Firings Aside, Plenty of Job Security in the Big Ten

Well, we’re coming off a rough day in the Big Ten, as Illinois’ Bruce Weber and Nebraska’s Doc Sadler were put on the chopping block after disappointing seasons.

I can understand why Weber was fired. After nine seasons, the Fighting Illini seemed to have backward momentum, and were underachieving to an extreme degree. How a team with a NBA-caliber point guard in Brandon Paul, an elite big man in Meyers Leonard and a useful glue guy in Joseph Bertrand could lose that many games is a mystery to me. This might be the most disappointing team in the Big Ten, and their hasty Big Ten Tournament exit against Iowa certainly didn’t help matters. That being said, this is an unfortunate firing in the sense that Weber had grown really close to top recruit Jabari Parker. His firing could jeopardize Illinois’ chances at landing him. Indeed, his family said as much, which is a shame considering that Parker is the No. 1 ranked small forward in the class of 2013, and is easily the most talented of five Chicago natives that Weber was targeting. As crazy as it sounds, I have to wonder if Weber could be bound for Evanston. While I believe Carmody should remain Northwestern’s coach, if he is fired, Weber could be an intriguing fit. He has shown a knack for recruiting in the city of Chicago, and you can just imagine the fuss is Weber somehow brought Parker to Evanston. I literally would think I was in Heaven already.

Meanwhile, I really don’t understand Doc Sadler’s firing. Listen, there’s no doubt Nebraska struggled this year, but don’t forget that this was the Cornhuskers’ first year in the Big Ten, and the jump from the Big XII to the Big Ten is not an easy one to make, whether it’s the jump in skill level or simply game-planning for 11 new conference foes. And then you take into consideration that Nebraska puts such minimal money into its basketball program, the lowest such figure in the Big Ten as one fan pointed out in a full-page newspaper advertisement, and it’s no wonder this team struggled. I mean this team’s only real star was Bo Spencer, and I hesitate to call him even that. Sadler should have been given another chance.

As for the hot stove rankings, with 10 coaches left, I give you my spin on who’s safe and who’s in hot water:

Untouchables

Bo Ryan, Wisconsin – Unbelievable, Jon Leuer departs for the NBA, and the Badgers come back as good as ever. Their defense remains one of the best in the Big Ten, and with Sam Dekker coming in, fans in Madison have plenty to be excited about.

Tom Izzo, Michigan State – Obviously, the Big Ten Coach of the Year doesn’t have much to worry about in terms of job security, but the job he did this season deserves further praise. This Spartans team lacks stars with the exception of Draymond Green, but Izzo once again fit all of the pieces together into something beautiful.

Thad Matta, Ohio State – Is it a little disappointing that the Buckeyes have had so little success in the NCAA Tournament? Yes, but that doesn’t take away from Matta’s immense skills as a recruiter. It will be very fun watching a talented Class of 2011, featuring four four-star recruits, contribute on the court.

Hero Mode

Matt Painter, Purdue – One of the most underrated coaches in the Big Ten, Painter eked every bit of possible effort out of this Boilermakers team, coaxing a limited team (Hummel and who else?) to a late-season run. Yes, despite the losses of E’Twaun Moore and JaJuan Johnson, Purdue is still destined for the NCAA Tournament. And now he has the 16th-ranked freshman class coming in, a shockingly good haul considering West Lafayette’s limits as a basketball town.

Fran McCaffery, Iowa – His Hawkeyes team was feisty in 2011, finishing close to .500 in Big Ten play, and pulling off a nice victory over the Fighting Illini in the Big Ten Tournament. His team seemed to overachieve, riding several role players to surprising victories. The Hawkeyes’ 24th-ranked incoming freshman class doesn’t hurt either. He definitely has this program heading in the right direction.

Tom Crean, Indiana – He brought in Cody Zeller and he has Yogi Ferrell coming in next year. He has a recruiting lock on the state of Indiana, and is reaping heavy rewards from the rich soil of the Hoosier State. He has made Hoosiers basketball relevant again, and their NCAA Tournament berth alone should keep fans in Bloomington happy for a while.

John Bellein, Michigan – The Wolverines tend to do well in the fundamental aspects of the game under Bellein, and have become a perennial top contender in the Big Ten. Add in the freshman of the year, and the 11th-ranked incoming recruiting class, and you get the feeling that Bellein will be in Ann Arbor for a long time to come.

