From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:
In a stunning turn of events, the Bradley Center board of directors on Tuesday abruptly decided to drop plans to sell the naming rights for the facility.
The decision, coming only two months after Bradley Center officials disclosed its plans for the nearly 20-year-old facility, came shortly after Lynde Bradley Uihlein and David V. Uihlein Jr., the daughter and son of the late philanthropist Jane Bradley Pettit, sent a letter to the Journal Sentinel. In that letter, the two spoke out for the first time that the sale of naming rights would degrade their mother's $90 million gift and would have little impact on the arena's financial future.
As news began to circulate about the letter, Bradley Center officials quickly polled board members and moved to halt the search for a naming-rights partner.
Ulice Payne Jr., chairman of the Bradley Center board of directors, said in a statement released Tuesday night that the board had great respect for their comments.
"After discussing their statement with other members of the Bradley Center board, we have decided to end any efforts to seek naming rights for the building as a way to help strengthen the long-term health of the Bradley Center.
"As we have stated previously, it was always our intention to approach this issue in a respectful manner and with the family's involvement. With their statement today, we are ending any effort to seek a naming-rights partner for the Bradley Center."
In their three-paragraph letter, Lynde and David Uihlein said the connection of the Bradley name to the arena was a source of great pride to the descendants of Harry and Peg Bradley and Jane Bradley Pettit. Jane Bradley Pettit donated the $90 million to build the Bradley Center, first opened in October 1988, as a way of honoring her father, Harry Lynde Bradley.
In their letter, Lynde and David Uihlein also issued a call-to-arms of sorts to Milwaukee's public and private leaders to "work together to ensure that Milwaukee remains a major-league city." The two said they thought the city's sports, entertainment and convention resources must be "unified in order to fully derive the benefits of current taxpayer support and efficient operations."
..."We believe there are better solutions to the current funding dilemma," the two wrote. "Now is the time for state and city government, the Bradley Center board, the Wisconsin Center District and the Milwaukee Bucks to work together to ensure that Milwaukee remains a major-league city. In order to achieve that goal, we believe that Milwaukee's sports, entertainment and convention resources must be unified in order to fully derive the benefits of current taxpayer support and efficient operations. For our part, the Bradley family will continue our longstanding and diverse philanthropic efforts in and around Milwaukee."
Rather than being bitter after this mess, the Bradley family vows to continue to give generously. What class!
The Bradley Center board of directors definitely hoped to sell the naming rights for the facility.
This wasn't just an idea that was casually tossed out to the public. There had been careful consideration.
Evan Zeppos, a spokesman for the Bradley Center board, said that, prior to the board deciding to sell the naming rights to the facility, lawyers researched state law and legislative intent. "We believe the law permits us to do this," Zeppos said.
In other words, "The family doesn't have legal grounds to stop us from doing this."
I think Lynde Bradley Uihlein and David V. Uihlein Jr. didn't want to have to send that letter to the Journal Sentinel.
I suspect they hoped the Bradley Center board of directors would have the decency to respect their wishes. I also suspect the board hoped that Lynde and David Uihlein would back down.
Instead, the board found its back against the wall. They had to choose between being utterly classless and ungrateful and diss Jane Pettit and her incredibly generous $90 million gift to the community or coming up with a different way to increase revenue.
It's a shame that it was necessary for Lynde and David Uihlein to write that letter to the paper. It would have been nice for the board to do the right thing without it.
What the "law permits" isn't always the decent and respectful path to take; and the board pushed hard to take the wrong path, taking the disrespectful route.
At least, the Bradley Center board of directors got it right in the end.
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Text of Lynde Bradley Uihlein and David V. Uihlein Jr.'s letter to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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