whitesoxfan101

IF Havlat can stay healthy, the Hawks might FINALLY have a decent team next year IMO. Could use another scorer, but the young defense is really starting to learn (although I wish Bulin weren't so washed up at goalie).

I am in the middle on this. Downey has been a pathetic, cheerleading, pom pom waving and skirt wearing Bears homer all year....but at the same time, they DID make the Super Bowl. The problem is, the Bears would have been the 5th best team in the AFC, so really they were the 5th best team in football, but just so happened to be in a different conference than the 4 better ones. Interesting debate though.

I cannot express enough how much of a mistake it would be to trade Luol Deng. If you want to send away Gordon, P.J. Brown, and the pick to get Gasol then do it, but Deng is emerging as something special.

That performance by SIU was epic. Their best player could hardly walk, the refs screwed them over all game on their floor (FT's were like 32 to 14) and yet they shoot 82 percent in the 2nd half and beat a really good Creighton team to take full control of their league. That's why they win that league every year. Oh, and I'm sorry, but if you think that call of 5 seconds was right, you just weren't watching. Through TIVO, the clock went from 9.8 when Pruitt had it to 5.8 when the whistle blew (although about half a second more than that ran off after the whistle IIRC so that might have been deceptive). That's 4 seconds flat, and White didn't even have him closely guarded the whole time. That was a horrible call. It's not why Illinois lost (4 minutes of offensive choking is, and Indiana got some raw calls against them too), but that call was still pathetic.

QUOTE(Soxbadger @ Feb 10, 2007 -> 03:09 PM) If its at Iowa its much more difficult. Refs always keep the game close for the home team so Illinois would just have to out play them. Correct, which is why if they win the 3 they should and win at Iowa, I'd say in for sure. Going 3-1 and losing that game is cutting it way, way too close though. I'm so pissed about today, they'd be in by just doing what they should in the last 4 (at least go 3-1) if they hold on and win.

QUOTE(Soxbadger @ Feb 10, 2007 -> 03:07 PM) Haha I cant believe some one is saying Iowa is better than Illinois. Its almost impossible to win at Indiana and the fact that Illinois stayed in the game shows that they are atleast the 4th best team in the Big 10. As for the Big 10 being down, that is some what perplexing. OSU and Wisconsin are both in the top 10, if one of them was in the 16 range and had loss to a team like Illinois etc that would put 4 Big 10 teams in the top 25. Just because the top of the Big 10 is better than most of the other leagues does not make the middle of the road teams bad. Barring something crazy Illinois is in the tournament. I believe Iowa plays at Illinois to end the season and Im gonna say Illinois wins that game. It's at Iowa. Illinois is in if they finish 4-0. If they go 3-1 with a loss at Iowa, it's RIGHT on the borderline. I'd assume if Illinois goes 9-7 they don't get the bye in Chicago, so they'll have to win 1, MAYBE 2 games in that situation. If Illinois goes 3-1 to finish out and somehow gets the bye, they'd be in if they win the opener at Chicago. 2-2 finish (ie a loss at home to Michigan) and it's toast unless they go wild in the BTT, but they'll beat Michigan at home.

Since they'll groom Danks to replace Buehrle in 2008 in AAA this year, he's out. That leaves Floyd vs. Haeger IMO, and who wins that will depend on what we see in Tucson, so it's 50/50. I'll say Floyd though, with Haeger used as a flexible, change of pace pen guy.

QUOTE(AssHatSoxFan @ Feb 10, 2007 -> 03:00 PM) my guess is texas I'm not sure who is considering them in the tournament, but right now I'd say they are in just as much, maybe more trouble than Illinois. Their saving grace is 6-3 in the league and Kevin Durant, though. The other point is, the league rating for the Big 10 is so deceptive, as the tourney people will know. The level at which it is boosted by Wisky and Ohio State, two top 5 teams, is HUGE (which is why I'd say Illinois is in had they held on to beat Wisky at the Hall).

