(Sports) Editor's Note

College Football 2008

Posted by: Jim Rossow

Thursday, August 28, 2008 9:18 PM

Bob Asmussen loves politics almost as much as college football. So when we sat down to develop a theme for this year’s special section, our longtime beat writer immediately blurted out “Obama.”
I thought he said “Alabama.”
“The idea was to get Barack Obama in an Illinois jersey for our cover,” Asmussen said. “We should have done it a few years ago when he toured The News-Gazette. Who knew?”
It might have turned out pretty cool, similar to Lyncoln Delporte’s photoshopped image of the Democrats’ pick for president. It’s the best we could do after whiffing on our final opportunity last weekend in Springfield.
News-Gazette photo editor Darrell Hoemann had a credential — and a No. 7 Juice Williams jersey courtesy TIS Bookstore in Champaign — for Saturday’s appearance by Obama. My wife Kerry had another jersey. Neither got close enough to ask the candidate to pose for our cameras.
“He doesn’t need the votes to win Illinois,” Asmussen said. “Maybe he was worried about offending those in swing states like Missouri and Ohio.”
Fortunately, we had a backup plan. Thanks to Delporte’s handiwork, we developed campaign slogans for every one of Asmussen’s preseason Top 25 teams. Asmussen then tracked down mayors associated with the Top 25 for their hometown pitches .
Asmussen also polled politicians with
Illinois ties about the Illini’s chances to win a national title. Former Urbana Tiger Tim Johnson was kind enough to pose in an Arrelious Benn jersey at West Side Park in Champaign. We picked the congressman and Benn’s No. 9 because of their D.C. connections.
“It’s impressive how much these politicians know about football,” Asmussen said. “It makes me feel good about the people running our state.”
We don’t know who will win November’s presidential election. And we don’t know who will get to play in January’s BCS title game.
In both cases, votes matter. That’s why we chose this year’s theme, carried out marvelously by section editor Mike Goebel.
Who’s No. 1?
Asmussen has Southern Cal.
Many of the writers who vote weekly in The Associated Press poll disagree. We’ve listed the ballots of all 65 media types. We’ve even given you a way to reach them.
(Illinois fans, for example, might want to e-mail a note of thanks to Myron Patton from KOKH-TV in Oklahoma City, who had the Illini 10th. He was the only one to have Ron Zook’s team in the Top 10.)
The coaches like Georgia, too. We have that list of voters, too, with e-mail contacts for each.
Asmussen is easily reachable, too. E-mail him at rasmusse@news-gazette.com, participate in his weekly chats (2 p.m. Tuesdays) or check in on game days during our live reports on IlliniHQ.com.
“One of our teams in my Top 25 probably is going to get invited to the White House,” Asmussen said.
Maybe then Obama — or John McCain — will try on a jersey. It might even be Juice’s No. 7.

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