State of denial

Illinois will start a brand new era in its football tradition Saturday, as new head coach Ron Zook starts his term at the helm of the University of Illinois.

Great things are (eventually) expected of Zook and his young charges. Maybe not this first year, but in the near future. Things seem to be looking up for UI football. Even Ol' Guy is optimistic.

So what is UI sports columnist Loren Tate worried about? Whether there will be a halftime Native American minstrel show at Saturday's opener against Rutgers.

Tate's column in Tuesday's News-Gazette is all about speculation about whether the minstrel will dance at halftime. Nothing about halfbacks or quarterbacks or cornerbacks.

At this point, with five days to go, student Kyle Cline is under the impression he will perform as the Chief. Tom Hardy, UI spokesman, said Monday he 'hadn't heard that he would not dance' and believes it is a 'status quo situation.'
So watch for an eruption of cheers cascading down the Memorial Stadium stands while photographers squint and TV cameras zero in.

For just a moment, Tate, come out of your insulated press box and listen. If the minstrel show goes on, listen. Notice how many of those cheers are boos. Notice how many seats are empty at halftime as people leave rather than be embarrassed by the outdated uncomfortable spectacle.

One can only hope that at least one part of Tate's column comes true:

But if Larry Eppley and the board have a strategy of compromise in mind, they might think twice about offending the NCAA board members (who will act on the UI's anticipated appeal) by putting the Chief back on the field.
There were rampant rumors last weekend the UI might be willing to make an offer of retiring the Chief in exchange for the NCAA's clearance to keep Fighting Illini, a nickname the board already has voted to retain.

By the way, Tate and all those others; the issue of whether the state name Illinois has any bearing on the name fighting illini is a red herring, attempting to confuse a pretty cut-and-dried issue. It is a non issue. Illinois will continue to be Illinois. The cheef and the fighting illini are dead men walking. They are 'hostile and abusive.'

Deal with it.

And so it goes.