A half a dozen clearly inebriated Wisconsin dudes sat behind us at the game on Saturday. They cheered on their Badgers, tried and mostly succeeded in keeping their language in check knowing young kids were around (welcome to a BYU game, boys), while occasionally making PG-13 jokes about the Church when BYU was cooking. The cheering was boisterous (and often hilarious) as the game went back and forth. One guy tapped me on the shoulder mid-second half. “Hey, BYU. All the best, man. May the best team win. No hard feelings either way.” BYU won in dramatic fashion and I’m sure the Wisconsin dudes were disappointed. As we walked down the steps to leave, I wanted to make sure that they knew I appreciated the effort they made and the class they demonstrated, all without making like I was gloating about the win. I looked back, gave them a thumbs up, and congratulated them on a great comeback, and wished them safe travels. To a man, they all returned the gesture. Then, a few minutes later on the concourse, they asked me to take a group picture for them. We had a nice convo and left having both enjoyed a great game in rows 13 and 14. These guys were great ambassadors of the state and university of Wisconsin. And on account of the BYU fans I spoke with, I wasn’t alone in coming away with nothing but good things to say about Badger fans. Sport, though the final result is a binary, can bring people together in gratifying ways. Next time around, when BYU isn’t the opponent, I’ll be cheering On Wisconsin.