Wednesday Reading Room: Stoops, Mizzou and MSU

There's some good stuff being written in Big Ten and Big 12 country this week, and I thought I'd link to some of it for you. Because good writing should always be promoted and encouraged.

Berry Tramel of the Oklahoman has this essay on Oklahoma Coach Bob Stoops and what he gives and gets from visits to OU's Children's Hospital. :An excerpt

How hard is it to walk onto that elevator, up to the 10th floor, knowing you're about to meet some kids who will steal your heart, and then maybe break it?

“It's not easy,” Stoops said Tuesday, standing under the stadium where Saturday 80,000 fans will cheer him. “But you can't let it overwhelm you, because then I can't go back.

“And I need to go back.”

Michigan State defensive player William Gholston punched a Michigan offensive lineman after a play in their game last Saturday. Gholston has not been disciplined by MSU. Coincidentally, the Spartans have a big game Saturday, against Wisconsin.

Michael Rosenberg of the Detroit Free Press took a stand in

this essay that probably didn't sit well in East Lansing today. Namely, the Big Ten or MSU should suspend Gholston. Rosenberg wrote:

MSU can try to argue that there were extenuating circumstances or that Gholston was provoked. Perhaps he was, but so what?

There is no good reason to punch another player. The Big Ten can't accept an excuse for Gholston, because after that, everybody else will come up with an excuse, and how does the Big Ten differentiate? It's impossible. ...The Big Ten prefers that schools issue their own suspensions, and now MSU has a chance to do it.The Spartans can fight it. They can delay it so MSU coach Mark Dantonio doesn't have to discuss it. But I don't think they can avoid it.

Sam McKewon of the Omaha World-Herald has some advice for Missouri: Forget the SEC, stay put in the Big 12, and see what happens as conference realignment proceeds. In this blog post, McKewon writes the following:

The issue of security seems relevant, but it's not. It's bunk. Mizzou would always have a better place to land than Kansas, Kansas State and Iowa State.

Will Missouri make more TV money? Sure. In aid of what? More losing. What Missouri program gets better in the SEC? Women's basketball? Surely not football. Men's basketball is a wash. Baseball? No way. Wrestling program goes away. Softball? No. Track? Gawd no. What? Nothing.

The money's just for money, in other words. Who counts that? Money people? It won't translate into a better on-field product.

But McKewon's World-Herald colleague, Tom Shatel, begs to differ in this column. Says Shatel:

Why would Texas leave the Big 12? Why did Texas want out of the SWC? At some point, Bevo gets tired of carrying the water for TCU, Baylor and the rest, and now ISU, KSU and KU are along for the ride. Moreover, Texas lives on the cutting edge, always pushing the envelope. Texas will eventually get bored in the Big 12.

That's my opinion. But if you're Missouri, do you really trust your future on Texas and Oklahoma saying they're staying put?

Answer: If KU, K-State or Iowa State could leave, they'd do it.