Missouri....

#76
#76
I've lived in the St. Louis area for nearly 15 years. I don't live in the city. I live in the western, middle class 'burbs in one of the more conservative pockets. I've raised three kids here. It's a safe, friendly place to be. I am quite happy.

Once you get used to the traffic and congestion of nearly 3 million people, it's no big deal.

It's not the south. It's Midwest and has far more diversity in heritage. It's not like East Tennessee where 80 percent of the people are Scots Irish. The oddest thing for me to get used to is that it is probably 90 percent Catholic. As a boy raised in East Tennessee, that has taken some getting used to.

It's nice have a MLB team, an NFL team and an NHL team in town. It also has a top symphony and a beautiful theater that hosts most all touring Broadway productions.

As for O'Fallon, IL. It is a St. Louis Suburb also. It doesn't surprise me the MU is pressing there. Pinkel has been working to secure St. Louis since he got to Missouri.

As for the MU, itself, it is a wonderful campus. It's smaller than UT and less industrial looking. Overall, I would agree that it is nicer.

The town of Columbia is pretty scruffy. I don't care for it at all. Plus, it's VERY small. It's not much bigger than Morristown or Jackson. It has to be one of the smallest towns (that is a decent distance from a bigger town) in the SEC. That's a strike against them for sure.

If you are more interested in the lifestyle and glamour of college mixed in with some football, I can certainly see how Missouri would be unattractive.

But, if are someone who sees football as an opportunity to get a free college degree and can actually see life beyond football, MU would be an excellent choice. It is an excellent school with an outstanding academic reputation. It that sense, I believe it would trump UT. (depending on your major).
 
#77
#77
Mizzou offers more "schools" than any other US university. If you want a major... they pretty much have it.
 
#78
#78
St Louis is to Missouri what Atlanta is to Georgia. They are pretty dissimilar and that includes KC. STL is just a city like just about any other US city. KC is "cow town" with some culture.

Columbia has around 115K permanent residents. K'ville has around 180K.
 
#79
#79
sjt18 said:
St Louis is to Missouri what Atlanta is to Georgia. They are pretty dissimilar and that includes KC. STL is just a city like just about any other US city. KC is "cow town" with some culture.

Columbia has around 115K permanent residents. K'ville has around 180K.
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Ummm 180k is the city limits.

according to this cnn acticle the true Ktown population is closer to 600K and "Knoxville currently has the best employment outlook in the nation"

NO SURPRISE THAT THERE ARE ZERO MISSOURI TOWNS ON THIS LIST

10 fastest growing U.S. cities - Knoxville, Tenn. (8) - CNNMoney
 
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#80
#80
SaintLouisVol said:
It's not the south. It's Midwest and has far more diversity in heritage. It's not like East Tennessee where 80 percent of the people are Scots Irish. The oddest thing for me to get used to is that it is probably 90 percent Catholic. As a boy raised in East Tennessee, that has taken some getting used to.
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I live in mid-MO. The rest of MO is not like STL.

The town of Columbia is pretty scruffy. I don't care for it at all. Plus, it's VERY small. It's not much bigger than Morristown or Jackson.
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Columbia has about 4 times more residents than Morristown and about double Jackson. The area between I-70 and the campus is older and rougher. North of I-70 is OK. South of campus and west of the Columbia Mall are newer areas that are much nicer.

It has to be one of the smallest towns (that is a decent distance from a bigger town) in the SEC. That's a strike against them for sure.
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It could be but again it is bigger than you thought. Oxford is as far... and who would want to go to Memphis often? Starkville is more remote. Auburn has Columbus but again, what's there? Even Tuscaloosa... what is close to there that you'd really want to visit?

Oh, and have you ever been to Columbia, SC? Most of your criticisms are VERY appropriate to that town. I have driven around K'ville some as well. I don't like cities generally but it has "scruffy" areas as well.

If you are more interested in the lifestyle and glamour of college mixed in with some football, I can certainly see how Missouri would be unattractive.
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Not sure what you mean here. MU has over 30K undergrads. There are a few other small colleges in Columbia as well. Within a two our drive, you have the night life and culture of two large cities, numerous casinos, great lakes and lake resorts, great hunting, etc.

What are some of the things you think Columbia lacks vs K'ville that cannot be had with a relatively short drive.

I want UT to win recruiting battles with MU as much as anyone. But this whole notion of it being a "bad place" is pretty ridiculous.
 
