I knew it was my first time at a basketball game hosted by UW-Milwaukee.
I had no clue that Marquette was in the same boat.
But there it was in the press notes: “The game marks the first time in the modern era UWM has been the home team in its series with Marquette.”
Now I’m not sure what exactly qualifies as “the modern era.” For my dad, it started when Neil Armstrong walked on the moon. For me, it started when Michael Jackson moonwalked. For college kids, perhaps when Mike moonwalked to the great beyond.
But for recordkeeping purposes, “the modern era” is usually a synonym for “You’re not gonna believe how long it’s been.” And no, I didn’t believe it.
Turns out, the last time Marquette visited UWM was 1931. Two schools sit some 10 miles apart, and one hadn’t visited his neighbor’s house since “The Star Spangled Banner” became the National Anthem? You’d think the neighbor was Archie Bunker. (Sorry kids… pre-modern era. Just imagine Stephen Colbert when he hits his late 50s.)
“I guess it’s history, right?” UWM coach Rob Jeter said of Marquette’s neighborly visit. And it was. But how does it take so long for history to happen?
Yes, I’m slowly learning that the fan bases are separated by more than a river. I’m aware there’s been bad blood between the two schools, especially when they were negotiating the contract that restarted the series. And I know former coaches Tom Crean and Bruce Pearl weren’t exactly dining out together, probably because neither wanted to hire a personal food-taster.
Moreover, I understand the thinking of some Marquette fans. Why bother with a series that’s been so lopsided? But maybe part of the reason it’s been so lopsided is because, well, it’s been so lopsided.
One of the best things about athletics is the inherent sense of fairness. Given a level playing field, it’s easy to determine who performed better. Just look at the final score.
But you can make an argument that the UWM-Marquette playing field hasn’t been level. Not because of Marquette’s bigger profile or successful tradition, but because Marquette has always owned the field.
Obviously, there’s much more involved with Marquette’s 38-0 domination of the series. But is it pure coincidence that the first real scare UWM has given Marquette came the first time UWM hosted Marquette? Before Saturday’s 75-72 Marquette win, you had to go back to 1935 to find a single-digit margin in the series (29-25 thriller, if you’re scoring at home). Isn’t it plausible that a more equitable split of the home games might produce a better overall series?
“There’s a sense of comfort,” Jeter said of his team’s first chance to host Marquette. “When you hit those tough spots and you’ve got the crowd behind you, it does help you through. It really does, and I think we saw that tonight.”
Look, I don’t have a horse in this race. If I root for anything, it’s the area’s sports scene as a whole, and I think success for both programs equals success for Milwaukee. Moreover, I think a healthy, competitive rivalry between both programs is equally good for Milwaukee.
I’m also aware of the reality of the situation. Marquette clearly holds most, if not all, of the cards here. The series will only continue if Marquette wants it too. UWM will get home games in the series only if Marquette agrees to it.
And frankly, Marquette owes nothing to the Panthers. The Golden Eagles are under no obligation to help any athletic program but their own.
But what about owing something to the city of Milwaukee? Marquette has been a fine Milwaukee citizen, and isn’t part of good citizenship doing good things for your community?
So, yes, I’m glad that it sounds like both sides are approaching things with that in mind. All indications are that the series will not only continue, but will include a more equitable home-road split for UWM.
A big reason why, I’m sure, comes down to Jeter and Buzz Williams. Both are gentlemen stewards of their respective programs, good people who exhibit none of the animosity shared by their predecessors. “Rob Jeter has been very kind to me since I’ve been here,” Williams said after Saturday’s win. “We want to beat Milwaukee just like Milwaukee wants to beat Marquette. But I hope they win every other game that they play.”
And maybe after their next contract is signed, the two coaches can toast it over a neighborly meal. No food-tasters required.
Nutshells
-You could sense a little panic in Packer Nation when Atlanta beat Green Bay on Sunday – amazingly, by yet another last-second field goal. (Four losses, all by last-second field goals? Has to be unprecedented.) Yes, if the playoffs started today, the Packers wouldn’t have a seat at the table.
But dinnertime isn’t for another five weeks, folks. And as for the Falcons game, there’s no shame in losing a close game to a good team on the road. The Packers still hold their destiny in their hands. I’m betting it won’t slip through their fingers.
-Mike Wickett of SportsRadio 1250 asked me Tuesday morning whether injuries were an excuse or a reason for the Bucks disappointing 6-11 record. I chose option No. 3 and called them a “factor.”
Yes, we expected more out of the Bucks before the season started. But we’ve yet to truly see the Bucks team that engendered such expectations. Of the team’s top players, only Brandon Jennings, John Salmons and Ersan Ilyasova have played all 17 games. And Salmons had his own preseason injury issues which, judging from his subpar play, are still affecting him.
That doesn’t entirely explain away the club’s struggles, particularly its shooting woes. But no team can be so discombobulated and not be affected by it. And it should give Bucks fans hope that, once the injury situation stabilizes, the team should start performing closer to its true ability.
Feel free to follow me on Twitter, where I tweet as howiemag. And tune in every Tuesday morning at 6:30 when I join Doug Russell and Mike Wickett on SportsRadio 1250 AM for Tuesdays with Howie.
