Wisconsin fans are livid over Barry Alvarez backing Luke Fickell and blasting them

The morale of the Wisconsin Badgers football fans is at its lowest it has been since arguably the Don Morton era of 1987-1989. The Badgers, as a 9.5-point favorite, were dominated by the Maryland Terrapins at home, 27-10. At halftime, head coach Luke Fickell and the Badgers football team received loud chants of “Fire Fickell!” as the team headed to the locker room. 

Hall of Fame head coach Barry Alvarez, the greatest head football coach in Wisconsin history,  was not a fan of those chants, to say the least. 

Barry Alvarez calls Wisconsin students and other fans “spoiled rotten” for “Fire Fickell!” chants.

On the Barry Alvarez show in Madison, Alvarez, when asked about how fans reacted, ripped the Wisconsin student section and additional fans for those halftime chants. 

“I think it’s embarrassing. I think it’s terrible. Despicable. They’re spoiled rotten. Here’s a team that you’ve got some young players trying to come on, and they’re competing. They’re going to have a chance to get better, and you flip on them. Early in the season, and you flip on them, and you’re chanting for the coach. How do you think that makes the players feel?”

Alvarez went on to say that those chants were “disrespectful” and “not loyal,” and that Badger fans who chanted to fire Fickell meant they were “not a fan.”

Here is a video of what Alvarez stated.

And here are some of the responses to Alvarez’s comments.

Back in February, Alvarez stated, "I don't like where we are right now. They need to bounce back and put this program back where it belongs," and emphasized the importance of spring football after Fickell’s second season in Madison ended with the Badgers’ first losing season since 2001. However, Alvarez has supported Fickell before the start of the season and believes he's "the right person in charge."

Alvarez understands the stresses that come with coaching at Wisconsin, but he is fighting a losing battle here, going after the fans. Fans have the right to be frustrated with the product, as they are not used to seeing it struggle. They have the right to express their frustration. That does not make them spoiled.

If anyone is “spoiled”, it’s the athletic department, which has received millions of dollars during those successful years from those fans who want to see the Badgers win. An athletic department that Alvarez ran from 2004 to 2021.