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raison d'être
This is attempt number two at writing this article. I'll start by telling you how attempt #1 failed horribly.
I didn't want to keep anyone up, so I came down to write in the lobby of my hotel. There wasn't a soul in the
NCAA Tournament XV: Lonely River
This is the SOC. And it's perhaps the most aptly named STREAM Of Consciousness post of all time. This is where I write out my feelings about the game tomorrow. And I won't edit it. I'll write a bunch of words, I'll
NCAA Tournament XIV: Where I Stand
It's 12:14 am. I've tossed out whatever drivel I was writing earlier. I went to bed after that and then, because we had the windows open and because the breeze was blowing at just the right angle, the door to the guest room slammed shut
Illini Power Rankings: Let's Do It and Be Legends
Every fanbase has its devastating moments. The Browns have The Drive, and The Fumble. The Red Sox, before everyone in Boston turned evil, had the Bill Buckner Game. Until 2006, my Cardinals had Don Denkinger; until 2016, your Cubs had Steve Bartman. These moments resonate in particularly powerful fashion when
NCAA Tournament XIII: High Five (+5) - Iowa
It was hard to get this High Five rolling. Of course, THERE WILL BE CLIPS, but I didn‘t want to miss the opportunity to also share my “feels” from an amazing weekend in Houston.
That said, I sat staring at a blank page and a blinking cursor for quite
NCAA Tournament XII: No Other
I stayed on the floor for a long time. Well past when the team had finished cutting down the nets and had headed to the locker room. I didn't leave the court until the maintenance staff was sweeping up the confetti and taking down the stage. Truth is,
NCAA Tournament XI: Even To The Edge Of Doom
Call this another SOC if you want. It's 11:00 am on the day of the game and I can't handle my nerves. The only thing I can do to release this nervous energy is to sit down and write. And so I'll write
NCAA Tournament X: High Five (+ 5) - Houston
NCAA Tournament IX: The One Who Knocks
I just can't get over that 17-0 run. I know a lot of people are focused on Houston's little push in the final four minutes (they were due to start hitting some threes eventually), but I'm still stuck on the 17-0 run. We did
NCAA Tournament VIII: Nervous Energy
Such a long day. Suuuucchhh a long day. Such a lonnnnnngggg day. As I type these words it's still another 12 HOURS until our game and I already feel like I've been up for four hours. The longest of long days.
In order to pass the
Illini Power Rankings: Now We Find Out, for Forever
I have had the good fortune in my career to have the opportunity to interview political leaders, Hall of Fame athletes and coaches, movie stars, musicians, Pulitzer Prize-winning authors and, most impressively, REO Speedwagon's Kevin Cronin about the REO Speedwagon video game. When you interview that many people,
NCAA Tournament VII: High Five - VCU
Gnashville
Sweet 16? Not this year.
Two tough stretches in the Vanderbilt game (one in the first quarter, one in the third) means that the Commodores are moving on and the good guys are not.
Hey, props to the Vanderbilt athletic department which has turned all their major sports around...but