Back then, when I first started going, it was only twelve feet and then guys started going out and they were on the ladder. "url":"", In Utah, the Bountiful High Braves, a fictitious Native mascot, changed in April 2021 to the Redhawks after advocating efforts from Native American activists, including James Singer, a Salt Lake . }, The other cool thing is that when these kids get out in their buses and wed have nine buses full of kids and their volunteers that would go with them, Elden Farnsworth would load up the Sorenson Center with firetrucks. Well cover it. That was amazing. "link":false, Dating back to his first year as the Jazzs 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. Utah Jazz: Top six matchups to look forward to in 2018-19, Three reasons the Utah Jazz perfectly exemplify what's right with the NBA, Former Middleweight Champ Jermain Taylor Arrested on Domestic Battery Charge, Utah Jazz: Five reasons to look forward to the 2018-19 season, Utah Jazz: One goal for every Jazzman in 2018-19. Thats basically where I started teaching myself gymnastics. After spraying two Rockets fans with silly string in between quarters of a game last week, one of the fans reacted by dumping . Number one in the hearts and souls of every Utah Jazz fan who ever lived and will continue to live. He was famous in our neighborhood because little kids would come home, have a lemonade stand, and Karl would pull up and pay a hundred dollars for a couple of glasses of lemonade and bring them home. Thats why I like a lot of these minor league sports teams like the Warriors here and Utah Grizzlies, those are players that they want to elevate, but they still understand that its those fans in the seats that are making us have the ability to play and hopefully get to their goal. "duration":0, I went, I get it! Why the mascot for the Utah Jazz is a bear.and why is name is simply just "Bear".still baffles me. Grant Harrison trusted me so much. It was my wifes 40th birthday party. [1][3] In 2006, Jazz Bear was inducted into the Mascot Hall of Fame. Out of respect for his character, which is separate from any employee ever associated with it, we have never discussed his identity. I was fortunate that I had a good enough vision that if I could do something out of the suit, I could do it in the suit. fuseboxPlayer(e.detail).setConfig({ Wed be in the front and Id look from the fire truck all the way down Redwood and we were like 30th south and you could see the last vehicle turn in the corner because we had nine buses, like eight fire trucks, all these cop cars, a whole bunch of vehicles in tow. The Jazz did not cite Absey by name, but did confirm his ouster, alerting media that a new mystery person will be inside the Jazz Bear costume when Utah hosts the Golden State Warriors in Fridays home opener. Absey then worked more than 800 home games as the Jazz Bear. "label":"Spotify" I thought, Lets take that idea of an entertainment event and use it to raise money to take kids shopping.. 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. "url":"", Jazz Bear is the club's mascot. He can still do the splits at age 52. "imageUrl":"", He was originally designed to be a cartoon character, but the idea was scrapped in favor of a real-life mascot. According to Eric Woodyard of the Deseret News, a source said Absey was relieved of his role after a rift with the staff.. In 96, I started the conference. It was nice that mascots around the country would support me. The Bear has suffered many injuries while performing, including tearing his bicep and rupturing a tendon in his calf." We appreciate the blood, sweat, and tears that have gone into being the. Grand Harrison called me a couple of weeks after. I have three guys that started when I started and they all quit when I left. The Bear first debuted by. There you have it. Ive dreamt my whole life to do this, to entitlement. The engaging and fun-loving bear is the cousin to the Utah Jazz mascot Jazz Bear and will be introduced to fans during the second timeout of the first quarter at the Lifetime Activities Center-Bruin Arena on the Salt Lake Community College Taylorsville Campus. Of course its fake. He is known for his fearless and unapologetic approach to entertaining the crowd, often pushing the boundaries of what is expected from a game's charm. Jimbo, by virtue of being recently featured in the Deseret News, is now the world's most famous Utah-based basketball mailbag artist. I was like, Thatd be great, because I was a poor college kid making $25 a game. Long-time Former Jazz Bear tells all https://t.co/maNuOwLk8Q, Mary Richards (@kslmrichards) January 15, 2020. All betting content is intended for an audience ages 21+. Its about knowing that what youre doing is on the right path. 