A shameful ending to a great college tradition
Sunday February 18, 2007
If a "consensus" was reached about the future of the Chief Illiniwek tradition at the University of Illinois, it was done in private and did not involve the students and alumni of the UI, nor did it include the citizens of Illinois. All have indicated strong support for continuing the 81-year tradition that began with a reverent halftime ceremony in 1926 featuring "the Chief" and "William Penn" at an Illinois-Pennsylvania football game at Memorial Stadium.
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Comments
I'm sure the fact that the men's basketball team will be playing in the NIT (most likely) is a factor as well....it's sad that it takes something like that in order for the tradition to come to an end. He had a good run, but it's time to move on.
I also find it disgusting that you think that the next step is attacking the Three-in-One and the term Illini. Perhaps you should consider actually *talking* to the anti-Chief groups instead of making broad-based generalizations about a group whose objectives you clearly know nothing about. Doing that, however, would not be consistent with the News-Gazette's long standing tradition of not having any objectivity.
Posted by justinm on February 18, 2007 at 12:37 PM Suggest Removal
It's hard to tell which was more shameful -- the 1920s minstrel show that somehow made its way into the year 2007, or the inability of so many people, John Foreman included, to see how shameful the minstrel show was.
Now, characteristically, there's a search for the scapegoat. Emil Jones? Professor Kaufman? The NCAA? How about this one instead -- the "Chief" was a blatantly racist display whose time had passed, so the true scapegoat was Father Time for not letting U of I drift along forever tied to a Hollywood parody "Injun."
The University has made a great step forward. Congratulations.
Posted by zemblan on February 18, 2007 at 4:52 PM Suggest Removal
justinm, sadly, you are misinformed. spokespeople, specifically Jan somebody, for the anti-Chief forces have already stated that they are planning on trying next to eliminate the term 'fighting illini.' There is not rest for the perpetually offended. The News-gazoo is exactly right in that the students, alumni and citizens of Illinois and the vast majority of opinion was not given the consideration it should have been given. I have no Indian blood that I'm aware of but, as a native of Illinois and having lived here all my life, the Chief IS my heritage too.
Posted by chieffan on February 18, 2007 at 11:20 PM Suggest Removal
