There's rivalry, there's passion, and then there's this:  An Ohio State "fan" had to issue an apology after putting a $2,000 threat on the head of a Michigan committed recruit.  

All of this comes on the heels of that recruit, Logan Tulley-Tillman, sending out a picture of him burning a letter he received from OSU after his announced commitment to Michigan was posted on Twitter.

Of course the individual stated he meant the "$2,000 to whoever sidelines this kid permanently" as a joke, but even then... really, REALLY?  That's your idea of a joke?  

I mean, I get being a passionate fan - heck I wouldn't be writing this or any article for MTB if I wasn't - but there's passion and then there's pure stupidity!  Yikes.  It all goes back to a column I wrote a few months back, calling for people to stop stalking these kids on facebook and tweeting at them like they are their best friends.  

It's one thing to send them a congratualations, or give them a follow to see what their choice may be in the end, but seriously, leave the kids alone already!  There's something just super creepy about grown men seemingly trying to justify their "coolness" by "friending" 15, 16, 17 year old kids.  

Let them make their choices in peace.  It's one thing to contact them from a journalistic perspective like we've done to bring you, the fellow passionate fan, a perspective future Badger's thoughts on the process and what they like about Wisconsin.  But it's an entirely different thing for fans to harrass, threaten, browbeat, etc. these kids.  

Ask yourself this question?  When you were 17 what would you think about a bunch of grown men/women trying to influence your choice on where to go to school?  Chances are it wouldn't have much affect at all, but if it did it might only be a negative thing.  I know when I was that age I didn't want to do what everyone else was telling me to do.  In fact, many recruits have gone on record as saying this type of behavior has actually turned them off of playing for a particular school.  

Let this be a lesson to everyone out there: STOP HARRASSING RECRUITS!  In the end the irony of this particual situation is that a man who claims to be an Ohio State fan through and through is now going to be donating $2,000 to the University of Michigan.  Next time you think of tweeting something at a recruit, keep in mind it could cost you and your team dearly!

It's the most played rivalry in the Football Bowl Subdivision.

Since 1890, Wisconsin and Minnesota have been dueling it out on the gridiron. The history of the rivalry runs deep within each of the programs and the fans that follow them.

 The Gophers hold a 59-54-8 record in the all-time series. While the long stemming affair has taken place for over a century, the history of the prizes is relatively short.

In 1930, a Doctor by the name of R.B. Fouch created the "Slab of Bacon" a piece of black walnut wood that had a logo engraved on it that could look like an "M" or a "W" depending on which way it was displayed.  This prize was awarded to the winner of the annual meeting for the next 14 seasons. The Gophers were 11-3 in that time span.

Minnesota won the slab in 1943 by virtue of its 25-14 win over the Badgers in Minneapolis. However, then-Gophers head coach, Dr. George Hauser declined the trophy citing the trivial meaning of the game in the relation to the events taking place in World War II. The trophy then vanished only to be discovered in an athletic storage room during the 1994 renovation of Camp Randall Stadium. Every score from 1930-1970 had been placed on the back of the slab which is now displayed in the Wisconsin football office.

In 1948, the National W Club, the Wisconsin letter-winners organization, created Paul Bunyan's Axe, and began awarding it to the winner of the event. The axe is still the defining symbol of the rivalry to this day. The original axe, which was retired in 2003, had a side that was painted in each school's color with the team's logo. The results were recorded on its six-foot handle. The new axe, which was made in the likeness of the original trophy, was instituted in 2004.

Wisconsin is 37-24-3 against the Gophers in the "Axe Era." Since 1990 the Badgers are 17-5 against their arch-rival and have held the axe for the last eight seasons, the longest streak by any one team since the inception of the prize in 1948.

What makes this annual contest truly special is that both teams genuinely believe they have a shot to win every season. Regardless of records, the two teams have a history of bringing out the best in one another. Nearly half the 61 games that have not ended in a tie have been decided by a touchdown or less.

This rivalry is one of the healthiest in all of college athletics. Its competitiveness and tradition makes it a sight to be taken in by any true college sports fan.

Alright, by now we hope you know the drill.. it's another game you best know or already know in the world of college sports and for that you're in for a treat.. one that might be of the pickled variety!!  

After experiencing Hilton Magic yesterday it's about time you experience one of the most bitterly cold and bitter rivalries in college hockey... 

