A picture-perfect day. A newly renovated stadium. Dozens of former players returning to take part in the Renaissance Celebration. And, oh yes, there was football. This was all part of the re-birth of Memorial Stadium, and fans in attendance did not go away disappointed. The Illini defeated Eastern Illinois 47-21 to notch their first victory of the season, even though they may not have played their best football. A win, nevertheless, is a win, as Juice Williams continued his dominance as a dual threat on offense. Williams ran 16 times for 174 yards and scored two touchdowns, and completed 16 of 25 passes for 124 yards and another score. Even though Juice is making some mistakes (he threw 2 more interceptions), he is still doing what is needing to be done in order for the Illini to have success. The near sellout on Saturday is a testament to the shift that the program has gone through in the last few years since the arrival of Coach Zook. The stadium looks unbelievable, and it almost seems as if you are in a different stadium altogether with the changes that have been made. The old press box seemed like a trailer compared to the new edifice that adorns the west stands now. It certainly looks different from Florida Avenue as well, and in the future, the horseshoe will be re-done, as will some things on the east side. With the Illini now even up on the season at 1-1, they look toward their next game, which is against the Ragin' Cajuns of Louisiana-Lafayette (11:00 am Saturday, Big Ten Network). This is the first ever meeting between the Illini and the Cajuns, who may be more commonly known as Southwestern Louisiana, which they were called for many years. There was speculation that the Cajuns would be coming to Illinois early to beat Hurricane Ike, but they have since revamped those plans and will make the trip as scheduled. The Cajuns are coached by Ricky Bustle, who coached with Zook at Virginia Tech. Lafayette features another good quarterback in Michael Desormeaux, who threw for just over 1400 yards last season. The Cajuns also feature another good tailback in Tyrell Fenroy, who hit the 1000 yard mark in rushing last season. Desormeaux also eclipsed that mark last season, making him a dual threat, much like Williams, his counterpart on the other side. Lafayette was defeated by Southern Mississippi in their opening game on August 30 51-21, and was on a bye last week, bringing them into the contest at 0-1. According to Coach Zook, this should be a pretty good game, but ultimately one that the Illini should come out on top in. We shall soon find out.
Speaking of legends, there will be an abundance of them at the Assembly Hall on Saturday evening, as the basketball program welcomes back several former players for the "Night of Legends" event. Among the returnees will be 4 of the 2005 Final Four team, led by U.S. Olympian and current Utah Jazz superstar Deron Williams and Dee Brown, who is attempting to get back in the NBA after playing in Turkey last season. Roger Powell, who is in camp with the San Antonio Spurs is also expected to attend, as is current Houston Rocket Luther Head. They will match skills against the other final four team in recent years, the 1989 squad. Kenny Battle, Nick Anderson and others are expected back in what should be an unbelievable night. After the basketball is finished for the night, a ceremony honoring 30 former players having their jerseys raised to the Assembly Hall rafters will take place. It is about time that something like this is being done to honor past players. Coaching the teams will be Lou Henson, who coached the Illini for 21 years and is the winningest coach in Illini history, and Jimmie Collins, who was an assistant for so many years for Henson. One honor that needs to be given is to name the court at Assembly Hall after Lou Henson. This is way overdue. Are you listening, DIA?
The women's volleyball team came away from the Billiken Invitational with a 2-1 record, defeating St. Louis and William & Mary, but falling to Stanford, who is ranked #3 in the nation in the AVCA rankings. This week, Don Hardin takes his squad down to Knoxville to compete in the Tennessee Comcast Classic, which will feature Dayton and Gardner-Webb, in addition to the host Volunteers. The Illini currently stand at 5-1 on the season.
As the volleyball team arrives in Knoxville, the women's soccer team had just come from there, splitting a couple of matches in the Lady Vol Classic. The Illini defeated Washington State 2-1, with the goals coming from freshman Marissa Mykines and sophomore Cory Steigerwald. The Illini then fell to the host Volunteers 1-0 in the title match, as both teams went scoreless until Tennessee broke through in the 60th minute of the contest. The Illini are 4-1 on the season and will head south this weekend to face Florida on Friday night, before finishing up their Sunshine State road trip with Central Florida on Sunday.
Enjoy the legends, folks!
