Junior receiver Arrelious Benn has announced that he will be leaving Illinois to enter the NFL draft.

“With the support of Coach (Ron) Zook and my mom, I am ready to pursue my lifelong dream of playing in the NFL,” Benn said. “I also plan to finish college and earn my degree from the University of Illinois.

“I know the hard work is just beginning, and I as I begin this new adventure, I will always be proud to represent the Fighting Illini.”

Benn was troubled with injuries and difficulties this year, but still led the team with 38 catches.

We wish him the best of luck!

Illinois’ Benn to enter NFL draft – ESPN

The Fighting Illini football team will play their last game of the season this Saturday at Memorial Stadium against Fresno State. This year has had it’s ups and downs; mostly downs with the Illini ’s current record of 3-8. It hasn’t looked good for the Illini all season. From that first kickoff in St. Louis, it seemed like they never really had it under control. They were expected to be a great team, and Big Ten contender with Juice Williams and Arrelious Benn in their prime. What happened? Nobody really knows. It has been a disappointing season to say the least, and this Saturday it is all going to come to an end.

That said, I want to encourage all of you to attend this Saturday’s finale: all of you students, all of you alumni, and all of you Fighting Illini fans. You say we aren’t going to a bowl anyway, so why does this game matter? You say that you have to stay home and study for finals. You say that it’s going to be freezing cold and you’d rather stay in your nice warm bed. You’ll find any excuse not to come and watch your team lose again. But I say no. There is no excuse. This is senior day. The team deserves our attendance.The least you can do is give up three hours of your life to come out and support your team. They may be bad, but they are still our team.

Do It For The Seniors

Fifteen Illini seniors will be honored at the game. This will be the last game they ever play in an Illinois uniform. Over the past four years, we’ve been through a lot with these guys, and through it all, they’ve stayed strong and given it all they’ve had. Let’s support them one last time on Saturday. Here’s to you seniors!

Jon Asamoah, OL
Eric Block, OL
Michael Cklamovski, PK
Jeff Cumberland, WR
Daniel Dufrene, RB
Chris Duvalt, WR
Donsay Hardeman, DB
Dere Hicks, DB
Michael Hoomanawanui, TE
Antonio James, DL
Doug Pilcher, DL
Rahkeem Smith, DL
Juice Williams, QB
Sirod Williams, DL
Kyle Yelton, P

Do It For Juice

One senior in particular, has taken a lot of heat over the past couple of years. Mr. Juice Williams is one of those players that you either love or hate. He has his good days, and his bad days. There is a lot that one can say about our senior quarterback, but let’s just let the numbers speak for themselves. Even if you hate Juice, or think that he shouldn’t be starting on Saturday, you can’t ignore that he:

• Already holds the Illinois total offense records for a career (10,327) and season (3,892)
• Ranks fifth in total offense in Big Ten history
• Already holds the Illinois QB rushing records for a career (2,501), season (755) and game (174)
• Ranks third in school history in passing yardage (7,826)
• Is the Illinois career leader in starts by a quarterback with 43
• Needs 45 rushing yards to move up to sixth on the Illinois career rushing list
• Needs three touchdown passes to move to second on the UI list for career scoring strikes

So one last time, let’s give Juice the applause that he deserves. He, along with the rest of the team, have come in day after day and given it their all. Despite the weather forecast, let’s give them all we’ve got on Saturday. I’m expecting a sea of orange, and the loudest stands of the season. They deserve it.

Let’s do it for the orange and blue!

Illinois vs. Fresno St. // Dec. 5 // 11:30am

• Live Audio | GameTracker | TV: BTN | Radio
• Fan Guide | Parking Map | Gameday Info
• BUY TICKETS TO THIS GAME

Go Illini!

Join Illini Nation on Saturday in painting Memorial Stadium orange in this season’s ORANGE-OUT game. Wear orange, and enjoy 60,000 orange shakers that will be distributed.

Now, more than ever, the team needs our support. Let’s go Illini!

