The Indianapolis Monthly Interview - Uncut

The July 2010 issue of Indianapolis Monthly will forever be special to me as it was their annual pet guide edition and yours truly graced the cover.

Included in the magazine was Q&A that I did with Indianapolis Monthly and while I received a lot of compliments regarding my answers, what was printed was just a snipet of the actual interview. So, for your reading pleasure, here is the Q&A in its entirety...

IM: As the Butler mascot, what are your "job responsibilities"? And, are you compensated?

BB2: At the core of my “job responsibilities” is to truly be an ambassador for Butler University. I’ve found that if I stick to that, then the rest seems to take care of itself. Of course, you can find me at university sporting events, performances, dinners, receptions, admissions events, etc. You name it, I’ve probably done it. I’m also a bit of a spokesdoggy too, having done numerous media appearances and a great deal of community relations work.

As for compensation, well, I guess I’m well cared for and I have some great sponsors that fulfill almost my every need. So I’m compensated well from that standpoint. I haven’t, however, ever seen any actual dollars. I’m considering a change in personal agents and a revised contract.

IM: What training is required for you to do your job?

BB2: I took six, count them, six total “puppy obedience classes.” That’s it. I had a good teacher and learned a lot, but let’s tell it like it is here…I set foot on Butler’s campus before my parents even took me home. This is all I know. My dad taught me right from wrong, my mom taught me some awesome tricks, and Brad Stevens taught me the Butler Way. I may not be sniffing out bombs in airports or keeping the blind from walking out in traffic, but I like to think I do pretty well for myself.

IM: In addition to being present at basketball games, what other sporting events do you attend?

BB2: I tend to work all of the home men’s basketball games and football games. After that I get to the majority of home volleyball and women’s basketball contests as well. From there I try to get to at least one of each of the other team’s events during the year. That’s easier said than done, however and doesn’t always happen. My goal for 2010-11 is to make it to every sports’ senior day contests and to appear in all of the Butler team photos.

IM: Do you make appearances, such as giving autographs (paw-tographs?), photo with fans, on TV commercials, etc.?

BB2: I make countless appearances these days. I’ve always done appearances, especially as it relates to the university, but I’ve done my share of community appearances in my six years as well. However, since the NCAA Final Four, I probably get an appearance request on a daily basis. Everything from being a part of a student presentation, to serving as the grand marshal of parades, to book fairs, to private parties; you name it and chances are I’m being requested for it.
I get autographs on a daily basis too. The whole paw in ink thing doesn’t really work and is incredibly messy, so don’t ask for a “paw-tograph.” Not happening unless you’re really, really important. I’m happy to sign headshots and pictures, however, and I’m getting regular request for that as well.

Posing for photos with fans is probably my most requested activity. Anytime I’m out in public, it’s inevitable. I’m usually happy to do it, but sometimes I’m on the move and I don’t have time. I think it’s pretty cool that people would want to kneel down and get their picture with me. At the Final Four it wasn’t just fans making the requests either, I had everyone from CBS executives, members of the media and security folks asking as well! And when I got back on campus after those big games, it was funny how the student interest in photos picked up too!

I think the only TV commercials I’ve been on are Butler basketball promos for season tickets and for our games on MyNDY. But, I will say that I am available and affordable, so for those companies that want to align themselves with the Butler brand and have a really handsome spokesdoggy, then now is the time to get in on the ground floor while I'm still cheap!

IM: Any funny stories from your experiences as a mascot? Have you ever failed to give a high-five or run to the end of the court and get the bone? Any accidents on the court?

BB2: I’ve had my share of funny moments during my career. Like the time that I chewed up a Michigan State Spartan hat almost on cue on live national television while shooting for the CBS Early Morning Show. But, the funniest moment probably had to be when I accidentally (on purpose) tripped my two-legged mascot counterpart, Hink, as we ran the football team out onto the field. It’s tradition that Hink and I run the guys out onto the pitch before each home game. Normally the cheerleaders go first with their flags, then me, then Hink, followed by the team. Well, Hink took off at virtually the same time I did and well, I thought I’d have a little fun with that. I couldn’t resist the opportunity to run right under Hink’s feet and watch him tumble. You see, Hink’s line of sight is all of a matter of inches so he never saw it coming. Down Hink went and sometimes I was able to scramble loose and keep going. Don’t worry, Hink didn’t get trampled by the football team or anything. His pride may have been hurt, but there were no hard feelings; just a collective gasp from the crowd followed by lots of laughs. Thankfully my mom caught it all on her iPhone. Priceless. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PL2Yn1x3RI0

IM: What are your favorite activities outside of your life at Butler?

BB2: I suppose I’m just a normal pet or dog outside of Butler. I love the outdoors and tend to think that I’m an farm dog. I love helping around the yard. I also enjoy going to visit both sets of my grandparents where I get to ride the four-wheeler and tractor, go boating, go to the hardware store, and of course, sleep.

IM: Favorite treat?

BB2: Ice cream. No question. Don’t get me wrong, I like all of the favorites such as peanut butter, cheese, filet mignon, etc., but ice cream is all the rage. Always has been, always will be.

IM: Favorite toy?

BB2: That depends on how you define “toy.” I have this thing called a Tail Wagon which is made by Burley. It looks like one of those nylon chariots you see kids being hauled around in, behind bikes on the Monon Trail. Anyway, I have one of those and it might be my most favorite toy/contraption that I’ve ever had. Ever. Outside of my tail wagon, I’m a huge fan of small latex chew toys, teddy bears and basketballs.

IM: And finally, please describe your experience at the NCAA Final Four. Were you at all nervous about being surrounded by 70,000 screaming fans?

BB2: My experience at the NCAA Final Four was incredible. That’s the best way that I can explain. There really are not words that exist that allow me to really describe the magnitude of that experience. It made me the most popular dog in America and it made Butler a household name. While Coach Stevens and the men’s basketball team were the focus of the Final Four, I like to think I played the role of best supporting actor. It was the best experience of my life so far and I certainly hope to do it again someday.

I wasn’t nervous to be in front of 70,000 fans. I think that was evident to anyone that was there or whom was watching at home. I live for this sort of thing after all. However, I will say that I did feed of the energy that was in Lucas Oil Stadium during those two games. There was so much positive directed toward Butler…the kind that makes your hair (or fur) stand up on end. I felt it as soon as we would enter the stadium each day…it swelled my broad chest with pride, perched my ears forward, heightened my tail-end, and gave me a strut that would make George Jefferson blush.

I will say that tend to carry and internalize the collective hopes and energy of the Butler nation. That may sound weird, but I’m a perceptive dog and I know what’s up. I knew what was at stake in Lucas Oil Stadium and I also knew what it meant when my pal Gordon Hayward’s shot didn’t go in at the buzzer. I, like the Butler faithful, was crushed. My dad tried to get a rise out of me moments after the championship game. Usually I’m the one doing the consoling, but this time I could sense the pain, anguish, sorrow and disappointment that saturated the heart. I was stone cold. I wanted that championship. I wanted to be top dawg. After sleeping that night I awoke that Tuesday morning still wishing that the outcome would have been different. I continued to contemplate on it. I even went to the pep rally at Hinkle Fieldhouse later that day. By the time I went to sleep that evening, I realized that I was top dawg after all. The score didn’t matter, Butler has already proved its worth. I’d still like to have that trophy, don’t get me wrong, but I think we may have taken home so much more. There’s never been a better time to be a Butler Bulldog, let alone THE Butler Bulldog.

The Mascots Behind the Mascot

During my six years of service as official mascot for Butler University, there have always been a few mascots behind the mascot. And no, I’m not talking about Hink and all of those other human-in-suit varieties running around Hinkle Fieldhouse on “Mascot Day.”

I’m talking a couple of feline counterparts that claim campus shrubbery as home and taunt me with kitty kibble, lightning quick reflexes and strange scents.

