It’s beat the sheep week. I refuse to validate the team-down-south’s existence so I will be referring to them as “Colorado.”
It’s time for the Cowboys to go sheep hunting with their bronze boots. It’s one of my favorite weeks of the year outside of Thanksgiving. On the line is the bronze boot, which Wyoming has held 24 times compared to Colorado’s 22. Unfortunately, the glorified goats will be making it 23 this Saturday. As much as I hate to say it, the Fort Collins Football Club is the best team in the Mountain West this year. But that does not dissipate my overall hate for them.
Colorado’s geographical location makes them the most obvious rival for the Cowboys. Sure there are ‘other’ rivalries Wyoming holds. There’s Hawaii and the playing for the Paniolo trophy, but not enough students on either side care about beating the other school. There’s the rivalry between Wyoming and Utah State and the playing for the Bridger Rifle. It’s a glorified PR stunt done by Wyoming and Utah State athletics to get a rivalry started. I honestly could not care less about bringing home either the Bridger Rifle or the Paniolo trophy. But, the Bronze Boot, that’s something.
It’s a 45-minute drive down 287 into green country. Many students at UW probably have friends that go to the school in Fort Collins. I would love nothing more than to leave Colorado’s stadium with the Boot and bragging rights. That would send the sold out Hughes Stadium home to smoke their cheap weed to get over the Cowboy beat down. How do you not love the site of that?
If you go to Wyoming, you have to care about this game. You have to care about beating the sheep. Even if we get destroyed, as expected, it needs to make you angry. We need to hold our teams and coaches accountable for beating Colorado. Honestly, if Wyoming football went 1-11, but that one win was a beat down of the sheep I would be content. As much as I hate to say it, we need Colorado. Without them, Wyoming has little to nothing. There’s not another four-year university in this state. There’s no other college even close. All our other rivalries are a sham.
So be angry Cowboy fans. Go out and chant about how it sucks to be a member of the team-down-south. There are two halves to every rivalry. Go to Fort Collins and hold up your end.
