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Post by Deleted on Jan 27, 2015 12:32:03 GMT -6
Keep an eye on the massive budget cuts coming to the UW System. I am certain that will greatly impact the athletic department.
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Post by BBFran on Jan 27, 2015 19:26:21 GMT -6
Let me preface this by saying that I know that you can fool all, or at least most, of the people some of the time. The Bucks will get their new arena irrespective whether it is a sensible public expenditure. There's nothing particularly wrong with the Bradley Center -- a merely 25 year old venue -- but our politicians apparently have decided that they don't want to be "responsible" for losing the Bucks (I believe most Milwaukeeans wouldn't notice, but whatever) and are in thrall of the idea that this is an opportunity to bring outside investment to downtown. Some of that is true, at least true enough to weave a narrative, but whenever a city goes through this I wonder why it doesn't stop and actually pay attention to the research that shows building these things has, on the average, no discernibly positive economic impact. But they don't, and if they acknowledge the research at all they insist that is their project that will be special and that it will of course be on the good side of the average. All that said, I reiterate that I won't even pretend there won't be a new Bucks arena. There will be, and so my only true concern is that its construction not be sited so cavalierly and foolishly as to result in the destruction of the UWM Panther Arena, which would have devastating consequences for the University, be a tremendous historical and architectural loss to the City besides and not coincidentally would result in a tremendous lost opportunity to develop open downtown land that would most likely lie fallow for years otherwise. And all THAT said, I still could not help but be amazed today by the felicity with which our Governor has adopted the pure economic hokum of the so-called "jock tax" and rebranded it as a "conservative" approach to public economic development. Why, it's almost as though he's running for office. I commend to your attention the following two articles: the first in today's JS from Don Walker, who is doing a magnificent job reporting on this story, and the second, an opinion piece written by two esteemed retired faculty members of the city's great University, explaining why the "jock tax" solution is little more than an adman's cynical rebranding of spoiled cheese as "aged fromage." As they conclude: "Instead of being costless, the proposal to divert the jock tax would result in the state paying a large part of the cost of the arena, precisely what taxpayers have repeatedly and heatedly said they do not want to do." To the best of my knowledge, this conclusion has been studiously ignored by the politicians. It does not fit the narrative. www.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/walker-jock-tax-will-cover-220-million-for-new-bucks-arena-b99433734z1-289935421.htmlwww.jsonline.com/news/opinion/let-milwaukee-bucks-owners-pay-their-own-way-b99413891z1-286886781.html
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Post by DunneDeal on Jan 28, 2015 13:19:12 GMT -6
Fran, my only issue I have with your statement is that there is nothing wrong with the BC.
It's small, the locker rooms are tiny, the ice machine is breaking down to where you need to make parts, because they dont anymore. It's all about updating.
I wish people would see beyond the Bucks what a new arena will bring. More concerts, more events like Monster Trucks and WWE.
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Post by ghostofdylan on Jan 28, 2015 14:14:21 GMT -6
Fran, my only issue I have with your statement is that there is nothing wrong with the BC. It's small, the locker rooms are tiny, the ice machine is breaking down to where you need to make parts, because they dont anymore. It's all about updating. I wish people would see beyond the Bucks what a new arena will bring. More concerts, more events like Monster Trucks and WWE. Yes, we certainly don't have any places in town for concerts, wrestling and monster trucks. (Dunne, nothing personal. You know I have your back should anything go down at the Resch Center.)
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Post by BBFran on Jan 28, 2015 14:34:25 GMT -6
Somehow I'm having a hard time imagining the wrestling and Monster Truck promoters refusing to schedule the BC because the locker rooms are small, but what do I know?
To be clear, I'm not opposed to building a new arena. I am opposed to it being built in a needlessly destructive location and I am opposed to the public paying for it, since its ultimate value is to the private interests that will control it. But we all know it will get built and that we, the public, will be paying for it. That's reality.
