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

A Top 10 in Response to a Random 25

So I got a special package in the mail on Wednesday morning from a group of 20 (or so) elementary school students. I must say, this package couldn't have come at a better time as I was feeling quite tired and irritable after the Butler Bulldogs men's basketball team took one on the chin late the night before in the Horizon League Tournament Championship game. (The Bulldogs lost by three points to Cleveland State, but in all likelihood will return to the NCAA Tournament for the eighth time in 13 seasons and third time in a row. As the Indianapolis Star's David Woods put it, "Butler IS going to the NCAA Tournament. Twelve months ago, that was nearly unthinkable." Well put, Mr. Woods!)

Specifically, this package came from Miss Butler's multi-age kindergarten and first grade class at White Lick Elementary School in Brownsburg, Indiana (also home of Butler freshman Gordon Hayward) and contained a top-10 list citing reason why my dad and I should come and visit Miss Butler's class this spring. Here's a shot of me reading the list...

I must say, it's the most clever, witty and fun class visit request that I've ever received and I commend Miss Butler's students on their creativity, ingenuity and charm. According to Miss Butler, who graduated from Butler University in 2002 with my dad, this list came about as an original idea from the students. She only helped to scribe the list for them.

Evidently the list came about in their "writer's workshop" where Miss Butler was teaching them "organization in writing" and "lists" were brought up as an illustration of that. As avid readers of my blog, Miss Butler's students quickly recalled my recent blog post where I chronicled "25 Random Things" about myself. Their response, without further adieu, is a list of the "Top 10 reasons why Blue and Mr. K. (that's my dad) should come visit us..."

10. We are probably the only five, six and seven year olds that read your blog.

9. Some of us weigh sixty-two pounds, just like you!

8. We've bot some Star Wards fanatics in the room and we want to hear Blue's "whine." [In reference to my Chewey Chewbacca reference.]

7. We're dying to see Blue's infamous tricks!

6. We try to do things at school "The Butler Way." [Keep up the good work!]

5. We'll even make sure our room is really clean.

4. We're Bulldogs just like you (except we're not real dogs...we usually don't bark) [That's okay, I meet a lot of humans around Butler that claim to be Bulldogs, but don't appear to be anything like me. I get it.]

3. We're lots of fun (at least we think so)! [I can see that!]

2. For some reason we think body functions are hilarious. [In response to my random report on my bodily waste routines. Glad you enjoyed that one. Respect the relief of bodily waste being jettisoned from the body, but never lose the humor in it either. It is what it is.]

1. We're Butler University's #1 fans! [Thanks, we'll take all the support that we can get...especially come NCAA basketball tournament season!]

Signing off with a "Come visit soon" are Jakob, Brayden, August, Leister, Ellie, Andrew, Ryan, Ashley, Jacob, Dietrich, Leah, Gavin, Jonathan, Reagan, Martin, Evann, Lydia, Bo, Belle, Jackson and Miss B.

Thanks friends! You guys are the best! I lick my nose in approval...

A special thanks goes to Miss Butler who, by helping her students create and send this to me, is illustrating just what a great educator she is...bravo Miss Butler!

But how about those students?! Wow! According to Miss Butler, these youngsters love reading my blog and particularly enjoy the pictures of me, and they've become huge basketball fans this season. Miss Butler reports that her students now know more about the Butler men's basketball team and Horizon League than she does and they love http://www.butlersports.com/.

Right on, Miss Butler's class! Keep up the great work and you can sure bet that I'll be making a visit to your class very soon!

Stay in school,

Blue II

P.S. Don't forget to vote for me in Bissell's MVP Contest so that I can help them sell vacuums! Click here to vote for me: http://www.bissell.com/MVP09/Week09/Vote9.aspx?ImageName=Butler+Blue+II&FileName=769.jpg

Butler Blue II Needs Your Vote Again!

Yep, I need your vote yet again as the folks at Bissell are looking for their next pet model in their Most Valuable Pet Contest. You may remember I entered the Bissell MVP Contest last year in hopes to try land my mug on a vacuum box. While I got a lot of votes, I didn’t seem to have enough support to make the cut. That or Bissell just selected a pooch on their own accord. I’m not sure which scenario is actually the case.

Oh well, I’m back to give it another shot. The BISSELL MVP Pet Photo Contest voting period #9 is open now through March 17! To vote for me, click here: http://www.bissell.com/MVP09/Week09/Vote9.aspx?ImageName=Butler+Blue+II&FileName=769.jpg

My parents could really use a free Bissell vacuum given all the dog hair I leave behind, so thanks in advance for your vote and support!

