Photo by Dan O'BrienRUSH: Let me give you some more oil data here. Again, according to the US Department of Energy, US oil production has fallen approximately 40% since 1985, while US consumption has grown more than 30%. So in real barrels, US oil production is now below five million barrels a day. It was approximately nine million barrels a day in 1985. So in 23 years -- and see, it's happened slow. The market impact here has been slow, it's been gradual, but we've cut our production in half in 25 years -- and, by the way, can I ask you a question, folks? In doing that, in those 25 years, global warming's gotten worse, has it not? And in those 25 years the planet's gotten dirtier, has it not? According to what these people say. In the 25 years that we have stopped producing oil by half, we have cut our oil production in half, in 23 years; in those same 23 years the environmentalist wackos who are behind this keep telling us how rotten things are getting, how horrible things are getting, and we're destroying the environment; the polar bears, the planet, you name it.A Limbaugh Analysis of Oil Prices
We've been getting the blame for it! Yet we've cut our production in half. And you can see one of the results of this is the price that we're all paying for this stuff, oil-related products today. At the same time -- now, this is going to really frost you -- while in the last 23 years we have cut our production in half, the government has put billions of barrels of domestic oil and natural gas off limits to domestic exploration. According to federal government estimates, there is enough oil in the areas that we are now place off limits, 112 billion barrels to power more than 60 million cars for 60 years without importing a drop. It's off limits. The government, because of the environmentalists. So we're not producing this. We're not getting this. We've cut our own actual production in half in 25 years, and they still blame us for destroying the planet. We keep hearing about ANWR.
Had President Clinton not vetoed exploration in ANWR in 1995 -- oil was $19 a barrel in 1995 -- America would currently be receiving over a million barrels a day from Alaska. Experts estimate that ANWR contains 5.6 to 16 billion barrels of recoverable oil. Okay, now at $123 a barrel -- and, by the way, ten years ago they said, "Well, it will take ten years to get the first drop. We can't do it." It's been ten years or more. We'd have had it, it would be online. Now they say, "It would be ten years if we start. We can't count on that." There are people, elected officials -- Democrats and some Republicans and entire members of the leftist environmentalist wacko organization -- who don't want this country to be energy sufficient and independent. The environmental movement in this country is largely comprised of -- the militant and wacko realm of it, consists of -- displaced communists and socialists who want this country down to size because it's not fair to everybody.
Microsoft Corp. and Intel Corp. are giving a combined $20 million to build computing research centers at the University of Illinois and University of California.Microsoft, Intel to build two college computing centers
The Universal Parallel Computer Research Centers (UPCRC) will attempt to accelerate development of parallel computing, which involves using multiple computer cores, or engines. Santa Clara, Calif.-based Intel (NASDAQ: INTC), for example, has worked on an 80-core research processor.
Officials at Redmond-based Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) said multi-core processors represent a "revolution in the computer industry."
A dream season came to a perfect end for the Illinois hockey club at the American Collegiate Hockey Association National Championships in Rochester, N.Y. A 4-2 victory over No. 2 Lindenwood in the tournament finals on Wednesday night secured the Murdoch Cup and an unblemished 38-0-0 record.Hockey club named national champions: No. 1 Illinois beats No. 2 Lindenwood to finish season undefeated, 38-0-0
Senior center Drew Heredia scored twice in his final game as the Illini won their second national championship and first-ever perfect season.
The championship game was the fifth meeting between the two teams this season and the third time the top-ranked Illini have played the nation's No. 2-ranked team.
In their bid to upset the nation's top ranked team, it was the Lions who struck first in the tournament final, as Lindenwood forward Larry Kopecky scored 10 minutes into the first period.
Illinois would storm back, however, rattling off three unanswered goals to assume a 3-1 lead, which lasted until a late second period goal from Lions forward Travis Bokina, keeping the game close entering the final 20 minutes.
Neither team found a clear advantage in the third period until a precise Johnny Liang pass to Tom Connell set up a backhanded shot that found the net and gave the Illini a 4-2 lead.
