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.

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

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

'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

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

The Face of March Madness

Ok, well "The Face of March Madness" title might be a little presumptuous, but for Indianapolis and central Indiana, I might as well be as my mug is front and center on the front page of today's Indianapolis Star!

Joining me in the cover shot are Butler athletic director, Barry Collier; head men's basketball coach, Brad Stevens; my mascot counterpart, Hink; Butler's 20th president, Dr. Bobby Fong. The headline reads "THE BUTLER WAY" and the following article includes an analysis of Butler's campus-wide winning philosophy as interpreted by David Woods.

Log on to www.indystar.com/butler to check it out and to read additional Butler coverage by Mr. Woods and Curt Cavin. Good stuff!

And if you've yet to see the front page of The Star today, or you don't live in the area, then here it is in all of it's glory...

Today's the big day, game day, so let's talk a little Butler hoops for a minute. Remember, the No. 9 Bulldogs open up NCAA Tourney play today on CBS at 12:20 p.m. from Greensboro, North Carolina versus the No. 8 seeded Tigers of LSU. It's been a highly touted game with college basketball analysts and experts teetering on the outcome.

With the experts and public opinion in question regarding just who will be victorious in the Butler/LSU match-up today, perhaps we should just put all of that aside and pay attention to one man's picks, our Commander and Chief, Barack Obama.

I'm not one to be politcial, but the guy is the President of the United States of America and he did pick Butler over LSU. Two things come to mind here. 1.) President Obama has some of the best intel in the world at his disposal and; 2.) If anyone has the power to "fix" the outcome of a game, I would think it would be this guy.

Ultimately, depending on how you voted in the fall will determine whether you think Obama's backing is a good or bad thing, but I'm a dog and I don't vote, so whatever. I'll take the support!

The Butler men's basketball team arent' the only Dawgs in action on the hardwood today, as the Butler women make an appearance in post-season play this evening in the WNIT at Duquesne.

The women tip at 7 p.m. (EST) in what will be their first appearance in the post season since 1998. A win tonight would give them their 20th win of the season!

Good luck to all of my Dawgs today!

If you know how to work the Twitter, or just like seeing my Twitter updates on my blog, then be sure to follow me all day today as I "tweet" updates regarding the games from my spot on campus. And for the upteenth time, no, I am not at the games because the NCAA does not allow live mascots at their tournament sites. Their loss.

For some additional coverage of Butler hoops besides the usual suspects:

• http://www.butlersports.com/

• www.indystar.com/butler

Also check out http://horizonleaguenetwork.blogspot.com/ for some great behind the scenes coverage!

Eventhough today is all about Butler hoops, I did want to leave you with a couple of other blogs that I've been following that highlight some of the amazing talents, efforts and abilities of Butler students and faculty.

The first blog revolves around some of Butler's Media Arts students and their creative work. The blog is designed to showcase the student's work that they complete for class assignments. Just have a look and checkout some of their stuff. It's some pretty impressionable work!

• http://www.butlercreative.blogspot.com/

The second blog is written by Butler College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences professor, Mike Roscoe and revolves around his life as a medic with the US Military while stationed in Iraq and his attempt at serving his country and his students all at the same time. It's a humbling story of courage, discipline, honor and pride. Keep up the great work, Mike!

• http://www.buprofessor.blogspot.com/

Whether you went to Butler, sent kids to Butler, had relatives attend Butler, work at Butler, once worked at Butler, just like bulldogs, the color blue, or whatever, it doesn't matter. We're all Butler Family today, so lets pull together and get ourselves a couple of victories in post-season play this afternoon!

Go Dawgs!


Blue II

Sleeping Tiger, Hidden Bulldog

In preparation of Butler's men's basketball NCAA Tournament appearance on Thursday, March 19, 2009 (12:20 p.m.) I thought I would offer up a little video illustration of how I think things might go on the court between the Butler Bulldogs and the LSU Tigers.

It just so happens that LSU has a nice little kitty named, Mike, who serves as their mascot. He's a friendly little feline and in this video, I wait until he falls asleep to rest up for the big day of our game and then I make my sneak attack. Just watch the video and you'll get the picture...



I hope that you enjoyed that little bit of home (or office) video. I certainly hope it inspires our real-life Butler Bulldogs to do the same on Thursday.

