Thursday, October 4, 2012 - The Daily Cardinal by The Daily Cardinal

Modern music’s latest phase +ARTS, page 7 University of Wisconsin-Madison

Watt’s up +GAMEDAY

Complete campus coverage since 1892

dailycardinal.com

Thursday, October 4, 2012

Obama visit sparks outcry from faculty By Tyler Nickerson The Daily Cardinal

on campus

The stage is set

Workers put the finishing touches on the stage on Bascom Hill where President Barack Obama will speak Thursday. The speech will be Obama’s second visit as a sitting president. + Photo by Grey Satterfield

College Democrats, College Republicans geared for Obama When thousands of University of Wisconsin-Madison students pack the slopes of Bascom Hill to hear President Barack Obama speak Thursday, students from the College Democrats and College Republicans plan to capitalize on the large crowds, but for different reasons. College Republicans Chair Jeff Snow said his group plans to canvass campus all day Thursday, wearing Romney T-shirts and promoting Romney’s “positive agenda for the country” to young voters. “We’re obviously not going to protest,” Snow said. “We’ll let Obama have his time, but

still remind people about his failed policies.” College Democrats Chair Chris Hoffman said his group plans to travel up and down the waiting line to make sure people are registered to vote and they have voting forms. “I think the president’s speech is going to motivate students to vote,” Hoffman said. “It will be one of the biggest points of his speech.” Both Snow and Hoffman said they expect the president to speak on issues relevant to UW-Madison students, such as student loans, increased tuition and health care. But Snow said Obama’s speech has not generated as

much buzz compared to prior visits and he will not be viewed as positively as in 2008. “[He is taking] up the most central, pivotal part of campus and just disrupting everything for an entire day,” Snow said. “It wasn’t like that when he spoke in Library Mall in 2010 or when he spoke at the Kohl Center in 2008.” But Hoffman said Obama’s visit shows the strong support he has in Madison. “I really think [his speech] really energizes the city and the university,” Hoffman said. — Sarah Olson and Taylor Harvey

President Barack Obama’s visit to Bascom Hill on the University of Wisconsin Madison campus Thursday has elicited support from those who hope the event brings good publicity to the university, excitement from Obama supporters, and joy from throngs of students whose classes have been cancelled. But the day before the speech, some are questioning the role the University, a public institution, is playing in what is a clearly partisan campaign event. In an email sent to University officials Wednesday, Political Science Professor Ken Mayer expressed serious concerns about the university’s supportive role of Obama’s speech throughout the process. Mayer called Bascom Hill

the most “disruptive” spot on campus to hold a rally and condemned the office closings and class cancellations that came as a result. He also questioned the decision to hold a campaign event on campus grounds. A set of guidelines released by the university on Sept. 8 read “political activities are generally not allowed inside campus buildings or spaces, recreational sports facilities, athletics facilities or campus libraries.” “Clearly it’s a campaign space, a space that’s being rented by a campaign,” said Vice Chancellor for University Relations Vince Sweeney in reaction to Mayer’s criticisms. “But it is the President of the United States.” As a consequence of the build-

outcry page 3

Student government approves voter registration in dorms By Tamar Myers The Daily Cardinal

Members of student government approved a resolution Wednesday that would defy a University of Wisconsin-Madison housing policy by authorizing student voter registration inside university residence halls, pending Chancellor David Ward’s approval. Current housing policy bans all forms of canvassing and soliciting, but this legislation aims to create an exception to the policy from Oct. 7 to 12. If approved by Ward, the

Madison Student Vote Coalition, a nonpartisan group of students working to register voters and encourage student participation in the election, would be permitted to go door-to-door in residence halls. Associated Students of Madison Student Council Chair Andrew Bulovsky said this approach would benefit students given the current political environment. “Civic engagement is a serious problem in the United States, especially with declining voter

registration page 3

Poll shows Obama leading Romney, Thompson closing in President Barack Obama still leads challenger Mitt Romney by 11 points in Wisconsin, while Rep. Tammy Baldwin’s, D-Wis., lead over Tommy Thompson shrunk to just four points in the U.S. Senate race, according to the latest Marquette University Law School Poll released Wednesday. An MU poll taken in midSeptember showed Baldwin with a much more commanding lead, 50-41, compared to this poll, which shows the Madison congresswoman only ahead of Thompson 48-44. In the presidential race, Obama continued to lead

Romney 53-42, compared to 54-40 in the mid-September poll. Professor Charles Franklin, who conducts the poll, said decided voters are providing a solid base for both parties and shifts in voting preference among independents accounts for the different results. “In August, independents leaned a bit Republican in the Senate and slightly Democratic for president,” Franklin said in a statement Wednesday. “In midSeptember, they leaned strongly Democratic in both races, and now they are swinging back to a more competitive balance.”

The poll also suggested a large gender gap in both the Senate and presidential contests. While Romney leads among men 49-44 percent, 61 percent of Wisconsin women supported the president and only 36 percent support Romney. Baldwin had the support of 54 percent of women compared to 38 percent for Thompson. The margin of error for the overall sample of 1,000 registered voters was plus or minus 3.2 percent. Of the 1,000 surveyed, 894 said they are likely to vote this November. —Tyler Nickerson

grey satterfield/the daily cardinal

Student government authorizes door-to-door voter registration in residence halls Wednesday, pending the chancellor’s approval.

“…the great state University of Wisconsin should ever encourage that continual and fearless sifting and winnowing by which alone the truth can be found.”

page two 2

hi 66º / lo 35º

Thursday, October 4, 2012

Volume 122, Issue 25

2142 Vilas Communication Hall 821 University Avenue Madison, Wis., 53706-1497 (608) 262-8000 • fax (608) 262-8100

adam wolf howlin’ mad

News and Editorial edit@dailycardinal.com Editor in Chief Scott Girard

Managing Editor Alex DiTullio

News Team News Manager Taylor Harvey Campus Editor Sam Cusick College Editor Cheyenne Langkamp City Editor Abby Becker State Editor Tyler Nickerson Enterprise Editor Samy Moskol Associate News Editor Meghan Chua Features Editor Ben Siegel Opinion Editors Nick Fritz • David Ruiz Editorial Board Chair Matt Beaty Arts Editors Jaime Brackeen • Marina Oliver Sports Editors Vince Huth • Matt Masterson Page Two Editors Riley Beggin • Jenna Bushnell Life & Style Editor Maggie DeGroot Photo Editors Grey Satterfield • Abigail Waldo Graphics Editors Angel Lee • Dylan Moriarty Multimedia Editors Eddy Cevilla • Mark Troianovski Science Editor Matthew Kleist Diversity Editor Aarushi Agni Copy Chiefs Molly Hayman • Haley Henschel Mara Jezior • Dan Sparks Copy Editors John Hannasch • Sam Stubitz Emily Sweet

Business and Advertising business@dailycardinal.com Business Manager Emily Rosenbaum Advertising Manager Nick Bruno Senior Account Executives Jade Likely • Philip Aciman Account Executives Dennis Lee • Chelsea Chrouser Emily Coleman • Joy Shin Erin Aubrey • Zach Kelly Web Director Eric Harris Public Relations Manager Alexis Vargas Marketing Manager Becky Tucci Events Manager Andrew Straus Creative Director Claire Silverstein Copywriters Dustin Bui • Bob Sixsmith The Daily Cardinal is a nonprofit organization run by its staff members and elected editors. It receives no funds from the university. Operating revenue is generated from advertising and subscription sales. The Daily Cardinal is published weekdays and distributed at the University of WisconsinMadison and its surrounding community with a circulation of 10,000. Capital Newspapers, Inc. is the Cardinal’s printer. The Daily Cardinal is printed on recycled paper. The Cardinal is a member of the Associated Collegiate Press and the Wisconsin Newspaper Association. All copy, photographs and graphics appearing in The Daily Cardinal are the sole property of the Cardinal and may not be reproduced without written permission of the editor in chief. The Daily Cardinal accepts advertising representing a wide range of views. This acceptance does not imply agreement with the views expressed. The Cardinal reserves the right to reject advertisements judged offensive based on imagery, wording or both. Complaints: News and editorial complaints should be presented to the editor in chief. Business and advertising complaints should be presented to the business manager. Letters Policy: Letters must be word processed and must include contact information. No anonymous letters will be printed. All letters to the editor will be printed at the discretion of The Daily Cardinal. Letters may be sent to opinion@ dailycardinal.com.

Editorial Board Matt Beaty • Nick Fritz Kayla Johnson • Jacqueline O’Reilly Steven Rosenbaum • Nico Savidge Ariel Shapiro • Samantha Witthuhn

Board of Directors Jenny Sereno, President Scott Girard • Alex DiTullio Emily Rosenbaum • John Surdyk Melissa Anderson • Nick Bruno Don Miner • Chris Drosner Jason Stein • Nancy Sandy Tina Zavoral

mong my group of close friends, over the years I’ve been consistently regarded as the “old man” of the crew. For instance, way back in eighth grade when my friends wanted to see “The Grudge” one weekend, I suggested we go to the Sunday matinee instead of the Friday night show in order to save money. Rightfully so, my friends ditched my cheap ass and went on Friday. My biggest disconnect with my friends and my generation at large, however, has probably been in musical taste. The crap you kids listen to is awful. Top 40 radio is nothing but overproduced drivel that really serves as a microcosm for everything wrong with society. Dubstep is so acidic to my ears that it makes me want to curb stomp puppies. And country music? Well that’s just too damn easy. After being force-fed classic rock, blues and soul music from a young age, I can’t fathom how artists like Janis Joplin and

For the record Corrections or clarifications? Call The Daily Cardinal office at 608-262-8000 or send an email to edit@dailycardinal.com.