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. For everybody out there, take that step and give it a shot. According to Eric Woodyard of the Deseret News, a source said Absey was relieved of his role after a "rift with the staff." What is the jazz bears name? The man behind Jazz Bear has been fired after a reported rift with the Utah Jazz. Its not the same Jazz Bear. The first time in my life that I ever got a chance to go into the locker room and watch these guys put on their suits, describe to us how you can see through with the head and, in that process, keep your balance and have situation situational awareness, so you dont fall over or how do you climb a ladder? 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. How tall was the ladder? The actions in this video are performed by professionals or supervised by professionals. The true gentleman, and kind, caring human being that you are underneath this costume we affectionately call Jazz Bear. Whats amazing though, is for a while now, I had kids that weve taken shopping come and volunteer. People think they have to give someone a bonus to increase performance and yet your experiences know when you have service before yourself, you elevate everyone around you. I miss it. SALT LAKE CITY (News4Utah)- The man that has worn the Utah Jazz mascot since 1994 has been fired. How did you come up with that idea? I started sledding down the stairs back then and bungee jumping out of the ceiling. Read my story below. Were not talking a little six-foot. Rules dont change or anything. We honor you. That was super kind to you. I said, If theres a conflict between a charity event, sponsor event, or paid event, I want to do the charity event. I was doing about 325 appearances a year, and they were 99% charity. We appreciate the fans. Full disclosure: I kind of want to drive like an ape now. It was such a different time. A Utah Icon The Jazz Bear has been something of a cult icon in Utah for decades, leaving many Utah Jazz fans stunned. 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. This answer is: I said, If I dont share it and nobodys trying to copy it, one, I dont know if its good enough to that Im doing this. It was like a playland. You have no credibility. Uploaded January 18, 2011. lol mascot whooped him. The Utah Jazz have an iconic mascot. I literally got on my toes and I didnt go. The Utah Jazz began life as the New Orleans Jazz. About 120. They are those guys that are strictly athletic and work for the crowd a little bit. Jazz Bear first appeared in 1989 as part of a marketing campaign for the team. [5], 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. When I put on the suit, a lot of fear went away, said Absey. "color":"#E33F3E", I was a Forward Observer and I volunteered. }); Jon Absey, the original Utah Jazz Bear, shares his journey from farm boy to becoming a world-class mascot. His greatest gag, though, was leveling fans who ran onto the court and mercilessly attacking them the way bears are supposed to: He made out with referees and sprayed CO2 on ushers behinds. The only thing thats changed is getting a salary. 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. NBA Mascot: As a mascot, the thing that can keep you out of so many injuries is flexibility. By subscribing, you acknowledge and agree to KSL.com's, Reports: Jazz fire Bear performer after 24 seasons, Carson Jorgensen not running for reelection. 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. What do you think about that shift from Service before yourself. When you have the Jazz players, the Gail and Larry Miller family, the fan base, the thousands and thousands of ticket holders and season ticket holders who have been entertained and inspired by you, its an honor for me to unveil the mask or the masked singer. Jon Absey wore the Jazz Bear suit well, there were nine of them for almost 25 years. It was hard to get money because I never liked talking to people about who I was. Youre so well-respected, but how can you take it to the next level and how can we support you? Jazz Bear (@utahjazzbear) on TikTok | 7.6M Likes. Apparently, Houston Rockets fans don't appreciate silly string in their beer. I ended up out on the third-floor ledge and chilling out because in my head, I was like, Im bored. I was so ADHD. Utah Governor Gary Herbert declared October 10, 2013 as "Jazz Bear Day" in recognition of his 20th season as the Utah Jazz' mascot. He was originally designed to be a cartoon character, but the idea was scrapped in favor of a real-life mascot. If you ask me, that puts him right up there with the likes of Karl Malone, John Stockton, Donovan Mitchell and Jerry Sloan as one of the most important and influential figures in Jazz history. And why did they do this recreation, you ask? Players didnt write me those checks like it was. Who could replace him as Utah GOP state party chair, In dry West, farmers balk at idling land to save water, 27% of Utah students are chronically absent. 