Badgermania Catches On, But Alvarez Missing Out

Now that someone has broken the law, Badgermania is official.

The T-shirt police in Madison, Wis., say counterfeit Rose Bowlmerchandise has been showing up on the Wisconsin campus. Naturally,this raises the question of how people up there would know thedifference when they haven't been to a Rose Bowl in 30 years, so theplace to check would be Bucky's Locker Room.

Except you can't get through by phone and you can barely get inon foot. Lines have been out the door with Badger Patch Kidscleaning out the inventory. The big seller was a newspaper reprintshirt with the headline "Believe It."

Apparently, they did, and so, they piled into the joint to stockup on this month's fashion trend. It got so bad the store held a"sale-a-thon" on the floor of the field house this weekend.

Presumably, those items were legit, but just knowing that fakeswere popping up makes this thing official.

Thing is, Badgermania means different things to differentpeople.

For students and fans, it meant a celebration that began shortlyafter the Badgers defeated Michigan State in Tokyo last weekend, avictory that landed Wisconsin in its first Rose Bowl since 1963. Anestimated 20,000-30,000 celebrants congregated on State Street totoast their heroes, then marched into Camp Randall Stadium and tookthe field (no injuries this time).

For players, it meant getting over 15 time zones of jet lagwhile trying to study for finals next week (and perhaps seekingmedical attention for all the back-slapping and hand-shaking).

For coach Barry Alvarez and his assistants, it's been a rumor.

This much he knows: his staff and players put a hefty downpayment on Tokyo night life after the milestone victory, whichenabled most of them to sleep during the flight from Japan toVancouver to Chicago. Alvarez also knows about the raucous receptionhis team received at O'Hare, and the bus trip to Madison thatincluded a police escort into Camp Randall Stadium for a rally.

And that's about it.

After returning to Madison Monday, he was flying to CaliforniaTuesday to check out practice sites, hotels and whatnot for the NewYear's Day game against UCLA. And those coaches who weren't with himin L.A. were out recruiting future Big Ten champions.

So, for Alvarez, the man who orchestrated this turnaround,Badgermania lasted about a day, give or take a continent. Which ismore than can be said for athletic director Pat Richter, who playedon the last Wisconsin team to win the vacation to Pasadena. Richterwent from Tokyo to New York for meetings, then headed to L.A. to joinAlvarez.

Jeez, you finally hit the lottery and you can't even look at themoney, let alone pocket it.

Hardly seems fair. I mean, it's not every year Wisconsin goesto the Rose Bowl. Hell, it's not even every generation. The Badgershave been there only three times (1953, '60 and '63). They are stilllooking for their first victory.

In fact, the Badgers have been to only six bowls, period, andthey've lost five of them. However, they do have a one-game winningstreak working after that memorable 20-19 victory over a vauntedKentucky club in the historic Hall of Fame Bowl in the landmark yearof 1984.

Or maybe you don't remember it.

Which explains Badgermania.

Only those delirious folks in Madison recall that game. Andthey recall the season before Alvarez arrived, when the Badgers went2-9 in 1989. And they recall his first year, when it was worse.One-and-10 worse. Then, 5-6 and 5-6.

Then, 9-1-1 - the most wins since the Roosevelt administration(Teddy's, not Franklin) and a trip to the Left Coast.

Believe it, even if Alvarez himself can't.

"The Rose Bowl was never in our goals," he said. "We nevertalked about that before the season. We started the season wantingto place in the top four in the Big Ten. I was wrong."

And they love those kinds of mistakes in Madison.

If Alvarez had questions about Badgermania by the time hereturned home this weekend for practice, he could've strolled throughtown to see what scratching the 30-year itch has meant. Or read backissues of the papers. Or read a T-shirt.

But there's no time for that. He still has players to coach, agame to win and, jeez, what kind of food do the hotels offer? Andthen it's off to L.A. on Christmas Day.

Clearly, he has no time to stand in line at Bucky's Locker Room.But that's OK, because you get the feeling this will not be Alvarez'slast fashion statement.

Steve Rosenbloom's column regularly appears Monday, Tuesday,Thursday and Sunday.