Badgers!
April 6, 2015 6:42 PM Subscribe
In a monumental upset, the Wisconsin Badgers have won the NCAA men's basketball championship. Here's more information and photos from the UW squad's magical season.
Mushroom, mushroom.
posted by the uncomplicated soups of my childhood at 6:43 PM on April 6, 2015 [10 favorites]
posted by the uncomplicated soups of my childhood at 6:43 PM on April 6, 2015 [10 favorites]
Did this literally just happen? I just got an excited text from a fellow ex-Madisonite.
Nice work! Also, good job smashing Duke.
posted by Potomac Avenue at 6:44 PM on April 6, 2015
Nice work! Also, good job smashing Duke.
posted by Potomac Avenue at 6:44 PM on April 6, 2015
Ha!
posted by harrietthespy at 6:47 PM on April 6, 2015
posted by harrietthespy at 6:47 PM on April 6, 2015
Hooo, boy. Glad the Badgers ain't my team, cuz this post is jinxalicious. ;-)
That said, I would be happy if this post proves prophetic tonight.
posted by lord_wolf at 6:47 PM on April 6, 2015 [2 favorites]
That said, I would be happy if this post proves prophetic tonight.
posted by lord_wolf at 6:47 PM on April 6, 2015 [2 favorites]
Lol I'm dumb.
posted by Potomac Avenue at 6:47 PM on April 6, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by Potomac Avenue at 6:47 PM on April 6, 2015 [1 favorite]
oh, best steer clear of my Duke fanatic friend for a few days... or not!
posted by Naberius at 7:01 PM on April 6, 2015
posted by Naberius at 7:01 PM on April 6, 2015
[PSA: Click the links before gloating over any Duke fans.]
posted by LobsterMitten at 7:02 PM on April 6, 2015 [5 favorites]
posted by LobsterMitten at 7:02 PM on April 6, 2015 [5 favorites]
I wouldn't put money on them doing it this time, regardless of my hatred of Duke
posted by codacorolla at 7:03 PM on April 6, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by codacorolla at 7:03 PM on April 6, 2015 [1 favorite]
I'm not just trying to stunt you guys, the photos of old-time college basketball really are kind of awesome.
posted by escabeche at 7:03 PM on April 6, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by escabeche at 7:03 PM on April 6, 2015 [1 favorite]
As a feminist I have many female poets and artists that I turn to for inspiration and wisdom. This disrespect for Wisconsin can best be expressed by one of those heroes.
The haters gonna hate hate hate hate hate - t swift
posted by Bonzai at 7:10 PM on April 6, 2015 [3 favorites]
The haters gonna hate hate hate hate hate - t swift
posted by Bonzai at 7:10 PM on April 6, 2015 [3 favorites]
As a born-and-bred Wisconsin girl and UW alumna, I give thumbs up. U-rah-rah!
posted by chaoticgood at 7:18 PM on April 6, 2015
posted by chaoticgood at 7:18 PM on April 6, 2015
"We don't need no stinking badgers!!!"
posted by oneswellfoop at 7:20 PM on April 6, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by oneswellfoop at 7:20 PM on April 6, 2015 [2 favorites]
As a born-and-bred Wisconsin girl and UW alumna, I give thumbs up. U-rah-rah!
Yep, me too! Except the girl part.
posted by SpacemanStix at 7:26 PM on April 6, 2015
Yep, me too! Except the girl part.
posted by SpacemanStix at 7:26 PM on April 6, 2015
Lol I'm dumb.