In other news, the Butler Bulldogs men's basketball team is playing for the Horizon League Tournament title tonight in a 9 p.m . game at Hinkle Fieldhouse versus Cleveland State. The game is on ESPN so either get to Hinkle and get a seat or find your way to a television set and tune in!

Go Dawgs!

Blue II

March is My Month!

Why is March my month? Well, it's my birth month and if that's not good enough for you, then because Butler University says so!

According to today's Butler University "NewsFlash," our e-newsletter for alumni and friends, the Butler University Student Foundation (BUSF) will be helping me celebrate my fifth birthday on March 27th .

To view the newsletter, follow this link: http://editor.ne16.com/he/vo.aspx?FileID=917d9802-76dd-451e-9931-4c2709cc03d7&MemberID=286244402&MailID=8626727

In addition to a student, faculty and staff campus birthday party on my big day, they are also allowing everyone to celebrate my "born-on date." BUSF is supplying a special Blue II coloring card with wich you can send me your special birthday wishes. So have at it and let me know what you think!

In other news, the Butler Bulldogs men's basketball team closed out February as the regular season Horizon League Champions as they defeated Cleveland State at Hinkle Fieldhouse on IndyCar Series Day.

That means Butler gets to host the Horizon League post-season tournament and I get to go to more home basketball games! So I'm excited about that! Not bad for being picked fifth in the League to start the season! Go Dawgs!

Since yesterday was IndyCar Series Day at Butler, I got to hang out with IndyCar drivers Ed Carpenter (2003 Butler grad) and Sarah Fisher (pictured/former Butler student).

Ed and Sarah signed autographs, presented special Butler branded IndyCar race helmets to Butler athletic director Barry Collier and Hink, as well as raced tricycles. Yes, they are so desperate to race something this off-season, they went head to head on trikes. Here's some footage of that...



IndyCar Day also gave me an opportunity to pose next to Ed Carpenter's No. 20 Menards Dallara/Honda/Firestone machine, operated by Vision Racing.

It's a nice looking car, but I'm not sure where the family dog is supposed to ride.

In like a lion, out like a lamb,

Blue II

A Stinky Week

How about a new movie to start this post? That should serve as a nice little attention-getter.

The video below is of me, just after the introduction of the Butler Bulldog starters as I make my way across the court to retrieve my over-sized rawhide bone from the Dawg Pound. This video was shot on Friday, Feb. 13, 2009 by Damon Lewis of the Horizon League, prior to the Butler/University of Illinois-Chicago men’s basketball game. Thanks for the video Damon!



As far as basketball goes, the rest of the week wasn’t so kind to the Butler Bulldogs…the men’s squad anyway. Since this game in which that video was taken, the Dawgs dropped two straight…something they haven’t done in 111 games. That’s downright stinks and unfortunately, my gastrointestinal system has matched their play.

You may remember an entry last year in which I posted a story about the bulldog being the gassiest of all dog breeds. Yeah, I lived up to that this week. I wouldn’t say that I’m proud of it, but to have such a strong smell come out of such a small being was kind of impressive.

The culprit of the flatulence was the consumption of unauthorized substances. In other words, I was eating something other than my dog food.

I’m on a strict diet of Holistic Select Anchovy, Sardine & Salmon Meal Formula made by Eagle Pack Pet Food, Inc. It treats me well. I have a nice smooth, soft and shiny coat, I am no longer affected much by seasonal allergies and I digest it well. When I deviate from my regular dog food, then you’re most certain to smell it.

Where/how would I consume such things other than my regular dog food, you ask? The office. Think about it. I work with a lot of people. These people are always bringing in food, throwing parties, eating at their desks, etc. These people also can’t say no to the pouty puppy face. Finally, these people don’t have to go home with me a night. That’s a perfect recipe for methane gas.

So my dad had to send yet another “don’t feed the dog” email out to his colleagues this week. In one email and just a few strokes of the keyboard, my dad has completely put the kibosh on my office culinary delight. Bummer.

Of course, now it’s just a big joke and I’m the “butt” (pun sort of intended) of these jokes. The office colleagues are suggesting my dad hang up signs outside his office like you’d find at a national park about not feeding the wild animals. They also came up with a t-shirt design for him. I’ve included it below. Note, I’m not laughing.

