Announcing the 9th Annual Bulldog Beauty Contest

It is is my pleasure to announce the 9th Annual Bulldog Beauty Contest, presented by the Ovid Butler Society, hosted by yours truly, and sponosred by City Dogs Grocery (Susan Smith), Eagle Pack Pet Food, Inc., Indiana Veterinarian Specialists (Dr. Deborah Stephan), and Woodland Animal Hospital (Dr. Kurt and Julia Phillips).

All bulldogs, wannabe bulldogs and their owners are welcome to attend the event which is held in conjunction with Butler University's Homecoming celebration on Saturday, Oct. 25. In fact, it's actually a part of the officially titled, "Blue II's Family FunFest." (I'll be a busy guy on homecoming, that's for sure!) The Bulldog Beauty Contest start time is set for 10 a.m.

Contestants can R.S.V.P. to my dad, Michael Kaltenmark`02 at mkaltenm@butler.edu, or to me at blue2@butler.edu, or call us up at 317-940-9672.

Dogs will be judged on various categories such as cutest, ugliest, best dressed, best trick, best wannabe and more.

Last year we had just over 60 dogs participate and we're looking to exceed that this year for another record-breaking event. All participants, whether a category winner or not, will receive a complimentary gift, courtesy of City Dogs Grocery and our sponsors.

It's sure to be a great time so if you're reading this and you have a bulldog or dog that you wish to have participate, then please let us know so we can get him/her/them registered. And if you do not have a dog, but still wish to attend, then please make plans to do so. We'd be happy to have you...bring your camera and be prepared to laugh!

Hope to see you there,

Blue II

From Beijing to Back to School

Happy 29th Olympiad everybody! And while it’s just my second Olympic games, I believe that being born in a summer games Olympic year (2004), makes me a expert analyst on Olympic competition. Well, not really, but it sounds good.

Really, I hardly watch the Olympics unless my parents are yelling at the TV during the games. Frankly, they just interrupt my sleeping patter as my parents have been staying up way past my bedtime for these games.

However, I did pay close attention to the Olympic broadcast the other night when NBC played a feature on a day in the life of super-human swimmer and gold mine operator, Michael Phelps. It turns out Phelps has an English Bulldog of his own named Herman.

Here’s a clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zd6BSt8QKI8

Besides Herman and I both having fathers named Michael, with 16 Olympic medals between them, the other interesting thing here is the irony that the best swimmer of all time owns one of the worst swimming dog breeds of all time. Typically, bulldogs love water, but our swimming style can be related to that of a brick. I guess it just goes to prove once again that opposites really do attract.

In other international sporting news, four former Butler Bulldog basketball players, Mike Green, Pete Campbell, Brandon Crone and Brandon Polk have signed professional contracts to continue playing basketball overseas next year. The quartet, who helped the Bulldogs to 79 victories over the past three seasons, will carry Butler's basketball name to Turkey, Germany, Poland and Finland. You can read more about it here: http://butlersports.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/080808aaa.html

I’d like to think I had a hand in this unprecedented number of Bulldogs playing professionally overseas…after all, they all played under my watch as mascot. At any rate, best of luck to those guys! Represent the Butler Bulldogs well abroad!

But enough about Butler basketball as there’s been much activity inside Hinkle Fieldhouse this past week for Butler’s fall sports. Student athletes have returned to campus and have begun preparing for seasons of football, volleyball, soccer, cross country, etc. It’s going to be a busy and fun fall for me and I cannot wait!

Come see me run the football team onto the field in the home opener against Franklin on Sept. 13th. For all of you OBS members, that’s also the same day as the annual OBS Gridiron Brunch. Call 317-940-9469 for more information or to register.

Thanks to a new football that my parents bought me, I’ve been getting ready for the season.


In fact, I’ve been so obsessed with it, my dad keeps calling me, “My Football Monster.” You may remember the toy from the 1980s with the same name. I don’t, but you might.

And while fall sports have resumed on Butler’s campus, this past week has also marked the return to school for area elementary schools and high schools. I was fortunate enough to be invited out to the first day of school at Brandywine Elementary school, south of Greenfield, Ind., on Wednesday this week by Butler staff member, Gary Johnston.

Brandywine also uses the bulldog for their mascot and as you can tell by the pictures, I enjoyed being on loan for their first day of school. I greeted the children as they came off the bus for the first time and participated in their all-school convocation.

Then it was back to campus for my real job as mascot, which has also got me a bit of notoriety from the Academica Group of iContactCommunity.com and their daily top-10 for Aug. 8, 2008. Big time, I know.

You can check it out here: http://community.icontact.com/p/academica_group_inc/newsletters/academica_group_inc/posts/5232046000033698578
In other news from the world that is Blue II, there are cookies, beer, anchovies and oil. But not all together…let me explain.

The cookies come via Mack Trucks, which clearly makes perfect sense (sarcasm). But the truck company with bulldog mascot has a great online shop that can be found at http://www.mack-shop.com/.

There you can find all kinds of bulldog goodies including a bulldog cookie cutter. My parents got one and put it to work right away. Unfortunately, for being bulldog cookies, the bulldog in the house didn’t get very much of them.


The beer that I referenced is causing me to consider ringing up Butler’s legal counsel to discuss copyright infringement. Check out Anheuser-Busch’s Wild Blue blueberry lager and draw your own conclusions.


The anchovies are actually a part of my well-balanced diet that also includes salmon and other seafood included in my Eagle Pack Pet Food that I get at City Dogs Grocery. I got to go to City Dogs over on 49th and College the other day to pick up my food and for the first time I came face to face with the shop cat, Sarah. I barked and growled while Sarah hissed, and while it livened up the atmosphere in the store, that was about the end of it. Leave it to a bulldog to go so far as to bully a kitty cat.