Two Steps Forward.......Three Steps Back.
The rebuild of the Illinois football program continues as they drop a tough 34-31 loss in overtime to Purdue.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Thursday, September 4, 2008
And they're off............................
Ok, maybe it wasn't the best of games for the Fighting Illini to open the 2008 football season. What with the top 5 team they went against, a hostile environment, and a late start, things just didn't go the way they were planned. Yes, Illinois was coming off a lopsided defeat at the hands of the USC Trojans in the Rose Bowl back on New Year's Day and had several new pieces of the puzzle to try and fit together, but did we really expect this? Granted, Missouri is a great football team, as Coach Zook stated several times before and after the game. But, it was the way that the Tigers did it to the Illini that leave people scratching their heads. Missouri gained 226 yards on the ground, as workhorse back Derrick Washington chewed up the Illini defense. Added to that effort was the arm of Chase Daniel and the legs of Jeremy Maclin, and you have a recipe for defeat. Daniel didn't have the best of days, and as far as Maclin goes, that guy is good! His kickoff return of 99 yards right after Illinois took their only lead of the game kind of took the wind out of their sails. The game sort of reminded me of another big game that the Illini played indoors a few years ago. Rewind back to the Sugar Bowl of 2002 in New Orleans when a surprising Illinois team garnered their first ever BCS bowl berth and got the fortune of taking on an LSU Tiger team that not only had a home field advantage, but a raucous crowd as well that kept chanting "Tiger Bait" to anyone dressed in orange and blue. Granted, this Tiger crowd last Saturday was not nearly as mean as the one in Louisiana, but they were strong in number, often drowning out the Illini faithful in attendance. Juice Williams had a very productive evening, throwing for 451 yards and 5 touchdowns. The Tigers neutralized Aurellious Benn most of the night, leaving Will 
Judson (#13 right) and Chris Duvalt (#15, below, right) open, and both of those players caught 2 touchdowns apiece.
Which brings us to this week's game, the home opener at newly renovated Memorial Stadium as part of the Illinois Renaissance Celebration. There will be many former gridiron legends in attendance, and at each timeout of the game, a certain group of them will be recognized by position. If you haven't seen the stadium lately, it looks great and Zook said at his weekly press conference that he hopes that the team plays as good as the stadium looks. The opponent, Eastern Illinois (11:00 am, Saturday, Big Ten Network), plays in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), and is
currently ranked #18 in that division. The Panthers have a number of area products on their team, most notably at quarterback. Bodie Reeder, who played his high school ball at Mahomet-Seymour, runs the Panthers' offense and according to their coach Bob Spoo, is really coming on strong this year. The Panthers were defeated in their opener last week by Central Michigan 31-12, but will give the Illini their best shot this week, as most in-state schools do. The Illini will look to fix some of the mistakes that were committed against Missouri, and as Zook eloquently put it this week, they will fix what needs fixing and move on from there. He still thinks that this is a good football team and improved over last season, but a strong effort against Eastern Illinois will be needed to get the Illini back on track.
Plans are still being finalized for the "Night Of Legends" alumni basketball game, which is set for Saturday, September 13. Many former players are expected to attend, including Olympian Deron Williams and Dee Brown, both of whom are included in the 20 players that will have their uniform numbers raised to the Assembly Hall rafters. A list of the players that will be so honored can be found at www.fightingillini.com. Also, this past week, the schedule for the 2008-09 season was announced, and the highlight on the home schedule is the ACC/Big Ten Challenge game against Clemson. For a look at the complete schedule, visit www.fightingillini.com and click on the basketball link.
Both the women's volleyball and soccer teams have also begun their respective seasons, and both are off to fast starts. Don Hardin's volleyball team won their annual State Farm Illini Classic, defeating #23 New Mexico State (24-26, 25-21, 25-19, 25-14), and then pulling one of the more shocking wins in recent memory by dispatching #11 Oregon by scores of 14-25, 16-25, 26-24, 25-21, and 15-13. What was most significant by this victory was the fact that the Illini had to come from behind to do so. The victories move the Illini to 3-0 on the season, and this weekend, the road does not get any easier when they travel to St. Louis to play in the Billiken Invitational. Among the teams thet will be facing are national runner-up Stanford, William & Mary, and the host St. Louis Billikens.
