Growing up in Madison, Wisconsin, home of the Wisconsin Badgers. I have gone to more Badger sporting events than I can even begin to name. My family has season tickets to football and men's hockey. With that being said, there are many traditions that we have during the seasons.
The first tradition we have starts with football. Saturday mornings, the drive to Camp Randall with my grandma are the best. We park about a mile from the stadium and walk over together. We enjoy the craziness that is Wisconsin football fans while walking down the street and every house has music playing loud, grilling out and just having a fun time together. Then, the best part of the game, the start of the fourth quarter, when the famous "Jump Around" is played and everyone in the stadium is up jumping and singing. We sit on the upper deck and when Jump Around is played if you stand still, you can feel the stadium moving. My grandma and I no matter what always stay for the 5th quarter, when the Wisconsin Marching Band plays all of the popular Wisconsin songs. It does not matter how cold, windy, rainy or snowy it is, we stay every game.
The next tradition comes with hockey, my favorite! It starts on Friday night when about 10-15 of us get together and go to Alt n Bachs for dinner before the game. It's about five minutes from the Kohl Center and is a favorite place for many people to gather before hockey games. We then head to the Kohl Center where we always have to be early so we can watch the starting line-ups and the video that plays beforehand. I've gone to a couple Frozen Four tournaments and know more about Badger hockey than a lot of people. Knowing the history and what my family did before hockey was at the Kohl Center and was played at the Coliseum makes the video extra special. During the game, after the Badgers score a goal, there is a chant the crowd yells, "SIEVE" as the band plays along. When my dad was younger and went to games with my grandma, close family friends of ours made a huge sign that read SIEVE and it hung in every game. That's a pretty special tradition of mine. Then there is always the band that plays during the second intermission and the tradition of everyone standing and singing "Varsity" while swaying back and forth. Now let's not forget the best part of the song, at the end when everyone yells, "When you say WISCONSIN, you've said it all." My sister and I also know all of the songs and dances so we get up at every game and do them together. I am a Wisconsin girl at heart and always will be, I love my Badgers and the traditions they carry on.
Attending Badger games will always be a favorite tradition of mine, especially when we face Minnesota in hockey or Ohio State in football. I hope to carry these traditions on forever.
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