First, let me just say that after last week’s short nugget about what Missouri insiders were saying about the school’s soon-to-be-released new Nike uniforms, it’s clear that Mizzou and its fans will have no problem fitting in with their new SEC brethren.

Under our post, many Tiger fans jumped into our comment boxes to claim that we were attacking their school, should keep our mouths shut, etc, etc.  Some comments were so nasty that they had to be deleted after some claimed they were offensive.  That’s A-1, standard, paranoid SEC overreaction.  Reading something into a story — “obviously we’re the redheaded stepchild of the SEC” type of jibber-jabber for instance — that isn’t even hinted at in the actual story?  Why that’s real SEC passion right there.

Anyone who doubted that Mizzou fans had the passion necessary to be overly sensitive or too easily angered by throwaway blurbs need only study the drama unleashed by our quick “ugh” remark regarding… a uniform.  Some readers even ignored the fact that we included a quote that made it clear these unis were designed to attract recruits first and foremost.  They ignored the fact that we also took a shot at Georgia’s garish, laughable 2011 Power Ranger uniform.  And that we ended by saying we hoped the uniforms “wouldn’t be as bad as feared” when finally released to the public.  Instead of grasping all that, some saw only our clear haaaaaaate for MU.

That type of buffet reading — “I’ll read this, misinterpret that, and totally ignore that” — is pure SEC gold.

And speaking of gold, now that that uniforms have been unveiled, I’ll still say that I’m not a fan.  I prefer old, shiny, metallic gold to yellow.  That’s a personal preference and I’m sure you have your own take on that one.  I’ll try not to be offended if you prefer yellow to gold as it’s really not that big of a deal and won’t cost me any sleep tonight.

The main unis — complete with the oval Tiger-head logo on a black helmet — aren’t nearly as Oregon-esque as some Mizzou officials had hinted.  We at MrSEC.com see that as a positive, you may not.

The alternate football uniform — the one with the yellow jersey and the big yellow Tiger head on a matte-finish black helmet that looks like its been splattered by a paintball — is rather CFLish, if you ask this scribe.  That’s the alternate uni at left.  Ick.  Sue me.

A few Tiger fans aren’t happy that grey — I’m sorry, “anthracite” — has been added to some of the uniforms, but I don’t think it looks too bad on the road white unis.  Of course, “anthracite” was first introduced by Nike as part of its Pro Combat design for West Virginia a couple of years ago.  Not sure how much coal mining is done in Missouri, but anthracite’s now part of the Tiger brand for better or worse.

The basketball uniforms are — in my opinion — worse than the football unis.  The grey-on-black-on-grey Tiger stripe patterns are just too funky for an old-timer like me and I’m not big on uniform numbers that are the same color as the uniform itself, either.  Again, just my take.

But these jerseys and pants and helmets weren’t designed for impartial critics like yours truly.  They weren’t designed for Mizzou fans, for that matter.  They were designed to appeal to 17- and 18-year-old kids who are actually wowed by abominations like this.  So again, things could have been much, much worse.

The biggest drawback to this non-MU guy is the loss of the big block M on the helmet.  Yeah, yeah, I know.  Supposedly people confused Missouri with Michigan.  Is it just me or does anyone else think that’s a total crock?  Michigan has one of the most iconic helmets in the country and it’s got nothing close to a block M on it.  So we’re not going to buy the “they confuse us with Michigan” line even if Mizzou and Nike officials want to keep pitching it.

We liked the previous Tiger uniforms and thought they looked more traditional.  These unis are more modern and that’s part of the school’s new branding efforts.  So be it.

If recruits like Dorial Green-Beckham sign after seeing them and if the Tigers win games while wearing them, they’ll end up being a huge success.  Regardless of what fans or fashion critics or independent sites like this one are saying today.

So much for our sartorial review.

Last week we told you that UConn senior-to-be Alex Oriakhi was looking at three SEC school as possible transfer options: Florida, Kentucky and Missouri.  This in spite of a rule the SEC made a big deal about launching last summer that would block one-and-doners — those on the back end of their careers — from entering the conference for a lone, hired gun type of season.

The SEC confirmed its policy to us which basically states that as long as the player signs up for a major not offered by his old school, the league could still grant a waiver allowing him to enter the SEC for just one season.  Meaning that not a whole heckuva lot changed when the SEC put the new “rule” into effect.

