I doubt if there were more than one has ever complained. There or still more than one native American name used in college athletics and you don't here complaints.
The mascot debate/fandom thread
How many current students? In this poll 9161 students wanted the Chief: https://www.news-gazette.com/news/s...cle_245425ac-ac0e-566c-a048-26bbbd8ccf24.html
In this poll 9003 students supported the Chief: https://www.news-gazette.com/news/u...cle_e9535f2e-cfd9-5b83-8abc-ee9fe7226c6e.html
Careful now, you'll be accused of being a 50-year old Illinoisan who can't see the forest of mascots for the symbol of trees.
Thanks for spreading some facts, especially the 2019 update, as I'm sure the 2004 one will also be derided as old and out of touch.
I don't like it, but I accept the Chief is gone for good. Having some moronic cartoon figure shooting t-shirts into the crowd is a separate issue, but there I go again showing my age.
Ransom Stoddard
Ordained Dudeist Priest
- Bloomington, IL
You can doubt that only one has ever complained, but you'd be wrong. Those schools that still use Native imagery and likenesses have legal and financial agreements with their associated tribes (FSU being the obvious example). Illinois has never had that.
To compound that issue, the most recent regalia used for Chief Illiniwek was purchased from the Oglala Sioux tribe, which has no relationship at all to any of the members of the Illini Confederation (Peoria, Cahokia, Kaskaski, Michigamea, and Tamaroa) or their antecedents, nor even with the Kickapoo or other tribal groups local to Illinois.
SuperMetroid
- Evanston
Like 95% of schools have some sort of mascot. Conflating college kids at a school without one maybe wanting to have one with some sort of downfall of society is a really weird take.
I don't believe that anyone who didn't experience Chief Illiniwek at Memorial Stadium, at the Assembly Hall, can understand, can appreciate, the electricity and the passion that ran through the crowd. And for what? For doing something together, for being part of something bigger than themselves alone, a part of history, a part of tradition, a part of what would continue into the future. We put our arms over the shoulders of strangers and sang the Alma Mater. Can you imagine what that sounded like?
And the Chief. Chief Illiniwek, from the moment he burst from the band, though the singing of the Alma Mater, to his final step of his dance, was on the field for two minutes and ten seconds.
I don't know. I never saw it. I never took a youngster to an Illinois football game. But I'll bet any kid would have come away from halftime with starry eyes, much more so than any forgettable foam-headed mascot.
If you want to know why those of us who don't want something something silly, whether a foam-headed bird or a dancing letter "I", that's it. Life is more than giggles. Those two minutes... My senior year we lost every game. We lost to Michigan at home, 57-0. But we had Chief Illiniwek. He was ours. And we were in the palm of his hand. It carried us through.
There's nothing today quite like those two minutes and ten seconds. The Florida State Seminoles have Chief Osceola. Sanctioned or not by the Seminole tribe, he nonetheless has the same impact on all Natrive Americanyouth, Seminole or other, that a University of Michigan professor says causes Native children to kill themselves. Now that's a Production with a capital P. And created, incidentally, by a white man. Click here for Chief Osceola pregame
And the Chief. Chief Illiniwek, from the moment he burst from the band, though the singing of the Alma Mater, to his final step of his dance, was on the field for two minutes and ten seconds.
I don't know. I never saw it. I never took a youngster to an Illinois football game. But I'll bet any kid would have come away from halftime with starry eyes, much more so than any forgettable foam-headed mascot.
If you want to know why those of us who don't want something something silly, whether a foam-headed bird or a dancing letter "I", that's it. Life is more than giggles. Those two minutes... My senior year we lost every game. We lost to Michigan at home, 57-0. But we had Chief Illiniwek. He was ours. And we were in the palm of his hand. It carried us through.
There's nothing today quite like those two minutes and ten seconds. The Florida State Seminoles have Chief Osceola. Sanctioned or not by the Seminole tribe, he nonetheless has the same impact on all Natrive Americanyouth, Seminole or other, that a University of Michigan professor says causes Native children to kill themselves. Now that's a Production with a capital P. And created, incidentally, by a white man. Click here for Chief Osceola pregame
I think you are missing his point...the students who support the Chief are bad and are to be ignored or mocked. The minority who don't want the Chief are the good students and are the only ones whose opinion matters
The chief is not a worthwhile discussion these days. The chief as a counter argument to the kingfisher is not a worthwhile discussion either. It's a dead end. I don't like the kingfisher though or any of the previous nominees though, besides Blocky. They have nothing to do with the school. Maybe the ghost thing could work, but it could easily look pretty racist as well if done wrong. I have created a few nominees that at least have a connection to the school. Blocky also very acceptable.
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Joel Goodson
- ties will be resolved
JFC
For the first time ever I’m jealous of Indiana.
That's horrible already making the kingfisher our "mascot"! Bad enough to lose the chief! I favor Champ, the WWI soldier, if we have to replace our mascot.
DeonThomas
- South Carolina
DeonThomas
- South Carolina
IlliniKat91
- Chicago, IL
What's the link lead to? It's broken for me
Dan
Admin
The post from NBC Sports was deleted. Here's a partial screenshot (click to fully open)-
mattcoldagelli
- The Transfer Portal with Do Not Contact Tag
That’s not bad, honestly.
DeonThomas
- South Carolina
Good point Bill. I, therefore, estimate ~840,000 voting NO and ~9000 voting YES...........when counting the votes of only students and alumni. That equates to roughly 99% against.
If I were to be so bold as to include the entire population of the United States, it becomes roughly 334,000,000 voting NO and ~9000 voting YES. That equates to roughly 100% against.
GrayGhost77
- Centennial, CO
You're right. It's not bad. It's awful.
lstewart53x3
- Scottsdale, Arizona
I’m out.
I kind of feel like "could look pretty racist" is a forgone conclusion in this current timeline no matter what you choose. If it ain't racist today, wait a few years. Someone will eventually be offended.
But anyways, Go Illini!
Being offended has become a cottage industry for people