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Did A New Ralphie Ever Get Chosen ?
- Thread starter InTheBuff
- Start date
BUFFS14
Well-Known Member
I can tell you I am 100% positive, that I also dont know
I know less than you guys.
Yes
Finally some clarity on the subject.
I feel much better now.
“We don’t know what we don’t know, right?”
IIRC, that had a great candidate that they were in the early stages of training to see if it was going to work out, but that was a LOOONG time ago. I would think we would have heard more if it panned out.
Yes
To be, or not to be?
"Was" not "is".
By: Alex French, Graduate Assistant
Release: March 11, 2021
BOULDER- "Here comes Ralphie!" is a PA call that echoes well beyond Boulder. The greatest live mascot in college athletics is a superstar at Colorado Football games and is a spectacle that is appreciated throughout the country.
This year's football season missed a lot of things, and one of the things ranking near the top of the list was Ralphie. Something wasn't quite right whenever the football team ran onto the field this fall with the absence of Ralphie, and everyone greatly anticipates the day she will lead her Buffs onto the field once again.
Perhaps sometimes unheralded, the anchors of this great tradition are the Ralphie Handlers. To prepare a buffalo to run a football field with 50,000-plus enthusiastic fans is no simple task. It is easy to think that the tradition of Ralphie starts when she enters Folsom and ends when she leaves the stadium. This time however is just a tiny fraction of the energy and effort that goes into being a Ralphie Handler.
Life as a handler looks entirely different now than it had the past decade. The program has faced the obvious obstacles that stem from the COVID-19 pandemic, but there is another reason why it is a historic time in the program. The Ralphie Handlers are amid crowning the next Ralphie.
On November 12, 2019, Colorado announced the retirement of Ralphie V. After a 12-year career, Ralphie V ended her running career in great health and started a new desirable chapter on her ranch under the Ralphie Handlers care.
The program's plan was to resume with Ralphie VI for the 2020 season but like most everything in the chaotic year that process was delayed. This was a tough reality to swallow for the Ralphie Handler program, especially senior handlers like Jacob Morgan who couldn't run his cherished senior season. However, Morgan and his fellow handlers realize their current role in the Ralphie program and are taking great pride in the development of the Ralphie VI candidate.
"It was definitely a change to not be in Folsom with Ralphie and all the other usual game day excitement", said Morgan. "One of the things that really aided me in coming to terms with not running Ralphie on game days this year is that the program has really shifted our attention towards hopefully having a buffalo that wants to become Ralphie VI and training her to be ready as soon as we can. It has been a remarkably unique experience for me to be a part of helping to encourage and train a buffalo."
Training the Ralphie VI candidate consists of frequent trips to the ranch in hopes of preparing the young buffalo to be the next in line for the program. There is also the work that maybe gets overlooked when thinking about the handlers such as maintaining fence work and doing other necessary tasks throughout the ranch. There is a sense of added weight that exists in the program, as preparing a new Ralphie is a journey not many have had the opportunity to be a part of in the past. The process can be rigorous and patience is a requirement for the handlers in charge of the young buffalo.
"It has helped to remind each other of what our purpose is at this moment in the Ralphie Handler program's history," said Morgan on how the team is approaching the training process. "We each need to be accountable and devote our energy towards training a potential Ralphie VI. She has been progressing at her own pace and it has been a great way to redirect our focus away from not having a fall season."
The trips to the ranch also include seeing and caring for the retired Ralphie V. The Ralphie Handlers get an adrenaline rush that is hard to replicate when they run Ralphie at Folsom Field in the fall, but there is something that is much more cherished in being a Ralphie Handler than just game days. There is a bond and connection between the handlers and Ralphie that forms. It is something that was strong with Ralphie V and is getting built with the Ralphie VI candidate.
"It was definitely hard to not run or be at game days this year due to COVID, but it was nice to have some normalcy as well," said senior handler Casey Grieve. "Although it hurt not to run and be a part of all the action, being able to have that connection with her kept us going."
Ralphie Handlers are nothing short of incredible athletes in peak shape so the time away from each other last year did not go by without working out. Strength and conditioning coaches provided independent workouts for the handlers. The team returned to campus in August where they were split up in groups and returned to the weight room, Folsom Field and Indoor Practice Facility. Things are starting to look a little closer back to "normal" for the handlers with workouts, practices and days spent at Ralphie's ranch.