Don't feel bad: I'm actually watching the game and got confused!
posted by gladly at 7:31 PM on April 6, 2015 [3 favorites]
Don't feel bad: I'm actually watching the game and got confused!
posted by gladly at 7:31 PM on April 6, 2015 [3 favorites]
Damn, well spoiler alert should be posted on this puppy for West coasters ;-)
posted by gregjunior at 7:44 PM on April 6, 2015
posted by gregjunior at 7:44 PM on April 6, 2015
Scott Walker will be so fucking insufferable if Wisconsin wins (this is saying a lot, because he's already fucking insufferable). If the Badgers do pull it off, I hope someone on the team makes a point on national teevee of calling Walker out re his cuts to education funding.
posted by longdaysjourney at 8:05 PM on April 6, 2015
posted by longdaysjourney at 8:05 PM on April 6, 2015
I'll never like Duke. Never.
posted by discopolo at 8:06 PM on April 6, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by discopolo at 8:06 PM on April 6, 2015 [3 favorites]
I blame you for this math sorcerer.
posted by Potomac Avenue at 8:13 PM on April 6, 2015
posted by Potomac Avenue at 8:13 PM on April 6, 2015
Thanks, by the way--Scott Walker is about the only guy that might make me root for Duke.
posted by box at 8:23 PM on April 6, 2015
posted by box at 8:23 PM on April 6, 2015
AGH YOU JINXED IT YOU GODDAMN JINXED IT
posted by mightygodking at 8:25 PM on April 6, 2015 [15 favorites]
posted by mightygodking at 8:25 PM on April 6, 2015 [15 favorites]
dang! what a game! i was hoping for a different outcome but i enjoyed the laying down bro hug at the end. go team!
posted by nadawi at 8:26 PM on April 6, 2015
posted by nadawi at 8:26 PM on April 6, 2015
Talk about a jinx!
posted by Carillon at 8:31 PM on April 6, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by Carillon at 8:31 PM on April 6, 2015 [1 favorite]
Note that the 1941 squad wasn't forced to wear dumpy shorts that made them look like they had tried to accessorize their uniform with a cummerbund. I suspect this was the difference
posted by TheShadowKnows at 8:33 PM on April 6, 2015 [5 favorites]
posted by TheShadowKnows at 8:33 PM on April 6, 2015 [5 favorites]
I never root for Duke but I know several Wisconsin sports fans that are so fucking insufferable that either outcome was a loss for me. At least now I won't have to clean out my FB feed of Badger boosters losing their shit. On the other hand, I still hate Duke.
posted by Ber at 8:33 PM on April 6, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by Ber at 8:33 PM on April 6, 2015 [1 favorite]
I'm such a sports nerd, I can spell Krzyzewski without looking it up.
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 8:37 PM on April 6, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 8:37 PM on April 6, 2015 [1 favorite]
Ewwwww Duke. Ugh.
posted by discopolo at 9:05 PM on April 6, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by discopolo at 9:05 PM on April 6, 2015 [1 favorite]
Sorry I jinxed it, guys. I thought eating the same cheese I ate for the Kentucky game would be enough.
posted by escabeche at 9:11 PM on April 6, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by escabeche at 9:11 PM on April 6, 2015 [2 favorites]
Let this post be a lesson for the future.
posted by humanfont at 9:37 PM on April 6, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by humanfont at 9:37 PM on April 6, 2015 [1 favorite]
You could literally see the horrific second-half officiating psychologically take the Wisconsin players out of the game.
posted by phaedon at 10:13 PM on April 6, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by phaedon at 10:13 PM on April 6, 2015 [1 favorite]
The funny thing is, I bet a lot of MeFites who are not sports fans will read the title of this post, decide not to click and then casually bring up the Badgers' win tomorrow at the office on Tuesday.
Me, I'm now in March Madness withdrawal. Wishing the best to the NBA-bound players and counting down until the 2015-2016 basketball season.
posted by rogerrogerwhatsyourrvectorvicto at 10:15 PM on April 6, 2015 [7 favorites]
Me, I'm now in March Madness withdrawal. Wishing the best to the NBA-bound players and counting down until the 2015-2016 basketball season.
posted by rogerrogerwhatsyourrvectorvicto at 10:15 PM on April 6, 2015 [7 favorites]
Is it petty for me to be happy at Wisconsin's loss because Olivia Munn is a fan?
