Sports of All Sorts

Derek Spates credits ... me? Wow, thanks!

Posted by: Tony Bleill

Saturday, September 27, 2008 3:24 PM

In a 22-year fun-filled career as a sportswriter, one of the funniest snapshots happened after last year's Battle of Champaign at Tommy Stewart Field.

Central had just knocked off Centennial in a wild Week 9 game to secure a playoff bid, and pandemonium reigned. Central's fans stormed the field, the players and students were chanting, cheering and singing, and amidst all that, the area's TV stations were trying to interview Central coach Dave Jacobs.

It was a loud mass of hysteria, this large huddle engulfing a jubilant Jacobs as he strained to conduct an interview with the TV guys. Being a shade under 5-foot-10, I'm easily overshadowed, so I poked my tape recorder into the massive pile to grab whatever quotes I could. I was stuck behind students, reporters and half of Champaign, and I couldn't even see Jacobs. But he could see me.

While in the middle of answering a question about how big the victory was for the program, Jacobs suddenly spotted me and, in mid-sentence, shouted and pointed at me, with a big grin: "And YOU didn't pick us!" (Don't think that made it on the air at WCIA ...)

Indeed, in that week's newspaper I had picked Centennial. Shame on me. It was, by my recollection, the only time all season that I didn't pick Central.

I couldn't help but enjoy a hearty laugh, which lasted long after Jacobs finished his interview. It was quite funny. (Dave's son, Noah, still hasn't forgiven me, by the way.)

But MacArthur coach Derek Spates nearly topped Jacobs on Friday.

The Generals were downright giddy after moving to 5-0 -- and becoming playoff-eligible for the first time since 2001 -- after a 22-6 victory against Central. When Spates -- still wet from the Gatorade bath he received from his players -- gathered his team for a brief postgame huddle, he spotted me standing nearby with WAND's Steve Breitwieser.

"Are you from the Champaign News-Gazette?" Spates shouted toward me.

Why, yes. Yes, I am.

"What's your name?"

I told him.

"Did you write that article two days ago, about the Big 12?"

At this point, I'm assuming he's referring to my prep page column in Thursday's editions, so I answer in the affirmative.

"Thank you! Thank you!" Spates says, and begins clapping. His players start clapping, too. I'm being showered with applause by 48 players and a coaching staff. How cool is this?!

Spates, it was obvious, was upset about something I had written. Seeing as how that article was written on Tuesday, and it was now Friday, I'd completely forgotten about it. So I begin searching my brain ... "Gee," I think to myself, "I must have really ripped MacArthur big-time in that story."

After completing my postgame interviews, I rushed back to the office and hurriedly grabbed Thursday's paper to see what, in fact, I had written. Yep, I really ripped 'em.... Here's what I wrote:

"MacArthur and Danville are the only remaining unbeatens, but you'd have a hard time convincing most folks that Normal and Bloomington (3-1) aren't the teams to beat in the league. MacArthur and Danville have bright futures, but whether either team is ready for that daunting step to the top remains the most intriguing question of the 2008 season.

"If I had to guess, I'd say your final regular season standings will look like this: Normal 8-1, Bloomington 8-1, Central 7-2, Danville 7-2, MacArthur 5-4.

"If there's a changing of the guard happening in the Big 12, Normal and Bloomington aren't ready to give up the throne without a tussle."

That's it? That's it.

Spates clearly was irked. After thanking me, he returned to his postgame topic, talking about how "nobody believed" in the Generals. His voice rising, he then let loose -- apparently in some sort of awkward jab at the local sportswriter -- by saying, "that's two Champaign teams down!" (MacArthur defeated Centennial in Week 2.) He quickly caught himself, though, apparently aware he was about to provide the Champaign schools some bulletin-board material, and proceeded to compliment Central while mentioning that the teams could meet again in the postseason.

(Side note to Coach Spates: If you're judging football excellence in the Big 12 based upon accomplishments against Champaign teams, you might want to wander westward on I-74 a bit.)

In any event, I got a huge kick out of Spates' "tribute," and I laughed and smiled along with the team. I'm smiling now, just thinking about it. Of course, Spates' use of the we-don't-get-no-respect card is the oldest trick in the coaching manual. It happens everywhere, from the pros to the pee wees. And while players and coaches will tell you they're motivated by such perceived slights -- and I've written my fair share of stories saying as much -- that lasts only until the first time your opponent sticks his shoulder pads in your midsection and smacks the air out of your body. I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that not one single General was thinking of a middle-aged, balding sportswriter from Champaign while Central was driving down the field in the middle of the fourth quarter.

But maybe I'm wrong. Again.

 

 

 

 

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