Brian Culbertson's BCXII Video Blog 3 (Espresso)

I must admit: I was disappointed to see that Brian did not froth the milk for his cappuccino. :-)

Brian Culbertson's BCXII Video Blog 2 (part 2)

More from BC... This is a great series of video blogs!!!

Brian Culbertson's BCXII Video Blog 2 (part 1)

Here's Video Blog #2 (part 1) in the series...

Brian Culbertson's BCXII Video Blog 1 (Studio Tour)

This is the first of a long series of video blogs from Brian Culbertson highlighting the production of his latest CD.  What an awesome studio!!!

Dozey Trainspotter

Listen for the friendly "warning" that the cameraman gives "Dozey Trainspotter" right before...

Brian Culbertson - "Go"

Can you watch this video and not tap your foot to it?  Betcha can't!  You'll probably be singing it to yourself long after you hear it!  BC ROCKS!!!

Nice review of last night's "Lost" finale

First, let me tell you that I never watched even one minute of Lost in its six seasons on ABC-TV.  Not ONE minute.  I'm just one of those guys who watches live sports or reruns of live sports or DVDs of live sports or ESPN or ESPN2 or ESPNU (see a trend here?).  Oh, and I do thoroughly enjoy Seinfeld, The Office, and The King of Queens reruns too.  (See?  I'm a well-rounded television viewer!  I do enjoy many good movies too.)

But after watching one of my favorite Bond flicks, Casino Royale, on the Syfy Channel last night, and subsequently flipping through the channels looking for something else to indulge myself in, I DID watch the last half-hour of the series finale of Lost.  WOW!  That was powerful!  I sobbed through about 27 of those 30 minutes - and I didn't even know who Dr. Jack Shephard or his father were!  I think I missed out on something kinda cool during these past six years.

Anyway, click on the link below and read (Conservative Republican talk-show radio personality) Mark Davis' review of the Lost finale; I think you Lost fans might enjoy it.

http://markdavisshow.typepad.com/marksworld-multimedia-adv/2010/05/the-lost-finale.html

Stocks' Dive Stuns; Loss Briefly Hits 9% - Investors.com

"Fat fingers" are being blamed as a contributor to the huge sell-off on Thursday. Hmmm...

A CNBC report said a Citigroup (C) trader entered a "b" for billion rather an "m" for million in a trade. Citi dismissed the claim, saying it had found "no evidence" of any erroneous trading.

Procter & Gamble (PG) trading came under scrutiny after the normally staid consumer stock dived nearly 37% in a matter of minutes.

But an examination of minute-by-minute trading showed that the Dow and the rest of the market indexes were well into their plunges by the time P&G broke wide open.

Stocks' Dive Stuns; Loss Briefly Hits 9% - Investors.com

Speedtest results: AT&T U-verse High Speed Internet

Speedtest results: AT&T U-verse High Speed Internet

Nine straight! Illini 75, Mizzou 59!!!

The Illini improve to 11-1...

ST. LOUIS -- Demetri McCamey got out of Illinois coach Bruce Weber's doghouse in a hurry by leading a rout of Missouri (Unranked ESPN/USA Today, No. 25 AP).

McCamey scored all but two of his 20 points in an almost perfect first half of a 75-59 victory Tuesday night, the Fighting Illini's ninth straight in the annual Braggin' Rights game. Three days earlier, he had just seven points against Detroit.

"My first couple of shots, they were falling," McCamey said. "And I kept shooting."

Weber joked that maybe he should put McCamey on notice every week, noting that the sophomore guard was on his game from tipoff.

McCamey's 20 points power Illinois' manhandling of Missouri

The end of another successful Y-Hoops league season...

The Blazers finished off an unbeaten season this morning (with one tie) at 6-0-1. What a great team and what fun we had! Kudos and congratulations to all the Blazers:

• George
  
• Jack
  
• Joe
  
• Luke
  
• Maeve
  
• Michael
  
• Nick
  
• Pete
  
• Sam
  
• Tanner

We made huge strides, fundamentally, as a team. The YMCA referees purposely called more legitimate traveling and double-dribbling violations this fall, and our kids learned to adjust to these parameters. It troubled us at first, but by slowing down and maintaining control of the pace, our kids played their best ball in our last game of the season.

So the record for the "three-headed monster" players - George, Jack, Joe, Luke and Michael - and coaches now improves as follows:

Fall 2008:    6-0-1   0.929
Winter 2008:  6-1-0   0.857
Fall 2007:    7-0-0   1.000
Winter 2007:  7-0-0   1.000
---------------------------
Total:       26-1-1   0.946

We had a blast again this fall!

On to Park District hoops...

Congress Pushed Fannie, Freddie In Wrong Direction During 1990s

BY TERRY JONES
INVESTOR'S BUSINESS DAILY

Posted 9/25/2008

It was October 1992, nearly 15 years before the housing meltdown and subprime crisis.

Republican Rep. Jim Leach of Iowa was on the floor of the House, talking about something that no one at the time seemed to care about: the potential danger that Fannie Mae (FNM) and Freddie Mac (FRE) posed to the economy.

In remarks later reported by the Washington Post, Leach warned that Fannie and Freddie were changing "from being agencies of the public at large to money machines for the stockholding few."

Leach's prescient comments went unheeded — indeed, Congress spent the next decade and a half avoiding the alarms going off around Fannie and Freddie. Until, that is, it was too late.

Led by top Democrats, including Rep. Barney Frank in the House and Sen. Chris Dodd in the Senate, Congress not only did nothing about the growing risks at Fannie and Freddie, it in essence doubled down on their risks.

