Announcer:
The following program is a PBS Wisconsin original production.

Deb Nicolaus:
There is not a better mascot in the United States, well, actually in the world, than Buckingham U. He’s the best mascot. Just watch him.

Narrator:
He is Bucky Badger.

Brian Adam:
Bucky Badger’s on another level when it comes to mascots.

RoseAnn Donovan:
Bucky is an icon. Bucky has crossed generations. Bucky has stood the test of time.

Narrator:
With a tale that stretches back to the origins of the Badger State, from a wild animal on the sideline… [badger growls]

Doug Moe:
That took off, and the rest is history. [laughs]

Narrator:
…to a symbol of Wisconsin.

Matt Lepay:
Bucky is a mascot of the people. Bucky is for everyone.

Fan:
He embodies what this state is about.

Bill Sachse Jr.:
We all wanna be like Bucky.

Narrator:
A big personality with an even bigger heart.

Lucas Douglas:
The things we get to do as Bucky is unlike any other experience. It’s amazing.

Josette Jaucian:
Bucky is definitely larger than life. [laughs]

Narrator:
Bucky! [crowd cheers] [whistle blows]

Announcer:
Funding for Bucky! is provided by: the Dancing Goat Distillery, Robert J. Lenz, Charles H. and Barb A. Merry, Dr. Henry Anderson, Lau and Bea Christensen, Cynthia and David Shaw, Elizabeth Olson, the Alfred and June Kohlwey Family Foundation, donors to the Focus Fund for Wisconsin Programs, and Friends of PBS Wisconsin. [marching band cadence] [crowd cheers]

Narrator:
East of the mighty Mississippi, a land of rolling hills, lush prairies, towering pines. Wisconsin! Home to a wild and majestic creature. Bucky Badger! [record scratching] [upbeat polka music]

RoseAnn Donovan:
Bucky Badger is part of Wisconsin’s identity. It’s who Wisconsinites are. That perfect combo of fierce and inviting, friendly, but not to be messed with.

Mike Koval:
Badgers are seriously one of the most beloved institutions in our state.

Narrator:
Badgers pop up everywhere. [popping] We actually put one on top of the statue on top of our capitol. We even name badgers after other badgers.

Beth Petersen:
Right now, our two badgers at the Henry Vilas Zoo are named Kaminsky and Dekker, after some famous basketball Badgers.

Matt Lepay:
And a step back, three straight on. Got it! Ice cold-blooded! Sam Dekker. The badger represents toughness. Like, don’t mess with a badger. [crowd cheers] [whistle blows]

Narrator:
Yep, that checks out.

Beth Petersen:
On the other hand, they can be really fun and sometimes a little bit silly. Just like Bucky.

Narrator:
The old “work hard, play hard” Wisconsin mentality, wrapped up in a lovable furry menace.

Brian Adam:
Wisconsinites have a ton of pride in their state, and Bucky represents the state of Wisconsin.

Mike Koval:
We are the Badger State. Bucky is literally a mission with us.

Fan:
Everybody loves Bucky.

Fan:
Bucky!

Fan:
He’s royalty.

Fan:
Wisconsin royalty. [crowd cheers]

Narrator:
Bucky’s regal lineage began in the hills of southwestern Wisconsin, but not because of his cousin, the North American badger. The Badger State took its name from something else underground. [gentle music]

Doug Moe:
Before statehood, lead ore miners would burrow down for the lead. And, of course, the badger with its claws was really known as a digger. Pretty soon, the miners started being referred to as badgers.

Narrator:
The name stuck. The badger quickly became identified with Wisconsin, and Wisconsin with the badger.

Doug Moe:
Statehood comes in 1848. The badger is seen on the state flag. And we become known as the Badger State. [bright music]

Narrator:
In 1889, football came to the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The early teams were known as the Fighting Badgers. Coach Phil King took the helm in 1896 and became the first coaching legend at Wisconsin, racking up a 65-11-1 record.