hi 57º / lo 29º

dailycardinal.com

Smokey Robinson fail to resonate on a greater scale with people my age. I get incredibly disheartened when someone tells me that listening to The Who’s “Baba O’Riley” doesn’t make them feel like they could bench press an elephant. And I can’t tell you how pissed I was when I found out that some dude named Eric Church had the gall to title one of his songs “Springsteen.” You have no right to sing about Bruce, sonny boy. Instead, I’m the one who gets flack for my “terrible music taste.” I’ve learned that if I want to piss everyone off, all I have to do is queue up a James Taylor song on the playlist during a pregame. Difference in taste notwithstanding, the thing that upsets me most about today’s popular music is its disposability. It seems that there’s always a particular song that comes out of nowhere, gets overplayed for a few months, and then eventually fades into oblivion, rarely to be heard from again. Another song then takes its place and the cycle repeats itself. I found out through one of my roommates the other weekend what the new “it” song is: “Gangnam Style,” an electropop song by the Korean artist

Psy. “Gangnam Style” contains all the traits necessary for success in mainstream music today. It’s catchy, fun and has a readymade dance that comes with it, all arranged in an endearingly cheery music video. It’s sure to take the mantle from “Call Me Maybe” as the “Song Played At Every Bar Ad Nauseam For The Next Three Months.” And I’ll probably cringe every time I hear it. But the thing is, for all the ways in which “Gangnam Style” fits the template of smash-hit, mainstream pop fare, it’s also a song that is strikingly self-conscious. While its upbeat sound and genial music video may suggest otherwise, the song actually satirizes the Seoul neighborhood of Gangnam, an area known for its rampant overspending and inherent materialism. Such social commentary is rare for pop music, and especially rare for a Korean pop music culture regarded as even more bubble-gummy than its American counterpart. Of course, the true message of “Gangnam Style” will likely be marginalized by in America, where only the words “AYYY SEXY LADY” are recognizable to its audience. And that’s a shame. Why can’t modern popular music

be both pleasurable to listen to and have a soul, too? Nobody ever said the two things had to be mutually exclusive. I realize that it’s disingenuous for me to say that all modern music is completely bereft of any lasting takeaway. But in a culture that’s very much about instant gratification (ironically, exactly what Psy lampoons), the artists who try to impart some meaning in their music are nonetheless overshadowed by those pandering to the lowest common denominator of listeners. As such, the catchy-yet-thoughtless songs gain mass popularity then fade away when the next one comes along. By all means, let me know if my assessment is wrong. Perhaps “Call Me Maybe” had some deep, underlying message behind the lyrics “Ripped jeans, skin was showin’ / Hot night, wind was blowin’” that I’m totally overlooking. Until then, I’ll be rhythmically tapping my cane to Bob Dylan bootlegs. What are your opinions on pop music? Let Adam know at ajwolf2@wisc.edu, he may even take his dentures out to speak with you.

Madison brewery comes out on top in battle Niko Ivanovic beer columnist

oday’s column brings the conclusion to the Wisconsin Battle of the Breweries, an ambitious taste test battle of seven of the Badger state’s greatest beer crafters. If you missed my last column, here is a quick summary of what the beer battle was all about: New Glarus, Ale Asylum, Central Waters, Tyranena, Leinenkugel’s, O’So and Capital were selected to compete. There were five rounds to the battle. Each round was separated based on beer style, with Amber Lagers, Pale Ales/Single IPAs, Double IPAs, Strong Ales/Barleywines and Porters/Stouts each represented by the brewers. In order to ensure biases could not play a role, the beer tastings were performed while blindfolded, with three judges, including myself, scoring each beer on a scale of zero to five. Finally, each brewer sat out one of the five rounds, so the total score out of four rounds was tallied to determine the ultimate winner.

Last week outlined the winners of the first two rounds: Amber Lagers and Pale Ales. Somewhat surprisingly, the Madison-based Ale Asylum brewery dominated the field, tallying up 24/30 possible points. New Glarus trailed closely in second with 21 points, followed by Capital with 14, Central Waters at 13 and Tyranena 12. O’So and Leinenkugel each sat out one of the opening two rounds, clocking in at seven points each. Despite the drastic spread in points across the field, the final three rounds promised to provide plenty of opportunity for retribution, with three intense, bold and challenging styles on deck. Round 3: Double IPAs The Double India Pale Ale is an invention rooted in excess. As if the overtly-concentrated bitterness of your Standard IPA wasn’t enough, the Double IPA challenges the limits of your taste buds with over-the-top grapefruit and bitter pine flavors. Arising from the twisted minds of the pallet masochists at the forefront of the American craft beer revolution, the style is not for the faint of tongue. With an incredibly balanced, fresh, malty and citrusy mouthfeel, Ale Asylum once again stole the show, this time with their

Round 3

Friday: mostly sunny

Old man faced with new music

An independent student newspaper, serving the University of Wisconsin-Madison community since 1892

tODAY: showers

1. Ale Asylum Satisfaction

Jackson: 13/15 pts 2. Central Waters Illumination: 11/15 pts 3. (tie) Leinenkugel Big Eddy IPA: 11/15 pts 3. (tie) Tyranena Hop Whore: 11/15 pts 5. O’So Hop Whoopin’: 9/15 pts

Round 4

Strong Ales and Barleywines 1. Central Waters Bourbon: 13/15 pts 2. Capital Eisphyre: 12.5/15 pts 3. New Glarus Abt: 12/15 pts 4. Leinenkugel Big Eddy Wee Heavy: 11/15 pts 5. O’So Rusty Red: 9/15 pts

Satisfaction Jackson IPA. However, the rest didn’t fall far behind this time. The impressive Central Waters Illumination, Leinenkugel Big Eddy IPA and Tyranena Hop Whore provided bright flavorful offerings. O’So, however, continued to disappoint with the far-too-thin and maltdeficient Hop Whoopin’ IPA. Round 4: Strong Ales and Barleywines This was arguably the most impressive round of the entire competition. All of these rich, malty and high alcohol beers were phenomenal. With Ale Asylum sitting out the round, Central Waters took over the leadership position with its incredible Bourbon Barrel Aged Barleywine—buttery toffee and bourbon swarm the pallet, followed by a dry raisin and fig finish. New Glarus also bounced back with a great Belgian Quadrupel ale that featured lots of dark fruits, pepper and yeast. Though there was some drastic scoring variation with Leinenkugel’s Big Eddy Wee Heavy, the beer’s complex smoke,

Round 5

Dark Beers, Porters and Stouts 1. (tie) Leinenkugel Big Eddy Imperial Stout: 12.5/15 pts 1. (tie) New Glarus Road Slush Stout: 12.5/15 pts 3. (tie) O’So Night Train Porter: 12/15 pts 3. (tie) Capital Dark Doppelbock: 12/15 pts 5. Tyranena Rocky’s Revenge: 11/15 pts 6. Ale Asylum Contorter Porter: 9/15 pts

chocolate and caramel flavors impressed more then they disappointed. Capital’s Eisphyre was universally praised as a really solid and flavorful doppelbock. Round 5: Dark Beers, Porters and Stouts It all comes down to this: tar black and thick as oil, dark beers can intimidate all of the senses. However, I guarantee that once you become accustomed to the rich and unrelenting flavors that stouts and porters have to offer, the beers can be rewarding in that “oh my God that’s amazing” kind of way that few other styles can ever offer. Going into the final round, New Glarus trailed Ale Asylum by just four points, needing its Road Slush Stout to somehow make up the ground. Thankfully, the beer was incredible, and tied for first with Leinenkugel’s rich, chocolate and dark fruit-infused Big Eddy Stout. But was it enough? Unbelievably, Ale Asylum completely choked on the last round, finishing dead last and putting their first place lead in jeopardy. Yet, by an astoundingly close half of a point margin overall, it managed to hold on for the win and earn the title of Wisconsin’s best brewery. Questions or comments about the Battle of the Breweries? Email Niko at ivanovic@wisc.edu.

Final Standings 1. Aly Asylum: 46/60 pts 2. New Glarus: 45.5/60 pts 3. Leinenkugel’s: 41.5/60 pts 4. Capital: 38.5/60 pts 5. Central Waters: 37.5/60 pts 6. O’So: 37/60 pts 7. Tyranena: 34/60 pts

news

Thursday, October 4, 2012 3

dailycardinal.com

UW-Madison chancellor search officially begins By Cheyenne Langkamp The Daily Cardinal

cardinal file photo

Freakfest organizers expect increased attendance at this year’s annual event, but Madison police are decreasing their presence due to fewer arrests in previous years.

Madison Police move arrest location during Freakfest By Taylor Harvey The Daily Cardinal

Students and other Freakfest attendees will see a different arrest policy at this year’s event in addition to a decreased police presence on State Street, police announced at a city meeting Wednesday. In past years, the Madison Police Department stationed officers at the University Inn and Henry Street by the Overture Center to issue and process arrests. But this year, police said they plan to transport attendees arrested at the event to the CityCounty building, where police

outcry from page 1 ing closures, Mayer pointed out, the university is requiring faculty affected by the event to work off location or take a vacation or personal day. “The UW is penalizing staff (or, at a minimum, dramatically inconveniencing them) for an event that they had no say in organizing or scheduling,” he said in the letter. “That’s wrong.” Additionally, Mayer questioned the way students obtain a ticket for the event, which required visiting the Obama campaign website, entering contact information and a clicking on a button that says ‘I’m in!’ “Having a president visit as an educational public event

registration from page 1 turnout,” Bulovsky said. “We want as many students registered as possible and engaged in the political process.” Director of University Housing Paul Evans said the intention of the policy is to protect students from an invasion of privacy, not to prevent registration. “The idea is that the room is really like your bedroom, it isn’t

will then process citations. The MPD hopes to increase efficiency by transporting arrestees to a single location outside Freakfest grounds instead of having officers staffed at two citation stations within the event area, due to decreased arrests at the event in recent years. The officers formerly staffed at the locations on State Street will now be able to address incidents that occur outside the event’s grounds. According to Ald. Scott Resnick, District 8, the Madison Police Department’s goal is to make student arrests seem like “a more serious offense” by tak-

ing arrestees to the police station to receive a citation. Resnick while said he does not agree with its goal, he understands the MPD’s intentions. “I truly believe students understand that [arrests are serious],” Resnick said. Additionally, fewer police will be on duty due to decreased arrests in recent years, according to Resnick. “We don’t foresee incidents at Freakfest, and due to the general concerns about the budget, there’s no reason to overreact,” Resnick said. “I think the lower ratio of officers [to attendees] reflects that.”

is one thing,” Mayer wrote. “Forcing students to declare their support for a presidential candidate in order to attend the event on campus is quite another.” And Mayer is not alone. UW-Madison Professor Donald Downs called the circumstances surrounding the rally “very questionable.” While Sweeney acknowledged some of the critiques, he said the university will benefit greatly from the exposure to the event. “It’s not a perfect situation,” Sweeney said. “But overall I think the benefits outweigh some of the negatives or the disruptions or issues that some people may raise.”

