Missouri’s Daniel enjoying the million-dollar Buffett
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Warren Buffett is impressed, so at least there’s that.
“Chase Daniel, he’s plenty smart, he wants to learn,” the world’s richest man said of the Big 12’s best player. “He’s not full of himself at all.”
Buffett knows a bit about investing money so why not go all in on the Heisman finalist who is money? A man who can influence the world economy with the wave of his wallet is enough of a college football fan to know this is the best preseason ever for the Big 12. There are likely to be three teams in the top 10, four in the top 12 and five in the top 15 to begin 2008. At least two schools — Missouri and Oklahoma — are getting national championship mention. There are five legitimate Heisman candidates leading off with Daniel, the conference’s preseason offensive player of the year.
Daniel doesn’t necessarily need Buffett’s endorsement, there’s plenty of love to go around. But the pair are an item, chummy BFFs, after meeting in the offseason. More to the point: What does it say about the best league this side of the SEC that Daniel and Missouri are getting more run than, say, the league’s last national title holder — Texas? That’s kind of why we’ve gathered this week for the Big 12 preseason media days.
Missouri made its biggest football statement in four decades here last November by beating Kansas at Arrowhead Stadium and moving to No. 1 in the AP and BCS polls. Even though Oklahoma beat the Tigers the next week for its fifth Big 12 title this decade, the focus in 2008 is on — and curiosity remains about — those same Tigers.
sportsline.com
7/22/08
