Utah Jazz: ‘Buster’ to Debut as Salt Lake City Stars Mascot
By Ryan Aston
The Utah Jazz Bear is in the Mascot Hall of Fame for his crowd work. Now, his cousin Buster is following in his footsteps as mascot of the D-League’s Salt Lake City Stars.
A new mascot will join the ranks of in-arena entertainers when the Salt Lake City Stars play host to the Rio Grande Valley Vipers on Saturday. Buster, an ursine crowd-pleaser with an icy gaze, a whole lot of spunk and a famous cousin in the Utah Jazz mascot Jazz Bear, is set to become the Stars’ first-ever mascot.
Per an announcement from the team, the “engaging and fun-loving bear” will be making his (her?) debut during the second timeout of the first quarter at the Lifetime Activities Center-Bruin Arena on the Salt Lake Community College Taylorsville Campus.
Buster will wear uniform No. 1.
Said Stars General Manager Bart Sharp: “We’re excited for Buster’s debut. We strive to offer exciting, family-friendly entertainment off the court and believe our new mascot will be a great addition to these efforts. Our fans will enjoy interacting with him.”
Buster has already been out making friends in the Salt Lake Community! (Via @MIX1051Utah) pic.twitter.com/WMKP2m3qhv
— Salt Lake City Stars (@slcstars) December 16, 2016
I’m still not quite sure whether Buster is cute or if that blank stare from those huge, dilated pupils is the stuff of nightmares. In any event, the Stars could use a bit of extra excitement at games if we’re being honest. The team is just 2-10 on the season with one win in four tries in SLC.
On the bright side, the Stars are about to tip-off a stretch of 10 consecutive home games, spanning nearly a month through January 10 of the new year. This should give the squad ample opportunity to rack up some wins while Buster works to make a name from him/her/itself.
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Take note — everyone knows the Phillie Phanatic. Hugo the Hornet. The San Diego Chicken. That guy who dresses up like a Trojan warrior at USC games. The Jazz Bear. Etc.
Now, Buster’s set to bust a move.