Believe it or not, Wisconsin's beloved mascot, Buckingham U. Badger turns 55 years old Saturday. GameDay managed to catch up with Wisconsin's biggest fan before he dove head first into the birthday celebration.
GameDay: How does it feel to be a 55-year-old badger?
Bucky Badger: In human years, it feels quite old, but in badger years I feel like a college student. I feel like a spunky young badger!
GD: How have you managed to stay in shape for over half a century?
BB: Well, in the off-season I've been hitting the weights, doing a lot of push-ups, expecting a lot of points up on the scoreboard, which we have not seen lately. But I'm looking forward toward this Saturday where we will hopefully come through with some high scores.
GD: How is the relationship with opposing Big Ten mascots these days?
BB: I would say the biggest rivalry is obviously, with [Goldie] the Gopher. So, there is really no closeness there. It is pretty much a down-and-dirty business with him. I can give a little example of the rivalry. Well, three years ago it kind of started. We were doing a little arm-wrestling competition on a card table in the end zone and I won, of course. Goldie went on to get a chair and smashed it over my head and the crowd just went wild and got pissed off. So then after he was doing that, I hit him and put him back on the card table and got up on top of [band director] Mike Leckrone's ladder, jumped off, and did a spread-eagle in mid-air and jumped right on top of him and crushed his little beaver skull.
GD: Will we see any tussles between mascots in the upcoming weeks?
BB: See, this weekend, that is the disappointing part, because obviously Illinois, they do not travel their mascot, the Chief [Illiniwek]. So, that is kind of a disappointment. I kind of wanted to beat the crap out of someone on my birthday [laughs].
GD: So needless to say, you won't be expecting any birthday wishes from other Big Ten mascots?
BB: Well it would be nice, but there is a lot of hatred going on right now, it is the Big Ten season. So I wouldn't expect it, but I'll take it if they called.
GD: Who do you expect to hear birthday greetings from on Saturday?
BB: Well the past, I'd say, seven years or so, Barry [Alvarez] has been giving me a call every morning, right on the morning of my birthday. So Barry Alvarez, I would expect.
GD: Do you have any exciting plans for your big day?
BB: I plan on waking up bright and early for the game, get ready for it, maybe go for a jog or whatever, get the muscles loosened up. Then I'll just head on over to the game and hopefully come out with a Badger victory. I'm hoping to do a lot of push-ups. After the game, I'll probably head out to the Nitty Gritty and get the celebration mug.
GD: Describe Bucky's perfect birthday day.
BB: Well, I would have to say there are a few gifts that, they are not actually physical things I could actually receive, but things that I would like to see happen. On the field, at the game, there have been people camping out for over a week now just to get tickets to this game. I don't know if it is because of the game or if it is my birthday, but I would love to see the front row people, in sections O and P, that general area, just have their chests painted saying \Happy Birthday"" or some crazy thing like that. I think if they did that I could totally get them up on the jumbo-tron. That would be part of my little birthday celebration, but then coming out with a huge victory, like I said, with a lot of points up on the board. I've been doing a lot of work in the off-season, trying to get ready for it. Push-ups are always good.
GD: What is the worst birthday present you have ever received?
BB: Not receiving a card from Chancellor Wiley last year.
GD: How about the best birthday present ever?
BB: The best ones are yet to come on Saturday.
-Interview conducted by Clint Robus