Janet Rayfield's soccer team also is 3-0 on the young season after a pair of wins in the Illini Challenge Cup over Dayton (1-0 in overtime) and Iowa State (3-1). Emily Zurrer, fresh off a trip to China to play for her native Canada in the Olympics, headed in the winning goal in the 96th minute for the win over the Flyers. The Illini travel to Knoxville, Tennessee this weekend to compete in the First Tennessee Lady Vol Classic, where they will face the host Volunteers and the Washington State Cougars.
Judson (#13 right) and Chris Duvalt (#15, below, right) open, and both of those players caught 2 touchdowns apiece.Which brings us to this week's game, the home opener at newly renovated Memorial Stadium as part of the Illinois Renaissance Celebration. There will be many former gridiron legends in attendance, and at each timeout of the game, a certain group of them will be recognized by position. If you haven't seen the stadium lately, it looks great and Zook said at his weekly press conference that he hopes that the team plays as good as the stadium looks. The opponent, Eastern Illinois (11:00 am, Saturday, Big Ten Network), plays in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), and is
currently ranked #18 in that division. The Panthers have a number of area products on their team, most notably at quarterback. Bodie Reeder, who played his high school ball at Mahomet-Seymour, runs the Panthers' offense and according to their coach Bob Spoo, is really coming on strong this year. The Panthers were defeated in their opener last week by Central Michigan 31-12, but will give the Illini their best shot this week, as most in-state schools do. The Illini will look to fix some of the mistakes that were committed against Missouri, and as Zook eloquently put it this week, they will fix what needs fixing and move on from there. He still thinks that this is a good football team and improved over last season, but a strong effort against Eastern Illinois will be needed to get the Illini back on track.Plans are still being finalized for the "Night Of Legends" alumni basketball game, which is set for Saturday, September 13. Many former players are expected to attend, including Olympian Deron Williams and Dee Brown, both of whom are included in the 20 players that will have their uniform numbers raised to the Assembly Hall rafters. A list of the players that will be so honored can be found at www.fightingillini.com. Also, this past week, the schedule for the 2008-09 season was announced, and the highlight on the home schedule is the ACC/Big Ten Challenge game against Clemson. For a look at the complete schedule, visit www.fightingillini.com and click on the basketball link.
Both the women's volleyball and soccer teams have also begun their respective seasons, and both are off to fast starts. Don Hardin's volleyball team won their annual State Farm Illini Classic, defeating #23 New Mexico State (24-26, 25-21, 25-19, 25-14), and then pulling one of the more shocking wins in recent memory by dispatching #11 Oregon by scores of 14-25, 16-25, 26-24, 25-21, and 15-13. What was most significant by this victory was the fact that the Illini had to come from behind to do so. The victories move the Illini to 3-0 on the season, and this weekend, the road does not get any easier when they travel to St. Louis to play in the Billiken Invitational. Among the teams thet will be facing are national runner-up Stanford, William & Mary, and the host St. Louis Billikens.
Janet Rayfield's soccer team also is 3-0 on the young season after a pair of wins in the Illini Challenge Cup over Dayton (1-0 in overtime) and Iowa State (3-1). Emily Zurrer, fresh off a trip to China to play for her native Canada in the Olympics, headed in the winning goal in the 96th minute for the win over the Flyers. The Illini travel to Knoxville, Tennessee this weekend to compete in the First Tennessee Lady Vol Classic, where they will face the host Volunteers and the Washington State Cougars.
