Chief Illiniwek Supporter

(emphasis mine) Hmmm, does the professor start with the assumption that every seasonal store does stock costumes that perpetuate racisim? Isn't it possible that they found no costume that meets the requirements she sets up?

No, I don't remember that language. I wonder if the nickname protesters have always had perfectly reasonable things to say about those who see no problem with the nickname? It is a heated argument. Heated language is sometimes used. I doubt one side has a monopoly on such language. I also see a parallel between the letter-writer's statements and the usual hyperbole about "oh, at the hockey game the Minnesota fans were saying 'kill the Sioux' so that means they really want to go to a reservation and murder people based on their race". I highly doubt either is to be taken literally. It is unfortunate that she points out this board. Maybe it did happen, but if it did it isn't the only place that such language is used. Yes, but I think its just as important to point out that the ratio of racist posts here (or anywhere) to racist posters is not always 1-1. Others have pointed out that the motivation of an individual poster who writes some racist statement is not always discernable. Perhaps there have been some people here who establish an identity to post some statements, and then go to the traditional media to point out the "racist" and "vile" people at SiouxSports.com. This reminds me of the way that Ken Griffey Jr. justified his trade from Seattle to Cincy. He said he got racist threats from Seattle fans, so he had to get out of that town. As if it wasn't possible that somebody from Ohio could travel to Seattle and write him a letter with a Seattle postmark....

At least on this point he carefully uses the word "attended" and not "graduated". He does realize that it would be very easy to go to either the Alumni Association or some office of public records and prove that he didn't graduate if he falsely claims that he did.

This guy is quite a piece of work. First, I wonder if there's any reason he said "attended" instead of "graduated from".

It's starting to sound like a beer commercial here... and on a Sunday too....

Hey, now wait just a minute here: Where's the love?

I do think the newspaper did a good job disclosing the fact that the forum (and therefore the article) was from a single point of view, and that the people got carfare to speak. Nobody can say they tried to present this as some sort of debate or even the viewpoint of an overwhelming number of Sioux. I also think that anybody who disagrees with the people quoted in the paper will have absolutely no problem finding a media outlet who will put their viewpoint in print, on the air, on the Internet, etc. But if those who disagree with these people do get into print, I wish they would speak to the point that the woman raised about heating her house. How will making North Dakota change nicknames actually help her out? Will it build a school, a hospital, etc. on the reservations? And I hope they will tell us why the Seminoles, Chips, etc. haven't had a problem with a school using a nickname, but the Sioux should. And why Chief Osceola is perfectly fine. If the anti-nickname Indians disagree with holding a popular referendum among all tribal members on the issue, let them also give a rationalization of that viewpoint. An interesting quote from someone there:

Exactly. How many times have we seen someone "outraged" by this insult to just one particular group (of which he/she is not a part of) and yet totally indifferent to any other group??? The Florida Seminole tribe has some pretty stringent membership rules. Not just anyone can call himself a Seminole. I have to wonder how many other tribes have this type of rule. Personally, I believe it would goe hand-in-hand with the amount of money one can get by being a member.

Here's a taste of what you can expect in the near future: http://www.news-gazette.com/news/opinions/...speech_at_issue The Campus Senate had no problem with Homecoming a few years back when a COLLEGE (!) decided to sponsor a group that marched with Chief Illiniwek in a coffin. That was considered free speech. And probably it would be considered "the good kind" of free speech by the pinheads pushing this resolution.

So you're saying I need to rein myself in? Hay, what can I say? I know I get over-excited about the subject. Maybe my sense of humor is becoming un-stable.

...of course, of course. (Sorry, couldn't resist; especially since I got in late on the Go-Go's reference.)

I read an interesting article not that long ago which opined that Al Sharpton greatly fears a Barack Obama presidency. Not only would he lose status as the Black leader, but additionally, people would say "how can we be a victim; now we have a black president". Of course, we're getting far afield of the point of this thread (and for that matter, the point of this board).

It has been pointed out over and over again that certain "community leaders" greatly fear any actual, tangible progress towards taking their group to a greater role in the (nation, state, city-take your pick). They need to have the undefined "racism" as a constant boogy-man to maintain their leadership. They have no desire to have any of their constituency see any other way out, any level of progress other than to continually claim "victimhood".

