Being born and raised in Wisconsin, especially Green Bay, Wis., I find it difficult to not become fully invested in the sports world. Wisconsin sports pride is all around you from high school to professional affiliations. The people I know who are not as indulged into the sports atmosphere always tend to have fairly awkward moments when it comes to a big Wisconsin v. Nebraska football game or the Green Bay Packers facing off against the Chicago Bears. Nearly everyone around you has a general understanding and excitement for the game, and there you are unsure why you are even wearing a UW t-shirt. Regardless, we appreciate the support.Yesterday, as I sat in my chilled seat at Lambeau Field and watched what was hoped to be one of the most epic seasons in Green Bay Packers' history painfully taken away, a surreal and somber wind hit me. I stood there with three of my best friends, sick to my stomach, our arms crossed, silent -- we took in the anticlimactic season as the stadium quickly emptied. The Packers weren't out-gunned by Drew Brees, they played uncharacteristic Green Bay football and a brutal game with big time mistakes to a team which made this moment feel all too familiar.
Instead of yelling, celebrating and joining other green and gold fans in the expected post-party, many of us retired home in disbelief. However, the current, disappointing feeling of having an unreal season abruptly end is so hard to take in because it's a feeling we are not used to. Since last season, the Green Bay Packer's NFC Championship and Super Bowl winning season, I feel I've been spoiled as a Wisconsin Sports fan.
Last year, Green Bay made an outstanding playoff run to take home the Lombardi Trophy. Packer fans were able to thrive in the glory. This utopia continued as the Packers pulled off 15-1 season. Talks from ESPN about an undefeated season, outrageous big plays and domination on the field cloaked over us. No one was saying the Packers didn't have their flaws, but I found it difficult to not roll around in the greatness of Green Bay. In addition, before the 15-1 season even began, a team many expected less out of became "the little engine that could" in MLB.
The Milwaukee Brewers, a team fans have painfully followed in recent years finally got it together. The Brewers are usually a heartbreaking team. They will play amazing baseball in the first half of the season, and then, suddenly, the clock strikes midnight and the Brew Crew turns back into a pumpkin and lets everyone down. However, last season the Brewers amounted a playoff birth and small post-season run. Much more then I ever would have expected out of them. The Brewers' success coupled with the Green Bay Packers' was euphoric. In addition, although not ending positively either, the Wisconsin Badgers football team made it to the past two Rose Bowl games. Many great things were turning up Wisconsin.In my 23 years in Wisconsin, I cannot say there has been any other time I have had this much fun following Wisco sports. Now, that much of it is over, I will cling to my heavy devotion for the Marquette Golden Eagles Men's basketball season (Sorry Bucky, it's not that I dislike you, I'm just MU all the way). The hangover from yesterday's loss at Lambeau will likely take a while to recover from as I avoid ESPN for an extended period of time. Regardless, I was lucky enough to witness a Super Bowl win, 15-1 season, an epic NLDS series win and two trips to the Rose Bowl.
If Wisconsin had taken home a second Super Bowl, a World Series Championship and two wins in Pasadena, Wisco and all its flannel would be wilding out for the next year.
