Bully for ol' Mizzou

"…We will tramp, tramp, tramp around the columns,
with a cheer, for Old Mizzou!"

Columbia, Missouri, a thriving community of 85,000, has been consistently ranked by Money Magazine as one of the nation’s top places to live, due to its excellent quality of life. Most recently, MSN Internet Service ranked Columbia 9th out of 331 metro areas in its 2003 study of "Best Places to Live in America.” The town is distinctively Midwestern, and collegiate – a great place to spend a fall football weekend.

What’s it like to be a Missouri fan when the Tigers take the field in Columbia? A while back, Trip Captain spent a football weekend with Truman the Tiger.  Below, you’ll see what he discovered, while cheering for Old Mizzou.

As for lodging in Columbia, most of it is located north of town along I-70, between the Stadium Blvd. exit on the west side, and the intersection with US Highway 63, northwest of the city. There is some lodging in the downtown area, as well.  Hotels include: Baymont, Candlewood, Drury Inn, Best Value, Days Inn, Fairfield Inn, Best Western, Holiday Inn Select, Holiday Inn Express, Wingate Inn, Ramada Inn, Laquinta Inn, Travelodge, Hawthorn Suites, Red Roof, Super 8, Regency Downtown, Arrowhead, Campus Inn, Deluxe Inn, Motel 6 West, Super 7, and as well as some B&Bs - including University Bed and Breakfast and Taylor House Bed and Breakfast.

Additional lodging is available in nearby communities, including Mexico, Fulton, Moberly, Jefferson City (the state capitol), Boonville, and Warrenton

TC checked in, dumped his bags in his room, and headed out to survey the area. South on Providence, east on Worley, and south on College Ave., toward the campus.  College Ave. in Columbia runs north and south, and is a convenient route from I-70 to the campus area.

He wheeled south on College to Stadium Blvd. (Highway 740), and west.  As he approached Providence, coming up on his left, on the southwest corner, there it was - Memorial Stadium. Built in 1929, Memorial Stadium seats over 68,000, and surrounds Faurot Field, which is named after Don Faurot. Faurot invented the Split – T formation, was head coach from 1935- 1956, had a record of 107-79-10, and was athletic director for the Tigers from 1935 through 1967. In his final game as head coach, Missouri beat Kansas, its archrival, 15-13 on the game's final play, and his players carried him off the field.

Faurot Field

Missouri began football in 1890, joined the Missouri Valley Conference in 1907, then into the Big Six Conference in 1920, which became the Big Seven, then Big Eight through 1995. In 1996, Mizzou entered the Big Twelve Conference, where they now compete in the North Division.

Mizzou has played in many big games in its history, but three huge, pivotal contests – each of which was on the way to a national championship for the other team - are of note: the “4th and 1 – Joe Washington run” Oklahoma game of 1975, the “5th down game” against Colorado in 1990, and the “kicked ball” game vs. Nebraska in 1997.

Missouri has produced 23 All-Americans. Brock Olivo won the Tatupu award in 1997, and other Missouri past heroes include Ed Lindenmeyer, Ed Travis, Paul Christman, Harold Jenkins, Bob Steuber, Kellen Winslow, Johnny Roland, Ron Wehrli, Phil Bradley, Steve Pisarkiewicz, Curtis Brown, Corby Jones, Mel West, Norris Stephenson Henry Marshall and John Clay.  The Tigers have sent three coaches to the College Football Hall of Fame: Jimmy Phelan, Don Faurot, and Dan Devine.

Sitting at the red light and looking at Memorial Stadium, Cap dug out his game ticket. He had called the Mizzou ticket office back in March.  He marked his calendar, called back when single-game tickets went on sale, and his efforts were rewarded. Now, six months after his first call, he held it up proudly and grinned, “ticket in hand.”

Turning north on Providence, Cap rolled back past the campus and into the downtown area – rich with shops, specialty stores, coffee houses, restaurants and bars.

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