So the bad news is I no longer eat like a king. The good news, I no longer have a constantly upset stomach, indigestion and of course, bad gas. I suppose the positives out-weigh the negatives, but it’s been a tough lesson to learn.

Before I sign off, I’ve got to give some blog love to those sending love my way on Valentine’s Day. First, special thanks yet again to Leslie Bishop for the special Valentine’s Day bulldog card that she sent to the office! And, this time a special thanks also goes to Hiram Schilling for the card and treats and to Linda Cooley for the great new toys! It’s good to be me!

Here’s to hoping the Bulldogs regroup and come away victorious on Saturday (Feb. 21) at noon on ESPN versus Davidson in the BracketBuster and to a flatulence free weekend!

Blue II

Blue II: Internet Superstar, Camera Hound, Basketball Junky, and More!

Since my last post, snow has given way to mud (much to the chagrin of my parents), but before all of that wet white stuff could dissipate from the campus scenery, university photographer Brent Smith and I were able to get out and capture it all. Below are some photos and a video from that little venture.



For the rest of the photos, visit this public Facebook link: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=61703&l=0a712&id=23981937738

By the way, I do have my own Facebook fan page, and if you’re on Facebook and not a fan, then what are you waiting for? As of Feb. 8, 2009, I have 205 fans on Facebook. Trust me, if those 205 people are wrong, then they don’t want to be right. So make sure you join them and become a Blue II Facebook fan today!

Now, back to the photo shoot…that wasn’t the only photo shoot I’ve participated in since my last post. Just this past Friday I headed across campus and over to Brent’s studio to do a pose for a little something called Recyclemania and to get a few snap photos of me in my new custom Nike jersey.

Once those photos are available, I’ll be sure to post them. Until then, you’ll just have to make due with my dad’s amateur photography of me and my new uniform.

Again, special thanks to Nike for supplying the material and to the Tom James Company for putting it together. Luckily Nike sent enough material to make another one, so I may just be able to get two in the rotation.

Needless to say, I’m pretty pumped about the jersey. Once I get it on, I feel invincible! A real Super Dog! I just can’t help but get on a healthy strut in that thing. Just wait until you catch me at the next basketball game…you’ll see.

Speaking of jersey, one of my colleagues at Butler has a nice half yellow lab, half sharpei mix puppy named Jersey and fortunately me, she’s brought her in to work a couple of times to play. I’m completely enamored with Jersey and ever since our time together, I like to stop by her mom’s office on a regular basis just to see if she is there. Come back, Jersey! I miss you!

Anyway, here’s a video of our time together…



In case you missed it, last week’s news featured a story about the sentencing of the four boys guilty of stealing and damaging “Hink,” the Butler Bulldog mascot costume. Here’s the Indy Star report in case you missed it: http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2009902040377

Basically, those guys avoided jail time, got a year of probation, some community service and a hefty bill. Butler received two new mascot costumes and a ton of publicity. So, thanks? It’s funny how things work out sometimes.

Moving on, let’s take a look into the mailbag since our last post…

First, I’d like to give a shout-out to the morning lifeguards at the HRC! Much love. Now, lets take a look at the question posted by “Ben & Molly” who wrote…

I did catch you on ESPN's SC. Big time. So I've been wondering, I attended my first women's game last week (Valpo) and as it turns out was sitting next to your parents. So I wanted to know, every time you go out on to the court for men's introductions you can't wait to run over and grab that big rawhide bone from the Dawg Pound, do you get disappointed in the fact there is no bone waiting for you at the girls games?

Good question and observation, Ben & Molly. And yes, when the player introductions have concluded at the women’s games, I want nothing more than to run across the court and retrieve my bone. As you noticed, however, there’s no bone at those game to retrieve. Of course, I’m a creature of habit, so I start heading in that direction any way and literally make my dad drag me off the court by the way we came…biting my leash and digging in my claws the entire way!

But bone or no bone, it’s good to be a Butler Bulldog right now. The men are currently 21-2, notching their 11th 20-win season in 13 seasons and giving head coach Brad Stevens 51 wins and counting with just six losses. They are still ranked in the top-25 and sit atop the Horizon League standings. Meanwhile the Lady Bulldogs are 14-8 and 9-2 in the Horizon League which places them second in the standings.

That’s about it from my world at the moment. I want to thank those who made use of the comments section of the blog. I encourage you to do the same. Ask me a question, I “double dog” dare you! (pun intended) Otherwise, don’t forget to catch me on Facebook, on Twitter and inside historic Hinkle Fieldhouse!

