Rich, Rich, Rich. What are you thinking, dude?
Senior guard Rich McBride has been suspended indefinitely from the Illini basketball team after being charged with driving under the influence late Friday night in Champaign. He has an Oct. 30 court date but that’s only part of his trouble. Coach Bruce Weber said he will face severe disciplinary penalties and has already said he’ll be suspended for an unspecified number of games. It could get worse than that.
In the meantime, McBride can’t practice with the team or use the Ubben Basketball Complex in any fashion.
It’s a bonehead move by a young man who was already operating on a short leash after being suspended for four games as a freshman for his role in an apartment burglary. Teammates Aaron Spears and Luther Head were also suspended and Spears ended up transferring.
It’s difficult to say what might happen to McBride now. Being booted from the team is not out of the question, especially since the ultimate decision is likely to be made beyond the walls of the athletic department. You can expect the chancellor and the dean of students to have a say in the matter and McBride is surely holding his breath to see whether he’s done as a college basketball player.
At the very least, I would not expect him to play until December and he could possibly be withheld until Big Ten play begins in January. That’s just a guess, but McBride has had a knack for being around trouble and showing his tendency toward irresponsibility. You may recall that he was with teammate Shaun Pruitt the evening Pruitt was accused of spitting on a tavern bouncer. That doesn’t make McBride guilty of anything, but it doesn’t help his case either.
For his sake, I hope he can remain in school. He’s a senior and getting a degree should be important to a guy who doesn’t figure to make a bunch of money playing professional basketball. You’d think he would have considered that.
For the team’s sake, I hope he can rejoin them only because his absence impacts others who have worked hard and behaved well. That’s the problem with these deals. They hurt the person who committed the offense most of all, but they hurt everyone else around the team as well. It’s a terrible reflection on the squad and it flies in the face of a message Weber repeats often: Be responsible, represent your team and family and school and community with pride, walk away from any potential trouble.
I don’t want to lecture Rich McBride, but he of all people should know better. Anyone can make that kind of mistake, but given his previous suspension, you would hope he’d contemplate the consequences more than the average student or student/athlete. I’ll bet Weber is livid.
Over on the football side of campus, freshman defensive lineman Melvin Alaeze has left the team and returned home to Maryland. Even though Alaeze was a highly recruited talent, things never worked out. I think you’ll find that he had a difficult time with the structure that comes with being a college football player. Responsibility was not his long suit.
The difference is that Alaeze did not fun afoul of the law, so far as I know. McBride did. Twice.
McBride’s court date is Oct. 30 and this matter won’t be resolved until after the legal stuff plays out. Then university officials will meet to determine additional action.
Use your favorite cliche, but McBride is a.) on thin ice; b.) in very hot water, or, c.) in deep doo-doo. I’d say all three.
October 2nd, 2006 at 6:57 pm
A DUI does not seem to rise to the same level as the previous theft. But it certainly needs to be addressed firmly to make sure that Weber is taken seriously on responsibility issues.
Alaeze is really disappointing considering the hype that he generated only a few months ago when he arrived.
But the football team really does have a “chance” to finish with 6 victories. Ohio State is the only game that is totally impossible although Penn State and Wisconsin might be highly unlikely. They beat Michigan State without Alaeze, Millingham, and some of the other pieces that seemed like impact players before the season started.
October 2nd, 2006 at 6:59 pm
I guess college kids will be college kids … but athletes can’t risk it. Leaders are leaders all the time, on and off the court. Great example by Rich. That’s an underclassman boner move, not something we expect from a senior. If his dedication to the team and his senior season is no better than that, maybe we’re better off without him. But boy do we get thin fast. Time for the young ‘uns to grow up quick. Now I guess it really is wide open as to who is going to step up and lead this team. Who knows, maybe he did us a favor.
Sure was fun watching that Illini vs. MSU football game from Saturday. Watched most of it live and finished up with the radio. I was so glad I recorded it. Gave me a chance to watch it all again. Great to see the players take a step forward. So glad to see them experience winning after being down so long. That’s all I ask at this point is progress. Kinda nice to be able to talk about getting screwed on two calls and still say, “Oh well, we won anyway!”.
Really pissed to see on STL Today that the professors are back to their antics and that EJ was one of the prospective athletes that got a letter discouraging them from attending the U of I. Thanks for the help guys. Like to see you scalped and your hair piece nailed to the door of the building you teach in. I thought the taxpayers paid them to teach, not preach. The state needs to investigate. If they are sending this stuff out on University time and using University resources, they should be terminated for misappropriation of state property and funds. Nice loyalty guys. If you don’t like it here, go somewhere else. But leave the kids alone.