Congress Pushed Fannie, Freddie In Wrong Direction During 1990s

WBBM-TV: Feds may indict Blagojevich

CHICAGO (UPI) -- U.S. federal agents say they have enough evidence to indict Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich for fraud and conspiracy, WBBM-TV, Chicago, reported Thursday.

The CBS-owned station also said an indictment of Blagojevich, the first Democrat elected to Illinois' governorship in 30 years, was "not imminent."

WBBM-TV: Feds may indict Blagojevich

How A Clinton-Era Rule Rewrite Made Subprime Crisis Inevitable

BY TERRY JONES
INVESTOR'S BUSINESS DAILY

Posted 9/24/2008

One of the most frequently asked questions about the subprime market meltdown and housing crisis is: How did the government get so deeply involved in the housing market?

The answer is: President Clinton wanted it that way.

Fannie Mae (FNM) and Freddie Mac, (FRE) even into the early 1990s, weren't the juggernauts they'd later be.

While President Carter in 1977 signed the Community Reinvestment Act, which pushed Fannie and Freddie to aggressively lend to minority communities, it was Clinton who supercharged the process. After entering office in 1993, he extensively rewrote Fannie's and Freddie's rules.

In so doing, he turned the two quasi-private, mortgage-funding firms into a semi-nationalized monopoly that dispensed cash to markets, made loans to large Democratic voting blocs and handed favors, jobs and money to political allies. This potent mix led inevitably to corruption and the Fannie-Freddie collapse.

How A Clinton-Era Rule Rewrite Made Subprime Crisis Inevitable

'Crony' Capitalism Is Root Cause Of Fannie And Freddie Troubles

BY TERRY JONES
INVESTOR'S BUSINESS DAILY

Posted 9/22/2008

In the past couple of weeks, as the financial crisis has intensified, a new talking point has emerged from the Democrats in Congress: This is all a "crisis of capitalism," in socialist financier George Soros' phrase, and a failure to regulate our markets sufficiently.

Well, those critics may be right — it is a crisis of capitalism. A crisis of politically driven crony capitalism, to be precise.

Indeed, Democrats have so effectively mastered crony capitalism as a governing strategy that they've convinced many in the media and the public that they had nothing whatsoever to do with our current financial woes.

'Crony' Capitalism Is Root Cause Of Fannie And Freddie Troubles

Cool site: SyscraperPage.com - Chicago, IL

Only highrise buildings that have a drawing are shown, ordered by official height. Includes buildings of built, under-construction and proposed status.

SyscraperPage.com - Chicago, IL

The Chicago Spire

Have you heard about the soon-to-be-built Chicago Spire?

Scheduled for completion in 2011 and designed to stand 2000 feet tall and include 150 floors, this new residential tower - currently under construction at 400 N. Lake Shore Drive - will soon be the tallest free-standing tower in North America and the tallest all-residential building in the world. The Chicago Spire will surpass Chicago's own Sears Tower, which stands 1450 feet tall, New York's upcoming Freedom Tower, planned to be 1776 feet tall, and Toronto's CN Tower, which stands 1815 feet tall.

Here is a link to the official Chicago Spire Web site: http://www.thechicagospire.com/

And here are links to two informational videos of the Chicago Spire:

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNI37ncgdXQ
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FpGsWa3kV8c

Be sure to check out the image gallery at http://www.thechicagospire.com/building/imagegallery/. Click on the FULLSCREEN link in the bottom right hand corner of the images to see them largest and best.

Artist's rendering of the Chicago Spire as it will be seen from Lake Michigan

Fascinating stuff, indeed!

Nathan Scheelhaase - new Illini football commitment

Another Juice Williams! GO ILLINI!



Two more videos are linked on the left side column; Segment #2 has the commitment announcement...
http://www.kcondemand.com/MetroSports.aspx

Chicago's "Cloud Gate" bean - COOL!!!

Photo by Dan O'Brien

Millennium Park's stainless steel "Cloud Gate" bean - what a cool sculpture!

For more details on the "Cloud Gate", check out http://gct13.com/e/20080312/chicago-bean and http://www.millenniumpark.org/artandarchitecture/cloud_gate.html.

2008 College World Series Bracket

This year's field of eight includes:
1. Miami, FL
2. North Carolina
3. Florida State
4. Rice
5. Georgia
6. LSU
7. Stanford
8. Fresno State

Bracket

UI would get 2.8% increase in funding

SPRINGFIELD – The state budget sent to Gov. Rod Blagojevich would give the University of Illinois $19.9 million more in operating funds next year, or a 2.8 percent increase.

That would help the university plug a $17 million gap in the $4.1 billion preliminary 2008-09 budget approved by UI trustees in late May. That budget, based on no additional state funding, showed $51 million in new income next year – mostly from tuition – but about $68 million in new costs.

"This is a little larger increase than last year. This certainly will be helpful to the university, there's no question about that," said Rick Schoell, UI executive director of governmental relations, trying to sort out budget details Saturday night.

UI would get 2.8% increase in funding

Homeless James Bond Part 2

"Bond. Vagabond. Homeless 007 is back again."

read more | digg story

Homeless James Bond 007

"This should be in theaters soon."

read more | digg story

A Limbaugh Analysis of Oil Prices

RUSH: 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.

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.

A Limbaugh Analysis of Oil Prices

YouTube video: "The Comcast Cable Guy Who Fell Asleep In My House"

NICE, Comcast!!! I'll stick with my AT&T DSL, thank you very much.

Gerry DiNardo Previews Illinois Football

Microsoft, Intel to build two college computing centers

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.

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."

