Herb Kohl says it's time for a replacement for the BC

[augoman]

just pull a selig and get charlie sykes and JS to support you...hell the guy looking to take kohl's seat is the one that made miller park possible. 

Interestingly, Selig's plan was for a sports lottery to pay for the stadium.  Those not interested in paying for same simply didn't have to play the lottery.  Zero tax money was to be spent on the construction and maintainence.  Sadly, the referendum was voted down (sinful ya know) and the 5 county tax was instituted.
Downtown stadia suck IN MY OPINION.  You can't tailgate parked 7 blocks away on Cherry street.  Also parking was and is nonexistent.  Miller Park is awesome and would have been much better had the tax not given politicians a voice (cut out the air, sliding window walls rather than fixed, clock tower, air conditioning, etc.).  Also the suites and party rooms are far from sold out.  Support of that nature demands a robust economy or corporate sponsers tighten purse strings.  Further, without the parking lots, the revenue stream was not nearly strong enough to sustain a major league team with the salary necessary to field any kind of respectable team.

As to Herbie, somebody please drag him to a Kohl's and buy him some clothes.  Then, take him to a barber for a decent haircut.  My God, he's a US Senator!  How lucky he is that his dad started Kohl's.

[4everwarriors]

Yes Augie, some dudes have won the sperm lottery.

[ZiggysFryBoy]

The call signs I listed are real and painted on the sides of our aircraft (including rank and first name...ie Maj Jim "All Beef" Franks) Call signs have been part of the Aviator Warrior Ethos since WWI. I fear that the continuing pussification of America will bring an end to this proud tradition.

Damn that Donna Shalala. Damn her anyway!

What's your call sign?

[ZiggysFryBoy]

Bush also was a socialist. And Herb hasn't done jack sh!t for anyone, just like any other lifetime pol in DC.

Ron Paul 2012, aina?

[dgies9156]

Herb is out of his mind. Maybe it's time for a senility check. Here's the reasons:

1) The Bucks never sell out.

2) Marquette only sells out about four or five games a year.

3) There's no way there's a demand for any more suites. With the Packers, Badgers and Brewers plus the lack of any major corporate headquarters in Milwaukee, save for NML, the demand for suites has been filled.

4) When they built the Bradley Center in the 1980s, both the Bucks and Warriors sold out almost every night. There were NO suites in the Arena and there was plenty of fertile ground for an NBA to move. Besides Seattle, is there anyplace in America that doesn't have a team that the Bucks would be better off in? I don't think so.

Folks, we have to ask ourselves, is this really how we want to expend public funds and obligate the State of Wisconsin and the City of Milwaukee? I think you tell Herbie, "lump it old boy. You're worth millions... you pay for it!"

[avid1010]

Folks, we have to ask ourselves, is this really how we want to expend public funds and obligate the State of Wisconsin and the City of Milwaukee? I think you tell Herbie, "lump it old boy. You're worth millions... you pay for it!"

i could give a list of initiatives funded by thompson, doyle, and walker that i'd glady eliminate in replacement of a new arena in milwaukee.  that said, there's only one herbie in wisconsin rich enough to build an arena, and it's not the one that owns the bucks.  it may be mu who has to lump it up if the bc goes to hell with no replacement.

[cheebs09]

i there's only one herbie in wisconsin rich enough to build an arena, and it's not the one that owns the bucks.  it may be mu who has to lump it up if the bc goes to hell with no replacement.

Well his wife is on the Board of Trustees, although if she is one of the ones advocating doomsday for MU basketball, we could probably just play in the Al.

[Benny B]

i could give a list of initiatives funded by thompson, doyle, and walker that i'd glady eliminate in replacement of a new arena in milwaukee.  that said, there's only one herbie in wisconsin rich enough to build an arena, and it's not the one that owns the bucks.  it may be mu who has to lump it up if the bc goes to hell with no replacement.

The BC going to hell might be the best thing that could happen to MU.  New on campus basketball stadium, here we come.

[Les Nessman]

Was it the cost of building a new stadium on campus that kept it from happening when the Al was built? I've always wondered why they decided on making it a practice facility (besides women's basketball) instead of a full-fledged arena.

[Hoopaloop]

Why didn't Herb announce this before he decided not to run for re-election this year?  (won't use teal or bolded)

[warthog-driver]

What's your call sign?

Crash

[bilsu]

also, the only reason I want the Bucks to stay in mke is so MU can have a nice arena to play in. Without that, I wouldn't spend a second caring if the NBA left.

I have no way of knowing, but I always felt having an NBA team near MU was a recruiting advantage. Option 1, would be not to build a new arena and the Bucks eventually leave, which I believe would negatively effect MU recruiting. Option 2 build a new arena (assuming MU gets to use it) and it should help MU recruiting. There is practically no reason for a recruit to want to come to Milwaukee as it is now. Just look how Crean's recruiting has picked up at IU.

[TedBaxter]

I have no way of knowing, but I always felt having an NBA team near MU was a recruiting advantage. Option 1, would be not to build a new arena and the Bucks eventually leave, which I believe would negatively effect MU recruiting. Option 2 build a new arena (assuming MU gets to use it) and it should help MU recruiting. There is practically no reason for a recruit to want to come to Milwaukee as it is now. Just look how Crean's recruiting has picked up at IU.

