KU MU T-Shirt war

[irishjayhawk]

(image removed by request of alleged copyright holder pending confirmation)

You know what the best part of Kansas and Missouri having their best ever seasons at the very same time is? The entire nation will get exposed to what is possibly the most bitter and hateful rivalry in the country in all it's glory (or shame, if you prefer). You can have your Ohio State v. Michigan or Alabama v. Auburn, but the last time I checked nobody from Columbus ever went to Ann Arbor and systematically executed every man they could find while burning the town to the ground. And certainly nobody made t-shirts later celebrating that fact.

But that did happen in 1863 in Lawrence, KS when William Quantrill led his band of "Bushwackers" to the "Jayhawker" stronghold and went on a 4 hour rampage that would become known as the "Lawrence Massacre" - one of the ugliest episodes of the brutal 10+ years of fighting along the Kansas and Missouri border. While the Civil War has become the South v. the North in most people's minds, the fighting in fact began as a violent guerrilla conflict between the abolitionists in Kansas and the slave holding Missouri settlers (more or less, like many guerrilla campaigns there were quite blurred lines at times). In many ways, those old wounds have never quite healed - Grandpa Simpson will be be deep in the cold, cold ground before he recognizes Missour-ah as a state, for example.

Those t-shirts seen above that some Missouri fans are making for the showdown at Arrowhead in two weeks are celebrating the Lawrence Massacre and in fact have Quantrill's visage and slogan emblazoned on the back - "Raise the Black Flag and Ride Hard Boys. Our Cause is Just and Our Enemies Many". Talk about going straight past normal levels of fan behavior and making a hard right turn into loony land, that might be the single most offensive gameday t-shirt I've ever seen. Kansas fans are now responding with t-shirts sporting noted violent Kansas abolitionist John Brown (who led a massacre of his own and the 1859 Harper's Ferry raid that really kicked off the Civil War powder keg) with the slogan "Keeping America Safe From Missouri Since 1854" - a mock-up of those t-shirts can be seen here.

This game is going to be played on a neutral site at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City - home to huge parking lots for tailgating and beer sales in the stadium during the game. It's going to be for a berth in the Big XII Championship Game at the very least, and a shot at the National Championship at the most. Liquored up fans sharing the same parking lots and stadium, some who are celebrating their history of brutal violence against each other? Two fanbases who hate each other, with the chance to not only continue their own dream season but also to end the chance of glory for their rivals? Yeah, no way that doesn't end up without at least a few folks in the slammer. It's going to be a fun Saturday for the KCPD and Jackson County Sheriffs.

http://sports.aol.com/fanhouse/2007/...to-the-ground/

[pikesome]

Originally Posted by Mr. Plow

I think the whole Missouri slavery thing is a bit overblown. The whites were only trying to find reliable employee's for the porn & fireworks stores.

I nominated this for post of the year! Quality, thy name is Mr. Plow.

[gblowfish]

Originally Posted by kcpasco

Just the logo of KU is offensive to Missouri

Lets name our school after a bunch of murderers and rapist.

The Jayhawk didn't have yellow feet until the 1920's.
The KU student newspaper cartoonist gave him big yellow shoes to kick the Missouri Tiger in the ass.
That's one reason why Tiger fans despise KU. Their mascot has feet only for the sole purpose of kicking a Tiger's ass.

I can feel it coming in the air tonight....

[Frazod]

Originally Posted by RunRunPassPunt

I'm surprised Missouri was even able to move forward in the world post Civil War, with all of your lazy ass ancestors, Cocheese.

You realize, of course, that the percentage of slave owners in Missouri (and all southern states) was actually quite small; nearly as small as the percentage of current Kansans who aren't descended from inbreeding.

[Eleazar]

Originally Posted by gblowfish

The Jayhawk didn't have yellow feet until the 1920's.
The KU student newspaper cartoonist gave him big yellow shoes to kick the Missouri Tiger in the ass.
That's one reason why Tiger fans despise KU. Their mascot has feet only for the sole purpose of kicking a Tiger's ass.

I can feel it coming in the air tonight....

Yeah, that little blue chicken didn't look so tough, but after they added a big pair of yellow pilgrim shoes, man. Scary stuff.

[Spott]

Originally Posted by frazod

You realize, of course, that the percentage of slave owners in Missouri (and all southern states) was actually quite small; nearly as small as the percentage of current Kansans who aren't descended from inbreeding.

Kansas doesn't practice slavery, they just move sell their house when a black person moves into their neighborhood.

[pikesome]

Originally Posted by Spott

I think a lot of people didn't pay much attention to history when they were in school. The last I checked, Missouri wasn't part of the confederacy. Kansas also attempted to become a slave state but was it was blocked by congress in the 1850's.