Microsoft, Intel to build two college computing centers

Hockey club named national champions

What an amazing season! GO ILLINI!!!

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.

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.

Hockey club named national champions: No. 1 Illinois beats No. 2 Lindenwood to finish season undefeated, 38-0-0

Illini Hockey - Undefeated 2008 ACHA National Champions!

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

Y-Basketball: Bulls 28, Spurs 10

The Bulls completed another fine Y-Basketball league season with a solid 28-10 victory from the Spurs last Saturday morning at the Champaign County YMCA.

Balanced scoring was the rule for the Bulls in this contest: Henry, George and Joe set the pace with 6 points each, while Tobin added 4 and Michael, Jarron and Luke each added a bucket. Rory and Nathan also played, but did not score.

Solid defense again keyed numerous fast-break opportunities for the Bulls. And the Bulls enjoyed another strong performance from their backcourt: good ball-handling, good passing and few turnovers resulted in another outstanding ballgame.

Congrats to the Spurs' Max and Johnny, who played great games on Saturday as well. Max led all scorers in the game with 8 points and Johnny added the other 2 for the Spurs. It's always difficult playing (and coaching) against your friends.

And so the Bulls finish the Winter 2008 league with a 6-1 record and high hopes for more success in the future. The nucleus of this team - including George, Joe, Michael, Tobin, Luke and Nathan - has posted the following (unofficial) won/loss Y-league records over the past twelve months:

Winter 2008:  6-1   0.857
Fall 2007:    7-0   1.000
Winter 2007:  7-0   1.000
-------------------------
Total:       20-1   0.952

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.

I should mention that the Champaign County YMCA does not condone keeping score or declaring winners or losers in our basketball games at this level. But a year ago, when we started to come together as a team, we coaches noticed that this group of kids was special. Our team seemed to gravitate to success rather quickly. It was this success that prompted me - and several other team parents - to start unofficially tracking game scores. Most parents seem to want to know if we're winning or losing anyway. It sure is nice when you can inform them that we're winning.

Y-Basketball: Bulls 28, Suns 18

Tobin's 10 points in the paint carried the Bulls to a 28-18 victory from the Suns this morning in YMCA Youth Basketball at the Champaign County YMCA.

Tobin got things going early in his breakout game for the Bulls, positioning himself in the paint and taking advantage of a porous Suns interior defense. At the other end of the court, the Bulls played another typically strong defensive game and coasted with comfortable leads throughout the first three quarters, leading 26-10 after three periods were complete.

But poor ball handling and some rushed shooting by the Bulls in the fourth quarter allowed the Suns to cut into the lead with an 8-2 run.

Henry had another strong game in the paint, adding 6 points for the Bulls. George and Joe each had 4, and Michael and Nathan each hit a basket for 2 points apiece to round out the scoring for the good guys, who improve to 5-1 with the victory. Henry, Tobin, George, Joe and Michael did a solid job rebounding in the game. And Nathan and Joe provided excellent ballhandling skills throughout their three quarters of action.

Next up for the Bulls: the final game of the league season against the Spurs at 9 AM this Saturday at the Champaign County YMCA.

Crimson and sour cream: Indiana heads for a fall

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.

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.

Crimson and sour cream: Indiana heads for a fall

Sampson out at Indiana; Hoosiers head to Northwestern with Dakich as coach

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (AP)—The long legacy of Indiana basketball began a new chapter Saturday.

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.

Sampson out at Indiana; Hoosiers head to Northwestern with Dakich as coach

Illinois Memorial Stadium Rededication Set for Sept. 6

Feb. 13, 2008

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."

Illinois Memorial Stadium Rededication Set for Sept. 6: Illini legends, throwback jerseys create special event

Indiana gets list of alleged violations related to phone calls

Well, well, well... I guess former Hoosier basketball greats Kent Benson and Ted Kitchell were justified in returning their Hoosier season basketball tickets after all.

It's called karma, IU fans. Your pathetic athletic director hired a known cheater, and now not only is coach Cellphone Sandscum's job in jeopardy, Greenspan's job is under scrutiny too.

The house of cards that is Cellphone Sandscum's IU basketball team is coming down - soon.

Too freakin' bad, Hoosiers. But enjoy the rest of your tainted season. Oh, and by the way, give EJ Gordon and his fine family our regards and well wishes as Junior moves away from all the impending trouble in Bloomington and on to the NBA next year.

We Illini fans are loving every minute of this. Oh, and so are Purdue fans, Ohio State fans, Notre Dame fans...

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.

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.

Indiana gets list of alleged violations related to phone calls

NCAA: Sampson misled IU about calls

NCAA allegations

NCAA letter to IU

New tires for our Lexus: Goodyear Eagle featuring ResponsEdge Technology

Well, kids, it's about time to install new tires on our 1999 Lexus ES 300. I narrowed my final choices down to two Goodyear tires: the Assurance featuring TripleTred Technology and the Eagle featuring ResponsEdge Technology. And after extensive research - including information on design specs and customer product reviews at TireRack.com - I have settled on purchasing the Eagle with ResponsEdge Technology for our Lexus.

Twin City Tire, one of Champaign's certified Goodyear dealers, is going to install these tires and complete a four-wheel alignment on the car, which has been handling extremely poorly for a few weeks now. At first I thought all the vibration in the steering wheel was coming from cruising the crumbling streets of Champaign-Urbana, but the vibration has only intensified and worsened in the last week. I just don't trust the old (original!) Michelin MXV4s that are currently on the car anymore - they're toast.

I'll post here again with my impressions after I have a chance to drive the Lexus with the new Eagles installed...