Downs said when Obama visited UW-Madison just two years ago, then Chancellor Biddy Martin insisted the event not be held on Bascom, and instead moved it to Library Mall. Martin made sure to “symbolically separate the event from the University itself,” according to Downs. As to what role UW-Madison Chancellor David Ward played in planning Thursday’s visit, Sweeney said University officials have been involved in the decision making from the beginning. “We were not on the sidelines,” Sweeney said. “We were in the discussions and in the planning stages before the site selection was finalized.”

like an apartment,” Evans said. “The reason we do not allow outside solicitation is we do not believe that someone should be … inside your home, which is what we think of the hallway as being.” Evans said while the university is willing to explore other options for increased registration, ASM does not have the jurisdiction to overstep university housing policy in this manner.

Also in the meeting, council received a presentation on the Human Resources redesign, which aims to improve university employee recruitment and retainment. Members discussed concerns over the possible impact on university staff and teaching assistants as well as the lack of specifics in the document, and may vote to suggest changes to the plan in a future meeting.

University of Wisconsin System President Kevin Reilly formally charged the Chancellor Search and Screen Committee with finding UW-Madison’s next chancellor in the committee’s first official meeting Wednesday. In the coming months, the 25-member committee will nominate and conduct interviews with national and international candidates to fill the top leadership position at Wisconsin’s flagship university. In March, the committee will recommend five candidates to a special committee of UW System Board regents, as well as Reilly, which will then select the final candidate to present to the full board for appointment in April. According to Reilly, the Board will ideally name the new chancellor this spring and he or she will be in place by July 2013. The CCS committee discussed important qualities to look for in the university’s next chancellor with Reilly and Regents David Walsh, Charles Pruitt, Katherine

Pointer and Regina Millner, who will all sit on the special committee. Reilly said it is important for the next chancellor to acknowledge the need for a “new model” of higher education, due to the recent decline in state funding support for the university. “We need someone who can understand that, and then figure out in that environment getting to know the culture of this place and how to take this place forward,” Reilly said. Regent Walsh said he felt the new chancellor must realize the importance of UW-Madison shared governance, which is the ability of faculty, staff and students to organize and express their collective opinions to administration. “At the end of the day, it comes down to getting along with the team, understanding the faculty, the staff, the labor issues,” Walsh said. Looking forward, the committee will also begin holding open forums to receive input from the campus, community and public at large, as well as draft a position description, subject to Regents approval, to advertise the opening.

grey satterfield/the daily cardinal

Students gather at State Street Brats to watch the first presidential debate between President Barack Obama and Mitt Romney.

Obama, Romney duel in first debate By Adam Wollner The Daily Cardinal

President Barack Obama and Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney sparred over taxes and their plans to turn the economy around Wednesday in the first of three debates leading up to the Nov. 6 election. Throughout the night in Denver, Obama emphasized progress he made during his first term in the White House and warned the nation that his opponent would double down on the policies that sparked the ongoing economic downturn. “The question here tonight is not where we’ve been, but where we are going,” Obama said. However, Romney stressed the need for a change to the status quo, promising to create 12 million new jobs if elected. “We know the path we’re taking is not working,” Romney said. “It’s time for a new path.” Obama repeatedly criticized Romney’s tax plan, which the president said would cut taxes by $5 trillion for the wealthiest Americans, placing a greater burden on the middle class and further increase the federal deficit. “Math, common sense, and our history shows us that’s not a reci-

pe for job growth,” Obama said. But Romney rebutted the President’s statement, saying that while he would not increase taxes on high-income earners, as Obama proposed, he would reduce overall tax rates for individuals and small businesses and pay for it by closing certain loopholes. “I won’t put in place a tax cut that adds to the deficit,” Romney pledged. Obama also defended his signature health care law, the Affordable Care Act, arguing that it will continue to control health care costs while ensuring coverage for tens of millions of Americans. “The irony is, we’ve seen this model work really well–in Massachusetts,” Obama said, referring to the health care law Romney signed as governor of the state. Romney said he would keep in place provisions of the A.C.A. that allow young people to remain on their parents’ insurance until age 26 and force insurance companies to cover pre-existing conditions, but vowed to otherwise replace the law with a cheaper option that grants more power to the states. The next two presidential debates will take place Oct. 16 in New York and Oct. 22 in Florida.

opinion Social media could help end bullying 4

Thursday, October 4, 2012

JON SHAPIRO opinion columnist

chool seminars are devoted to preventing bullying, as is extensive news coverage and several educational films. Still, it persists in spite of all of the condemnation it receives. UW-Madison recently conducted a study in which researchers taught a computer to scan the social networking site Twitter to identify bullying-related tweets. About 15,000 of them were tied to bullying. As seen in many cases today, though bullying used to be a face-to-face encounter, it is now digitized and depersonalized. The thing that keeps most people from bullying, the reason why they don’t terrorize and taunt others at will, is an inability to face their victims. Social networking takes this barrier completely away from the situation and allows for bullying to take place from behind a curtain. In today’s information society—a community ruled by knowledge and ideas moving at incredible speeds—bullying happens in a matter of seconds. Because of the ease at which people can post, tweet or blog about their peers, time for thought is sacrificed and people negligently harass others. But if the bullying that mindlessly takes place over the Internet has this strong of an impact, launching a well-thoughtout online campaign against bullying should have an even stronger impact. Whitney Kropp, a self-described social outcast at her high school in West Branch,

Michigan, was often picked on. As part of a cruel joke, her classmates voted her the sophomore representative for the “class royalty” of her high school. A Facebook support page was subsequently created for the devastated girl, and after the page received over 130,000 “likes,” she decided to remain class representative and embrace her position. Taking the anti-bullying movement in a crowdsourcing direction allows people to band together and move toward a common goal. Popular media should have more of a purpose than discussing the inner workings of the Kardashian family, and social media can be used for much more than live-tweeting a history lecture. Media’s power to influence others and help shape the way people think about given issues is incredible, and it can be used against bullying just as it is used for it. But it would have to be uncensored and done in a relatable way. Cheesy educational films from the 90s don’t cut it, and given that bullying has only recently made national headlines, it seems as though they never have. Real stories from real victims are the only ways for people to realize the real effects of the torment that some kids, as well as adults, endure. In 2011, a documentary film entitled “Bully” was released and was praised as a “wake-up call” for society. However, immediately upon its release, the MPAA slapped it with an R rating, effectively restricting the documentary to only those who are over 17

dailycardinal.com

photo courtesy of facebook

A simple search of the word “bully” on Facebook brings up anti-bullying pages like this one. Many people, even celebrities, discuss the topic and what to do if you are a victim of a bully. years of age, a demographic that has arguably already surpassed some of the most strenuous years of bullying. The reality is that this type of explicit material should be the new tool to educate kids about bullying because personal connections can be made more easily to actual events than to staged ones. But people shy away from the topic because it is not pleasant to dwell upon. Although UW-Madison students rallied against this in April of this year, holding a “Break the Silence” march down State Street, most people don’t want to be inconvenienced by an upsetting issue, so they brush it away. This is how

bullying thrives. With social networking, people can continue to disregard information if they choose, but more people can be made aware of information at a faster rate than ever before. On Facebook, a simple search of the word “bully” directed me to an anti-bullying page that has been around for barely a year, yet already has well over one million “likes”, not to mention the countless number of chain statuses containing anti-bullying sentiments that flood Facebook. But social media statuses and groups are truly just the first step; social networking is merely a way of making people

aware more than anything else. The key to using media to stop bullying is not to spam everyone with fragmented thoughts on the evils of bullying, but to flip the tables on the bullies, to belittle the role of the aggressor. The old stereotype of the jock or bully who makes friends by stepping on others needs to be erased from our minds, or better, kept in our minds as a reminder of how demented that concept is and how that is where our society once was. This is, of course, assuming—hoping—that we eventually dig our way out. Please send all feeback to opinion@dailycardinal.com.

