First off, i would just like to say, where did the University of Illinois come from in the Big Ten race? Suddenly the Illini have won 6 of 7 and are in third place, behind Wisconsin and OSU, in the Big Ten. What happened? This team has been playing poorly all year, but they somehow manage to be in third place with only a game to play. Not only have they been playing poorly, they just lost one of the best shooters in the league to jail. Jamar Smith is from my hometown, I watched him play in high school. I always liked him, even when his team crushed ours time and again. When he went off to college, I figured he would do well at the U of I, with everything going for him. The Illini were coming off an appearance in the National Title game, Bruce Weber could do no wrong and the Illini were certainly Flyin' high. Then everything fell apart. Weber can't recruit suddenly, Dee Brown is gone, and the team has no identity. Suddenly, they loose the man who is supposed to be one of their best players for the season, and they start playing better? Obviously other factors effected this change, but how does that happen. Jamar had not been playing much before his DUI, and the team had not turned it around. How many other teams have been able to overcome one of their best players being on the bench to play better and, hopefully, finish higher up in the standings. Off the top of my head, I can't think of one. Perhaps the Los Angeles Dodgers after Kirk Gibson went down, but that was a different set of circumstances. I just hope the Illini can pull out a miracle and make a run during the Tournament.
Now, continuing with the Illini, Chief Illiniwek performed for the last time on Wednesday night when U of I played Michigan. I'm sure that many of you have no idea who Chief Illiniwek is. Literally, he is a student at the University who performs a traditional Indian war dance at halftime of every U of I football, basketball and women's volleyball game. Now, this student is, normally, of Native American descent and spends several weeks in the summer with the Sioux Indian tribe learning of their culture and the actualy dance before he is deemed "acceptable" and is allowed to don the traditional Indian war crest and ful regalia. The "costume" for the chief was donated to the University by the Sioux tribe many years ago. The chief has been around since 1926, but has been deemed "hostile and abusive" by the NCAA. Therefore, after more than 80 years, the Chief hung up his headdress for the last time on Wednesday night. I got chills watching him perform, and I know other people did.
My entire issue with the NCAA is that the Chief is not, in fact, a mascot. The Chief is a symbol of the fighting spirt of the Illini tribe, as evidenced by the University nickname. Florida State gets away with Chief Osceola because the Seminole tribe granted their permission for the Seminoles to continue using their name. The problem for Chief Illiniwek was that the Illini tribe was completely wiped out by the government in the 19th century. So, no living Illini can okay the use of Chief Illiniwek as a symbol. However, the chief is never seen outside of his performance at halftime. He does not attempt to pump up the crowd during the game like a mascot does. There is a huge difference between the chief and Willie the Wildcat.
Part of my issue is with the Univesity of Illinois. They had so many oppurtunities to rectify this situation. They could have done something as simple as establishing a scholarship, to be awarded whenever needed, to a member of the Sioux tribe so the Chief would be authentic and would be looked upon as an embodiment of the spirit of Native Americans throughout the land. For a university that makes millions, how much would that honestly have cost them to award a four year scholarship to a Native American? The answer: less than the legal battle with the NCAA has cost them thus far.
The Chief was a symbol for the Univesity of Illinois. To me, he was the symbol for the University. I lived in Champaign, and everyone I talked to loved watching the Chief perform. That was almost ten years ago, so how reliable are the memories of an eight year old. I just remember sitting around the lunch table and talking about how incredibly cool the chief was, over some twinkies and chocolate milk. I am pro-chief, but i can see how the other side feels. Perhaps the chief is "hostile and abusive" but I do not feel so. I will miss the Chief. May he rest in peace.
Hail to the Chief,
Brett
Sunday, February 25, 2007
Monday, February 19, 2007
Drill Team
Our frequent debates about the validity of certain activities as sports has gotten me thinking. I am a member of the drill team and the color guard here at Northwestern. Should we be considered a sport? With all of the criteria that we need fulfilled, I'm sure that Daniel would say that we are a sport. But, as the only student who really knows what drill team is, I don't consider drill a sport at all.