Crean's recruiting has picked up and it helped that he hired a staffer initially who's father operated a high powered AAU program in the Indiana Elite program.  Crean has signed 9 players out of that program in Hulls, Capobianco, Etherington, Zeller and 5 incoming freshman. Crean has also tapped into the state of Indiana as he should and let's be honest, Marquette isn't the first name off of the tongues of most Wisconsin instate players and this state doesn't produce the number of high major prospects annually that the state of Indiana does and I'm willing to bet that was the #1 reason Crean went to Indiana.

I won't say Milwaukee is as bad as you make it sound and Marquette is still a very good name in college basketball.  It isn't Indiana and we all know that and Crean is the first coach in awhile at that school who is taking advantage of the history and the location.

[jficke13]

I think MKE is great, and it has a lot to offer. But so do a lot of schools with better weather. Especially if the new administration wants to move in a North Korean-disciplinarian direction, then why not go to a school where there aren't rules that get enforced that has nice sunny weather in January?

[warriorchick]

Was it the cost of building a new stadium on campus that kept it from happening when the Al was built? I've always wondered why they decided on making it a practice facility (besides women's basketball) instead of a full-fledged arena.

Maybe because
1.  A perfectly good arena already existed six blocks away
2.  There is not room on campus to build it
3.  Yeah, it would have exponentially increased the cost.

[Hards Alumni]

Herb is out of his mind. Maybe it's time for a senility check. Here's the reasons:

1) The Bucks never sell out.

2) Marquette only sells out about four or five games a year.

3) There's no way there's a demand for any more suites. With the Packers, Badgers and Brewers plus the lack of any major corporate headquarters in Milwaukee, save for NML, the demand for suites has been filled.

4) When they built the Bradley Center in the 1980s, both the Bucks and Warriors sold out almost every night. There were NO suites in the Arena and there was plenty of fertile ground for an NBA to move. Besides Seattle, is there anyplace in America that doesn't have a team that the Bucks would be better off in? I don't think so.

Folks, we have to ask ourselves, is this really how we want to expend public funds and obligate the State of Wisconsin and the City of Milwaukee? I think you tell Herbie, "lump it old boy. You're worth millions... you pay for it!"

I'm glad everything is so simple in your mind.

[MarsupialMadness]

Maybe because
1.  A perfectly good arena already existed six blocks away
2.  There is not room on campus to build it
3.  Yeah, it would have exponentially increased the cost.

4.  The AL was just throw away money anyway

[mu03eng]

They do need to build a new facility and I think its the perfect time to create a cutting edge facility.  Yes it is a good idea for taxes to help defray costs but they can be structured in such a way that they are not an outlay of funds but rather a collection avoidance for a fixed period of time.

We all know the Bucks are struggling but only some of that is related to the product on the court.  My list of issues in order of importance, not related to the talent on the court
1.  It is easier, cheaper, and more enjoyable to watch games at home with things like NBA pass, the internet feeds, and all the mobile devices
2.  The BC has limited shopping and food options so people are more likely to go to one of the outside venues for dinner.  Why go out to dinner AND then go to a game, just go to dinner and skip the game
3.  Inflexibility of the venue.  Not multi-purpose
4.  Sexiness factor that corporations are looking for(new and innovative nearly always sells)

So these are reasons the Bucks and to a certain extent MU aren't selling a ton of tickets.  Remember MU only sells out a handful of games and the team has enjoyed a very high level of success and competition.

I would propose the following:  
-a smaller venue perhaps 14,000 seats.  
-Innovative design/layout like putting the luxury boxes on the floor and seats on top of the boxes
-Integrate dining and/or shopping options with the game experience
-Integrate mobile capabilities with the game experience(most important I think)
---free NBA pass and highlights on mobile devices supported by banner ads
---In-game highlights that can be controlled via mobile device for viewing
---linking with facebook, twitter etc to auto populate where you and what the experience is
-multi-purpose facility with a lot of flexibility

This facility needs to be built for 2020 not 2012 and get ahead of the curve...it will be a much lower cost now given the economy than doing it later.

[Hoopaloop]

I have no way of knowing, but I always felt having an NBA team near MU was a recruiting advantage. Option 1, would be not to build a new arena and the Bucks eventually leave, which I believe would negatively effect MU recruiting. Option 2 build a new arena (assuming MU gets to use it) and it should help MU recruiting. There is practically no reason for a recruit to want to come to Milwaukee as it is now. Just look how Crean's recruiting has picked up at IU.

It's Indiana for a reason

[warthog-driver]

I have no way of knowing, but I always felt having an NBA team near MU was a recruiting advantage. Option 1, would be not to build a new arena and the Bucks eventually leave, which I believe would negatively effect MU recruiting. Option 2 build a new arena (assuming MU gets to use it) and it should help MU recruiting. There is practically no reason for a recruit to want to come to Milwaukee as it is now. Just look how Crean's recruiting has picked up at IU.

WTF is this drivel?

[GGGG]

WTF is this drivel?

Man, for a military guy, you are pretty damn sensitive.  Bilsu really got to you didn't he?

[augoman]

Yes Augie, some dudes have won the sperm lottery.

only bothers me when they are born on third base and think they hit a triple.

[mu03eng]

I need my popcorn.....STAT!!!

[Golden Avalanche]

Not at all. He's a self-righteous prick.

In most cases, familiarity facilitates recognition.

[Hoopaloop]

Man, for a military guy, you are pretty damn sensitive.  Bilsu really got to you didn't he?

He's a military guy?