Annoying people on State Street aren’t as bad as you think morgan haefner opinion columnist

kay, I know, we all dislike them. Yes, I’m registered to vote. No, I will not sign up to be saved by the grace of God. Better yet, here’s my silent pass-by. You can’t grab my attention if I’m hiding behind this bulky scarf. For all intents and purposes, I will call them the State Street Solicitors, since they spend their days selling their ideas for a quick glance, an ear to pester and, if they’re lucky, a fullblown conversation. Seeing as modern society contains some of the most selfish humans to walk this Earth, the only clock we pay attention to is the one we wear in our pockets. Giving up any of that clock’s time is the equivalent of forking over a prized possession. In order to avoid losing any second, we funnel ourselves into an efficient, fast-paced, ignorant path once we pass Humanities and venture onto State. Any speck of patience we had disappears instantaneously when we enter the cacophony of, “Do you have a second to help world hunger?” I think that takes longer than a second, bud. Yet those State Street Solicitors patrol the area meticulously for hours on end, devoting all of their precious minutes trying to snatch

a couple of another’s. On Tuesday, an advocate of some “Wisconsin Environment” campaign pulled me aside. I made eye contact with him just long enough for it to be considered completely rude to ignore his efforts. So I “listened,” nodding and ‘mhmming’ for a solid five minutes. And the issues did make complete sense: Yes, it would be economically, politically and environmentally sound to use apples from a near-by apple orchard to stock local school cafeterias. Yes, I fully agree, why ship them from New Zealand when local jobs are needed to sustain the deteriorating farming economy? “And get this! All you have to do is sign up and come out and help us support our cause!” Well shoot, attractive advocate, you just lost me. This is why it is increasingly simple to ignore the State Street Solicitors. They ask and we are unwilling to give, even if it’s simply a listening donation instead of a monetary one. This was my first stop at one of these stands, so I was oblivious of what to expect. What I found, however, was a sense of commitment, confidence and care that was seemingly unscathed by my resistance to hand over a penny. He was just excited to finally relay his message to another pair of ears. It was after a few blocks off I realized that man was no “Solicitor.” He was a “Societor.” The State Street Societors are opposite of selfish. They feel for the greater good and see a future

many pessimists undermine as false hope. In the face of a society that does not want to hear it, they dedicate their personal time, image and self-esteem to preach something that maintains importance to every person hurriedly walking past. They voice what others harbor inside. They are the brave ones, while the rest of us unquestionably accept the

austerities of life. Although it will take some time for anyone, myself included, to truly appreciate the words these people are saying I think it is time to change the image of these advocates from, “Those annoying liberals/conservatives/ Jesus freaks/creepy environmentalists who thrive on lofty ideals,” to, “People who are proud

in what they believe and are the initiators of this ‘change’ everyone agrees we need.” Get inspired by their physical acts of voicing their belief. It’s not always about what’s being said—It’s that someone’s finally saying it. Morgan is a freshman majoring in journalism. Please send all feedback to opinion@dailycardinal.com.

Gameday A production of

Wisconsin Badgers Illinois Fighting Illini

INSIDE

Five things to watch Saturday +page 2 Rosters +page 4

October 6, 2012 Camp Randall Stadium

BADGERS LOOK FOR FIRST BIG TEN WIN

wIL GIBB/Cardinal file photo

Redshirt freshman fullback Derek Watt has successfully made the transition from linebacker to fullback in the eyes of both teammates and coaches.

Watt makes transition appear seamless

laying as a freshman is never easy. With little experience on the field and in the weight room compared to teammates that are competing for playing time, being low on the totem pole on a back-to-back conference champion football team is not an enviable position by any means.

Story by Peter Geppert Combine that with moving positions from defense to offense and the pressure of living up to the name of a brother who was a Second Team AllAmerican defensive end in the same program, and you get Badgers’ redshirt freshmen fullback Derek Watt. Watt, playing in his first full season of eligibility at Wisconsin, is officially listed as a linebacker on the team’s roster. Initially recruited as a threestar linebacker out of Pewaukee High School, the second year player was moved to fullback by head coach Bret Bielema, who recognized an absence following the departure of multi-year starter Brady Ewing. “When we sat and talked, I was kind of surprised, but definitely excited though, because

he told me it would be a way to earn a spot on the field more quickly,” Watt said. “There are a lot of similarities between fullback and linebacker, which has made the transition smoother.” Running backs coach Thomas Hammock admires his progress more than anyone. “It’s been encouraging to see him improve daily,” he said. “He wants to be good. It’s important for him. Obviously he’s got good family blood lines, and he’s continuing that legacy.” Lucky for Watt, he picked one of the easiest offenses for young players in the backfield to adapt to. Wisconsin’s tradition of NFL-caliber offensive linemen and stable of explosive running backs obviously isn’t going to hurt. With for-

mer Heisman finalist and 1,000yard rusher, and a promising young running back in freshman speedster Melvin Gordon, the pressure isn’t there. “It’s good to know that you have guys behind you that can do unbelievable things,” Watt said. “You don’t really have to do anything special. Just get on your guy and let them make you right.”

“Obviously he’s got good family blood lines, and he’s continuing that legacy.”

Thomas Hammock Running Backs Coach Wisconsin Badgers

His success in making the switch to the offensive side of the ball hasn’t just been noticed by his coaches, but has also been noticed by his fellow running backs with his tenacity and never-quit attitude. “He’s made a big transition,” senior running back James

White said. “Moving from linebacker to running back is a totally different world. He knows how defensive players do things though, which has definitely helped.” Watt’s breakout success on the field at the collegiate level has been coupled with an even bigger breakout season by his older brother J.J. Watt at the NFL level. J.J., a defensive lineman for the Houston Texans and former Wisconsin standout during the 2009 and 2010 seasons, leads the league in sacks with 7.5 through four games. Similarities between the two brothers are already starting to emerge, as Derek made a similar kind of switch that J.J. made in a move that fans are already seeing dividends from. “They definitely both work hard each and every day throughout practice,” White said. “They both get in and watch film everyday and try to get better.” Not only has J.J. been a source of inspiration for Derek as he makes his own mark on the Badgers football program, but the older brother has also served as a mentor in making sure that

his younger sibling goes about the game the right way. “He’s always told me to do what you can, put the work in and let your work do the talking,” Watt said. “Don’t be a guy who talks a lot. As long as you do everything it’ll pay off, and it worked for him and hopefully it will do the same things for me.” With J.J. continuing to have success getting to the quarterback at the professional level, and Derek emerging as a preeminent run-blocker at the collegiate level, it’s not unlikely that these two brothers could be facing off somewhere down the line. “We’ll just utilize him more and more as he continues to gain experience,” offensive coordinator Matt Canada said. “Last game we used him in over 20 plays and that will only continue to increase.” “If he keeps progressing the way he is, maybe one day he will get the chance to block [J.J.],” Hammock added. “Week by week he is doing things better than before, which is always encouraging for young players. He’s got a high ceiling.”

gameday

Wisconsin vs. Illinois

dailycardinal.com

12345

Grey Satterfield/The daily cardinal

Five things to watch compiled by Ryan Hill

OFFENSIVE SWAGGER

The Illinois Fighting Illini rank 78th in the country in average points against, allowing 27.8 per clip. Couple that statistic with Wisconsin’s promising offensive effort in the first half at Nebraska last weekend, and we could be in for a point-total that looks more like the ones the offense put up the past couple of years. Illinois gave up 52 points to Louisiana Tech and committed six turnovers in the process two weeks ago at home. They also gave up 35 points to Penn State last week, which doesn’t exactly have a potent offense. If the offensive line holds its ground and allows the Badger backs to run wild, expect a heavy mix of play-action to complement that. Junior wide receiver Jared Abbrederis also looks to be in topnotch form after his seven-catch, 142-yard performance in Lincoln last weekend.

REVAMPED RUN GAME

Junior running back James White and redshirt freshman running back Melvin Gordon combined for just three carries and a net total of zero yards last weekend. Don’t forget that this was just one week after combining for 177 yards rushing against Texas-El Paso.

Granted, senior running back Montee Ball exited that game after just over a quarter of play with signs of a concussion, but the flashiness that Gordon displayed in that game made fans question why he was so limited last week, especially during the second half, when the Badgers racked up only 12 yards on the ground. However, Badgers’ head coach Bret Bielema said there will be a heavier emphasis from the coaching staff in developing a more balanced attack this week during his press conference Monday, so don’t expect the duo of White and Gordon to only combine for three carries in this matchup.

NEW-LOOK KICKING GAME

After true freshman kicker Jack Russell’s misses proved costly last weekend in a 30-27 loss at Nebraska, Wisconsin has given the field goal duties back to redshirt sophomore Kyle French. Russell, a Waunakee, Wis. native, is 0-for-2 on field goal attempts this year, with his misses being from 33 and 44 yards. He converted on 6-of-7 extra point attempts so far this season. He also admitted after the game last Saturday that his nerves may have gotten the best of him, which is understandable considering the Memorial Stadium environment at night. Bielema did say, however, that he would continue to handle kickoffs. French, who hails from Menomonee Falls, Wis., is 3-for-4 on the season. His lone miss was

Stay ahead of the game! Get gameday updates by following the Cardinal Sports desk on Twitter @Cardinal_Sports

a 36-yarder against Utah State.

REBOUND AGAINST SPREAD ATTACK

The Badgers defense slowly crumbled against Nebraska junior quarterback Taylor Martinez and his spread offense last weekend, letting the Cornhuskers to come back from 17 down in just the second half. The Badgers will see another spread attack Saturday, but this time one that is led by junior Nathan Scheelhaase, who doesn’t seem to be as willing to run as Martinez is. Scheelhaase does throw the ball much more often than Martinez, though. He attempted 46 passes—and completed 28 of them—in last week’s loss to Penn State, but also threw two interceptions. Scheelhaase has also been hampered by an ankle injury he suffered in the Illini’s opener, so his running ability may not even be a factor. Wisconsin’s defense fell apart mainly because of Martinez’s ability to run last weekend, so expect Wisconsin to contain the spread offense much better— especially in the second half— Saturday afternoon.

FULL 60-MINUTE EFFORT

Montee Ball appeared to have been running with a bit more edginess towards the beginning of last week’s loss. The offensive line appeared the same way as well. This did lead to a very impressive first-half performance, but it was easy to see that this intensity died down by the time the third quarter rolled around. The players more than understood this, as player after player essentially promised after the game Saturday and this week in practice that the same type of intensity that was evident in the first half against Nebraska is going to span four quarters this weekend. Ball even said they framed the practice on Tuesday to appear like a game. If the Wisconsin Badgers successfully do this, expect the rushing yards to pile up and the play-action to be even more effective Saturday.

gameday

dailycardinal.com

SATURDAY’S BIG GAMES (5) Georgia at (6) South Carolina, 6 p.m.

Wisconsin vs. Illinois B3 l

NATIONAL OUTLOOK

Martinez and Miller duel in Columbus

(4) LSU at (10) Florida, 2:30 p.m. (8) West Virginia at (11) Texas, 6 p.m. (21) Nebraska at (12) Ohio State, 7 p.m.

