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| Bucky waves the flag near his wagon. 9/2/23 |
Since this weekend was my first game in Camp Randall since 2015, I'm not aware of everything that goes into the stadium experience but my impression is that the biggest change is playing more to the students than parents, alumni, and fans of all things Badger.
DJay Mando has been adding to the atmosphere for a couple years at Badger football and basketball games but this was my first time hearing his work. Most music is out of my wheelhouse but he keeps it hopping.
As a football fan, I would like to hear the ref's call announcing penalties and the outcome of replay challenges but the most I heard was unintelligible garble. The energy you feel in the house is great but sometimes it feels you don't know what's going on as well as you could watching TV.
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| The "Jump Around." 9/2/2023 dwm photo |
The University of Wisconsin marching band is a big part of the show. On a 90-degree day like Saturday, my heart went out to the kids as they marched in full uniform for 20 minutes before kick-off, did a full half-time show, then 20 minutes of the Fifth Quarter, which doesn't include fanfares and "On Wisconsin" played when game action dictated.
The band members are top-athletes in their own right, getting in shape to march and play no matter the weather. The band isn't the only music on game day but they are still the primary music provider.
The band doesn't play between the third and fourth quarter, so they can take part in Wisconsin's 25-year old tradition of playing the House of Pain's anthem, Jump Around. Mark and I jumped. The music makes it tough to get good shots, the photo (above right) captures one jumps.
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| Wisconsin's tube section. 9/2/203 dwm |
My jump was more of a bounce with my toes staying on the ground. There wasn't much space to jump between our bench seat and the one in front, but it is a fun two minutes.
A quieter routine the tuba section leaving the band early in the fourth quarter to walk around the stadium. According to a University of Wisconsin webpage, this tradition started in the 1950s.
In 1971, the athletic director thought it was too distracting and eliminated it.
The uproar forced a retraction and about-face, ever since the tubas have been oom-pahing around Camp Randall. If you're listening to the TV or radio broadcast you'll hear them but you may not see them.
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| The Fifth Quarter. 9/2/2023 dwm photo |
The tradition I've known the longest is Fifth Quarter.
A post-game performance had been happening after every game but it wasn't until 1978 that a twist to the show was noticed by media who called it "The Fifth Quarter."
Home or away, the band re-takes the field to play the team's fight song and Alma Mater before breaking formation, with members heading to all corners of the gridiron. The part that amazes me is hearing the band stay in sync while rolling on the ground, taking selfies, or throwing a ball around.
Part of this tradition's fame comes from those early days when the band was the primary reason most fans went to Badger football games. Since the early 1990s, football has been the main attraction but the band and other traditions, including sing-a-longs of "Build Me Up Buttercup" and "Sweet Caroline," keep people coming back.
(Note from the writer: Tailgating has never been part of my game-day experience, which means I've missed some fun. It looks cool but it seems like more work than I want to add to my game days.)
Other photos from Buffalo v Wisconsin, September 2, 2023 by David Mossner:
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| Pre-game warm-ups for kicking specialists |
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| Mark with "I Am Bucky," I forgot to use the flash! |
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| Tip of the hat to the fans who endured full sun and heat the entire game! |
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| Bucky's Wagon leaves the field prior to the team entering through the north end zone. |
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| Spirit Squad follows the wagon and before the team. Student seating is slow to fill. |
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| More than a dozen players take a moment before the kick. |
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| The Badger Band Half-time |
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| A trumpet player looks to pass. |
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