Being a Bucks fan in Australia leads to some people jumping to conclusions. Yes, there have been a few Bucks supporters that jumped aboard when Andrew Bogut was drafter number 1. I must admit that those that entered the frame at this stage and have hung around have duly earnt their dues, as until last season it hasn't been smooth sailing following the Deer.
Those who post at the RealGM Bucks Forum will know there is a clear group of Australian Bucks supporters who are well respected within the ranks. While most may hold a soft spot for Bogut, many have been critical of some of his efforts in the earlier years, and have been ardent supporters and criticisers of the Milwaukee franchise when they saw fit.
My personal story for following the Bucks pre-dates Bogut's arrival in Brewtown. In the mid 90's when NBA fandom was at its peak in Australia, I held a real soft spot for Penny Hardaway and threw my support behind the Magic. I was hopeful that the young combination of Hardaway and Shaq could get past the Jordan Bulls. I loved the underdog.
My interest in the NBA dwindled greatly in the later half of the 1990's until a friend with cable invited me to watch the 2000 NBA Western Conference Finals and later the NBA Finals with him. This re-kindled my interest in the NBA, but the capacity to follow the game was limited due to a lack of TV coverage and pathetic dial-up internet. To supplement this I managed to buy a second hand Playstation and get a copy of NBA Live 2001 (arguably one of the better NBA Lives released). In selecting a team to play, I wanted a team with a good shooting guard and a reliable point guard, and I wanted a team that wasn't familiar to those who knew a little about the NBA in Australia. Hello Milwaukee Bucks.
My Bucks franchises in those days were a little unrealistic. I kept the Big 3 of Cassell, Allen and Big Dog Robinson at their respective positions, but changed up the front court. No more Ervin Johnston at the 5. No no, that was silly Coach Karl, Tim Thomas was a much better prospect at that position with Jason Caffey by his side at the other power spot. Also, my stud off the bench was no other than Eric Strickland. Clearly back then my knowledge of NBA basketball (and basketball in general) was limited. My aim was just to outscore our opponents in every game, with little care about defence.
My love for the Bucks was set. While I couldn't watch many games, I could make my own reality with various incarnations of NBA Live. As the Bucks rosters became worse and worse, I continued to enjoy the challenge of getting the team back on its feet and deep into the play-offs. I loved having Toni Kukoc, Michael Redd, TJ Ford, and Dan Gadzuric at my disposal. While my support for the Bucks was strong, when luck happened to hand fellow Melbournian Bogut to the Milwaukee franchise, my interest in team grew further.
Bogut's arrival was a blessing for me. From improvements of technology, following the NBA from the other side of the world was slowly becoming easier. Stumbling upon RealGM and the Bucks forum therein opened up a whole new world of Bucks fandom. Initially just sitting on the outer and reading the discussions that took place, I eventually created an account and began to post every now and again.
Seeing the changes implemented by John Hammond and Scott Skiles led to some new hope for this franchise. Brandon Jennings arrival have further flamed the fires of this franchise, giving new life to the supporters who have seen little success over the past two decades. Watching the team last season made me want to share this experience with others who held a similar passion. Gradually the idea grew in my mind about setting up a group of Melbourne based Bucks supporters, who could get together and watch games with a few quiet drinks. Having the season through our summer months, I was excited at the prospect of having a group of fans watching the Bucks games with a fridge full of coldies, then follow it up with a BBQ lunch. Now is the time to see whether we can get this plan into action.
