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An Outsider’s Take On Bucks, Packers, Wisconsin Sports

By Adam McGee

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Coming from the other side of the world it can often be tricky to get a grasp on the role that professional sports play in certain cities or states in the US. Wisconsin feels like an exception to that though.

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As soon as you dip your toe in the waters of Badger State sports, whether that’s with the Milwaukee Bucks, Green Bay Packers or Milwaukee Brewers, you feel the passion. Sport is a religion. Much of the state unites and lives for days like today: the Packers opening game of the season.

Sep 20, 2013; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward John Henson throws out the ceremonial first pitch before game between the Milwaukee Brewers and St. Louis Cardinals at Miller Park. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

Having written about and followed every single move the Milwaukee Bucks have made for nine months now, there are still some details that I wrestle with as someone who is still effectively an outsider though.

One of the biggest would have to be the varying interest levels or consumption from those across the state for the teams that represent the state across the country’s three biggest leagues: NFL, NBA, MLB.

About ten days ago, I received a tweet that got to the heart of the matter though. It’s not as if it was a question that hasn’t been asked before, but it still felt like one without a definitive answer.

It was a question that was too big for me to answer alone or without further consideration, so I brought it to the table as such as part of the mailbag in one of our recent podcasts. Along with fellow Behind The Buck Pass writers Jordan Treske and Ti Windisch we hypothesized.

The obvious answer that has been around for generations is simply that the lack of a winning culture will always stop people from engaging in the same way. The Packers have 13 World Championships, while the Bucks only have one, and the Brewers are yet to reach that promised land for the first time.

That establishes a clear pecking order in the state. You’ve got the Packers, and the rest.

There are a lot of other things the Packers have done right over the years though, and with a lot of the work that the current Bucks ownership have been doing to rebrand and reinvent the franchise’s identity, it’s clear that they have been paying attention.

Sep 14, 2014; Green Bay, WI, USA; Milwaukee Bucks first round pick Jabari Parker arrives for the game between the Green Bay Packers and New York Jets at Lambeau Field. At bottom left is Milwaukee Bucks guard Brandon Knight. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

Green Bay’s identity isn’t one that has been lost in the mire of: is it green and red, or green and purple? Their logos, their jerseys, and their identification is clean, concise and simple. The green and yellow looks good, and even from a distance is easily identifiable to those who support the Pack.

That must have played into the Bucks re-design which as much as it has been praised for its beauty, is equally important for it’s simplicity. Why is a defined identity that fans can relate to so important though? Well, it plays into the aspect of fandom that supporters love most of all, and that the Packers have managed best.

I am, of course, talking about the sense of community. It’s human nature to search for a sense of belonging, and to find solace in kindred spirits. If you’re a team owner and your fans view your franchise as just a team, well then you’re doing it all wrong. It should feel like a family, a cause, or a movement.

The Packers have a couple of distinctions that take that concept to the next level. Of course, they’re the NFL and American Major League sports’ only community owned team, but equally significant is the fact that that community is so tight-knit, and for lack of a better word: small. The fact that a city of just over 100,000 people can have an NFL franchise in the modern day TV money/advertising climate is astonishing.

As much as it might pain residents of Milwaukee to consider it, the fact that they are located away from the lights of the state’s most prominent city may even enhance their appeal within Wisconsin too. That’s not a knock on Milwaukee, but ‘us against them’ divides between major cities and their smaller neighbors are not unusual anywhere around the world. A team coming from a smaller city probably makes them even more relatable with an underdog aspect to their appeal.

Jun 28, 2014; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Milwaukee Bucks first round draft pick Jabari Parker throws the ceremonial first pitch before game between the Milwaukee Brewrers and the Colorado Rockies at Miller Park. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

From the Bucks perspective, the current ownership structure and the team’s location in Milwaukee aren’t going to change any time soon, nor should they in all honesty. What the organization are tasked with is the challenge of finding a way to capture the essence of the Packers model and applying it to their own.

Winning will play its part in that by bringing more eyes to the team, but only one group of people can ensure that those new onlookers get retained, and they are the team’s existing core of hardcore fans.

Fan experience is a buzz word that gets talked about a lot around the NBA, but that experience starts with the fans first and foremost. They’re the ones who can drum up passion and atmosphere like nobody else.

Now with the team on an upward curve, and with arguably a savvier ownership than ever before, it’s important for Bucks fans to embrace all newcomers, create a welcoming culture, and then watch their core following multiply organically.

In my experience writing about NBA teams from all across the US, I haven’t found a fanbase more measured, thoughtful or welcoming as a whole than those I’ve had the pleasure of talking Bucks with.

Milwaukee and Wisconsin definitely have some of the best fans in the country, and it’s now time for them to embrace the Bucks, Packers and Brewers as one.

Next: Milwaukee Bucks Confirm $1 Park East Land Purchase

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