Dicey Mode

Tubby Smith, Minnesota – The Golden Gophers put forth a really chippy effort in the Big Ten Tournament, and it’s unlikely Tubby Smith will get fired after a season that was compromised by Trevor Mbakwe’s season-ending injury. Still, Minnesota hasn’t gone anywhere in a while, and there’s no doubt things haven’t turned out as planned in Minneapolis.

Bill Carmody, Northwestern – A strong run in the NIT would help make his case for steady progress within the program, but even without a few NIT wins, he should be fine for a little while longer. Athletic director Jim Phillips tends to be quite patient with coaches, and from a historical perspective, Carmody is doing things that have never been done in Evanston. Now, if only he could recruit post players.

Too Early to Judge

Patrick Chambers, Penn State – He had one year and it didn’t go very well. But he deserves time to try to build his own program. Brandon Austin, the No. 13 small forward in the Class of 2013, is looking like a big recruit, and if he can tap into the Philadelphia metropolitan area, that could be a huge break. That being said, he needs to learn not to chase referees across the court. Murder usually doesn’t look good on a resume.

In Other News

Meanwhile, someone in the Redskins’ front office made a decision that ought to get him or her fired, trading away three first-round picks and one second-round pick for the No. 2 selection in the 2012 NFL Draft, or in other words, the right to select Robert Griffin III. Listen, I know that we were all awed and charmed by Griffin’s press conference at the Combine, and I know that he will sell a lot of tickets at FedEx Field, but is it really worth it?

No doubt Robert Griffin III is good. He’s been tossing touchdowns in the pass-happy Big XII for a long time, and with his mobility, he’s the type of quarterback that doesn’t need a strong offensive line to make him look good, which is a happy coincidence given that most of the teams that own top draft picks lack strong offensive lines. It’s how they got there in the first place. So, Griffin III can step in right away into a bad situation and win some ballgames. But, at the same time, Griffin’s 2011 numbers were a little bit out of nowhere, he did play in an unorthodox offensive system and it sometimes seems like any quarterback can toss 30 touchdown passes in the aerial launching ground that is the Big XII. Could he put those type of numbers up in the Big Ten, or more importantly, in the NFL? I’m not so sure.

Perhaps the thinking is that he has the mobility of a John Elway, who Mike Shanahan did well with in Denver, but still as good as Griffin III is, three first-round picks? When you consider that every first-round pick has the potential to be a franchise-changer, that’s a lot to give away. St. Louis could completely remake its defense with those three picks. This year, the Rams will have the No. 6, No. 33 and No. 39 picks, and then they should have two first-round picks in each of the next two drafts. I’m practically salivating thinking of what St. Louis could do with its three picks in the first two rounds of this year’s draft. The Rams could pick up Matt Kalil or David DeCastro to shore up their offensive line, then pick up Alshon Jeffery to give Sam Bradford someone to throw to and finally pick up Jerel Worthy to stuff the run.

Whether or not that’s the best approach, I have no idea, but the point is they can now address multiple weaknesses through the 2012 NFL Draft. The way I just outlined would help fix the line, receiving corps and run defense in one fell swoop. It’s the greatest new mind game for NFL fans to play in their free time: how the Rams should spend their first three picks, and it’s all courtesy of the Redskins. This isn’t just a vote of confidence in Sam Bradford by St. Louis, it’s also quite simply a very smart move. Meanwhile, I can’t really blame Washington. When you consider how long the Redskins have gone without an elite quarterback, you can see why they made this desperate move.

Devastation in Evanston

I sat there on one of the old wooden benches at Welsh-Ryan Area long after the final buzzer sounded. The scoreboard, per usual, said at all. Ohio State 75, Northwestern 73. Another close game, another frenetic finish and another loss for the Wildcats. Home court advantage is supposed to give a team a solid boost in exactly this kind of game, but I’m not sure you can even count the number of close Northwestern losses at home on one hand: Illinois, Purdue, Michigan, and now, Ohio State. Well, I guess one hand will work, but barely. I wish I could say I was the last one out of the stadium, and come across as deeply stoic in the face of defeat, but in this case, many devastated Northwestern fans stuck around. It was an eerie site, once upon a time you could barely convince fans to come into the building. Last night, you couldn’t get them to leave. That’s what a close game does to you, that’s the aftermath of heartbreak. All I saw around me was fellow Wildcats fans refusing to leave those uncomfortable benches, staying to serenade John Shurna with one last chant, sticking around to mull over the loss for one more second.

