Illinitalk

Apparently, we all make mistakes, even the staff of Illinitalk. In my post "Big Time Shout Out to Rick Morrissey" I neglected to double-check several of the links to make sure they were functioning correctly and, unfortunately, some of them were not. Those issues have now been corrected and I apologize to our readers for any inconveniences that may have caused. I know how frustrating it can be to click on a link and then not get the page you were looking for.

I mention all this because after much consideration and discussion with Chief, I feel that we must call out one of the Illini players who has made a mistake off the court--Nick Smith. In an article in the Sun-Times today, Nick made some comments regarding his playing time and quick hooks when he makes a mistake on the court. He admits that there is very little he can say on the topic without getting himself in trouble--and yet he still says some things!!!

I understand some of his frustration--as someone who played sports throughout high school and was not always a starter, I know what it is like to not get the playing time you would like or to be pulled out of the game as soon as you make a mistake. It can be very disheartening. Regardless, that is no excuse for Nick to discuss the issue in the newspapers.

The players on this team have shown fantastic teamwork and have unbelieveable chemistry. It is important, especially at this point in the season, not to disrupt that. Fortunately, the players and the coaches seem to realize this is part of Nick's personality. Dee points out in the article that he wants Nick to stay confident and to realize that even though he may get down at times, the Illini are going to need him and the other bench players to provide a spark. Coach Weber also seems to sympathize and understand where Nick is coming from. That is good.

Illinitalk hopes that Nick will think twice before discussing this issue again publicly. We hope he realizes that the team needs him and wants him to do well and that the fans want him to do well too. Remember, the goal is to cut down the nets in St. Louis. If that happens, he will have been part of something very special, regardless of his minutes.