From the LVRJ: According to a report from the Milwaukee Business Journal, the Milwaukee Bucks are looking for approval of $250 million in public funding for a downtown Milwaukee arena. Bucks president Peter Feigin, citing a provision in the Bucks owners’ agreement that construction of a new arena must start in 2015, told lawmakers the NBA will buy back the team and move it to “Las Vegas or Seattle” if that provision isn’t met.“The window is closing,” Feigin told the Milwaukee Business Journal. “We can’t wait months, even weeks to start the public process.”The Wisconsin Senate could take up the arena finance bill as early as Tuesday. Feigin says construction must begin by October or November, or else the NBA will start seeking buyers for the team.While the “Give-us-money-or-we’re-moving-the-team-to-Vegas” line is a familiar one, there is one major difference this time: Las Vegas will have an NBA-caliber arena in the $375 million MGM Resorts-Anschuntz Entertainment Group arena that is scheduled to be finished in April 2016. - See more at: http://www.reviewjournal.com/sports/sideline/nba-s-bucks-threaten-move-las-vegas#sthash.XANm41BA.dpuf
I used to live in the Milwaukee area and have been to about 100 Bucks games growing up.
I have great memories listening to Bucks radio announcer at the time, Eddie Doucette, with his famous call "Bango" when a Buck made a long shot.
I remember watching Lew Alcindor (later, Kareem Abdul Jabbar) when he was drafted and watching him play. I also remember a 4 or 5 overtime game with the Bucks playing, I believe a West coast team. We started the game watching from the nose bleed section and by the end of the game, we were about 5 rows from center court. I also remember watching them in the old Milwaukee Arena and now, the Bradley Center.
Now, the Bucks are looking for a new areana and they may or may not get it.
This fight for a new arena is like when the Milwaukee Brewers were fighting for a new stadium. I remember watching the debate and vote in Madison and also meeting Wendy Selig who was also watching the proceedings. The Brewers got their new stadium but 1 legislator was recalled and lost his job because of his vote.
The same thing is playing out now for the Bucks and if the Bucks don't get their arena, the Bucks might come to Vegas.
Well, a few years ago, the NBA had an all star game here and there were mini riots and some shootings directly related to all star game.
Because of this, I don't think Las Vegas is mature enough to have an NBA team, much less a major league professional sports team. We can barely support a Triple A baseball team, UNLV football and we lost a hockey Triple A minor league team.
Hopefully, the Bucks will stay in Milwaukee but if they do move, I would not want them to come to Vegas. Vegas just cannot handle an NBA team.
Though, I would love to see this guy, if he comes from Milwaukee:
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