ISU hockey loses twice to Fighting Illini

27-0!!! GO ILLINI!!!

Feb. 4 — (UWIRE) AMES, Iowa — The Cyclone hockey team is picking up the pieces after two eerily similar losses.

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.

...

ISU hockey loses twice to Fighting Illini

Y-Basketball: Celtics 14, Bulls 12

The one-year-plus winning streak is over.

It was great fun while it lasted, but the Bulls couldn't get the job done against the upstart Celtics this morning and took their first loss of the league season, 14-12.

Luke scored the first basket of the game for the Bulls and we took a quick 2-0 lead. But that was our only lead of the game as the Celtics scored six straight to grab a 6-2 advantage. The Bulls were forced to play catch-up for the remainder of the contest and the Celtics' biggest lead was 12-6. The Bulls made a nice run in the end, outscoring the Celtics 6-2, but it wasn't enough to gain the victory. Ironically, George made a 10-foot jumper just after the third quarter buzzer sounded that would have tied this game at 14.

We coaches decided to try teaching and running a stack offense for this game: But the Bulls players struggled mightily with this offense and ultimately, that confusion likely cost us the game. Everyone was just too mechanical out on the floor trying to run the stack, and it was clear that there was too much thinking going on and not enough intuitive playing or having fun. In fact, the Bulls got to the point of frustration, running more one-on-one than any other team offense. There were far too many long jumpers going up and clanging off the rim. The good news is that the YMCA refs are letting us play run-and-gun: This is our bread and butter as our tough defense creates easy scoring opportunities for us.

Michael and Joe paced the Bulls with four points apiece. Michael played very hard again, grabbing rebounds and loose balls and hustling on defense. Henry and Luke each added a basket to round out the scoring for the good guys.

The Bulls continue on with a 2-1 record. Next up: a game against the Heat at 9 AM at the Champaign County YMCA.

Council concerned about possible Amtrak delays

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.

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.

Council concerned about possible Amtrak delays

No future for FutureGen?

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.

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.

No future for FutureGen?

Illini Hockey sweeps Ohio in dramatic shootout

The #1 Illini remarkably improve to 25-0 on the season...

Hockey sweeps Ohio in dramatic shootout

Y-Basketball: Bulls 32, Spurs 8

This one started out UGLY. Both teams got out to lackadaisical, sloppy starts. Turnovers were everywhere. No one could hit a shot. The (unofficial) score was 0-0 until the 2:45 mark of the first quarter, when Joe converted a short jumper for the Bulls.

But the Bulls found their stride, posting an easy 32-8 victory from the Spurs in Champaign County YMCA Hoops last Saturday.

Henry, a newcomer to the Bulls team this season, paced the winners with 10 points - all of which he scored in the paint; he also came up with a bunch of rebounds. George had a nice game with 8 points (he made one basket from half-court at the final buzzer!), Joe added 6 points, Nathan also played a great game and had 4 points, and Michael and Luke each added a basket for 2 points apiece.

While diving to the floor for a loose ball in the first quarter, Michael fell on his left knee and bruised it slightly. He was a little gimpy for the rest of the game, but he continued to play hard through his discomfort.

The Bulls improve to 2-0 in the league. I cannot remember when we last lost a Y-basketball game - I do know that it was sometime in the Fall 2006 league.

Next up: a game against the Celtics this Saturday at 9 AM at the Champaign County YMCA.

Y-Basketball: Bulls 18, Suns 4 (3 quarters)

Michael got the 2008 Winter YMCA Youth Basketball season started with another baseline jumper - only this shot came from the right side of the basket and not his favorite left side.

His shot came just seconds into this contest: It was, undoubtedly, the first basket of the Winter Y-league season. And it was one of two baskets Michael converted in the first quarter, as the Bulls coasted to an easy 18-4 victory in a shortened, three-quarter game at the Champaign County YMCA on Saturday, January 19.

Michael not only scored, but he hustled. He rebounded, he dove on the floor for loose balls, and he played in-your-face defense for the one quarter he played in this contest. I only wish he could have played another quarter: He was scheduled to play in the fourth period, but the game was called due to time constraints.

Joe led the Bulls with 6 points, George had 4 points, and Nathan and Tobin each added a basket for 2 points for the good guys.

The Bulls start the winter league at 1-0. Next up is a game against the Spurs at 9 AM on Saturday, January 26 at the Champaign County YMCA.

Cramuh was right five months ago...

...when he melted down on CNBC's "Street Signs" program with Erin Burnett.

Our new digital SLR camera: the Canon EOS 40D

And here are some reviews of the digital EOS 40D:

• Amazon.com customer reviews


• BobAtkins.com


• Camera Labs


• Camera Labs compares the EOS 40D with a few other DSLR cameras


• CNET


• CNET Asia


• DCRP


• dpreview.com


• Imaging Resource


• photo.net


• PhotographyBLOG


• The World According to Roland

Another Head set to commit to Illini basketball

As has been expected for several weeks, Rich South sophomore guard Crandall Head plans to announce he will attend Illinois.

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.

Another Head set to commit to Illini basketball

Ex-Kentucky SG Legion to transfer to Illinois

Despite his mother publicly favoring Notre Dame, Alex Legion has opted 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."

Ex-Kentucky SG Legion to transfer to Illinois

FutureGen chooses Mattoon!!!

Mattoon, Illinois was chosen by the FutureGen Alliance this morning as the site for the world's first coal-fueled, near-zero emissions power plant. Other finalists for the site included Tuscola, Illinois; Odessa, Texas; and Heart of Brazos, TX (near Jewett, TX).

