It was interesting watching the televised reactions of the teams learning their NCAA Tournament fate on Sunday afternoon.

Teams like Kentucky and Ohio State acted as though this was just another tedious exercise in a long season. Yawns and uninspired clapping were the order of the day.

I guess that's what happen

s when you go to the Big Dance every year. Even though it's perhaps the most anticipated sporting event in America, the novelty long ago wore off for these NCAA bluebloods.

Then, of course, was the reaction of the CSU Rams. They sat in silence -- many of them chewing their nails to relieve thier angst -- while watching as CBS unveiled the 68-team field. When "Colorado State" appeared on the screen, the Rams immediately sprang from their chairs, shouted enthusiastically and began a memorable series of man-hugs, grabbing everyone they could get their arms around.

That's the type of raw emotion that makes the NCAA Tournament so great. It's also the type of raction you get from a team that hasn't played in the Big Dance in nine years.

It was fun. It was heart-warming. It was downright exciting.

The best part of Sunday, however, was realizing that this wasn't supposed to happen. Next year's team is supposed to be Tim Miles' first marqee squad, with the ability to play with the country's big hitters and compete for a Mountain West championship. This was supposed to be a transitional year -- good but hardly great.

Fortunately, the Rams had other plans. Despite having no size and little depth, the Rams churned their way through one of the nation's most difficult schedules and made steady improvement. They beat every Division I team in the state, knocking off CU, DU, UNC and Air Force, then topped the Mountain West's Big Three -- New Mexico, UNLV and San Diego State -- to finish fourth in the nation's sixth-best league.

Along the way, fans got to cheer for stars like Wes Eikmeier and Dorian Green, and applaud the lunch-bucket efforts of Pierce Hornung. They found an unexpected hero in local walk-on Kaipo Sabas, whose play rescued the Rams in at least two victories and provided much-needed stability in the backcourt. And they got to admire senior Will Bell, whose balky knees didn't prevent him from being a much-needed inside force.

It took fans a bit to realize just what they had in this team, but eventually they flocked to Moby Arena to cheer for the hardest-working, smartest team CSU has fielded since Boyd Grant was patrolling the sidelines 20 years ago. Moby became a house of horrors, and the Rams went 14-1 at home.

Miles deserves all of the credit for this minor miracle. He assembled this bunch of overachievers and got them to believe in themselves. On paper the Rams look like an intramural team. Put them in a Colorado State uniform and they turn into world beaters.

Does this mean they will beat Murray State on Thursday and keep this dream season going for another few days? The logical answer is "no way" but there is no logical explanation for this team. These Rams just win, any way they can. And I won't be at all surprised if they win Thursday.

Either way, this season will go down as one of my truly favorite memories following CSU athletics. It's always fun when a team wins, but this team took winning to an entirely different level -- good enough to join the nation's best teams in the nation's most anticipated sporting event. And that will always be worth a man-hug ... or six.

Things have been hopping in Ram Land, and I wanted to make sure you were aware of some really cool happenings:

• Former CSU star Janay DeLoach won her second consecutive long jump title over the weekend at the USA Track and Field Indoor Championships. DeLoach, whose winning leap of 22 feet, 71/4 inch is the No. 2 jump in the world this year, is looking more and more like a U.S. Olympian this summer and has a real chance to win a medal.
• Ex-Ram Martin Laird put together a great run over the weekend at the World Golf Championships Match Play tournament in Arizona, reaching the quarterfinals before losing to England's Lee Westwood. Laird is 10th on the PGA Tour's winning list with $1,040,539 -- and it's still February! More important, his performance should boost the Scottish star's resume for this fall, when he hopes to compete for the European team in the 2012 Ryder Cup matches.
• Believe it or not, the men's basketball team's final home game is at 8 Wednesday night against 17th-ranked UNLV. Not only will they be looking for their third home win over a Top 25 team, the Rams will celebrate senior night for Kaipo Sabas and Will Bell, two former walk-ons who have had a huge impact on this team's performance. The Rams, who are very much in the running for an NCAA Tournament berth, deserve another big crowd, so make sure you get to Moby.
• Kudos to the CSU women's basketball team, which knocked off league-leading San Diego State on Saturday in Kim Mestdagh's final home game. The Rams have beaten every Mountain West team this season and will be a serious title threat next week at the MWC Tournament in Las Vegas.
• Tickets are still available for the 31st annual Ram Good Time Auction on Saturday night at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Loveland. This way-fun event is the largest single fundraiser for student-athlete scholarships and always delivers a great time. For information, look online or call Deidra Church at (970) 491-7285.
• Finally, CSU's amazing pep band is the special guest on this week's Ram Report, the weekly show that features basketball coaches Tim Miles and Kristen Holt. Here's programming information for this highly entertaining show:

Weekly broadcast schedule:

CSU-TV (Comcast Ch. 11) – Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays at 7:30 p.m. and 9 p.m.