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Pregame Blog - Illinois vs. Missouri
Rejoice, college football fans, because your time is finally here! Yes, I'm talking about the opening weekend of the college football season. I'm sitting high atop the Edward Jones Dome anticipating the kickoff of the game between Illinois and Missouri. This game has been hyped like no other in recent memory, with both teams beginning the regular season in the Top 20. The atmosphere in and around the Dome is a festive one, with parties and gatherings going on outdoors, and now that fans are starting to file in, the place is taking on a sort of orange-goldish look. This is a rivalry that has taken on quite a life of its own, and is trying hard to stay along the same realm that the basketball series has done. Both coaches, Ron Zook of the Illini, and Gary Pinkel of the Tigers, are no stranger to atmospheres like this, and they each have their team as prepared for this game as possible. Missouri, which starts the season at #6 in the country, is led by their stellar quarterback, Chase Daniel and a star-studded receiver in Jeremy Maclin. The Tigers like to move it up and down the field, and with an offense as high-powered as this one is, they shouldn't have any trouble doing so. Trying to stop them will be an Illini defense that is getting better the older and more experienced it becomes. Doug Pilcher and David Lindquist lead a defensive front that will get some help from linebackers Brit Miller and Martez Wilson. Offensively for the Illini, Juice Williams returns for his junior year and will have some new bodies to turn to in the backfield. To replace the NFL-bound Rashard Mendenhall, the Illini will counter with a trio of backs, led by Daniel Dufrene and freshmen Jason Ford and Mikel Leshoure. Regardless of the outcome of this game, it promises to be a barn burner and the team coming out on top will have the early edge in the polls. Please stay tuned for a recap of the game coming some time this Labor Day Weekend.
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Illini Football Preview - Part 2
With just one week until the first game for Ron Zook in this his fourth season as coach of the Fighting Illini, it's time to get defensive, or more subtle, talking about the defense. It is possible that the defensive unit is even better than they were last year, even after losing J Leman to graduation. Brit Miller returns to anchor the defense at linebacker, and in this his senior season, is poised to do what Leman did last season. On the front line, David Lindquist and Doug Pilcher return, as do Josh Brent and Jerry Brown. One of the newcomers, Reggie Ellis, hails from Washington, D.C. and is one of the now familiar Dunbar High School products to make their way west. At linebacker, Miller will be joined by Sam Carson III and Martez Wilson, who promises to have a breakout sophomore season even better than his freshman year. Russell Ellington and Dustin Jefferson also figure to see some time as well. The defensive back position is one of speed and agility, and is led by Vontae Davis (#1, below), who is one of the top defensive players in the entire 
conference, if not the nation. You will recall back in the Rose Bowl when Davis ran down the USC ball carrier as if to come out of nowhere to make the tackle. It is speed like this that can give Coach Zook the confidence that similar plays are just around the corner in 2008. Also in the secondary are Nate Bussey, Travon Bellamy, Bo Flowers, Donsay Hardeman, Supo Sanni, and Marcus "Miami" Thomas. This speed and depth will be needed early on, when the Illini battle the Missouri Tigers and their sensation Jeremy Maclin.
The kicking game, suspect a year ago, is a little more clear this time around, but not much. Anthony Santella seems to have the punting job locked up as Camp Rantoul came to an end, but the placekicking game seemed a bit more cloudy. Last season, Michael Cklamovski did some kickoffs, but with the addition of freshmen Matt Eller and Derek Dimke, competition seems to be occuring. When asked the other day which player had the edge coming out of training camp, Zook seemed to think that Dimke was leading the pack, but anything can happen and it will be interesting to see who will be handling placekicking duties when the Illini and the Tigers do battle in the dome. Speaking of which, be sure to listen to morning sports on Fridays before each Illini game for an official preview of the upcoming matchup. Then on Mondays, hear a recap of each game, as well as comments from coaches and players.
Coming into the matchup against Missouri (7:30 pm, Saturday, August 30 ESPN), the Illini find themselves ranked #15 in the coaches poll. This is the first time in several years that the Illini have been ranked in the preseason, and with the Tigers in the top 10, this promises to be a great opening game with the feel of a bowl game, given the teams' lofty rankings. While other teams in the conference may not be playing the same caliber of opponent as the Illini are, the conference seems to be stacked once again with a few teams at the top. Besides Ohio State, the Wisconsin Badgers and the Illini are expected to be at the head of the class, with Purdue and Michigan figuring to be somewhere in the middle.
Activities are continuing to cme together for the Reniassance Celebration on September 6th against Eastern Illinois. A long list of players returning for the event can be found at www.fightingillini.com and this past week it was announced that there will be a panoramic picture from the air, as well as from groud level of the stadium. Fans are encouraged to buy their 'Zook Zone' towels to wave them at the game to create an aura of orange that will mimic past 'Paint The Hall Orange' nights at the Assembly Hall.