posted by TheSecretDecoderRing at 10:23 PM on April 6, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by TheSecretDecoderRing at 10:23 PM on April 6, 2015 [1 favorite]
On the bright side, Wisconsin took Calipari out of the championship. Well done.
posted by Cranberry at 10:45 PM on April 6, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by Cranberry at 10:45 PM on April 6, 2015 [1 favorite]
Funny thing is I'm a sports fan and didn't realize a basketball can change course midair without an equal and opposite opposing force. My B, Duke definitely won. Maybe next year Grayson's dad can even afford a time machine and kick Sir Isaac Newton in the balls.
posted by WhitenoisE at 1:08 AM on April 7, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by WhitenoisE at 1:08 AM on April 7, 2015 [1 favorite]
On the bright side, Wisconsin took Calipari out of the championship. Well done.
Unselfish veteran team full of 3.0 students and humanitarians, who passed up millions to come back to school gets beat by a school that hasn't graduated a black player in 15 years, while the title goes to a team full of one and done hired guns that swept a sexual assault scandal under the rug earlier this same season, America can't stop cheering. At least Calipari didn't ruin college basketball.
posted by T.D. Strange at 5:39 AM on April 7, 2015 [6 favorites]
Unselfish veteran team full of 3.0 students and humanitarians, who passed up millions to come back to school gets beat by a school that hasn't graduated a black player in 15 years, while the title goes to a team full of one and done hired guns that swept a sexual assault scandal under the rug earlier this same season, America can't stop cheering. At least Calipari didn't ruin college basketball.
posted by T.D. Strange at 5:39 AM on April 7, 2015 [6 favorites]
The funny thing is, I bet a lot of MeFites who are not sports fans will read the title of this post, decide not to click and then casually bring up the Badgers' win tomorrow at the office on Tuesday.
Uhmmm. Totally just did that and they laughed at me.
posted by mayonnaises at 5:51 AM on April 7, 2015 [2 favorites]
Uhmmm. Totally just did that and they laughed at me.
posted by mayonnaises at 5:51 AM on April 7, 2015 [2 favorites]
Wisconsin's Bo Ryan was classy in defeat.
posted by T.D. Strange at 6:04 AM on April 7, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by T.D. Strange at 6:04 AM on April 7, 2015 [1 favorite]
I'm such a sports nerd, I can spell Krzyzewski without looking it up.
In my earlier life I covered Duke and UNC basketball. "Crazy Zoo Ski = Krzyzewski" was permanently painted on the wall outside our darkroom.
posted by a complicated history at 6:18 AM on April 7, 2015
In my earlier life I covered Duke and UNC basketball. "Crazy Zoo Ski = Krzyzewski" was permanently painted on the wall outside our darkroom.
posted by a complicated history at 6:18 AM on April 7, 2015
UNC alum here. When Carolina got knocked out, a Facebook friend (also a UNC grad) was asked if he would root for Duke, since at least it's a team from his home state. His response was "Duke's home state is New Jersey."
Such is the hatred of rival ACC teams.
posted by freecellwizard at 6:20 AM on April 7, 2015 [2 favorites]
Such is the hatred of rival ACC teams.
posted by freecellwizard at 6:20 AM on April 7, 2015 [2 favorites]
Such is the hatred of rival ACC teams.
We occasionally had interns from UNC and Duke in the same year. Once, a UNC student programmed the auto-correct on our spell-checking system to re-key "Duke" as "Dook". Our copy editors were not amused.
posted by a complicated history at 6:26 AM on April 7, 2015 [2 favorites]
We occasionally had interns from UNC and Duke in the same year. Once, a UNC student programmed the auto-correct on our spell-checking system to re-key "Duke" as "Dook". Our copy editors were not amused.
posted by a complicated history at 6:26 AM on April 7, 2015 [2 favorites]
Duke is impressive in the level of animosity they can inspire in not just their divisional rivals, but every right-thinking person in the country. They have a good old boy network of fans and alumni, they've got bandwagon fans by the dozen, they've got Dick Vitale (the worst sports personality out there by a wide margin), they've got scandals coming out their collective ass, and they've got a sports media who loves them more than life itself.
