The return of a True Son

It's finally over! After 11 days of stealth like secrecy, it's no coincidence that only 11 miles from now current Mizzou Basketball coach Kim Anderson's former job at Central Missouri University in Warrensburg is Whiteman Airforce Base (Knob Noster) that houses the Stealth B-2 Bomber. Just like the B-2 has the ability to allude radar and the human ear, this coaching search was much like that. More time was spent on guessing who the candidate might be, tracking flights via smart phone apps, and having Mizzou beat writers even drive to Columbia Regional Airport to take photos of 6 middle aged golfers from Philly late last week.

It drove the media nuts. They didn't like being left in the dark on whether it was going to be Anderson, Greg Marshall or Ben Howland. Ultimately after the Board of Curators left their meeting earlier today the decision had been made and Anderson was hired as the 18th coach of the University of Missouri.

Many don't know this but Anderson is a former Tiger player and coach. He played from 1973 to 1977, then he was an assistant coach under Norm Stewart from 1982 to 1985, was then a Baylor assistant from 1986 to 1991, returned back to Missouri in 1991 and stayed until Norm Stewart stepped down in 1999.

One question that many ask is: Why Now?
That question is hard to answer because Anderson was interviewed for the Head Coaching job after Norm retired in 99', and was passed up then as well as the hires of Mike Anderson in 06' and Frank Haith in 11'. One thing that may have opened some eyes at Missouri is that Anderson's team at CMU just won the D-2 National Championship this April. Also, with Haith's late departure it put Mizzou behind the eight ball in the hiring process.

Why I think this hire will work:
This hire will work to do a couple of things: bring an actual coach with some strategy on the defensive end and bring in the Mizzou fans into the arena.

Will there be some fans that are dissatisfied with the hire:
No doubt, but as I have learned during the time on earth that Missouri fans will never be satisfied. From the calls for Gary Pinkel to be fired just last year or the unreasonable expectation that Missouri should be able to compete for anything they want in every sport, Missouri fans will never all be satisfied.

Who will this please in the fan base:
Mostly fans over 40. The nostalgia of having a former Norm coach and player interests the segment of the fan base, but I will say that many under will like the hire because they remember or know about who Kim Anderson is as a person. Right now the basketball program needs someone that has a clean record and many think that Anderson won't do anything to jeopardize his Alma Matter.

What questions will the younger Tiger fans ask:
Why nor Marshall or Howland? Well Marshall was going to take over $3 Million to get him to come to Missouri, plus he is returning a top 10 team and Wichita State and his son is going to be a Senior in High School and they didn't want to move him right now. Missouri is now investing in the football program and to sink that money in a coach probably wouldn't be smart. As far as Howland, there was too much baggage from UCLA. The university was looking for someone with a clean track record and Howland wasn't such a person in order to meet that criteria.

Final Thoughts:
This hire makes me happy for a few reason: 1) He is a former Tiger and has pride for this University so he should have a drive and want this team to do well. 2) He is a Missourian so he has had pride in his state and the flagship school. 3) He is one coach that could galvanize the fan base, but he will have to win or put a better product on Norm Stewart Court for the foreseeable future.
We will just see how Anderson handles recruiting and who he hire to be his assistants.

My one request:
Please find more than one good three point shooter, please. Pretty please. Also, fans go to the games.

Mizzou Network feature on Kim Anderson

Every True Son Lyrics

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!

2013-2014 Mizzou Tiger

Well, the season is over, (Finally! is what some of you might say) with a 71-63 loss to Southern Mississippi in the NIT. Many Mizzou fans are mad, want Coach Haith fired (mostly because of the Miami thing) but one thing, University of Missouri won't fire a coach that has had 3 seasons in a row of winning 20 or more basketball games. Let's take a look at why this team didn't do very well or meet the expectations of the some fans this season.

1. Over hyped - This team came into the season in the minds of many fans as a team that would finish at least in the top 3 in the SEC, but that didn't happen. This team wasn't near as good after the best three players, and it showed.

2. Lack of Post (Dominant) Presence - The addition of Juco transfer Keanu Post didn't offer the post presence that Haith's pick and roll offense needed. JW3 wasn't strong enough to bang with the experienced Centers in the SEC, but he does show some promise and with some strength, has shown that he may be a great player in the future. Ryan Rosburg is playing out of position, but doing the best he can for a role player who is forced to start nearly every game. Tony Criswell's head wasn't on straight all season. Torren Jones development was slow and he wasn't ready to contribute until the end of the regular season.

3. Lack of a true point guard - With Phil Pressey leaving early for the NBA and ultimately for the Boston Celtics, there was a glaring hole at pg this year for Mizzou. Asking a shooting guard (Jordan Clarkson) to play puts him out of position and screws things up for the rest of the offense. Wes Clark didn't develop like he needed to in order to help the offense. Shane Rector didn't contribute much either but for Freshmen they showed some improvement.

4. Basketball IQ - This team, for whatever reason, lacked basketball IQ. Valuing the basketball and making good decisions wasn't this teams strength. The team didn't assist the scoring much, many times lower than 30% of the baskets with assists. This team just didn't play well together, mostly because of trust of letting the other guys score outside of the big 3, but this team just never learned.