From there, Illinois kept its conference rival at bay, as goaltender Mike Burda and the Illini defense preserved the two-goal lead despite the Lions desperate attempts to score in the final minutes with their goaltender pulled.
The mostly pro-Illini crowd erupted after the final buzzer sounded, chanting "38-0!" as the Illinois players stormed the ice.
Heredia, the team's captain, was named the tournament's most valuable player after the victory, while Brad Hoelzer and Liang were named to the first all-tournament team and Burda earned second all-tournament team honors.
Head coach Chad Cassel won his second national title in his 11th season with the team, the first coming in 2005.
March 05, 2008 - First it was CSCHL Regular season champs for the Illini, then CSCHL playoff champs,and now you can add undefeated, 38-0-0, ACHA Division I National Champions to their title. From the start of the season the Illini had their eyes on the prize of being national champs, and tonight after a long hard fought season, that prize is theirs to enjoy.The perfect end to the perfect season
When you consider that the only loss this team has taken in the last twelve months was by just two points (and that game could have easily ended in a tie), you might agree that there are good reasons for optimism going forward. Winning consistently is difficult to achieve, especially when you're talking about 6- and 7-year-old kids who are still learning the fundamentals of the game. Certainly, this group of St. Matthew first graders will be a force to be reckoned with when they grow to be fifth graders and wear the green unis for the St. Matthew Raiders. Meanwhile we're enjoying our journey into the future with this team.Winter 2008: 6-1 0.857
Fall 2007: 7-0 1.000
Winter 2007: 7-0 1.000
-------------------------
Total: 20-1 0.952
For Indiana basketball, there have been a few moments of glory during this decade. There was the remarkable win over Duke in the 2002 NCAA Tournament. There was the overtime win against Maryland in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge the following season. There was Tuesday’s home victory over Purdue to put the Hoosiers within striking distance of the 2008 Big Ten title and send Kelvin Sampson into “retirement” as a winner.Crimson and sour cream: Indiana heads for a fall
OK, so it’s not a long, long list.
It’ll have to do.
There will not be many more moments to cherish with Indiana basketball for a long time. The descent has only begun. The challenges will become greater, the solutions less accessible. It may be years before we again recognize this program, even if the Hoosiers stick to those candy-stripe warmup pants.
...
Whoever becomes coach probably will encounter a program nearly as empty as Cincinnati was a couple of springs ago. Players willing to consider walking out on a season will not hesitate to consider transferring when that season is done. The two best players, D.J. White and Eric Gordon, will be gone regardless. And IU can forget about the recruiting class promised last fall. Those guys will be asking for releases.
It will be years before we recognize Indiana basketball as the power with five national champions. If you think about it, maybe offering the job to Bob Knight wouldn’t be such an awful idea. He might be the only qualified coach willing to take it.
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (AP)—The long legacy of Indiana basketball began a new chapter Saturday.Sampson out at Indiana; Hoosiers head to Northwestern with Dakich as coach
One day after coach Kelvin Sampson accepted a $750,000 buyout and jilted players threatened a boycott, interim coach Dan Dakich found a pleasant surprise at Assembly Hall: Every player, including senior captain D.J. White, was on board the team bus.
The smattering of fans who showed up, shook hands with players and coaches, wishing them well for Saturday night’s game at Northwestern. All hoped to move beyond the embarrassment created by Sampson’s alleged NCAA violations.
Feb. 13, 2008Illinois Memorial Stadium Rededication Set for Sept. 6: Illini legends, throwback jerseys create special event
The University of Illinois Division of Intercollegiate Athletics has announced plans for the rededication of Memorial Stadium to take place on Sept. 6 in the home opener against Eastern Illinois. The Fighting Illini will wear throwback jerseys honoring the Dick Butkus era. Also, the DIA will honor the greatest Illinois gridders that played at Memorial Stadium during eight timeouts throughout the game.
"This is a must see, once-in-a-lifetime event for Fighting Illini football fans," said Assistant Director of Athletics Chris Hanna. "We believe fans will get chills seeing many of the history makers, who made Memorial Stadium such a revered venue, standing side-by-side at one timeout after another. This is an event that will be talked about for years to come."