Yep, it’s true; when I’m not on campus at night, there are a couple of cats that seem to watch over the place for me. So, I consider them pseudo-mascots, if you will. They are certainly less visible and sociable than yours truly, but they’re holding it down at 46^th and Sunset nonetheless.

If you exit Jordan Hall toward the north, turn right, and walk due east to a point that intersects with a point coming from the other way if you were to walk west out of Irwin Library, turn right and head directly north; then you've found the natural cat campus habitat. That probably doesn’t make any sense, but suffice to say at the northeast corner of the mall, there is a corner of shrubbery, pine trees and grasses that have made for nice landscaping and a feral kitty cat safe-haven.

Look a little closer into the deep line of bushes and you’ll see a bowl or two, often spilling over with cat food kibble and other remnants of kitting living. Rarely do I look in and see a cat, but I have spotted at least two of them; an all black cat and a black and white cat. There may be more, but reports are unconfirmed at this time.

Typically, when they see me, they scram and my pops says that I’m typically not awake enough on my way into work to even catch that. So a cat sighting for me is rare, but I know that they are there. I like to stop by that spot on my slow walk into work each morning to give it a good sniff and leg-raise. (Sorry kitties, this is still my turf!)

I’ve also been known to try and drag pops on into the bushes to score some cat food, but I’ve never quite made it in that far. I wonder what that stuff tastes like. Probably not as good as my Holistic Select brand food, but I’ve always wanted to try it.

So why am I bringing this up now? Well, as I happened to get to campus early this morning (just after 7 AM) I finally spotted the lady that keeps these cats fed. I saw her from afar, but she was nobody that I recognized and she had a tan mini-van with nothing “Butler” on it whatsoever.

Here all of this time I just assumed that the grounds crew or one of my cat-loving colleagues were doing the honors of filling those bowls with foods, but what I found out this morning was that it was a complete stranger. ..and that makes this story really strange.

I think it’s nice that the lady is keeping these cats alive and somewhat well and it gives me hope that someday if I ever found myself in a similar situation that I could live in the bushes around Butler and someone would come by every now and again to keep me fed. But really, who exactly comes to a college campus at seven in the morning to feed a couple of feral cats in the bushes?

I know it’s been going on for a while as I’ve seen the food in the bowls, that are in the bushes, but what also reaffirmed it was watching the cats (who had no idea I was up and on campus at that hour) come scurrying over to their “home bush” to meet the lady and their precious kibble. Like a couple of Pavlov’s dogs, those cats came running at the sight and sound of that lady and her van.

Oh well, it’s doing me no harm and like I said, those cats watch the place for me at night so I’m not going to complain. Plus the cats and their natural habitat are a nice distraction for me on my way in to work each morning. And, not to mention, I’m living the good life and I think all animals should be so lucky…let them have their delivery kitty food every now and again.

So, the story of the campus kitties will live on as far as I’m concerned. It’s just a little Butler lore that I wanted to share with all of you. Now, about those squirrels always taunting me from the trees and sidewalks…they’ve got another thing coming!

Go Dawgs…and maybe even cats too!

Blue II

Gordon Hayward: A Jazzy Bulldog

So Butler Bulldog Gordon Hayward got himself a new gig last month when he was selected ninth in the NBA Draft by the Utah Jazz. There were fist pumps and cheers of joy at the Kaltenmark house when NBA Commissioner David Stern made the announcement. And ever since, people have been asking me what I think about it all.

While I hate to see a kid cut short his one chance to be, well, a kid, I am quite happy for him. If only we could all be so fortunate to have such an incredible opportunity to follow our dream, do what we love, and get paid handsomely for it.

You see, I’m long over the sadness of Gordon’s decision to leave Butler early to pursue a career in the pros. Sure, I would’ve loved to have him give me a pat on the head when introduced at every home game for the next two years, but that’s not going to pay him $2 million a year either.

So to see Gordon represent Butler on a National stage like the NBA draft, get selected ninth overall and go to a fine organization like the Utah Jazz, well, that just makes my big bulldog chest swell a bit more. And I just couldn’t be happier for the kid given the circumstances, I mean, just think about it…

-The Utah Jazz are a successful organization. They win basketball games and a lot of them too. They regularly make the playoffs and win many of those games as well. From the front office to the end of the bench, they have winners.

-The Utah Jazz have room for a player like Gordon which means there’s a good chance he’ll get to play sooner rather than later. Not only that, but Gordon may have the opportunity to be a real impact player for the team.

-The Utah Jazz wanted Gordon...they recognize his game, the understand his abilities, they see his huge potential, and they believe they can help him overcome any weaknesses.

-The Utah Jazz have University of Evansville standout and graduate, Jerry Sloan as their coach. Not only does he have Indiana connections, but he’s also has the longest standing tenure as a head coach in major professional sports.

-The Utah Jazz play in EnergySolutions Arena. Gordon has played their twice. He defeated Syracuse and Kansas State in the NCAA West Regional Semi-Finals and Finals. He’s yet to lose a game there.

-And last, but not least, the Utah Jazz fans make humorous YouTube videos in his honor as well: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=laBPh2gncgY

The list goes on and on, but I think all Butler Bulldogs can rejoice in the fact that Gordon Hayward will now be a Jazzy Bulldog. So go get your Utah Jazz/Hayward apparel and be prepared to actually follow the NBA this season.

Congrats to Gordon and may have a safe and blessed professional career. I know he’ll make Butler very proud.

Speaking of pride, how about that cover of the July 2010 Indianapolis Monthly? That’s one good-looking dog!

Well, that’s about the only insights I have for you these days. I’m still making plenty of appearances and booking requests. From pet parades, to summer camps, nursing homes, and media announcements, you name it, I’m doing it. I don’t mind…it’s good to get out and see the people and its good job security too.

Big projects of late…my children’s book, my 2011 calendar, and the 10th annual Bulldog Beauty Contest on Oct. 23rd.

Go Dawgs and Go Jazz!

Blue II

Cover Dog

How about the cover of that July 2010 issue of Indianapolis Monthly? Pretty handsome fella on there if I do say so myself!

I’m honored to have both the cover of the Indianapolis Monthly and the new PETBOOK Magazine for July. I don’t know if it’s as much about me as it is a sign of Butler’s success and popularity these days. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, there’s never been a better time to be a Bulldog!

You’ve probably already seen the latest Indianapolis Monthly in your mail box or in the checkout aisle at the supermarket, but I still wanted to post it on my blog for all of those non-Indy readers.

Here’s a link to the article and some photos from the photo shoot that I participated in: https://bumail.butler.edu/owa/redir.aspx?C=fae6e65027384fa78b6069ee59236ad8&URL=http%3a%2f%2fwww.indianapolismonthly.com%2fblue-the-butler-bulldog-photogallery.aspx

The photos are fantastic!

Unfortunately, they didn’t have room to submit the entire Q&A and I had some pretty sweet answers to their questions. So, I’m thinking that I’ll post the entire Q&A on this blog in August after the July issue is off the store shelves. That is of course, if the fine folks at Indianapolis Monthly allow me to do so.

Also, if you find a PETBOOK magazine at a local vet office or pet store, take a look at the photos in that piece as well. Those were also great and shot by Red Hydrant Pet Photography. You can see some of those here: http://www.redhydrantphotography.com/

Okay, that’s it from me for now. Short and sweet. After all, I’ve got a kiddie pool calling my name…gotta beat the heat…doctor’s orders! Okay, not really, but it is effective and fun!

Next entry I’ll share my perspective on Gordon Hayward’s recent job offer from the NBA’s Utah Jazz. Until then, stay cool!

Blue II

Ain't No TIME for the Summertime Blues

I’m about as good as updating my blog lately as my dad is at golf, which by the way is terrible. My apologies, but what can I say, I’m busier than a lot of humans I know!