Hey Tupps. Missed last weeks Sports Talk. Been trying to listen to it on the web site since Friday, but it still has the one from 9/21 on there. Can we get that updated soon?
GO ILLINI!
October 2nd, 2006 at 7:09 pm
As someone who has lost friends as a result of drunk drivers, I have a true hatred in my heart for this crime. It is far too easy to not get into a driver’s seat after you have been drinking to call it a mistake. Just because Alcohol is the most popular drug in the country doesn’t mean it’s ok to jeopardize lives behind the wheel of a car. Everyone, not just Rich McBride, but Everyone in this country should possess a large enough IQ to know better than to drink and drive. Frankly if the lives of other people on the road aren’t worth much to you, then you don’t deserve the priveldge of a driver’s license.
I do not think Rich should miss his senior season because of this, especially if he learned a lesson. I do think he should lose his driver’s license for life… as should every person caught drunk driving.
October 2nd, 2006 at 7:32 pm
Or d) a b-ball player at the U of I. I see 5 extra laps around the gym for a week, withheld from the starting lineup and not allowed to play until the 19:00 minutes left in 1st half point for 5 games.
October 2nd, 2006 at 7:59 pm
Citing The State-Journal Register Online website at http://www.sj-r.com, “McBride, a starter last season after serving as a reserve his first two years, will be allowed to practice with the team and use the Ubben Basketball Complex facilities during the suspension.” Iam not sure of which article is correct, but I thought I would bring it to your attention that there is another story being told in Springfield.
October 2nd, 2006 at 8:00 pm
Thanks for filling in the details Mark. A real shame.
October 2nd, 2006 at 8:49 pm
Mark: You and John Supinie need to compare notes. He says flatly that McBride CAN practice with the team and use the Ubben during whatever the suspension may be.
http://www.sj-r.com/extras/breaking/index.asp#1708
As for the offense, I’ll just evoke the image of stones and glass houses to those who want to kick McBride off the team. Cast it if you can.
October 2nd, 2006 at 9:44 pm
Atlanta Paul; there must be some consequences here. You just can’t go with the “who wasn’t crazy in college” argument. If you don’t want him booted, then how about a suspension until he BTT? Very little difference IMHO.
Personally, I’d have to consider whether its time to sever ties with Rich. As noted, he’s got the infamous burglary under his belt-you’ve got to up the ante for the second offense (and there’s no guarantee that it is only the second).
October 2nd, 2006 at 9:50 pm
Hayden Fry, we don’t need your commentary……Chris Kingsbury sure seemed to find the court a lot after his many incidents and how many pillagings did it take to get Pierce finally kicked off the team. Find a life and a new website to talk about your team, we don’t need your peanut gallery comments here
October 2nd, 2006 at 10:49 pm
What apartment breakin? Since he was never CONVICTED of such a crime, many on the IlliniBoard to this day feel that he never committed a crime. If that is the case, isn’t this really his first strike?
October 2nd, 2006 at 11:03 pm
I’m sorry, but I think Rich McBride should be kicked off the team if the DUI charge proves to be true. This is the second serious incident for him while at school. No more special treatment.
October 2nd, 2006 at 11:45 pm
This sucks…I’m certainly no McBride fan but this hurts bad if he doesn’t get time to play and practice for quite some time. I have my doubts he’ll be kicked off but I’m sure he’ll get hit hard with disciplinary actions. Of course he might always choose to leave but I’m hoping not. Be a man!
#3 - I’m not sure how you’re able to judge how easy it is not to drive when you’ve been drinking but to me it’s obvious you’re letting your hatred blind you. I do not condone any of this as I’ve had friends killed or hurt as well from drunk drivers but I understand that loss of good judgement is what is a symptom of being drunk for many thus, no, it’s not easy for many.
Bummer about Alaeze. Who knows what really drove him away but hopefully things work out for him. Sometimes things just are not meant to be.
October 2nd, 2006 at 11:49 pm
You would think of ALL PEOPLE on campus at U of I, Richard McBride would be able to find some freshman of some sort or some groupie Illini girlfriend to drive him around. It doesn’t make any sense, the students and fans s of the Illini are so loyal and dedicated to these players they’d LOVE to be a DD for these guys. I just dont understand what he was thinking….