A fan vote will be held on fightingillini.com/CoachRonZook.com that establishes the top 10 players at the following positions: quarterback, running back, receiver, offensive line, defensive line, linebacker, defensive back, and specialist. Fan voting will begin on Monday, March 10 and conclude on Thursday, Apr. 10. The results of the fan balloting will be announced soon thereafter.
Players will appear on the ballot if they earned first or second team All Big Ten honors or if they played at least four years in the NFL. Harold ³Red² Grange, Dick Butkus, Tony Eason, Jeff George, Howard Griffith, Kevin Hardy, Dana Howard, Ray Nitschke, Rashard Mendenhall, and J Leman will be among the names fans can support for this tremendous distinction. Illinois will make every effort to have as many living members of this elite group as possible appear on the field Sept. 6.
The Butkus Era throwback jerseys will provide another special touch. The jersey will be very similar in look to the Fighting Illini jerseys of that time--blue with orange numbers. The helmets will also be made to resemble the Butkus style, featuring bold player numbers.
"Nike creates very few throwback jerseys each college football season," Hanna said. "We are excited Nike chose to create the Butkus Era jersey for us to both honor one of our great legends and make the Rededication Game that much more special."
Sampson had been sanctioned after making impermissible phone calls while he was the coach at Oklahoma. Indiana then revealed more bad calls while Sampson was at IU. Multiple sources told ESPN.com that the NCAA was looking into whether Sampson did not tell the truth about those calls, resulting in the allegations of major violations.Indiana gets list of alleged violations related to phone calls
This new information that helped result in a major violations tag could leave the Hoosiers' season, and Sampson's career, under a cloud of uncertainty.
ESPN.com made multiple efforts to reach Indiana athletic director Rick Greenspan over the past week and he never returned calls. Sampson didn't return a message Tuesday.
Feb. 4 — (UWIRE) AMES, Iowa — The Cyclone hockey team is picking up the pieces after two eerily similar losses.ISU hockey loses twice to Fighting Illini
The No. 11 Cyclones (24-10) gave No. 1 Illinois (27-0) all it could handle over the weekend, but came away with two identical 3-2 overtime losses.
Not only were the scores the same, but the ways the teams scored were similar. The first period ended without a single goal, then the Cyclones took off in the second, taking a 2-0 lead into the final period. In the third, the Illini were able to tie the game and win in overtime.
Overtime periods are played four-on-four, instead of the five-on-five play seen in regulation — so when the Cyclones got a penalty early in the overtime period of the first game, they were skating three-on-four when Illinois scored the winning goal. On Saturday, Illinois sophomore defender Brad Hoelzer made a nice move and a difficult shot into the upper right corner of the net for the win.
"We’ve got a lot of overtime experience, and four-on-four opens the ice up a little bit — typically that is to our advantage," said Illinois coach Chad Cassel.
He was quick to give Iowa State credit, however.
"Iowa State played great all weekend — they outplayed us and outplayed us badly at times, but we just continued to battle and, fortunately, both nights we found a way to win the game," Cassel said.
...
CHAMPAIGN – The city council doesn't want the Canadian National Railroad's plans to purchase a suburban Chicago rail line to bypass downtown Chicago to hurt local passenger rail service.Council concerned about possible Amtrak delays
To that end, council members voted unanimously Tuesday night in support of a resolution expressing opposition to any possible changes in Amtrak service that might increase route times or cause delays.
MATTOON – The proposed $1.8 billion FutureGen clean coal power plant scheduled to be built in Mattoon may not be built after all, and politicians are claiming it's a victim of partisan politics.No future for FutureGen?
Department of Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman told much of the Illinois congressional delegation Tuesday morning that his department plans to disband the FutureGen Alliance and move in a different direction.
The FutureGen Alliance was a combined effort among 13 energy companies from around the world and the Department of Energy.
