Jeremy Piven - The Next Addition to my Wall of Fame

You may remember back on January 30 I mentioned in my blog that I was so busy and booked with appearances that I might want to employ the services of a manager, and not just any manager, but the infamous Ari Gold of HBO’s Entourage.

Well, on Thursday of this past week, I did jus that as Ari Gold made a visit to Butler University.

I suppose that in a fictional world I would have made it happen and I might have even been on the next episode of Entourage; running around with Vince, Eric, Turtle and Drama.

But this is reality, and in the real world, the famed actor who plays Ari Gold, the Golden Globe winning Jeremy Piven, came to campus on Thursday in support of presidential candidate, Barack Obama.

If you are unfamiliar with Piven’s fast-talking and often vulgar mega agent role as Ari Gold in Entourage, then perhaps you may remember him from such movies as PCU, Old School, Black Hawk Down and Smokin’ Aces.

Jeremy spoke in the Reilly Room at Atherton Union and got in and out before I could catch him, but I was able to track him down out in the parking lot to “hug it out” and pose for a quick photo. He was very welcoming and was quite complimentary of me.

Of course, Jeremy’s no stranger to the English Bulldog, after all, he’s been spotted around Hollywood with a bulldog pup of his own and he attended Drake University…also the bulldogs.

A special thanks to Jeremy for posing for pictures and for being so cordial. I will get some pictures from the encounter uploaded on the blog very soon.

In case you missed it, Butler Bulldog and NCAA men’s college basketball all-star, Mike Green, was honored this past week with two national awards: the Chip Hilton Award and the Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award.

Not to mention, Mike also played in the DiGiorno College All-Star Game at the Alamodome in San Antonio on Friday. In addition, fellow senior guard, A.J. Graves participated in the 20th Annual State Farm 3-Point Championship; making it to the semi-finals.

Congratulations to both of those guys…I’m going to miss you both next year. Hey Mike, now that you are done with Butler basketball, can I get a play date with your doggie, Miss Hoops Green?!

Sorry it has been a while since my last post. I have been busy making rounds with my on-call medical staff. I met with Butler grad, Dr. Kurt Phillips on Wednesday at Woodland Animal Hospital in Carmel, Ind. for a check-up on my ear infection. The infection is gone, but there’s still some bacteria in there so I got some special antibacterial wipes for that. I also got my nails trimmed while I was there.

On Thursday morning I got to visit Dr. Deborah Stephan at Indianapolis Veterinarian Specialists in Castleton. She took a look at my eyes and found that they were too dry so I got some ointment and drops for that.

It was great to go to the vet…I love it! I got lots of treats, love and great care. A special thanks to Dr. Phillips and Dr. Stephan, as always, for their great support of me and Butler!

This weekend has been a lot of fun for me. I got to go to Wabash, Ind. to stay with my Grandma and Grandpa Richards house for the occasion of my cousin Andrew’s birthday.

I got to ride the four-wheeler for a while which is one of my favorite things. It had been since last fall since I’d been on the four-wheeler and I was ready…so much so that when I heard it, I ran outside and even jumped up on it myself!

After my four-wheeler ride and went over to Andrew’s house where his Grandma and Grandpa Dinkins had their dog, Pete. I had never met Pete before, but we hit it off really well and played very hard.

Talk about a perfect weekend…the spoiling of grandparents, four-wheeler rides and play time with fellow four-legged friends. What’s not to like?!

I have another busy week ahead of me. Monday I have a H.S. Junior Preview Day with the Office of Admission and a video shoot for the ButlerRising Campaign. Tuesday I have a freshman recruitment party for the College of Education and a Rotary Club meeting down at the Scottish Rite Cathedral. On Wednesday and Thursday I will do my usual thing and on Friday, I have another early registration event.

I’ll keep the blog updated with the aforementioned fun this week. It should be a good time!

Blue II

Birthday and Basketball Lingerings

My birthday may have been last Thursday, but the benefits just keep on coming. Gifts and cards keep trickling in and all of the new toys, bones and treats around the office kept me quite busy today.

More thank you's go to Chris Carlson and her kitties, Champ, Ella, and Mirand Shook...I appreciate the cards and gifts!

Today started off well for a Monday. On my walk into the office I enjoyed the spring air and temperatures as well as the stinch of the fresh mulch recently spread around campus. We quickly made our way to Atherton Union to begin the day for a meet and greet with 15 international students. I think they were all from Taiwan, but now I cannot remember.