It’s funny because this was a game that Northwestern had no business winning anyway. Ohio State was in control nearly the entire way through. The Buckyes completely dominated the paint, as well as the glass. When it wasn’t Jared Sullinger scoring at will, it was Deshaun Thomas. Sullinger finished with an astounding 11 offensive rebounds, a number that is unfathomable in its enormity. He ended up notching 22 points and 18 rebounds. Thomas had 19 points and 10 rebounds. Overall, the Wildcats were out-rebounded 42-16. It’s awfully hard to win a game when you are absolutely helpless down low as Northwestern was on Wednesday. It goes beyond the numbers. Heck, Sullinger was scoring at will. He was hitting mid-range jumpers, with no one in his face. He was finishing off alley-oop plays. And then, on that final play, it was quite fitting as Sullinger received a down-court heave, and effortlessly banked the game-winner home.

For Northwestern, it was simply the latest chapter in a severely disappointing season down low. When the season started, we felt like between Luka Mirkovic and Davide Curletti, the Wildcats had to have one of the better front courts in the Big Ten. Sure, neither had ever been great, but their experience would win out, particularly with Jon Leuer, Trevor Mbakwe and JaJuan Johnson all departing. That has been anything but the case. Ralph Sampson III of Minnesota has been better. As have Meyers Leonard of Illinois, Cody Zeller of Indiana and Ryan Evans of Wisconsin. Really, the only teams Northwestern is capable of contending with in the paint are Penn State, Iowa and Nebraska, which is embarrassing to say the least. Luka Mirkovic has been out for the past month, and his boundless energy is sorely missed, if not his questionable skill. As for Davide Curletti, he has been nearly invisible since his monstrous performance against Michigan State. You always talk about being a triple threat in basketball, with the ability to drive, shoot and pass, or for post players, the ability to post up, shoot and pass, but Curletti isn’t even a double threat. He is quite literally a single threat, which is no threat at all to opposing big men. He rarely posts up and has shown little inclination to take the shot; instead, he usually just stands on the elbow, and doesn’t even act as if he wants the ball, immediately looking to pass it off.

That makes life incredibly easy on a defense, as any defender can predict his next move. It’s little wonder Sullinger had so much energy on offense when he was so untested on the other end. Curletti isn’t all that good a rebounding threat either; indeed, the one minute span of time in which he grabbed a defensive board and scooped up a loose ball came across as practically miraculous. While Curletti may lack the size and talent of some of the conference’s best big men, I think he can be better, but it starts with playing with more aggression, driving to the hoop, and actually presenting yourself as a threat. Northwestern needs more out of him. The one thing that was nice about Mirkovic is he was aggressive if nothing else.

In general, Northwestern makes life fairly easy on a defense. With the exception of the backdoor pass, it’s fairly obvious where the Wildcats are going to pass the ball. Whenever Drew Crawford drives into the lane, and finds a man in his way, he’ll pass it to the closest player on the arc. Same goes for all of the Northwestern players. That combined with their inability to catch the ball limits what the Wildcats can do on offense. There was one particularly embarrassing play on Wednesday when John Shurna received the ball in the paint on an inbounds play, in perfect position to score, but the ball slipped right through his hands. While the Wildcats struggled to hang onto the simple passes, the Buckeyes were flinging the ball all across the court, not without error, they did finish with 16 turnovers, but their rapid ball movement also led to a very high number of points.

Part of the glory of the Buckeyes’ rapid ball movement, and the reason why it works, is that any one of their players are capable of putting the ball in the basket, something that cannot be said for the Wildcats. Four Ohio State players finished in double-digits Wednesday, while Northwestern relied on 45 points from John Shurna and Drew Crawford combined. The rest of the Wildcats combined to score just 28 points. Give Crawford credit. I thought he was fantastic. His three-pointer was as on as it has been all season, as he drained four-of-six from behind the arc. He drove to the hoop beautifully, and finished with some really impressive layups. Other than Shurna and Crawford, who have multiple ways of hurting you, the Wildcats have few pure scorers. Alex Marcotullio can shoot but is capable of little else, Dave Sobloewski can create his own shot but is prone to quiet nights as a freshman and JerShon Cobb has the talent to create his own shot but it’s not there yet. That leaves it up to Crawford and Shurna on far too many occasions.

