Football season is almost halfway done and Tiger fans are ready to Drink Up! There's only one place to get set for Mizzou game day every week this season. Macadoodles does tailgating like nobody else. Get your crew ready to watch the Tigers take on the SECs with a stop at Macadoodles on your way to Faurot Field. Whether it's beer, wine or spirits you're looking for, Macadoodles will make your tailgate the pre-game place to be in Columbia this season. Who does tailgating like nobody else? Macadoodles does.
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.
jxlorenzi asks: Where will Mark Mitchell commit?
GD: I'd say likely not Missouri. It seems to be UCLA and if not UCLA, then Duke. Decision in December.
MIZ...SEC asks: Drink has been very honest about the fact that Mizzou doesn’t have the players to compete in the SEC this season. He’s stated that the SEC is a line of scrimmage league and Mizzou has to get the linemen to compete.Question: If you’re a senior DL or OL and are repeatedly hearing from your coach that you’re not good enough, does it serve to destroy morale? What motivation would there be to put your body at risk in this situation? Is it possible that this level of honesty from Drink is partially playing into players quitting when games go bad? You’re not good enough to play in the SEC. Certainly not an NFL prospect. Will you lay it all on the line for Ole Mizzou?
GD: It's not a totally wild theory. There could be something to it. I don't know that there is. It's a fine line to toe when you're a new coach. They're your players the day you take the job. But many of them, truthfully, maybe you wouldn't have brought in if it was your job at the time they were brought in. But it really doesn't matter. They're your players now. And as a general rule, I think coaches should avoid criticizing their players...even if those of watching know that one of the big problems is there just aren't enough good players. To be fair, I don't know of any specific comments Drinkwitz has made that you're referring to. He's talked about needing to "close the gap" quite a bit. In fact, that phrase is posted in Missouri's football facility. Does that imply we need better players? I mean, on some level, sure. But it also means we've got to improve the players we already have, we have to get better in every regard to get closer to the teams that are above us.
As a general rule, I believe players give their best. I understand there are exceptions. And when it's 55-24, especially, it's human nature to not quite go as hard. Drinkwitz did say yesterday that in watching film of the North Texas game they felt like there was a huge improvement in the areas of effort and competitiveness. If we're being honest, Tennessee is the only game I think we're really questioning effort. I'm willing to write it off as a bad week. If we see it again, I'll lend some more credence to what you're asking.