*College football championship game Monday night...
Washington (14-0) (+4.5) vs. Michigan (14-0)
Yeah I picked Bama' to beat the Wolverines....can't help it the fuckin' Alabama offensive coordinator didn't gameplan/practice enough plays to run against the Michigan five-man d-front....anyway....Wolverines haven't faced a passing game as dynamic as the Huskies this season...Washington hasn't faced a team as powerful up front as Michigan this season.....Washington covers....Michigan wins….Michigan 28 Washington 27
*Wading thru the bullshit..
"Fifth-year guard Terrence Shannon Jr. was officially suspended from the Illinois menʼs basketball program on Thursday (late December) after being charged with rape per a press release. On Wednesday, the Douglas (Kansas) County District Attorney issued a warrant for the arrest of Terrence Shannon Jr. Per policy, the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics (DIA) has suspended Shannon from all team activities, effective immediately.” According to the press release, the alleged incident occurred in September while Shannon was in Lawrence, Kansas to attend an Illinois football game against Kansas on Sept. 8. Shannon traveled on his own, not on official University business or as a part of any University travel party. (Courtesy the Daily Illini)
Athletic director Josh Whitman met with the media before the FDU vs. Illinois game to talk about the Shannon suspension...."Sexual misconduct has no place on this campus or on any other campus for that matter. Our priority is the well-being of the people who are involved and we’ll handle the situation with great care, appropriate diligence and concern.”
“In subsequent conversations, we did learn through UIPD that the allegations that were being investigated seemed to be something that occurred in public at a Lawrence bar, where TJ interacted with a young woman and the allegation was that he engaged in some inappropriate touching of her in the course of that interaction......Everything that we received was verbal, informal, it was light on details, it was unsubstantiated. It was unclear to us whether Lawrence authorities intended to pursue anything further, what additional information they were trying to obtain. We weren’t made aware of any specific charges that the folks in Lawrence were considering.”
Whitman great job briefing/laying out what was going on when he met with media.
-Few of the rumors/outright lies going around...
During his press conference AD said.....Shannon had engaged 'inappropriate touching'.....supposedly 'digital penetration' the 'inappropriate touching'....Shannon's lawyer indicated encounter consensual DA disagrees.....Saturday Sportsline on the Illini's flagship radio station WDWS in Champaign made it clear 'no sexual intercourse' involved.
Female involved thought she 'hanging out' with a Kansas football player when told he was an Illinois basketball player...embarrassed started making accusations....unless Shannon changed his clothes after the game....He was wearing an Illini football jersey as seen above all evening...mis-representing himself was not in the charge.
'Bill Self out to get Illinois basketball' why this is coming out now...well...Self 20 years later doesn't lose a minute of sleep worrying about the threat of Illini hoops to his Kansas program.....Purportedly Self has had issues with the local DA investigating his players/doing all he can to help Illinois in the Shannon case.
Female involved daughter of a 'powerful' Jayhawk booster who went to the DA demanding 'justice'....total bullshit...nothing to that one......tin foil hat crowd's conspiracy theory.
'Five Illini boosters in Chicago putting together a huge donation to the athletic department if they let Shannon play this season'....this one coming out of Champaign....know two of the Chicago boosters 'named' in the rumor...asked both, 'You in on this?' told them the amount of money (Million dollars/200K each) that was being offered....first booster, (laughing) 'I couldn't sneak that amount of money past my wife so no.... have nothing to do with anything like that….where did they get my name?'....second booster, 'Haven't had anyone contact me about any of this.....read the same things you have about what is going on'...well you know Champaign and 'insider' gossip....so the big donation...tin foil hat crowd at it again.
Douglas (Kan.) County DA looking for a public relations win in an election win....female looking for a payoff....well that's a cynical opinion.
Remember...."Coming at any moment is a ruling by the university's three-person conduct panel whether to confirm the suspension announced Thursday by athletic director Josh Whitman. The panel decision is deemed final, but might later be subject to review depending on new information, altered charges or a resolution in the case." (Courtesy Champaign News-Gazette)...as of Sunday the 7th no decision from the conduct panel has been publicly disclosed.
Terrence Shannon is currently scheduled for a Jan. 18 court date at the Douglas County court in Kansas.
*News and notes...
Illinois football lands Murray State (KY.) transfer tight end Cole Rusk.....the 6-foot-6, 252-pounder has two years eligibility....FCS All-America reported offers from Ole Miss, Colorado State, Houston, Tulane and Texas A&M.....Signed with Eastern Michigan out of Rock Island (Ill.) High School before transferring to Murray State....also played at Rockridge High School Taylor Ridge (Ill.) south of the Quad Cities...see Rusk as a Big F type of tight end...tries to block but more of a pass-catching tight end/match-up advantage with his size/athletic ability vs. linebackers/safeties......should make an immediate impact at Illinois.
Former Illini linebacker Jack Squirek passed away last Friday....He was 64 years old....Fighting Illini four-year letterman (1978-1981) out of Ohio.....'Squirek played four years for the Raiders and was a central figure in one of pro football's all-time great plays. With the Raiders leading Washington near halftime of Super Bowl XVIII, Squirek intercepted a screen pass and returned it 12 yards for a touchdown to give the Silver and Black an insurmountable 21-3 lead in the eventual victory. He originally joined the Raiders as a second-round draft pick out of Illinois in 1982 and played in 53 career games with the Raiders before finishing his pro career with Miami.' (Courtesy Las Vegas Raiders)
File under...'kinks still being worked out'.....coaches 'we need more NIL money' NIL 'we are not an ATM you coaches can just call over and except immediate cash for a player/their families'....like no one saw that kind of thing coming.
Mike White turned 88 last week......remember 2008 Rose Bowl Illini practiced on the campus of Cal St. Dominguez Hills in Carson...White came up from his home in Huntington Beach to talk to the team.......made the point, 'Soak it all in (Rose Bowl experience) cause it's hard to get back here'....so true.
Bloomington (Ill.) lawyer/former University of Illinois board of trustees member Dave Dorris reportedly selling his Fighting Illini memorabilia collection.....Dorris long time athletic department jock sniffer/AD Ron Guenther's spy....you knew if you were at a practice/Illini event Dorris attended...anything seen/he heard was reported back to the AD.....Dorris close to the basketball program....He and his cronies rode the team plane to away games for years till Mike Thomas was hired as athletic director....Dorris loved Self, really loved Bruce Weber/access head coach gave him to the basketball program when Weber head coach....Thomas came in/fired Weber/hired John Groce...cut off the boosters access/seat on the plane....Dorris fell out of love with Illini athletics shortly after 2013...hasn't been back for a game/event since...has a shit ton of Illini stuff though 'collected' over many years he was around.
Mike White's comments are exactly why we went to the '08 Rose Bowl (after my wife and I were in the Marching Illini for the '84 Rose Bowl).
Last year, I made the trip for the Reliaquest bowl, and lately I've been thinking the same thing. Sigh.
let me see what I can find....two people I know were contacted by Dorris about their interest...see what they have to say if collection will be available to the public know he wont' donate it to the athletic department HA.....I know he has game worn autographed basketball jersey's from the big names of last 30 years...it's quite a collection.