FutureGen is a public-private partnership to design, build, and operate the power plant, at an estimated net project cost of US $1.5 billion. The commercial-scale plant will prove the technical and economic feasibility of producing low-cost electricity and hydrogen from coal while nearly eliminating emissions.

Congratulations to the city of Mattoon, the people of Coles County (and across the great state of Illinois) and all those who were involved in securing this very significant decision from the FutureGen Alliance.

Official announcement

Y-Basketball: Bulls 30, Heat 14

The Bulls capped off another undefeated (7-0) league season this morning with a nice 30-14 victory from the Heat at the Champaign County YMCA.

Defense ruled the day again for the Bulls: The Bulls have made a living off their opponents' turnovers this season and this game was no exception. Quentin, Joe, Michael and Luke especially got their share of interceptions as they have all learned to anticipate their opponents' passes and find their way into passing lanes.

Quentin was the difference-maker today with his steals and fast-break layups as he totaled 14 points for the winners. Adam (Mr. Windex) had another solid game in the paint, collecting numerous rebounds and converting four short jumpers for 8 big points. Joe had a couple of nice midrange bank shots go down for 4 points, and both Jack and Michael chipped in with a basket apiece. (Micheal's swished basket again came from the left baseline, his favorite spot on the court.)

And so another great YMCA league season concludes for everyone - all the coaches and kids had a great time and we're already looking forward to the start of the next basketball season on January 19.

Y-Basketball: Bulls 34, Raptors 10

Quentin paced the Bulls with 10 points - most of which came via steals and fast break lay-ups - and the Bulls coasted to an easy 34-10 victory from the Raptors this morning in Champaign County YMCA Youth Basketball.

The Bulls got out to another sluggish start in this game, trailing 6-4 to the Raptors after the first quarter. Slow starts have not been uncommon for this Bulls team. But after turning up the defensive pressure in the second quarter, they held the Raptors scoreless in the period and took a comfortable 14-6 lead into the short halftime break.

The Bulls owned the second half of this one, outscoring the Raptors 20-4 to close out their sixth consecutive victory without a loss this fall. Week after week, this Bulls team creates offense with its tough defense.

Joe had 8 points, Jack added 6, George and Luke each had 4, and Adam added a basket for 2 points to round out a balanced scoring attack for the Bulls.

Quentin, Joe, Luke, Michael, George, Jack and Adam all had steals in this game. Many of these steals came from anticipating passes and intercepting those passes before they reached their intended targets. Quentin showcased his fast break skills nicely in this game. The Bulls' large number of steals limited the number of shot attempts for the Raptors.

The Bulls improve to 6-0 this season with one game remaining next Saturday at 10:00 AM against the Heat.

GO BULLS!

Y-Basketball: Bulls 28, Mavericks 18

Just when you thought that the Bulls had played their best game of the season (as I mentioned in last week's Blog entry for the 26-16 victory against the Spurs), the Bulls found a way to top that performance last Saturday morning with a dramatic 28-18 victory from the talented Mavericks in Champaign County YMCA Basketball.

The older, more mature Mavs jumped all over the Bulls after the opening whistle and they easily built an 8-2 advantage by the end of the first period (Quentin scored our only basket in the quarter). We coaches were even questioning our decision to introduce some 2-3 Zone-attacking offense to the kids in the practice session prior to the game. Our starting five just looked shellshocked in that first quarter - standing around, not hustling, not playing fundamentally solid defense, not rebounding. We were, basically, one-and-done each time at the offensive end of the court and we weren't hitting our shots.

So we went back to a more simple approach on offense, starting with the second quarter. And the Bulls started clicking. And, as it typically happens, our increasing success on offense fueled a much stronger effort at the defensive end of the court. The Bulls started to get defensive stops, pass interceptions, and rebounds. The momentum that the Mavs enjoyed in the first quarter had all but disappeared while the Bulls were clearly back in the game and starting to do some good things on the floor. The second half pretty much belonged to the Bulls and we coasted to a nice 10-point win from a solid (previously unbeaten?) team.

The Bulls were very balanced on offense: Joe paced the team with 8 points, and George, Jack and Quentin all added 6 points apiece. Luke made a nice mid-range jumper for the remaining 2 Bulls points. Rebounds were plentiful for the Bulls. Unfortunately, I don't usually have a chance to keep good rebounding stats so I cannot report who grabbed them. Just know that George, Jack, Johnny, Joe, Quentin, Michael and Luke all shared in the strong rebounding effort. There was another multi-offensive rebounding possession for the Bulls in this game: As I recall, we grabbed three - and possibly four - boards following missed shots, only to finish the possession with a basket. Coaches love to see offensive rebounds like this!

By the way, the 28 points were a new game-high offensive total for the Bulls. And the ten-point victory is our second straight such margin of victory. One other interesting statistic: The Bulls have increased their offensive output in each successive game this season, having scored 14, 16, 18, 26 and 28 points in their five games this season.

Michael continues to play solid defense - his hands are very active and he is good at stealing errant passes and grabbing loose balls. He does a lot of the dirty work that needs to be done when he's on the floor. He also added at least 2 (and possibly 3) rebounds for the Bulls. Even though MJ did not score a basket in this game, he scored with his hustle, defense, rebounding and toughness. He continues to make me very proud as I watch him grow on the court week after week.

Unofficially, but accurately, these Bulls are now 5-0 this season. (I know we're not supposed to focus on the scores of our Y games, but I can't help it!) And several of our current nine-man roster were involved in winning all 7 games last spring and our 2 final games in the Fall of 2006 season. So, we've been winners of 14 straight games dating back to a year ago. That's a nice accomplishment and it's been a blast to be a part of this!

