I loved the Show-Me Classic

Posted on: June 2, 2020 at 18:11:45 CT

When I was a kid, my dad was the official scorekeeper at Mizzou basketball games, so my best friend and I always rode with him to the games and got to Hearnes at least an hour before tipoff. The first game of the Show-Me Classic (usually something like Valparaiso vs. North Texas St.) would tip off at 5:00. Mizzou played the second game at 7:30. So we got to hang out in the arena for about six or seven hours both nights because we also left about an hour after the second game ended.

During the first game, the Mizzou players would sit in the stands and watch the first half. We would always ask them to autograph our programs. One year, James Clabon and Danny Van Rheen invited us to sit with them. We were about ten years old and were in heaven. After the second game was over, Clabon came over to our seats and gave us his wrist bands and asked if he could have the rest of our popcorn. We agreed it was a great trade.