The following column was written by senior writer Jason Grodsky.

Usually this end of the year column is reserved for graduating seniors to say there farewell and thank yous, but the senior class here in the sports department at the Daily Illini is a little thin and as the longest employed person in sports and someone who is moving on I’m going to do the honors.

I feel very grateful to have worked at the DI for the three years I’ve been here and to have had the opportunity to a side of Illinois athletics that few get to see. But it’s my time to step down and move on to bigger and better things and let some of the up-and-coming writers take the reigns and lead the way.

I’ve bled Orange and Blue since the day I was born and grew up watching Illini sports and sitting in the crowds at Memorial Stadium and the Assembly Hall. When I first started working at the paper as a freshman who came a whole two miles away from his house to go to college, I never thought it would take me to the places I’ve been and allow to meet some of the most interesting characters this campus has to offer.

This year alone I’ve gotten to travel to Maui and sit five feet away from the greatest basketball player of all time. The football team’s magical run took me to Pasadena to chat it up with some of the best sports journalists in the world today (even if getting there took a 54-hour Greyhound bus trip from hell). And the best part of all of those trips and the countless others I’ve taken to cover games: I was getting paid to do it. Well, if you call what gets deposited into my bank account every two weeks getting paid.

Getting to where I am couldn’t have been possible without the help from certain people along the way, so I’d like to take the chance to thank them.

First off I’d like to thank former sports editors Erin Foley, Mike Rodriguez, Dave Just and Steve Contorno, all of whom have helped me refine my writing. Erin you taught me the ins and outs and took a chance on a kid who loved sports and gave me my big break. Mike and Dave, you two were probably the most entertaining guys to work under, and Steve, we may not have seen eye-to-eye on everything but I know you’ll make a great Editor-In-Chief.

To my partners in crime: Dan Johnson, Mike Theodore, Alex Symonds, Adam Harris and Jermey Werner. Thanks for making this past year one all never forget. From football practices, to the list of questions we came up with at the Western Illinois game, to the trip on Route 666, to the “bucket o’ beers” in Indianapolis, to not remembering the DI Sports Desk bar crawls, it’s been a great ride and I know you’ll keep up the quality of the sports section and surpass what I’ve done.

A special thank you the Illinois Division I Hockey team and head coach Chad Cassel. Covering you guys was probably the best time I had covering a team. Congratulations on a well deserved ACHA National Championship this year. Figures, I come in after you guys win a national title the year before and then the year I stop covering you guys you win another one. Guess I was the bad luck charm.

A big shout out to all the guys on the Illinois Division II Hockey team (yes, there are two teams). Playing with you guys the last two years has been indescribable and I’m looking forward to another year of late night practices and bus trips next year. I told all of you guys I would eventually get you into the paper.

To men of Alpha Sigma Phi, you’ve made the studying part of college bearable. You truly are gentlemen and scholars, with hearts beneath your vests. My times at the Ole Gal will never be forgotten.

A lot of credit has to be given to a group of guys that I’ve spent a very large portion of the last five-plus years with talking sports and getting into all sorts of shenanigans with. You know who you are and there are too many memories and moments to even start mentioning. I know we have another summer to remember ahead of us, even if Fat City is gone. Lets just all try to stay out of the hospital this year when August rolls around.

Last but not least, I’d like to thank my family. You all have supported me over the years and helped me reach my goals. I’m still convinced that you guys are the only people who even read my articles. A special thanks to my mom who has pulled my all my clips of the things I’ve written to make me an organized portfolio.

The biggest thank you is reserved for my grandpa, John Maurer. You’ve been my inspiration. Without you I wouldn’t be where I am today and I would be clueless in the world of sports, you’ve taught me pretty much all I know and I love you for that.

Finally, thank you to anyone who read any of the things I’ve written. It’s been a pleasure and trust me, I leave you in good hands.

This was not the way it was supposed to end. Not this time, not this year.