So, now that the football season is officially upon us, buckle those seat belts, turn that television to the Big Ten Network (yes, even you Comcast folks!), and get ready for an unbelievable 2008 football season!
conference, if not the nation. You will recall back in the Rose Bowl when Davis ran down the USC ball carrier as if to come out of nowhere to make the tackle. It is speed like this that can give Coach Zook the confidence that similar plays are just around the corner in 2008. Also in the secondary are Nate Bussey, Travon Bellamy, Bo Flowers, Donsay Hardeman, Supo Sanni, and Marcus "Miami" Thomas. This speed and depth will be needed early on, when the Illini battle the Missouri Tigers and their sensation Jeremy Maclin.The kicking game, suspect a year ago, is a little more clear this time around, but not much. Anthony Santella seems to have the punting job locked up as Camp Rantoul came to an end, but the placekicking game seemed a bit more cloudy. Last season, Michael Cklamovski did some kickoffs, but with the addition of freshmen Matt Eller and Derek Dimke, competition seems to be occuring. When asked the other day which player had the edge coming out of training camp, Zook seemed to think that Dimke was leading the pack, but anything can happen and it will be interesting to see who will be handling placekicking duties when the Illini and the Tigers do battle in the dome. Speaking of which, be sure to listen to morning sports on Fridays before each Illini game for an official preview of the upcoming matchup. Then on Mondays, hear a recap of each game, as well as comments from coaches and players.
Coming into the matchup against Missouri (7:30 pm, Saturday, August 30 ESPN), the Illini find themselves ranked #15 in the coaches poll. This is the first time in several years that the Illini have been ranked in the preseason, and with the Tigers in the top 10, this promises to be a great opening game with the feel of a bowl game, given the teams' lofty rankings. While other teams in the conference may not be playing the same caliber of opponent as the Illini are, the conference seems to be stacked once again with a few teams at the top. Besides Ohio State, the Wisconsin Badgers and the Illini are expected to be at the head of the class, with Purdue and Michigan figuring to be somewhere in the middle.
Activities are continuing to cme together for the Reniassance Celebration on September 6th against Eastern Illinois. A long list of players returning for the event can be found at www.fightingillini.com and this past week it was announced that there will be a panoramic picture from the air, as well as from groud level of the stadium. Fans are encouraged to buy their 'Zook Zone' towels to wave them at the game to create an aura of orange that will mimic past 'Paint The Hall Orange' nights at the Assembly Hall.
So, now that the football season is officially upon us, buckle those seat belts, turn that television to the Big Ten Network (yes, even you Comcast folks!), and get ready for an unbelievable 2008 football season!
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
2008 Illinois Football Preview - Part 1
Fans in attendance at the Fighting Illini's annual Rantoul scrimmage on Monday evening were treated to an offensive show that may soon become the norm rather than the exception. And good news for Ron Zook is that nobody got hurt in the process. Rewind one year ago at the scrimmage where wide receiver Chris James (#6, pictured at right) sustained an injury that kept him out the entire season, and receiver Aurellious "Regus" Benn also was banged up, but both of those players came out of this year's event unscathed. The offense looks a bit different starting the 2008 campaign with Rashard Mendenhall now in the NFL with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Zook knew he would need to replace those carries to make the offense go and build on last season's Rose Bowl appearance. He may have found a couple of answers to that question. Junior Daniel Dufrene and true freshman Jason Ford (#21 below, right) were impressive to say the least, and redshirt freshman Troy Pollard and another true freshman, Mikel LeShoure, also had plenty of chances. When asked about how the scrimmage
went on Monday, Zook did not hesitate when he said that this may have been the best scrimmage that he has been a part of in all his years of coaching. Besides the running game, the Illini also expect to do some damage in the recieving corps. Benn, of course, is back, as well as James, who is fully recovered from the injury, and other players expected to make their mark include returning wideouts Marques Wilkins and Chris Duvalt, as well as Will Judson, who made a couple of nice catches on Monday. Joining this trio will be freshmen A.J. Jenkins and Cordale Scott, two players who figure to be in the mix and could form some interesting formations on offense. The two main tight ends, Jeff Cumberland and Michael Hoomanawanui, also figure to get more involved in the offensive scheme this season.The offensive line is experienced, with returning players Jon Asamoah, Randall Hunt, Xavier Fulton, Eric Block and Ryan McDonald back for another go. A whole host of freshmen or redshirt freshmen that include the likes of Corey Lewis, Jeff Allen, Jack Cornell, Mark Jackson and Graham Pocic may see some time. As Zook likes to say, there is competition at every position and that could be no more evident than on the offensive line. Pocic, a true freshman that enrolled early, brings a lot of talent to the table and could be a special player before he leaves lllinois. Fans can expect to see more of the high-powered offensive sets that Zook has instilled into his system, and as the recruiting battle heats up for 2009 and beyond, he and the coaching staff continue to bring in the top tier players that can continue what he has begun to build at Illinois.