Justin Doherty:
He was the winningest football coach at Wisconsin for a really long time, until Barry Alvarez surpassed him roughly 100 years later. Phil King set that tone for the grittiness, the toughness, the Upper Midwest hardworking culture that Wisconsin football became known for.

Narrator:
Blue-collared characteristics defined the program, and also its namesake.

Justin Doherty:
The badger probably is the perfect mascot, the perfect symbol for Wisconsin. It’s a smaller animal, but it’s tough, and it’s not an animal you’re gonna wanna deal with. [badger hisses]

Narrator:
Yeah, not everyone got the memo, though. [playful music]

Doug Moe:
A UW student named Lloyd “Babe” Spencer was a well-known character on campus. He would bring a badger on a leash to football games.

Narrator:
Babe Spencer and his badger Billy were fan favorites during Coach King’s era at the turn of the century. Before games, Spencer led his badger onto the field with the marching band close behind.

Doug Moe:
There’s photographs of him, red sweater, white pants. He’s got a badger on his shoulder. [laughs] He became very much a part of the atmosphere and was beloved on campus.

Narrator:
Babe Spencer’s tradition carried on for decades. A live badger would be brought into Camp Randall at times to excite the crowd. However, the wild animal could become, you know, wild. [badger hisses]

Beth Petersen:
A live badger as the mascot is a pretty terrible idea. [chuckles]

Doug Moe:
There’s some news accounts of them getting loose and creating havoc at Camp Randall.

Beth Petersen:
They can excavate a den within just a minute or two.

Narrator:
Pesky badger holes dug into the field and reports of the occasionally bitten cheerleader led to a pivot in the plan in 1948.

Doug Moe:
They brought in a raccoon, which that’s not friendly either. [laughs] But they brought in a raccoon and claimed it was a badger in raccoon fur. They even had a name for it, Regdab, which, of course, was “badger” spelled backwards. Brilliant, right?

Narrator:
Surprisingly, Regdab did not catch on. The football team was also in a rut. With school spirit at a low, it was time for a change. [crowd groans] [upbeat percussion music]

Narrator:
The athletic department hired Art Lentz as its publicity director in 1946. He took charge of changing the atmosphere and morale on campus.

Doug Moe:
Lentz was an interesting guy. He did the radio broadcasts of Badger sports.

Art Lentz:
From all over the state, they come to cheer the Badgers. People from Janesville, Park Falls, from the Fox River to the Mississippi.

Doug Moe:
And eventually, ended up becoming head of the U.S. Olympic Committee. He also came up with a phrase: “Let’s get that badger up off its belly.”

Narrator:
Lentz wanted the football team back on their feet and the team’s mascot to join them, standing proudly.

Doug Moe:
Immediately, we began seeing drawings of a badger upright in a black sweater, looking a little bit like the Bucky we came to know and love later, but not quite.

Narrator:
Lentz put his upright badger on athletic department letterhead and football publications. But something was in the water. Other upright badgers began popping up in the school yearbook, newspaper, and homecoming decorations. By 1948, there was a big badger breakthrough.

Doug Moe:
On the bottom-right corner of an athletics department publication, there was the badger that we all know now, chest puffed up, in the red and white sweater, and his fists clenched.

Narrator:
The star of our show: Bucky Badger. [crowd cheers] But we’re gonna have to back up our story here, people. That mascot still didn’t have a name. We’ll get to that. And it was actually drawn eight years earlier, in 1940. [dreamy music]

Doug Moe:
Arthur Evans was a California-based illustrator who drew the first Bucky Badger as we know him today. The company that Evans worked for had a contract with Brown’s Book Store in Madison to design some decals with a badger on them, and the store would use them for commercial purposes.

