Illinois Sports: The Chief is Dead. Get Over It.

Nothing stirs controversy in the hearts and minds of Illinois Sports fans like a discussion of the Chief.

As recently reported by Shannon Ryan of the Chicago Tribune, and many others, the U of I is making a play for moving past the Chief.

Interim Chancellor, Barbara Wilson, has sanctioned a student committee’s request to seek a mascot for Illinois. This would be Illinois’ first mascot because the Chief was a “symbol.”

So be it. About time. Fine by me. Because like it or not, and I know legions of you don’t like it, but the Chief… he ain’t coming back.

This isn’t about whether the Chief was a symbol of respect to Native American culture, and specifically the Illini Tribe, or a rude and insensitive caricature of an otherwise complicated and proud people.

None of that matters anymore.

The Chief can, and will, live in many of your hearts. But simply put, you aren’t ever going to see a school-sponsored physical manifestation of that pride again.

So let’s not dwell on the past and engage in hyperbolic discussions about political correctness. Let’s focus on the future.

Illinois Fighting Illini /

Illinois Fighting Illini

The question before us is whether the U of I should have a mascot, like many other schools, or go the way of the Indianas of the world and exist without one. An existence that seems to work just fine for IU and many others.

If Illinois goes the mascot route, this will be about how to integrate a new image into sporting events and how it will help with marketing the school.

It is somewhat complicated by the fact that the name will remain the Fighting Illini. But let us know what you think. Not what you think about the Chief. Rather, what you think about an Illinois mascot.

If you’re for it, what would it be?

I have an idea I’d love to share and see become reality. If Illinois is going to do this, it should be done right. No half measures. They need to go all out. No silliness. But it should be fun.

It needs to be something that is easily identifiable with the state. Something that will build a sense of pride at the university and throughout Illinois. Something big, bold, and theatrical that generations of children will latch onto.

Of course, my vision is how this would play at basketball games, a natural stage for theatrics. And with the new audiovisual system, a basketball game would be the perfect arena to introduce the university’s first mascot.

Ladies and Gentleman, I give you the “Fighting Lincoln.” Don’t laugh. Bear with me.

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This is a muscled up, bad-ass vampire slayer type of Lincoln. He wears a blue and orange suit and wields an ax. Maybe a stovepipe hat, maybe not. His belt buckle is a large block I. Here are some images to help stoke your imagination.

The Fighting Lincoln will be introduced in a darkened State Farm Center. Faded orange and blue lights slowly dancing around the arena as slow building rhythmic drum based music booms out of the audio system and iconic images of Illinois, the campus, students, sports, athletes blink and fade into each other on the video screen.

Finally as the music bursts into heavy rock chords, the Fighting Lincoln mascot (I picture an actual person here) bursts onto the floor and takes center court.

While I was outlining this idea last night, I was listening to Black Mountain’s excellent new album, IV, and this song came on. Start it at about 2:40 and listen through to the 4-minute mark.

Close your eyes and imagine the scene I described above. As soon as the new mascot enters on the last big chord, he can do some flips and twists and maybe twirl the ax like a baton. Fans screaming wildly. Energy through the roof. Then the player introductions which would include high fives and chest bumps with the mascot.

I think it works. Maybe at football games, it is just his presence leading the team onto the field to the music and doing a few gymnastics on the way to the 50-yard line.

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So that is my big idea. This will help put the Chief controversy to bed, over time, and give the fans something new to latch onto with pride.

What’s your idea? Let us know below or on twitter (@WritingIlliniFS).

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