Who could forget it? One of the most glorious moments ever in the viewing of collegiate sports came just a few years ago. The game itself as far as who won or lost was not that memorable, but the circumstances sure were.
It was September of 2021, when the Wisconsin Badgers hosted an early season Big Ten clash with Penn State. Remembering that the previous season’s college football season was played entirely in near silence as The Covid Virus Pandemic had rendered games to being played with no fans and empty stadiums.
It was a very strange, lonely and bizarre season— played in the rare, weird atmosphere of near silence, and certainly missing many of the special pieces that make the college game so great to many of us.
The silence and the lack of interaction of the Pandemic had definitely muted the moods of many. Not just in sports but all facets of life. Throughout this country and even around the world, caution and trepidation had taken much of the joy out of our daily lives.
But then this sports moment happened, and it signaled to many–even those not entrenched in the sports world, that maybe the Pandemic and our muted joy was finally over.
On that September day in 2021, the fans were finally allowed back, and they had packed Wisconsin’s Camp Randall Stadium in an absolute sea of red and white. The anticipation for the moment was palpable. The game had brought back fan enthusiasm and crowd noise and that was fun, but still everyone was waiting for that magical moment. The end of the third quarter.
That is when one of the great traditions in all of college football begins as the famous “Jump Around” song is played, and thousands of Wisconsin fans go airborne giving the bleachers the greatest of stability tests.
This time though, the "Jump Around” tradition took on added significance.
The stadium came to such glorious life. It was as if the deep cloud of the Pandemic itself had been released. To the fans at the game, to the millions watching on TV, to those catching the highlights on social media, it was nothing short of awesome. The collective spirit, emotion and pure unadulterated fun that showed our normal way of life had finally returned.
It still gives me chills remembering.
The looks on the faces of the students as they jumped enthusiastically in unison, and the Badger marching band jumping together, and adults and parents getting into it all feeling the much needed release of emotion—it was pure beauty. Even the Wisconsin players looked around and couldn’t help but get caught up in the moment as they started waving towels on the sidelines and jumping up and down themselves.
Meanwhile announcers Gus Johnson and Joel Klatt who were completely “caught up in the moment” and realizing the significance of what was happening, smartly just stood, watched and listened—letting television viewers totally soak up the moment for themselves. When shown on screen, both announcers were nearly brought to tears.
The exclamation mark was provided by sideline reporter Jenny Taft, who also got caught up in the moment and started dancing and twirling and smiling along with the fans— all with microphone in hand.
It was a complete and utter feel good moment, captured perfectly by the television cameras, and I am sure the many viewers that watched that evening will not easily forget. There have been greater games in college football, and certainly more exciting finishes…but I don’t think there has ever been a more meaningful and emotional moment.
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