My Dad and His Wisconsin Badgers

My dad is fantastic !! He is hardworking man who loves his Green Bay Packers and his Wisconsin Badgers. He is the only man that I know of that can lay down on the couch; have a the radio on listening to one team, and the TV on watching another. He can keep track of both ! He loves football, his college team, like I said is and will always be the Badgers, but when the Mountaineers are not playing against his Badger, he routs for that team as well.

He is funny to watch, when he routs for is team; he yells, stands up, chews out the refs and I have become just like him. My Packers and Badgers, are not only his team but mine as well. Once I went to the VFW to watch the game, and to my surprised when my team was going for a touchdown I was the only one cheering. Wisconsinites love their football, cheese and beer

The Wisconsin Badgers are known for the exciting games, and fourth quarter scoring. They played a great pre-season game against West Virginia Mountaineers in 2002. We were at that game with some Mountaineer fans were ahead in the fourth quarter. They thought they had it wrapped up, but I knew better. The Badgers and Packers are known for their fourth quarter scoring, I knew they would pull ahead. That is exactly what happened ! Wisconsin pulled ahead and won it by a few points. This is the kind of excitement that Wisconsinites are used to.


History

The Wisconsin Badgers are a college football team that are from University of Wisconsin; Madison. They are in the NCAA Football Bowl Division and the Big Ten Conference. They play their home games at Camp Randall Stadium, the fourth-oldest stadium in college football.

As of January 1, 2011, the Badgers had an all-time record of 625-467-53. The team's nickname comes from the early history of Wisconsin. In the 1820s and 1830s, prospectors came to the state looking for minerals, primarily lead. Without shelter in the winter, the miners had to live like badgers in tunnels burrowed into hillsides. As a result, the territory was dubbed the "Badger State," and the team took its name from that.

The first Badger football team took the field in 1889, losing the only two games it played that season. In 1890, Wisconsin earned its first victory with a 106 - 0 against the University of Wisconsin'"Whitewater. This is still the most lopsided win in school history.

In the 1890s, the Badgers dramatically improved. Upon the formation of the Big Ten conference in 1896, Wisconsin became the first-ever conference champion with a 7-1'-1 record. Over the next ten years, the Badgers won or shared the conference title three more times (1897, 1901, and 1906), and recorded their first undefeated season, going 9-0-0 (1901). With the exception of their second undefeated season in 1912, in which they won their fifth Big Ten title, the next 35 years were a period of general mediocrity for the Badgers.

1942 was an important year for Wisconsin football. On October 24, the #6 ranked Badgers defeated the #1 ranked Ohio State Buckeyes at Camp Randall, Wisconsin went to the #2 spot in the AP poll. Unfortunately for the Badgers, their national championship hopes were dashed by a 6'-0 defeat by the Iowa Hawkeyes the following week. Nevertheless, Wisconsin won the remainder of its games, finishing the season 8'-1-1, and #3 in the Associated Press poll, while garnering the Helms Athletic Foundation vote for National Champion.

The Badgers had great success during the 1950s, finishing in the AP Top 25 eight times that decade. In 1952, the team received its first #1 ranking by the Associated Press. That season, the Badgers again claimed the Big Ten title and earned their first trip to the Rose Bowl. There they were defeated 7-0 by the University of Southern California, and would finish the season a disappointing #11 in the AP Poll. Wisconsin returned to the Rose Bowl as Big Ten champs again in 1959, but fell to the Washington Huskies"

In 1962, we were at another high point in the history of Wisconsin football, and shortly after that my Dad and Mom got season tickets for the Badgers. That season, the Badgers earned their eighth Big Ten title and faced the top-ranked USC Trojans in the Rose Bowl. Despite a narrow 42'-37 defeat, the Badgers still ended the season ranked #2 in both the AP and Coaches polls (post-bowl rankings were not introduced until later in the decade). After going through the early 1970s, a string of seven-win seasons from 1981'-84 under in placed the Badgers in the Garden State (1981), Independence (1982), and Hall of Fame Bowls(1984). McClain's death during 1986 spring practice sent the Badgers into a losing streak.

Barry Alvarez

In 1990, Barry Alvarez became the head coach of the Badgers and, following three losing seasons (including a 1'-10 campaign in his first year), Alvarez led the Badgers to their first Big Ten championship and first Rose Bowl appearance in over 30 years. On January 1, 1994 Wisconsin defeated UCLA 21'"16 to claim its first Rose Bowl victory. Over his 16-year tenure as head coach, Alvarez led the Badgers to two more conference championships, eleven bowl games (going 8'"3), and two more Rose Bowl victories.

Following the 2005 season, Alvarez stepped down as head coach of the Wisconsin football team and assumed the duties of athletic director. Former defensive coordinator, Bret Bielema took over as head coach and has since led the Badgers to five consecutive bowl appearances


In 2010, the Badgers won a share of the Big Ten Championship and returned to the Rose Bowl for the first time since 1999. After trading blows with #3 ranked TCU, Wisconsin was unable to connect on a two-point conversion attempt in the waning moments of the game, and fell 21-19 to the Horned Frogs. Two points, only by two points that was hard to swallow,

However, they will be back to the Rose Bowl again this year and they will win, no doubt. A true Badger fan will be a Badger no matter what, through it's highs and lows. That's the way we are, just like we know the Packers will win and shine so will the Badgers. One can only imagine, church letting out early, Badger and Packer decorations intermingled on cars, on lawns, and in what one wears.

Suggestions for Father Day Gifts

Father's Day gifts that we have gotten dad, that he still has our Badger drinking glasses, Badger mittens, Badger caps and jackets. Then there is also a Badger bird bath, So if your dad lives in Wisconsin, for Father's Day let me suggest these gifts. I know these gifts are treasured by my dad, and your dad will treasure these too.

Some links for you to look at are Football Fanatics, Champions on Display , Badger Cheese Gift Box, Badger Gift Shop,Sports Unlimited and Fathers Day Gifts .