- Burnie (mascot)
Burnie is the
mascot of theMiami Heat , anNBA basketball team. Burnie is a rough depiction of a flame with a basketball for a nose.Costume
The Burnie suite is a full-body costume. The general idea is a flame wearing a jersey. 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. Burnie can often be found wearing other "costumes" in place of his jersey, often for holidays such as Halloween.
Legal Problems
Burnie was sued in 1994 during an
exhibition game inPuerto 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 aggravatedassault 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.External links
* [http://www.nba.com/heat/kids_court/burnie_report.html Burnie Report]
* [http://www.swlearning.com/blaw/cases/50000_damages.html Puerto Rico Incident]
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