Now comes word from The Connecticut Times that Oriakhi has narrowed his list of candidates — sorry Florida — and will visit four schools: Kentucky, Missouri, Duke and North Carolina.

That seems to provide further proof that the SEC will okay an Oriakhi transfer into the league… regardless of the widely-publicized policy it put in place last year.

Entering the SEC, Missouri is about to change the way it brands itself.  Old gold will be out and new gold — yellow — will be in for all of the Tiger athletic squads.  The schools’ “Mizzou” brand will be used more often.  And the big, block M that’s been on the Tigers’ football helmets for 40 years?  Gone.

Football coach Gary Pinkel expects there to be some backlash when the school’s new unis are unveiled on April 14th.  But Nike has put together a look at that has resonated with the recruits who’ve gotten sneak peaks:


“They went crazy.  Those are 18-year-old kids, and (those type uniforms are) what we’re recruiting against and what we’re playing.”

Anybody else fear that the SEC is finally going to have an over-the-top, Oregon-style showboat in its midst?  Ugh.  Here’s a teaser video produced by the school:

That blurry shot at left is a screengrab from the YouTube video.  Click the headline for a bigger version.

Looks like MU’s about to go black-and-yellow heavy at home (no white can be seen in that still) with a big ol’ Tiger on their lids.

Odd.  Missouri enters the nation’s most tradition-rich conference and dumps it’s classy traditional look for Nike duds that — on first glimpse — appear to be hand-me-downs from the CFL’s Hamilton Tiger-Cats.

Me no likey.

Mike Anderson understands that he left behind hurt feeling in Columbia, Missouri when he moved southwest to Fayetteville, Arkansas last spring.  But the first-year Razorback coach says his feelings toward the Tiger basketball program haven’t changed:

“Those kids are part of my family. They will be for the rest of my life.  Obviously they were hurt and even when you talk about some of the fans. Why? When I got there, there was not a lot of empathy about the program. Now there are feelings about it and I understand that. But I’m so excited for those guys. They’re going to do great things.”

“Those kids” are currently 23-2 and ranked #3 in the nation.  While praising the job his friend Frank Haith has done in getting Anderson’s recruits to such a lofty spot in the polls, the ex-Mizzou man takes some credit for MU’s success: “I think I did my job because they were able to  bring someone else in and the program is now one of the best in the country.  I had the program where we wanted it.”

That he did.  But he shouldn’t expect a lot of warm fuzzies the first time he takes his Razorbacks back to Mizzou Arena.  Regardless of the roster he left behind, Tiger fans won’t soon forget his quick exit.

And regardless of what Anderson says before he face Missouri next year, you can be sure he’d have preferred his old school not join the same league with his current school.  Like an ex popping up at former spouse’s wedding, it’s gonna be awkward.

The Kentucky Wildcats are back atop the two national basketball polls today, but a team joining the league next season is nipping at their heels.

For all the talk of Missouri not being ready to compete in the SEC, the Tiger basketball program is currently #2 in both major polls with an 18-1 record.  Mizzou has a veteran team so they might not be quite so tough when they come aboard next season, but there’s no question MU’s addition will help the league’s hoops reputation.

That’s a good thing, too, because Florida and Mississippi State are the only current SEC teams joining UK in the polls this week:


AP Top 25
1.  Kentucky
14.  Florida
18.  Mississippi State


ESPN/USA Today Coaches’ Poll
1.  Kentucky
13.  Florida
16.  Mississippi State


In a roundball-related note, the SEC has named Ole Miss’ Terrence Henry as its Player of the Week and Tennessee’s Jarnell Stokes as its Freshman of the Week.

There was never any question that the lure of bigger dollars helped sway Missouri toward the SEC.  Yes, the Big 12 was and is as fragile as a Faberge egg.  Sure the football is better Down South.  But in reality, budget cuts in the state of Missouri played as big a role as anything in Mizzou’s decision to pack up and switch conferences.

The Kansas City Star obtained a copy of the school’s application to the SEC — it mentions a July 1st, 2012 entry — and in the application, president Brady Deaton said mentioned that decreases in state funding for MU was leading to increased recruiting or out-of-state students who pay higher tuition.

Speaking with the press yesterday, Deaton said:


“Had state funding stayed up and we were in real solid shape financially, there would still be the issues that we were dealing with trying to gain some sense of stability and surety with the Big 12.  But the fact that there was pressure financially there, certainly accentuated our attention to that set of issues.