Narrator:
Evans also drew mascots for Michigan and Purdue. But, look, don’t blame him. Not everyone can bat a thousand. Anyhow, Evans’ iconic badger hibernated in obscurity for eight years until Art Lentz made him a celebrity, placing him on the cover of the 1948 Football Facts and Centennial Sports Review.

Doug Moe:
The first illustration took off and the badger stood up, and the rest was history.

Narrator:
A hit on campus, the drawing would soon come to life with the help of a couple of UW students from Sheboygan North High School: Bill Sagal and Bill Sachse. [groovy music]

Bill Sachse:
When I got out of the United States Navy in 1946, I went down to Madison and registered, and became an active student. I rowed on the Wisconsin freshman crew and on the varsity eight for the next three years.

Bill Sachse Jr.:
My dad enjoyed his time there because it was a large class. The country was starting to boom and the future was looking bright for these kids.

Narrator:
Adding to the excitement, the UW football team hired a new coach in 1949, Ivy Williamson. Hopes were high for Williamson to turn around the program. [whistle blows]

Narrator:
At the center of Badger fever on campus was Bill Sachse, who volunteered to organize the football team’s pep rallies.

Bill Sachse Jr.:
The pep rallies drew big crowds. A typical crowd was several thousand students in front of the Memorial Union. This thing was right up his alley. He was a born salesman.

Narrator:
Sachse was always looking for a clever hook to bring in the crowds. And for homecoming that year, he was cooking up an idea that would change the course of Badger history.

Bill Sachse Jr.:
When he was walking through the Memorial Union, he saw a display of African masks, and he thought they were beautiful pieces of art. Then he realized that he had the gimmick for the homecoming of 1949.

Bill Sachse:
I thought to myself, boy, if we could have a papier-mache badger head made and we could put that on one of the cheerleaders, we would have a real live badger. [crowd cheers]

Narrator:
Sachse was no artist, so he enlisted the help of a friend, Connie Conrard.

Bill Sachse:
Connie was an art major. And I said to her, “Connie, could you make a papier-mache head of a badger?” And she said, “Get me a picture, I’ll make you a head.”

Narrator:
The construction was underway, but one thing was missing.

Bill Sachse:
I needed somebody to wear that head. And the only guy was my classmate, Billy Sagal.

Bill Sachse Jr.:
Sagal was perfect to wear the head and become our new mascot. [groovy music]

Deb Nicolaus:
Even though my dad was only 5’2″ and tiny in stature, he walked in the room, he filled it. He had a real mischievous side. He was a bit of an imp. [chuckles] He was born to be a mascot.

Narrator:
Bill Sagal grew up in Sheboygan County, Wisconsin. A son of Polish immigrants, he was one of six boys. His father passed away when he was 16. To help his family with money, Sagal left home.

Deb Nicolaus:
He jumped on a train with not a penny in his pocket, and he joined the circus.

Narrator:
A gifted acrobat, his specialty act was the teeterboard.

Deb Nicolaus:
My dad would stand on the low end, and then somebody would jump on the high end, and then he would do flips into the air and land into a chair. [crowd cheers]

Narrator:
After enlisting and serving in World War II, Bill Sagal enrolled at the University of Wisconsin. There, as head of the cheerleading squad, his athletic prowess became the stuff of legend.

Bill Sachse Jr.:
Even had a nickname, the jumping jack of Camp Randall.

Narrator:
And that brings our story back to the other Bill, Bill Sachse, and his papier-mache badger head. He asked Bill Sagal to be the new mascot at the homecoming pep rally. What followed was a date with destiny.

Bill Sachse:
Connie had this magnificent but rudimentary head, and it was painted red and white. It was fantastic.

Bill Sachse Jr.:
A photo was taken of my dad kind of lowering the head. Sagal kind of holding it as it was coming down, and Connie holding a paintbrush as though she’s putting finishing touches on the head. And that photograph of the three of them was the birth of Bucky Badger.

Narrator:
Well, almost. This new mascot didn’t have a name, so Sachse started a contest to come up with one. [bright organ music] There was just a little problem.