Today was their first official day on campus so I got to be one of the first to welcome them to the Butler Bulldog family. They took lots of pictures and gave me plenty of love.

After a lunch-time visit to the HRC while my dad worked out, we got to go to Robertson Hall for the Office of Admission's Junior Preview Day. I was there to greet high school juniors and their families, but I was more interested in the rice krispie treats and cookies that were being served.

After that, I spent the afternoon playing with my new toys, barking for no good reason and taking naps.

The fun all came to an end tonight though with the thunderstorms rolled into Indianapolis. I was sound asleep in the living room when the first flash of lighthing and rumble of thunder awakened me. I quickly located my parents and began to shake in fear, before finally retreating to my cage to hide from storms.

My parents try to comfort me and tell me that they won't let the storms hurt me, but if they are in such control, then why don't they just turn off the storms all together? I don't get it. Regardless, I'm not looking forward to making a trip back outside before bed to relieve myself.

Before I do brave the weather to take care of business, I wanted to let everyone know that in spite of the basketball season being over, a couple of our beloved Bulldogs will be in action one more time this weekend.

Seniors A.J. Graves and Mike Green be heading to San Antonio, Texas, to participate in special events surrounding the NCAA Final Four. Graves will be entered in the 3-Point Championship, while Green has been selected to play in the college All-Star Game.

For TV times and more information, click here: http://butlersports.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/033108aac.html

Good luck, A.J. and Mike! We're all pulling for you guys.

Blue II

Uncle Ovid Wants You...

…to vote for me!

While you’re online voting for Mike Green for the Bob Cousy Award, direct that index finger to make another couple of clicks to vote for yours truly.

That’s right, after watching Meaty of MTV's Rob & Big fame land his mug on Dick Van Patten’s brand of dog food on season three, episode four (“Meaty Goes to Hollywood”), I figured, why can’t I break into the product endorsement scene?

Enter Bissell’s MVP competition. You know?! The vacuum company. Anyway, they are having this contest where people can enter their pets to be featured on the box of their new Pet Hair Eraser vacuum package. I just went ahead and logged on and entered myself.

The contest winners are selected through online voting, so Uncle Ovid (Ovid Butler (pictured) wants you to get out and vote for me! Click here to view my submission and to vote.

You know I am looking good and should be on that vacuum box! You see my face on a vacuum box and you know right away the thing is good. People be in the store looking at vacuums and then see my face and be like…

Dude: Hey honey, let’s get this one!
Lady: Why, you know something about Bissell?
Dude: No, but it’s got this cool bulldog on it…it has to suck!

(and by suck, I mean in a good way, because that’s what vacuums do…they suck, literally)

Lady: Okay, if you think that’s the best one then get it.

Sold. Everybody wins. What’s not to like about that?

You could put my face on brochure selling ocean front property in Arizona and it would sell. That’s not cocky, it’s just cute.

Okay, there was maybe just a little bit of trash talk in all of that, but still. If my ability to use this face to score treats is any indication, then get me on the gravy train of endorsements…be bringing in checks so big it would make Tiger Woods, Peyton Manning and Michael Jordan look like chump change.

Hey, a dog can dream can’t he?

Regardless, get out there on the world wide web and vote for me and Mike Green; a couple of Bulldogs who need your support!

Enough about that, you get the idea. I've got a couple "day in the life" updates for everybody as yesterday was a busy day.

I had two appearances to make yesterday. One was for the annual Grad Finale where seniors go and to the Reilly Room on campus to get their cap and gown, graduation tickets, make a gift to the senior class fund, etc. That was cool. It's always bittersweet to go to the event b/c I know that I'm not going to get to see that group of students very much anymore, but I'm happy to know that they will soon enter society and represent Butler well.

At the same time, I had to stop in over at an event put on by some business students who created their own business plan, secured the funding, and started the business; all for a class project! They had the unveiling of their product yesterday which essentially, in a nutshell, is a photo booth. The business is called Strike a Pose and their website is located at http://www.strikeaposeindy.com/. Check it out.

After all of that, it was off to home where we cheered the Bulldogs on to victory over the Valpo Crusaiders 71-68 in a thriller of a game! Although, I had to sit out part of the game in my cage when the storms rolled through town. I'm not a huge fan of thunder and lighting.

In all, it was a successful day. Living the dream, baby!

Now go vote already!

