Tiger Cheers!

A couple of Mizzou students, Shauna Fredrickson and Caitlin Garing, found all kinds of different Tiger cheers and put this together for your enjoyment:

This video is courtesy of MyMissourian

HOORAY Road Trip Bloggers

Tyler and Charlie just went live on KOMU News at 10 -- Congrats guys. You look and sound exhausted. Hopefully they'll get a shower and enjoy the excitement out on the Riverwalk tonight.

Update from the crew

I just had a chat with Charlie Hannema - The entire team of road trippers are in San Antonio and made it to the live location: The Riverwalk.

Here's the scoop. Apparently they are dealing with a classic case of "Road Trip Fatigue." While Charlie and Tyler go live during KOMU News at 10, Vanessa and Caroline went to the hotel to charge up the computer and take a shower. Why is that important? Well, Charlie made a point in telling me that they are all kind of stinky. The previous night's (or morning's) sleep in a frat house didn't give them a chance for a shower. That may make for an interesting live interview tonight.

Charlie tells me that the computer's battery ran out, his phone is almost out of battery power and he thinks his car may be in the same boat. BUT they are there after feeling very lost in the San Antonio dark.

Hopefully the crew will be able to get back online tonight so everyone can chat with them and get a few more peeks into their day.

Darn batteries

I just text messaged the road trip crew -- They disappeared because the darn computer battery wouldn't charge -- even though I gave them a car charger. RATS!

They're on their way to the KOMU live location in San Antonio to use some power there! Plus, you'll have a chance to see our team live during KOMU News at 10.

Backseat Blogging

Hey everyone, now that the boys have forfeited their blogging positions to get a little rest, it's my turn to blog!
I've been enjoying the ultimate road trip from the backseat, taking in the landscapes of Oklahoma and Texas. Riding as a backseat passenger isn't so bad with a full Internet connection. Our blog posts and having the ability to chat with all of you has kept us busy and entertained. Have we explained to you exactly how we're able to blog from the backseat of a car?
Here's how it works: We're using Charlie's new MacBook with a wireless Internet card. The wireless card has a CD software which we installed and now we can pick up an Internet connection from anywhere, yes even the middle of nowhere Texas. We're also fully equipped with a Nikon still photo digital camera, which KOMU's Caroline Gable has been using to capture our favorite moments, and a Panasonic digital video recorder. Jen Reeves, who is hanging back at the station, has been very helpful getting us all set up and showing us how to use this amazing technology. Blogging definitely beats those backseat rides in the old family minivan!
Looks like Jen thought we were disconnected for a while in rural Marlin, Texas, but we were actually stopping to dig up a little Missouri Tiger history and taste the finest BBQ Marlin has to offer. Check our next blog for a full explanation of what we did and saw... and ate in Marlin.
Right now we're about 3 hours from San Antonio, we'll have more updates for you soon.
-Vanessa

The Team Is On Its Way

Here are pictures of the team leaving from the Columbia Airport:

Road Trip Update

The wireless card that's keeping our blog team online isn't working really well in rural Texas. At the last update, they werre in Marlin, TX.

Behind the Scenes: The Alamo

Our morning crew had a great opportunity to broadcast live from The Alamo... It included history lessons, burritos and mariachi music!

Behind the Scenes: Riverwalk

Managing Editor Randy Reeves caught these moments (and scenic views) from their live location yesterday on San Antonio's Riverwalk.

Waiting for the team

Check out all kinds of extra KOMU video from the Pep Rally HERE. We also have a couple of crews waiting to see the team leave for San Antonio from the airport. I'll post some pictures really soon. I also just got a bunch of photos from our San Antonio crew from last night's newscasts and this morning's AMAZING morning show from The Alamo.

We just got a call here in the KOMU newsroom where a viewer called us from the road. He wanted to let us know that he saw one of our station vehicles on the way to San Antonio... And made sure we knew they were driving responsibly! That's a call you don't usually hear!

I may not be able to be in San Antonio, but we're having fun covering the Missouri excitement from here.

A Short Stay in the Big D

As I mentioned last night, the road trip crew stayed the night on the campus of SMU. We arrived at roughly 2:30 am, but the Sigma Chi house was still hopping. The boys were just coming in from a night in the city, so we certainly came at a great hour to get the feel of the house. The guys at Sigma Chi were more hospitable than we could have asked for. Sure, the hallways were a little messy, but it’s college. A special shout-out to Christmas decorator extraordinaire, Wes Gable, who cleaned up and let us take over his room for the night. Thanks again, buddy. Our night was, in the words of Caroline Gable, “Frat-tastic.”

