In Missouri, you will soon be able to download internet porn at SEC speed.

When you're driving I-44, there's not much else to think about. It's just weird.

Are there really that many shops? It seems like there are only a couple, but they have billboards for hundreds of miles advertising them. I remember seeing signs for some adult "superstore" for literally over 100 miles and thinking it was really going to be some huge place. When I drove by, it was just a little building that looked like a shed.

I am with you on that, and just assumed they provided "happy endings."

Maybe it is just me, but I can't imagine explaining to adolescent children during a trip to Grandmas, what those places are. :shrug:

An occasional one you could just look the other way and ignore, but wow, those things are as thick as Mc Donalds.

Truck traffic?

Please don't forget the fireworks, walnut bowls and caverns. The Mrs. and I really do plan on stopping at one of those caverns one of these days.

We never stopped at the worlds deepest hand dug well in Greensburg, so we hope to learn from that lesson.

I will try and get an accurate count for you Thanksgiving weekend, as we head to Tablerock.
It will be between St. Louis and Springfield. I am going with over 10. :D

I love tablerock. Have some friends with a badass houseboat there. Little cold in November, though.

Oklahoma wants Louisville
Texas wants WV

Politicians are now involved with Senator Mitch McConnell (R) calling in a favor to get Louisville in the Big12.

WTF .... just get both.

Yeah - MU is foolish to leave these guys...

That worked out pretty well for the Big IIX last time.

LMAO. You're kidding, right?

The hypocrisy of how people were talking about the Big East/schools like TCU before it became a reality of adding them is amazing.

And now this? No way.

Yep. Jack Harry brought up a good point what does KU and KSU want or is it just all about Texas and Oklahoma?

McConnell keeps eye on ball

From the Times sports pages:

A late push by Louisville has put political pressure on the Big 12 athletic conference and opened the possibility of Louisville being the university that is admitted instead of West Virginia. Two people with direct knowledge of the situation said lobbying by Senate minority leader, Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) including of David Boren, the president of the University of Oklahoma and a former senator, helped slow West Virginia’s admittance to the Big 12.

Do you have to ask?

KU and KSU want whatever they're told to want. In this case, its like little kids watching mom and dad fight.

I don't.

Mizzou left cuz they couldn't beat Texas.

Joe Manchin is pissed

"If these outrageous reports have any merit – and especially if a United States Senator has done anything inappropriate or unethical to interfere with a decision that the Big 12 had already made – then I believe that there should be an investigation in the U.S. Senate, and I will fight to get the truth. West Virginians and the American people deserve to know exactly what is going on and whether politics is interfering with our college sports."

Dissension in the ranks between the President of a flagship member of the Conference and a school that hasn't even been formally invited yet.

Yeah - this is going to work out really well...

Totally functional family unit. Why would Missouri want to leave? Tigers are clearly:
1) Greedy
2) Butthurt
3) Just wanting attention

West Virginia politicians are now pissed. Sen. Machin called a press conference this evening.

Sen. Manchin: "If these outrageous reports have any merit – and especially if a United States Senator has done anything inappropriate or unethical to interfere with a decision that the Big 12 had already made – then I believe that there should be an investigation in the U.S. Senate, and I will fight to get the truth. West Virginians and the American people deserve to know exactly what is going on and whether politics is interfering with our college sports."

Sen. Rockefeller: "“The Big 12 picked WVU on the strength of its program—period. Now the media reports that political games may upend that. That’s flat wrong,” Rockefeller said. “I am doing and will do whatever it takes to get us back to the merits.”

Tweet from a WV Representative: @RepShelley #WVU deserves to be in the Big 12. If there is political interference going on, it needs to stop now. #WV

Your move, Rand Paul

Everything is relative. Compared to here, we are counting on it being balmy. o:-)
This will be our first winter, so we are wanting to see what it is like. I am hoping some of the trees still have some leaves, but I doubt if they will. If not, the view of the lake will be better, so it is all good.

Wow, teams are really wanting into the Big 12 pretty bad.

FYP

There are a few cheese shops between KC and Columbia now. I love me some fancy cheese.

Yep. Heard that the SEC is WVU's fallback.

Osceola Cheese FTMFW!

I have read that on here, and look forward to making that trip one of these days in the future. I love the stuff myself, and have a gut to prove it.

Osceola Cheese is between KC and Springfield PBJ

They opened up a new branch on I-70. I noticed it for the first time on my way to Columbia for the OSU game.

They have a little satellite shop off the highway between KC and Columbia.

I think they have one off 44 as well; there's quite a few of them around.

(EDIT: What Beer Bacon said)

Cool. Did not know that. Always stop at the one on Highway 13 when we go to Springfield. Best cheese around.

Don't encourage Jayhawkers to visit Osceola. Last time that happened, Quantrall had to burn down Lawrence in retaliation.

Captain Quantrill was a Patriot...

Is that what you guys call people with confederate flags down there in Columbia?

I'm gonna stop on my way back from the Texas game and see if I can get home before I crap my pants.

