LeatherneckNation / General Sports Discussion Forums / Leatherneck Nation Sports Lounge

Director of Marketing & Promotions

WIU712 — Wed, 16 May 2012 14:30:57 GMT

The postion has been filled.

We should see immediate improvement in this area that had been lacking in the 2011-2012 season.

http://www.goleathernecks.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_LANG=C&ATCLID=205427570&DB_OEM_ID=12000

FCS Playoff Expansion

WIU712 — Thu, 10 May 2012 21:52:37 GMT

The FCS Playoffs are set to add 4 more teams in 2013.

That would make 24 teams in the playoffs.

New Mobile App for WIU Athletics ...

sealhall74 — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 15:03:17 GMT

... is pretty nice and worth the price of admission (free) or 2.99 for premium features like video. One complaint I do have with it though. Clicking on links in the News articles take you to the main web site where things are a little busy for a mobile device with a small screen. I still think we need to upgrade this here forum to be mobile-user-friendly.

Saturday's Spring Football Game

WIU712 — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 21:33:31 GMT

I am not hearing much about this year's Spring Game which will be this Saturday, April 21st.

At last year's Spring Game, there was a lot of promoting. Q-Lot was open for tailgating. The Western Band played.

So far, I have not seen anything about this year's Spring Game.

Didn't we used to refer to this scrimmage as "The Vince Grady Game" ????

Vince Grady sustained a paralyzing injury in a freshman football game from which he never fully recovered. He was the youngest of 16 children.

I have not heard Vince Grady's name mentioned in a very long time.

Someone at Western Hall has dropped the ball. Perhaps Sean McDonough and his committee can return that name to the Spring Game.

A Retro Night marketing idea

sealhall74 — Sat, 14 Apr 2012 09:03:39 GMT

Beau Spencer uncovered yet another Western tradition from way back:
https://twitter.com/#!/beauspencer/status/190956781034422272

I think some sort of "Retro Night" for the 2012-2013 basketball season would be a great idea, probably more for us old-timers though. We could offer reduced admission to any former Howlers and Screachers or those old enough to have been one plus or minus a few years. Make sure to play the music from those eras. The 70s night at Wrigley was very popular for a while and maybe still is. Not sure how today's college-age crowd would take to such an idea. Any thoughts?

Is athletic event attendance tied to enrollment demographics?

sealhall74 — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 18:30:31 GMT

Today's Western Courier addresses some the enrollment decline issues that Western and many other colleges and universities seem to be facing these days. Rather than looking at total enrollment numbers, I would like to see some state-wide (county by county) numbers over the last decade and a half or so. Does anybody know if such numbers exist? I would be willing to bet you would see a huge decline in students coming from the more rural counties in the state. No big surprise as the numbers of available high school graduates in those counties have been dwindling. Schools in those counties are consolidating and co-oping to put athletic teams together. So what does this have to do with athletic event attendance you ask? Well, it is my belief that people outside of these rural environments (i.e those living within larger metropolitan areas like Chicago, Peoria, St. Louis) generally do not enjoy the sports scene quite as much as those living in the small town rural areas like where I grew up. In small town Illinois, a Friday night football or basketball game is the only game in town. You literally knew everyone in attendance on your side of the field or court and probably a few on the other. It is a true social event. Today, I live in a suburb to the south of Washington, DC (Woodbridge, VA). Like most suburbs, one hardly knows their next-neighbor around here. As for enrollment, they can't build schools fast enough to keep up with the population growth. However, I go to basketball and football games in the area and am truly amazed at how poorly attended these events are. It seems like the only people who show up are the family members of the participants. So where the hell is everybody else? Probably fighting traffic to get home from their job. Or if they are home, they are probably tuned into one of 240 channels of entertainment on their big screen TV. When I was at Western, I had a wealth of friends from my little hometown and other small towns in the area as well. Most of us were fortunate to have played sports at one level or another in those same small towns. Sports was in our blood. I don't think I missed a single football game or basketball game at Western whenever I was on campus. My father and I even traveled the 45 or so miles to come to a basketball game or two over the holiday breaks. Forgive me for rambling on, but my basic premise is this: The decline of students from small rural areas has had a huge negative impact on the attendance of athletic events. Furthermore, I assert that even if you pull in more students from the big cities and suburbs to fill the enrollment gap, the rise in athletic event attendance by these students will hardly be noticeable. What will have the biggest immediate impact on athletic event attendance? That one is easy. All it takes is some success on the field or court for everyone (students and townies alike) to jump on the bandwagon.

