Product Description
Sports fans love to don paint and feathers to cheer on the Washington Redskins and the Cleveland Indians, the Atlanta Braves, the Florida State Seminoles, and the Warriors and Chiefs of their hometown high schools. But outside the stadiums, American Indians aren't cheering—they're yelling racism.

School boards and colleges are bombarded with emotional demands from both sides, while professional teams find themselves in court defending the right to trademark their Indian names and logos. In the face of opposition by a national anti-mascot movement, why are fans so determined to retain the fictional chiefs who plant flaming spears and dance on the fifty-yard line?

To answer this question, Dancing at Halftime takes the reader on a journey through the American imagination where our thinking about American Indians has been, and is still being, shaped. Dancing at Halftime is the story of Carol Spindel's determination to understand why her adopted town is so passionately attached to Chief Illiniwek, the American Indian mascot of the University of Illinois. She rummages through our national attic, holding dusty souvenirs from world's fairs and wild west shows, Edward Curtis photographs, Boy Scout handbooks, and faded football programs up to the light. Outside stadiums, while American Indian Movement protestors burn effigies, she listens to both activists and the fans who resent their attacks. Inside hearing rooms and high schools, she poses questions to linguists, lawyers, and university alumni.

A work of both persuasion and compassion, Dancing at Halftime reminds us that in America, where Pontiac is a car and Tecumseh a summer camp, Indians are often our symbolic servants, functioning as mascots and metaphors that express our longings to become "native" Americans, and to feel at home in our own land. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Subtle,Profound--Extremely well-written
I'm an alumna of the University of Illinois, and was never very comfortable with the concept of "Chief Illiniwek."But I had no idea the role that Indian sports mascots have had in obscuring and distorting both the history and current status of Native peoples.Spindel's book examines the unique nexus of the history of Native peoples, football, the Big Ten, land grant universities, anthropology, wild west shows and photography, among others.In a careful and quiet way, she weaves these areas together to explore why these "mascots" are so demeaning to us all.

Uncovering the truth behind the myth
During my high school unit on Native American history and culture last fall, I used the Illiniwek issue to show my students the subtleties of racism. I wish at the time I had Spindel's book to drive her best point home: that white America needs its Native American symbols to justify our presence here on this continent and to forget a significant part of our shameful history. We also refuse to acknowledge the issues present day Native Americans face because then we would have to face up to the crimes of our founders. That it why supporters of Chief Illiniwek refuse to listen to the very people they claim to honor.

Racist Indian Mascots Exposed
An excellent analysis of the Indian mascot controversy in general and cheif illiniwek in particular. Very well researched and presented in an interesting and compelling manner.

The real story of chief illiniwek
This topic is extremely controvesial and Carol Swindel handles the topic very well.She takes time to present both sides of the issue including a history of both the Illini Indians and chief illiniwek.It's difficult to read this book and not be affected by both sides of the issue.I applaud Swindel for having the courage to write a comprehensive study of the use of racist mascots in America. A must read if you are a Big Ten or Illini fan.

The truth about the chief
For fans and foes of the cheif illiniwek controversy, this book is a must.Spindel takes the time to research the history of the Illini Indians, their culture and their demise.She has also researched the history of the University's symbol and presents and unbiased documentary of the origins.It's diffcult to read this book and not change your opinion on the issues.Well worth the time and money invested in reading this work. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

The Handbook of Mascots & Nicknames
This book is just a list of schools and mascots.That said, they organize it in alphabetical order by the name of the school and the mascot, so if you want to know a particular school's mascot, you can find it OR if you want to see how many schools have a panther as their mascot, you can do that too.

For dedicated college and university sports fans everywhere!
Compiled and organized by sports buff Peter J. Fournier, The Handbook Of Mascots And Nicknames is a straightforward reference listing nicknames and mascots of senior colleges, universities, junior colleges, and community colleges of the United States and Canada. The entries are arranged in alphabetical order for quick lookup in this fascinating reference which will prove invaluable for dedicated college and university sports fans everywhere!

