Like many of you, I can't wait to see tonight's national championship game between Butler and UConn.  It's been a tremendous tournament and I hope that the finale can come right down to the end like so many games over the past three weeks.  With all due respect to Kemba Walker and Matt Howard, the real starpower at Houston comes in the form of Butler's Bulldog mascot Blue II.

  Blue II's story during this championship run was filled with drama and ultimately a happy ending.  The NCAA did not allow Blue in the arena for Butler's first two weekends of competition.  But, after the outcry from dog lovers and media across the nation, Blue II was given the green light to take the court with his gigantic bone in Houston for the Final Four.   Coastal fans might not like this, but Blue II got back on the court -- CCU still hasn't heard from the NCAA,

  Blue II got a special exemption to fly first class on Southwest Airlines on a Butler charter and is getting the real star treatment in Houston:

  It seems as if there is a real line drawn among sports fans between pro-mascot and anti-mascot and I'm a big mascot fan, both live animals and the costumed variety.  It was a thrill to see Ralphie the Buffalo up close when Clemson took on Colorado in the Champs Sports Bowl a few years back, and I'm definitely excited to meet UGA for the first time when the Chants take on Georgia. 

  Last Thursday on the 11pm sports, I showed highlights of Illinois College 5'10" guard Jacob Tucker winning the ESPN Slam Dunk contest in Houston.  The college skills competition is usually reserved for players from college basketball's elite programs.  This year, they added a fan vote and Tucker put together a YouTube video that went viral in a hurry.  It's mind boggling to see a guard with a 50 inch vertical leap.  Forget mid-majors, Tucker plays Division III basketball!

YouTube: Jacob Tucker viral video