How were you radicalized?

[PantherU]

Link: Let's find the next ones

How did you get engaged? What was the first step for you in becoming a Panther fan as a student, and what led you to getting more and more into the program? Everyone knows me. This isn't about me. This is about every one of us, and we need to know everyone's Panther story so we can find the next crop, and the next one, and the next one. We need to start rolling this snowball downhill so that when Coach Lundy's squad is ready to go dancing, we've built the fan infrastructure to take full advantage of it and build for the future.

So tell us your story.

[A Statement By SHAUN]

Here's my story!! I went to UWM from 2006 to 2011. I didn't even know we had a basketball team until I the day I was working at the Gasthaus, and heard two guys at the bar talk about how our team won on a last second three point shot. As I left work and went to class I saw the Post headline, "Flames Extinguished". Turns out it was this moment:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ebH29lVC840&t=2s

Kris Harris!!!! I'll never forget that name. I miss chanting "Kris Harris" whenever UIC was shooting free throws at our place, lol.

The following season, that was 09-10, was when I was officially hooked. Tony Meier and Ricky Franklin gave me a T-shirt in the hallway between Lubar Hall and the Union and I've been following the team ever since.

[A Statement By SHAUN]

"He's missed five straight, He's missed six straight!!" That clip is just too good....

[FTA1982]

I was lucky enough to be a student during all 4 years of Bruce Pearl's tenure. For me, it was the 2003 HL tournament most importantly the final vs Butler.

I've stormed the court, I've seen a Sweet 16, I've travelled to Vegas, Notre Dame and other venues to watch the Panthers. I've been around for the highest of highs and lowest of lows of the program.

I've been a season ticket holder since I graduated. The Milwaukee Panthers are the only team in sports I truly care about.

[buppie05]

It was March 2004. I was a High School Sr. I didn’t even know UWM had a team. My buddy who graduated HS a year earlier than me told me how great it was going to college at UWM, and was talking up Pearl and the basketball team going into March Madness. I watched that game vs Notre Dame (who I always loathed) and fell in love with the team.

I enrolled that fall , and got to watch the team go to the sweet 16, seldom missing a home game. Round of 32 the year after.

I wish we scheduled home games closer to Christmas so I could make it to more.

[Deleted]

I attended very few games in the Klotsche and later Cell during my undergraduate time at Milwaukee. I witnessed the missed layup Notre Dame loss when I was visiting my cousin at Illinois State and a huge crowd of people were surprised the Panthers came so close.

Ffwd to the near the end of graduation, Spring 2005. Some of my friends from West Bend were renting a house on the hill that overlooks downtown (over by MSOE). We walked to the game, witnessed what we witnessed and that was my entrance into official "freak" Panther fan status. In the next few weeks I was able to reconnect with some old friends from my hometown at Axel's and watch the Alabama and Boston College masterpieces.

Talk about TUNED in (the bar, hell the entire city). Something just happens when success rolls in. Like you almost feel like something is lifting your feet each step, making everything lighter.

Hope to get back there soon. 2006 was a long time ago.

[PantherU]

These are all great. Winning is obviously a big part of it.

[Anther the Panther]

Not sure if I’m qualified- I never attended UWM. My son is a student right now. When we went on the college tour, admissions gave us free tickets. While I can’t make many games, I try to get to at least one a year (I live in Illinois).
My son doesn’t care for sports but even he gets to a few games on his own. Last year, he was excited because he won a UWM bathrobe at a game.
I teach special ed and I do a math project based on college basketball teams. I use UWM as my sample team.

[PantherU]

Jan 22, 2023 18:55:23 GMT -6 Anther the Panther said:

Not sure if I’m qualified- I never attended UWM. My son is a student right now. When we went on the college tour, admissions gave us free tickets. While I can’t make many games, I try to get to at least one a year (I live in Illinois).
My son doesn’t care for sports but even he gets to a few games on his own. Last year, he was excited because he won a UWM bathrobe at a game.
I teach special ed and I do a math project based on college basketball teams. I use UWM as my sample team.

I want to hear from everyone.

Welcome aboard the train!

[ghostofpbj]

When I was a kid, I used to go to games with my Dad, who attended UWM in the 80s. The first player on my radar was Ricky Franklin because of his shooting ability. I remember watching him hit 3s from the Panther logo and being amazed. Fast forward roughly 10 years later and I’m a student at UWM myself. I went to a two-year school before my time here, so I wasn’t that involved before the transfer. Last year was my first full season with the program, and I was excited to get involved as Patrick Baldwin Jr was one of my favorite players I’d ever seen touch a basketball. I went to watch multiple of his games in high school and thought it was awesome, yet confusing that he chose to play here although PBS was the coach. Stuck it out last year through the rough season and have been there this year from the opening press conference with Lundy. Attended the lunch with Lundy back in May, asked him questions about his style of play and recruiting, etc. I got to know some of the guys pretty well seeing them out downtown and hooping at the K as well. I’ve always been the loudest student in the section this year and plan to continue that (hopefully more will join). One of the things I want to see most with this program is getting back to packed arenas and fans buzzing about the team like the glory days. If we make the NCAA tournament, you will see me there, no matter where it is played and when it is played. I have bought in with this team and I know a lot of you guys have too. Most might say it’s unrealistic to expect a first year tournament bid from Bart and the guys, but I’m not ruling it out. I’m not going to say I was too involved before 2021 because I wasn’t even a student here yet, but I knew of PBS and his reputation. I am proud to represent the university and its basketball program each and every time I enter Panther arena. Go Panthers

