paulmbanks, Author at The Bank

Gophers Coach P.J. Fleck on Art, Architecture and Travel

October 24, 2021 By paulmbanks 2 Comments

NIL, or Name, Image and Likeness was the hot topic of the college football talking season. No surprise, it came up repeatedly at multiple media days. We asked Minnesota Coach P.J. Fleck what his dream deal would have been, back during his playing days at Northern Illinois, had this existed during his time.

“I’m enamored with architecture,” the former NIU wide receiver said today during his podium session,” so the Sears Tower back then, probably something like that. I’m also a big fan of John Deere lawnmowers. So it would have been John Deere lawnmowers at Sears, believe it or not- because in DeKalb, there’s not a lot.”

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Filed Under: College Football, Travel

Schweinsteiger Slams Overall Quality, Direction of Manchester United

October 24, 2021 By paulmbanks Leave a Comment

Bastian Schweinsteiger has never really said anything harsh at all about one of his former clubs, Manchester United. He certainly has plenty of reasons and cause to be bitter, given what happened to him at United, but the German is just too professional, and an overall nice guy to lash out.

Then manager Jose Mourinho froze Schweinsteiger out so much that he was relegated to training with the club’s U21 players. The midfielder found his escape route, in March 2017, leaving United to sign with the Chicago Fire. It was the final club he played for during his illustrious career.

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Filed Under: Football/Soccer, Manchester United

Thomas Tuchel Says His Erling Haaland Comments Were a Joke

October 24, 2021 By paulmbanks Leave a Comment

While admitting that his club was in fact interested in acquiring Borussia Dortmund scoring sensation Erling Haaland this past summer, Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel attempted to play down his remarks about that pursuit.

Tuchel spoke with SportBild after the German newspaper honored him with their Coach of the Year award. Tuchel says he “fell into a trap” when the answered their Haaland question, and that he was “making fun about” the transfer saga.

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Filed Under: Chelsea, Football/Soccer

Bret Bielema Apparently Really Motivated His Illini This Week

October 23, 2021 By paulmbanks Leave a Comment

You have to credit Illinois Fighting Illini coach Bret Bielema, as it appears the controversial remarks he made at the start of the week have apparently motivated his team. No matter what you think of the remarks he made on Monday, or how he handled the fallout on Thursday, the result speaks for itself.

Illinois just won on the road, at a top ten ranked team, for the first time since 2007 when they upset #1 Ohio State. Illinois won a 9-overtime, yes 9 TIMES (Dean of Students Ed Rooney voice) contest at #7 Penn State, 20-18. Yes, you read the that correctly- two Big Ten teams entered, one emerged victorious, and only one team reached 20 points.
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Filed Under: College Football, Illinois Fighting Illini

Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers: It’s Time to Buy in Now

October 22, 2021 By paulmbanks 2 Comments

The 62 year history of the Los Angeles then San Diego and then L.A. again Chargers isn’t exactly illustrious. While they do have 15 division championships and 19 playoff appearances, they have zero Super Bowl titles, only one appearance, and it came almost three decades ago.

They have one championship, but it’s from way back in the AFL days, prior to the National Football League merger. However, 2021 might be the time to buy in; on all levels. They’re really building something special in Inglewood, California, with head coach Brandon Staley and second year quarterback Justin Herbert leading the way.

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Filed Under: Business, NFL

Manchester United Starting XI Prediction vs Liverpool FC

October 22, 2021 By paulmbanks Leave a Comment

A lot has been written and said about Cristiano Ronaldo, who has scored six goals in eight games in his return to Manchester United, being just a passenger lately. Critics have hit out at how much less running he’s doing, in comparison to the rest of his teammates, game to game.

United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, himself taking a lot of heat right now, came to his defense.

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Filed Under: Football/Soccer, Liverpool, Manchester United

Man United Team News vs Liverpool: Rashford, Martial, Fred

October 22, 2021 By paulmbanks Leave a Comment

It goes without saying that the matches against Liverpool are the most “circle the date” of the entire calendar for Manchester United fans. The first of the two fixtures arrives with United in turmoil, as they often have been since Sir Alex Ferguson retired.

There have been numerous calls for the sacking of manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, and talk that he has lost the dressing room. Team Captain Bruno Fernandes says that’s simply not true.

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Filed Under: Football/Soccer, Liverpool, Manchester United

Exclusive: Drew Valentine on Stopping Ayo Dosunmu, Kofi Cockburn

October 21, 2021 By paulmbanks 1 Comment

The Loyola Ramblers scored one of the college basketball season’s biggest upsets, when they knocked the #1 seed Illinois Fighting Illini out of the NCAA Tournament in the second round. For the Illini, it continues a long frustrating “tradition” of failing to advance to a March Madness round that has a nickname (Sweet 16, Elite 8 etc.), as they haven’t reached one since 2005.

For Loyola, it showed what a mid-major can do to a bigger power conference team when you have an astute coach with a great game plan, and players who can execute it.

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Filed Under: Chicago Bulls, College Basketball, Illinois Fighting Illini, NBA, NBA Draft

Exclusive: Chris Collins on Weirdness of Facing Miller Kopp This Year

October 21, 2021 By paulmbanks 1 Comment

College athletes are being granted more rights these days and that is an absolutely wonderful thing. Guys can transfer and be eligible right away now. And the custom of not transferring within the same conference? That’s also gone the way of the Triceratops.

Indiana Hoosiers forward Miller Kopp is a classic example of this trend. The 6-7 Jr (remember, everyone was granted another year of eligibility, on account of the pandemic, so it’ll be the same class as ’20-’21 for everybody) played three seasons at Northwestern, and his side visits NU Feb. 8, for their lone regular season meeting.

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Filed Under: College Basketball, Northwestern Wildcats

Christian Pulisic Suffers Injury Setback, Confirms Thomas Tuchel

October 19, 2021 By paulmbanks Leave a Comment

Christian Pulisic is Chelsea’s only injury absentee tomorrow night, as the Champions League holders continue their title defense with Group H match against Swedish side Malmo.

Pulisic was recovering from an ankle injury he suffered in a World Cup qualifier versus Honduras, but Blues boss Thomas Tuchel revealed today that the American has suffered an injury setback. He’s only featured for Chelsea twice this season, both in mid-August.

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Filed Under: Chelsea, Football/Soccer

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer Responds to Jamie Carragher

October 19, 2021 By paulmbanks 1 Comment

While pontificating on Sky Sports Monday Night football, former Liverpool defender and current pundit Jamie Carragher opined that Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer simply wasn’t good enough to ever win a big, major trophies at Old Trafford.

That’s not exactly a hot take, as many people in the global football community, from all walks of life and corners of the Earth, seem to also feel that Solskjaer is out of his depth in his current gig. The 48-year-old Norwegian responded to Carragher’s remarks today, at his pre-UCL group stage match presser.

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Filed Under: Football/Soccer, Manchester United