With all all this talk of new courts, we are forgetting something important....

[JohnnyTimmons]

We need to kill off Rufus and get a new mascot asap.
Rufus is the worst. He is like a day glo, mildly racist Guy Fierri, who wears his sunglasses indoors, has a dog's name, and looks like a shitty 90's cliche. He is a mascot with a soulpatch for fucks sake.
We have done away with most of the orange from teams colors, and he is annoying reminder of our past. Now our new team and brand. He sucks and i hate him.
That is all.

[Black]

Seconded. Always hated Rufus.

[DCAWFAN]

other than changing his color i think we should keep rufus. He is really popular among as is among the younger fans.

[ammofan]

Personally I think he should be a fat cat ala Sir Purr but cooler than Sir Purr. And he should be grey.

[JohnnyTimmons]

I get it if he is popular eith the kids, but as you maybe can tell he just evokes a desire to trip him every time he runs his orange ass by me down the steps. Maybe just a different kind of glasses and different facial hair to go along with the color change. Maybe a goatee like kimbas?

[McBeastie]

I never really minded him. I don't know if they'll change his fur color, but gray would be kinda boring for a mascot. I think that's one area where they have liberty to be colorful. I never got all the hate for him. He's for the little kids, anyway. My little brother and sister both love him too.

PLUS! He consistently puts in work for me in NBA Jam. Lmao

http://img220.imageshack.us/img220/4544/rufus1.png

http://img228.imageshack.us/img228/3573/rufus2.png

[Monty]

Yes. I hate Rufus.

[JGib23]

Rufus is maybe the worst mascot of any Pro Sports Team.

I would love to see something entirely different. There is nothing that I like about him.

Kids have like a 10 second memory. Change Rufus tell the kids the new Mascot is his cousin and the kids would love the new one.

For with both the primary and secondary logo switching, it makes sense to get rid of the Orange now.. ( and ditch the dumbass sunglasses)


Still prefer Hugo over anything else but, killing off Rufus and replacing him is better than status quo.

[amour217]

Eh I don't feel either way about Rufus. But I do know if they made him grey, he'd look MAAAAAAD ashy

[CableBoxCat]

PLUS! He consistently puts in work for me in NBA Jam. Lmao

LOL. That's awesome! Not a big gamer, only have the lowly Wii, but I might have to pick that up for the Wii (despite its obviously inferior graphics to the PS3 or 360). Right now I'm just rocking NBA Live 09 and relying on Ben Gordon & Matt Carroll to win me games. Yes, that's right: when I play NBA video games I rely on Matt Carroll. Sue me, he hits hit shots in the game. :-)

It was actually pretty fun until EA Sports discontinued online play last year. Now I have no one to play with.

[EvetsMorrison15]

Easy he's a friend of mine.

[Potato]

Hell, for our next mascot how about we get an ACTUAL Bobcat. Georgia has a Bulldog, Auburn has an Eagle, LSU has. Tiger, Marlins have actual Marlins. Get the jist. I'm legit serious, put it out behind a section somewhere, turn it into a petting zoo. Bobcats aren't that big so i think he would have plenty of room. Like if we're playing the Grizzlies have it tear up a stuffed grizzly before tip off.

Discuss.

[CableBoxCat]

Hell, for our next mascot how about we get an ACTUAL Bobcat. Georgia has a Bulldog, Auburn has an Eagle, LSU has. Tiger, Marlins have actual Marlins. Get the jist. I'm legit serious, put it out behind a section somewhere, turn it into a petting zoo. Bobcats aren't that big so i think he would have plenty of room. Like if we're playing the Grizzlies have it tear up a stuffed grizzly before tip off.

Discuss.

I support this idea and wish to subscribe to your newsletter and/or blog.

[Potato]

I support this idea and wish to subscribe to your newsletter and/or blog.

Don't have one. Although I have thought about going into journalism and becoming the next Skip Bayless. I'll let you know when I start one up.

[CableBoxCat]

Don't have one. Although I have thought about going into journalism and becoming the next Skip Bayless. I'll let you know when I start one up.

You don't want to be the next Skip Bayless. It would require you to stop watching NBA games entirely and just form "opinions" based on whatever will incite the most heated reactions from viewers. You do want to watch NBA games, yes? How about we change the team name to the Charlotte Elephants? Elephant rides are fun. I'm pretty sure a bobcat will kill or maim me if I try to ride it.

[Potato]

You don't want to be the next Skip Bayless. It would require you to stop watching NBA games entirely and just form "opinions" based on whatever will incite the most heated reactions from viewers. You do want to watch NBA games, yes? How about we change the team name to the Charlotte Elephants? Elephant rides are fun. I'm pretty sure a bobcat will kill or maim me if I try to ride it.