5. Leadership - This team lacked Senior leadership. No one on the team stood up and told the other players that this is what they are going to do. A team needs this to be successful. Mizzou has that with Kim English two years ago. This is needed to advance in the tournament and win conference games on the road.

This teams has other flaws like standing and looking for the other player to do something on offense. That won't work anytime especially if you want to score. Defensively these teams are weak, especially on the perimeter. Haith needs to extend his defense out in order to limit the 3-point baskets. If this team continues to struggle, next season may be the last in Columbia for Frank and his staff.

2013 St.Louis Cardinals Attendance Statistics

To sum up this years attendance in one word, "Fantastic." During the season the Cardinals averaged over 42,000 in attendance during each game played at home this season. That is pretty impressive for a team with a small "cough, cough" market. In actuality the Cardinals Market is really big because it stretches all the way to Oklahoma and Nebraska and parts of the South. The Cardinals have the largest radio network in Major League baseball with more affiliates than anyone else. Of course you have to have people listening to those games and looks like the Cardinals have the fans that care.

Let's take a look at the numbers:

Date	Opponent	Attendance	Total Cap	% Capacity
4/8/13	Reds	47,345	43,975	107.66%
4/9/13	Reds	37,731	43,975	85.80%
4/10/13	Reds	34,882	43,975	79.32%
4/12/13	Brewers	42,528	43,975	96.71%
4/13/13	Brewers	44,696	43,975	101.64%
4/14/13	Brewers	42,645	43,975	96.98%
4/26/13	Pirates	44,090	43,975	100.26%
4/27/13	Pirates	40,909	43,975	93.03%
4/28/13	Pirates	41,470	43,975	94.30%
4/29/13	Reds	36,681	43,975	83.41%
4/30/13	Reds	37,535	43,975	85.36%
5/1/13	Reds	39,821	43,975	90.55%
5/10/13	Rockies	37,800	43,975	85.96%
5/11/13	Rockies	43,050	43,975	97.90%
5/12/13	Rockies	40,881	43,975	92.96%
5/13/13	Mets	38,412	43,975	87.35%
5/14/13	Mets	37,460	43,975	85.18%
5/15/13	Mets	38,143	43,975	86.74%
5/16/13	Mets	44,068	43,975	100.21%
5/17/13	Brewers	39,426	43,975	89.66%
5/18/13	Brewers	42,410	43,975	96.44%
5/19/13	Brewers	39,878	43,975	90.68%
5/29/13	Royals	43,477	43,975	98.87%
5/30/13	Royals	43,916	43,975	99.87%
5/31/13	Giants	42,359	43,975	96.33%
6/1/13	Giants	42,175	43,975	95.91%
6/2/13	Giants	43,817	43,975	99.64%
6/3/13	Arizona	38,042	43,975	86.51%
6/4/13	Arizona	39,222	43,975	89.19%
6/5/13	Arizona	40,792	43,975	92.76%
6/6/13	Arizona	43,798	43,975	99.60%
6/17/13	Cubs	44,172	43,975	100.45%
6/18/13	Cubs	44,139	43,975	100.37%
6/19/13	Cubs	43,878	43,975	99.78%
6/20/13	Cubs	43,651	43,975	99.26%
6/21/13	Texas	45,228	43,975	102.85%
6/22/13	Texas	44,651	43,975	101.54%
6/23/13	Texas	44,063	43,975	100.20%
7/5/13	Miami	46,177	43,975	105.01%
7/6/13	Miami	45,475	43,975	103.41%
7/7/13	Miami	43,741	43,975	99.47%
7/9/13	Houston	43,836	43,975	99.68%
7/10/13	Houston	44,313	43,975	100.77%
7/19/13	San Diego	43,929	43,975	99.90%
7/20/13	San Diego	45,288	43,975	102.99%
7/21/13	San Diego	44,033	43,975	100.13%
7/23/13	Phillies	44,780	43,975	101.83%
7/24/13	Phillies	44,317	43,975	100.78%
7/25/13	Phillies	45,567	43,975	103.62%
8/5/13	Dodgers	42,464	43,975	96.56%
8/6/13	Dodgers	41,770	43,975	94.99%
8/7/13	Dodgers	43,523	43,975	98.97%
8/8/13	Dodgers	42,567	43,975	96.80%
8/9/13	Cubs	42,664	43,975	97.02%
8/10/13	Cubs	43,908	43,975	99.85%
8/11/13	Cubs	43,240	43,975	98.33%
8/13/13	Pirates	40,243	43,975	91.51%
8/14/13	Pirates	40,644	43,975	92.43%
8/15/13	Pirates	41,502	43,975	94.38%
8/22/13	Braves	37,363	43,975	84.96%
8/23/13	Braves	41,134	43,975	93.54%
8/24/13	Braves	43,633	43,975	99.22%
8/25/13	Braves	44,009	43,975	100.08%
8/26/13	Reds	35,159	43,975	79.95%
8/27/13	Reds	35,201	43,975	80.05%
8/28/13	Reds	35,698	43,975	81.18%
9/6/13	Pirates	40,608	43975	92.34%
9/7/13	Pirates	45,118	43,975	102.60%
9/8/13	Pirates	40,156	43,975	91.32%
9/10/13	Brewers	35,050	43,975	79.70%
9/11/13	Brewers	35,134	43,975	79.90%
9/12/13	Brewers	35,208	43,975	80.06%
9/13/13	Mariners	40,506	43,975	92.11%
9/14/13	Mariners	41,374	43,975	94.09%
9/15/13	Mariners	40,526	43,975	92.16%
9/23/13	Nationals	39,783	43,975	90.47%
9/24/13	Nationals	38,940	43,975	88.55%
9/25/13	Nationals	40,597	43,975	92.32%
9/27/13	Cubs	44,030	43,975	100.13%
9/28/13	Cubs	42,520	43,975	96.69%
9/29/13	Cubs	44,808	43,975	101.89%
Totals		3,369,777	Average	94.60%
		Total Poss at 100% Attendance	3,561,975
		Empty Seats	192,198
	Median:	42,464

