Although Missouri football lacks a bit in tradition compared to its Big Twelve siblings, Memorial Stadium offers plenty of atmosphere.  Driving along Stadium Boulevard, parked cars are lined up for miles creating a pathway to the stadium.  Welcoming fans into the arena is a large statue of Don Faurot for whom the field is named after.  Faurot coached at Missouri and left a great legacy during the mid 1900s.  However, the fans have seen mounds of frustration over the years and their mood reflects that.  After the band spells out "MIZZOU" and "TIGERS" out on the field, a "MIZZOURAH!" cheer is exclaimed in unison, but not with booming power.  The team charges out onto the field through smoke with a canon sounding and Truman the Tiger wheeling out on an old gold truck.  Truman rolls over to the students and a large flag bearing the letter "M" is body-passed into the student section.  There aren't many bad seats in Memorial Stadium and many fans opt to lay out a blanket and sit on the hill at the north end of the stadium.  It is on this hill that rests a college football landmark.  Drawn out in large white rocks is a letter "M" and it's hard to miss.  Many folks sitting on the hill find a rock to sit on undaunted by the discomfort that it may provide.  The hill contributes to the coziness of this old venue that has seen a lot of ups and downs.  The fans are generally cheerful even though momentous seasons are few and far between.  Still, one can hear fans whistling along to the fight song that plays over the radio in the Tiger Team store connected to the stadium.  As the third quarter ends, fans sway to the Missouri Waltz, while continuing to form a bond with their university and state.  There is an innocence to these fans who haven't seen a league title in years.  Not to say that losses are not coupled with disappoinment, but it doesn't appear to morph into rudeness toward opponents.  The entire experience at Missouri is pleasant and the stadium typifies old-fashioned and classic college football.

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