RamNation Forums

2006 Awards and Rankings: Specialty Awards

RamNation's regular posters are what make the site so great. Everybody has their own posting styles and quirks that contribute to the board in unique ways. The Specialty Awards is the segment where we honor those individuals who stand out in various categories.

First, a special thanks to several people who have made tremendous contributions towards Ramnation

THANK YOU

• Chevalier Jewelers (Aimee Newman), Colorado's Best Beef (Ben Elliott), Rams Bookstore (Griff Kull), and Weishare.com (Mark Louden) for their belief in and sponsorship of RamNation over the past year
• Gary Ozzello for his never-ending cooperation, help in the sports information department, and friendship
• Steve Ivy, Zach Borg, Matt Schildt, Mike Esquivel, Erik Olsen, Brian Roth, and Brian McCoy for providing incredible CSU news coverage for RamNation Pass while it lasted
• Michael Rosen for offering his skilled photography services during football season
• All of you who supported this site by subscribing to RamNation Pass
• Joe Eitel and Dave Pitman for helping cover and monitor the site
• Aaron Macan for his help with compiling basketball recruiting and info
• Jeff Williams for providing game day weather updates
• Chris Inman and Brian Walter for their help in running the Pigskin Pick'Em contests
• Chris Hangl and Scott Gygi for hosting the March Madness contest

Now, onto the awards...

BEST NEW HANDLES

1. Ram it to all Bell
2. ColoradoState of Mind
3. SonnyCorleone
4. Poop Scoop Ram
5. Tyler Durden Is A Ram

STUDENT BODY RIGHT (BEST STUDENT POSTER AWARD)

zjb58 - The performance displayed by zjb during his college career is unlikely to be topped ever again. In the early years of this award, it was tough to come up with a clear-cut winner as best student poster. But, zjb has made the voting easy for the past three years. He is the most active student poster the site has ever seen. He's also has had the most insight of any student to participate on the board. And despite his youth, he's not afraid to stand toe to toe with some of the site's heavyweights in an argument. As the years have gone by, the student participation has improved, and we now have some excellent student posters. But, none have been able to top zjb for the past three years. He's a three-time winner, something that will probably never be surpassed. Our top five finalists our:

1. zjb58
2. bcover11
3. lil zozza
4. Rams Hot
5. Ramski

GLASS HALF-FULL AWARD (MOST POSITIVE)

Aggieram76 steals away the spot previously held by for four out of the last five years. Aggieram76 has been on an extended hiatus from RamNation due to what he feels is too much negativity coming from fellow Ram fans towards CSU athletics. While on board, Aggieram engaged in solid conversations, and was a solid ambassador for commentary on his alma mater. He often tried to police fellow posters to help clean up the negativity on the board, with very little effect. Thus, his once regular postings have gone away, and he expressed his thoughts in a very poignant email to RamNation Staff. For an excerpt of his well-thought-out message, click here.

GLASS HALF-EMPTY AWARD (MOST NEGATIVE)

Several of the usuals were in the running for this award. Of course, 80sramfan always has to be thrown into the mix when talking about candidates for this award, and he received significant consideration. People never before thought of as possibilities for this "award" crept in due to constant complaining bashing of the Dan Hammerschmidt and Steve Stanard, and even former athletic director Mark Driscoll. A large amount of people were also considered due to their beat-a-dead-horse complaining about men's basketball coach Dale Layer. But, nobody could top the ultimate glass half-empty poster, sanfranramfan. We thought he was making a turnaround in the past year, as he sometimes expressed optimism with the football program. But, a final nail in the coffin came when he out of nowhere ripped new athletic director Paul Kowalczyk for making a joke about his new mortgage in Fort Collins. That proved to the voting committee that he still sees the negative in all that is CSU.

BUFF HATER AWARD

Patentram - Patent earns the award for the second straight year. Some believe he actually is enjoying his banishment from the CSU athletics message board so he doesn't have to deal with Buff fans anymore. He lost a bet with "le alpe d huez" last year when CSU lost to CU, and has had to refrain from posting on the Athletics message board. Patent's posting is currently confined to the RamNation Pass board, where there are no Buff fans. Also in the running for this award was 80sramfan, Beer Fight, and Stalwart Ram, among others.

'POKE HATER AWARD

NYC RAM - There just isn't enough outward hate towards the 'Pokes these days. I guess that's what happens when you dominate a team as CSU does. A couple people received mild consideration for the award, including Ram Smith #24, zjb58, and Swoll Cracker. But, even with his long absence these past few months, the award goes to NYC RAM. Nobody is more anti-Wyo than he is. He retains the title again.

