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Milwaukee's Daily Magazine for Thursday, May 24, 2012

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The rally towels were flying all weekend at Miller Park.
The rally towels were flying all weekend at Miller Park.
Folks were out in force early to soak up the atmosphere.
Folks were out in force early to soak up the atmosphere.
The Brewers owned the Milwaukee weekend.
The Brewers owned the Milwaukee weekend.
Even casual Brewers fans like these were excited.
Even casual Brewers fans like these were excited.
Hoi Polloi played in Friday's Beer Garden on Saturday.
Hoi Polloi played in Friday's Beer Garden on Saturday.
Where there's a major sports event, there's always a dirigible.
Where there's a major sports event, there's always a dirigible.
During the intros, even K-Rod got a rousing cheer.
During the intros, even K-Rod got a rousing cheer.

The Brewers owned this Milwaukee weekend

Argue if you must, football fans, but this weekend was all about the Brewers in Milwaukee. I see that in Green Bay and Madison there were other sports events, but I couldn't hear them over the din.

That's because Milwaukee is riding high on the Brewers' championship wave and the vibe at Miller Park was as festive as you'd expect.

Hours before game time on Saturday, the lots were packed. As the 1 p.m. start time approached, plumes of smoke still rose from grills amid the sea of cars reflecting beams of sunlight and of humanity, which had a gleam of its own thanks to the beer that made Milwaukee famous.

But if that shine led to unruly behavior, I didn't see any of it. Strolling around the lots I saw gaggles of girls in Braun jerseys posing for photos. There were couples tossing the bean bag (I mean that literally, though, who knows, it may have been happening figuratively, too, in the back of a van or two) and kids running around their parents' lawn chairs.

Near the ticket windows, folks snapped pictures of the giant championship banner that currently adorns the park. Around the east side of the stadium, just past the Hot Corner, Hoi Polloi played a mix of rock and reggae in the Friday's Beer Garden and I ran into Andy Tarnoff and Jon Adler heading into the stadium.

Inside, the sold-out crowd filled every seat. That might seem like a "duh" statement, but if you frequent the ballpark you know how rare a sight that really is.

And the crowd fueled the Brewers. I clocked the first "Let's Go Brewers" chant at within two minutes of the first pitch on Saturday. This was a crowd that was in a forgiving mood. Not only did it cheer Yuniesky Betancourt's successes, it gave K-Rod a pretty welcoming roar during team intros.

No surprise, though, that when John Axford was called out onto the field next, the building erupted, sending out terrestrial ripples that were likely clocked at UWM's seismograph.

Fans got rally towels upon entering the stadium and those stark white babies were spinning in the air time and time again, creating an incredible sight and an amazing atmosphere in Miller Park.

This weekend's two victories mean that the Brewers have earned a game 5, if they don't win it all down in Phoenix first. Three and done would be nice, but – then again – a Game 5 victory later this week at Miller Park would be magic, wouldn't it?

Talkbacks

Myke | Oct. 3, 2011 at 10:53 p.m. (report)

34599 I 2nd buck's comments 100%.

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buck | Oct. 3, 2011 at 10:42 a.m. (report)

Nobody "owned" this weekend. That's the whole reason this weekend was such a big deal, because the Badgers, Packers and Brewers were all involved in huge games (OK, maybe less so for the Packers, but they are always a big deal). Maybe the Brewers owned it for you personally, but the thing that made the weekend great for most sports fans was the chance to watch them all on the big stage.

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Jeff | Oct. 3, 2011 at 8:54 a.m. (report)

If the Brewers "owned" the weekend, why are the Packers at the top of your home page?

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