Chief Illiniwek.....HE GONE!!!

[IlliniKrush]

And anything that dances at halftime of sports games outside the cheerleaders is a mascot.

Not really. Far, far from a mascot in today's college world. A mascot is like Purdue Pete or Sparty who runs around the sideline high fiving fans, leading cheers, going nuts on camera, and doing stunts with students and cheerldears alike.

 

You can hate the Chief all you want, but to use that definition is terrible.

[RockRaines]

Not really. Far, far from a mascot in today's college world. A mascot is like Purdue Pete or Sparty who runs around the sideline high fiving fans, leading cheers, going nuts on camera, and doing stunts with students and cheerldears alike.

 

You can hate the Chief all you want, but to use that definition is terrible.

Thats exactly the definition that the only descendants of the Illini tribe use to describe the horrible activities of "Chief Illiniwek." They never wanted it as a mascot, and you university ignored their requests for too long

[SleepyWhiteSox]

Not really. Far, far from a mascot in today's college world. A mascot is like Purdue Pete or Sparty who runs around the sideline high fiving fans, leading cheers, going nuts on camera, and doing stunts with students and cheerldears alike.

 

You can hate the Chief all you want, but to use that definition is terrible.

 

It was a mascot...

[whitesoxfan101]

Just for the record, I've never read Macbeth. So yes, I was owned on a count of being dumb there

[LowerCaseRepublican]

Not really. Far, far from a mascot in today's college world. A mascot is like Purdue Pete or Sparty who runs around the sideline high fiving fans, leading cheers, going nuts on camera, and doing stunts with students and cheerldears alike.

 

You can hate the Chief all you want, but to use that definition is terrible.

Uh...it isn't my definition. It is the definition of mascot.

 

1. Mascot was used in the AP story "Illini Mascot will no longer perform" http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070216/ap_on_...chief_illiniwek

 

2. mas·cot /ˈmæskɒt, -kət/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[mas-kot, -kuht] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation

–noun

an animal, person, or thing adopted by a group as its representative symbol and supposed to bring good luck

 

--

So, yes, the Chief is a mascot. And the Chief dancing was about as authentic as if I put on a blackface, read "I Have a Dream" and pretended to be Martin Luther King Jr.

[illinilaw08]

Couple of things here

 

It isn't absurd or ridiculous for people to be upset about the end of the Chief, the Chief was more than just a mascot. Krush is correct that there is a huge difference between the Chief and mascots like Sparty. And I must admit that I got chills everytime the Chief performed.

 

That being said, it was time for the Chief to go. The university was getting a bad reputation from it, and as such it needed to be retired.

 

George Will had an interesting column on the Chief the other week (though it should be noted that the surveys he cites have other surveys saying the opposite)

 

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/conte...6010401590.html

 

And as far as the Seminole tribe, the major difference IS that the Seminole Tribe is paid for it and is a part of the process. Recent surveys from the American Indian Opinion Leaders indicates that they consider ALL Indian mascots to be racist portrayals. I took a class on the subject, and specifically brought up the Seminole tribe and the Professor said that while the Seminole Tribe supports it, the Native American community as a whole does not. I just felt that distinction needed to be made.

[Pauly8509CWS]

I'm a freshman at U of I, and I must say, I was totally unaware of the disdain for our students and extracurriculars on this board.

[santo=dorf]

How many people are wearing black at the game?

[Flash Tizzle]

How many people are wearing black at the game?

From what I witnessed on ESPN earlier, about 5% of the students participated in the "black out." It must have been rather embarrassing for those on Facebook (and wherever else) who made a simple request -- wear black under your Illini shirt, and after the Chief finishes his routine take it off.

 

Now, whatever excuse anyone has for the lack of participatin, if it doesn't happen Wed. with atleast 80% of the students attending it's obvious they don't care.

Edited February 18, 2007 by Flash Tizzle

[longshot7]

People have said everything I would have posted about how awful the Chief is and how the nickname "Blackhawks" isn't.

 

But, this bears mentioning: The word "alumni" is a plural word. You are not an alumni. You are an alum.

[Texsox]

I will be surprised if donations go down. Circle the wagons against this attack! Donations may increase.

[CanOfCorn]

People have said everything I would have posted about how awful the Chief is and how the nickname "Blackhawks" isn't.

 

But, this bears mentioning: The word "alumni" is a plural word. You are not an alumni. You are an alum.

 

Male = alumnus

Female = alumna

[Pauly8509CWS]

Can someone please explain to me how Chief Illiniwek is offensive to an extinct tribe of Native Americans?

 

If he went out hammered and dealt blackjack at center court, wouldn't that be more stereotypical and offensive?

 

Illinois is not the Redskins, Indians, Savages, Braves. They are the Illini, the same as the Seminoles, and the like.

 

Hell, just to prove a point, the Irish Illini in favor of the Chief should start b****ing about Fighting Irish. Maybe get that changed, I'm not of Irish decent, but if White Americans can b**** and pull weight in how offensive the Chief is to Native Americans, shouldn't I, a non-Irish American be able to say how offensive that damn Leprechaun is? Or the fact that the Irish are portrayed as green wearing, fighting drunks?

 

Political Correctness to the extreme like this is ruining America.

[thedoctor]

Can someone please explain to me how Chief Illiniwek is offensive to an extinct tribe of Native Americans?

 

If he went out hammered and dealt blackjack at center court, wouldn't that be more stereotypical and offensive?

 

Illinois is not the Redskins, Indians, Savages, Braves. They are the Illini, the same as the Seminoles, and the like.

