Axe-idently a Fan

In a game bigger than the man it’s named after, Gopher and Badger fans gathered at the Bank for the 61st annual game for Paul Bunyan’s Axe. Minnesotans were claiming since they had already snatched Favre away from Wisconsin, it was the axe’s turn to come to the Twin Cities. In response, Sconnies smugly reminded them that the axe has called Madison home for five consecutive years. Maroon and gold covered the stadium while pinches of cardinal red and white could be seen here and there.

Residents of these northern states had looked forward to this match-up like the first signs of spring after their typically long winters and there I was - two rainy hours before kick-off for the most played rivalry in Division I-A, and I didn’t care.

I was trying. Believe me, I was really trying to get into it. Frankly though, I was struggling to get riled up for an event that I had very little emotional investment in. The sight of a red, italicized “W” didn’t stir up anger. Nor was I the slightest bit repulsed by the presence of Bucky Badger; if anything, I imagined him and Goldy Gopher being good friends on some show on Nickelodeon. Truthfully, I didn’t even know Wisconsin mattered enough to actually emote hatred. Yet, amidst coarse words, flying objects, and a forest of middle fingers, I was expected to replicate this sentiment.

As well as being the first Big Ten game to take place at TCF Bank Stadium, it was also the first instant classic game to be held there. In the first quarter both team’s stars, Badger RB John Clay and Gopher WR Eric Decker (who will being getting a feature in this blog in the near future – stay tuned), showed why they’re the go-to players by each scoring touchdowns. After trading field goals right before halftime, Minnesota went into the locker room with a 13-10 lead.

Here we go, Gophers! Let’s keep this up in the second half, I suddenly found myself thinking loudly. And was I high-fiving enthusiastically after a first down? Not to mention, I found the success of our card stunt we had just performed as a student section thoroughly rewarding. The spirits of both my fellow alums and a certain bottle were starting to have an effect on me. Could I actually be getting in to this? Did I really just say I would rush the field if we won?

I was getting into it, and at the perfect time. As momentum went back and forth like a two-man saw cutting down pine trees, the Gophers and Badgers gave 50,000+ of their closest fans a ride on one heck of an emotional roller coast. The cold rain and gusty elements were an afterthought, even as they caused game-changing turnovers for both teams. There was perhaps none more thrilling though than Minnesota cornerback Marcus Sherels’ 88-yard fumble return to bring his team with three in the final minutes. Ultimately, we couldn’t pull it out and lost 31-28; Clay, his 184-yard rushing performance, and his teammates hoisted the axe in victory for the sixth time in a row.

The Badgers earned the win and I made the point to congratulate their fans after the game – but that doesn’t mean that I was happy about it. In just a few hours, I went from an indifferent spectator to a passionate fan. Well, maybe not passionate just yet, but I could still get there. It’s not often that I invest myself so wholeheartedly into an interest, let alone a football game, so even this slight disappointment was a sensation unfamiliar to me. To be sharing it with a whole mass of people was another unique feeling for me, one that seemed to unify us while in defeat. Personally, it was the most fulfilling disappointment I had experienced in a long time and an important step towards Gopher induction. It may have not been a maroon and gold painted axe, but I’m glad I walked out with something including those colors: Minnesota pride.