Not long ago, the Milwaukee Brewers and Milwaukee Bucks were considered among the bottom-tier franchises in their leagues. After reaching the World Series in 1982, the Brewers endured a 26-year playoff drought and made just two postseason appearances — in 2008 and 2011 — before reaching the playoffs in six of the past seven seasons.
The Bucks, similarly, have turned things around. After making the NBA Playoffs only nine times in a 25-year span, they’ve now qualified for the postseason nine consecutive years.
While each playoff exit continues to sting for Milwaukee sports fans, there’s comfort in knowing that both teams are now regular contenders. There’s also a strong sense of shared pride and unity between the Brewers and Bucks, as they represent the smallest markets in MLB and the NBA.
That shared pride hit a snag recently: the Milwaukee Brewers have rescinded Tyrese Haliburton’s invitation to throw out a ceremonial first pitch following the Bucks’ early playoff exit.
The Milwaukee Bucks were officially eliminated from the NBA Playoffs on Tuesday night, falling to the Indiana Pacers. Tensions boiled over after the game, culminating in a post-game altercation between Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo and John Haliburton, the father of Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton.
Tyrese Haliburton, a native of Oshkosh, Wisconsin, has become a central figure in the growing rivalry between the Pacers and the Bucks. Over the past few seasons, Indiana has had the upper hand in their matchups, and their latest playoff victory seems to have reignited tensions beyond the basketball court.
During an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show on Wednesday, Haliburton revealed that the Milwaukee Brewers had invited him to throw out a ceremonial first pitch last summer—but rescinded the offer after the Bucks were eliminated by the Pacers in six games. That snub marked the end of his support for the Brewers.
“I’m not really welcome in Wisconsin as much these days,” Haliburton said. “Baseball, I’m a free agent. I was a Brewers fan and then I was supposed to throw the first pitch last summer, and then they X’d that after the playoffs ended. So I said, you know what, I’m no longer a Brewers fan.”
It’s safe to say that fans who support both of Milwaukee’s major sports teams likely won’t lose much sleep over Haliburton’s change of allegiance.
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