Y’all Must Be Trippin’: Illini Head to South Padre Island
ALL WORK AND NO PLAY
Tuesday morning’s workout was the last full practice before the lads fly off to sunny South Padre Island. There, they will work like dogs (dogs that work, not lapdogs). When they’re not learning to shift around Kent State’s shifting 1–3–1 zone, when not trying to figure out how to shut down Al Fisher, they’ll be hitting the books. Chester Frazier, for example, has a big Psychology test next week.
It’s the second leg of the South Padre Invitational. Bruce Weber said Tuesday that he prefers these kinds of tournaments — the ones that start at home, where there’s revenue to be made. The TAMU-CC and Jackson State game were already part of the SPI, you see. (Shhh, that’s on the downlow.)
If they beat Kent State, the Illini will have to play Tulsa or Texas A&M. If they lose to Kent State, they’ll have to play either Tulsa or Texas A&M. So obviously, they’re looking to beat Kent State. That’s not going to be easy. Since the Neil Young song, Kent has evolved. They hired an old girlfriend of mine (not the bad one) and developed quite a basketball tradition. Last year, the Golden Flashes won 28 games. So watch out.
Speaking of watch, if you happen to have DirecTV, channel 617 is your destination. Otherwise, you might try the Esquire. If it’s a blow-out, maybe Rich will give you a game of chess.
—
The mood is certainly livelier ‘round the ole Ubben lately. Illini PR guy Derrick Burson waxed enthusiastic about spreading the good news in Texas — in the form of Illini Media Guides. He asked trainer/dad/all-things-Illini Rod Cardinal how many guides he’d be allowed on the plane. Cardinal pointed out that Jerrance Howard would be flying separately, due to a recruiting trip. They figured they’d have an extra 240 lbs. to work with. No one can resist a jab at Snacks’ potbelly.
Frankly, the word about the lively team has already leaked, Media Guide or no Media Guide. Illinois received two points in this week’s AP poll. Maybe that’s bad. Praise creates expectations. People will be watching now. If they lose one or both of this weekend’s games, they will fall further back in the opinion of the cognoscenti than they would have been given a 2–2 start.
FIGHTING ILLINI BASKETBALL
Game #5: Illinois (4–0) vs. Kent State (3–0)
South Padre Island Invitational
Nov. 28, 2008 // 5 p.m. CT // Fox College Sports Atlantic
South Padre Island, Texas // SPI Convention Center (2,000)
On the Air
Television
FCS Atlantic: Kevin Eschenfelder, play-by-play; Reid Gettys, expert analyst.
Radio
Illini Sports Network — 44 stations: Brian Barnhart, play-by-play; Jerry
Hester, expert analyst; Loren Tate pre-game/halftime/post-game interviews.
MYLES BRAND RULES
Indiana was forgiven all its faults, patted on the back for being so charming and invited to dinner by the NCAA Tuesday afternoon. “Kelvin Sampson?” the Infractions Committee pondered aloud. “What previous malfeasance?”
Former Indiana/Current NCAA President Myles Brand commented, “C’mon, it was just a few phone calls. What’s the big deal?”
Brand then announced an investigation into the University of Illinois’s complicity in Jack Abramoff’s Indian Gaming Scandal. Brand further announced an indictment of the Indian Head Nickel, and a catalog of charges against the Chippewa and Seminole Nations, for abetting college sports teams. When informed of a massive play-for-pay ring at the University of Memphis, Brand promised immediate investigation of the University of Tennessee at Martin, which is also in western Tennessee, has a basketball program and is close to Memphis both geographically and alphabetically (they begin with the letter M).
5 comments
still digging the perspective; be careful about trying to hard… ;) you a bourbon snob?
erp: “too hard…“
ChiefIllini2
That’s “Martin, Tennessee” in the NCAA rolodex. I do think that one win and continued improvement is all that is required. All three of those other teams are rated above the Illini in (admittedly) early power rankings. Good column, Rob!
castaa.myopenid.com
Keep it up Rob. lol
Mike
Illini Win! Tis and Davis (no surprise)got it done. Looking forward to more posts from Rob.
Most Recent Sports Comments
Jamie, you gave me goosebumps talking about the race with Rachel Alexandra and Life at Ten, wish I could be there!! Go Rachel!!!!!
Hope for the best, expect the worst. 81-126-2 FIRE RON GUENTHER
Beat Missouri and there is validity here, but until this team wins a game it should not, it is all speculation.
Gret pix, Jamie!
