Join us as we welcome our special guest, Jon Absey, the former Utah Jazz Bear mascot. When she passed away, I cried so hard. It was one of those things that Brenda would always be like, Jon, dont. Im like, No. I miss it. Mark Atkins is the same thing, showing up at the event and wanting to help any way they can. Give us an inside glimpse of when you think that shift occurred and where it occurred from, Im so grateful to be a professional athlete. Green and other Brown men had felt a need for a definite symbol for Brown. [1] The extent of that rift is unclear, according to the Deseret News' Eric Woodyard, but Jon . He created the idea, costume, and antics that allowed him to be named and honored as the MBA Mascot of the Year five times and the number one voted Most Popular, Most Amazing, Most Significant Mascot across all professional sports and cold sports nationwide two different times. "color":"#E33F3E", "sticky":false, It was a group effort to get the character going. Upload . It wasnt for a number of years later that the boss or Marcy came in and shes like, I found out that Sacred Heart doesnt have a gymnastics team. What I would do is I would go in and I would watch what other coaches were doing. You have your athletic mascots like Thunder from Golden State back when he was dunking and stuff and Lucky from Boston. I jumped up on the bars, and then it was that aha! moment. Thats when I realized I got a great guardian angel. The Utah Jazz Bear is not your typical, cuddly charm. Its like a full circle. To your point, Karl and Kay loved the neighborhood. He thought he would retire from the Jazz. Jazz Bear was introduced to the league on November 4, 1994. In this episode, Karene Reid shares how his family taught him love, sacrifice, hard work, Read more, Listen to the podcast here When nobody believes in you, you have to believe in yourself. Dating back to his first year as the Jazz's mascot in 1994, Bear has given 15,000-plus hours of assistance in the community for more than 300 community organizations, raising over $1 million in the process. SALT LAKE CITY, Utah The man most basketball fans knew as the Jazz Bear for more than two decades is talking about his time in the suit, and why he was fired. The person who wears the Jazz Bear suit is not publicly known. Last question, Jon. I was getting it through Karl Malone, John Stockton, all those guys would write me checks and they would cover it. You need to work hard and challenge yourself. Why the Phoenix Suns Gorilla arrived in the winter of 1980 isnt nearly as intriguing as what hes done since he arrived. }, As we wind down, give us an inside glimpse of what happens when you raise the money at the Mascot Bowl and what happens when we team up with the fire department. There were a number of times that we had gone over. Inducted into the Mascot Hall of Fame in 2006, Absey worked more than 800 home games as Jazz Bear, according to Woodyard. There were a number of times where I went a little outside the box and he went to battle, and he knew that, in order for the character to keep creating and growing, it needed to push those bounds. The man behind Jazz Bear, the reigning Mascot of the Year, has been fired after almost a quarter-century with the team due to "a rift" with the organization, according to multiple reports out. They were approachable. Absey is telling all in a new podcast called Return to Real. Its the first time hes spoken about his time in the costume since his firing. But one inebriated Rockets fan took the feud to the next level by dumping his beer on the Utah Bear. She grabbed me by the ear and held me all the way down to the office. Welcome to the show. It was so fun. or superseded by additional information. Before, he said, he hid under a mask. How long does it take you to come back and start talking instead of holding a grudge? I wrapped my hand in, we do the practice, but I did it off a ladder that was probably fourteen feet. When I would submit my stuff, Luke would always say, Why do you keep showing them the stuff youre doing? I know this pushed me and Im glad I did it because it worked. He was then offered to come to the University of Utah as a walk-on. I appreciate that. I grew up with older brothers and sisters and how much they beat me up helped. But he can still do the splits at age 52. Phoenix Suns/Mascots It was like, What could I do that would be fun that I want to do? I was like, Lets sled from the upper bowl. I called Little Giant. She bakes a cake and goes to knock on the door. Utah Governor Gary Herbert declared October 10, 2013 as "Jazz Bear Day" in recognition of his 20th season as the Utah Jazz' mascot. Give us the inside scoop of the Mascot Bowl. On October 19, 2018, it was reported that Jon Absey, who had performed as the Jazz Bear for twenty-four years, had been fired for unknown reasons. My only thought was, Im not letting her