Lovie Smith Presser: NU Remains "The School Up North"
- Thread starter GlideCat
- Start date
I still like the rivalry and am glad that Lovie is embracing it. Fitz versus Lovie is a media-worthy rivalry. Hopefully, this will motivate and improve both teams.
When Lovie was hired by the Bears, he didn't make comments about taking Bears to the Super Bowl. One of the first things he said at his press conference was that the goal was to beat the Packers. Sure enough he did. Prior to Lovie Smith I think the Bears were "1 for Favre". He gets the rivalry bit.
But I think that Ill-Annoy's new AD had to inform Lovie of the long-standing, somewhat irrelevant NU / Ill-Whine-I rivalry. I'm certain Lovie was unaware of it before his hire. I could completely understand it if Lovie supressed a yawn when Josh Whitman informed his newly hired HC of the protected rival status between the two teams.
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That's because it's not a real rivalry. Even with you guys having your decade in the sun and us sucking recently, most Illini fans don't care about NU.
You are right, I always pick the Illini game to be our easiest game in conference. Hard to get jacked up for the school down south.
So keep up the pompous arrogance it is amusing. That miracle worker coach that got run off by the fan base on his last two gigs will save the day. Right.
Since you are back on our board, how do you, Combes and your fellow Illinois fans explain today's commitment by Trey Pugh to NU over dozens of other offers including Illinois? I thought NU fans were supposed to be scared because Lovie had put together the best coaching staff in the country and top recruits would soon be tripping over themselves to go to Illinois? By my count, that is the third recruit in this class alone who has picked NU over an offer from Illinois.
Recently isn't the word I'd use, although you guys have faired (relatively) well against the 'Cats during the stretch(es) in question. The Illinois program has actually been good for about one more win per season (on average) over the past 10 years than the previous decade.
Last 5 years
Illinois: 22-38 (8-32; 2-3 vs NU) 2 Bowl Appearances
Last 10 years:
Illinois: 48-74 (24-56; 4-6 vs NU) 4 Bowl Appearances
Last 20 years:
Illinois: 87-149 (45-115; 8-12 vs NU) 6 Bowl Appearances
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Seems like your not one f those that don't care, since you spend a lot of your time on a NU message Board. BTW, has Lovie and staff gotten any 5* commits yet?
One of my favorite Michigan state stories was after a game at Ryan field, I was driving out of the Spac lot on central. There was one of those bike rickshaws with 3 very large guys on the back. Poor driver. It was a warm day and I had windows rolled down as did most people. A gentleman on the back of the rickshaw was going down the street point at every car in line with NU fans saying "you lost." I yelled back "you're fat and you're sitting on a guys lap." That's the last I heard from him.
Same game SPAC lot, there were three big guys with three bigger women. One came up to me and said "Go State". My response was "go over there". Shut him up instantly. On the drive home my dad asked why I went there? And I said, I don't fear men with fat women.
