Chief Gone!

I've always really hated Illinois Fighting Illini mascot, Chief Illiniwek. Actually, no, I take that back. "Hate" is too strong of a word. I guess I always just thought he was kind of stupid.

I wasn't ever personally offended by him, but I always understood why whites and Native Americans were. Here was some kid doing dances that all but mocked a culture that (the majority of fans) knew nothing about. On top of this, the dances aren't all that great. It's nothing out of the ordinary. I, with no dancing experience, feel like I could probably learn the act if given a day of lessons.

Since 2004, I've attended three or four football games at Champaign's Memorial Stadium, and each time, the fans went gah-gah for the Chief. They freaking loved the guy, and there's no argument about that.

In the midst of these games, the Illini were usually getting crushed by whatever Big Ten foe I happened to see them matched up against, and U of I fans typically never made it to the 4th quarter of the game...but they did, however, always make it to half-time.

Why? To watch Chief Illiniwek.

I'm sorry, but we live in an age of YouTube, the internet, special effects, and all that glitz, and these kids are entertained by some mascot doing dances. Come on, guys, I know you've seen better. In the end, it always seemed like they were just pretending to be captivated more than anything else.

I can easily equate this to another in-conference school. I currently attend the University of Iowa, and at our typically sold-out football games, entertainment comes in the form of Herky (our mascot) and Diana "The Golden Girl" Reed, who works her magic with a baton.

Now, if Herky and Reed were plucked from half-time at Iowa games, the students would be furious -- just like the ones at Illinois. But they need to understand that some people are offended by the entertainment they love.

It's all just about entertainment, and in my opinion, mascots stop being entertaining once you leave elementary school. Any adult or college student who develops a real attachment to a mascot and their act to the point where they're horrified to see them go has more problems than a bland half-time show. Trust me.

Any argument in favor of the Chief usually uses the word "tradition."

Give me a break, slavery was a tradition. And there's a reason the three-point line was added to the NBA and the goal-posts were moved to the back of the end zone in the NFL -- the sports are simply better off with the changes, regardless of the original states.

I'm sorry, but I just find it hard to believe the people who support the Chief care more about him than the people who are offended by him. The people that like him are all about his entertainment value and supplementing of school spirit. The people against him are offended because he mocks their cultural roots and heritage. To me, they have more of a point.

In this debate, it's all about taking something away. The administration either has to take away the majority's "entertainment" or the minority's "offended-ness." And correct me if I'm wrong, but keeping people un-offended is a lot more important than weakly entertaining them with a mascot more intended for children than anyone else.

College Foot-bawl

College football is really bumming me out. I have three teams I absolutely love, and surprisingly, I've only experienced one bowl win in the last three years.

2006? Let's forget.

Washington State: After a promising 4-2 start, the Cougars finished 6-6, highlighted by a big loss in the Apple Cup to hated Washington. The .500 record was not good enough for Wazzu to get a bowl game, which stunned me. So as it stood, the Cougars are still bowl-less since 2003. Wazzu is going to have a mediocre recruiting class, and with the Pac Ten likely having better competition next year, I am even more humdrum about the prospects of success in '07.

Outlook: Failure now, failure later.

Iowa: My alma mater never ceases to disappoint. After an incredible finish to the Capital One Bowl two seasons ago, the Hawkeyes have gotten progressively worse; specifically Drew Tate. This is a true headscratcher because, typically, quarterbacks don't regress from their sophomore to senior years. But in this situation, it happened. After losing the Outback Bowl on a blown call last year, Iowa came up short against Texas this year in the Alamo Bowl (0 for 2).

Outlook: Jake Christensen could be the savior, and hopefully with some coordinator shakeups, Iowa can (at least) have a winning record in 2007. Maybe we'll even win a bowl game, or something.

Michigan: Ugh, ugh, ugh. Four straight bowl losses (maybe more, actually, but I don't want to look it up). 0 for 3 against the hated Buckeyes the last three seasons. On top of that, Lloyd Carr -- who I like -- constantly comes up short in big games. It's as if the team cannot make adjustments or counter attacks. More specifically, QB Chad Henne just can't handle pressure. He falls apart.

Outlook: Even though the Wolverines lost to OSU and USC, they should still be in the pre-season Top 5 for 2007. With Hart, Long, and ...sigh... Henne coming back, they should be in prime position to contend for the national title. The Buckeyes will be looming, though. If they can't get it done, I give up.