whitesoxfan101

QUOTE (Jenksismyb**** @ Dec 22, 2010 -> 10:51 PM) if the team fails to make the post season, then yeah, i'd agree. but i dunno what people should really expect here. he doesn't have the talent to compete for a national title. My "goal" for this season was sweet 16, which i think is doable depending on matchups, but even then next year there's going to be a drop off with a freshman pg or some makeshift guard combination. Illinois fans are just delusional. We had a good run in the late 90's and up through 2005. You can't expect it to continue forever. That's the nature of the beast. Sucks, but true. The NCAA tournament is absolutely a minimum, I agree. But i'm not going to be demanding final fours ever other year or he's out. 1. Illinois had a good run because they had good coaches. Or in the case of the first two years of Bruce Weber, a mediocre coach with national championship, experienced talent. They can go back to that level with a coach that can recruit and coach in games. (I think the myth that Bruce Weber is a good game coach has been exposed now). 2. When Illinois loses in the first weekend, if not the first round of the tournament, will you review your stance? 3. Nobody is expecting a national title as far as I know. But the program has 1 tournament win since 2005 and 0 since 2006, and 2011 starts in about a week and a half. That's not cutting it.

QUOTE (Jenksismyb**** @ Dec 22, 2010 -> 10:35 PM) IMO he'll have, and should get, up through this next recruiting class (when DJ/Paul become seniors). The team is led be 2 incredibly soft big guys and a nobody PG he's made into a legit 1st round pick. I think he's done well with what he's got. What he's got wasn't enough, but he's slowly building the talent pool. I'd love to know when 4 star, top 75 national recruits became nobodies.

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Dec 22, 2010 -> 10:23 PM) I guess the story is that a player's parent did all the negotiation and since the players didnt know about it they are eligible. The NCAA will regret the Cam Newton decision for a long time once this season ends. The loopholes it leaves open are endless.

How many good recruiting classes must we see come into Illinois and play for underachieving and mediocre teams before Bruce Weber, the man who has driven Illinois basketball into irrelevance, is rightly fired?

I really don't understand how anybody could be against repealing DADT to be honest. Glad it's gone, and glad Mark Kirk was on the right side of this debate.

QUOTE (SoxFan1 @ Dec 18, 2010 -> 01:29 AM) Chelios got booed. Not sure how I feel about it. I can see both sides. He absolutely deserved it, I'd have booed too. I don't blame him for doing what he could to get out of Chicago as the dark ages set in, but to say what he did about Detroit while he was here and then not only agree to a trade there, but play there for such a long time, work in their front office, and say what he did about Chicago after the fact....he's a hypocrite. The fact he had a heritage night is an EPIC joke, and anybody who didn't boo him probably just doesn't know how the situation played out. And while I don't have a problem with those people, Chelios deserved the booing he got.

QUOTE (Soxbadger @ Dec 18, 2010 -> 07:48 PM) Nice win by NIU. Good luck to Doeren when he takes over. Yeah, it was a strong performance over a pretty good team, and 11 wins and a bowl victory is a very good sesaon for us. It's unfortunate that much of our coaching staff (mainly our former head coach) was too busy talking to Minnesota through back channels and watching their film the week of the MAC Title Game, or we'd have kicked the crap out of Miami of Ohio too. Alas, that's the way it goes sometimes, and we'll have to try and win the conference next year.

Can't decide if Illinois or the Bulls were the most pathetic team at the UC today. Losing at home to the Clippers isn't a good precursor for life without Noah. Oh, and MVP calibur players step up and hit the free throws in a spot like Rose was in at the end.

I can't believe that Illinois struggled so much to score points and lost against a UIC team that just gave up 80 points and lost to a bad NIU team earlier this week. To lose that game is inexcuseable, but the sort of thing we've come to expect under Bruce Weber. More specifically, this team is simply going to let you down long term as long as it relies on those soft wimps Mike and Mike as front line players. Can't wait until they're gone after this year, maybe the starting 4 and 5 will actually have balls next season.

An enjoyable Hawks game tonight, which was a refreshing change of pace.

Oh and as for Langford, Illinois could very legitimately promise him playing time if they feel he can step in and play point guard right away. Abrams is really the only actual point guard on the roster for next year. And dasox is 100 percent right on offer lists being way more relevant to look at than star ratings. Although the offer lists aren't always accurate on these websites either, but that's still a better way to go IMO.

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Dec 14, 2010 -> 10:57 AM) Illinois is never going to lock down all top prospects in state, there is simply too much competition for the players from other programs. Thats why they need to at least cast their net to other areas. You're right that Illinois can't lock down all of the top prospects in state due to competition. But they also can't because they only have 13 scholarships a year. There are so many good players in this state that all they have to do is keep their fair share, like they've been doing the last few years now, and they'll be fine. They don't really need to cast their net to other areas in general, but obviously they will here and there for certain guys since there are exceptions to the rule and guys worth leaving the state to get.

QUOTE (Rowand44 @ Dec 16, 2010 -> 05:08 PM) I agree. Can't fault him at all here. I don't blame guy who take less money to try to win, or who take more money because they want to get what they can. But less money to play on a loser? Have fun being used to try and sell some tickets, Kerry.

