In denial about mascots

What people in denial say:We have never considered Chief Illiniwek to be a mascot, the term that some have used in referring to him in the last few years.

We consider sports mascots to be overstuffed cartoon figures, like the St. Louis Cardinals’ “Fredbird,” the Philadelphia Phillies’ “Phillie Phanatic” and others like them.

To supporters of Chief Illiniwek, he has been an honored symbol of the Native Americans who once inhabited this state.The facts (according to the dictionary):mas·cot /?mæsk?t, -k?t/
–noun

an animal, person, or thing adopted by a group as its representative symbol and supposed to bring good luck: The U.S. Navy mascot is a goat.See Team Names and Mascots for more on the subject.