Okay folks as you can see the Cardinals had 3,369,777 fans cross the turn styles this season, only having 192,198 seats empty during the entire home slate. That adds up to 4.5 100% attendance games, which is pretty impressive. During the year the average attendance per game was 42,464 at a 94.60% clip.Another thing of note is that the Cardinals had over 100% attendance during 21 games this season are over 25% of their games played at Busch. The Cardinals also had two 5 game streaks of over 100%.

Highest Game Attendance: Opening Day: Cincinnati Reds, 4/8/13, 47,345 (107.66%)

Lowest Game Attendance: Cincinnati Reds, 4/10/13, 34,882 (79.32%)

Games over 100%:

4/8/13	Reds	47,345	43,975	107.66%
4/13/13	Brewers	44,696	43,975	101.64%
4/26/13	Pirates	44,090	43,975	100.26%
5/16/13	Mets	44,068	43,975	100.21%
6/17/13	Cubs	44,172	43,975	100.45%
6/18/13	Cubs	44,139	43,975	100.37%
6/21/13	Texas	45,228	43,975	102.85%
6/22/13	Texas	44,651	43,975	101.54%
6/23/13	Texas	44,063	43,975	100.20%
7/5/13	Miami	46,177	43,975	105.01%
7/6/13	Miami	45,475	43,975	103.41%
7/10/13	Houston	44,313	43,975	100.77%
7/20/13	San Diego	45,288	43,975	102.99%
7/21/13	San Diego	44,033	43,975	100.13%
7/23/13	Phillies	44,780	43,975	101.83%
7/24/13	Phillies	44,317	43,975	100.78%
7/25/13	Phillies	45,567	43,975	103.62%
8/25/13	Braves	44,009	43,975	100.08%
9/7/13	Pirates	45,118	43,975	102.60%
9/27/13	Cubs	44,030	43,975	100.13%
9/29/13	Cubs	44,808	43,975	101.89%

As you can see the Cardinal fans came out in droves this year to support this team which was fun to watch, not because they could out slug the opponent but because they were the best all time at driving runs in while in scoring position and were fun to watch on defense. It looks like the Cardinals are in good hands for a while with Matheny and the likes of Yadier Molina for at least a few years.

Mizzou Greats: Dan Devine vs. Gary Pinkel - Inside the Numbers

As many Tiger fans have heard, Gary Pinkel has over taken Dan Devine for the second spot among Tiger coaches with wins at 93. With the win against Indiana on 9/21, he is only behind Don Faurot by 8. One of the big knocks on Pinkel is that he has built his success on a down Big 12 North and a weak non-con schedule. Well, I was thinking let's just see how each coach compared in their non-con record and conference record.

I used the baseline of opponents record to see how well the other teams that each coach did during the era's that they coached, in this case 58 to 70 for Devine and 01' to 12' for Pinkel (I didn't include the games that they have played yet this season, no final record available for each team). I also had an additional problem, Pinkel gets to play FCS schools while Devine didn't, so I gave every FCS school a ranking of 125 on record rank because there are only 124 school in FBS, so they can't be higher than that.

I also used a rank of Points Scored per Game (FS/G), Points Allowed per Game (FS/A), SRS or Simple ratings system (Explained Here) and Strength of Schedule (SOS). All these ranking are available at Sports Reference and the FCS final schedule are available here.

