BOULDER — It was the stuff of kings and queens lying in state. Or the first Black Friday for the mall Santa.
As the queue of loyal subjects snaked from the lawn at least a hundred deep some three hours to kickoff, despite the darkness and 35-degree wind chills, Chris Meschuk couldn’t help but smile.
“This is the longest line we’ve ever had,” said Meschuk, now in his 19th Ralphie’s Corral, a CU Buffs pregame tailgate tradition on the lawn just south of the Benson Earth Sciences Building. “This is really cool to see.”
They were here to pay their last respects to Boulder royalty: Ralphie V, a female bison born in 2006 as Blackout, and CU’s live mascot from September 2008 until her retirement announced earlier this month.