When we started doing the Mascot Monday posts here at the KCCGD, we knew we had to go over each and every one of the Big 12 mascots.  Welp, today is the big day.  This is our last mascot we will feature here from the Big 12.  Now, there is some talk that a certain conference that is expressing certain expansion talks, so who knows?  Maybe there will be more teams that we haven’t featured yet be wrapped into the loving arms of the Big 12 and enable us to check out its fluffy cheerleader.  Until then, we saved the best for last.  This week on our last Big 12 mascot, we will be taking a big look at Ralphie from the Colorado Buffalos.

Before Colorado’s official name change, the teams were known as the Silver and Gold or other names like Yellow Jackets and Grizzlies.  In 1934 the school newspaper held a contest that eventually led to the mascot name of the Buffalos, thank you Andrew Dickson.  Shortly thereafter, a group of students pooled together $25 bucks to hire a rancher to haul in a buffalo calf to cheer on the team.  It took all of 5 people to keep that calf down while Colorado beat the University if Denver 7-0.  Since then, a baby buffalo named Mr. Chips were among some on again and off again appearances by live buffalos.  It was 1966 when the first Ralphie was donated to Colorado.

Since then and from the suggestion of then  head coach Eddie Crowder, Ralphie and all of his versions stormed the field before the game, leading the football players along the way.  It’s one of the great pre-game spectacles in college football.  If one were to search online for the best way to lead a live animal mascot on the field, the interwebs in all of its power would point squarely at Ralphie.  We’ve seen spears in the ground and horses pulling buggies, but when you see this guy barrel down the field and coming straight at ya, you’re sure to be quaking in at least one of your boots.

Ralphie by far is one of the best mascots in the Big 12, but is he the best live mascot across the land?  Well according to much of the blogs out there, it’s a neck and collar race between Ralphie and Georgia’s Uga.  Now we here in Big 12 land are going for Ralphie but logic tells us that since Georgia has a more storied tradition in college football, Uga eeks out on top for everyone else.  That’s okay.  Where the bulldog sits and does nothing on the sideline, the buffalos romps and stomps his way on to the field.  We’ll take that 12 times out of 12.

There we have it.  All Big 12 mascots have been featured.  Now, the information was light on Ralphie, but we just can’t get enough of that  YouTube video.  Ralphie is all buffalo and makes the most what his simple stature provides. If you are ever on the same field as this guy, watch out.  In meantime, keep coming back as we try to figure what other tasty mascot to toss-up to your eyes.