--TP

Tiger Fans Big Story in USA Today

It’s safe to say the Missouri Tigers have flown under the radar most of the season. Before last week, none of the so-called college football “experts” thought Mizzou had a chance to play for the national title. The experts and Vegas odds-makers favoring the Sooners in the Big 12 Championship hasn’t deterred Tiger fans. The USA Today highlighted YOU today…yes, YOU Tiger fans! The author asked running back Tony Temple what the school’s identity was. Is MU a basketball school, football school or has the lack of championships in either sport left it as a journalism school? Here is Tony’s response:

"When we came here, we knew Missouri was known as a basketball school, but we're trying to change that. Our school is known for Brad, Sheryl and journalism. But, it might be a football school one day."

I’d have to say that day has arrived. Look around Columbia and see the school spirit, look at how fans traveled to KC and how many fans will be in San Antonio. I have a hunch there will be even more in New Orleans…but we’ll have to see.

--TP

Ultimate Road Trip Playlist - Lauren Whitney

Now with four hours of sleep under our belts, we're ready for the remaining 250 miles of road between Dallas and San Antonio. We had an interesting night at SMU to say the least...more on that later. For now, we're grabbing some coffee and grub before hitting the road. Let's crank up some tunes from Lauren Whitney's playlist.

Country Grammar - Nelly
Fight Tigers! - Marching Mizzou
Sexy Back - Justin Timberlake

This trio of tunes is getting us jacked up this morning. GO TIGERS!

--TP

Long Day, Short Night

24 hours after we hit the ground in San Antonio and we really haven't slowed down. We had a great time on the Riverwalk last night. But, this morning: WOW! We broadcast a huge chunk of KOMU News Today from the front lawn of the Alamo. Yes, that Alamo. But, it gets better. Thanks to the intrepid work of Megan Murphy, we had the best fajita chef in the city show up to cook his signature dish. And... he brought an 11-piece Mariachi band to set the tempo for one of the better cooking segments in KOMU history.  we're back at the Alamo at noon and then we're headed to the dome for tonight's 5:00 and 6:00 newscasts. Look for us back on the Riverwalk tonight.

Whew!

That’s pretty much says it all. An eleven-hour journey from Columbia to Dallas has finally come to a close. Caroline, our road trip photographer, has some connections in the Big D, as her brother, Wes, is a sophomore at SMU. Tonight, we’ll crash at the Sigma Chi fraternity house on campus. A college road trip would not be complete without experiencing another campus…even at 3:00 in the morning. Thanks for staying up with us tonight! We’ll be back on the road bright and early tomorrow as we finish the drive to San Antonio. On tap for tomorrow: more road trip playlists from KOMU anchors, a Texas high school football experience and the River Walk. Please continue to send us your questions, predictions and thoughts about the Big 12 Championship. Feel free to comment after any of our posts or chat with us by using the AIM widget at the top of the page. We love hearing from you! Goodnight (morning) and GO TIGERS! Only 51 hours to kickoff!

--TP

Ultimate Road Trip Playlist - Eric Blumberg

We just crossed into the great state of Texas! Dallas is approaching slowly but surely. We heard the Cowboys scored a big victory tonight over the Packers, so we expect Texans to be in a good mood tonight.

As we cross into Texas, we change our tunes to Dallas native Eric Blumberg’s favorites. Here were his suggestions for the trip.

Guns ‘N Roses
50 Cent
Sports Talk Radio

As is typical with Eric, he is very specific about what he likes. Sports talk radio? Yeah, at 1:00 in the morning, two guys yelling at each other about the BCS is really going to keep us from driving off a bridge. Who’s the kid here, are you kidding me?

--TP

Fun in Norman

How could we pass up a stop in Norman, Oklahoma? We pulled over in Norman to preview the OU offense vs. the MU defense…and to have a little fun. Anyone remember Rhett Bomar? We do. Take a look.

A Change at the Top

Finally, Charlie has taken the wheel. The first 472 miles would have been painful had it not been for great food, great friends and most importantly, hot jams. I think everyone in the car had a chance to grab some shut-eye in the car, except for me of course. But hey, I’m so pumped for the game, I could drive the whole way! The Grand Am is officially past the halfway point on this epic trek to San Antonio. And, for the first time on the trip, we passed another car with a tiger tail hanging out of the trunk! We can’t wait to be reunited with Tiger fans in the Lone Star State. It’s nearly one in the morning and we have a couple of hours to go yet. With plenty of Red Bull in hand, we should be fine.

--TP

Joke-lahoma

Hello from Oklahoma City! We have knocked out 450 miles, with hundreds still to go. We are about to stop in Norman to take a look around at this late hour. One cool thing to point out about Oklahoma City is that two or three of their skyscrapers downtown have huge lit-up crosses on them--similar to the "Go Sox" deal near Fenway Park. I tell you this, because it's probably the first cool thing we've seen in Oklahoma.