The Entertainment and Sports Programming Network (ESPN) celebrates its 30th Anniversary today, September 7, 2009. ESPN is known as the international standard for sports news and was the first 24-hour sports programming network.

Connecticut native Bill Rasmussen, a former sportscaster and public relations director for the Hartford Whalers, began working on a new start-up venture in the late 1970s. Along with his son Scott, Rasmussen hoped to establish a statewide satellite cable sports network that would feature University of Connecticut and Whalers events. When Rasmussen learned it wouldn’t cost him any more to use the satellite transponder for national distribution, he created ESPN.

What launched with a single cable network on September 7, 1979 is now ESPN, Inc., The Worldwide Leader in Sports, a leading multinational, multimedia sports entertainment company featuring the broadest portfolio of multimedia sports assets, including six domestic networks, 45 international networks and more than 50 business entities.

Today, ESPN delivers sports programming to more than 190 countries and territories on all seven continents across a variety of platforms — television, wireless, interactive, print, radio, broadband, event management and consumer products – all with the hopes of fulfilling its original mission of serving sports fans.

ESPN 30th Anniversary Official Site

Disappointing and humiliating. These are the words I use to describe Illinois’ season opener against Missouri. 

It was a true pummeling, to say the least. Illinois was dominated on both defense and offense by a young Mizzou squad. Quarterback Juice Williams was 18 for 28 for 178 yards with a touchdown and an interception. While Missouri rookie quarterback Blaine Gabbert threw for 313 yards and three touchdowns and ran for a fourth. Illinois wide receiver Arrelious Benn and running back Jason Ford missed the second half with ankle injuries.

Preseason predictions were in the hands of the Illini coming into the game as a 6.5 point favorite with a highly experienced offensive unit. If you watched the game, you would have seen an ugly and unbelievable sight. The so-called “veteran” offense was no where to be found. Quarterback Juice Williams seemed to be playing worse than he had as a rookie. The preseason predictions were completely wrong and the Illini played a awful game. It was humiliating to be wearing orange and blue and an embarrassing blow to the hearts of Illini Nation. At this rate, it’s going to be a long season.

“I feel sick for these guys,” Zook said. “I feel sick for them. I feel sick for the Illini Nation. It’s up to us to make sure we get that fixed.” … “I wouldn’t have thought we’d play like that. That’s not the kind of off-season we’ve had, the kind of camp we’ve had, the preparation this last week we’ve had. I’m embarrassed with it, but I’m not ready to throw in the towel. I know our guys will come back and fix it. We didn’t play the way we are capable of playing. I think that everyone who follows us knows that, and more importantly, the guys in the locker room know that. We’ll be back and get the things fixed that need to be fixed.”

I’m not ready to throw in the towel either, but I think that the team needs a leader. I think that man should be the quarterback. Juice, you need to be more consistent. You need to motivate your teammates and keep up the team’s focus. You need to make accurate throws and use good judgement. You also need to make sure you don’t trip over your linemen’s feet, especially not on a fourth down in the red zone.

So here we are again, starting the season 0-1. It’s gonna take a lot of work to be considered a good team again. It’s gonna take a rally by the Illini to make it to a bowl game. I hope we can do it. The next game is the season home opener against Illinois State University. It is also the Red Grange dedication game. Maybe some of the history and talent from the “Greatest College Football Player of All Time” will rub off on the team (well at least I hope so).

“In the game of football, you’re going to have adversity. It’s how you handle it that will determine the type of success you’ll have. We’re going to take one game at a time.” – Ron Zook

Illini nation, let’s join Mr. Zook and rally behind our team, for “we love no other.”  Let’s do this together… Go Illini!

Illinois Loses Season Opener Against Missouri, 37-9 – FightingIllini.com 
After blowout, Zook has no answer for injuries or effort – IlliniHQ.com

Illinois Football fans will have the opportunity to meet the 2009 Illinois Football team and get autographs from the players and coaches at Fan Appreciation Day. The event is scheduled for August 29th from 12pm-2pm in the Great West Hall of Memorial Stadium. Admission is free and parking is available in the Assembly Hall northwest and northeast lots.