Go Dawgs!

Blue II

Happy Anniversary and Snow Day!

Happy anniversary and happy snow day to me! The anniversary is in honor of my blogging career and the credit for the snow day goes to Mother Nature, who dropped a foot of snow in my yard over night!

I’ll report on the snow first, since that seems to be the most pressing bit of news in Central Indiana today as it's Indy's biggest snowfall in 13 years and sixth largest in Indy history! After sleeping in a bit today, I ventured outside just to see how deep a foot of snow actually is. And let me tell you, for a bulldog, that some deep snow! As you can tell by the pictures and videos, I had a blast romping around in the stuff.




The snowfall actually got started the evening prior and so I got my first taste of it, literally, on my way out of work. Finally, a healthy dose of that fluffy white precipitation blanketed campus and I got to be around to experience it. It was glorious! Below are a couple of photos of my dad's idea of trying to get me ready for the weather...

And here’s a bit of video of my campus snow fun as well…



For more of my snow frolic videos, be sure to head to BlueTube!

Now, back to the anniversary celebration…in my previous post this month, I failed to mention that January 13th marked the first anniversary of “The Life and Times of Butler Blue II.” In my first year, I (read: my dad) pounded out a total of 89 posts, which averages out to be 1.7 posts per week!

A quick look at the dashboard reveals some pretty telling stats about my blog too. A snap shot of just the last four months (since the release of my “search for the bulldog costume” video) shows that my blog has been visited and read by folks in 60 countries! Amongst the United States and its territories, I’m only missing a visitor from those in Idaho, Wyoming and Alaska…so if anyone knows people in those states, could you tell them about my blog and have them check it out?!

The blog has received a total of 5,500 page views with about 4,664 visits and a bounce rate of 88.8% since September. A bounce rate that high would not be ideal for say, a business, but for a blog it typically means people are just coming in to read the most recent post and then moving on. Thus, I’ve got some repeat offenders, i.e. a solid following.

However, my blog is currently syndicated to http://go.butler.edu/cs, and that adds another 12,257 visits and 18,302 unique page views from the past four months! So all together I’m not doing half bad…consider me an internet superstar!

Perhaps what’s most fun about reviewing the stats is to see how some people stumble upon the blog. In other words, what key words are people using in their Google search that leads them to my blog. Here are some of my favorites from the past four months…and no, I did not make these up.

Some of the most bizarre Google search keywords that have led internet users to my blog include:

- “Cardboard Box”
- “UGA VI Breeder”
- “Turner and Hooch Slime”
- “Is there an IHOP coming to Butler”
- “Buy and English Bulldog of UGA Lineage”
- “Ed Carpenter and Friends”
- “Indianapolis Blues Veterinarian” (Drs. Phillips and Stephan, you can thank me later for that!)
- “Selling Booth at Bulldog Beauty Contest” (Not a bad idea…I may have to pursue that!)
- “Vacuum Covers”
- “Vets for Rooster Food”

Kind of makes you wonder what the most bizarre Google searches are in all of Google. I’m sure there are some real strange ones, to say the least.

Another one year anniversary milestone is also coming up for BlueTube, which was founded on Feb. 28, 2008. Since its founding, the Butler Blue II YouTube channel (aka BlueTube)has logged 37,942 video views!

A special thanks to all of my faithful readers (and viewers) for your support over the last year. I hope that you’ll stick around to enjoy another year of my futile blogging and maybe recruit some friends and colleagues to log on from time to time as well.

In an effort to keep the blog somewhat fresh, I added a new feature in the top left corner which displays my recent status updates that I’ve posted on Twitter. That’s right, I’ve got my own Twitter account, so if you Twitter as well, then be sure to “follow me.” Or, if you find Twitter to be a bit technologically advanced for you, then no worries, that is why I installed that new little widget.

Other than that, I just want to encourage all my readers to feel comfortable using the comments section of the blog. I always love the feedback and the added dialogue tends to led to some better blog posts so knock yourself out!

Moving on, how about those Butler Bulldog basketball teams? Both the men’s and women’s teams have been tearing up the competition like I would an innocent stuffed animal. The women’s team has an overall record of 12-6 with an impressive 7-0 record in Horizon League conference play.

