icengineer
- Southern Illinois
Gargirl?
Gargiryle, Duh...
Gargirl?
Gargiryle, Duh...
Our best bet for not having total outrage at the new mascot is for it to develop organically. Thats not to say that we cannot help that process along. I honestly think our best bet is to get some sort of hawk/falcon/ eagle to fly out of the tunnel with the team, and then to fly around during the 3-in-1 at half time. Let that go on for a couple of years, as it is a lot easier for people to get behind. Then, after people are used to it/ recognize it, you can make a mascot version of it that runs up and down the sidelines and throws out T-shirts and people would be much less likely to freak out.
p.s. I think I read somewhere that the Falcon was a Native American symbol for Higher Learning? Seems appropriate.
Yes! Fighting Falcons! That name has a nice ring to it.
Hmmm...
Seem like I've heard that somewhere before though...
I was GDI back in the day, and never had much use for the Greek system, but this seems to me to be the perfect thing for the Greeks to take care of. They can each have their own mascot show up to tailgating, in the stands, and at other events, and occasionally be allowed on the sidelines. See who the crowd reacts to and not. Make some sort of annual event out of it. The university will just have to get over the fact that sometimes the mascot will be juvenile or silly, and that it won't have absolute control over it.
Eventually the fans and the student body will gravitate to one or a couple of the mascots and that's what you go with.
No one has said anything about changing the name, just providing another/ different symbol for the university
This idea reminds me of Midieval Times
It's a done deal then. We'll have this guy running around the sidelines. [Don't take this too seriously okay?]
Hey, they used falcons during medieval times, right?
It's a done deal then. We'll have this guy running around the sidelines. [Don't take this too seriously okay?]
Long live the Chef!
Fighting Cowboys....Since we are running the Native American imagery out as our school's symbol, wouldn't it be most appropriate that a Cowboy comes in as the replacement. Or would that mascot not be PC?
Why not Gargyrle? :thumb:
The consonant O from bOy replaced with the consonants IR from gIRl.... I don't know, Your works just as well. Just being silly.... I'm sure gargoyle is genderless anyways...
The state fish is the bluegill, let's make it happen.
The ghost or spirit could be of Chief Illiniwek which the administrators and PC police have attempted to remove. But the spirit remains, we are the rightful heirs to this legacy. I carry over 35% Native American blood (DNA tested) and I'm in no way remotely offended by Fighting Illini or Chief Illiniwek (or Aztecs, Sioux, Seminoles, Apache, etc..). I find it sad that one day no college teams will carry Native American names, nor will it appear in other forms (military units and equipment).
But in reality, Galloping Ghost I think has plenty of legacy and hopefully will not offend anybody. Our symbol or mascot could possibly be a leather helmented Red Grange (cartoon form) or his famous siloute. Pay his family a tribute if necessary.
I have been championing for this for about a year. I was in Krush and there for his last dance. I love Chief and always will, but we are losing out on market opportunity and branding being without a symbol or mascot. My personal preference is something that I thing both sides of the aisle can rally around. The birthplace of the term "Fighting Illini" comes from when we were raising funds for Memorial stadium. I think that a WWI doughboy would be most fitting. I would love to figure how to contact the committee with this. Here are a few examples of images from google already out there:
Not a WWI doughboy, but I still like the imagery
I'm going to agree with u. If this does happen, I'd consider supporting a leather helmented Red Grange or WWI doughboy.
My thought/question is, there has been talk that the power conferences could eventually leave the ncaa and create their own governing body...in this instance I wonder if it would be possible to bring the Chief back since it was the ncaa that basically twisted our arm until we retired it? If there is any chance of this, shouldn't we wait and see if we can get what most want, and that's the chief? Thoughts?