Category > Illini Basketball
The headline is a tease. Bruce Weber laid into his players with a ferocity unequaled in his petulant past. Sure, Weber is well known for tossing his players under the bus. This time, he backed the bus up, and ran over them again. Wednesday night, while surrendering his career to the media, he swiped one last, desperate time at the foundlings that naïvely made him a millionaire. Weber's blame game has developed a nuance over the last three years. He's …
Wistfully, we now take stock of our beloved, once mighty Fighting Illini. Or at least I do. It's my gig. If you're still reading, it's your habit. Yep, some people still follow Illini basketball. Some still watch broadcast TV on cathode ray tubes. Hell, I know people who subscribe to newspapers and not the internet. Old habits die hard.
Indiana University's School of Music is tops in the world. They know it. Music is a big deal in Bloomington. The Hoosiers feel content to enjoy their arts and let Purdue teach the states's engineers and scientists. Every time I've attended a basketball game here, the music school supplied a world-class opera star to ululate parodies of Francis Scott Key's fairly simple tone poem about a flag that was still there.
Sunday afternoon in the House of Plain, a lanky group of future CEO's played keep-away from its prospective labor force. It was kinda fun to watch. How often do social elites deign to mix it up with the unwashed masses? The cat-and-mouse game ran for 40 minutes, and then Northwestern's Wildcats got bored and left town with a 74–67 victory. (Brandon Paul's last three-pointer snapped the net as the final horn sounded, making the official score more respectable.)
It's mind-boggling that Tom Izzo has six Final Fours on his résumé. As the faulty Assembly Hall clock ran down Tuesday night, Izzo steered three of the worst possible paths to victory. With the game tied at 40, Izzo used a timeout to draw up a play for .... nobody! Travis Trice eventually heaved an off-balance three with (intriguingly) no Spartans in rebound territory. I know what you're thinking. "Who is Travis Trice?"
The crowd last night was giving no quarter. They’d agreed to wear navy blue, but that was as far as they’d be pushed. Anytime the Illinois offense wasn’t in motion – or even paused to think – there arose a clatter. It had the desired effect: players moved. Draymond Green, the eight year Michigan State starter, displayed early a similar impatience with the officiating. Explaining to referee Jim Burr that his call was “bullshit, man” Green got a technical foul …
Lou Henson's ouster came with sufficient advanced warning: Bobby Knight knew to present Lou with a rocking chair. Was the "Honored Coach" program invented with Bruce Weber in mind? As a golden umbrella? Will Weber be honored on March 13th as Illinois hosts the opening round of the 2012 NIT? The offense looked great for the third loss in a row. Ball movement, hi-lo, Meyers establishing a low-post presence... all that good stuff. It was fun watching Brandon put the …
Too bad about that loss, eh? I thought Illinois played to the maximum of its potential. More precisely, I thought Illinois played to the maximum of Bruce Weber's potential. As with the game at Penn State, the offense clicked. Guys ran their routes. Meyers directed from the middle. The Illini shot 25% from three, and they lost. Quod erat demonstrandum. Sunday's performance hit the The Weber Mean. It was the last six years of Weberball, in a nutshell. Wisconsin is …
Meyers “Miles” Leonard is remarkably lackadaisical. He plays like someone recovering from the flu: he can marshal his resources for a rebound or a big dunk, but mostly he’d just like to go back to bed. Of course, if Illinois had won its past two games, he would probably be called, instead, unflappable. But losing – even by a little – has its consequences, and one of them is this.
I'd planned to title this column "Weber's Waterloo," but by the time I got to my hotel Loren Tate had already published to that effect. I always read other reports to find out what happened. Unfortunately, few Illini reporters were on hand to tell me. Only Shannon Ryan and John Supinie attended. I spent the Thursday's first half gabbing with Steve Ross and Matt Gardner (two ex-Illinois Law guys, now at PSU), so naturally I was curious to know what …
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Oh, by the way, the “Champaign County YMCA” no longer exists. The official name is now the “Stephens Family YMCA” (the website has not been updated, but check out the latest program guide). And no, it’s not just the name of the building. It’s the name of the organization.
Very inspired Photochops as well….
