The roar of the crowd right when she came out, it’s the loudest thing that I’ve ever heard.”. Once she was out there, I don’t think there was any way they could have prevented that from continuing because it was so popular with the students.”, “It definitely embodies the student body, the handlers, the football team,” Bernstein said. You can’t make a buffalo do anything she doesn’t want to.”. Ralphie’s impact on the student body could be just as significant. © David Zalubowski, AP Saturday in Colorado marked a far less lovely sight, and one of those times where a wild animal decides to be a wild animal. There's a lot that goes into becoming a ralphie handler. She was there in the 1960s to energize a student body that was instantly enthralled with their live mascot. Ralphie the Buffalo almost claims himself a victim! “There are some pictures of her getting loose, and the handlers would fall a lot back then. “It’s a tone-setter; it’s an intimidation. Since that rowdy fall day, Ralphie has become a staple in Boulder, appearing in nearly every home game for the Buffaloes. It's basically a varsity sport here, they even get their own Nike gear It’s a tradition that grows stronger over the years. “There were a few games where Ralphie IV did not want to run,” Graves said. But on Saturday, it looked like Ralphie's handlers lost control of the spry buffalo. The revitalization of a winning mindset turned the program around last year, as the Buffs went from worst to first in the Pac-12 South. She’s a wild animal, a mascot, a fan’s greatest pride and joy. But what’s kind of special and unique is that visiting team’s fans even come over to see Ralphie when she’s set up before the game. “The students would stomp on the seats so hard that they were breaking some of them. ", This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Colorado's buffalo mascot, Ralphie V, gets the boot for being too fast, Related slideshow: Live college fooball mascots (Provided by imagn), Like us on Facebook to see similar stories, Police clash with Portland protesters, press; over 20 arrested, Drama at Whole Foods — Leaked Microsoft slides — Find your Wall Street dream job. Sometimes kids lose sight of the difference with loose leashes on their spelling and grammar. Though records differentiated over the decades, Ralphie’s presence was everlasting. "She was so small she jumped out of her harness, because it was too big for her," said John Graves, who runs the Ralphie handler program, when Ralphie V got loose in 2008. Thankfully, the excitement didn’t result in any injuries. “That was her very first public run she ever did. For 50 years, she has continued to hold that valuable spot in so many people’s hearts. They have workouts almost every day and have bonding time with ralphie. Instead of running her route around the stadium and back into her trailer, Ralphie decided to call an audible. We do a lot of training now to prevent that.”. Led by CU’s sophomore class president of 1967 Glenn Porzak, Ralphie’s legacy began to take shape. Jason Phillips remembers being at the game and watching it all play out. Over the years, Ralphie has blossomed from a borderline danger to those involved into one of the most recognizable mascots in college sports. Honestly if she got loose for a half hour, I'd be ok watching that happen over the first quarter of a game. It is part of the game day tradition in Boulder, Co. Look at those empty eyes. Kind of sad when you think about it. In 2016, the NCAA named Ralphie as the best entrance in college football. According to school officials, it is more than common for a handler to fall over on a run. A wild buffalo is known to be one of the most dangerous animals on the planet. The student body sees Ralphie run and they kind of have that same attitude towards life, grab life by the horns and go right at it.”. But she was also there in the darkest of days for the program when wins were sparse and Ralphie’s pre-game ritual was the only thing fans could be certain of. This offers CU football something other schools are physically unable to achieve. Ralphie the Buffalo is the name of the live mascot of the University of Colorado Buffaloes.Ralphie has been called one of the best live mascots in sports, and she is often erroneously labeled male.