Hardly- unexpected disgust with the revealed agenda to ban the Three-in-One performance has resulted.

The longevity and singularity of the Chief tradition aside, the enduring nature of the Chief and his related issues can be explained by a history of back-door dealing, assaults on free speech, an Chicago-based subterfuge.



Familiar names and faces continue to impose themselves. Why the TASSers at the DI can at this point can even remotely consider Robert Warrior a credible commentator  for any matter at all is quite...interesting. Lest they forget on our behalf, in emails from FOIA requests by SFCI regarding Assembly Hall rentals for unofficial performances and the shadowy attempt to prevent them, Warrior wrote to Romano and Gonzalez, complaining that displays about the anti-chief movement had been damaged, in addition to other libels and claims so vile, even Gonzalez wouldn't touch. Afterwards, Warrior confessed that said actions were actually perpetrated by his own people in attempt to castigate chief supporters. "Incitement to resentment' indeed!






Concurrent with the Chief's "retirement," were mandates by ex-state senator and Blagojevich ally Emil Jones' shakedown demands that the university cease and the punish all future performances of the Chief or face the wrath of a cut in state funding (which happened anyway). Observers were quick to ignore Jones' strong-arming of the U of ILL and instead focus on NCAA sanctions-that is until the Tribune showed how Jones and steered in excess of 50 million dollars to Chicago State University, which in a statement to the Tribune, even its president was unequipped to explain. But Jones’ had little to fear since the entire Board of Trustee save one was comprised of Blagojevian appointments, and none, save one were from outside Crook County. A back door shakedown of trustees by Epply, and Jones’ own oppressive avatar, Francis Carroll lead the Illinois Press Association to declare the BOT and the U of ILL leadership winners of its annual "“Worsty”' awards for its skullduggery. In the due course of time, all involved with the Star Chamber passage of death on the Chief, from White, Herman, Carroll, Eppley, and the others were later implicated and revealed in the now-infamous U of ILL/Chicago-based Clout Scandal.






President and serial Clouter, BJ White, saw fit (as later revealed by the Sun-Times entitled "Something Smells and it's Not Roses) to reward handsomely his brand of leadership during the Chief retirement. Indeed, free VIP Championship Game Rose Bowl tickets were handed round, personally approved by White to Jones, Eppley, Carroll, Montgomery, and of course convicted felon Rod Blagojevich.

Coupled with censorship attempts by Herman during homecoming parades, music professors pushing to make opinions on the Chief a deciding factor in student admissions, and acts by Renee Romano and others to suppress appearances by Chief supporters, and now the most recent action by unnamed (despite FIOA requests) personnel ordering Houser to send patrols and students home from Marching Illini practice if they were apparel with Chief iconography, it is no wonder a strong support of stopping these initiatives is in place.


Ignoring the debate of the yet-to-be-proven claim of "racism" regarding the Chief, the manner and methods of the leadership, faculty, state, BOT and been consistently linked to the proverbial hip of censorship, duplicity, and Chicago corruption. And as long as that shadow alliance remains, the resistance thus seen will undoubtedly continue.


Posted by Hound No. 7