Silence from Guenther is Deafening

By now, we've all heard about basketball players Jamar Smith and Brian Carlwell getting into an auto accident. Smith was charged with felony drunk driving for causing bodily harm and failing to report an accident. It is alleged that Smith's BAC was .176 which is more than twice the legal limit and further Smith is underage.

It's a black eye on the men's basketball program. Look at all the incidents since Bruce Weber took over: Aaron Spears, Luther Head and Rich McBride implicated in some sort of burglary incident. McBride popped for DUI. Shaun Pruitt slaps a bouncer at a bar. Now this. Are the inmates running the asylum?

What made me mad was seeing Smith on the bench for the Michigan game, in his warmups. Weber said that he let the team decide! *BOGGLE* A coach should be a dictator, not a democracy. By letting the team decide, Weber is washing his hands of making a tough decision. Plus he's letting a bunch of guys decide who have failed to show responsibility in the past.

Meantime, what is AD Ron Guenther doing? Does anyone know? How about a statement of some kind saying that this kind of behavior will no longer be tolerated? That is too much to ask, apparently.

More Football Scheduling Snafus for 2007

Earlier posts detailed how Coach Guenther has dropped the football in terms of scheduling non-conference opponents. Well for homecoming, Ron originally scheduled Ball State. They dropped out. Then he scheduled Kent State, who has now dropped out also. You would think MAC teams would lick their chops to play Illinois, after what Ohio U. did last year.

Well Coach Guenther has another chance to get it right. Desperate for a homecoming win, he needs to find an easy opponent, like Buffalo or Louisiana-Monroe. Watch him schedule a game against Florida to improve Illinois's strength of schedule!

Or maybe he can schedule two games vs. Missouri in St. Louis!! *BOGGLE*

Chief Illiniwek, RIP

Folks, we knew this day would arrive. It arrived sooner than later. Kow-towing to a cabal of freedom-hating, hypocritical, self-aggrandizing enemies of liberty, our alma mater announced that Chief Illiniwek will no longer perform after the Michigan men's basketball game on February 21, 2007.

This exhibits the failure of leadership from the President, Chancellor, Board of Trustees, and of course, the best athletic director in the country, at an annual salary of $400K, Ron Guenther. The reason that UI has offered for killing the Chief is that now the UI can host NCAA tournament events. Poppycock!

Does Champaign-Urbana really have enough hotel space to host a major tournament event? Doubtful. Further, I hear that UI doesn't even have a deal in place with the NCAA to host events in the future in exchange for scalping Chief Illiniwek.


Best part of this? Ron Guenther made a statement saying that as an alumnus he disagreed with the move! Way to cover your rear, Coach Guenther!

Guenther: Stick up for Zook!

My guy Ron Zook took a beating from the New York Times, alleging that Ron Zook is a cheater. Fortunately, the rest of the media, and even the guy who fired him, Florida AD Jeremy Foley, have all stuck up for him, calling the accusations baseless and telling those who think Zook cheats to come up with the evidence.

We all know where it's coming from: a certain Midwest school that is not in the Big 10. Coach Guenther had a law firm investigate the claims and found them baseless and reportedly knows the source of the allegations. Hey Ron Guenther-come out and give us the report!!!!

Contract Extension for Grentz?

The women's basketball team is doing better than expected. Our Hall of Fame Coach's contract expires after next season. Will Coach Guenther extend Grentz's contract?