The Fighting Illini Fan Appreciation Day is set for Sunday, August 17 from 1-2:30 at Memorial Stadium. Fans will get a chance to get autographs of their favorite players, and also meet Coach Ron Zook at the same time. The Illini women's volleyball team will also be on hand to greet fans young and old alike, as well as sign autographs and poster schedules.
With all of this talk about football dominating the past week and a half, there has been plenty of basketball talk as well, with several events that are upcoming that are sure to be crowd pleasers. First of all, "A Night of Legends" is planned for Saturday, September 13th at the Assembly Hall. Deron Williams, current Olympian and Utah Jazz guard, will be one of three players that will have their jersey numbers hung from the rafters of the Hall. A total of 20 men's jerseys and one women's jersey will be honored, and along with Williams, Luther Head and Dee Brown will be honored as well. Other players confirmed to attend the event are James Augustine, Roger Powell, Kenny Battle, Victor Chukwudebe and Sergio McClain. This should be one of the most anticipated events of the season. Season ticket holders get first dibs on tickets for the event, and should any remain from those, the general public will get a chance to order them beginning on August 21 at the athletic ticket box office, or online at www.fightingillini.com. Then, on October 11 after the Minnesota football game, the Fighting Illini will hold the world's largest basketball practice, as they unveil a basketball court in the south endzone of Memorial Stadium to begin the 2008-09 basketball campaign. The court, assembled by FlexCourt Athletics of Kewanee, will already be assembled before the football game, so a smooth and seamless transition can occur into the basketball practice. The practice will be similar to the Illini Madness events of the past, with both the men's and women's teams introduced. Three-point shooting and slam dunk contests will also take place. Then, after the scrimmage, the Athletic Department will make available the court to be bid on, so you can take home the actual court used for this event.
Finally, in what will be a huge event for the Assembly Hall, Deron Williams and the Utah Jazz will take on Derrick Rose and the Chicago Bulls in an exhibition game on Friday, October 17 at 7:30 pm. Tickets for this event go on sale on Saturday, August 23 at 10:00 am at the normal ticket outlets, and range in price from $25 to $70.
Enough Illini sports for ya? Next week I'll preview the Illini defensive alignment as they continue to get ready for their first game in 2 weeks against Missouri.
Sunday, August 3, 2008
The question begs.....Are you ready for some football??
As the calendar turns to August, thoughts begin to ponder students returning to school for the fall semester, leaves turning colors and eventually falling, and ..football. Yes, I'm talking Illini football. Ron Zook begins his fourth season as Illini coach and expectations are running higher than ever this season as training camp begins. The Illini, fresh off a trip to the Rose Bowl and a 9-4 season, Illinois and Zook have a lot to prove that 2007 was not a fluke. Sunday afternoon was Illini Media Day at Rantoul, and Zook spoke to several media members in attendance, stressing that one good season does not necessarily propel a program to turn the proverbial corner. Zook also said that it is up to this year's sophomore class and incoming freshman class to instill in future recruiting classes that you just don't simply show up at Illinois and go to a Rose Bowl. The upperclassmen that have been with the team two and three years went through some rough times, but all of those subpar seasons ultimately led to the success that the Illini experienced last season. Zook will have the nucleus back this season, led by quarterback Juice Williams and top flight receiver Aurellious Benn. The Illini will have some big shoes to fill with the departure of Rashard Mendenhall to the NFL, but guys like Daniel Dufrene, Mikel LeShoure and Troy Pollard will try to rise to the occasion. With training camp set to begin on Monday, a lot of questions remain in regards to who will be battling who for certain positions, but one thing is clear, with the talent level Zook and his assistants have brought in, there will be talent aplenty ready to wage war for their positional battles.
