Justice is Finally Done - Bruce Pearl is Fired!

One day after the end of the Illini basketball season (I'll have more to say about that soon), we Illini fans with older memories received some fantastic news. In the last six months, Bruce Pearl has had his name dragged through the mud courtesy of an NCAA investigation, lost $1.5 million in salary, was suspended from coaching for part of the SEC portion of Tennessee's schedule, and been humiliated in a first-round NCAA tournament loss. Now comes the cherry on the icing on the cake - Bruce Pearl has been fired as Tennessee coach for his unethical behavior (although the AP story still gets its history wrong - here's the correct version of what happened between Pearl and the Illini).

It's good to see that Pearl finally got what he deserved, and even though it took over 20 years, I'm glad to see Lou Henson and Jimmy Collins are vindicated, and maybe now Henson will get what he deserves - a spot in the Basketball Hall of Fame. And this is probably the best way to express Illini fans' feelings about you, Bruce Pearl:

90 Losses? Think Again!

Congratulations are in order for the Chicago Cubs. By virtue of their 1-0 win over the Padres on Thursday, they've proven that it's possible to have the highest payroll in the National League and not lose 90 games.

There is one positive note about the Cubs taking 3 of 4 from the Padres. Mike Quade now has a 22-12 record (15-4 on the road) since assuming the managerial duties. While most of these wins have come by a team not playing for anything at the expense of teams that were not playing for anything, this series was different. Going into San Diego, where the Padres were fighting for their playoff lives, and playing this well is a more impressive feat.

And if you thought the positive note was going to be something about revenge for the 1984 NLCS, let me put it this way. First of all, that was 26 years ago - I'd guess that most of the guys who are playing now (and probably a significant portion of fans) aren't old enough to even remember that series. It would be like saying that the Arizona Cardinals' 2008 NFC Championship Game win over the Philadelphia Eagles was revenge for the Eagles' win over the Chicago Cardinals in the 1948 NFL Championship Game. Second, a fifth-place team pushing the Padres to the brink of elimination doesn't even come close to making up for the 1984 Padres stealing the Cubs' World Series spot. It would only be true revenge if by winning these games, the Cubs took the Padres' playoff spot and then went on to the World Series from there - but it looks like we won't have to worry about that possibility for several years.