October 3rd, 2006 at 12:12 am
Mark-
Get your facts straight, Rich can use the practice facilities as he was practicing with the team today. He will be suspended a few games but be back early in the season. QUIT BEING SO HARD ON THE GUY…you act like he committed a felony or something.
October 3rd, 2006 at 12:13 am
Seems like a tough break losing McBride, but it does give the young guards a chance to step up early, and should help later on in the season.
As for the professors sending letters to recruits, Illinois fans should make sure prospective students are aware of the professors involved, so they can make an educated decision prior to signing up for their classes and programs. Also, need to notify the alumni who give money to the colleges that employ those professors. If the College of Business had any participants in the group, the Dean would get an email tonight.
October 3rd, 2006 at 1:13 am
Mr. tupper and Paul From Atlanta…I totally disagree with both of you, and think that they should drop this guy from the team immediately.
The last thing we need is another one of these kinds of behavior. With the checkered past of U of I, and given the constant animosity that NCAA has against us, we can ill-afford one of these incidents. As the biggest critic of Ron Guenther, I say this for him, he has cleaned-up our sports some and brought about some sanity to our past sins and scandals…let’s not begin to slouch back there again. This guy has had three strikes against him already…drop him from the team and teach other players the lesson that this kind of behavior is unacceptable at U of I.
Now, having said all that, I still think Guenther should be fired as I have no confidence in his managerial skills to continue as our AD.
October 3rd, 2006 at 4:31 am
Too bad Rich isn’t as rich as Mel Gibson and Paris Hilton. Perhaps if he had abused the police and ethnic groups and had a sexy outfit on, he would have been forgiven. I don’t drink, so I’m not sympathetic to drunk drivers, and I don’t think that athletes should get special treatment as I know that they do from my own experience with drunk football players while I was at Illinois, but fairness would indicate a punishment that isn’t life and career ending in McBride’s case.
October 3rd, 2006 at 6:44 am
wrf, the Illini fan ~ Well Said! If I was caught telling people the hospital I work at was racist and outdated, I’d lose my job. It doesn’t even matter if they truly believe that Illiniwek is racist and outdated. They are intentionally steering prospective students away from the university and cpotentially costing the school a ton of money. I believe in America and our right to speak our minds, but if they feel that badly about this part of their place of employment they need to go find another job. Because they have so publically done this they need to be terminated, regardless of how they paid for the materials. What they are doing is a serious conflict of interests and they should be fired. It is not unconstitutional for an employer to tell an employee to shut up and support the institution and I think administration needs to give Kaufmann and his cronies an ultimatum to put an end to this nonsense.
About McBride…that’s a shame. Hopefully Weber will discipline the crap out of him and help him become a real man the way he did with Luther. Weber is a good coach, but I think he is a better mentor for these boys as they learn to become men!
October 3rd, 2006 at 6:58 am
#7 Your comment about stones and glass houses is true. I drove on several occasions when common sense said no. The difference is this. I was not on a scholarship and a representitive of the University. Assuming in both cases no one was injured as a result of the incidents there is a big difference. I my case I could have only hurt myself. In RB’s case he hurt the team, the coach and the University. Whether he likes it or not he is a diplomat for the University and therefore, must be held to a higher standard. Suspension for 10 games is fair.
October 3rd, 2006 at 7:11 am
Hey Hayden Fry,
You’re right, jerk. If it were Iowa and this were Alford, he would be rewarded with a starting spot on the team. Given that Iowa had the Pierre Pierce fiasco just two years ago, you’ve got a lot of nerve coming on here with that, buddy.
October 3rd, 2006 at 7:11 am
In the seminar where UI athletes learn responsible behavior, don’t they point out you’re not allowed to drink and drive until you’re in the NBA/NFL?
We’ve gone from “I don’t know if we’ll win another game” to “we should win 5 or 6″? This board needs some Zoloft.
October 3rd, 2006 at 7:42 am
The kids needs his degree more than anything. I hope he gets it together enough to finish. Thank goodness he has Weber instead of a Coach who wants to win at all cost.
October 3rd, 2006 at 8:18 am
You know, Tupp, after seeing McBride play in high school against Streator in the Pontiac Regional final, I really thought that Illinois was getting a young man who was going to take his game to the next level. But outside of his one benchmark game against Memphis, hitting 6 threes and scoring 22 points, he really hasn’t shown diddley. As of now, I could care less if Bruce lets him back on the team or not. Jamar Smith is ready to grow his game as a shooting guard/small forward, and this will solidify having Trent Meacham as your point guard. Then you can have a frontline of Arnold, Randle and Pruitt. I’m fine with whatever BW does, because it’s his system that will keep the fans excited, not any specific player…one word of advice, Rich. GROW UP!!!!