Looking at more stable and perhaps lucrative long-term conference alignment, the attractiveness was enhanced by the financial uncertainty that we were facing.”


Given the cuts Missouri faced, Deaten said MU “simply cannot ask our students and taxpayers to provide the kind of funding need by a major athletic program.”

Missouri’s board of curators has been pushing for the school’s athletic department to become financially self-sufficient.

Deaton also said that Mizzou expects to make up to $4 million more annually through the SEC’s television delas “with some possibility that it could be even greater than that.”

Two things come to mind from this:


1.  No wonder Missouri is working hard to negotiate down its Big 12 exit fees.

2.  Deaton speaking about this matter so publicly might cool the tempers of those Tiger fans who didn’t want to switch leagues.

Two weeks ago, on the heels of LSU topping Alabama in the Game of the Century, the SEC announced that Missouri would be joining the conference.

Since then… silence.  Rumors of negotiations and lawsuits have pretty much gone on the hush-hush.  Thankfully, the focus — for two weeks at least — has gone back to what’s happening on the field rather than what’s been happening off it.

Only that might be changing.

Yesterday, CBSSports.com reported that West Virginia officials have assured the Big 12 that their school will play in the Big 12 in 2012 despite back-and-forth lawsuits between the school and the Big East.  The Big East — WVU’s current home — is trying to hold the school to its contractually obligated 27-month waiting period.

Big 12 interim commissioner Chuck Neinas told CBS’ Dennis Dodd, “There’s ways to do it (exit the Big East), and West Virginia is prepared to do it.”

Meanwhile, Missouri is still trying to extricate itself from the Big 12.  The quicker WVU officially becomes a Big 12 school, the sooner Mizzou can enter the SEC.

Neinas is reportedly still upset that MU went from being a “loyal member” of the Big 12 to an SEC school in 45 days.  (Just as TCU went from being a loyal member of the Big East to a Big 12 school over the course of a weekend, perhaps.)

“If an institution wishes to depart the conference, that’s their prerogative,” Neinas said.  “But I’m not very happy about the way Missouri handled it… I don’t think Missouri is going to get any sportsmanship awards from the Big 12 Conference this year.”

According to Neinas, MU chancellor Brady Deaton “basically reaffirmed” Missouri would have “a long-standing commitment to the Big 12 conference” on September 22nd.

Neinas also said that he tried to get all six BCS conference commissioners to meet and put a moratorium on further expansion before Missouri was officially welcomed into the SEC.  In his words, SEC commissioner Mike Slive said his league “could probably work” with 13 teams in 2012.  But Missouri had no interest in reversing field.

“The ball was in Missouri’s court and they said, ‘No thanks.’”

What’s frustrating in all of this is the childishness involved.   The Big 12 has grabbed two schools from the Big East with no bit of worry for what its actions might do to that league.  Over the past two years, schools have been “loyal” to a league one minute and gone the next.  Missouri’s case is nothing new.

The Big 12 is simply trying to bleed MU for as much money as possible in terms of an exit fee.  This is all just posturing.  Right down to Neinas’ mention of the word, “lawsuit.”

Neinas wants to see the 45-page document that Missouri officials used to help determine whether to move to the SEC or not.  The Associated Press got a copy of the report and posted excerpts a month ago.  But Mizzou won’t show the full document to Neinas.

“I believe it’s very difficult to go to court and not see the other side’s brief,” Neinas harrumphed.

Perhaps if the adults in the Big 12 and SEC and Big East could start acting like adults — especially since the Big 12 knows WVU will slide right into Missouri’s old slot next summer — we could get our football season back for good.

But don’t get your hopes up.  WVU’s athletic director Oliver Luck is tossing spitballs back at the Big East on his way out the door.  “We were fortunate to get out.  We got out when the ship was seriously going down.  I mean, only the tip of the sail was showing.”

Did I say adults?  Clearly that was just wishful thinking on my part.

Missouri officials have called a press conference for 5pm ET to discuss the school’s handling of Gary Pinkel’s arrest on DWI/DUI charges last night. 

A source has told Dave Matter of The Columbia Tribune that Pinkel will be given the same punishment Missouri athletes usually receive in these situations — a two-game suspension.  If correct, that means Pinkel will not coach against Texas Tech on Saturday or in what will be the most heated Border War game since the actual Border War when Kansas and MU face off on November 26th.

