Watching Sports

Saturday, I feel like I entered a new era in my Illinois sports watching.

1)  I went to the Illinois vs. Louisiana-Lafayette football game (which we looked awful in).  This was the first time I'd been in the fully renovated Memorial Stadium.  It seems as if the old Illini watching is long gone.  The students are now completely content 

to be placed in the end zone, the boosters have their seats in the boxes, and the Chief no longer graces the field.  It is a definitely different climate than 5 years ago when I sat in the second row on the forty yard line chanting "Fire Turner!"  Overall, I think the new look and feel is a plus.  I just hope that we don't forget the things of old, like where students used to sit, the fact that die-hard fans deserve a seat too, and the Chief.  Now, I'd say, regardless of your opinion of him, you should not want to forget, just as you don't want to forget any other tradition or monumental change.

2)  As I ramble on, I also will say I went to the Illinois Legends Alumni basketball game.  That was truly a treat.  It was a lot of fun to see so much talent gathered on one floor at the same time.  There are many fine memories in that group of people.  The thing that has truly changed though, is once again, my Freshman year, I saw those 'legends' playing their way to a 37-2 season and a 2nd place finish in the nation.  Now they were back for the new freshman who might not even know their name, yet sit in the Orange Krush ready to cheer them on.

I guess the point of this whole exercise is to say that I feel older, and I hadn't written in a while

Other Notes...

• Green Bay looked pretty good/bad in a victory over Detroit, and Aaron Rodgers looked quite solid.
  
• Brett Favre looked good against New England, considering the lack of pass protection he had.
  
• Carlos Zambrano pitched a No-Hitter against the Houston Astros.  Seems like a good momentum builder as we hope to look towards October baseball.