AirTran this week unveiled a custom plane painted with throwback Milwaukee Brewers logos and colors to honor the club's 40th anniversary and the airline's partnership with the team.

March 29, 2010 9:48 a.m. |(16) Comments

The Milwaukee Brewers and the state Department of Transportation on Monday unveiled the designs for the license plates featuring Brewers logos.

One features the ball-in-glove logo; the other is the contemporary "M" logo.

The plates were made available on Monday.

“In recent years, we have had numerous inquiries from fans about creating a Brewers-themed license plate, and we’re pleased to be able to make this a reality,” said Rick Schlesinger, the Brewers' executive president for business operations. “We want to thank the Wisconsin Department of Transportation for its work and interest in creating this opportunity.”

The Brewers plate fees include an issuance fee of $15, plus an annual $25 contribution that may be tax-deductible, in addition to the regular registration fee.

DOT will collect implementation costs for the new plates from the initial $25 donations. The Miller Park stadium district will receive the extra $25, less a 2% licensing fee to Major League Baseball. All proceeds received by the district will be fully and solely dedicated to the retirement of the Miller Park stadium construction debt.

Information is available online beginning today at this Web site. Applications for Brewers plates, including personalized plates, will be accepted by mail or in person at Wisconsin DOT offices.

By Andy Baggot

The nuts and bolts of the Camp Randall Hockey Classic are fitting nicely into place, but two fickle forces will be tracked right up to the last possible second.

Mother Nature and human nature will go a long way toward defining the quality of the inaugural event, set for Saturday at Camp Randall Stadium.

On-site preparations for the first outdoor games at the 80,000-seat facility — the women’s team vs. Bemidji State at 2 p.m. and the University of Wisconsin men’s team vs. Michigan at 5 p.m. — have been under way since Monday when Ice Rink Events of Woodlands, Texas, began putting the 200x85 ice sheet and its support structure on the football field.

That process has gone smoothly, according to UW assistant athletic director and event overseer Tim Wise, leaving ample time to fret about things that can’t be controlled.

• Like the weather. Bitter cold and/or precipitation would be the biggest detriments to the event. UW Athletic Department officials posted a hopeful Weather Channel forecast on their website this week, outlining an overcast, 32-degree day.

• Like advance ticket sales. The original objective of the Camp Randall Classic was to set a world record for attendance at an outdoor hockey game, making 75,000 the target. The current mark was set at Spartan Stadium in 2001, when Michigan State and Michigan played to a 3-3 tie.

Thirty years after the famed Miracle on Ice, it would take another for that record to fall. The latest report from UW had 46,000 tickets sold. While group sales have been brisk of late — aided in part by the fact the men’s team is ranked second in the country — it’s hard to imagine that kind of surge is in the offing.

Right now, a more attainable goal would be to fill the entire lower bowl, which would mean 55,000 to 60,000. A more definitive favorable weather forecast, combined with heightened attention as the unique event draws near, would help that cause.

“I’ve been doing a lot of praying that the weather holds out and the fans show,” Wise said.

The operational budget for the event is around $600,000, according to Wise, which includes $400,000 for the rink construction, $150,000 for security-related costs and between $20,000 and $30,000 for snow removal.