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I've heard this a few places in the context of Illinois playing loose and like they have nothing to lose -- which is surely true -- but does that mean the converse is true, that we should feel pressure to win?
Of the 7 main guys, most of them have already won -- only Spencer and Castle are completely new. Hurley has the monkey off his back, big time. Newton, Karaban, and Clingan were integral parts of last year's team. Diarra and Johnson have rings.
We have tremendous opportunity, yes, to accomplish something special and cement this team's 2-year run as close to unprecedented in the sport. But it's a real stretch to say that there's pressure on us to do it, especially to the point of affecting the team's performance.
Of the 7 main guys, most of them have already won -- only Spencer and Castle are completely new. Hurley has the monkey off his back, big time. Newton, Karaban, and Clingan were integral parts of last year's team. Diarra and Johnson have rings.
We have tremendous opportunity, yes, to accomplish something special and cement this team's 2-year run as close to unprecedented in the sport. But it's a real stretch to say that there's pressure on us to do it, especially to the point of affecting the team's performance.