Tim Beckman Joined Boers & Bernstein For An All-Time Classic Interview
(CBS) In a swift minute, Illinois football coach Tim Beckman was asked to join the Boers and Bernstein Show on Wednesday afternoon, and he was happy to oblige on national signing day after the Illini had inked what Rivals.com rated the sixth-best class in the Big Ten.
What followed was legendary radio.
Earlier Wednesday at a press conference, Beckman had asked the media be more positive about his program that's gone 12-25 in his three years in Champaign, saying among other things, "The challenge is still how important is the University of Illinois to you?" and "I'm going to put it on you -- what are they reading?"
Illinois went 6-7 last season, falling in the Heart of Dallas Bowl.
Explaining the media's job to Beckman was initially the main focus of Boers and Bernstein, who noted that journalists have the responsibility to tell the truth.
Beckman said he understood, but he still stood by his assertion about positivity.
"The perception that's out there is always important to a 18-year-old, 19-year-old, 20-year-old, 21-year-old player as they're turning into a man," Beckman said. "I think it's important that we try to surround them with as much positive stuff (as possible)."
Then Beckman doubled down on his pitch to the media members, implying they are a key cog in Illinois winning football games.
"I'm not going after the media," Beckman said. "I'm asking for help. I didn't go after the media one bit. I was just saying if we could all be in this together, that's all I said. Let's be in this thing together. Let's build this thing together into a championship program. Let's talk as much as we can on trying to build it together.
"Why can't we talk about some of the positive things?"
Beckman doesn't read the negative stories, he said, but he gets updates from staffers about the tone of the media and hears about it on the recruiting trail.
"When you're out on the road and you're recruiting and talking, (you) just (get) the sense of those things," Beckman said. "And again, the only thing I'm saying is we're all in this together.
"I want it to be a champion. I want it to be like Ohio State did this year. There's no question about that. I'm trying to build it to be the best and one of the proudest things the state of Illinois has."
There was also just some typical Beckman tangents during the interview that are rather hard to provide any context to.
For example:
-- "We are being better at developing men," Beckman said. "And that's what we're trying to get accomplished. That's why the game of football was invented, in my opinion, being around it for 50 years of my life -- is to influence our young men involved in our programs to get better as men."
-- "I understand what winning is, but I want to well-round our student-athlete as much as I can," Beckman said.
-- "There are other things involved in our program that are bragging points, top-10 country stuff," Beckman said. "I'm just adding that to it. Let's win. Let's make sure our kids are graduating instead of leaving early or not getting degrees. Let's make sure they stay out of jail. Let's make sure they're doing everything in our community to be successful."
Words can't truly do the interview justice, so take the time to listen to it here if you want the full experience.