Next up for the Bulls: a game with the Raptors at 9:00 AM this Saturday at the Champaign County YMCA.

LET'S GO BULLS!!!

Y-Basketball: Bulls 26, Spurs 16

The Bulls had just five players report to the Y this morning but arguably, the team played its best game of the season - a decisive 26-16 victory from the Spurs.

The Spurs got out to a 6-4 lead at the end of the first quarter, but from that point on it was all Bulls. Adam played his best game of the season. Luke played his best game of the season. Johnny played his best game of the season. Jack played his best game of the season. And Michael certainly played his best game of the season.

Adam - I was calling him "Mr. Windex" - was just a monster in the paint, hauling down rebounds (cleaning the glass at both ends) in a huge way. He scored big too, breaking out with 12 points and he looked dominant in doing so. Jack added 6 points and he, too, was a force on the glass. Michael chipped in with two nice baseline baskets for 4 points to go along with several nice rebounds. Luke was a holy terror on defense, picking errant passes and chasing loose balls; he also added a nice rebound basket for 2 points. And Johnny got his first basket of the season today to go along with 3 or 4 rebounds. This was a total team effort - at both ends of the court. All five kids played the entire game and I couldn't be prouder of them for their efforts today. Coaches Rodawig and Stilger would have been proud of them too.

Next up for these undefeated (4-0) Bulls: the Mavericks at 10:00 AM next Saturday at the Champaign County YMCA.

GO BULLS!!!

Y-Basketball: Bulls 18, Celtics 16

It was another close game for the Bulls last Saturday at the Champaign County YMCA: The Bulls had just enough to outlast the Celtics, 18-16 to remain undefeated in YMCA Youth Basketball.

George set the pace for the Bulls with 6 big points and Jack, Quentin and Joe each added 4 to round out the scoring.

They say that good teams find ways to win. Even though the Bulls might have played their least efficient game of the season last Saturday, they found a way to pull out a hard-fought victory. Tough defense and reounding - both of which having been characteristics of this Bulls team up to this point - were subpar in the game and yet the Bulls came out just ahead of an older team once again.

Michael played the 3 position during the game; he is trying to find his way in this new position and even though he didn't score, he was very active on the glass and in the paint. He is hustling and doing a lot of "dirty work" - stuff that doesn't show up in the box score - for the team.

The Bulls move on with an unofficial 3-0 record. Next up, tomorrow at the Champaign County YMCA: the Spurs at 10 AM. Attendance is always unpredictable on the Saturday following Thanksgiving, so we'll see who shows up to play.

GO BULLS!

Y-Basketball: Bulls 16, Suns 12

The Bulls had just enough manpower and toughness to take a nice 16-12 victory from the Suns in Champaign County YMCA Youth Basketball this morning.

Five roster players showed up to play for the Bulls on this Veterans Day weekend: Johnny, George, Jack (welcome back, Jack!), Quentin and Michael. The Bulls trailed early, mainly due to some cold shooting, but the quintet hustled and played good defense - two characteristics of this team - to stay in the game. The Bulls failed to score in the second quarter but held the Suns scoreless in the third quarter to take subtle command of the game.

Only two Bulls players scored: Quentin had an outstanding game and easily led all players with 10 points and George added the remaining big six points for the winners. Michael swished a baseline jumper at the end of the third quarter, but it was good after the buzzer and would not have counted. Quentin also led the Bulls with 5 rebounds while Michael had 3, George grabbed 3, Jack had 3 and Johnny claimed 2. George and Jack paced the Bulls with 4 steals apiece; Michael and Quentin each had 2 thefts.

This was a good victory for these young Bulls as the Suns are not only a little older than our kids, they have some nice talent. Hayes is an outstanding shooter from long range and Michael has really improved since he was on our first Y team last year. Alex, Heyden and Nathan were tough as well.

The Bulls move on with an unofficial 2-0 record and will play the Celtics next Saturday morning at 10:00 at the Champaign County YMCA.

I want one of...

these.

Ricky Bright - the manager of The Music Shoppe in downtown Champaign, Illinois - showed me his and now I'm hooked.

Y-Basketball: Bulls 14, Lakers 10

The YMCA Youth Basketball season is again underway and this morning the Bulls opened the season with a nice victory from the well-coached Lakers, 14-10.

Typical of a season's first game, defense (and some sloppy, rusty offense) dictated at both ends of the floor. The Bulls' offense was very balanced in this contest: Michael, Joe, and George all led the Bulls with 4 points each. Quentin - a late addition to our team - chipped in a basket for 2 points and played very well, especially at the point. Michael, who played at the 3-spot, also claimed 2 rebounds and a steal, played good defense along the left baseline, and hustled (as he always does). Adam led the Bulls in rebounds with 5 and played nice defense at center in the paint.

And so the Bulls open the new season with a 1-0 record and will face the Suns on November 10 at the Family Fitness Center in Champaign at 9:00 next week.

GO BULLS!

Crandall Head nearing a decision

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.

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 nearing a decision

Crandall Head sounds like he’s on board

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.

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.”

Crandall Head sounds like he’s on board

MJ revs up Illini

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.

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.

MJ revs up Illini

Bruce Weber Strikes Again! Class Of 2008 Chicago Simeon Star Stan Simpson Verbally Commits To Play Collegiately For The University Of Illinois

Brian Stinnette
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.

