[NU Sports] I see an 8th Bowl spot slipping away...

[DPENDERG at aol.com]

No one denies the program is better than in the Dark Ages. Obvious.   My 
concern is that the current team has more talent than their record and four  of 
the five defeats were victories we let slip away.  It is hardly  pessimism to 
point out the lapses which the Cats have repeatedly exhibited this  year.  We 
can debate endlessly who is responsible: coaches, players,  or both.  But we 
should never submit to the tyranny of low expectations,  which only reinforces 
our status as a second-tier program.
 
On Saturday, the Cats will have a large national television audience to  
demonstrate that we can play at the top level in the Big Ten. There is  a lot at 
stake besides a bowl and the recruiting impact on prospective players  who will 
be watching.   If we lose badly and embarrass ourselves, all  the country 
will just think, "Well, of course, that's the team which lost  to Duke."  Not how 
I want to end the season.  
 
 
In a message dated 11/13/2007 11:50:17 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
artmiller1 at hotmail.com writes:


>  Also, stop and think for a moment about what things were like when  most
> of us went to NU. Try to appreciate the good in what has  happened.
> Just try -- you'll live a happier life.
> 
> Jim  Bendat


Jim, your perspective is appreciated.  As befits next  week's holiday, we 
definitely have some things to be thankful  for

Today's trivia:  Over the past five seasons, going back to the  beginning of 
the 2003 season, the Cats' regular-season record now stands at an  even 29-29 
(19-20 in the B10).  Contrast that with the record over the  five seasons I 
lived in Evanston (1987-1991): 9-44-2, 7-32-1  in-conference.

We're not great, but our multi-decade tenure as the  league doormat is slowly 
becoming a distant memory.  Today's high school  seniors were in KINDERGARTEN 
when DA1, Schnur, Fitz and Co. ran the table in  the Big Ten.  We're not 
losers anymore, we're just middle of the  road--but that's a much better place 
from which to jump into the upper echelon  than we've been for most of our  
history.







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