In those days, Mickey Mantle won the Triple Crown in 1956 and the Yankees wanted to trade him because he was getting paid too much money. Put yourself out there and take your shot. Id always ride in the bucket and Id freeze. Out of respect for his character, which is separate from any employee ever associated with it, we have never discussed his identity. That is until the children. Because his whole career was spent working nights and weekends, and sacrificing his family and his body. His name was Mark and he would teach me after hours and stuff. Back when I started and then all the way up through the 90s, we were fortunate enough to have two finals and they were amazing. } The person who wears the Jazz Bear suit is not publicly known. I remember going up and looking down and I looked over at Luke and said, Luke, this might be a really bad idea, and he was like, Im glad youre doing it. We jumped on and it was such a fast, fun ride, though. He began as a farm boy in North Dakota, landing his first mascot job for only $25 for Moorhead State College, which eventually led to an audition to be the Utah Jazz Mascot in the early 1990s. It was nice that mascots around the country would support me. She ran over to join the group to dance and I collapsed on the floor. My vision was my eyes. 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. His name is Jim Johnston. It was in the Winnipeg Jets Arena. While Absey won't don the costume, the Jazz confirmed that Jazz Bear will be present when they host the Golden State Warriors on Friday night. 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. You must be the same person in your house as you are outside of your house, the same person on the field or on the court as you are off the court and vice versa. The mascot has proven to be so popular in the city that he even has a day named after him. I was always so excited. Utah Jazz mascot Jazz Bear excites the crowd during a break in play between the Utah Jazz and Sacramento Kings on March 13, 2016 at Sleep Train Arena. Theyre resting them on the bench now. Do you remember John and Carl or any of those guys? On the same day he was honored, a video of Bear encouraging motorists not to drive like an ape debuted on YouTube. Players didnt write me those checks like it was. I was like, Game on. I worked so hard and I literally got my splits back and I still think I did it better than before. Were not talking a little six-foot. He has since become an iconic part of the Utah Jazz fan experience, and is beloved by fans of all ages. "url":"", 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. Teaches the inside look of a head of a mascot. 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. I do want to clarify one thing. 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. On Tuesday morning, he was helping to reward kids for walking and/or biking to school and staying healthy, active and safe in the process. only for your personal, non-commercial use. They formed the mask to fit my face so that it fits perfectly right around my eyes. But thats the scaredest Ive ever been, he laughed. Is Jazz Bear the only Utah Jazz mascot? How do you want to be remembered? }); Jon Absey, the original Utah Jazz Bear, shares his journey from farm boy to becoming a world-class mascot. Until October 2018. She grabbed another one and she goes to me, Am I done now?. Grant Harrison trusted me so much. The official site of the National Basketball Association. I love when you see these high school kids with these younger kids that dont have the iPhones and all this other stuff, that humanity comes out of them. "description": "", 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. 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. I love them for that and they still come to this day. As a mascot, youll be doing a lot of stunts so you need a great guardian angel to look over you. Absey then worked more than 800 home games as the Jazz Bear. Before, he said, he hid under a mask. You wont come back from this 100%. Id be like, Now, its a challenge. Its like when they did my knee, they took my hamstring instead of a cadaver tendon and stuff. Thank you, ladies and gentlemen. 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. Ive dreamt my whole life to do this, to entitlement. The charity side of things can motivate you in your job as a mascot. Join us as we welcome our special guest, Jon Absey, the former Utah Jazz Bear mascot. Jazz Bear made his official debut during the 1990-91 NBA season. Here, we will focus on the top 10 most popular sports mascots. 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. Thats what made you the Mascot of the Year five times and the mascot forever more. As were zipping in first-time doing a full go, it started to unravel. Free shipping. You get to ask the question, who is the real human being behind the mascot costume? Thats so wrong. I was a Forward Observer and I volunteered. Absey counted up 150 stitches or staples, 10 surgeries, and 27 torn ligaments or muscles over time. I was talking to a season ticket holder sitting down the front, and he commented, Theyre raising our ticket prices. There could be ten new Jazz Bears in that same suit, and there will never be another Jon Absey, so thank you. I remember the principal leaning out the window. I dont know why, but I was able to do the trick. I remember Luke Larson, my assistant, I love him. 