Jenksismyhero

QUOTE (Brian @ Sep 25, 2014 -> 03:44 PM) Hayley gets hotter every year. blackish was ok. Could've been more subtle like Cosbys or Fresh Prince. Maybe just cuz it was the pilot. I mean it's called Black-ish...I don't think they're going to be subtle about anything race-related.

QUOTE (Boogua @ Sep 25, 2014 -> 02:46 PM) There's some legit buzz that Thomas might commit tomorrow. Let's hope it happens. Legit buzz, as in random internet poster posing as a person with sources who is never discredited when he's wrong about his predictions? Or legit, legit buzz?

QUOTE (bmags @ Sep 25, 2014 -> 10:27 AM) Fair enough, I just don't know that people realize how sweet a package he was given. I think he's just stretched thin now with NBA tv, which sucks, because his NBA writing was the most fun. Re: comment about the journalistic standards: Simmons has said equally if not more provocative stuff regarding specific athletes or say, Sterling. Not a peep from ESPN. Yeah this was pretty weak. He's gone after Goodell many times in the past so i'm sure that's part of it. Was it over the line to keep calling him a liar with zero proof of that being the case? Probably. But it's a podcast, not a Between the Lines report.

QUOTE (shysocks @ Sep 25, 2014 -> 09:20 AM) He has all the money he'll ever need and the other outlets would fight over him if he quit right now. He'd have a gig by tonight. Maybe I'm being naive, but I really think he's done at ESPN this time. He never sounded so pissed about something as this Goodell press conference. By the way, he breached ESPN's "journalistic standards" during a weekly podcast where he guesses gambling lines that's been running for like six years in a row. Wonder why the NFL never distanced itself from that. What a racket. The NFL has no f***ing shame and neither does ESPN. The journalistic standards stuff is a joke. He's not a journalist.

QUOTE (bmags @ Sep 25, 2014 -> 09:05 AM) The problem is even if he goes out on his own he'll never make as much money or be able to hire as many people as with the ESPN backing. That said, I'd love if he removed himself from tv and went back to writing and podcasts. His writing is becoming pretty meh these days, unless it's on a topic he really cares about. The sports guy schtick is old and has been bested by other bloggers. His podcasts are still the best, and his stuff on the NBA with Rose is the best. Their preview special is going to be great. But I think he can do all of that stuff elsewhere. I guarantee you Fox would pay him a great deal and let him have more control than ESPN. Yahoo is another option. Maybe even Turner sports with the NBA. I don't think he would have a problem finding another gig willing to pay him for his followers. Would he have the same amount as with ESPN? Probably not. But 80-85% would stick with him, and who knows, maybe he can get more popular with Fox or others pushing him (think NFL Sunday or the TNT NBA crew).

The ESPN station down in CU. Tay and Jay and whatever the morning show is.

Stephen A got 2 weeks for saying that women get what they ask for in regards to domestic violence. Simmons gets 3 weeks for saying what everyone is saying about Goodell. ESPN for ya. I would have to imagine this is the last straw for Simmons and ESPN.

QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ Sep 24, 2014 -> 05:59 PM) I am sure when you are signing up for a new contract you can negotiate that 99 fee to be waived. Just have to ask and be forceful and point out you won't subscribe if they charge you. Yeah, new customers would get all installation free. The NEW Genie system is wireless (everything but the one base unit). That came out like 6 months ago. Re: the screens on phones, i've had my Note 3 for a while. Never got a case, never use a screen protector. Seems like a waste. I've dropped this thing from 3-4 feet onto hardwood floor and cement floors, even right on the corner, and it's fine. Some nicks on the aluminum decorative cover but that's it. With gorilla glass you don't have to worry about scratches (you have to seriously gouge it to leave a mark, so just watch your keys/tools).