Speaking of being busy, that’s exactly what I’ve been. I thought that once the Final Four ended things would settle down. They didn’t. If you’re following me on Twitter: www.Twitter.com/ButlerBlue2, and I have no idea why you wouldn’t be, then you know that life since the Final Four has been so much more than it was before the Final Four. And, I wouldn’t say I was just taking it easy before the Final Four either.

I think there’s another guy (no, not my dad) who’s feeling the same pain and that’s Butler’s men’s basketball coach, Brad Stevens. You may know him as John Wooden, Jr. Yeah, he’s in high demand these days too. So much so that he hired IMG Worldwide to handle his PR, marketing and appearances. Nice. Now, can I get in on that?

If you’ve missed all of this, then you’ve been living under a rock or watching too much of the NBA Finals. Don’t watch that stuff, it’s where fundamentals go to die. However, in the future you are allowed to watch games that Gordon Hayward plays in.

At any rate, I think ESPN’s Diamond Leung summed it up perfectly in his short “Brad Stevens is Very Marketable” entry on June 4th. Of course he got it right, he mentioned me in the piece! Anyway, here’s what he had to say:

Butler coach Brad Stevens at least on the surface doesn't give off the vibe of a guy who says things like, "Have your people call my people."

But indeed Stevens does have "people" now, as IMG Worldwide announced Friday that Stevens had hired the powerhouse agency to manage his business affairs, including licensing, literary, speaking, broadcasting and marketing representation.

Fresh off a national title game appearance, Stevens is everywhere now, most recently literally being placed on a pedestal to wave the green flag at Indianapolis 500 festivities.

On its website, IMG lists college coaching clients such as Cal's Mike Montgomery and Villanova's Jay Wright, but might it also consider extending its influence into mascots?

Butler Blue II, after all, wants the agency's representation as well.

Yes, it’s true, I wouldn’t mind some representation of my own, but I don’t see that happening. So I’ll just keep my bootleg Ari Gold, AKA my dad, and pick up Brad Stevens’ scraps.

Speaking of which, catch me on Sunday, June 20 as the grand marshal of the 2010 Zionsville Pet Parade! Big headlines in the Indy Star the other day; read all about it: http://www.indystar.com/article/20100608/LOCAL0202/6080391/1001/NEWS

I’m also going to be in the Wabash Animal Shelter’s “Pet on Parade” in Wabash, Ind. on Saturday, June 19th as well. I’m staying with my grandparents next week in Wabash while my parents take a well-deserved “babymoon.” So my grandpa, a Wabash Co. Commissioner, proudly booked his granddog (read: me) as a celebrity dog in the local pet parade. I’m happy to oblige.

Oh, and on June 20th at 11:30 a.m., look for my new Holsitic Select pet food commercial on Pet Pals TV which airs on WTHR NBC Ch. 13.

Otherwise, just try and keep up on Twitter. I’ve got plenty more appearances sprinkled in and around this stuff so it should be fun.

And when I’m not appearing in public rest assured that I’m working on a few special projects including my 2011 calendar and a new Blue II children’s book. It truly is the dog days of summer for yours truly!

Extending my 15 minutes,

Blue II

Working like a Dog; Loyal like a Dog

Given my schedule during the Final Four, it's pretty safe to say that I was one of the most sought after Butler figures during the that week. It's like I've said before, if Brad Stevens and the players were recognized for their efforts as the leading role, then I should receive the honor of best supporting actor.

I had so much fun doing so many media and community appearances that week. It was certainly a first in a lifetime experience for me. And, if you've kept up with my life on Twitter, then you know that the fun has yet to end as I continue to get several requests from both the Butler community and the community at-large for additional appearances.

People have been asking me just how many media interviews and appearances I did during the Final Four and since. So, my pops and I sat down and took a tally. To give you an idea of just how much I was "in demand" during the Final Four run, here's a bit of info for you to chew on...

Between March 27 and April 5 (10 days), I participated in approx. 30 local radio, tv and print interviews. These included several interviews with the Indianapolis Star, an interview with Pet Pals TV, multiple interviews with the local TV affiliates, and a good dose of the local FM and AM radio stations.

Regionally, I granted at least two interviews with newspapers from Pittsburgh and Detroit and I think I did more than that, I just can't remember them all.

Nationally, I was interviewed by Yahoo Sports, the Bob and Tom Show (clip below), CBS Sports, the CBS Early Show, Sports Illustrated.com and the Associated Press. Thanks to the AP love, my mug appeared in national print including the USA Today, New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Indianapolis Business Journal and the NCAA Tournament Commemorative piece created by the USA Today.



Now since that March 27th date, I've been busy with more than just the aforementioned media tour. Since that day I've also completed, or have scheduled myself to appear at approximately 35 community events, including grand marshal of a pet parade in Zionsville, Ind., host of the American Cancer Society’s Bark for Life in Carmel, Ind., and two Indiana Pacers games. Not to mention, there are approximately 20 additional appearance requests sitting on my dad's desk that we've still yet to deal with!

Since the Final Four I've also done an interview for Indianapolis Monthly and their pet issue which will come out later in the year. And, I did another interview with Pet Pals TV where they came to my house, MTV Cribs style, and I did an interview with PETBOOK of Indianapolis as well.

If if that wasn't enough, the noteriety has allowed me to close another sponsorship deal (Good Dog Hotel & Spa) and have led to talks with a couple of other potential sponsors and partners. I've got another sponsor announcement coming soon!

Plus, you dog and bulldog owners will be happy to know that I'm working with another partner to not just make more Butler licensed dog accessories available to the general public, but I'm also investigating my own line of bulldog and large dog breed clothing as well.

But wait, there's more! Discussions for the Blue II 2011 Calendar have begun! The goal is to have it available and for sale in August 2010.

So the Final Four has made me a household name and business is certainly booming. I'm a very blessed bulldog. But that's not the moral of the story here. No, the moral is to stick to the guiding principles that got me, us, to this point; The Butler Way.

In other words, I'm trying not to let all of this go to my head and neither should any of us Butler Bulldogs. The success has been great and we should certainly celebrate and enjoy it. But along with all of this comes the perfect opportunity to show the world exactly what it is that got us here.

The Butler Way demands commitment, denies selfishness, accepts reality yet seeks improvement everyday while putting the team above self.

That basically means that there's no resting on accolades, so we might as well "ctrl+alt+del" our lives in the wake of our Final Four success and get focused on being the Butler Bulldogs we always were.

That's not to say we shouldn't acknowledge the extra feather in our cap and all that comes with it, but at the same time, we have a new task at hand...a new task that requires the old instructions.

So look for more of me working like a dog in the weeks and months to come. It's my hope that you'll see me being loyal like a dog to the Butler Way.

Yep, when you see me out working, I hope you see the same Blue II that you knew before I ever set paw on the court at Lucas Oil Stadium or wagged my tongue on national TV. True Blue.

Go Dawgs!

Blue II

A Clean Dog is a Happy Dog

It's true, a clean dog certainly is a happy dog and thanks to my pals at Good Dog Hotel & Spa in Broad Ripple, I will be both clean and happy for a long time to come!

Of course, I've been those things for a long time, but now I've got the sponsorship support to make my cleanliness that much easier to come by as I'm pleased to announce that Good Dog Hotel & Spa is now the exclusive and official groomer for Butler Blue II (that's me!).

During all of that March Madness stuff I got a call from Jen Funk, a fellow Butler grad who worked at Good Dog Hotel & Spa and wanted to recognize Butler's advancement to the Final Four. To commerate the occasion, she was planning a "Bulldog Party" and was offering a discount to all bulldogs (four legs) in the neighborhood that wanted to get cleaned up for the big game.

