The E-Files

Weber-bashers turning blue (and orange?)

Posted by: Eric Loy

Friday, January 16, 2009 10:14 PM

It's not easy to bash Bruce Weber these days, even though there are a hardy few who stick to their schtick.

I don't think any halfway sane person predicted this team to be 15-2 at this point. The team is playing so well it barely looks like last years team, which is a good thing.

Add the success on the court to the success to come in recruiting over the next few years, and the Weber-bashers end up waiting to pounce on any slightly negative thing to come in order to make themselves feel important again. So let's try to head them off at the pass...

If Illinois loses at MSU: "See I told you this team couldn't play with the big boys. Weber was outcoached by Izzo, he just cannot get a team competitive at that level. What happened to 'coaching them up'? If this coach could recruit at all...sticking with Frazier as long as he has, Frazier must have something compromising on Weber or something. I bet he didn't take any responsibility for the loss, he threw the players under the bus again. If this keeps up, why would any of those verbal commits stay with Illinois, they should cut him loose now. He couldn't land Beverly, Gordon or Rose, and now he's screwing everything else up...."

Did I cover them all?

Years ago, we had a woman who would call the radio station at all hours of the day. She hated everything. She didn't like if we played a certain female artist, she went nuts on us if we were late to a certain show because of a ballgame. She despised Illinois women's sports. One time she called me and asked me to tell the Cardinals to not have women sing the national Anthem before the ballgame because "women don't sing it right". Frankly, she was a miserable person. She reminds me of a lot of the Weber-bashers.

One time the lady called after we played a song by the artist she hated. the phone rang and we all knew it was her. Sure enough when I picked it up...the familiar "Oh, Excuse Me..."

I told her right away "Ma'am excuse ME. We know you don't like this artist. We know you don't like women singing the anthem. We know you hate women's sports. We know you like (her favorite program)..." I listed all the things she had imparted on us over the previous several years.. and I finished "But we have to play them anyway." Her response, a frustrated "OOOO" and she hung up. I hoped it would be the last we'd hear from her for awhile. Maybe my paragraph above will do the same for the Weber-bashers.

Did it work for the caller? For about two weeks, but boy those were a nice two weeks. It'd be nice to get those two weeks here too.

 

 

 

Comments

Be the first to share your opinion!