1 of 5 Perhaps the most glaringly obvious example of a team name being unrepresentative of its current home is the Utah Jazz. I jumped up on the bars, and then it was that aha! moment. Wiki User. In the hundreds of games since, he has only increased the intensity of his stuntswhether he's flying down the concourse steps on a plastic sled or doing a handstand on top of a 20-foot ladder at. We need to do something for the underserved.. I was like, I got to get a bigger ladder. Thats when we pulled out the 25-footer. Jazz forward Rudy Gay powered through two Oklahoma City defenders for a second-quarter layup as Utah fights back against the Thunder. The person who wears the Jazz Bear suit is not publicly known. The only thing I had is I had a nose that dropped my lower peripheral. 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. Thats where I wanted to be, but then I realized thats a big group. I put it on, I walk like I walk. My mom calls me when she gets home. When it was unraveling, it was the only thing holding us and I remember screaming halfway down when I realized we had spun and that the only thing keeping my hand in that loop with her on my side was me squeezing those two ropes together. Dozens of students were later chosen as winners for the Bear walk. That was my push. He was the old Phoenix Gorilla. Dick Butkus, the guys that are from Meyer that I grew up idolizing, played for the love of the game and had a second career or another job in the off-season so they could pay their bills. Nowadays, you have people and they keep you a distance, but for who you are and for how everybody respects you and for what youve done in your life. God bless their souls, Stephen and Minnie, they were this older couple that would always come down to the cage and bring Luke and me drinks and cookies. This goes to show the people what Karl Malone, Mark Eaton, and Mark Atkins, how to look out for others. Now they rank in the top 10 teams in the Western Conference. I was like, Nothing is going to stop me., One time, this big snow storm was happening, Santa Claus, I cant say his name, he always showed up and ride in the bucket with me. Not just maintain, but to strengthen and continuously keep your flexibility where it needs to be for you to be that Mascot of the Year and at the top of your game. A new man will be donning the furry costume and entertaining Jazz fans at Utah's NBA home opener Friday night. 506.6K Followers. The Utah Jazz Bear is not your typical, cuddly charm. I would love to see it go back to where a fan could get an autograph or talk to a player. A team up in Winnipeg happened to be down scouting. We lived down the street and I wanted to welcome you to the neighborhood. To your point, Kay Malone invites my mother in, gives her a tour of her brand-new house, and takes her on a tour of the entire room that Karl built with plexiglass cases of every single member of the dream team with autographs, shoes, jersey, shorts, everything. We do not discuss individual personnel matters.. [4] The Bear has suffered many injuries while performing, including tearing his bicep and rupturing a tendon in his calf. Two, once somebody does it, I want to be able to do something else. Jazz Bear first appeared in 1989 as part of a marketing campaign for the team. All joking aside, though, Bear is in a class all his own. Brenda Hoskins is one of Mark Eatons great friends. Jazz Bear. [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. You've never seeing NBA mascots on TV before or the jumbo tron? "sticky":false, The message of this show is a simple reminder, we become the average of the five people we associate with the most, which means you need to find a mascot in your life, but more importantly, if you were a mascot, you must be the same offstage as your onstage. } Looking back at everything that I did and how I started, I was fortunate to have the beginning of it all like the perfect management. [1] Utah Governor Gary Herbert declared October 10, 2013 as "Jazz Bear Day" in recognition of his 20th season as the Utah Jazz' mascot, and also his countless hours of community and public service and his standing as an important citizen of Utah. Sure, the Utah Jazz Bear mascot may have gone a little too far, spraying silly string on a couple of Rockets fans and getting some sting in their beers, but he was spraying everyone. }); Thats what made you the Mascot of the Year five times and the mascot forever more. Theyre playing a game that we played when we were six. When asked to lean the cake over to give the crowd a better view, the bear tilted it over a little too much, sending the baked good hurling down several feet to . I knew we had something in common as soon as we kept talking along. 