Fire Ryan Poles | Fire Matt Eberflus

Discuss whatever it is you guys want to talk about.

Three topics to catch up on since I haven’t had a chance to lately would be the Illini, Bulls and Blackhawks.

1. The Illinois Fighting Illini as of this moment are 21-6 and trail Michigan State by two games in the Big Ten. I know they played like shit and blew a nine point lead against Penn State. They scored just four points in the last ten minutes of that game. At that record however, it has shocked just about everybody including myself. It just shows how good of a coach Bruce Weber is with players that weren’t considered to be big time playmakers when they left high school. Just imagine what kind of record they would have if he had top of the line players. With that being said, they are in the round of 65 but the question would be what number seed would they be. Right now, they are good enough for a fourth or fifth seed but it could be a two or three if they play well in the Big Ten Tournament.

2. The Chicago Bulls made three trades. I do not know if the new guys coming in will make this team better but they are still not a contender. Amare Stoudemire is staying put with the Suns and I read in a couple of places that the Bulls didn’t consider the trade because they would have to give up their first round draft pick in return. If that is the case, John Paxson is dumber than I thought. As an organization, you don’t know if your next draft pick is going to be good.

However, you do know that Amare Stoudemire is very good and if you have a chance to get him and give back the Suns a bunch of garbage in return, then you do it. Amare is good for 25 points and at least seven rebounds a game. No one on the Bulls right now can do that. The Bulls might still end up making the playoffs as a 7th or 8th seed but it won’t be worth it. They are better off missing the playoffs so they could have a chance to get lucky again and get a high draft pick.

3. Last but not least, we have the only feel good story in town right now and that is the Chicago Blackhawks who are 33-15-8 on the season. They shutout the Florida Panthers Thursday night for their 3rd straight win. Huet (about damn time) had a good game getting the shutout. This season has been really excited to watch. This team is young, good and fun to follow. There have been some injuries but it has not affected them so far. They are really on a roll and there is no reason why it should stop anytime soon. Patrick Sharp will be out at least two more weeks with the injury he had against Dallas last week.

I couldn’t write about the Blackhawks without giving Nikolai Khabibulin big time props. This guy sucked the last two years and before this season started, the Blackhawks put him on waivers and no team claimed him. Right now he is out with an injury but his record is 17-5-5. He lost the first game of the season in October and did not lose a game in regulation until late December. That is pretty damn good. So to Khabibulin, he gets my props. He is one of the main reasons why this team is on the upside and looking real good this season.

– That is about it for me. You guys take it easy this weekend and I might have a new thread sometime next week.

I was going to write a post about the Chicago Bulls trade, the Blackhawks current play and a report on the Fighting Illini basketball season but what has happened on this site in the last few days changed all that.

First of all, I would like to say that what has been happening here in the last few days has been childish to say the least. As many of you guys have pointed out, there was no reason to have such a debate about something that concerns me. The last time I checked, there are more important people to talk about in your free time other than me. This is our site with our own opinions. I posted a lot on Hire Jim Essian and I have no problem with some of them but others have obviously been ignorant at times.

However on this site, when we have had disagreements with a topic in the last three or four years, we always argued back in respect and maturity without acting in a childish way. Our opinions are our opinions and nothing more. If my opinion affects someone that much more that they act in a childish way, then that is sad.

I’ll say this one more damn time to anybody and everybody: If you do not like what I or anybody else writes here, then feel free to debate about but please do it in a mature way. If you don’t want to do that, then don’t come here. It’s that simple. If you are 37 years old, then act like you are 37. Do not come here and act like the 12 year old boy who got pissed off in junior high because the girl who asked him to the dance did it as a joke.

That is it for me. Bulls/Blackhawks/Fighting Illini post coming Friday.

Thank you.

I apologize for the lack of updated threads lately. I haven’t been able to get to my computer much both at work and at home because I have been really busy with my work.

I am also in the process of moving from Rochelle to Dekalb (only 15 minutes apart) but I am mostly moving by myself so it is taking me a while. I should be settled in my new place in the next couple weeks.

I will try to have a complete update on the state of this site by either Monday or Tuesday so stay tuned.

Thanks for being patient and sticking around everybody. You guys are the best.