Lots of excitement in the Bucky household this week: Marquette (the alma mater of my partner) visits Madison to renew a great in-state rivalry on Saturday. I feel bad for the boy since my Badgers are gonna whip the Golden Eagles (it's the sole game of the year when I can't root for Marquette).

This game (it's the 110th meeting) has gotten bigger each of the last few seasons with both Marquette and UW building good programs -- this year they're both ranked. Wisconsin had won four in a row before losing to last year's Final Four team in Milwaukee.

But even during the McGuire years (when UW was awful) the games were hard-fought, even though his record was 19-3 against the Badgers. This a classic shot of Al at one of the Wisconsin games in the 70s. After jumped up onto the scorers table after Maurice Lucas hit a last second shot to win by one point (I love the style of hair and the glasses in the crowd!) - and of course, the guy giving Al the finger -- Glenn Hughes, the father of UW players Kim and Kerry Hughes.

ON WISCONSIN!

[ December 18, 2003, 09:20 AM: Message edited by: DCBucky ]

Go BADgers!! And I hate to have to cheer against Marquette as well especially since they have Travis Diener!

Badgers really shoulda beat Maryland. All they had to do was box out on their final Regulation shot. oh well. GO BU BRAVES!!!!!

Swoon break.

OK, back to the topic.

OK -- things are getting serious.

Now it's being billed as the battle to be the best basketball player in the state: Devin Harris or Travis Diener (go Devin go!)

My partner and I will flip a coin to see if we'll watch the game at the local Marquette or Badger bar -- I'd prefer to watch it at home -- esp. since I'd hate to show up those Marquette fans -- I can drink all those Irish FIBs ** under the table!

(** you kinda hafta be from Wisconsin to understand what that means -- another code word for flatlanders from south of the border)

and we're actually fighting over which team our cats will root for -- yes it's silly -- but my little cat Bucky had better root for Wisconsin or I'm locking her out in the back yard! She brings good luck -- usually sits on my Packer blanket for games -- she didn't for the Eagles one -- and GB lost. I have my Bucky Badger doll that I'll plant next to her.

ON WISCONSIN!

I wonder if the Marquette band is coming to the game -- and if so, whose car will they use?

(OK -- low blow ...)

Umm...Bucky -- you Wisconsin people are weird. Please keep it on your side of Lake Michigan and don't spread it over to the folks at MSU, okay? Go Green, Go White!!

You guys need to 'fess up -- surely out there in outsports country there's someone who:

-- moves his pet's paws around in a dance whenever he hears that song: "On the banks of the Red Cedar, is a school that's known to all ..."

-- dresses his dog in an uga sweater just like the real uga in Athens;

-- has a pet turtle in a terranium that comes out for Terps games

-- has a African Grey Parrot who can sing "Hail to the Victors"

-- perhaps there's even an Old English Sheepdog somewhere whose owner ties a Gator scarf around the collar during Florida football games (just a wild guess).

[ December 20, 2003, 10:05 AM: Message edited by: DCBucky ]