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. Im going to do it. To me, its a tradition and Im a big tradition guy. Its so fun because we used high schools and we like to have kids get involved. I was talking to him because we may be trying to do some stuff together and then the same with Rocky out in Denver. Jon Absey wore the Jazz Bear suit well, there were nine of them for almost 25 years. It happened Monday as the Jazz claimed their fourth. The Jazz Bear has been their mascot since 1994 and Jon Absey has been behind the costume since the beginning. Well be forever grateful. I wouldnt be able to call you and say, Dan, how are you doing? You reply back. That was all I was told. Enough said. 5 Rocky the Mountain Lion Denver Nuggets. So by your logic the kiss cams are fake also? I was told they were going in a different direction. No, that wouldve been fun to radar that. That's because the Utah Jazz fired Absey this week due to reasons that include ongoing disputes with management, according to multiple sources. We went out and lived with his dad for a while. I started a mascot conference, a few years into when I had started mascotting. Jazz . 2023 Bonneville International. Hes covered in snow. "title":"Jon Absey shares his journey to become an NBA mascot as the original Utah Jazz Bear", Get the latest Utah sports news delivered to your inbox. As I said, I loved being able to play and have fun and push the envelope, but the charity side of things is what motivated me and what started making the job worthwhile. There were crazy moments. I thought it would be fun. "spotify":{ Knowing that I had my trust in them and I trusted them to save my life and always tell me, That might not work. "Jazz Bear will continue to be one of the most iconic mascots in the NBA," a Jazz spokesperson said in a statement. Tom Nissalke was the commissioner up there for the NBL back in the day. The Suns Gorilla I was just me. You need to train and focus on your flexibility every day. 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. He was 1 of the 3 highest-paid professional baseball players in the entire league. I hated it. There are big heavy funny mascots like the Phillie Phanatic. It is not publicly known how much the person who plays Jazz Bear makes. Part time, paid position. I chickened out. They taught me to be a little tough. This man pulled up in this car. They said, What did he look like? Theyre describing this huge superstar kind, teddy bear. Theyre called the bear crew, and you have to be able to trust them with your life. Jon: I was really fortunate with our team. By now, most of you should be aware of Utah's incongruent (at least to Utah) mascot, the Jazz Bear, who once antagonized an inebriated Rockets fan enough to get . I was going through school and I was coaching over at a gym. His name was Mark and he would teach me after hours and stuff. Jazz Bear made his official debut during the 1990-91 NBA season. Visualize this, a basketball arena, cement stairs, railings going down the side, people and me away from being taken out by a sledding mascot in a costume, looking out the window, whatever it looks like, and somehow navigating straight down the steps going in about 30, 20 or 50 miles an hour. All joking aside, though, Bear is in a class all his own. The Little Giant, anytime I had an idea, they would build me a ladder because theyre the ones who built me the big sled from the upper bowl. The Bear and drunk quickly began to battle, and the cops even had to break them up . They had said, Dont worry about it. He also does a lot of charity work. I just did the stuff that everybody thinks about doing, but cant, he said. I wanted to get off the farm and see what the big city was. If you ever go through counseling, if anybody ever does that, its always about the rebound rate. A metaphor for life. I had a dancer from the Winnipeg Thunder that was not strapped in or anything was holding onto me, and Im holding onto her. 3414. What happened is sports teams started glorifying these guys so much and paying them such big amounts of money, and then what they did was they put a bigger wedge between the fans and the players. "url":"#" "They thought I was either going to kill myself or kill a fan," he said. 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. SportsPulse: Jeff Zillgitt and Trysta Krick put their prediction hats on for some bold takes as the NBA season gets set to begin. It twists down on your wrist. Thank you, Dan. I was told they were going in a different direction. I miss it. : 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. }, I miss the fans, but honestly, theres a part of me that enjoys being home on the weekends, he said. I remember laying there and I couldnt move because it like took everything out of me to hold that rope. The 50-year-old Absey won the 2017-18 Mascot of the Year award as Jazz Bear, marking the fifth time he garnered the honor in his career. The official site of the National Basketball Association. window.addEventListener('loadFuseboxPlayer', function(e) { I almost missed out on being out here. Put yourself out there and take your shot. "overcast":{ They thought I was either going to kill myself or kill a fan, he said. Coming from the upper bowl, paint the word picture