It’s rare that you’ll hear me complain about officiating on this blog. I think that referees have an unbelievably difficult job. A thankless job, really. No one notices the 90 percent of calls that they get right, and everyone moans and groans on the rare occasion when they miss a call. Heck, everyone moans and groans whether the referees made the right call or not. So, I understand it’s hard on the referees, but I will say that I thought the officiating on Wednesday was atrocious. The way the referees called this game, I’m not sure how one is supposed to defend an elite big man like Jared Sullinger. If you can’t put your hands up, poke check the ball and occasionally give a little push, then how are you supposed to stop anyone in this conference? This is the Big Ten. It’s a physical conference. Let them play. On the other side of the ball, I saw mistakes as well. I still am not sure how Alex Marcotullio ended up with only three personal fouls. He was clawing at ball-handlers the entire game, frequently hacking them 80 feet from the basket. I know it’s frustrating when your team can’t grab a rebound, but when Ohio State has come down with the ball, you can’t just hit the guy. You need to run back and play defense. Marcotullio was far too wild with his hands on Wednesday night. Similarly, I thought the referees missed a foul when Reggie Hearn was nearly pushed out-of-bounds as he was crossing the timeline. Listen, I’m not one of those fans who moans over every call. All of Welsh-Ryan Arena went berserk when Shurna fell to the ground late in the game on a layup attempt. The whole crowd wanted a foul on Sullinger. In my opinion, Shurna was the one who tried to push-off, he gave Sullinger a stiffarm, and besides if Shurna is not fast enough to get around Sullinger, I’m not sure he deserves the bucket anyway. But there’s no doubt the referees let the Buckeyes get away with a lot of physical play Wednesday, and didn’t help the Wildcats out when it came to the already difficult task of stopping Sullinger in the paint.

So let’s talk about the end of Wednesday’s game. I was highly impressed with the fight Northwestern showed in coming back. The Wildcats were down 70-58 with 5:39 to go and somehow came back, mainly with terrific defense, holding the Buckeyes to just five points over the final five and a half minutes. I thought JerShon Cobb was fantastic on the defensive end, particularly on that one play with 17 seconds remaining in which he ripped the ball away from Deshaun Thomas. Already up three, if Thomas is able to hang onto that ball, Ohio State could seal the game with a free throw or two. Instead, Cobb’s steal gave the Wildcats a chance to tie it up, and sure enough, Marcotullio evened the score on a three-pointer that I’m still not sure he should have taken. With more time on the shot clock, and standing so far from the hoop, Marcotullio perplexed me with his shot selection, but it went in, so God bless him. I guess that’s a shooter’s instinct. He can’t resist the chance to tie it right there. Unfortunately, by taking the shot before he had to, Ohio State had time to respond, and with seven seconds, the Buckeyes were easily able to get the ball into Sullinger, who had good position on Cobb. The Wildcats sophomore went for the steal, which turned out to be a fatal choice, because once Sullinger had it, he was able to spin around and hit the layup, practically uncontested. It’s hard to fault Cobb for going for the steal, particularly when it’s dubious that he could have defended Sullinger, even for three seconds, one on one, but I would have liked to have seen him remain behind Sullinger, so at least, he could maybe draw a charge, or get a hand in Sullinger’s face. Instead, by coming up short on the steal, he took himself out of the play.

But you can’t blame Cobb. He was actually a pleasant surprise on Wednesday. Instead, you can blame all the little things the Wildcats did wrong earlier in the game, errors that seemed to be trifles at the time, but appear much more glaring in the wake of a two-point loss. Crawford missed four out of five free-throws at the line. Shurna missed all of his early three-point attempts, allowing Ohio State to grab the early lead. And then there was all the timeouts the Wildcats had to burn early, particularly when they couldn’t inbound the ball with approximately five minutes remaining. Those timeouts really could have come in handy towards the end. With a timeout in store, Carmody could have called for a break immediately after Sullinger made his game-winner, and crafted the Wildcats’ response. Instead, with three seconds remaining, a live clock whirring and no timeouts, Northwestern had to speed down the court, and pray that a desperation heavy by Shurna would go in. It didn’t. And so heartbreak ensued. And so a +9 advantage in turnovers and seven extra points from behind the arc (Ohio State actually scored six more points off of field goals, but Northwestern had the edge when you factor in its extra seven three-pointers) went to waste.