October 3rd, 2006 at 8:34 am
Hey #4, Hayden Frycook…don’t think a squawkeye troll should be over here saying ANYTHING about crime and punishment of student athletes.
October 3rd, 2006 at 8:49 am
McBride isnt going to get kicked off the team…
Felony residential burglary didnt even get him suspended for any games his frosh year.
Head was suspended for TWO games.
Weber is not a disciplinarian.
This is a non-issue.
October 3rd, 2006 at 8:53 am
Illini88: Didn’t mean to imply he should not be punished. Looks like he’ll get about 5 games off, and that sounds about right to me. I’d also expect he should do some public service appearances on the evils of drunk driving, and should have his license suspended.
DIF: Surprisingly, you and I disagree again. What were the odds?
October 3rd, 2006 at 9:06 am
I don’t know of any other case but the Head, McBride etc., incident, so I wonder where he’s coming from. I don’t know of any of our basketball players that were reinstated and later on made it to state prison like Pierre Pierce. And who was the football coach at Iowa when the big lineman beat up the QB who later transferred to U of I? Seems to me that the people over in Iowa City, as they say on ESPN, should just shut up.
October 3rd, 2006 at 9:08 am
I am going to trust Coach Weber to handle this. I’m sure he loves dealing with this right now. Nothing said here will amount to anything respective to the end results (including whether Tupper/Supinie got their stories straight)
October 3rd, 2006 at 9:25 am
I had no idea about the Kaufmann letters to recruits.
Does anyone know the names of the other 14 profs who signed these letters? STL Today didn’t name them and I don’t have time today to search online. Would appreciate a Web link or something from anyone because this warrants letters to the admin, as the CA Commerce above alum noted, and terminated donation $$. I hope none of these people are teaching engineering.
Gotta love tenure…
October 3rd, 2006 at 9:31 am
DisgustedIlliniFan, Ron Guenther has not totally cleaned up UI athletics. The football program is on probation because of a Champaign booster giving money to Marcus Mason.
October 3rd, 2006 at 9:31 am
Nothing good happens at 2am.
October 3rd, 2006 at 9:32 am
I feel that Rich McBride deserves whatever Coach Weber and the university dish out…period.
October 3rd, 2006 at 9:38 am
Well, at least he didn’t spout anti-semitic comments after he got pulled over. For that reason alone, we should forgive and forget, right? Right?
I’m disappointed and disgusted. Send him to rehab. Makes you wonder how many times he drove drunk and didn’t get caught. Pray that Weber makes the right decision whatever it is.
October 3rd, 2006 at 9:54 am
It amazes me how we give athletes chance after chance. It’s okay to punish him lightly because he is a starter on our basketball team, but what if this was your daughter’s boyfriend? Would you be so forgiving and let her hop back in a car with him? I think they should suspend him for the semester or even the year. Give him the opportunity to redshirt and come back next year to play. He has to be punished and show that he deserves to be able to come back. It’s a huge loss to a team that needs senior leadership this year.
Also, I am so tired of the whole Chief thing. I support having the Chief 100% and love the tradition. It makes me so angry that college professors with nothing better to do are sending letters to our recruits. They should be suspended too. Sports affects funding for any major university. They are harming the school and it should not be tolerated.
And in a positive note, congrats to the football team. Nice to be able to hold our heads up again with pride.
October 3rd, 2006 at 10:41 am
Dave Wilson 621: here is a link to a copy of the letter, which has the names at the bottom.
Link
October 3rd, 2006 at 11:17 am
DUI is every bit or more serious than burglary. It results in innocent people being killed! Seems to be too much tolerance in many of these comments for the crime.
October 3rd, 2006 at 11:19 am
“McBride has a knack for being around trouble”?
How horribly irresponsible of you Mr. Tupper. Yes, he was allegedly involved with the burglary as a freshman, but was never a ringleader - it appeared he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. A stupid mistake, to be sure, and a situation where he should have exercised better judgment, but he was also an immature 18 year old freshman who hadn’t yet played a college game.
Since then there hasn’t been a peep out of him off the court.
So a DUI three years later means he has a knack for being in trouble?
Sort of like how he’s “an alarmingly bad athlete”?
Your holding McBride’s presence at the Pruitt altercation against him is absolutely despicable.