Enjoy some jokes below. If you laugh three times, we'll call it a success. By the way, use the chat box at the top of the page to give us some feedback. Were our jokes funny? Do you have a better one? Let us hear it!

A Blogging Slideshow

Our crew uploaded a bunch of pictures from their trip so far. Here's a look:

Ultimate Road Trip Playlist - Jim Riek

We are about 15 miles away from Tulsa and chugging along. It's probably for the best that it's dark here on I-44 in Oklahoma, it's not like we're missing anything scenic...

In the official Ultimate Road Trip Grand Am we have switched to the radio for now to mix things up, but here are KOMU anchor extraordinaire Jim Riek's top three driving songs:

1. "China Grove" - Doobie Brothers (word on the street is Jim may be doing a story about China Grove later on in the week, we'll keep you posted)
2. "Ridin' Dirty" - Chamillionaire
3. "Tubthumping" - Chumbawumba

Enjoy.
-Charlie

P.S. We may or may not have made up two of the three songs on Jim's list.

One day of stories, done!

We just finished a hectic day of shooting stories for our newscasts tonight. Be sure to watch Justin Redeker's story on authentic Mexican food in San Antonio, tonight on KOMU News at Ten.

Speaking of Mexican food, we were all thankful to eat large quantities of the stuff after we were through with the Five and Six O'Clock newscasts. That reminds me: we have a special musical surprise coming up, all on KOMU News at Ten -- you DON'T want to miss it.

Tomorrow, we'll be heading to the San Antonio Airport as more Tiger fans arrive here in Texas in advance of Saturday's game.

Until then, I'm going to get some rest. We'll see you on the air and online from San Antonio!

Journeying with Josh

As we've mentioned earlier, we stopped to chat with former KOMU and now KSPR-TV meteorologist Josh deBerge. Here's the video.

We've gone about 250 miles, with hundreds still to go. Next stop: Norman.

-CH

Ultimate Road Trip Playlist - Angie Bailey

We just finished dinner in Springfield with former KOMU meteorologist Josh deBerge. Zio's in Springfield is top notch Italian eating, highly recommended. We are uploading the video of our chat with Josh right now. Until then, enjoy Angie Bailey's top three car songs.

1. "Wicked Game" - Chris Isaak
2. "Free Fallin'" - Tom Petty
3. "Wannabe" - Spice Girls

"Journeying" to Dinner

We've set up a reservation at Zio's in Springfield for dinner with a familiar face to everyone in KOMUland. Let's just say he has plenty of advice about taking long journeys. We'll catch up with him, and post some video later in the night. Our video posting system has been being a little shady with our wireless internet card, but hang with us, it will be worth it!

125 miles down, hundreds to go...
CH

Givin' 'Em The Business (Or Getting It)

Feel privileged, because we're letting you in on a KOMU cult legend. You may have heard Jim Riek, Eric Blumberg, myself, or someone else use some sort of the phrase "Giving 'Em The Business."
What exactly does that mean? Nobody really knows. Here's the history. In a 1986 NFL game between the Buffalo Bills and the New York Jets, there was a personal foul against Bills QB Jim Kelly. When announcing the penalty, referee Ben Dreith said, "He was giving him the business down there!" (Watch here)

Last week, "the business" came back when ACC ref Ron Cherry came up with this beauty...

And today, Tyler GOT the business from MU's Parking and Transportation Services. Watch him explain in the video below. (note: Tyler's car was towed unexpectedly right before the crew left town)

Ultimate Road Trip Playlist - Megan Murphy

22 miles down, hundreds to go...but it's time to unveil the first part of the "KOMU Ultimate Road Trip Playlist." Check back throughout the night and the rest of the weekend as we'll be releasing favorite songs from KOMU anchors and staff. KOMU News Today anchor Megan Murphy (or the Murph-dawg as we call her) starts us off.

Here are Megan Murphy's Top 3 Ultimate Road Trip Songs:

1. "Paradise by the Dashboard Light" - Meatloaf

2. "You Shook Me All Night Long" - AC/DC
3. "Dixieland Delight" - Alabama

Check back later for more hot jams on the KOMU Ultimate Road Trip Playlist!

On Their Way

I caught some pictures of the Road Trip Team as they left for the Big 12 Championship.

On The Road!

We have finally departed on the KOMU Ultimate Road Trip to San Antonio...
Tyler Profilet is in the driver's seat of our sweet 1998 Pontiac Grand Am (fully equipped with Tiger Tail), I'm riding shotgun, and we are joined by KOMU's finest Vanessa McClure and Caroline Gable in the backseat. We're traveling south on 63 to Highway 54 and going from there. We've got all kinds of good stuff in store for you on the trip, hope you enjoy. By the way, we're online and interactive at "komuroadtrip" on AOL Instant Messenger. Feel free to send us a question and we'll answer it throughout our journey. Remember to include your name and town! We left KOMU around 3, and it's going to be a late night before we get arrive in Dallas. Come along for the ride!

