Anybody feel like beating a dead horse today?
Logan Ponce is the latest Chief Illiniwek, and likely will be the second in a row who never gets to perform the famed halftime dance at University of Illinois events.
Ponce, a junior from St. Charles majoring in general engineering, was announced as the 37th Chief Illiniwek on a rainy Monday morning in front of the Alma Mater statue on campus. UI sophomore Rob Zaldivar of Palatine was announced as assistant Chief Illiniwek.
The two were selected this past weekend by the Council of Chiefs, a group of former chiefs, following a weekend audition in Gibson City.
Unless I'm mistaken, the University still owns the appellation "Chief Illiniwek." The Council of Chiefs has no more legal right to the name than does, oh, I don't know, maybe the IMC. Of course, the University apparently has no interest in messing with them. Probably not going to be any "cease and desist" letters being mailed out anytime soon.
Maybe we should name our own Chief Illiniwek at the next bloggers' bash. Eventually we could have a couple hundred different Chiefs running around. "I am Spartacus!" "No, I am Spartacus!"
"Maybe we should name our own Chief Illiniwek at the next bloggers' bash. Eventually we could have a couple hundred different Chiefs running around. "I am Spartacus!" "No, I am Spartacus!""
:-)
Actually, it's just kinda sad, if you think about it.
It's sort of the Iraqi National Congress of mascots.
Oh, sorry, of *symbols*. That's *much* different.
Incidentally -- "ponce" is British slang for "pimp."
My dictionary also defines "ponce about" as "to behave in a ridiculous, ineffective, or posturing way (he ponced around in front of the mirror)" -- which pretty much sums up the Chief, doesn't it.
Why Gibson City, of all places, for the audition? There can't be many college students up there? Do they have Indians? Why not Danville -- it would have a larger pool of rednecks to draw from.
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Glock21 Op/Ed
Get. a. life.
Ren & Stimpy, Glock?
:-)
"...it would have a larger pool of rednecks to draw from."
I knew once the U of I got rid of the Chief the world would become less "hostile and abusive" led by the examples of the anti-Chief crowd.
It's the only response I could think of. Best... horse beating... EVAR!
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Glock21 Op/Ed
I think it would be appropriate for Hundreds of People to don "Chief" headgear (snuck in their coat sleeves) and mob the floor at halftime during a home basketball game, then after they had taken charge of the floor, to move out to the periphery of the floor, several persons deep joining arms and then the Real Chief emerges from the crowd and does the genuine Chief dance. The people could be armed with kazoos, playing the da-da-dah dah-dat-da da-dat-dah war dance song (what ever it's called) until the band joins in. How about it? Voting for the Chief does nothing for him.
Why Gibson City? Because Gibson City luuuuuuvs the chief. They even had a special chief Day, complete with mayoral proclamation. I guess he really luuuuuuvs the chief. At least I suppose that's why. I just wish it would go away. Maybe the unofficial chief can somehow be combined with the Unofficial celebration.
"I think it would be appropriate for Hundreds of People to don "Chief" headgear (snuck in their coat sleeves) and mob the floor at halftime during a home basketball game, then after they had taken charge of the floor, to move out to the periphery of the floor, several persons deep joining arms and then the Real Chief emerges from the crowd and does the genuine Chief dance."
And then they could turn the fire hoses on them and arrest them. Hundreds of pro-Chief nutcases taken off the streets in one fell swoop; it would be a glorious day.
Was anyone else worried that they found the remains of Chief Illiniwek? That'd be worse than finding the remains of the Easter Bunny.
Ok, is it me or do the fanatic Chief supporters need to get a life! Its gone, done, over with! Lets move on folks. The Anti-Chief side is just as ridiculous as the Pro-Chief side. Both arguments are based on pure emotion and absolutely no facts.
Here are the arguments:
"The Chief is Racist, it hurts my feelings"
Response: "I like the Chief, I get chills up and down my spine, whenever i see him"
At a game, i saw this one girl look like she was going into multiple orgasms when the Chief came out! Im not kidding! The fact that Chief supporters made the school mascot/symbol into a quasi-religion is creepy! Its much easier to support other Indian names because the supporters are not thinking that their school symbol has some divine powers or something! I think its ironic that the first season without the Chief, the football team went to the Rose Bowl! All sides on this issue needs to get a life, to quote State Rep. Frank Calabrese!
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Robert Dunn
Ex-Leftist, Born-Again Conservative American
Actually, I think we can start a new tradition during half-time. Since we love to beat dead horses so much on IP, why not just drag an actual dead horse on the fifty yard line and everyone can take turns in beating a literal dead horse! Its better than the idea of Gordy being the new school mascot/symbol! Hey, we can honor local bloggers by calling ouselves the "Fighting Illinipundits." The symbol would be that cartoon that Gordy made with the blood. Gordy, is there a chance you could blend that cartoon with the Chief so it looks like the Chief is going crazy at his computer?
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Robert Dunn
Ex-Leftist, Born-Again Conservative American
I absolutely love Robert Dunn posts.
I miss Bambenek.
They aren't really the same person, are they?
No, John Bambanek and Robert Dunn are two different people!
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Robert Dunn
Ex-Leftist, Born-Again Conservative American
Query: If a group of men, namely the council of Chiefs, gets together and names a legitimate successor of the tradition, who could don a legitimate set of regalia, and is educated in the legitimate aspects of the band and history, is the Chief really dead?
Further, does any portrayal of Chief Illiniwek need to be confined to Memorial stadium and Assembly Hall? Chief Illiniwek performed with a mere pep band for Basketball and Volleyball. He portrayed in nearly every Big Ten stadium and venues such as Yankee Stadium, the Rose Bowl, a Presidential Inauguration, an international scouting jamboree (he was the USA representative), and even at high schools around the area (throughout the 1980's). It doesn't seem to me, someone who grew up familiar with Chief Illiniwek that the Chief has to be officially recognized by 9 sycophant Blagojevich yes-men in order to be legitimate, as long as it inspires people.
To those cynical commentators, like Robert Dunn: Chief Illiniwek served as a symbol of hope to those that loved it--would a private Chief really do that much harm? Let people love and follow the things they cherish, otherwise someday perhaps the things that you cherish will come under attack.
Personally, I love the idea of a toe-touching white dude in a fake indian suit. Why should we have just one?
"Query: If a group of men, namely the council of Chiefs, gets together and names a legitimate successor of the tradition, who could don a legitimate set of regalia, and is educated in the legitimate aspects of the band and history, is the Chief really dead?"
Query: If a pro-Chief nutcase refuses to move on or to seek therapy, is he still a nutcase?
My understanding is that it's a real Indian suit, just from a completely different and unrelated tribe. It would be a bit like having a mascot for the Texas Rangers wearing a Red Sox cap and defending it by saying "It's American, ain't it? And so are the Texas Rangers, ain't they? Whiteskins are whiteskins."
Although to get the full effect you'd also have to wipe out Texas Rangers fans through legal and illegal means to the point that there are only about a thousand left living.
True, true, but Chuck Norris might have something to say about that.
Someone once tried to tell Chuck Norris that roundhouse kicks aren't the best way to kick someone. This has been recorded by historians as the worst mistake anyone has ever made. Lesson? Be careful what you tell Chuck Norris
HG