Burnie (mascot)
Encyclopedia
Burnie is the mascot
of the Miami Heat
, the NBA basketball
team. Burnie is a rough depiction of some fire with a basketball for a nose.
in Puerto Rico
. Burnie selected a woman from the audience and danced on the court with her during a time-out. The woman turned out to be the wife of a Federal Judge. The woman pulled away from Burnie and fell. Incredibly, Burnie faced 20 years in jail after being charged with aggravated assault
and battery
. Burnie was also sued for US$1 million for emotional distress. The media ridiculed the case and the wife repeatedly on late-night TV. The case was settled for $50,000.
Mascot
The term mascot – defined as a term for any person, animal, or object thought to bring luck – colloquially includes anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or brand name...
of the Miami Heat
Miami Heat
The Miami Heat is a professional basketball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. The team is a member of the Southeast Division in the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . They play their home games at American Airlines Arena in Downtown Miami...
, the NBA basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
team. Burnie is a rough depiction of some fire with a basketball for a nose.
Personal
The Burnie suit is a full-body costume. The body is furry orange with orange feathers for hair. Burnie's "nose" is a green mage: basketball. Burnie wears number 0 for the Heat, typically in a black uniform, although he's also worn the Heat's red and white jerseys during playoff promotions. Burnie is also the only Jewish mascot in the league. He is currently played by Gustavo Guerra.Legal Problems
Burnie was sued in 1994 during an exhibition gameExhibition game
An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition...
in Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
. Burnie selected a woman from the audience and danced on the court with her during a time-out. The woman turned out to be the wife of a Federal Judge. The woman pulled away from Burnie and fell. Incredibly, Burnie faced 20 years in jail after being charged with aggravated assault
Assault
In law, assault is a crime causing a victim to fear violence. The term is often confused with battery, which involves physical contact. The specific meaning of assault varies between countries, but can refer to an act that causes another to apprehend immediate and personal violence, or in the more...
and battery
Battery (crime)
Battery is a criminal offense involving unlawful physical contact, distinct from assault which is the fear of such contact.In the United States, criminal battery, or simply battery, is the use of force against another, resulting in harmful or offensive contact...
. Burnie was also sued for US$1 million for emotional distress. The media ridiculed the case and the wife repeatedly on late-night TV. The case was settled for $50,000.