I know we enjoy giving Bert a hard time around here, and most of it is in good fun and the spirit of competition. Especially the gifs. He’s the coach we always want in the Big Ten, but never want coaching our team. 

But today, my heart goes out to him and the Bielma family. They learned Thursday morning that his mother, Marilyn Bielma, passed away. No cause of death was given. Losing a parent is so hard. Maybe because it reminds us of our own mortality. Or, maybe because suddenly you realize that you have, or will soon, become the oldest living generation in the family, and that is jarring. 

Either way, it can’t be easy to deal with the loss of a family member as you’re heading into one of the most important games of your season. Best of luck to Bret (I’ll use the name his mother gave him, out of respect) and the Fighting Illini today.