Monday, March 12, 2007
We're In
...barely, based on the seed and the talking heads, but the Illini made it. I don't know if we deserve the bid or not, but we will take it. Jay Mariotti is harsh, but I can't deny that it's been hard to be an Illini fan over the past several weeks.
However, I heard the all-knowing radio voices explain why the Illini (23 wins, RPI of 29 and Strength of Schedule at 24) make more mathematical sense in the field than Syracuse (22 wins, an RPI of 50 and Strength of Schedule at 46). So while Coach Boeheim openly shares his disappointment, we Illini fans can be thankful that hotel room in Indy was filled with laptops, not just TV screens. (Let's face it -- the Big Ten tournament showcased great defense, but the low-scoring games weren't exactly the riveting style that boosts TV ratings.)
Illinois over Virginia Tech may not be the most popular 12-5 upset pick, but it will be on my bracket. Enjoy filling out your brackets!
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However, I heard the all-knowing radio voices explain why the Illini (23 wins, RPI of 29 and Strength of Schedule at 24) make more mathematical sense in the field than Syracuse (22 wins, an RPI of 50 and Strength of Schedule at 46). So while Coach Boeheim openly shares his disappointment, we Illini fans can be thankful that hotel room in Indy was filled with laptops, not just TV screens. (Let's face it -- the Big Ten tournament showcased great defense, but the low-scoring games weren't exactly the riveting style that boosts TV ratings.)
Illinois over Virginia Tech may not be the most popular 12-5 upset pick, but it will be on my bracket. Enjoy filling out your brackets!
# posted by Alma Mater : 10:55 PM
Sunday, February 04, 2007
Is the Microwave Back?
Jamar Smith may have finally found his stroke last night as the Illini rolled over Minnesota in a game that Tupper says wasn't as close as the final score indicated.
Tupper also says Jamar may have been so distracted by his stomach problems that he may have started to break out of his shooting slump. An encouraging call from Luther Head probably didn't hurt either.
Btw, I know XLI is today but I couldn't find anything on the Pantagraph's sports page about the game last night. Isn't Bloomington 45 minutes or so from Champaign?
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Tupper also says Jamar may have been so distracted by his stomach problems that he may have started to break out of his shooting slump. An encouraging call from Luther Head probably didn't hurt either.
Btw, I know XLI is today but I couldn't find anything on the Pantagraph's sports page about the game last night. Isn't Bloomington 45 minutes or so from Champaign?
Labels: Illini, Jamar Smith, Luther Head
# posted by Chief : 7:23 AM
Friday, January 26, 2007
We've Got Our Own Erin Andrews
Most of you are probably familiar with ESPN's Erin Andrews. She covers a lot of Illinois games and has grown pretty fond of the Orange Krush. However, not only is Andrews attractive, she takes pride in her knowledge of sports.
Well, in an effort to bring a little bit of the Worldwide Leader's style to Illinitalk, we are proud to announce that we've just inked our own version of Erin Andrews to a nice little contract as a contributor to this blog. We were pleased that we had room for her under the salary cap because her knowledge of Illini sports is outstanding and she will be a phenominal addition to our team.
That's right folks: She's young. She's attractive. She's smart. Her sports IQ is off the charts. And for the record, she's single.
She will be writing under the pen name "Alma Mater." Please join me in giving her a warm welcome as she starts to post soon...
Housekeeping Item: Thanks to everyone who's been commenting on our posts lately. However, if you use profanity, it will be deleted. Also, to the fella who asked for a summary of the Bilas column on Weber/IU etc., I accidentally erased your comment while trying to erase a profanity-laced comment by what appeared to be some IU fan. Sorry...did not mean to.
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Well, in an effort to bring a little bit of the Worldwide Leader's style to Illinitalk, we are proud to announce that we've just inked our own version of Erin Andrews to a nice little contract as a contributor to this blog. We were pleased that we had room for her under the salary cap because her knowledge of Illini sports is outstanding and she will be a phenominal addition to our team.
That's right folks: She's young. She's attractive. She's smart. Her sports IQ is off the charts. And for the record, she's single.
She will be writing under the pen name "Alma Mater." Please join me in giving her a warm welcome as she starts to post soon...
Housekeeping Item: Thanks to everyone who's been commenting on our posts lately. However, if you use profanity, it will be deleted. Also, to the fella who asked for a summary of the Bilas column on Weber/IU etc., I accidentally erased your comment while trying to erase a profanity-laced comment by what appeared to be some IU fan. Sorry...did not mean to.
Labels: Erin Andrews, ESPN, Illini
# posted by Chief : 10:51 AM
