[bright music]
- 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]
[group chants "Bucky!"]
- 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]
[wind blows]
- 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]
- Go, Bucky!
- RoseAnn: 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.
- Go, Bucky!
- 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: 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: 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: Wisconsinites have a ton of pride in their state,
and Bucky represents the state of Wisconsin.
- Mike: We are the Badger State.
Bucky is literally a mission with us.
- Everybody loves Bucky.
- Bucky!
- He's royalty.
Wisconsin royalty. [crowd cheers]
- Go, Badgers!
[chiming sound]
- 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: A live badger as the mascot
is a pretty terrible idea. [chuckles]
- Doug: There's some news accounts of them getting loose
and creating havoc at Camp Randall.
- Beth: 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: 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]
The athletic department hired Art Lentz
as its publicity director in 1946.
He took charge of changing the atmosphere and morale on campus.
- Doug: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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]
At the center of Badger fever on campus was Bill Sachse,
who volunteered to organize the football team's pep rallies.
- 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.
- 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-mâché 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.
- Sachse: Connie was an art major.
And I said to her, "Connie,
could you make a papier-mâché 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.
- Sagal was perfect to wear the head and become our new mascot.
[groovy music]
- Deb: 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: 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: 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.
- 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-mâché 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.
- 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.
- 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?
- 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.
- 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.
- 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"]
- He comes out like a boxer doing,
you know, punches and fighting. [chuckles]
- 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.
- What started out as a gimmick for homecoming
became Bucky Badger forever.
[upbeat music]
- Matt: 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: 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: The moment you put that costume on,
you are Bucky Badger.
It is go time.
- Mike: Boom, you're on.
- Timothy: And you're just locked in as Bucky.
- 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: 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]
But the coolest part about being Bucky
is you can make people smile and you can make people laugh.
- That ability to be uplifting is so important,
and Bucky can do that.
Hi, I'm David Hoffert, a
volunteer here at PBS
Wisconsin, joined by no
other than Buckingham. You
badger the subject of
tonight's program and we
together. I think I can
speak for you, if I may,
are here to ask you to help
PBS Wisconsin produce local
programing like you're
watching tonight by making
a pledge of financial
support. The number is
there on the bottom of your
screen, 1-800-236-3636. And
here's the simple reality
no other television station
would ever have been able
or willing to make a
documentary about you. I
guess it's not really a
documentary. It's a
biography, right? This must
be bringing up all sorts of
memories for you. I heard a
rumor that Bucky doesn't
like me to tell, but just
between friends that he's
85 years old. So imagine
the content that is yet to
come in tonight's broadcast.
What we need you to do in
the meantime is to give us
a call 1-800-236-3636.
>> Hi, I'm Linda Berman, a
volunteer here at PBS
Wisconsin. And it is an
honor and a joy and so much
fun to be here with Bucky
and other special guests
who you'll see shortly. But
the most important thing is
you pledge your support.
Right now, we've got
wonderful volunteers here
in the studio waiting to
talk to you and to explain
what wonderful gifts we
have for you. If you call
the $10 a month level, you
can get the Bucky DVD. The
program you're watching now
is a Blu ray or DVD
combination. At $12 a month,
we have this adorable ten
inch mini Bucky. I mean,
this is this is a child's
dream because you can carry
it around. It's not going
to overshadow the child.
$15 a month. We have this
incredible sweatshirt I
heart PBS, but it's the
heart is Wisconsin. So you
know where your heart is.
And our heart is too. Now,
I want to explain that at
$25 a month, you can get
the DVDs, you can get the
plush Bucky as well as the
sweatshirt. We also have
something special because
we know that the story of
Bucky is one you want to
share with your family, but
it's like, no, we can give
you five copies so you can
give these as holiday gifts
to your friends. Because
the story of Bucky, all
ages, from kids to people
my age, even enjoy hearing
about Bucky. So this is a
great opportunity. But it
starts with your call.
1-800-236-3636.
>> Hi, I'm Eric Greiling.
I'm the director of friends
of PBS Wisconsin. Bucky
Badger is iconically
Wisconsin. And just like
David said, we here at PBS
Wisconsin are here to
explore all of Wisconsin as
thoroughly as we can to
highlight this, to share it
with you, to find the
iconic things that are so
much Wisconsin, whether
that's food, traditions or
culture or history or
natural beauty. We're here
to share that with you. But
it depends upon your
support, and one of the
best ways you can support
is by becoming a sustainer.
Being a sustainer just
means you sign up to make
an automatic monthly gift.
It continues as long as you
want it to, and you have
the knowledge that you are
supporting PBS Wisconsin
month after month, allowing
us to bring you programs
like this. Become a
sustainer today by going
online or giving us a call
and support programs like
this. Let us say thank you
with one of the wonderful
gifts that Linda shared
with you. Please give us a
call at 1-800-236-3636.
>> So let's talk for a
moment about why it matters
that you call and make a
pledge. As you're probably
aware, federal funding for
public media has recently
gone away. And in the case
of PBS Wisconsin, that's
several million dollars
that we now have to account
for differently in
budgeting here at the
station. Now, I'm just a
volunteer, a volunteer here.
But I can tell you, talking
to the staff, what hasn't
gone away is the sense of
mission or the the devotion
to the work. But, you know,
senior leadership are
making tough decisions
right now. For example, how
much of the budget goes to
acquiring and distributing
the the national PBS
broadcasting that you
appreciate? And how much
can we devote to making
truly hyper local
programing like this for
you? So when you call, you
are stating your values.
