Herb

Herbert H. “Herb” Kohl (born February 7, 1935) is an American businessman and politician. He is a former United States Senator from Wisconsin and a member of the Democratic Party. He is also a philanthropist and the former owner of the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association.

In April of this year, he sold the Milwaukee Bucks for $550 million dollars after buying them for $18 million in 1985. He hit the news recently by giving former employees of the Bucks checks that range from $500 – $100,000 dollars. My story goes back about 25 years.

Groovin’

When I was a little guy, my dad had season tickets to the Sixers. We sat in row G by the half court line and the opposing team would have seats for their fans in 2 of the nearby rows. My parents would tell me to “be little” and I’d act like a baby going through the line to get in for free. I don’t know the exact date, probably close to 1985, when Herb bought the team so I was 3 or 4. I must have charmed his pants off with my little kid swagger because he asked my parents for their address. A few weeks later an autographed ball with every Milwaukee Bucks player arrived as a gift from Mr. Herb Kohl.

I think I was a moron and ended up playing with the ball as the years went on but I remember the ball vividly. To think how a team owner would go out of his way to send a Sixers fan’s child an autographed ball was an awesome gesture. Hell, I’m blogging about it 25 years later. These are the type of people that the world needs more of. Herb Kohl is an generous, kind person. I wonder how many other little kids he’s touched. Scratch that last sentence.