According to Eric Woodyard of theDeseret News, a source said Absey was relieved of his role after a "rift with the staff. My mom calls me when she gets home. I always like what the kids say afterward. Talk to us about your exercise program. 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. The event was put together for kids who participated in the Utah Department of TransportationsSpring Walk N Win program. It was Childs Christmas if you remember. } Dan, I cant thank you enough for having me on. }, Bear joined a group of students fromEagle Valley Elementary School in Eagle Mountain, UT less than 24 hours after being announced as the NBAs Mascot of the Year for the 2017-18 season for breakfast, after which he walked the kids to school. It was great to have that vehicle, being the bear. I appreciate that. But thats the scaredest Ive ever been, he laughed. A farm boy, Absey picked up that first mascot job at Morehouse State College for $25. Find the best Plush for your project. He was 1 of the 3 highest-paid professional baseball players in the entire league. "They thought I was either going to kill myself or. 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. 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. Usually, when Id get up there, I had time to take my head off, look and hook myself, and check my equipment. I was talking to him because we may be trying to do some stuff together and then the same with Rocky out in Denver. Did someone teach you so you could be a teacher or did you just show up and figure it out? Thankfully, the team let me do that. Mark Atkins is the same thing, showing up at the event and wanting to help any way they can. I put it on, I walk like I walk. I was going through school and I was coaching over at a gym. Knowing that I had my trust in them and I trusted them to save my life and always tell me, That might not work. 10. She goes, Jon, can you come in here? I got up and walked over. ", While the Jazz declined to comment on Absey specifically, they confirmed in a statement that Jazz Bear will continue to be the team's mascot: "The Jazz Bear will continue to be one of the most iconic mascots in the NBA. 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. 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. She bakes a cake and goes to knock on the door. fuseboxPlayer(e.detail).setConfig({ 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. 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. Jon Absey wore the Jazz Bear suit well, there were nine of them for almost 25 years. The person who wears the Jazz Bear suit is not publicly known. Follow @brohrbach, More from Yahoo Sports: Report: Rihanna turned down Super Bowl halftime show 5 reasons Bostons back in the World Series Potter actor left scarred by fantasy football injury Deep issues for Lakers after LeBrons debut, according to the Deseret News Eric Woodyard, a seemingly endless supply of Silly String, Report: Rihanna turned down Super Bowl halftime show, 5 reasons Bostons back in the World Series, Potter actor left scarred by fantasy football injury, Deep issues for Lakers after LeBrons debut. 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. Stick through the whole video (You can give up 4. Mark started doing handstands. During a timeout, there were a few fans on the floor . You get to ask the question, who is the real human being behind the mascot costume? He needs all the help he can get, but Jon doesnt need any help. 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. Long-time Former Jazz Bear tells all https://t.co/maNuOwLk8Q, Mary Richards (@kslmrichards) January 15, 2020. According to Eric Woodyard of the Deseret News, a source said Absey was relieved of his role after a rift with the staff.. $7.99 Over time, the job took a toll. When you have an opportunity, never doubt yourself. My success is watching my children grow up, concluded Absey. I knew we had something in common as soon as we kept talking along. . Utah Jazz Fall To Oklahoma City Thunder In Turnover-Prone Outing, New Utah Jazz Guard Kris Dunn Is Causing Problems In OKC, Utah Jazz Forward Rudy Gay With Strong Drive Against Oklahoma City Thunder, Utah Jazz Center Walker Kessler Starts Hot In Oklahoma City, Antoine Davis Falls Short In Bid To Break Pete Maravichs Scoring Mark, Ryan Smith: I Want Jazz Fans To Watch Games In Any Format, Notable Moments From The Utah Jazz Season So Far, Everything You Need to Know to Watch the 2022 World Cup. I jumped up on the bars, and then it was that aha! moment. Like there are three different types of mascots, there are a whole bunch of different types of vision when it comes to a head. I was like, Im safe here. Honestly, I thought somebody was going to. There are so many little caveats. 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. I was fortunate to have something that we called the bear crew. 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? Because his whole career was spent working nights and weekends, and sacrificing his family and his body. Youve let so many other people in your life. Thats where it all started as just an idea to raise money to be able to take kids shopping. They were like the grandparents of the cage. Give us the inside scoop of the Mascot Bowl. Do you remember those old roll-ups sleds? They called me and fired me because they thought I was going to kill somebody. "title":"Jon Absey shares his journey to become an NBA mascot as the original Utah Jazz Bear", Now he has much more time with his wife and 3 daughters. I was not a mean kid. Duke Snider, Willie Mays, and Mickey Mantle all made $150,000 a year, and they were the top-paid players. Following. He jumped through rings of fire, played fireworks-filled pianos and rode Karl Malones motorcycle onto the arena floor. Two fans in attendance for Sunday's Game 4 stepped. It was my training ground. There were a number of times when he would show me how to throw a full-off on a tramp. He was originally designed to be a cartoon character, but the idea was scrapped in favor of a real-life mascot. 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. Phoenix Suns/Mascots He said, Yes, and he showed up. }, You have that same reputation. My vision was my eyes. 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 appreciate that. Abseys full conversation with Return to Real host Neil Anderson is available now. I took my head off and I looked and I hooked into a cargo strap, which holds about fifteen pounds. The thing that I was fortunate about is my eyes and I got it from the Phoenix Gorilla. Email him at rohrbach_ben@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! $26.99. Weve had Andy Chudd describe what the money is used for the other part of the Job Absey charitable conglomerate, but talk to us about the origins of the Mascot Bowl. AboutPressCopyrightContact. 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. The biggest reason this is staged is because it was on the internet and they used the stadiums cameras to record? He is so kind. He didnt try to be anyone else or act like someone else in the suit. I miss the fans, but honestly, theres a part of me that enjoys being home on the weekends, he said. 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. 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. Those were two real bad moments. "buttons":[ It happened Monday as the Jazz claimed their fourth. I remember Gordon Hayward was there before I left and he said he didnt like the fans that close to the court. This will be generational. All rights reserved. When you take a rope and put both ends on the cable, youd put your hand in it and twist it. I love them for that and they still come to this day. Read my story below. "title":"Power Players with Dan Clark", Most significantly, Jon proves why being a mascot has nothing to do with the suit. 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. I started getting those calls and I never thought people would want me to come out so much because I made such a mess all the time when Id show up. It was my wifes 40th birthday party. There could be ten new Jazz Bears in that same suit, and there will never be another Jon Absey, so thank you. 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. Im all over the place. The Jazz Bear has been their mascot since 1994 and Jon Absey has been behind the costume since the beginning. I remember one time in Spanish class, the teacher didnt show up on time. 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 started in 93. Information in the story may be outdated There you have it. We appreciate the fans. Describe what happened there. Theyre there every game and they put a lot of effort and energy into making the bear what it was. Im zipping in with one hand wrapped in what was called the lanyard that would slide on the cable. This year, the Utes will face Penn State. Honestly, the biggest part that kept me out of so many injuries was my flexibility, which I did almost every day. 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 Jazz Bear (@utahjazzbear) on TikTok | 7.6M Likes. We all talk about the way our teams are either the team or a fan treating us, or this has happened, so we all stay in touch. Coming from the upper bowl, paint the word picture for everybody. You always had time for everybody. POLAR PLUNGE.Watch the latest video from Jazz Bear (@utahjazzbear). "download", 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.