A key annual tradition in the Ralphie Handlers' program are tryouts, where hopefuls aspire to be the next to carry on the program's great tradition. This year, tryouts were held virtually and the program welcomed in four rookie handlers. It is a unique time to enter the program and is something that is not missed on the new members.
"I have a lot of excitement to raise the Ralphie VI candidate and be a part of such an awesome team," said rookie handler Kate Drobnich on what it means to be selected as a Ralphie Handler. "It is an honor to be able to carry on the greatest tradition in college sports."
Football at Folsom Field will never feel quite the same unless Ralphie is there leading the Buffs out of the tunnel. It is an electrifying spectacle that never dulls with time. When the next Ralphie does make her debut, the excitement of the fans will be like never before, and the same is certainly true for the handlers.
"If we can be in Folsom next fall running Ralphie, it would mean that we have worked through all the obstacles," said Morgan who will be graduating in May, but who is an integral piece in training the Ralphie VI candidate. "I would be over the moon with excitement, pride and energy to see my team get out on the field in front of our fans with Ralphie next fall."
Although it is the program's goal is to run Ralphie next fall, there is only so much that is in the control of the handlers. At the end of the day, the comfort of the Ralphie VI candidate will be the biggest factor in the timetable of her first run. Right now, the handlers are doing everything in their control to get the young buffalo ready to carry on the Ralphie tradition. Once the program feels she is ready to go they will run, but that process certainly won't be rushed.
It is safe to say that until that time comes, the Ralphie Handlers have a huge task at hand. After years of memories and connection with a veteran in Ralphie V, the program starts back from scratch as they train the next in line for the return of the greatest tradition in college sports. They missed their chance to run in 2020, but the Ralphie Handlers now have a chance to etch their names in the program's history in a way few have been able to do in the past.
Release: March 11, 2021
BOULDER- "Here comes Ralphie!" is a PA call that echoes well beyond Boulder. The greatest live mascot in college athletics is a superstar at Colorado Football games and is a spectacle that is appreciated throughout the country.
This year's football season missed a lot of things, and one of the things ranking near the top of the list was Ralphie. Something wasn't quite right whenever the football team ran onto the field this fall with the absence of Ralphie, and everyone greatly anticipates the day she will lead her Buffs onto the field once again.
Perhaps sometimes unheralded, the anchors of this great tradition are the Ralphie Handlers. To prepare a buffalo to run a football field with 50,000-plus enthusiastic fans is no simple task. It is easy to think that the tradition of Ralphie starts when she enters Folsom and ends when she leaves the stadium. This time however is just a tiny fraction of the energy and effort that goes into being a Ralphie Handler.
Life as a handler looks entirely different now than it had the past decade. The program has faced the obvious obstacles that stem from the COVID-19 pandemic, but there is another reason why it is a historic time in the program. The Ralphie Handlers are amid crowning the next Ralphie.
On November 12, 2019, Colorado announced the retirement of Ralphie V. After a 12-year career, Ralphie V ended her running career in great health and started a new desirable chapter on her ranch under the Ralphie Handlers care.
The program's plan was to resume with Ralphie VI for the 2020 season but like most everything in the chaotic year that process was delayed. This was a tough reality to swallow for the Ralphie Handler program, especially senior handlers like Jacob Morgan who couldn't run his cherished senior season. However, Morgan and his fellow handlers realize their current role in the Ralphie program and are taking great pride in the development of the Ralphie VI candidate.
"It was definitely a change to not be in Folsom with Ralphie and all the other usual game day excitement", said Morgan. "One of the things that really aided me in coming to terms with not running Ralphie on game days this year is that the program has really shifted our attention towards hopefully having a buffalo that wants to become Ralphie VI and training her to be ready as soon as we can. It has been a remarkably unique experience for me to be a part of helping to encourage and train a buffalo."
Training the Ralphie VI candidate consists of frequent trips to the ranch in hopes of preparing the young buffalo to be the next in line for the program. There is also the work that maybe gets overlooked when thinking about the handlers such as maintaining fence work and doing other necessary tasks throughout the ranch. There is a sense of added weight that exists in the program, as preparing a new Ralphie is a journey not many have had the opportunity to be a part of in the past. The process can be rigorous and patience is a requirement for the handlers in charge of the young buffalo.
