“Tired of running for nothing”: Fans drop hilarious reaction to Colorado mascot's retirement after 4 years

Buffalo Ralphie VI, better known as “Ember,” will no longer lead the Colorado football program onto the field at Folsom Field. After four years of service, the school announced Tuesday that Ember is retiring and will live on a ranch alongside her predecessor, Ralphie V, as a companion buffalo.

Officials explained that Ember’s laid-back nature and lack of enthusiasm for sprinting made it clear that she is better suited for leisurely strolls in the pasture, which also happens to be her favorite pastime.

Fans had hilarious reactions to Ember's retirement.

"(S)he was tired of running out there for nothing," a fan said.

Fans react as Buffalo Ralphie VI retires after four years

"Retire cuz the football team not gonna be good," one said.

"Does (s)he get his jersey retired too?" a person said.

The tradition of Ralphie charging onto the field is one of college football’s most iconic mascot moments.

Taylor Stratton, director of the Ralphie Live Mascot program, praised Ember’s contributions while acknowledging her personality.

“Ember has been excellent in many aspects of her role as Ralphie, but she’s happiest relaxing on the ranch and we want to be respectful of her wishes,” Stratton said (via The Athletic).

“She will continue to get the same top level of love and care that all of our Ralphies receive and will enjoy socializing with Ralphie V.”

Some fans were sentimental about the retirement of Ralphie VI.

"Great career," a fan said.

"Nooo he was my favorite," one said.

"Good run," a person said.

Ralphie V, who served from 2008 to 2019, set the stage before Ember took over.

Colorado’s live buffalo ranks among the most beloved mascots in college football, joining other famous animals like Georgia’s bulldog Uga, Baylor’s bears Joy and Lady, Texas’ longhorn Bevo and Arkansas’ Russian boar Tusk.

Ralphie VII is waiting for her turn to carry on Colorado’s tradition

For more than 60 years, Colorado has shown a live bison as its mascot, with the first Ralphie making her debut on Oct. 1, 1966. Ralphie VI took over in 2021, but with her retirement, the Buffaloes will open their Friday's season opener in Boulder against Georgia Tech without the long-standing tradition.

CU has begun preparing Ralphie VII as the next in line. She is currently in training, but the program has not provided any further details or a timeline for when she will officially take the field.

Deion Sanders' squad is coming off a 9-4 season in 2024 and now face the challenge of replacing star contributors Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders. After their opener on Friday, Colorado will conclude its short two-game homestand with a Sept. 6 matchup against Delaware.

About the author

Maliha is a High School Sports news and listicles writer at Sportskeeda. A post graduate in Management Information Systems, it was her love for writing and sports which led her down the path of sports content creation. An experienced NBA and NFL writer, she covered the two sports extensively at SportsZion and SportsKnot before joining SportsKeeda.

Maliha is a huge Baltimore Ravens fan and is in awe of quarterback Lamar Jackson's dual-threat abilities. She also admires Tom Brady and her all-time favorite coach is 3-time Super Bowl champion Andy Reid. She is a big advocate of high school sports and believes that elite athletes reach a top level owing to the discipline, hard work, team dynamics, resilience, adaptability and self-confidence learnt by playing sports in high schools. Aaron Rodgers leading the Green Bay Packers to victory on his debut against the Minnesota Vikings is one of her fondest NFL memories.

Maliha places a high emphasis on accuracy in her content. She does thorough research, always double checks facts, and only uses information from most relevant and credible sources for her articles. When not writing, she likes to read history and biographical books.

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