"The Department of Energy has turned its back on us," U.S. Rep. Tim Johnson, R-Urbana, told The News-Gazette. "This is like changing the rules after the final score has been posted on the scoreboard. To me, Secretary Bodman's response this morning was a slap in the face.
"This is the worst form of bureaucratic arrogance and insensitivity that I have seen in my 40 years in politics."
Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., echoed Johnson's anger and frustration, saying the Illinois delegation will take the fight directly to the president.
...when he melted down on CNBC's "Street Signs" program with Erin Burnett.
As has been expected for several weeks, Rich South sophomore guard Crandall Head plans to announce he will attend Illinois.Another Head set to commit to Illini basketball
Head, the brother of former Illinois star Luther Head of the Houston Rockets, will announce his plans at Sunday's Illinois-Penn State basketball game in Champaign, Rich South coach Scott Ritter said.
Despite his mother publicly favoring Notre Dame, Alex Legion has opted to transfer to Illinois.Ex-Kentucky SG Legion to transfer to Illinois
"Coach (Bruce) Weber and his staff recruited me out of high school," the former Kentucky freshman told FOXSports.com on Friday night. "I went to both places to visit in the last week and liked both, but I felt more comfortable at Illinois."
...
"I liked both styles and both coaching staffs," he said. "They both fit my style, but at the end of the day, I always kind of wanted to go to Illinois. Coach Weber's system benefits guards. If he's got guards that can play, he lets you play your game."
Crandall Head might be more than a regular visitor to C-U in the near future. It sounds like the Rich South sophomore could be the Illini's next commitment.Crandall Head nearing a decision
A 6-4 wing, Head said at tonight's Orange-Blue Scrimmage that he is looking to make an announcement on where he will attend college at some point this week.
"Either Tuesday or Wednesday," he said.
Head said he is leaning heavily toward Illinois, where his brother Luther became a star and where he feels most comfortable. Crandall Head has made three visits to Illinois this fall and took an extensive tour of the campus two weeeks ago. He's expected to be a college freshman for the 2010-11 season.
Crandall Head, the brother of former Illini standout Luther Head, all but committed to the Illini when I spoke with him during the fourth quarter of Sunday evening’s Orange & Blue scrimmage at the Assembly Hall.Crandall Head sounds like he’s on board
Head, a sophomore at Rich South High School, said he is considering Illinois, Marquette and Notre Dame, but Illinois is the only school he has visited. He was making an unofficial visit this weekend and said, “I like the way the recruit me. I like hanging out here. I like the players. They’re cool.”
He also said he is friends with Peoria’s D.J. Richardson and Waukegan’s Jereme Richmond, who have committed to the Illini, and added, “I like playing with guys like that.”
He rolled up in a silver Ferrari. He said the drive from the northern surburbs to Champaign was a “two cigar” trip. He’s still cooler than a December breeze.MJ revs up Illini
Yes, Michael Jordan’s visit to Illinois basketball practice on Monday was an “event” for the players, coaches and managers on hand to witness it.
Jordan was in town to help film a piece on his son, Jeffrey Jordan, an Illini freshman walkon, and the relationship the two enjoy.
Illini athletic department spokesman Kent Brown said he’s been working on this for months, going back and forth with NBC and Jordan’s “people” to make the arrangements. Easier said than done, my friends. But Kent got everyone’s schedules in sync and Matt Lauer, MJ and Bruce Weber were all fitted with microphones while the four cameras rolled.
Brian StinnetteBruce Weber Strikes Again! Class Of 2008 Chicago Simeon Star Stan Simpson Verbally Commits To Play Collegiately For The University Of Illinois
October 15, 2007
Class of 2008 Chicago Simeon star Stan Simpson has given a verbal commitment to play his college basketball for head coach Bruce Weber, and the University of Illinois. His verbal comes on the heels of the Illini securing three 2009 verbals last week. Simpson ranks among the elite 2008 basketball prospects in the state of Illinois.
Simpson, who stands 6-9, is a long and highly athletic post, who has seen his recruiting stock skyrocket over the course of the past year. Offensively, Simpson is a post who has the ability to score the basketball with either hand. Defensively, Simpson has the ability to change games with his shot-blocking skills inside.