The Mtn. (Comcast Ch. 411) – Tuesdays at 5 p.m., plus other times to be announced (check listings)

NoCo5 (Comcast Ch. 5) – Wednesdays at 5:30 p.m. and 10:35 p.m.

Things have been hopping in Ram Land, and I wanted to make sure you were aware of some really cool happenings:

• Former CSU star Janay DeLoach won her second consecutive long jump title over the weekend at the USA Track and Field Indoor Championships. DeLoach, whose winning leap of 22 feet, 71/4 inch is the No. 2 jump in the world this year, is looking more and more like a U.S. Olympian this summer and has a real chance to win a medal.
• Ex-Ram Martin Laird put together a great run over the weekend at the World Golf Championships Match Play tournament in Arizona, reaching the quarterfinals before losing to England's Lee Westwood. Laird is 10th on the PGA Tour's winning list with $1,040,539 -- and it's still February! More important, his performance should boost the Scottish star's resume for this fall, when he hopes to compete for the European team in the 2012 Ryder Cup matches.
• Believe it or not, the men's basketball team's final home game is at 8 Wednesday night against 17th-ranked UNLV. Not only will they be looking for their third home win over a Top 25 team, the Rams will celebrate senior night for Kaipo Sabas and Will Bell, two former walk-ons who have had a huge impact on this team's performance. The Rams, who are very much in the running for an NCAA Tournament berth, deserve another big crowd, so make sure you get to Moby.
• Kudos to the CSU women's basketball team, which knocked off league-leading San Diego State on Saturday in Kim Mestdagh's final home game. The Rams have beaten every Mountain West team this season and will be a serious title threat next week at the MWC Tournament in Las Vegas.
• Tickets are still available for the 31st annual Ram Good Time Auction on Saturday night at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Loveland. This way-fun event is the largest single fundraiser for student-athlete scholarships and always delivers a great time. For information, look online or call Deidra Church at (970) 491-7285.
• Finally, CSU's amazing pep band is the special guest on this week's Ram Report, the weekly show that features basketball coaches Tim Miles and Kristen Holt. Here's programming information for this highly entertaining show:

CSU-TV (Comcast Ch. 11) -- Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays at 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.

The Mtn. (Comcast Ch. 411) -- Tuesdays at 5:30 p.m., plus various times throughout the week to be announced (check listings)

NoCo5 (Comcast Ch. 5) -- Wednesdays at 5:30 p.m. and 10:35 p.m.

Things have been hopping in Ram Land, and I wanted to make sure you were aware of some really cool happenings:

• Former CSU star Janay DeLoach won her second consecutive long jump title over the weekend at the USA Track and Field Indoor Championships. DeLoach, whose winning leap of 22 feet, 71/4 inch is the No. 2 jump in the world this year, is looking more and more like a U.S. Olympian this summer and has a real chance to win a medal.
• Ex-Ram Martin Laird put together a great run over the weekend at the World Golf Championships Match Play tournament in Arizona, reaching the quarterfinals before losing to England's Lee Westwood. Laird is 10th on the PGA Tour's winning list with $1,040,539 -- and it's still February! More important, his performance should boost the Scottish star's resume for this fall, when he hopes to compete for the European team in the 2012 Ryder Cup matches.
• Believe it or not, the men's basketball team's final home game is at 8 Wednesday night against 17th-ranked UNLV. Not only will they be looking for their third home win over a Top 25 team, the Rams will celebrate senior night for Kaipo Sabas and Will Bell, two former walk-ons who have had a huge impact on this team's performance. The Rams, who are very much in the running for an NCAA Tournament berth, deserve another big crowd, so make sure you get to Moby.
• Kudos to the CSU women's basketball team, which knocked off league-leading San Diego State on Saturday in Kim Mestdagh's final home game. The Rams have beaten every Mountain West team this season and will be a serious title threat next week at the MWC Tournament in Las Vegas.
• Finally, CSU's amazing pep band is the special guest on this week's Ram Report, the weekly show that features basketball coaches Tim Miles and Kristen Holt. Here's programming information for this highly entertaining show:

Weekly broadcast schedule:

CSU-TV (Comcast Ch. 11) – Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays at 7:30 p.m. and 9 p.m.