Meanwhile, their male counterparts have racked up an 18-1 record and are also undefeated in the Horizon League with a 9-0 start. Those are both university records making this the fastest start in Butler basketball’s 117 year history! And they’re doing it with a second year head coach, age 31, and his cast of starters that include three freshman, one sophomore and one junior. In fact, there aren’t any seniors on this team! Their impressive play has earned them the 13th spot in the national rankings, which includes both the AP and ESPN polls.

Last Saturday some 9,400 fans, including myself, packed Hinkle Fieldhouse to watch them destroy the Horizon League’s second ranked team, the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Panthers. This Friday, Jan. 30th at 7 p.m., the next victim will be the Crusaders of Valparaiso University. You know that you don’t have anything else to do this Friday, so get your butt over to Hinkle for the game…you’ll love it! Its basketball played the right way; The Butler Way.

While I may just be the second, in what we all hope is along line of “Butler Blues,” I may just go out the with the most wins as a “Butler Blue” in all of time. If nothing else, I’ll have a tough reign as mascot to beat by my predecessors!

Speaking of basketball and mascots, at one of the recent games, the official name was finally revealed for Butler’s costumed bulldog mascot, formerly known simply as “Bulldog.” When the university had that whole missing mascot costume fiasco, the local news agencies started referring to that bulldog as “Blue.” That, of course, is incorrect since “Blue” is my name, and I certainly wasn’t missing.

So, a need for name for the costumed mascot was identified and as a result, the “Name that Dawg!” contest was created. After several great submissions and a fantastic voter turnout, the name “Hink” was selected. Why “Hink?” After the late, great Tony Hinkle, of course! Regardless of the name, at least the costume has one now. So, problem solved, right? Wrong.

(photo below by Heather Charles, Indianapolis Star)

“Hink” was announced and what do half the people I stumble upon at subsequent games call me? Yep, “Hink.” I thought Butler people were supposed to be smart. For those keeping score at home, let’s go over this one last time. My name is Butler Blue II, or just “Blue,” for short. Got that? The real looking bulldog that appears to be a living, breathing mammal, (a la ME), is named “Blue.” The over-sized, not-so-bulldog-looking, guy-in-suit version is named “Hink.” This shouldn’t be that hard. Oh, and there will be a test…it’s called life…don’t screw it up.

And while I’m all worked up, let me just chime in on all of those comments I’ve been receiving lately about my weight. I’ve got news for all of you chumps with Chihuahuas, dachshunds, and other ankle biting dogs, I’m exactly where an English Bulldog should be…62 lbs. In fact, I’ve probably weighed between 60-62 lbs. for the last 3-4 years, so no; I have not gained weight this season. Got that? I’m not fat and I’ve not put on weight! Sorry, I just had to get that out of the way and clear the record, yet again.

The topic of my weight is a nice segway into my next item of discussion regarding my new custom tailored Nike jersey. Thanks to the good folks at Nike, the Butler athletic department received a few yards of Butler blue Nike jersey material which is to be used specifically to fashion a new, custom jersey for me. So my dad called up his haberdashery at the Tom James Company and they agreed to fit me and complete the creation and tailoring of the jersey.

Much like UGA’s jersey (pictured below) mine will have a block “B” on the chest, with my name “BLUE” across the back and the Roman Numeral II for my number. Nice! It’s in production now, so when it’s time for a fitting, I’ll be sure to post some pictures and possibly some video. Until then, many thanks to Nike and the Tom James Company for their efforts!

In other recent news, the annual top-10 dog breeds were announced by the American Kennel Club, and not only did the bulldog make the list again this year, but we moved up from 10th to eighth! Remember last year when we made the list we did so after a some 50 year hiatus. So it feels good to be back, and to be moving up! Watch out dime-a-dozen labs, the bulldogs are coming after you for that top spot!

Here’s the official list…

1. Labrador Retrievers
2. Yorkshire Terriers
3. German Shepherd Dogs
4. Golden Retrievers
5. Beagles
6. Boxers
7. Dachshunds
8. Bulldogs
9. Poodles
10. Shih Tzu

Finally, I leave you today with a story from this past summer (July 2008) that I missed regarding a fellow colleague in the bulldog mascot ranks, Chesty the Marine Corps mascot. Chesty called it quits this past summer and hung up the rifle, baton, or whatever piece of weaponry he uses, to enjoy the fruits of retirement. It’s a good story, so be sure to check out the video below. Chesty, I hope that you are enjoying retirement and continuing to live life to the fullest!



I hope to see all of you soon inside Hinkle Fieldhouse for a men’s and/or women’s Butler basketball game!