If you haven't purchased tickets for the 2008 season yet, you might want to act quickly because tickets are going fast. Tickets for the Ohio State game on November 15 and Iowa on November 1 are already sold out, while tickets for the Indiana and Minnesota games are nearing sellout status. Tickets in the horseshoe section are already sold out for the season, due largely in part to $77 for the season package. The first five rows of Memorial Stadium, normally blocked off due to poor sight lines because of players standing on the sidelines, have been opened up for the Indiana and Minnesota games and expect to be gone soon.
September 6th figures to be a landmark day for the Fighting Illini for many reasons. Deemed the Illinois Renissance Celebration and rededication of the renovation to Memorial Stadium, many former Illini are expected to be in attendance. Several former players have already announced that they will be attending the event, among them Craig Swoope, Dana Howard, Joe Rutgens, Kurt Kittner, Rich Kreitling, Mike Martin, Jack Trudeau, Dick Butkus and Don Thorp, with many others soon to follow. The former greats are part of the 10 greatest players at each position, with each group being recognized at one of the 8 timeouts during the game. To further enhance the festivities, the current Illini squad will be donning throwback jerseys for that game.
All news from the Illini nation is not good, however. Oft-troubled shooting guard Jamar Smith, who was reinstated to the basketball program after a school imposed redshirt stemming from the February 14, 2007 accident that seriously injured former Illini player Brian Carlwell, was once again caught in the wrong place at the wrong time. Smith was on probation from the incident and last weekend was picked up once again for underage drinking. Coach Bruce Weber issued a brief statement saying in effect that Smith has been dismissed from the team, but would not further comment on the situation due to court legalities. Smith, who was expected to be one of the Illini's best shooters, has had a rough time since the incident involving Carlwell on that snowy night nearly a year and a half ago. And it's a shame too, that the young man has chosen this course for his life. It brings to mind other former Illini players such as Larry Smith and Ervin Small, both who saw their careers come to an end because of bad choices. My hope is that Jamar will decide to get his life back on track and decide that what has happened is not the way he wanted things to go. I do think that Weber made the right decision, and still stand by my opinion that he should never been given a second chance after that first incident.
Upcoming blogs will preview the 2008 Illini football season and the happenings from Camp Rantoul as the season opener draws closer.
If you haven't purchased tickets for the 2008 season yet, you might want to act quickly because tickets are going fast. Tickets for the Ohio State game on November 15 and Iowa on November 1 are already sold out, while tickets for the Indiana and Minnesota games are nearing sellout status. Tickets in the horseshoe section are already sold out for the season, due largely in part to $77 for the season package. The first five rows of Memorial Stadium, normally blocked off due to poor sight lines because of players standing on the sidelines, have been opened up for the Indiana and Minnesota games and expect to be gone soon.
September 6th figures to be a landmark day for the Fighting Illini for many reasons. Deemed the Illinois Renissance Celebration and rededication of the renovation to Memorial Stadium, many former Illini are expected to be in attendance. Several former players have already announced that they will be attending the event, among them Craig Swoope, Dana Howard, Joe Rutgens, Kurt Kittner, Rich Kreitling, Mike Martin, Jack Trudeau, Dick Butkus and Don Thorp, with many others soon to follow. The former greats are part of the 10 greatest players at each position, with each group being recognized at one of the 8 timeouts during the game. To further enhance the festivities, the current Illini squad will be donning throwback jerseys for that game.
All news from the Illini nation is not good, however. Oft-troubled shooting guard Jamar Smith, who was reinstated to the basketball program after a school imposed redshirt stemming from the February 14, 2007 accident that seriously injured former Illini player Brian Carlwell, was once again caught in the wrong place at the wrong time. Smith was on probation from the incident and last weekend was picked up once again for underage drinking. Coach Bruce Weber issued a brief statement saying in effect that Smith has been dismissed from the team, but would not further comment on the situation due to court legalities. Smith, who was expected to be one of the Illini's best shooters, has had a rough time since the incident involving Carlwell on that snowy night nearly a year and a half ago. And it's a shame too, that the young man has chosen this course for his life. It brings to mind other former Illini players such as Larry Smith and Ervin Small, both who saw their careers come to an end because of bad choices. My hope is that Jamar will decide to get his life back on track and decide that what has happened is not the way he wanted things to go. I do think that Weber made the right decision, and still stand by my opinion that he should never been given a second chance after that first incident.