It's that or learn to eat grits.

Grits suck, man.

Boooooooo

If they are done right, they are ****ing awesome, really!

Its that whole Cream-O-Wheat look that is hard to work with.

People who think grits suck have probably only had plain jane grits. Try garlic cheese grits or shrimp and grits sometime, and you'll change your tune.

Clay Travis says he is working on a piece about an SEC network that will "blow y'alls minds".

I've just refused to listen to the radio or read any articles concerning this since there seems to be just a huge amount of cluster-**** and rumors during all of this.....

so, that being said....

Has MU left the conference officially? Or are they just playing the waiting game and haven't "technically" filed the departure papers etc?

Because if WVU and Lousiville BOTH come to the Big12, there wouldn't (or shouldn't) be any reason for MU to leave...the conference is back to 12 teams, and really would be a better, and more stable conference than it was a couple seasons ago when Colorado, TXAM, and Nebraska were in the conference.

If MU is leaving because they're afraid that one of the big guys (TX/OU) will leave a few years down the road, then that's nothing more than speculation and MU being stupid (as they have been...remember they kinda dropped the ball, starting this all, and dropping the ball w/ Matt Painter and ending up with Frank Haith and his baggage).

This is just strange. Maybe MU is forcing the Big12's hand to get back to 12 teams, and then decide to stay after all, which then would mean they look like saviors to the college sports scene here in the KC area.

lol wut

Just got off the phone with a rep. from TX, and he says the conference is currently stable.

Check road conditions again later.

This ship is much more seaworthy now that we stuck bubblegum in all of the cracks of the hull than it ever was before the crash.

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/OdfSLnKMqq4" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

B/c we love relationship analogies, WVU and LVille see a screaming woman in mismatched shoes tripping on a curb and say: I want to be on her,

http://twitter.com/#!/mellinger/stat...09766399954944

Uh, Sam - I think you have an extra word in there, buddy.

That would be the WORST case scenario.

These.

Grits are ****ing awesome.

That would be WIN for the Mizzou residents.

Conspiracy time:

The Big IIX is pitting Louisville and WVU against one another. First one that agrees to play in 2012 gets the seat at the table?

Additional conspiracy: there is another poster who is trying to steal my online identity by creating a clone of my online persona and double-posting my ideas...

Conspiracy time:

The Big IIX is pitting Louisville and WVU against one another. First one that agrees to play in 2012 gets the seat at the table?

All right, I've seen it so many times I now have to ask. Whats the story on your avatar? Do you have a very angry white kitty, or does that picture correlate with something that I'm not aware of?

LOL! Big XII just got worse letting those jokes of fans from WVU in their conference. Don't bring any pregnant women to the conference games. They will beat them up after a loss.
ROFL

I'll take whichever school has the better basketball program. The question is, is that Louisville or West Virginia?

Louisville

Not if Pittensnoggle has anything to do with it.

You could argue WVU has been more successful since the Pittsnoggle years.

don't see how that would work, both are obligated to give 27 months notice.

I do think OU is leveraging this to ensure expansion to 12 teams, as UT only wanted 10.

Alabama board thread on re-alignment.

http://mbd.scout.com/mb.aspx?s=14&f=1016&t=8154620

Yea... don't really feel like registering on yet another board just for one thread.

I've been lurking on Shaggybevo for the last month. Mizzou is referred to as Kitten Aggy and have been thoroughly derided as not worthy of Big XII membership and most Longhorn fans agree that WVU is a huge upgrade.

http://www.mrsec.com/2011/10/tuesday...arget-for-sec/

Great summary of where things sit.

Good stuff!

Clay Travis to Kevin Keitzman:

Look like we're not the only ones who realizes how kansas feels about mizzou leaving...

If there's one thing Kansas doesn't care about, it's Mizzou. If they have to go to every message board in the country to talk about Mizzou and how much they don't care about them, so be it.

The world was also entirely in black and white until the 1960's.

Apparently all of the other Texas schools are refusing to play A&M in the non con. As far as most of TX goes they are the black sheep that doesn't even exist. It should be interesting to see how that effects recruiting over the next several years.

This question is for the KU/KSU fans:

We've all heard that Texas wants WVU & OU wants Louisville. Who do you guys want? Has anyone even asked you or is this all on Texas/Oklahoma? Do you have any balls to standup to the big boys or do you just hope they lube you up when you bend over everyday? Do they even give you a reacharound before they shove the Big Bevo up your ass?

I'm done with KK. Wright's show is better, and has been for a long time anyway.

I'll tune in to 810 in the morning though. St. John and Bukaty > ****ing Fescoe.

I don't really have any feeling good or bad towards either show, but Wright talks about football most of the year. When it gets to Spring and Summer, Kietzman will spend a 15 minute segment talking about a golf outting he had last weekend.

Who gives a sh*t

Racin' boys, golf, grilling segments....

Nick Wright's had the better show for a long time. Just takes a while for people to change. And KK has alienated the Mizzou fan base.