That's more than enough news and commentary for today!

50 Great Football Stadiums

sealhall74 — Sun, 25 Mar 2012 18:20:25 GMT

Here is a list of the Top 50 College Football Stadiums and something weird about each. Who here in Leatherneck Nation leads the way in seeing college games at these stadiums? Sad to say I don't fare too well as the only ones I have been to for a college game are Michie Stadium (Army, 1976) and Heinz Field (Pitt against Grambling State, Grambling Band Highlight, 2007). If Hanson Field were on the list, what do you think it's weird thing or tradition would be? I guess I would have to go with our beloved Peach Blossoms even though their behavior has been toned down.

Top 25 Logos

sealhall74 — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 21:58:07 GMT

Looks like slow newsday, so thought I would share this Top 25 Logo list.
NDSU comes in at #5.
Personally, I don't think FSU's logo (#1) is all that great.

Upgrade this forum to better support mobile devices?

sealhall74 — Sun, 26 Feb 2012 19:08:17 GMT

I see that GoLeathernecks.com is being enhanced to better support the many mobile devices that are out there. Just wondering how many think we should do the same for this site. Scott would be the one to know whether an upgrade path exists or if a whole new forum package would be required. I for one now do most of my stuff on the Android cell or Dell tablet which is what I am using to enter this now.

Campus Obervations

WIU712 — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 20:38:02 GMT

As NFS71 reported, there are now 3 flagpoles at the south end of Hanson Field. The center one is the tallest one.

Looks like the U.S. flag will be on the center one with the Illinois flag on one of the smaller ones. Not sure if the other smaller one will be for a Western flag or an MIA flag. But they look nice.

The steam tunnel work continues along University Drive from Brophy Hall westward to the baseball field. That area continues to be a big mess. This work has certainly taken a very long time.

The home softball season starts in March. But right now, there is no access to the softball field. Getting into the baseball stadium is also a challenge due to the steam tunnel work.

Work on Corbin/Olson is continuing. Those dorms will re-open for the Fall 2012 semester.

I am hoping (praying) that something can be done to the west side of Hanson Field over the spring and summer.

Big man - Big Wallet - Less will mean more

Neckfansince71 — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 17:14:58 GMT

Thought I would try something new. I have a good idea where I am going with this line of thinking and as you know, I have plenty of time on my hands once in awhile. So, I am going to present this for your reaction and reflection in "Thoughts!" So below is my first installment!

My Introductory Thought!

So what is it going to take? How is Western Illinois going to win an FCS Championship like North Dakota State and have a basketball team that’s ranked as a top mid-major every year and gets the type of attention Butler use to get? And why in the world would we want that to happen? I mean, we could do away with all of this like Northeastern Illinois University did so many years ago, or Centenary who is now a Division 3 participant. I almost forgot that NEIU existed until a couple of weeks ago when I drove past on my way to a meeting. The fact that they once played in the Mid Continent is all but a faint memory from the past. I have not heard anything about NEIU in the news for years. No advertisements at the movies, or on bill boards around the Chicago area. Simply put, Athletics = Name recognition = Stature = Students! Athletics is something to rally around and to wear school colors to! Athletics allows you to gather at Homecoming as alumni, or at other cities and venues throughout the season. Happy alumni almost always means more funds and you know that we need the money!

Upcoming BB Specials!

WIU712 — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 18:13:31 GMT

Hey Leatherneck Fans!

Leatherneck Athletics is announcing a New Year Mini Plan for all Leatherneck fans.

The Mini Plan includes a men's basketball game against perennial power, league-leading Oral Roberts and men's and women's doubleheaders against IUPUI and the two-time defending Summit League Champion Oakland.

You will receive admission to all five games starting as low as $15. For all five games, reserved seat tickets are just $20 (Savings of $30!) and general admission tickets are only $15 (Savings of $25!).

The Leathernecks have had success at Western Hall this season as they have compiled a combined 9-4 record (6-1 Men | 3-3 Women).

They need your support during these three HUGE Summit League matchups. Make Leatherneck Basketball a part of your New Year's resolution!

