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.

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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 [[Image: 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 is also the only Jewish mascot in the league. He is currently played by Gustavo Guerra.[1]

Legal Problems

Burnie was sued in 1994 during an exhibition game in Puerto 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 aggravated assault 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.[2]

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