Monday, October 30, 2006

Volleyball Mired In Mediocrity

Illinois once was the dominant Big 10 program in women's volleyball. Mike Hebert built the program from a doormat into a Final 4 team in 1987 & 1988. Heck, in 1992 & 1993 Illinois led the nation in attendance. In his 13 seasons at Illinois, Hebert led the Fighting Illini to four Big 10 titles, two perfect 18-0 records in the Big 10 and 11 straight NCAA tournament appearances!

However, in 1996 Hebert left Illinois for Minnesota. Not quite sure why. In any event, women's volleyball at Illinois has been stagnant since Hebert left. Only 5 NCAA tournament appearances since 1996. Currently 4-8 in the Big 10. I doubt Coach Guenther would fire Don Hardin, since Guenther hired him.

Wednesday, October 25, 2006

Coach Guenther's "Leadership" on Chief Illiniwek


The NCAA has already forbidden the University of Illinois from hosting playoff games in non-revenue sports because Illinois has still retained Chief Illiniwek. Instead of taking a stand one way or another, Ron Guenther continues to let the issue twist in the wind.

"Just to be clear on it, I have no knowledge to say that will happen. I just know as we've talked through this, I don't see a decision being made before then," Guenther told the Herald & Review. "I'm not in the process at the moment, but I've made sure that they know that I want the right thing to happen. And to take their time making that decision."

Wow, that is great leadership for $500,000.00 annually!

Monday, October 23, 2006

DIA Screws Up Parking

I got this e-mail from a longtime football season ticket holder and I Fund donor:

I have had season tickets for football since 1982. During that time I have
donated to the I Fund and its predecessor, the Fighting Illini Scholarship
Fund (FISF). Last year due to several unanticipated expenses, I gave $250 to I Fund. I have always parked in the Blue Lot, at the SE Corner of 4th & Kirby. This year, to my surprise, my donation was not enough to park in the Blue Lot. The I Fund never said it was going to change the donation level needed to park in the Blue Lot. Despite this, I have still parked in the Blue Lot with my Brown pass because no fans go to the games anyhow.

I thought this was just an aberration, then I found this thread on the illiniboard about basketball parking. Apparently, several longtime donors/season ticket holders are being displaced. Why is this happening? Simple. Ron Guenther and the DIA must find ways to maximize revenues, given the awful attendance for football. Thus, in order to maximize revenues, donors are being forced to give more cash than in the past or be forced to park in Savoy.

If the DIA was going to do this, wouldn't it have been smart to issue a news release or e-mail to I Fund donors back in April telling them of the changes to football & basketball parking? Heck, donations may have gone up if folks knew this would occur. But without any advance warning, you have lots of angry Fighting Illini fans.

Friday, October 20, 2006

Football Scheduling Foibles-Part 2

Ok class, the NCAA now allows 12 games. Since Illinois must play 4 away games in the Big 10, Illinois could have 8 home games if it wishes. This is an opportunity for more revenue for non-revenue sports. So what does Ron Guenther do? He schedules a game vs. Missouri in St. Louis for the next 4 years, starting in 2007!!! Way to reward the home fans, Ron!! How much money is Illinois getting from this series? Why play another BCS conference team when Illinois needs all the wins it can muster to even think about bowl eligibility? DUMB DUMB DUMB.

Thursday, October 19, 2006

Football Scheduling Foibles-Part 1


Ok class, today's assignment: You are the Athletic Director of a bad Big 10 football team. Based on your diligent research of NCAA rules regarding bowl eligibility, you know that it takes only 6 wins (used to be out of 11 games, now 12) to be bowl-eligible. You also know that the Big 10 is tough with 8 games, 4 at home and 4 away. Thus, how you schedule non-conference games is crucial to your program getting to bowl games and getting out of the gutter. What do you do?

A) Schedule games against mostly teams from BCS Conferences like Arizona, Oregon, Rutgers, Syracuse, Southern California, Washington State, California, UCLA? Or

B) Schedule games against weak teams like Louisiana-Monroe, Temple, Louisiana-Lafayette, Buffalo, Troy State, Florida Atlantic, and make sure you play a Division 1-AA team each year because you can use one win against a Division 1-AA team every four years to count towards bowl eligibility?

Well kiddies, Option B is Minnesota. Minnesota hired Glen Mason in 1997 (same time that COACH Guenther hired the vaunted Ron Turner). Minnesota has gone to 6 bowl games since 1997. Good for them!!!

In contrast, Option A is Illinois. Illinois has gone to 4 bowl games since 1992, Mr. Guenther's first year on the job as AD.

Does Ron Guenther have something against making bowl games? Come on, schedule some weak teams to help Illinois get bowl-eligible!

Wednesday, October 18, 2006

Questions Regarding Memorial Stadium Renovations


Illinois is embarking on a "Renaissance" plan to renovate Memorial Stadium and install luxury suites, move the scoreboard, etc. The total costs (at this time) are projected to exceed $100,000,000.00. (Lots of zeroes!!) My question: how does the DIA intend to pay for this?

