Having, for 70 years, learned and practiced to always respect your opponent, I cannot understand why so many are constantly involved in "I hate him...or I hate them". That is simply not OK...for anyone. Our opponents are not criminal, just trying to do the best they can at their sport while ultimately becoming good enough to win, just like you. After all, do we not get the most satisfaction when gaining a victory over a team we think is very difficult, even surprising, to beat?
So take my advice, fellow Illini fans (if you have read this far). Respect your opponent...and it is OK to be indifferent to their success or lack thereof.
But, one last piece of advice. It is also OK, almost demanded by God, to hate Michigan and their athletic dept. They were one of, if not the first, NCAA program to violate the rules they pledged to uphold and have continued doing so, consistently, for the next 120 years or so. They were the poster child for low life cowards when they slunk away in silence and let the Illini stand tall and document the Illini "slush fund"...something Michigan had being doing under the table for more than a decade. They did not stand tall in defense of their fellow conference members, .and say "wait a second, we have been doing that for years and hardly in as admirable way as the Illini programs. We don't believe they should be punished for improving on the idea by trying to help their athletes only in times of family emergencies". Nothing but embarrassing silence from the "Michigan Men". Hypocrisy and undeserved self-aggrandizement are the norm for "Michigan Men". Yes, it is OK to say you hate Michigan...they really are SCum.