Dan Devine (1958 to 1970)

Overall Record: 92 Wins, 38 Losses, 7 Ties (Win %: 69.70%)
Non Conference: 27 Wins, 12 Losses, 3 Ties (Win %: 69.23%)
Conference: 61 Wins, 24 Losses, 4 Ties (Win %: 71.76%)
Bowl Games: 4 Wins, 2 Losses (Win %: 66.67%)

Non Conference Breakdown -
Opponents Records: 204 Wins, 200 Losses, 14 Ties (Win %: 50.49%) Average Win %  Rank: 59.33 Lowest Ranked Opponent: Illinois (69') 0-10, Avg Win% Rank: 119th
Highest Ranked Opponent: Tie: UCLA (66') 9-1, Notre Dame (70') 10-1, Avg Win% Rank: 6th


Conference Breakdown -
Opponents Records: 430 Wins, 457 Losses, 19 Ties (Win %: 48.47%) Average Win% Rank: 60.44
Lowest Ranked Opponent: Kansas State (66') 0-9-1, Avg Win% Rank: 119th
Highest Ranked Opponent: Nebraska (65') 10-1, Avg Win % Rank: 2nd

• Colorado: 60 Wins, 66 Losses, 2 Ties (Win % Avg: 52.54)
• Iowa State: 53 Wins, 73 Losses, 4 Ties (Win % Avg: 69.85)
• Kansas: 64 Wins, 64 Losses, 5 Tie (Win % Avg: 58.07)
• Kansas State: 29 Wins, 100 Losses, 1 Tie (Win % Avg: 95.23)
• Nebraska: 93 Wins, 43 Wins, 2 Ties (Win % /Avg: 34.92)
• Oklahoma: 86 Wins, 48 Losses, 3 Ties (Win % Avg: 44.07)
• Oklahoma State: 39 Wins, 69 Losses, 2 Ties (Win % Avg: 68.46)*

*Oklahoma State joined the conference for the 1960 season, so Devine only played them 11 times.

Bowl Game Breakdown - 

Opponents Records: 52 Wins, 13 Losses, 1 Tie (Win %: 80.00%) Avg Win% Rank: 15.67

Lowest Ranked Opponent: Florida (65') 7-4, Avg Win% Rank: 34th

Highest Ranked Opponent: Penn State (69') 11-0, Avg Win% Rank: 1st

Advanced Statistics:

Points Scored Per Game -

Average: 54th

High: 4th (60')

Low: 97th (66')

Points Allowed Per Game - 

Average: 20th

High: 1st (67')

Low: 47th (58')

Simple Ratings System - 

Average: 21st

High: 1st (69')

Low: 42nd (66')

Strength of Schedule - 

Average: 37th

High: 5th (69', 70')

Low: 60th (67')

Gary Pinkel (01' to Present)

Overall Record as of 2012: 90 Wins, 61 Losses (Winning %: 60.2%)
Non Conference Record: 37 Wins, 7 Losses (Winning %:84.09%)
Conference Record: 49 Wins, 48 Losses (Winning %: 50.41%)
Conf Champ Game: 0 Wins, 2 Losses (Winning %: 0.00%)
Bowl Games: 4 Wins, 5 Losses (Winning %: 44.44%)

Non Conference Breakdown -
Opponents Record: 248 Wins, 268 Losses (Winning %: 48.06%) Avg Win% Rank: 69.54
Lowest Ranked BCS Opponent: Illinois (03') 1-11, Win % Rank: 111th
Highest Ranked Opponent: Bowling Green (02') 9-3, Win % Rank: 19th
FCS Opponents: Texas State (01'), Eastern Illinois (03'), Murray State (06'), Illinois State (07'), Southeast Missouri (08'), Furman (09'), McNeese State (10'), Western Illinios (11'), and Southeastern Louisiana (12')

Conference Breakdown -
Opponents Record: 709 Wins, 515 Losses (Winning %: 57.92%) Avg Win% Rank: 45.05
Lowest Ranked Opponent: Kansas (11'), Win% Rank: 109th
Highest Ranked Opponent: Texas (05'), Kansas (07'), Win% Rank: 1st

• Colorado: 60 Wins, 66 Losses (Win%: 47.61%) Avg Win% Rank: 63.4
• Iowa State: 57 Wins, 79 Losses (Win%: 41.91%) Avg Win% Rank: 70.2
• Kansas: 58 Wins, 75 Losses (Win%: 43.61) Avg Win% Rank: 69.3
• Kansas State: 77 Wins, 60 Losses (Win%: 56.20) Avg Win% Rank: 51.63
• Nebraska: 84 Wins, 46 Losses (Win%: 64.61) Avg Win% Rank: 33.6
• Oklahoma: 68 Wins, 15 Losses (Win%: 81.92) Avg Win% Rank: 10.0
• Oklahoma State: 45 Wins, 28 Losses (Win%: 61.64) Avg Win% Rank: 41.33
• Baylor: 29 Wins, 41 Losses (Win%: 41.42%) Avg Win% Rank: 74.8
• Texas: 68 Wins, 10 Losses (Win%: 87.17) Avg Win% Rank: 8.5
• Texas Tech: 47 Wins, 31 Losses (Win%: 60.25) Avg Win% Rank: 39.5
• Texas A&M: 56 Wins, 36 Losses (Win%:59.55) Avg Win% Rank: 44.14
• SEC Schools*: 63 Wins, 28 Losses (Win%: 69.23) Avg Win% Rank: 34.42

* This doesn't include A&M, they are added to the total they accumulated while in the Big 12