Drill team is all about precision movements. Everything is graded by Drill Instructors, generally E-7 or higher in a branch. It places stress on the muscles of the arm, back, shoulders and other body parts. Also, the drill team members are placed under extreme mental stress, since at any moment a Drill Instructor could come screaming down their throat for the slightest excessive or incorrect movement. Even during practice where the upperclassmen are in charge, all the drillers are placed under stress because they do not want to be yelled at. Keeping your elbows tight to your body, chin to the chest, and neck stiff takes more effort than one might think. Holding a ten pound rifle also contributes to the exhaustion of the right arm. Keeping the rifle under control while moving from order arms to port arms, or from right to left shoulder (Google it if you don't know) takes muscle, as do most of the other movements. Marching around for 5 minutes is the extent of the movement, but there are drill competitions that can be nation wide. With the movement and the muscle usage, I'm sure some people would consider drill a sport. But, I would bet money that no one who has ever been on a drill team would consider it a sport.
Drill team differs from sport because of it's goal. Drill is not meant as competition, or even for someone to achieve the personal best. Drill is meant to build up team unity. The military uses it for unit cohesiveness during Boot camp or OCS (once again Google will work). The commanders test their leadership, and the members test their discipline. The movements by themselves really have no point, except that they look and sound awesome when done correctly, in unison. But, drill does not share a common purpose with Sport. Sport is meant for enjoyment and excellence of oneself. Drill is not at all like that. Drill is forced down recruits throats from the minute the set foot in Boot Camp, or OCS. While Dr McMahon may disagree, Sport is never shoved upon someone.
Drill team is not a sport, and I'm sure the our Drill Team Commander, Master Sergeant and myself are all more than happy to debate it with you whenever you please.
Drill team is all about precision movements. Everything is graded by Drill Instructors, generally E-7 or higher in a branch. It places stress on the muscles of the arm, back, shoulders and other body parts. Also, the drill team members are placed under extreme mental stress, since at any moment a Drill Instructor could come screaming down their throat for the slightest excessive or incorrect movement. Even during practice where the upperclassmen are in charge, all the drillers are placed under stress because they do not want to be yelled at. Keeping your elbows tight to your body, chin to the chest, and neck stiff takes more effort than one might think. Holding a ten pound rifle also contributes to the exhaustion of the right arm. Keeping the rifle under control while moving from order arms to port arms, or from right to left shoulder (Google it if you don't know) takes muscle, as do most of the other movements. Marching around for 5 minutes is the extent of the movement, but there are drill competitions that can be nation wide. With the movement and the muscle usage, I'm sure some people would consider drill a sport. But, I would bet money that no one who has ever been on a drill team would consider it a sport.
Drill team differs from sport because of it's goal. Drill is not meant as competition, or even for someone to achieve the personal best. Drill is meant to build up team unity. The military uses it for unit cohesiveness during Boot camp or OCS (once again Google will work). The commanders test their leadership, and the members test their discipline. The movements by themselves really have no point, except that they look and sound awesome when done correctly, in unison. But, drill does not share a common purpose with Sport. Sport is meant for enjoyment and excellence of oneself. Drill is not at all like that. Drill is forced down recruits throats from the minute the set foot in Boot Camp, or OCS. While Dr McMahon may disagree, Sport is never shoved upon someone.
Drill team is not a sport, and I'm sure the our Drill Team Commander, Master Sergeant and myself are all more than happy to debate it with you whenever you please.
Sunday, February 11, 2007
Down Time
This is the worst time of year for Sport. What exactly is happening right now? Football is over, Baseball hasn't started, Soccer is in a lull. The only thin that is still going strong is Basketball. I don't know about the rest of you, but I can only watch so much basketball. Pro basketball only matter at the end of the year, and College basketball, it seems, is always the same group of teams playing. I am a fan of the Missouri Valley Conference, the mid-majors, and I would much rather watch Creighton play Missouri State in a competitive game than watch North Carolina beat up on Miami. The MVC actually has quality teams, and they are quite competitive. Why watch the number 1 team in the conference beat up on the last place team than see the 3rd and 4th place teams battle it out in a meaningful game. My real problem is with the TV coverage awarded to mid-majors. Even Gonzaga, a top ten team from last year, did not get much TV coverage.
