Buffaloes 26, Cornhuskers 20
Today is, of course, Black Friday. As unremarkable as this bit of American trivia seems to me, it was the lead story on Drudge all day long. I must admit that for my money I find my family's post-Turkey Day ritual a bit more enjoyable than awaking at 3 AM to wait in line at Wal-mart. I refer to the annual Colorado-Nebraska football game, which is principally of interest to my father, an alumnus of the former school. This year brought victory for the Buffs, an unranked team now virtually assured of an invitation to a second tier bowl game come late December. The hated Huskers, for their part, looked a little flat today, perhaps explaining their first losing record since the 1961 season. Black Friday thus takes on a new meaning--even if the Buffs (7-4 overall) were wearing white today, we all know their true color.
My father knows, too. When he was a young undergraduate at Boulder in the late 1960s, he was witness--litterally--to the first live buffalo mascot, a creature named Ralphie I. (I have lost count of the lineage, but I imagine that we are well past Ralphie V by now...) For those of you who have never seen the American bison in person, these are enormous animals, scarcely capable of complete domestication. My father, who actually volunteered to be one of Ralphie's handlers for his innaugural pre-game romp around the field, learned this the hard way. As the poor animal realized that he had been transplanted from his native habitat for the amusment of 100,000 drunken college football fans, he promptly lost control of his bowels. As a result, the half-dozen young men charged with controlling the beast found themselves sliding (again, litterally) in a continuous stream of bison feces, making their 300-yard trip around the perimeter of the field something of an adventure.
By now, the buffaloes tapped to enter the traditions of Colorado football seem markedly more relaxed. But at any rate, a live bison is a far more interesting mascot than a sophomore from Lincoln, Nebraska, wearing a foam Cowboy costume. While Ralphie and his sires don't travel outside of Colorado during the season, we're sure that the current edition would be pleased to hear today's result.
In other football news, albeit of the simulated variety, Harrington's Lions have continued to dominate despite his difficulty finding his own receivers. After a tough two weeks against the Vikings and the Colts, during which our boy Joey threw no less than 6 interceptions, the Lions remain undefeated at 11-0 and are currently leading the Cardinals 14-3 in the fourth quarter. Aside from being an excellent receiver, Roy Williams has proven quite effective as a punt returner, with 4 touchdowns in that capacity. Given the unprecedented realism of NFL 2K5, Steve Mariucci would be well advised to consider inserting young Roy into his punt return squad.
Finally, spurred on by last night's viewing of Sideways, I have elected to uncork a bottle of the old vino for myself this evening. I have gone with a 1998 Sella & Mosca Cannonau, the last survivor among a mixed case of Italian wines I received from my God Mother for my birthday in 2002. I was unable to abide the label's instructions to uncork the bottle an hour before serving, but twenty minutes seems to have been plenty. I am pleased to report that the wine is excellent, distinctly fruity with a serene dryness to it. It would pair extremely well, as its bottler asserts, with red meats and seasoned cheeses.
Neither of which I currently possess... And another thing I don't currently possess: a photograph of an MLB player smoking in the dugout. I was shocked to find out that no such photographs are readily available on the internet, and am now regrettably forced to reconsider the visual content of this page. Suggestions (or donations of illicit Keith Hernandez photos) will be greatly appreciated.
My father knows, too. When he was a young undergraduate at Boulder in the late 1960s, he was witness--litterally--to the first live buffalo mascot, a creature named Ralphie I. (I have lost count of the lineage, but I imagine that we are well past Ralphie V by now...) For those of you who have never seen the American bison in person, these are enormous animals, scarcely capable of complete domestication. My father, who actually volunteered to be one of Ralphie's handlers for his innaugural pre-game romp around the field, learned this the hard way. As the poor animal realized that he had been transplanted from his native habitat for the amusment of 100,000 drunken college football fans, he promptly lost control of his bowels. As a result, the half-dozen young men charged with controlling the beast found themselves sliding (again, litterally) in a continuous stream of bison feces, making their 300-yard trip around the perimeter of the field something of an adventure.
By now, the buffaloes tapped to enter the traditions of Colorado football seem markedly more relaxed. But at any rate, a live bison is a far more interesting mascot than a sophomore from Lincoln, Nebraska, wearing a foam Cowboy costume. While Ralphie and his sires don't travel outside of Colorado during the season, we're sure that the current edition would be pleased to hear today's result.
In other football news, albeit of the simulated variety, Harrington's Lions have continued to dominate despite his difficulty finding his own receivers. After a tough two weeks against the Vikings and the Colts, during which our boy Joey threw no less than 6 interceptions, the Lions remain undefeated at 11-0 and are currently leading the Cardinals 14-3 in the fourth quarter. Aside from being an excellent receiver, Roy Williams has proven quite effective as a punt returner, with 4 touchdowns in that capacity. Given the unprecedented realism of NFL 2K5, Steve Mariucci would be well advised to consider inserting young Roy into his punt return squad.
Finally, spurred on by last night's viewing of Sideways, I have elected to uncork a bottle of the old vino for myself this evening. I have gone with a 1998 Sella & Mosca Cannonau, the last survivor among a mixed case of Italian wines I received from my God Mother for my birthday in 2002. I was unable to abide the label's instructions to uncork the bottle an hour before serving, but twenty minutes seems to have been plenty. I am pleased to report that the wine is excellent, distinctly fruity with a serene dryness to it. It would pair extremely well, as its bottler asserts, with red meats and seasoned cheeses.
Neither of which I currently possess... And another thing I don't currently possess: a photograph of an MLB player smoking in the dugout. I was shocked to find out that no such photographs are readily available on the internet, and am now regrettably forced to reconsider the visual content of this page. Suggestions (or donations of illicit Keith Hernandez photos) will be greatly appreciated.
posted by mister sketchee! at 9:00 PM
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