Really Fun Book
I have just looked through a unique book written by Peter J. Fournier."The Handbook of Mascots & Nicknames" is very comprehensive and thorough in the research that went into it.Shown are the mascots and/or nicknames of over 1,500 U.S. senior colleges and universities, 740 U.S. junior and community colleges, and over 115 Canadian institutions.Dick Vitale, the noted ESPN announcer and personality, liked this book so much he endorsed it: "If you love sports like I do, you will enjoy Pete's Handbook of Mascots & Nicknames.It is awesome, baby!"I think that any sports fan or trivia buff, old or young, male or female should have this book in their library.The book is a wonderful birthday present or a great stocking stuffer for the holidays. I can't wait for the update that will include all of the Puerto Rican colleges and universities. ... Read more

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Product Description
Readers are offered a rare glimpse into the personal 50-year history of the nationally acclaimed mascot for the Georgia Bulldogs, Uga, English bulldogs so revered they are buried in a mausoleum at Sanford Stadium when they die. Full of anecdotes – such as Uga V’s famous plunge at an Auburn player in 1996, his appearance in several major Hollywood films, and Sports Illustrated’s decision to put him on the cover of their 1997 college sports issue – this new softcover edition of the book is lavishly illustrated with color photos and memorabilia, and features other stories involving longtime Georgia head coach Vince Dooley and Heisman Trophy winner Herschel Walker. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

A great book for any "DAWG" fan!
I actually bought this book for a friend who has a English Bulldog and she is now a big fan of not only the University, but Uga as well. A great book for anyone wanting to know the history surounding Uga.

GO DAWGS!

Uga Rules
Even if you are not interested in the Bulldogs of Georgia you probably will find "Damn Good Dogs" a delightful book; beautifully illustrated, the book relates the history behind the English bulldogs that have become the University of Georgia's mascot beginning in 1956.Sonny Seiler, who has owned the bulldogs, has put together (with Kent Hannon), a pleasing book filled with many photographs.A chapter is devoted to each of the dogs relating their lives and what occurred while they were mascot and the growing fame of the Ugas. I first saw this book on a visit to Savannah and was charmed by it from the moment I opened the cover.

This is a large format book that was thoughtfully designed and is a great tribute to the remarkable dogs named Uga.

Uga rules!
I am a lifelong University of Alabama fan but I have always known and admitted that Uga is - bar none - the coolest dog on the planet. And any dog who bites back at an Auburn player knows his football! My all-time favorite was Uga V and I was thrilled when he was rightfully named the greatest mascot ever by Sports Illustrated and made their cover. I was also excited to see this book.

This book is a great overview of the lives of the Ugas, their owners, and the Georgia football program. If you love dogs and college football, you'll love this book.

I liked it
This is a good book.I highly recommend it to Ga. fans.UGA is a staple of the entire Georgia program and his lovable story is one that all college football fans can enjoy.I recommend "A Tailgater's Guide To SEC Football" as well for any serious SEC Fans.

A tribute to America's #1 Mascot
Guaranteed to please all Georgia fans and English Bulldog lovers, this entertaining book contains the individual stories of six beloved Ugas who have served as mascots for the University of Georgia since 1956. Filled with delightful photos, illustrations and memorabilia spanning nearly five decades, it is loaded with fun facts, heartwarming stories--even poems written in their honor. Uga flies free on Delta, has an air-conditioned doghouse and an official Student ID Card, eats steak, attends social affairs, occasionally wears a tux, has appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated, in Coca Cola ads, in Playboy magazine, in Animals Who's Who, on credit cards, in movies, TV shows--and more!Following lavish funeral tributes, Ugas I through V were interred in a mausoleum at Sanford Stadium with inspiring epitaphs outlining their achievements engraved on bronze tablets. Uga VI has already made a name for himself "woofing" his encouragement to a well-deserved SEC title in 2002.GO DAWGS and long live Uga VI. ... Read more

