1500 Notebook: Badgers take Axe rivalry 'just as seriously' as Gophers do


"There are four rivalry games on the "U" football schedule that fans, players and coaches alike all scan for at the start of each season"

I scan for three - Michigan, Iowa, and Wisconsin. Based on reading the first two paragraphs, I'm not sure that the writer is qualified to write such an article.

I do believe Bielema takes this game seriously. Beyond that, most badger fans (especially the casual post-1993 fans) could care less about this game. I live amongst them, and when asked, a few of them don't even know who's on the schedule this weekend. With Kill, I believe that this will change. Heck, he's 1-1 in trophy games - one more than Brew. I know it's hard to judge after just 2 games, but based on my own observations, Kill is starting to take these games much more seriously than Brewster did, and even maybe a little more than Mason.
 

"There are four rivalry games on the "U" football schedule that fans, players and coaches alike all scan for at the start of each season"

I scan for three - Michigan, Iowa, and Wisconsin. Based on reading the first two paragraphs, I'm not sure that the writer is qualified to write such an article.

I do believe Bielema takes this game seriously. Beyond that, most badger fans (especially the casual post-1993 fans) could care less about this game. I live amongst them, and when asked, a few of them don't even know who's on the schedule this weekend. With Kill, I believe that this will change. Heck, he's 1-1 in trophy games - one more than Brew. I know it's hard to judge after just 2 games, but based on my own observations, Kill is starting to take these games much more seriously than Brewster did, and even maybe a little more than Mason.

Hmmm, not sure I agree with you. Brewster took these games VERY seriously. He didn't win them, but please don't confuse that from not taking them seriously. Heck, he got in BB's face after last year's game...he took them very seriously. Brew's demise wasn't a lack of effort, interest or passion, it was a lack of ability but don't mistake that for a lack of interest or seriousness for how he approached our rivalries. While Mase won a few trophies, at the end of his tenure he called the trophies we played for "trinkets" and actually downplayed their significance. We appear to have some revisionist history going on.

Go Gophers!!
 

Hmmm, not sure I agree with you. Brewster took these games VERY seriously. He didn't win them, but please don't confuse that from not taking them seriously. Heck, he got in BB's face after last year's game...he took them very seriously. Brew's demise wasn't a lack of effort, interest or passion, it was a lack of ability but don't mistake that for a lack of interest or seriousness for how he approached our rivalries. While Mase won a few trophies, at the end of his tenure he called the trophies we played for "trinkets" and actually downplayed their significance. We appear to have some revisionist history going on.

Go Gophers!!


I meant that from a coaching standpoint, Brewster always let his emotions get the best of him (therefore not taking the games seriously from a teaching/coaching standpoint). You are correct in saying that he took them seriously and was very passionate in wanting to beat our rivals, but he ultimately didn't know how. Kill seems like the type of coach who will have the "know" and the "how" in approaching these types of games - consistency with the rivalry aspect on the back burner (burning hot). His coaching tenure at the "U" is young and I could be wrong, but I hope I'm not.
 



Beyond that, most badger fans (especially the casual post-1993 fans) could care less about this game. I live amongst them, and when asked, a few of them don't even know who's on the schedule this weekend.
Yea, if they don't know who is on the schedule then they aren't real fans.
 


Not really. Most of them cared about winning a NC this year, and that's it. They stopped following after the MSU and OSU games.
That's not a problem with the rivalry then. That's a problem with these people being crap bandwagon fans.
 

Not really. Most of them cared about winning a NC this year, and that's it. They stopped following after the MSU and OSU games.

He's just pointing out that you said "could care less" instead of "couldn't care less". Saying "could care less" means they do care.
 



I do believe Bielema takes this game seriously. Beyond that, most badger fans (especially the casual post-1993 fans) could care less about this game. I live amongst them, and when asked, a few of them don't even know who's on the schedule this weekend. With Kill, I believe that this will change. Heck, he's 1-1 in trophy games - one more than Brew. I know it's hard to judge after just 2 games, but based on my own observations, Kill is starting to take these games much more seriously than Brewster did, and even maybe a little more than Mason.

Bielema may take the game and it's place within college football seriously, but his players sure as hell don't. All you needed to do was watch their behavior on the field after the end of last year's Axe game. A few of the seniors hefted the Axe and paraded it about, but most of them simply trotted to the locker room as if it were just another game.
 


Bielema may take the game and it's place within college football seriously, but his players sure as hell don't. All you needed to do was watch their behavior on the field after the end of last year's Axe game. A few of the seniors hefted the Axe and paraded it about, but most of them simply trotted to the locker room as if it were just another game.

Get a clue, Rock. Rivalry games are always more about the fans than the players. Why would a player from Florida playing for Wisconsin know or care about the Axe? True Wisconsin sports fans hate Minnesota teams whatever the sport and whether its the Gophers, Vikings or another team. It has been that way for a long time and it ain't going to change.
 

Sorry, typing faster than I was thinking.
You'll get used to dpodoll68. I knew exactly what you meant and blew it off but for some reason he has to show everyone how smart he thinks he is. He's incredibly anal and takes message boards more serious than his real life apparently. I'd hate to see how he reacts to text messages from his friends. He must spend all his time correcting their grammar and spelling too.
 



Get a clue, Rock. Rivalry games are always more about the fans than the players. Why would a player from Florida playing for Wisconsin know or care about the Axe? True Wisconsin sports fans hate Minnesota teams whatever the sport and whether its the Gophers, Vikings or another team. It has been that way for a long time and it ain't going to change.

And no one on the Gopher bench gave two rips about Floyd two weeks ago, either...
 

You'll get used to dpodoll68. I knew exactly what you meant and blew it off but for some reason he has to show everyone how smart he thinks he is. He's incredibly anal and takes message boards more serious than his real life apparently. I'd hate to see how he reacts to text messages from his friends. He must spend all his time correcting their grammar and spelling too.

You have less than zero clue about any of this. Again with the talking about other people's personal lives. Gotta love it.
 

This is just like Michigan. They're care just as much as we do about that Axe. But they've had it for 7 years now, they're comfortable, they don't feel threatened by this game and fear losing it. But trust, they care just as much about having it. It's up to the Gophers to go take it back so that comfort isn't there anymore.
 

You're kidding, right?

Not really. Most of them cared about winning a NC this year, and that's it. They stopped following after the MSU and OSU games.

That's explains why over 80,000 of them showed up for last weeks game with Purdue.
 

Not really. Most of them cared about winning a NC this year, and that's it. They stopped following after the MSU and OSU games.

This is a BS comment from someone who doesn't care or know any better. I live in Madison and people do care. I know of many making the trip. Forget the passive aggressive comment. Badger fans respect the Gophers and the game. Period.
 

This is a BS comment from someone who doesn't care or know any better. I live in Madison and people do care. I know of many making the trip. Forget the passive aggressive comment. Badger fans respect the Gophers and the game. Period.

You may think it's BS, but it's just based on badger fans I know and work with in the Kenosha area - they're all still in the dumps after the road losses and have lost interest. I honestly do hope you speak for your fan base as a whole.
 

You may think it's BS, but it's just based on badger fans I know and work with in the Kenosha area - they're all still in the dumps after the road losses and have lost interest. I honestly do hope you speak for your fan base as a whole.
I am actually living in Kenosha for school, I haven't even met a badger fan yet. Lol.
 




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