9 in College Station. But, the bottom line is bowl committee's are nothing more than greedy businessmen looking to line their pockets. Not only wasn't Mizzou invited to the Dallas bowl game, but A&M was invited to play prior to BCS Sunday. Is it fair? Heck no. But as long as Missouri stays in the Big 12 Conference, it will continue to get hosed in the bowl selection process. First of all the conference leadership has done a terrible job of aligning itself with all of the bowl committees. The Big 12 had two teams playing on New Year's Day this year. The Big Ten (which is a weaker conference) had five teams playing on New Year's Day. (And all five lost).

The Cotton Bowl took A&M because it would sell 25 thousand tickets. Missouri sold about 18 thousand tickets four years ago when it was there. And at about $100 a pop that meant 700 thousand dollars in revenue to the Cotton Bowl committee. Enough said.