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I find it pretty amusing that we play better with Tate despite all of his flaws, purely because he has some level of basic PG instinct that not a single other person on the team possesses. That being said, he did play pretty well last night.

QUOTE (Jenksismyb**** @ Jan 5, 2015 -> 11:41 AM) Still tearing it up in his league I think. Have to imagine he makes more doing that than he would as an assistant. I can't imagine Dee would be a coaching upgrade in any way, shape, or form either way.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jan 2, 2015 -> 04:04 PM) Beckham was first a top 10 pick and second actually produced at an all star pace both in the minors and in his first stint in the big leagues. You're disappointed any time a first round pick becomes a backup MLB player, but you're disappointed when you choose heads and a coin flip comes up tails. That doesn't mean you shouldn't understand the odds. If Hawkins became a "MLB Regular" from this point I'd be thrilled. As would I. I was just disagreeing with Jake that Stoltz was taking a too negative stance on Hawkins.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jan 2, 2015 -> 03:44 PM) Huh? Seriously, how many guys drafted in-between 10-20 out of high school even become MLB regulars? It's less than 50% even without a year of struggling like Hawkins went through. Not many. If he managed to be an MLB regular, he'd probably be one of the more successful picks of the first round. Are you telling me that you weren't at least a little disappointed with how Beckham turned out? That's a pretty similar situation.

QUOTE (Jake @ Jan 2, 2015 -> 03:15 PM) My main point regarding the speed issue is that I'm not fully convinced that he's been reduced to a one-tool player who will live and die solely with his bat. I don't see why he can't be a solid or better defensive player who doesn't have to be a well-rounded hitter to make it as a MLB regular. For what it's worth, he did give Hawkins a 50 field grade, 50-55 arm, and 45 speed, which is roughly average. With his 70 raw power, all he needs is enough of a hit tool to let the rest be able to play. The only particularly pessimistic thing about that assessment is that just being an MLB regular would be something of a disappointment for Hawkins.

QUOTE (Jake @ Dec 31, 2014 -> 07:36 PM) I think the stuff about him lacking speed is just a product of general pessimism. Few people thought he was a longterm CF from the start, despite him being a strong athlete. He did say he's seen him play in a couple dozen games. I think his point was more along the lines of Hawkins isn't going to be getting to the majors by playing great defense and stealing bases; he needs to develop his hit tool more, specifically his pitch recognition.

QUOTE (ZoomSlowik @ Dec 31, 2014 -> 10:58 AM) I think a lot of you have unrealistic expectations for Illinois. We knew going into the season that they had mediocre bigs and questionable PG play. That's why they were widely picked to be middle of the pack in the conference. Both Michigan teams have been bigger disappointments thus far. The losses of Abrams and Paul were bigger than most expected, and the addition of the two transfers who shot 40% from 3 (to a team that could do anything but shoot the 3) didn't exactly go as planned. Most Illinois fans did have unrealistic expectations, but we should be better than we are. I wasn't really a fan of either Michigan team pre-season, and it doesn't surprise me to see them struggle a little.

Barring a complete collapse and last place finish, Groce easily gets another year.

It's depressing that we still suck.

Wow

QUOTE (bmags @ Dec 30, 2014 -> 12:40 PM) I'm actually a bit scared. Yeah the current group has been pretty good to us as far as spending is concerned.

QUOTE (bmags @ Dec 29, 2014 -> 04:08 PM) It is wrong for whoever specific people put that on a flyer to fearmonger, but if you want to know why there is no uproar, it's because any white person that wants to move in that area will be able to move in that area without added difficulty. You are correct again. I know a lot of people that my parents live near that would freak out the second a black person moves in, and that is completely wrong.

QUOTE (bmags @ Dec 29, 2014 -> 03:55 PM) Okay so "don't actually care" was your answer. You got me there. But, there definitely is a double standard for posting things based on skin color, and I think we should hold everybody to the same standard.

QUOTE (bmags @ Dec 29, 2014 -> 02:51 PM) Do you care because you think that's wrong or because you wish you could identify black people as a problem without consequence. I have no problem with black people. I just thought it's not right to hold them to different standards because of the respective colors of our skin. If that makes me somebody trying to "identify black people as a problem without consequence," so be it.

Playing devil's advocate here... If somebody made a list online of "11 signs your neighborhood is going downhill", and "black people will show up" was reason number 11, there would certainly be some outcry to this, yes? Personally, I don't care if they don't like the white people who are pushing them out of their neighborhood, but it doesn't seem like a very PC way to describe things.

If Gruden wasn't on ESPN, he wouldn't get half the love he gets. I also wouldn't mind Shanahan if we couldn't get rid of Cutler. For better or for worse, this team is going to go as Cutler goes until he's gone. Might as well throw some s*** at the wall and see what happens.

QUOTE (Brian @ Dec 27, 2014 -> 07:13 PM) And about 50 other major schools. True. Ulis wasn't quite in their backyard, though. I really thought he made a mistake by going to UK over MSU or Iowa, but he definitely belongs.

QUOTE (Brian @ Dec 27, 2014 -> 02:59 PM) Ulis is really good. Really, really big miss by Groce on that one.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Dec 26, 2014 -> 03:24 PM) They aren't playing a good team. Cody Sokol was the 3rd or 4th string QB at Iowa, and Iowa isn't very good. Bad teams miss kicks and fumble at bad times.There were extra practices, maybe they can grow, but ultimately, they won't be good until they get a different coach. I agree. But, for better or for worse, we're stuck with him for one more year. I'll settle for not embarrassing.

If they could hit a field goal, or if they called the pass interference on the interception, we'd be right in it. Oh well, at least we didn't look like a terrible football team today. Progress?

Had a 70 point lead and Hauschka against Russell Wilson and the Seahawks D, and I just lost by 4 points.

Well, they hit a 3.

QUOTE (Boogua @ Dec 20, 2014 -> 02:42 PM) It's incredible how much this team misses Abrams. I had no idea how important he was. Somewhere between the lack of court vision and decision making we took for granted that he could play against a high major guard and do something other than shoot contested 18+ ft shots.

QUOTE (bmags @ Dec 20, 2014 -> 02:20 PM) Man if these players don't transfer I know years 3-4 will be good but this basketball is miserable Watching this Illinois team struggle has been worse.

QUOTE (bmags @ Dec 17, 2014 -> 05:52 PM) How stupid, solves nothing. Might as well make a spectacle of the dysfunction.