Of course, she invited me to attend as an appearance fee, she granted a full-service grooming. You may remember the occasion being televised by many of the local TV stations and featured in print thanks to The Indianapolis Star. (http://photos.indystar.com/galleries/9232-blue-ii-spa-and-party)

I still have people telling me they loved watching my spa treatment and frankly, I loved it so much that I wanted to come back for more. So the kind folks at Good Dog Hotel & Spa were happy to oblige and now I get to come back whenever I want! To know me, is to know clean and happy from now on!

In case you missed out on the excitement of the aforementioned Bulldog Party, Good Dog Hotel has PHOTOS and VIDEO on their website (www.gooddoghotel.com) for viewing. Be sure to check it all out!

I'm looking forward to partnering with Good Dog Hotel & Spa on may projects and special events in the future. They are good bunch over there and I'm happy to add them to my sponsor lineup which includes...

Woodland Animal Hospital (Dr. Kurt Phillips)
WellPet & Holistic Select
City Dogs Grocery (Susan Smith)
VCA Animal Hospitals (Dr. Deb Rowley)
Good Dog Hotel & Spa

Many thanks to Good Dog Hotel & Spa, owner Matt Kurtz, my contact Jen Funk, and all of the great people there. Here's to a great partnership!

Now get your dog to Good Dog!

Blue II

P.S. Don't forget to follow Good Dog Hotel & Spa on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/gooddogindy and look for them on Facebook too!

P.S.S. I've got another partnership to announce very soon and there's potential for even more on the horizon! Stay tuned!

Party for Dogs (and Humans) in Celebration of Butler Basketball

I hope to have a press release ready in the morning, but for now, here's what you need to know...

Butler Blue II & City Dogs Grocery to Host Season-Ending Celebration…All Bulldogs, Wannabe Bulldogs and their owners are invited!

WHAT: Butler Univ. live English Bulldog mascot, Blue II, and partners City Dogs Grocery and WellPet (Eagle Pack Pet Food/Holistic Select), in conjunction with Indianapolis’ College Ave. Merchants, are hosting a party in celebration of the Butler University men’s basketball team and their phenomenal 2009-10 season which concluded this past Monday in the NCAA championship game.

WHEN: Saturday, April 10, 2010 – Noon and through the afternoon.

WHERE: City Dogs Grocery, located at 52nd Street and College Ave.

WHAT ELSE: All dogs will go home with a gift bag while dog owners will have the opportunity to take advantage of great savings, receive coupons, win prizes, and gift certificates to City Dogs Grocery and other College Ave. Merchants such as…

Aristocrat Restaurant (running a lunch special on “Bleu Burgers!)
Circle City Pizza
Fresh Market Grocery
Habig
Indie Bike
Recess Restaurant
Red Key Tavern
Sparkle Cleaners
Taste
Yats
…and more!

THERE’S MORE: Proceeds from a percentage of sales will benefit the Bulldog Rescue of Indiana. In addition, the Bulldog Rescue of Indiana will have a female bulldog onsite and available for adoption. A local bulldog breeder will also have two five-week-old pups on site which will be available for adoption and able to join a new family in just three weeks.

WHY: We’re excited about the Butler basketball success and even more excited to bring the community together in celebration, support the Bulldog Rescue of Indiana, and pass along some great savings and prizes. So bring your dog and join us this Saturday!

When a Moral Victory Becomes the Greatest Victory

I don’t know about you, but I’m still hung-over from the week that I just had and that NCAA National Championship game. It was the best week I’ve ever had and the worst week that I ever had.

You can’t have joy without sorrow/pain (a wise soul told me that). So be it, but it’s how you handle it that determines your character, your legacy. Butler University head coach Brad Stevens and our magnificent men’s basketball team taught us that, if nothing else, over the past few days.

But before I get ahead of myself with all of that deep reflection let me just speak briefly about the week itself and the schedule I kept. I cannot even begin to exhaustively list all of my experiences and media appearances. Just know that they were extensive and plentiful, highlighted by…

-Sitting on the court following the Butler/MSU semi-final, just owning it, while CBS concluded its coverage of that game. (see: www.flickr.com/butlerblue2)

-Sitting on the lap of CBS Sports analyst, Seth Davis, during their semi-final pre-game coverage alongside Greg Gumbel and Greg Anthony. (see: www.flickr.com/butlerblue2)

-Appearing on the Bob & Tom Show and licking the Miller High Life guy’s face.

-Meeting Peyton Manning at the National Championship game. (see: www.flickr.com/butlerblue2)

-Having my mug in The Indianapolis Star, USA Today, and the Wall Street Journal, among countless other newspapers, all in one day.

-Tearing up a Michigan State Spartans hat on the CBS Early Show.

-Appearing in CBS’ “One Shining Moment” following the National Championship game.

-Being on the court during player introductions for both the semi-final and championship games; just like back at Hinkle Fieldhouse.

-My spa treatment at Good Dog Hotel & Spa in Broad Ripple.

-Staying at a hotel.

-A police escort.

-Watching members of the media act like normal fans while waiting in line to get their picture taken with me. (see: www.flickr.com/butlerblue2)

-Representing Butler on the biggest stage ever in the school’s 155-year history. I will always be THE Bulldog to have represented Butler in its first-ever Final Four and National Championship game.

There was just so much more than the baker’s dozen listed above which reminds me, if you aren’t following me on Twitter or at least checking in on my Twitter feed on a daily basis, you’re missing out! You can find that here: www.Twitter.com/ButlerBlue2.

What is amazing is that before the NCAA Tournament started I probably had a little over 1,000 Twitter followers. Today I have north of 1,700!

You might also want to check out my Flickr photostream at www.Flickr.com/ButlerBlue2 which chronicles my adventures from the week or so. The interesting fact there is that my Flickr photostream has garnered more than 9,000 views on each of the last two days. Staggering.

But it’s not all about me, no, credit goes to the men’s basketball team and their coaching staff for making it all possible. Without them, I’m just another English Bulldog who happens to be a mascot. Today, I’m Butler Blue II, the cute bulldog mascot of Butler University.

My face and my name aren’t just recognized these days, but they are now synonymous with “Butler University.” That was always the goal, but America finally got the message loud and clear over the last few days. Coach Stevens, his staff, and his team delivered that message. Thank you, gentlemen!

You know, I’m just a dog, but again, I was heart-broken over that loss. With around 13 seconds to go, I thought victory was ours. My Bulldogs had found a way to win all season. I had no reason to believe that they wouldn’t this time either.

When Gordon Hayward’s last shot didn’t go in, I was whisked off of the court and taken behind the scenes and out of harms way. My dad tried to get a rise out of me. I wasn’t talking. I was tired, I was hurt, and I was mad. As a dog, I felt the collective hopes, dreams, and positive energy being sucked out of Lucas Oil Stadium faster than a Shelvin Mack scoring run.

As my dad described it to Luke Winn of Sports Illustrated, I was “stone cold.”

I’m a dog and most things just roll right off my back. There’s not much a treat and a new toy won’t fix, but this one stung.

My biggest question at that moment, “What am I supposed to learn from this?” I mean, I already knew that life wasn’t fair, but this just seemed offensive.

So in the last 24-48 hours I’ve been looking for answers. I realize they all won’t come immediately, but there is something that is becoming very clear as I remove the layers of Butler insulation and begin seeing the world through fresh canine eyes.

In my doggy wisdom, it's becoming evident to me that in the championship game, Duke won the contest to score as many points as possible in 40 minutes. They got a nice trophy for that. But it was Butler that actually won the overall affair.

I mean, the President of the United States of America never calls the losing team and nor does the losing coach get interviews on the Late Show with David Letterman. Those things just don’t happen.

Outside of a small pocket of folks in North Carolina and the Duke alumni across the world, I don’t think anyone else even cares that Duke won that game. The media coverage since the final buzzer sounded confirms that notion.

I almost feel kind of bad for Duke, but not really. Congrats to those guys. That’s a great program, with great talent and they certainly earned the title, but I guess I’m not sorry that they never got the spotlight that is typically reserved for champions. No, that light is shining bright on Butler’s campus these days.