By the way, I understand that the latest idea from our crosstown friends is that UWM should stop opposing the Panther Arena location, let the Arena be destroyed, play the next two years at the Bradley Center (behind the Bucks, MU, the Admirals and Miley Cyrus concerts), then, when the Taj Mahal is built and the BC is razed, play in the TM in some kind of curtained environment to limit the seating. Behind the Bucks, MU, the Admirals, Miley Cyrus and, obviously, Wrestling and Monster Trucks. I literally don't know whether to laugh or cry at that "plan." Yeah, that will work.
By the way, what happened to the idea of a separate 7500 seat facility being built as part of this development for UWM and other similar tenants? And has anyone seen my Unicorn lately? It seems to have wandered off too.
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Post by nickpanther on Jan 28, 2015 17:46:51 GMT -6
its is better for the bucks to build north of the BC. theres no tenant there currently, and you're not running roughshod over the largest school, enrollment wise, in the state and destroying a large part of your own franchise history in the process. from what I understand there are looking mire and more like its the area north of the BC thats getting big consideration. Course we wont know until they unveil their plans. the building has to be up by October 2017, or the Bucks are going to move, regardless of what Adam Silver says.
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Post by Duct_Tape_Pounce on Jan 28, 2015 19:35:32 GMT -6
If we look at the recent events regarding the Bucks arena, a logical person without any connection to any of the parties would think that they are building north of the BMOBC.
There hasn't been anything in the news lately saying that the Bucks are negotiating with the Journal Sentinel or the WCD. When it came out that they were negotiating with the Journal Sentinel in November, multiple news sources (Journal Sentinel, Milwaukee Business Journal, Gary Woelfel) jumped on it. Furthermore, we haven't heard about the Journal Sentinel actively looking for a new building to lease... one would think that something regarding that would have slipped if it had happened. The parcels of land that they are now reportedly trying to buy are north of the Bradley Center. And I know we've had bad experiences with our ADs lately, but I'm sure Amanda Braun has read what we have read regarding the arena, including that Business Journal article from a few weeks back saying that the Journal Sentinel/Panther Arena site was still an option. Logically, I wouldn't think she would have said anything regarding how the Bucks are "done" with the Panther Arena unless she knows something that we don't regarding the situation. She knows how bad she'd look if she was wrong about it. Plus, I'm not sure that the owners would want to get in a possible legal battle with Frank Gimbel (though I don't know that he can do anything to really stop the destruction if the WCD votes for it), and I don't think they'd want to get the largest university, enrollment-wise, in the city upset at them. Plus, it sounds like people in the know, like Rich Kirchen (who has been much more pessimistic about the future of the Panther Arena than Don Walker, at least in the last month or so), seem to think there are too many obstacles to bypass for the Panther Arena/Journal Sentinel building site to be used.
Still, all the delaying of the process and the fact that it's still being discussed is extremely troubling to me. I am still fearing (and kind of expecting) the worst in this situation. The Bucks' owners have already flat-out said that the Panthers wouldn't be welcome in their monstrosity, and with the budget cuts coming to the UW system, I'm not sure how they would be able to escape the Klotsche Center or the Bucks' practice gym.
