Butler’s Blue II carrying the iconic oversized rawhide, symbolizing the game is about to begin. He will retire tonight after nine legendary years as Butler’s live mascot. (photo by Butler Sports)
Taking photo ops while walking through the hallowed halls of Hinkle Fieldhouse, receiving a pat on the head as a player ran onto the floor during the starting lineups, and a full court dead sprint to a dinosaur sized bone ready to be taken out of the hands of a Butler student, symbolically signaling it’s gametime.
These are the simple but timeless memories I have of Blue II, the live mascot of Butler University.
As a young Bulldog, few memories trumped seeing the legendary pooch and getting to pet him just as the Butler stars I idealized did at every home game. My young, naive mind imagined that maybe, just maybe some of that “Hinkle Magic” would rub off on me in an almost “Like Mike” sort of way. I guess the fact that I’m writing and broadcasting basketball games trumps that childhood fantasy, but even if I didn’t get the talent, the spirit of Butler Basketball grew with me from that day forward.
An English Bulldog, born March 27, 2004, Blue II is the second in a lineage of English Bulldogs to serve as the mascot of Butler.
After taking over full-time mascot duties for his predecessor and nephew Blue I at the end of the 2003-2004 season, Blue II began to slowly but surely become not only a local, but a national icon.
Fame and stardom really came into full swing during the Bulldog’s 2009-2010 National Runners-up season, when Butler requested the NCAA to allow Blue II to accompany the team at their games in the 2010 tournament. Unfortunately, the NCAA has a ban on live mascots attending tournament games, Blue was forced to stay home. However, once Butler made its historic run to the 2010 Final Four in Indianapolis, the NCAA gave him an exemption and allowed to participate and attend all the festivities.
This catapulted him into national headlines, which led to many people calling him the biggest thing to see all of Final Four weekend. Along with this Blue II joined his Butler team as one of America’s darlings, earning him the title “Butler’s Mascot, America’s Dog.”
The following season Butler once again applied for Blue to accompany the team during the 2011 NCAA Tournament, but was again denied due to the NCAA’s rules on live mascots at tourney venues.
Miraculously, the Bulldogs made it to a second consecutive Final Four which once again made an exemption for Blue II to join his team and participate in Final Four weekend. In the process, he once again stole the show; he was profiled by ESPN, who called him “the star of the Butler Bulldogs” and even appeared on the CBS Early Show and CBS pregame before Butler’s Final Four games in Houston.
Despite the Bulldogs losing both National Titles, the “Hinkle Magic” and the legacy of Blue II had spread across the globe.
His new-found fame led to a road tour being organized to introduce him to the A10 conference over the course of this season. The tour drew local and attracted national recognition, especially when Blue II and Blue III had a “summit” with Georgetown’s bulldog mascots Jack & Jack Jr. Along with the tour Blue II was permitted to take part in pregame ceremonies of several away games.
Tonight however, America’s Dog will chase down the oversized rawhide for the final time at Hinkle Fieldhouse. Butler will have their first ever “Changing of the Collar” ceremony during the senior night festivities, where he will pass the mascot duties to his mascot-in-training Blue III. After the ceremony Blue III will officially take over as live mascot, however if Butler would make the Final Four this year, Blue II would accompany the team to Atlanta.
While Butler faithful would probably enjoy a “Ray Lewis Style” last ride by hoisting up a National Championship in his final season as their official mascot, even that along with tonight’s ceremonies will not be enough to capture the legacy of the best dog on four legs in the country.
Blue II will never be forgotten, even during retirement he will always be a symbol of Butler Bulldogs basketball.
I will always remember the first time I met Blue II and will always remember the night we all said farewell and he buried the bone so to speak.
Win or lose in tonight’s regular season finale against Xavier, this is his night.
Formerly Butler’s Mascot.
Always America’s Dog.
-Jimmy Cook
Follow on Twitter: @theJCook