Big Dogs Weblog

Illinois Scalps Chief for More Tickets

by Big Dog on Feb 16, 2007 at 12:14 Uncategorized

The University of Illinois has gotten rid of its Indian Mascot, Chief Illiniwek, in order to be eligible to host post season events and earn more money from ticket sales. The UOI gave in to the NCAA and its insane rule that forbids an institution from hosting post season events if it has a mascot that is insensitive to certain groups of people. In this case, the Chief was determined to be a negative symbol for the University and shed a bad light on Indians. I do not know how having a warrior chief as a mascot is a negative thing but evidently a bunch of feel good people felt that it was.

I do not believe that the NCAA should involve itself in politics. They should stay in their own lane and leave politics to politicians. It is not up to the NCAA to decide if an Indian or any other symbol is derogatory or not and it is certainly not up to them to sanction an institution because they do not like the mascot. How far will this go? What if people protest about the use of animals as mascots? Will they have to ban the Florida gators? What will happen if people show some sensitivity to the name the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame? Now that has got to be, on the scale of things, more offensive than an Indian chief. The fact is though, mascots are supposed to inspire people and teams want fierce mascots to demonstrate toughness. Before long the teams will be the daisies and the lilies. How inspiring is that?

Since the NCAA felt compelled to throw its weight around i would like to register my formal complaint against the entire city of Peoria in Illinois and I want action or I want all government funding cut off from the state. You see, the word Peoria comes from an Indian word meaning “place of fat beasts.” This has to be an insult to the people who live there and it needs to be ended right away.

Matter of fact they need to rename the whole state because the state is named after an Indian tribe:

The state is named for the Illinois River which was named by French explorers after the indigenous Illiniwek people, a consortium of Algonquian tribes that thrived in the area. The word Illiniwek means “tribe of superior men.”Wikipedia

And would you look at that? The name Illiniwek (the name of the mascot) means tribe of superior men. How in the name of all that is good can this possibly be an insult to anyone. Perhaps the indians and others who protest do not view these Indians as superior. Perhaps it just is no longer good to have spirit and be considered a warrior. It looks as if the pansy attitude of Congress has been passed down through the NCAA to this institution, the latest to receive an orchiectomy. We are becoming a nation of limp-wristed pansies who do not honor or praise strength and the warrior spirit.

What a waste. I hope the UOI never has an opportunity to play in the post season and anything they host involves teams other than theirs, perhaps teams with testicular fortitude.

Source:
STL Today

Tags: Commentary