Needless to say, anyone who rushed the field after the Badgers beat Ohio State this season will remember the experience for quite a long time.
I know I'll remember slowly moving down from the top rows of Section O, awkwardly hopping the railings, rejoicing on the field and finally returning to the bleachers to watch the rest of the crowd on the field, still not entirely believing what I had just seen. It is honestly one of the best sports moments I have ever had the joy of taking part in, and I expect it will be a long time before anything overtakes it. And I'm guessing anyone who flooded that field Oct. 16 feels approximately the same way.
So if you stormed the field last Saturday after Wisconsin's 70-23 victory over Northwestern, I have one question for you: Will you think of it the same way?
Will you return to this university one day and regale your children or grandchildren as you walk past Camp Randall Stadium with tales of Aaron Henry's pick-six or Evan Watkins' countless turnovers? Will you say, ""Oh, I remember going into that game, none of us thought a lowly 10-1 Wisconsin team could possibly topple the mighty Wildcats, but we did, and we took to the field to celebrate""?
Of course not.
I know no one rushed the field because of the sheer jubilation of watching the Badgers' offense destroy another hopelessly overmatched Big Ten opponent. The implications of the game were more important than that, obviously, with the team in a position to win a Big Ten title and clinch a Rose Bowl berth, and that was why the student section took the field.
Because students rushed the field, the presentation of the Big Ten championship and video planned to celebrate the season was moved into the Wisconsin lockerroom, out of view of fans who endured the weather to see the end of the game. Check out the video of the ceremony on uwbadgers.com, and ask if it was really worth it.
Sure, it was probably great to rush the field after the win Saturday night—I can't imagine a better way for a senior to close out their last Badger game than by taking to the Camp Randall turf. But think about what Wisconsin's fans missed out on by storming the field.
Imagine players parading the Big Ten trophy around the stadium, sharing it will fans like they did Paul Bunyan's Axe back in October. Imagine watching those players pass that trophy around, kissing the football on top of it, and realizing they just accomplished their goal for the season. Imagine watching the Rose Bowl's representative at the game handing out roses to the players and hearing him tell Bret Bielema, ""I think we'll be seeing you in Pasadena.""
Those images and memories could have rivaled the ones we'll all remember from the Ohio State game, but instead of them we got students taking to the field to celebrate a win that was almost never in doubt.
I don't want to come off like I'm scolding Badger fans for enjoying their victory, but I guess that's just how it is. Fans shouldn't have taken to the field last Saturday, simple as that.
This was an amazing season at Camp Randall. But by storming the field, Wisconsin fans selfishly robbed their team of the chance to celebrate it in front of their home crowd, and probably took some great memories away from themselves as well.
There is a time to celebrate and flood the field, but Saturday wasn't it. Next time, enjoy a win like that from the stands.
Should students have stormed the field Saturday? E-mail Nico at savidgewilki@dailycardinal.com.