No. 73: Michigan Tech vs. Northern Michigan (DI Hockey): 

Luckily for most of the Badger fans in the population this is a rivalry that doesn't need much in the way of introduction.  However, if you need it... The Upper Peninsula of Michigan is home of two teams that have been in and out of conference affiliation with each other and will soon find themselves back in the same conference thanks to realignment.  

Don't confuse the Huskies (MTU) and the Wildcats (NMU) as twins, at least to those that go the universities.  Literally you can hear just about all of jokes between the schools in a great bar serving pickled eggs in Hancock.  However, the one thing that connects the teams is the fact that they compete in one of the most remote areas in all of DI college hockey, the shores of Lake Superior.

On the ice the Wildcats of NMU lead the series (one that's seen both be in the WCHA and CCHA) 65-48-5 over the Huskies of Michigan Tech.  It's a series that's only dated to 1979 but it's about as bitter as you can get. Incredibly Michigan Tech had one of their best seasons in the WCHA last year despite losing to the Wildcats in both games last season.

The fact that both schools are overlooked and the makeup of the schools are so different makes this rivalry so intense.  Off the ice it's quite common to see this series as a "house divided" situation as many students date people from the opposite school.

Not only that but UP bragging rights that tend to drip in to the northern or northeastern parts of Wisconsin make the series' between the two schools very well attended. 

Amazingly these two teams don't play for traveling trophy currently, however the bitterness between the schools can't be overstated and the games played (at least once at each others arenas) can't be overlooked in terms of college hockey.  In fact both programs are on the upswing and could see themselves in positions to make NCAA tournament runs once realignment is done. 

Former Wisconsin offensive lineman Gabe Carimi is making significant strides in returning to the gridiron following a major knee injury that cut his 2011 season short. Carimi participated in OTA's with the Chicago Bears on Tuesday. Following an off-day, he is set to resume team activities on Thursday and will be fully active in all of the team's activities next week.

For those looking to get their college football fix, Scott Dochtermann of The Gazette, wrote an interesting piece about the Big Ten and Pac-12 collaboration. It discusses how the plan, conceived by Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delany, may help college football save itself during the turbulent times of conference expansion.

Detroit Redwings defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom announced his retirement Thursday after spending 20 years in the NHL. On the surface, that story may not seem to be particularly important in Madison. But, as Andy Baggot of the Wisconsin State Journal points out, Lidstrom's replacement likely hails from Badger country. Two (soon to be three) former Badgers could be suitable fill-ins.

In case you missed it, the 2012-13 wrestling schedule was released last week. The Badgers will host Hofstra in the season opener on November 11. The Big Ten dual season will open up on December 7 when Wisconsin will entertain Michigan State. The dual meet season will go out with a bang when Minnesota visits the Fieldhouse on February 10.

The Big Ten Championships are set to take place March 9-10 in Champaign, Ill.

Staying on the mat, incoming Badger grappler Jesse Thielke qualified for his fourth consecutive FILA Junior World Team on Tuesday. Thielke, who was a four-time state champion at Germantown High School, will compete at 60 Kg in the FILA Junior World Championships September 4-9 in Pattaya, Thailand.

Raise your hands if you thought Jon Budmayr was going to play in 2012... o.k., I don't see any hands up.  Now, raise your hand if you thought Bart Houston was going to play in 2012.... o.k., I see a few hands up.  Well, according to Bret Bielema at Badger Days in the Wisconsin Dells yesterday, neither is going to be happening.

Most of us thought Budmayr wasn't going to play because his tricky elbow and arm injury couldn't seem to be figured out.  However, that's not what's going to keep him out because the seemingly snake-bit QB now requires hip surgery and will have to miss the 2012 season.  He was going to be a 4th year Junior entering this season and now looks more and more likely that Budmayr may never see a significant snap again in a Badgers uniform.  

Earlier in the spring it was reported that incoming star recruit, Bart Houston, would undergo surgery to remove a cyst in his throwing shoulder.  He was expected to miss the start of training camp in the fall, but most assumed he would get in some work and best case scenario would only be used in an emergency and allowed to redshirt.  Well, Bielema has taken any chance of him seeing the field in 2012 off the table as he will redshirt for sure and be shut down despite being ahead of schedule in his rehab from the surgery.  

In my humble opinion that's exactly the right course of action.  If he wasn't going to be a starter or significant back up in his true freshman year, why not allow him to fully heal from his injuries while learning the offense in a no pressure situation.  