Elephants are sleezy. Cats are good for us, lulziest animal represents the lulziest team.

[CableBoxCat]

Elephants are sleezy. Cats are good for us, lulziest animal represents the lulziest team.

Touche. On second thought, with the Democratic National Convention coming to Charlotte soon, perhaps now is not the time to change to the "Elephants." I maintain that riding Elephants is super fun though. I will change my position if Rufus carries me piggyback around the 200 level at halftime though.

[x2pacalypse]

WAIT WAIT WAIT WAIT JUST A DAMN MINUTE...they still make NBA Jam?!?!

[CableBoxCat]

WAIT WAIT WAIT WAIT JUST A DAMN MINUTE...they still make NBA Jam?!?!

They do indeed. However, my efforts to get the original arcade game in my Man Cave remain fruitless.

[westbrook08]

Yeah,i don't think we need a live bobcat in the arena.Did you you ever see the clip where the atlanta hawk got loose in the arena? That's all we need is a bobcat getting loose and slicing little kids faces off.Like we don't have enough bad pr.Teams that use live animals are usually for outdoor sports.That way if they get loose people have a better chance to run! lol.

[ziggy]

Hell, for our next mascot how about we get an ACTUAL Bobcat. Georgia has a Bulldog, Auburn has an Eagle, LSU has. Tiger, Marlins have actual Marlins. Get the jist. I'm legit serious, put it out behind a section somewhere, turn it into a petting zoo. Bobcats aren't that big so i think he would have plenty of room. Like if we're playing the Grizzlies have it tear up a stuffed grizzly before tip off.

Discuss.

Seems perfectly safe. No risk at all...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ckmEZYluv6g

[MadBOBCATfanUK]

would a mascot change kill off Rufus on Fire?

[isguros]

Rufus always reminds me of Jack Nicholson somehow.

[BlockParty]

Easy he's a friend of mine.

The guy behind Rufus is great...the argument here is some people don't like him, I'm not one of them. I think Rufus appeals to the intended demographic just fine-kids. The reality is, Rufus the mascot is recognized by the NBA as one of the better mascots in the league. I was at the 2010 all-star game, and there were about 10 mascots there (so he wasn't just invited because GW was in the game, and it wasn't his first or last appearance at all-star activities), and he has represented the NBA overseas. Additionally...he's staying orange, or at least that's what he thinks is going to happen at the present time.


Yeah,i don't think we need a live bobcat in the arena.Did you you ever see the clip where the atlanta hawk got loose in the arena? That's all we need is a bobcat getting loose and slicing little kids faces off.Like we don't have enough bad pr.Teams that use live animals are usually for outdoor sports.That way if they get loose people have a better chance to run! lol.

Running from wild animals is not as hard as you think. You don't have to run faster than the animal, you just have to run faster than the person running beside you.

[JohnnyTimmons]

Lemme be clear, I have no problem nor do I have an oppinion of the man behind the mask, as it were, of Rufus. I have no opinion because I'm not a child, mascots are for me. Its a personal issue with no real reaason behind it, but I have a violent hatred towards Rufus. As stated before, its the cool-cat sunglasses and soul patch I think. No reason outside of my irrational vehemence goes into my wanting him gone.

[SWedd523]

For some reason I don't think setting up a PETTING zoo with a bobcat is a smart idea.

Neither does Jackie Moon

[Potato]

Yeah,i don't think we need a live bobcat in the arena.Did you you ever see the clip where the atlanta hawk got loose in the arena? That's all we need is a bobcat getting loose and slicing little kids faces off.Like we don't have enough bad pr.Teams that use live animals are usually for outdoor sports.That way if they get loose people have a better chance to run! lol.

It would be trained you dim-wit.

[JohnnyTimmons]

Seriously, some posters just don't get it...

[SWedd523]

It would be trained you dim-wit.

Well then where's the fun?

I want to see somebody get mauled. How awesome would it be to see a bobcat just destroy some dudes face, bath salts style?!

[ziggy]

I think we should give away a wild bobcat at each home game. Just randomly place one under somebody's seat before the game, kind of like the Oprah show.

[BountyHunter]

Hey Dunlap could use a live Bobcat as incentive.

Don't run out on the break? ... 10 min in the cage
Miss a free throw? ... 10 min in the cage
Turn over? ... 10 min in the cage

If nothing else it would solve the Diop problem

[Deadshot]

Rufus is maybe the worst mascot of any Pro Sports Team.

I would love to see something entirely different. There is nothing that I like about him.


At least he's not in the mold of a Philly Fanatic rip-off (thinking of Stuff the Magic mascot and G-Wiz, but I'm sure there's a couple more in the league). And at least he is paired with the team name and not some random animal or creature.