Upcoming blogs will preview the 2008 Illini football season and the happenings from Camp Rantoul as the season opener draws closer.
Sunday, July 6, 2008
With the Big Ten Network nearing its first birthday, the channel has endured some good times, as well as bad ones (mostly good). Last season, the network followed the exploits of the Minnesota basketball program with a show entitled 'Minnesota Basketball: The Journey'. For those of you that either did not have the network, or chose not to watch the show, it went behind the scenes with coach Tubby Smith and went into practice sessions, and even team meetings. The coverage was pretty thorough, and entertaining television to say the least. To kick off their second season of coverage, the network will be following coach Ron Zook this fall with a show aptly named 'Illinois Football: The Journey'. They will begin at training camp in Rantoul and chronicle the season to give people a glimpse of what it is like to be in the inner circle of the football program. I have been fortunate the last couple of years to get a taste of this myself, but this show even goes deeper than I have access to, since normally we are not allowed into team meetings. Coach Zook is really capitalizing on the success of last season's Rose Bowl squad, and for some people, the sights and sounds of Camp Rantoul cannot get here fast enough.
The renovation of Memorial Stadium is coming along according to schedule, and with the first home game just a couple of months away, things are beginning to take shape. The promotions staff at Illinois are ahead of the game as well, as they plan on unveiling the "Zook Zone" towel (pictured at right), an orange towel to be waved at games this upcoming season. For just $7, fans can purchase one of
these towels, which are currently on sale at Gameday Spirit locations across Champaign-Urbana, and will also be sold on game days outside the stadium. Of that price, $1 will go to Coaches vs. Cancer, getting Zook involved with Coach Weber and Coach Law on that front at the University of Illinois. What a sight to be seen this year with several thousand of those towels being waved in refurbished Memorial Stadium!
Speaking of the football season, if you haven't bought your season tickets for the 2008 season yet, you might want to get on that soon. The football office reported this week that season ticket sales have climbed over the 40,000 mark, which includes the reduced price horseshoe tickets, as well as the 'Zook Zone' student section. With the remodeling of the stadium, the capacity of the stadium has been decreased, leaving less tickets to be had for this season. It is amazing as to what a successful season can do to a program. Looking back at the basketball team in 2004-05 and their miraculous final four run to the national title game, and you can see how success breeds more success. Just as recently as three years ago, the football program was in near shambles, but a couple of seasons with promise, not to mention the addition of several key players to the mix, and the football program has elevated to the top of people's interest list at Illinois. Single game tickets go on sale July 22 at 9:00 am, so if you haven't purchased them yet, you still have time!
The renovation of Memorial Stadium is coming along according to schedule, and with the first home game just a couple of months away, things are beginning to take shape. The promotions staff at Illinois are ahead of the game as well, as they plan on unveiling the "Zook Zone" towel (pictured at right), an orange towel to be waved at games this upcoming season. For just $7, fans can purchase one of
these towels, which are currently on sale at Gameday Spirit locations across Champaign-Urbana, and will also be sold on game days outside the stadium. Of that price, $1 will go to Coaches vs. Cancer, getting Zook involved with Coach Weber and Coach Law on that front at the University of Illinois. What a sight to be seen this year with several thousand of those towels being waved in refurbished Memorial Stadium!Speaking of the football season, if you haven't bought your season tickets for the 2008 season yet, you might want to get on that soon. The football office reported this week that season ticket sales have climbed over the 40,000 mark, which includes the reduced price horseshoe tickets, as well as the 'Zook Zone' student section. With the remodeling of the stadium, the capacity of the stadium has been decreased, leaving less tickets to be had for this season. It is amazing as to what a successful season can do to a program. Looking back at the basketball team in 2004-05 and their miraculous final four run to the national title game, and you can see how success breeds more success. Just as recently as three years ago, the football program was in near shambles, but a couple of seasons with promise, not to mention the addition of several key players to the mix, and the football program has elevated to the top of people's interest list at Illinois. Single game tickets go on sale July 22 at 9:00 am, so if you haven't purchased them yet, you still have time!
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