The Journal Times Online - Racine, Wisconsin

BY GERY WOELFEL

It was a cold winter night a few years ago when I walked out of the Bradley Center following a Milwaukee Bucks’ game.

In front of me, I noticed a solitary figure, walking slowly, head down. You could tell he was disappointed, perhaps even distraught.

As I got closer to this person, I realized it was Herb Kohl, the owner and president of the Bucks. And when I recognized him, I also recognized why he was so down — the Bucks had lost a game they should have won.

It wasn’t the first time I had witnessed Kohl in a melancholy mood following a Bucks’ game. After all, the Bucks have lost their fair share of games, especially in the last two years.

But that moment made an indelible impression on me. It told me, unequivocally, how much Kohl cares about the Bucks.

It told me that as disappointed as Bucks fans have been with the Bucks’ misfortunes, NOBODY is more disappointed than Kohl.

No matter your perception of Kohl, no matter whatever shortcomings he has an owner, you should never remotely believe he doesn’t care.

I’ve been around pro sports for more than two decades and I have never, ever seen an owner or any other front office executive as passionate or concerned about his team than Kohl.

Kohl’s biggest problem, one can argue, is that he’s too concerned. He has sometimes thrust himself into situations that some owners probably wouldn’t, or wouldn’t care to.

More often than not, Kohl had attempted to do what was good for the Bucks. The contention he’s is a parsimonious owner is hogwash.

When Kohl felt it was necessary to pull out the checkbook, or felt one of his employees deserved to be paid commensurate to his worth to the organization, he has.

Kohl first exhibited his willingness to pay the price in 1992 when he lured Mike Dunleavy from the Los Angeles Lakers.

Dunleavy was regarded as a rising star in the coaching fraternity, and Kohl realized that he would have to break the bank to get Dunleavy to leave the bright lights of L.A. Kohl did.

I remember talking to a Western Conference coach at the time, and he said every morning when he woke up, he would get down on his knees and bow down to the East to Dunleavy and how he — and Kohl — raised the bar for coaches’ salaries.

Kohl then opened up his wallet again in 1998 to hire George Karl as coach. Kohl later awarded Karl with a contract that paid him $7 million annually.

It wasn’t just the largest contract for an NBA coach; it was the largest contract for any coach/manager in professional sports.

Along the way, Kohl has signed off on mega-contracts for players like Michael Redd and Tim Thomas and Glenn Robinson and several others.

In each case, Kohl probably overpaid — because he felt each of those players were essential pieces to the Bucks’ puzzle.

This summer, Kohl will likely write another lucrative check. Young center Andrew Bogut is eligible for a contract extension. Kohl knows retaining Bogut is critical to the Bucks’ future. Talented young centers don’t grow on trees.

Saturday, Kohl made perhaps an equally-important investment for the Bucks’ future. He hired John Hammond as the Bucks’ new general manager. Hammond was considered by NBA observers as the best GM candidate available.

In order to secure the services of Hammond, Kohl knew he’d literally have to pay the price. And he did. Not only did Kohl give Hammond a five-year contract, he gave him one worth $8 million.

Whether Hammond will be the panacea for the Bucks’ many ailments remains to be seen. But what we have clearly seen again is that Kohl deeply cares about the Bucks.