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Post by ghostofdylan on Jan 28, 2015 20:41:19 GMT -6
If we look at the recent events regarding the Bucks arena, a logical person without any connection to any of the parties would think that they are building north of the BMOBC. There hasn't been anything in the news lately saying that the Bucks are negotiating with the Journal Sentinel or the WCD. When it came out that they were negotiating with the Journal Sentinel in November, multiple news sources (Journal Sentinel, Milwaukee Business Journal, Gary Woelfel) jumped on it. Furthermore, we haven't heard about the Journal Sentinel actively looking for a new building to lease... one would think that something regarding that would have slipped if it had happened. The parcels of land that they are now reportedly trying to buy are north of the Bradley Center. And I know we've had bad experiences with our ADs lately, but I'm sure Amanda Braun has read what we have read regarding the arena, including that Business Journal article from a few weeks back saying that the Journal Sentinel/Panther Arena site was still an option. Logically, I wouldn't think she would have said anything regarding how the Bucks are "done" with the Panther Arena unless she knows something that we don't regarding the situation. She knows how bad she'd look if she was wrong about it. Plus, I'm not sure that the owners would want to get in a possible legal battle with Frank Gimbel (though I don't know that he can do anything to really stop the destruction if the WCD votes for it), and I don't think they'd want to get the largest university, enrollment-wise, in the city upset at them. Plus, it sounds like people in the know, like Rich Kirchen (who has been much more pessimistic about the future of the Panther Arena than Don Walker, at least in the last month or so), seem to think there are too many obstacles to bypass for the Panther Arena/Journal Sentinel building site to be used. Still, all the delaying of the process and the fact that it's still being discussed is extremely troubling to me. I am still fearing (and kind of expecting) the worst in this situation. The Bucks' owners have already flat-out said that the Panthers wouldn't be welcome in their monstrosity, and with the budget cuts coming to the UW system, I'm not sure how they would be able to escape the Klotsche Center or the Bucks' practice gym. Should the Panther Arena be razed, you can rest your mind. Save yourself the mental gymnastics. There's no way we'll be able to escape the Klotsche Center or the Bucks practice gym, should that ever come to fruition.
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Post by ghostofdylan on Jan 28, 2015 22:02:12 GMT -6
Just so you know, the guys from 540 AM that appeared on tonight's Roundtable were "really hoping that the new arena would be built at the JS/Arena site" and "are still pulling for it to happen."
A reminder to the UWM administration: keep your friends close and your enemies closer.
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Post by FTA1982 on Jan 28, 2015 22:08:14 GMT -6
UWM is lucky to even get a mention on a game night on 540. They haven't given a damn about Milwaukee since the Pearl era. Aside from Homer (I've beaten Rainman 3 times) and our affiliation w/ Bill Johnson, that station is complete garbage. Plus Craig Karmazin is one of the Bucks minority owners and he is the head of Good Karma Broadcasting.
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Post by Hack on Jan 29, 2015 7:13:20 GMT -6
Just so you know, the guys from 540 AM that appeared on tonight's Roundtable were "really hoping that the new arena would be built at the JS/Arena site" and "are still pulling for it to happen." Drew Olson, a proud UWM alum.
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Post by Hack on Jan 29, 2015 7:16:08 GMT -6
UWM is lucky to even get a mention on a game night on 540. They haven't given a damn about Milwaukee since the Pearl era. Aside from Homer (I've beaten Rainman 3 times) and our affiliation w/ Bill Johnson, that station is complete garbage. Plus Craig Karmazin is one of the Bucks minority owners and he is the head of Good Karma Broadcasting. Bill and Wilde are the only two people worth listening to on that station, both of whom actually prompt discussion and debate instead of the typical talk radio schtick.
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Post by ghostofdylan on Jan 29, 2015 7:48:22 GMT -6
Just so you know, the guys from 540 AM that appeared on tonight's Roundtable were "really hoping that the new arena would be built at the JS/Arena site" and "are still pulling for it to happen." Drew Olson, a proud UWM alum. Yes. For the record, Hack, it was Gabe Neitzel and Alex Petakas who seemed unconcerned about what happens to UWM.
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Post by Hack on Jan 29, 2015 7:54:45 GMT -6
Drew Olson, a proud UWM alum. Yes. For the record, Hack, it was Gabe Neitzel and Alex Petakas who seemed unconcerned about what happens to UWM. Drew said the same thing on his radio show the other day.
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Post by PantherU on Jan 29, 2015 10:45:45 GMT -6
Keep an eye on the massive budget cuts coming to the UW System. I am certain that will greatly impact the athletic department. No doubt. What a nightmare. Sent from my SCH-R970 using proboards
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