Everyone expected Bill Belichick and Tom Brady to become the new Don Shula and Mercury Morris—the new perfect team of the modern era of football that would tout themselves until no end as the greatest team ever because of their unblemished record, popping the corks every time the last unbeaten fell.

Someone forgot to tell Tom Coughlin’s New York Giants that that was how it was supposed to go. Eli Manning, the Giants defensive line and David Tyree ruined the dreams of sports fans hoping to see history and shut up the ’72 Dolphins, while at the same time showing everyone that some things are still right in the world. That cheaters never prosper. And that the underdog always has a shot.

It is nights like February 3, 2008 that reminds me why I love sports. As cliché as that sounds, Bill Belichick’s early exit from the manicured turf of the University of Phoenix Stadium was a touching end to my football season, not to mention seeing a gigantic smile creep across the boyish face of the much-maligned Eli Manning while hoisting the Lombardi trophy his older brother brought home just a year ago.

But I’d like to focus on Belichick, the most-hated and most-copied coach in the NFL. The man known for “Spy-gate.” The man, that after eighteen straight wins, couldn’t hold himself to a high standard and take his first loss in over a year with some class and dignity. The incident I’m referring to is when the clock had one second left and Belichik and Tom Coughlin met at midfield, thinking the game was over. The two shook hands with as much enthusiasm as if they were in the waiting room for a prostate exam, exchanged a few words, and were then rushed off the playing field because the officials, rightly so, were requiring the Giants to snap the ball in order to run the clock out.

It is what happened immediately after this moment that really grinds my gears and shows how little respect New England’s head man deserves.

I’m talking about when Belichick refused to give Eli Manning and the Giants their moment in the sun: the endgame knee. The point where Manning takes the snap, kneels and finally gets a chance to revel in his success. It’s the point where the opponent is supposed to realize and accept the fact that his team didn’t play to its potential and just got beat.

Belichick was not man enough to give Eli his moment. He was too much of a coward to have some class and civility. He walked off the field early, further showing that he is a classless individual when it comes to the basics of sportsmanship. We’ve seen earlier displays this last season when his teams would run up the score on lesser opponents and throw long bombs throughout. I don’t even want to get into the fourth down attempts when the game has been well in hand.

And I can hear you yelling out right now. “It was just one second!” “Everyone thought it was over!”

Mybe you’re right. Maybe I’m being too picky, but the other truth is this: you are supposed to respect your opponent. That’s the first rule of sportsmanship, and Belichick refuses to follows these rules. It has been seen in the Spy-gate incident, his postgame walk-off, running up the score during the regular season and his laughable post-Super Bowl interview with Chris Meyers (You couldn’t help but feel bad for that guy).

But, the sports world confirmed Sunday that some things do ultimately work out—the Pats lost and Belichick could face further repercussions with the Spy-gate situation. Thank goodness karma exists.

credit AP

Today marks college football’s second coming of Christmas in National Signing Day. It is the first day that recruits for the class of 2008 can put their name on the dotted line of a National Letter of Intent to officially become a part of a college football program. And Memorial Stadium wasn’t numb to the buzz of this Wednesday.

Ron Zook and his staff have pulled in another group of talented athletes for next year’s football squad that is ranked in the top 25 by both Rivals and Scout. The highlight of the day for Illini fans had to be when Florida defensive tackle Corey Liuget stuck with the orange and blue when his LOI hit the football office fax machine at 10:26 am. On the other hand, Illini nation was dealt a bit of disappointment when highly touted Jacksonville-area running back Jamie Harper spurned the Illini and other programs for Clemson. But all in all, it was a good day for Ron Zook and his staff. Every recruit who was verbally committed signed on with the Zooker, so there were no surprises there.

And this is definitely the deepest class by far of the three Zook has pulled in since being in Champaign highlighted by athletes at receiver such as Cordale Scott and A.J. Jenkins, cornerbacks Patrick Nixon and Tavon Wilson, and tons of beef on both lines with Liuget, Graham Pocic, Reggie Ellis and Tyler Sands. Illinois also inked a quarterback for the post-Juice era with North Carolina native Jacob Charest. You can look at a full list of the class here.