You're voting with your
dollar. You're saying, I
want more programs like
these homemade
documentaries. That's why
you should call
1-800-236-3636.
>> And who best to tell you
about the story of Bucky is
the one and only Bucky. Yes.
And this is the story of
Bucky. At $10 a month, we
can get this wonderful DVD
Blu ray of the Story of
Bucky. That's your
opportunity. At $12 a month,
you can get a mini Bucky, a
ten inch Bucky like little
Bucky here and Bucky here.
But you only get the little
one for $12 a month I'm
sorry. Yeah that's it $15 a
month. You get the
sweatshirt which we have
online iHeart, PBS
Wisconsin. And that's of
course yes I know you you
do to you heart I love it.
At $25 a month, you can get
baby Bucky. You can get the
DVD. You can also get the
sweatshirt. Now, for those
who want the story of you
to share with their family,
at $20 a month, you can get
five of these five. Can you
count them? One, two, three,
four, five? No, I think you
passed that. It's okay.
Five. It's alright Bucky.
It's been a big night for
you. It's very exciting.
But if you call right now,
Bucky will even sign our
"Airwaves" magazine. So
this better be at the $25 a
month. Bucky will autograph
the airwaves magazine.
Right, Bucky? That's right.
But you have to start with
1-800-236-3636.
>> Just like David told you,
we are.
>> Facing some challenging
times here at PBS Wisconsin
with the with the
elimination of federal
funding. But there is a
bright spot. It is the
generosity of viewers like
you who have called us, who
have written to us, who
have gone online and said
what PBS Wisconsin brings
to their homes, to their
communities matters. The
programs like this about
Wisconsin for Wisconsin
matter. And we can do this
together. We are here to
stay, but we're here to
stay because of your
support, your generosity.
Whether you're a new member
calling in for the first
time, saying, this matters.
I like programs like this.
I like the work that you do
here at PBS Wisconsin. It
matters in our community.
Maybe it's the work that we
do that goes beyond the
broadcast, our education
work, the work we do to
maintain emergency alert
systems all around the
state. All of that matters.
And all of it is because of
you. If you're already a
sustainer or a member, a
generous donor, please
consider giving us an
additional gift during this
break. During this program,
we can say thank you with
some of the lovely gifts
that Linda mentioned. And
it all starts with your
call to our volunteers.
1-800-236-3636.
>> It is now my distinct
honor to be on set with
Charlie Behrens. You may
know him as the creator of
the Manitowoc Minute. You
may know him as the
narrator of this
documentary tonight.
Charlie, I, on behalf of
all the folks here at PBS
Wisconsin, we were so
thrilled when you agreed to
be the narrator for this
program. But, you know, I'm
a fan of yours. I'm a
little starstruck, actually,
right now.
>> Oh, really? Oh, that's.
>> You're you're a busy guy.
So what of all the things
you can be working on, what
drew you to working on this
program in particular?
>> Well, for starters right
here. Okay. Do I get
donations? Donate ten bucks.
Ten bucks. Right.
>> I think it's ten bucks.
>> A month. Ten bucks a
month? Yeah, totally worth
it. Very soft. But, you
know, I went to school here,
and I, I did the
commencement, which was
really cool. And, you know,
if they, if they let me do
the commencement, you just
you got to do whatever they
ask after that, whatever
they ask.
>> Well that's good. That's
keep that in mind, folks.
He's he's on the hook now.
>> I am absolutely only ten
bucks a month, you guys.
Come on. I mean, it's 12
bucks. Okay? With 12.
That's a different story.
But, you know, I think it's
still a good deal.
>> So.
>> So what I did there.
>> I, I do what, you know,
I think everything else is
a good deal too, right? You
know what I think is a good
deal is $100 a.
>> Month, $100. Guys, go
get the WD 40, spray it on
your wall, let the credit
card come sliding right out.
You won't regret it, I
promise you that I really
do.
>> So okay, here's here's a
question for you. You're
about the same height as I
am, which means.
>> Six one.
>> Well, okay, fine. You
win.
>> In heels.
>> But which means that you
would have been eligible to
be Bucky Badger. Did you
ever look into that?
>> I did, I had ambitions
of being a Bucky Badger.
>> What? What held you back
or were you. I mean, maybe
you were.
>> No, no. Pretty much
laziness, procrastination
that got in the way. Sure.
But I so when you look at
Bucky out there on the
field, you know that he put
one foot in front of the
other. Yeah. And also I
couldn't do enough push ups.
>> Oh yeah.
>> Yeah.
>> Well we'll talk more
about push ups in a moment.
But give us a call
1-800-236-3636.
>> So right now it's an
opportunity to call our
volunteers who are on the
phone banks and Bucky
Business, Badgers, and
Beyond back there helping
them is what we could say.
At $10 a month you can get
the Bucky DVD, which is the
wonderful story and history
narrated by Charlie Berens.
At $12 a month, you can get
the ten inch Bucky plush
toy and it is adorable. At
$15 a month, we have the
sweatshirt I. And it's the
state of Wisconsin with a
heart PBS because we love
PBS Wisconsin. At $25 a
month, you can get them all.
You can get the Blu ray DVD
story, you can get the
plush Bucky. You can also
get the sweatshirt now at
$20 a month, you can get
five. This is real special.
Five of the ten five of
excuse me of the DVD Blu
rays. This is so that you
can share them and give
them as gifts, because no
one's going to be happy
with just one, because
everybody's going to want
to see it this way. You can
give everybody their own.