-CH

Pre-Trip Thoughts

We are about an hour away from leaving the station in our sweet 1998 Pontiac Grand Am on our "KOMU Ultimate Road Trip" to San Antonio. This will be the second longest road trip I've ever taken (I drove from Bristol, CT to Columbia two summers ago), and the first time KOMU blogger Tyler Profilet visits the states of Oklahoma and Texas.

Before we hit the road, I wanted to pass along some updates concerning Missouri's tight ends. Martin Rucker was named a first-team All-American by the American Football Coaches Association today. He's the 27th Missouri football All-American, and the first since Justin Smith won in 2000. T-Ruck is Mizzou's first All-American TE since a guy named Kellen Winslow back in 1978, and he seemed to have an okay career...

Here are some quick stats on Rucker:
--194 catches for his career, seven short of breaking Justin Gage's career record (200, if you don't like math)
--2,080 career receiving yards
--18 career receiving touchdowns

An update on Mizzou's other tight end, Chase Coffman:
Last we've heard he's questionable for Saturday's game, but I saw him in between classes and he's still not anywhere near 100%. He told me in passing that his ankle was "alright, but getting better." He seemed to walk away gingerly, but I'm not a doctor, nor a member of the Mizzou Sports Medicine team, so take that with a grain of salt.

Back to packing, we'll have more from the road soon!
CH

On the Ground

The KOMU team has arrived in San Antonio and we're spreading out over the town. We'll show you the sights live tonight on KOMU News at 5:00, 6:00, and 10:00.

Crunching the Statistics

With a chance at the National Championship Game on the line for Missouri, the Tigers need a victory against the Sooners next week. Here’s a look at how the big play-makers for the Tigers and the Sooners stack up. Offensive players are compared to teammates. Special teams and defense players are compared to their counterparts.

Click here or click the preview image above to view the graphic.

Kansas City

Part of the KOMU team is in Kansas City tonight, resting up for three long days in San Antonio. Tomorrow night, we'll talk to those Texas Tigers, plus give you a close look at what makes San Antonio special. We'll see you live on the Riverwalk Thursday night at 5:00, 6:00 and 10:00.

Texas Tigers

This year's Big 12 Championship game is exciting for any MU fan, but for MU alums who live in San Antonio, the match-up will be extra special. We've just confirmed an interview with a couple who graduated from MU years ago who live in the Lone-Star State, and will be heading to the Alamodome on Saturday. They describe themselves as "long-suffering fans, having left in the Devine era and the Orange Bowl." I'm looking forward to talking with these two tomorrow as the big game is finally coming to THEM this year! Watch for that story tomorrow as we follow the Tigers' Chase for the Championship. We're broadcasting LIVE from San Antonio, starting Thursday on KOMU News at Five.

Rollin'

The KOMU Satellite truck left the corral just now, heading to good old San Antonio. We have tons of coverage planned for you over the next four days. Jim Riek, Chris Gervino, Eric Blumberg and Megan Murphy will tell you everything you need to know about the city, the game, the teams and the fans. We'll be live on the Riverwalk starting Thursday at Five. Look for updates from the road.

San Antonio or Bust!

There's nothing like trying to get ready for a trip of this magnitude. I'm not sure if there are enough hours in the day to accomplish all I want to do... but I'll create them if need be!

My trip will begin tomorrow morning at two when we hop in the car to catch our 7am flight out of KC. Packing was entertaining... nothing like packing short sleeves in November. All I have done today is make phone calls. I think I've talked to everyone imaginable in San Antonio, and our segments look very promising.

The story I am most excited about is a profile on the MU Cheerleaders, Golden Girls, and Truman the Tiger. They will all be cheering at ESPN's Game Day on Saturday morning, and I'll be there with them. No basket tosses for me, though!

And, there is the possibility that we will be cooking fajitas on Friday's morning show. I've heard they are amazing!

Be sure to check in with our KOMU team Thursday night at 5 live from the Riverwalk. It should be exciting!

Border Showdown Coverage

If you're interested in seeing how KOMU covered the big Border Showdown game between MU and KU, feel free to visit it on KOMU.com

Welcome to this blog!

The chase is on for the Missouri Tigers! We're planning to blog from a number of perspectives here. Keep your eye out for blogs from student road trippers, KOMU reporters and more as Mizzou works its way to a possible national championship!! (Knock on wood)

LIVE BROADCASTS

This is where you have a chance to see Tyler and Charlie talk about their roadtrip experience at the Big 12 Championship.

Watch live video from komu on Justin.tv