Until then, Go Dawgs!

Blue II

P.S. Did you see me this past weekend on the intro to ESPN's SportsCenter?

ESPN Calls it "Mayhem in December"

If you missed last night's ESPNU airing of the men's basketball match up between the undefeated and young Butler Bulldogs against the No. 1 pre-season Horizon League favorites, the Cleveland State Vikings, then I hope you maybe saw the highlights on ESPN's SportsCenter's Top-10 plays.

And if you missed that then maybe you heard Joe Gentry and Nick Gardner on WXNT 1430 AM, or perhaps you caught the game online at the Horizon League Network. And if none of that happened, then I need you to get out from under that rock in which you are living, change up your priorities and get behind the Dawgs!

Wow! What a game last night. It was brutal and undeniably ugly. There were more fumbles, miscues and missed shots than anyone would care to admit. However, what shown brightly from the Butler squad throughout the entire game was a positive attitude, perseverance, tenacity and a refusal to quit. Those boys just didn't have it in them to roll over and play dead when the going got tough. They just found a way, ugly or not, to get the job done.

That job manifested itself in two big three point baskets by sophomores Shawn Vanzant and Zach Hahn. The latter at the buzzer to win the game. If there was ever grace under pressure, that was it. Check it out...



But it wasn't just Vanzant and Hahn that made it happen. It was a total team effort. From the coaching staff, through the players and all the way to the bus driver, the whole thing just came together and worked. They all stayed positive, knew their job, followed through. Take for instance freshman and "Roly Poly Puppies" reader (317-275-4444) Gordon Hayward...the kid had 8 points, 12 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 blocks. Solid and darn near unnoticed...just another day at the office.

Now the Bulldogs are 6-0 heading further east across Ohio to take on conference foe, Youngstown State on Saturday. I suggest you get your radio or computer fired up to take in that game. For more info on the Butler Bulldogs, might I suggest you take a look at the Indianapolis Star's David Woods and his great coverage: http://www.indystar.com/section/SPORTS0605

Can you tell I'm pumped up?! This is one happy Butler Bulldog!

Go Dawgs!

Blue II

P.S. On a more somber note, our condolences, thoughts and prayers go out to Shawn Vanzant, who's grandmother recently passed away. Your Butler family is here for you, Shawn.

Already a December to Remember

Thanksgiving 2008 is in the books and we are now officially amidst the Holiday Season. That automatically means things get busy as I’m sure you’ve probably already noticed. For me anyway, there’s been no Thanksgiving hangover. It’s been nothing, but Holiday hustle and bustle for me. But what’s new? I’m always busy, so I’ll just get to the good stuff.

Flash back to Saturday and it was the Butler versus Evansville men’s basketball game at Hinkle Fieldhouse where the Bulldogs looked strong in a convincing victory over the Purple Aces. This game was memorable for me for a couple of reasons.

Here’s the first item: Shelly Rabideau, who works in Butler’s purchasing services department by day and assists with the game day will call on the side, is famous for baking and bringing homemade chocolate chip cookies. For this game she put forth a little extra effort and made me some special peanut butter cookies with dog-safe ingredients in a recipe she got from Three Dog Bakery. I loved them! She even made enough for me to take some home so I’ve been enjoying them every night this week. Thanks Shelly!

The other reason that the Butler/Evansville game is memorable is because the State of Indiana Governor, Mitch Daniels was in the crowd and I was able to get my picture with him Thanks for the pic, Mitch!

Oh yeah, America’s Best Frisbee dogs also performed at halftime of the Butler/Evansville game and while I did enjoy the performance, those dogs only have one trick...catching Frisbees…so I’m not even going to waste my time on them.

After the game, my folks and I headed up to Wabash, Ind. for a second Thanksgiving dinner with my mom’s side of the family. Besides scoring a little more good Thanksgiving grub, I was able to experience the season’s first significant snowfall on Sunday morning. Between 2-4 inches fell in Wabash County on Sunday morning so I went out and enjoyed that just a little bit. I’m alright with the snow, it’s fun to play in, but as you’ll see in the video, when I just want to go out and do my “business” the snow is less than ideal.



Speaking of videos, it’s been drawn to my attention by my esteemed colleague, Brad Ward, that I’ve uploaded 102 videos on YouTube (currently only 97 show up on BlueTube, but five others were added in the favorites from a different account). From those 102 videos that have been uploaded over the last nine months I’ve had 30,348 total views; or about 110 video views a day! Not bad for a Bulldog!