Bruce Weber Strikes Again! Class Of 2008 Chicago Simeon Star Stan Simpson Verbally Commits To Play Collegiately For The University Of Illinois

Head Coach Bruce Weber And The University Of Illinois Pick Up A Huge Verbal From Class Of 2009 Peoria Central Star D.J. Richardson

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.

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.

Head Coach Bruce Weber, And The University Of Illinois Pick Up A Huge Verbal From Class Of 2009 Peoria Central Star D.J. Richardson

Bruce Weber Is On Fire!

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.

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.

Bruce Weber Is On Fire! Illinois Scores A Second Huge Verbal As Class Of 2009 Warren Township Star Brandon Paul Verbals To The Illini

It Is Now Officially A Party In Champaign!

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.

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.

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

Howard Named Assistant Coach: Former Illini point guard returns to alma mater

Sept. 19, 2007

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.

Howard Named Assistant Coach: Former Illini point guard returns to alma mater

Notes on Webster and possible replacements

Mentions three guys who could be considered for the opening: Billy Garrett, Brian Davis and Robert Smith...

Notes on Webster and possible replacements

DISH Network®, the Leader in College Sports, Adds Big Ten Network

Finally!!! Thank you, DISH Network!!!
:-)

DISH Network®, the Leader in College Sports, Adds Big Ten Network

Illinois loses Webster, Chicago ties

Illinois loses Webster, Chicago ties

And from yesterday...
Webster release

Well, as "hard" as Webster worked the Chicago area recruiting for the Illini, he sure didn't reap many rewards, Jereme Richmond notwithstanding. Reading between the lines, the short, cliche farewell statement from Coach Weber seems to hint at possible personality issues between he and Webster. Whatever the case may be, this looms as a very important hire for Coach Weber: He must get Illini basketball back in favor with Chicagoland - more so than Coach Webster had done.

Americans' Confidence in Congress at All-Time Low: Confidence in most institutions drops

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.

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.

Americans' Confidence in Congress at All-Time Low: Confidence in most institutions drops

Supercomputer at UI looks like a lock

Here comes a $208 million supercomputer to the U of I campus... It is scheduled to go online in 2011.

Supercomputer at UI looks like a lock

U. of Illinois Alumnus Pledges $100M

WOW!!!

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.

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.

U. of Illinois Alumnus Pledges $100M
UI grad donates 100 million for science, engineering

Big Ten Baseball Tournament Game 1: Illinois 12, Iowa 3

So sorry for your first-round tournament loss, UFI! Tanner Roark (8-2) went the distance for the Illini and took it to the Freakin' Hawkeyes for the second time this season. Now it's on to the Winner's Bracket up in Ann Arbor, Michigan!!! Appropriately, UFI heads to the Loser's Bracket...

Big Ten Baseball Tournament Game 1: Illinois 12, Iowa 3

2007 Big Ten Baseball Tournament

NCAA Men's Tennis National Championship: #1 Georgia 4, #10 Illinois 0

There's no shame in losing to this extremely talented Georgia men's tennis team. What an outstanding season for Coach Brad Dancer and the Fighting Illini!!!

No. 10 Illini Fall in National Title Match To Unbeaten No. 1 Georgia
Rowe and Spicijaric Earn NCAA All-Tournament Team Honors

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.

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.

NCAA Men's Tennis National Championship: #1 Georgia 4, #10 Illinois 0

NCAA Men's Tennis National Semifinal: #10 Illinois 4, #3 Baylor 3

Rowe Clinches Illini Berth into NCAA Finals; Illinois Dismisses Baylor, 4-3:
Illini Will Face the Winner of Georgia and Virginia in the Finals

Junior Ryan Rowe's three-set victory at No. 2 singles propels Illinois into finals on Tuesday.

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).

NCAA Men's Tennis National Semifinal: #10 Illinois 4, #3 Baylor

2007 NCAA Men's Tennis Tournament Results:

• #10 Illinois 4, #54 Western Michigan 0
  
• #10 Illinois 4, #21 Michigan 2
  
• #10 Illinois 4, #7 Ole Miss 3
  
• #10 Illinois 4, #2 Ohio State 2
  
• #10 Illinois 4, #3 Baylor

Illinois 8, Michigan State 7

Davis, Toohey Lift Illini Into Tourney with 8-7 Comeback Win:
Davis Homers Twice, Toohey Tosses 4 1/3 Shutout Innings; Illini Face Iowa Wednesday

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.

"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."

Illinois 8, Michigan State 7

Illinois 6, Michigan State 5

Relentless Illini Come From Behind to Down Spartans, 6-5:
Roark, Toohey Tie Records; Rohde Drives in 4

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.

"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.

Illinois 6, Michigan State 5

The new hoop is up!!!

Here it is - our new 72" Spalding basketball goal!!! Just installed this morning!!! Many thanks to A.J. and Brian for all their help putting it up!!!

Spalding Maximum Performance Series Arena View 72" Backboard System

How does Blago recover from this?

:-)

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?

Utah Jazz 115, Golden State Warriors 101

Utah leads this series, 3-1...

OAKLAND, Calif. -- The Utah Jazz sure knew how to close a great show.

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.

Utah Jazz 115, Golden State Warriors 101

Illini Break Out Brooms with 7-2 Win Over Indiana

The Illini are now tied for fifth place in the Big Ten with Ohio State...

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.

"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."

Illini Break Out Brooms with 7-2 Win Over Indiana

Illinois Wins Big Ten Outdoor Championship!

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.

"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."

Illinois Wins Big Ten Outdoor Championship!

Georgia on Their Mind; Illini down Michigan, 4-2, to Advance into Round of 16

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.

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.

