Anderson's Inherited Nightmare

Missouri basketball is starting to look a lot like Cincinnati basketball, Bob Huggins style. There's two major differences, however: Mike Anderson's last name doesn't rhyme with thuggin, and Missouri actually graduates the majority of it's hoopers.

But lately...the Tigers are starting to look like a group of thugs who can't stay away from the men in blue.

Last week was the latest in a series of four incidents that have put a dark tarnish on the Men's basketball program at the University. A tarnish school officials hoped would vanish with the dismissal of Coach Snyder.

Certainly there could be some speculation that the recent outlandish behavior by the men's squad can still be linked to the Snyder-era, after all it's only been two years removed. But in all honestly, some of the blame rest square on Anderson's shoulders as well.

That is if you can blame a coach for his players acting foolishly.

Most recently, 22 year-old senior Darryl Butterfield was arrested for punching a 20 year-old female following a dispute. Butterfield was arrested Wednesday night on suspicion of third-degree domestic assault.

Previously, senior center and Missouri's prominent post-presence Kalen Grimes was arrested for taking part in a fight in north St. Louis County. It was rumored that Grimes beat his victim with the butt of a pistol. He was later charged with felony assault and dismissed from the team.

Only two days before that, Anderson's nephew DeMarre Carroll suffered a gunshot wound to the foot during a fight outside a downtown Columbia nightclub.

And in February, Anderson's son, Michael Anderson Jr., was arrested on a DUI charge.

So far...Anderson's resume isn't much brighter than what Q had to offer. Time will tell whether he's capable of handling this team and turning Missouri back into a legitimate college basketball program.

Snyder failed in all aspects...so far Anderson has failed in the most important one: teaching his boys how to be gentlemen.

Testimony to Pinkel's Poor Play Calling

Third down and two. Second Half. Down by seven. On the road. Against a really good defense.

I GOT IT!

Let's let our best wide receiver line up at quarterback and try to convert.
Better yet, let's take the ball out of our Heisman candidate quarterback's hands and also take our best wide receiver out of the receiving corps and see if he can run this offense better than the best quarterback in the Big 12 can?

Why the hell not?

Does that sound stupid to any of you? This is pretty much divine evidence into the recent argument the anonymous poster on Mark's blog started, concerning Pinkel's wisdom in play calling.

This particular candidate for "worst play call of the season" wound up being intercepted, followed promptly by an Oklahoma scoring drive.

Comparing this to baseball. This is like Albert Pujols at the plate, and Yadier Molina on second. Instead of pinch running Kerry Robinson for an extremely slow Yadi, LaRussa would instead elect to leave Yadi on second and pinch hit Robinson for Pujols.

That's pretty much what this is like. Take a talented receiver (baserunner) and let him play quarterback (pinch hit) instead of doing something he actually excels at.

If this type of stupidity happened in baseball, and you had time in between action to analyze it....you'd think Gary Pinkel is just as frustrating as I think he is.

Currently: Oklahoma 23, Mizzou 10

UPDATE

Missouri just took a one point lead on a four yard run. Chase Daniel is starting to lock in here in the second half. This could be an exciting half of football. You needed faith to think the Tigers could be leading in the second half in Norman.

I'm heading to the BrewCo to catch the end of this one. Go Tigers!

Unraveling the Week

Was there anything sexier than watching the Tigers put a whoopin down on the boys from Nebraska? I mean...anything? Firing Walt Jocketty sure as hell wasn't sexier than that. The Cubs getting swept in the first round is pretty darn close, but didn't we all pretty much know that was coming? And the Yanks going down, that was as nice as Jennifer Love Hewitt in "Can't Hardly Wait," but JLove Hewey in "Can't Hardly Wait" isn't even close to Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore, AND Lucy Lu in "Charlie's Angels." And that was a terrible movie...thereby making Mizzou over Nebraska even sexier than that.

Recently I was reamed on Mark's blog about my known hatred for Gary Pinkel. He's starting to make me look like a fool I guess. He's got the stripes in the Top 10, and there's no shame in that. I'll tip my hat to him for now...

But I'll also say I think his "all shotgun, all-the-time" system is stupid. And just because I'm tipping my hat to him doesn't mean I won't be ready to jump into a steroid rage the next time he blows an easy W.

And my disliking a coach and doubting his play calling doesn't mean I'm not a fan. And if anybody can get on here and look this computer screen right in the eye and say, honestly, that you've never been pissed at the coach of your favorite team...then I commend you. We all commend you.

MOVING ON:

I don't know what to think about this Walt Jocketty thing. I guess my thinking is simple: we won the World Series last year. We did it with a beat-up lineup, a doubtful rotation, and a young bullpen. Jocketty didn't actually go out there and win games himself, but he and Tony LaRussa seem to have a knack for winning. I don't think one miserable season is enough to can the big man.

Yes, he's made some questionable moves over the last three years. But I always thought, and still do, that Cardinals fans are constantly barking up the tree about needing a big name pitcher. And you don't get a big name pitcher without dealing prospects. What did Walt do? He went out and got a Cy Young candidate who had the most wins of any left-handed pitcher over the previous five years. A lefty at that.

We asked, he gave. It just didn't work out.

And how sick were many Cardinal fans about never having a consistent second baseman? I'm not sure if that was a common sentiment, but among the people I hung out with it was talked about often. And finally, Walt went out and took care of those wishes. How the hell would he know that Adam Kennedy was going to be a flop? And it's not like we're paying him All-Star money. You might as well get over this one. That was not a bad signing. A sparky, energetic ballplayer who straight hustles is exactly what the Cardinals needed at second base. It's simply too bad it didn't work out. But don't blame Walt for that.

He brought you Mark McGwire for hardly nothing. He brought you Larry Walker for hardly nothing. He got you Jim Edmonds and signed you Albert Pujols. He brought in Chris Carpenter and was able to resign Chris Carpenter. He landed Scott Rolen. And he brought you Mark Mulder at a cost. Those are all All-Star's, who at the time the deal was made were the best in the league at what they did.

I'd be willing to bet you're hard-pressed to find a more potent resume than that during a GM tenure. And you can't say the Yankees or the Sox, because they're playing on a different floor level.

I'm not sure, maybe it was time. There's a new cast coming to Busch next season, a super-young cast. It's a change of the winds right now, and maybe it was time to clean house. I still think it was the wrong decision, and if I have to choose between a guy that brought us the aforementioned ballplayers and a money-tight, ornery Bill DeWitt...I'm taking BIG WALT every single time.

C'mon. Somebody fight me. It doesn't sit well with me that Mark is getting all the anger directed at him.

A Wall of Madness

Just letting it be known that I'm pissed off. I just found out moments ago, ON SATURDAY, that BIG Walt Jocketty has been canned by the Birds front office.

I'm so mad I could spit.

More on this later. I'm going to calm myself down first. And I need to get to where I need to be to watch this ass-whooping that Mizzou is about to put on the 'Skers.

Let me know what you think about this Jocketty deal and the Izzy signing. And goTigers!