So what does all of that mean? Nothing. However, I’ll do my best to have my dad record anything and everything and throw it up on my YouTube page because clearly some of you out there are enjoying watching that stuff. Fine by me, that’s why I do what I do.

In addition to video, I also do photo shoots, as you may remember from the video and pictures from my post last week. I finally have some of the official pictures from that and they are posted below. Feast your eyes on that!

(Photos by Brent Smith)

Pretty good stuff, huh? How many dogs do you know that could do that? I’m not going to lie, it wasn’t easy…took some serious restraint to not tear open those nicely wrapped boxes and completely devour that cake, but I finally got to enjoy the cake so it was worth the wait and temptation. Not to mention, thanks to my discipline the pictures turned out pretty sweet looking too!

Today I had the privilege of visiting Stone Gate Elementary School in Zionsville, Ind. to read a book to my cousin Lauren’s kindergarten class. Lauren happens to be the student of the week this week and as a result, it was her chance to invite a special guest to come to her class and read a book of her choosing. Naturally, she picked me to join my dad and her mom and the book was If You Gave a Cat a Cupcake. Lauren’s mom did the reading and I did the tricks. We also handed out my READ! bookmarks to the class. Good times! Thanks for inviting me, Lauren!

Speaking of reading, not only can our Butler Bulldogs play a mean brand of basketball, but they read a good book every now and again as well. This week you can dial up starting freshman forward, Gordon Hayward (pictured) and hear him read “Roly Poly Puppies” on the Indianapolis Public Library line at 317-275-4444. It only takes a couple of minutes and its fun to do, so dial it up and have a listen.

As I mentioned to open the blog, we are currently amidst the Holiday Season and that means, gifts, presents, prizes, treats and much more. I love it! The fun has already begun as Linda Cooley, the secretary for the Political Science Dept. has already brought me an early gift…a tin full of little Three Dog Bakery peanut butter snacks. They are delicious! Thanks Linda!

I think I also have a “Secret Santa” as I mysteriously had one of my favorite Build-A-Bear teddy bears show up in my office. Thanks to whomever left that for me. I’ve already claimed it as my own and I’m enjoying it very much! I hope this is just a prelude of much more Holiday cheer to come my way! I must have been a good boy this year and made it on Santa’s “nice list.”

I got a couple of other great items this week thanks to Butler grad and owner of Your Image Works, Mary Shaw, who was able to find some shirts that actually fit me. With such a barreled chest and skinny hips, it’s hard to find clothes that fit, but thankfully, Mary came to my rescue. I now have a custom Dawg Pound shirt to wear to the games and a special Butler recycle shirt for Butler’s Eco Dawgs program. I’ll have more to report later about the Eco Dawgs thing…this shirt is just the beginning, but I can tell you that “Butler Blue is going ‘Green!’” Here are some pics of my new threads…

Tonight I’m headed back to campus and over to Hinkle Fieldhouse for team pictures with the Cheerleading squad and I also got a couple of photos taken with the new mascot costume. You may remember their picture from last year contained a bulldog that was not the author of this blog. That’s all I’m going to say about it, but if you search the blog you can find my opinions on the matter. I’m excited that they invited me back and I’m happy to get my pics with the squad and the new mascot. Here's a few shots from tonight...

And don’t forget, that new mascot costume still needs a name and we’re asking you to help us select that new name. The Name That Dawg! mascot naming contest runs through Dec. 7, so don’t delay…log on to http://www.butlersports.com/ and place your vote today!

Talk of the new mascot costumes has reminded me of a story my dad showed me on FoxSports.com the other day about “Mascots Gone Bad.” You can read all about it here: http://msn.foxsports.com/cfb/pgStory?contentId=8824820&MSNHPHCP&GT1=39002#sport=COLLEGE%20FOOTBALL&photo=8824504

Let’s hope that myself nor my esteemed costumed colleague don’t make this list any time soon!

Finally, I want to invite all of you dog and cat owners to the Furry Friends Holiday Open House this Saturday, Dec. 6, 2008 from 1-4 p.m. at the southwest corner of 49th Street and College Ave. One of my partners and sponsors, City Dogs Grocery, is located there along with building dwellers Claire Corbin Photography and The Paw Patch Veterinarian Hospitals. They’ve all teamed up to offer pet photos with Santa, treats, raffle goodie bags and discounts on their products. I’ll be there to support City Dogs Grocery and you should come on out as well!

