Negative nellies don't bother AD Thomas

"The good," says Thomas, "is that Illinois has a fan base that is not apathetic. When people care about your program they're going to express their opinions. When we get to the point where people aren't vocal, you're probably in a worse place. I'll take a passionate fan base that wants to express an opinion over one that's disinterested. It's a greater problem trying to get people interested.

"I am supportive of our coaches. At the end of day we're all in this for the same reason. We want to win championships. As I said throughout the football process, it's not based on this season but on the overall picture. At the end of every season we'll study it."

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