Let's not forget that this is the 2nd shoulder surgery for Houston in his young life and having gone through multiple shoulder surgeries young in my own life I can tell you shutting it down and allowing it to fully heal is the best decision they can make.  It will allow him to try and correct some of the physical things that may be going wrong around the shoulder and gaining strength around it will only help avoid injury in the future.  

So for 2012 Wisconsin will go with Danny O'Brien, Joel Stave, Joe Brennan, and possibly a returning Curt Phillips.  I don't know about you but for me seeing Joel Stave look pretty darn good in the spring game is really huge because relying on Brennan or a completely bionic (what, he's not Robocop yet?) Phillips doesn't exactly bring me out of my seat should O'Brien go down or not pick up the offense (don't see that happening).  

Whatever happens the depth at this position is questionable at best and Stave will really need to compete well in fall camp for him to have my complete confidence that we're not completely screwed without O'Brien.

Another day another great reason to love college sports gets unveiled.  This time it's a game I've actually experienced, but one that ranked high enough on the rest of the staff's lists to make it in to the 2nd twenty-five on the list. 

Don't forget to check out the Civil War that we featured yesterday before digging in to today's addition to the MTB College Sports Bucket List. 

No. 74 - Iowa State vs. Kansas (DI Basketball): 

Like I said, this is a game I've had the privilege of attending in person and I can tell you that it more than lived up to the hype.  Typically you may not think of Iowa State and Kansas when talking about the Big 12 as of late, but talk to anyone involved in the conference and they will tell you about a little thing called "Hilton Magic."

What is Hilton Magic and why does it matter to Iowa State vs. Kansas?  Hilton Magic is a reference to what happens at the home arena of the Cyclone basketball team - Hilton Coliseum.  It was coined after a massive 1983 upset over highly ranked Missouri and the legend took off after the Cyclones avenged a massive beat down from Oklahoma State shortly there after.  A lot also has to do with the nature of the arena and it's fans.  The venue is a completely concrete structure that holds sound in unlike any place I've ever been in and the fans are right on top of the action, something a lot of the newer arenas in America lack.  It all adds up to a raucous crowd that's as intimidating as they come for the vast majority of games.  Since the advent of "Hilton Magic," Kansas teams that have come in to Ames have left the area wondering what hit them quite often. 

These two teams' rivalry dates back to the days of the Big 8 where the Cyclones and Jayhawks often found themselves fighting it out for the conference crown during the Johnny Orr era and now in to the Big 12 with the resurgence of the Cyclone program under "The Mayor" Fred Hoiberg.  

The series may not be overwhelmingly close, it stands 170-58 in favor of Kansas, but it's one of the longest standing series that the Cyclones have played and these two have battled it out since the days of the original Missouri Valley Conference, through the Big 6 & Big 8, up to today's version of the Big XII.

However lopsided the series may seem the games are very competitive, especially in Ames where the record is 66-36 in favor of the Jayhawks.  In Lawrence it's not nearly the same with ISU only gaining 15 victories in it's history.  However, throw records out of the window when these two meet, these teams give each other everything they have and then some on a regular basis.

Sometimes it's not the record, but how the games are played and more often than not no matter the venue these two teams put on a show.  Don't believe me? Ask any current or former Jayhawk what arena and team outside of the Tigers of Missouri they would least like to play in and Hilton will be the next word out of their mouths.  

This game and rivalry will take on a bit more meaning going forward because the biggest rivalry in the conference in terms of basketball is no more thanks to Missouri's departure to the SEC and the unwillingness to play the game on behalf of the Tigers.  That fact leaves ISU vs. Kansas as the most recognizable game with any sort of history in the conference.  It's sure to be an interesting new era in the redone Big XII to say the least and Kansas and Iowa State just may have a few things to say about the direction the on the court product takes going forward.

Unbelievably we've reached the quarter pole in our journey through the biggest and best that college sports have to offer here on the MTB College Sports Bucket List.  We've covered "Duels in the Desert", some of the best that D3 sports has to offer, and much more, so look through the site and you'll find quite a few gems.

In fact one of those rare gems was unveiled yesterday in the battle between St. Norbert College and Wisconsin-Superior in D3 Hockey, so check it out here.

No. 75: Oregon vs. Oregon State (FBS Football): 

We've covered a lot of interesting games, but never have we covered something so bitter that they actually pride themselves in playing in the "Civil War", but that's exactly what happens every season in the Northwest as the Ducks and Beavers go at it in the annual grudge match in Oregon.

