My name is Michael Carl Sterk and Im a retired forensic accountant.
It was in those early days of crunching numbers Barstool Carl came to life.
And yeah I’m aware thats a little dramatic.
But that was a real job I worked during a real part of my life for several years.
Its actually a juicy fuckin story here fellas.
And I know you guys know me as an obnoxious Illinois homer and thats very much true.
I wore the colors.
I have tremendous respect for the leaders in place.
Its every bit of a personal tie that you’re able to have to your college sports teams.
And even more so, its been my favorite outlet in all the years of making internet content.
If I ever had to rally bannermen, the first stop Im making is Champaign/Urbana.
I need to make these concessions up front.
Same as I would any engagement with major conflict of interest.
The difference here though is the SEC isnt asking me to disclose how much stock I own in Illinois.
Instead I can just promise to be objective and thats exactly what Ill do.
Otherwise its just a waste of time.
I can sit here and shit on Iowa very easily and save myself the time and trouble.
But theres actually good meat on this bone worthy of professional skepticism so lets do just that.
This is the first public punch thrown in the dispute:
Heavy stuff with some big time emotions here.
Sixth year seniors traveling for their big trip.
History and tradition of the Krush.
Raising money for charity and willing to work with the Iowa athletic department.
Thanking donors and committing to move forward.
Some good sharp jabs at Iowa but nothing to say theyre overreacting.
It would looking something like this.
Orange Krush, Generally
Id use formal language to explain the history.
But Id focus more on the commitment students have to make to be apart of the Krush.
You dont just get to show up to basketball games and sit close and scream crazy shit.
You actually have to commit to a formal group with student elected leaders.
Not just basketball and football.
Theyre showing up to the volleyball games on Thursday night and Womens basketball Sunday afternoon.
Theyre traveling with non revenue sports and committing support across the university, broadly.
Its not a group of students that want to party and be assholes and take over bars on campus.
Theyre quite literally the nicest and kindest and most supportive students the school has to offer.
Theyre utterly insane about Illinois athletics and take a tremendous amount of pride in being apart of the Krush.
For many, its their primary club/activity at the university.
The kids in the Krush have dedicated and committed a bulk of their free time to the organization.
Thats the kind of context that makes the $6,000 here a lot more valuable.
They dont buy group tickets as Orange Krush.
Theyll use a local charity, or something to that effect.
This isnt a criminal investigation so were not going through formal record.
To my knowledge thats not against the law in any capacity weve come to understand college rivalries.
And truthfully - not even a real rivalry.
Basketball, maybe/kinda blooming.
If anything, Iowa and Illinois likely has the most crossover of high school friends from the Chicago area.
Certainly south of 290 but thats just me and now were getting hyper local.
Iowa Formally Responds On Twitter
Simple and effective.
They address the purchase, explain the reasoning and dont throw anything mean.
Id maybe argue the falsely ordering tickets under the Non Profit is a little strong for my taste.
But they stand to make this decision if they feel its appropriate.
Thats within their right.
The consequences though fall to the public.
And in this case, it looks like a bitch move.
Cant really think of other language to describe Iowas stance and action.
In this case, bells should be going off in any decent investigators brain.
Theres so much dissonance between the action and the consequence.
Orange Krush gets fuckin slammed last second without any opportunity to make whole?
My Results
Ive spent the last couple days talking to a few insiders.
Iowa and Illinois guys.
Friends and foes and a handful in-between.
Some say rumors circulated.
Some say the basketball program made mention about it.
Its actually a huge opportunity to get mean and nasty and react savagely.
But then I remember that its the Orange Krush kids.
The nice ones that make tremendous employees and colleagues and effective members of society.
Theyre not out for blood but rather just a good time at an opponents campus on a Saturday afternoon.
They want to cheer and chant and show Coach Underwood that hes got dogs in his corner all day.
Iowa could have easily found some middle ground here with the Illinois leadership.
Its been going on for decades with the Orange Krush and its the embodiment of harmless college bullshit.
Were supposed to be boys, Iowa.
Youre the funny outrageous and social ones.
Were a little more dorky and serious and try our best to keep up.
Its so much better when Iowa and Illinois people work together because thats when were at our best.
I dont want to be on twitter calling you guys a safety school and shitting on your student body.
Why cant it be like that?
Because all it takes is a couple of shitty people with bad attitudes to ruin it for everyone.
Theres your big takeaway.
Dont be a Gary Barta if/when that day comes.
And with all this, we can now turn our attention to Saturdays 1:30pm game on FOX.
Illinois traveling to Iowa in what should be the most chaotic non-wrestling crowd Carver-Hawkeyes hosted in years.
And while were here, the value is on Brad Underwood and the Illini.
Hes the exact kinda person to take this way too personal.
Otherwise known as the perfect college basketball coach.
For more on my affinity for Coach Underwood and his ability to beat Iowa, hey enjoy this video:
