Missouri Tigers Not Worried About Latest Bowl Misfortune

I can think of several different reasons why I should raise hell and complain about the injustice regarding the Missouri Tigers' most recent bowl snub.

But I won't. I like to think that in my lifetime, which is all-too-rapidly approaching the sacred 30-year mark, I am above all the wailing and moaning—if only slightly.

Let me just say that the Texas Bowl should be glad it's getting Missouri, and vice versa.

At 8-4, the Tigers feature a dynamic offense led by immortal wide receiver Danario Alexander and budding star Blaine Gabbert at quarterback. When it's on, Missouri scores points and does so in bunches, and that alone will keep butts in the seats and eyes glued to the sets.

Anyone with half a shred of common sense knows college football—like this great world itself—is controlled by the almighty dollar. And Missouri won't disappoint in playing its part in lining the pockets of Texas Bowl officials.

Yes, the Tigers sent only 9,000 to last season's Alamo Bowl in San Antonio, but it's not out of the question that after Missouri's hot conclusion to the season, the numbers won't at least approach the 30,000 strong that we saw the year prior at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas.

Furthermore, Missouri will provide a ying to Navy's yang.

Ringing in the days of yore with their nostalgic triple-option offense, the Midshipmen will provide the matchup with a certain angle rarely encountered by teams from the Big 12, as well as satisfy those who may be growing weary of the games featuring two teams who employ the wide-open mentality of the spread offense.

Plus, for Missouri, there's a certain kind of unspoken richness and cache that comes along with playing a service academy.

And don't tell me members of the Texas Bowl selection committee aren't thrilled with the opportunity to promote and stage a rematch of the 1961 Orange Bowl.

It would be easy to scowl at the Big 12 bowl selection process' perceived bias toward Missouri. Getting passed over by the Orange Bowl in favor of Kansas was inexplicable. Taking a back seat at the Gator Bowl to Nebraska after pounding the Huskers by 35 in their own back yard was harsh as well.

And Insight Bowl officials put the cherry on top Sunday when they sided with 6-6 Iowa State to face a flavorless Minnesota team in Tempe, Ariz.

But when putting aside the whole principal of said process—which essentially turns the Big 12 into a slave to bowl officials, whose one and only mission is to make bank in any way possible—the Tigers getting relegated to the lowest rung of the ladder is not all that bad.

It's being reported that Missouri, unless it plays its cards right, could end up losing money by trekking to Houston. But, if that occurs, let's just say someone within the athletic department isn't doing their job in regulating the budget.

So what if the Tigers will receive $500,000 less in traveling expenses than what was assured by the Insight Bowl ($1.2 million)? So the band doesn't make the trip, the Golden Girls stay home for the holidays, and athletic director Mike Alden's second, third, and fourth traveling secretary are all left behind.

Who cares.

Assuming Tiger fans travel well to Houston on Dec. 31, which could very well go a long way in preventing future bowl slights, the Texas Bowl experience could to be a smashing success—and one that wildly outshines any other bowl scenario Missouri could have found itself in.

The Insight, Independence, and Sun were three bowls that at least briefly considered extending a bid to the Tigers. But you could argue, with the exception of the higher payouts, none offers what the Texas Bowl will.

As far as the Independence and Sun go, the Tigers have been there and done that, playing in those two bowls three times in the last four years. Also, Missouri has been to the Insight, making an appearance in 1998 against St. Louis Rams quarterback Marc Bulger and West Virginia under head coach Larry Smith—although it was called the Insight.com Bowl then.

The Texas Bowl is fresh. It's only three years old . It's something new for MU fans. The Tigers have a chance to establish the Texas Bowl as an exciting event that's worthy of being played every New Year's Eve.

And though it gets the last pick of Big 12 teams, the Texas Bowl has its benefits.

The Texas Bowl is held at Reliant Stadium, a top-notch NFL facility that is largely considered one of the league's best. In comparison, the Insight Bowl is held at decrepit Sun Devil Stadium, which suffers from a less-than-favorable reputation dating back to its days as the home of the Phoenix/Arizona Cardinals.

The Independence Bowl, which selected 6-6 Texas A&M after giving MU brief consideration, is played in Shreveport, La., not exactly an exotic paradise that is swooned over by school officials and media alike.

The Sun Bowl, which will pit 7-5 Oklahoma against Stanford, is held at El Paso, a city slightly more appealing than Shreveport.

Secondly, the Houston area is one of the regions of Texas that bleed Black and Gold—and not just because 33 members of the MU roster call the state home. Houston houses a large constituency of MU alumni, and the area represents one of the more fertile recruiting hotbeds into which head coach Gary Pinkel and his staff have built a direct pipeline.

Presently, the Tigers seldom scour the states of Arizona and Louisiana for high school talent.

Also, the Texas Bowl, for a couple of reasons, is guaranteed the chance to have a viewership that spans the nation.

Unlike the Insight, which is telecast on the subscription-based NFL Network, the Texas Bowl will be carried by ESPN and simulcast on the network's online service, ESPN360.com. And kickoff will happen at 3:30 p.m. ET, which is well before the masses begin to enter their drunken stupor in celebration of the New Year.

Yes, the system is flawed. And Missouri is the prime example three times over. Pinkel has admitted it, senior associate athletic director Mark Alnutt knows it, and Alden has indicated MU has held talks with Big 12 Commissioner Dan Beebe , presumably about the conference's selection process.

But, in all, members of the Missouri athletic department hierarchy have been mum on the frustration of another selection letdown, instead choosing to grin, bear it, and look forward to what should be a great contest .

“We’re proud we had the fourth-best record along with one other school in the Big 12 as we battled through it all,” Pinkel said. “I certainly think the process in the Big 12 has been frustrating. But I also don’t think it’s really the appropriate time to discuss” the frustrations. “That’s a conversation and discussion for a later point. I’m really excited about this game and feel really good about it.”

Check out this article and more at my page at Examiner.com .

Photo credit: Sporting News