The Mtn. (Comcast Ch. 411) – Tuesdays at 5 p.m., plus other times to be announced (check listings)

NoCo5 (Comcast Ch. 5) – Wednesdays at 5:30 p.m. and 10:35 p.m.

Things have been hopping in Ram Land, and I wanted to make sure you were aware of some really cool happenings:

• Former CSU star Janay DeLoach won her second consecutive long jump title over the weekend at the USA Track and Field Indoor Championships. DeLoach, whose winning leap of 22 feet, 71/4 inch is the No. 2 jump in the world this year, is looking more and more like a U.S. Olympian this summer and has a real chance to win a medal.
• Ex-Ram Martin Laird put together a great run over the weekend at the World Golf Championships Match Play tournament in Arizona, reaching the quarterfinals before losing to England's Lee Westwood. Laird is 10th on the PGA Tour's winning list with $1,040,539 -- and it's still February! More important, his performance should boost the Scottish star's resume for this fall, when he hopes to compete for the European team in the 2012 Ryder Cup matches.
• Believe it or not, the men's basketball team's final home game is at 8 Wednesday night against 17th-ranked UNLV. Not only will they be looking for their third home win over a Top 25 team, the Rams will celebrate senior night for Kaipo Sabas and Will Bell, two former walk-ons who have had a huge impact on this team's performance. The Rams, who are very much in the running for an NCAA Tournament berth, deserve another big crowd, so make sure you get to Moby.
• Kudos to the CSU women's basketball team, which knocked off league-leading San Diego State on Saturday in Kim Mestdagh's final home game. The Rams have beaten every Mountain West team this season and will be a serious title threat next week at the MWC Tournament in Las Vegas.
• Tickets are still available for the 31st annual Ram Good Time Auction on Saturday night at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Loveland. This way-fun event is the largest single fundraiser for student-athlete scholarships and always delivers a great time. For information, look online or call Deidra Church at (970) 491-7285.
• Finally, CSU's amazing pep band is the special guest on this week's Ram Report, the weekly show that features basketball coaches Tim Miles and Kristen Holt. Here's programming information for this highly entertaining show:

CSU-TV (Comcast Ch. 11) -- Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays at 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.

The Mtn. (Comcast Ch. 411) -- Tuesdays at 5:30 p.m., plus various times throughout the week to be announced (check listings)

NoCo5 (Comcast Ch. 5) -- Wednesdays at 5:30 p.m. and 10:35 p.m.

Things have been hopping in Ram Land, and I wanted to make sure you were aware of some really cool happenings:

• Former CSU star Janay DeLoach won her second consecutive long jump title over the weekend at the USA Track and Field Indoor Championships. DeLoach, whose winning leap of 22 feet, 71/4 inch is the No. 2 jump in the world this year, is looking more and more like a U.S. Olympian this summer and has a real chance to win a medal.
• Ex-Ram Martin Laird put together a great run over the weekend at the World Golf Championships Match Play tournament in Arizona, reaching the quarterfinals before losing to England's Lee Westwood. Laird is 10th on the PGA Tour's winning list with $1,040,539 -- and it's still February! More important, his performance should boost the Scottish star's resume for this fall, when he hopes to compete for the European team in the 2012 Ryder Cup matches.
• Believe it or not, the men's basketball team's final home game is at 8 Wednesday night against 17th-ranked UNLV. Not only will they be looking for their third home win over a Top 25 team, the Rams will celebrate senior night for Kaipo Sabas and Will Bell, two former walk-ons who have had a huge impact on this team's performance. The Rams, who are very much in the running for an NCAA Tournament berth, deserve another big crowd, so make sure you get to Moby.
• Kudos to the CSU women's basketball team, which knocked off league-leading San Diego State on Saturday in Kim Mestdagh's final home game. The Rams have beaten every Mountain West team this season and will be a serious title threat next week at the MWC Tournament in Las Vegas.
• Finally, CSU's amazing pep band is the special guest on this week's Ram Report, the weekly show that features basketball coaches Tim Miles and Kristen Holt. Here's programming information for this highly entertaining show:

Weekly broadcast schedule:

CSU-TV (Comcast Ch. 11) – Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays at 7:30 p.m. and 9 p.m.

