For many years, Milwaukee feared Michael Jordan.

And it does once again, though for very different reasons.

As respected Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel columnist Dale Hofmann wrote this week: "Nothing personal, Michael, but would you mind getting out of the way?"

Milwaukee doesn't want Michael Jordan as the next owner of the Bucks. The civic-minded fear Jordan is staking out a property he could move, thus running running off serious potential buyers with his mysterious but continued interest in purchasing the club from owner Herb Kohl.

Jordan, NBA officials and the Bucks all have declined comment about reports of serious negotiations the last few weeks.