(Photo from the AP/Boston Globe)
1.) Denial. Mostly comes in the form of denying the continued legitimacy of the tournament in which you just lost. Example: I’m not watching March Madness anymore.
2.) Sadism. God, I hope the Jayhawks choke. Like that’ll really help. I always hope they lose.
3.) Petty, Unnecessarily-Dramatic Depression. Better when somewhat-officially sanctioned (see below). Whoever runs this page is raging it off at Harpo’s tonight:
(Screenshot/Facebook)
4.) ‘At least we have the best J-school.’ This just makes me mad. Set aside the fact that nobody cares — it’s really petty and unattractive. I graduated from a great journalism school, one whose programs I’d put against any in the country. But “The World’s Best School of Journalism” is not a statement of fact, and outside of being a galvanizing rah-rah slogan, it has little use outside of Columbia, Mo. Every time these words are uttered too freely — or even worse, with vitriol (saw the Tweets, won’t name names) — it hurts the chances of a qualified Mizzou student or recent grad looking for jobs.
5.) Begrudging Acceptance. Norfolk State, objectively, statistically, played out of their heads. But alas, Missouri and misery rhyme for a reason.
6.) Watch this and this and this over and over and over again.
7.) Repeat? I’m a Tiger today, man. And I’m a Tiger tomorrow. This is shit, and it hurts. But hats off to NSU. And I truly believe this Mizzou team has chemistry unparalleled in recent memory.
We’re bound for a bigger stage now in the SEC. I have no delusions that the SEC move will be easy. I hope it will eventually bring prosperity and athletic success on a level we couldn’t imagine in the Big 12. In fact, I have faith that it will. But the pain of losses get amplified there.
And self-pity doesn’t help there either.
(P.S. I’m also under no delusion that these feelings are exclusive to Mizzou. But I also think if this SEC’s move is gonna work, Mizzou’s in a special place to examine the state of its fandom. Fandom and finances aren’t as unrelated as we’d like to think. And if the finances of the SEC move don’t work, then the SEC move isn’t worth it at all.)
Kyle Stokes 