I think any conversation about the limits of the human body are innately limiting. As a non-yoga guy, seeing a skilled yoga person twist his or her body in unthinkable ways challenges my ideas of what the body can and cannot do. Heck, seeing George Clooney double over and…
But couldn’t you receive the same benefits (balance, muscle strength, etc.) from doing yoga barfeoot? From everything I’ve read, the Vibram Five Fingers seem to limit the distance you are able to run, and I am not convinced that is such a good tradeoff. Heck, Pheidippides…
The thing people don’t realize about barefoot running/ five fingers before they try it is that they have been completely isolated from their environment by their shoes. For example saying that hard surfaces like concrete are a recent invention., In the summer trails with a lot of…
Rob, Zola asks you to read further: “I no longer run barefoot,“ she said. “As I got older I had injuries to my hamstring. I found that wearing shoes gives me more support and protection from injuries.“ http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2005/aug/10/southafrica.past1
Many people, including myself, run barefoot on concrete, asphalt, grass, and dirt. No problems. You actually end up with LESS impact than if you were shod in crazy cushioned/supportive shoes. Your body adapts and you land with less force. Think short, quick strides with bent knees. I…
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Illinois has simply had no luck at all in these Mizzou games. None. I think maybe we’re do for a couple of bounces to go our way. If we get one or two (or sever or eight) breaks, I think it’s a win.
Jason, Savoy could easily join the CPL tax district, which is probably closer to most Savoy residents than the Tolono library is. But my impression is that Savoy residents as a whole don’t want to pay the cost of the CPL (Tolono’s library taxes are cheaper), even…
Sorry, but I am lagging behind on updates to the map. Also, some construction projects were delayed from their original start date. On a more positive note, I am putting together a map of haunted houses in Central Illinois. I have a few plotted already, and I…
I’ve never gotten the privilege of all the services CPL cardholders get. I just want to be able to go out of my way to drive to the CPL to check out books, pay fines, maybe buy some coffee, and enjoy the library. None of those activities…
These days, there is more to using a library than checking out books. At one time, paying into the Lincoln Trails system probably would cover the expenses incurred by other libraries in the system. Now, with Internet, videos, coffee shops, wireless Internet hubs, etc., I suspect the…
(speaking as a Savoy resident) By paying taxes to support a member of the LTLS, we are paying our “fair share” to use any LTLS library—Tolono, Champaign, Urbana, etc. This is how library systems work. The 6% of CPL’s circulation represented by Tolono users is NOT significant…
I read Timbo’s argument. I think the key word is “speculating.“
I would be interested to hear more about the “word on the street”—how are individual hauling companies fulfilling their promise to recycle?
Timbo makes a smart, sound argument. Reread it.
I joined on 09-09-09 after living here over a year, and having to listen to my dad tell me how his best friend is, like, #27 or something crazy like that, and how said friend never lived further than 50 feet from the Illini Inn while going…
And, I might add, no one is being prevented from using the Champaign library. They are just being asked to pay their fair share if they are going to use it as their primary library.
The equation is pretty simple here. If you want social services, then pay the taxes required to run those social services. These things only work if everyone puts in their fair share. As a heavy user of the Champaign Library, I say bravo to this new policy.
Curtis Orchard is always good for an hour or three, especially if you have rugrats.
What is the increased marginal cost of serving a resident of Savoy or Mahomet? I suspect negligible. What is the increased revenue to be realized by this new policy? I suspect very little. Aside from these financial aspects, what are the most probable results from this new…
Looks like you are also all members of the killer sideburns club.
Thanks for the article, Ben. I was not familiar with this band until now and even though I won’t be able to attend the show on Friday they are now on my radar. A *good* jam band is hard to find, and these folks appear to fill…
Nice article, love the Dead quote in the beginning. If they can get down here to Central FL I’ll definitely be heading out to the show. Some of my friends have finally stopped wincing when I say “jam band.“ I’ve now tried my best at more descriptive…
@Annie: Yeah, my bad. That was the best part! Drinking + memory exercises = fun @Rob: According to Ask the English Teacher, “My dictionary says ‘drunk’ is an archaic past tense of ‘drink.‘“ We’re all about the new grammar around here.
Katie, have the residents of Savoy and Tolono thought about having their taxes raised a little to help their public library expand? That’s a possibility for them. And then everybody wins.
good call on that Herring recording, Josh. Love that version of Exit Music….here’s a clip of the Cinco de Mayo show (from about six months prior). As I recall, this Shakedown went on for roughly a half hour, while getting into the Trampled Underfoot jam in the…
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Illinois has simply had no luck at all in these Mizzou games. None. I think maybe we’re do for a couple of bounces to go our way. If we get one or two (or sever or eight) breaks, I think it’s a win.