Conference Championship Game Breakdown - 

Opponents Records# 23 Wins, 5 Losses (Win%: 82.14) Avg Win% Rank: 8.0

#Both Championship games were played with Oklahoma (07',08'), the W vs. L's only count for Conference

Bowl Games Breakdown - 

Opponents Records: 68 Wins, 37 Losses (Win%: 64.76) Avg Win% Rank: 31.0
Lowest Bowl Opponent: North Carolina (11') 7-6, Win % Rank: 50th
Highest Bowl Opponent: Navy (10') 10-4, Win% Rank: 19th

Advanced Statistics

Points Scored Per Game:
Average: 43rd
High: 6th (08')
Low: 88th (01')

Points Allowed Per Game:
Average: 52nd
High: 6th (09')
Low: 84th (01')

Simple Ratings System:
Average: 36th
High: 7th (07')
Low: 73rd (01')

Strength of Schedule:
Average: 37th
High: 1st (12')
Low: 69th (04')


Just by looking at the numbers that I have placed before you, it is easy to see that Pinkel played a tougher Conference Schedule while under the helm at Missouri compared to Devine. Devine played KSU during his time and that was basically like playing an FCS team in the 60's. Also, OSU didn't impose Devine much a threat during his time. These number are also aided by allowing FBS schools to play FCS schools. By playing these games,most of the time,  it gives the FCS school an easy victory and can help inflate the numbers. If you look at some of the opponents that Devine played you saw where they would go 0-10 or 1-9, that generally doesn't happen much in today's college football with how coaches and AD's handle their schedules. One other reason that Pinkel played a harder conference schedule was he had to switch 3 opponents every two years so you would have to re-scout the teams when the time came, which is something Devine never had to deal with at Mizzou.

As far as Non-Con schedule, you would have to give the nod to Devine. He had some impressive victory and Pinkel's record is bolstered by 9 FCS teams, which skews his numbers. But don't think that Devine didn't play his share of crappy big name teams like Michigan, SMU, Cal (who won 5 games in the 3 years Missouri played them combined), Illinois, Minnesota (You have to remember some of the teams that we know now as National Power mayber weren't the programs that you see today). Devine did also schedule some big games against teams like Penn State, Notre Dame, UCLA to name a few. It is hard to compare the two with the addition of these FCS teams into the mix but I would say that Devine gets an edge.

Bowl games are dominated by Devine. Football back in the 60's didn't just take a team that finished 6-6, they took the best teams (mostly because there weren't over 30 bowls then) Devine played in what we would have called today's BCS Bowl games, and did very well. Pinkel is under .500 in bowl apperances and hasn't played the level of competition that Devine's team did in bowls.

Advanced Statistics Winners:

Points Scored Per Game:
Pinkel - 43rd

Points Allowed Per Game:
Devine - 20th

Simple Ratings System:
Devine - 21st

Strength of Schedule:
Even: 37th

Simple to note, Devine was a defensive minded coach, with his teams in the Top 10 in points allowed during 6 seasons of his 13 (61',62',63',65',67',68'). This might also be why he is lower on points scored because his defense were so dominant that he could let them win the game rather than rely on his offense to score. Pinkel is the opposite, an offensive coach, but has only been inthe Top 10 2 times during his time at Missouri (07',08').

Either way, each coach made a significant contribution to the University of Missouri and accomplished a great deal. Devine with the hunt for two National Championships in 60' and 69' and Pinkel for building and maintaining a competitive program that got us recognized by the SEC. Let's hope that our next coach can be both Devine and Pinkel, strong defense and strong offense.

2013 Royals Attendance

As many know the Royals are over .500 for the first years since 2003, but did that equate to higher attendance this season at Kauffman Stadium? Let's take a look at how the stats broke down for the Royals this season on the other side of the wall.

