We get our very first look at the new Milwaukee Bucks Wednesday night when they open the exhibition season against Memphis at the Resch Center in Green Bay.

To say there is a buzz about this team is an understatement. With two new billionaire owners who are used to making big decisions to, lots of new players, including maybe the most valuable player taken in the draft, slightly new uniforms and a brand new big name coach, people are talking.

And that’s a good thing.

It’s been a while since sports fans in this town had the Bucks at the top of their list, but there is a lot of curiosity and excitement about this team now. The coming battle over the new downtown arena only adds another layer to the excitement cake.

The Bucks have long had a history of well-managed expectations going into a season. The team mixed the potential excitement with a dose of realism to keep hopes at a reasonable level.

There’s a new philosophy in town, though.

They easily talk about winning more games than last year, which should be a relatively easy task for a team that only won 15 times last season. There is talk about making the game experience more exciting for fans. People give a nod to reality by saying this is a young team and we shouldn’t expect a title this year.

I have covered the Bucks throughout their existence. In over four decades I’ve seen them be terrible and I’ve seen them win a title. I’ve seen them go through 13 coaches. Jason Kidd is the 14th. I was there when there were no cheerleaders or dance teams, barely any show at halftime and the player introductions went quickly without flashing lights and music. I have absolutely no idea how many games I’ve seen over the years.

But there a couple of things I have learned in all that time.

The game experience has always been well down my list of reasons I go to the game or reasons I left the arena with a good feeling. And it has never been totally about winning or losing.

The thing I liked and the thing that thousands and thousands of fans over the years really liked, was when the team played hard every minute of every game.

There are all kinds of things that can stimulate cheers at a basketball game from blimps to the cheerleaders to a band to acrobatic mascots and entertainers. There are a lot of "ooohs" and "aaahs" that come with all that stuff.

But the greatest cheers and emotional attachments come when you can see the players fighting every second. When they never, ever give up. When they don’t pout after they make a mistake but move on to the next moment.

There is a special thing about Milwaukee that I hope the new owners and all the players and everyone else remember.

This is a town that values work. We believe in an honest days pay for an honest days work. We get upset when we think we aren’t getting value for our money or for our efforts. We have loved the Milwaukee Bucks for a long time. We never stopped loving them even though some years it was difficult.

That love could reach new heights in this new era because we are ready. You have no idea how much we want to cheer and lose our minds over the excitement of this team.

I just hope everyone knows that playing to win is almost as important as winning.