Chicago Simeon head coach Robert Smith confirmed Simpson's commitment to Illinois. Smith noted that the opportunity to play close to home, and the coaching staff at Illinois were both factors in Simpson's decision.
Head coach Bruce Weber and the University of Illinois have secured a huge verbal commitment from Class of 2009 Peoria Central star D.J. Richardson. Richardson is the top Class of 2009 basketball prospect in the state of Illinois, and is also held in high regard nationally. Richardson verballed at Peoria Central High School at 7:30 AM this morning.Head Coach Bruce Weber, And The University Of Illinois Pick Up A Huge Verbal From Class Of 2009 Peoria Central Star D.J. Richardson
Richardson, a 6-3 guard, is a supremely versatile player who makes things happen on both ends of the basktball court. He enjoyed a stellar run on the spring and summer travel team circuit while leading a talented Illinois Stars team.
Class of 2009 Warren Township star Brandon Paul has given a verbal commitment to head coach Bruce Weber, and the University of Illinois. Paul, who saw his recruiting stock skyrocket this spring and summer on the travel team circuit with Dickey Simpkins' Team NLP, ranks as one of the top Class of 2009 basketball prospects in the state of Illinois.Bruce Weber Is On Fire! Illinois Scores A Second Huge Verbal As Class Of 2009 Warren Township Star Brandon Paul Verbals To The Illini
Paul, a 6-3 shooting guard, is a major talent on both ends of the basketball court. He has the ability to get points both slashing to hole, or by knocking down jumpers with range out beyond the three-point arc. Paul, who is both long and athletic, also has a chance to develop into a lockdown defensive player.
Paul's verbal comes on the heels of Class of 2009 Peoria Central star D.J. Richardson also making a commitment to play for Bruce Weber and Illinois. Paul, who's upside potential is through the roof, is the perfect compliment to Richardson in the 2009 Illinois recruiting class.
It is now officially a blowout recruiting party in Champaign as Class of 2009 Sterling High School basketball star Joseph Bertrand of the Illinois Wolves has now given a verbal commitment to play for head coach Bruce Weber, and the University of Illinois. Bertrand, one of the top 2009 prospects in Illinois, joins D.J. Richardson and Brandon Paul in the 2009 Illini recruiting class.It Is Now Officially A Party In Champaign! Class Of 2009 Sterling High School Star Joseph Bertrand Becomes Third 2009 University Of Illinois Verbal Commitment
Bertand, who now stands 6-5, is a highly versatile, long and athletic wing. Bertrand is a major talent who oozes with potential. He teamed with highly regarded Diamond Taylor with the 16-U Illinois Wolves this past spring and summer to form a highly formidable duo.
Sept. 19, 2007Howard Named Assistant Coach: Former Illini point guard returns to alma mater
Champaign, Ill. - Illinois Head Coach Bruce Weber announced today the hiring of Jerrance Howard as an assistant coach on the Fighting Illini basketball staff.
A native of Peoria, Ill., Howard was a four-year letterwinner for the Fighting Illini from 2001-04. During his career, Illinois compiled a record of 104-31 overall and 48-16 in the Big Ten. The Illini won three Big Ten championships, a Big Ten Tournament title and appeared in the NCAA Tournament all four years, advancing to the Elite Eight in 2001 and the Sweet 16 in both 2002 and 2004.
Howard played point guard for the Illini, backing up All-Americans Frank Williams, Dee Brown and Deron Williams. He quickly developed a reputation as the program's inspirational leader and went on to serve as tri-captain as a junior and senior. He was also a two-time winner of the Kenny Battle Award, an accolade voted upon by the players and coaches and given to an Illini who earns the respect of his teammates through hard work and effort in games and practice each day.