Date	Opponent	Attendance	Total Cap	% Capacity
4/8/13	Twins	40,073	37,903	105.73%
4/9/13	Twins	11,697	37,903	30.86%
4/10/13	Twins	10,069	37,903	26.57%
4/12/13	Blue Jays	13,049	37,903	34.43%
4/13/13	Blue Jays	21,690	37,903	57.23%
4/14/13	Blue Jays	29,057	37,903	76.66%
4/27/13	Indians	19,224	37,903	50.72%
4/28/13	Indians	22,001	37,903	58.05%
4/28/13	Indians	19,831	37,903	52.32%
4/29/13	Indians	14,255	37,903	37.61%
4/30/13	Rays	12,738	37,903	33.61%
5/1/13	Rays	11,514	37,903	30.38%
5/4/13	White Sox	19,957	37,903	52.65%
5/5/13	White Sox	16,462	37,903	43.43%
5/6/13	White Sox	15,576	37,903	41.09%
5/10/13	Yankees	24,521	37,903	64.69%
5/11/13	Yankees	30,910	37,903	81.55%
5/12/13	Yankees	29,515	37,903	77.87%
5/23/13	Angels	18,784	37,903	49.56%
5/24/13	Angels	32,148	37,903	84.82%
5/25/13	Angels	27,958	37,903	73.76%
5/26/13	Angels	24,475	37,903	64.57%
5/27/13	Cardinals	34,746	37,903	91.67%
5/28/13	Cardinals	27,833	37,903	73.43%
6/4/13	Minnesota	20,134	37,903	53.12%
6/5/13	Minnesota	12,407	37,903	32.73%
6/6/13	Minnesota	14,942	37,903	39.42%
6/7/13	Houston	24,808	37,903	65.45%
6/8/13	Houston	28,055	37,903	74.02%
6/9/13	Houston	20,723	37,903	54.67%
6/10/13	Detroit	17,653	37,903	46.57%
6/11/13	Detroit	16,493	37,903	43.51%
6/12/13	Detroit	24,564	37,903	64.81%
6/21/13	White Sox	33,830	37,903	89.25%
6/22/13	White Sox	20,364	37,903	53.73%
6/23/13	White Sox	18,622	37,903	49.13%
6/25/13	Braves	29,947	37,903	79.01%
6/26/13	Braves	22,207	37,903	58.59%
7/2/13	Indians	15,625	37,903	41.22%
7/3/13	Indians	28,534	37,903	75.28%
7/4/13	Indians	16,792	37,903	44.30%
7/5/13	Oakland	35,518	37,903	93.71%
7/6/13	Oakland	16,606	37,903	43.81%
7/7/13	Oakland	17,804	37,903	46.97%
7/19/13	Detroit	35,000	37,903	92.34%
7/20/13	Detroit	30,116	37,903	79.46%
7/21/13	Detroit	20,513	37,903	54.12%
7/22/13	Baltimore	16,362	37,903	43.17%
7/23/13	Baltimore	19,072	37,903	50.32%
7/24/13	Baltimore	17,410	37,903	45.93%
7/25/13	Baltimore	17,675	37,903	46.63%
8/5/13	Twins	21,474	37,903	56.66%
8/6/13	Twins	18,924	37,903	49.93%
8/7/13	Twins	20,198	37,903	53.29%
8/8/13	Red Sox	21,121	37,903	55.72%
8/9/13	Red Sox	29,485	37,903	77.79%
8/10/13	Red Sox	38,742	37,903	102.21%
8/11/13	Red Sox	24,935	37,903	65.79%
8/12/13	Marlins	15,956	37,903	42.10%
8/13/13	Marlins	21,094	37,903	55.65%
8/14/13	Marlins	17,760	37,903	46.86%
8/20/13	White Sox	13,060	37,903	34.46%
8/21/13	White Sox	13,083	37,903	34.52%
8/22/13	White Sox	13,363	37,903	35.26%
8/23/13	Nationals	28,733	37,903	75.81%
8/24/13	Nationals	28,023	37,903	73.93%
8/25/13	Nationals	19,661	37,903	51.87%
8/26/13	Rays	20,546	37,903	54.21%
9/2/13	Mariners	20,063	37,903	52.93%
9/3/13	Mariners	13,638	37,903	35.98%
9/4/13	Mariners	13,621	37,903	35.94%
9/5/13	Mariners	14,004	37,903	36.95%
9/6/13	Tigers	21,358	37,903	56.35%
9/7/13	Tigers	20,402	37,903	53.83%
9/8/13	Tigers	16,774	37,903	44.26%
9/16/13	Indians	15,413	37,903	40.66%
9/17/13	Indians	21,685	37,903	57.21%
9/18/13	Indians	21,198	37,903	55.93%
9/20/13	Rangers	21,837	37,903	57.61%
9/21/13	Rangers	36,575	37,903	96.50%
9/22/13	Rangers	27,899	37,903	73.61%
Totals		1,750,484	Average	57.02%
		Total Poss at 100% Attendance	3,070,143
		Empty Seats	1,319,659
		Average Capacity: 20,364

The low point of the season came on Wednesday April 10th, at 10,069 against the Twins. That day was also a rain soaked day that turned people away from the turnstiles. The high point of the season was on Opening Day at the K, with 40,073. The Royals also broke over 100% on Saturday August 10th against the Red Sox

At the end of the day the Royals, had 1,319,659 empty seats or unsold tickets during this season. Maybe if Mr.Glass could put a more exciting product (I know he did this season) they will get more folks in the KC Metro, Mo, Ks, Ne, Ia and Ok to attend games.

The Royals did average 57.02% attendance for the season with average capacity of 20,364 people. A grand total of 1,750,484 walked inside Kauffman's gates to see a game during the season, which is better than last season.

Murray State vs. Missouri - Thoughts and Numbers

First off let's start by saying that it was hotter than a two dollar pistol on Saturday and attendance suffered because of it. 58,038 was the final attendance and while not bad it wasn't close to last years opener of nearly 63,000

The Stats:
Rushing: Mizzou had 6 individuals rush the ball for 45 times and gained 358 yards, that's a 8.0 yard per carry clip. The running game was completely different from years past, due to the fact that at all times there was a running back directly behind the Quarterback. I think I only saw 5 wide once in the game. The welcome back celebration for Henry Josey led to a 68 yard touchdown run in the 3rd Quarter to put the Tigers up 51 to 14, and for a guy that had a devastating knee injury, he looked really fast. Russell Hasbrough impressed with a 51 yard run of his own. All in all, the Tigers have a three headed monster with Josey, Hasbrough, and Murphy.