Watch out, I’m going to get real metaphoric on you now, but, I think that beam shining on campus is merely a reflection of the light our team used to illuminate the sort of ideals and actions we’ve come to know as “The Butler Way.”

Gordon Hayward’s last-second half-court shot didn’t need to go in for our team and our university to be considered champions. By that point, that goal had already been accomplished and it almost had nothing to do with basketball at that time.

When there were just about 13 seconds to go in the game, I really did think victory was ours. Little did I know, it already was.

Go Dawgs!

Blue II

One More Lesson for the Final Four

So since my last post, I turned six years old, had the best birthday ever, earned a berth to the Final Four, made some television appearances, got my mug featured in The Indianapolis Star, etc., etc., etc.

It's all been overwhelming, surreal, hectic and most of all, FUN!

As you know by now the Butler University Bulldogs men's basketball team has won the West Regional Bracket of the NCAA Tournament and has boldly gone where no Butler Bulldogs have every gone before...The Final Four!

And if that wasn't enough, this year's Final Four is being held in our back yard; Indianapolis' Lucas Oil Stadium!

Look, it's almost a fairy tale story...the only thing left is two more victories for it to include a fairy tale ending. And while I stated in The Indianapolis Star that my only birthday wish was to earn a berth to the Final Four, what I failed to mention that for each of my years on this earth, I wanted an NCAA tournament victory. Four down; two to go.

You don't need me to recite the story lines. Just a basic Google news search will yield a plethora of articles on journey back home to Indianapolis and what may lie ahead.

But when it comes to all of this stuff and me, well, I'm probably in a similar place as you...I'm looking for my way into Lucas Oil Stadium for Butler's matchup between the Michigan State Spartans at 6 p.m. (ET) on Saturday, April 3, 2010.

You see, it's been my understanding that the NCAA does not allow live mascots in tournament sites. Thus the reason I did not make the trek to San Jose, Calif, or Salt Lake City, Utah the past two weeks.

However, now that the Bulldogs have made it to the Final Four and it's in our own backyard, we've got a whole new ballgame! I'm looking for access!

The irony here is, when the NCAA announced that Indianapolis and Lucas Oil Stadium would be the 2010 host of the men's basketball Final Four, they asked host school, Butler University, to attend the press conference inside Lucas Oil Stadium and bring the cheerleaders and yours truly along for photo-opportunities.

So as far as being allowed inside Lucas Oil Stadium is concerned; been there done that. So in my opinion, it's now up to the NCAA to find it in their hearts to literally open doors for me.

Moreover, I'm pretty sure I remember seeing Georgetown's bulldog, Jack, at the Final Four a few years ago.

Thankfully, I've got the Butler Nation on my side so I think the message will be delivered loud and clear. I've got university staff working on my behalf, but without solicitation, my good friend and Butler beat writer for The Indianapolis Star, David Woods, included it in his blog submission on Sunday.

You can read David's thoughts on the matter here: http://blogs.indystar.com/butler/2010/03/ncaa_blog_17_let_blue_ii_appea.html.

I think David sums up well when he wrote, "What would it hurt if players pet Blue during introductions, and then Blue went charging across the floor to get his giant bone? That's good TV, folks." Thanks David!

So here's to hoping I find my way into the stadium for the game on Saturday.

As for ticket info, events, merchandise, make sure you follow me, my pal Hink, and Butler University on Twitter this week at the following locations:

www.Twitter.com/ButlerBlue2

www.Twitter.com/HinkTheBUDog

www.Twitter.com/ButlerU

It would also be in your best interest to checkout www.butlersports.com and www.butler.edu/alumni.

I've got tons of birthday stuff to share, but I'll save that for later...forgive me if I don't even get to it until next week, although I'll try put up a birthday re-cap this week.

What is more important right now is living in the moment. I hope all of our Bulldog alumni, students, faculty, staff, fans and even our newest members to the "Bulldog Nation" will show their patience, passion, and presence this week.

After reading back through my recent post which shared "What I've Learned" over the past six year's, I realized that left out an important lesson I learned recently from the likes of The Avett Brothers; a folk-rock type band that my pops listens to all the time.

The Avett Brother's song, "Murder in the City" ends with the lyric, "Always remember there was nothing worth sharing like the love that let us share our name."

In this case, that shared name is "Butler" and that love is "Butler love." It's running rampant these days and it's something that all of us Bulldogs should revel in.

A Final Four berth is precious, even for the most dominant of basketball programs, so enjoy every bit of the experience.

There truly has never been a better time to be a Butler Bulldog and fortunately for me, there's never been a better time to be THE Butler Bulldog. And as we get into the thick of the hoopla that comes along with appearing in the Final Four in your own hometown, just "remember there is nothing worth sharing like the love that let us share our name;" the Butler name.

Go Dawgs!

Blue II

Butler Blue II: What I've Learned

You ever pick up an Esquire Magazine and read the “What I’ve Learned” piece each month? The section typically focuses on a famous person and basically captures their life lessons, in their own words, on one page, and often with some sort of poignant/introspective photograph.


One of the best “What I’ve Learned” editions of all time belongs to legendary basketball coach and fellow Hoosier, John Wooden. You can read that here: http://www.esquire.com/features/what-ive-learned/learned-john-wood-0200?src=nl&mag=esq&list=nl_enl_spt_cel_032310_john-wood&kw=ist

“What I’ve Learned” is so popular that Esquire devotes one whole issue a year to feature, in addition to what appears every month. It’s the first thing my dad turns to when his monthly subscription to Esquire Magazine arrives in the mail. He likes people, he likes the spoken work, he likes the printed word; “What I’ve Learned” is right up his alley.

So, for my sixth birthday I thought it was as good of time as any to debut a “What I’ve Learned” of my own. After all, I’m like 42 in dog-years and given that the average lifespan for an English Bulldog is 8-10 years, well, I’m getting up there! It’s time to share, “What I’ve Learned.”

(Birthday information follows below.)

Butler Blue II: What I’ve Learned

Mascot, 6, Indianapolis

The infamous Butler University mascot, now six years-old, on being a dog, The Butler Way, and Blue III.


Cliché, or cheesy, that’s how some people describe “The Butler Way.” That’s fine, but the core of its message you just can’t get sneeze at…especially in today’s society.

The Butler Way...demands commitment, denies selfishness,accepts reality, yet seeks improvement everydaywhile putting the team above self.

You ever hear the saying, “God gave us two ears and one mouth for a reason?” Yeah, same here, only I can’t articulate with that mouth. My intuition is second-to-none and ohhhhh, if this dog could talk!

My mind is like a steal trap. I never forget.

When people make over me and really get down on my level for a good scratching, it’s really therapy for them. They’ll say that it’s all about me and giving me the attention I deserve, and there’s some truth to that, but those are the people that truly find my presence therapeutic as well.

I’m not for everyone. I get that. Some people just aren’t “dog people.” And frankly, some people aren’t for me.

“Dog people” are some of the most compassionate people that walk the earth.

Butler has not always had an official live mascot. They’re getting better at it all the time. I’m constantly training them. The question remains, how will they honor me when I’m gone?

The power of sleep can never be underestimated.

George Clinton once said, “…nuthin’ but the dog in me.” He must have been a dog in a previous life. He knows.

The entire Butler family will forever be indebted to the university’s current president, Dr. Bobby Fong. Love him or hate him, the man has vision, and has been a true leader behind the university’s growth and success.

Bobby Fong will leave Butler better than the way he found it. I hope I’m so fortunate.

I was born for this job. Refer to the saying that “not all bulldogs are created equal” for proof.
I’ve embraced the role of mascot and it has embraced me.

A lot of people and businesses have generously offered their care, goods and services for my well-being. If only I could tell them how much it means to me.