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. I felt like I needed to give back. Jon Absey, who portrayed the team's Jazz Bear mascot for 24 years. If there was ever a conflict between a charity or a sponsor who needed me or something like that, Id always default to the charity. He told me via text i quit monday. Tell us about where you grew to love charity and service before yourself. Sign up today for the KSL Sports newsletter. Honestly, the biggest part that kept me out of so many injuries was my flexibility, which I did almost every day. Yes. In this Read more. She grabbed me by the ear and held me all the way down to the office. Andy was with the big Mark Eaton and it was the same thing going to Walmart and doing the thing. 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. I was there for a number of years and then came back to school in Moorhead, Minnesota, at the Moorhead State, and then I joined the military to help pay for college. The university elected to honor the tribe with their nickname for the Utah football team and the rest of their athletics programs. Its so fun because we used high schools and we like to have kids get involved. "style":"regular", The Jazz suffered their second straight loss to a team near the bottom of the standings thanks to a turnover-prone outing against the Thunder. He was the old Phoenix Gorilla. I left my head on and it felt funny. There will be many more events and years to come if I have anything to do with it. 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. They arent above anybody just because they get a bigger paycheck. I was like, Thatd be great, because I was a poor college kid making $25 a game. [1] Behind every successful husband is an astonished mother-in-law. Youre probably going to die if you do that. I trusted those guys. 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 . They called me and fired me because they thought I was going to kill somebody. The true gentleman, and kind, caring human being that you are underneath this costume we affectionately call Jazz Bear. Do not attempt. They built me this enormous ramp from the upper bowl all the way down to the floor. Long-time Former Jazz Bear tells all https://t.co/maNuOwLk8Q, Mary Richards (@kslmrichards) January 15, 2020. 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. The Utah Jazz have fired Jon Absey, who portrayed the team's Jazz Bear mascot for 24 years. SALT LAKE CITY (News4Utah)- The man that has worn the Utah Jazz mascot since 1994 has been fired. So by your logic the kiss cams are fake also? I remember hitting the ground, and just running. I always like what the kids say afterward. Absey had suited up as the Jazz Bear in more than 800 home games and won the 2017-18 NBA Mascot of the Year award this summer, his third time winning the award. I'm grateful that the maker of my handmade journals, Utah-based Rustico, became an underwriter. I was going through school and I was coaching over at a gym. "url":"", Let it never be said that the Utah Jazzs mascot, Jazz Bear, rests on his furry laurels. She bakes a cake and goes to knock on the door. Everyone wish @utahjazzbear a very happy birthday pic.twitter.com/GptYRTuIlW. 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. 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. Honestly, I was never a gymnast. That's because the Utah Jazz fired Absey this week due to reasons that include ongoing disputes with management, according to multiple sources. NBA Mascot: Getting the Utah Jazz Bear character going is a group effort. The Utah Jazz began life as the New Orleans Jazz. History of Jazz Bear. I just did the stuff that everybody thinks about doing, but cant, he said. [1][3] In 2006, Jazz Bear was inducted into the Mascot Hall of Fame. I almost died four times. Im like, Why didnt you call me? Why couldnt I be your bodyguard? Listen to the podcast here Regardless of what happens in life, you always bring family lessons with you. I knew we had something in common as soon as we kept talking along. When I put on the suit, a lot of fear went away, said Absey. 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. Jazz Bear is dead, long live Jazz Bear. The Jazz Bear unmasked. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. Thats the players we had back then. It was so hard on my body because I would feel every stair as that thing went down. It was like, Im going to do a one-armed handstand. The one-armed handstand happened and nobody copied it. It was fun to do an interview with the original Utah Jazz Bear, Jon Absey. When I left, I had nine guys that worked with me on game night. Jon Absey wore the Jazz Bear suit well, there were nine of them for almost 25 years. Rules dont change or anything. He was originally designed to be a cartoon character, but the idea was scrapped in favor of a real-life mascot. We always said, The Jazz Bear is here, and the Jazz Bear would show up, but I wanted everybody to know Jon Absey showed up who happened to be the Jazz Bear. When you think about it, these athletes are playing the kids games. Ben Rohrbach is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Im a fan of a team in that the players appreciate me being there and spending that hard-earned money to come to watch them play. Antoine Davis finished four points shy of surpassing Pete Maravich as the NCAA career scoring leader, scoring 22 vs. Youngstown State. : 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. . 