Now you can use the QR code
with your phone on the
screen now or talk to our
volunteers. They're
wonderful and they're busy
with Bucky, but I'm sure
they'll talk to you at
1-800-236-3636.
>> So many great ways for
us to say thank you to you
when you make your call and
become a member or add to
your membership. So many
ways to feel good about
giving, from knowing that
you're doing your part to
support PBS Wisconsin and
keep this service alive.
Let's keep PBS Wisconsin
strong together. Maybe it's
the sensation of you're
responding to Charlie
Baron's call to go ahead
and give $100 a month, WD
40, that credit card and
give us a call. Go online,
use the QR code. The
important thing is that you
give. Now give during this
show and show your
generosity for the work
that we do. We have so many
ways to say thank you at
all of the gift levels that
Linda described. We'll say
thank you with a
subscription to our
"Airwaves" magazine, and
you'll have access to
Passport, a deep catalog of
additional programing
that's available to you
when you use that PBS app
on any of your devices,
give us a call
1-800-236-3636.
>> So, Charlie, you've
talked some about how
actually your your accent
was a was a hindrance in
the beginning of your
career going into news, but
then you've clearly turned
it into an asset. And
there's just there's
clearly something about
Wisconsin people, Wisconsin
ideas that that resonates.
What, what how would you
say Wisconsin fits into the
broader landscape of of the
world?
>> Oh my gosh. I mean,
everyone wants to be us,
you know, for starters. And
they just didn't know it
yet, you know, or they
don't. But, you know, as
soon as you kind of see,
like, especially where
Bucky comes from, you know,
it's it's hard to not want
to be right here spending
$12 a month on this
beautiful toy. See, I got
you see.
>> Yeah. Okay, here we go.
>> No, but, I mean, I went
to school here, and you do
have the Wisconsin idea,
the idea of of helping
others and and moving
things forward and, you
know, forward. We got that
in the whole slogan there
on the.
>> Wisconsin idea and
forward in one.
>> I got them all.
>> You're doing good.
>> I got them all $13 a
month now, guys. No, but
it's just it's an honor to,
like, be part of this thing.
And we have great sense of
humor here, too, because we
don't take ourselves too
seriously. I mean, you know,
we we are cheeseheads to
baptisms here, you know, so
I think that's part of what
I do anyways. But I think
that that's part of it. We
just have fun and we care
about people and we take
care of each other.
>> So give me a do me a
favor, go put on your
cheesehead and then call
1-800-236-3636.
>> And we'll take another
look at the wonderful thank
you gifts we have before we
get back to seeing Bucky's
story. And just to remind
you, it's an opportunity.
You can use your QR code,
you can go online. But we
all have here in the studio
with our wonderful
volunteers. So a $10 a
month you can get the DVD
Blu ray. The Story of Bucky.
It is narrated by Charlie
Berens. At $12 a month, we
have the wonderful Bucky
plush toy. At $15 a month,
you can get the sweatshirt
at $25 a month. You can get
all of those at $20 a month.
That seems backwards. You
can get five of the DVDs,
but most importantly, you
are going to get your
"Airwaves" magazine with no
matter what level you
pledge at. This is a great
opportunity for you. We are
having so much fun here and
Bucky keeps walking around
the studio. You never know
where Bucky is going to be.
Here comes Bucky. Bucky
come on up okay here's
Bucky. And we're going to
say give us a call right
now at one (800) 236-3636.
>> Well Charlie thank you
so much for joining us here.
And congratulations on an
incredible documentary.
Bucky. Thank you for being
here. We're going back to
see more.
- 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.
- Down!
- As the Spirit Squad director,
I'm in charge of the cheerleaders,
the dance team, and the Bucky Badger team.
- All: Bucky!
- Josette: 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: A little intense, but it's a lot of fun.
It's a lot of fun.
- You're not gonna use it to--
- Narrator: Bucky alums help with those tryouts,
looking for the newest members to add to their pack.
- What do you do for fun?
- Narrator: Each year,
the new Bucky team works to embody a single character.
- Josette: It's really stressed at the beginning
that we are one team and we are one character.
- Timothy: That's one of the things we spend a lot of time,
especially with our new rookies on.
- Cecil: 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.
- It's inexplainable, but you're just like,
you really just become Bucky.
- Lucas: 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: 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.
? Hey, hey, hey, hey ?
- Matt: 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: Your personality has to be bigger than life.
You're covered in fur, so it has to be exaggerated.
[crowd exclaims]
- 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: I think there's a lot of people
that would describe Bucky Badger as cute.
- Brian: Best-looking mascot there is.
- Timothy: Suave. - Cecil: Very suave.
- Timothy: Very.
- That's a good word, a good word.
- Timothy: 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: 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]
- 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: 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.
- 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: 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?
- 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.
- Crowd: One, two, three, four!
- Narrator: It's not all fun and games for Bucky Badger.
There's a tough job to do here, people.
- Putting on a suit of fur and a carbon fiber head
on top of your shoulders is exhausting,
especially in the heat.
- Mike: 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: 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.
- 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.
- 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: 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: 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.
- This one has a clear and colorless liquid.
- Cecil: 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.
- Crowd: ? When you say Wisconsin ?
- Cecil: And to have that boil down into a mascot
is pretty cool.
- Crowd: ? You've said it all ? [marching band note]
- 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: There was some pushback.
Some folks up north wanted the white-tailed deer.
