Marquette Hate?

[MUFan11]

I'm in high school and an avid Marquette fan. I go to high school in southeastern Wisconsin. Everyday someone thinks there funny and says the Badgers are so much better and Marquette blows. It's pretty frustrating cause its mostly my basketball teammates pushing my buttons. Sometimes its just random people ripping MU. Whats with all the hate??

[96warrior]

Jealousy...

[g0lden3agle]

I'm in high school and an avid Marquette fan. I go to high school in southeastern Wisconsin. Everyday someone thinks there funny and says the Badgers are so much better and Marquette blows. It's pretty frustrating cause its mostly my basketball teammates pushing my buttons. Sometimes its just random people ripping MU. Whats with all the hate??

I think it has so much to do with the fact that such a large majority of Wisconsin kids are brought up praying to the great god Bucky.  Any other school in Wisconsin would automatically be viewed as a threat by these kids.

[Tom Crean's Tanning Bed]

Two words:  private school.

Well, at least that's most of it.  I could go on for days about the rest, but I have to get back to work  

[DawsonCreekFillanderer]

Don't underestimate the severe negative impact Tom Crean had on the state's high school basketball infrastructure. Crean seemed to go out of his way to alienate Marquette from WI basketball. Take a poll of HS coaches and AD's and there will be an overwhelming anti-Crean (and anti-MU by extension) sentiment. Let's hope Buzz Williams can repair the incredible damage done by Tom Crean.

[Dawson Rental]

Who knows how long this storied tradition has gone on?

However, I can relate an incident that propelled this to new heights sometime ago, way back in 1974, a picture as they say, is worth a thousand words.

February, 1974. Milwaukee Arena. Marquette coach Al McGuire leaps on top of the scorer's table and celebrates after Maurice Lucas hit a ridiculous last second jump shot to give the Warriors a one point victory over Wisconsin. In the stands almost directly opposite McGuire is Glenn Hughes, father of Kim and Kerry Hughes, Wisconsin's "Twin Towers of Power". Walking in the foreground is dejected Badger Coach, John Powless. Marquette went on to the NCAA tournament and finished second overall.

Click on the picture to see a larger view of it and notice the "finger salute" being provided to Al by Mr. Hughes.

[jimmyrizzle]

MU has traditionally (and continues to) attract a unique bunch. Until you come here, you won't understand.

[Dawson Rental]

Oh, I almost forgot.  The best basketball player in the state of Wisconsin this year, a Mr. Vander Blue, as a foolish sophomore, (sophomore is Greek for "wise fool") committed to play basketball for the University of Wisconsin.  In a lucid moment, as a junior, he realized how constraining and downright unfun playing in the swing offense could be for a talented guard.  Therefore, he reopened his recruitment.  After careful consideration of all the variables, he decided that Marquette could offer him a far enhanced sporting and educational experience, and signed to play at Marquette during the fall signing period.

The consternation experienced by fans of Wisconsin basketball over this occurrence, rivaled that of a badger who is caught out in the rain for a week without shelter.

[tower912]

The call of MU is not universal.  Trying to explain the MU appeal/experience to Badger fans is like trying to explain rock and roll to a deaf person or sex to a eunuch.   Or like trying to explain why uptempo basketball is more fun to watch and play in than the swing.   They either get it or they don't.  Two entirely different worldviews.   Welcome to MU, young man.  

[Freeport Warrior]

Wisconsin's fan base (a majority of the WI population) view themselves as a large, inclusive melting pot of diverse views, incomes, religions, ethnicities, etc., with members from all over the state who are born to root for the home team. Most see Marquette as a bunch of rich, spoiled, Catholic elitists who were born on third base. By sheer numbers and geography, it's easy to see why you're getting no love. Differences and perceptions aside, if you're from Wisconsin, you're lucky to have two great options for college. A lot of states don't have any.

[DawsonCreekFillanderer]

A lot of states and provinces have many. BC has UBC, Simon Fraser, U Vic, and Northern Lights - Canada's Energy College! Do not underestimate Dawson Creek coeds!

[77ncaachamps]

One reason and one reason only: They know they can't get in!

[Canadian Dimes]

Additionally, Wisconsin is very liberal left leaning stae home of Socialist mayors and much Communistic and Scoialistic leanings.  they dont call UW-Madison the Peoples Republic of Madison for no reason.  In contrast Mu has been a much more conservative Catholic demographic that flies in the face of anti- religious Socialists.
Additionally, Mu is private and self sustaining therefore evil in a socialistic state.

