On Wisconsin!

Last weekend, one of my co-workers with season tickets to all the UW football games invited me to come along. So I got up early on a fine Wisconsin autumn morning and made the trip down to Madison. The weather was cool but cloudless with a deep blue October sky - perfect for football.
We got there early in order to enjoy the pre-game festivities. The stadium is surrounded by a mixed retail/residential neighborhood. There were no parking lots specifically for the stadium, rather parking was wherever it could be found. Tailgating in nearly every yard and on every sidewalk was well underway by 10:00 am. I helped myself (and my triglyceride levels) to the obligatory brat boiled in beer and then grilled accompanied with a side of fried cheese curds. I also got a nice new Bucky Badger stocking hat as it was still a little chilly. As you can see in the photo below, I needed something red to wear to look the part.

The game itself was pretty lopsided as Wisconsin steamrolled U of Indiana. Above Wisconsin is ready to score again. Still it was a lot of fun. There are so many traditions that occur during a football game that watching the crowd was nearly as entertaining as watching the action on the field. My favorite tradition occurred at the end of the 3rd quarter when the trumpets blare over the sound system the opening refrain of that early 90's hip hop song "Jump Around". The crowd goes wild, and then as the beat comes in, literally jump around. Ahh. Fond nostalgia of early 90's music. I think that song was played during the pre-show of U2's ZooTV tour in KC.

The UW marching band (above) was also quite entertaining. Their presence gave the game a whole different feel than the pro football games I've attended. I learned to recognize the UW fight song "On Wisconsin" as it was played multiple times. It is rather catchy, though I think KU's fight song is still the best. Overall the day was phenomenal. Great weather, good entertainment, lovely autumnal scenery, brats and cheese curds - a perfect Midwestern fall day.