The Reds Take Over

GRAND FORKS, N.D.--When you say Wisconsin, you've said it all.

It's hard to believe, after seeing the mass of singing, cheering and even dancing Badger fans, all decked out in red, that until the last dozen years hockey wasn't all that important at Wisconsin.

In fact, there was no hockey in Madioson for 28 years before it was revived in 1963. But since then the Badgers have suffered only one losing season, they've averaged better than 8000 spectators per home game every year since 1972, and now they've won their fourth NCAA championship--in their third straight trip to the final four.

The team is great, but the fans are incredible. Their reputation as the most uninhibited rooters anywhere in the country seemed well-deserved last weekend as they watched Wisconsin sweep to the title.

For the small contingent of Harvard fans--including the band, which impressed many opposing fans just by showing up--one of the tournament's highlights was having the Badger fans as allies in Friday night's semifinal versus Minnesota. As the clock ran down in Crimson's 5-3 upset of Wisconsin's hated archrival, the not-so-neutral observers needled Golden Gopher Coach Brad Buetow with caustic chants. With the Gophers headed for Saturday's 1 p.m. consolation game, the Badger faithful shouted, "Hey Brad, how about lunch tomorrow...1:30?"

Most importantly, they helped rob Minnesota of any home-ice advantage. Only those who had donated money to Gopher athletics were eligible for Minnesota's allotment of tickets; those fans tended to be sedate alums, nothing to compare with the Wisconsin wildmen.

Three observations, from one who sat right behind the Wisconsin section at the games and who stayed in the Badger-dominated Grand Forks Holiday inn:

*Their band was awesome: it really helped make the fans louder themselves. It was a 70-piece outfit, nothing but brass and drums, and had no trouble getting the crowd pumped up with its rendition of the Budweiser song, with the Badgers' amended ending.

*Going to the NCAA final four is really the social event of the year for Wisconsin fans, and it's celebrated with some urgency as there's no guarantee that the Badgers will make the trip every year. One way of celebrating was to get the fans and the band in the same place whenever possible for impromptu pep rallies--at post-game parties Thursday and Friday nights and for an hour before the game at the team hotel Saturday.

*Finally, what really qualified these fans as the best, besides their maniacal support for their team, was their sportsmanship. The Badger band applauded its Crimson counterpart's mournful rendition of "Fair Harvard" in the waning minutes of the final. And as the Harvard skaters crossed center ice to collect their individual awards as runners-up, the Wisconsin fans clapped for each one, saving especially strong cheers for Coach Bill Cleary and Hobey Baker Award winner Mark Fusco.

Of course, after all the awards were handed out, the Badger fans were all over the glass and onto the ice for a season-ending half-hour of singing "On Wisconsin" and a certain beer commercial jingle.