The ending hurt, but it doesn't overshadow the journey

SACRAMENTO, CA--I don’t want to paint with too broad a brush here. I think there are a lot of Mizzou fans who, even in the wake of a 78-63 loss that you just didn’t think was supposed to happen, can appreciate the bigger picture. Perspective is pretty rare for sports fans, especially online, but there are some who have it and I want to make sure the next couple of paragraphs don’t offend those who do.

I think there are people out there who are going to want this column to be something it won't be. Some are going to want some fire and some anger and some ranting. How could this happen? Where were the hard questions? How can you never use the words embarrassing or inexcusable?

Because it wasn’t. It was just sports. I’m not embarrassed by it. You shouldn’t be either. Missouri lost a game to a team that it has been better than most of the season and a team that it would probably be better than on most nights. But it wasn...