RabidDawgClassic
- Los Angeles, CA
For the record, I am not opposed in any way shape or form to taking the $100 million dollar “gift” and slapping Gies’ name on the stadium. That’s a deal you take all day everyday, especially in the current NIL/Portal era where every million dollars matters.Rather ironic, coming from someone using this site to hawk T-shirts.
I don't know Mr. Gies, so I can't speak for his true motivation. But officially the stadium was re-named in honor of his father, who did serve (and has passed) and therefore the Memorial name still at least indirectly fits.
But even without that, yes I think there is a difference between a corporate and a personal sponsor. Maybe the money still eventually traces back to some business somewhere, but I can easily feel that corporate branding principles would not want anything associated with war or death alongside their name.
Where I take offense is the eager willingness by a large majority of the Illini fan base to simply accept the absurd logic that, because Mr. Gies’ dad served in the military that the “memorial” in the stadium name still technically stands because… well because… well, just because. This is the UI administration pi$$ing on our legs and telling us it’s raining. And so many here are running to get an umbrella.
The stadium was named to honor the fallen Illini of WWI. That’s who it was a memorial to. One hundred years later, Mr. Gies has usurped that honor and, in the university’s lame attempt to pacify an easily fooled fanbase, has offered the “his father served” rationale.
We have sacrificed the original honorees for $100 million dollars. And again, I have no bones about that. You take that deal. It’s just the stupid argument — and the equally stupid acceptance — that it wasn’t anything more than a business transaction where the naming rights were sold.
Now…. BUY MY SHIRTS!!!