QUOTE(whitesoxfan99 @ Feb 10, 2007 -> 02:42 PM) Tell you what go through this site RPI and tell me how many major conference teams have been left out of the tourney that had over 20 wins and were over .500 in conference. You have to keep in mind that Illinois is playing more games than past teams since they get the 3 or 4 (I forget which) exempt games due to the Chicago tournament. QUOTE(Buehrle>Wood @ Feb 10, 2007 -> 02:45 PM) Compare Illinois to this supposed lock: The Illinois Profile RPI: 42 SOS: 23 Record: 18-9(6-6 in 4th best conference in America) VS. RPI Top 50: 3-8 3 Best wins: Inidiana-19(home), Michigan State-41(Away), Bradley-50(Neutral) RPI 50+ losses: Michigan-54(Away) to RPI: 56 SOS: 88 Record: 16-7(6-3 in 7th best conference in America) VS. RPI Top 50: 2-6 3 Best wins: Arkansas- RPI of 33(home), Texas Tech-43(Away), Nebraska-82(Away) RPI 50+ losses: Gonzaga-53(neutral) Not that one comparison means something, but it's fun to compare. Who's team #2? Also, the Michigan State win was at home, not away as that profile suggests.

QUOTE(whitesoxfan99 @ Feb 10, 2007 -> 02:32 PM) 9-7 in a major conference with Illinois strength of schedule has basically never been left out of the tourney. Uh yeah it has. The Big 10 isn't very good this year, the Illini only played the 2 legitimately good teams once each, both at home, and lost both (1 in a blowout), they didn't play ANYBODY in the OOC, and lost at home to Maryland (a bubble team), a neutral game (although it was in Phoenix) to a falling off Arizona team that is now only 16-7, and at Xavier (lol), and haven't won anything resembling a good road game all year. With all that, and the amount of good mid major teams this year, that resume has no shot.

QUOTE(whitesoxfan99 @ Feb 10, 2007 -> 02:30 PM) Agree, should win both home games and need to split against Penn St. and Iowa on the road. Must win both road games, period. Penn State is Northwestern esque, so they'll win that, but you have to win both home games and at Iowa, and at Iowa would be your best win (and that's still not a very good win).

QUOTE(whitesoxfan99 @ Feb 10, 2007 -> 02:28 PM) 5 second call was an embarrasment. Just showed it on ESPN, not even close to 5 seconds. We probably would have choked and missed the shot, but to lose on a 5 second call that wasn't even 5 seconds is just awful. Big 10 refs should all lose their jobs.They are an embarrasment to the game of basketball. Yeah it wasn't 5 seconds, but whatever pathetic play Bruce called wasn't working. Should have had a shot at a tough attempt by Carter there though. QUOTE(Rowand44 @ Feb 10, 2007 -> 02:28 PM) I don't know about that, they got some work to do. They really have one decent ooc win and that was against Bradley and then MSU and IU in the big 10. They're 3 and 8 against the the top 50 which isn't pretty. The only thing the Illini have going for them is they do have a good sos, they need to finish at least 3 and 1 to give themselves a shot imo. I forgot they don't host Purdue, the last 4 are vs. Northwestern, vs. Michigan, at Penn State, and at Iowa. All 4 of those must be won, or else you have to win 2 in Chicago, and I'm not betting on that.

QUOTE(SnB @ Feb 10, 2007 -> 02:26 PM) wow. yeah losing away games in the big 10 against the 3rd place team completely makes us lose all credibility. It's not a bad loss, it's the season long lack of a big win. And there is no excuse to lose this game, Indiana couldn't hit a shot for 6 minutes late in this game, and still wins.

QUOTE(IlliniKrush @ Feb 10, 2007 -> 02:23 PM) LMAO. You are my favorite poster. None of that is inaccurate. It's pretty clear the Illini are the 6th best team in the league after what is going on today with Purdue and Iowa. Only way there is a shot is if the games vs. Purdue and at Iowa are both won, which is not going to happen since even if there is a chance, we'll choke at the end. Amazing how far a program can fall in 2 years when you can't get players.

What an amazing choke job, congrats on that. Time to get the NIT reservations settled and get ready for that fine recruiting class that will for sure make up the loss of Carter and McBride (and apparently Arnold too). What a waste of a season.

QUOTE(IlliniKrush @ Feb 9, 2007 -> 01:12 PM) Are you serious? You're the one that said Gordon was committed until the night before. LMAO. That is what the coaches thought, and thus what I thought, at the time. Last time I trust what the coaches think though, that's for sure. My post just now was in retrospect as to what ACTUALLY happened. QUOTE(RockRaines @ Feb 9, 2007 -> 01:31 PM) Oh, and with the risk of being called sour grapes, ND hater etc. While I have been traveling in SoCal the last few weeks, ALOT of people down here say that Claussen is very soft and overrated. Just relaying those comments, i know nothing about the kid. He was playing competition the equivilent of 2a or 3a class football here in Illinois out in Cali. That is a concern regardless of what you think of the kid (and I agree he is overrated, but that's only based on seeing him on TV 3 times).