Props on the new YMCA dig. I think it’s a terrible spot for it, but then again, I’m not well-to-do and I’m not willing to drive 15 minutes at $4/gallon to exercise for an hour.
http://motorcycle-intelligence.com/do-loud-pipes-save-lives/1119/ Are you a smoker, too? I feel like I’m just getting recycled arguments.
http://www.motorcyclecruiser.com/streetsurvival/dangerous_motorcycle_safety_myths/index.html “Myth 2: Loud Pipes Save Lives”
Yes, I also love the idea of the downtown! However, the “turds” that ride Harley’s or any other motorcycle have the right to ride their motorcycles regardless of the “loudness” anywhere they want. They are buying gas, hence they are contributing to the motor fuel tax that…
Yup, this was the year I realized there’s no way this is my last CU marathon, even though I’m gradumacating next week.Where else am I gonna get cheered on by 70+ year old heart-of-gold volunteers who smile at me so genuinely I could believe I’m their granddaughter?…
I always have a good, but disappointed, laugh when marathon time creeps up and I start seeing posts on the WCIA Facebook page lamenting race day and how difficult it is to get around town that day. One this year said, “can’t they just go run in…
Reminds me of Total Football (soccer) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Total_Football
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As a liberal conservative, and a person who favors taxes & services ... and also a sense of proportion; I savor the comic potential that still exists in this comments section. I’m pretty sure we can goad more anti-government rhetoric from confirmed progressives and government employees. If…
Did the Crave Truck get a permit to park in city metered spots and city right of way? Or did they just get a permit? The city clerk’s office seems to be a suspect here, but it’s not clear they did anything wrong. Did the Crave Truck…
High-profile whining. AKA Lobbying.
it’s quite choice. looking forward to seeing how it and its patronage grow and develop over the course of the year. could be a neat little ecosystem.
“It was at this point, before he started his business, that working with city employees should’ve raised red flags…” But they didn’t because: 1) The City Clerk’s office originally mis-interpreted the rules, or are indeed re-interpreting them. 2) Champaign’s brick-n-mortar merchants hadn’t yet started whining about The Crave Truck.
Super cool! Excellent track, Excellent band.
Looking forward to trying this place!
I’m in the middle (or the beginning or end, depending on how you look at it) of re-reading Slaughterhouse Five. What a great companion column.
Get yours early. The Rave’s CD will be available at Exile and at The C-U Flea on Saturday. C-U Flea details here: http://www.smilepolitely.com/news/sp_radio_podcast_c-u_flea_arrives/
I don’t know about Gerard and a random police sargeant. My (mild) outrage is based on this: “...he worked closely with Champaign City Clerk Marilyn Banks to make sure he was licensed properly as a transient food peddler, filling out the necessary paperwork and paying a $225…
Local Yocal pretty much nails it here. I suspect there will be merchants who oppose food trucks because they arguably don’t pay their fair share to locate their trucks in high traffic (high rent) areas. The food trucks take away business from rent payers, park in city…
Oh nice! I’d totally vote for Matt Campbell!
“Smile Politely sports writer announces candidacy for city government.”
I also got to visit Big Grove Tavern during the soft open and definitely enjoyed the pork belly the most of all the dishes I sampled. The cheesy grits and the vinegary pickled vegetables were a perfect compliment to the rich pork belly.
The Alan Partridge lookalike on the right in the first small photo has nothing to condescend to anyone about. AH HA!
Snell and the little Hitlers of the neighborhood association need to chill out. Legitimate businesses should have the freedom to exist without having to endure the slings and arrows of ignorant and misguided opposition.
represent, Matt.
Yeah, I’d agree that Transporter Room 3 is the worst house venue I’ve ever seen.
Food trucks are the start-up, small businesses of the future for those unable to afford real estate. No surprise, that merchants who pay rent, utilities, and maintenance on a property would despise the traveling competition. Or developers who build more empty retail spaces would want to close…
Not so much far-right Tea Party as a balanced, moderate viewpoint between letting businesses succeed and protecting society with reasonable regulations. In spite of what the city reps are saying, the interpretation of policy on this issue certainly has changed. Letting a business start up under one…
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@Dan - Wow. Unfortunately, I have to refrain from further comment due to a previous employment relationship. But with that brief context you might be able to imagine possible comments or responses I could have.