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR

TheQears - It's strange to log in on a weekday night, when most people have either already turned their computers off or retired to bed, and see TheQears actively posting, sometimes to nobody in particular. The same can be said on a Saturday afternoon, Sunday night, you name it. Qears can more often than not be seen on the board, posting about something. He became a regular RamNation dweller almost a year ago, and has been on fire ever since. He is a well-rounded sports fan, with knowledge beyond just CSU athletics. But, he also knows the Rams well, and during season is at the forefront of most threads. He's smart, funny, and polite. He's never confrontational, and carries a seemingly kindred spirit about him when he posts. His performance this year goes down as one of the best ever by a rookie. In other seasons, the performances such as those by LoboDogg and RamShoreman may have been strong enough to garner Rookie of the Year honors. But, this year nobody was going to top TheQears!

COMEBACK POSTER OF THE YEAR

JoeybtherealAD - During the 2004-05 season, it was certainly bizarre to see one of the most active posters from the prior season largely disappear. JoeyB, who posted far more frequently than any other poster from 2002 to 2004 and earned No. 1 and No. 2 honors in 2004 and 2003 respectively, suffered a big dropoff. It seemed he had suffered the infamous No. 1 jinx, that has befallen several other former top-ranked posters. Joey lost his job, had a baby, and seemingly fled from the board. He'd show up occasionally, and even go through some random spurts where he'd seem like a semi-regular poster. But, for the most part the old powerhouse was a shell of his former self in 2005. He dropped all the way to No. 50 in last year's rankings, and even that may have been generous. But, perhaps being inspired by his good friend Three RAM Night earning "Comeback of the Year" honors last year, Joey came back strong to earn the same award this year. He returned to his old antics, posting like a mad man, writing creative stories, posting obscene pictures, and just being himself. His style probably isn't well received by some readers, but one cannot deny his ability to spark activity, interest, laughter, and discussion on the boards.

MOST HATED POSTER

1. 59 Buff - Widely regarded as the most bitter person on RamNation, this guy spares nobody from his barbs, including RamNation host Good SHEP.

2. SportsFan 101 - Once a decent conversationalist, SportsFan101 seems to have changed his mission in life---to piss off Ram fans. His recent drunken posting incident was funny though.

3. Husker Hater - Lost his grip on his three-time title holder of this category. Whether he meant to change or not, 2005-06 was a more amicable year for him.

4. JC In The Rock - Posts fairly infrequently, but when he arrives, he knows how to push Ram fans' buttons.

5. CSWho? - Always willing to come and spark a flame war.

BEST NON-RAM POSTER

1. LoboDogg - LD stole DubyaWhyOh's chance to repeat his title. LD came on strong as a first-year poster and even had strong consideration for Rookie of the Year Honors. He has been an excellent contributor to the RamNation community.

2. DubyaWhyOh - Dubya is really is about as good as there is when it comes to non-Ram posters. In fact, he's right up there with the best Ram posters. He's funny, intelligent, and cordial to his Ram counterparts. He also knows how to argue without stepping on toes. He's one of our favorite posters to read.

3. le alpe d huez - Dishes out a lot of smack, but also is willing to take it from Ram fans. He gets away with it because he clearly does it in good taste and good fun. He is a staple on the General Discussion Board and often has this voter rolling with laughter.

4. Buffsin2006 - Bi06 isn't flashy like the top three finishers in this category, but is as polite, mild-mannered, and fun to read as you'll find. He is a diehard Buffs fan, but doesn't flaunt it. He comes to Ram fans' domain and coexists while providing good knowledge and discussion. He has historic knowledge of the Rams, and regularly comes to RamNation to not only discuss CSU, but also other sports topics.

5. Boulder Buff - He has come on strong in recent months and has been a friendly, solid contributor. He is as regular a visitor as some of the most active Ram fans on the board, and his presence has been welcome. He's also a great read on the General Discussion Board.

6. Tk61 - A quality Wyoming poster who will give slight jabs towards the Rams, but usually just engages in MWC and 'Poke talk.

7. Pokebball - Has been known to flame Ram fans a bit, but also can add quality to MWC-related topics.

8. Buffalo1 - Has been less noticeable on the board lately, but he is so polite and courteous (for a Buff fan) that we often wonder if he's being serious. He actually compliments CSU and Ram fans while not slamming his loyalty for CU in your face.

