Fall Break = No Break

As the afternoon grew long on Wednesday, it was as if tumbleweed began to blow through campus and the sound of crickets became deafening. It was even worse today as things were eerily quiet on campus and Friday may be even more solemn yet. Why? Fall break, of course. Upon the completion of the last classes on Wednesday, the students were on the road and heading to their respective homes to get a little of mom’s cooking, free laundry service and of course, a little rest and relaxation.

If you see a student on campus during fall break, then chances are he or she is a student athlete or holds down a campus job that requires their presence. Like the aforementioned, there’s no break in the action for this pooch either. In fact, since I last posted things have continued to stay quite busy, but I suppose that’s to be expected when your bulldog costume mascots come up missing and you’re all that’s left to carry the mascot duties.

More than anything else, it seems like I’ve been doing quite a few photo shoots lately. I had fall photo shoot to do for the university that is being used for some Thanksgiving cards. That one was a lot of fun because I got to run through the leaves, bite at the leaves and even eat some! Here are some pics from that shoot…

I also did a shoot this week for some students who are making a calendar to sell as a part of a “real business” class. I say good luck to them and hopefully they can use my image to do well.

Speaking of students, I got to mingle with some College of Education majors on Monday evening for a Global Opportunities event they were having on campus. They all got to find out about opportunities abroad and eat ethnic food while I got to walk around, get some free loving, beg for food and pose for pictures. Below is a picture of me with some of the COE majors who are also student athletes.

Oh, about those student athletes, in addition to a great season for our fall sports, our men’s basketball team is set to begin practice for the 2008-09 season in a matter of hours and they were one of the subjects in a athletic department fundraising dinner I attended last night at Hinkle Fieldhouse with keynote speakers Gene Keady and Brad Stevens.

That’s right, long-time Purdue University men’s basketball coach, Gene Keady, was in the house last night and gave a great talk about his years of coaching and how our Butler Bulldogs are fun to watch as well as a team to get behind because they do things the right way: the Butler Way.

Coach Keady said that former Michigan State coach, Jud Heathcoat always told him that he was perfect for Purdue because he looked like a “Boilermaker.” But, we think there may just be a little “Bulldog” in Gene as well. You decide…

I’m going to be real honest, after cocktail hour dinner was served, Coach Stevens and Coach Keady began their remarks and I studied the back of my eyelids. No disrespect gentlemen, but it was a long day for this old dog.

Tomorrow I’m filling in for our missing mascot, the costume version, and heading to the south side for an appearance at Clinton Young Elementary School. They are having an assembly for some of their students regarding a program they have to get students interested and excited about one day attending college. They’ve adopted Butler University since it is close and I’m going to serve as the special surprise portion of the event. Imagine how surprised all the kids will be when I come strolling in. I love that stuff!

The best part about being me is that more often than not, I put a smile on someone’s face. Whether it is a student, faculty or staff, a fan, or just somebody in the car next to me at a stoplight, I can usually evoke a smile or even a laugh from folks. Imagine having the ability to lift spirits like that…I think it’s one of the defining characteristics of the bulldog breed.

So if you want to really smile and laugh, make plans to come to campus on Saturday, Oct. 25th at 10 a.m. for the ninth annual Bulldog Beauty Contest. We’ve got 55 dogs signed up so far with the overwhelming majority of those dogs being bulldogs. So you can just imagine how much fun this event is going to be! My dad has been cooking up some good stuff for this year’s Bulldog Beauty Contest so I think I may do a special post on it next week to fill you in. Good stuff.

I wish everyone a great fall weekend this weekend and may the Bulldogs take down the Valpo Crusaders in the Hoosier Helmet Game!

Go Dawgs!

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?)