He made a mistake. There is no doubt about that. But your tone of personal disappointment is insufferable and beyond infuriating. Mr. McBride owes you nothing, and you have no place to lecture at him with such a condescending tone of moral superiority.
I have no doubt it will be handled appropriately by Coach Weber, the administration, and the proper legal steps will be taken. Leave it at that. If he’s still on them team, then he will have taken the necessary steps to be there. End of story. If not, then hopefully he will be wise enough to stay in school and finish his degree.
It’s part of the public record, so of course it’s fair game for news.
But there is a difference between reporting and commenting on the news, and acting as if Mr. McBride has done you a personal offense.
I would hope in the future you will approach the actions of the players - both good and bad - with a little more maturity. Just because Mr. McBride acted immaturely doesn’t mean you need to write in such a manner.
October 3rd, 2006 at 11:22 am
IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT!!!
Dave Wilson, #29 and all other posters: I have below all the names of the signees. This comes from the letter obtained on the STL.com blog. I think (hope) this is the one uniting topic on this blog. For employees of an organization to actively undertake means which result in a (potential) loss of revenue to said organization…is automatic grounds for dismissal in most organizations…at least in the real world. I encourage all of you to contact your college if they are represented here:
Stephen J. Kaufman, Emeritus Professor of Cell and Developmental Biology
Thomas H. Anderson, Professor of Educational Psychology
Thomas Bassett, Professor of Geography
Nancy Blake, Professor of Comparative and World Literature
Leigh S. Estabrook, Professor of Library and Information Science and Sociology
Brenda Farnell, Associate Professor of Anthropology and American Indian Studies
Belden Fields, Emeritus Professor of Political Science
Frederick E. Hoxie, Swanlund Endowed Chair, Professor of History
Uriel Kitron, Professor of Pathobiology
John McKinn (Maricopa, Gila River Indian Community), Assistant Director of American Indian Studies
Jay Mittenthal, Associate Professor of Cell and Developmental Biology (ret.)
Philip Phillips, Professor of Physics
David R. Roediger, Babcock Professor of History and African American Studies
Carol Spindel, Lecturer, Department of English
P.S. Joe John….#25….you’re an idiot.
October 3rd, 2006 at 11:23 am
Tupper: “Anyone can make that kind of mistake”
Hogwash, Tupps. Anyone who is irresponsible and not using their brain, sure. I have zero sympathy for McBride and he should be booted from the team for good.
October 3rd, 2006 at 11:49 am
You can find everyone of those professor’s email addresses by using the following link:
http://www.uiuc.edu/
Click on find people and enter their name. They voiced their opinions on a national venue, let’s all email them and tell them ours.
October 3rd, 2006 at 11:54 am
Mark-
You’ve been hard on Rich in the past, so I don’t really expect objectivity from you in this case. However, I’m not sure how even YOU can stretch Shaun Pruitt’s issue from early this summer all the way over to become an indictment of McBride.
Rich was there, and, by many accounts, was trying to help defuse the situation. If anything, he should get credit for keeping the situation from getting worse. Instead, you roll out a vague comment about him being there, as if he was involved in escalating the problem.
Not a major issue, but let’s not cast stones for something that, by all accounts, he wasn’t on teh wrong side of.
That all having been said, I’m disappointed that he didn’t show better judgement in this situation. I think the people that are calling for his removal from the team are over-reacting a bit, and I hope that they never serve on a jury and come to their decisions about guilt and innocense with the same disdain for having all the facts before rendering judgement.
October 3rd, 2006 at 12:36 pm
ATL Paul; Algonquin Bill; Magoo… thanks for the links and names of the profs involved in dissuading recruits from attending the U of I.
During May the university librarian, Paula Kaufman, was in town and sought to have dinner with my wife and me because I’ve been a steady (if modest, though a 3-to-1 corp. match does wonders for small donations) donor for the past 15 yrs and she wanted to squeeze out more $$. She and every one of the dept/college heads concerned will get a letter from me.
In any other venue besides a university this would be grounds for termination of those not yet retired. Disgraceful.
October 3rd, 2006 at 1:18 pm
Did you ever stop to think that perhaps it isn’t the actions of 14 public critics educating people about the dangers of racial stereotyping–which is, by the way, their job as intellectuals–that is causing loss of revenue. Stop blaming the symptom and blame the causes: ignorance, pride, self-interest, greed, and racism.
