The Border War…..

When the Chiefs lost to Green Bay in Super Bowl I, this lad was devastated. We thought the old AFL was as good as the NFL - but after that game, we doubted ourselves. Thankfully, the very first preseason game the next year we whipped up on the Chicago Bears 60-something to not-very-many….

The 1964 Cardinals. Yessiree Bob. (Pre-Royals - and I’m still a Cardinal fan TOO at heart.) I will never forget that World Series…

The 1969-70 Chiefs football season culminated with a victory in Super Bowl IV. Living literally across the street from where they trained - and being a huge sport’s fan - THIS was heaven.

In my dresser drawer - I own a T-Shirt that says “Kansas City Royals, 1980 World Champions.”… (If you’re not a sport’s historian - the Royals lost the the Philadelphia Phillies in that World Series… I’d bought the shirt I anticipation we’d win.. But I still find it a keepsake.)

1985, whoever could forget. The Royals came from 3-1 deficits in the playoffs AND the World Series - to defeat the BlueJays and then the Cardinals - to win the World Championship. I had $260 in savings that year.. Sent it all in for the ticket drawing in hopes of just seeing one game… Lo and behold I got tickets to each and every game. Game 7 of the World Series - I sat in the VERY last row of the upper deck, albeit right behind home plate. Cross-state rivals, the St. Louis Cardinals… I was dressed in a blue shirt that had a pic of the State of Missouri on it - and I’d chickenscratced on it “May the WEST team win.”

Our small town - 1997, observed a 31-0 run to the Missouri State Basketball Championship that will probably never be matched.

It’s been soooooooooooooo long since we’ve wanted to be in the National Eye (What??? Someone nearby won a National College Basketball Championship somewhere there in between? Really?) Hehe…

This weekend. If you’ve been under a rock… 10-1 MU plays 11-0 KU in Arrowhead. Final game of the regular season. KU is ranked #2 nationally, MU #4. Winner would go on the the Big 12 Championship game - and if a win there, a certainty to play in the National Championship Game.

This game’s even bigger than that. We MU-KU folks co-exist. We share 435, 35, 69, Westport, Zona Rosa, the Sprint Center, Bass Pro, Municipal Auditorium, Bartle, casino’s, the dog track, the race track, the weather forecast, the News channels - but there’s hatrid for this.

My own office desk is adorned with a picture of a two-story outhouse. The door to the top level is labeled “MU fans” and the door to the lower level “KU fans.”

All my life, each and every time I hear a “chickenhawk” fan who lives in Missouri speak about “their Jayhawks” - I thank them for their tax dollars to build our facilities at MU.

The local paper probably labeled it pretty close in that KU people label Mizzou fans: gun-toting, ignorant, jealous losers. MU fans label KU fans: latte-sipping, wine-drinking, nose-in-the airsnobs.” Yeah, that’s probably right.

Our local paper also had a little history diddie regarding the Missouri-Kansas Border War - and pretty much stated the trouble started back in 1850 when Missouri was pro-slavery, the Nebraska-Kansas act was taking place to admit both to the Union - and Kansas wanted to be a Free-State (no slavery.)

This article has only fueled the fires more.. While in part it’s true - Missouri (from every article I read) never officially committed either way during the Civil War - and there were clashes within between both sides.

In fairness to the Star, the paper did point out that there were raids in Missouri (by Kansans) and that many of the men in Quantrill’s party (they raided Lawrence, other towns) had atrocities happen to their families in Missouri.

But that’s off the subject… kinda…

KU pukes (said with love) will wear their “Muck Fizzou” t-shirts. There’s estimated to be roughly 100,000 tailgaters Saturday (the stadium holds 60-something)… All week we’ll read articles, hear stories about it.. The NCAA and the Big 12 have recorded both coaches doing TV ‘spots’ reinforcing the fact “it’s just a game.”

I’m getting so hyped up about it - I even sent a comment to the Star’s blog site about the game. To me, it’s all about fun. I don’t really hate KU, or their teams, or their students, or their fans - -this is just what I’ve grown up with - and have latched onto. And I’m thankful I have. They see us as degenerates, we see them as spoiled-rotten.

Yes, I realize I put my heart out there on the line with the potential of it being yanked, tugged, torn, broken. Kinda that way with almost everything though. Mates. Kids. Work. Friends. Even our own self image.

We, in our lifetime, will probably never witness a bigger MU-KU football game - where we each had so much on the line. I somehow made it thru the loss in Super Bowl I… It tugged at my heart in 1980 when Tug threw the winning strike against the Royals…

To be quite honest - I’ll be Ok.. But it’s truly my hope we Missouri Tigers kick some Jayhawk (WHAT THE HELL KINDA BIRD IS THAT?) ass.. Gosh darn “no dirt under my fingernail” Roy Williams “I’m staying” Bert Coan cheatin’ “Well… I am a KU BASKETBALL fan” Johnson County -Jewell Ball - “119th and Metcalf” uppity- pretty boy - “Our coach can eat your coach” sumbitches…

I will be an MU fan the moment after, and long after, the completion of this game. I’m living it, and I’m thankful for that. Actually, I love it. Close your ears: I even rooted for KU to go undefeated to this point so the little “yank” would hurt that much more.

Brb, going to go to Wally World to buy me onea them “Big 12 North Champions” tshirts. Seeya Saturday.

"Every True Son"

Every true son, so happy hearted,
Skies above us are blue,
There's a spirit so deep within us,
Old Missouri here's to you (rah rah!);
When the band plays the Tiger war song,
And when the fray is through,
We will tramp, tramp, tramp, around the columns,
With a cheer, for Old Mizzou!

Hit it, Hooray, Hurrah,
Mizzou, Mizzou,
Hooray, Hurrah,
Mizzou, Mizzou,
Hooray, Hurrah,
And a "Bully" for Ol' Mizzou,
Rah, Rah, Rah, Rah,
Mizzou-rah, Mizzou-rah, Mizzou-rah,
Tigers!

"Fight Tigers"

Fight, Tigers, fight for Old Mizzou,
Right behind you, everyone is with you,
Break the line and follow down the field,
And you'll be, on the top, upon the top;
Fight, Tigers, you will always win,
Proudly keep the colors flying skyward,
In the end we'll win the victory,
So Tigers, fight for Old Mizzou!

Love, VicTigerTurd…..