The wheels on the bus go round and round and eventually fall off. Illinois football seems destined for failure every five years or so and the Ron Zook addition of year number five is bent on fulfilling its destiny. The AD, through scheduling missteps and micromanagement of the program, has contributed mightily to the demise of the latest addition of our beloved Illini and he is in no position to determine the future of the program based on a track record spanning 17 plus years without a shred of sustained excellence. The next major decision relating to Illinois football will be made by the current AD’s successor at the conclusion of the 2010 season barring a sea change or outright miracle. One does not need the Rosetta Stone to decipher or predict how this Greek tragedy will end.
Like “King Herod the Builder” of ancient times, the current AD will go down in history for his significant and extraordinary contributions to the physical landscape of his domain as we lament the lost opportunities for true greatness in the field of battle. We are left with regret and frustration for what might have been.
We are at a crossroads and the Administration must decide if our path shall be straight, narrow and slow without shame or glory; or should we aspire to and achieve greatness without the sacrifice of scruples and honor. It has been done at places where good coaches and adequate resources create an atmosphere conducive to consistent winning without compromising the integrity of the institution. At this point, I find myself in envy of small States like Utah, Wisconsin or even Iowa that have produced sustained excellence without outright scandal (“shoegate at Wisky being the exception). The logic that all of us accepted when Zook was hired envisioned consistent mediocrity and minor bowl games in perpetuity. “Give me your poor huddled masses from distant States and let me go Seven and Five.” In fact, that should be our new slogan for the rest of the year, “Seven and Five to stay alive.”
Anything short of a winning season in Year Five of the Zook regime should be laid at the feet of the powers that be with sword on shield and honor intact.
Surrounded by loyalists and sycophants, the AD must neither take nor give advice, but merely, do what is right and honorable while preserving his legacy and serving the greater good. The future history of Illinois football has already been written, only the fate of the heroes and villains remains unknown.
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