October 3rd, 2006 at 1:33 pm
Hey Rich, don’t pout as you high-five the new starting shooting guard during pre-game intros this season — Jamar Smith. I predict he will play so well in the opening weeks that McBride will never regain his starting spot.
On a brighter note, 4-star SF A.J. Stewart is making an official visit to UI on Saturday. It’s down to the Illini and Kentucky, with the Wildcats reportedly having the edge. Tupps, any update on the chance that Eric Gordon will also make his official visit on Saturday, as was once the plan??
October 3rd, 2006 at 2:26 pm
Hey 5-year old-#43: I think you need a good spanking and a time out. Oh…that’s right…in your world spanking is politically incorrect and can cause “irreparable harm” as an adult.
I almost threw up into my laptop when you used the phrase “their job as intellectuals”. Just on the chance that you or any other blogger believes that cow pie phrase……”their job”, in reality, is to educate the students that attend the University of Illinois, many with the assistance of my taxpayer dollars. You speak like the liberal elitist you probably are…”intellectual” is usually a code word for “I am vastly spuperior to all of you conservative, church-going rural folk who are so blatantly ignorant so as to prefer a Native American as your mascot instead of something much more sophisticated, like a pink orchid”.
This may come as a shock to you, but reading the New York Times, worshipping Hillary Clinton, and chastising a tradition that the majority cherises (the Chief)…does not make you an intellect. It simply makes you a self-serving snob, who will never let facts stand in the way of their own pre-conceived opinions.
October 3rd, 2006 at 4:11 pm
Algonquin Bill ~ Well said!!! I only wish I said it first. But I am too dim-witted to have thunk of sumting so samrt!
October 3rd, 2006 at 5:41 pm
this makes makes him like most students and coaches, i dont drink and had family members hurt and a car totaled by a drunk driver .
dont judge lest ye be judged
October 3rd, 2006 at 6:48 pm
I think that a slap on the wrist is in order, Dont hit too hard tho,the bruise is probably still there from the last time.
October 3rd, 2006 at 9:14 pm
I know that many of you on this blog support the Chief, but some alums, myself included, would like to see him retired. While you may not agree, I believe university employees have a right to express their views on this issue, pro or con, to potential recruits and others.
October 3rd, 2006 at 10:09 pm
Hey, Alum 74,
I agree that all university employees have a right to express their views, as do students, sports fans and alumni. The employees that went on record did so at their own personal risk, so best of luck to them in their pursuits. Maybe IU needs some help in their areas of expertise.
October 4th, 2006 at 6:37 am
49 - express their views, yes. Attempt to
torpedo Coach Webers and the schools basketball recruiting program - NO! If these premodonnas had somebody mess with their programs the way that they are messing with Coach Webers, they would pitch the biggest whining fit the state has ever seen.
October 4th, 2006 at 10:12 am
The professors who signed that letter obviously are insufferable hypocrites. If they think people shouldn’t come to the U. of Illinois because of the Chief, why are they still here? Oh, well, I shouldn’t expect common sense from ivory tower intellectuals.
McBride was supposed to be on a short leash, and he knew or should have known it. IMHO, he should be suspended for the non-conference season; I wouldn’t argue with his being kicked off the team.
On football, I detect signs of progress. Very satisfying.
Oskee wow wow! Hail to the Chief!
October 4th, 2006 at 8:35 pm
Look, am I an alumnus of a major research university with worldwide respect, or a professional athletic franchise that subsidizes a few classes for PR purposes? Because unless it’s the latter(and man, I sure got taken on tuition if it is!), then firing or harassing professors for speaking out on a matter that affects their own academic reputation and ability to recruit(and let me tell you, recruitment of academic talent is often just as competitive as recruitment of athletes) is just ludicrous. Their concerns are simply more important here. It’s a university. Not a pro sports franchise.
I love Illinois sports and have since I was a little kid, and I’m fairly neutral on the Chief thing in theory. The loudly anti-Chief people always annoyed me, I agreed with their basic point but thought they were being jerks about it and there were more important things to worry about, but so do the pro-Chief ones now.
However, I still recognize that there’s a line there between the interests of the athletic program and everything else, and when push comes to shove, the interests of the university as a whole come first. This has gotten to the point where it’s making the whole university look bad, out of touch, retrograde, and overly beholden to non-academic interests and values. So, bye-bye Chief. I’ll miss him a little for nostalgic reasons, but not THAT much. It’s time, probably long past time.
October 5th, 2006 at 10:57 pm
Well said, J. Dunn (if you’re still peeking at this one). I agree 100%.