The Mtn. (Comcast Ch. 411) – Tuesdays at 5 p.m., plus other times to be announced (check listings)

NoCo5 (Comcast Ch. 5) – Wednesdays at 5:30 p.m. and 10:35 p.m.

Not so long ago, the annual Border War men's basketball game at Moby Arena was anything but a partisan affair. Wyoming fans by the hundreds, dressed in that familiar (fill in your own adjective here) brown and yellow, would invade Moby and, at times, literally shout CSU fans out of their own arena. Their obnoxious "W-Y-O" cheer echoed through the rafters, taking away any homecourt advantage the Rams thought they would enjoy.

(Quick comedy break to make fun of Cowboy fans -- Q: Why do Wyoming fans chant 'W-Y-O?" A: Because they can’t remember how to spell the rest of their state's name!)

OK, back on topic.

In recent years, that disturbing trend has eased a bit. Wyoming fans still show up (Hey, if you had a chance to get out of Laramie and come to Fort Collins, you would, too!), but their team has been down for a number of years and fan support has waned. However, the Pokes are pretty darned good this year (they already have beaten CSU and UNLV in Laramie), and their fans are once again planning a Moby takeover when the teams meet Feb. 18.

The CSU ticket office today confirmed that ticket sales are brisk -- for Wyoming fans. That's bad on pretty much every level, but really bad when you consider that these Rams should be playing in front of a solidly pro-CSU crowd in this very important game.

So, get on the phone (970-491-7267), get online (csurams.com) or get to the McGraw Athletic Center ticket office and get your tickets for this game. This overachieving CSU team, which is within reach of an NCAA Tournament berth, is more that deserving of our support. And they certainly deserve to play their biggest rival with a homecourt advantage!

Another football signing day has come and gone, and left in its wake are a load of CSU fans wondering why new coach Jim McElwain didn't bring in a class of studs to rival that of Alabama, where he served as offensive coordinator prior to coming to Fort Collins.

They point to Rivals.com, the popular (and polarizing) website dedicated to sating the appettites of knowledge-hungry football fans, which has Coach Mac's first recruiting class ranked 10th -- dead last -- in the Mountain West. Some of them are convinced that CSU, thanks to this ranking, is doomed to fail both now and in the future.

Having covered more than 20 signing days, I long ago realized that recruiting websites like Rivals -- to put it politely -- don't know squat. Sure, many of their "5-star, can't-miss" prospects become collegiate stars and go on to NFL careers, but a large number of them are complete flops, too.

Remember Marcus Houston, the former CSU running back? He was considered the very best high school running back in the country while starring at Denver's Thomas Jefferson High School, and it was a huge deal when he signed with CU. But he never fit in with the Buffs, and ended up transferring to CSU. His Ram career was one of utter mediocrity and, quite frankly, most CSU fans remember him for a fumble that cost the Rams a victory over Utah rather than anything good. Nice kid. Bad football player.

So much for five stars.

Because of Houston and others like him, I never get too caught up in rankings of players or recruiting classes. Sure, it would be nice if McElwain and his staff had been able to land a bunch of blue-chip studs coveted by every Top 10 school, but that was unrealistic. Coach Mac got a late start on the recruiting game because of his commitment to Alabama's appearance in the national championship game, and most of the nation's top-ranked players had long since pledged their loyalty to someone other than the Rams. And let's face facts: CSU isn't exactly a "must see" destination for high school players after three consecutive 3-9 seasons.

Still, a lack of stars does not mean there is a lack of incoming talent. I have watched numerous under-the-radar players -- walk-ons or others very lightly recruited -- become stars at CSU, and I thought I would share a few of those names, just to make you feel better.

Clark Haggans: A walk-on, he left CSU as the all-time leader in sacks and has played 10-plus years in the NFL.

Steve Bartalo: A walk-on who is CSU's all-time leading rusher.

Kelly Stouffer: A complete unknown in high school, nobody had heard of him when CSU signed him. He's the school's all-time leader in passing yards and was a first-round NFL draft pick.