You have to give Bill Carmody and Tavaras Hardy credit for what they have created in Evanston. It took a decade but they have created a real excitement about basketball at Northwestern. The student section has been absolutely packed the last three or four home games, which at any other school would mark nothing new, but at Welsh-Ryan Arena, represents a refreshing change from the half-filled bleachers of yore. Traffic now snakes miles down Central Street before tipoff; in fact, for the second straight game, I had to abandon my car in Wilmette just to get to the game in time. I remember when I first arrived in Evanston, I could show up right at game time, and end up with a front-row seat. Now, there’s barely a spot in the student section for latecomers. Northwestern has begun to create that ultimate small-gym feel, with the fans absolutely packed in on the benches right behind the two baselines, and the resulting noise absolutely reverberating around the building. When Alex Marcotullio hit the game-tying three with seven seconds remaining in regulation, it sounded like a real arena should. It sounded like college basketball. That’s an excitement that Carmody and the boys worked hard to earn, with three consecutive NIT bids and a surge to the bubble finally creating that elusive home atmosphere that athletic director Jim Phillips has been dreaming about for years.

That being said, I have a challenge for Wildcats fans. If you really care about this team, then let’s head down to Iowa City. As the Northwestern players exited the court Wednesday, I implored them to give the same effort at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. If they do, they will win the game. But if we want them to give the same energy in Iowa City, shouldn’t we? Opposing fans have long filled the upper rafters of Welsh-Ryan Arena, and time after time, as the game has slipped away from the Wildcats, we’ve had to endure their chants, their mockery and their celebrations. Meanwhile, Northwestern has the worst fan presence on the road imaginable. I’ll never forget that on my trip to Mackey Arena, literally just a couple-hours drive from Evanston, there was hardly a purple-clad fan in the building. If you believe in this team, and like me, you insist that the dream has yet to die, then come out with me to Carver-Hawkeye Arena and we’ll show this team that we still believe in them.

Raggedy Ann, March Madness and NCAA Playoffs

You take the good…

Well, ladies and gentlemen, I think I know who I want sitting next to me at future Northwestern basketball games. No, it’s not former Wildcats great Jeremy Nash or alum David Schwimmer; instead, it’s College RPI guru Jerry Palm. The eternal optimist believes Northwestern is in fine shape for a NCAA Tournament appearance despite its 4-6 Big Ten record. I’m not sure I believe it, but you got to love it. Check out some of what he said in Monday’s Chicago Tribune article by Teddy Greenstein:

“If not Northwestern, who? Would you rather take teams that haven’t beaten anybody or teams that lose to bad teams? The thing you can say about Northwestern is, it takes a good team to beat ’em.”

It might sound like I’m making fun of him, but I completely agree with his logic. Northwestern has lost eight games this season, contests against Baylor, Creighton, Illinois, Ohio State, Michigan, Purdue, Wisconsin and Minnesota. The Bears and Buckeyes are clearly elite teams, the Badgers and Golden Gophers are tough on the road and the Golden Gophers are underrated in my opinion. The only bad loss in that bunch is the Wildcats’ home loss to the Boilermakers, and they will need to claim revenge at Mackey Arena this weekend. They also have a chance to get revenge against the Golden Gophers and Wolverines at Welsh-Ryan Arena. Those are key games that Northwestern ought to win, and if the Wildcats do win those games, that will erase some of the bad memories from earlier this season, and begin to restore that old sparkle to their NCAA Tournament resume.

Also, more credit has to be handed to Big Ten commissioner Jim Delaney and Big Ten Administrators Council chairman Jim Phillips for getting behind a playoff idea for NCAA football. Not like a four-team playoff would affect the Big Ten all that much, since the last time the conference landed a team in the top four was in 2007. It certainly will not affect Northwestern in the near future. But still, give credit to those two men for sensing the growing tide of the country. This year’s national championship game was boring as heck. No one wanted to tune in. That being said, I’m not sure the single championship game versus playoff system is the main issue. I think Delaney pinned the tail on the donkey when he told the Tribune:

There is a very strong sense that we have missed the boat and are playing games too late. Students are back in class, people are back at work.

