From Illinois Director of Athletics Ron Guenther and Basketball Coach Bruce Weber:
Champaign, Ill. – “There was a great college basketball game played Thursday night between the University of Illinois and Indiana University, but the game has been somewhat diminished by inappropriate behavior by a number of fans in attendance. We value the enthusiastic support of the sellout crowds at the Assembly Hall, but above all we take very seriously the reputation of our basketball program and the University of Illinois. The profanity and behavior by a small segment of fans Thursday night is disappointing and intolerable, and for that we apologize to fans of both teams.”
Apparently Guenther and Weber find Chester Frazier’s behavior before the game to be appropriate. At least that’s how I interpret things since his pregame antics were not addressed in this statement. An apology after the fact is pretty much meaningless. The probability for this type of behavior was almost certain and warnings should have been issued to the Illinois fans and players before the game took place.
The reality is that Bruce Weber has lost credibility for his handling of the entire Gordon situation. He’s basically turned into a laughing stock. His team is horrible. He’s one of the biggest whiners in coaching. And worst of all, he makes some of the ugliest facial expressions known to man.
If you enjoy reading the mainstream media hammer Illinois, here are some recommended links:
- A sad, classless scene in Champaign (Jay Mariotti, Chicago Sun Times)
- Illini seethe hatred toward Eric Gordon (Pat Forde, ESPN)
- Gordon takes Illini fans’ abuse, then delivers (Jeff Goodman, Fox Sports)
- Illini fans angry at Hoosiers’ Gordon cross line (Gregg Doyel, CBS Sportsline)
When Eric Gordon and the Hoosiers invade Assembly Hall tonight in Champaign-Urbana, the Orange Krush will be eagerly anticipating their arrival.
Opponent: Illinois
I live in Chicago, IL. It’s a beautiful, progressive, vibrant city. It’s the home of George Pullman, Daniel Burnham, Jane Addams, Frank Lloyd Wright, Enrico Fermi, Saul Bellow, Carl Sandburg, Muddy Waters, Curtis Mayfield, Kanye West, Lupe Fiasco, and Barack Obama, among many many others. Living here, I am subjected to plenty of things on a daily basis, but chief among is them the fierce compression of culture here, the compacting of not only people but beliefs, histories, and heritages. Long before I arrived, those differing cultures formed something coherent, yet divisionally independent; became a Great City, one which I feel privileged to live in. I embrace this diversity wholeheartedly. It’s a beautiful thing.
The Hoosiers are finished with their cupcakes and the New Year is nearly upon us, which can mean only one thing: It’s Big Ten Preview Time! Here’s a look at the teams that will challenge the Hoosiers for the conference crown … or fall under the weighty boot of crimson dominance. Probably the latter. Today: Illinois.
