"Nebraska and Colorado are considering merging into one state...

... that way, Nebraska will have mountains and Colorado will have a football team"

So the joke was on the college football scene

I attended CU Boulder, and Nebraska was a major football rival.  Honestly, though, I don't really follow football, college or otherwise.  And while I was in college, on game days,  I was typically too broke or too busy doing homework or working my retail job so as to not be so broke.  As a result, I attended only a few football games.

I don't remember much about the actual competitions, I mainly went to hang out with friends and to watch Ralphie run.  Ralphie is the university mascot that does her epic runs at the start of each game and also at the start of the second half.

"Ralphie Running" is a varsity sport at CU, as it's no small task to run 20+ miles an hour while trying to  control a buffalo.  Many try out, few make the team.

This photo was from Ralphie's pregame run against Nebraska this past Saturday.  Love the expression of the Ralphie Running chick in the rear passenger position 😝

I remember one Saturday morning while in college.  Magnum and I went for breakfast, and the restaurant was a sea of red.  Oh yeah, it was game day with Nebraska.  I remember one woman wearing bright red eyeglass frames before red eyeglass frames were even much of a thing.

This past Saturday morning, I was out enjoying a morning run, and I encountered a few other runners, all of whom were wearing CU Buffalo gear.  I was reminded again that it was Nebraska game day.  I was not wearing CU Buffalo gear, but I felt some strange rapport with these others.

Of those I encountered, they were, I'd say, around my age.  They are probably also alumni and/or have kids who attend the university.  Meego, our lone college kid at the moment, attends the in-state rival school.  HARUMPH.

As I've said, I don't follow college football.  I hardly followed it when I was in college.  So why am I happy - dare I say, proud - that CU won on Saturday?

I think I'm remembering going into that breakfast place all those years ago and being surrounded by Nebraska fans in all their red glory.  There was a feeling in the air, like we Colorado folks were somehow beneath them.  It was so silly.  It's. Just. Football.

In this 27-sec video of Ralphie's pregame run on Saturday in Boulder, again I saw the sea of red in the stadium.  There were probably more Nebraska fans at the game than CU fans.




So CU won, 34 - 31.  Nebraska fans and all their red gear went home.  Still makes me wonder why some sports rivalries are so fierce and others not so much.  And why do those who care, care? 

In related news, my sister and brother-in-law started up a family Fantasy Football league for this nfl season. 

After week one, I am 12th place out of 12...