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Chapters: Black Swan Emblems and Popular Culture, Native American Mascot Controversy, List of Sports Team Names and Mascots Derived From Indigenous Peoples, Kangaroo Emblems and Popular Culture, Champ, List of Association Football Mascots, Berlino, List of J. League Mascots, Boxing Kangaroo, Uefa European Football Championship Mascot, Fighting Whites, Wampus Cat, List of National Football League Mascots, Chacha Cricket, Harry the Hornet, Koala Emblems and Popular Culture, Mascot Grand National, Wally, Barney the Owl, Gainer the Gopher, Ozzie the Owl, Buzz and Boomer, Big Red. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 113. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: The Black Swan is an important cultural reference in Australia, although the character of that importance historically diverges between the prosaic in the east and the symbolic in west. The Black Swan is also of spiritual significance in the traditional histories of many Australian Aboriginal peoples across southern Australia. The Black Swan is the official state emblem of Western Australia, and is depicted on the Flag of Western Australia, as well as being depicted on the Western Australian Coat-of-Arms. The symbol is used in other emblems, coins, logos, mascots and in the naming of sports teams. Daisy Bates recorded a totemic ceremony called Woolberr that was practised by the last of the black swan group of the Nyungar people of south-western Australia in the 1920s. The website of the Premier of Western Australia refers to Nyungar lore of how the ancestors of the Nyungar people were once Black Swans who became men. The Dreamtime story of the black swans tells how two brothers were turned into white swans so they could help an attack party during a raid for weapons. It is said that Wurrunna used a large gubbera, or crystal stone to trans...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=11883532 ... Read more

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Josh and Mo are twins who both go along to watch Oldchester Athletic every Saturday.The team are three games away from winning promotion to the Premier League and are also through to the cup finals at Wembley.Josh is very excited about all this but his sister Mo doesn't get very excited about football and can take it or leave it. Mo buys some peanuts and swallows the 'peanut of power' which gives her the most extraordinary good luck.The slimey owner of Oldchester decides he needs her for the team mascot to ensure that team gains promotion and wins the cup ...* Chris Powling is a well-know and respected name in the Children's books world - in 1996, as part of the Books for Keeps team, he won the Eleanor Farjeon Award for services to children's literature.* In 1994 his book "The Phantom Carwash" was runner-up for the Smarties Prize.* * A lively and fun story about football, featuring a likeable reluctant hero, and nice flashes of fantasy. * Football stories are popular at this age range and this story fits in with several other football stories published by OUP. * Illustrated throughout in black and white. ... Read more

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"Every time I watch the Washington Redskins or the Cleveland Indians (with their grotesque Chief Wahoo) I wonder what it must feel like to be a Native American sports fan and see oneself depicted this way. It just plain gives me the willies. Team Spirits shows me why."—Rick Telander, sports columnist, Chicago Sun-Times.

A growing controversy in recent years has arisen around the use and abuse of Native American team mascots. The Cleveland Indians, Atlanta Braves, Washington Redskins, Kansas City Chiefs, Florida State Seminoles, and so forth—these are just a few of the images and names popularly associated with Native Americans that are still used as mascots by professional sports teams, dozens of universities, and countless high schools. This practice, a troubling legacy of Native–Euro-American relations in the United States, has sparked heated debates and intense protests that continue to escalate. Team Spirits is the first comprehensive look at the Native American mascots controversy. In this work activists and academics explore the origins of Native American mascots, the messages they convey, and the reasons for their persistence into the twenty-first century. The essays examine hotly contested uses of mascots, including the Washington Redskins, the Cleveland Indians, and the University of! Illinois's Chief Illiniwek, as well as equally problematic but more complicated examples such as the Florida State Seminoles and the multitude of Native mascots at Marquette University. Also showcased are examples of successful opposition, including an end to Native American mascots at Springfield College and in Los Angeles public schools. C. Richard King is an assistant professor of anthropology at Drake University, and Charles Fruehling Springwood is an assistant professor of anthropology at Illinois Wesleyan University. King and Springwood are coauthors of the forthcoming book Beyond the Cheers: Race As Spectacle in College Sport. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A worthy addition to the debate
C. Richard King and Charles Springwood, with their edited collection, bring to the forefront the cultural and social intricacies, animosities, and stereotypes associated with the Native American team mascot debate.The work "traces the (re)inventions of self and society through Native American mascots and the cultural artifacts, public sentiments, and ritual performances...associated with them." (1)
The essays are very informative and help clarify why certain practices have been misappropriated by the dominant "Euro-American" society.The authors prey upon the same themes in almost every essay, racial stereotypes, misappropriations of cultural practices, and displacement of Native American cultures and histories.Moreover, it appears that some of the authors take umbrage with the fact that certain Native American tribes actually support the use of their images as mascots.In their fabulous discussion of the Seminole Tribe and Florida State University, King and Springwood particularly illustrate their indignation in regards to the backing of the Chief Osceola mascot by the Seminole Tribe. The authors believe that members of the Seminole Tribe should quit "playing Indian" with the whites and work to challenge the misuse of Chief Osceola and the Seminole Tribe's identities and culture.King and Springwood also worryingly rely on a third-person account to buttress their argument that Florida State's appropriation of Native American imagery for use as a mascot only furthers popular stereotypes and prejudices.
Team Spirits is a work of activism.The collection of essays are designed inform readers of the complexities surrounding the Native American mascot controversy and hopefully reconsider their thoughts and conceptions of Native Americans.Perhaps the most important point of the text is that the appropriation of and misuse of Native American images reveal "much more about the non-Indian people and institutions that invented them than they have about Native American cultures and histories." (328)Most of the authors ignore the fact that mascots are not intended to glorify a certain historical or cultural distinctness.Many mascots were created in informal meetings without much regard to historical and cultural settings or identities.The authors of the essays expect mascots to lionize certain aspects of a locale's cultural and historical heritage.In reality, this just is not the case.However, Native American mascots are held to a higher standard as they should be and the complexities and controversies surrounding the issue show no signs of diminishing.Additionally, the Native American mascot controversy overshadows the argument that Native Americans have been perhaps the finest athletes the United States has ever had.
King and Springwood's effort certainly will not end the debate; it does provide analysis and understanding for those unfamiliar with the true subtle intricacies forever associated with Native Americans and their white conquerors.