From my behavior and conduct, to my blog, Twitter, Facebook, etc., I’ve done my best to self-promote, pull my weight, and shine in my own limelight. However, it’s the acceptance of the Butler community and the success of the university that has truly made me the mascot that I am today.

My breeder mentioned something to my dad about Butler Blue III coming on the scene in a few years and suggested I’d make a good trainer/mentor. I suppose I’ll be up for that when the time comes. It’s my duty.

I will embrace death knowing that I lived as full of life as a dog could live and hoping that my legacy takes on the likes of Paul Bunyon or Chuck Norris.

My parents will be a wreck when it’s time for me to meet my maker.

The English Bulldog might be the most misunderstood breed of all time.

The success of the Butler men's basketball team won't last forever. People need to realize just how rare and exceptional all of this is. I'd like to tell our administration, our alumni, our fans , our faculty, our staff, and even our players to take every advantage of it, but that's putting it too lightly. Just look at the likes of UCLA, Arizona, Indiana and North Carolina these days. We're not even half their size either, thus making our situation all that much more precious. Carpe diem, Butler University. Carpe diem.

All ships rise because of our basketball success, even academic programs. Those that can't get behind it are missing opportunities of their own and shared greatness for the university.

Living is running the football team onto the field. Living is running across the basketball court to grab my bone from the Dawg Pound. Living is destroying a basketball in a matter of seconds. Living is riding in my tail wagon. Living is devouring ice cream. Living is being loved and loving right back.

Just when I think I’m calling the shots, my dad reminds me who is the “alpha dog.”

“Bulldogs ever do or die.” Butler Bulldogs of all ages, races and creeds; take heed!


Well, I hope you liked my take at Esquire’s ever-popular “What I’ve Learned.” Hey, Esquire, if you’re reading, feel free to pick this up and run it in your next issue. Might be timely if the Butler Bulldogs make it to the Final Four!

As for my birthday, well, I turn the big six on Saturday, March 27th, but we’re celebrating on campus this Friday, March 26th! http://www.butler.edu/buconnection/staff/?p=19824

The Butler University Student Foundation (BUSF) is inviting the campus community to Starbucks from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. for “Blue II's Birthday Bash!” There will be free cupcakes and treats, photos with yours truly, fun games and prizes. Be sure to stop by and sign my birthday card or you can color your own special message for me!

All students, faculty and staff are invited to come out and show their Butler spirit in celebration of my sixth birthday!

Other than that, get your game-faces on because tomorrow our beloved Butler Bulldogs fifth-seeded men’s basketball team will take on the number one-seeded Syracuse Orange in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament, tomorrow (Thursday, March 25th) at 7:07 p.m.

For more information on the game and viewing parties, visit: http://www.butler.edu/alumni/events/athletics/men

Go Dawgs!


Blue II

'My Perfect 10' Special NCAA Edition Playlist for MY107.9FM

So I was contacted by Scott Roddy and the fine folks at Indianapolis' 107.9 FM (my "one 'O' seven nine") to create a special edition "My Perfect 10, " which is a little something they do for their listners.

You see, they have their listeners create their perfect top-10 playlist, then invite them to the studio to record it and tell the other listners just why it's perfect for them.

Given my role with Butler, the NCAA men's basketball tournament, and the fact that Butler is in said tournament, the station thought it would be a good idea for me to create a special NCAA Tournament edition of "My Perfect 10."

So my dad and I made our way to Indy's Entercom offices and recorded the intros for "My Perfect 10."

You can hear this live, on the air, on Wednesday, March 17th at 7 p.m. and again on Sunday, March 21st at 7 p.m.

But, in case you miss it, I've included "My Perfect 10" and the reasoning behind selecting each song, below...

Blue II’s Special NCAA Tournament Edition “My Perfect 10” Playlist – March 2010

10. “Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” by U2

The Butler Bulldogs men’s basketball team has achieved a lot in my tenure and even before my time, including a couple of Sweet 16 appearances, several NCAA tournament bids, some conference championships, and most recently, an undefeated run through the entire conference season! And after all of that, we’re still not satisfied. No, until we take six consecutive wins in the NCAA tournament and bring home a national championship, well, we “still haven’t found what we’re looking for!”

9. “I Wanna Be Your Dog” by The Stooges

It’s time to select the teams for your NCAA Tournament bracket, and well, “I Wanna Be Your Dog!” Plus, we’ll need all of the positive energy I can get when the Butler Bulldogs are on the court. So whether you’re a Butler grad or not, we’ll gladly adopt you to the litter, and we hope you’ll have us as well.

UPDATE: No. 9 has since changed to "Hound Dog" by Jerry Leiber & Mike Stoller and most likely performed by Elvis Pressley. The song may revert back to "I Wanna Be Your Dog" by The Stooges if the station can track down a better quality recording by that time. If not, "Hound Dog" will have to do. And, I suppose it's appropriate given that I am quite the "media hound" this time of year!

8. “Atomic Dog” by George Clinton

“Why must I feel like that? Why must I chase the cat? Nothin’ but the dog in me!” No truer words have ever been spoken, at least in my world. George Clinton knew what he was doing when he wrote this diddy. Heck, Snoop Dogg made a whole career by sampling beats and lyrics from this track. After all these years, it’s still funky and it’s still fresh. So anyway, when someone questions why you picked the Butler Bulldogs to go all the way to the Final Four this year, just tell them, “hey, it’s nothin’ but the dog in me!”

7. “Takin’ Care of Business” by Bachman Turner Overdrive

“Takin Care of Business,” that’s what us Butler Bulldogs do and have been doing for some time now. In the last 14 years alone in men’s basketball we’ve had twelve 20 win seasons (five consecutive), eight NCAA Tournament appearances, two Sweet 16 appearances, three NIT appearances, nine regular season Horizon League championships, six conference tournament championships and now, a 20-0 undefeated record in Horizon League play. We start our practices before the sun comes up and win games by night...”we be takin’ care of business every day!”

6. “Hey Bulldog” by The Beatles

Look no further than the title of this song to understand why it made the list. But, I must say, John Lennon’s barking at the end of the song gets a head tilt and hair raise out of me every time.

5. “Who Let the Dogs Out” by Baha Men

This is definitely the sorriest excuse for a song on this entire list, but I have to include this song in order to appease those cliché types who come to expect such things. If nothing else, it adds some comedic value to the list. I know I can’t listen to it without laughing…no Baha Men, I’m not laughing with you, I’m laughing AT YOU. Did they ever figure out who let the dogs out, anyway? Maybe they let themselves out, ever think of that?

4. “NCAA Basketball Theme” by CBS

Hear this track and you automatically think of March Madness. If this doesn’t get you in the mood to fill out some brackets, skip work to watch some hoops, and root for the underdog (and/or Bulldogs), then nothing will.

3a. “I Gotta Feelin’” by The Black Eyed Peas

We opened the 2009-10 season with the song and we’re going to bring it to a close with this song as well. We had a lot of “good nights” so far this season and we hope that there are just about six more left in us come NCAA tournament time. If you’re a Bulldog, then you’ve just gotta believe that any night we’re on the court, well, then “tonight’s gonna be a good night!”

*3b. “How You Like Me Now” by The Heavy*

The old man and I like to cruise around town together with this song blaring... windows down, sunroof open, seats tilted back, his Ray Bans on, my tongue hanging out...acting like we’ve got all the answers. But come March, when I hear this song I envision winning a National Title and then looking at all the big schools, the so-called analysts, the know-it-all critics and just saying, “how you like me now?”

2. “Welcome to the Jungle” by Guns N’ Roses

Lots of reasons to add this to this, perhaps the biggest reason being you can’t listen to it without getting pumped up. Take the reasoning a little deeper and you’ll find that the Butler Bulldogs aren’t unlike the jungle Axel Rose describes. We may look like cute cuddly Bulldogs, a la a pretty serene jungle, but cage us in the confines of a basketball court (especially Hinkle Fieldhouse) and you’ve got another thing coming. “We’re gonna bring ya to your na-na na-na na-na knees!”

