35 Comments - Ghost - Wednesday, Jul 20, 16 @ 12:29 pm: Abrhama Lincoln has cautioned people running for office about believing what you see on internet blogs…. - blue dog dem - Wednesday, Jul 20, 16 @ 12:33 pm: As Mrs. blue and I wrap up our five year stay in Chicago, I will truely miss the walks along the lake. Heck, like a little kid I still love the Navy Pier. Won’t miss the traffic. Won’t miss the crime. Won’t miss the seemingly endless sirens from emergency vehicles. But like most of ILlinois, its full of some wonderful folks. - Crispy Critter - Wednesday, Jul 20, 16 @ 12:45 pm: Where is Crocadile Dundee when we need him? - Ron Burgundy - Wednesday, Jul 20, 16 @ 12:46 pm: Crazy summer heat coming the next few days. Hope everyone stays cool and checks on friends and neighbors who need it. On a lighter note, Rich, I bet Oscar’s groomer could take you. Maybe a 2 for 1 deal? - A guy - Wednesday, Jul 20, 16 @ 12:58 pm: Terrible inconvenience that Oscar’s coif stylist didn’t have two appointments available back to back. This two trips thing is leaving a larger carbon footprint. lol - wordslinger - Wednesday, Jul 20, 16 @ 1:02 pm: Tough loss for Cubs last night. You get chances like that early against Thor and late against Familia, you’ve got to cash them in. They don’t happen often. What’s it going to take to get Chapman from Yankees, who are shopping him? Cat broke the gun the other night at 105 mph, but he’s a free agent after this year. What will you pay to maybe rent him for half a year? - Doug Simpson - Wednesday, Jul 20, 16 @ 1:02 pm: I just saw Dad’s car turn the corner. Anybody got a light so we can fire up the bong? - pool boy - Wednesday, Jul 20, 16 @ 1:07 pm: Haven’t heard from white Sox fans since April. What’s up with that? - A guy - Wednesday, Jul 20, 16 @ 1:10 pm: pb, they’re on a 3 month west coast trip. All late games. - anon - Wednesday, Jul 20, 16 @ 1:17 pm: blue dog So is it high taxes and the Democrats that is driving you out of the state? - illini - Wednesday, Jul 20, 16 @ 1:21 pm: Cubs have struggled a bit lately but are still leading the Central Division. My Cards have struggled all year and are only 7 games out - it is still July. Lets see how things shape up in September and October. Can’t wait for Big 10 Football and Basketball! I absolutely cherish this site and the “friends” I think I have made here. Thanks to everyone who gets my blood pressure and passions flowing - even when I feel my responses are inadequate and not properly stated to my standards. You have to love/hate the political dynamics going on in this state! I even like reading the comments of the Trolls, although I try to not feed them. Baseball, college sports and politics - what else is there to talk about? - blue dog dem - Wednesday, Jul 20, 16 @ 1:52 pm: Anon. Moving downstate to get closer to widget factory. Going to try and peddle it before I go bankrupt. No, I am a Land O’ Lincolner for life. Remember, old Blue has seen the light. I am an independent. - TheGoodLieutenant - Wednesday, Jul 20, 16 @ 1:57 pm: == What’s it going to take to get Chapman from Yankees, who are shopping him? Cat broke the gun the other night at 105 mph, but he’s a free agent after this year.== The Cubs better make a hard play for Chapman, they need some help in the BP, big time. - wordslinger - Wednesday, Jul 20, 16 @ 2:01 pm: –The Cubs better make a hard play for Chapman, they need some help in the BP, big time.– I agree, I’m just wondering what the market is. Tricky business, making a play for a superstar going into free agency. - wordslinger - Wednesday, Jul 20, 16 @ 2:40 pm: –Cubs have struggled a bit lately but are still leading the Central Division. My Cards have struggled all year and are only 7 games out - it is still July.– Ten big Cubs/Cards games left: seven at Wrigley, three at Busch. Cubs caught a huge break that Cards and Pirates didn’t gain more ground when they were scuffling from June to the break. That was a lot of days off the calendar. What’s with the Cards lousy record at home? That’s unusual for them. - Illinois bob - Wednesday, Jul 20, 16 @ 2:42 pm: @illini =Can’t wait for Big 10 Football and Basketball!= Glutton for punishment, ehhh? LOL - illini - Wednesday, Jul 20, 16 @ 2:46 pm: Wordslinger - Many of us are wondering about lousy record when playing at Busch Stadium - very unusual to say the least. Kind of the way the season has gone so far. But I have faith that there is still enough time left for them to get their game together. - illini - Wednesday, Jul 20, 16 @ 2:48 pm: Illinois Bob - what more can I say. I’m a fan! - Ducky LaMoore - Wednesday, Jul 20, 16 @ 2:50 pm: ===Haven’t heard from white Sox fans since April. What’s up with that?