Tuesday, 23 January 2007 - 10:35 PM CST

WHAT????? Is Steve Rich there ... does he have a gun to your head??? How will I make it through the day without my Billy fix?

Wednesday, 24 January 2007 - 7:50 AM CST

To paraphrase what the little kid said to Shoeless Joe Jackson after the Black Sox scandal, "Say it ain't so, Billy!"  Who will defend Tony Romo or carry the torch against ISU, SIU, WIU and various other pretenders to the crown of Jewel of Illinois? It just isn't right. Rise up Panther Nation!!

Wednesday, 24 January 2007 - 8:58 AM CST

Say it ain't so Billy! With this departure will you also be revealing your true identity? I don't think my faint heart can take it.

Neistein - you must continue this storied tradition. The weight of Old Main falls on your shoulders, grasshopper.

Wednesday, 24 January 2007 - 10:02 AM CST

Billy,

We're going to miss you!  Contrary to the "BillyPlease" post, I have been a friend of Billy since he created the site many years ago.  As a matter of fact, he and I were probably the only two people who knew about it when it was first created...sounds right, doesn't it, Billy? 

I am regularly asked about Billy's true identity and the last time was just last week in a University meeting when the HOF site was mentioned (Billy, you know you've made it big when we talk about you in meetings!) but the secret is safe for now.  I say "for now" because I think you deserve an Alumni Service award from the Alumni Association for what you've done but we can talk about that later.

I've had phone calls at home from alumni who were mentioned on the site and wanted me to have it removed and phone calls at the office from grads who were offended by one of Billy's inductees into the HOF (it doesn't take too much imagination to figure out which one that is, does it?).  Through it all, though, I have always appreciated Billy's humor and his genuine interest in activities on campus. 

That doesn't mean I haven't cringed a time or two when he posted some items but it was always fun.  Each morning at the office, I always checked the site to read the new postings and find out what was happening on campus.  For someone who doesn't live in Charleston, Billy always had a knack for finding out what was happening here.  

Billy, enjoy life with your family and thanks for your continuing support of Eastern.  I need to find something special to send you as a new poker talisman and the next time you're in town let me know and your first one at Marty's is on me!

 Steve Rich 

Wednesday, 24 January 2007 - 10:43 AM CST

Oh Billy . . . we will miss you good and faithful friend.

Wednesday, 24 January 2007 - 12:23 PM CST

Boo!

Wednesday, 24 January 2007 - 2:29 PM CST

Alimino, sweetheart, I wish I could. And Billy did enlist me to help, and to my great shame, I didn't hold up my end of the bargain. With no computer at home and numerous online forums and blogs to run as part of my actual job, I just couldn't devote the effort to the site that it would require.

Perhaps in the future, but right now, I am helpless. Please forgive me.

Wednesday, 24 January 2007 - 3:27 PM CST

You're just lazy. A real EIU person would actually keep this blog going. Good riddance.

Thursday, 25 January 2007 - 10:30 AM CST

Thursday, 25 January 2007 - 7:42 PM CST

NOOOOOOO!!!

Billy! Don't go... :(

I guess if you must, I want to thank you for a good time, and for being one of my few remaining links, which are dwindling, to my beloved EIU.

Sunday, 28 January 2007 - 8:23 PM CST

I never attended Eastern Illinois. I've never even been anywhere in Illinois besides Moline, Rock Island, and the road between Chicago and Wisconsin.

But I loved this site.

I found it back in 2004 when I was hired by the Dallas Cowboys to launch their TV channel. Tony Romo was from my hometown in Wisconsin, and I wanted to find some background info on him for his appearance on one of my shows. One of the first things I stumbled across was the original Tony Romo Drinking Game. This site also taught me about the only bar in town for EIU, and that led me to some former EIU players chock full of embarassing Romo history.

Romo's 2004 appearance on my morning show was my second favorite episode. The most fun, by far, was the very special holiday edition almost entirely dedicated to the Billy Panther/Gil LeBreton of the Fort Worth Star Telegram feud. Featuring the EIU spokesbuilding, live via telephone. I spread the gospel of your site to everyone at Valley Ranch who would stand still long enough to listen. Thanks to you guys, I had a Tony Romo obsession way before that was cool. And even now, when it might not be anymore.

Whoever you are, Billy Panther, you and your website were the highlights of that stage in my career. That's actually a pretty sad commentary on my priorities, considering that every Friday's show featured a different Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader. But I'll leave analyzing that to some future psychotherapist.

Even after quitting the channel (and the channel being shut down 6 weeks later), I've stopped by from time to time to check up on the EIUniverse. I'm a North Texas alum, and something about you guys and the way you relate to your school reminds me of our own inferiority complexes. I was vicariously thrilled for you guys when Romo broke out huge, and it gave me hope for North Texas' own potential NFL superstar: former NCAA rushing champion Patrick Cobbs of the Miami Dolphins. We've got a few NFL starters, including a Pro Bowler, but Cobbs is our hope for EIU-style Romomania.

Anyway... your influence spreads farther than you know. Farewell, Billy Panther. You were too beautiful for this world.

P.S.: If Prowler ever sets foot in Texas, I'll do what needs to be done. My farewell gift to you.

Sunday, 28 January 2007 - 8:25 PM CST

Sweet, a moderated comments page.

Any chance you could delete this post, and edit out my personal information from the last one?

Friday, 2 February 2007 - 10:06 AM CST

Sweet fancy moses, man. Who's going to make fun of everything I do now?

Wednesday, 7 February 2007 - 1:10 AM CST

I gave it a few days, and I see it is really over.  I thought maybe there would be an EIU-ish comeback!!!  After no post about our recent ESPN telecast, I figured it was over....

Thanks for the years of laughs, and bashing of the other inferior Illinois "schools".

If you ever made a comeback, I'd be happy to help with posting about EIU if I could help!

GO EIU!

Wednesday, 7 February 2007 - 7:43 PM CST

I still check every day ... surely it was merely another "Billy-jest"... He'll be back... he has to...

And then I had my chance ... EIU basketball game Saturday ... the "Abominable Sphincter" a.k.a. Prowler, sat down right in front of me to terrorize some hapless children. Visions of 250 clams danced in my head ... I could grab it and dash for the exit ... McDuffie's toadies in hot pursuit! But alas, no P.O. Box to send it to ... no Billy to hoist it above his head in triumph...