- Kristin: 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]
Leaving nothing to chance,
Kristin and her siblings summoned the courage
to make their case for Bucky,
testifying in front of the Wisconsin Assembly.
- 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.
- 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]
Heck, even a compromise left everyone with a win.
- 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.
- 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: How appropriate that it was some kids
who got the ball rolling.
Because of course, Bucky's beloved by kids.
- Kristin: I am really proud of what we did.
We stepped up for Bucky.
- Narrator: Oh, you betcha.
[funky music]
- Brian: Kids in Wisconsin have grown up loving Bucky.
- Josette: 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: 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: 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.
- 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.
- Many kids are just in awe, just kind of a state of wonder.
Seeing Bucky was always something
uplifting and just joyful.
- Timothy: Bringing that joy and happiness into people's lives,
that's, like, our main job.
? That's right ?
[monitor beeps]
- Narrator: Sometimes, that job isn't all that easy.
- 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: 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.
- Hey, sweetheart.
- Mike: 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.
- Hi, Bucky.
- Narrator: Old Bucky seems to have a knack for being there
when he's needed most.
- Matt: Ron Dayne from seven yards out,
and the Badgers take the lead again.
- Deb: In the state of Wisconsin,
so many family gatherings are around a television
with the Badgers on.
- Matt: The Wisconsin Badgers win it.
- 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: 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: 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: 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.
- 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: 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.
- Oh, the Badgers were important.
We were willing them to get us through this.
We really were.
- Matt: The Badgers and Purdue
will battle it out Saturday,
with the winner going to the Final Four.
- They're playing Purdue,
a team they matched up pretty well with.
- Matt: And Purdue takes the lead, 32-31.
- It was a nip and tuck game.
Wisconsin was behind, and John Bryant hit some shots.
Everybody just made plays.
- Matt: 13-footer in the lane, good.
Roy Boone with the jumper.
- Matt: 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: 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!
- 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: Hugs and kisses all around on the floor
of the Pit in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
- And the fans started chanting for Bucky.
- Crowd: Bucky, Bucky, Bucky!
- Brian: 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: The wait was worth it.
Incredible.
[gentle piano music]
- To honor the original Bucky was pretty special.
- Deb: 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: Bucky embodies everything
the state of Wisconsin is all about.
- Deb: 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: 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]
- Anyone can be Bucky at heart.
- Go, Bucky!
Whoo!
- He can be a lightning rod of unity for people.
- 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.
- They know how to work hard.
They play hard, and love making people laugh and smile.
- And what is something that combines all of that?
[crowd cheers] - Fan: Bucky!
- It's Bucky.
[upbeat music]
- Kids: [chanting] Bucky, Bucky, Bucky, Bucky, Bucky, Bucky!
Yeah. Is there?
>> You can bring your
bucket with you then.
>> Hi, I'm David Hoffert, a
volunteer here at PBS
Wisconsin, and we have just
concluded watching the
Bucky documentary. I, I
hope I hope you appreciate
it as much as I did. You
know, it really gave me an
appreciation for Bucky, but
also and this may be like a
taboo topic, but for the
people behind Bucky or
inside Bucky or however you
want to think about that.
But like the people who
bring this to life, right?
And I think understanding
their stories and
understanding the the
cultural impact of this
icon that we have in our
state is, is really
meaningful. And and it's
really personal for a lot
of us in Wisconsin. So my
ask of you is that if this
if this meant something to
you, that you make a pledge
of financial support, tell
the staff at PBS Wisconsin
that local programing like
this matters to you. The
numbers there on your
screen. 1-800-236-3636.
>> Hi, I'm Linda Berman and
this has been a thrilling
evening being with Bucky
Badger and just watching
the story and the history
of Bucky. I'm a second
generation and my son is a
third generation badger,
and this is the kind of
program that I want to
share with him. And at $10
a month, this wonderful DVD
Blu ray is one I am going
to share with him at $12 a
month. We have this
adorable ten inch little
Bucky Badger. This plush
toy children all ages
including 70s, 80s and 90s
would still like this $15 a
month. We have the iHeart,
which is the state of
Wisconsin PBS because PBS
Wisconsin is the heart of
our state. At $25 a month,
you get all of them, you
get the DVD, you get the
little plush toy, you get
the sweatshirt. Now we have
a special at $20 a month
and it sounds like we're
going backwards. You can
get five copies of the DVD
so you can share them. You
can give them as gifts. The
holidays are coming. This
is your opportunity to let
everybody enjoy the story
of Bucky. But the most
important thing you should
know is that it all starts
with you and your call.
This very special
production. We even have a
special, special feature
for you coming up. But the
most important thing is
your pledge of support. So
you can do that right now
at one (800) 236-3636.
>> Hi, I'm Eric Greiling.
I'm director of friends of
PBS Wisconsin. We want to
say thank you to you when
you make your call, when
you show your pledge of
support. And this is a
member challenge break.
That means if you call in
and offer your support as a
member, a new member, your
gift can go twice as far.
Thanks to the support of
existing members of PBS
Wisconsin. So show your
support for this kind of
programing Wisconsin
programing. That's fun.
That's poignant, that
matters. Let us say thank
you with one of these
wonderful member gifts. And
also know that during this
member challenge break,
your gift goes even further.
We want to hit 50 gifts
during this this pledge
break. And we've got some
really special treats for
you. So stick with us.
We've got guests, we've got
special encore additional
footage to share with you.