WEEK FOUR POLLS AP TOP 25 1. Alabama (60) 1500 2. Oregon 1430 3. Florida State 1349 4. LSU 1310 5. Georgia 1252 6. South Carolina 1152 7. Kansas State 1123 8. West Virginia 1066 9. Notre Dame 1043 10. Florida 937 11. Texas 932 12. Ohio State 793 13. USC 703 14. Oregon State 647 15. Clemson 608 15. TCU 608 17. Oklahoma 581 18. Stanford 509 19. Louisville 404 20. Mississippi State 306 21. Nebraska 240 22. Rutgers 160 23. Washington 159 24. Northwestern 143 25. UCLA 122 Dropped from rankings: Michigan State 20, Boise State 24, Baylor 25 Others receiving votes: Cincinnati 72, Boise State 53, Texas A&M 51,

USA TODAY/COACHES 1. Alabama (57) 1472 2. Oregon 1403 3. LUS (1) 1327 4. Florida State (1) 1301 5. Georgia 1227 6. South Carolina 1161 7. West Virginia 1137 8. Kansas State 1050 9. Texas 981 10. Notre Dame 915 11. Florida 883 12. USC 784 13. TCU 749 14. Oklahoma 684 15. Clemson 626 16. Louisville 524 17. Oregon State 453 18. Stanford 452 19. Mississippi State 422 20. Nebraska 415 21. Rutgers 206 22. Northwestern 202 23. Cincinnati 175 24. Texas Tech 108 25. Boise State 83 Dropped from rankings: Michigan State 18, Oklahoma State 22, Wisconsin 23, Baylor 24, Virginia Tech 25 Others receiving votes: Washington 65, Texas A&M 61, UCLA 58

GREY SATTERFIELD/the daily cardinal

Nebraska’s Taylor Martinez and company will be tested in a hostile environment against a tough-minded Ohio State defense. By Rex Sheild The Daily Cardinal

Every game matters at this point in the season, as intense conference match-ups begin to heat up while conference contenders and pretenders try to establish themselves for positioning in the race for the conference crown. All in all, college football fans around the country should be salivating over this week’s slate of games as there will be no shortage of spectacular performances on both sides of the ball. This weekend is ideal for any college football junkie. No. 5 Georgia vs. No. 6 South Carolina If you are looking for a game that features solid offenses and stingy defenses, this Southeastern Conference matchup will not disappoint. Both teams are undefeated and it is the first time in their rivalry that both teams are in the top 10. The key match-up will be Georgia’s high-powered offense, which has scored 40 or more points in five consecutive games and is averaging 48.2 points per game, against the tough-minded South Carolina defense, which has allowed an average of 11.2 points and 77.6 yards on the ground per game. On the flip side, South Carolina’s running back Marcus Lattimore should have a field day as Georgia’s run defense ranks ninth in the SEC. The battle will be won in the trenches for the victor in this SEC clash.

No. 4 LSU vs. No. 10 Florida Both of these squads have combined to win four of the past ten national title games and square off in Gainesville in a top ten match-up, the first time since 2009. LSU has been subpar in its past two games, when it barely squeaked out a 10-7 victory at Auburn, and struggled early against FCS Towson before pulling away in the second half to win 38-22. The Gators will be fully rested coming off of a bye week. Sophomore quarterback Jeff Driskel, who has completed 70 percent of his passes for 698 yards and four touchdowns, and elusive running back Mike Gillislee, who has ran for 402 yards with five touchdowns, and a much-improved offensive line will need to be sharp against a very talented and speedy LSU defense if they hope to pull off the upset. Florida looks to get off to a stronger start in conference play and reverse last year’s winless October stretch of SEC games. No. 8 West Virginia vs. No. 11 Texas West Virginia’s offense has been unstoppable thus far, scoring an insane 53 points-pergame, and is led by star and Heisman Trophy frontrunner quarterback Geno Smith, who threw for video game-type numbers against Baylor last week with 656 yards and eight touchdowns. Both defenses have been

susceptible to big plays, as respective star quarterbacks. West Virginia surrendered nine Both quarterbacks have touchdowns a week ago while kept defenses on their heels, as the Longhorns have given up Nebraska’s junior Taylor Martinez five touchdowns of 44 yards or has racked up 1,357 total yards to longer this season. go along with 14 touchdowns, while Texas sophomore quarter- sophomore Braxton Miller of Ohio back David Ash, who has been State has piled up 1,510 total yards impressive thus far in his own with 15 touchdowns. manner, looks to go toe-to-toe Ohio State’s defense looked very with Smith, as they are stingy in a hard-fought ranked one-two in the victory in East Lansing country in passing effiagainst Michigan State, ciency. as they gave up only 16 The winner of this points and kept star Yards thrown anticipated shootout in Spartans junior runby WVU’s Geno Smith last week Austin will be the early ning back Le’Veon Bell front-runner for the in check. Nebraska was Big 12 conference title. impressive as well last week, as their defensive Nebraska’s Taylor No. 21 Nebraska line took control in the Martinez’s vs. No.12 Ohio State second half by holding total yards this Spread offenses in Wisconsin scoreless for season the Big Ten are few and a majority of the second far between, but the half. The Huskers seem match-up in the Horse to be the early favorite to Shoe between the Huskers and claim the Big Ten crown but Urban Buckeyes will feature two elu- Meyer’s squad is a force to be recksive spread offenses, led by their oned with.

656

1357

Prediction tweets from around the web

gameday

B4 Wisconsin vs. Illinois l

inside the game

the matchup

time/media

Wisconsin Badgers (0-1 Big Ten, 3-2 overall) vs. Illinois Fighting Illini (0-1 Big Ten, 2-3 overall)

Time: 2:30 p.m. TV: ABC/ESPN2 Radio: WIBA (1310 AM, 101.5 FM in Madison); WTMJ (620 AM in Milwaukee); WOKY (920 AM in Milwaukee) with Matt Lepay and Mike Lucas

Series: Illinois leads the all-time series 35-36-7. The teams also played the last Big Ten game tie, 3-3 on Novemeber 25, 1995

DB DB QB DB TE DB QB DB RB DL RB WR DB QB DB STAR QB DB TE WR QB PK/P PK WR QB DB P WR WR WR DB WR DB RB DB DB WR STAR DB DB RB DB WR LB DB WR STAR LB LB WR P PK DB LB LB FB LB LB DL LB

6-0 5-10 6-3 6-1 6-3 5-10 6-4 6-2 6-0 6-5 5-10 6-4 6-3 6-0 6-2 6-3 6-1 6-1 6-6 6-0 6-2 6-2 6-3 5-11 6-1 5-11 6-1 6-2 6-4 6-1 5-11 5-8 5-9 5-10 6-3 5-11 6-2 5-11 5-11 6-0 6-2 5-9 6-2 6-3 6-1 5-10 6-2 5-11 6-2 5-11 6-5 6-0 6-0 6-2 5-11 6-3 6-1 6-1 6-2 6-1

gameday A special publication of

Fall 2012, Issue 3 2142 Vilas Communication Hall 821 University Avenue Madison, Wis., 53706-1497

190 180 195 210 240 180 220 200 220 230 185 200 220 200 210 205 195 180 240 175 215 220 200 185 215 205 190 200 210 200 200 190 180 205 200 195 205 205 195 180 195 180 200 240 195 170 195 220 230 185 215 220 195 240 215 250 230 230 280 235

SR FR JR FR SO SR SO JR SO FR FR FR SR JR SO FR FR FR SO JR SR FR FR JR SR SR SO FR FR SO SR FR SO FR JR FR SR SR SR FR FR JR FR SO FR SO SO FR FR FR SO SO FR JR JR SR SO FR SO JR

46 48 49 52 52 53 54 55 56 58 59 60 61 64 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 78 80 81 83 83 84 85 85 86 87 87 88 89 90 91 93 94 95 97 98 99

Pederson, Zak Dickinson, Henry Hirth, Zach Hill, Alex Neal, T.J. Klachko, Ryan Staples, Justin Boles, Chris Afryl, Shawn Nelson, Kenny Kynard, Tim Durkin, Tony Sands, Tyler Bain, Robbie McDowell, Scott Feldmeyer, Jake Cvijanovic, Simon Karras, Ted Lewis, Corey Spencer, Joe Thornton, Hugh O’Connor, Chris Heitz, Michael Flavin, Pat Pocic, Graham Nowicki, Ryan Harris, Spencer Doxy, Cedric Viliunas, Eddie VanMieghem, Brennen Hardee, Justin Martin, Michael Lukas, Tim Russell, Tim Stroup, Garrett Rhodes, Daniel Lattimore, Justin Wilson, Evan Woods, DeJazz Foster, Glenn Powell, Teko Spence, Akeem Howe, Jake Williams, Vontrell Valentine, John Buchanan, Michael

LS LB LS OL LB OL DL OL OL DL DL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL WR WR TE PK WR LS WR TE P DL TE TE DL DL DL DL DL DL DL DL

News and Editorial 608-262-8000 fax 608-262-8100 edit@dailycardinal.com gameday@dailycardinal.com l

Editor in Chief Managing Editor Gameday Editors Sports Editors Photo Editors Graphics Editors Copy Chiefs

Scott Girard Alex DiTullio Rex Sheild Ryan Hill Vince Huth Matt Masterson Stephanie Daher Grey Satterfield Angel Lee Dylan Moriarty Molly Hayman, Haley Henschel, Mara Jezior, Dan Sparks

6-2 6-4 6-4 6-3 6-1 6-4 6-4 6-4 6-3 6-6 6-3 6-3 6-5 6-3 6-5 6-4 6-5 6-4 6-6 6-4 6-5 6-5 6-5 6-7 6-7 6-5 6-3 6-1 6-4 6-2 6-1 6-4 6-4 6-6 5-11 6-3 6-3 6-6 6-3 6-4 6-3 6-1 6-3 6-4 6-5 6-6

noteworthy

Wisconsin’s Bret Bielema (Seventh year as head coach: 64-21) and Illinois’ Tim Beckman (First year as head coach: 2-3)