• Henry Josey: 13 Carries, 113 yds, Long: 68 yds, Per Carry Average: 8.7 yds
• Russell Hasbrough: 8 Carries, 104 yds, Long: 51 yds, Per Carry Average: 13 yds
• Marcus Murphy: 7 Carries, 56 yds, Long: 31 yds, Per Carry Average: 8.0 yds
• James Franklin: 6 Carries, 44 yds, Long: 26 yds, Per Carry Average: 7.3 yds
• Morgan Steward: 8 Carries, 29 yds, Long: 10 yds, Per Carry Average: 3.1 yds
• Greg White: 3 Carries, 16 yds, Long: 10 yds, Per Carry Average: 5.3 yd

Passing: The passing game look great and crisp. James Franklin was throwing balls with power and we saw no floating duck balls come from his passing. Maty Mauk saw limited number of passes and did make an appearance in the second quarter. After he subbed in for Franklin in the second half he threw the ball once and Mizzou ran the ball from there on out. Berk came in to get mop up time and made one pass to the bench. Looked like he overthrew his man, and why he is now #3 on the depth chart.

• James Franklin: 26 for 38, 318 yds, 68.4% completions, 3 TD's, 0 Int
• Maty Mauk: 2 for 3, 18 yds, 66.6% completions, 0 TD, 0 Int
• Corbin Berkstressor: 0 for 1, 0 yds, 0% completions, 0 TD, 0 Int

Receiving: Tall could be a one word description of what the receiving corp but that leaves out strong, fast and athletic and that they are. With no starters under 6'4" tall, and Hunt and Coplin being the two short kids at 6'1" tall, the Tigers have talent. The Tight ends caught two passes during the contest but it seemed that they weren't targeted like they might be later in the season. Culkin is big and can be a very valuable weapon for the Tigers. Jaleel Clark is who impressed me the most, made some tough catches and showed some great awareness on the field.

• Jaleel Clark: 5 rec, 51 yds, Long: 14 yds
• Dorial Green-Beckham: 4 rec, 83 yds, Long: 44 yds
• Bud Sasser: 4 rec, 41 yds, Long: 18 yds
• Marcus Lucas: 4 rec, 33 yds, Long: 10 yds
• L'Damian Washington: 3 rec, 32 yds, Long: 16 yds
• Darius White: 2 rec, 44 yds, Long: 37 yds
• Jimmie Hunt: 2 rec, 26 yds, Long: 22 yds
• Eric Waters: 1 rec, 11 yds, Long: 11 yds
• Levi Copelin: 1 rec, 7 yds, Long: 7 yds
• Sean Culkin: 1 rec, 6 yds, Long: 6 yds
• Henry Josey: 1 rec, 2 yds, Long: 2 yds

Special Teams: The return game didn't impress much on Saturday, maybe because the punter for Murray State would hit a line drive style rugby kick and they covered the kick well. Murphy just didn't get a real opportunity to take one back. The field goal team didn't impress when Baggett shanked a 30 yd field goal in the first half and missed one extra point, but came back to hit a 43 yd field goal right before half time. One caveat though was Baggett's kickoffs. Seemed like everyone he kicked landed in the end zone for a touch back or went completely out of the end zone. Christian Brinser is a great punter and will be a great weapon for the Tigers in flipping the field position.

• Punting: Christian Brinser: 3 punts, 145 yds, Avg: 48.3 yds, Long: 51 yds
• Field Goals: Andrew Baggett: 1 for 2, 50%, Good: 43 yds, Miss: 30 yds
• Extra Points: Andrew Baggett: 7 for 8, 87.5%
• Kickoffs: Andrew Baggett: 9 kicks for 584 yds, 8 Touchbacks, Avg: 64.9 yds

Defense: The night started out poorly. After Bud Sasser put the ball on the turf, Murray State proceeded to drive down and score on Missouri, and everyone in the crowd had this thought on their head, "Oh NO!, here we go again." The good news is that Missouri had limited information on the new QB for Murray State and once they adjusted the team settled in and didn't let them score again after the 1st Quarter. I did see some problems, like Dan Hoch not getting a push and noticed that Andrew Wilson wasn't on the field much during the game, he only made one special teams tackle later on in the game. I am not sure if the turnover started the defense off guard or what but Steck has to have his kids ready and they need a lead to be successful. They have to be able to pin their ears back and get after the QB, then the game gets easier for them. 

Other Thoughts:

The New Rock M: The "new" rock M looks great. It should have been done a long time ago, and Alden does get props for that. The way that it joins right up to the field and allows for a larger concourse, where several people were watching from the railing (Reminded me of watching the Royals above the fountains). The brick wall really enhances the look of the facility and it shows how they will head with the East Expansion.

The East Expansion: Wow! They are really moving along on that project. It won't be long and all the towers will be cast and they will be working on the trusses that support the upper deck. It will be a nice addition to the facility once it gets completed.