Blue II

P.S. Be sure to watch all five clips from that episode of Rob & Big which can be viewed online here: http://www.mtv.com/overdrive/?id=1580197&vid=206200 If you don’t laugh, see a doctor immediately.

Vote Green in 2008!

Vote Green in 2008!

And no, I'm not talking about all of those environmentally friendly initiatives that seem to be so in vogue. Nor am I referencing the up and coming presidential election. I've got nothing against saving the planet, but Blue doesn't do politics.

What I am referencing, however, is Butler Men's Basketball player, Mike Green, (pictured) and his place as a finalist for The Bob Cousy Award presented by The Hartford.

Now he needs your vote! The fan voting section is now open, so vote for Mike at http://www.cousyaward.com/. And just like the former Chicago mayor, Richard J. Daley once said, "vote early, and vote often!"

The Bob Cousy (no relation to the koozie [pictured]) Award presented by The Hartford is given to the top collegiate male basketball point guard annually spanning across all divisions within the game by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

Congratulations to Mike for even being considered and best of luck with the rest of the season!

Speaking of the rest of the season, the Bulldogs are currently ranked 10th in the AP Poll and will take on conference foe, Valparaiso, this evening at 9 p.m. (EST) on ESPN2. Butler currently holds a two game lead in the Horizon League. Go Dawgs!

For some other great Butler Basketball related announcements and info, click here.

Also, stay up on Butler Basketball via these links as well...

BUbeat: http://www.bubeat.com/

Indy Star: http://www.indystar.com/

Indy Star's David Woods: http://blogs.indystar.com/butler/

Message Board: http://p214.ezboard.com/fbuhoopsfrm1

Remember, Mike needs your votes, so do your part!

Blue II


(Hey Mike, you think I can get a date with your daughter, Hoops, now?)

Girls, Girls, Girls

My good friends, newly weds, and Butler grads Noelle & Daniel recently posted,

"Sounds like the dream life of every Butler Bulldog! Do you have a girlfriend Blue??"

Not only do I live the dream life of every Butler Bulldog, I pretty much live the dream life. Period.

Living the dream, baby. Living-the-dream!

Now, on to your question...

It’s been said that a gentleman doesn’t kiss and tell. Good news for you, I’m a dog, I do whatever I want. In the words of George Clinton and the Parliament-Funkadelic, "Why must I feel like that? Why must I chase the cat? Nothin' but the dog in me." In other words, I've been known to like the ladies. Ya dig?

But, about those "girlfriends." Officially, I’ve never really had a girlfriend. Technically, I’ve had a lot of ladies in my life.

I’m cute, I’m cuddly, I’m a mascot and I’m a BMOC. Ladies love me.


My main lady in my life, besides my birth mother, Margie, (pictured below) is my adopted mother, Tiffany.

Tiffany taught me how to treat a lady and she said it was okay for me to date, but I’ve still yet to find “the one.”

I used to have a “relationship” with Kristen Nichols when she was on the cheerleading squad. Unofficially, she was my “girlfriend,” but we’ve since moved on. It was a mutual break-up, and we’re still good friends though. Besides, it was all fun and games…she is a human after all!

So when it comes the humans, I just enjoy the love from everyone. It’s platonic. But, I don’t really have a girlfriend on the K9 side either.

A good friend and Dawg Pound cohort, Loren Snyder, adopted a nice female English Bulldog recently. Her name is Bella. We went on a first date, but that didn’t go so well. We found that two Type A personalities don’t necessarily mix. She’s a nice lady, and we can be friends, but she’s too much woman for this man to handle.

I have an ongoing crush on Hoops Green. Hoops belongs to Butler men’s basketball guard, Mike Green. I haven’t seen her since Mike was playing ball in Alaska and Hoops was walking through campus with her sitter. We hit off right away. She’s hot, no question. And I think she was in to me, but we just don’t get to see each other very much. Distance just seems to make the heart grow fonder.

Ah well, I’m not giving up on love, but I’m still just three! I'll wait until I'm longer in the tooth to be settling down. That’s a big commitment…all those expectations, demands, emotions, etc.

Like the late Christopher George Latore Wallace, a.k.a. Biggie Smalls, i.e. Notorious B.I.G. once said, “mo money, mo problems.” True. So true.

So I guess it’s best that I just kick it as a one-man-band for the time being. I am most definitely single and ready to mingle, but you just can’t force true love. I know that "Mrs. Right" is just going to find me when I least expect it.

Sleepless in Indianapolis,

Blue II