| Railers 
            win two Lincoln's Railers went on the road 
            and promptly won two in fine fashion. First they discarded 
            Springfield, which is a team that has been through a coaching 
            change, an appeal and who knows what all else. But… ANY road win is 
            a good win, and the Railers are happy to capture another one. Then 
            Lincoln rode into Chatham to play the host school in their 
            tournament. They knew they would see a better defensive effort from 
            the Titans this time and they were not disappointed. Even though 
            Glenwood kept coming at them all night, Lincoln was victorious 
            again. If my stats are correct, that should make Lincoln 15-3 and 
            6-1. Lady 
            Railers Again if stats and other info are 
            correct, I have the Lady Railers preparing to go up against 
            Jacksonville. Currently the Lady Railers are sporting a 10-7 and 5-2 
            mark. 
             Local 
            colleges The Lincoln College Lynx are having 
            a great season -- witness their incredible 14-3 mark. However, they 
            hit a bump in the road with a tough loss to Vincennes Monday 68-72. LCC's Angels continue their mad dash 
            back to .500 as Katie Giesler led LCC to a 79-59 win over St. Louis 
            Pharmacy by recording a double-double. Giesler scored 29 points, 
            hauled down 22 rebounds and blocked six shots (I don't think I had 
            those kinds of totals for my career). The win brought the Angels to 
            7-8 on the year. LCC's Preachers took a step up to 
            the big time by going on the road to Lewis University. They came up 
            a little short, falling 80-52, in a season with arguably the 
            toughest and most challenging schedule they have ever attempted. No report on the LC Lady Lynx. NFL 
            playoffs The Rams and Colts died with an 
            awful sound this weekend in the playoffs. The Rams got run over by 
            Michael Vick and the Atlanta Falcons, who will now try their luck 
            "outdoors" in Philly. The Colts, on the other hand, dealt their fans 
            a debilitating blow by not even scoring a touchdown in a meltdown at 
            New England. The Patriots will now invade Pittsburg for a game that 
            promises to be a dandy. The winners of those two games will advance 
            to the Super Bowl in Jacksonville, Fla. 
            [to top of second column in 
            this article] 
             | 
            
            
             Thanks My personal thanks to the Fighting 
            Illini because, as they continue to win, I can continue to sport my 
            new No. 1 wardrobe! The Illini's Luther Head was named 
            the Big Ten co-Player of the Week along with Wisconsin's Mike 
            Wilkinson. Illinois does in fact remain No. 1 
            for a seventh straight week! Personal 
            attacks In light of the personal attacks 
            that Northwestern students waged on Illini players and managers this 
            past Saturday, I thought I would reflect on that just a bit. Fans do 
            pay a lot to attend games, and a certain amount of cheering and 
            support of your home squad is indeed expected and probably mandated. 
            However, when the lampooning gets personal and becomes an attack of 
            the player's family, heritage or physical characteristics, that is 
            simply crossing the line. Fans were verbally assaulting an Illini 
            manager, and that is never acceptable. I hope we have seen the last 
            of that kind of behavior. I hope that as fans of Lincoln High 
            School, the area colleges and even our junior highs that none of 
            "us" EVER stoop so low. If we do, I hope someone with integrity and 
            character will usher us to the side and set us straight. I am proud that the Illini players 
            did not stoop lower by retaliating but simply let their games do 
            their talking. Not trying to preach -- just trying 
            to use a teachable moment to raise our level of spectatorhood! 
            
             Great 
            sledding With a holiday in tow, my son and I 
            headed for the slopes -- well, not really the slopes but the hills 
            of the Lincoln area, the Elks and Forrest Hills. My son called them 
            "awesome," though he is not currently a member of either the U.S. 
            ski team or the U.S. luge team, so I'm not sure he is qualified to 
            determine whether they are in fact "awesome"! I don't think he 
            cares! Anyway, get your kids or grandkids out there and enjoy the 
            fun! That's it for me. Have a great week, 
            everyone! 
            [Jeff Mayfield] |