Mascot news (Toros)

[ponky]

Mascot's antics nearly cost D-League team a victory
ESPN.com news services

The Austin Toros of the NBA Development League put up with some unneeded Bull-loney when their now-suspended mascot lost his head -- figuratively and literally -- and nearly cost the team its game against the Colorado 14ers on Wednesday night.

The mascot, known as Da Bull, prematurely ran onto the court and hung from the rim with .4 seconds remaining, apparently to punctuate center Loren Woods' breakaway dunk that gave the Toros a four-point lead over Colorado.

While hanging from the rim, the Toros detailed in a news release Thursday, Da Bull collided with a Colorado player. At the point of contact, the mascot's head, to his horror, fell to the floor.

The Toros were assessed a technical foul. The 14ers' Von Wafer made the free throw, but Rick Rickert missed a 3-pointer that would have tied the score as time expired.

Da Bull was suspended for two games and assigned by the team to 50 hours of community service. A replacement mascot will perform in his absence; Da Bull is expected to return to duty Feb. 2 when the Toros play the Bakersfield Jam.

Austin's 101-98 victory came before a sold-out kids matinee at the Austin (Texas) Convention Center.

"I've never seen that in all my years of basketball," Toros coach Dennis Johnson said in a statement, "and I hope I never do again."

[Johnny_Blaze_47]

http://img.coxnewsweb.com/B/00/94/61/image_5061940.jpg

Mascot fiasco caps Toros' win
Da Bull gets technical for hanging on rim.

By William Wilkerson
AMERICAN-STATESMAN CORRESPONDENT
Thursday, January 25, 2007

James White tried to hide his smile behind his jersey, but it didn't do much good.

P.J. Tucker's Colorado 14ers were down four points with 0.4 seconds left in the game, but Tucker and several of his teammates were cracking up.

In an elevator afterward, players from both the 14ers and the Austin Toros were still trying to fathom what had just happened.

Did Austin's mascot, Da Bull, just receive a technical foul for hanging on the rim at the end of regulation play?

Does a bull see red?

Loren Woods had just dunked a ball with less than five seconds to go to give Austin a 101-97 lead. When Colorado reached the other end of the court, Da Bull was waiting for them, on the rim.

Time expired, but the referees gathered and decided to assess the mascot a technical. Colorado made the resulting free throw, and the refs put 0.4 seconds back on the clock. Luckily for Da Bull, the 14ers missed their desperation three-point attempt, and Austin survived to win 101-98 Wednesday afternoon at the Convention Center.

"Who's going to pay that bull's fine?" Toros coach Dennis Johnson joked before the technical free throw.

Things grew more embarrassing for Da Bull when he lost his mascot head as he dropped to the court in a scramble to avoid the oncoming Colorado players.

"Now everyone knows who the mascot is," Johnson said with a laugh.

Less amused, Toros officials announced a few hours after the game that Da Bull — whom team officials declined to identify — was suspended for two games and assigned to perform 50 hours of community service.

"I've never seen that in all my years of basketball, and I hope I never do again," said Johnson, who played in the NBA for 14 seasons from 1976-90.

On the court, the D-League game was back and forth in the final quarter.

With the score tied at 96 and 1 minute to play, Eric Osmundson had an opportunity to give Colorado (15-8) the lead, but he missed a point-blank layup.

From there, Woods made three free throws and blocked a shot to semi-secure Austin's victory. The 7-foot-2-inch Woods had 12 points and 14 rebounds.

B.J. Elder led the Toros with 20 points while White added 17.

Cheyne Gadson scored eight points and had six assists in his debut with the Toros (8-16), who won their third straight.

Tucker, a 6-7 forward, finished with four points and three rebounds. The former Texas Longhorn was a second-round NBA draft pick of Toronto in the spring.

The Raptors assigned him to Colorado, one of their NBA Development League affiliates, about three weeks ago.

On Wednesday, he witnessed a strange, head-shaking sight as a young pro. As did Johnson, the old pro.

"The guys played well and worked hard for that win," Johnson said of his team.

"I'm glad that (incident with Da Bull) wasn't the deciding factor in the outcome of the game."

http://www.statesman.com/sports/content/sports/stories/other/01/25/25toros.html

[Johnny_Blaze_47]

The bigger question is: For a mascot that large and with those hops, could he be the Spurs missing long swingman?

[Johnny_Blaze_47]

If he can hit 45% from the field, I'd say waive Beno.

