You know, heading into this weekend, the chances looked good for Ohio State.  Sure, nobody really expected that they would win the national championship game, but almost everyone was betting they would get there.  I guess people forgot that winning out in the Big 10 wasn’t a foregone conclusion.  Luckily, my Illinois brethren decided to remind everyone this valuable lesson.  In case you live under a rock, Illinois went into Columbus and handed it to the Buckeyes.  This pretty much guaranteed they will not be playing the BCS championship game, and helped my team reclaim a spot in the top 25 (at #21).

I’d also like to say that I am extremely pumped for Thanksgiving.  It feels like I haven’t seen some of you in ages, and I am eager to catch up on things.  Day after Thanksgiving shopping anyone?  I don’t really know what I want to buy, but I figure at the very least we can stop by the mall and I can grab some clothes.  I need a new pair of shoes, I’m sure you will all have good suggestions.

People can say what they want. They can call me a racist, they can say that I am a bigot, but Chief Illiniwek represented all that was honorable on our campus. For over eighty years the Chief stood as a symbol of honor, loyalty, courage, and respect. Now, the NCAA has decided that they no longer wish for us to honor or remember Native Americans with these qualities. The Chief danced his last halftime performance tonight, and a little piece inside of me died. It honestly feels like I have returned from a funeral.

Tonight was a very special night. For starters, it was a big game against our rivals Michigan. It was also senior night. However, perhaps most importantly, it was the last night to celebrate the Chief.
The halftime performance was stunning. I couldn’t believe that this was the last time I would watch the crowd go wild after those famous leg kicks. I don’t believe that the words to Alma Mater will ever be sang as loud, or with such emotion as on this night. Just when we all thought it was over, the Chief turned back, and addressed all portions of the crowd. It was a perfect way to go out. There were standing ovations as the camera followed him down the hallway to the locker rooms. At this point, over half of the students in the cheering section removed our orange and wore black in remembrance of the Chief for the remainder of the game.

The Chief will be greatly missed. Right now, I can’t even comprehend that he is gone for good. It seems so foreign to me, that when I introduce my children to the University of Illinois, I will have to tell them about when the University had a real mascot - when the Chief was still allowed to dance. The PC crowd may have killed our hero, but he his honor and legacy will live on. I can only pray that the University will do what is necessary to preserve and commemorate this wonderful tradition. Perhaps a statue, or a museum. At the very least, the Chief’s regalia should be put on display somewhere.

I would like to thank Mr. Dan Maloney, and every Chief that came before him. You have created a wonderful legacy of honor and integrity. I appreciated your efforts to Save the Chief, and I know that you did all that you could. You kept the Chief’s dignity even to the moment you walked off the court (even in the hallway where you stood for the remainder of halftime for that matter).

Chief- you will be missed by many. Its sad that the ridiculousness of a few vocal individuals and the cowards at the NCAA were finally able to get the best of you.

Update: ESPN’s coverage of The Chief’s Last Dance

I’m currently listening to: Ted Leo & The Pharmacists - Where Have All the Rude Boys Gone?

Since the temperature has not reached above 10 degrees for the last week, and frequently dips below zero, I figured I would let you all know that Ivan Denisovich and I are now best friends. In fact, just the other day, as Andy and I were waiting out in the sub-zero cold facing twenty to thirty mile an hour winds as we waited for the Illinois vs. Michigan State basketball game we decided that our predicament was worse than our troubled hero’s. You see, Mr. Denisovich had the task of hard manual labor to occupy his time. This helped his situation by providing both a means of generating body heat, as well as a way to pass the time. However, Andy and I were stuck waiting in the cold, with nothing to do but stand in line. By the end of the hour, my feet were honestly frozen. I had never been concerned about frostbite until this moment. I am not exaggerating that it took until the ten minute mark (of game time) for my feet to thaw. Notice, we get into Assembly Hall roughly forty-five minutes before the game starts. This means my feet were frozen for approximately an hour and fifteen minutes after entering the building. I just thought you all should note the type of pain and suffering I am subjected to. Pat, if you want the book rights to record my plight, you are more than welcomed to them.

P.S. we got floor seats and the game was awesome, I have no regrets.

I’m currently listening to: At the Drive-In - In/Casino/Out - Napoleon Solo

The title pretty much sums it all up… I was sick, from Tuesday to present, pretty much destroying all of my fun plans for Spring Break. Instead I sat around and watched movies, the only new one being Elizabethtown (although I did see She’s the Man before getting sick). I must say, I enjoyed that movie a lot. Other than that I watched multiple movies from Harry Potter and Star Wars and one from Lord of the Rings. I also watched a fair amount of the NCAA tournament, which I frankly cannot explain. If anyone had George Mason, LSU, Florida, and UCLA as their final four, they are pretty much my retarded and should be given no credit for their picks (which had to have been made purely on luck). With Villanova losing tonight, I am officially out of the tournament. I guess I’m going to finish unpacking now.

John