CBS Sports hosted a national media conference call yesterday with CBS Sports Chairman Sean McManus and the Network’s lead college football announce team of Brad Nessler and Gary Danielson along with studio analyst Rick Neuheisel. On the call I asked a very well informed question about Illini football and Lovie Smith, and the reaction was….
…well, they pretty much acted like I asked them about a division III school or something. Their boisterous laughter conveyed just how irrelevant they believe the program to currently be.
You can play the audio below for yourself.
Just did a National College Football Media Conference Call. They all LAUGHED their asses off @ me for asking a Lovie Smith #Illini question
— Paul M. Banks (@PaulMBanks) August 24, 2017
well, if they think Illinois is irrelevant/waste of their time…too bad. I'm not interested in being like everyone else and SEC fawning https://t.co/XEU9ny5Z4S
— Paul M. Banks (@PaulMBanks) August 24, 2017
I stopped recording, because my Q&A was done. Then the next guy on the call, I don’t remember his name, but he was from some kind of SEC focused publication said “I promise I’ll ask a question about a team that actually matters/is relevant, ” or something to that effect.
Right, because our country really needs more puff pieces about the SEC these days. HOW ORIGINAL! Don’t get me wrong, I know that Illini football was AWFUL last year, and brutal to watch.
I’m also aware that almost everyone’s outlook for this season is very pessimistic. However, it’s still a B1G team; that went to a bowl game three seasons ago and won a bowl game six years ago.
They’re coached by a man who led a proud NFL franchise to a Super Bowl. Believe it or not, this site has consistently gotten more page views for Illini football content than for stories on Notre Dame, Northwestern or Northern Illinois.
So anyway, have a listen-
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net and TheBank.News, which is partnered with News Now and Minute Media. Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times, NBC Chicago.com and Chicago Tribune.com, currently contributes regularly to WGN CLTV and Chicago Now.
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