This is in response to the cartoon of the football team in the Sept. 29 issue of the Daily Illini. The cartoon shows two football players as well as Coach Zook, and it reads “Illinois Football: Keeping you looking forward to basketball season.” I think that the Daily Illini should be ashamed of themselves for publishing this cartoon.

We all know we are not a national title contending football team, but this is not the point. We have been the joke of the Big Ten in football for the last several years. Most the other schools joke about how bad Illinois football is. You would think that if anyone showed them some support that the school newspaper would, but this is obviously not the case. We have all enjoyed the basketball team’s success through out the past few years. We also have the memory of not that long ago when we played in a BCS Bowl Game. This is obviously what we want every year, but this is a rebuilding year.

I am sitting here as I type this watching our Illini Football team win on the road at Michigan State. The outcome of this game is yet to be decided, but I am proud of how those coaches and players are playing. They are out there representing this school to the best of their ability and doing a great job.

I think that the Daily Illini should show a little more respect to the coaches and players of all the teams and not just when they are winning. Times like these are when we have to rally around the team and show them our support. I, for one, feel that in a year or two we will have once again a team that will be in a bowl game and make some noise in the Big Ten. So for all the coaches and players, keep up the good work and good luck on the rest of the season.

Craig Noble

Senior in Engineering