 1. Illinois basketball might be better than we thought:
Illinois played three games as part of the Maui Invitational,
blowing out both Arizona State and Oklahoma State, while losing by
double digits to Duke. Several thoughts -- ASU and OSU are not great
teams, but it was really nice to see Illinois take care of business
against these strong D1 programs. Illinois blew out ASU from the
beginning, jumping out to a 20-0 lead and never looking back.
Against OSU, Illinois eventually took control and rolled to victory.
The Duke game was another story, but Illinois never quit and battled
back a couple of times before losing to the better Blue Devils. All
in all -- third place at Maui is pretty good.
2. The BCS is
looking more and more possible for Illinois football: I can't
believe it, but it is looking like Illinois might find their way
into a BCS bowl -- either the Fiesta Bowl or possibly even the Rose
Bowl. How? you may ask. It seems pretty simple -- if Oklahoma can
beat Missouri in the Big 12 title game Saturday (OU beat Mizzou
earlier this year by 10), then Ohio State would find themselves in
the national title game and Illinois would probably move into the
BCS. If this happens, I would really like to see Illinois play in
the Rose Bowl -- a game they haven't participated in since January
of 1984.
3. The Bears' flickering playoff hopes are still alive: I
didn't get to watch one snap of the game
-- the only game available was San Diego-Baltimore in Spanish -- but
it looks like the Bears could have and should have lost this one.
Devin Hester returns another two kicks (one punt and one kickoff)
for touchdowns, and Rex Grossman was just good enough when it
mattered most. Up next for the Bears is another home game against
the New York Giants, who were destroyed on their home field by
Minnesota on Sunday. If the Bears can win, they make it back to .500
and could quite possibly squeeze into the sixth NFC playoff spot.
4. Cancun is a beautiful place to spend Thanksgiving: We're
probably not going to win any parent of the year awards, but my
better half and I dropped the kids with the grandparents and headed
south for six days. And it was a week we'll never forget. While
Lincoln and central Illinois were dealing with rain and snow, we
were sitting poolside drinking Pepsi Light (Mexican version of
Diet). While many of you were eating turkey and all the fixings, we
were eating shrimp and steak by the sea. I should probably feel
guilty, but that emotion hasn't reared its ugly head -- at least not
yet. As I write this, I'm in the airport at Cancun and it is 81
degrees -- do we have to come home yet?
5. Swimming with the dolphins looked pretty cool: My lovely
wife, Marla, spent her Thanksgiving afternoon swimming with four
dolphins at the Aquarium Cancun -- and it looked pretty cool. She
was able to swim freely with them for several minutes, received a
kiss from one and experienced the always popular foot push. Throw in
the 5 p.m. dolphin show, and it was a really neat afternoon and much
different from our typical holiday itinerary -- no board games
(thank goodness) and no family (unfortunately).
[to top of second column]
 |
6. Snorkeling and scuba diving in the Caribbean was awesome:
I had one personal desire on this trip, and Saturday morning I
fulfilled it. I spent four hours learning how to scuba dive and then
went to a nearby reef and spent 45 minutes underwater observing some
of the most incredible marine life I had ever seen. We went down
only about 25 feet, but the experience was great. Throw in some
snorkeling the day before, and seeing the Caribbean up close and
personal was awesome and something I highly recommend.
7. The RIU Palace Cancun gives first-class service a new
definition: Our resort was incredible, and these past 5 1/2 days
I experienced the best service I've ever received. From the
restaurants to the pool to room service, I can't imagine there is
better service available anywhere. It was a great way to celebrate
15 years of marriage to my lovely wife! We dined at several
"specialty" restaurants -- including Japanese, Spanish and
international versions. The staff at the RIU made our trip
wonderful, and the memories of the trip will last a lifetime.
8. Cancun is a smoker's haven: Let me start by saying we are
not smokers, so understand my perspective as I share No. 8. We live
in a state that is quickly becoming smoke-free in most places, and I
for one enjoy the change. Cancun, however, is another story
altogether. Smoking is allowed literally everywhere, and we were
stunned by the number of smokers at every turn. So the next time
someone complains to me about a lack of smokers' rights, I think I'm
going to recommend a trip to Cancun!
9. It is always fun meeting new friends: I'll confess -- I
expected to be vacationing with a bunch of folks from the Midwest
and U.S.A. But, unexpectedly, we were really the minority in terms
of fellow resort guests. We met new friends from Scotland, Wales,
Toronto, Calgary, Argentina, Poland and several other locations. We
also met a nice couple from Michigan.
10. I enjoyed a unique church experience -- Cancun style:
When Sunday morning rolled around, I had a real desire to worship in
the Cancun area. I had about 50 Catholic options, but since I'm not
Catholic, I sought out my Protestant church options. Unfortunately,
I found just one option in the hotel zone of Cancun. And so I
boarded the local bus and headed for the Marriott Casa Grande for
worship at St. Michael's Episcopal Church -- they meet each week in
one of the ballrooms at the hotel. And along with just 10 others, I
experienced my first Episcopal service with Father John -- who has
served in Cancun for over 16 years. And while it was much different
from the weekly worship I experience in nearby Clinton, it was a
service I will never forget.
All in all, it was a great way to spend Thanksgiving with the one
I love, but I'm sure looking forward to seeing my kids in a couple
of hours. Get ready for a big week of sports as Illinois takes on
Maryland in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge and the Bears try to move a
step closer to that elusive playoff spot. Plus, this Saturday
features several conference championship games that could impact
Illinois' bowl destination. Have a great week, everyone!
[By GREG TAYLOR] |