Of course, the game will be broadcast live on CBS and while you could watch it at home, why not join up with some fellow Bulldogs and enjoy the game? Fellow Butler fans are gathering all over the country to watch the big game and you should too! For a complete listing of the official viewing parties visit www.butler.edu/alumni.

Those Bulldogs in Indianapolis can gather at...

• Moe & Johnny's, mid-town Indianapolis, IN located at 5380 North College Avenue.
  
• Champp’s, downtown Indianapolis, IN located at 49 W. Maryland Street.

Here's to a great game on Thursday; enjoyed with Butler family and friends! Go Dawgs!

Before I sign off, I just wanted to wish everyone a Happy St. Patrick's Day! I'm not sure what the point of this day is, but people keep giving me a hard time for not wearing the color green. My name is "Blue." I don't do "green." Got it?!

In tribute to my "Blue II Facts" in the post below, I give you this statement of fact: Blue II was once pinched on St. Patty's Day for not wearing green...ONCE.

Finally, I leave you with another video in honor of this holiday. It comes from Mobile, Alabama and the subject of this news story is a leprechaun. It's now an oldie, but still a goodie and yes, this is for real. Even a bulldog mascot with his own blog couldn't even make this up. Enjoy...



May the luck of the Irish be with the Dawgs this week in GREENsboro, North Carolina!

Blue II

Selection Sunday Recap

It was a late night yesterday evening, but it was worth it. In case you missed it, I was on live with Anthony Calhoun ("AC" [pictured]) on Indianapolis' WISH-TV Channel 8 and their Sports Locker program. The show airs live at 11:15 p.m. on Sunday evenings, so I had to stay up late, but it was worth it.

Since it was "Selection Sunday" and the Butler Bulldogs are headed to the NCAA Tournament, AC wanted to have me in studio for effect, if nothing else. I absolutely loved it. At first the robotic cameras scared me, but once I got used to it all, I really enjoyed being on camera, in studio and hanging out at the sports desk with fellow on-air talent Chris Widlic, Jeane Coakley and the crew. I can't wait to do it again sometime. Here's a little video...

Speaking of "Selection Sunday," I can't say that I was too pleased with Selection Committee's decision to give Butler a 7 seed in the tournament. Don't get me wrong, it's our second highest seed in school history and I'm happy to be there, but given that we were ranked in the AP Poll again today at the 11th spot (above all other schools from the state of Indiana), clearly we could have been given a little better positioning.

I think all Butler fans heard the thud of the figurative ball being dropped by the Selection Committee early yesterday evening. Oh well, like I said, it's still a privelage to be in the tournament and regardless of your ranking, you have to win to advance, so let's just focus on the task at hand and win some games!

During my tenure as mascot, Butler has an NCAA Tournament record of 2-1. I'd like to keep adding to the win column.

While the Bulldogs are headed to Birmingham, Alabama for their game against South Alabama (anything jump out at you there), this Bulldog won't be making the trip. That's right, we heard back from the NCAA regarding our inquiry about live mascots and tournament sites. They shot us down citing "too many potential issues and a wide range of variables."

I guess I can't argue with that since I can't speak for my live mascot counterparts in the business, but I can tell you this, when it comes to me and the guy-in-suit mascots, they might want to concern themselves with the guy-in-suit version.

Take for instance the Oral Roberts/IUPUI debacle last week at the Summit League Tournament. You can view that here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2x7Yk8NNg3k

Oh well, I'll let it slide for now, but if by some chance Butler makes an appearance in the Final Four, you can bet I'll be fighting tooth and claw for them to allow me to make the trip. I swear that I saw Jack the Georgetown Hoya at the Final Four last year.

Anyway, all the best to our Butler Bulldogs on Friday at 2:45 p.m. Take care of business boys and earn that respect you so deserve!


Blue II

Indy Residents: Set Your DVR

Dear Central Indiana/Indianapolis Metro Residents:

After you've finished watching the Selection Sunday broadcast to see where Butler lands in the field of 65 for the NCAA men's basketball tournament, be sure to set your DVR for WISH-TV CBS Channel 8 tonight, (March 16, 2008) for 11:00 p.m. (EST).

Specifically, you'll want to catch WISH-TV's Sports Locker segment with Anthony Calhoun that starts at 11:15 p.m.

That's really all I can say at this time. I just wanted to provide a little teaser.

I'll report back on Monday with full disclosure on the topic as well as canine analysis of Butler's seed in the NCAA tournament and respective road to the Final Four.

Blue II