Georgia on Their Mind; Illini down Michigan, 4-2, to Advance into Round of 16

House overwhelmingly rejects business tax proposal

Here's the latest from the Chicago spin doctor...

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.

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.

...

House overwhelmingly rejects business tax proposal

Utah Jazz 127, Golden State Warriors 117 (OT)

2-0, Utah... On to Oakland for Game 3...

SALT LAKE CITY -- All Derek Fisher needed to do to inspire his teammates was make it to the game.

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.

Utah Jazz 127, Golden State Warriors 117 (OT)

Utah Jazz 116, Golden State Warriors 112

1-0, Utah...

SALT LAKE CITY -- It was only appropriate that the Utah Jazz won on a rebound.

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."

Utah Jazz 116, Golden State Warriors 112

Report: ComEd Link To Senate President's Stepson - Emil Jones' Stepson Reportedly Has Contract With ComEd Parent Company

(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.

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.

...

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.

Multiple links on this story:

• CBS2Chicago.com: Report: ComEd Link To Senate President's Stepson
  Emil Jones' Stepson Reportedly Has Contract With ComEd Parent Company


• ABC7Chicago.com: Report: Jones' stepson has company contract with Exelon


• SunTimes.com: Joneses plugged in to power: SPRINGFIELD | Stepson does business with firm that gets lots of help from senator


• Daily Herald: Jones sits in the eye of a brewing political storm

IlliniPundit.com: Emil Jones' Leadership and Mike Frerichs

State Senate President Emil Jones had a busy day on Friday...

Emil Jones' Leadership and Mike Frerichs

Champaign County YMCA Youth Flag Football: Packers 12, Patriots 12

He did it!

Michael caught a pass from quarterback and coach Andy Ingram and ran almost the entire length of the field for a touchdown - the first touchdown of the new flag football season - and the undermanned Packers tied the Patriots 12-12 in YMCA Youth Flag Football this morning at Centennial High School in Champaign.

Just four players showed up for the Packers so this was a game of four-on-four throughout. But the Packers fought hard the whole way, taking the lead first on Michael's catch and long run. The Patriots then tied the game at 6-6 on their own breakaway run before the half. The Pack then reclaimed the lead as Jeffery bulled his way into the endzone on a 10-yard run. And just before the game ended, the Patriots came up with another long breakout touchdown run to tie the game at 12.

In my opinion, Michael was the player of the game for the Pack - he often looked like the best player on the field. He picked up right where he left off with his tenacity on defense: He's not afraid to go to the ball and make plays.

And so the Packers advance with a 0-0-1 record and they will play against the Bears next Saturday, April 28, at Centennial High School.

GO PACKERS!!!

Illinois 6, Iowa 2

Nice to go on the road to Freakin' Iowa City and get a strong pitching performance from Tanner Roark (4-1) and an easy 6-2 Illini win from UFI. Roark scattered 7 hits, struck out 6, and allowed just one earned run in seven innings of work.

The Illini improve to 7-4 in the Big Ten - currently sitting in third place in the conference - and 17-14 overall. The Illini have won 6 of their last 7 games overall.

Steve Turnbull (2-2) takes the loss for Freakin' Iowa, which falls to 4-8 in the Big Ten, 15-15 overall.

The Illini and UFI will face off again tomorrow in a double-header in Freakin' Iowa City with the first game scheduled for 2:00 PM.

Illinois 6, Iowa 2

Champaign County YMCA Youth Basketball: Celtics 18, Suns 14

The Celtics saved their best for last.

Trailing 12-8 at the start of the fourth quarter after going scoreless in the third quarter, the Celtics used a huge 10-2 run to overcome a tough Suns team, 18-14, in YMCA Kindergarten Basketball this morning in Champaign. Before the guys took the floor for the final time this spring, Coach Dan told the team: "This is it, guys! This is the last quarter of our season, and we need you to step up and play your best out there so we can finish strong. Have fun and let's go to work." And that's exactly what happened.

Combining a stifling defense with some opportunistic sharp-shooting, the Celtics made their finest push of the season just when they needed it most. Jack had an unbelievable quarter, hitting two LONG three-pointers from somewhere out near Mahomet, Joe added a couple easy hoops off the glass, and Tobin played perhaps his best game of the season, grabbing more than his share of rebounds for the boys in green. Michael's and Nathan's aggressive defense on the wings created some nice opportunities for the Celtics as well.

Give credit to Thomas too: Thomas kept the Celtics in the game in the first three quarters today, hitting a couple nice jumpers and rebounding like a guy who is paid to rebound basketballs.

The Suns were the aggressors early. They often knifed through a porous Celtics defense for easy hoops or easy rebounds and second-chance baskets. And one Suns player in particular - I'm not sure what his name is - was shooting lights-out, ONE-HANDED from behind the three-point line: I think he came away with at least 6 points on three really tough shots. In the first three quarters, this game was paced by the Suns, with their deliberate approach and aggressive defense.

But good teams find ways to win games, and the Celtics proved today - and all season - that they had what it takes to be successful. Unofficially, the good guys finished the season 7-0. What a great accomplishment for these kids!!!

After the final whistle, the referee assembled both teams - in two lines, facing all the parents in the crowd - at half court for the trophy presentations. He called out the name of each participant and handed each kid a nice commemorative trophy. I loved every moment of this!

Ending an undefeated season like this one is certainly a bittersweet moment for this first-time assistant coach. I absolutely had a blast with these nine tremendous kids, Coach Dan and Coach Mike, and all the parents. We all have a lot to be proud of, and it is my hope that we can get everyone back together again next fall for another success-filled season on the courts at the Champaign County YMCA.

GO CELTICS!!!