Mascot for University of Illinois?
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Oskee67
- Champaign
Favorite concepts I've seen thus far:
Our State, Our Team? Well, this is the Land of Lincoln, no?
Resonates perfectly with the Fighting Illini name history:
What is more beloved on campus than Alma? This would perhaps be the first female mascot (which is sort of surprising if you think about it), plus who wouldn't want to take pictures with Alma during the game, at events, and, of course, graduation?
Just looks cool:
Our State, Our Team? Well, this is the Land of Lincoln, no?
Resonates perfectly with the Fighting Illini name history:
What is more beloved on campus than Alma? This would perhaps be the first female mascot (which is sort of surprising if you think about it), plus who wouldn't want to take pictures with Alma during the game, at events, and, of course, graduation?
Just looks cool:
Lou the Flying Illini
(the name may need work)
Honestly, this may be the best one yet. Seriously. I even support the name "Flyin". IMO it sounds better than "fighting" anyway. If we could Flyin on that jersey, we are in business.
I love that bird's jersey! Huge step up from our two tone, zig zag diarrhea.
Stevegarbs
- Mokena, IL
Yeah, Stanford moved away from a Native American mascot and their sports teams immediately tanked and their academic reputation went in the crapper, so we should take that as a dire warning of the tragedy that is destined to befall us.
From Wikipedia:
Stanford has won at least one NCAA team championship each year for 40 consecutive years, starting in 1976-77 and continuing through 2015-16.[11]
Stanford's run of 40 consecutive years winning an NCAA team championship is the longest such streak in NCAA history. The next longest NCAA championship streak is 19 years.
Stanford has won 95 NCAA team championships during this 40 year NCAA championship streak. The most NCAA team championships Stanford has won in a single year is six in 1996-97 (men's and women's cross-country, men's and women's tennis, and men's and women's volleyball). Stanford has won five NCAA team championships in a year three times (1991–92, 1994–95, and 1997–98).
Yeah, that's an incredibly horrible run. The Indian mascot was dropped in 1972 so clearly that's taken a huge toll on their athletics programs.
Let's see Stanford's football team just stomped the snot out of the Hawkeye's in this year's Rose Bowl and it had been all the way back since 2013 since their last Rose Bowl appearance.
Stanford's academic reputation went in the crapper? About as accurate as your description of their athletic programs decline. :tsk:
Has anyone here actually read that committee report from start to finish? Since the answer to that question is obviously no (and nobody's blaming you), here's a few absolutely hilarious excerpts that I thought you'd all enjoy:
"The Committee stressed that any mascot selected should be as inoffensive as possible."
You know, not just inoffensive -- maximum inoffensive!
"A 2015 graduate expressed that he was disappointed in his experiences of attending athletic events due to the lack of a mascot. He referenced alumni describing high attendance at games and significant school spirit which he wished to have seen during his time at Illinois."
Because it was the lack of a mascot, and only the lack of a mascot, that put a damper on the enjoyment level of Illinios athletics circa 2011-15.
"There are those stakeholders, particularly a majority of the alumni, who do not want a process to be put in place to select a mascot."
Sure, but since when do majorities get to decide things?
"Though not an endorsement of future adoption, discussion was held on imagery such as Sassy the Squirrel ... Sassy, used by University Admissions, is meant to excite students and potential recruits. Shirts with Sassy’s image have recently been sold out at the Illini Union bookstore."
And we all are, thinking this idea might turn out badly!
"The Committee stressed that any mascot selected should be as inoffensive as possible."
You know, not just inoffensive -- maximum inoffensive!
"A 2015 graduate expressed that he was disappointed in his experiences of attending athletic events due to the lack of a mascot. He referenced alumni describing high attendance at games and significant school spirit which he wished to have seen during his time at Illinois."
Because it was the lack of a mascot, and only the lack of a mascot, that put a damper on the enjoyment level of Illinios athletics circa 2011-15.
"There are those stakeholders, particularly a majority of the alumni, who do not want a process to be put in place to select a mascot."
Sure, but since when do majorities get to decide things?
"Though not an endorsement of future adoption, discussion was held on imagery such as Sassy the Squirrel ... Sassy, used by University Admissions, is meant to excite students and potential recruits. Shirts with Sassy’s image have recently been sold out at the Illini Union bookstore."
And we all are, thinking this idea might turn out badly!
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Better yet, the appropriate mascot for Illinois as far as the state is concerned would be a politician dressed in an Orange jumpsuit! At least the color would be correct.
Stevegarbs
- Mokena, IL
Stevegarbs
- Mokena, IL
Thank you for making my exact point. Stanford is the example demonstrating why all of these lamentations about a new mascot being the End of the World as We Know It is a bunch of utter hogwash. This whole thread is in a dead heat tie with discussions of Tyler Ullis' growth plates for the ultimate waste of bits on the internet.
Future Walk-On
- Peoria, IL
Ok I think this is getting out of control...
Having an orange octopus running around at games is way different and less of a deal than changing our nickname.
I am surprised half of you are considering it :O
Having an orange octopus running around at games is way different and less of a deal than changing our nickname.
I am surprised half of you are considering it :O
Fighter of the Nightman
- Chicago, IL
Mike
C-U Townie
Just looks cool:
If no indian, then an eagle with "indian feathers" is freaking brilliant!!!
YOU WIN IMO
Might need a shield on his chest though.
I think it'll be interesting to see how the next month or so of this goes. Obviously we're all intimately familiar with how long these 'committees' take after the whole AD process went under Barb, but I think this is far from being over, and will see student backlash rise based on the misrepresentation of student opinion that has transpired so far. Remember, just two years ago was the campus-wide poll about a new mascot, and that was overwhelmingly pro-Chief or nothing stance in response, and I find it hard to believe 2 years has swung that to the reverse. I think the news that they're proceeding towards a new mascot in a formal manner rather than just continuing with polling will cause a lot of students to come to the forefront and share dissenting opinions of a new mascot. I think many realize the Chief coming back isn't going to happen, and have accepted that, but this perspective that students need a mascot to rally around at sports (lol) is baseless, as well as the perspective that students need a new mascot just because the chief is gone.
I know I'm not the only current student (i.e., post chief era) who is a first generation Illini that is still anti-new mascot. In my mind, I don't see a need for a new mascot/symbol/whatever we want to call these things, or any mascot. The belief that new students who never experienced need a mascot is, frankly, quite silly to me. Want school spirit? Win some games. Loud-mouthed trash-talking during conference play and bowl/tournament season builds school spirit like nothing else :thumb:
I know I'm not the only current student (i.e., post chief era) who is a first generation Illini that is still anti-new mascot. In my mind, I don't see a need for a new mascot/symbol/whatever we want to call these things, or any mascot. The belief that new students who never experienced need a mascot is, frankly, quite silly to me. Want school spirit? Win some games. Loud-mouthed trash-talking during conference play and bowl/tournament season builds school spirit like nothing else :thumb:
PostersLastStand
- Wayne County, IL
Darn it I was just thinking about Monty Python's rabbit, then when it runs out on the field or court it could decapitate the opposing mascot (just a stuffed likeness, well ...yep just a likeness)Forget the squirrel and go for the rabbit!
PostersLastStand
- Wayne County, IL
I love this thread, it has made my dreary week better. Thank you Dan and Kudos to all the Posters.
Illwinsagain
- Cary, IL
Forget the squirrel and go for the rabbit!
I can't stop watching this and hearing "with BIG teeth!"
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