The University of Colorado’s new mascot has received her official nickname — one attributed to her unexpected fanship for 1970s pop.
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The bison formally known as Ralphie VII has been dubbed Brandy. Her handlers “noticed her affinity to the song ‘Brandy (You’re a Fine Girl),’ a 1972 hit by the band Looking Glass,” said the announcement from CU’s sports department. “In addition to enjoying the tune, Brandy, clearly a fine girl, strongly identifies with the lyrics.”
The song, ubiquitous in the summer of its release, tells of a barmaid with a doomed love for a sailor. In the chorus, she is repeatedly told, “Brandy, you’re a fine girl. What a good wife you would be.”
Each of the Ralphies after the first has had a nickname. “Brandy” is a callback to two of the earlier mascots, Moonshine and Tequila (and perhaps Rowdy and Blackout as well).
Ralphie VII, a year old and 700 pounds, made her debut last month on the Colorado Buffaloes’ football field.
Her immediate predecessor, Ralphie VI, took early retirement after four seasons, having reportedly exhibited an indifference to running. She was called Ember, because the ranch where she had been raised was threatened by wildfire.
The first Ralphie, in the 1960s, was originally called Rraalph — which some say was the sound she made while running.