The 2012 season will mark the 96th edition of the Civil War and if you weren't paying attention to the games out west between these two until Oregon became more nationally relevant you'd have no clue of just how bitter, close, and full of upsets this rivalry actually is.

Currently the series stands at 46-43-5 in favor of Oregon, but it's a series that's always been pretty close.  The Ducks and Beavers both have the same longest winning streaks in the series at eight games.  Last season Oregon destroyed the Beavers 49-21 in route to the Rose Bowl, which we all know how that ended.

But what makes this series more special than some of the other close rivalries that we've seen?

It's that time of the year already: Preseason College Football Magazine time (or as it's known in my house - College Football Magazine Day [channeling my inner Billy Madison voice]).  I thought I'd spare you the time and money to give you the information that you need to know out of each magazine as they become available to me.  It just so happens that Lindy's is the first out of the gate and it's chalk full of interesting tidbits for us Badger faithful.  

Let this be a start of a glorious beginning of summer tradition here for you fine readers of MTB and for us here, so let's kick it off!

Overall: First things first, you know you've got to open up and find out where Wisconsin ranks (17th in the nation) and what they see the Big Ten looking like.  They picked Wisconsin to finish 2nd in the Leaders Division (shocking, I know).  Here's how they see the conference shaking down:

Legends: 

1. Michigan (7th)

2. Michigan State (12th)

3. Nebraksa (25th)

4. Northwestern (55th)

5. Iowa (41st)

6. Minnesota (74th)

The St. Norbert mens hockey team has had their way with the Northern Collegiate Hockey Association over the last decade. In the past ten seasons, the Green Knights have claimed nine regular season titles and captured eight Peters Cups.

If there has been a thorn in the side of the perennial powerhouse it has been UW-Superior. Arguably, the Yellowjackets have been able to run with SNC better than any other school in the conference.

The two schools have met 64 times and St. Norbert owns a 31-21-12 advantage in the all-time series. However, SNC is just 8-9-9 when visiting Wessman Arena in Superior. It is the only venue in the conference where the Green Knights do not own a winning record.

Speaking of venues, both Wessman Arena and the Cornerstone Community Center provide a unique college hockey experience that can be appreciated by any fan. Wessman Arena, one of the largest facilities in the conference, holds a capacity of 3,000. The more intimate Cornerstone Community Center gives spectators a chance to get up close and personal with one of the best programs in the nation.

The enrollments of both institutions hover around the 2,000 mark. But the fans (knowledegeable fans at that) turn out in droves to support their teams adding to the atmosphere of the already intense competition.

Adding to the drama of the rivalry is the fact that the two men who patrol the bench also played in the NCHA in their collegiate days. They are also two of the longest tenured coaches in the league. SNC head coach Tim Coghlin was a two-time All-American defenseman at UW-Stevens Point where he was the captain on the 1989 national championship team. He concluded his 19th season as head coach at St. Norbert where he currently owns a 411-113-45 record. He has brought home 13 NCHA regular season titles, 10 Peters Cups and three national championships. UWS head man Dan Stauber appeared in 99 games for Superior during his collegiate career and tallied 118 points. Last year, wrapped up his 12th season at the helm of the Yellowjackets where he has posted a 218-86-50 mark.

With St. Norbert taking its second consecutive national title (it's third since 2008) and posting a 2-0-1 record against Superior last season, the Yellowjackets have fuel to add to the fire comeing into the 2012-13 season.

As competitive as the rivalry has been, its future remains in question. The NCHA is set to disband after the upcoming season to give way to Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference hockey. UWS is already assured a spot in the WIAC, but, as it stands now, St. Norbert will be without a conference for the 2013-14 campaign.

On behalf of the staff here at MTB I want to say a huge thank you to all those Badger fans out there so bravely and proudly serving our country and those that have served our country or given the ultimate sacrifice of their lives.  Without your sacrifice, honor, and selflessness our country wouldn't be!  

All we ask is that you take some time today to remember those that have fallen in defense of the Red, White, and Blue and if you see a veteran or active service military person today make sure you say THANK YOU and perhaps buy that man/woman a drink or a meal to show your gratitude!

On a personal note I want to say thank you to the countless members of my family - from Grandparents to Cousins - who have bravely served this country with honor!  Especially to my brother Bryan and his wife Lauren who are currently serving in the Air Force - keep up the great work and THANK YOU!!  On Wisconsin and God Bless America!  Home of the Free, because of the Brave!