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2020 Macadoodle's Mailbag: 14th Edition

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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jrl3m8 asks:  Are there tiers of "programs" in the NFL similar to the NCAA. Or is there more parity because of the draft and salary cap? A team like New England, when Bill Belichick retires will there be people lining up to take that job even potentially leaving the job they have now, similar to if/when Saban retires from Bama?

GD: Not at all. The NFL is designed for parity. The goal is for everyone to be 8-8. It's not unusual to see a team go from last to first. The Chiefs were awful for a long time when I was growing up, then really good for a while, then 2-14 and the embarrassment of the league and within a year or two they were one of the top three or four teams. The Patriots weren't great for quite a while before hiring Bill Parcells, drafting Drew Bledsoe No. 1, hiring Bill Belichick and drafting Tom Brady. The system means when you're really bad you have a chance to build yourself up through the draft. You also get a weaker schedule when you're bad. So in the NFL, the worst teams are getting to choose the best players and play more games against other bad teams.

College football is the exact opposite. I've done the math before and don't want to do it again, but more than half the five stars are going to about six programs. They're the six that are already good. There are about 30 five-stars per year, so it's basically the equivalent of a first round pick. In college football, the majority of the first round picks go to the six teams that are already the best. And then the majority of the second and third round picks go to maybe 10-15 more schools. Everybody else is charged with beating those teams with the equivalent of third day picks and undrafted free agents.

The best thing you can have as a sports fan is hope. Every pro sport--yes, even baseball--offers a hope to get better by leveling the playing field. College football is the most unlevel playing field in all of sports. If you're a fan of 80% of the teams in the country, you have very little hope that you can compete for anything meaningful.

Now, don't get me wrong, the right administration, the right hire, etc, can help. But the number of teams that have gone from mediocre to elite in the last 50 years is very small. Off the top of my head it's Florida, Florida State and Miami (geographic advantages), Oregon (Phil Knight) and Virginia Tech (Frank Beamer and Michael Vick). That's pretty much it. Other teams pop up here and there but none have really sustained it for any meaningful length of time.

Ragarm asks: Have you heard what Drink has done to "get creative" with our players? USA today had a story a couple of days ago about what major coaches were doing to help there team during the COVID-19 shut down.

GD: We're actually talking to him this afternoon (via Zoom) and I'm assuming that will be the topic of conversation (if anyone wastes our time asking about Connor Bazelak's recovery or who's going to start beside Nick Bolton I may punch them through my computer). So we'll have some answers for you all later today.

mexicojoe asks: End of the world and you get 1 Album, 1 Movie, and 1 Book to get you through. Whatcha got?

GD: Nope.

Macadoodle's provides fine wine, beer and spirits in Pineville, Branson, Joplin, Springfield, North Springfield, Columbia and Republic, Missouri plus Springdale, Arkansas. Click the logo above to find the location closest to you today.

DrTigerTooth asks: Favorite Team in the other P5 conferences and favorite SEC school outside Mizzou?

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