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 remember one time we were over by like $5,600. Utah Jazz owner Ryan Smith said his goal for the team's next broadcast deal is to create the easiest viewing experience for fans. 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. It was my training ground. "tracks":[ In August, Jazz Bear was named the NBA's Mascot of the Year for the third time since the league started handing out the honor in 2005. He was the best & always willing to drop by with a confetti cannon. In this Read more, Listen to the podcast here After serving in a church mission,Devaughn Velefelt inspired to return to football. { Hopefully, when I pass, I have a full church and then I know that I was successful. 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. 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. Im all over the place. 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. I named off a bunch and I wanted to make sure that I was doing my own path to success here and hopefully make it successful. But then he got on a bull at the Days of 47 Rodeo. "label":"RSS" Its all good i needed to move on anyway All the best J.A. I thought, Lets take that idea of an entertainment event and use it to raise money to take kids shopping.. They are those guys that are strictly athletic and work for the crowd a little bit. Do you remember those old roll-ups sleds? NBA Mascot: The Mascot Bowl is family-friendly, and any family can afford it. I appreciate that. $7.99 I wanted to be able to entertain people without having to spend as much as it was back then to go to a game, and also now. Yes. AboutPressCopyrightContact. That was super kind to you. #utah #nballstar. Thats what I loved about my job. It's the first time he's spoken about his time in the . That era changed. About 120. His community initiative, Bear Hugs for Kids, is at the forefront of efforts to improve life for a myriad of people throughout the intermountain region. They thought I was either going to kill myself or kill a fan, he said. People like you and Andy Chudd were a huge part of that. Even though Ive been gone for a while, Im still in touch with everybody. ], minutes. No one should expect to make money from the picks and predictions discussed on this website. Mascot Bowl started strictly because I always wanted to do something that was very family-friendly and that any family could afford. ] 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. Spencer Lund January 14, 2014. Those were two real bad moments. "featured":false She got on the phone and came over and it was Kay Malone on the phone. Enough said. Upload . Jazz Bear is the club's mascot. 2023 Minute Media - All Rights Reserved. Coming from a farm, I dont know if its those types of values, but if you can, you help others out. I knew that I needed to give back to show my gratitude. Following. He said he feared that people only liked him because he was the Jazz Bear, but now he realizes thats not so. Because Alan's actually playing a show at the Jazz's arena, Vivint Arena. Utah Jazz '17-18 review: Donovan Mitchell. One thing led to another, and he was asked to try out to be the Jazz mascot in the early 1990s. It was tough. Did you learn that from your parents? It was climbing trees and the warehouse, getting on top of the barn, jumping on a tractor, and tearing off in the field. 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. He is such a stud in every way. "overcast":{ I took my head off and I looked and I hooked into a cargo strap, which holds about fifteen pounds. Utah Jazz newcomer guard Kris Dunn continues to make a contribution despite his limited time with the team. Hes like, Did you take a job with the other teams? I was like, No. He goes, What are you going to do? I said, I dont know. He goes, Why dont you come out here? He talked to me like I was then. The biggest reason this is staged is because it was on the internet and they used the stadiums cameras to record? 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. "They thought I was either going to kill myself or. Why the mascot for the Utah Jazz is a bear.and why is name is simply just "Bear".still baffles me. 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. We wanted our own identity. Jazz Bear is the mascot for the Utah Jazz, a National Basketball Association (NBA) franchise based in Salt Lake City, Utah. 