Well, that time has come: the final column. Time to hop in the
saddle one last time and ride off into the sunset. Instead of
bothering with fond farewells, I’ve decided to take a look back at
the events of the academic year and hand out some meaningless, yet
hopefully interesting awards. So, without further adieu, here are
the highlights of a year on press row.

Most memorable game: Oct. 11, football: Wisconsin 17,
Ohio State 10. This one is pretty cut-and-dry. A night game at the
Camp, absolutely electric atmosphere and national television
audience. Not only did it result in a big win for Wisconsin, but
from start to finish it was simply a great football game. Despite a
cheap shot for the ages from Robert Reynolds, the Badgers turned in
a performance for the ages. Booker Stanley was a workhorse, Lee
Evans worked Chris Gamble and Anttaj Hawthorne spent more time in
the Ohio State backfield than Craig Krenzel.

Honorable mention: Oct. 24, volleyball: Wisconsin 3, Penn
State 2. Best match of the year, hands down. The Badgers took the
first two games only to drop games three and four. The outlook
appeared bleak for head coach Pete Waite’s team when they fell
behind 11-6 in the deciding game five. Then the comeback began with
a solo block by Aubrey Meierotto. When the dust had settled, UW had
claimed the game 16-14 and the match as a result. This one could
have been No. 1, but it’s hard to justify bumping Ohio State from
the top spot.

Most exciting player: Lee Evans. One would hope that no
explanation is needed here, but I’ll elaborate nonetheless. Evans
is possibly the greatest football player to ever lace up his cleats
in Madison. Unbelievable hands, great instincts and an uncanny
ability to adjust to balls in the air made Evans a joy to watch,
even after recovering from a pair of knee injuries. Five touchdowns
against Michigan State basically sealed the deal in this
category.

Honorable mention: Robbie Earl. Hockey players just do
not come any more exciting than “Hollywood.” He may be
inconsistent, but he sure is entertaining. Earl’s hat trick to beat
No. 1 North Dakota was unforgettable. For the record, the moniker
“Hollywood” is straight from the demented brain of one Jacob
Leonard.

Best interview (coach): A tie between men’s soccer coach
Jeff Rohrman and volleyball coach Pete Waite. Two great coaches who
have helped a certain editor out with stories numerous times. There
is not a nicer guy in the world than Coach Rohrman and nearly
everything he says is quotable. He could probably blurt out
gibberish in his sleep and it would be a fantastic quote.

Coach Waite gives equally impressive quotes, really reflecting
his incredible knowledge of the game. No volleyball article is
complete without a word from Waite. A certain mustached co-worker
is a huge fan of interviewees who speak in triples, and Coach Waite
does just that.

Honorable mention: UW quarterbacks coach Jeff Horton. An
extremely personable coach, Horton’s analysis is always on the
mark. He possesses the perfect personality to groom young
quarterbacks.

Best interview (player): Mike Allen. Need a football
quote? Look no further than No. 99, probably the funniest guy on
the team. Want some proof? I have 1800 words of Allen quotes saved
somewhere on my computer. There is not a cooler, more laid-back guy
in the world than the Wisconsin placekicker. He does not take
himself too seriously and was more than willing to discuss his
injury situation — a rarity in recent years. Here’s hoping
incoming freshman Taylor Mehlhaff has to wait one more year to
claim the kicking job.

Honorable mention: Boo Wade. Simply put, Boo spits the
truth. There’s no sugar coating from Wade, he tells it like it is.
Honestly, how many basketball players would tell a reporter that
Freddie Owens loves to dance naked? Somehow it’s hard to visualize
Devin Harris telling that story. I know he’s had his troubles, but
I like Boo and really want to see him succeed. During the
postseason tournaments, he really emerged as the go-to guy for
interviews.

Best home sporting venue: The UW Field House. Walking
into the Field House is like walking into a history book. “The
Barn” is just an awesome sight. Once the home of the Badger
basketball teams, it now houses only volleyball and wrestling. I
never made it to a Badger hoops game there — those were my days of
cheering on Tony Bennett, Jeff Nordgaard and the UWGB Fighting
Phoenix — but I can only imagine what that experience would have
been like. Every student should take in a sporting event at “The
Barn” once per year.

Honorable mention: Camp Randall Stadium. Thankfully, the
hideous artificial turf was finally removed from the venerable
football field in favor of something that resembles natural grass.
The Camp is a great venue, but for whatever reason it just cannot
match the charm of the Field House.

Best road sporting venue: Assembly Hall in Bloomington,
Ind. The road trip to Bloomington was an unforgettable experience.
It is impossible not to be awestruck upon walking into Assembly
Hall for the first time. Regardless of recent performances, Indiana
basketball is and always will be Big Ten basketball, and Assembly
Hall is and always will be Indiana basketball.

Honorable mention: Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
Simply an amazing facility. Incredible vantage points, spacious
lobbies and an absolutely unbelievable spread for the media.

Alas, a wonderful and unforgettable year of sports ramblings
draws to a close. I have no clever quote, nor any answers. Bon
voyage, it’s been a pleasure.