Long overdue
An illuminating look into the mascot controversy, "Team Spirits" covers many of the issues surrounding the debate, including historical, fiscal, and racial. This book belongs on the shelves of anthropologists, sportswriters, sports fans, and concerned individuals. "Team Spirits" is especially useful for countering the tired and ignorant accusation that removing mascots is merely a PC move by liberals with nothing better to do. ... Read more

Product Description
This digital document is an article from Windspeaker, published by Aboriginal Multi-Media Society of Alberta (AMMSA) on February 1, 2010. The length of the article is 865 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: The man behind the mascot mask.(Raven's Eye: Special Section providing news from BC & Yukon)(Interview)
Author: Sam Laskaris
Publication: Windspeaker (Newsletter)
Date: February 1, 2010
Publisher: Aboriginal Multi-Media Society of Alberta (AMMSA)
Volume: 27Issue: 11Page: 16(1)

Article Type: Interview

Distributed by Gale, a part of Cengage Learning ... Read more

Product Description
This digital document is an article from The Register-Guard (Eugene, OR), published by Thomson Gale on September 8, 2007. The length of the article is 609 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Bad duck gets home game timeout for fighting with Houston mascot.(Sports)
Author: Gale Reference Team
Publication: The Register-Guard (Eugene, OR) (Newspaper)
Date: September 8, 2007
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Page: a1

Distributed by Thomson Gale ... Read more

Product Description
This book was published in 1891.

Introduction:

I begin with, why should not there be
a biography of JOHN THE ORANGE-
MAN ? If thirty-five years of uninterrupted
popularity at the first university in our
land does not entitle one to a memoir,
pray, what does ? Half the men whose
lives have been written have not even
been popular for a single year. An
humble position surely does not debar one
from the privilege, for most of our great
men, I believe, began their lives in log
cabins, or on canal-boats ; and who knows
but what John may yet be a senator ?
An introduction seems almost unnecessary.
You all know him! Old John, who is
the first to welcome the Freshman in the
autumn, and the last to shake hands with
the Senior on Commencement, and per-
haps drink him God-speed from a flowing
bowl of punch. He well remembers the
time your father was in college ; will tell
you where he roomed, how he lived, who
his friends were ; perhaps will even whisper
in your ear of a narrow escape he had, in
the early part of his Freshman year, from
being asked to resign. Is there a room in
college that is not open to the genial
bearer of the fruit-basket ? Is there any
one who has not tasted an orange or
banana from the little white hand-cart?
Who has not been comforted, when sorely
pressed by creditors, by John's ready wil-
lingness to trust him for any amount ?

How often on the ball field, when a
game chanced to go against the wearers of
the crimson, have we been cheered by a
glimpse of a short, round-shouldered man,
with a red fringe on his face, waving his
cap and crying aloud for Harvard, in a
voice rendered somewhat dim and moist
by lapse of years !

