Burnie (mascot)

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.

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 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. During the 2012 NBA Playoffs, due to the "White Hot Playoffs" of the Miami Heat, Burnie changed his outfit. It is still the same suit, but instead of the normal coloring, it is colored all-white. Burnie also wears an all-white Miami Heat jersey, with the words having a black trim. He may also wear a white Miami Heat t-shirt sometimes. He is currently played by Gustavo Guerra.

Legal Problems

Burnie was sued in 1994 during an exhibition game in Puerto Rico. Burnie selected a woman from the audience, dragged her by the feet, 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 appeared on late-night TV. The case was settled for $50,000.

External links

• Burnie Report
• Burnie Vision