Bill Sachse:
The names started to come into The Daily Cardinal, and they were wild. Sylvester Badger or Wilhelm Badger. There were some screwy names and they weren’t gonna fit.

Narrator:
For inspiration, Bill Sachse looked across the pond.

Bill Sachse:
There were a lot of stuff going on at that time at Buckingham Palace, and I thought, boy, what a great name. We would call him Buckingham U. Badger. And his nickname would be Bucky.

Bill Sachse Jr.:
The middle name U. was just the letter. It was really meant to be like the word you. You are a Badger, this is your mascot.

Narrator:
Hang on a second. But what about the naming competition?

Bill Sachse Jr.:
Well, he had fixed the contest, basically.

Narrator:
In hindsight, the right move. Sachse ended up giving the Delta Gamma sorority credit for the winning name: Bucky Badger.

Bill Sachse Jr.:
This was gonna be a mascot for the people, for the fans, the students, the alumni, Badgers.

Narrator:
On November 11, 1949, an enthusiastic crowd gathered for UW’s homecoming pep rally.

Bill Sachse:
It was jammed! Biggest crowd I ever saw.

Narrator:
Bill Sachse took center stage, making the introduction of a lifetime.

Bill Sachse:
“The big moment is here,” I said. “Our new mascot is Bucky,” and a big cheer went up. And down comes Sagal. [“On Wisconsin”]

Bill Sachse Jr.:
He comes out like a boxer doing, you know, punches and fighting. [chuckles]

Bill Sachse:
And it was just a blast. It was just a blast.

Narrator:
The celebration continued with the homecoming football game. There, Bucky Badger appeared at Camp Randall for the very first time.

Bill Sachse:
It was serendipity. Sagal wore the head for the rest of the game, and from then on. I don’t think I saw his face for two more months.

Narrator:
The Badgers beat Iowa 35 to 13. Just saying, facts matter. But it was the Wisconsin fan base who really won out.

Bill Sachse Jr.:
What started out as a gimmick for homecoming became Bucky Badger forever. [upbeat music]

Matt Lepay:
Think of what Bucky has seen through the years. He has seen great teams. He’s seen really not great teams and everything in between. But Bucky perseveres.

Lucas Douglas:
It’s a testament just to how much Bucky’s beloved by the entire state. It’s a pretty special honor that we get to embody this character that people love.

Narrator:
Students have carried on Bucky’s legacy for decades, and it all starts with a little bit of belief.

Timothy Reiss:
When you believe that you’re Bucky, everyone believes you’re Bucky.

RoseAnn Donovan:
The moment you put that costume on, you are Bucky Badger. It is go time.

Mike Koval:
Boom, you’re on.

Timothy Reiss:
And you’re just locked in as Bucky.

Brian Adam:
You’re not a guy in a suit. You have Bucky’s personality and you’re just running around having fun. [crowd cheers and applauds]

Brian Adam:
When we walk into a wedding, the room goes nuts. When you walk into a school, the kids cheer. And when you run out the flag at Camp Randall, the fans all get loud. [crowd cheers]

Brian Adam:
But the coolest part about being Bucky is you can make people smile and you can make people laugh.

Lucas Douglas:
That ability to be uplifting is so important, and Bucky can do that.

Josette Jaucian:
I am going to get you guys signed in in a minute. We are gonna all start out in here for station one, and you’re gonna max out on push ups. The biggest thing is just making the judges laugh and just have a good time. All right, let’s do it.

Josette Jaucian:
Down!

Josette Jaucian:
As the Spirit Squad director, I’m in charge of the cheerleaders, the dance team, and the Bucky Badger team.

Josette Jaucian:
Typically, we’ll have six to eight students playing Bucky Badger. We try out for the new team every April.

Cecil Powless:
They put you through push ups. They put you up in an elevator where the cheerleaders grab you and lift you 20 feet into the air. You’re at dancing stations, at prop stations, and they actually put you in the Bucky head.

