As a Seattle resident and NBA fan I was disheartened by the unanimous decision of the relocation committee that the Kings should remain in Sacramento. My bummed state of being only deepened when I began to think of another struggling NBA franchise with an outdated Arena, but I'll get to them in a moment.
The Seattle Pilots moved to Milwaukee after one forgettable season that was later immortalized by Jim Bouton's 'Ball Four.' Forty-three years later the Brewers enjoy tremendous popularity with a fan base that, per capita, is arguably the best in baseball. Despite long stretches of futility the former Pilots have enriched the lives of Wisconsinites, if for no other reason than giving Bob Uecker a platform to entertain.
To the continued chagrin of Seattleites, in 2008 the Supersonics played their last game in the Emerald City. With the Sacramento Kings staying put it's time for Chris "Moneybags" Hansen to find another way to bring the NBA back to Seattle. This search should not take long as the Milwaukee Bucks are a great candidate to head west. Both the franchise and NBA have given the team a 2017 deadline to get a new downtown arena or they will probably leave Milwaukee. The likelihood of a new arena being constructed is a discussion in itself, but what I wonder is if the Bucks moving to Seattle would be a fair trade for the Pilots. Scratch that, the more pertinent question is if the Bucks would even be missed.
Milwaukee is a baseball town in a state ruled by the Packers. The success of Marquette and Wisconsin basketball over the past 15 years has nicely stated basketball appetite of the Badger State, and this goes without mentioning the Wisconsin football team. The sad reality of the moment is that the Bucks are expendable and a case can be made they should be donated to some basketball fans that are poor in spirit.
I'm conflicted about a potential move because part of me loves the idea of my favorite NBA team literally moving to where I live. I also believe that in the spirit of cosmic fairness an MLB for NBA trade (even one 40+ years in the making) would be an even deal. That said, should the Bucks move the NBA will never return to Milwaukee. The decade-old memories of the Bradley Center exploding with noise as Ray Allen drained threes in the playoffs against the Sixers is still fresh in my head. I also know that, as with the Brewers, all the Bucks need to be supported is become marginally successful on a consistent basis. Wisconsin sports fans are too good to be deprived a channel to demonstrated their excellence.
This is all a long way of saying that I do believe the time has come to pay the piper, but let's just say the check is in the mail.
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