#81
#81
Oh, btw. Mizzou has a staff that just proved they can take the talent they have, develop it, and win in the SEC. Kids are going to listen to that.
 
#82
#82
PowerWookie said:
Ummm 180k is the city limits.

according to this cnn acticle the true Ktown population is closer to 600K and "Knoxville currently has the best employment outlook in the nation"

NO SURPRISE THAT THERE ARE ZERO MISSOURI TOWNS ON THIS LIST

10 fastest growing U.S. cities - Knoxville, Tenn. (8) - CNNMoney
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I live in a smaller town. Our unemployment didn't exceed 7% through the whole recession. Within the last 6 years we had a major employer completely shut their Marietta, GA operations down to move here.

And exactly what does this have to do with reasons a kid might want to go to one school or the other? Wasn't that the conversation?


MO as a whole has done OK through the recession. KC and STL were hit harder due to automotives and other heavier industry. STL just missed on a Boeing plant. KC just got an expansion of auto assembly.
 
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#83
#83
#1Volfaninmo said:
I prefer both.
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Me too. I really like Missouri for that very reason.

My company recruits nationally and brings managers in from other areas. To a person, they speak to how much more friendly, hardworking, and honest people in Mo and KC are compared to other areas. That includes one that just move from Chattanooga to KC.

I moved here from ATL suburbs about 12 years ago and do not have the words to express how much better it is here.
 
#86
#86
Rockytoptalker said:
Sjt hijacked this thread all by himself.
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sjt18 pointed out that you don't know what you are talking about... and that it is usually wise not to make bold statements when you don't.

As far as I know, no one else here has lived in mid-Mo as long as I have or knows more about the whole state than I do or has travelled as extensively across the state as I have OR knows as many people in Missouri as I do.

It would be similar if someone from Mo had lived in Memphis for a couple of years then tried to tell a TN native how much better MO is than TN.
 
#87
#87
FTR, how is it "hijacking" to correct false information when you have better information?
 
#88
#88
sjt18 said:
I live in mid-MO. The rest of MO is not like STL.
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I couldn't agree with you more.

sjt18 said:
Columbia has about 4 times more residents than Morristown and about double Jackson.
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Census Bureau has Columbia at 168K and Morristown at 115K. Jackson is at 130K. I have no interest in arguing "much" but I looked it up before I posted hoping to give this Tennessee resident dominated forum some perspective. My numbers are MSA. It is the most revealing number as it accounts for developed but unincorporated areas.

sjt18 said:
The area between I-70 and the campus is older and rougher. North of I-70 is OK. South of campus and west of the Columbia Mall are newer areas that are much nicer.
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I have driven to Columbia countless times for personal and professional reasons. My employer has a partnership with the University that I have been involved with in past years. Also, my sons have participated in the ShowMe games for many years. That event has carried us around many parts of the town most all of which I would describe as "scruffy." I am sure there are nicer areas, but my many visits have not given me reason to visit very many of them.

It probably doesn't help that it is usually in the very hottest part of summer when everything in the Midwest is burned to a crisp. I will say the campus and the development immediately around it is very, very nice.

sjt18 said:
Within a two our drive, you have the night life and culture of two large cities, numerous casinos, great lakes and lake resorts, great hunting, etc.
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I don't know that very many student athletes have the opportunity or ability to drive two hours for much of anything.

sjt18 said:
I want UT to win recruiting battles with MU as much as anyone. But this whole notion of it being a "bad place" is pretty ridiculous.
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It is not a "bad place," but if you are an urban kid, it would be a fairly drastic departure for you. It has a small town feel, IMO. At least, it is an objection that competing recruiters bring up and one Pinkel has to overcome.

For some athletes, the town may actually be a plus. You never know.

I cannot and will not speak ill of Mizzou. Both of my sons are very interested in attending there, and I would be proud to say they have earned a degree from that university.
 
#90
#90
sjt18 said:
sjt18 pointed out that you don't know what you are talking about... and that it is usually wise not to make bold statements when you don't.

As far as I know, no one else here has lived in mid-Mo as long as I have or knows more about the whole state than I do or has travelled as extensively across the state as I have OR knows as many people in Missouri as I do.

It would be similar if someone from Mo had lived in Memphis for a couple of years then tried to tell a TN native how much better MO is than TN.
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I moved here from GA 15 years ago. I don't share your love for it.
 