For comments from Zook on the class and a live report from Adam Harris, tune into WPGU 107.1 FM at 5pm, also online at the217.com. You can also pick up a copy of Thursday’s Daily Illini and tune into WPGU Saturday at 6 pm for a full breakdown of the class, the Illini’s prospects for the class of 2009, and an exclusive interview with Cordale Scott.

The showdown is set for Super Bowl XLII and it could be one of the less sexy match ups.

This Super Bowl has the potential to be a dud, as the 18-0 Patriots will look to beat up on the somehow still alive Giants, and repeat their performance when they came out on top in Week 17, 38-35. My lack of enthusiasm could be rooted in the fact that I am sick of the love fest that is Patriots and Tom Brady. (Does every guy have a man crush on him? It must be his new cologne.) The only thing that would have made this Super Bowl worse would have been if the Packers and “I must hate Aaron Rodgers because I won’t retire” Favre were the NFC Champs. (By the way, nice job on throwing that interception to pretty much end the game and possibly your career.)

Honestly, the Pats seem like they are on a mission and won’t be stopped until they win it all. They want to go down as one of the greatest, if not the greatest team in NFL history and become the next ‘72 Dolphins, especially after the whole “Spygate” scandal.

As for the Giants, they definitely took the hard route to the Super Bowl, having to beat the Bucs, Cowboys and Packers, all on the road. Plus they received the honor of playing in the third coldest game in playoff history (minus-3 degrees temperatures and wind-chill of minus-24), which was clearly evident based on Tom Coughlin’s frostbitten face.

Eli Manning has had to play his best football and he has done just that. In 85 pass attempts this post season, Manning has zero interceptions. No other post season quarterback this year can say that. And yes, we are talking about the right Manning. While Peyton does have a Super Bowl ring, it took him much long than his younger brother to have that chance. Eli is currently in his fourth year in the NFL. It took Peyton nine years to get to the Super Bowl.

And now Peyton is taking advice from Eli.

Lawrence Tynes should be thanking the stars that he made that 47-yard field goal because I’m pretty sure Coughlin would have cut him before he had even gotten back to the sideline. Tynes hit the game-winner, which was the longest made by a Packers’ opponent in their playoff history.

Hopefully this game turns out better than I think it will. The Giants did play some of their best football of the year against the Pats and had many opportunities to close them out and win the game. The Giants are yet again in charge of preventing the Patriots from reaching perfection, this time from 19-0.

Here are a few more photos from yesterday’s Illini practice at the Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif. This complex is home to the LA Galaxy soccer team and Mr. David Beckham. The field next to where the Illini were practicing was even named after him. Too bad I didn’t see Becks or Posh.

The Poinsettia Bowl.

It all starts with the Poinsettia Bowl.  A clash between the Utah Utes and the Navy Midshipmen.  Tonight’s clash starts the best time of the year, sans March Madness, in sports–the college football season.  I will get to see two or more good college football teams clash at a neutral site for all but three days from now until January 7 of the New Year.  Obviously, the highlight for all of those in the great state of Illinois will be the New Year’s Day matchup between the beloved Orange and Blue and the number six USC Trojans at the Rose Bowl.  And regardless of the outcome, the pageantry and atmosphere in Pasadena should be enough to sustain the recently win-starved and now nourished Illini fans.

But my favorite part is not only getting to season my favorite team since birth in a BCS bowl, but getting to watch good college football for almost every day for almost three straight weeks.  This is where the proponents of a playoff in major college football miss out.  Granted, the bowl system is all about money and a playoff is not a likely scenario no matter how many dual titles are handed out by the pollsters, but the magic of the bowl system, is all about the experience, not so much the destination.  And I know that the BCS may have its flaws, but you can’t replace the unforgettable postseason encounter.