Timothy Reiss:
A little intense, but it’s a lot of fun. It’s a lot of fun.

Narrator:
Bucky alums help with those tryouts, looking for the newest members to add to their pack.

Narrator:
Each year, the new Bucky team works to embody a single character.

Josette Jaucian:
It’s really stressed at the beginning that we are one team and we are one character.

Timothy Reiss:
That’s one of the things we spend a lot of time, especially with our new rookies on.

Cecil Powless:
Be able to train them up ourselves and pass on the traditions and pass on the mannerisms.

Narrator:
A belief in each other and in the magic of Bucky Badger helps the team bring him to life.

Brian Adam:
It’s inexplainable, but you’re just like, you really just become Bucky.

Lucas Douglas:
You’re seeing out of the mouth, but it feels like you’re seeing out of the eyes, and you’ll go and look in a mirror. All you see is Bucky staring back. It’s just surreal.

Photographer:
All right, Bucky, right over here. [whoo-hoo!] Bucky, big smile, big smile.

Narrator:
Now, to become the mascot, the Bucky team must rely on more than just his movie star looks. They need to exude an attitude that is larger than life.

Brian Adam:
Bucky Badger is on another level when it comes to mascots. He’s good looking, he’s strong, great dancer, lots of persona, and he’s representing the greatest state and greatest university in the country.

Matt Lepay:
Yeah, Bucky is the ultimate extrovert. Whether Bucky knows you or not, will fist bump, high five, put an arm around you. Personality plus, plus.

Narrator:
Over the top and always the life of the party.

RoseAnn Donovan:
Your personality has to be bigger than life. You’re covered in fur, so it has to be exaggerated. [crowd exclaims]

Brian Adam:
Sometimes I think about it, and I was like, “Man, if I did this as a regular person, I’d look ridiculous.” But to Bucky, it looks normal. That’s just what Bucky does.

Josette Jaucian:
I think there’s a lot of people that would describe Bucky Badger as cute.

Brian Adam:
Best-looking mascot there is.

Timothy Reiss:
Suave.

Cecil Powless:
Very suave.

Timothy Reiss:
Very.

Cecil Powless:
That’s a good word, a good word.

Timothy Reiss:
Bucky’s got some swagger when he walks, a little, you know, his shoulders are moving, his head’s bobbing. He’s got the elbows up.

Narrator:
That ain’t Bucky’s only move. Cue the oom-pah-pah. [bright polka music]

RoseAnn Donovan:
Bucky knowing how to polka, that’s just being a Wisconsinite. It’s like going to a supper club. It’s drinking a beer, having a cheese curd. If you’re a Bucky, you know how to polka. [chuckles]

Cecil Powless:
Bucky can be a little mischievous. He likes to have a little fun. He likes to maybe poke fun at other mascots. Steal an opposing team’s cheerleader.

Josette Jaucian:
Bucky is definitely very charming, and the more mischievous he can be, people will love it even more. But he just needs to know where that line is and not get in trouble. [chuckles]

Narrator:
Now, that line was pushed pretty far during a football game in 1999 against Michigan State University.

Brian Adam:
I noticed out of the corner of my eye, the Michigan State cheer flag was sitting on the ground. Grabbed the flag, sprinted down to our end zone, threw the flag on the ground, stomped on it, and then I was done with it.

Narrator:
Oh, but the Spartans weren’t done. Nope. A Michigan State cheerleader, this guy bolted right after Bucky.

Brian Adam:
Didn’t really see him until the last second, and form tackle just laid me out. I’ve never been hit that hard in my life.

Narrator:
The two of them were separated and taken off the field. But Bucky, [scoffs] he wasn’t about to go out like that. You kidding me?

Brian Adam:
I came back on the field wearing a boxing robe that read “Big Bad Bucky” and two big boxing gloves ready to fight. [ring bell chimes] Bucky doesn’t back down.