I also want to thank our
producers of this program,
Grant Fenster, John
Hornbacher. Programs like
this take months, sometimes
even years, to work. We
actively choose to make
them for you and your
support is what makes it
possible. Take advantage of
this challenge. Break. Take
advantage of saying we like
Bucky. Let us say thank you
with these gifts. Starts
with your call one
(800) 236-3636.
>> And indeed there is
actually more coming. We
have we finished the
official documentary. But
during this challenge break,
we're going to show you
some bonus footage that
we've put together
highlighting RoseAnn
Donovan, who you saw in the
documentary, so stay tuned
for that. I mentioned
earlier the importance of
local programing, and how
only PBS Wisconsin would
have made a documentary
like the one you've been
watching tonight. Well,
there's more to come, right?
The producers here are
already working on
Wisconsin Hometown Stories
John McGivern Jerry Apps
all those programs that you
have come to expect and
rely on, and they're made
possible by your donations.
We are up to eight calls
during this challenge break.
Now is the time to join
them. 1(800)2 3636360.
>> We're having our own
challenge break here. We no
no no no no. Now we know
you're going to call in and
pledge your support. This
is the challenge break.
More than just an arm
wrestling challenge, I have
to say. Yeah. Okay. You won.
Anne Donovan coming. The
producers saw this
documentary in the works
making it and said, wait,
there's some special things
we need to go back to.
There are special people we
need to interview and that
is coming up. But I want to
remind you, at $10 a month,
you can get the story of
Bucky right on the DVD. You
and the history of Bucky.
At $12 a month, you get
little Bucky. It's a plush
toy. You can see even Bucky
is beloved for Bucky. $15 a
month. You get the
sweatshirt. I heart
Wisconsin in PBS because
PBS Wisconsin is in my
heart and has been for the
last 49 years. Yes. And I
want to say at $25 a month,
you can get the little
Bucky, you can get the DVD,
you can get the sweatshirt
with all pledges. You will
also get "Airwaves" with
Bucky on the cover. Yes.
For this month and remind
you, at $20 a month, you
can get five of the DVDs.
Oh. Hi, Bucky. Bucky likes
my sweatshirt because I'm
wearing your face. Yes, but
you can call and pledge and
have five DVDs to share
with your family to give
them as wonderful gifts.
Remember, it's a challenge
break. We're at ten calls
now. We know we can get
more. This is the time
we've got Bucky. Business,
Badgers, and Beyond going
to go back to the phone,
but you can call us. I
don't know if he'll say
much, but he's saying call
now. One (800) 236-3636.
>> Some great and unique
ways for us to say thank
you when you call with your
pledge of support during
this program or go online,
use that QR code that's on
your screen to make a gift
of support for this program.
Right now, we can say thank
you with these unique gifts
for this unique program.
And it is a challenge break.
We want you to call in now
so that you take advantage
of that challenge, and your
gift can go even further.
We're on our way towards
our goal of 50 calls during
this break. If you don't
get through right away,
please be patient. Our
volunteers are doing their
best to keep up. Go ahead
and go online if you like.
And and just know that we
do depend upon you to bring
you programs like this,
programs that celebrate
Wisconsin, programs that
unite us together, but also
reveal some of the
poignancy behind a story we
thought we knew. Going even
deeper with Bucky, we want
to say thank you, but we
need your support. We're
going through some
challenging times here, but
we are committed to
continuing to bring stories
like this about Wisconsin
for Wisconsin, and we can
stay strong together. It
starts with your support
using that QR code, going
online, or giving us a call
at 1-800-236-3636.
>> Linda's been talking
about some of the great
thank you gifts that are
available to you when you
call 1-800-236-3636 but
remember, there are other
benefits as well. Any of
the levels that Linda's
been talking about comes
with "Airwaves" magazine,
your monthly program guide.
I don't know about you, but
it's getting harder and
harder just to get a simple
TV guide of what's going to
be on coming up. But you
know what? The one that
matters is PBS Wisconsin.
And that one comes to your
mail and also PBS Passport
where you can go get on
demand programing through
your streaming device,
programs that are, that are
on air, programs that are
not on air or haven't been
on air for a long time, all
of those are additional
member benefits. And of
course, really what matters
here is the feeling you get
of being a supporter. Being
a member of PBS Wisconsin,
making all of this possible
for you and your family and
your neighbors and the
entire Wisconsin community.
Give us a call
1-800-236-3636.
>> And I just want to
remind you, at $10 a month,
you have the DVD of the
story you're watching now,
the history, the story
behind, and all the
wonderfulness of being
Bucky Badger $12 a month.
We had the ten inch
adorable little plush Bucky
and we got Bucky. Bucky
seal of approval, $15 a
month. We have those
wonderful sweater. I want
to say something about it.
It is Navy and it's got
raglan sleeves. It is
unisex. It's got a slim fit,
but it can also have a
looser fit. The make sure
you talk to your volunteer
to ask more about that. At
the $25 a month level, you
get all of these wonderful
gifts the DVD, you get the
plush Bucky, you get the
sweater, and of course, you
get "Airwaves" magazine
with every pledge of
support. Now, I just want
to let you know what's
coming up. We have a very
special feature. We've been
tantalizing you with this.
As I said, the producers
saw absolutely
wonderfulness out of
RoseAnn Donovan and her
story, and this is
something we're sharing
with you. She has not seen
it yet. This was literally
just finished. So you get
to see the premiere of this.
It's a very short little
documentary, but it's
something you're going to
so enjoy. So please stay
tuned. There's very special
feature. It's coming up
right now. So stay. But you
can give us a call as soon
as it's over, but stay
watching because this is
something special.