Don't forget to tune in to ESPNU at 8 p.m. ET tomorrow evening to watch the men's basketball team take on Cleveland State who was picked first in the pre-season Horizon League poll!

Go Dawgs!

Blue II

The Search (and Publicity) for the Butler Bulldog Mascot Costumes Continue

Aother day is in the books, and still no missing Butler Bulldog mascot costumes have surfaced. I can't say that it isn't for lack of effort on my part that these costumes have yet to be found. From viral internet campaigns to morning radio shows, I did my fair share of hitting the beat today.

This morning my dad and I did an hour-long stand on the Smiley Morning Show, WZPL-FM, 99.5. Milk Bones to Dave Smiley (pictured), KJ (pictured) and Weedman for having us on the show. It was a great segment that included an investigative report by Smiley, heavey breathing and barking from me, commentary and the facts from my father, and a call-in phone interview with Marion County Prosecuter, Carl Brizzi.

I expect to have a link to the audio from the radio interview in the near future and once I have that, I'll be sure to post it here for all to listen.

Then while I was doing my radio gig, my good buddy Brad Ward in the Office of Admission was simultaneously uploading a video he shot and edited of me looking around campus for the mascot costumes. You can scroll down to my previous post from today to watch that or visit Blue2Tube at www.youtube.com/butlerblue2.

Evidently that video prompted our rivals and fellow Horizon League member, University of Wisconsin Green Bay and their mascot Phlash to do a costume hunt (video below). Unfortunately, their exhaustive search produced no results and thus, it has been determined that the Butler Bulldog costumes are not in Green Bay, Wisc. Thanks for looking anyway, Phlash!

The story continued to generate attention in the media/news again today. It even got some national coverage! Keith Olbermann (pictured) of MSNBC picked up the piece and ran it in his “Oddball” segment on his Countdown show. You can view that here: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036677/#26649166

Locally, it received a follow-up story in The Indianapolis Star. In fact, it was front and center with a color picture in the Metro/State section. Here’s a screen shot of that in case you missed it:

You can read the article here: http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2008809100352

It’s worth a quick read and it brings up some quick points of note/clarification.

First, the Butler Bulldog mascot costume is NOT named “Butler Blue,” or “Blue.” People (students, university officials, media) have used that name quite a bit in the last couple of days and I think that’s what’s generated most of the frantic calls to my parents from friends and family that think I’ve come up missing.

The name “Butler Blue” first came about in 2000 when Frank and Jeane King of Kong King Kennel, Lizton, Ind., donated Butler Blue I to the university. “Butler Blue” was the name that received the most votes in a “name the new live mascot” contest and thus the reason why I’m known as “Butler Blue II” today.

So I just wanted to take the opportunity to clear that up.

Also, at the end of that Indy Star story, it reads, “The new costumes could arrive as early as Nov. 1, Tuell said. Until then, students will have to rally around the school's other mascot, a real live bulldog known as Butler Blue II who does not dance.”

Well just call me “Blue II the belittled!” I’m so sorry that the university only has this mangy old mutt to serve as mascot for the next several weeks. Sure, I might not be able to dance, but I do have a fine repertoire of tricks and at least I do not smell like B.O.! Last time I checked, many colleges, universities and high schools have a costumed mascot, but only a fortunate few have the privilege of having the real thing to represent their school. The condescending Heather Gillers is on my list!

Oh well, as long as it continues to make the news, well then I’ll continue to shamelessly stump for the cause online, on-air and wherever I can. We just couldn’t buy this kind of coverage otherwise! I can’t say exactly why media/news outlets keep covering the story. I’m sure there are lots of reasons, but if it distracts us for just a moment from political campaigns, hurricanes, oil prices and foreign fighting, then I suppose it serves a purpose.

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that I attended another home volleyball match last night in historic Hinkle Fieldhouse. After all, I am the only mascot we have at the moment so I’ve got to make the rounds. My good friend Mike Freeman took me out on the court for starting lineups in our matching against the Sycamores of Indiana State University. I had a great time and I even came home with a mini-volleyball (pictured) signed by all of the Lady Bulldog players!

Below is some footage from the event…

Good times! I am definitely ready for my first home football game on Saturday!

Be sure to check back to the blog often for more info, updates and news regarding the search for the missing mascot costumes. In addition, text “follow butlerblue2” to 40404 (Twitter.com) for daily updates from yours truly.

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