You Know Men's Basketball is bad

when you go to a Fighting Illini-friendly sports bar and there are more Drake fans there than Illinois fans. Thank you Bruce Weber & Ron Guenther!

Men's Basketball Is In Trouble

Illinois is going to have its first losing record since 1998-99. At least in that season, the future looked bright as the team consisted of mostly freshmen who eventually led Illinois to the Elite 8 in 2001. Here, I don't see things getting better next year, and we are told by the Merrymen to wait for the recruits of 2009 and 2010 to arrive on campus.

How did Illinois get to this point? Well, Coach Guenther hired a guy who would be "loyal" over recruiting. UGH!! As Greg Couch notes, Weber may simply not be cut out for big-time recruting.

Weber always seems to blame the players and not himself. Heck, look what he said about Brian Carlwell, who is transferring:

"He has gone through a lot in his life, and obviously the accident and the recovery was probably longer than anticipated," Illinois coach Bruce Weber said. "We told him if he is here, he has to put in the time, lose weight, get some explosion. I guess he made the decision he did not want to do that."

Bruce Weber is a PR nightmare!!!! Ok, the kid is transferring. No need to throw him under the bus on his way out the door. Heck, can you blame him? He nearly dies in a car crash caused by the drunk driving of his teammate Jamar Smith. Smith is convicted of a felony and keeps his scholarship? Plus, who has Weber developed? Shaun Pruitt & Brian Randle have not really improved over their 4 years. Heck Pruitt was seen yelling at Bruce during the game! You have players ignoring their coach in time out huddles.

It's been over 1 year now since the University scalped Chief Illiniwek. Maybe his death is the reason the basketball program is in disarray?

The Sad Decline of Men's Basketball

Three seasons ago the basketball team played in the NCAA title game. Now, the team gets swept by Penn State and loses to Tennessee State & Miami of Ohio at home. Opponents no longer fear playing in Assembly Hall. Seats are empty in A Level.

Why has this happened? Simple. Our awesome athletic director chose "stability" over "recruiting ability" when he hired Bruce "Mid Major" Weber as basketball coach. You reap what you sow.

Scheduling Suicide by the Football Guy

UNBELIEVABLE!

Our ace athletic director has just scheduled a football game for this season...vs. Western Michigan...in Detroit...in November!!!!

There are so many things wrong with this:

1) Per the Fighting Illini press release, UI only gets 1 home game in return from WMU...and not until 2011!!!! Real foresight by RG to schedule the even dumber Missouri game in St. Louis through 2010.

2) As noted in the News-Gazette, now there is no game at all on September 20. A beautiful fall day...and no UI football anywhere!

3) The game is in freaking Detroit. Is this practice for a Motor City Bowl bid?

4) Illinois is the only Big 10 team with only 6 home games. Why only 6 home games after a Rose Bowl appearance and momentum in the program..... WHY RON WHY?

5) Hey Ron, great job rewarding the fans with a trip to Detroit in November, on top of a dumb trip to St. Louis over Labor Day!!!

6) The local businesses in Champaign-Urbana have to be furious that Football Guy just threw away a lot of revenue by giving up another home game.

7) UI is failing to show off its newly renovated Memorial Stadium to fans & recruits.

8) Now, no bye week before a potentially HUGE game at home vs. Ohio State.

9) This screams "trap game" before the HUGE game at home vs. Ohio State.....Western Michigan won at iowa last year, and Illinois did not.

The response to this on the various Fighting Illini fan sites has been overwhelmingly negative. RON GUENTHER PLEASE GO AWAY!

Guenther issues an apology for UI Fan Behavior

Yeah, some UI fans went over the line in yelling obscenities at Eric Gordon or throwing stuff at his family. Here is the apology letter...what a farce.

never mind how iowa fans chanted ILL DUI last year....did Guenther demand an apology from iowa?

What he should apologize for is his ridiculous football scheduling....see the post above!

Football Scheduling Foibles, Part 34324

So today is Signing Day for football, lots of excitement thanks to Ron Zook, a coach who can recruit unlike Guenther's stooge Ron Turner. Anyhow, during the presser he mentions that Illinois is considering playing Western Michigan in Ford Field in Detroit on September 20.

BOGGLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Doesn't the Football Guy Guenther realize that on September 27, Illinois is at Penn State and then on October 4 Illinois plays at Michigan????

In other words, Illinois would play 3 straight games away from home? On top of starting the season in that ghetto town of St. Louis to play Missouri? For crying out loud, Illinois is going to have a renovated stadium to show off next season! USE IT GUENTHER!!!!

If this actually happens, I hope the local businesses in Champaign who would suffer lost revenue from Guenther throwing away another home game storm the Bielfeldt building and tar and feather this buffoon.

Today is Election Day in Illinois

Would Ron Guenther survive a "No Confidence" vote among the members of Illini Nation?