The Uniforms: The uniforms didn't look that bad and they don't when you are winning in them, but lose and they become the butt of the joke. When Mizzou wins the fans don't really have a need to worry about them looking weird or non-traditional.

The Attendance: Attendance was good for a 97 degree day in late August. The stadium didn't look that empty to be honest and could have swore their were at least 62,000 people in attendance. Realizing that it was a FCS opponent, we still need to call out the students of this University. It is you job to stay for the entire game and cheer the team on. We need to get this notion out of our heads, that when we are up a ton we leave. That is one place we are not fitting in with the SEC for now.

The Corny Advertisements (Pun intended): First it was the CaseIH Red zone now it is the Missouri Corn Growers sponsoring every first down, and their interesting looking mascot shaking Truman's hand. I understand that Agriculture plays a big part into the state's economy and the University, but we will be laughed at because it is just too "silly." At least we don't have the Barilla "Noodle Dance" like they do at Iowa State. You go to an Iowa State game and you know that you are in a state that is predominately agrarian in nature.

Two No Big Deal complaints: The cannon doesn't have the same boom that it used to, maybe because the government is running out of blanks for "Little Joe." The government doesn't see the need to make high powered blanks for demonstration shooting, which makes sense. Also, the North End zone goal post is not straight up and down, and it just bothers me. I think that it should probably be fixed before a team comes in and loses on a field goal and put in a protest.

Stock Up, Stock Down: I will do a weekly things that are trending up and things that are trending down in Mizzou football.

Up

1. Head Coach Gary Pinkel - After last season, every one said he was on the hotseat but after the offensive performance the Tigers should make a bowl game this year and that will keep him safe for now.
2. Quarterback James Franklin - After being injured during last season and really struggling it looks like that James is going to be a solid QB with a chip on his shoulder, which could lead to great things for the Tigers this season
3. Henry Josey - What else can be said about the halfback from Texas. He has a major(one of a kind) knee injury that could have threatened his career. He rehabs and comes back 685 days later and looks just as fast as before. Josey will be a threat all season for Mizzou.
4. Snaps - Remember last season when the QB has to bend or jump to catch a snap, well I only counted one bad snap from Boehm to Franklin so I think we might have our timing back up to par this season.
5. The Offense - This team will get up and down the field and in a hurry. The ball was snapped with 15 seconds remaining on the play clock all the time. It makes for a lot of action and it might be Mizzou's only chance to win some games and put other teams out of reach.

Down

1. Andrew Wilson - The Tigers leading tackler from last season only managed one tackle against Murray State and wasn't on the field much in the first half. Andrew needs to step up for the Tigers to have a chance against stronger competition, well unless one of the young Linebackers are just better.
2. Matt Hoch - Hoch had real trouble getting a push on a FCS defensive line. It might been a part of the strategy for him to occupy a couple blockers so the ends and backers could make the plays but we will need a push from him or Harold Brantley might find his way to the starting rotation.
3. The Check In - When walking in the stadium we had to wait in line for at least 15 minutes to get checked in, all this would have been solved by adding one additional scanner to the Express lane. I mean it says Express, so it might would need to be faster.
4. Bud Sasser - The only reason I put Bud on this list is because he had a key fumble to start the game and it kind of put our defense in a bad spot. He also dropped a couple of passes later. For this team to be successful the receivers need to catch the ball and not give it away. It doesn't matter in this game but it will in the future games.

Missouri's Football Attendance (Revisited)

I went back in and added the numbers for the 2012 season, which were a record (with the help of 3 sellouts during the season) As you can see the attendance shot up drastically with the introduction to the SEC. They will go down this year with the loss of nearly 4,000 seats for this season. Take at what I said about this season last January and see that I was short on my prediction of 66,000 fans. It was closer to 67,500.

I know that you when you go to Columbia to watch the Tigers you hear a lot of negative things about the empty seats at Memorial Stadium. Well that got me wandering. I was on TigerBoard and one poster pointed out that Mizzou finished 2011 ranked 25th in average attendance. I was surprised. I thought that with the underwhelming outcome at the Texas game and Tech game that we surely wouldn't rank that high, but we did. I then decided to do some further investigation and look up the numbers from past years. The latest data at NCAA.com was 2005. I thought that would be a good starting place because that was the Senior Year of Brad Smith. Let's look at the Data.

Year	Rank	Avg Attendance	Capacity	Percentage
2005	36	53364	68349	78.08%
2006	33	55918	68349	81.81%
2007	31	60232	68349	88.12%
2008	26	64520	68349	94.40%
2009	28	64120	71004	90.30%
2010	26	61540	71004	86.67%
2011	25	62095	71004	87.45%

As you can see from the chart, MU has been moving up the rankings in the last seven years. I just wanted to show you how the program has been improving and the fans have been coming out for the games. After Chase Daniel left the program to go to the NFL, the seating capacity in the stadium was expanded to 71,004. We have dropped a few thousand in numbers but I think we are beginning to gain that back. Next year I predict we will have 66,000+ in average attendance