Bucks sold?!?

[Wade for President]

Three tweets from @BillSimmons

Hearing the Milwaukee Bucks are very VERY close to being sold pending league approval. Might be done already. PS: Not to the Seattle guys.

The NBA has been helping Herb Kohl quietly shop the Bucks around w/o letting it turn into a stay-or-leave soap opera.

NBA would rather see Bucks stay in Milwaukee but a new arena has to be part of it. Franchise alone will go for 525-550 mill.

Should MU be very, very concerned about this?

[Chili]

@BillSimmons

Hearing the Milwaukee Bucks are very VERY close to being sold pending league approval. Might be done already. PS: Not to the Seattle guys.

Should MU be very, very concerned about this?

No. The NBA is helping Herb find a group that will keep the team in Milwaukee. Also, at the rumored prices of $525-$550M, that has to include a new arena.

[Wade for President]

No. The NBA is helping Herb find a group that will keep the team in Milwaukee. Also, at the rumored prices of $525-$550M, that has to include a new arena.

No guarantees on what potential new ownership would do. 

[The Process]

Staying in MKE with a new arena would be a great win for MU.

[NCMUFan]

I haven't lived in Wisconsin for 25 years, but is the BC only used by the Buck and MU?
Does Milwaukee still have the Admirals?  If so, where do they play?

[The Process]

I haven't lived in Wisconsin for 25 years, but is the BC only used by the Buck and MU?
Does Milwaukee still have the Admirals?  If so, where do they play?

Admirals play at the Bradley Center as well.

[MuMark]

No guarantees on what potential new ownership would do. 

Kohl as said repeatedly he won't sell it to anyone who will move the team.......I'm sure any commitment to remain here will be contingent on a new arena being built.

Rumor has it that Junior Bridgeman will be involved

[Oldgym]

I think staying in MKE is probably a condition of sale, as Kohl has been unequivocal about that and is still in a position of relative power. A year or two out, maybe not.  Kind of doubt the league is helping his cause though.

[keefe]

Kohl as said repeatedly he won't sell it to anyone who will move the team.......I'm sure any commitment to remain here will be contingent on a new arena being built.

Rumor has it that Junior Bridgeman will be involved

Howard Starbucks repeatedly said he wouldn't sell to anyone who would move the team. After one lame duck season the Sonics were the Thunder

[JTBMU7]

According to the pictures in the hallways Ricky Martin and the Dixie chicks were also there at one time...

[Litehouse]

I see it working out fine for MU either way.  If the Bucks stay, they get a new arena, and we get to play in a state-of-the-art facility.  If they leave, we still get to play in one of the nicest college arenas in the country as the main tenant, with more flexibility for scheduling and Sat. night games.

[Wojo'sMojo]

I see it working out fine for MU either way.  If the Bucks stay, they get a new arena, and we get to play in a state-of-the-art facility.  If they leave, we still get to play in one of the nicest college arenas in the country as the main tenant, with more flexibility for scheduling and Sat. night games.

If they build a new arena, is it guaranteed that we would get to play there? I hope so, I'm just curious.

[MikeDeanesDarkGlasses]

Three tweets from @BillSimmons

Hearing the Milwaukee Bucks are very VERY close to being sold pending league approval. Might be done already. PS: Not to the Seattle guys.

The NBA has been helping Herb Kohl quietly shop the Bucks around w/o letting it turn into a stay-or-leave soap opera.

NBA would rather see Bucks stay in Milwaukee but a new arena has to be part of it. Franchise alone will go for 525-550 mill.

Should MU be very, very concerned about this?

Forbes has the Bucks as the least valuable NBA franchise @ $405 million.   http://www.bucksketball.com/2014/01/forbes-bucks-are-the-least-valuable-team-in-the-nba/

If Kohl gets over $500 million, that's a huge coup.  Plus, there's no way that includes a new arena.  There's too much ambiguity regarding an arena as of now.  No investor would come in and pay an extra $100 million without any arena plans.  That's just ludicrous. 

[Slim]

No, 50 cent for a Tupac of M & Ms - that's Ludacris!

[avid1010]

now is the time to sell...different press outlets have been on this for a while.  bucks are the only team for sale right now driving their value up higher than ever before. 

i'm thinking we should get a tax payer funded arena built first to increase the value of the team before selling though.

