I Guest Coach the University of Wisconsin—Madison Homecoming Game.

Today I digress from the old photo posts. I instead will talk about what Mr. Irene and I did this afternoon, and I'll post some new photos.

Neither Mr. Irene nor I are true sports fans. We are, however, big fans of tradition and pageantry. When we married, for example, we asked the Roman Catholic priest who officiated at the ceremony to celebrate the wedding as a full, high Mass. After about ninety minutes into the service, our Jewish and Protestant friends looked around the church for signals that things were coming to an end.

I have studied or worked at four Big Ten schools. I also worked for two years at the University of South Carolina, the "Home of the Gamecocks." Taken together, I have lived in collegiate football towns for the last thirty-five years.

I have never been to a football game.

I used to think that I floated above the football crowd. Occasionally something would shatter that snobbery. My graduate advisor, for example, chided me for my disinterest in football. He paralleled the brilliant pageantry of football Saturdays at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign to the parades of medieval Siena. When I taught at The Ohio State University, I sometimes spent Saturday afternoons in my departmental office. The thundering applause of the football crowd gave me butterflies. Here at the University of Wisconsin—Madison, I got the chills every time I saw the UW Marching Band practice.

I also spent the last nine years advising and teaching college athletes. They are among the most driven, focused, and deliberate students with whom I have worked.

Early this semester, I received an invitation to serve as one of two "Guest Coaches" for a UW—Madison Football game. Players on the team nominated *me.* I chose the Homecoming Game. Mr. Irene and I headed to Camp Randall for what turned out to be one of the most interesting days we've had.

We started the adventure by meeting and greeting the UW Police Department's K-9 Squad. There's no better way to start the morning!
 

Mr. Irene bought a program, even though we wouldn't need one.

We watched the cheerleaders practice. Wow!!
 

 
We toured the weight room.
 

 
 We watched the players warm up. 
 

 
We waited for the student fans to arrive. I wore a babushka because ... you know why. 
 

 
They arrived.  
 

 
 The University of Wisconsin Law School's third-year students tossed their canes. Google "cane toss."
 

 
We watched the game from the 25-yard line. 
 

 
ESPN watched, too.


 
I had a great time.  
 

 
Go Bret.  
 

 
  What do you make of this?
 

   
I posed with my student, Cassie, who plays for the UW Women's Basketball Team. 
 

 
We didn't say, "ES-FU." 
 

 
Mr. Irene and I loved the UW Marching Band. 

And we loved seeing Mr. Michael Leckrone, Director of the UW Marching Band.

 

 

We creamed the Hoosiers.

Thank you, Jerry, for helping make this a great day for me.