What is the true difference between the MVC and the Big Ten? Both teams got 4 teams into the tournament yesterday, and both had the same number of teams in the sweet sixteen. In head to head meetings this year, the MVC only lost 4 or 5 games, I'm not sure of the exact number, against the major conferences. That includes victories against Wisconsin, Iowa, LSU, Nebraska, Kansas, and others. The only true, statistical evidence that has been found is that the major conference teams are taller. Seven footers are heavily recruited by major conference teams, and almost never go into the mid majors. Exceptions exist, like Patrick O'Bryant from Bradley last year. With recent evidence from the tournament, with George Mason making the final four with Memphis in the elite eight, and Wichita State and Bradley tagging along to the sweet sixteen. A full quarter of the field came from outside of the six major conferences. Why not give them some more face time?
On the down side, sort of, the women's basketball team won a game, so we aren't in competition to own the longest winning streak in NCAA history. And the men's team won too. We had a good weekend for NU athletics. The men have an outside shot at the NIT, with a good showing at the Big Ten tournament and a marquee road victory. Maybe if we can win in Campaign, take down Indiana, and make the semifinals of the Big Ten we might be able to sneak into the tournament. I don't think that that is very likely to happen, but you never know.
Basketball just gets boring after a while. I can only watch the Bulls beat up on bad teams for so long before I get bored. But, pitchers and catchers report on Wednesday, and March Madness is not that far off.
Pining for baseball,
Brett
What is the true difference between the MVC and the Big Ten? Both teams got 4 teams into the tournament yesterday, and both had the same number of teams in the sweet sixteen. In head to head meetings this year, the MVC only lost 4 or 5 games, I'm not sure of the exact number, against the major conferences. That includes victories against Wisconsin, Iowa, LSU, Nebraska, Kansas, and others. The only true, statistical evidence that has been found is that the major conference teams are taller. Seven footers are heavily recruited by major conference teams, and almost never go into the mid majors. Exceptions exist, like Patrick O'Bryant from Bradley last year. With recent evidence from the tournament, with George Mason making the final four with Memphis in the elite eight, and Wichita State and Bradley tagging along to the sweet sixteen. A full quarter of the field came from outside of the six major conferences. Why not give them some more face time?
On the down side, sort of, the women's basketball team won a game, so we aren't in competition to own the longest winning streak in NCAA history. And the men's team won too. We had a good weekend for NU athletics. The men have an outside shot at the NIT, with a good showing at the Big Ten tournament and a marquee road victory. Maybe if we can win in Campaign, take down Indiana, and make the semifinals of the Big Ten we might be able to sneak into the tournament. I don't think that that is very likely to happen, but you never know.
Basketball just gets boring after a while. I can only watch the Bulls beat up on bad teams for so long before I get bored. But, pitchers and catchers report on Wednesday, and March Madness is not that far off.
Pining for baseball,
Brett
Sunday, February 4, 2007
Super Bowl
Well, the Bears lost. It really sucks right now, and I'm wondering if the Bears would have been better off missing the playoffs. I don't remember it hurting this much when they finished 6-10 and missed the playoffs entirely. Last year hurt more than that. But then, I know that the pain of this loss will wear off in a few days, and I can look back on how great of a season it truly was. The Bears are my football team, and I am damn proud of them.