for everybody. Then a couple of months later, theyre the ones who get to take the other kids Christmas shopping. As a mascot, youll be doing a lot of stunts so you need a great guardian angel to look over you. AboutPressCopyrightContact. When they moved in, my sweet mother, visualize her, the youngest of nine children raised by a single mom on a farm in Southern Idaho. "They thought I was either going to kill myself or. Most significantly, Jon proves why being a mascot has nothing to do with the suit. The charity side of things can motivate you in your job as a mascot. There were a number of times when he would show me how to throw a full-off on a tramp. And he can interact with the kids as himself now. I grew up with older brothers and sisters and how much they beat me up helped. Upload . For You. Mascot Team 2005 Clutch: Houston Rockets: 2006 Jazz Bear: Utah Jazz: 2007 Hugo the Hornet: New Orleans Hornets: 2008 Jazz Bear (2) Utah Jazz 2009 Rumble the Bison: Oklahoma City Thunder: 2010 Bango: Milwaukee Bucks: 2011 Grizz: Memphis Grizzlies: 2012 Crunch the Wolf: Minnesota Timberwolves: 2013 Clutch (2) Houston Rockets 2014 The Coyote Utah Jazz; 2022-23 Utah Jazz season: Conference: Western: Division: Northwest: Founded: 1974: History: New Orleans Jazz 1974-1979 Utah Jazz 1979-present: Arena: Vivint Arena: Location: . Fuckin' hilarious. Im not topping that. Stick through the whole video (You can give up 4. Absey is telling all in a new podcast called "Return to Real.". 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. 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 Luke Larson, my assistant, I love him. Hopefully, when I pass, I have a full church and then I know that I was successful. We do not discuss individual personnel matters.". Thank you. The exhibition also included Indiana Pacers mascot Boomer, and now-defunct Seattle SuperSonics mascot Squatch. A judge Monday ordered that the name of the Utah Jazz mascot be revealed to the plaintiff and attorneys in a lawsuit but said they must keep the identity of The Bear confidential. Of course, this is just one of a litany of community efforts Bear is involved in. I was out doing appearances a lot of times to supplement my income. It was in the Winnipeg Jets Arena. } Yes. Thank you for that intro. People like you and Andy Chudd were a huge part of that. Reply [deleted] . He didnt try to be anyone else or act like someone else in the suit. In this episode, Jon Absey, the original NBA basketball Utah Jazz Bear, an extraordinary philanthropist, shares his life and fascinating journey in becoming a sports team mascot. Thats so wrong. Required fields are marked *. Talk to us about your exercise program. This is back when you could stand on the side of the court and the players would talk to you, I remember one time seeing Adam Keefe up in the stands talking to people. "cover":{ During a timeout, there were a few fans on the floor . Absey is telling all in a new podcast called "Return to Real.". They thought I was either going to kill myself or kill a fan, he said. I love them for that and they still come to this day. Subscribe and listen free anywhere you listen to podcasts. I dont know why, but I was able to do the trick. "apple":{ "download", They formed the mask to fit my face so that it fits perfectly right around my eyes. Im all over the place. Hell have this played to his wife every night as we did with Andy Chudd. But he said he realized everyone could be just one management change from being let go. 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. I love her. The extent of that rift is unclear, according to the Deseret News' Eric Woodyard, but Jon . All the other leagues copied it. To your point, Karl and Kay loved the neighborhood. We did it for the draft. 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. He needs all the help he can get, but Jon doesnt need any help. I remember them telling me that I wont be able to do the splits on that leg anymore. Who is the individual when you go to a sporting event and you see this mascot perform, engage the audience, and cheer on that home crowd to give us the home field or home court advantage? . Jon Absey has played Jazz Bear since the mascot's 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. Mark would always hang out and Brenda would walk over and say, This is the situation, and Mark would pull out a credit card and hed cover the $2,000 that we were short. Theres a big difference. One thing led to another, and he was asked to try out to be the Jazz mascot in the early 1990s. I could plant seeds, but you can start rattling them off. If I look back over the years of being Bear, Im definitely grateful for having a job like this, as well as blessed that Im able to take a character and give back to the community and the fans who have given so much to us, Absey said in that interview. Tell us about where you grew to love charity and service before yourself.