die. I dont care what happens to me because of the stupid decision that we decided because were doing Phantom of the Opera. Jon Absey, who played Jazz Bear for almost a quarter-century, has reportedly been fired by the Utah Jazz. Read my story below. Utah Jazz newcomer guard Kris Dunn continues to make a contribution despite his limited time with the team. I was out doing appearances a lot of times to supplement my income. I remember there was this voice in my head that was screaming, Dont go. I remember the audio kicked in Thunderstruck. I was like, I got to get a bigger ladder. Thats when we pulled out the 25-footer. Hes in the Mascot Hall of Fame, but more importantly, hes a husband, a father, and a philanthropist. It was such a different time. Its interesting as Jon retired as our Jazz Bear and a new person took over the costume, you realize that its more than a costume. "position":"bottom", On this night, for some reason, I didnt get up there in time and I did it blindly. Jon Absey has played Jazz Bear since the mascots inception in 1994, but he was fired this week and is no longer with the organization, according to Utah media reports, which cited a rift with Jazz staff. I left my head on and it felt funny. Here's what lawmakers have directed schools to do. "overcast":{ The mascot, named Jazz Bear, showed off his talents on the water, doing some impressive waterskiing and wakeboarding in full costume, all to the bangin' lyrics from good ol' Alan himself. Email him at rohrbach_ben@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! (Getty Images) The man behind Jazz Bear, the reigning Mascot of the Year, has been fired after almost a quarter-century with the team due to a rift with the organization, according to multiple reports out of Utah. Ive dreamt my whole life to do this, to entitlement. They played for the right reasons. He can still do the splits at age 52. Jon Absey has played Jazz Bear since the mascot's inception in 1994, but he wasfired this week and is no longer with the organization, according to Utah media reports, which citeda rift with Jazz staff. A farm boy, Absey picked up that first mascot job at Morehouse State College for $25. There will be many more events and years to come if I have anything to do with it. Welcome to #nbaallstar #utah. She grabbed another one and she goes to me, Am I done now?. Its so fun because we used high schools and we like to have kids get involved. At Salt City Hoops, we know that covering a team without any humor can be dreary. Well cover it. That was amazing. However, mascots in the NBA reportedly receive salaries between $40,000 and $65,000 per year. Jazz Bear is the mascot for the Utah Jazz, a National Basketball Association (NBA) franchise based in Salt Lake City, Utah. I looked at Greg and I was like, You got a tough kid. Living here in Utah, I am so proud to have on my show a gentleman by the name of Jon Absey. Hopefully, when I pass, I have a full church and then I know that I was successful. "file":"https://feeds.podetize.com/ep/E5G7SBm06/media", I miss the fans, but honestly, theres a part of me that enjoys being home on the weekends, he said. Jon Absey Incidentally, he was also fired from his very first job as a mascot for the CBA for all those stunts he tried out. Full disclosure: I kind of want to drive like an ape now. I was talking to a season ticket holder sitting down the front, and he commented, Theyre raising our ticket prices. Jon: I was really fortunate with our team. Before, I would show up, meet people, and Id go, but I never felt so connected as I do now with people, with children and their parents, because now I get to talk to them and see them. He is so kind. Whoever takes over Friday has big paws to fill. "url":"https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id1573990224", History of Jazz Bear. What do you think about that shift from Service before yourself. There was another time when I was zip-lining in and I was coming out of a spotlight stand about 80 feet in the air. At the beginning of the season, the Utah Jazz were second to last. Im almost ready to tap out. 5 Rocky the Mountain Lion Denver Nuggets. "link":false, I got smart when I got to the Jazz as I started putting two sleds together and put a wood board in the middle of them so that it was more solid. Everybody could see that Jazz Bear and not just wonder what this amazing human being must be like, but now you get a chance to see the stud muffin hunk of burning love that was inside that suit. Describe what happened there. "cover":{ You've never seeing NBA mascots on TV before or the jumbo tron? Usually, when Id get up there, I had time to take my head off, look and hook myself, and check my equipment. SALT LAKE CITY, Utah The man most basketball fans knew as the Jazz Bear for more than two decades is talking about his time in the suit, and why he was fired. I remember