Chip rallies the crowd at the 2009 Rocky Mountain Showdown. (CU Independent file/Danielle Alberti)
I have a crush on a tall, dark and handsome CU Buffalo. He’s friendly, athletic and energetic.
He also doesn’t talk, and I don’t know what he really looks like.
That’s right. I’m in love with our mascot Chip.
There are so many reasons why – after all Chip is essentially the James Bond of the mascot world.
Hear me out. He’s a total badass, gets all the girls and no one knows his real identity.
I’ve liked Chip since the first time I saw him freshman year. I bragged to people from CSU that we had the No. 1 mascot in the country.
I like him so much that I even put a Fathead of him on the back door of my house– so I could give him high fives before game days. Chip really is that amazing. I can’t think of a single person that would dispute his awesomeness.
Game after game, he gets the crowd pumped up, regardless of how well the action on the field or court is playing out. Game after game, CU fans young and old run up to him to have their pictures taken.
Chip can make friends with anyone, even fans of opposing teams.
So what separates me from the masses if Chip is everyone’s friend? What makes me think that I have a special connection with a costumed mascot?
From the beginning of the year, I’ve seen Chip more than the average Buffs fan. With every volleyball game I cover comes another opportunity to have a moment with my favorite Buffalo.
When I sit in the press area of the Coors Events Center, Chip always comes over to say hello in one way or another. Sometimes he gives me a high five. Sometimes he types on my computer. Sometimes we even skip down the hall together.
Most recently Chip stole my phone and tried to give it to a fan in the crowd. So yeah, he’s pretty much after my digits.
Believe me when I say that he even spots me in the crowd of fans in the student section at football games.
Despite this connection I have with Chip, there are always a number of questions people have to ask me about it. Don’t I want to know who’s in the suit? What if he’s ugly? What if it’s a girl?
Honestly, none of that matters to me.
Regardless of what the person inside Chip is like, I love him. I love how he makes people of all ages happy. I love how he gets the crowd pumped for every game. I love all the moments I’ve shared with him – and to me – that’s enough.
So as my little love letter comes to a conclusion, here’s where I insert an obligatory “Never Been Kissed” ending. Maybe, just maybe, Chip is out there reading this article, and one day I’ll get to know who he actually is. But for now, I’m just happy to spill my true feelings.
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Marlee Horn at marlee.horn@colorado.edu (especially if you’re Chip).