With total costs of well above $100 million, the Memorial Stadium
renovation will be paid in large part through the pre-sales of the west
stadium’s new luxury seating opportunities. The annual cash flow from the
luxury seating will provide the resources necessary to pay down the debt on
newly issued 30-year bonds. In addition, a private capital campaign is
underway, featuring naming opportunities within the renovated stadium, to
provide additional funding. No state or tuition assessments will be used
to finance the renovation project
.

This raises several questions:

1) How are the sales for the suites progressing? We keep hearing how the sales are going well. Should we believe this?

2) Regarding these bonds, is there a letter of credit or other instrument guaranteeing payment? Is this coming from the DIA? What is the credit enhancement being used to guarantee the bondholders that this project won't go into default?

3) Who is the entity guaranteeing the bonds? The DIA? Is the University of Illinois guaranteeing these bonds? (I hope not. The University is suffering financial cutbacks as it is.)

I am truly skeptical about how this project is going to turn out. It's bad enough that the scoreboard is being moved to the horseshoe end (why?) but what makes matters worse is that many season-ticket holders in the West Balcony will be displaced to make way for the suites.

Monday, October 16, 2006

Remember When: Guenther Cuts Fencing & Men's Swimming

Wow, 1993....has it been that long? The fencing team was quite good, won some NCAA championships. But hey, ya gotta save money, right?

Financial considerations were the major factor behind the decision. TheDivision
of Intercollegiate Athletics (DIA) will save $327,352 from the projected 1993-94
budget with the move.

I wonder how much money the DIA "made" with the attendance of 34,000 this past Saturday night. But as long as the DIA budget is in the black, Guenther's defenders will say he's doing the right thing!

But Illinois is not planning to add a women's sport, softball or soccer,as
was expected."We will not add any more sports until we are confident with the
budget,"Guenther said.

Wow, times changed eh Coach Guenther? Now we have not one, but two additional women's sports teams. Softball & soccer!! How ironic.

This is the best line from the article:

The DIA has an annual opperating budget of 18 million dollars, therefore this elimination is 1.9 percent of the budget."I think the fattest places in our department frankly are the administrationand the fattest programs; if you want to get some fat that's where you go," DeForrest said.

"It seems kind of ironic that it went the other way around."It is not
a prudent business decision to go after a mere one percent ofthe budget
when you're trying to trim fat all the way around," he said.

I agree. You can start by cutting the fat out of Coach Guenther's salary, now at $500,000 thanks to the asinine decision of the Board of Trustees to give him a 20% pay raise for no good reason.

Jim Grabowski Retiring-sick of bad football?


Jim "Grabo" Grabowski, an Illini legend and member of the College Football Hall of Fame, is retiring after this season.

''I've had a lot of fun over the years, but it's time,'' said Grabowski, 62, who
played halfback on Illinois' 1963 Rose Bowl team and joined the Illini
announcing team in 1974. ''Somebody else should have a chance now.''

In other words, someone else should sacrifice Saturday afternoons to watch bad football.


Grabowski said he and his wife, Kathleen, want the option to do other things
with their fall weekends
.

Like restoring Grabo's sanity?


''I wish we had more wins, but that had nothing to do with [the decision] whatsoever,'' said Grabowski, who lives in northwest suburban Inverness.

Come on Jim, we know how you feel. You poor guy, you've seen a lot of bad football since 1974 (but mostly since Coach Guenther took over).

What is your favorite memory of Grabo as color commentator? I recall one game in the mid-1990s when Illinois tied Wisconsin 3-3. A win woulda put Illinois in a minor bowl. Coach Death Penalty was still the head coach. I heard Grabo (I presume it was him) kick the booth in frustration. Stone silence on the air!!

Grabo had some real gems on Saturday night. Among them was his criticism of the offensive line and how much it has regressed this season; his criticism of the special teams for kicking off to a top return man instead of the squib kick (like Indiana last week); and above all else, his criticism of EB Halsey for again allowing a punt to bounce and be downed inside the 5 yard line.

Good luck Grabo!! You will be missed!

Coach Guenther's Legacy: 64-101-2


and counting. Question: How many schools in BCS conferences would allow its Athletic Director to rack up 100 losses in football, the most important revenue sport? Baylor? Duke? Kentucky? When John Mackovic was AD, Illinois went to 4 bowl games in 4 seasons. Under the self-proclaimed "football guy" it is 4 bowl games in 15 seasons.

I created this blog to highlight (or should I say lowlight?) the incompetence of Ron Guenther, who has ruined Illinois football for 11 of his 15 seasons on the job, and right now there is little hope for the future. This blog will have further commentary on the sad state of Illinois athletics under his "leadership."

Saturday, October 14, 2006

Illinois just lost to Ohio...Ohio University that is

at home no less. Apparently no one was there. Illinois had the ball on its own 5, 1:45 left, threw a pass, caught, fumbled. Ohio kicked a field goal to win it.

This symbolizes the crap that is Illinois football. Thanks Ron Guenther!!!!