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| Getting Buffaloed at Colorado is a Good Thing! |
COLORADO: MASCOT: RALPHIE
One of college football’s most grand entrance into a stadium is takes
place at Colorado’s Folsom Field when the school’s football team follows
its mascot’s charge. With Ralphie’s storming the field generating
flashbacks from the old west, visiting teams learn first hand what
intimidation is all about. The raging moment that features more than
1000 pounds of stampeding flesh darting toward the visiting sideline
takes place before the game and the third quarter.
The first buffalo sighting at CU took place in 1934, following the school’s
embracing of the Buffalo nickname. A buffalo calf and a real cowboy
keeper were paid $25 to support the school during a late season victory
over the University of Denver.
Buffalo sightings were scarce at CU until the 1950s when “Mr. Chips”
arrived as the school’s first official mascot. Perhaps country music
singer Charlie Pride had Colorado's Buffalo mascot in mind when he
sang: "Let the chips fall, let them fall where they may." The old saying
that “You better what your step when the chips are down,” might have
also applied to the mascot’s naming.
Once “Mr. Chips” dipped out of the CU family, several years passed
before another Buffalo mascot was found. Named Ralph by the student
body, a six-month-old calf joined the school in 1966. In a moment that
would have made Jerry Springer proud, it was soon discovered that
Ralph was no Ralph, but instead a Ralphie. The buffalo overcame the
hysteria and attended every CU home game and bowl game for the next
13 years.
A buffalo named Moon, a sawed off form of Moonshine, stepped in as a
replacement late in the 1978 season. Due to the popularity of the Ralphie
name, Moon's destiny became full when she was dubbed Ralphie II. The
name change restored the mascot name tradition, which Ralphie II upheld
for 10 years. She died in September 1987, following a 31-17 win over
Stanford.
Ralphie III saw duty late in the 1987 season and was greeted with a 27-10
victory over Missouri. Considering her 1,300 pound frame combined with
blazing speed that helped her sprint
at 25 MPH, it's too bad that she couldn't line up in the Colorado backfield.
When not leading the two-legged Buffaloes onto Folsom Field, Ralphie III
spent her off time at Parker Ranch. Ralphie's home was named after
John and Sharon Parker, who donated her and Ralphie II to the university.
Ralphie III died of natural causes in 1998 at the age of 13. Media mogul
Ted Turner stepped in to aid CU's mascot efforts by donating a buffalo
later in the year.
One of college football’s most grand entrance into a stadium is takes
place at Colorado’s Folsom Field when the school’s football team follows
its mascot’s charge. With Ralphie’s storming the field generating
flashbacks from the old west, visiting teams learn first hand what
intimidation is all about. The raging moment that features more than
1000 pounds of stampeding flesh darting toward the visiting sideline
takes place before the game and the third quarter.
The first buffalo sighting at CU took place in 1934, following the school’s
embracing of the Buffalo nickname. A buffalo calf and a real cowboy
keeper were paid $25 to support the school during a late season victory
over the University of Denver.
Buffalo sightings were scarce at CU until the 1950s when “Mr. Chips”
arrived as the school’s first official mascot. Perhaps country music
singer Charlie Pride had Colorado's Buffalo mascot in mind when he
sang: "Let the chips fall, let them fall where they may." The old saying
that “You better what your step when the chips are down,” might have
also applied to the mascot’s naming.
Once “Mr. Chips” dipped out of the CU family, several years passed
before another Buffalo mascot was found. Named Ralph by the student
body, a six-month-old calf joined the school in 1966. In a moment that
would have made Jerry Springer proud, it was soon discovered that
Ralph was no Ralph, but instead a Ralphie. The buffalo overcame the
hysteria and attended every CU home game and bowl game for the next
13 years.
A buffalo named Moon, a sawed off form of Moonshine, stepped in as a
replacement late in the 1978 season. Due to the popularity of the Ralphie
name, Moon's destiny became full when she was dubbed Ralphie II. The
name change restored the mascot name tradition, which Ralphie II upheld
for 10 years. She died in September 1987, following a 31-17 win over
Stanford.
Ralphie III saw duty late in the 1987 season and was greeted with a 27-10
victory over Missouri. Considering her 1,300 pound frame combined with
blazing speed that helped her sprint
at 25 MPH, it's too bad that she couldn't line up in the Colorado backfield.
When not leading the two-legged Buffaloes onto Folsom Field, Ralphie III
spent her off time at Parker Ranch. Ralphie's home was named after
John and Sharon Parker, who donated her and Ralphie II to the university.
Ralphie III died of natural causes in 1998 at the age of 13. Media mogul
Ted Turner stepped in to aid CU's mascot efforts by donating a buffalo
later in the year.
Nicknames & More |