Published: Sept. 17, 2016
Milwaukee Bucks rookie gets a taste of Wisconsin
‘Own the Future’ tour stops by Theresa cheese shop
ndettmann@conleynet.com 262-306-5043
THERESA — On Friday morning, Milwaukee Bucks rookie guard Malcolm
Brogdon got a taste of how serious Wisconsinites take their cheese.
And it tasted good.
Brogdon, the 37th overall selection in June’s NBA draft, was at
Widmer’s Cheese Cellars to continue the “Own the Future” statewide
tour. He was joined by Bango, the Bucks’ mascot, the Bucks dance team
and the Rim Rockers while visiting several places throughout the state
to meet fans.
Earlier this month, the Bucks’ first-round draft pick Thon Maker also participated in the tour.
“It’s a lot of fun,” Brogdon said about the tour. “I enjoy every bit of it and I enjoy meeting new people.”
The tour wraps up today with stops in Oshkosh, Plymouth, Ripon, Two
Rivers and Sheboygan. Other places the Bucks visited on the tour were
DePere, Green Bay, Appleton, Sauk City, Camp Douglas, La Crosse, Fort
McCoy, Viroqua, Dodgeville, Prairie du Chien, Richland Center, Madison,
Blue Mounds, Monona, Cambridge and, of course, Milwaukee.
“It’s a Wisconsin team so it’s a great honor,” said Joe Widmer,
third-generation owner, about the Bucks’ visit to the family’s store.
For the last two-plus years, the Bucks have used the slogan “Own the
Future” to show their dedication to building for the future, starting
with budding stars like Jabari Parker and Giannis Antetokounmpo. This
year, there is a new twist to it, “Build the Future,” which is tied to
the basketball team’s new arena, which is slated to open in 2018.
And that is the underlying goal of this tour: build for the future by
building a fan base across the state, a state that loves its Packers,
Badgers, Brewers and Golden Eagles.
“I feel like there’s a whole new bloodline coming in,” Widmer said. “They’re surging, moving to the top again.”
Brogdon, a native of Atlanta and a graduate of the University of
Virginia, was a three-time All-Atlantic Coast Conference selection and
two-time All-American. Last season, he was the first player in ACC
history to be named the conference’s Player
of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year. As a senior, he averaged
18.4 points per game for the Cavaliers.
Brogdon has also represented his country, competing in the 2015 Pan-American Games where the U.S. won the bronze medal.
“I’m really excited,” he said about joining the Bucks. “I’m just happy
to have the opportunity to play and just got to work and try to help
the team win.”
Brogdon
knew cheese was a big deal in Wisconsin. But as he watched about a
10-minute video narrated by Widmer, the third-generation family member
for the cheese business in tiny Theresa, Brogdon didn’t know just how
serious it was here in Wisconsin and how it can be a profession. It’s a
profession generations of people are proud of.
Just ask the Widmers.
After the video, a large platter sat on a table in the office wing of the factory. There were several kinds of cheese.
“It was really interesting to see how they make cheese,” Brogdon said.
“This is really a profession. Cheese is really a delicacy in
Wisconsin.”
He tried,
“two-year-aged cheddar, a spicy, maybe pepper jack, something like
that, and then I tried a white one that was pretty stinky.”
Brogdon’s favorite?
“The two-year-aged cheddar one was really good,” he said. “There was some good cheese in there.”
The cheese was popular with all the Bucks representatives. Widmer saw
all enjoy each bite into a slice of whatever cheese they sampled.
“It meant a lot,” Widmer said. “Some of them said it was the best cheese they’ve ever had.”
And Brogdon could confidentially say it was the best cheese he’s ever had.
“For sure,” he said with a smile.
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