Every week, PowerMizzou.com publisher Gabe DeArmond answers questions from Tiger fans in the mailbag. This format allows for a more expansive answer than a message board post. Keep your eye out each week to submit your question for the mailbag or send them to powermizzou@gmail.com. On to this week's inquiries.
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Nate asks:Â What's the process for retiring a number in football or basketball? Since basketball has been in the doldrums before this season...will we ever retire another football number? There are some good candidates out there, a la Brad Smith, Chase Daniel, etc. If it were up to you would you retire a football number and, if so, who?
GD: The qualifications got harder a few years back. Basically a player has to win a national award and graduate, I believe. A lot of this came from the fallout of those upset with Brock Olivo's number being retired. The graduation part is why Anthony Peeler's number isn't in the rafters. In basketball, it's pretty tough to see them hanging any more numbers because the truth of the matter is a guy that's good enough to have his number retired probably isn't staying in school long enough to graduate. There's some of that in football.
I'm not big on retiring numbers. Mizzou has already retired way too many (especially in relation to its standing as a football program historically). I'm okay with honoring numbers (hanging them, putting them on the wall) without retiring them. Here would be my top three candidates in each sport:
FOOTBALL--Brad Smith, Justin Smith, Chase Daniel
BASKETBALL--Melvin Booker, Anthony Peeler (I'll be honest, I don't care if he graduated or not), Derrick Chievous. Honestly, I think all three of these should already be hanging in Mizzou Arena.
JAGSports asks: What is your sports life like when it’s summer and not much to cover for the Tigers and the Royals are bad?
GD: Swim meets. Lots of swim meets. And I'll still watch the Royals, I just won't be quite as invested.
