If I had to synthesize and represent the interest of the

Posted on: November 26, 2018 at 08:27:30 CT

Barry detractors, I'd say that all of the supposed issues could be summed as a 'Greatness Gap'

The perceived potential greatness of a $6M coach, an established winner vs. the OJT grow-your-own greatness approach with Barry.

Clearly the Barry Project is not yet done and we're growing together. Believers see how we're on the path to 10-2, 11-1. We have yet to see the Read and React defense in full flower against the top programs in the most important game in the SEC but believers believe we will see it and that the results might be better than D-Line Zou.

Non-believers feel Barry has a 'Greatness Gap' a space between his top ceiling and the already demonstrated top ceiling of more established coaches. That, or a clearer trajectory to a higher ceiling (Matt Campbell?)

They may dig for different details, different material to make their case, but in their gut, they just don't 'feel' Barry - they don't think he can make it to the top.

Thus they conclude that until we switch from Barry to someone 'worthy', the Mizzou football program will remain doomed - literally doomed - to roll the stone halfway up the hill only to see it roll back down again.

That sense of doom motivates them fairly strongly. They begin to see only one problem with Mizzou football: Barry. And they start to go kind of crazy about it too.

Thus you get the myriad posts, the many 'reasons', the constant dredging up of ANY negative information they can either find or manufacture. It's essential that we be 'saved' from Barry. You see?

So I'm not sure your nice essay will do much. These people are pretty committed to the cause. It's almost like trying to argue an evangelical out of Jesus.

Any way, these are the people, this is their malady and if you assign yourself the job of talking them out of it good luck.