Just a quick note to nobody in particular, but generally responding to all here: Don't be suprised if this is the last time you hear an individual sports coach speak out on the issue. At Illinois, several coaches did speak out early on, but pretty soon each was saying something like "you'll have to ask the Athletic Director" or words to that effect. Obviously, they had been silenced by their superior(s) in the chain of command. I personally witnessed our former football coach saying something like "I love the Chief. Isn't he great?" and that statement was followed by the loudest ovation of the day. That may have been the last time he issued such a "controversial" proclamation.

Unless you really, really, really believe that you're a man born in a woman's body: trapped, waiting to save up enough to have the operation, but in the meantime dressing and acting as a man.... Please, lets not discriminate against that group!!!

Just a quick note: the reason they're the Boilermakers is that their opponents accused them of cheating. Way back in the 1800's/early 1900's when college was still reserved for "gentlemen", an early football opponent of Purdue accused them of using ringers from the nearby railroad construction gangs instead of solely relying on students. The newspapers of the era picked up on "Boilermakers", and that's what they've remained to this day. Boilermakers, that is.

First: There was a guy who posted this summer that you needed to get rid of the Sioux nickname and find something nice and neutral, something everyone could get behind. He informed us that both he AND his classmates had come to that conclusion (presumably for the benefit of those of us who just couldn't "see the light" the way they could). Has that poster seen this thread??? Next: I think Pork Chop Womack plays for the Seattle Seahawks. Thankfully, he was thru with college football before everyone in the NCAA realized just how offensive "Pork Chop" really is. (And ironically, IIRC Mr. Womack played at Florida State.) Finally, do the various grocery stores need to apologize for advertising a sale on this "hostile and abusive" product?

Speaking only as an interested outsider, if I was a North Dakota fan I wouldn't care how many fans of OTHER schools could spell. That would only prove that they didn't get the top quality education that a North Dakota graduate recieves. And having said all that, if North Dakota fans didn't spell "Sault" correctly on t-shirts, sweatshirts, hats, banners etc. I wouldn't care either.

Hmmmmm..... http://forum.siouxsports.com/index.php?sho...=9506&st=48

Don't blame me: its not like I named the neighborhood.... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neighborhoods...University_Hill And Wisconsin people call us Flatlanders. (BTW, apparently the high school associated with Marquette University still uses "Hilltoppers" as their nickname.)

Golden Avalanche is one of their older nicknames, from the 1920's/30's era. As is Hilltoppers. Apparently, as the school is built on a hill, "Hilltoppers" was a natural. And then someone wrote something like "the team came down the hill like a golden avalanche" and another nickname was born. Ya gotta remember, a lot of these nicknames came from an era of when 2-3-4 competing newspapers all wanted to hire the most colorful writers.....

Well, if you do entirely give up the rights to this name, I could see the fans of your rival schools registering it in a flash, posting "whatever" at their whim and letting the NCAA chips fall where they may. FWLIW, the University of Illnois Board of Trustees is keeping all sorts of trademarks, etc. just to keep our logo out of the hands of those who would put it on t-shirts, hats, sweatshirts, etc. and make more money than Bill Gates use it to disparge downtrodden people. Hope you would at least consider keeping the registration and having it redirect to whatever you decide the new name will be.

I wish I could claim this as an original idea, but I can't. However, I would love to invite the FSU band to Champaign and tell them to bring Osceola and Renegade (can't do the flaming spear, we've got artificial turf).

I don't know anything about this online campaign. The choice of "Gold" was a fiat handed down by the Marquette Board of Trustees. It had virtually NO support from the public, or anyone outside that board room for that matter. Hmm, one of the "big reasons" was Dwyane Wade's reaction? (BTW, he's from suburban Chicago.) That's not the way I remember it at all. This decision was a fiasco from the start, and the Board's ridiculous defense of the "brand" only made it worse. The Board Chairman came out with words like "Its going to be 'Gold' and that's final", other board members predicted that it would be adopted by the public; and it was like pouring gasoline on a fire. The day after the Gold decsion was announced Milwaukee newspapers were getting something like a 95% negative reaction in their online polls. The nickname "Gold" lasted something less than six days. The Marquette Board literally couldn't backpedal fast enough. Finally, during the time I have posted in this forum I have learned that everyone has their own definition of what is and isn't a "timeline". So I'll only say this once and people can view it as they please. Here's an article dated May 16, 2005 which quotes Wade as uttering his "always be a Golden Eagle" line the Thursday before, which by my calendar would be May 12. The Board abandoned the nickname "Gold" sometime during the afternoon of May 11th. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2005/writ...0523/index.html