Congrats to the Badgers for the valiant effort, but I wish the team with a better chance of actually beating Duke had gotten there instead.
posted by codacorolla at 6:46 AM on April 7, 2015 [2 favorites]
Congrats to the Badgers for the valiant effort, but I wish the team with a better chance of actually beating Duke had gotten there instead.
posted by codacorolla at 6:46 AM on April 7, 2015 [2 favorites]
Hey T.D. Strange, here's a little response to your comment.
I grant you that not every student athlete will win a Nobel Prize. I agree that student athletes receive extra help to keep up with their studies *cough*if they even need it*cough*UNC*cough* However, particularly for students in marquee sports who are recruited out of living situations that could barely get them out of their home city, let alone to a reputable college, I can't fault them for taking the opportunity to get drafted or play overseas and potentially get money while they can.
I took classes with a captain of the football team who wrote about waiting for the government food truck to show up with surplus cheese because it made the rest of their surplus food so much more interesting. He couldn't get his books until a couple weeks into the semester because the check that paid for his supplies hadn't cleared yet, and he didn't have the extra spending money to pick up a $10 paperback. And he was doing pretty well compared to some of his teammates.
Today, he's got not one but two degrees from UW, since he did a master's so he could play a fifth year. The academic folks work really, really hard, well after we don't see these names in the sports pages anymore.
posted by St. Hubbins at 2:35 PM on April 7, 2015
I grant you that not every student athlete will win a Nobel Prize. I agree that student athletes receive extra help to keep up with their studies *cough*if they even need it*cough*UNC*cough* However, particularly for students in marquee sports who are recruited out of living situations that could barely get them out of their home city, let alone to a reputable college, I can't fault them for taking the opportunity to get drafted or play overseas and potentially get money while they can.
I took classes with a captain of the football team who wrote about waiting for the government food truck to show up with surplus cheese because it made the rest of their surplus food so much more interesting. He couldn't get his books until a couple weeks into the semester because the check that paid for his supplies hadn't cleared yet, and he didn't have the extra spending money to pick up a $10 paperback. And he was doing pretty well compared to some of his teammates.
Today, he's got not one but two degrees from UW, since he did a master's so he could play a fifth year. The academic folks work really, really hard, well after we don't see these names in the sports pages anymore.
posted by St. Hubbins at 2:35 PM on April 7, 2015
The problem is that every other school has a guy, or 20, with that exact same story, it's not exactly uncommon with D1 athletes, but Wisconsin does demonstrably less for their kids from rough backgrounds than nearly every other program in the NCAA field. The 15yr line referred only to the basketball program, your example is a football player. For a team that brags about not "renting players", it sure seems like they don't do a lot for the ones that they have within the 6 year federal statistics window.
posted by T.D. Strange at 4:02 PM on April 7, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by T.D. Strange at 4:02 PM on April 7, 2015 [1 favorite]
I don't really follow sports but I got suckered into the office March Madness bracket. I was a few hours late signing up, so I wanted to quickly pick something provably random so I could just participate and not be accused of cheating. So I used a math program (MATLAB) to write my name in binary and spiraled around the bracket, choosing high seed for 1 and low seed for 0. The bracket was completely nuts, but when Wisconsin beat Kentucky, my quasi-random choices were poised to win over the sports nuts at work. I just needed Wisconsin to beat Duke.
This is all just a preamble to say that my girlfriend saw this headline and told me they'd won (I don't watch the games). So I swaggered into work and casually said, "How 'bout them badgers?". The reaction was not what I expected...
posted by Humanzee at 5:21 PM on April 7, 2015 [4 favorites]
This is all just a preamble to say that my girlfriend saw this headline and told me they'd won (I don't watch the games). So I swaggered into work and casually said, "How 'bout them badgers?". The reaction was not what I expected...
posted by Humanzee at 5:21 PM on April 7, 2015 [4 favorites]
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