>> RoseAnn Donovan has
always been the life of the
party.
>> My personality is
animated. What in the world
are are. I think if you
would ask anyone from back
in the day or my current
students, everyone would
say the same thing loud,
energetic, emotional.
>> In the fall of 1978,
RoseAnn and her
over-the-top personality
enrolled at the University
of Wisconsin-Madison,
officially becoming a
badger.
[MUSIC]
>> Did I have any concept
of what was to come?
[MUSIC]
I certainly did not.
>> Ha RoseAnn pledged a
sorority and reveled in
Greek social life.
[MUSIC]
Yet she was on the hunt for
more adventure.
>> Many of my friends, my
sorority sisters, and some
of our guy friends were in
fraternities and they all
happened to be cheerleaders
and just talked about how
much fun they had and game
days and getting to do all
kinds of fabulous things.
>> But a suggestion from a
friend would soon change
the course of Roseanne's
college life.
>> One of the guys said,
well, Roseanne, why don't
you try out for Bucky? And
I'm like, well, Bucky, I
can't try out for Bucky.
Bucky's a guy. I said, no,
I don't think it says
anywhere that it has to be
a guy. You just have to be
tall enough. And I'm like,
oh my gosh, I'm gonna do
that. >> In the spring of 1981,
RoseAnn dug into
preparations for the Bucky
Badger tryouts.
>> I thought, if I'm going
to go for it, I'm going to
go for it.
>> RoseAnn brought her
fighting Badger spirit to
the audition, and a little
something extra.
>> One of the judges like,
on cue said, well, you know,
one of the traditions is
that Bucky goes to the
opposing side and, you know,
picks up one of the
cheerleaders. And I just
looked at him and said,
wait right here. I run over
to the door. I fling the
door open. There's my
roommate, Kelly. I hoist
her up and run around the
room and she's cheering. Go
Badgers! I think the panel
of judges just were like,
what in the world just
happened?
>> The group of aspiring
Bucky's waited in the
bleachers for the judge's
verdict.
>> You know, drum roll. And
they announced the first
guy. His name was Mike
Mathias and Elkins. Yay!
Way to go. And people are
screaming and cheering and
all this. And our second
Bucky Badger for the 1981
82 season is RoseAnn
Palmisano dead silence. And
I just remember, like,
walking out, like, what in
the world just happened?
>> It turns out RoseAnn had
just joined an exclusive
Badger Club.
>> As far as I know, I am
the first woman who has
gotten the honor to play a
Bucky Badger.
>> RoseAnn was soon
relishing that honor as
Wisconsin's furry, big
headed mascot.
>> When you are Bucky, you
are truly a celebrity.
Around here. People busted
out and are screaming Bucky.
>> Bucky, Bucky.
>> And that photo op. You
know the little one looking
up and wanting an autograph
and just to see the faces
light up was really it was
really amazing.
>> RoseAnn spent her senior
year at UW becoming Bucky
for basketball and hockey
games and a countless other
memorable events.
[MUSIC]
>> I think my favorite part
about being Bucky was that
every time I put that suit
on, it was going to be a
different experience.
Whether it was at a game, a
big win or a heartbreaking
loss, or it was a parade to
see kids excited and
screaming, it was always
something fun and uplifting
and just joyful.
>> After graduating,
RoseAnn reign as Bucky came
to an end, but she always
remained a badger at heart.
>> When I see Bucky now and
I'm like, oh my gosh, I did
that. It is kind of hard to
believe. Yeah, that was
really amazing.
[MUSIC]
That was really amazing.
[MUSIC]
>> And we are back still in
the middle of a challenge
break, still with an
opportunity to have your
money doubled. But I have
standing with me now the
one, the only RoseAnn
Donovan, the very first
female Bucky Badger. Thank
you so much for joining us.
>> You're welcome.
>> Boy, it's an honor to be
here.
>> We heard you say in that
in that clip that, you know
I can't be Bucky. Bucky's a
guy. How did you get over
that hump to actually go
and try out?
>> You know, I think for
anybody who knows my
personality, that just was
a challenge when somebody
was like, Bucky's a guy,
but like, really? And then
when I investigated, it was
like, well, no, it doesn't
say anywhere. Just have to
be tall enough. And I'm
five nine. I was tall
enough. And so kind of on a
dare I did it.
>> And here we are, and
here we are. Here we are.
>> So, so, so what was it
like to, I mean, both to be
Bucky and also to be this
kind of groundbreaking
Bucky.
>> You know, I think to be
Bucky at the time, I didn't
fully appreciate what a big
deal it was. And I'm
learning more and more. And
even through this journey,
being the first female and
the response I have gotten
just at some of our events,
it is a big deal. It is a
big deal and just really,
really a fun part of my
college experience. And,
you know, went on, I was a
teacher, educator for 43
years, so I performed. I
like being in front of a
crowd. And so it all fits.
Anybody who knows me like
this tracks. This is not a
surprise.
>> Did did your students
know that you were once
Bucky? Were you able to
reveal your secret identity
during.
>> No. While I was Bucky,
no. But after when I went
into the classroom, that
was always one of the very
fun things that I got to
share with students. I
would always do kind of an
opening circle. And what's
something an interesting
fact about yourself and
students would share? I was
homecoming queen, or I
broke a football record and
I would say, wait for it.
>> Yeah, right. Well, we're
going to have more from
RoseAnn in just a moment,
but give us a call
1-800-236-3636.