[shelshor]

The bigger question is: For a mascot that large and with those hops, could he be the Spurs missing long swingman?
Even if he's not, at least the Spurs have someone in the DLeague they can call up if the Coyote should go down with an injury

[Johnny_Blaze_47]

Even if he's not, at least the Spurs have someone in the DLeague they can call up if the Coyote should go down with an injury

Screw that, a #14 jersey can be restitched for the mascot by the time he clears New Braunfels.

[MajorMike]

Cheyne Gadson scored eight points and had six assists in his debut with the Toros (8-16), who won their third straight.

Whoo hoo; former Cowboy.

[ChumpDumper]

:lol Well I guess this shows who reads the James White updates. I was under the opposite basket and didn't see his head fall off. No harm done.

[ChumpDumper]

There's a link to a video of the play on the referred page.

Toros suspend mascot after rim shaking experience
1/24/2007 11:10 PM
By: News 8 Austin Staff

The Austin Toros suspended their mascot for two games and assigned him to 50 hours of community service for his actions at the conclusion of the Toros' game against the Colorado 14ers Wednesday afternoon.

The mascot, Da Bull, prematurely ran onto the court and hung from the rim with .4 seconds remaining and the Toros leading, 101-97, following a breakaway slam dunk by Toros center Loren Woods. While hanging from the rim, Da Bull collided with a 14ers player, losing his head literally and figuratively as it fell to the floor.

The Toros were assessed a technical foul and Von Wafer of the 14ers converted the free throw, giving the visitors a chance to tie the game with a three point shot. But Rick Rickert missed a three-pointer as time expired, preserving the Toros' victory before a sold-out kids matinee at the Austin Convention Center.

"I've never seen that in all my years of basketball," said Toros Coach Dennis Johnson, "and I hope I never do again."

Da Bull will return to action on Friday, February 2 when the Toros take on the Bakersfield Jam. The Toros will have a replacement mascot for Friday's game against the Arkansas Rimrockers at 7:30.

Community service for Da Bull begins this weekend at the Bastrop Hoopstars basketball clinic on Saturday and Sunday at the Whataburger Youth Basketball clinic from 1-3 at the IH-35 and Wells Branch store.

http://www.news8austin.com/content/sports/?ArID=178182&SecID=5

:lmao @ "community service"

[shelshor]

http://click.nba.com/viewmsg.cfm?n35109s372c1133019t372

Da Bull to Appear on ESPN Cold Pizza at 10:15 a.m. cst

Austin Toros mascot, Da Bull, will appear live today on ESPN Cold Pizza to discuss his antics at the game on Wednesday, January 24th. Tune into Channel 411 on Time Warner Cable at 10:15 a.m. cst to find out more.

Da Bull will be relegated to the sidelines at tonight's game versus the Arkansas Rimrockers serving his 2 game suspension. A replacement is being sought during his suspension and fans may apply at tonight's game to be mascot for a day.

[ChumpDumper]

A replacement is being sought during his suspension and fans may apply at tonight's game to be mascot for a day.I'd apply, but I doubt they've cleaned the mascot suit once in two seasons.

[ponky]

what's with the community service?!? poor dude, showed to much enthusiasm and look what he gets for a simple accident

[ChumpDumper]

From what I've read, the "service" is stuff like public appearances he was scheduled to do anyway. It would be funny to see him in his mascot suit picking up trash by the highway though.

[The Great Fantastic]

How many wrecks would there be if he did have to pick up trash on the side of the road in uniform? I know my vehicle would flip 3 or 4 times.

[ChumpDumper]

So much for the suspension. Da Bull was at the game tonight. They played up the controversey, saying that he couldn't be in the building during the game, so they put him in a pen in the concourse outside during the game. Inside they were selling "Free Da Bull" t-shirts for $10 bucks, and HEBuddy and some creepy chicken dude filled in for him until he "escaped," ran across the court and hung on the rim for about five seconds.

Good times.

[ponky]

So much for the suspension. Da Bull was at the game tonight. They played up the controversey, saying that he couldn't be in the building during the game, so they put him in a pen in the concourse outside during the game. Inside they were selling "Free Da Bull" t-shirts for $10 bucks, and HEBuddy and some creepy chicken dude filled in for him until he "escaped," ran across the court and hung on the rim for about five seconds.

Good times.

haha, that's awesome. just looking at that mascot's face the other night i was thinking how he even looks like he's crazy, but all fun. it's a perfect face for his antics.

[Johnny_Blaze_47]

One of these days, I'm just going to drive up and catch a Toros game.