The experience a college football player gets from a bowl game, win or lose, is something they take with them forever.  It helps the players get real-time experience, helps for recruiting, it helps the fanbases and as seen in the C/U area already, helps stimulate the campustown economy.  The bowl season also rescues sports fans from the huge empty crater that is college sports on television during finals week, not to mention the meaningless NFL games that can force even the biggest die-hard to start sawing logs on the couch.  Gimme any of this season’s bowl games over Z-fests like this weekend’s Kansas City at Detroit or the Falcons visiting Arizona in Glendale.

But for all of you proponents of a playoff in college footall, I want you to watch some of the constant football action over the next couple of weeks and look at the tradition, along with the passion and wide eyes of the players and coaches involved, and think for a second if a playoff could make up for all of the pageantry and excitement brought on from the (second) best time of year.

Vince Young celebrating after perhaps the greatest bowl game of all time. Courtesy of www.austinist.com

Hey guys…the gang at Kissing Suzy Kolber has come up with exclusive blueprint to come close to beating the Patriots. ENJOY!

With today’s tragic news of the death of Redskins safety Sean Taylor dying of a gunshot wound, we are all reminded that being a top-tier athlete doesn’t stop you from being a target of crime. This incident and others that occurred with NBA players over the summer show that they are almost bigger targets with the immense fortune that comes with being a pro athlete. My heart goes out to Redskin players, staff and fans because I know how you feel (the deaths of Walter Payton and Brian Piccolo still bring me to tears). The emptiness you feel now will never go away, but it will lessen with time. Most of all, my condolences go out to Taylor’s family, who has been credited with his growing into a great man in the past couple of years.

RIP Sean Taylor–not only will members of the Taylor, Redskin and Hurricane families miss you. Fans of big hits, outstanding play and just fans of the NFL in general will miss you. Here’s a reminder to all of you of how special this kid from Miami was.

Sorry guys, but I’m still stuffed full on turkey, mashed potatoes, dressing, cheese (wow, I ate alot) and still full of myself after that great 3-0 Thanksgiving pickdom.  So, I’m going to try not to tear my rotator cuff patting myself on the back and leave you on your own for picking this weekend’s NFL action.  I hope everyone has a safe holiday weekend and has fun rooting against all the teams that need to lose tomorrow for the Illini to sneak into a BCS bowl game.

Wow…I’m really dissapointed in myself after last week’s 6-8-2 showing. But you know what? I’m totally okay with it because tomorrow is my favorite day of the year–THANKSGIVING!!!! What better day than to eat massive amounts of food, watch football, take a nap and then repeat. There are three games tomorrow for your betting pleasure to spice up a little bit of your family fun. So when Uncle Jim asks who you wanna take in the early game, be glad you read Alex Picks the Pros first.

Green Bay -3.5 (9-1) at Detroit (6-4)

This is always the traditional Turkey Day matchup, too bad John Madden isn’t with Fox anymore to give out his 8 million leg turkey. But even without him, I can continue my Thanksgiving tradition of rooting against the Packers in this game. Although this game is nationally televised at Ford Field and the Lions should be amped up, Favre hasn’t got the memo yet that he’s 38 years old. It kills me to type this again. GREEN BAY

N.Y. Jets +14 (2-8 ) at Dallas (9-1)

Games like these are why they invented the point spread. But don’t worry, the Jets still won’t be able to cover in a loud Texas Stadium where I’m sure Jerry Jones will have another halftime show involving the Salvation Army. Romo gets the ‘boys goin early and the Jets never catch up. DALLAS

Indianapolis-11.5 (8-2) at Atlanta (3-7)

The night game that no one that doesn’t have digital cable or a dish isn’t going to see…yay? I’ll have it here in East Peoria, but not in HD (crying in the background), dang Insight. But that’s enough of my life, let’s get back to the NFL action. I think this one’s gonna be closer than most people think. The Colts are not the same Indy team that was dominant early in the season. The Colts are still missing Marvin Harrison. That’s the difference in this one. ATLANTA

So there you have, take this picks to the family gathering to sucker your relatives into paying your tuition for the next couple of semsters, but everyone please have a wonderful Thanksgiving, eat a ton of turkey and the fixins, and stay safe.