Who's afraid of Chief Illiniwek?
So apparently it's not just Dee Brown and Co. that has schools reluctant to schedule Illinois. According to this article the University of Oregon has some serious concerns about playing the Fighting Illini while they're still called, well, the Fighting Illini. The Illini for the uneducated, is a Native American tribe.
Even more interesting to me was that Wisconsin refuses to schedule schools with a Native American mascot, unless that school is a traditional rival or a conference member. That little clause, by the way, exempts Illinois.
Which brings up an interesting hypothetical. What would happen if the Badgers were scheduled to play in a bowl game, maybe even a BCS bowl game, against Florida State? I'm guessing they'd add another clause that says "or if there's a lot of money on the line." Because let's be honest, if they really wanted to make a statement about how really, really offended they are by Native American mascots, they'd just forfeit every game they have to play against Illinois.
What do you think? Is this whole mascot thing political correctness run amok? Or is it time schools stopped paying lip service to tolerance and started making real statements about the use of Native American mascots?
Comments (1)
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In general, I think the whole mascot thing is over-the-top political correctness. I guess I don't even really see where the issue is when a sports team uses the actual name of a tribe (like the Illini) or a proper term for a group of Native Americans (like the William and Mary Tribe). Offense taken at a name like Redskins is more understandable.
Presumably, some of the issue with using Native American-related names for sports team is the connection of Native Americans with violence. Teams want names that strike fear in the hearts of opponents, and I guess when the Badgers see the Illini on the schedule, they imagine a group of scantily clad men in feathers and headdresses charging at them.
But what about the team name Vikings? Shouldn't I, a Norwegian, be insulted that my ancestors are being associated with violence and destruction? It seems that way, but I'm not insulted in the least. In fact, the very opposite is true. I'm proud.
Posted on December 9, 2004 12:15 PM