Badger of Honor
Fansided

Wisconsin Football: Thank You, Badgers

By Tyler Hunt

Oct 29, 2016; Madison, WI, USA; The Wisconsin Badgers flag is carried by Bucky Badger prior to the game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Camp Randall Stadium. Wisconsin won 23-17. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 29, 2016; Madison, WI, USA; The Wisconsin Badgers flag is carried by Bucky Badger prior to the game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Camp Randall Stadium. Wisconsin won 23-17. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit

A  reflection on an incredible 2016 season

At the end of yesterday afternoon’s bowl contest I was ecstatic at the result, and giddy with anticipation on what the next season can bring to this Wisconsin Football team next season. However, as anticipation and excitement rolled through me I gradually felt a bit of sadness creeping in, a sort of bittersweet taste in my mouth knowing that this would be the last time we would see this team take the field.

I know, there will be a lot of familiar faces back in September, but its hard to tell if they will measure up to what this team brought each and every week to the field. For months, sitting down for three to four hours to watch this unit play was all I looked forward to. Watching a group of guys doubted by 95% of people come together was truly remarkable.

This Wisconsin Football team had a tremendous amount of doubt coming into this season. The schedule, the personnel question marks, the new defensive coordinator questions, this team could have easily rolled over and took their lumps. Who would have faulted them? Instead, they rallied together with the people they had and took us all on an unforgettable journey.

I attended eight Badger games in total this season, including long journeys to Ann Arbor and Indianapolis because I knew early on that we wouldn’t have a team quite like this one again. Yes, the Badgers have pieces in place to be successful for a long time, but the heart and determination of this team will be hard to match.

It was a pleasure to follow and cover this team, and they will truly be missed. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Badgers for providing us all with an opportunity to watch them week in and week out. I look forward to seeing what 2017 brings, but none of us will ever forget 2016.

I would also like to thank our readers for providing our staff with an outlet to talk about them, you are what made it so special. Knowing that we had readers out there eager to read our analysis and opinions, and follow ever so closely along with us made this football an incredible season. Without a large amount of readers and passionate fans that we have, we wouldn’t be able to do the things that we do.  So thank you again, to both this team, and our fans. While it may be the end of a special journey, we appreciate all we got over the course of this season. On Wisconsin!