He can't be THAT much of an idiot running that board. I'm sure he's making a ton of money doing little more than what we all do here. And I thought I read that his twitter was hacked? Maybe that was a joke someone tweeted. I had a big road trip from Florida the last 2 days so I listened to a bunch of podcasts on UI basketball, recruiting and Coleman. He's a legit, top tier talent. Best or one of the top 2-3 shooters in the country. Scouting guys were comparing him to JJ Redick, a taller Ben Gordon and Jamal Crawford. Potential obviously, but still. Most also think we're REAL good with Thomas and that unless OSU blows Evans away we could be looking at a historic class. Top flight PG, tons of shooters on the perimeter and wing and then a legit 5 in the post. Illinois could easily be back on the map and that's before they've won anything. /homer post, I know. But damn it's exciting.

Nobel Peace winner indeed.

QUOTE (bigruss22 @ Sep 23, 2014 -> 06:31 PM) I honestly can't believe we landed Coleman, a 5 star player from Indiana just doesn't go to Illinois. So now on to Evans and Thomas/Bragg, though I feel so much better having Coleman in because he can learn PG behind Tracy (I know not a great mentor there but he'll have time) and Evans is less of a "must have" recruit. He's still priority #1 imo because I think he's that good, but if we "only" add a big like Thomas or Bragg I will be just stoked for the future. Thomas is the priority I think. Or Moore. We need a 5 badly. Evans would be the cherry on top, but with Abrams and Coleman we're ok at PG. There was also twitter talk that Murray is all Illinois and could be talked into coming in 2015. I was on the road all day so I wasn't able to check twitter and the web as I normally do. What a great surprise to get about 5 texts from friends in a 10 minute period with the news. HUGE get and I think it's a huge selling point for Evans and Thomas to commit early next week. With no other commits I think we have a top 15 class. With those two that's gotta be top 3. And all guys who would stick around for a couple years.

A win is a win is a win. Now beat the Packers.

Jesus. Injuries.

Another dumb play call by the jets. 2 yards and you don't give it to Ivory? Thanks. Now come on offense. Show up and have an extended drive that results in points.

Briggs is f***ing terrible. I've counted about 5 missed tackles and some horrible angles to the ball.

QUOTE (fathom @ Sep 22, 2014 -> 08:44 PM) Bears might be in trouble tonight. Not getting that 3rd touchdown near the goal line hurts. Lack of a pass rush is becoming worrisome. Allen has been a waste of money through 2.5 games.

Yeah terrible call. No hitting in the nfl these days.

Is it 2006 all of a sudden?

QUOTE (IlliniKrush @ Sep 22, 2014 -> 01:50 PM) We didn't have those coming into the program at the end (see: 2013 season), and furthermore, what good is it recruiting "talent" when it doesn't qualify, or drops out of the program? The model citizens at least play football on Saturdays. It's all about sustainability of the program and trying to build something besides a flash in the pan. All this from Robert at Illiniboard: I'm not saying don't recruit talent, I'm saying recruit talent that will stay in the program and build with 4 and 5 year players. Hell, that's the exact Wisconsin model Alvarez used to build. Alvarez won conference games his first few seasons though (0, 2, 3, Rose Bowl). It was apparent they were getting better year over year.

