Ralphie IV wasn't always a fearsome powerful beast

Sure, Ralphie is an imposing beast. Now. But things didn't start out that way. The Georgia Sports Blog's research team uncovered these pics of a younger, less fearsome Ralphie IV practicing for her early runs.


As a calf (more or less)


A little older


Sort of an early wooly look

When she was a calf, they would take her to CU band practices to help her get used to the noise. Today, Ralphie IV is up to 1,300 pounds which is almost three times her weight when she debuted against Colorado State in 1998. She can now reach speeds up to 25 miles per hour. Now she looks more like this:


All images courtesy of CU SID

According to the Colorado SID's office, Saturday will be the biggest crowd that any Ralphie has ever run in front of.

If you're bringing your kids to the game to see Ralphie, UGA recommends that you be in your seats well before kickoff. The animal will only appear in the stadium twice for about 30 seconds each time. Once before kickoff and once after half-time. Our sidelines are too narrow for Ralphie IV to watch the game inside the stadium.

If you want your kids to get an upclose and personal look at the Buffalo, she will lead the team out of the tunnel in front of the UGA student section. That's a busy area along the hedges so you would have to be camped out there well before kickoff to see anything.

More Ralphie IV stories to get your kids pumped up:

• "She's Pretty Mellow for a Buffalo" - ABH
  
• Ralphie vs. Uga VI - AJC
  
• Watching Out for Ralphie - DawgPost.com
  
• Niiiiiiice Buffalo - Columbus Ledger
  
• UGA agrees to let Ralphie come to Athens - GSB
  
• Video of Ralpie Running - GSB

PWD


BTW -- Some of you are like..."Paul, WTH is with all the Ralphie stories?" Trust me, I would love to talk about the games and the match-ups. But what's to say? CU is 0-3. We're 3-0. If we show up awake and ready, it should be a beat down. If not, it'll look like UAB 2003, Vandy 2003 or UCF '99

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