ROGER MONROE

Bradley University’s men’s basketball team is having an exciting season. Other than the players and its coach, no one is happier than Dr. Gene Sidler. The retired physician has been a Bradley fan since he started at the school as a freshman in 1967. He estimates he has seen, since then, just about every home game. That includes as a student at Bradley and later while attending the University of Illinois Medical School.

He missed during his internship years in California. When he returned to Peoria his faithful attendance resumed. And it included driving and sometimes flying for road games to everywhere from Las Vegas to Hawaii. He’s been to almost all Bradley road games at places like Portland, San Jose, Padre Island, Malibu, Cancun, Charleston, and Laramie, Wyo., in addition to every Missouri Valley Conference basketball arena multiple times over the years. The Lansing native would change his patient schedule in order to travel to a Bradley away game.

He’s probably been to nearly 2,000 Bradley games. As I write this column, he and his wife, Becky, have been to Murray, Ky., for a game against Murray State, and to Nashville, Tenn., for a contest with Belmont,

One of the most exciting games, said Sidler, was in Honolulu in 1981. Bradley was in a close contest with San Francisco when one of the referees made a mystery call on a Bradley player as time was running out. Videos indicated the player named by the referee was nowhere close to an opponent. The call may have cost Bradley the game. Colorful Bradley coach Dick Versace responded by grabbing the referee’s whistle and throwing it into the stands. It made national headlines.

Sidler’s affection for Bradley basketball became apparent when he started his website, bradleyfans.com in January, 2005. It has become a huge success as Bradley fans around the world flock to the site to talk Bradley basketball. Sidler says it receives about 10,000 hits a day during the basketball season, and there have been months when its recorded more than one million views.

Unlike the official Bradley University website, Sidler’s content is not governed by NCAA rules and regulations. He and his subscribers can talk about possible recruits and other subjects without restrictions. Bradley cannot. The site is free and free for subscribers to talk about anything and everything, though the retired doctor doesn’t allow personal attacks or profanity.

During the dark days when Joanne Glasser was president at the school and Geno Ford was basketball coach, bradleyfans.com was alive with heavy criticism of both individuals. The basketball teams were terrible and the school president became controversial.

Sidler felt the heat of the criticism from some Bradley officials. The school’s public relations director, without success, demanded he block the critical remarks.

The athletic director requested a meeting with Dr. Sidler and suggested changes to his website. That didn’t work either. All the fore-described principals are gone and bradleyfans.com is alive and well today, as is the university and its basketball program. However, what is missing are more basketball fans, especially students.

A relatively small crowd of just more than 5,000 people were at the Peoria Civic Center recently when the Braves decimated Indiana State, 118-65. Bradley scored an NBA-like 66 in the first half against a team BU barely beat in Terre Haute. There were probably more students in bars on Farmington Road than at the game.

Usually winning motivates people to attend and support the home team. Apparently not for Bradley. Not everyone has the enthusiasm or excitement for the Braves like Dr. Sidler. While the number of season tickets has increased under Coach Brian Wardle, it hasn’t translated into big attendance numbers. Sidler is trying to help with his popular website. He’s done more for Bradley basketball than the local newspaper and TV stations put together. Give WMBD radio credit. The station carries home and away games with the talented Dave Snell, yet the 1470 news the next morning rarely provides scores from the night before.

Bradley has tried all kinds of experiments to engender enthusiasm. The problem is the school is focusing on the wrong demographic with the wrong ideas. A carnival-like barker has replaced arena public address announcer Lee Hall, giving play-by-play action at timeouts with tricycle races and other childish tidbits. The sound system has been cranked up so people at nearby Big Al’s can dance to the music. Bradley basketball and the Bradley band have been replaced by a three ring circus and it “ain’t” working.

At halftime, put a couple of grade school teams on the floor as they once did when Bradley played at the Armory on North Adams. I know because I played for Kingman in a short game against Blaine-Sumner. What a thrill to hear the crowd when a team scored a basket. I didn’t. But, that wasn’t unusual.

Whether the crowds for Bradley are large, small, or in-between, all of Peoria and central Illinois is behind the Braves. May they have continued success.

EARLY VOTING HAS BEGUN: As Donald Trump has begun as the 47th President of the United States, early voting has started in the City of Peoria. The city’s primary is Feb. 25 with the general election Tuesday, April 1.

Voters in the primary will have two ballot options. One is to request a non-partisan ballot which means no party affiliation. Voters will choose their choice for Mayor, City Treasurer, and District 2, City Council. But, only those living in District 2 will receive a ballot with that race. Voting is for registered voters in the city and Peoria Township only.

The second option is to ask for a Republican ballot. That ballot will include a choice for Peoria Township Assessor. The ballot, of course, will include races for Mayor, City Treasurer and Dist. 2 (if you live in that district).

Of greatest interest is the Mayoral race. Rita Ali, Chuck Grayeb and John Kelly are running with two to be nominated for the April 1 general election. Ali will probably be the top winner since those who are against her will be split between Grayeb and Kelly. Grayeb, dean of the Council and known for his many years serving in the Peoria school district, is expected to beat Kelly.

QUOTE OF THE MONTH: “The ballot is stronger than the bullet,” — Abraham Lincoln