The Badgers have gone 24-7 in their remaining conference games over the last five seasons following their first conference road loss

team roster

Hawthorne, Terry Bentley, V’Angelo Scheelhaase, Nathan Barton, Taylor Davis, Jon Nixon-Youman, Patrick O’Toole, Reilly Hull, Steve Young, Donovonn Caldwell, Darius Ferguson, Josh Daniels, Hayden Sanni, Supo Osei, Miles Thomas, Earnest Bello, B.J. Haslett, Chase Little, Jevaris LaCosse, Matt Lankford, Ryan McGushin, Sean Frain, Ryan Zalewski, Taylor Millines, Darius Nudera, James Davis, Tommy DuVernois, Justin Whitlow, Jeremey Knight, Kenny Rock, Fritz Ramsey, Jack Church, Devin Forzley, Nick Ayoola, Dami Mathis, Ben Lugo, Nelson Hallendorff, James Williams, Ashante Green, Justin Spence, Eaton Walls, LaKeith Mitchell, Kaeman Bonahoom, Peter Bates, Houston North, Nick Poole, Leslie Quintana, Daniel Grimes, Zepheniah Svetina, Mike Kwaaning, Davontay Janitz, Brad Immekus, Nick Abner, Austin Robinson, Nejee Sullivan, Beau Becker, Zach Cooper, Ralph Monheim, Mason Teitsma, Austin Brown, Jonathan

coaches

Wisconsin Badgers

Illinois Fighting Illini 01 02 02 03 03 04 04 05 05 06 06 07 07 08 09 10 10 11 11 12 13 13 14 15 17 17 18 18 19 20 21 21 22 22 23 24 24 25 26 27 28 29 29 30 31 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 37 39 40 41 42 43 44 45

dailycardinal.com

230 215 200 325 230 305 240 325 310 245 260 280 300 290 290 295 295 300 310 290 310 275 305 280 310 290 195 170 255 190 190 210 200 225 190 290 225 250 255 280 295 305 295 300 250 250

01 Jordan, A.J. WR 6-0 02 Stave, Joel QB 6-5 03 Doe, Kenzel WR 5-8 04 Abbrederis, Jared WR 6-2 04 Budmayr, Jon QB 6-0 05 Hillary, Darius DB 5-11 06 O’Brien, Danny QB 6-3 07 Barker, Ross WR 6-0 07 Caputo, Michael DB 6-1 08 Williams, Isiah WR 6-1 09 Fredrick, Jordan WR 6-3 09 Knox, Chase QB 6-1 10 Phillips, Curt QB 6-3 10 Smith, Devin DB 5-11 11 Gilbert, David DL 6-4 6-2 12 Salerno, Matt P 12 Southward, Dezmen DB 6-2 13 Houston, Bart QB 6-4 13 O’Neill, Conor LB 6-0 14 Cromartie, Marcus DB 6-1 14 Hammon, Nate DB 6-1 15 Armstrong, Thad QB 6-5 15 Duckworth, Jeff WR 6-0 16 Rust, Clay QB 6-5 16 Love, Reggie WR 6-3 6-0 17 Russell, Jack K 17 Fenton, A.J. LB 6-1 18 Ogunbowale, Dare DB 5-11 18 Baretz, Lance WR 5-11 19 Etienne, Hugs DB 5-11 19 Schobert, Joe DB 6-2 20 White, James RB 5-10 21 Jean, Peniel DB 5-11 22 Feaster, Darius DB 5-11 22 Lewis, Jeffrey RB 6-2 23 Jackson, Vonte RB 6-0 23 Ponio, Jerry DB 6-1 24 Johnson, Shelton DB 6-0 25 Gordon, Melvin RB 6-1 26 Straus, Derek RB 6-0 26 Mitchell, Reggie DB 6-0 RB 5-11 27 Zuleger, Kyle RB 5-11 28 Ball, Montee ATH 5-10 28 Musso, Leo DB 5-10 29 Floyd, Terrance LB 5-11 30 Landisch, Derek WR 6-0 30 Erickson, Alex WR 6-1 31 Cummins, Connor LB 5-11 31 Peprah, Josh FB 6-2 34 Watt, Derek LB 6-2 36 Armstrong, Ethan 37 MacCudden, Kevin FB 5-11 TE 6-3 38 Steffes, Eric DL 6-3 41 Hayes, Jesse TE 6-5 42 Walker, Alex DB 6-0 43 Trotter, Michael LB 5-11 44 Borland, Chris DL 6-3 45 Herring, Warren TE 6-3 46 Traylor, Austin LB 6-2 46 Rademacher, Jake

SR SO FR SO FR FR SR FR SO FR JR FR SR FR FR JR SO FR SR FR SR FR SO FR SR FR JR FR SR FR FR FR JR JR FR FR JR JR SO SR FR JR SO FR FR SR

Business and Advertising 608-262-8000 fax 608-262-8100 business@dailycardinal.com

180 219 170 188 195 190 223 185 210 200 215 191 214 186 250 184 213 217 220 192 200 195 200 193 206 162 220 175 194 168 205 197 190 208 210 196 202 196 206 228 177 186 215 193 200 230 197 193 215 227 232 207 244 237 218 209 242 278 233 225

So./Fr. So./Fr. So./So. Sr./Jr. Sr./Jr. So./Fr. Sr./Jr. Fr./Fr. So./Fr. Jr./So. So./Fr. Fr./Fr. 5th/Sr. 5th/Sr. Sr./Jr. Fr./Fr. Sr./Jr. Fr./Fr. Sr./Jr. Sr./Jr. Fr./Fr. Fr./Fr. Jr./So. Fr./Fr. Fr./Fr. Fr./Fr. Sr./Jr. Fr./Fr. Sr./Jr. Fr./Fr. Fr./Fr. Jr./Jr. Jr./So. Sr./Jr. Jr./So. Fr./Fr. Sr./Jr. 5th/Sr. So./Fr. So./Fr. Fr./Fr. Sr./Jr. Sr./Sr. Fr./Fr. So./Fr. So./So. Fr./Fr. Jr./So. Sr./Jr. So./Fr. Sr./Jr. So./So. Fr./Fr. So./Fr. Fr./Fr. Jr./So. Sr./Jr. Jr./So. So./Fr. Fr./Fr.

LB 47 Biegel, Vince TE 48 Pederson, Jacob TE 49 Arneson, Sam DL 50 Harrison, Josh DL 51 Dippel, Tyler LB 52 Hill, Nick LB 53 Taylor, Mike LB 54 Costigan, Kyle OL 55 McNamara, Joseph OL 55 Denlinger, Trent DE 56 McGuire, James LS 56 Kodanko, Riki OL 57 Meador, Jake LB 57 Ruechel, Ben DL 58 Ninneman, Jacob OL 58 Wagner, Rick LB 59 Trotter, Marcus LS 60 Udelhoven, Connor OL 61 Marz, Tyler OL 62 Williams, Walker OL 64 Burge, Robert OL 65 Coon, Jonathan DE 68 Schmidt, Logan OL 70 Voltz, Dan OL 71 Ball, Ray OL 72 Frederick, Travis OL 73 Lewallen, Dallas DL 74 Zagzebski, Konrad OL 75 Matthias, Zac DL 76 Goldberg, Arthur DL 77 Gilbert, Bryce OL 78 Havenstein, Rob OL 79 Groy, Ryan TE 81 DeCicco, Brock WR 82 Stengel, Jake TE 84 Maly, Austin TE 85 Wozniak, Brian FB 86 Cadogan, Sherard WR 87 Mason, Marquis DL 87 Hemer, Ethan WR 89 Hammond, Chase 90 Prell, Matt TE P 90 Meyer, Drew P 91 Nethery, Brett DL 92 Muldoon, Pat LB 93 Keefer, Jake K 94 French, Kyle K 96 Salata, Stephen DL 96 Allen, Beau DL 97 Kelly, Brendan DL 99 Adeyanju, James

6-3 6-4 6-4 6-0 6-4 6-2 6-2 6-4 6-1 6-6 6-9 6-1 6-7 6-1 6-1 6-6 6-0 6-0 6-7 6-7 6-7 6-7 6-5 6-4 6-7 6-4 6-6 6-3 6-5 6-3 6-1 6-8 6-5 6-5 6-3 6-5 6-4 6-3 6-4 6-6 6-5 6-5 6-2 6-2 6-3 6-3 6-1 6-1 6-3 6-6 6-2

225 237 257 230 262 218 224 313 312 271 208 208 341 227 284 317 229 222 314 313 323 312 266 301 327 338 309 263 320 286 307 342 318 246 196 232 256 232 226 319 216 200 179 200 258 249 193 185 335 258 244

Fr./Fr. Sr./Jr. So./So. Jr./So. Sr./Jr. Sr./Jr. 5th/Sr. Jr./So. Jr./So. Fr./Fr. Jr./So. Jr./So. Fr./Fr. Jr./So. Jr./So. 5th/Sr. Jr./So. Fr./Fr. So./Fr. Fr./Fr. 5th/Sr. So./Fr. Fr./Fr. Fr./Fr. So./Fr. Sr./Jr. Jr./So. Jr./So. Sr./Jr. Fr./Fr. Jr./So. Jr./So. Sr./Jr. Sr./Jr. So./Fr. So./Fr. Sr./Jr. Jr./So. Jr./So. Sr./Jr. Jr./So. Fr./Fr. So./Fr. Fr./Fr. Jr./So. So./Fr. So./Fr. So./Fr. Jr./Jr. 5th/Sr. So./Fr.

Business Manager Advertising Manager Senior Account Executives

Emily Rosenbaum Nick Bruno Jade Likely Philip Aciman Account Executives Dennis Lee, Chelsea Chrouser Emily Coleman, Joy Shin Erin Aubrey, Zach Kelly Web Director

Eric Harris

© 2012, The Daily Cardinal Media Corporation ISSN 0011-5398 GameDay is a publication of The Daily Cardinal. Each reader is entitled to one complimentary copy. Any additional copies must be picked up at the Cardinal offices, 2142 Vilas Communication Hall. The Cardinal is a nonprofit organization run by its staff members and elected editors. It receives no funds from the university. Operating revenue is generated from advertising and subscription sales.