>> And just want to remind
everybody that you will get
"Airwaves" magazine with no
matter where you Bucky. You
need to turn it upside the
other way. There you can
get your "Airwaves"
magazine. And we are so
happy to say that with
every pledge of support,
you will get the story of
Bucky. You will get the
"Airwaves" magazine. You
can read it upside down.
You will get the great
plush little. I've got two.
Bucky's here. Two? Yeah.
You and this one. Yeah, the
plush toy. And that's $12 a
month. $15 a month. You get
the adorable sweatshirt I
heart. Wisconsin is perfect.
Not to worry. $25 a month,
you can get everything. The
whole package, the DVD, the
plush little Bucky, the the
beautiful sweatshirt. And
at $20 a month, you can get
five copies of the DVD so
that you can give them as
gifts. Now, this is a
challenge, Bucky. No, you
can't eat it. Challenge
break. Bucky. How many
calls do we have right now?
Da da da da 47 calls. We
know we can get at least 50
before the break is over.
This is an opportunity to
double the money. So give
us a call 1-800-236-3636.
>> Thank you Linda. It is a
challenge break and we're
on our way. Our our
volunteers are super busy
on the phone. If you call
in 1-800-236-3636, be
patient. We'll get to you
or go online to
pbswisconsin.org or use
that QR code on your screen.
When you do, it will pull
up the gifts for you and
you can see right there and
you can choose. And
speaking of choosing, you
don't have to choose
between a DVD and Blu ray,
because when you select a
DVD as your thank you gift,
we'll include both a DVD
and Blu ray. And that's
true with the five set DVD
Blu ray as well. At $20 a
month, five DVDs and Blu
rays. That's five each DVD
and Blu ray, so you don't
have to choose whether it's
a DVD or Blu ray, and it
gives you the opportunity
to share Bucky as a gift.
So if you've got a lot of
Business, Badgers, and
Beyond in your life, it's a
lot of gifts you can share
out. If you have people who
are associated with other
mascots, you can send them
the Bucky DVD and let them
know what really matters.
And what are the best
mascot in the country is
really like and behind the
scenes story. So QR code,
go online, give us a call,
let us say thank you to you
for your support. It's a
challenge break. We've
exceeded our goal and we're
going to keep going. So
please do give us a call
1-800-236-3636.
>> You know Eric, it's
funny you mentioned that
because I was actually
sitting at lunch today at
work with a colleague who
it turns out was a
different Big Ten mascot.
We will not name the school
because that's not what
matters right now. I still
have with me RoseAnn
Donovan and RoseAnn. What
was the most memorable
experience you had as Bucky
Badger?
>> You know what I think
probably there there were
two. I think the the
coolest was filming a
commercial back in the day,
and it was for a car
dealership. I don't
remember which one. So
sorry out there, but I
actually filmed it with a
live badger. What? And
under the costume they had
me all like with these
sleeves, protective sleeves
on because of of the claws
and this gigantic badger
running around Camp Randall.
So that was probably the
coolest. The most memorable
would have been getting to
start the first Crazylegs
race.
>> The first one.
>> Okay.
>> And we didn't know at
the time it was going to be
an annual event. I think
now it's on number 45. So
it's been a while. Yeah.
And I actually got a letter
from Arlie Mucks thanking
me for for starting that
first race. So that was
pretty cool.
>> So so here you are a
Bucky alumni. I mean, do
you stay in touch? Is is
this a community that forms.
Not all of them were your
year, but right.
>> And I think because I
was the only female that I
know of, I do think there
is a community. This has
really brought me closer
and in touch with many. I
plan to play in the Bucky
Open golf outing next year.
So the reason to up my game
a little bit, but it's just
been a really fabulous
experience.
>> Thank you so much for
being with us. And we are
going to ask you to call
1-800-236-3636 and keep
those calls coming.
>> Come on in Fiji call.
>> And I just want to show
you our little plush Bucky
and oh, whoa.
[APPLAUSE]
See what your calls are
doing. It's made Bucky
stand on his head. If Plush
Bucky can do it, so could
Big Bucky. So your calls
are so important. They are
55 calls now you can see it.
We know we can get we're
going to go to 70. This is
such an exciting evening.
Being here with the Bucky's
is outstanding. And it's
your opportunity to call so
you can get the Bucky DVD.
And if I talk fast enough,
he'll stay on his head $10
a month. You can get the
DVD, CD all at once. At $15
a month, you get the plush.
Bucky right here is
standing on his head. And
$25 a month, I'm sorry, $15
a month. You get the
sweatshirt, the the blue
sweatshirt. I Wisconsin
heart PBS Wisconsin, $25 a
month. You get the
sweatshirt, the Bucky, the
DVD, $20 a month. You get
the five pack of the DVDs.
Bucky's made it on his head.
Show him Bucky is on his
still on his head. Yay,
Bucky! But your calls will
keep them there.
1-800-236-3636.
>> Hit it Eric.
>> The score is 57. That's
going to be, I think, 57
push ups. Is that how that
works? At least 58 push ups.
So please keep your calls
coming. 1-800-236-3636.
Let's push that push up.
Count up as far as we can
go. And we want to say
thank you to you. I also
want to thank the donors
who gave to this project on
the front end of it,
without knowing what it
would look like, without
knowing how much we could
cover about Bucky's, share
about Bucky, share the
history, the rich history,
the poignancy, and of
course, underscore the fact
that we absolutely have the
best mascot in the country.
Those donors really make
this work possible, but so
do you. Your gift of
support makes a huge
difference. Together we can
keep PBS Wisconsin strong.
