Milwaukee Bucks: At long last you can feel change in the air at Bucks games

With a new coach and stadium, the Milwaukee Bucks are seemingly revitalized. The experience as a fan is second to none, and if you have never been to a Bucks game at Fiserv Forum, the time to change that is now.

With multiple sell out games this season, the Milwaukee Bucks have become the premier destination for nights out in the city. By bringing in a competent coaching staff, the Bucks look like real contenders; and fans are beginning to take notice.

I’ve been to enough Milwaukee Bucks games to remember the days when our big ticket player was Andrew Bogut.

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I’ve seen games where the only fans in attendance were scattered across the lower bowl of the Bradley Center, with black drapes shrouding the upper levels to hide our glaring lack of attendance.

I recall trotting out lineups of Brandon Jennings, Monta Ellis, Luc Mbah a Moute, Ersan Ilyasova, and Larry Sanders.

I remember touring the Bradley Center for a field trip and hearing how the Bucks may not even remain in Milwaukee. The fear of relocation was real.

I also recall paying less than $20 for tickets; something which will be a rarity at Fiserv Forum. Thanks to the Bucks’ rapid improvement of play, the on-court product has never been better.

It was not too long ago that the Bucks were the laughing stock of the NBA. The Jason Kidd years were about the growth and development of a small market team. If nothing else, he was a coach with name value that could bring Milwaukee basketball back into larger NBA discussions.

Today, the Bucks’ little slice of home is officially on the map, though.

Coach Mike Budenholzer has already proved to be a breath of fresh air in Milwaukee. With Budenholzer, a new culture of winning has been brought to the city through the first two months of his tenure.

Fans feel it, too. I went to the November 24 game against the San Antonio Spurs, and let me tell you, being a Bucks fan has taken on a new meaning compared to in years past.

Gone are the days of the brown paper bag. People are not ashamed to be Milwaukee Bucks fans anymore.

Hope is in the air. The Bucks have a superstar player in Giannis Antetokounmpo, who has effectively taken over the Eastern Conference as the most dominant player, a fringe All-Star in Khris Middleton, and a supporting cast of lethal shooters. The Bucks are on a clear path to success.

So, what is it like to attend a Bucks game in 2018?

Simply put: it’s amazing. It’s exciting.

Each and every part of what makes Milwaukee so great is enveloped into Fiserv Forum, and the arena has something for each and every fan: Sobelman’s, Mac & Cheese stands boasting Sargento cheeses, Collectivo Coffee, Canal Street Pizzeria, all the beer and liquor you could ask for, and so much more.

There truly isn’t a bad seat in the house. I have sat all over the stadium, and would do so again in a heartbeat. For those needing wheelchair accessible seats, the Forum has special ADA seats to accommodate all guests.

You feel so close to the players at Fiserv Forum that during shoot around, you can hear the players banter back and forth, and can feel the vibrations from the ball bouncing up and down the court.

Once the game starts, the pre-game show hypes up not only the players, but the fans as well. With pyrotechnics, lasers, cheerleaders, and most importantly, Bango, the pre-game show is electric.

There is never a down moment during the games, either. During each timeout or break in the action, the Bucks’ Hoop Troop engage with fans in a variety of ways. From dunk contests to oversized tic-tac toe, the Hoop Troop ensure that there is never a dull moment.

However, all the extra antics would be remiss without the stellar on court play of the Milwaukee Bucks.

Due in large part to their amazing fans, the Milwaukee Bucks are 11-2 at home. Almost every game is a near sellout, and fans are as loud and rowdy as they are at most Green Bay Packer games.

This is due in large part to the Clutch Crew; a section on the lower bowl filled to capacity with the loudest, proudest Milwaukee Bucks fans. During the game, you will notice Greek flags, Fat Heads of players, and will hear chants of, “MKE”, “MVP”, “Bucks in Six”, and “Go Bucks Go”.

This season just feels different. Maybe it is a false sense of optimism, but if you ask any fan, they’ll tell you that the Bucks are the real deal. Finally.

Fate would lead me to sit next to a well traveled Bucks fan during the aforementioned game against the Spurs. His name was Perry; and he was in town for Thanksgiving.

He came to the game alone, and sat next to my mother and I.

“I’ve been a Bucks fan all my life. I come from Texas every year to catch some games, and let me tell you, this season is the best one in a long time,” Perry told me.

During the game, Perry lost his voice from yelling so loudly.

“I’ve been waiting all my life to see the Bucks put it all together.” Well Perry, you may finally have got your wish.

Ask any fan how they feel about the current season, and they will reply similarly to Perry.

Milwaukee is not the largest market; not by a country mile. Our small team and community is a tight knit bunch; and that’s just it.

A part of what makes attending a Bucks game so special is how close you feel to not only your community, but the players associated with the game as well.

If you ask me, I’d take an allotment of die hard fans rather than bandwagoners any day of the week, but as the Bucks continue to grow, so will the fanbase.

That being said, strike iron while the iron is hot. Now that you know what it’s like to be a fan of the new-era Bucks, pull the trigger and buy those tickets. Change is in the air. With a new coach and stadium, the team and their fans are seemingly revitalized.

It’s a long, long time since being a Bucks fan felt so good.