All I want for Christmas is Illinois to win Braggin’ Rights

Every year I circle a few dates on my calendar in January.

Before we dive in to the specifics, I want to make one thing perfectly clear:

I hate Missouri. Not just the basketball team and university, but the state in its entirety.

We’ll get into why Illinois is going to dismantle Missouri this year, in a bit.

My prediction: Illinois, 83-70.

The arrogance to change the state’s very name and give it a shortened nickname is disrespectful. Missouri is three syllables, Mizzou is two. What are we really doing.

But, I digress. Back to important dates.

My wife’s birthday, my daughter’s birthday, the annual trip to Oaklawn Racecourse in Hot Springs (stories unsuitable for print) and other miscellaneous birthdays and anniversaries all get a red circle on the thoroughbred calendar my Grandma gets me every January.