Blaze

Blaze in 2005

Blaze or Blaze the Dragon is the official costumed mascot for the UAB Blazers athletic teams.

Blaze was introduced on January 6, 1996 during a basketball game at the UAB Arena. The concept of using a green and gold dragon to represent the "Blazers" team name was developed as part of the re-branding of UAB's athletic teams during the move to NCAA Division 1-A. Previous mascots included a Viking warrior and Beauregard T. Rooster (1979 - 1990), a costumed chicken which owners of the San Diego Chicken's trade mark claimed to be infringing on their rights.

Students who are selected by audition to portray Blaze at sporting events and public appearances are eligible for a stipend and travel expenses.

A 16-foot long smoke-breathing statue of Blaze was erected in April 2008 in the concourse of Bartow Arena.

See also

• List of UAB Mascots

References

• "Blaze (Mascot)." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 9 Oct 2007, 15:21 UTC. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 23 Oct 2007 [1].

External links

• Blaze's page at uab.edu
• Blaze spars with the ECU Pirate at YouTube.com