Chief Illiniwek to be retired.

University e-mail ^ | 2-16-07 | Chancellor Richard Herman

[IL Republican]

To members of the campus community,

A decision has been made regarding the Chief Illiniwek tradition. For more

information, go to: www.uillinois.edu/chief

If you receive any questions or concerns regarding the decision, please

feel free to use the following reply.

"Thank you for your comments about the recently announced decision on Chief

Illiniwek. For more information, please refer to this web page:

www.uillinois.edu/chief

You can email comments by clicking on Contact/Feedback link

[InfoSource@uillinois.edu] in the top section of the web page."

[IL Republican]

The link states that it is over for the chief. Alumni such as myself are very sad today.

[golfisnr1]

Gave in to the PC crowd. I don't even want to admit I am an alum.

[sam_paine]

Bevo can't be far behind from being replaced with a Tofu-poppy-flower-child.

[AmishDude]

So does that mean the chief was sent to the reservation?

[sam_paine]

Oops, forgot a z.

[SoCal Pubbie]

As a USC fan, I hope the Turks never get riled up about negative portrayals of their ancestors.

[Justice4Reds]

At least all the crap about this is over. The NCAA was really giving the University little or no choice.

It's a sad day. I thought it was a wonderful tradition...unlike cartoon caricatures like the Cleveland Indians Chief Wahoo, I always thought it was done with class and dignity.

[July 4th]

Yeah, the animal mascots are probably next. Bulldogs, Longhorns, Buffaloes, etc. They'll probably say it's too cruel. The NCAA is the college sports mafia.

[meg88]

[dfwgator]

I don't even want to admit I am an alum.

Heck, Ron Zook should make you not want to admit that you're an alum.

[speedy]

Is San Diego State still the Aztecs? I don't think there are any Aztecs left in Mexico, but I am sure somebody somewhere must be offended on their behalf.

[dfwgator]

This is probably the only time you'll ever hear me praise FSU, but at least they will never give in to the PC Police regarding Chief Osceola and their pregame rituals.

[IL Republican]

Wasn't it Zook's boys that won the big game? :-)

[theDentist]

So send a note that as the Chief is retired, so are your alumni donations.

[reagan_fanatic]

I'm certainly not an Illini fan, but if I were, I'd be hopping MAD over this blatant cave-in to the gods of Political Correctness.

How sad and disappointing that the University has lost its spine.

[dfwgator]

Never said the guy can't recruit, heck he even landed a pretty good class at Illinois this year. But as an in-game coach, he's about the worst I've ever seen.

But hey, they're "getting better and better."

[Justice4Reds]

Wasn't it Zook's boys that won the big game? :-)

It's been twenty-three years since the Illini were to the Rose Bowl...we can afford to be patient and give Zook a few years to rebuild the program. The most recent recruiting class looks promising!

[Justice4Reds]

So send a note that as the Chief is retired, so are your alumni donations.

My University, right or wrong!

[IL Republican]

I'll admit that his game day decisions didn't impress me last year. I just hope that he starts to listen to his coordinators a little more!

[IL Republican]

Only 6 years since a BCS game. Too bad we got ran over in NO.