We will be here. We will
allow you will your gift
will allow us to continue
to bring this kind of
programing programing that
focuses on Wisconsin. And
speaking of Wisconsin
programing, we've got
another treat for you,
another story about mascots,
one from Wisconsin Life. So
we want to keep bringing
you this programing. We're
going to share it with you.
Now give us a call
1-800-236-3636.
>> You just kind of have to
move your hands and hope
for the best. Simply no
other job like this I can
think of.
>> Flexing like a winner.
>> The most important thing,
I think, is to have fun.
[MUSIC]
>> Got it all. Got it, got
it, got it all.
>> So I'm a little bit like
a superhero in a way.
>> Winner, winner.
>> You have everybody in
the stadium looking at you
and you just run out. It's
a big responsibility, I'd
say.
>> Winner.
>> Olympics Mascots was
created at some point back
in the 1960s, and we have
250 ish total employees.
[MUSIC]
>> They reached out to me
and they're like, hey, do
you want to be a mascot
sewer? And I'm like, I have
never heard of anything
like that before. So sure,
why not?
[MUSIC]
>> We've probably done 25
to 30,000 mascots through
the years. We did a
forklift like a wearable
forklift costume, and it
had the forks in the front
that just kind of went up
and down, and a hidden
button on the other side
for like the backup noise,
full body robot, top to
bottom, the racing sausages
coming through here, we
probably make new ones
every, I don't know, five
years. We were working on a
very high profile project
right now that I can't tell
you about.
[MUSIC]
>> Most of our costumes are
in between 60 to 120 hours,
with the average of them
being probably in the 70 to
80 hour range. We consider,
like the performers
activity level, we we go a
lot by like height range to
to make sure it fits like a
certain height range of
person. There's a lot of
different aspects that I'll
kind of go into it.
[MUSIC]
>> So when I see the
picture, I have to navigate
how I'm going to make this
a 3D thing. I go on to the
mannequin, I start
measuring out things so
that I know what the
proportions are. So I know
how to make something what
it should look like on the
form.
>> So a lot of it's fur we
fur tempo, double knit are
probably the big ones that
we use. I particularly like
when we do fur costumes,
just because it's cool to
put different colors
together and different
textures.
>> We work with hundreds of
customers every single year.
Pro sports teams,
collegiate sports teams,
restaurants, brands,
different characters, you
know, represent everything
down to even elementary
schools.
>> One, two, three.
[MUSIC]
Give it to me.
>> It's a very strange
sometimes to just be like
watching a Packer game or
something, and a commercial
comes on. It's like I made
that, you know, it's like,
you know, it gives me a
certain level of pride. And
just like this costume made
it onto TV and looks pretty
good, feels like art come
to life, like our art that
we're working on here, you
know, becomes this full
scale realized thing.
[MUSIC]
>> And then it's like, you
forget about all of that
hard work and you're like,
wow. Like, this is what it
comes down to at the end.
>> The people that work
here are just amazing. It's
the reason why I come back
every day. It's the reason
why I have a smile on my
face. It's the reason why I
love coming to work,
because it's a great group
of people and we get to
make some really fun stuff.
>> Wow.
>> This has been amazing.
Bucky. How many on our
challenge break? Da da da
da 71 calls. This is
outstanding. This has just
been an exciting evening. I
just want to remind you, at
$10 a month, you get the
story of Bucky, the history
$12 a month. You get the
little Bucky plush toy, the
ten inch adorable toy, $15
a month. You get the it's a
blue sweatshirt that says,
I heart PBS and it's
Wisconsin the heart. At $25
a month, you get the Bucky
story, you get the plush
Bucky, you get the shirt.
And at $20 a month, you get
the five pack of Bucky's.
This is great. How about
we're at 72? We can make 75
calls. Yes, Bucky. Yes,
this is a great thing. But
it starts with your call at
1-800-236-3636. Take it
away.
>> Bucky and I just have so
many thank yous to say
thank you to all the
volunteers on the phone
bank tonight who have
answered 73 calls and
counting. Thank you to
Charlie Berens. Thank you
to Bucky. Bucky, Bucky.
Bucky, Bucky, Bucky, Bucky,
Bucky and Bucky. And most
importantly thank you to
you. Thank you for making
it possible for programs
like this to exist anywhere
on your television dial at
PBS Wisconsin. It's all
because of you. And it's
not too late to be because
of you. In particular, when
you call 1-800-236-3636 and
when you go to
pbswisconsin.org, there's
even there's even a QR code
on your screen if you know
how to work those things.
Which frankly, sometimes I
still can't figure it out,
but I bet, I bet these guys
know what they're doing.
What matters is that
programs like this happen,
and we know that you want
them when you call. That's
that's your vote in all of
this. I mean, when you
remember, you also get a
member survey. But that's
the vote that tells us that
this is this is what
matters to you. And and
it's what makes public
media right. PBS public
broadcasting service. It's
what makes the public in
public broadcasting. So on
behalf of so many people
who they didn't give a
microphone to. And that's
why I'm still talking. What
what I'm asking you to do
right now is give a call
and make a pledge of
financial support. The
number again. One
(800) 236-3636. Surrounded
by more Bucky's than I will
ever be in my entire life
combined. Probably. It's
been quite a fun night.
It's been a hectic night.
Hectic because you've been
calling. We appreciate you
so much and thank you and
keep, keep it coming.
Thanks for your support.
["If You Want to Be a Badger" by UW Marching Band]
- 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]