I totally agree,
@altgeld88. I HATE Iowa. I don’t think the young Illinois fans really understand what it was like. As an Illini who lived through that horrible time, I will never forget or forgive Pearl, who not only tried to destroy the University of Illinois Basketball Program, but also ruin the lives of a wonderful man and a 17 year old kid. He almost succeeded in all three. Illini Nation calls Pearl ‘Satan’ for a very good reason. He made it hell on earth for Jimmy and Deon. Even though the courts found Pearl’s allegations untrue, Illinois did receive sanctions for other unrelated minor violations they self-reported to the NCAA and was given penalties for lack of institutional control, which cost Illinois a possible Final Four that following year and set the program back for many, many years. Pearl’s history has proven over and over that he is and always has been a liar and a cheat. The boos for him (including my own) when Illinois played and beat UW-Milwaukee in the 2005 run to the Final Four at the Horizon were resounding and well-deserved. The roles of Phelps, Ellis, Mims, Hilliard, and Slive will never be forgotten, either. The hurt still runs deep. A good summation of what happened can be found in this article for those too young to know or remember.
Deadspin | Bruce Pearl’s First Con, And The World That Created A Monster (Deadspin Classic)
deadspin.com
Go, Illini, beat the Hawkeyes.