Capital Newspapers Inc., is the Cardinal’s printer. The Daily Cardinal is printed on recycled paper. The Cardinal is a member of the Associated Collegiate Press and the Wisconsin Newspaper Association. All copy, photographs and graphics appearing in The Daily Cardinal are the sole property of the Cardinal and may not be reproduced without specific written permission of the editor in chief.

What is at stake for our generation in this upcoming election? Tell The Daily Cardinal in 1,000 words and you can win $1,000! email your response to edit@dailycardinal.com by Oct. 20

comics

6 • Thursday, October 4, 2012

Today’s Sudoku

Meeting the president

Evil Bird

The president gives hope. Barack Obama repaid his student loan only four years ago after signing his book deal. dailycardinal.com

By Caitlin Kirihara kirihara@wisc.edu

Eatin’ Cake

By Dylan Moriarty www.EatinCake.com

Caved In

By Nick Kryshak nkryshak@wisc.edu

Solution, tips and computer program available at www.sudoku.com.

Fill in the grid so that every row, every column and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 through 9.

Today’s Crossword Puzzle

Answer key available at www.dailycardinal.com

THE TIMES OF OUR LIVES ACROSS 1 There for all to see 6 It may be found in a stew 11 Dip, as bread in gravy 14 April form submitter 15 Nautical direction 16 Dos Passos trilogy 17 Fit well 19 Start for “day” or “wife” 20 Maligned 21 Covered with hoarfrost 23 Say the same thing again 26 Diluted 27 Boots from school 28 Room for receiving 30 Round Table sitters 31 Played in Vegas 32 Hammett’s Spade 35 Winner of “The Thrilla in Manila” 36 Annual quartet that’s this puzzle’s theme 38 Slam dunk point count 39 Hankering 40 They might be checkered 41 Vegan’s staple

42 Professional obi wearer 44 Beaded device 46 Without risk 48 One way to stare 49 Warbler’s sound 50 Not straight 52 Tree-ring indication 53 Olympics segment 58 TV control (Abbr.) 59 Fields of study 60 A Muse 61 Bring to a conclusion 62 Demonstrates disinterest 63 Israeli hero Moshe DOWN 1 Not working 2 Routing term 3 Hockey stick shape 4 Connects emotionally 5 Like the council on “Survivor” 6 Time-___ photography 7 Competent 8 Lifeless 9 Fond du ___, Wis. 10 Birthstones for Mother’s Day babies 11 Certain theater productions 12 Wickerwork willow 13 Rice field 18 Banana split tidbits 22 “Who am ___ judge?” 23 Express anew

24 Deposed leader’s fate 25 Homer’s city 26 Insect-eating songbird 28 It’s sometimes served primavera 29 One with a cookie fortune 31 Nasty cut 33 Bad and then some 34 Terribly timid 36 Surplus-water passage 37 Like a Monday crossword 41 Brassy blast 43 Electrified swimmer? 44 Old apple application 45 Damaged, as a car (with “up”) 46 ___ off (forestall) 47 Most common inert gas in the atmosphere 48 Bestow goodwill 50 From scratch 51 ___ “the Man” Musial 54 William Roth’s legacy 55 Spring month 56 Letter from Greece? 57 Wright’s “Native ___”

lassic in Twenty First

By Steven Wishau wishau@wisc.edu

By Angel Lee alee23@wisc.edu

By Melanie Shibley shibley@wisc.edu

arts

dailycardinal.com

Thursday, October 4, 2012 7 l

‘Basterds’ broke the WWII movie format Austin Wellens all’s Well-ens well

photo courtesy of colorphase

Colorphase can rock the house party just as easily as they can rock the bar, with a sound that will make even the most experienced musicians do a double take.

Colorphase ready to rock out at the Rigby By Jeremy Gartzke the daily cardinal

Dreads and a faded baseball T-shirt for the bass player, a long board to match the drummer's long hair, a stoic female vocalist and a slightly jaded but mostly optimistic guitarist. This is the Madison staple band Colorphase. A fusion of just about every musical style from the late ’60s to the early ’00s, this band looks to win people over with its diverse sound. Bassist Lexi, guitarist JJ, vocalist V—short for Vanessa—and drummer Austin Ash comprise the collective known as Colorphase, the kind of band that could be expected to show up to an interview in a coffee shop that also serves beer. “The name is really less of a meaning and more of a feeling,” Lexi said. “Music is

The Skinny Who: Colorphase, Lazydeadpoet and The Dirty Pigeons Where: The Rigby Pub, 119 E. Main St. When: Oct. 5th, 9 p.m. Cost: $5 Why you should care: These local rockers put on one heck of a show and they want to give you a reason to come out and see them again.

Check this out before you go: Colorphase’s Facebook page has three tracks available, six if you like their page. Lazydeadpoet has five tracks plus a live cut of “Walkin’ Blues,” all available for download on his Facebook page. The Dirty Pigeons also have five tracks available on their webiste, dirtypigeonsmusic.com.

about collaboration. Bringing all of these artists together is what Colorphase is all about.” The band is currently mixing its second record, titled Phase 2, the followup to their debut EP V2. This record was a lot more focused on the studio process, but they still tried to capture their live energy.

“We go out of our way to make sure that we’re giving everything the audience everything we’ve got.” Austin Ash drummer Colorphase

“We usually do the drums, guitar and bass live, and then go back and add vocals and overdubs,” JJ said. We try to make sure that we've got that tight take with the live sound before we go in and add anything else.” “When you think about it, in the current music scene, you plan to give your record away as an advertisement for your live show,” Ash said. “You want to convince people that you're worth seeing, but you also want to give them something they'll want to listen to at home.” This Friday's show at The Rigby, 21+ due to liquor license requirements, promises to be a wild time, with great bar specials and music of all genres. The band's Facebook page features some of the cuts from V2, and they are quite impressive. Their kind of sound is one that isn't as present in the local scene, and it has led to some interesting shows for the band. “We've been paired up with metal bands, where we're the quietest band on the bill, and we've also played with bands where we've been the loudest band on the bill,” Lexi said. “It's not that we're super heavy, but we're also not quiet. We've got a unique sound,” JJ said. The band will be the heaviest one on the bill Friday night, however.

“We've really got something for everyone,” Lexi said. “People just get f****d up and have fun, and we like to help facilitate that.” “Music isn't a verbal language, it's what humans can respond to on the most basic level,” said JJ. “If you're making music thinking about what other people are going to think, it's going to not be true. You've got to write from the heart.” “We’ve definitely got a vibe we’re going for with Colorphase,” Lexi said. “We try to rotate who is showcased in each song so that we’re not all doing crazy s**t all at once.” The band's most successful live song, “Run Run Run,” has also had a music video recorded for it, with local filmmaker Jeremy Hach. The song features local MC Roc, and has been a crossover hit at shows where the band is lesser-known. “We went big on it, it's got a storyline,” said Lexi. The band was also nominated for two Madison Area Music Awards this year. One for Best Rock Album and a second for best Rock Performance. But the band remains humble. They just want to go out and entertain people. “People should expect to have fun at a Colorphase show,” Ash said. “We go out of our way to make sure that we’re giving the audience everything we’ve got.” The band makes it a point to play as often as they can, but they want to reach out to the student population. “We'll even play house parties. We just like to have a good time,” said Lexi. She even mentioned something about buying a keg. Always a party, it’s worth making your way down to check out Colorphase and come early to hear Lazydeadpoet and The Dirty Pigeons. Joining Colorphase on the bill Friday night is local blues guitarist Lazydeadpoet, Thomas Skibsrud, and The Dirty Pigeons out of Chicago. The cover is $5 and the show starts at 9 p.m.

merica has a thing about war movies. Specifically, World War II movies. And it’s at least understandable, if not totally defensible. It’s really the last time we can be said to have been objectively, totally “the good guys;” it’s what made us a world power, and it was far enough away that we could easily romanticize it while still being connected to it, envisioning our soldiers as tragic heroes while making “the enemy” into borderline comic book villains. Remember that, it’ll be important later. The Vietnam War doesn’t get the same treatment. This is most likely becausefor one the media had grown to the point where images from the battlefield could be sent directly to people’s homes, grounding our view of the war firmly in reality. Two, America really, really did not handle anything about Vietnam well. This is why WWII gets films like “Saving Private Ryan” and “Patton” Vietnam gets “Apocalypse Now” and “Platoon.” They’re dark, violent, brutally honest, realistic and they reflect our collective feelings about their subject. American films focusing on the War to End All Wars: Part Two, however, remain more or less free of the cynicism and, if I may humbly offer, sense of reality that films focused on other wars are marked by. The two I mentioned earlier, which manage to examine both the very grey and gray morality of fighting a war (“Patton”) and the actual horror and chaos of a battle (“Saving Private Ryan”) still end up casting a very rosy light on the whole idea of war. The men in these movies are still noble and heroic, just decent working men caught up in something greater than themselves, and they’re still unambiguously the good guys. And for every even-tempered, complex film like these two, we get another three like “Flags of Our Fathers” or “Letters From Iwo Jima,” which aren’t exactly shy or subtle in romanticizing the idea of war. This needs to stop. Not only do I think it makes for boring cinema, but it isn’t healthy for our collective psyche. It’s like the high school quarterback who still thinks he’s Prom King, despite his beer gut and rapidly-receding hairline. Yes, we did a great thing in not letting Nazis take over the world, but eventually, at least cinematically, we need to move on. Now, until recently all I would’ve had to support my argument was my ranting about desensitizing ourselves to violence, living in and romanticizing the past and generally being bored with the topic. However, I believe that we can now say, decisively, that we can stop making World War II movies now. And it’s all thanks to Quentin Tarantino’s “Inglourious Basterds.” SPOILER ALERT: It’s my firm belief that this film um…broke

World War II movies. Forever. It completely deconstructed the genre, turned it on itself, put it back together and did it so seamlessly that you hardly even notice what it’s doing until well after it’s over. So remember that whole “borderline comic villain” thing from earlier? Yeah, the first time we see Hitler in the film, it is in a cavernous, brightly-lit and cartoonishlycolored room featuring a giant effigy of the man himself in the background. Also, he’s wearing a cape. He (nearly literally) is presented as a supervillain. Which, granted, he almost was in real life, but he was still only a man. Now, this black and white, simplistic take on the morality of war is subverted by nearly every other character in the film (Christoph Waltz’s character might be the only exception). The one German character we really get to know is portrayed as a more or less nice guy. Nazism aside, there are a few quick moments that humanize the Germans in the war (“Most German soldiers are [somebody’s son]”), and all the protagonists of the film, from Shoshanna to the Basterds, are borderline sociopaths. From Head Basterd Aldo Raine’s initial, Patton-esque speech about how “Nazis ain’t got no humanity” on, he and his men both serve as a parody of our frequently simplistic and dehumanized views of war, and subvert it by massacring soldiers in cold blood. Frequently with a smile on their faces, arguably becoming just as bad as the evil they’re fighting.