When then Missouri basketball coach Mike Anderson slipped out a backdoor and dodged the Columbia media on his way to becoming Arkansas’ basketball coach, you can bet he didn’t expect to see the Tigers wind up as a conference foe the very next year. 

But that’s exactly what’s going to happen (provided the Tigers can escape the Big 12 shortly).

For his part, Anderson said all the right things in a press release yesterday:


“The University of Missouri is a wonderful fit for the Southeastern Conference and I am happy to see them join the league.  They are an excellent academic institution with a very good athletic program and a super fan base.  Arkansas and Missouri have a series history in men’s basketball which will continue next year.  I really enjoyed my time at Missouri and consider Gary Pinkel and Frank Haith good friends.  I look forward to seeing them and the Tigers as part of the SEC family.”


Uh, yeah.  There’s no question Missouri’s move to the SEC will be somewhat uncomfortable for the guy who left MU and an angry bunch of Tiger fans behind.  He won’t get a warm reception when he returns to Columbia, you can be sure of that.

But at least he left them in good shape.  At least that’s what he said last month:


“We left a very good basketball team there — one that could probably contend for a national championship.”


Wonder what Anderson’s good friend Haith thinks about that bit of pressure?

The dust still hasn’t quite settled from Missouri’s weekend move to the Southeastern Conference.  Below are some of the issues still playing out:

The Schedule

A Missouri associate AD said yesterday that the school’s cross-divisional rival is “more than likely to be Texas A&M.”  No newsflash there.

And with an eight-game schedule, that means Arkansas will travel to Columbia — and vice versa — about once every 12 years.

And that’s one of many reasons we continue to tell you what we’ve been saying since last month — The SEC will adopt a nine-game schedule at some point.  It must.

Aside from its schedule, MU will have to make a few other adjustments when it arrives in the SEC.

The Border War

Missouri’s departure from the Big 12 has upset Kansas officials, the other party in the more than a century old Border War rivalry.  On Sunday, the school’s public affairs office tweeted this childish response to MU’s decision: “Missouri forfeits a century-old rivalry.  We win.”

Well, not in the court of public opinion.  As has been said of Texas regarding their refusal to play Texas A&M post-move, the Jayhawks are not taking heat from outsiders who realize KU and MU could easily keep their rivalry alive.  MU is being blasted for departing Kansas City, but it’s Kansas that actually seems intent upon ending the annual showdown which has most recently been played in that city.

Many Kansas fans say — like basketball coach Bill Self – that they “don’t give a flip” about playing Missouri now.  If that’s the case, then Missouri — like A&M — should continue to make themselves available for the game which should continue to make KU — like Texas — look pretty childish.

And for a man who doesn’t give a flip, Self sounds like a man whose been scorned as he takes shots at Mizzou.  “There’s no ill feeling about them leaving but this isn’t Oklahoma or Texas leaving either, a school that could break the league up.  I’m happy with our league.”

Perhaps it’s time for MU officials to send their own childish tweet towards Lawrence, Kansas: “Glad you’re happy.  Enjoy the Big 12 (until the new media right deal runs out).”

West Virginia

Regarding the speed of Missouri’s departure from the Big 12, there’s a belief that West Virginia could help matters by escaping the Big East pronto.

But the Big East — which filed a countersuit against WVU last week — says that the withdrawal letter sent by the school to the league was not a proper withdrawal method.

In other words, WVU’s battle to leave the Big East might rage on for a while.

Gary Pinkel

Missouri’s head coach isn’t talking much about his school’s move to the SEC.  Instead, he’s keeping his eye on Texas and his Tigers’ last go-round with the Longhorns this weekend.

But he did make one comment: “Our administration has made a decision based on what’s best for the future of the University of Missouri and the state of Missouri to go to the Southeastern Conference.  I fully support it.  It was certainly based on a long-term decision.  As it sorts itself out, we expect it to be a tremendous plus for this university and the state.  We’re excited about that.”

Hurt Feelings

The Kansas City Star seems to be searching more than other Missouri newspapers for Tiger fans angry over the move and for numbers that show MU really wasn’t all that in the first place.

(An unscientific poll at The St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s website shows that 65% of 1600+ respondents like Missouri’s move, while 19% don’t and 16% aren’t sure.)