1. “The Butler War Song” performed by The Butler University Marching Band

If you’re a Butler grad, student or fan and you know this one, then start clapping and singing along. Remember, “Bulldogs ever do or die!” So be loud, be proud, and GO DAWGS!

*We changed up No. 3 from “How You Like Me Now” to “I Gotta Feelin;” so that we could go with something a little more mainstream. However, you may recognize “How You Like Me Now” from those clever KIA commercials with the sock monkey, robot, etc. Look it up on YouTube.

Again, “My Perfect 10” will air on Indianapolis’ 107.9 FM at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, March 17, 2010 and again at 7 p.m. on Sunday, March 21, 2010.

Also, for more pics and info from my studio visit http://www.my1079online.com/ and click the "GAB" link.

Of course, I had a lot of help with this list which means that a lot of great songs were left off. So, it is my pleasure list all of the other song suggestions that I did not use.

There were some great tracks here, but not ones I decided to select. (In no particular order.)

"True Blue" by Madonna

"Bulldog Skin" by Guided by Voices

“The Best” by Tina Turner

“We are the Champions” by Queen

"Roundball Rock” by John Tesh

"Kick” by INXS

“Me and You and A Dog Named Boo”by Lobo

“Basketball Jones” by Cheech and Chong

“Ain’t Nothing But a Hound Dog” by Elvis

"One Moment In Time” by Whitney Houston

“Old Blue”by The Byrds

"Let's Dance"by David Bowie

"Lean On Me" by The Club Nouveau Version

"We're Not Gonna take it" by Twisted Sister

"Gonna Have a Party" by Alabama

"Don’t Stop Believin’" by Journey

Lose Yourself" by Eminem

"Tubthumping" by Chumbawamba

“Winning” by Santana

“One of the Survivors” by The Kooks

"Your Bulldog Drinks Champagne" by Jim Stafford

"Let’s Get It Started" by The Black Eyed Peas

"Jump Around" by House of Pain

"We Will Rock You" by Queen

"Eye Of The Tiger" by Survivor

"One Shining Moment" by Luther Vandross

"Take It To The House" by Trick Daddy

"Lose Yourself" by Eminem

"Till I Collapse" by Eminem

"Run This Town" by Jay-Z

"Stronger" by Kanye West

"Seven Nation Army" by The White Stripes

"Three Little Birds" by Bob Marley

"Big Poppa" by Notorious B.I.G.

"Get Low" by Lil Jon

"Whipping" by Pearl Jam

"1901" by Phoenix

"American Girl" by Tom Petty

"In the Meantime" by Spacehog

"Can't Always Get What You Want" by Rolling Stones

"Can You Hear Me Knocking" by Rolling Stones

"This Time of Year" by Better Than Ezra

"Today" by Smashing Pumpkins

"Remedy" by Black Crowes

"Ants Marching" by Dave Matthews Band

"Big Pippin'" by Jay Z

“All Night Long”by Lionel Richie

"Theme from Hoosiers" - Artist Unknown

"We Will Rock You" by Queen

"You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet" by Bachman-Turner Overdrive

"R.E.S.P.E.C.T." by Aretha Franklin

"Get Ready for This" by 2 Unlimited

"The Final Countdown" by Europe

"My Hero" by Foo Fighters

"Learning To Fly" by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

"Reach For The Sky" by Social Distortion

"No Excuses" by Alice in Chains

"Like a Stone" by Audioslave

"Woo Hah!! Got You All In Check" by Busta Rhymes

"Sure Shot" by Beastie Boys

"The Distance" by Cake

"Song 2" by Blur

"Go With the Flow" by Queens of the Stone Age

"Amber" by 311

"Oceans" by Pearl Jam

"Angels Of The Silences" by Counting Crows

"So What’cha Want" by Beastie Boys

"Pay For What You Get" by Dave Matthews Band

"What’s Left Of The Flag" by Flogging Molly

"It Was A Good Day" by Ice Cube

"Some Might Say" by Oasis

"Everybody Hurts" by REM

"Road Trippin’" by Red Hot Chili Peppers

"Don’t Take Me For Granted" by Social Distortion

"Misery" by Soul Asylum

"Somewhere" by Soundgarden

"Big Empty" by Stone Temple Pilots

"6th Avenue Heartache" by The Wallflowers

"Say It Ain’t So" by Weezer

"Pay for What You Get" by Dave Matthews Band

"The Best of What’s Around" by Dave Matthews Band

"Breakout" by Foo Fighters

"The Distance" by CAKE

"Don’t Stop Till You Get Enough" by Michael Jackson

"Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger" Daft Punk

"Heroes" David Bowie

"I Won’t Back Down" by Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers

"Jump Around" by House of Pain

"Miracle" by Foo Fighters

"Times Like These" by Foo Fighters

"You’re the Best" – Joe “Bean” Esposito (Karate Kid theme song)

"TNT" by ACDC

“Young Forever” by Jay-Z and Mr. Hudson

“Human” by The Killers

"Rebel Yell" by Billy Idol

"Had a Bad Day" by Daniel Powter

"Sweet Smell Of Success" by Stranglers

"Never Say Yes" by Elvis Pressley

"Blue Suede Shoes" by Elvis

"Winning it All" by The Outfield

"Win in the End" by Mark Safan (Teen Wolf theme song)

"Doggy Dogg World" by Snoop Dogg

"Another One Bites the Dust" by Queen

"Blue" by Eiffel 65

“Diggin’ Up Bones” by Randy Travis

“The Winner Takes All” by Abba

“Signed, Sealed, Delivered”by Stevie Wonder

“Everyone’s a Winner” by Hot Chocolate

“Born to Run” by Bruce Springsteen

“Stayin’ Alive” by The Bee Gees

“Dream On” by Aerosmith

"Let It Rock” by Kevin Rudolf

"Lose Yourself" by Eminem

"We Don’t Run" by Willie Nelson

"Proud Mary" by Creedence Clearwater Revival

"Hey Tonight" by Creedence Clearwater Revival

“Good Vibrations” by Beach Boys

Well, I think that's just about all of them...it's enough anyway. I'm not sure where some people's heads were at on some of those suggestions, but to each their own, I guesss.

I hope you liked "My Perfect 10" and enjoyed the intros for the songs as well. Don't forget, our Butler Bulldogs men's basketball team will be in action on Thursday, March 18th around 5 p.m. (ET) in San Jose as a five-seed playing the 12th seeded UTEP Miners.

Our women's basketball team will be playing in the NIT at Illinois State at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, March 17th.

For more information on the games, viewing parties, etc., visit http://www.butler.edu/alumni/events/athletics.

Happy St. Patrick's Day & Go Dawgs!

Blue II

The Great Blue II Twitter Calendar Give-Away

As many of you know, I’m pretty big on the Twitter. In fact, I’m so hip on the relatively new social medium it almost killed this blog!

Twitter has been a great way for me to report on what I’m doing, in real-time, in addition to maintaining a dialogue with fans, followers, and fellow Butler Bulldogs.

I’d like to think I’m the best canine in 140-characters or less. The twitter-sphere is my new domain! Plus, keep in mind that my Twitter efforts won me a gold medal!

So if I’m going to continue to tweet-it-up I’d like to have more followers with which to share my experience. That said, I’d like to thank the 1,116 Twitter followers that I have as of 9 a.m., Monday, March 08, 2010. You are great fans and I certainly appreciate your support!

BUT, I want more! So I’m taking a page out of the “How to do PR” manual written by my friends at Vision Racing (@VisionRacing) and I’m starting my own Twitter contest in order to acquire more followers. Winners drawn from the eligible ballots will receive a free 2010 Butler Blue II Calendar (nine solid months still worth using!).