I think it is probably too late to get on Frazod's poll, if you aren't on it already, but you might pm a mod.

Why is Texas/Oklahoma any different than Alabama/LSU/Florida?

OP sounds legit.

Gotta love the B12. I think they are really really stable.

http://espn.go.com/college-sports/st...big-12-network

LAWTON, Okla. -- Oklahoma officials say they don't understand how a proposed Big 12 Network could work considering that Texas already has an independent channel and the Sooners are working on one of their own.
University president David Boren told The Associated Press on Wednesday that Oklahoma still plans to form its own network and that he was surprised the Big 12 went public with the consideration of a conference network. The same third-tier television rights control what would be aired on either a school's channel or a conference channel.

Oklahoma intends to keep those rights -- just as Texas has in creating its Longhorn Network through a 20-year, $300 million deal with ESPN.

So how could the Big 12 form a network without its two most powerful programs?

"I don't know because I don't see quite how the conference network would work," Boren told the AP. "I'm confused by that myself."

Athletic director Joe Castiglione said he, too, was caught off-guard when the Big 12 announced Monday that there were discussions by the league's board of directors about creating a "conference dedicated TV network."

"I really don't have the information to support why they made that statement," Castiglione said, noting that athletic directors weren't part of the board meeting. "It has not been broached, or at least not recently."

"Maybe they're trying to build a consensus or excitement and anticipation," he added. "I don't know."

If recent developments in the Big 12 have shown anything, it's that the conference -- which has had its membership in flux for the past year and a half -- still seems to be in a state of confusion.

A U.S. senator from West Virginia issued a statement Wednesday suggesting an investigation might be necessary after the Mountaineers believed they had been extended an invitation to join the Big 12, only to find out that wasn't the case and Louisville might instead be targeted.

Even internally, there seem to be some mixed signals in the league.

"My understanding is that schools that have their own network, such as the Longhorn Network, that would continue to exist and that the other schools would just bundle their third-tier rights collectively and form their own channel representing multiple institutions," league spokesman Bob Burda said.

Many of the league's schools, including Oklahoma, already air their third-tier programming on the Internet or on television -- just not on a network dedicated solely to one school. That includes games from football, men's basketball and other sports that aren't picked up through the league's contracts with ABC/ESPN or Fox Sports.

"Well, a conference network is to offset the Longhorn Network. But I saw the Sooners, I saw where they said they'd do their own network," Oklahoma State booster T. Boone Pickens said.
"I don't know how this thing is going to turn out."

Boren said that Big 12 schools are in the process this week of signing and sending in their agreements to provide the conference their grant of television rights -- a move that would allow the league to keep a school's television revenue even if it leaves for another conference.

Boren refused to comment on the reports surrounding West Virginia and Louisville, including ones that linked him to conversations with Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell.

Pickens said he had a "long conversation" with McConnell on Wednesday morning, discussing his natural gas-oriented energy plan. He also said he'd have to "be convinced on West Virginia" as a potential new member of the conference.

"To me, you go out of here to West Virginia, you're going to go a long way," Pickens said. "I didn't like the Pac-10 for that reason. That's the only reason. I feel like the Pac-10 you were going to end up in the east division and play the same schools you played before, so why not just hold the 12 together?

"I still believe we can save the Big 12, but I still say that Texas is going to have to look like the rest of us in the Big 12 instead of looking like Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. I don't like that."
Pickens said the key is equal revenue sharing.

"Just get the same contract for everybody. Everybody's equal," Pickens said. "If you'd have had that, you wouldn't have lost the (Texas A&M) Aggies, you wouldn't have lost Nebraska and Colorado and it looks like Missouri's going. But it's because things are not equal is what it is."

Oklahoma State president Burns Hargis said he still hopes Missouri won't leave for the Southeastern Conference, but that feeling is dwindling.

"Honestly, I don't have a lot of confidence," Hargis told the AP. "I think it's gone on long enough that it'd be tough. But if they stay, that's great. If they leave, we'll figure something out. There's no shortage of teams interested in being in the Big 12."

Neither Hargis nor Boren would comment specifically on the West Virginia situation, except to say that the Big 12 has options. Boren steered around a question about a Kansas City Star report suggesting Texas supported West Virginia as a new Big 12 member while Oklahoma wanted Louisville.

"I can't confirm the accuracy or inaccuracy of that report. All I'd say is Texas and Oklahoma are working very well together right now," Boren said. "You can draw your conclusions from that.
"I know of no differences of opinion we have on any subject without saying who's for who and what's for what, but we're working very well together right now. All the members of the board are. So, we're just trying to sort it out."

One thing is certain: Hargis said if Missouri does leave, "we'll definitely replace them."

"I think we'd probably initially do 10 (members)," said Hargis, who is chairman of the Big 12 board of directors and sits on the expansion committee. "But that doesn't mean we won't go to 12."

Wow, who's on first?

Texas has its own network and the Sooners now are going to do one of their own. I guess the rest of the conference is sol