It’s tongue-in-cheek, of course. And a tongue so firmly planted, it may bore a hole through the epidermis.
But there, in today’s Wall Street Journal, the financial voice of these United States and beyond, are the words for all to read: “The Games of the XXXIII Olympiad should be held in…Milwaukee.”
First, I’ll save you a Google search. For the Roman numerically challenged, that’s the 33rd Olympiad, and it’s scheduled for 2024.
Second, it’s all in good fun until you get to the closing remarks: “And the Olympic slogan? ‘Hey, if Atlanta could do it…’”
Yes, Atlanta once took the Braves from Milwaukee.
And yes, Milwaukee’s onetime NBA club, the Hawks, ended up in Atlanta via St. Louis.
And indeed, from what I saw during those Atlanta Olympics, it’s quite the fine city. Moreover, they set a world record for goosebumps when Muhammad Ali lit the torch.
But no, and emphatically no, Wisconsin need not measure its level of athletic achievement against Atlanta. And for proof, I went ahead and measured anyway.
In 46 1/2 seasons, the Braves of Atlanta have won as many World Series crowns as the Braves of Milwaukee did in 13.
The Atlanta Hawks have never won an NBA title – the franchise’s lone conquest came in St. Louis. (But the Milwaukee Bucks have one.)
And I trust there’s no need for math when it comes to the Packers and the Atlanta Falcons.
So hey, Wisconsin’s doing just fine.
And without all that extra traffic.
Feel free to follow me on Twitter, where I tweet as howiemag. And listen to me chat sports with Mitch Teich monthly on WUWM’s “Lake Effect.”
