CU knows no defeat
We'll roll up a mighty score
Never give in
SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS -- Standing in the longest beer line ever, I started chatting with the woman standing in front of me. We were surrounded by a sea of black-clad Buffaloes fans, people of all ages, in the shadow of San Antonio's Tower of Americas, which was lit up in black and gold.
I can't believe how many CU fans made the trip to San Antonio, I remarked. There were hundreds if not thousands of people here at the official tailgate party. Well, it's been a long time since we were good, the woman replied. Ain't that the truth. When did you go to Colorado? I told her I graduated in 1989.
"I'm 1987," she said with a wink. "We probably went to a few of the same parties."
After a special appearance by Ralphie and her cowboy handlers -- "Step right up folks and get your photo taken with the best mascot in college sports!" - it was time to head across the street to the Alamo Dome for the big game. Along the way, we had to stop to let the Oklahoma State band enter the stadium. "Go Pokies," they shouted as the tuba players and their counterparts passed.
I sat in the front row of section 209, in the heart of the CU section on the 25-yard line. To my right was a diehard fan named Gordon, who went to CU from 1969-1973 and says he's been to every home game in Boulder since, roughly 300 games in a row.
"You came all the way from New York, by yourself, just to see the Buffs?" he asked me. I nodded. "Alright, that's very cool" he said as we fist-bumped.
On my left was a Texas couple that drove in from their ranch west of town. "We come every year just to see the football," the wife said. Her husband said to me, "You ought to see our place, it's a lot different than New York City. We've got rattlesnakes and coyotes, they howl at the moon at night."
Unfortunately, the game wasn't much of a game. Despite being ranked No. 10 in the country heading in, the Buffs never got on track and the 12th ranked Cowboys took advantage, crushing Colorado, 38-8.
It was still a great season for the Buffs -- only the fourth time in history a Colorado team won 10 games -- one that will be remembered for a long time despite the way it ended. It was fun to be a CU fan again this year, and I was eager to be a part of it.
The Alamo.
Gordon invited me to join him at a Buffs game anytime I'm in Boulder. I mean it, he said. We said goodbye and I walked into the San Antonio night. It was a 1.5-mile trek to my hotel but I needed the fresh air after sitting in the dome for the last few hours.
The streets were full of black- and orange-clad fans, and the air was thick with revelry. I walked past the famed Alamo, lit up against the maroon sky, surrounded by office buildings, and took a left on St. Mary's, no longer downtown.
Shoulder to shoulder
We will fight, fight
Fight, fight, fight