Narrator:
It’s not all fun and games for Bucky Badger. There’s a tough job to do here, people.

Lucas Douglas:
Putting on a suit of fur and a carbon fiber head on top of your shoulders is exhausting, especially in the heat.

Mike Koval:
Back in my day, they were only going with the model of two Buckys. It would not be untoward that I would do a basketball game, two hockey games, and a home football game against the Gophers all within 72 hours. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate!

Cecil Powless:
It’s a million miles an hour. You’re doing anything and everything in between. You kind of get caught up in the moment and it’s a ton of fun.

Timothy Reiss:
If Bucky’s having fun, the fans are having fun. [air horn] [crowd cheers]

Narrator:
That fun-loving attitude of both Bucky and the Badger fan is a time-honored tradition.

Hockey Announcer:
And listen to this Badger crowd go wild.

Narrator:
And in the Bob Johnson hockey era, the party was just getting started.

Justin Doherty:
Badger hockey fans in the 1970s really embodied what we think of as Wisconsin sports fans today. [hockey buzzer sounds] Back in those days, the Dane County Coliseum was kind of a legendary venue. And you walk in, and they’re doing the sieve chant. [crowd chants] And Bucky’s there, and the band and Mike Leckrone. It was cool, it was, it was just a cool experience for a hockey fan.

Hockey Announcer:
Takes another shot, scores!

Mike Koval:
People wanna be a part of something positive. People wanna be a part of something bigger than themselves.

Narrator:
In Wisconsin, we call that the Badger spirit. It’s about tradition, about celebrating both sports and life.

RoseAnn Donovan:
Bucky’s role has exploded. He’s the photo op at the wedding. He is at the parades, he’s at fundraisers. He’s doing so many good things that aren’t just tied to sports.

Cecil Powless:
Bucky is a cultural symbol. Wisconsin is just a very joyful place, a place that’s full of people that are very proud of where they’re from.

Cecil Powless:
And to have that boil down into a mascot is pretty cool.

Narrator:
The badger, the symbol of Wisconsin, but for over a hundred years, only informally. In 1956, a group of children from Jefferson, Wisconsin, were learning about the state bird, state flower, state tree, when siblings Leslie Smith, Greg, Erik, and Kristin Gilbertson noticed a big furry oversight.

Kristin Gilbertson:
We discovered that the Badger State did not have an official state animal. [crowd exclaims] We did not think that this was right. So in our childish indignation, we said, “We have to do something about this.” It was called the Bucky Badger Bill.

Narrator:
Assemblyman Byron Wackett agreed to introduce a bill on behalf of the children to make the badger Wisconsin’s official state animal.

Doug Moe:
There was some pushback. Some folks up north wanted the white-tailed deer.

Kristin Gilbertson:
They introduced a competing bill. Oh, we were angry. [laughs] Outraged, you know, childhood outrage.

Narrator:
The legislature had a playful debate over which animal should represent Wisconsin. [crowd boos]

Narrator:
Leaving nothing to chance, Kristin and her siblings summoned the courage to make their case for Bucky, testifying in front of the Wisconsin Assembly.

Kristin Gilbertson:
I was eight years old. I was a little sprout. One by one, we had to go up and explain why we thought the badger should be the state animal.

Narrator:
They pointed to the early history of the miners and the badger on the state seal. The kids even warned that the badger doorknobs in the capitol would need to go, and that the face of Wisconsin would be no more.

Kristin Gilbertson:
Even back then, Bucky was everywhere. It’s very hard to change a mascot, once a mascot is beloved by the people it represents.

Narrator:
Yep, those kids had a point. And the state legislature agreed, [gavel bangs] passing the Bucky Badger Bill. [children cheer]

Narrator:
Heck, even a compromise left everyone with a win.

Kristin Gilbertson:
The compromise was the white-tailed deer was named the state wildlife animal, and the badger was the state animal.

