Sitting under the lights at Lambeau, exposed to a beautiful Wisconsin blend of cold and rain, a capacity crowd of Packer fans sat in their seats a full 30 minutes before the team’s Monday Night Football kickoff against the Eagles. It was at this point that Wisconsinites could take pride in their belief that they are the best fans in America. But maybe they should reconsider just what a true fan really is.

It’s one thing to be sitting in the rain for three or four hours without your shirt on or just lacking the necessary rain attire, but it’s an entirely separate entity to be standing and cheering for your team at the end of the game. Die-hard fans undoubtedly arrive in full force before kickoff to cheer their team on as they run out onto the field. Without hesitation I can say that the players feed off of this pre-game atmosphere as I watched the Packers and their fans jump around way before the start of the fourth quarter.

Although football fans in the state of Wisconsin currently reside in a state of disarray amongst the losing ways of their beloved teams, they may be the key to finishing the current seasons on a high note. More in question than the playing potential of the Badgers or Packers is the hearts of their fans. It’s true that the fan base of these two teams may differ, but overall I may not be selling them short to say that both are in a lull.

The college students in Madison are notorious for rowdy behavior and an energy level beyond anything a ‘professional’ fan can offer, but they lack the refined skill of punctuality. For college students the experience means more than the game, and for fans of the Packers the game most often means more than a lot of things. But when teams are losing, Wisconsin fans have turned their backs on the spirited efforts of their teams. It’s not that ticket sales have slumped or turnout has lowered, but Wisconsin must realize that a fan that leaves early isn’t a true fan at all.

I discovered that in Green Bay, amongst the world’s greatest sports organization, lie a great many fans that give up just like everybody else. How can you call yourself a fan when you leave with 00:29 left and your team down by four points? The idea of a game not being over until the final second has ticked off the clock has apparently become lost somewhere in the Fox River.

While Packer fans enjoyed the friendly confines of home this last week, Badger fans were required to hit the road and follow their team in caravans up I-94. They proved they were better than Northwestern fans two weeks ago although their team was not, they proved they were better than Minnesota fans last week although their team was not and now they have the chance to prove over the next two weeks that they are the best fans in the state.

At Minnesota, the crowd often rose to its feet and cheered on the cardinal and white at a noise level louder than Gopher fans could match. In Green Bay, Packer fans created the loudest atmosphere I have seen all season, but what good is crowd noise after a touchdown? Fans have to cheer when it’s third down and one or when the game is on the line. It is at this point that Badger fans know when to be loud. I understand that if you’re going to pay $50 for a ticket you’re going to want to sit in your seat … as long as it’s an opera you’re watching.

The idea of a true football fan is lost somewhere in Green Bay as thousands of people seemingly refuse to cheer unless a camera is on them, or their team has just taken the lead. It doesn’t matter if you’ve been to every game over the last 30 years. What matters is that you’ll be there when your team needs you and not be trying to beat the stadium traffic instead.

It’s great that everybody left Lambeau damp, but it was no more impressive than when Camp Randall fans suffered through the Wisconsin weather against Ohio State. With their teams’ seasons winding down, Packer and Badger fans are faced with the probability that their team will disappoint them, but this year more than any in recent history may separate those who cheer in the rain from fair-weather fans.

Over the final two home games for the Badgers, fans have the opportunity to make a difference on where their team’s next road game will be. Without a spirited effort they may be given the opportunity to visit sunny Detroit over their winter break. Badger fans need to realize that they affect the outcome of every game. If they want to prove their worth, they’ll arrive early, stay late and cheer for their team no matter what.