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Students cheer Fighting Illini basketball , ignore IVCC Eagles

By Andrew Kelly
IV Leader Staff


    With March Madness in full swing, I feel there is no better time to address one of the many things that strikes me as odd about not only our school but the students who attend it.
    Taking a stroll around the school you'll notice the abundance of orange clothing with the letter I sewn somewhere on it. You'll see many a fan throwing out high fives and discussing the prior night's game in the hallways. Illinois fever has hit our campus like a cold through a second grade classroom. I-L-L...I-N-I...I-L-L...I-N-I, oh how much that clever chant has been repeated in the past four months.
    But wait a second, this isn't Champaign, we're not on the campus of the University of Illinois, we all go to school in the small quaint area of the Illinois Valley. So I ask the question, where's the love for your very own Eagles?
    We do have our very own sports teams, but I can't honestly remember the last time this place was a purple sea of fanatic supporters. How many of us can say that they've actually seen a single shot at an IVCC basketball game this year. I think more people probably show up to intramural basketball at noon in the IVCC gym, than show up for a night game to cheer on the school they go too. Now granted, our basketball team hasn't exactly had the best of seasons this year (5-11...ouch), but it's not like the Bulls have had the best last five seasons. So where is IVCC's TV deal? Why can't I find them on “Sportscenter" after the game? I smell what's going on here, and it stinks. Congress shouldn't be calling baseball players to Washington D.C., they should be working on making me happy and letting me get a fixen of my NJCAA buckets.
    Most people, as well, were not aware of the fact that we once again have cheerleaders for the first time in eons. For those of you who don't see cheerleading as a sport, come on, how many of you would even attempt, let alone complete a back flip? But, as usual, no love for the cheerleaders.
The one sport where I'm sure most guys between the ages of 18-22 are aware of exists is IVCC girls softball.
    When sitting in the lobby of IVCC (which by the way, still has no clock), you'll see guys do the slight turn of the head if a girl wearing an Eagles Softball sweatshirt just happens to walk by them (by the way, I am single). But these girls can also play better ball than probably 75 percent of the population of students at IVCC.
    Keep your eye out for this team, with my Steve Stone like ability to judge talent, I think this team has got something.In the end though, things probably won't change. I still haven't seen a large growth in the population of people going to the game room, and people still don't know what time it is in most parts of IVCC.
    So do what you want, cheer for Illinois, I know I probably will, but try to share some of the cheering wealth to your own teams, maybe they'll surprise you.