"We are thrilled to have Jerrance join our staff and welcome him back home," Weber said. "Jerrance has tremendous passion for the University of Illinois and our basketball program. He connects with everyone, his attitude and personality is contagious, and he'll work tirelessly to develop relationships on the recruiting trail. At the same time, he'll benefit our current players with the energy and intensity he will bring to the gym each and every day, just as he did when he was a player here. I've said this many times before, but when I think back to our first season, I really believe he was the MVP of our team because of the way he kept us together during the transition."
Howard joins the UI program after serving for the past three-plus years under Billy Gillispie at Texas A&M as an administrative assistant and at Kentucky in basketball operations. Howard, 27, earned a bachelor's degree in speech communications from the University of Illinois in 2004. In August he married the former Jessica Wordlaw, who is also an Illinois graduate.
PRINCETON, NJ -- The percentage of Americans with a "great deal" or "quite a lot" of confidence in Congress is at 14%, the lowest in Gallup's history of this measure -- and the lowest of any of the 16 institutions tested in this year's Confidence in Institutions survey. It is also one of the lowest confidence ratings for any institution tested over the last three decades.Americans' Confidence in Congress at All-Time Low: Confidence in most institutions drops
Gallup's annual update on Americans' confidence in institutions shows that confidence ratings are generally down across the board compared with last year. The public's confidence ratings in several institutions, including Congress, are now at all-time low points in Gallup's history of this measure. These low ratings reflect the generally sour mood of the public at this time.
CHICAGO — A University of Illinois alumnus announced he will make a $100 million donation to his alma mater, the largest gift in the university's history.U. of Illinois Alumnus Pledges $100M
Thomas M. Siebel, the founder and former chairman of Siebel Systems Inc., pledged to give the gift to the Urbana-Champaign campus upon his death.
"It's the most exciting thing to happen at this university in terms of philanthropy," Urbana-Champaign chancellor Richard Herman said. "It's a gift of passion, one that will mean transformation for us."
Herman said the 54-year-old billionaire software mogul "has a sense of urgency about helping us attain excellence" and is open to the possibility of providing money sooner. He said a task force of faculty members will brainstorm ideas for Siebel to consider funding before his death.
The No. 10 Illinois men's tennis team ended its amazing run in the 2007 NCAA Tournament with a 4-0 loss to top-ranked, unbeaten Georgia, Tuesday afternoon at the Dan Magill Tennis Complex in Athens, Ga. The Illini (23-9) defeated No. 7 Mississippi, No. 2 Ohio State and No. 3 Baylor before falling to the tournament-hosting Bulldogs (32-0). Illinois' Ryan Rowe and Marc Spicijaric earned NCAA All-Tournament honors for their performances in the championships.NCAA Men's Tennis National Championship: #1 Georgia 4, #10 Illinois 0
The Bulldogs got on the board early with the doubles point, winning at No. 2 and 3. Georgia had relinquished the point only once this season. With only three singles matches needed to win the title, the team got to work winning 4-of-6 first sets. The Illini fell at No. 5, 1 and 4 to give Georgia its fifth overall NCAA team title.
The Illini nation was in full force today as around 100 Orange and Blue fans warmed the seats of the Henry Field Tennis Court stands to cheer on the Illini.
From the first serve, it was evident that the Illini came to play as they forced an hour-long doubles session.
Junior Ryan Rowe's three-set victory at No. 2 singles propels Illinois into finals on Tuesday.NCAA Men's Tennis National Semifinal: #10 Illinois 4, #3 Baylor
Illinois upsets its third top-10 opponent in as many matches to reach the finals of the NCAA Team Championships on Tuesday, May 22, at 3 p.m. (EST).
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Junior catcher Lars Davis and senior pitcher Jake Toohey stole the show on Sunday, Davis going yard twice and Toohey throwing 4 1/3 incredible innings of relief to lift Illinois into the Big Ten Tournament with an 8-7 victory over Michigan State in the final game of the regular season after falling behind 7-0 in the fifth inning. The win gives the Illini the No. 5 seed, meaning they will face No. 4 Iowa in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament Wednesday at 11:05 a.m. (CT) in Ann Arbor, Mich. It also marks Illinois' second 30-win season in the last three.Illinois 8, Michigan State 7
"You fall behind one, two, three runs, but when it's seven runs, you just never know," Illinois coach Dan Hartleb said. "But we found a way to keep pecking away and pecking away. The difference between today and yesterday was our guys continued to take good swings and didn't worry about the long ball. Then we got some guys on and got some pressure on them, they elevated some pitches and we got some big hits."