"It has helped to remind each other of what our purpose is at this moment in the Ralphie Handler program's history," said Morgan on how the team is approaching the training process. "We each need to be accountable and devote our energy towards training a potential Ralphie VI. She has been progressing at her own pace and it has been a great way to redirect our focus away from not having a fall season."
The trips to the ranch also include seeing and caring for the retired Ralphie V. The Ralphie Handlers get an adrenaline rush that is hard to replicate when they run Ralphie at Folsom Field in the fall, but there is something that is much more cherished in being a Ralphie Handler than just game days. There is a bond and connection between the handlers and Ralphie that forms. It is something that was strong with Ralphie V and is getting built with the Ralphie VI candidate.
"It was definitely hard to not run or be at game days this year due to COVID, but it was nice to have some normalcy as well," said senior handler Casey Grieve. "Although it hurt not to run and be a part of all the action, being able to have that connection with her kept us going."
Ralphie Handlers are nothing short of incredible athletes in peak shape so the time away from each other last year did not go by without working out. Strength and conditioning coaches provided independent workouts for the handlers. The team returned to campus in August where they were split up in groups and returned to the weight room, Folsom Field and Indoor Practice Facility. Things are starting to look a little closer back to "normal" for the handlers with workouts, practices and days spent at Ralphie's ranch.
A key annual tradition in the Ralphie Handlers' program are tryouts, where hopefuls aspire to be the next to carry on the program's great tradition. This year, tryouts were held virtually and the program welcomed in four rookie handlers. It is a unique time to enter the program and is something that is not missed on the new members.
"I have a lot of excitement to raise the Ralphie VI candidate and be a part of such an awesome team," said rookie handler Kate Drobnich on what it means to be selected as a Ralphie Handler. "It is an honor to be able to carry on the greatest tradition in college sports."
Football at Folsom Field will never feel quite the same unless Ralphie is there leading the Buffs out of the tunnel. It is an electrifying spectacle that never dulls with time. When the next Ralphie does make her debut, the excitement of the fans will be like never before, and the same is certainly true for the handlers.
"If we can be in Folsom next fall running Ralphie, it would mean that we have worked through all the obstacles," said Morgan who will be graduating in May, but who is an integral piece in training the Ralphie VI candidate. "I would be over the moon with excitement, pride and energy to see my team get out on the field in front of our fans with Ralphie next fall."
Although it is the program's goal is to run Ralphie next fall, there is only so much that is in the control of the handlers. At the end of the day, the comfort of the Ralphie VI candidate will be the biggest factor in the timetable of her first run. Right now, the handlers are doing everything in their control to get the young buffalo ready to carry on the Ralphie tradition. Once the program feels she is ready to go they will run, but that process certainly won't be rushed.
It is safe to say that until that time comes, the Ralphie Handlers have a huge task at hand. After years of memories and connection with a veteran in Ralphie V, the program starts back from scratch as they train the next in line for the return of the greatest tradition in college sports. They missed their chance to run in 2020, but the Ralphie Handlers now have a chance to etch their names in the program's history in a way few have been able to do in the past.
Seems like I heard the same thing that the current Candidate has not yet been convincing that all is well with the training and the fact that she is ready.
Does Adam know anything?
Does Adam know anything?
that would be a bummer
Funny guy
The fact that even the name of the young Buffalo has not been announced, means that they are hesitant to declare her on track.
Really need Ralphie back in our lives!
Buff fanatic
Well-Known Member
I think the name is Ralphie
INSERT INTO
mascot(ralphie_id, ralphie)
SELECT MAX( ralphie_id ) + 1, 'ralphie' FROM mascot; --hokie, probably
BehindEnemyLines
beware the habu
He couldn't do it without a where clause
Yeah he would get it right
Ralphie V is named BLACKOUT
Ralphie II was MOON
That was my point. If they knew this Buffalo was Ralphie VI then we would here that original name
Cool. So you don’t know.
IMO, Ralphie's tradition will always be a top priority at CU. I can't imagine her not being in attendance at Folsom for every home/bowl game. If you want to read about her history go to, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ralphie_the_Buffalo
CU Buffs plan to debut Ralphie VI at season opener
It’s been a long time since the general public has been able to walk through the gates at Folsom Field to watch the Colorado Buffaloes play a football game.
www.buffzone.com
Boom !!