Two Games - Same Score

WIU712 — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 14:31:11 GMT

Western won both games of Tuesday night's double-header by the identical score of 73-52.

How strange is that ???????????

How many can we expect?

Neckfansince71 — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 20:35:25 GMT

I was in charge of organizing my 40th high school reunion this year. I used Facebook, some personal contact, and word of mouth to get this going. Facebook was a wonderful way to make and keep contact with people and provided my classmates with a place to blab prior to and after the event. They are still finding people and dumping them into our Facebook page. With that said, I got into a discussion with the class treasurer who did not really think many would come to the event. The venue we held the event at kept asking, "how many can we expect?" I thought with friends and family included 100+, she figured less than 100 by a bunch and only purchased 50 name tags. I graduated with 288, and over the years we have lost over 20+! So how many should I have expected. In reality, 71 graduates showed up, which is funny because that's when we graduated. Adding in friends and family, over 160 people came. The treasurer's husband was sent to buy more tags!

So my point, we keep throwing around expected attendance figures, or the number of fans we should expect at a WIU game versus of course the number that actually show. I have heard comments about the number of fans when Eastern and Kevin Duckworth came to town, I sat with 19,000+ vs. Central Michigan in 1973. But I wonder what the average attendance was each of those years? There were 15,000 students attending WIU in those days and I have no idea what the size of the Macomb area was. I have been checking the attendance for all of the Summit schools and its not surprising that the opponent and the timing definitely determines the game attendance. Right now, the total attendance for WIU is listed as 13331. I am not sure whether that includes the Quad-cities or not. We all know that the total number of students is never a total indication of "interest" or "attendance" at athletic events. If it did, Oakland (19,000+) would not only have a larger arena than Notre Dame (8440) but would also be playing Division 1 football. But that is far from the case. I have attended a number of Big 10 games in my life and every single one of them takes on the personality of a true "happening" no matter who the game is against! Now we all know that Ohio State vs. Michigan brings out a whole lot of people, but even games against lesser opponents at places like Madison and Illinois bring out the fans. It can't just be the size of the community because if it was, Northwestern being so close to Chicago would have the largest stadium and the greatest following, but they do not. It is only recently that they have been filling both of their major venues and of course, if students are on campus, that is easier to do. Lets go back to Oakland. Total capacity of the Orena is listed as 3000, but they have had up to 4000 inside. (Michigan State) So what looks better, 1,700 fans packed into the Orena, or 1600 fans sitting in Western Hall (5139). Our 1600 fans packed into IUPUI's Jungle would be close to a sell out.

So I am looking for two numbers here! One for basketball, and one for football! If WIU basketball continues to grow and prosper, I would think a nightly number of fans when students are on campus could or should be 2500-3,000. Imagine the noise 3500 fans could/would make. Of course, there would have to be an increased interest from the town proper also. For football, I think anything over 10,500 is a good crowd! Just trying to be more realistic here.

Others have interrest in Coach MO too

western-101 — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 19:05:28 GMT

Check out the "wiu" thread

http://bradleyfans.com/

Watching Oakland vs. Tennessee on ESPNU

western-101 — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 20:48:38 GMT

Oakland beat a ranked Tennessee team last year at their place.

What both astounds and perplexes me is how is Oakland able to get a "High Major" program in Tennessee to come play at Oakland's 4K seat arena?

So Oakland gets home games w/ Tennessees. WIU gets home games with Greenvilles?

FCS Playoff Bracket

WIU712 — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 09:55:18 GMT

Illinois State's loss in overtime cost them a playoff spot.

Only 2 MVFC teams this year: North Dakota State and Northern Iowa.

Sam Houston State is the #1 seed.

North Dakota State is the #2 seed. Northern Iowa is the #5 seed.

http://www.ncaa.com/sites/default/files/files/football_fcs_2011.pdf

Nov 12 Game Day Observations

WIU712 — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 20:51:45 GMT

1. It seems like we have way too many "Security/Event Staff" in the Q-Lot tailgating area.

I went over to our game last week at Illinois State. And I only saw a fraction of what we had circulating thru Q Lot.

2. The Pit parking lot on the south side of Hanson Field is underutilized. There were only 13 cars parked there.

When the Tailgating Committee does its review at the end of the season, it should explore other uses for that lot. It is currently "Reseved Parking" for Leatherneck Club members. But it does not appear that many of those people are using it.