Fans will enter the West side of the Stadium using Gate 24 and can get autographs and photos with members of the entire team. Due to a large anticipated attendance, fans will be limited to one item per player for autographs (fans can bring multiple items, but an individual player will sign just one per fan).

Don’t miss this opportunity to meet the team you will be cheering on in the upcoming season. Wear orange, and go Illini!

Illinois Fan Appreciation Day Set for Saturday, Aug. 29 – FightingIllini.com

Jeff Jordan has recently elected not to continue with the Fighting Illini basketball team. Jordan has been a reserve point guard for the last two years. He intends to stay at Illinois and focus on his academics.

“I loved playing for the Fighting Illini and appreciate the support I was given by my teammates, coaches and the great fans here,” Jordan said. “But I have come to the point where I’m ready to focus on life after basketball. I will concentrate on earning my degree from the University of Illinois and the opportunities that await upon graduating.”

He appeared in 59 career games, totaling 58 points, 42 assists and 24 rebounds. Jordan averaged 8.4 minutes as a sophomore after playing 5.3 minutes per game as a true freshman. He scored a career-high five points vs. Detroit (Dec. 20, 2008) and at Purdue (Jan. 19, 2008), and had a career-high six assists vs. Chicago State (Dec. 10, 2008).

“Jeff was an invaluable member of our team the past two seasons and I thank him for his contribution to our program,” coach Bruce Weber said. “He brought great work ethic to the gym and pushed himself, as well as his teammates, each and every day to improve. We will miss him, but we fully support the decision he has made. When the game of basketball has been a top priority throughout your life, it is very difficult to transition away from playing. I know Jeff has given this much thought. He is an outstanding, mature young man who will be successful in whatever areas he pursues in the future.”

Good luck Jeff, and maybe I’ll take you on at the ARC sometime!

Jordan Leaves Illinois Basketball Team – FightingIllini.com

We all know that Chicago is a finalist as a hosting city for the 2016 Summer Olympics; well, you do now if you didn’t. It looks now, that if the windy city wins the bid, the University of Illinois is getting in on the action, kind of.

University trustees approved a deal Tuesday that gives the city use of the UIC Pavilion, Flames Athletic Center, the Physical Education Building, the South Field Complex and Flames Field and the Student Recreation Facility.

The deal says the Pavilion would host boxing and paralympic volleyball. The games will run through July and August.

The university will not have to pay anything, but they also are not getting any funding in return.

UIC gives city run of venues for Olympics – Chicago Tribune

Tonight is the 43rd Super Bowl of the National Football League. True American tradition makes this a day for pig-out parties and backyard pick-up games. Even sports fans tend to tune in to this game for either the half-time entertainment, or the commercials. Tonight’s game is between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Arizona Cardinals. The game starts at 5:00pm on NBC.

If you are hosting your own party, or need to bring snacks to somebody else’s, check out this guide for easy and cheap super bowl snacks.

The Super Bowl: it’s one of the few times a year you’re allowed to pig out on food, snacks, and appetizers. Odds are, if your a college student, or just another victim of the poor economy, you’re running pretty low on cash. If you’re throwing a Super Bowl party, or just going to one, you’ll probably need to make up a dish or two for all attending guests. Listed below are great snack/appetizer ideas that are cheap and relatively easy to make, yet still tasty. Most of these can be made without spending more than $8.

If you are not planning to watch the game, or you have never experienced the fascination of this day, I encourage you to check it out, get into it, and enjoy the show. You can do your homework later.

What are you doing Friday night? Why don’t you head over to Huff Hall and check out the #7 Illini wrestling team take on the #19 Northwestern squad. The match starts at 7:00pm and admission is free for students.

The night is being labeled as “The Great Escape” and there will be a raffle for an Illini scooter. That’s right, just show your I-Card to be included in a raffle for a FREE Illini scooter.

Check it out and Go Illini!