This game is going to put me out of my misery once and for all. Not the worlds greatest mismatch, I mean there was Georgia tech 220-0 over Cumberland College in 1916 and Chiefs 41, Bears 10 much later than that. But I digress, as a newly corona(ted) sufferer I'm now stuck to my chair for the next few days, so I have much time to fill these pages with more stuff for you all to ignore or read to your amusement.
The Panthers reside alongside I-57 on the eastern edge of Illinois between Chicago and Cairo (pronounced Cayr0) at the confluence of two great streams of our continent, the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers. I mean Charleston, IL is not anywhere near the interesting confluence which is too bad because it would be by far the most interesting thing in town. Driving north and south along that road 54 times we figured out during the 900 mile trip between Baton Rouge and Chicago/or Wisconsin Charleston represented one of of those things we look forward to on a road trip. It was a place to pull off the interstate, yell at the kids, and get some really crappy food at some fast food joint. Needless to say if it was the other Charleston (no not the one in WV) we probably never would have made it to Chicago. This Charleston that KU is playing, and it's too bad it's not at EIU's gym because I would have gone, except then I would have had Corona and my thoughtful wife would have been telling me you can't go with Corona Virus.
But this is KU at last word so what to know about them? When I was matriculating at The Harvard of Mt. Oread our fine football team (they were decent when I arrived on campus in 1985) was playing EIU. I've struggled to prove this but Sean Payton, no relation to the GOAT Walter, was the QB there and presumably played, and lost to KU that day. So we saw the genesis of a great coach that day.
As for their basketball team they hilariously scored scored 55 in the second half against Iowa just last year and beat the suckeyes and their whiney baby coach of the famed frantrum. In the name of journalistic integrity I must point out EIU beat my other slightly less favorite team also...in 1987 when UW sucked bad in hoops and I was at KU and coulda cared less.
Their current team is deserving of 344 Ken Pom. They've played their 1-57 counterpart U of I and got destroyed. Beaten two bad teams Coppin St (which used to have a coach named "Fang". "Hello Mom and Dad, I'd like you to meat my new boyfriend Fang") and basically gotten beat down by the rest. The EIU message board ("EIU Buckets) will be in full meltdown mode by the time they jump the ball. Frankly they're one of the teams that make you wonder why they're competing in D1 because back in their D2 days they were regular NCAA visitors to their tournament.
Of course, I think we make it to 99 points by about the 10 minute mark and then go cold leaving a final score of 99-3 when Tiger Booker hits a 3 at the buzzer.
