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Saturday, November 21, 2009
Rooting for MIZZOU with shaky roots
Posted Saturday, December 1, 2007, at 3:09 PM
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The University of Memphis Tigers are going to the New Orleans bowl this year. Who cares? you ask. Me. I'm a U of M alumna; I'm a U of M fan.

That's how it's been since i started paying attention to football. U of M for college and the Colts for pro. Don't blame Peyton - I think he's lanky with a funny shaped head, but he's a darn good QB. I was a Colts fan before I knew i should be a Colts fan. I don't do bandwagons.

Having said that, I have to ask you all reading this to weigh in: Can I be a MIZZOU fan? Would it be considered jumping on the bandwagon because they're good this year?

This is a question I and a few of my transplant friends have debated. We're trying to figure out if we have enough backing to be fans and not be called fairweather.

We're journalists and Columbia is one of the best J-schools.

We live in Missouri.

We're friends with at least a dozen Mizzou alumni.

So we can be fans, right?

What makes a fan anyway? "fan (noun) an enthusiastic devotee (as of a sport or a performing art) usually as a spectator." Merriam Webster says. So basically if you keep up with and root for a team, I'd call you a fan.

Well thanks to my Local, I'm completely up to speed and aware - and can't help but catch some of his excitement - of their record and the importance of tonight's game. I've been sick and I'm losing my voice, but we're braving the crowd at BW2s tonight to watch it on several big screens. Can i root for them?

How long must i live here and what other ties do I need to be a fan? For that matter, why can't i just decide to be a fan? Is that bandwagon? If i just say, "Hey, I'm going to like that team," can I yell out "Z O U!" when i hear "M I Z!" in the crowd?

I have to say, too, that once i'm a fan, I'm a fan win or lose, to cut those coments off at the pass. When DeAngelo Williams and Steve Gostkowski graduated, I was still a Tiger fan. When Chase Daniel graduates, I'll still be a Tiger fan - that is, if you let me in the club this year.

M I Z ...


Comments
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Stick with Memphis... The University of Missouri-Columbia has never won anything before, and this year will be no exception. Memphis could win the National Championship in the NCAA Basketball Tournament.

Memphis is a much better city than Columbia too... It's been my understanding that ladies pick a team based on which city has the best shopping. So, another reason to like Memphis over UM-C...er... I mean "MU".

-- Posted by SEMO Redhawks on Sat, Dec 1, 2007, at 7:31 PM
Chris Harris' response:
I love the affection you have for M-town, but come on. "ladies pick a team based on which city has the best shopping"? That's like me picking a team because I like the color or I think the QB is cute. If that were the case I'd be an Arizona fan. But Matt's injured, isn't he? So I guess I'd have to find a new team...

The shopping, puh! Show some respect.

You're in. The whole country is welcome to jump on the Mizzou bandwagon this year. Because, if it ends at the top...it will be a great place to be. ANd the more the merrier.

Welcome to the team, Chris!

-- Posted by Bootheel Reader on Sat, Dec 1, 2007, at 9:17 PM

SEMO Redhawks?!? Why do you have a screen name like that but you are ashamed of MIZZOU????? GO HOME!!

-- Posted by Marine5151 on Sat, Dec 1, 2007, at 9:46 PM

Marine... Does my screen name say, "University of Missouri-Columbia Tigers"??? No... it doesn't. I didn't go to Missouri-Columbia and have no loyalties to them either. I just can't believe all you bandwagoners honestly thought the University of Missouri-Columbia could actually beat a REAL football school like Oklahoma.

How do you like your Crow prepared, Marine?

-- Posted by SEMO Redhawks on Sun, Dec 2, 2007, at 1:46 AM

BTW Chris... even though you're in Missouri. You are still closer in distance to Memphis than Columbia. Again, all the more reason to stick with the other Tigers.

-- Posted by SEMO Redhawks on Sun, Dec 2, 2007, at 1:47 AM

To get to Memphis,you have to drive through the most boring state in America.At least to get to Columbia you can stop along the way in St louis.There are about 20 malls around I 55,270,and 70. There are about 10 outlet malls along 70.When you get to Columbia there are many better clubs, resturants, and a University just as good as University of Memphis.

If you ever haave a reason to root for the deadhawks,then and only then you are a bandwagon fan,except for SEMO Redhawks,he roots for losers.

-- Posted by mogearjammer on Sun, Dec 2, 2007, at 10:54 AM

"When you get to Columbia there are many better clubs" <-Have you been to Memphis before??? Ever been to Beale Street? What in Columbia is anywhere near Beale Street?

I only root for losers? SEMO Soccer won the OVC, Volleyball won the OVC, Women's Basketball won the OVC, SEMO Track and CC are perinnial OVC title holders, SEMO Baseball is always a force to be reckoned with in the Conference and beat Mizzou so many times apparently that they dropped SEMO for the first time in 13 years because of sudden "scheduling conflicts."

Mizzou should avoid Oklahoma and pick up a much less funded, smaller SEMO program in Football next year... Oh wait, they already did.

You Mizzou fans are big cry babies. Who are losers here anyhow...? Mizzou hasn't even won it's own Conference in nearly FIFTY YEARS!!! That's almost "Chicago Cubs" bad!

M-I-Z... F-M-U! :^)

-- Posted by SEMO Redhawks on Sun, Dec 2, 2007, at 2:13 PM

I said "I Understand"... I didn't say it was a fact that ladies pick teams that way. That's just what I had heard (from other ladies).

-- Posted by SEMO Redhawks on Sun, Dec 2, 2007, at 9:53 PM


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Chris Harris manages the feature sections in the Southeast Missourian. Those colorful, fun pages toward the end of the A section? That's her and her team. She works on Health, Home and Garden, SE Live, neXt, Religion, the Sunday Good Times section and the daily comics pages. She deals with everything from the flu and fitness topics to house projects and kitchen tips to the latest plays and art exhibits in town. You know: conversation topics. She uses this space to talk about what's coming up, what you're interested in and what she found yesterday. You can sum it and her up in one word: Random.
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