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. Thank you very much for that. I . Absey worked as the mascot for 24 years, but with the beginning of the 2018-2019 season he has been let go. This goes to show the people what Karl Malone, Mark Eaton, and Mark Atkins, how to look out for others. There were crazy moments. I remember when Greg Ostertag came to the team, his son was running up to me and I didnt see him and I kneed him so hard and he went flying. There are so many little caveats. Absey did handstands on a 23-foot tall ladder, rappeled down from the ceiling, and slid down the stairs. "Jazz Bear will continue to be one of the most iconic mascots in the NBA," a Jazz spokesperson said in a statement. (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. It was great to have that vehicle, being the bear. 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 thought he broke a rib. Thats about it. 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. I couldnt believe they allowed it. 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? According to the Provo Daily Herald, there are currently more than 350 active walking groups using theWalking School Bus app across the state. The other one was a brown bear because its native to the mountains. Inducted into the Mascot Hall of Fame in 2006, Absey. Some guys in the cheaper suits look through the neck. Being successful isnt about having a big bank account. Its funny because when you talk about people with your stature and what youve done, you dont always hear it. He is the original Jazz Bear. For his part, Absey told multiple local television outlets that he was not fired, but quit. Youre in the Mascot Bowl, Mascot Hall of Fame, and YMCA Hall of Fame. Hear it this afternoon on @kslnewsradio. 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. I went, I get it! All celebrating kids who couldnt have a Christmas and wouldnt have the means with their parents, you provided that for them. "buttonConfig":{ The extent of that rift is unclear, according to the Deseret News Eric Woodyard, but Jon Absey served as the man inside one of the NBAs most iconic mascots since Jazz Bears debut 24 years ago. Youve inspired me since I met you at Asian Star out of costume for the first time. When you do, youll find yourself at the top of your game despite lifes adversaries. You have your athletic mascots like Thunder from Golden State back when he was dunking and stuff and Lucky from Boston. Mark Eaton, the name and a man that we all miss. All betting content is intended for an audience ages 21+. Frank Zang, the spokesperson for the Utah Jazz, did not tell News4Utah why he was let go and said the man's identity has never been released, out of respect for the character. He is the original Jazz Bear. I thought it would be fun. Subscribe and listen free anywhere you listen to podcasts. Thats why I started liking college because theyre out there playing for the love of the game. } Take us back to the day when the buses would show up and the fire department had their lights and sirens go on. I miss it. Theyre called the bear crew, and you have to be able to trust them with your life. 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. When owner Sam. I literally got on my toes and I didnt go. 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? 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. I have three guys that started when I started and they all quit when I left. When I got out here, the Black Panther was one of them, the Jazzmanian Devil like the Tasmanian devil, something like that, and then this one character, which was funny, they called it a blob, and it was this big blob character. "stitcher":{ I went out and I was one of the first guys to bring a ladder on the court and get up on top of signs, and then guys started doing that. They thought I was either going to kill myself or kill a fan, he said. I grew up with older brothers and sisters and how much they beat me up helped. 5 Rocky the Mountain Lion Denver Nuggets. Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) January 26, 2019 Fans then cheered wildly as the proud mascot strolled off the court with the big catch. Jazz Bear is the official mascot of the National Basketball Association's Utah Jazz team. Until October 2018: "I was told they were going in a different direction. Mark started doing handstands. Phoenix Suns/Mascots The first-round series between the Clippers and Jazz has been a back-and-forth battle so far, but the Jazz mascot just kicked it up a notch. Most significantly, Jon proves why being a mascot has nothing to do with the suit. I moved out there with one of my best friends. Theres something as well to this more than taking kids Christmas shopping. Or, perhaps it was because he heard how great the winters in Phoenix are. Jazz Bear will continue to be one of the most iconic mascots in the NBA, said Jazz spokesman Frank Zang. Get informative articles and interesting stories delivered to your inbox weekly. It was three years as a sophomore and two years as a genius. It is not publicly known how much the person who plays Jazz Bear makes. I remember laying there and I couldnt move because it like took everything out of me to hold that rope. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. Thank you for that intro. SALT LAKE CITY 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.