I hope for the sake of Kerry Wood's intelligence the offer was pulled after we signed Crain. Because if he took less money from a team that is going to suck over more money from a contender, he's just plain stupid.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Dec 16, 2010 -> 12:12 PM) And yet right now, the stats say the Heat have one of the most effective defenses in the league. Well they can guard your perimeter players, no doubt. And not a lot of teams have the tools to truly expose a weak interior defense, and even the ones that do won't always have the will to work hard enough to do it during regular season games. But the ones that do are the ones Miami will see in May.

Backcourt/wing depth is irrelevant in the playoffs, especially if you have LeBron and Wade. But if you're thin up front, it almost always gets exposed in the playoffs, and the Heat definitely are. QUOTE (Jordan4life @ Dec 16, 2010 -> 12:09 PM) That's why I wondered about Haslem. That's such a big loss. And I never said the Heat were perfect. But we're not exactly the '99 Spurs when it comes to interior defense, either. True. I'm moreso talking about the Heat in general though, my thoughts aren't really related to the Bulls and how they match up with Miami. I still can't see the Bulls going where they want to unless they acquire a cold blooded scorer at the 2 or 3 spot.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Dec 16, 2010 -> 06:23 AM) Yes, but half of it is deferred. Which is what makes that deal even dumber that it looked on the surface. That's 5 million dollars less the Cubs can spend in 2011 for a guy that won't even be on the team at that point, and who won't help them contend in 2010 because they're not going to contend. As for Kerry Wood, ehhh whatever. He was great down the stretch for the Yankees IIRC, but I don't trust his health. If he'd rather go play for a 76-86 team and help them sell tickets (and make no mistake, that's the real reason the Cubs want him) than I wish him well.

QUOTE (Jordan4life @ Dec 16, 2010 -> 12:00 PM) Because depth doesn't matter in the playoffs nearly as much. This isn't college. If we play the Heat, they'll feature 3 of the 4 best players on the court. Interior defense, front line depth when the inevitable playoff foul trouble comes, and rebounding do matter though. The Heat have yet to do a thing that proves they can overcome such things against fellow playoff teams in a 7 game series.

QUOTE (LittleHurt05 @ Dec 6, 2010 -> 05:00 PM) These type of seasons are much more bearable when you start them as defending Stanley Cup Champions. You know, it's okay for us as fans to think that way. But I'm starting to wonder if the players themselves are thinking that way as well. After all, most of the very important players on this team were also on it last year. It just seems like the killer instinct isn't there.

QUOTE (Soxbadger @ Dec 13, 2010 -> 03:03 PM) Ive liked what he does with Wisconsin's defense, although some times I feel like im watching the Bears (soft coverage giving up to much underneath). He is supposedly a decent recruiter and he should have some connections having been in the Midwest with Wisconsin. It will be interesting to see what he decides for offense. Our offense is going to be absolutely loaded next year, so as long as he hires somebody decent to run it that'll be fine at least in the short term. The defense loses some guys, so he'll have to earn his stripes there. Although it's not like he's inheriting a disaster, there is some talent returning and we led the conference in d this year. Sounds like he runs a similar defense to what we've been running here too. Recruiting should be fine as well. He mentioned he's recruited in Florida quite a bit in his presser and he has midwest ties, and those are the two places where basically all of our players are from.

QUOTE (Brian @ Dec 13, 2010 -> 06:12 AM) Nobody cares about your fantasy team. Couldn't have said it better myself. (Not picking on you either Rowand44, this is more a general point that I feel almost everybody agrees on).

QUOTE (Soxbadger @ Dec 13, 2010 -> 01:26 PM) NIU hires Wisconsin Defensive Coordinator Dave Doeren. Should I be excited? His resume looks good on paper, and he's inheriting a very healthy football program here. I like the hire based on what I know, but I don't know a lot about the guy to be honest. He has the tools to be successful here, for sure.

QUOTE (Pale Sox @ Dec 8, 2010 -> 10:51 PM) I might as well have made this thread "Crawford to Boston; Lee to NY" because there's no way in hell the Yankees aren't getting Lee after this. The Angels have a ton of money to spend, and I bet they go all in for Cliff Lee after losing out on Crawford. Plus, two teams have allegedly offered 7 years for Lee apparently, and the Yankees offered 6.

QUOTE (Real @ Dec 8, 2010 -> 10:50 PM) it's Carl crawford for crying out loud, not prime Barry bonds, step back and take a few deep breaths huge HUGE overpay Agreed there for sure. But Crawford is still a really good player, and can help them win it all in the short term, which is all a team with the financial resources of Boston cares about. That deal isn't going to look good in years 5 through 7 though IMO.

QUOTE (Jordan4life @ Dec 8, 2010 -> 10:48 PM) They won 89 or 90 games last year and they were decimated by injuries like no team I can remember in the last 10 years. With reasonable health and bounce back years from Beckett/Lackey, they're the prohibitive favorites. They're definitely the favorites, and I'd be shocked if they don't make the playoffs. But to say it's an AL wrap already, I couldn't disagree more. Not with the way the baseball playoffs are.