Working Class Man Goes To Major College Basketball Game, Results Might Shock You

What happens when a working class Wisconsin man travels into enemy territory for a major college basketball game?

As OutKick readers know, I'm a massive Wisconsin guy. There are few things in life that I care more about than the Badgers. The same goes for most people from the Badger State.

I grew up in rural Wisconsin in a blue-collar working class community. We didn't have much, but we did have a lot of hard work ethic and a love for the program down in Madison.

Decades later and little has changed. I also never pass on a chance to watch the Badgers play.

I made a trip deep into enemy territory for the Badgers/Maryland game.

I left Wisconsin a long time ago to live on the East Coast in what has to be one of the biggest downgrades in human history.

The Hookstead Compound (location classified) is now deep in liberal country, and I do my best to survive. Spirits have been high lately, and I had one date circled on my calendar:

January 29th.

It was the day the Badgers were visiting the Maryland Terrapins in College Park for a showdown between two of the Big Ten's best teams. Both programs are fighting for postseason position, and Maryland has one of the best college atmospheres in the sport.

What's a trip to College Park for a Wisconsin/Maryland basketball game like? (Photo by Mark Goldman/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

My friends (names withheld for national security reasons) planned on buying tickets to the game. That's when a source deep in the Maryland community reached out with tickets to the game. We're off to a hot start.

Now, I want to be clear that the only other time I'd been to College Park was in 2015 for a Wisconsin/Maryland football game. It was a terrible experience. The weather was horrible, the fans were awful and it wasn't a particularly good game.

Would I step back into disaster?

Wisconsin lost to Maryland in a road game in College Park. (Photo by Mark Goldman/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

After all, as a working class man, there's only so much disappointment and pain my soul can take before breaking. It's the darkness of being a blue-collar man that always haunts you.

Well, I'm glad to report I had an absolute blast Wednesday night, even if the Badgers ultimately fell 76-68. College Park didn't disappoint at all when it comes to college basketball, unlike the atmosphere a decade ago for a football game.

One of my buddies and I caught a ride from D.C. into Maryland loaded with everything we'd need for any contingency. Never go to war underfunded or unprepared. 

That's when traffic hit.

What should have been a 10-minute drive turned into a 45-minute nightmare as we were bumper-to-bumper during rush hour. Was I - a working class stiff - about the be stuck in traffic all night?

Eventually, my buddy and I can see our final destination - Looney's - and with traffic not moving, we decide to make a run for it. It's the right call, even if controversial to some.

It's packed. Shoulder to shoulder. No tables. Unable to move.

Fortunately, one of my buddies had arrived a few minutes early and had a pitcher of Miller Lite. Our first victory of the night.

A look at my Miller Lite at Looney's. (Credit: David Hookstead)

Eventually, we call an audible and head to The Hall CP for a few drinks before tip and to try to get some food. Food service is so slow due to how busy it is that getting anything to eat is not going to happen.

Fortunately, we were able to snag a couple drinks before rolling into Xfinity Arena to catch all the action. I must admit I had no idea what to expect.

I've heard horror stories over the years of Maryland fans throwing batteries, starting fights and being generally unruly. We were rolling pretty deep with all adult males. If push came to shove, I was sure we'd be fine.

Nothing even close to that happened. I was stunned by how nice Maryland fans were, despite the high stakes of the game and how close it was the whole way.

It was absolutely nothing like the football game in 2015. The fans at the football game were awful. They all had big mouths, despite getting their teeth kicked in.

The Maryland fans at the basketball game Wednesday night were pretty awesome. The stadium also has a unique layout where the first level kind of melts into the second level where a large portion of the student section is. I've never seen anything like it.

It's a very intimidating atmosphere.

I also have to give a huge shoutout to the food and beer prices at the Xfinity Arena. A 16 ounce beer was around $8 and I had a great hot dog as a snack for around $5. Considering other stadium prices I've paid, it was more than reasonable. As a blue-collar man, I had no problem handing over the money.

A look from my seats at the Maryland/Wisconsin game. I received the tickets from a highly classified source deep within the Maryland community. (Credit: David Hookstead)

Following the game, two of the three guys with me traveled back to Looney's for dinner. Yes, we finally got dinner *AFTER* a game that started at 7:00 EST.

I had the chicken caesar wrap with a side of buffalo sauce. It was incredible, and for just $4.50, I was able to get a massive 22 ounce Miller Lite. I had more than one, but we'll leave it there. Some things are best left in the archives.

Looney's is a very solid sports bar in College Park. (Credit: David Hookstead)

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The Badgers didn't get the win, but it was a hell of a time for this working class guy who doesn't have much in life. What little I do have has been earned through blood, sweat and tears - just like the sports program I love.

Pros:

• Maryland's basketball arena is awesome.
• The Maryland fans were surprisingly welcoming, unlike the football game in 2015.
• Stadium food and beer prices are shockingly reasonable.
• Looney's is a great pregame/postgame spot with awesome food.
• Got tickets from an American patriot (anyone who gives me tickets is automatically a patriot) buried deep in the heart of Maryland.

Cons:

• Not many bars in College Park.
• Traffic from D.C. to College Park was an absolute nightmare.
• Nothing is actually near Xfinity Arena. Looney's is about a 10 minute walk if you're fast. Much longer if not.
• The Badgers didn't win.
• The campus architecture isn't my style at all, but that's incredibly minor for a sporting event.

You never know what you're getting yourself into when you go deep into enemy territory. Given how bad the 2015 trip was to College Park for a football game, I truly had no idea what it'd be like to go back into enemy territory. It was nothing short of an awesome time. Maryland gets up for college basketball, and Xfinity Arena was rocking. It's definitely worth a trip, even if you're a working class guy like myself. Let me know what you think of College Park for those of you who have been at David.Hookstead@outkick.com.