You’ve heard the whispers about the Milwaukee Bucks, right? That any day, they’ll be packing up the basketballs and heading for Seattle or Las Vegas or Moron Mountain. (Space Jam is 13 years old? Really?)
After all, the team plays in one of the league’s oldest facilities, and Milwaukee has neither the money nor the political will to finance a new one anytime soon. Especially in this economy.
And the Bucks haven’t won a playoff series since 2001, haven’t even been to the playoffs since 2006. Fan interest is waning, and offers of $10 seats didn’t come close to filling the upper deck this season.
Finally, the stalwart owner is aging. Sen. Herb Kohl is 74, and though he’ll personally never move the team, he’ll have to sell it. Then what? Does the new owner become another Clay Bennett – the guy who moved the Seattle SuperSonics to Oklahoma City – complete with his own hate site?
These are the kinds of things people talk about while Amazing is Happening somewhere other than Milwaukee. Ownership change plus old arena plus attendance problems equals relocation.
And this is where responsible people need to hit the pause button. Is it worth discussing? Yes. But are we on the brink of anything? Not even close.
Look, eventually the Bucks will have to address all of this. The concerns listed above are real, and each of them will have a direct effect on the team’s future in Milwaukee.
But I’ve discussed the subject with a well-placed Bucks official, and here were his main points.
1) Kohl means it when he says he won’t move the Bucks or sell the team to someone who’ll move it.
2) The time horizon to get something done isn’t one or two years, but five or 10. And everybody knows you can’t seriously broach the subject of a new arena until the economy turns around.
3) These types of things always go down to the wire. Just look at Miller Park or, for that matter, the Pettit family’s gift of the Bradley Center. Expect nothing different this time around.
In other words, nothing is imminent. The Bucks will be here next year and the year after that. Step back from the ledge.
You can thank Kohl for that. For all the grief Kohl takes regarding his stewardship of the club, he’s the main reason the team is still here. Personally, as a relative newcomer to Milwaukee, I’m amazed he doesn’t get more credit for that.
Milwaukee is one of the NBA’s smallest markets, consistently loses money and is home to the NBA’s least-valuable franchise. Given all that, most other owners would be actively looking to relocate, but Kohl remains Milwaukee’s firewall. Witness the death of Michael Jordan’s ownership bid in 2003.
Does Kohl’s stance have as much to do with politics as altruism? Perhaps. But so long as it means the Bucks stay here, what’s the difference? I’ve seen what happens when team owners have no stake in the community. What happens is the community ends up having no team. (That’s why it seems the Bucks’ natural ownership progression will be to Racine’s Craig Leipold. Now that his NHL team is in Minneapolis instead of Nashville, it becomes much more manageable for him to take on the Bucks in a couple years.)
The Bucks just completed their 41st season in Milwaukee, and there’s no guarantee they’ll stick around for another 41. But Kohl’s involvement makes it far more likely that they will. That’s reason for a little less worry and a lot more appreciation.
Brewers Bright Spots
The next time you’re disappointed in Milwaukee’s bullpen, remember this: You could be a Washington Nationals fan.
The Nats treated relievers like Richard Nixon relatives on Sunday, impeaching three-sevenths of the pen after blowing three straight leads.
As for the Brewers’ bullpen, good news is on the horizon. Closer Trevor Hoffman should join the team on Sunday, stabilizing a relief corps that has been shaky beyond pleasant surprises Todd Coffey and Mark DiFelice.
And a tip of the cap to pitcher Jeff Suppan, who started living up to his $12.5 million salary with six strong innings against the Mets on Sunday. One performance won’t get people off his back, but it’s a start. Now he has to prove that the good outing wasn’t just a product of new Citi Field being a pitcher’s ballpark on par with Dodgers Stadium.
They’re Not Lyin’
Take heart, Detroit. The new Lions logo looks more ferocious. Good luck getting the team to follow suit…
And what makes a bicycle more female-friendly? Training with Tim has the answer.
Tune in every Tuesday morning during the 6 o’clock hour when I join Doug Russell and Mike Wickett on SportsRadio 1250 AM for Tuesdays with Howie. You can also find the segments in their Audio Vault.