It’s my firm belief that this film, um... broke, World War II movies.

These two competing presentations of war’s morality collide violently in the climax of the film, where a theater full of Nazis cheers a German war film in which their war hero is slaughtering countless, faceless American soldiers. Suddenly, our American war heroes burst into the theater and begin mercilessly gunning down all of the nazis, including Hitler and his posse. And we, as the audience, stand up and cheer. And just like that, Tarantino totally broke World War II films by making it. It’s the movie that perfectly breaks down our attitude towards a defining event in our nation’s history. It’s the movie that gives us our supervillain view of “the bad guy,” before smashing it, violently and bloodily, with a messier, less comfortable but ultimately more realistic view of our past, laying it to rest and allowing us to move on. It’s also the movie that shot Hitler in the face with a machine gun. So...where do we go from there? Do you think that the Nazis deserve more film treatment? Is Austin just completely off base? Do you know of an optimistic movie about Vietnam? Let him know at wellens@wisc.edu.

Sports

THURSday October 4, 2012 DailyCardinal.com

MLB postseason set for unpredictable ride

Football

ted porath the ’rath

grey satterfield/the daily cardinal

Wisconsin’s defense has not gotten its hands on too many footballs this season. The unit forced two turnovers against Nebraska after forcing just one through the first four weeks.

Tempo key for defense Badgers look to throw off Illinois’ no-huddle offense By Brett Bachman the daily cardinal

Just five days after Nebraska’s second-half comeback left the Badgers reeling, Wisconsin is looking to regain some of the bravado that put it on the map as a perennial Big Ten contender and catapulted it to two consecutive Rose Bowl Games. Twenty unanswered points in the last 25 minutes of a game isn’t the ideal place to start development, but with seven games left in the season, it’s certainly no place to stop. Defense has been Wisconsin’s saving grace this season, the only facet of its game that is ranked in the top 95 in the nation—though sitting at 35th with 20.2 points allowed per game is nowhere near perfect. Improvement is the word of the week for the Badgers, who return home to face Illinois in their first game Big Ten game against a Leaders Division opponent. “Obviously right after a loss, naturally you want to be mad, sad or angry about it,” said redshirt sophomore safety Michael Trotter. “One thing the coaches are stressing to us is not to hang our heads.”

One of the big storylines last Saturday was the way Nebraska dominated time of possession in the second half. It was very similar to the way theFighting Illini have held the ball for long stretches this year, averaging nearly six more minutes of possession per game than their opponents. “Illinois likes to use the nohuddle, kind of slow-tempo, run-the-clock-down offense.” Trotter said. With the defensive unit on the field for a better part of the second half last week in Lincoln, the Badger ‘D’ needs to establish a tempo early on to have success against a meticulous Illini offense. Building momentum by creating turnovers is the best way to accomplish this, according to co-defensive coordinator Charlie Partridge. “Last week we finally got a couple,” Partridge said. “Really, [maintaining tempo] is just a matter of ending drives on defense.” Wisconsin looks poised to do just that. With the projected return from injury of two experienced defensive linemen—redshirt junior Pat Muldoon and

redshirt senior Brendan Kelly— the defensive front looks to come out with a vengeance Saturday. Those comebacks are in addition to the hopeful return of redshirt senior safety Shelton Johnson, who left the game against Oregon State with a broken arm just four weeks ago. The safety has been practicing this week. “We’re being smart in terms of his amount of contact,” Partridge said. “I think there’s a good chance he’ll play Saturday.” Partridge maintains, however, “how much [Johnson] plays, or even if he plays will be a Saturday decision.” As of this week Wisconsin is one of two teams left in the nation without an interception, joining South Florida on that short list. And while the loss at Nebraska was certainly heartbreaking for the Badgers, all is not yet lost. “You can see when you walk into the locker room guys are still joking around, having fun.” Trotter said. “We’re going to do the best we can, but we’re going to have fun and enjoy it as well. The rest will take care of itself.”

The Daily Cardinal’s Sports Tweets of the Week: 9/27-10/3 We spend an inordinate amount of time on Twitter, so we’ve decided to justify that wasted time by compiling the top three tweets from each week. They might be funny, they might be motivational and they might be none of the above, but as long as the tweets come from a past or current Badger player or coach, they pass the only prerequisite to make our list.

What do you think of this week’s top tweets? Is there another 140-character dispatch of goodness that should replace one of the tweets on this list? Tweet at us @Cardinal_Sports with your favorite tweets!

f you’re in the playoffs, then you’ve got a shot. This is the motto for a lot of teams and their fans heading into the MLB postseason. Just ask the St. Louis Cardinals from last year, who made a miraculous run just to sneak into the NL Wild Card spot and rode that hot streak all the way to the franchise’s 11th World Series Championship. Just get in, and anything is possible. That expression couldn’t possibly hold any more water than it does for the 2012 Postseason. With changes to the postseason format and the parity of all the playoff-contending teams, the 2012 Postseason could shape up to be one of the most unpredictable Major League Baseball has ever seen. First of all, a second wild card team has been added to both leagues. The two wild card teams in each league will have a one-game playoff to decide who gets to play the No. 1 seed in each league. The inclusion of more quality baseball teams can only make the prospect of selecting a favorite to win it all even more difficult. This rule also further increases the possibility of another hot team, like last year’s Cardinals, getting into the playoffs and running the table. There is another formatting change to this year’s postseason that complicates matters and should also make fans of the No. 1 and 2 seeds in both leagues confused and frustrated. Instead of the normal 2-2-1 format of the Division Series, this year both the ALDS and the NLDS will have a 2-3 format. Because of scheduling conflicts that have to do with the wild card play-in game, both of the higher-seeded teams will have to play on the road in the first two games of the Divisional Series. The final three games of the series—the fourth and fifth only if necessary—will be played at the higher-seeded team’s ballpark. Many of you are probably saying, “That does not seem like much of a home-field advantage.” You bet it’s not. If you think about it, the setup really favors the lower-seeded team. The lower-seeded team gets to open up the series in front of its energized fans, which will be even more raucous if it was a wild card team that won the play-in game the day before. If that team holds serve and wins the first two games at home, then all it has to do is win one out of the three games on the road. To anybody, it should seem like the lower-seeded team has the advantage. The higher-seeded team not having a home-field advantage gives the underdogs more of a shot and makes this postseason all the more unpredictable. A final factor that makes this year’s playoffs seem more like a free-for-all is the fact that there are no clear-cut favorites. While the AL’s postseason teams include the two that have represented the league in the World Series the past three years, the Yankees and the Rangers, these teams have surrendered

double-digit game leads in their respective divisions. By the time you are reading this Thursday, you will know what happened between the Yankees and the Orioles—there might even be a 163rd game to decide who wins the AL East, making this postseason even more wild. But the fact that a perennial powerhouse like New York has to fight tooth and nail to hold off an upstart Orioles squad gives you a clue to how surprising this postseason could be. Heck, even the lowbudget Oakland Athletics were able to dethrone the two-time defending American League Champion Texas Rangers to win the AL West after being down 13 games in July. Teams like the Orioles and the Athletics making the playoffs already makes this postseason one of the most unpredictable the MLB has ever seen. The National League is no different. While each division race in the NL has been decided, the division winners should be concerned about playing either NL Wild Card team. The first wild card team, the Atlanta Braves, is playing its best baseball of the year right now. With the emergence of Kris Medlen as an ace starter, the Braves might have the best pitching staff in baseball. The second NL Wild Card team just happens to be the defending champion St. Louis Cardinals, who no one should be underestimating at this point.

Regular season wins

MLB Wild Card teams, 2008-’12 T-1. Boston Red Sox (2008) T-1. Boston Red Sox (2009) T-1. New York Yankees (2010) 4. Atlanta Braves (2012) T-5. Texas Rangers (2012) T-5. Baltimore Orioles (2012) 12. St. Louis Cardinals (2012)

95 95 95 *94 *93 *93 *88

*Earned one of two league Wild Card spots

Even though this year’s postseason is going to be a mass freefor-all, it is something that is good for baseball. This year there are more fan bases included in the playoffs, and each of them can legitimately say it has a chance at a World Series title. This postseason will also see postseason baseball back on the Beltway—more specifically, Washington, D.C. It seems only fitting to have postseason baseball being played in our nation’s capital. Bringing a passion for postseason baseball to more cities around America, including D.C., is ultimately something that is good for Major League Baseball and its fans. While all this unpredictability will make being a fan of one of these teams all the more stressful, it will definitely make watching the postseason all the more enjoyable for the rest of us. How do you think this year’s MLB postseason will play out? Do you think the top seeds will fare in the Divisional Series? Email Ted at sports@dailycardinal.com to let him know what you think.