Narrator:
In June of 1957, Governor Vernon Thompson signed the Badger Bill into law.

Kristin Gilbertson:
I think what happened was inevitable. Wisconsin has been the Badger State forever. I wouldn’t say it was a wrong that was being righted. It was just something being made official.

Doug Moe:
How appropriate that it was some kids who got the ball rolling. Because of course, Bucky’s beloved by kids.

Kristin Gilbertson:
I am really proud of what we did. We stepped up for Bucky.

Narrator:
Oh, you betcha. [funky music]

Brian Adam:
Kids in Wisconsin have grown up loving Bucky.

Josette Jaucian:
Kids see him just as a big, lovable stuffed animal. They will mob him wherever he goes and follow him and give him hugs, high fives.

Narrator:
Bucky knows how to draw a crowd, but he also needs to keep his darn head on a swivel.

Timothy Reiss:
Kids will come up and hug your leg, and you’re like, “Oh, my gosh, there’s a kid there.” And like, I had no clue that there was a kid there.

Brian Adam:
Your vision in that suit is really limited. Your vision is here. So there’s definitely been times where you’ve kicked kids on accident ’cause they come running up to you thinking you can see them.

Mike Koval:
Literally, you feel like you’re Turkish taffy being thrown in 16 different directions, and it’s a great feeling to have. It’s a great feeling to have.

Narrator:
Bucky also has the ability to create little magic.

RoseAnn Donovan:
Many kids are just in awe, just kind of a state of wonder. Seeing Bucky was always something uplifting and just joyful.

Timothy Reiss:
Bringing that joy and happiness into people’s lives, that’s, like, our main job. [monitor beeps]

Narrator:
Sometimes, that job isn’t all that easy.

Mike Koval:
Kids can bring us down to earth real quickly in terms of their vulnerabilities. You’re meeting with a kid at the children’s hospital, and you can see within all the other stuff that this poor child’s going through, there’s actually a light that sparkles in their eye. There’s a connection, if only for a moment or two, to take the gloom and doom out of the air.

Josette Jaucian:
We actually had a Bucky several years ago that has pictures of when he was a child in UW Hospital, and he remembers the joy that Bucky brought to him when he was a kid. So, he was always volunteering for those types of events ’cause he knew what that felt like.

Mike Koval:
It’s a great rally cry when Bucky Badger can be so many things to so many people, but especially those who are the most vulnerable in our midst.

Narrator:
Old Bucky seems to have a knack for being there when he’s needed most.

Matt Lepay:
Ron Dayne from seven yards out, and the Badgers take the lead again.

Deb Nicolaus:
In the state of Wisconsin, so many family gatherings are around a television with the Badgers on.

Matt Lepay:
The Wisconsin Badgers win it.

Deb Nicolaus:
It gives you an opportunity to spend a little more time together.

Narrator:
A little more time together was just what the family of Bill Sagal, the first Bucky Badger, needed in the spring of 2000.

Justin Doherty:
The ’99-2000 men’s basketball team just got on this incredible run that Badger fans that were here at the time will never forget.

Narrator:
Dick Bennett’s unlikely Badgers captured the fans’ imagination, rallying at the end of the regular season to sneak into the NCAA tournament.

Matt Lepay:
Part of the story line going in was, could they win a game? Could they win a game in the NCAA tournament? Could they push through?

Narrator:
Oh, they won, all right, even punching their ticket to the Sweet 16. Badger fans had a reason to believe, with their team sitting on the cusp of history. But for the Sagal family, that moment was bittersweet.

Deb Nicolaus:
My last conversation with my father was when we made it to the Sweet 16.

Narrator:
Bill Sagal, the original Bucky Badger, passed away two days after the upset over number one Arizona. Going into the Sweet 16, the Bucky team carried a heavy heart.