=== To quote Mike Ditka as head coach of the Saints… “We suck.” - Arthur Andersen - Wednesday, Jul 20, 16 @ 2:54 pm: Illini, me too. Let’s hope Lovie has a few tricks up his sleeve. - Suburban Watchman - Wednesday, Jul 20, 16 @ 2:57 pm: Anyone else think UIUC is doomed with Lovie Smith being head coach? I doubt they’ll win 4 games this season - Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Jul 20, 16 @ 2:58 pm: - illini - LSU is going to play Wisconsin at Lambeau Field. I hope soon Illinois or Northwestern make it more common that they play inter-conference games at Soldier Field. A good SEC/B1G matchup - Anonymous - Wednesday, Jul 20, 16 @ 3:00 pm: –I hope Lovie has a few tricks up his sleeve.– I give the Illini a lot of credit for that bold move. Half the game in college is recruiting, and now the Illini have a recruiter who players (and their parents) have heard of. That’s a big deal in a league with Harbaugh, Meyer and Dantonio. For the life of me, off the top of my head, I can’t remember of the name of the coach Lovie replaced. He was forgettable the day he got to Champaign. - Ducky LaMoore - Wednesday, Jul 20, 16 @ 3:01 pm: ===Anyone else think UIUC is doomed with Lovie Smith being head coach? I doubt they’ll win 4 games this season=== You don’t give that man a five year contract and place the onus on season 1. The whole point of Lovie is recruiting. Year 3 is the year you can really start to judge the talent on the field. 4 games I think would be a lot for him to win the first year. - Ron Burgundy - Wednesday, Jul 20, 16 @ 3:02 pm: Lovie’s first season will be rough no matter what due to talent. So long as they show improvement and the staff looks competent and recruits down the road they have a chance to be successful. This recruiting class is off to a slow start due to the late hiring. If he can get support from former Bears that should help. Also having a very successful NFL player like Hardy Nickerson on staff should help. - Ron Burgundy - Wednesday, Jul 20, 16 @ 3:03 pm: Also anything other than having a head coach that looks, acts and coaches like a total buffoon will be a step forward. - wordslinger - Wednesday, Jul 20, 16 @ 3:04 pm: Pardon, anon 3 p.m. was me. SW, this coming season isn’t the test. The measurement for Lovie starts in 2018 when his first recruits come off freshman redshirt. - wordslinger - Wednesday, Jul 20, 16 @ 3:05 pm: –Also having a very successful NFL player like Hardy Nickerson on staff should help.– Absolutely. Again, recruiting. - Suburban Watchman - Wednesday, Jul 20, 16 @ 3:07 pm: The main determiner of a great college football coach is that of a recruiter. With the Bears and mildly the Bucs Lovie never did any recruiting that made either teams stronger throughout the years ahead. I just don’t see him as a great choice because of one good season with the Bears. Sad! - illini - Wednesday, Jul 20, 16 @ 3:14 pm: There is no doubt that this first year for Lovie will be trying, but I respect him and expect his recruiting to pay off big time. Don’t let the first year tarnish his ability to establish a contending team. Still hopeful for a respectable season. And Willy - much as I detest the SEC teams I think a matchup of these conferences is a good idea. My wish would be in Champaign ( only a 3 hour drive for me ) vs Soldier Field ( at least a 7 hour drive ). Lets see what happens. - illini - Wednesday, Jul 20, 16 @ 3:30 pm: Suburban Watchman - with all respects - it is the GM and ownership of the NFL teams that “recruits” and signs the players with definite input from the coach. At the college level it is different. - illinois bob - Wednesday, Jul 20, 16 @ 3:31 pm: Actually, the talent level on the team this year will be far better than next. They lose a LOT of the key players this year. lovie needs a big name QB and RB in this class to gain cred. What’s coming back just won’t cut it and he needs a QB to fit his offensive style. - Ron Burgundy - Wednesday, Jul 20, 16 @ 3:38 pm: One thing Lovie does have in recruiting is a bunch of current and former NFL players like Urlacher who would run through a brick wall for the guy. High school kids LOVE to meet guys like that. Short of coaching, Urlacher has already said he will do anything Lovie wants him to do. - Doug Simpson - Wednesday, Jul 20, 16 @ 5:04 pm: “Rex is our quarterback” - Lovie Smith - Responsa - Wednesday, Jul 20, 16 @ 5:45 pm: I’ve read on several east coast sports blogs that Schwarber for Chapman is the deal they’d make with the Cubs. No Scwarber no Chapman. I doubt Theo would do that but lord knows the Cubs need big time pitching help. Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.