Adrian Ross: Like Haggans, a walk-on defensive end who ended up playing several years in the NFL.

Greg Myers: He got exactly two offers coming out of Windsor High School, from CSU and Air Force. He was the only four-time, first-team all-conference player in WAC history, the Jim Thorpe Award winner and a recent addition to the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame.

John Howell: From tiny Mullen, Neb., Howell was a walk-on who was so good that he played in his first college game before becoming a star and NFL player.

Richie Hall: A 5-foot-7 cornerback from Thornton High School, he looked like your kid brother and played like Lester Hayes. He's in the Canadian Football League Hall of Fame.

Keli McGregor: A former walk-on tight end who ended up a two-time All-American tight end before becoming president of the Colorado Rockies.

So, climb down off that ledge and get a grip. Did McElwain sign a bunch of "stars"? No. Did he sign a stud or two who will become great players? Probably. Just don't tell Alabama ...

It's been two full days now since I walked out of Moby Arena following CSU's stunningly thorough 77-60 mauling of No. 12 San Diego State, and I'm still a bit twitterpated.

Overall, Saturday was one of the best experiences I've had as a CSU fan. It started with a Ram Club event that featured athletic director Jack Graham doing a Q&A -- and included a surprise visit from football coach Jim McElwain -- and concluded with the best performance of the year by the men's basketball team. Days like that are to be savored.

To start with, Graham once again impressed me with his passion and ability to work a crowd. I've seen those attributes before, but he was different this day -- a bit more thoughtful and measured than in past appearances.

Not surprisingly, the proposed on-campus stadium was the hot topic, and Graham spent a good deal of time talking about it and Friday's upcoming public meeting of the Stadium Advisory Committee (7 p.m., Lory Student Center ballroom). Pretty much everyone in the packed room was pro-stadium, and some there expressed some frustration with some of the anti-stadium talk that has been in the news, but Graham offered a very good response. It's not "us vs. them" he said, it's "us." I like that very much. People are going to raise concerns and doubts, and those people should be heard, he said. They will make the entire process better.

Very well said.

McElwain then took the podium and pretty much had everyone frothing at the mouth. He's a dynamic, inspirational speaker, and you get the feeling that young men are going to want to follow him to greatness. He impresses me more every time I see him in action.

Then, of course, came the game and the remarkable performance by the Rams. My favorite moment came at the end, when the students rushed the court and had Kaipo Sabas crowd-surfing around the Moby floor. That might be the most improbable thing I've ever seen at CSU. Sabas, whom I've followed since he was about 10, has become an unlikely hero for the Rams all season, hitting numerous big shots and providing invaluable minutes in the backcourt. When you consider that this 5-foot-9 walk-on wasn't even supposed to play much this year, the sight of him crowd-surfing on ESPN was just so are-you-freaking-kidding-me cool that I can't even begin to describe it.

Of course, not all days are like Saturday -- most, in fact, don't even come close. But it reminded me of how great CSU can be, and why it's so much fun to be a Ram fan right now.

Roll Tide?

I can pretty much guarantee you that I have never uttered those words out loud. Never had a reason to. Because I've never had a reason to cheer for Alabama.

'Bama has always been one of those schools that invited more spite than spirit. Not that the Crimson Tide has done anything particularly distasteful. They just win. Nothing flashy -- just consistent success. And with millions of passionate followers around the country, 'Bama certainly never needed my support.

LSU, on the other hand, is a bit more likeable. The Tigers have flair, and their uniforms are cool. Their fans are a whole different brand of crazy -- in a fun-loving, "let's party" sort of way. And you just have to like a team whose supporters say things like "Geaux Tigers" and eat gumbo and jambalaya -- two of the greatest creations on the planet.

Tonight, though, everything changes. I'm all about the Tide and offensive coordinator -- and CSU coach -- Jim McElwain.

I'm thinking that CSU gets three-plus hours of free publicity tonight. Every time McElwain is mentioned, the announcers will say "... who leaves after the game to become coach at Colorado State." And every time the 'Bama offense does something well, every available recruit who's thinking about becoming a Ram will be thinking, "Dang, I want to play for THAT guy!"

So, tonight, I'll be eating some ribs and singing "Sweet Home Alabama." I'll be hoping for a Crimson Tidal wave of offense, followed by a wave of commitments to the Green and Gold.

Roll Tide? Absolutely!