QUOTE(greasywheels121 @ Feb 9, 2007 -> 11:09 AM) I know that's WS101's sig, and judging by his posts on here, and his using of that sig, I feel it's more of a knock on Bruce than anything else. At least that's the way I interpret it. That is correct. It is part knock on Bruce and part I love Deron and Dee as much as another man can. I don't accuse Indiana of cheating at all in the Gordon thing, the only person I blame AT ALL in it besides Bruce is Gordon A LITTLE, because he ditched Illinois very late in the process. Bruce still should have had a backup plan though, it was obvious Gordon was gone for a while, and Darquavis Tucker could have been had.

I believe that the majority of legitimate UFO sightings are cases of technology the government has that is far better than any of us simpletons would recognize, thus causing confusion. Just my 2 cents though, I'm not close minded to the idea of there being aliens or anything, and it's hard to explain the recent rash overall since it's been worldwide.

So, according to the AP, Zsa Zsa Gabor's husband says that HE very well could be the father since he's had an affair with her for over a decade. This could be the weirdest story I've ever heard.

This really isn't a surprise at all. Sad, but not a surprise, this is a classic American tale. Sex, drugs, boobies, fame with no talent, young and tragic death. That's all I got, except oddly enough, she is from the same small town (Mexia, Texas) as a friend of mine. Go figure the odds on that one.

QUOTE(Gene Honda Civic @ Feb 8, 2007 -> 12:54 PM) We Todd Ed Chances are Arroyo is gonna collapse before he even reaches the extension years. That is correct. Krivsky makes up for a brilliant move by matching it with an awful one after Arroyo's flukey season last year. The league figured out his curveball in the 2nd half, and it won't be so easy for him in '07.

Do you blame Mexico for not liking us?? Their country is a hell hole, their people are illegally by the millions trying to come here, and after beating up all the other pathetic CONCACAF countries, they are getting beaten over and over again now by us in the one thing they are supposed to be better at. Must suck.

Well since the Waddler specifically hired his D coordinator to try and stop losing to Illinois, sent 7 assistants (yes, 7, since that's the most you can send) to try and convince Martez to go to ND after he verballed to the Illini, got his 2 best defensive recruits and kicker after they verballed to other schools, and started a national campaign to say Illinois is cheating, despite not even any evidence, let alone proof, that they are.....I'd say Weis is a moron. Hell, he was unhappy he lost Little, who originally verballed to Florida State on NBC. Just amazing what a prick he is, I never understood why everybody hated ND until now. If Weis has a problem, maybe he should win a big game (his signature performance was A LOSS to USC in 2005 since it was so close), or end his schools unprecedented bowl losing streak, or quit getting pistol whipped in the most important games in college football, BCS, or either get defensive recruits OR have a defense at all period in games.

I was at the game in Evanston last night. Actually, I was encouraged by the performance overall (although Trent is awful, Jamar is still afraid to shoot, and Randle can't stop fouling ) and feel pretty good. If we can win out the rest, outside of just going 1-1 at Iowa and Indiana, and win a game in Chicago, I think that should be enough to get in. Rich is really shooting with confidence right now, Pruitt is just a beast, and Warren is stepping it up. The free throw shooting was even good and Chester was 2 for 2 on 3 balls I believe. I had a really good time, the Northwestern fans are friendly and it was a sea of orange for the most part anyways. QUOTE(AssHatSoxFan @ Feb 7, 2007 -> 08:42 PM) yeah...i was surprised to see them take so many bad shots since the Princeton offense usually relies on running the clock and looking for the good passes and whatnot When they tried to run the extended clock offense, they turned it over almost every time, and couldn't get looks. The Illini defense was just overwhelming almost the entire game, it was fun to watch. I still like Coble though, but Carter did an amazing job on him. And I don't know how that kid Doyle ever does anything, but he produces some numbers.

I've never seen anything like that place. I went to the crazy ass Saturday Sox/Reds game last year there that we won 7-5 I believe, and the 2 home runs hit in that game (Uribe's to tie it in the 7th or 8th, and one by Felipe Lopez of the Reds) were both pop ups that carried half a dozen rows into the seats in left and right, respectively. For Harang to do what he's done there the last 2 years (as well as what Arroyo did last year) is pretty remarkable. This is a REALLY good deal, as mentioned he is better than Garland and only 28, so to lock him up for 4 years at 9 millon per is probably the best deal i've seen all offseason, and by the Reds of all people.