Tomorrow is one of the best days of the year. That's right - the first round of the NCAA tournament, one of the rare instances where the early rounds with some fairly mediocre teams almost always seems to top the later rounds with the higher seeds playing each other.
Even better, the dark cloud that rested atop the Illinois basketball program seems to have been lifted. Illinois is ahead of schedule, notching a very impressive 5 seed in a season where most projected another down year for the team. To be honest, I was even ready to impose a "self-exile" from Illinois basketball if there was to be, yet again, a crappy year.
However, after Illinois football did it's usual incontinence in their pants after ONE good season, I was a little less reluctant to jump on board. It started with a surprise victory at Vanderbilt, which, at the time, was a huge boost for Illinois and evidence that this team may have something. Then it continued through a one-loss non-conference schedule that included the 9th straight win against Missouri (God, I hate their fans so very much). To top off the great start, Illinois beat then #10 ranked Purdue . . . at Purdue . . . in overtime.
Sure, there were some nasty blips along the way: 33 points at home against Penn State, 38 points at Minnesota, and another loss to Penn State who, by the way, has the best record of any Big Ten team against Bruce Weber (who woulda thunk it?) But there were great wins, too - a drubbing of Purdue at home, a solid by-the-books win against a hungry Wisconsin team, two wins against our arch-enemy, the Indiana Hoosiers, and a tremendous offensive display in the second win against Ohio State - four days after the 33-point PSU debacle.
So here we are, tipping off at 9pm from Portland, Ore. tomorrow night against the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers. I remember Dee, Deron, and Augustine's freshman year, along with Brian Cook's tremendous senior campaign, that saw a first-round matchup against the same program. Things have changed, of course. One thing that separates this year, however, is the fact that nearly every "expert" predicts Western Kentucky to win. After all, they say, at least one 12-seed beats a 5, and Illinois is the weakest of the 5-seeds.
Really? Utah? Purdue (who Illinois beat twice, once quite handily)? Florida State? I don't buy it, and it's not just the orange-colored glasses. Illinois should, and WILL win tomorrow, if they bring their A-game. Given the fact that there is a wealth of bulletin board material predicting them to lose, and that WKU was average-at-best away from home this year, I'll take Vegas' word over the experts: Illinois by 4.5 points.
Not the biggest of spreads, of course. But trust in Vegas. They know their stuff, and, sorry, Seth Davis - you know little more than Coco the Monkey.
So, Go Illini, let's get this first win, and see what happens Saturday. Either way, a great season, and the best is yet to come.
PREDICTION:
Illinois 68, WKU 53
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Thursday, March 5, 2009
UNOFFICIAL 2009: A lot of fun, and too much damn fuss
Well, predictably so, in the last week and a half we have seen a slew of news articles featuring our local policy makers and our university's spokespersons taking hard stances against a pseudo-holiday.
Since my freshman year and the 2006 version of Unofficial, more and more enforcement has been ushered into the campus area to police the drunken participants. Letters have been written to parents, e-mails sent to students and faculty, and here we are, 2009, and reading a forwarded letter from a member of the Interfraternity Council, get this: deans from each college will be in patrol cars.
What?!
First off, I find it hard to imagine the Dean of the College of Media, Ron Yates, would really care to spend the day in a patrol car. Second of all, what is this, high school prom where every guidance counselor shows up to see if they smell booze on anybody, while the janitor is stationed around the punch bowl to make sure no one spikes it with a little vodka?
I guess my main point is, where are the priorities? Unofficial has seen trips to the hospital for alcohol poisoning, and I'm not downplaying the fact that some people are just stupid and will do stupid things while drunk. Yes, I know one person died back in 2006, but, forgive me if I sound like George Costanza, underwhelmed after learning the Andrea Doria shipwreck had a mere 40-some casualties - one person, and the letters to parents reference it as if it is ultimate damning evidence of Unofficial?
Here's another priority: it's the economy, stupid. Our economy sucks, the government keeps spending cash, and we'll see it here tomorrow. Hundreds, and I do mean HUNDREDS of officers from all the different agencies - University, cities of Champaign and Urbana, and even agents from the Illinois Liquor Control Commission - are going to swarm around campus. At least the navy uniforms contrast nicely with green.
Our state will have spent tens-of-thousands of dollars enforcing this event, while the city of Champaign will gleefully cash in on the underage tickets (which, mind you, are up to $365 for March 6) and go on to waste the money on their crap school district or God-knows-what.
