Po, Sweat and Tears: An Interview with the Sad Wisconsin Teletubby Fan

"I didn't have shorts on under. I had jeans on, and a sweater underneath. I don't know how I survived."

This was the pinnacle of Tyler Hartmann's Final Four experience—pouring sweat into the godforsaken nethers of a Teletubby costume and leaping as high as he could as the Wisconsin Badgers downed the 38-0 Kentucky Wildcats on Saturday.

He didn't know that two days later the Badgers would fall to Duke in the national championship game, and that his sad mug would be plastered across every sports blog and television station from Seattle to Key Largo. He was a college kid in a Teletubby costume—one of the more enviable and uninhibited life forms known to man—and he was celebrating the biggest win of his program's existence.

But then Duke happened, and the sad face happened, and 24 hours and god knows how many tweets and text messages later, Tyler, a sophomore at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, was on the phone with me—another college hoops junkie who knows what it feels like to have his heart ripped out and punted into the abyss, albeit, not on national television.

I reached Tyler, the now-famous "Sad Wisconsin Teletubby Fan," by phone Tuesday night. I wanted to know what sparked the costume, what it was like to get hit by the Internet meme machine bus and how he was holding up in the aftermath of it all. What followed was a thoughtful conversation on Duke-hate, Teletubby thermodynamics and what it's like to be wearing a ridiculous costume in one of the most disappointing moments of your young life.

Note: Instances of emphasis are the author's.

Bleacher Report: So what prompted the Teletubby costume? I've got to say, it's a great get-up. 

Tyler Hartmann: At the beginning of the year, me and a couple buddies, we just wanted to have some sort of costume. We looked at different costumes like squirrel costumes. My friend has a giraffe costume, which he had on at the Duke game. So we stumbled upon the Teletubbies, and we looked at the price, we thought it was reasonable. Thought it was awesome. 

Tyler Hartmann

B/R: How did you manage to get Po [the red Teletubby]? That had to be the most sought-after one of the group.

TH: It was Hunger Games style. Whoever gets to it first. First come, first serve. It worked out nice. I didn't have to put on any shirt or jersey over it. I could just be Po.

B/R: What's the best thing about walking around in a Teletubby costume?

TH: As Teletubbies, we can pretty much get away with anything. That's one of the things I really like about it. You can push some things a little bit, as far as talking to people and doing things. But at the Final Four, you could see the little kids enjoying it. Just the smiles it brought to some people's faces.

B/R: What's the worst thing about walking around in a Teletubby costume?

TH: It's extremely hot...the [Kentucky] game I didn't have shorts on under. I had jeans on, and a sweater underneath. I don't know how I survived. Also...going to the bathroom. You need a little help from someone to undo the back of it. But also losing, too. After a loss, you look ridiculous. I'm all for looking ridiculous, but losing in a Teletubby costume. It's...ugh. 

B/R: So at what point did you and your friends realize this "Sad Teletubby" thing had gone nuclear?

TH: We met up with some other friends after the game, split cars and we were heading back when I realized I forgot my keys in the other car. So I tell my friend to call my roommate back here in Madison, because I had to get back in. But on the phone, instead, he goes, "Tyler's famous!" I heard that on the phone and was like, "OK. That's not what we're worried about now. I need to get home." I get in the car with my other buddies and they're on Twitter like, "Dude, there are all these memes! There's pictures everywhere!" My mom messaged me with a photo of my face. My dad messaged me with a photo of my face. They're like, "Twitter's going crazy! CBS Sports got you!" My mom, too, was like, "How are you handling all this publicity? Are you OK with it all? Are you OK with your face being out there?" I was like, "Mom, it's fine. It's whatever."

B/R: So you had no idea the postgame sad-camera was preying on you?

TH: No, I did not. I was just kind of gazing off into nowhere. I was with my buddies, and I was just in a daze. I didn't see myself on the Jumbotron.

B/R: What was going through your head in that moment?

TH: A lot of things [Sigh]. One was, "This was our year." We had the Player of the Year, Frank Kaminsky. We had all the seniors. I felt bad for them. I felt bad for Bo [Ryan]. Other fans, too. You look around and you see people crying. And you're just like, "This sucks"...and Duke winning again, too. I hate Duke.

B/R: Funny you say that. I was just going to ask. What are your feelings on the Blue Devils? 

TH: I'm definitely not a Duke fan. I have the utmost respect for Coach K. Their players are obviously studs, but at the same time it's just like, "Again?" Back in 2010 they beat Butler, and this was our year. And they took it.

B/R: Is Frank the Tank going to tear up the NBA? 

TH: We'll see. It's a different game. He's versatile. He can step out and hit the three. He has good footwork. We'll see how his game translates.

B/R: If you had one word you could ask Nigel Hayes to spell, what would it be?

TH: Oh, man. That's such a good question. So this is a relevant word. I think he'd have no problem with it. He's a word genius. But I've seen "Teletubby" misspelled a lot on Twitter...from what I gather it's "Teletubby" with a "Y." Singular. "Teletubbies. I-E-S." Plural. 

B/R: So what's it like now that you're back in Wisconsin?

TH: I'm still an average guy. But I'm known for being a Teletubby.

B/R: Last one: What was the best part of your Final Four?

TH: I got to go down to the Final Four last year. So I've went the last two years, and the best thing is not being at the Final Four, but being at the Final Four with some of your best friends. And just knowing that this is an experience you shouldn't take for granted at all...knowing you'll be able to look back on that and be like, "Oh, we beat Kentucky. A perfect team." It was an incredible run and we got to experience the end of it with them. The best part is being able to share it with some great friends.

B/R: I was at the Final Four last year, too. That loss to Kentucky was a gut-spiller. This year must've been some great revenge.

TH: Oh, man. It was sweet revenge.

Dan is on Twitter. He believes in the redemption of college basketball.