And last, but not least the oil, as in Lucas Oil…Stadium. You know, the brand new stadium in downtown Indianapolis, Ind. that will serve as the new home to the Indianapolis Colts.


Yeah well, the other night they had a grand opening celebration for the place and some folks from Butler represented the NCAA at the event. Yours truly tried to be a part of that group, but Stadium management said that they do not allow animals inside. Fine with me, keep all the animals out, but I’m a mascot. Two different things. I guess I’ll just stay where I’m wanted, Hinkle Fieldhouse and Conseco Fieldhouse.

Well, that’s all I know for now. Enjoy the rest of the Olympic Games! By the time I post again, we’ll be well into the back to school mode on campus. I can’t wait!

Blue II

Summertime BLUEs

Summertime BLUEs was just a play on words. Get it? It’s summertime, my name is Blue, there’s the famous song “Summertime Blues,” and I needed a title for this thing. Anyway, my dad thought it was a good idea. Sometimes I just do things to humor him.

It’s not really the blues that I have, but just a bit of frustration. Why, you ask. (I’m assuming you would ask, anyway.) Well, it all stemmed from a stroll down the front hallway of my favorite campus building, Hinkle Fieldhouse.

If you’ve ever been to Hinkle Fieldhouse (and if you haven’t ever been, then you should make a point to do that some day) then you know that the hallways feature very large team pictures of the various sports, etc., for the given academic year. I’ve been fortunate to be featured in some of those pictures and I hope to be again soon as I’m always up for that sort of thing.

Well I noticed that this year’s cheerleading picture was up, but something about it was amiss. Front and center there happened to be a live English Bulldog, and while the face staring back shared a resemblance, it didn’t quite appear to be my likeness.

I couldn’t believe my eyes! If I had opposable thumbs, I would have given them a rub. Instead I stood their panting, speechless. I couldn’t even bark or muster a growl. I had to look back at my dad just to a.) confirm what I was seeing and b.) make sure I hadn’t been replaced!

But there it was and there it is, for all eyes to see for one whole year…another bulldog other than myself posing with the squad. It was “impermissibull,” “inexcusabull,” and “intolerabull!” How dare another bulldog try and impersonate the official mascot! I mean, the very thought of it sounds absurd.

But it happened and I’m not going to name any names or call anyone out. I just hope steps are taken so it doesn’t happen again. I mean, I know I sleep a lot and have a busy schedule, but university requests, including photo-ops, take priority and I’ll do whatever I can, within reason, to make myself available.

Sure, my feelings are hurt, but at the end of the day, something like this just makes Butler look silly. I mean, otherwise, what would be the point of even having me around in the first place? You think that the University of Georgia would allow me or any other English Bulldog to fill in for UGA? I don’t think so. It’s UGA, or nothing. Of course, we’re talking about the mascot that has an air conditioned dog house and a personal golf cart.

Regardless, you get the idea. Clip Art bulldogs and generics are for places like Brandywine Elementary School, no offense. Well, that and Ferris State University. Yeah, I said it.

Sure, technically Butler and I represent the entire breed, but I’m not willing to share duties or the spotlight unless it’s at Homecoming and we’re holding the Bulldog Beauty Contest. (Shameless plug for my dad…sign up now! October 25th. www.butler.edu/homecoming).

Believe it or not, this isn’t the first time that this has happened. The last two times our men’s basketball team has made it to the NCAA men’s basketball tournament Sweet 16, the Horizon League has created some really great posters (see below) in honor of the achievement and has even had them placed in USA Today! Unfortunately, they did not use Blue I or myself in those instances. Again, we’re available and images of our likeness are on file with the Office of University Relations.


They are actually really cool posters, I just wish myself and my predecessor would have been a part of them, but enough about all of that. After all, there’s nothing I can do about any of it now, so I’ve moved on with my summer and have been enjoying every bit of it.

I do apologize for not posting on the blog for some time, but my dad’s been busy and as you know, I’m at the mercy of his fingers. For my parents, there’s been work, home projects, parties, IndyCar races and camping. That means I’ve been busy with work, sleep, running around in the yard and frequent trips to Wabash, Ind. to stay with the grandparents.

A couple Saturday’s ago I even got the green light to play in the sprinkler! It was everything I remembered and more. I couldn’t get enough.

If you’ve checked out my YouTube site recently then you’ve probably already seen the videos, but if not, I’ve included one below.

Speaking of refreshing, beat the heat, activities, I also got to enjoy my very own popsicle the other day as well! Thanks to the Office of Admission and their BU 101 family picnic, I was not only able to take part in the festivities and meet our prospective students and families, but I also got to get in on the frozen treat cooler. I needed it as the temperatures were into the 90s that day. My dad picked out a purple popsicle and then arranged for a couple of ladies to feed it to me. I thought I had died and gone to a very warm heaven!

At Butler, besides bulldog imposters and hot picnics, it’s just been much of the usual. Random stuffed animal destruction (see below), naps, camp photo-ops (see below), appearances and trips to the HRC fill my days. It won’t be long now until all of the students return and campus really comes to life again. I’ve noticed many of the student athletes already on campus preparing for their seasons, including some of our newest members of the men’s basketball team. They’re looking pretty good!


Okay, that’s probably plenty for now, so wrap this up I’d like to give a shout-out to Napoleon, a fellow bulldog in Michigan who saved several kittens from drowning in a lake. You can read all about it here: http://www.kutv.com/content/news/topnews/story.aspx?content_id=18c2a21e-2294-4480-af61-c45fdd059ece. Nice work, Napoleon!

Would the real Blue II please stand up,

Blue II