Wisconsin’s
glory season was underway as they entered this contest 4-0 and nationally
ranked for the first season in years. A crazy Camp Randall made
things difficult for the Wildcats and they lost 53-14.
Now, many
chants echo from the stands on a Wisconsin football Saturday. They
usually come in the form of a chorus of profanity. These chants are
barked back and forth within the student section and are often so loud that
ESPN or ABC has to turn their microphones down so that their programming is
not rated “R.” Yes, this kind of ballyhoo is quite childish and raw,
but often they come up with more clever material.
But, this warm
Saturday afternoon a chant that I guarantee never filled the Camp Randall
air had its inauguration: “We want sixty” rang from the
rafters. Sixty? As in…points? The light bulbs on the
scoreboard under “HOME” rarely needed replacing so this kind of activity
caused new excitement for the program as they cruised into 5-0. This
was the first game that I can really remember having fun from beginning to
end. There were no dramatics, no downpours, and no stupid rules to
learn…just a good sound beating. In addition, this is where my love
affair with Northwestern began. I remember learning that they were
located in Chicago, only an hour from where I lived. That, and their
unique purple, made them a team that I wanted to keep my eyes on.
