We're all reasonable adults here, aren't we--I who write this blog and those of you who happen to frequent it? If so, then let's just wrap up the Kansas-Missouri conference alignment debate as follows--you (University of Missouri) did what you thought best for your institution and left the Big 12 for the SEC; we (University of Kansas) likewise made a decision which we think is best for us and the league to which we remained loyal by publicly indicating no desire to continue playing MU in any sport. As reasonable adults, let's simply respect the decision of the other school and agree that "you do what's best for you" and we'll not judge your decision.
Sounds all well and good except for one snag--the governor of the state of Missouri doesn't know when to keep his mouth shut and has played too direct a role in this whole sad breaking of tradition.
Let's have a quick review, shall we? Jay Nixon, Missouri's governor, got famously in the middle of Mizzou's 2010 flirtation with the Big 10 by calling into question the academic prowess of Big 12 schools Texas Tech and Oklahoma State while lauding the academic brilliance of the Big Ten schools. Now, Nixon is on the record as saying that the KU-MU rivalry is "...a tradition that should continue, and we're hopeful that it will. It's good for the Kansas City economy."
Whoa there, Gov--if you were so concerned about the Kansas City economy, where were you weeks ago when MU officials and the Board of Curators were deliberating on your state school's participation in the Big 12? Kansas City officials were publicly pleading with MU to stay in the Big 12, citing the economic impact that this move would have on K.C.
Nixon was in the middle of swirling the Big 12 instability pot in 2010. And, now he's being disingenuous by suggesting that if only KU would want to continue to play MU, all would be well in K.C.
The impact to Kansas City goes far, far beyond a KU-MU football game in Arrowhead. The biggest impact to Kansas City is the likelihood of losing the Mens and Womens Big 12 Basketball Tournaments now that no Big 12 school is located in the state of Missouri--home to Kansas City's Sprint Center. The $16+ million impact in economic impact from the tournament dwarfs what the KU-MU football game means to the metropolitan area of Kansas City.
So, Governor Nixon, do us all a favor and stay out of this. You've been far too involved already and your most recent comments are a transparent attempt to deflect responsibility for what Missouri's decision will mean to Kansas City and this region.
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