I will happily participate tomorrow, my last and final Unofficial, and I'll dig out whatever green clothing I have, and bask in the surreal glory of campus being overtaken by drunken college students. It always hits, every year, around mid-afternoon, when you look up and down Green Street and observe the controlled fervor. From my perspective, Unofficial is not some huge menace to society.
Here are some imparting words of advice:
Chancellor Herman - I used to like you, man, but after you folded like a schoolgirl during the Chief decision and continue ignore ACTUAL problems instead of spending University cash on mailing nearly 40,000 letters about a pseudo-holiday, I think you should go back to teaching math.
Police officers - man, you were all pumped to have the weekend off, and you get a call to come in and look for underage kids with beers in their hands. I can only imagine the temptation you must have to take off that uniform, slip into some jeans and a green shirt, and join in on the festivities.
Mayor Schweighart - I met you once, and you were a pretty cool dude. With a pack of Pall Mall's in your shirt pocket and a blue collar aura about you, I get the feeling you, deep down inside, don't mind this Unofficial thing too much. Better yet, you think the drinking age should be lowered to 19. Bravo! Oh, and enjoy the loot the city will pull tomorrow. I wouldn't blame you if you go corrupt on us and keep some dough for yourself.
And to Scott Cochrane, hardly a mastermind but more just a cocaine-induced entreprenuer - major props, my friend. I'm sure tomorrow, in between lines of powder and liasons with 19 and 20 year old employees, you'll have enough time to reflect on how one little idea back in 1995 has become such a big deal.
Since my freshman year and the 2006 version of Unofficial, more and more enforcement has been ushered into the campus area to police the drunken participants. Letters have been written to parents, e-mails sent to students and faculty, and here we are, 2009, and reading a forwarded letter from a member of the Interfraternity Council, get this: deans from each college will be in patrol cars.
What?!
First off, I find it hard to imagine the Dean of the College of Media, Ron Yates, would really care to spend the day in a patrol car. Second of all, what is this, high school prom where every guidance counselor shows up to see if they smell booze on anybody, while the janitor is stationed around the punch bowl to make sure no one spikes it with a little vodka?
I guess my main point is, where are the priorities? Unofficial has seen trips to the hospital for alcohol poisoning, and I'm not downplaying the fact that some people are just stupid and will do stupid things while drunk. Yes, I know one person died back in 2006, but, forgive me if I sound like George Costanza, underwhelmed after learning the Andrea Doria shipwreck had a mere 40-some casualties - one person, and the letters to parents reference it as if it is ultimate damning evidence of Unofficial?
Here's another priority: it's the economy, stupid. Our economy sucks, the government keeps spending cash, and we'll see it here tomorrow. Hundreds, and I do mean HUNDREDS of officers from all the different agencies - University, cities of Champaign and Urbana, and even agents from the Illinois Liquor Control Commission - are going to swarm around campus. At least the navy uniforms contrast nicely with green.
Our state will have spent tens-of-thousands of dollars enforcing this event, while the city of Champaign will gleefully cash in on the underage tickets (which, mind you, are up to $365 for March 6) and go on to waste the money on their crap school district or God-knows-what.
I will happily participate tomorrow, my last and final Unofficial, and I'll dig out whatever green clothing I have, and bask in the surreal glory of campus being overtaken by drunken college students. It always hits, every year, around mid-afternoon, when you look up and down Green Street and observe the controlled fervor. From my perspective, Unofficial is not some huge menace to society.
Here are some imparting words of advice:
Chancellor Herman - I used to like you, man, but after you folded like a schoolgirl during the Chief decision and continue ignore ACTUAL problems instead of spending University cash on mailing nearly 40,000 letters about a pseudo-holiday, I think you should go back to teaching math.
Police officers - man, you were all pumped to have the weekend off, and you get a call to come in and look for underage kids with beers in their hands. I can only imagine the temptation you must have to take off that uniform, slip into some jeans and a green shirt, and join in on the festivities.
Mayor Schweighart - I met you once, and you were a pretty cool dude. With a pack of Pall Mall's in your shirt pocket and a blue collar aura about you, I get the feeling you, deep down inside, don't mind this Unofficial thing too much. Better yet, you think the drinking age should be lowered to 19. Bravo! Oh, and enjoy the loot the city will pull tomorrow. I wouldn't blame you if you go corrupt on us and keep some dough for yourself.
And to Scott Cochrane, hardly a mastermind but more just a cocaine-induced entreprenuer - major props, my friend. I'm sure tomorrow, in between lines of powder and liasons with 19 and 20 year old employees, you'll have enough time to reflect on how one little idea back in 1995 has become such a big deal.
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