[amour217]

They should fill the Rufus costume with 3 or 4 wild Bobcats

[Mustachio]

I think the name is awesome. Rufus, referring to Lynx Rufus the scientific name for the bobcat species.

The only thing that needs to change is the costume. There is no debate. its horrible.

I wondered since the front office obviously has no problem stealing colors from college programs why not steal the mascot from Ohio University.

Then I found this article and saw that they recently changed the mascot to this guy...
525

Which is about 18k times better than the costume we have.

Their Bobcat mascot was changed in 2006 and they named it Rufus as well.
http://www.ohiobobcats.com/genrel/090506aaa.html

They stole our name, I see no problem tweaking their current costume to be a bit buffer, a bit meaner, and more silver than brown.

[IshHappens]

There is only one way for a Charlotte-based basketball team to handle this.

Super Rufus.

Orange spandex with a Power Ranger mask jumping through hoops on trampolines. Foolproof.

[TheBeagle]

I never really minded him. I don't know if they'll change his fur color, but gray would be kinda boring for a mascot. I think that's one area where they have liberty to be colorful. I never got all the hate for him. He's for the little kids, anyway. My little brother and sister both love him too.

PLUS! He consistently puts in work for me in NBA Jam. Lmao

http://img220.imageshack.us/img220/4544/rufus1.png

http://img228.imageshack.us/img228/3573/rufus2.png Damn straight! Rufus is a baller on NBA Jam: On Fire Edition. I destroyed the Heat with Rufus and Kemba on Silver medal setting!

OT:

I could sort of care less what they do with Rufus's look but I much more prefer his "personality" than Hugo's. Hugo was always an asshole to me...getting in my way purposely when I had behind the basket seats and he wouldn't fukcing move unless I acknowledged him or gave him five which I never did. Rufus is cool and will high five you if you put your hand up, or leave you alone if you don't pay him any mind. So if whoever "played" Hugo between '96 and '01 is out there reading this......I still remember you, dude and have not forgotten...

[Deadshot]

OT:

I could sort of care less what they do with Rufus's look but I much more prefer his "personality" than Hugo's. Hugo was always an asshole to me...getting in my way purposely when I had behind the basket seats and he wouldn't fukcing move unless I acknowledged him or gave him five which I never did. Rufus is cool and will high five you if you put your hand up, or leave you alone if you don't pay him any mind. So if whoever "played" Hugo between '96 and '01 is out there reading this......I still remember you, dude and have not forgotten...

Mascot/fan abuse must stop! I'm tired of being bullied by mascots. But then again, that's what I get for cheering for the Pacers on the road. This year alone, I think Harry the Hawk stuck his tail in my face in Atlanta and two versions of Stuff the Magic mascot party-boy'd me when I flew to Orlando for the playoffs. Enough is enough!

[JGib23]

OT:

I could sort of care less what they do with Rufus's look but I much more prefer his "personality" than Hugo's. Hugo was always an asshole to me...getting in my way purposely when I had behind the basket seats and he wouldn't fukcing move unless I acknowledged him or gave him five which I never did. Rufus is cool and will high five you if you put your hand up, or leave you alone if you don't pay him any mind. So if whoever "played" Hugo between '96 and '01 is out there reading this......I still remember you, dude and have not forgotten...


I read somewhere that the Original Hugo retired and moved back from New Orleans and lives in Charlotte. Maybe you could block his Direc TV with a Rufus Stuffed animal or something.


I don't have a problem with the guy inside the costume or how he handles his business, I just hate the costume.

[westbrook08]

Hey Dunlap could use a live Bobcat as incentive.


If nothing else it would solve the Diop problem

Man,diop probably used to kill jungle cats for lunch when he was growing up.I doubt he would be affected by it! And the ohio bobcat mascot looks like he's been doing meth for a week straight.Pass! lol.

[JohnnyTimmons]

I think we should give away a wild bobcat at each home game. Just randomly place one under somebody's seat before the game, kind of like the Oprah show.

First bobcat given away is Diop, followed by Thomas, then Carrol. Then the lady cats i suppose.

[Zoolander]

I just don't like the way they made his face look. It looks retarded. Like he has a single digit IQ.

[Deadshot]

I just don't like the way they made his face look. It looks retarded. Like he has a single digit IQ.

http://www.delish.com/cm/delish/images/se/chefs-at-home-guy-fieri-lg.jpg

http://lh3.ggpht.com/-kIG6LhYPY7k/T2ij3Y598uI/AAAAAAAAjJ4/OHgmV_hOE3s/keithcoward.com-2617.jpg

[Zoolander]

Wow, that's a slap in the face to one of Food Network's greatest personalities. You didn't have to go there...