The Bucks "have energized an awakening fan base" by extending their first-round playoff series against the Bulls, and with Game 6 set for tonight at BMO Harris Bradley Center, the buzz shows "how quickly the sports landscape in Milwaukee has changed," according to a front-page piece by Gary D'Amato of the MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL. This season has "been a heck of a ride," and "no one is enjoying it more" than team co-Owners Marc Lasry and Wes Edens. They "promised instant improvement from top to bottom of the organization and, eventually, a consistent winner and a championship contender on the court." They also "promised culture change and produced culture shock." But in their "wildest dreams, could they have imagined this?" D'Amato: "It's cool to be a Bucks fan again. It's fashionable to wear green after St. Patrick's Day. The Bradley Center has been rocking." There has been a "nationwide reaction" to the run. Edens said of what he has learned in his first full year of ownership of the team, "What I didn't really appreciate when we bought the Bucks is what a public asset the team is. You don't really own the Bucks, you just rent them on behalf of the city of Milwaukee and the fans." He added, "You walk around town and there's a lot more people in Bucks gear." D'Amato notes the goodwill "produced by a team that made a 26-game improvement over the previous season, qualified for the playoffs and is making a statement about its future can only help when it comes to the contentious arena debate." Edens: "It's a happy coincidence, right? Obviously, we think it's a very good proposition for the city and state to be supportive of the Bucks staying in town. People are talking all over the world about Milwaukee and the Bucks, and that wouldn't be the case if the Bucks weren't in town. It definitely helps" (MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL, 4/30).
