Saturday, August 30, 2008

73-111-2

Thanks for scheduling a loss in St. Louis for a phat paycheck, Ron. I hope you zealots out there read this quote in today's Champaign News-Gazette.

"You can duck these games," Guenther told Steve Kelly during a halftime interview on the Illini Sports Network. "My point is, you don't duck them. You play them."
The A.D. said Saturday's game and environment "may be bigger than a bowl game.

Um, Ron..... 1) We've been to just 5 bowl games in your 16 years on the job. 2) I hope you saw that the other teams in the Big 10 opened with cupcakes like Coastal Carolina, Maine, Northern Illinois, Youngstown State and Akron to get the kinks worked out. Why play a top 5 opponent in the first game of the year?

Thursday, August 21, 2008

STOP THE PRESSES! Guenther talks to the media!

Coach Guenther had a sitdown with the media! This shows just how insulated this guy has become. He's afraid of journalists not located in East Central Illinois asking him the tough questions. Meantime, if you want to read his whitewash of the great Bruce Weber, or what he plans to do about Assembly Hall, read it here. Hey Ron, if you had started a fundraising drive for a new arena five years ago (you know, back when basketball was hot and football stunk) we'd already have a new arena. Good luck getting the money for renovations or a new arena, given the current economy and how bad the basketball team is on & off the court!

Guenther Rationalizes Guenther's Folly

in today's News-Gazette. Let's examine his idiotic statements.

1) "The 12th game came about. Our conference didn't move until a year ago to move the date so that we're going to be able to play 12 games in 13 weeks, which is the NCAA rule. We were trying to play 12 in 12. By the time we got around to looking at scheduling, there weren't that many options that were out there."

Um, what? Ron, back when you scheduled the series with Missouri in St. Louis (forfeiting yet another home game, good grief) you didn't hear the rumors about the NCAA making the 12th football game permanent? Then you say "by the time we got around to looking at scheduling" like it's an afterthought. What the heck were you doing? You got caught with your proverbial pants down and you failed to schedule a 7th home game for 2007 & 2008.

2) "My deal basically with the MAC Conference, which I like a lot, is to get two or three here and then we return to a neutral as opposed to returning to a MAC site. That's how that occurred."

Oh my. Is your contract with the MAC or with Western Michigan? When is UI getting these "two or there here" that you speak of? The future schedules I've seen for 2009 & beyond do not show any MAC teams other than Western Michigan, who isn't coming here until 2011!! If these home games vs. MAC teams are in the future, why is UI playing the first game on the road? (Let's stop calling it a neutral site game)

Or are you saying that UI already got its two or three home games with Western Michigan in 2004 & 2011; Ohio in 2006 and Ball State in 2007?

We have a newly renovated stadium to show to fans, alumni, alumni with big money, recruits, and students. Why the heck is UI the only Big 10 team with 6 home games? Why, as part of the deal, is the men's basketball team playing a home and home with Western Michigan? If Illinois wants to be like Ohio State or Michigan in football (I'd be happy with being like Wisconsin since Barry Alvarez took over) you don't give away home games. Illinois just got a beatdown from a MAC school because the Football Guy fumbled the football.

RON YOU IDIOT!

Saturday, August 16, 2008

Typical East Central Illinois Media Lovefest for Guenther

Hey Loren Tate, great job interviewing Ron Guenther and failing to hammer him on why he sold out for just 6 home games!

Friday, August 15, 2008

Loren Tate on Football Schedules: More Stupidity


The resident East Central Illinois Media Elite Zealot, Loren Tate of the Champaign News-Gazette, is off his rocker. Loren thinks Illinois should have seven home games (duh!) against big-time teams (uh, no). Read this and see if it makes sense:

Admittedly, tougher scheduling would not always have its rewards. There would be years when good Illini teams would not qualify for the postseason. But consider the enormous positives and how the competitive juices would be whetted for Illini fans and players in a truly challenging September.

Loren, the point of getting to a bowl game is to a) reward the players for their hard work during the season; b) give the fans someplace nice to go over the Christmas holiday; c) make money for the school; and above all d) give your younger players two extra weeks of practice that they would not get otherwise if the team didn't make a bowl game.

Loren, need I remind you that Illinois has gone bowling only 5 times in Guenther's 16 years on the job? Or that Illinois has not gone bowling in consecutive seasons since 1991 & 1992? You know, BEFORE Guenther took over and ruined the football program?

Loren, we understand that you love all things Ron Guenther. This explains why you fail to criticize the best A.D. in the country for his terrible decision to schedule a game vs. Western Michigan in freakin' Detroit and leave UI with only 6 home games.

And I cannot wait for the Guenther fans to comment that "But Guenther has taken UI to 2 BCS games!" My response: So what? those bowls were 7 seasons apart and were the only bowl games Illinois has played in this decade!

Saturday, August 09, 2008

DIA Priorities Screwed Up

Why is it that when men's basketball was great (seems long ago, doesn't it?) that the DIA, instead of hyping the hot team, hyped the lousy football program?

Now the situation is reversed, and the DIA is promoting the lousy basketball program at the expense of the hot football program with this "Night of Legends" deal and the practice at Memorial Stadium on Homecoming. Is the DIA trying to make us forget Jamar Smith?

If Deon Thomas is not going to be honored at this event, it is a joke.

Thursday, August 07, 2008

Basketball Practice at Memorial Stadium????

Chicago Tribune reports that the basketball teams will practice at Memorial Stadium after the football game vs. Minnesota on October 11. A hardwood court will be laid down.

1) Will alcohol be served?
2) Will the Memorial Stadium renovations be completed by October 11?