Sometimes, it's just the right move to say goodbye. Willie Mays never should have suited up for the New York Mets. Joe Namath never should have made the cross country trek to become a Los Angeles Ram (speaking of saying goodbye, I guess it's fitting to mention football in L.A.). But, in all seriousness, goodbyes are a necessary occurrence in life. And, I bet no one could see this segue coming from a mile away, this is my chance to say goodbye in my final column as sports editor at The Badger Herald.
In the spirit of avoiding to create too much of a sentimental pang in all of your hearts, I'll sum up any of the sappy stuff quickly. It has been a good ride, from the road trips and the bright lights of Camp Randall to the late nights and the sunny afternoons at McClimon Soccer Complex. Without any doubt, it's left a huge imprint on me — and for that I have to quickly thank the man who gave me a start and has helped me at every step along the way, my brother Joe.
But, to keep the cheesiness at a minimum, here is a small sampling of some of the things I will never forget from a year covering a spectrum of Wisconsin athletics.
-Covering the 2005 UW football season: Traveling to Penn State to see Beaver Stadium packed to the brim was amazing enough. Ditto for witnessing Jonathan Casillas' punt block in the Metrodome. But being on the field when John Stocco scampered into the end zone to beat Michigan and for Barry Alvarez's farewell address against Iowa was absolutely unreal. Just seeing a team that entered the college football season as a wildcard turn into a contender for the conference title was interesting enough … but to take in some of the greatest finishes and moments in the history of the program all in one year was even more unexpected heading into the year.
-Watching Aaron Hohlbein win header after header after header … Yeah, you get the idea. Hohlbein, a junior on the UW men's soccer team, is simply one of the premier defenders in the Big Ten, let alone the nation. Too bad you could probably count the number of students who have seen him play on a single hand. The most obvious bit of talent that makes Hohlbein so good is his ability in the air; ironically, I can probably count the number of headers I've seen him lose on that same hand. Nick Van Sicklen became the first UW player to earn a spot in Major League Soccer under Badger head coach Jeff Rohrman; he won't be the last though — Hohlbein's got all the talent and smarts to play at the next level. Maybe seeing a future pro would be a good move next fall, eh students?
-Talking to Adam Burish: If there ever was such thing as a walking quote, it's Burish. And they're not ridiculous, Chad Johnson-esque quotes; Burish tells it like it is, and he tells it in ways that look really good in print. He might not be the most skilled player, but he'll work hard on the ice and in the media room. And in my book, that's a pretty solid skill to have. He's an ideal captain for the UW hockey team and an ideal interview.
-Tim Krumrie is fighting people? Last, but certainly not least, this is one of the most vivid images from the Wisconsin football team's 2005 Pro Day. Krumrie, a former Badger defensive tackle and current Buffalo Bills defensive line coach, attended the workout day to get a good look at UW's bumper crop of linemen, a group that of course included first round pick Erasmus James. But Krumrie got more than just a good look … he proceeded to engage in a stand-up wrestling type exercise with James and the rest of the Badger linemen — a drill that resembled some sort of bizarre mix of shoot fighting and bear combat. But here's the best part — he did it all while rocking tight denim jeans and brown cowboy boots. Absolutely splendid; I can still remember trying to explain the occurrence to the rest of the sports staff. And if that wasn't the perfect memory to end with, I don't know what is. Thanks for reading.
