Sports fans across the nation have been intrigued by one Bucks fan’s apparent attempt to buy Danica Patrick a drink at Game 5 between Milwaukee and the Boston Celtics on Wednesday — all while she was seated next to her boyfriend, Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
Apparently, there’s a bit more to this story.
Cameras at Wednesday’s game captured a man in a green sweatshirt seated in the row behind Patrick and Rodgers tap the former racecar driver on the shoulder and pass her a drink. Patrick attempted to hand him a $20 bill, but he refused.
Here’s a quick look at how the interaction went down on live television:
Danica Patrick tried to pay for a drink court side but the fan just gave it away for free 😂 pic.twitter.com/jwuXEI0MCm
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 9, 2019
As it turns out, Patrick and Rodgers actually know the guy. His name is Rick Barrett, and he’s been sitting courtside at Fiserv Forum for a while, and has grown friendly with the couple.
Barrett broke down exactly what happened to WTMJ-TV host Steve Scaffidi.
“Well, (drinks in) courtside seats are free,” he said. “But at that point, I created a tip that Danica had been giving for one drink that she had ordered before. And she just gave a tip in the previous time, so I thought I would do the same on her behalf.”
Barrett called it “Milwaukee hospitality at its finest.”
“Danica’s from Wisconsin, she’s one of us,” he said. “I knew she’d be OK now that she’s a retired racecar driver. I think she can maybe have one (drink).”
One funny thing about this story is that Barrett had no idea he was trending on social media for his gesture.
“I don’t really know what that is,” he said.
So much for some crazy, dramatic tale.