Actually the problem was that the Kansas-Nebraska Act allowed the populace to vote on which to enter the union as. Needless to say besides the home-grown wack jobs, wack jobs on both sides of the question flooded in to "rig" the vote. Take the "true believers" from both sides, send them to a place without well established law enforcement and watch the sparks fly.

You're version of the story is just a bit off.

[Mr. Plow]

Originally Posted by frazod

You realize, of course, that the percentage of slave owners in Missouri (and all southern states) was actually quite small; nearly as small as the percentage of current Kansans who aren't descended from inbreeding.

Coming from a Missourian?!? Heh

[Eleazar]

Originally Posted by pikesome

Actually the problem was that the Kansas-Nebraska Act allowed the populace to vote on which to enter the union as. Needless to say besides the home-grown wack jobs, wack jobs on both sides of the question flooded in to "rig" the vote. Take the "true believers" from both sides, send them to a place without well established law enforcement and watch the sparks fly.

You're version of the story is just a bit off.

it was supposed to be a compromise, only the vote didn't go the way it needed to for the compromise to really be a compromise, right?

[ROYC75]

Originally Posted by Cochise

Yeah, that little blue chicken didn't look so tough, but after they added a big pair of yellow pilgrim shoes, man. Scary stuff.

Damn you, that brought out a hearty laugh and tears to my eyes.......

[pikesome]

Originally Posted by Cochise

it was supposed to be a compromise, only the vote didn't go the way it needed to for the compromise to really be a compromise, right?

Yep, Neb was supposed to, and did, vote to go Free and then word came out that the North was flooding Kansas with abolitionists to ensure Kansas was Free also. It wasn't quite like that but a certain number of militant abolitionists came out leading to Topeka and Lawrence among other places. The Slave supporters, mostly coming at least through Missouri, were looking to stop them and they were just as militant. Kind of like sticking Sharon and Arafat on a deserted island with guns.

[Rooster]

Originally Posted by tomahawk kid

Um..dude, you really need to do some homework there.

I'm not saying there's been much in the last 25 years or so, but saying that neither institution has a strong football history is a bit strong.

If nothing has happened in the last two and a half decades then no I wouldn't consider these two programs strong at all. They are getting better but please.

[DMAC]

Rivalries are fun.

[Calcountry]

Originally Posted by irishjayhawk

I don't think they're equal at all.

One celebrates a town burning. Ours just celebrates a radical abolitionist. Further, one actually says scoreboard on the massacre.

It's like if we (US) wore a Scoreboard shirt with the a-bomb drop to a Japan World Cup game.

And I never said ours wasn't SOMEWHAT offensive. Just not equal.

But we, AMERICANS, were on the right side of moral relativity with that one. Pin it on your chest! I am glad we dropped the bomb on them, BABY.

Think I am kidding? Look at my Avvy a little closer.


P.S. Wasn't Truman from the great state of Missouri? (rhetorical)

[Calcountry]

Originally Posted by Cochise

I don't think my family was here until after the civil war. But regardless, it would seem that Missouri has progressed fine, considering we have... I dunno... major cities... professional sports... a lot of modern kind of stuff. There's a big airport over here on the MO side, and they build buildings here TEN stories tall. Sometimes even taller. It's something to see. You guys are all welcome to come over to Missouri and visit it if you like. We welcome everyone.

Say, I was wondering, are you going to go in and out of Arrowhead during the game depending on if the team you want to win is ahead, like you do in the game threads...? You might want to pick up a few extra tickets...

Yes, but Kansas has the Kansas motor speedway where all the southerners like to hang.

[OmahaChief]

Originally Posted by Mr. Plow

Making the assumption that KU does lose to MU.......since when is #4 losing to #5 being "exposed".

It is amazing I have to keep going back to this but KU has not played anyone. Their ranking is one that is based on a cream puff schedule. I give them credit for winning all their games but really take a look at the schedule and if you can tell me it is as difficult as Mizzou's I would be in disbelief.

Most of the Tiger fans I know while they respect the no losses that KU has feel that KUs ranking is based on nothing more then them not losing to teams they SHOULD beat. Your non con schedule was an embarasment. Not one school from a BCS conference even. Your conference scheduled perfectly aligned so you did not have to face Tech, Texas or OU. You have played the North schedule and I think we could both agree outside KU and MU non of the others teams is playing v very good ball this year.

Exposed as I used it is meant to show how a joke schedule can lead to a lofty ranking that is smoke and mirrors. Beat Mizzou and I will change my mind, until then it is what it is.