Wisconsin fans a just a lot different from Minnesota fans. Look at the Bank-One
hockey tourament around New Years - it's almost always a sell out (aprox. 18K
fans) and Minnesota's year end tourament - with excellent teams this year
(Minn, LSS, Maine)- had only 5K in the final according to the reports here on
Hockey-L.
I lived in Northern Wisconsin for many years and it was a lot  easier to go see
the Badgers play in Minnesota than it was in Madison. We tried to get season
tickets in Madison and they have stopped even taking names for the waiting list
and they have double the season tickets because they split Friday and Saturday
nights
.
I remember when we lived in Connecticut and they had the final 4 in Providence
(1980?) and Badger fans just filled the arena - ESPN kept reminding viewers
that it wasn't in Madison just because the stands were filled with Badger fans.
I believe the Governor even gave the Badgers a "best Fans" trophy. Coach Parker
from BU when asked later about that Tourament (BU played BC) in the finals -
said the biggest thing he remembered was getting no sleep because the Badger
fans stayed up all night yelling "We're number 4"- Wisconsin lost both games of
the tourament (They still played consolation back then).
 
It's not limited to hockey - I was lucky enough to see the Badgers in the Rose
Bowl (that other sport) this year and got to see about 80K badger fans pack the
statium. The fact that they almost all wear Red makes them easy to spot.  From
reports I heard, it was approx. 40K people coming from Wisconsin and about 40K
were Badger fans now living in the West.
 
Minnesota has an excellent progam and some great fans (where would Hockey-L be
without Erik and Carol) but they don't usually fill the stands and travel like
Badger fans do.
 
It must be the state's differences (German heritage vs Norwegian?) because the
same thing happens with Pro football. Packer tickets are impossible to get and
I could always get to see the Packers when they went to Minnesota to play.
 
Please take no offence with these comments; they are just observations from
experiences I've had and are in no way intended to take anything away from the
Minnesota hockey program or their fans. I just think Wisconsin fans are fairly
unique in their numbers and support for their teams.
 
Ed Priest
A Badger fan waiting for the final 4 to come to California - although if the
Badger make it to St. Paul either myself or my wife will be there.