Friendly wager
Monday, Apr 4, 2005 - Posted by Rich Miller
From a press release:
SPRINGFIELD – Gov. Rod Blagojevich today made a bet with North Carolina Gov. Mike Easley, as their state universities prepare to go head-to-head in the NCAA basketball National Championship game.
If the University of Illinois Fighting Illini prevail tonight, Gov. Easley will provide dinner from Lexington BBQ and The Barbeque Joint in Chapel Hill, as well as a six-pack of Cheerwine, a cherry flavored soft drink invented in North Carolina.
If the University of North Carolina Tar Heels win the game, Gov. Blagojevich will send a Champaign-favorite, Papa Del’s deep dish pizza, and a six-pack of Orange Crush to Raleigh.
“The Illini have played all year with talent, experience, unselfishness, and most importantly – heart,†said Gov. Blagojevich. “I expect to celebrate with tens of thousands of Illini faithful tonight in St. Louis, and to toast the success of the team soon with Cheerwine.â€
Second year head coach Bruce Weber has led the Illini to a 37-1 record over the course of this season. All five starters, four of which are Illinois natives, have double digit scoring averages. The team has broken many other school and conference records this season, including their historic 29 game winning streak and having four different players named Big Ten Player of the Week over the course of the season.
Gov. Blagojevich will attend tonight’s game in St. Louis. Tipoff is at 8:21 p.m. CST.
- Tom DeLay's Mom - Monday, Apr 4, 05 @ 3:48 pm:
Fine time for the Governor to be making gentlemen’s wagers over tonight’s championship game…perhaps he’s busy deflecting attention from his sinister plan to impose a licensing fee on Illinois mushroom hunters?
Ill. Mushroom Hunting Regulation a Hoax
Mon Apr 4, 9:07 AM ET Strange News - AP
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - Mushroom hunters can breathe easier. Despite the rumors, the state of Illinois isn’t charging fees and regulating the hobby this spring.
The Natural Resources Department tried to assure hunters Wednesday they do not have to get a state license and pay a $16.75 fee to hunt mushrooms.
Department spokeswoman Gayle Simpson said the agency received dozens of calls last week complaining about the purported change. She said the department discovered someone had taken a press release from the Internet and used it to craft a fake announcement of the new license and fee.
The hoax urged hunters to visit vendors that sell hunting and fishing licenses to get a mushroom license and said the proceeds would benefit biological and archaeological research in Illinois, Simpson said.
She said the agency doesn’t know when the hoax was sent or by whom, but e-mails and faxes have spread it “like wildfire” through central and southern Illinois and the agency is investigating.
- Rich - Monday, Apr 4, 05 @ 5:28 pm:
Inspired by Rich Miller, if Illinois somehow manages to beat Carolina- my blog will go orange the rest of the week.
Go Heels
- Diane - Monday, Apr 4, 05 @ 5:47 pm:
Really clever background color. Just for a minute I thought you might have left blogger, but then came the ah ha moment. Very good.
- In The House - Monday, Apr 4, 05 @ 6:05 pm:
Ribs and a six pack. Kind of has a downstate feel to it (bonus points). Just enough food and drink for the evil cabal (TheRod, Dreamy (No Tie For Me, Argentina) Brad, and Dr. Strangelove Filan) to chow down while they come up with more schemes to raise backdoor taxes while looking, oh-so-cool doing it.
- Craig - Monday, Apr 4, 05 @ 9:32 pm:
How Polyanna
- Anonymous - Monday, Apr 4, 05 @ 11:38 pm:
Typical HotRod moment. He didn’t attend college or law school in Illinois. He has left the Chief out to dry, but now is a “big Illini fan”.
True Fighting Illini fans already know his B.S. as Governor and won’t buy it when he tries to jump on the band wagon now.
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Apr 5, 05 @ 11:29 am:
I suspect that Gov BS made the trip to the NCAA Final at taxpayer expense to ‘visit downstate with the citizens of IL”. Wonder what THIS trip cost us?
- BuckTurgidson - Tuesday, Apr 5, 05 @ 12:09 pm:
Come on. Really? You’re bashing the governor of ILLINOIS for cheering on the university of ILLINOIS?
And for traveling all the way across the Mississippi to see the game?
If the gov was being opportunistic about rooting for the Illini and making a friendly wager, does it mean that everyone who cheered them on was an alum or equally opportunistic?
Petty, petty, petty.
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Apr 5, 05 @ 11:00 pm:
Actually Buck - true Illini fans are upset that Governor “Follow the Cameras-vich” raises his index finger in one hand to show his support of the team, but raises his middle finger on the other hand when asked to properly support education in this state.
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Apr 5, 05 @ 11:00 pm:
How do you say “jump on the bandwagon” in Serbian?