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Originally Posted by M&M Guy
I'm not sure I follow you - how does not liking a scumbag who directly affected the program for several years afterward "have no relevence"?
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Did he really affect the program that seriously? What Pearl happens in programs all over the country all the time, we just do not hear about the details to know. Heck the SEC has this happen almost every time a school gets on probation. Not sure why it has that much relevance when Illini is not a much better place to attend. Lou Henson could not recruit the state very well, that is the reason Illini has not been a great program. I think the "Pearl incident" was one thing in a long list of events that have hurt the program.
Quote:
Originally Posted by M&M Guy
This one I don't understand as well. Not your comment, but the feeling that Self was some sort of "traitor". Not all IL fans actually hold that opinion, btw. He had ties to KS, and for him it was move up, along with being closer geographically to his family, I believe. Also, he didn't exactly go pursuing the job; the only reason it was open was because Matt Dougherty was fired at North Carolina, which opened up the job for Roy Williams to leave KS. I personally met him once when his son played Little League on a different team from my son - he was engaging and seemed like a class individual. He didn't do anything that I'm aware to screw the program or the school, other than leave for what he considered a better job. In the meantime, there might be some fans who thought they had found a long-term, top-level coach, and he didn't stay as intended.
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Of course not all fans feel that way, just stating that anytime these issues come up there is a very vocal contingency that is holding on to these things that have very little to do with the health or success of the program. I think Self brought the Illini program into a better light and gets more attention based on what he did when he was there. I do feel that when Collins was not hired by Illini when Henson left, the CPS schools did kind of "boycott" the school or tried to send their kids elsewhere, but that was more about Illini and their insecurity of the issue than what Pearl did or did not do while at Iowa.
Peace