Is this the week get into the polls?

After a 66-51 dismantling of Michigan Wednesday night, I think that even if we put up a respectable loss in East Lansing against Michigan State, the Fighting Illini, who currently stand at 15-2, should find themselves in the next AP and USA Today/ESPN polls. It will really depend on what other fringe teams such as Gonzaga (11-4), Arkansas (12-3) and Memphis (13-3) do in the coming days. But being the homer that I am, I think we have proved ourselves enough already, with both of our losses being quality losses to a still undefeated #9 Clemson (16-0) and #24 Michigan on the road, which was avenged back at the House of 'Paign.

Questions that are raised: Could Bruce Weber use this as a Rodney Dangerfield approach? Would be become complacent if we became ranked? Do rankings even matter at this point in the year? If not, when WOULD they start mattering?

Many Illini fans including myself still thought that we were a year away, so I guess it's fair to say that any question of being ranked is a good question. Obviously a win would put us well into the polls, (I'm thinking 17-20) so a lot will be decided this Saturday.

In the Michigan game this past week, I saw something I was waiting to see for quite awhile. Sophomore Mike Tisdale going up at putting a bunch of points on the board. Going for 24 points on 10 of 12 shooting from the field, which included a 3-ball, he seems to be coming into his own in the paint.

Bring on the Spartans!!

Now my devotion is all Bears and Illini Football

With the Cubs getting swept by the Dodgers, I have decided to put all sports enthusiasm towards the football teams of the Chicago Bears and the Illinois Fighting Illini. For an offense that lead the NL in runs scored, doubles, total bases, OBP and slugging, I was thoroughly disappointed.

Other pitiful and otherwise disappointing stats of the series:
5-for-28 (.179) with runners in scoring position
9 XBH (12 for LAD)
5.87 starters ERA (1.42 LAD)
14 BB given out by the Cubs pitching staff
The Big 3 (Soriano, Lee, Ramirez) went a combined 9-for-37 (.243)

Our starting pitching (Dempster, Zambrano, and Harden respectively) dug us deep into holes early in the games and the heart of our order was not clutch to say the least. And after pretty much blowing away hitters for months, I was not expecting this out of our staff. Six runs scored over three games isn't gonna win a series 100 times out of 100 in this day and age, and so much more was expected after leading the NL in runs scored.

Saying "Wait 'til next year" sounds especially sour after such a successful 97-64 Division-winning regular season, but it still has to be said. Jim Edmonds was a great (and cheap) pickup, batting .256, 19 HR, and 49 RBI over 85 games as a Cub. Kosuke Fukudome, whom I thought at the beginning of the year had rookie of the year written all over him, seemed to be baffled by MLB pitching, especially on left-handers, during the entire second half.

So much was expected of this team. It was supposed to be THE year, with 7 All-Star selections, the highest payroll ever, and the most wins since 1935.

It gonna be a long winter, but now it's time to turn attention to football.