Missouri Who?

Many years ago, Kansas stood out amongst the States wanting to come into the United States and that started what was called Bloody Kansas.  The Red legs from Missouri would make raids into Kansas and the Jayhawkers would raid slave farms in Missouri.  Quantrill and his merry band of raiders killed a lot of the men in  Lawrence and burned a pretty large part of the town.  As it worked out, Kansas and Nebraska was admitted to the Union as a Free States and that threw the balance of the Free States vs. Slave States out of whack and many people say that was the real start of the Civil War.  In spite of the years in between then and now, a lot of the Kansas people have never forgotten it and Missouri is not our favorite State.  Other than the butt whippings in football most of us think of Nebraska as Kansas North.

When you throw in the number of Championships in Basketball, there is no love loss between the Universities of Missouri and Kansas.  This led to Missouri University leaving the BIG XII and rushing to the SEC.  Now that Missouri has a new Athletic Director there is the potential of tapping the Kansas City market by bringing a Kansas/Missouri game back into the mix.  I think he would never say so but Bill Self is amongst the crowd that would say "Muck Fissouri" There is no love loss and we feel they left us at the Altar so good bye and good riddance.  When you can sell out Allen Field House and have the Fogg Advantage why would you care to schedule a game in KC?

Moving on to today, Kansas plays Kansas State and while there is a rivalry, it is not anything near hate.  Unless they are playing each other, a lot of us will root for the other team.  While I personally don't think I look good in Purple, I really don't have any bad feelings for them.  In fact, I am proud to say that the great play of Kansas, Kansas State and Wichita State makes me proud.  Now if we can just round the teams up to 12 again (Tulsa and Colorado State come to mind) things would be fine.  It really doesn't make much difference to KU but many of us feel the loss of Colorado and Nebraska didn't help.  Wichita doesn't have a football team so they really aren't in the running.

At lunch yesterday, we met a KU fan and had a short talk about the lack of energy KU played with at TCU the other night.  As subjects change, I mentioned that Conner Frankcamp leaving for Wichita State was one of those things that happened at a bad time.  Just when Devonte Graham hurt his big toe, we really could have use his play at Guard.  Our new friend said that his son who lives in Texas had told him weeks back that Conner had a drinking problem and that Bill Self didn't fight really hard to keep him. Some of that bore truth when Conner was arrested for DIU last weekend.  Oh well, I hope he can figure out what the problem is and grow up.  As a recovered drunk I won't throw basketballs at him.  Do you know the difference between an alcoholic and a drunk?   As a sober drunk, I don't have to go to meetings to stay that way. 

Better move on and get ready to watch the battle of the Purple and the Crimson and Blue.  Go Hawks.

MUD