Gary Pinkel has heard the criticism. He acknowledges it. On Tuesday morning, as he wrapped up his first season that ended without a bowl game in eight years, he even said he welcomes it.

"I feel fine that the fans are upset that we're not going to a bowl and we didn't have a winning season. I like that. I like the attitude. That's good. That's the way it should be," Pinkel said. "As you all know, they used to cheer when we played somebody close years ago, which drove me crazy. But our fans have a high expectation level for Mizzou football and that's what they should have. I think that's great."

The screams have been loud for weeks from Mizzou fans. They began after a no-show 31-10 loss to South Carolina. They got much louder after a 19-15 loss to Vanderbilt at home. They reached a fever pitch after a come-from-ahead 31-27 loss to Syracuse and they continued through a 59-29 season-ending shellacking at Texas A&M that was not nearly that close. In the what-have-you-done-for-me-this-week business of college football, Missouri fans want the blame to be laid.

"That's the arena we're in," Pinkel said. "If you don't like being in this arena, you've got to go to another sport or a less intense environment. That's the way it is. It's all based on winning and losing. Everything is.

"Success, if you're doing well, you get all the accolades and if you're doing poor, you get hammered. That's our business and we know that."



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