#91
#91
#1Volfaninmo said:
I moved here from GA 15 years ago. I don't share your love for it.
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i'm with you vol fan

i have family at the lake of the ozarks MO who just retired, guess where they r moving now they have the freedom to EAST TN.

I've been to MO 20+ times. It is fine place, I actually really enjoy St. Lou.

I just do not think it has the draw TN does (taxes, cooler people, rich music history from Memphis to Nash to Johnson City, closer to the east coast, better recent job growth, better weather, oldest mountain chain in the US, prettier lakes/hikes, better BBQ, Better Fried Chicken (The Best Fried Chicken in the World Might Be at Gus's World Famous Fried Chicken | Serious Eats), etc, etc etc)
 
#93
#93
PowerWookie said:
i'm with you vol fan

i have family at the lake of the ozarks MO who just retired, guess where they r moving now they have the freedom to EAST TN.

I've been to MO 20+ times. It is fine place, I actually really enjoy St. Lou.

I just do not think it has the draw TN does (taxes, cooler people, rich music history from Memphis to Nash to Johnson City, closer to the east coast, better recent job growth, better weather, oldest mountain chain in the US, prettier lakes/hikes, better BBQ, Better Fried Chicken (The Best Fried Chicken in the World Might Be at Gus's World Famous Fried Chicken | Serious Eats), etc, etc etc)
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Oldest mountain chain? Now that's a selling point.
 
#94
#94
TrueOrange said:
It's there because it's a part of one of their longest school traditions. At the end of the season (last regular season home game), each of the seniors (and I guess players leaving early) take one of the rocks home as a keepsake/souvenir.

(They also have the freshman whitewash the rocks before the season starts.)

After almost 90 years, I don't think they're going to ever get rid of it.
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As traditions go, it's not bad. It's better than singing "We Are the Boys" or "Rammer Jammer" or something like that.

However, it would be neat to sneak in and rearrange the M into a T. I heard about Nebraska fans turning the M into an N several years ago.
 
#95
#95
My point isn't that any part of Mo much less all of it is better or worse than TN. The point is that those acting as if it is a trashy, undesirable place are just wrong. It is a very nice, liveable place with much to offer. Mizzou has a nice campus. While the town is smaller, the student body is a good bit larger. And which actually matters more to a prospective student?

There are "scruffy" areas in Columbia... but not very much unlike the areas that you see around K'ville to include east of the bridge headed toward Sevierville.


Now there ARE some pretty big things that relate directly to what a recruit is more likely to care about that we could say favor UT. MU's football facilities and stadium simply don't compare. You have passionate MU fans but not like Vol fans in the norm. Even in mid-Mo there is more passion for the Chiefs than Tigers. They are expanding their stadium but I am not sure why unless it is just to get people off the "hill". Tickets have never been hard to get including when they do well.


But I have lived in or near ATL, Charlotte, western NC, SC, Columbus GA, Seattle, and Chicago. I don't care for STL but like rural MO and KC as well or better.
 
#96
#96
HollowaytoSeivers said:
As traditions go, it's not bad. It's better than singing "We Are the Boys" or "Rammer Jammer" or something like that.

However, it would be neat to sneak in and rearrange the M into a T. I heard about Nebraska fans turning the M into an N several years ago.
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Nebraska fans used to try to turn it into an N in the past; Kansas fans tried to turn it into a K as well.


It's been tried enough by other fans in the past though that security's likely increased to a point that would make it fairly difficult.
 
#98
#98
sjt18 said:
Wow. I've been here for 12 years and couldn't hold much more different of an opinion. People here are very nice and friendly but they aren't as fake with their politeness. We noticed that they do not use sir, ma'am, and such also but that isn't all there are to manners or respect.
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So, all those polite people in the south are fake and dishonest? That's garbage. There are genuine people and fake people everywhere.
 
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#99
#99
TrueOrange said:
Nebraska fans used to try to turn it into an N in the past; Kansas fans tried to turn it into a K as well.


It's been tried enough by other fans in the past though that security's likely increased to a point that would make it fairly difficult.
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Oh, I'm sure of that. It would just look good to me, that's all.
 
#100
#100
Originally Posted by sjt18
Wow. I've been here for 12 years and couldn't hold much more different of an opinion. People here are very nice and friendly but they aren't as fake with their politeness. We noticed that they do not use sir, ma'am, and such also but that isn't all there are to manners or respect.

Silly statement.
 
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