Butler Blue II
Butler Blue II (often referred to as simply Blue II or Blue) is male English Bulldog who serves as the official live mascot of Butler University. He is known by the tagline "Butler's Mascot, America's Dog."[1] He rose to national prominence when the Butler Bulldogs men's basketball team made unexpected runs to the 2010 and 2011 Final Fours.
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[edit] Personal life
Blue II was born March 27, 2004 to sire CH Sandy Ridge Too Right Mate and dam Kongs Margie M. Blue II is the second in a lineage bred by Frank and Jeane King of Kong King Kennels to serve as the mascot of Butler. He is the nephew of Butler Blue I, the university's first official live mascot who served from 2000-2004. Blue II made his mascot debut on May 20, 2004.[1]
Blue II attends most Butler Bulldogs home basketball and football games, as well as numerous other university events.[1] Before each home basketball game, Blue sits at midcourt and waits as each starter on the team pats him on the head for good luck. He then runs to the student section of the arena and grabs an over-sized rawhide bone.[2] On campus, regular students also pat Blue II on the head whenever they can, believing he will help them get a good grade.[2]
Blue's tricks include pouting, giving a high-five, playing dead, rolling over, and speaking.[1] He is a regular user of social media, posting on Twitter, where he has logged over 17000 tweets, and Flickr regularly.[1][3] In 2012, he was nominated for a Shorty Award for his Twitter activity.[3] Blue II is currently training Blue III, but has no plans to retire in the near future. Blue II would go into a "serious state of depression" if he retired says Kaltenmark, who also owns Blue III. He has "several good years left", adds Kaltenmark.[4]
Blue II's favorite treats include "Holistic Select snacks, ice cream and cheese." He enjoys chew toys made of soft latex, with a basketball and football being among his favorites. He enjoys outdoor activities and dislikes thunderstorms and fax machines.[1]
Blue II weighs 63 lb (29 kg) and features a fawn and white fur coat.[1] He is owned and cared for by Michael Kaltenmark and his wife Tiffany.[1]
[edit] Media attention
During the 2010 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament opening rounds, Butler requested to have Blue II attended the games. NCAA rules prohibit live animals during tournament games, and so Blue was not allowed to attend. However, when Butler was an unexpected run to the Final Four, Blue II was granted a special exemption and allowed to attend the festivities in Indianapolis.[5] He quickly drew national media attention, appearing on national TV morning shows and newspapers across the country.[6] An Associated Press story said "Forget Coach K, Magic or Sparty. The guy everyone wanted to see before Saturday's Final Four had four legs and fur."[7] Yahoo Sports named Butler Blue II as the best mascot of the tournament, saying he "couldn’t have been a bigger hit."[8] "It used to be... we could just slip in and out of places... [Now] we usually get mobbed," remarked Kaltenmark.[6]
After the season ended, Blue II's new found fame continued, with appearances requested all around Central Indiana.[9] He made an appearance at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway during Indianapolis 500 practice by special request of driver James Hinchcliffe and was called "one of the biggest celebrities in Indianapolis" by one source.[9]
That interest was renewed when Butler made returned the tournament in 2011. NCAA regulations again sidelined Blue, leading to a "Free Butler Blue" Twitter campaign.[5] Despite being left home, Blue II garnered plenty of media attention. "We wanted to be... with the team,” remarked Kaltenmark. "But at the same time, we were getting a ton more exposure staying home... (Coach) Brad Stevens... doesn’t want the spotlight — he’d rather it be on Blue. So if we can serve that role and be a distraction for everyone else, all the better."[5]
When the team made another surprise run to the the Final Four in Houston, Blue got his exemption.[5] To get to Houston, Blue had to board a plane for only the second time in his life. Southwest Airlines allowed Blue to join Kaltenmark in the main cabin of the plain, rather than relegating him to the cargo hold.[2] Once in Houston, Blue II's media attention reached new heights.
Blue II was profiled by ESPN, who called him "the star of the Butler Bulldogs,"[10] The Washington Post who said he was had "taken Houston by storm,"[2] and many others. The Star-Ledger called him a "four legged rock star."[5] He appeared on the CBS Early Show and pregame show before Butler's games.[2] The InterContinental hotel he stayed at even named a martini after Blue, with the proceeds going to charity.[2]
Butler has created a Blue II merchandise line which is sold on campus and online. An official Fathead has also been created.[11]
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d e f g h "All About Blue II". http://www.butler.edu/blue2/about/. Retrieved 2012-02-19.
- ^ a b c d e f Liz Clarke (2011-03-04). "Blue II has taken Houston by storm". Washington Post. http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/blue-ii-has-taken-houston-by-storm/2011/04/03/AFw3XwXC_story.html. Retrieved 2012-02-19.
- ^ a b "Butler Blue II was nominated for a Shorty Award!". http://shortyawards.com/butlerblue2. Retrieved 2012-02-19.
- ^ Scott Thien (2012-02-16). "Next generation: Butler University announces Blue III, third in mascot line". Indianapolis Star. http://www.indystar.com/article/20120216/SPORTS0605/120216028/Next-generation-Butler-University-announces-Blue-III-third-mascot-line. Retrieved 2012-02-19.
- ^ a b c d e Brendan Prunty (2011-04-02). "Final Four: Butler mascot Blue II has become a star in his own right". The Star-Ledger. http://www.nj.com/college-basketball/index.ssf/2011/04/final_four_butler_mascot_blue_ii_has_become_a_star_in_his_own_right.html. Retrieved 2012-02-19.
- ^ a b "Butler Campus, Downtown Abuzz Before Big Game". RTV6. 2010-04-05. http://www.theindychannel.com/sports/23055923/detail.html. Retrieved 2012-02-19.
- ^ "Butler campus prepped for big party". Siffy News. Associated Press. 2010-04-04. http://www.sify.com/news/butler-campus-prepped-for-party-news-news-keefE5fiecj.html. Retrieved 2012-02-19.
- ^ "Highs and lows of 2010 NCAA tourney". Yahoo Sports. 2010-04-06. http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/news?slug=jn-tourneyhighslows040610. Retrieved 2012-02-19.
- ^ a b "Rain washes out practice for Indianapolis 500". IndyCar Media Relations. 2010-05-17. http://www.racingwest.com/news/articles/23241-rain-washes-out-practice-for-indianapolis-500.html. Retrieved 2012-02-19.
- ^ Sarah Spain (2011-04-04). "Butler's big dog, Blue II". ESPN.com. http://espn.go.com/espnw/news-opinion/6291250/butler-big-dog-blue-ii. Retrieved 2012-02-19.
- ^ "Meet Blue II". http://www.butler.edu/blue2/meet-blue-ii/. Retrieved 2012-02-19.