I’m going to select a winner for every 50 new followers that I receive. So I’ll do a drawing at 1,150, another at 1,200, again at 1,250; so forth and so on.

Whether you’re a current follower or a new follower, you ALL can be a winner. To be entered in the contest, you must be following me at @ButlerBlue2 (so I can DM you) AND mention @ButlerBlue2.

Do this and a ballot will be entered in your name to win a 2010 calendar featuring yours truly!



Want to increase your chances by earning a second ballot? Simply add a link in your tweet directed to either my blog (http://www.butlerblue2.blogspot.com/) , one of my YouTube videos (www.youtube.com/butlerblue2) , one of my Flickr photos (www.flickr.com/photos/butlerblue2), something on my Facebook page (www.facebook.com/butlerblue2) or mention Butler University (@ButlerU).

And tell the “tweeple” about me if you think that I’m worth the follow.

Best of luck to all and remember, ALL entries are eligible for each and every drawing. So you should have quite a few chances at winning.

Again, thank you for your support and Go Dawgs!

Blue II

More Honors, More Appearances...It’s what I do!

So last week you read about me capturing a gold medal in CollegeSurfing.com’s “Web 2.0 College Olympics” thanks to my pretty fantastic Twitter skills. Well, the hits just keep on coming because I’ve got more accolades to tell you about this week as well.

Only this time, it’s the students of the Butler University Student Foundation (BUSF) that really deserve the credit (I only had a small paw in the matter) as they were recently awarded the Outstanding External Program Award at the CASE ASAP District V Conference for their efforts to include the campus and community in throwing a birthday party for me every year...also known as “Blue II’s Birthday Bash.”

They received the award on Feb. 27, 2010 in Bloomington, Ind. and were deservedly recognized in front of their peers.

Background info…CASE ASAP is comprised of student alumni associations, student foundations and similar organizations at more than 300 CASE member institutions. Its goal is to foster and enhance student involvement in all areas of advancement—from alumni relations and communications to fundraising, marketing and related areas.

The Outstanding External Program Award is given in recognition of “a program that is designed to involve more than just your organization such as your campus, alumni, and prospective students.”

District 5 includes schools from Indiana, Ohio, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota. By winning at the district level, “Blue II’s Birthday Bash” will be considered for the national award for Outstanding External Program, which will be presented at the CASE ASAP Network Convention in Kansas City this August!

Congrats to our BUSFers and Go Dawgs!



If I do say so myself, the “Blue II Birthday Bash” (Fri., March 26, 2010; 11:30 a.m.) is a wonderful campus event and certainly one that I’m quite fond of given that I’m the center of attention! There’s usually a large card that students sign for me, tons of cupcakes and cookies and of course photo opportunities with yours truly! Besides the part where they make me wear the birthday hat, it’s great time!



And again this year, we are letting the kiddos (big and small) join in on the celebration thanks to a special coloring page. Feel free to download the coloring page, print it out, color it in, and send me your best birthday wishes too!

You can access the coloring page here: http://www.butler.edu/alumni/BlueBdayCard.pdf.

So outside of collecting more trophies and planning for parties, I’ve just been busy either making appearances, or making plans to make appearances. My social calendar is filling up so if you want to see me, try and hit up one or all of the following events: (all times ET)


-BU Green Screen Video Shoot- Thursday, March 4th, 3:30 p.m.; Jordan Hall.

-Horizon League Tournament Pep Rally - Friday, March 5th, 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.; Circle Centre Mall food court.

-Horizon League Tournament – Saturday, March 6th, 6 p.m.; Hinkle Fieldhouse (ESPNU at 8 p.m.).

-Horizon League Championship – Tuesday, March 9th, 6 p.m.; Hinkle Fieldhouse.

-Bulldog Club of Indiana Show – Saturday, March 13th, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.; Tipton Co. Fairgrounds.

-Eco Dawgs Video Shoot – Tuesday, March 17th, 2 p.m.; TBD.

-BU IM Basketball Championships – Tuesday, March 23rd 7 p.m. – 9 p.m.; Hinkle Fieldhouse.

-BU Admissions/Early Registration – Friday, March 26th, 9:30 a.m.; Reilly Room – Atherton Union.

-Blue II’s Sixth Campus Birthday Party – Friday, March 26th, 11:30 a.m.; Starbuck’s – Atherton Union.

-Butler Blue II’s Sixth Birthday – Saturday, March 27th, all day.

-BU Admissions/Early Registration – Saturday, March 27th 9:30 a.m.; Reilly Room – Atherton Union.

-BU Admissions/Early Registration – Thursday, April 1st 9:30 a.m.; Reilly Room – Atherton Union.

-BU Admissions/Early Registration – Friday, April 2nd, 9:30 a.m.; Reilly Room – Atherton Union.

-The Price is Right (game show) – Friday, April 2nd, 11 a.m.; CBS-TV.

-BU Biology Club Dog Show – Friday, April 16th, 5:30 p.m.; HRC Lawn.

-BU Admissions/Early Registration – Friday, April 23rd, 9:30 a.m.; Reilly Room – Atherton Union.

-BU Admissions/Early Registration – Friday, June 4th, 9:30 a.m.; Reilly Room – Atherton Union.

-BU Admissions/Early Registration – Friday, June 11th, 9:30 a.m.; Reilly Room – Atherton Union.


And those are just the events on the schedule right now! I’m sure there will be more as the spring is always a busy time for me on campus.

Of course, you can typically spy on me any other business day on my live web cam (“Blue2TV”) as I hang out (read: sleep) in my Jordan Hall office. Feel free to tune in between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. on most days. Simply click here: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/the-life-and-times-of-butler-blue-ii

Okay, I think that’s about it. Take aways from this installment include, my birthday, the coloring page, my calendar of appearances and my web cam. As always, my Twitter account will keep you posted on the rest of my escapades until the next blog posting.

May the month of March be exceptionally kind to the Bulldogs!

Go Dawgs!

Blue II

Blue = Gold!

Welcome back to the The Life and Times of Butler Blue II! Chances are you’ve probably stopped by in recent months only to be disappointed that my little paws had not submitted any new content. My apologies about that.

I needed a break and during my vacation from prose, I was letting my “tweets” do all of the talking. Of course, I had big New Year’s resolutions that involved updating my blog at least once a week, etc., etc. Now that it’s almost March, I suppose I should act on those good intentions.

Really, it was just a social experiment to see if anyone besides my grandparents and Butler alumnus, Chuck Gose, were paying attention. Evidently there are more than three of you out there that are, so I figured its high-time I started blogging again.

It is with great pleasure that I resume blogging in 2010 to announce that I’ve won a gold medal!

No, don’t check the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics medal count, and don’t bother looking back through NBC’s Olympic coverage saved on your DVR. You won’t find me on any podium there, but you will find me earning gold at CollegeSurfing.com.

Evidently the editors at CollegeSurfing.com set out to recognize the “top social media innovators among the nation’s colleges and universities” and liked what I had to say via my Twitter account because they gave me a gold medal and ranked me fourth out of their top 50 schools in their first-ever “Web 2.0 College Olympics!”



You can check out the list and my write-up at http://www.collegesurfing.com/content/web-20-colleges/.

I’m quite, proud, happy for Butler University, and would like to thank everyone who made this possible.

Special thanks goes to my dad for constantly working his iPhone in order to keep me tweeting and to my mom who allows him to be on his iPhone all the time and who also supplies a good deal of the pictures you see come across my Twitter feed (www.flickr.com/photos/butlerblue2).

And, last but not least, thanks to the fine folks over at CollegeSurfing.com for the recognition!

That’s all I’ve got for the blog right now...time to go celebrate our winnings! I promise that I’ll be back a bit more frequently though. There’s lots of great stuff, as usual, on the horizon for me, including an appearance on CBS’ The Price is Right game show and on a local radio station.

Until next time, I’ll see you on Twitter.

Go Dawgs!

Blue II