I can at least take comfort in the fact that the Colts played a great game. They had the ball for almost 40 minutes, won the turnover battle, and beat up the Bears physcially. The poor tackling and poor pursuit was not pleasing, but the Bears played a decent game. If only Good Rex had shown up. I don't think it is ever fair to blame a loss on one single player, but Grossman earned more than his fair share of this one. He played fine in the first half, but when the Bears needed him to step up and make plays, he couldn't do it. Grossman is just not a Super Bowl winning quarterback yet. Maybe in the future he will be. Get him a few more weapons in the draft, and maybe the Bears could be back next year.
With the current article, the four categories of games make sense. I just don't really see the need to categorize games. I am an extremely competitive person, and that comes back to haunt me every now and then. I like to win, and I don't hide that. Whether it's a video game or an actual football game, I enjoy winning. Agon makes the most sense to me, because I strive for excellence in everything. I love to prove that I am better than my opponent. It doesn't always work out that way, but I do have my moments. Those games without sports are near to my hear as well. I was once an avid chess player, and I always enjoyed beating down my friends, especially when they put up a good fight. Nothing beats the thrill of defeating a quality opponent in a fair fight. I still savor beating my friends at madden or Halo.
Games of chance have never really appealed to me. I like to have my destiny in my own hands, but I can see the appeal to other people. I like to participate in games where I can improve my own chances of phsycial prowess. Mimicry is entertaining, but not the best form for me. I was an actor, and I still enjoy plays. Our director would always give us a speech about "the magic" that comes along with a play. We always had to be careful not a destroy "the magic" when we were performing. Simple things like a moving curtain or a sneeze from the wings can ruin "the magic." With plays, the atmosphere is the most important thing. If a play can transcend the fact that it is merely a play, then it has succeeded.
Ilinx is a new concept, but is a great time for me. I remember spinning around with my older brother until we both fell down. Those are games at some of their purest levels, and we as humans should love that. The rush of blood to the stomach as we go over a roller coaster is awesome.
Well, thats about it from me. I am going to go cry myself to sleep because my Bears let me down.
Mourning with the rest of Chicago,
Brett
I can at least take comfort in the fact that the Colts played a great game. They had the ball for almost 40 minutes, won the turnover battle, and beat up the Bears physcially. The poor tackling and poor pursuit was not pleasing, but the Bears played a decent game. If only Good Rex had shown up. I don't think it is ever fair to blame a loss on one single player, but Grossman earned more than his fair share of this one. He played fine in the first half, but when the Bears needed him to step up and make plays, he couldn't do it. Grossman is just not a Super Bowl winning quarterback yet. Maybe in the future he will be. Get him a few more weapons in the draft, and maybe the Bears could be back next year.
With the current article, the four categories of games make sense. I just don't really see the need to categorize games. I am an extremely competitive person, and that comes back to haunt me every now and then. I like to win, and I don't hide that. Whether it's a video game or an actual football game, I enjoy winning. Agon makes the most sense to me, because I strive for excellence in everything. I love to prove that I am better than my opponent. It doesn't always work out that way, but I do have my moments. Those games without sports are near to my hear as well. I was once an avid chess player, and I always enjoyed beating down my friends, especially when they put up a good fight. Nothing beats the thrill of defeating a quality opponent in a fair fight. I still savor beating my friends at madden or Halo.
Games of chance have never really appealed to me. I like to have my destiny in my own hands, but I can see the appeal to other people. I like to participate in games where I can improve my own chances of phsycial prowess. Mimicry is entertaining, but not the best form for me. I was an actor, and I still enjoy plays. Our director would always give us a speech about "the magic" that comes along with a play. We always had to be careful not a destroy "the magic" when we were performing. Simple things like a moving curtain or a sneeze from the wings can ruin "the magic." With plays, the atmosphere is the most important thing. If a play can transcend the fact that it is merely a play, then it has succeeded.
Ilinx is a new concept, but is a great time for me. I remember spinning around with my older brother until we both fell down. Those are games at some of their purest levels, and we as humans should love that. The rush of blood to the stomach as we go over a roller coaster is awesome.
Well, thats about it from me. I am going to go cry myself to sleep because my Bears let me down.
Mourning with the rest of Chicago,
Brett
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