Stephen and Minnie going out one night and they had asked Greg Foster if hed wanted to come over for dinner. I literally got on my toes and I didnt go. Id always ride in the bucket and Id freeze. That was all I was told. You have no credibility. Reply [deleted] . Players didnt write me those checks like it was. It was hard to get money because I never liked talking to people about who I was. "url":"#" I remember laying there and I couldnt move because it like took everything out of me to hold that rope. I remember one time in Spanish class, the teacher didnt show up on time. [6][7], "The Bear facts: The Utah Jazz 16-year mascot, Bear, balances life of court jester, charity king", "Utah Governor Declares October 10 as the Utah Jazz Bear 20th Anniversary Day", "Reports: Jazz fire Bear performer after 24 seasons", "Utah Jazz fire longtime employee who played team's Jazz Bear mascot", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Jazz_Bear&oldid=1100250002, This page was last edited on 24 July 2022, at 23:38. What a good way to turn off the lights at night and go to sleep. When Bill stepped away, then I tried to raise the money. I remember he looked at me and hes like, Im not doing this again. We were both freezing, Im uncovered. They had said, Dont worry about it. In this Read more. Bold predictions for the 2018-19 NBA season. Why the mascot for the Utah Jazz is a bear.and why is name is simply just "Bear".still baffles me. A wayward bat flew around the court inside the Vivint Smart Home Arena about an hour before Utah's game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday, interrupting the pregame shooting routines of the likes of Jazz stars Donovan Mitchell and Ricky Rubio. Yes, as far as the NBAMascots.com can find, Jazz Bear has been the one mascot for the Utah Jazz team. In this YouTube video, the Utah Jazz Bear gets revenge on a Houston Rockets fan who poured beer on the mascot's head during a game. Thats what made you the Mascot of the Year five times and the mascot forever more. Thankfully for American Gold Gymnastics, theyre the ones who lent their facility for me to learn and train. When I hit Winnipeg, I remember I rappelled in and straddled two beams, and when Thunderstruck started, I would jump in the air, put my feet together, and zip in quick on a rope, and I got up there late. For more information, please read our Legal Disclaimer. That's because the Utah Jazz fired Absey this week due to reasons that include ongoing disputes with management, according to multiple sources. : The Utah Jazz mascot, Bear, performs during a time out of their game against the Denver Nuggets during Game Six of the Western Conference Quarterfinals of the 2010 NBA Playoffs at EnergySolutions Arena on April 30, 2010 in Salt Lake City, Utah. Put yourself out there and take your shot. "url":"https://overcast.fm/itunes1573990224/power-players-with-dan-clark", There are so many little caveats. He was introduced to the league on November 4, 1994. I got a chance to interview him and go to Dallas and meet his mother, who was still alive and go to the mausoleum and pay tribute to the great Mickey Mantle. After spraying two Rockets fans with silly string in between quarters of a game last week, one of the fans reacted by dumping . I would jump on board with them and thats where it all started. I knew that I needed to give back to show my gratitude. Until October 2018. I hated it. But thats the scaredest Ive ever been, he laughed. Did you learn that from your siblings beating the crap out of you going, Someday, Im going to never do this?. We have no respect, no credibility, and please download and share this episode as a simple reminder that Jon Absey is exactly the same in person as he is in that suit. "url":"", Lets go all the way back. Jazz Bear is the club's mascot. All celebrating kids who couldnt have a Christmas and wouldnt have the means with their parents, you provided that for them. The Utah Jazz have an iconic mascot. Now he has much more time with his wife and 3 daughters. Some guys in the cheaper suits look through the neck. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER. I started a mascot conference, a few years into when I had started mascotting. I remember them telling me that I wont be able to do the splits on that leg anymore. only for your personal, non-commercial use. He is a bright, energetic, and lovable character who loves to show off his signature dance moves and have fun with fans. That kid took a knee. [1][2] Since Jazz Bear's introduction, he has performed at over 800 Jazz home games. "label":"TuneIn" During the Utah Jazz's recent match against the Huston Rockets, the Jazz's mascot, which is creatively named the Jazz Bear, shot silly string at fans during the half-time interval. Now he has much more time with his wife and three daughters. 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