Probably time to try something else down there. Perhaps that could be opened up as a "Family Tailgating Lot" open to anybody.

3. That recorded music that we have started playing on defensive 3rd downs for the past 2 games is more of a nuissance than anything else. Stop it!

Many times the Band was already playing when that recored music was turned on. Do we really need it when we have a live band in attendance ????

4. Perhaps the biggest blunder of the day was when the PA Announcer was introducing the 22 seniors of the Marching Leathernecks at the end of the halftime show.

That darn recorded music suddenly came on from the north endzone speakers while the list of names was still being read. It really distracted from honoring those band seniors.

It just seemed like a very rude gesture.

5. The numbers on the scoreboard were very difficult to read when the sun was shining on the scoreboard.

Peach Blossoms

WIU712 — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 21:45:20 GMT

The Peach Blossoms were out in force at Saturday's game.

They had a fund-raiser game of bean bags going on during the Tailgating. They had a sign saying that they have been in existence as a group at Western since 1966. So this would be their 45th year.

They repeatedly circulated through all of the stands (west, east, and north) to pump up the crowd. They do a good job in motivating the crowd.

I have very fond memories of the Peach Blossoms from my college days in the late 60's/early 70's.

I can remember how they would show up at the game sometime during the 2nd quarter. We had always been told that they were somewhere prior to that drinking!

They would arrive in their truck and circle the track in the truck while the game was going on. I bet that they could not do that these days

Ahhh those were the days

2012 Homecoming

WIU712 — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 10:48:33 GMT

The Alumni Association has announced that next year's Homecoming will be on September 22, 2012. So mark your calendars!

That seems very early into the fall semester to be having Homecoming. It will be 2 weeks earlier than this year's Homecoming. Looks like fall semester will start on August 20, 2012.

I don't know why we don't flip-flop Homecoming and Family Weekend. We have been having Homecoming come first in the season.

Since the Family Weekend game has transitioned into a night game with a 6PM start, it seems to make more sense to me to have that game in September when it will be warmer at night than it is in Ocotober.

I'd like to see the Family Weekend game in September. Then the Homecoming game would come in October.

We don't know who the opponent will be for next year's Homecoming game. There is only a partial 2012 schedule known at this time:

August 30, 2102 Butler (Home)

September 15, 2012 At Iowa State

September 29, 2012 At North Dakota State

October 20, 2012 Indiana State (Home)

November 10, 2012 At South Dakota State

New Look and Feel on GoLeathernecks.com

sealhall74 — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 08:40:22 GMT

It appears that we have have a new look and feel on http://www.goleathernecks.com/
HOWEVER, it also appears that someone did not apply due diligence in making sure it works across all browsers as it aint looking too good on my Firefox browser (version 6.0.2). Maybe its my bad for using and loving Firefox but is anyone else having any issues with it?

What was the effect of -2

Neckfansince71 — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 09:42:17 GMT

We all knew the Mizzoo game was going to be a stretch with the maturity level of our players, what effect did not having Presideux and Ray have offensively? Flowers has not really gotten off this season! Ray has really supplied the Necks with some solid punch! I am not saying it would have changed who won and who lost, but it would have given us another bullet in our gun!

Thoughts?

Radio Coverage

WIU712 — Sun, 28 Aug 2011 11:55:25 GMT

Our first football game will be coming up on Thursday night.

So far, we have not heard of any other radio stations joining the "Leatherneck Sports Network". That is not good news for anyone who lives outside of WIUS-FM's five mile broadcast range.

120 watts does not travel very far.

I do go to the home games. But after the games, I lose the WIUS signal before Coach comes on for his post-game interview.

You can hear the radio broadcast via the internet. But that does not do any good for the people who are driving back home after the game--unless they live in Macomb.

When Beau Spencer came on aboard, he had mentioned that he was going to work on expanding the broadcast coverage area. If he has done that, this would be the time to do it.

22nd annual Purple & Gold Auciton

KippJones — Sun, 21 Aug 2011 12:46:26 GMT

Hey, just a reminder that the biggest fundraiser for our Leathernecks is coming up this Saturday, August 27 at Western Hall. The 22nd annual P&G benefit auction starts at 5pm, with a social, silent/live auction and two $500 cash raffles.