Have we not been raised from fits of
despondency, attendant upon some finan-
cial crisis, by John's evening visits, his
good-humor, and his renowned song,
" Erin-go-Bragh " ? Perhaps some of
the more reckless of us have at times
shared with him a " sup o' the bottle,"
partly to humor his sentiment of, " A drap
av whuskey, av ye don't moind," and partly
with a mild longing to get him into a con-
vivial mood, and hear him sing.

But who is John the Orange-man ?
Where did he come from, and how did he
get under the wing of the Alma Mater ?

His life perhaps is not wildly exciting
or romantic ; but must it be a closed
volume on that account ? His sphere,
though small and humble, has its inter-
esting features.

In presenting the story of his life, I feel
it necessary to make some apology for its
fragmentary character, in spite of a con-
viction that on general principles no book
should be published until it has been
brought into such a condition that no ex-
planation is necessary. Most of the mate-
rials have been given me by John himself ;
some are new, some old. I can do no
better than quote Bunyan's apology for
Pilgrim's Progress, for the hero's life has
been a pilgrim's progress in a way :

" And so I penned
It down, until at last it came to be,
For length and breadth, the bigness which you see.
Some said, * John, print it ; ' others said, ' Not so.'
Some said, ' It might do good ; ' others said, ' No.' "

The career of JOHN THE ORANGE-MAN
is before the reader.
...........................................................................................

Who was John Lovett?
An Irish fruit peddler, John Lovett of Cambridge was a beloved local eccentric of the sort one seems to find around college campuses (cf. Ann Arbor's late Shakey Jake Woods). As often happens, Lovett seems to have been in equal parts joshed and revered, and beloved of generations of undergraduates and professors. Fielding appeared as himself in at least one collegiate comedy and was periodically decked out as a football mascot; when asked about the meaning of the university motto "Veritas," Fielding was reported to have guessed "to hell with Yale." ... Read more

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Chapters: List of Sports Team Names and Mascots Derived From Indigenous Peoples, Indigenous Church Mission Theory. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 23. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: The following is a list of sports team names and mascots derived from indigenous peoples, including generically used terms, those named after specific peoples, and words or iconography derived from indigenous languages or traditions. Also see, List of ethnic sports team and mascot names which includes both names derived from peoples indigenous to the area where a sports team is based, as well as names derived from peoples not indigenous to the teams home. There is considerable controversy over these team names and mascots because various American Indians activist groups view them as disrespectful and offensive. Most notably, the National Congress of American Indians has issued a resolution opposing continued usage of Native team names, mascots, and logos. Various tribal entities have also issued resolutions opposing usage, as well. According to a 2002 Sports Illustrated article (Price, S.L. "The Indian Wars", March 4, 2002, pp 6672), 83% of American Indian respondents to a Sports Illustrated poll said that professional teams should not stop using Indian nicknames, mascots, or symbols. Scholars have challenged the Sports Illustrated findings on multiple grounds. King, et al. (2002) argue (1) the SI poll is problematic because it serves to distract readers from the history and implications of mascots. (2) The survey features problematic sampling and identification issues produce non-representative and un-generalizable findings (for example, Snipp (1992) writes of the difficulty involved in any quantitative research on American Indians in national polling). (3) SI decontextualizes mascots and the contr...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=3967680 ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Hunting for 15 years...
I've wanted this book since I was 12 years old and I read an excerpt from our city newspaper. When I finally found it for a good price (don't pay no more than $40 for this book, btw), I found it's been well worth the wait. This book even has the smallest of schools you've never heard of. I'd recommend it for anyone who's a historical collegiate dork like me that appreciates mascots.

Awesome Resource!
Dr Yarbrough's book is a great guide to our nation's colleges and universities.We love to read the history of team's nicknames while watching them compete on TV.It's especially fun during "March Madness".I gift it to my business associates.A rare and unique find! ... Read more

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Winning Ideas! Make a rearview mirror ornament, a key chain, wrist band, ankle band, pennant and other items with the instructions included in this pamphlet. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Great book!
This is an amazing book and I'm SO glad I have a copy of it!It's great to own a part of Baylor's history. The book got to me quickly and in the condition I expected it to be in. ... Read more