[ChumpDumper]

http://img.coxnewsweb.com/B/07/37/64/image_5064377.jpg

Stealing show is foul play for mascot

By Kevin Robbins
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Friday, January 26, 2007

What a load of bull.

The mascot for the Austin Toros confessed Thursday that he lost all sense of time the day before at the Austin Convention Center, where he earned a technical foul for hanging on the rim.

'I didn't see the ball in play,' Da Bull said of why he was hanging on the rim before time expired in a game Wednesday.

Da Bull thought the game was over.

But da game wasn't over.

A player for the Colorado 14ers collided with Da Bull with 0.4 seconds left. Da Bull never saw the player because he wears an cartoonishly big bull head, which tumbled to the floor.

"I'm waiting for them to call assault on the mascot. (Instead) they call a technical on the mascot," snorted Da Bull.

Da Bull conferred with the referees, who informed him of the infraction. Da Bull didn't know what to do, so he shrugged and went off to sign autographs.

The man who wears the costume of Da Bull is a 29-year-old gymnast and graduate of Austin High who wears Dolce & Gabbana glasses and never played organized basketball. But he knows the rules, which prohibit mascots from hanging on the visiting-team rim when the team is putting together a fast break for a layup.

"Somebody has to have a videotape of that," said Kenny Glenn, who said he hoped to see the episode on the Web.

His Phoenix-based company, Game Operations International, trains mascots for the NBA. Glenn said he knew of few instances where mascots stirred up trouble.

The most famous incident might have been in Chicago, where the Bulls' mascot took a swing last year at an off-duty police officer at Taste of Chicago.

Benny the Bull knocked off the officer's eyeglasses and broke his watch.

Da Bull broke nothing and hurt no one.

"I was hanging there in celebration," he said, sitting at the convention center on his bale of hay. "I didn't see the ball in play."

The Toros asked that the man-behind-the-mascot's name not be revealed.

"It's kind of like the Disney philosophy," said team president Mike Berry. "You want the characters in character."

Da Bull drew a two-game suspension.

He agreed to 50 hours of unspecified community service.

"It was either that or be fined," Da Bull said. "And I like my money more than I like my time."

The Toros still won the game. The 14ers missed a long — and unobstructed — three-pointer as time dwindled.

The shot was for the tie. It could've changed the moo-mentum of the game.

"And I," said Da Bull, "would've been relocated."

[email protected]; 445-3602

[ChumpDumper]

:lmao This might be the best thing that aver happened to the D-League:

Routie the Roadrunner Shows Support for Suspended Mascot

TULSA, Okla., January 26, 2007 – In a show of solidarity for a fellow mascot, Routie the Roadrunner will perform an additional 50 hours of community service in the Tulsa area during the remainder of the 2006-07 NBA Development League season.

Routie the Roadrunner will perform additional community service in a show of support for the suspended Toros mascot Da Bull.
Routie was already scheduled for dozens of hours of community service, along with the players and coaches Joey Meyer and Roy Rogers, but felt strongly that he should help serve part of the suspension served by Da Bull of the Austin Toros.

Da Bull made national news this week when he prematurely ran onto the court and hung from the rim before the conclusion of the Austin Toros' game against the Colorado 14ers at the Austin Convention center Wednesday. Da Bull's actions led to a technical foul and brought the 14ers within three points with 0.4 seconds remaining, enough time for a game-tying shot attempt. Fortunately for the Toros – and especially Da Bull – Rick Rickert's shot missed and the Toros won 101-98.

Routie will also wear a black armband in support of Da Bull these next two games, while Da Bull sits out. :lol

Routie has already served more than 100 hours of community service since landing in Tulsa over a year ago. Routie has visited local schools including Hoover Elementary, Lanier Elementary, Bixby Middle School, Moore Elementary, Jenks and many others. The Roadrunner has also given back to the community by supporting charities and foundations such as the Muscular Dystrophy Association, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Little Lighthouse, Downs Syndrome Association, Special Olympics, JDRF and Campfire USA, to name a few.

Routie and the Tulsa 66ers are dedicated to leaving a lasting legacy in Green Country by supporting fitness and education programs for kids and families. The success of our organization is not only measured in wins and losses, but also the number of lives we touch along the way.

Support Da Bull!
http://www.nba.com/media/dleague/tulsa/routie-in.jpg

http://www.nba.com/dleague/tulsa/routie_dabull_070126.html

[TDMVPDPOY]

me n my mate saw the play on tv down under and we roflmao