Alright, let’s talk about this CU football, you know, the Buffs. Been around a long, long time, they have. Started way back when, like 1890 or somethin’. Can you believe it? That’s older than my grandma, and she was old.
First game, they lost. Bad. 20 to nothin’. To some Denver fellas. But hey, gotta start somewhere, right? Then this fella, George Darley, he picks up a dropped ball and runs it all the way. Touchdown! First one ever for the Buffs. Course, they still lost that game too, but hey, a touchdown’s a touchdown.
Now, they play in this place called Folsom Field. Big place, holds a whole lotta people. Must be fifty thousand or somethin’. They been playin’ there since, uh, 1924 they say. That’s a heap of years if ya ask me. Folks call it the “hilltop.” Guess it’s up on a hill or somethin’. Never been there myself, too many stairs for these old bones.
They got all sorts of seats there. Fancy ones for the rich folks, places for the youngsters from the school, and regular seats for the rest of us. If I ever went, I’d just sit wherever, long as I could see the game. And had a good hot dog, mind you. Can’t watch football without a good hot dog.
- 1890: First game, they lost.
- 1890: First touchdown, still lost.
- 1924: Started playin’ at Folsom Field.
- 2024: Been playin’ there for 101 seasons they say, imagine that!
This CU football team, they’ve had their ups and downs, ya know. Like that coach, Bill McCartney. Folks say the team was terrible before he came along. But he turned things around. Reminds me of that time my garden was overrun with weeds, and I just kept pullin’ and pullin’ ‘til it was pretty again. Takes hard work, that’s for sure.
And they got this rivalry with Nebraska. Big games, those ones. Folks get all riled up. Heard about one game, somethin’ about a “Fifth Down.” Sounds fishy to me, but what do I know? Just seems like they should only get four downs, not five. But hey, that’s football for ya, always somethin’ confusing goin’ on.
They talk about “Ralphie” too. Sounds like a horse or somethin’. A spirit, they say. Keeps the team goin’. Well, every team needs a little somethin’ to keep ‘em goin’, I reckon. Like how I need my coffee in the mornin’ to get me outta bed. Can’t do nothin’ without that coffee.
Now, they say the Buffs are famous again. Household name, like they say on the TV. That’s somethin’, ain’t it? Guess folks like watchin’ ’em win. Everyone likes a winner. Reminds me of that time I won the pie contest at the county fair. Felt pretty good, I tell ya.
This CU football history, it’s long and it’s got a lot of stories. Wins and losses, good coaches and bad ones, rivalries and all sorts of things. It’s like a big ol’ family history, but with more helmets and less gossip. And that’s all I know about it, so don’t ask me no more questions, my throat is getting’ dry from all this talkin’.
But look, if ya wanna know more, there’s plenty of places to look, I suppose. The internet, ya know, has all those numbers and records and polls and whatnots. Me? I just like hearin’ the stories. Makes it more real, ya know? Like when someone tells you ‘bout the time they caught a fish this big gestures with hands rather than just readin’ how many fish were caught in a year. Anyways I need to go make me some supper now, all this talk about football made me hungry.
Tags: [CU Buffs, Colorado Buffaloes, Folsom Field, CU football history, college football, NCAA, Ralphie, Bill McCartney, Nebraska rivalry]