Lastly, you probably dont realize this nor do your ignorant young friends but Wisconsin for the last 50+ years was the laughing stock of the BIg Ten in Basketball.  Think Indiana Basketball today and you have Wisconsin basketball for 50 years. Wisconsin and Northwestern played each other twice every year to determine last palce in the Big Ten.  This went on for 50 years.  Meanwhile Mu was producing NBA players and All-Americans and regularly particiapating in the NCAA and for a good stretch of that time was one of THE teams in collge basketball.  Many of the older oflks grew to hate MU out of jealousy.  Then starting about 10 years ago Wisconsin began to enjoy some success and even got extremely lucky one year and played a bunch of games in the 40's and got into the Final 4,  lo and behold 2 year later Mu was there too.  This only drove them more nuts.  Funny thing is young Wisconsin fans think Wisky was always good in fact that have usually been terrible.  Funny thing is listening to the older people you would think Wisconsin basketball started 10 years ago.  Pure Jealousy

[muball]

I grew up in Sheboygan and we played in the Fox River Valley, everyone was a badger fan true and Blue (not a pun). I played and was interested in all sports and enjoyed the atmosphere of MU a city school who played as an independent and teams from the East to West coast. All and I mean All of my friends were die hard Badgers and gave me crap. What was funny is we would hitch hike to Mecca games and they loved them. I never went to MU but to this day 50 years later I am in a minority on those who back MU. Love the underdog feeling the PR MU gets and the fact that all the UW fans say is look what Bo does with unranked recruits. Then I point out who had the highest ranked recruits over the last 10 years and they just sort of talk about football and I smile. I'm proud to be an MU fan and yes it is not always easy to be the outsider but stick to your guns, get the facts, and enjoy YOUR TEAM.

[Doris Burkes Thong]

I blame this on Tom Crean for not getting out in the limo and going throughout the state of Wisconsin to reach out to the youngsters in our schools and get them excited about MU basketball. He should've been standing in the entrance ways of schools handing out MU t-shirts and Tom Crean bobblehead dolls to kids. Heck, I'm sure Chicos would've chauffeured him around on his own dollar.

[DawsonCreekFillanderer]

Think Indiana Basketball today

Has something happened to Indiana Basketball? Why, I thought it was a coveted destination with superb facilities and the best young coach in all the land. It's Indiana, after all!

[KipsBayEagle]

On a slightly related note, Marquette has a really good reputation at least on the east coast.

[NickelDimer]

Don't underestimate the severe negative impact Tom Crean had on the state's high school basketball infrastructure. Crean seemed to go out of his way to alienate Marquette from WI basketball. Take a poll of HS coaches and AD's and there will be an overwhelming anti-Crean (and anti-MU by extension) sentiment. Let's hope Buzz Williams can repair the incredible damage done by Tom Crean.

You have a serious psychotic obsession with Crean.

[damuts222]

You have a serious psychotic obsession with Crean.

 Just ignore his posts, its all he talks about. He was probably banned and is just trying to push peoples buttons aka Chicos

[wadefan#1]

I'm in high school and an avid Marquette fan. I go to high school in southeastern Wisconsin. Everyday someone thinks there funny and says the Badgers are so much better and Marquette blows. It's pretty frustrating cause its mostly my basketball teammates pushing my buttons. Sometimes its just random people ripping MU. Whats with all the hate??

They are just mad that we stole Vander from them.

[HoopsMalone]

Wisconsin alums have a very warped view of how good their school is in athletics.  After attending Marquette and experiencing it in basketball and then going to Iowa and experiencing it in football, I can tell you, the MU basketball fanbase is not alone in their view of Badger fans.  

We respect their zeal.  You have to tip your hats to the Badger fan base that they do indeed support their team with the best of them.  Being passionate about your team is what makes sports fun.  Unfortunately, in every fanbase there are people who take it to the next level and think that their team winning proves something about themselves (who are only fans) and if their team beats you it proves something about you being a loser.  I would say Badger fans have an unhealthy amount of those types of fans, and we hear them get loud when they beat one of our teams.  (but don't hear anything when they lose)

Who knows what produces this sense of cheering for your team as proving something about yourselves and the need to put others down when their teams lose.  It is very annoying.  Like it was stated in an above post, I don't know why people can't just be happy that a medium size state like WI has two major conference teams in it who compete in the tourney.  

[flash]

They are just mad that we stole Vander from them.

+1

[MUFan11]

Then whenever I say that Marquette basketball is actually pretty good, far from the horrible team they describe to me they always resort to the game this year in which Bucky won by 9. Every single time it's ridiculous.

[T-Bone]

Then whenever I say that Marquette basketball is actually pretty good, far from the horrible team they describe to me they always resort to the game this year in which Bucky won by 9. Every single time it's ridiculous.

Well, you are in High School.  Thinking back about all the stupid things that me and my friends used to say and do, so little of it had to do with rational thought. 
Stick to your guns, know it and defend it, and never jump the fence. 

You can always point to '07 and '08 - though they're leading the series 53-63. 
http://wiki.muscoop.com/doku.php/men_s_basketball/uw-madison

[NersEllenson]

Then whenever I say that Marquette basketball is actually pretty good, far from the horrible team they describe to me they always resort to the game this year in which Bucky won by 9. Every single time it's ridiculous.

I suspect you will have the upper hand in this argument in the years ahead.  Buzz Williams is assembling major talent at MU, and this year MU was picked to finish 12th in the Big East..and for it to be a major rebuilding year..so we lost to UW by 9 at the Kohl Center - hardly a bad loss.  Just ask your friends to compare the rankings of the last 2 recruiting classes between UW and MU - in other words, since Buzz Williams arrived.  MU has been ranked between 10-20 the last 2 years nationally in recruiting classes - UW not even sniffing the Top 40.  Talent eventually wins, so long as there is decent coaching, and Buzz Williams proved this year he is at very least a decent coach, and quite possibly a very, very good coach.