There are way more people involved in this anti-IBR circle-jerk than there are defending him. And the only "defending" consists of, "He got X and Y right, and maybe he got the other stuff wrong because of Z." The only reason that I've said anything in his "defense" is because the AIBRCJ acts like he's gotten everything wrong when that is clearly not the case. Yeah, maybe he was just pulling stuff out of his arse and happened to land some pretty big... um... fish, I guess. I don't know.
The reason I accept that he had some contacts on the in side is that I didn't think that TO would take the job. Based on what I've heard from people who are close to him/the program regarding why he retired in the first place, I assumed that the forces that pushed him to retire would be brought to bear again if he tried to get involved in NU athletics... I was surprised... though, after running for congress and gov., I suppose that the wifely forces might not mind his having a high-level university position.