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Sophomore Tanner Roark tied the Illinois record for wins in a Big Ten season by collecting his sixth victory and senior closer Jake Toohey tied the school mark for saves in a conference season by slamming the door for the seventh time in the Illini's 6-5 comeback win over Michigan State in front of 812 fans at Illinois Field. First baseman Mike Rohde launched a three-run homer in the third inning and finished with four RBI, and centerfielder Kyle Hudson was the lone Illini with multiple hits, going 2-for-4 with a triple and two RBI.Illinois 6, Michigan State 5
"I've been extremely impressed with our guys," Illinois coach Dan Hartleb said. "They went out today and just approached the game like it's another game. They went out and took care of business. We're extremely composed right now and I'm very pleased with where we are."
The Illini are now alone in fifth place, as Ohio State fell to Penn State, 3-2 in 10 innings. After Michigan defeated Iowa, 4-3 in 11 innings, Illinois is now just one game behind the Hawkeyes for fourth. The Illini need to win just one of the final three games against MSU to ensure a spot in the Big Ten Tournament.
The newspapers (including the Wall Street Journal) are all over Gov. Rod Blagojevich for the spectacular failure of his gross receipts tax...How does Blago recover from this?
OAKLAND, Calif. -- The Utah Jazz sure knew how to close a great show.Utah Jazz 115, Golden State Warriors 101
When the Golden State Warriors wanted to run their pell-mell offense Sunday night, the Jazz patiently slowed the tempo. When Baron Davis attempted his usual magic tricks, Utah pulled back the curtain with dogged defense.
And when a tight game came down to the final minutes, Derek Fisher upstaged the Warriors with a shooting show of his own that put the businesslike Jazz on the edge of an unlikely stage: the Western Conference finals.
Carlos Boozer had 34 points and 12 rebounds and the Jazz handed the eighth-seeded Warriors their first home loss of the postseason, 115-101 on Sunday to put Utah up 3-1 in their second-round playoff series.
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Brian Long had a career day, tossing five shutout innings of near-perfect relief to lift Illinois to a sweep of Indiana with a 7-2 win. It is the Illini's first Big Ten series sweep of the season and first since the Orange and Blue took all four from Northwestern May 6-8, 2005. Illinois is now tied for fifth place in the Big Ten standings with Ohio State, 1.5 games ahead of Michigan State for the final Big Ten Tournament berth. The Spartans visit Champaign next weekend.Illini Break Out Brooms with 7-2 Win Over Indiana
"As you look at what other teams did this weekend, our games were must-win," Illinois coach Dan Hartleb said, "and our guys went out and got the job done. They had great composure all weekend and came to win every day."
University Park, Pa. - The Illinois women's track & field team captured the 2007 Big Ten Outdoor Championship on Sunday afternoon, racking up an amazing 106 points during today's third and final day of competition to finish the meet with a total score of 129. Illinois and Michigan were co-champions, marking the first time in Big Ten history that there has been a tie for the women's outdoor title.Illinois Wins Big Ten Outdoor Championship!
"I am so proud of our team and the way they competed across the board today," an elated head coach Gary Winckler said following the meet. "We asked an awful lot from them, there were some tough doubles and a few competed in as many as three or four - or in the case of Yvonne (Mensah), five - events during the day with not a lot of recovery time in between. We started scoring in bunches and making our move up the standings and our athletes felt that momentum and thrived on it. I'm especially happy for our seniors. They are an exceptional group that has done an outstanding job leading our team by example, and it's fitting that they go out on top in their final Big Ten meet."
This marks Illinois' 11th conference championship under Winckler, and the program's sixth outdoor title. It is also its second title in the last three years, as the Illini also won the Big Ten outdoor meet in 2005.
