The Bernstein Brief: Finally, A New Illinois Mascot
By Dan Bernstein--
CBSChicago.com senior columnist
(CBS) Cue the grumbling downstate goobers.
The University of Illinois has announced the beginning of the typically unwieldy process to select a new school mascot, finally trying to exorcise the ghost of the banned Chief Illiniwek. The sports teams will remain the Fighting Illini, but they will be cheered on by something else in a silly suit and a bulbous plastic head.
Committee meetings will produce nominations and an ultimate successor to the racist symbol of the Chief, and the townie loyalists are sure to hate whatever it is, removing their "Make America Great Again" hats long enough to stick some feathers in their hair in protest. It's not from any real feelings for native Americans, just the desire to be allowed to offend an ethnic group because doing so used to be OK before smart people knew better.
They'll hate whatever it is, and perhaps the rest of us will too, considering how this university gets so much wrong.
But Kirby the KornKob, Combie the Combine or Sid the Annual Federal Agricultural Subsidy is on his way.
Dan Bernstein is a co-host of 670 The Score's "Boers and Bernstein Show" in afternoon drive. You can follow him on Twitter @dan_bernstein and read more of his columns here.