Paging Jack Ingram

Anytime the Illini travel to the Kohl Center to take on the Badgers, I am reminded of Jack Ingram's clutch performance on January 25, 2005.

Sconnie had won 38 straight at the Kohl Center when the 19-0 Illini rolled into town. The Badgers were ranked #10 in the country with a roster of the likes of Ray Nixon, Sharif Chambliss, Alando Tucker and Kammron Taylor. They even led midway through the second half.

Enter Jack Ingram who drained two clutch threes (one with 8:19 to go, the other 4o seconds later) to give the Illini the lead for good. Jimmy Augustine, Luther Head and the boys would lead the way in finishing off the Badgers improving the Illini to 20-0 on the season.

Tonight's game may even have higher stakes. After Saturday night's huge win over Michigan St., the Illini need at least one more impressive victory to cement their tourney status. While they have a few more shots to pick up that win (Wisconsin at home, Ohio St. twice and at Purdue), a win tonight would be some kind of nice.

Let's get it dun, Illini.

Congratulations, Pierre Thomas ... Former Illini Beast

Well played, Pierre.

Coryell Was Robbed

Don Coryell did not make the NFL Hall of Fame last Saturday.

In his place were voted in the likes of Russ Grimm, John Randle and Rickey Jackson.

Rickey Jackson? An above-average linebacker gets in over a coach who revolutionized the game of football and whose offensive innovations are the most widely-copied schemes in the current NFL?

Dubious.

Nothing against Rickey - who was like Shawne Merriman before Merriman got hurt - but this strikes me as a pick that piggybacked the fact the Saints made the Super Bowl. New Orleans was on everyone's mind and so they voted in an old-school Saint.

If the Bolts had made the Super Bowl, I bet Coryell makes it and Rickey is on the outside looking in.

A Photo To Think On

Oh well.

S-S-S-Signing Day!

Today is signing day in the world of college football.

The Zooker's class isn't as heralded as in years past - at last look on Scout.com I counted only 1 four-star recruit, 6 three-star recruits and the rest 2 and 1 star guys - but there are some hidden gems.

Chandler Whitmer, for instance, is a Drew Brees-clone who will compete for the starting QB job with Jacob Charest and Nathan Scheelhaase.

Another interesting character is Trulon Henry, Arrelious Benn's 25-year old, ex-felon, half-brother. He's a safety and no doubt adept at keeping guys from going deep on him.

Some offensive line help will come from big kids Shawn Afryl and Alex Hill. Hill, a Louisiana kid, was originally committed to Duke but changed his mind once the Zooker gave him some love.

Finally, Earnest Thomas, a three-star safety out of Orchard Lake, MI, has some speed and looks to be a big hitter. He may get some immediate playing time in Vic Koenning's new D.

Get r dun, Zook!

Drew Brees And The Chargers

It's no secret that I'm a Chargers fan first and a fan of any individual player a distant second. Philip Rivers is my current favorite Charger, but if he was released tomorrow I'd root like hell for whatever QB A.J. and Norv decide should wear the lightning bolt next season.

And that's not never gonna change as long as the Chargers play in San Diego.

The question could be asked, I suppose, which quarterback I'd prefer played for the Chargers. Or, to put it in specifics, would I rather it be Drew Brees or Philip Rivers quarterbacking the Bolts?

Though its not a reflection on either player, I go with Philip 100% of the time.

Drew Brees has developed into a great quarterback, but I don't wish that he was still a Charger. Brees had every opportunity to succeed in San Diego and started to fulfill his promise only after two subpar seasons that did little to convince the San Diego brass that he could develop into a top-tier QB.

For a refresher, here's the timeline of events:

April 2001: Brees drafted in second round;

2001 season: as rookie, Brees rides pine behind Doug Flutie and sees his first career action in week 8, nearly leading the Bolts to a comeback win over the Chefs, but then never sees the field the rest of the season as the Bolts go from 5-2 to finish 5-11 ... Mike Riley is then fired;

2002 season: Brees installed as starter under new coach Marty Schottenheimer ... team storms to a 6-1 start and is sitting at 8-4 after a December 1 overtime win over the Broncos ... team loses its final 4 games to finish 8-8 and miss the playoffs ... those losses include a blowout loss to the eventual Super Bowl runner-up Raiders (Drew played poorly) and a dagger loss to the Chiefs (Drew played well);

2003 season: a bad bad season on all Bolt fronts (except LT, of course, see this game, and this, and this) ... a tough early season schedule mires the Bolts at 0-4 and they never recover, finishing a dismal 4-12, with Brees completing only 57.6 percent of his passes and throwing 15 picks to only 11 touchdowns;

2003-04 offseason: faced with Brees' poor 2003 season, the Chargers trade for Philip Rivers ... Drew Brees begins ridiculous off-season training regimen (one wonders why he had not undergone such a regimen in previous off-seasons);

2004 season: after a Rivers holdout, Brees earns the starting job ... after a few dicey early season performances that result in losses to the Jets and Broncos, Brees starts to roll and the Bolts finish 12-4, with Drew completing 65.5% of his passes for 20 TDs to only 7 picks ... Brees also performs well in the dagger playoff loss to the Jets, going 23-33 for 279 yards and 2 TDs;

2005 season: an up and down season with outstanding highs and dagger lows that ends with Brees' shoulder getting crumpled in the finale against Denver, a game in which Drew probably should not have even played ... Brees last walks off the field as a Charger with his throwing arm lifted awkardly over his head;

2005-06 offseason: faced with uncertainty over Brees' throwing shoulder, and a ton of caysh already committed to Philip Rivers, the Bolts offer Drew an incentive-laden contract with little guaranteed money ... Drew signs for more cash with the Saints.

So that's pretty much it. Drew Brees was a Charger, and now he is not. The Chargers made a tough decision under tough circumstances, based on widely varying evidence of Drew Brees' potential as a starting QB. I'm glad it has worked out for Drew but there was no guarantee that it would. I don't fault the Chargers for going with Rivers then, now or going forward.

If Drew wins on Sunday in Miami that's great, but whether he does or not has nothing to do with, and is no reflection on, the San Diego Chargers.

My Dad's Birthday

In honor of my Dad's birthday you see above a photo of the USS Chevalier, one of the ships my Dad sailed on during his time in the US Navy.

According to the website where I found this photo, it was taken circa 1969 near Point Loma in San Diego. It's possible my Dad was on board when this photo was taken.

We celebrate my Pops around here because it was he that moved to San Diego to join the Navy in the late 1960s, thus solidifiying a love for the San Diego Chargers that had started while, from his sofa in frigid Central Illinois, he watched Lance Alworth and the rest of the Bolts play in sunny Balboa Stadium and dominate the AFL with their high-powered passing attack.

A love for the Padres followed as he witnessed first hand their struggle as a fledgling franchise throughout the 1970s.

In 1978, facing economic pressures, he moved his family from San Diego back to his hometown of Peoria, IL.

The moral of the story is this: if my Dad doesn't spend those years in San Diego and become a passionate fan of the Padres and Chargers, I probably grow up as a Cubs and Bears fan.

Oh my.

Happy birthday, Dad.