Brian Adam:
There’s a special little bond between the other Bucky Badgers, and I wanted to honor Bill at the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight games.

Deb Nicolaus:
Bucky walks out, and he has a black armband on to mourn my father, which, you know, there were no words at that time about how that helped start the healing.

Narrator:
The Badgers took down powerhouse LSU in the Sweet 16.

Deb Nicolaus:
Oh, the Badgers were important. We were willing them to get us through this. We really were.

Matt Lepay:
The Badgers and Purdue will battle it out Saturday, with the winner going to the Final Four.

Justin Doherty:
They’re playing Purdue, a team they matched up pretty well with.

Matt Lepay:
And Purdue takes the lead, 32-31.

Justin Doherty:
It was a nip and tuck game. Wisconsin was behind, and John Bryant hit some shots. Everybody just made plays.

Matt Lepay:
13-footer in the lane, good. Roy Boone with the jumper.

Matt Lepay:
And then when it got down to the final seconds, to myself, it’s like, “Oh, my God, they’re gonna, they’re gonna actually do this.”

Matt Lepay:
Four seconds. Smith steps back, launches a three, off the back rim. No good. Kowski taps the rebound, Lewis is there, up right hand. No good! Wisconsin wins the game! I can’t believe I’m gonna say it, but here it comes! The Wisconsin Badgers are going to the Final Four!

Justin Doherty:
Everyone was just over the moon. And you can’t believe it. Like, the Badgers, who snuck into the tournament, are going to the Final Four.

Narrator:
It was the Badgers’ first trip to the Final Four in nearly 60 years.

Matt Lepay:
Hugs and kisses all around on the floor of the Pit in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Brian Adam:
And the fans started chanting for Bucky.

Brian Adam:
So I climbed up that ladder, cut down a piece of the net, squeezed that thing tightly inside my paw until we left the arena.

Matt Lepay:
The wait was worth it. Incredible. [gentle piano music]

Brian Adam:
To honor the original Bucky was pretty special.

Deb Nicolaus:
Bucky doesn’t die, but the person that decided to put the head on for the first time did. And so, they decided to honor the origin of who Bucky was.

Brian Adam:
Bucky embodies everything the state of Wisconsin is all about.

Deb Nicolaus:
He’s a connection between people, and I think that’s what we all need. And that’s the essence of Bucky. [upbeat music]

Bill Sachse Jr.:
Bucky was a student’s gift to Wisconsin. Buckingham U. Badger. You are Badgers. This mascot is one of you.

RoseAnn Donovan:
Bucky represents so much more than just sports. Bucky is Wisconsin. Young, old, rich, poor, whatever, you are a Badger.

Narrator:
You don’t need a furry suit or a giant melon to see the world through the eyes of Bucky Badger. [upbeat music]

Brian Adam:
Anyone can be Bucky at heart.

Brian Adam:
He can be a lightning rod of unity for people.

Lucas Douglas:
You get 17,000 people in this building, and you have 17,000 people who want the same thing. [crowd cheers] Where else can you get that?

Narrator:
They don’t call Wisconsin the Badger State for nothing.

RoseAnn Donovan:
They know how to work hard. They play hard, and love making people laugh and smile.

Lucas Douglas:
And what is something that combines all of that? [crowd cheers]

Lucas Douglas:
It’s Bucky. [upbeat music]

Narrator:
Okay, Bucky, that’s a wrap. And watch out for deer out there. They’re still mad you beat ’em out as the state animal. [crowd cheers] [whistle blows]

Announcer:
Funding for Bucky! is provided by: the Dancing Goat Distillery, Robert J. Lenz, Charles H. and Barb A. Merry, Dr. Henry Anderson, Lau and Bea Christensen, Cynthia and David Shaw, Elizabeth Olson, the Alfred and June Kohlwey Family Foundation, donors to the Focus Fund for Wisconsin Programs, and Friends of PBS Wisconsin. [marching band cadence] [crowd cheers]