9. Husker Hater - Has been a three-time title holder for "Most Hated Poster", but was a bit more amicable this year. Don't get us wrong, he's still an ass, but sometimes a little arguing and smack talk is healthy. He's also been a semi-regular contributor on the General Discussion Board.

10. InTheBuff - He has an abrasive side to him, but particularly in recent months has learned how to coexist with Ram fans and engage in good conversation (and even occasional humor).

RAH RAH AWARD

Several people were in the running for this award, including last year's winner DenverDave, who never ceases to amaze with his giveaway offers to entice Ram fans to join the Ram Club. However, this year, the award is going to two other people…co-winners. As out of place as this seems, the half of the award goes to bunsbuggy. Known for his sometimes gloomy outlook on CSU athletics, buns actually committed to being a volunteer for the 2006 Ram Club fundraising drive. He made several posts on the board propping up the Ram Club and did the unthinkable---got a Wyoming fan (DubyaWhyOh) to donate to the Ram Club. While buns certainly has a dark side to him, he is one of the few Ram fans who has walked the walk and committed to rolling up his/her sleeves to help the Rams.

The other half goes to JoeybtherealAD. As obnoxious and self-absorbing he can be, he has evolved into the ultimate pimp for CSU. He hosts the RamNation tailgate parties each home game, and regularly invites all Ram fans to attend, with cold refreshments and food free of charge for any out-of-towners who stop by. He pushes CSU season tickets, Ram Club memberships and more. Joey B's role as an ambassador for not only CSU, but also RamNation, earns him co-honors of this award.

EWE AWARD (BEST FEMALE POSTER)

Well, I think we've effectively chased off the entire female population from the board. Or at least we've unfortunately scared most of them enough to keep them from posting often. So, unless the demographic changes in the future, this award could go the way of the dodo bird. We were going to give this year's award to "Bookstore Chick", which ironically, wasn't even a chick at all (it was a regular poster who was playing a joke on fellow Rams, and sure did get people fired up that day). We considered IM4CSU, who is relatively active during season, but disappears in season. But, our decision was made easy when we encountered a relatively new poster who doesn't post often, but when she does, she knows what she's talking about, particularly with the men's basketball team. In fact, that's all she ever really talks about, God bless her. (At least somebody cares!) She seems well-connected with current and former CSU players and offers insights that the majority of Ram fans do not have with the basketball program. "Newramfan" is our 2006 winner of the Ewe Award for best female poster.

TOP GENERAL BOARD CONTRIBUTOR

The GDB can get more volatile than the Athletics board on most days, because most of the conversations revolve around hotly debated political issues where each posters holds on dearly to their beliefs. So, it can be a great source of entertainment. Voting on the top contributors for the GDB is never easy, but here is our attempt at a top-five list:
1. TD Elvis
2. I got a fevah
3. le alpe d huez
4. nateDiggsCSU
5. bunsbuggy

FUNNIEST POSTER

There have been many posts by various authors over the year that have been laughing-out-loud funny, and a good chunk of them have been by bunsbuggy. Since he very rarely posts anything serious regarding CSU athletics, most of his posts are designed to do one of two things: tick somebody off, or make somebody laugh. He achieves both equally well, but we laud him more for his humor than his instigating. Buns earns the honor for the third straight year. He had more competition this year than ever before, as Camdog gave him a good run for his money, as did DubyaWhyOh. Legends like Dall Ram, Stalwart Ram, JoninAZ, and JoeyB also returned to form for consideration.

POST OF THE YEAR

There have been so many gems penned this year by some of the great RamNation posters. Dozens of posters' efforts made the finalists list, making it difficult to pick clear-cut winners. In the end though, we had to pare down to five of the very best posts of the year, meaning some excellent posts won't even get mentioned here. And, to show how difficult of a time we had trimming down the finalists, we couldn't even keep it to five - we had to make it a top 6 (again).

There is no particular criteria for Post of the Year; we simply collect posts that strike us throughout the year, based on thoughts, opinions, or stories that particularly move us…or even those occasional drop-dead hilarious messages that have us laughing out loud. In the end, we go with our gut and pick our favorites. Here they are, counting backwards from…

To view our winners for 2005-06, click the following links, counting backwards from No. 6 to No. 1 (enjoy!):

Sixth-place post of the year
Fifth-place post of the year
Fourth-place post of the year
Third-place post of the year
Runner-up post of the year
Post of the year