QUOTE (illinilaw08 @ Sep 22, 2014 -> 01:40 PM) I can cherry pick an argument for Turner being a successful coach at Illinois, too. He inherited a program that was bottom of the barrel awful (0-11 his first year). Went to a decent bowl in '99 (MicronPc.com bowl), had two losses in '00 that involved official apologies from the B1G (Michigan and MSU), and then made the Sugar Bowl in '01. Zook absolutely did some good stuff at Illinois, but he only had one season where he was better than 6-6 at the end of the regular season (the Rose Bowl year) in his 5 seasons here. Zook recruited, early in his tenure, better than anyone at Illinois has since Mike White. But the results ultimately caught up to him. Recruiting swung back down, and he left the cupboard pretty bare for Beckman. On Beckman, the next 8 games determine his future. In year 1, Illinois wasn't competitive in any games. In year 2, they were competitive in most games with a bunch of losses. But I don't think last year was a disaster. They showed some improvement. This year, he needs to win games in the B1G. If he doesn't do that, you move on. Turner's last 2 years were terrible on top of getting no talent. He just stopped recruiting. In Zook's last two years he won two bowls, with or without credit for the last bowl win. Yeah, a s***ty bowl the last year, but a bowl none the less. And the talent wasn't TOTALLY empty. He still had a few good players. I mean if that's the argument, then Beckman should get more than just this year to prove himself. You can't hold 2 seasons against him when his roster supposedly had no talent. Just so it's said - I do NOT want Zook back or think that Zook should have remained the coach. Ideally he would have been canned when the roster still had some of that NFL talent.

QUOTE (IlliniKrush @ Sep 22, 2014 -> 01:33 PM) Again, a bad Beckman hire doesn't make Zook any better. Why he had to go is a good way to put it (Wisconsin), and I also think had the program pointing straight down and he wasn't going to recover from it with what was there. I think we're arguing over a tallest midget contest. So Zook may be the tallest. My main argument is that he needed to be fired, and there seems to be a few people saying no, he shouldn't have. It's kind of went in different directions from there. It was put best by whitesoxfan: "Zook was the best of our last 4 coaches which speaks more to how bad the other 3 are then how good Zook is. It is telling that none of these guys have had any success anywhere else." As far as general building goes, the WAY in which Beckman is trying to build is more sustainable than what Zook was doing. So, if he's not the guy here, hopefully the next guy can build in that regard, and I think he'll have an easier time building than what Beckman came in with. I don't really get the last point. I'll take exciting, high level, NFL caliber players with some bad losses over a bunch of MAC-level players who are model citizens.

QUOTE (gatnom @ Sep 22, 2014 -> 01:32 PM) The problems with keeping kids in school and with being able to have both good recruiters and good coaches at the same time are pretty awful. And, that doesn't even account for his in game decision making or the way his teams just folded at the first sign of adversity. Beckman is not looking like a good hire right now, but that has nothing to do with evaluating Zook. They didn't fold at OSU, probably the greatest win in the last 50 years of Illinois football.

QUOTE (IlliniKrush @ Sep 22, 2014 -> 01:21 PM) Now you're starting to contradict yourself and play both sides of this. If it's good enough for that awful program, then you are in favor of keeping him and saying his firing was wrong. Then you immediately say "totally reasonable to let him go." My argument is - people need to evaluate his tenure a little more reasonably. All I hear is how terrible he was, but he was actually not bad in comparison to other Illinois coaches. IMO as a fan, he had to go because he would never get the program where I want the program (the next Wisconsin). But that doesn't mean I can't acknowledge that for the program as it exists, he was "good." It surprises me that with Beckman and how the last 2+ seasons have gone people can't acknowledge that maybe Zook wasn't as bad as people thought.

QUOTE (LittleHurt05 @ Sep 22, 2014 -> 01:11 PM) The state of the program? Again, he ruined the program so badly that they made back-to-back bowl games for the first time in 20 years. That's the "state" of Illinois football. On top of taking over a program that was terrible the 4 years prior, winning 1 big ten conference game the 2 years prior to his first year. So he basically resurrected the program, made 3 bowl games in 5 years and won two of them, and that, for an awful football program, is not good enough. Again, totally reasonable to let him go, and they should have earlier than they did, but people need some perspective on how good/bad he really was.

QUOTE (IlliniKrush @ Sep 22, 2014 -> 01:07 PM) I'm not trying to ignore the good, there was just more bad than good (and the future pointed towards real bad), and the good wasn't satisfying enough for where I think we all want this program to be. I agree in the sense of wasted opportunities. But looking back, i'd take 3 bowl games including a BCS bowl game in what 7 seasons?