[PantherU]

Jan 29, 2023 22:17:45 GMT -6 ghostofpbj said:

When I was a kid, I used to go to games with my Dad, who attended UWM in the 80s. The first player on my radar was Ricky Franklin because of his shooting ability. I remember watching him hit 3s from the Panther logo and being amazed.

ghostofdylan would like to point out that it is indeed the Panther logo, and not "the UWM logo" as the Journal Sentinel printed the next day.

Jan 29, 2023 22:17:45 GMT -6 ghostofpbj said:

Fast forward roughly 10 years later and I’m a student at UWM myself. I went to a two-year school before my time here, so I wasn’t that involved before the transfer. Last year was my first full season with the program, and I was excited to get involved as Patrick Baldwin Jr was one of my favorite players I’d ever seen touch a basketball. I went to watch multiple of his games in high school and thought it was awesome, yet confusing that he chose to play here although PBS was the coach.

The things we do for family.

Jan 29, 2023 22:17:45 GMT -6 ghostofpbj said:

Stuck it out last year through the rough season and have been there this year from the opening press conference with Lundy. Attended the lunch with Lundy back in May, asked him questions about his style of play and recruiting, etc. I got to know some of the guys pretty well seeing them out downtown and hooping at the K as well. I’ve always been the loudest student in the section this year and plan to continue that (hopefully more will join).

This thread is all about figuring out what made people come around.

Jan 29, 2023 22:17:45 GMT -6 ghostofpbj said:

One of the things I want to see most with this program is getting back to packed arenas and fans buzzing about the team like the glory days. If we make the NCAA tournament, you will see me there, no matter where it is played and when it is played. I have bought in with this team and I know a lot of you guys have too. Most might say it’s unrealistic to expect a first year tournament bid from Bart and the guys, but I’m not ruling it out. I’m not going to say I was too involved before 2021 because I wasn’t even a student here yet, but I knew of PBS and his reputation. I am proud to represent the university and its basketball program each and every time I enter Panther arena. Go Panthers

If you can stick with it through PBS, you're one of us.

[Pounce Needs Pals]

My first Panther game was the UWM vs UWGB at the Milwaukee Arena in 1993. That had a record crowd of over 8,000. It might have been the 1st ever meeting, yet I'm not sure as UWM moved to D1 in 1990. UWGB was the only team from the state that was good with Dick Bennett as coach. Panthers won in OT.


I remember Freeway dancing in the crowd to rump-shaker.

[Cactus Panther]

My initial interest was as a general sports fan of all pro and college teams in the state of Wisconsin. I listened to some games on WTMJ radio during the first D1 stint in the 1970's. Jim Irwin and Mike Hegan were on the call. I vaguely recall Bob Uecker working some Panther games as well, but do not remember if it was football, basketball or both.

My first live game was after seeing GoD interview Steve Antrim on Viacom public access television...just kidding.😉

But it was in that era. Steve Antrim had turned the program around in his first year. Von McDade was lighting it up against a decent schedule for a transitional independent D1 program. Antrim never met a microphone he did not like. The Panthers were getting some local buzz. I remember walking into the Klotsche Center on March 4, 1991 for my first live Panther game to watch them play Nicholls State. We walked in after tip off. I was instantly impressed with the crowd - it was loud and energized. Tickets were dirt cheap compared to what the Bucks were charging even at that time. Mrs. Cactus and I quickly became hooked.

After that I went to games on and off in the 1990's. I was part of the 8,000+ crowd against "UWGB" that Pounce referenced. I recall watching Rick Majerus' Utah team come to the MECCA arena to pay his buddy, Ric Cobb, a favor. It was cool to become part of a conference - the Mid-Con and then the MCC/HL. I was still more of a general fan of state teams then though.

After suffering through Antrim's final year and the entire Ric Cobb era, the new century brought with it new excitement as Bo Ryan took the helm. We became season ticket holders. My interest in other state teams waned, and the Panthers became my co-favorite team, along with the Brewers. Same with Mrs. Cactus, who was once a Panther cheerleader but drifted away from the program for a time. We renewed season tickets for several years. We took several road trips, including all NCAA appearances except Buffalo in 2014 (damn work schedule!). We continued to regularly attend games right up until we moved to Arizona in early 2016. I have been back for a couple of games in the early Baldwin era. Mrs. Cactus and I hope to return for the last two regular season games this season, pending good February weather.

That's my radicalization story, and I'm sticking with it!

[A Statement By SHAUN]

Whatever happened to Antrim after he coached here?

[Cactus Panther]

Antrim went into obscurity