[connie]

If they build a new arena, is it guaranteed that we would get to play there? I hope so, I'm just curious.

Any stadium would require beaucoup public dollars, so almost assured MU would be a tenant.

[Tugg Speedman]

Is the idea that the Pottawatomie Casino building an arena in the valley attached to their hotel still a possibility?

[ChicosBailBonds]

now is the time to sell...different press outlets have been on this for a while.  bucks are the only team for sale right now driving their value up higher than ever before. 

i'm thinking we should get a tax payer funded arena built first to increase the value of the team before selling though.

Absolutely...tax payer funded.  Always a great idea.  Put it up for vote, let the people decide

[Warrior_2002]

I don't think the bucks will move.  Kohl's number 1 priority has been to keep them here otherwise not sell them.  Obviously anything could happen but I don't see them going anywhere.  Lots of speculation had hopes of Mark Antanassio, the Brewers owner, being involved in the new ownership group.  He has turned a poor run franchise of the brewers into a real well-run franchise.  If he is involved with the bucks, they will be headed in the right direction.  I myself would actually prefer an NHL team instead of them, but I guess the bucks being here and maybe getting a new arena would help Marquette.  So, whatever's best for Marquette in this situation I'm all for.

[MikeDeanesDarkGlasses]

now is the time to sell...different press outlets have been on this for a while.  bucks are the only team for sale right now driving their value up higher than ever before. 

i'm thinking we should get a tax payer funded arena built first to increase the value of the team before selling though.

I read on JSOnline that Kohl wanted to put his own money towards a new stadium.  The article indicated he would put up some of the money and see how people voted on the tax referendum for funding a new arena.  With the capital raised from selling the Bucks, especially @ 500+ million (if that number is true) then I would think that he would build a new facility with his money, much like the Bradley's.  I don't see SE Wisconsin voting for a sales tax increase to support the Bucks especially with their poor record.  The public image of the Bucks is very negative as is a new sales tax supporting them.  Recently, I have seen more positive publicity supporting a new arena, describing it as it is a haven for the "Arts" - concerts, etc.  It seems that the publicity machine is diverging from the negative connotation that the Bucks bring.  Their focus seems to be on concerts, political gatherings, and large conferences ( I believe there's talk that local Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett would like the DNC convention to come to Milwaukee).  The Bradley Center isn't big enough for a DNC convention, so this will come into justification as well.  MU will be used in conjunction at some point as another reason we need a new facility.  

Herb Kohl is 79, and has no heirs.  If the referendum isn't passed, I could see him footing the bill, especially if he rakes in 1/2 billion for the Bucks.  The question is.... what would he call the place with Kohl Center in Madison?

[77ncaachamps]

Looking at a list of Metropolitan areas in the US larger than Milwaukee AND don't have an NBA team:

Seattle
Riverside, CA
San Diego
St Louis
Tampa
Baltimore
Pittsburgh
Kansas City
Columbus
Las Vegas
Cincinnati

Only two metro markets smaller than Mil have NBA teams: OKC and New Orleans

[ChicosBailBonds]

Wait, Kohl has no kids?


As for the arena being too small for the DNC, I don't think that is true.  Staples Center had the convention.  Hotel space might be more an issue.

[Warrior_2002]

Wait, Kohl has no kids?

Nope, no wife, no kids, nothing.  I could see him wanting to leave his legacy as leaving lots of money to build a new stadium.  Kohl Center East.

[MikeDeanesDarkGlasses]

I haven't lived in Wisconsin for 25 years, but is the BC only used by the Buck and MU?
Does Milwaukee still have the Admirals?  If so, where do they play?

BC used to have to the soccer team as well..... Milwaukee Wave, but they're going through financial issues and are moving to a different league.  Otherwise, they have big name concerts, monster trucks, etc. 

[brandx]

We need to keep the Bucks here. The NBA has gone global with offices in at least 15 foreign countries. That puts Milwaukee's name out there abroad, which is important to future economic growth in the city. I read a very good article on this I will have to try to find and link here.

Not to mention that if the Bucks are successful, basketball is elevated in the eyes of everyone. That excitement carries over to MU as well. I remember very well in the early 70's with Jabbar playing here as well as Al at MU. Heyday for hoops in the city.