I believe there is a link at www.goleathernecks.com where you can see what's up for bids. Generally there's tickets to NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL games, sports merchandise, gift certificates to Macomb (area) businesses. It's a great time.. I've been there the past 7-8 years and there's something for everyone. You'll get to hear from coaches, some student-athletes and the Lowderman's always do a remarkable job with the auction.

Tickets are $35 each or $250 if you get 8 people signed up at once. Sodexo will provide dinner.. I know the advanced registration ended, but if you called or got signed up, I'm sure they wouldn't turn you away. You can sign up online w/your credit card at www.wiu.edu/alumni or call Matt at 298-1190.

I know football season is vastly approaching, but it'd be pretty cool to see Western Hall packed this upcoming Saturday. Oh, and the AC works great in the Hall too. Hope to see some old/new friends on Saturday!

Holy Cow 2013 will be awesome!!

western-101 — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 21:26:45 GMT

Ya know I love the Big games for our Leathernecks. However, so often is the case that it is a long drive to get to the game.

I live in the Peoria Metro so for me I was excited when it dawned upon me that "hey WIU plays Minnesota and UNLV in 2013". Well, Peoria has direct flights to both Minneapolis and Las Vegas, SWEET.

Last year we caught a tailwind in our flight from Peoria to Minneapolis, from take off to touchdown it took 53 minutes. I thought we were gonna break the sound barrier in that CR600 by Bombardier.

Something for us Central Illinois 'Neck fans to consider. Also, the flights to Vegas are not terrible price wise. Little gambling, little show girls, see Wayne Newton Hit the Buffets. and watch LEATHERNECK football in Vegas.

On the Minnesota front TCF Bank Stadium in Minnesota is a real Gem......Them Gophers did that up right.

Nice to have stuff to look forward to.

2011 Football TV Commercial

WIU712 — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 22:40:47 GMT

Here is the TV commercial running right now for the 2011 Football season:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=okhm1UBjrts

Anyone tidbits from Coaches Caravan worth sharing?

sealhall74 — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 07:10:20 GMT

Not much on the WIU site about it, other than the coaches attending. Off the topic, but is Rocky's a new establishment or a rebranding of a former establishment? Have to stop in on my next visit to Macomb.

1st Football Game to be Televised!

WIU712 — Sat, 09 Jul 2011 12:16:53 GMT

The September 1st football game at Sam Houston State will be televised by WGEM-FOX.

Kickoff will be at 6PM.

The game is part of the Southland Conference TV network package.

People outside of the Quincy TV viewing area may be able to pick up the telecast over the internet.

Current Commissionor's Cup

Leatherface — Sat, 12 Mar 2011 17:07:00 GMT

unofficial points/standings to date has WESTERN'S total points second to last in the conference. Only Centenary has fewer points than WIU. Golf, Tennis and Softball, Baseball and Tennis left.

WESTERN should pick up some here,but, still a disappointing total.

Two Great Videos

WIU712 — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 20:56:22 GMT

Two Great Videos from WESTERN Athletics and the Broadcasting Dept.

http://www.goleathernecks.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=12000&ATCLID=205175484

http://www.goleathernecks.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=12000&ATCLID=205175776

When the dust settles!

Neckfansince71 — Sat, 21 May 2011 11:54:46 GMT

The last time I visited Macomb (April) I was surprised to see the large hole in front of Western Hall for the steam tunnel fix. These holes have been slowly making their way North and of course create a bit of a mess as the work is done. The same holds true for Corbin and Olson. A peak into the cafeteria area found a totally gutted interior. A drive by the other side found piles of old furniture stacked in the back ready to be hauled away. Even though there were some doubters about the PAC, that construction will start early next spring and of course will create quite a mess for the next couple of years. University drive is also finally getting a "make-over" and will be the city of Macomb's largest street project this summer. Completion date is targeted for August 15th, just before students arrive back in Macomb. And then there is the new turf for Hanson. There are some drainage issues that will be taken care of first, and then of course the real fun will begin. I do know that the bid specs call for an absolute completion date prior to September 10th, which is the Jacksonville game and most turf requires about 8 weeks of work so things should be in good shape there also.

Progress always comes with dust!

A change is a comin!