Obviously, public fury has tended to center on the seemingly ridiculous bowl system, which allows pretty much every .500 team to participate in the postseason, but the bowl system does have its share of positives, and any changes would be difficult to achieve. While most people agree a playoff system makes sense, it’s difficult to negotiate, and involves elongating an already lengthy schedule. Rather than engage in that rancor right away, why not start with Delaney’s common-sense solution and push bowl games back into December. In my opinion, the last bowl game of the year should be on January 1st, when everyone is still off of work and in a celebratory mood. What better way to start the new year? Start the day with the Rose Bowl, then build up tension until you get to the BCS Championship Game at night’s end. Either way, get it out of the way in those first few days of January, so then everyone can focus their attention on basketball. The current system makes no sense. Delaney is right, the college football season has lost all momentum by the time that championship game occurs. Of course, the LSU and Alabama fans will watch their teams compete on any day, but if you want to draw in the casual fan, you got to catch people while they’re on vacation and in the mood for college football, and you definitely need to get all of those bowl games out of the way before the monolith that is the NFL Playoffs begins.

In other news, how does a basketball team overcome getting absolutely dominated by an opposing post player? Score more and score often. Northwestern may not have been able to stop Meyers Leonard Sunday afternoon, but they did everything else right, including hitting a blistering 60 percent of its shots from the field, turning the ball over just 12 times and out-rebounding Illinois. Wait, one second, did I just say out-rebound? Why yes, I did. It appears that for the first time since the Ice Age, Northwestern has out-rebounded an opponent, and this despite Luka Mirkovic’s absence, or as I might say, because of his absence. Still, the Wildcats were limited to one big man, and got just four rebounds from center Davide Curletti, so the fact that they out-rebounded the Fighting Illini comes as an absolute stunner. I guess that’s the one good thing about a game in which both teams shoot over 50 percent, it puts the importance of rebounding at a minimum, which obviously works to Northwestern’s advantage. Still, Leonard should have to walk around with his underwear pulled over his head or something for allowing the Wildcats to snag more rebounds in the post. That’s just embarrassing. And Reggie Hearn should be given a day off of practice for his valuable work on the offensive boards. Who said the season of miracles was over? Well done, Wildcats!

Also, from Teddy Greenstein’s Monday article, our quote of the day, and really another gem from Bill Carmody:

In the past sometime he has been like a Raggedy Ann doll when he drives, with his arms flying all over the place. Now he seems more controlled. There was no question he was going to finish those drives.

Who would have thought we would be comparing John Shurna with Raggedy Ann? Well done, Carmody, well done. Now let’s just hope opponents don’t catch on to this quote, and begin waving Raggedy Ann dolls every time Shurna shoots a free throw. That would be the last thing a guy who has struggled a bit from the charity stripe in recent weeks needs.

You take the bad…

On a more tragic side, OK, perhaps tragic is a slightly dramatic word, but as I was watching the Giants’ Super Bowl festivities on Tuesday, I couldn’t figure out what made the moment so poignant. A Super Bowl parade is, of course, a celebration, but then I realized that it’s also a farewell, a farewell to football season, and a farewell to a team that will live forever in our hearts, but will never again take the field as one piece. Personnel changes are inevitable and the Giants are facing a turbulent off-season full of difficult decisions. Twenty-four members of the team, a significant chunk of the Super Bowl champions, are eligible for free agency this off-season. It includes Super Bowl heroes, like Chase Blackburn and Mario Manningham, and longtime mainstays, like Kareem McKenzie and Aaron Ross. Loads of crucial players are up for free agency, and the blight of champions has the potential to strike at every position. Deon Grant would be a big loss to the secondary, Mario Manningham to the wide receivers corp, Steve Weatherford to the special teams unit and Jake Ballard and Bear Pascoe to the tight ends unit.

The stars are all signed. Eli Manning, Victor Cruz, Jason Pierre-Paul and Justin Tuck will all be back, but so many role players are liable to depart. So, it’s a nerve-wracking off-season for the Giants, and with one of the higher payrolls in the NFL, New York will not have much spare room to work with. What I would love to see, and I know will never happen, is for some of these players to accept lower contracts to stay in New York. Every time after the Super Bowl, you hear players declare how much they love their team and their city, but when it comes time to put their money where their mouth is, they flee faster than an Ahmad Bradshaw burst through the middle. This Giants team can be great once again, but if you want all the cogs to come back, that means some people might have to accept less than they feel they deserve. Are you willing to take the cut, Big Blue?

Also, one last note, I was seriously happy to see Northwestern take down Illinois, particularly after that cocky little Rockettes-style dance the Fighting Illini players pulled early in the game. I didn’t like their cockiness, particularly after some of the losses they have suffered thus far this season. They have no right to be grinning like that. You contrast that with the adorably linked arms of an understandably nervous Wildcats team in the final minutes of Sunday’s game, and you can see why I was particularly hungry for Northwestern to win that intra-state rivalry.