 

Hell, just to prove a point, the Irish Illini in favor of the Chief should start b****ing about Fighting Irish. Maybe get that changed, I'm not of Irish decent, but if White Americans can b**** and pull weight in how offensive the Chief is to Native Americans, shouldn't I, a non-Irish American be able to say how offensive that damn Leprechaun is? Or the fact that the Irish are portrayed as green wearing, fighting drunks?

 

Political Correctness to the extreme like this is ruining America.

 

i think much of the quarrel is that some (not all) native americans find this kind of portrayel of a native american chief in general to be offensive.

 

we don't have much of a frame of reference for the role indian chiefs played in their societies, because it wasn't like this person was a president, mayor, or any other typical person in power we are familiar with. a chief was as much a religious and spiritual leader as anything else. in this vein, many people are offended by seeing someone who held religious prominence acting as a mascot. i'd imagine catholics would be offended if a guy in a pope hat pranced around at halftime.

 

as for the notre dame comparison, i don't think it is particularly valid. although notre dame is the "fighting irish" it's mascot is a fictional creature--a leprechaun. thus, no one really has a problem with it.

 

i am guessing people would take issue if the fighting irish mascot was a red-nosed, red-eyed drunk who stumbled out at halftime, sang a few pogues songs, dug a potato out of the ground, then challenged charlie weis to a fight.

[whitesoxfan101]

I agree with Warren Carter on this, in that I find the relief of Jim Sheppard of his duties to be FAR more offensive than the removal of the Chief.

[santo=dorf]

QUOTE(thedoctor @ Feb 20, 2007 -> 02:50 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

as for the notre dame comparison, i don't think it is particularly valid. although notre dame is the "fighting irish" it's mascot is a fictional creature--a leprechaun. thus, no one really has a problem with it.

 

i am guessing people would take issue if the fighting irish mascot was a red-nosed, red-eyed drunk who stumbled out at halftime, sang a few pogues songs, dug a potato out of the ground, then challenged charlie weis to a fight.

So they should change their name to the fighting leprechauns so people don't think they are stereotyping irish people.

 

Cheif Illiniwek is supposedly doing an actual tribal dance. He's not shooting arrows at cowboys, dealing blackjack or smoking a peacepipe.

 

Since Illiniwek is based on a really tribe, what if the Cheif change his name? He would then be a fictional character like the leprechaun. You could probably sneak in a math/physics lesson in their by renaming him Cheif Soh Cah Toa. (Anybody else learn that?)

Edited February 20, 2007 by santo=dorf

[RockRaines]

Cheif Illiniwek is supposedly doing an actual tribal dance. He's not shooting arrows at cowboys, dealing blackjack or smoking a peacepipe.

Of course instead he is wearing not only a very inaccurate tribal outfit that actually represents a rival tribe than the Illini, he also is doing a dance made up by boy scouts. To the actual descendants of the Illini its like a priest giving a fellatio communion on the field.

[CanOfCorn]

I hope there's a new wrinkle in the Three-In-One where there is a moment of silence followed by a loud "Chiiiiieeeeeeeffffff!" before and after the Alma Mater is sung. They may have taken the symbol, but he should never be forgotten.

[Flash Tizzle]

Since Illiniwek is based on a really tribe, what if the Cheif change his name? He would then be a fictional character like the leprechaun. You could probably sneak in a math/physics lesson in their by renaming him Cheif Soh Cah Toa. (Anybody else learn that?)

That's an interesting thought.

 

Just have a group of students create their own extracirricular group which happens (coincidentally) to wear headgear, face-paint, and dance ceremoniously in centercourt.

[RockRaines]

They may have taken the symbol, but he should never be forgotten.

Give it 5 years, the incoming students wont give a crap.

[Kalapse]

So they should change their name to the fighting leprechauns so people don't think they are stereotyping irish people.

 

Cheif Illiniwek is supposedly doing an actual tribal dance. He's not shooting arrows at cowboys, dealing blackjack or smoking a peacepipe.

 

Since Illiniwek is based on a really tribe, what if the Cheif change his name? He would then be a fictional character like the leprechaun. You could probably sneak in a math/physics lesson in their by renaming him Cheif Soh Cah Toa. (Anybody else learn that?)

ugh Sin, Cosine, Tangent. It's like High School all over again!

[Rowand44]

Can someone please explain to me how Chief Illiniwek is offensive to an extinct tribe of Native Americans?

 

If he went out hammered and dealt blackjack at center court, wouldn't that be more stereotypical and offensive?

 

Illinois is not the Redskins, Indians, Savages, Braves. They are the Illini, the same as the Seminoles, and the like.

 

Hell, just to prove a point, the Irish Illini in favor of the Chief should start b****ing about Fighting Irish. Maybe get that changed, I'm not of Irish decent, but if White Americans can b**** and pull weight in how offensive the Chief is to Native Americans, shouldn't I, a non-Irish American be able to say how offensive that damn Leprechaun is? Or the fact that the Irish are portrayed as green wearing, fighting drunks?

 

Political Correctness to the extreme like this is ruining America.

I completely agree with this.

[knightni]

But, this bears mentioning: The word "alumni" is a plural word. You are not an alumni. You are an alum.

 

 

Technically, you are an alumnus.

[BigSqwert]

Can someone please explain to me how Chief Illiniwek is offensive to an extinct tribe of Native Americans?

Would you be offended by an all black college using a mascot where a black person painted their face white and danced very stiff and rigid during half time?

[RockRaines]

I completely agree with this.

Of course you do. Luckily there are people who actually are of the race in question and are actually offended by a white kid performing an incredibly inaccurate, inappropriate, and racist halftime show.

 

HE GONE