Neckfansince71 — Wed, 04 May 2011 18:57:27 GMT

Have you ever watched the movie "Rudy?" Dad finally gets to Notre Dame Stadium and relishes in the fact that he has finally got to see the promised land! I am not sure of his words, but I know the older son just rolls his eyes as he stands taking the stadium sights in. Well, Hanson Field is getting turf and I am going to feel the same way. I love Hanson Field, I love how it is a natural bowl, surrounded by university buildings and nature. The new turf framed within the east side will look outstanding. Luckily, the only view new students will get is from the westside looking east. Greenn in the middle, flanked by purple and gold in the endzones!!!!!! What a great site. A site for these old eyes to behold! I truly can't wait!

Summitt additions?

Leatherface — Sun, 06 Mar 2011 19:06:21 GMT

Apparently the Summitt commish has had some general discussions with Nebraska-Omaha. They are currently D2 in the MIAA, but, they are getting the resources to move up. Their football could be MVFC , and help divisionalize that conference too. Summitt rumored to still be interested in Arkansas-Little Rock, along with St. Cloud, who has discussed dropping football. If North Dakota left the Big Sky to join its Dakota brethren, that could also help the Summitt and possibly the MVFC in the future. UND got left behind when USD joined up.

Hunter leaves IUPUI

meganeck — Sun, 20 Mar 2011 23:28:24 GMT

Ron Hunter is leaving IUPUI to be the new coach at Georgia St. It will be interesting to see who IUPUI can get and if IUPUI can stay as one of the top programs in the Summit.

EIU plans for new stadium

western-101 — Sat, 16 Apr 2011 19:14:25 GMT

Saw these plans for a new Football only stadium online for EIU. Looks pretty darn nice. WIU has got 'em beat with location on campus and all but, even if we ever complete the West side it wont look as good as what EIU has cooked up. Looks better than the new Saluki Stadium IMO.

Yeah, I know it's just renderings, could be changed, could be 2 years away could be a decade away, but, what is shows me is that FCS programs across the country are upgrading big time. I like the improvements that have been made to Hanson Field and I like the soon to be addition of the turf and the scoreboard. I really really hope work can begin soon on the West side though.

http://www.eiupantherclub.com/blueprint/

The Value of a Pep Band

sealhall74 — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 13:21:01 GMT

Who knows what the value of a Pep Band is really worth. If the game is bad, the band can still make it at least an enjoyable foot-tapping experience at least. But can they do more? Two mid-major teams from the CAA conference that were never supposed to make it to the Final Four did get there with George Mason going in 2006 and VCU this year and these two programs have the absolute best Pep Bands that I have ever witnessed in person and they are arguably the best in the nation. Their leaders are flamboyant and they never fail to come up with new ways to entertain. Their selection of music is not typical off the shelf stuff and they have their signature tunes which really get the fans involved. Mason also incorporates some vocals. I went down to the CAA conference tournament again this year for the umpteenth time. For the first time, they had a "Band Jam" involving several of the bands. I regrettably did not attend that event but VCU and George Mason faced off in the Semis that same day and I made sure to get to the game an hour early just to catch the pre-game "tuneup rivalry" between the the two bands. That alone was worth the cost of admission.

http://georgemasongreenmachine.com/media/video/caabands/ is some footage of the Jam and pre-game activities. The other links on that page are worth a look see as well.

Maybe the Summit League could give the Band Jam a try in the future.

Regina Miller

meganeck — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 17:28:32 GMT

Read that Miller is a candidate for the UIC women's job.

Jim Les

rocky06 — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 20:36:36 GMT

Noticed a couple of days ago, Jim Les was fired as the coach at Bradley. I know Bradley has not played up to their standards but I think his situation was comparable to WIU--underperformed, due to injuries. What are everyone's thoughts on his firing and possible replacement? Looking at the roster, there is still some talent on their roster. At full strength, I feel WIU could have taken BU (ISU, SIU and several other schools). With Bradley being a basketball school, I think we have an edge over them, getting a lot of our roster back and still having our coach in place. I think WIU will make some noise in a few years (and almost beat a good Missouri team this year). Here's hoping our team can get better and get a better schedule that includes Bradley in future years.

WIU makes nickname list

Leatherhead — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 23:52:27 GMT

http://www.columbiatribune.com/news/2011/mar/15/take-two/

Southern Illinois transfer

meganeck — Sat, 12 Mar 2011 08:25:26 GMT

Jewel Hampton, running back from Iowa, is transfering to Southern Illinois. He had injury problems at Iowa, but when healthly he is a big time back.