"It's an amazing feeling being Big Ten champions," senior Yvonne Mensah said. "We knew coming in it was going to be tough, a lot of people thought we'd be in the top three if we did well. But about halfway through today, we realized we were making a big move and that the title was in reach. Then we got excited and started talking and encouraging each other and I think that got us even more motivated."
URBANA, Ill. - The No. 10 Illinois men's tennis team advanced to the Sweet Sixteen for the eighth time in the last nine years as it dismissed No. 21 Michigan in the Illinois Regional final today at the Atkins Tennis Center, 4-2. The Illini, who had faced the Wolverines twice already in 2007 prior to today, used their past experiences to repeat their performance from the Big Ten Tournament where they also handed UM a 4-1 setback , that time coming in the semifinals.Georgia on Their Mind; Illini down Michigan, 4-2, to Advance into Round of 16
If the occasion was not rich enough in excitement for the Illini already, head coach Brad Dancer celebrated his 100th career victory, his 44th here at Illinois.
SPRINGFIELD -- The Illinois House overwhelmingly rejected the idea of a massive new business tax proposed by Gov. Rod Blagojevich, although the governor tried to portray Thursday's vote as a positive.House overwhelmingly rejects business tax proposal
Not a single lawmaker voted for the $7.6 billion tax, while 107 voted against it.
But before the vote, Blagojevich made a surprise request of lawmakers: Vote no.
He said House members should reject the resolution as a signal that they think it's too soon to take a firm position on the tax.
Lawmakers of both parties scoffed at his request, calling it an attempt to put a positive spin on what would otherwise have been a clear-cut defeat for his plan.
...
SALT LAKE CITY -- All Derek Fisher needed to do to inspire his teammates was make it to the game.Utah Jazz 127, Golden State Warriors 117 (OT)
He did so much more, capping a dramatic night by scoring all five of his points in overtime in Utah's 127-117 victory over Golden State on Wednesday night -- a game Fisher nearly missed while returning from New York, where his baby daughter underwent cancer surgery.
"I don't know how I got through this tonight. I really don't," said Fisher, who hit his only shot, a 3-pointer.
SALT LAKE CITY -- It was only appropriate that the Utah Jazz won on a rebound.Utah Jazz 116, Golden State Warriors 112
Carlos Boozer turned his 20th rebound into the tiebreaking basket with 17 seconds left, and Utah beat the Golden State Warriors 116-112 on Monday night in the opener of the Western Conference semifinals.
...
Boozer had 17 points to go with his 20 rebounds, Deron Williams finished with 31 points and eight assists and Andrei Kirilenko blocked seven shots for the Jazz, who will host Game 2 on Wednesday night.
The Jazz were playing just two nights after beating Houston in Game 7 of the first round and had enough stamina to outlast the Warriors.
"We just played hard," Williams said. "We didn't play our best game by any means."
(AP) CHICAGO The company owned by Senate President Emil Jones' stepson was doing contract work for ComEd's corporate parent at the time Jones blocked a rate freeze for the utility, according to a published report.Yeah, right! Emil Jones didn't know about his stepson's contract with Exelon. And I've got some valuable swampland in Florida that I'd like to sell you.
The Chicago Sun-Times reported in its Thursday editions that Exelon hired Synch-Solutions -- the firm owned by Jones' stepson John Sterling -- in 2004 to provide "software integration services."
But the utility would not tell the newspaper how much it paid Sterling's management consulting and technology services company or whether it thought the relationship was a conflict of interest for Jones.
Synch-Solutions and Exelon did not immediately return calls for comment from The Associated Press early Thursday morning.
Cindy Davidsmeyer, a spokeswoman for Jones, said the senator didn't know about his stepson's deal with Exelon.
...
State Senate President Emil Jones had a busy day on Friday...Emil Jones' Leadership and Mike Frerichs
Hear updated, streaming regional weather information on iTunes from NOAA Weather Radio WXJ76 (162.55 MHz) in Champaign, Illinois.
