I wouldn’t say I was ever a huge fan of our athletics at the UI. I’ve gone to games and cheered the team on, but I’ve never had a great deal of pride or spirit for the Orange and Blue. Unfortunately, until this past Thursday, I have never been so ashamed of our athletes or our fans. The antics of Orange Krush were despicable and, quite frankly, embarrassing. A organization of fans has no place to show such disrespect to a visiting team. Orange Krush should be there to cheer on our boys, not piss and moan about missing a great recruit.

So Eric Gordon didn’t choose Illinois. So Kelvin Sampson is a coach that employs shady tactics. That’s no excuse for our team’s abysmal performance this season, which is what this circus act at Assembly Hall was really all about.

The best way Illinois could’ve shown Eric Gordon its displeasure was to beat him at a game of basketball, but the Illini couldn’t even do that. Instead, they turned into a bunch of sad, whiny, sore losers. I am ashamed that our team’s fan base resorted to that.

I can’t decide which is worse, however: that Chester Frazier – who represents my school, and therefore me – taking a cheap shot before the game, or that Bruce Weber didn’t have the class, dignity, or stones to bench him for the whole game. Weber may have brought us to the national final three years ago, but “Bruce Almighty” has shown his true colors as a coach since then. I’m glad Illinois is having such a bad basketball season.

The team, the coach and the fans deserve nothing more for being a bunch of infantile brats.

Geoffrey Guiney

Senior in LAS