The World According to Al: The Death of Tradition, Loyalty, and Pride

The great Chief Illiniwek debate and controversy dating back to the mid-1970s will come to a close on Wednesday, Feb. 21st, at the Assembly Hall in Champaign. The Board of Trustees finally succumbed to the pressure of the NCAA, public, and Chief-haters at a hearing last Friday. The Chief and the 81-year old tradition will all come to a grinding halt. There will be no more halftime performances at basketball or football games. All imagery associated with the Chief will no longer be used by the University including all Illini athletics and the Marching Illini. However, the University will still retain the Fighting Illini and Illini names because basically the NCAA doesn't have a leg to stand on in regards to that debate. The upside? The University will be removed the the list of universities in violation to the NCAA's policy regarding Native American imagery, and all sanctions against the DIA (Division of Intercollegiate Athletics) will be lifted. In English, the University will be allowed once again to host post-season events.

Is this worth giving up the fight for? Not in my opinion, but I am just a loyal, avid follower of the beloved Fighting Illini. I will say that halftime at the football games will seem very empty & sad next fall. The well-renowned 'Three-In-One" performance will take on a whole new appearance and meaning after the Chief is gone. The University has not yet stated who or what will be the replacement for the Chief. They have also made no comment as to what direction they plan to go as far as assigning a new mascot. Wednesday evening will be a sad day for all who bleed orange & blue. Unfortunately, the end of the Chief has been on the minds of Illini fans for several months now as hope continued to dwindle and the official resignation seemed imminent. I highly recommend buying all the Chief gear you can find. Once it's gone, it's gone. Soon Chief memorabilia will be selling for 2-3x the original price via online auction sights. The NCAA may have forced the university to retire the Chief, but it will never stop the orange & blue fans from showing their support and respect for their beloved mascot. So wear your Chief gear with great pride, and keep his spirit alive and well for many years to come.

Check out the latest headlines from local/national news sources below.
The News-Gazette 2/16/07 - Chief Illiniwek's last dance set for Feb. 21st
The News-Gazette 2/19/07 - Mood at game mix of anger, sadness
St. Louis Post Dispatch 2/16/07 - Illiniwek is on the way out at U of I
St. Louis Post Dispatch 2/19/07 - Illiniwek still a fan favorite
ESPN 2/16/07 - Chief Illiniwek to make final appearance Wednesday
Sports Illustrated 2/16/07 - Illinois dropping Chief Illiniwek

Read more about the history and tradition of Chief Illiniwek here.
Chief Illiniwek Educational Foundation

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