Mizzou Faces Test Saturday in College Station

The Missouri Tigers head to College Station, TX on Saturday to take on the Texas A&M Aggies in an 11AM kickoff Saturday Morning. The Tigers are an undefeated 5-0 and 1-0 in the Conference having shutout Colorado at home last week. The A&M Aggies have lost two straight and are sure to be good and pissed for this one especially after the tough loss at home last week to 12th ranked Arkansas. Texas A&M leads the all time series with Missouri 7-3.

It's a big game for the Tigers and their Quarterback Blaine Gabbert. If the Tigers are to challenge for the Big 12 North, they need to be without a loss when they head into Lincoln for a showdown with division favorite Nebraska on October 30th. Gabbert is nursing a painful hip pointer injury sustained in last Saturday nights game. If he is not 100% it could hurt Missouri's chances at stealing an ever elusive conference road win.

The Aggies are a 3.5 point favorite. It may come down to how well the Missouri defence plays - if they can stop A&M like they did Colorado, they stand a good chance. I think Missouri wins this one in a close game - let's go with 27-24.

Preseason All Big 12 Awards Announced

Jacob Pullen was named the Preseason Big 12 Player of the Year today following a season in which he scored nearly 20 points per game and K-State to the brink of a final four berth. Pullen's wildcats are predicted to win the Big 12 next season, and the senior guard will have to duplicate his stellar 2009 season to get them there.

Ricardo Ratliffe of Missouri was named the Big 12 Newcommer of the Year, while KU's Josh Selby was named Freshman of the Year. Selby was the nation's top recruit, and joins a talented KU team that should reload quickly after losing Sherron Collins, Cole Aldrich and Xavier Henry to the NBA. The Jayhawks were picked to finish second in the Big 12 behind K-State, despite winning six strait league championships. Marcus Morris, who was named preseason Big 12 First-Team All Conference, will be another big component for KU. Bill Self owns the Big 12, and Selby could be part of another banner-hanging season for the Jayhawks.

LaceDarius Dunn of Baylor was also named to preseason first-conference team, although his recent suspension could force the guard to miss some time. Without Dunn, Baylor goes from a Final 4 darkhorse to a fringe top 25 team.

Charges Upgraded for Mother in Attic Child Case

Rachel Perez will not be receiving the reduction in bail she was seeking earlier this week. You may remember her story and that of her 6yr old son with Down Syndrome. Because of a "high risk" pregnancy, Perez's lawyer had asked for a reduction in the $250,000 bail. That request was withdrawn yesterday as attempted Second Degree murder charges were added. Also previous charges of Child Abuse and Child Endangerment were expanded to cover two years instead of one day of abuse.

The case started in August when authorities were called to Perez's home in DeSoto, KS after her parents were concerned for the boy's safety. They found the boy starving in an unfurnished, sweltering attic. He weighed just twenty pounds; Less than half of what a 6yr old boy should weigh. Neighbors had said that Perez was seen walking with her two daughters, but they never saw a boy. They were told the boy lived with their father. Perez also did not alert the authorities to the boy's presence in the attic at the time of her initial arrest on an outstanding warrant. It was not until the authorities returned 6 hours later at the urging of the boy's grandparents did they find him in the attic. This is probably the basis for the murder charge - to knowing have left the boy in the attic while she was in jail, as well as his extremely low body weight.

No doubt Rachel Perez will spend many years in prison, but at least now these kids stand a chance. You just wonder how many other folks out there have similar situations going on with no one to alert authorities.

MLB Playoffs: Baseball's Final 4 Set

The 2010 MLB playoffs has given us terrific pitching duals, close games decided in the final innings and more. With Texas' win over Tampa Bay last night, the AL and NL Championship Series are set, and only four teams are left to compete for a World Series title.

The NLCS clear favorite is Philadelphia. Roy Halladay has already thrown only the second no-hitter in postseason history, and the Phillies have a great offense. Experience helps, and the Phillies' Championship run in 2008 should give them an edge. Don't count out the Giants though, as their pitching may be enough for them to pull the upset. The series is filled with must-see pitching duals, starting with Roy Halladay vs. Tim Lincecum, but don't be surprised to see the Phillies in a third strait world series.

The ALCS features the Yankess, who seem to be here every season, vs. the Rangers, here for the first time. Both teams have dangerous offenses and decent pitching, and this series could come down to a game seven. The defending champion Yankees are as good as ever, but the Rangers have a postseason magic about them. Expect ace Cliff Lee to be the difference, and the Rangers to take a close series and make the team's first World Series.

Construction Worker Survives Mile Long Journey in Raw Sewage

Construction Worker Survives Mile Long Journey in Raw Sewage

You think you had a bad day at the office yesterday? Twenty-seven year old construction worker Daniel Collins most likely had a worse day. Mr. Collins was working on a project relining sewer pipe (talk about a shitty job - ehh) in Raymore, MO when his security harness broke and he fell in the sewer system and was swept into a two-foot diameter pipe with rushing raw sewage. Workers followed the sewer line to locate Mr Collins nearly a mile from where he entered the sewer. He was in raw sewage for nearly two hours before being pulled out by a rescue worker around 10AM Tuesday. He is currently being treated for hypothermia and likely ingested some of the, uhhh, waste water. He is being treated with antibiotics for fairly obvious reasons.

Searchers heard the mans cries while canvassing an area around Crrekmoor Golf Course. The firefighter that rescued Collins described the scene as "really nasty" - when he popped the manhole cover the methane gas was so strong it "kind of stings you a little bit". Nevertheless, he went down twelve feet into the chamber where Collins came to rest and plucked him out of there. Rescue workers got the man out of his soiled clothes and put blankets on him until a medical helicopter arrived.

Mr Collins, who is from the Lake of the Ozarks, works for Rosetta Construction Company out of Springfield, MO. The United States Occupational Health and Safety Administration is already on the scene looking for causes in the accident.