BELKIN WINS

[exodus]

Quote:

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I was content to give him this season. See how he did in the offseason, the draft, how he handled the Harrington situation, and how he would do during the season with a team that's getting more experienced and mature as far as NBA playing time. Then, if it's not working out- axe the guy.

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it will take some time to go through the appeals process and until that is done it is business as usual. So BK will still have time to obviously draft who he wants and pursue the FA's he wants this summer.

Even if BK makes the right moves he may still get the axe but at least we will see what his intentions were.

[frosgrim]

This is truely a horrible ruling for Hawks fans. There are numerous reprocussions that we can see now and probably more in the future:

1. Belkin can get ahold of the franchises

2. The buy out is going to be expensive if the Spirit group wants to retain the teams, this will in turn, reduce the available money for the teams operation, eg signing FAs.

3. If Belkin gets the teams, he will fire BK. As pointed out, this will be a horrible disruption to the rebuilding of the franchise.

4. Even if the Spirit group retains the teams, how effective are they as owners? it is obvious that they have very little knowledge of how to structure contracts and deal with some of the more ruthless people in business. I have no faith in the current ownership group. Belkin has out manuvered them from day 1. I believe he wanted either full control of the teams, or he wanted to make a ton of money off the teams. He will do that now.

5. I don't think the teams will move. Where are you going to put the Thrashers? Plus, part of the ownership agreement is for the operating rights to Phillips. Moving the teams out hurts that part of the investment. Phillips, more than likely, is a cash cow, so you don't hurt that part of the business. Finally, the NBA has to approve a move and there is no way Stern leaves a top ten tv market without a team.

6. A quick thought on the Belkin buy out and then a quick sell. Its not going to happen. Another group would have to come up with 300+ million, then show to the other owners that they won't disolve into a bunch of infighting cats, and then show that they have the resources to run the team properly. I just can't see that happening in anything shorter than two years and even that is a long shot. If Belkin gets the teams, then he gets them and will run them as he sees fit.

In all this ruling only hurts both the Hawks and Thrashers, but I think it hurts the Hawks more so. FAs are not going to sign here over the summer. Hopefully, the Thrashers people can convience our own FAs, eg Savard, that things will be OK. Plus they have to resign Kari. Ugh, what an unbelievable mess.

[Lascar78]

all I know is that the season ticket holders' pre-draft meeting with BK this tuesday just got a WHOLE LOT more interesting...

[exodus]

Wish i could be a fly on the wall for that. The Atlanta Spirit and BK probably feel like this guy.

[frosgrim]

If any of the owners are there ask how they could be stupid enough to allow an "at cost" buy out clause in a contract. That is just plain moronic.

[DrReality]

Pete Townsend's lyrics:

This is no social crisis, it's just another tricky day.

This too shall past.

[Eddielives]

I guarantee that this is all being blown a bit out of proportion. What will happen in the following weeks will be as Chillz said business as usual. Some will say I'm whistling past the graveyard. I say just sit back, relax and we will all be pleasantly surprised to see this turn out not so terribly.

[Diesel]

I have to disagree.

Seeing that the ASLLC never bought him out, he still holds 33% of the ownership. BY Law he's the majority owner. Now he's the majority owner with the right to buy the team at cost. I would think that if he pushed for an injunction he would get it.. First based on the fact that he's the majority owner. second based on the fact that you can't let somebody dictate what to do with what's yours..

The only thing that held him back in the first case was the ASLLC's lawsuit that gave them power to buy him out. The tables have been turned.

[Diesel]

The reason I wouldn't fall to pieces is this.

If Belk is the new owner, he gets to do what he wants to do. I can't see anybody making him buy into the BK plan... That's like you buying a factory and somebody saying... You have to keep the head foreman in place. Well, if the head foreman does not agree with you as the owner, you have the right to replace him.

[KB21]

It's not a matter of Belkin keeping BK. If Belkin gets the team, BK walks period.

[Diesel]

So if BK is going to walk, what ya cryN Bout?

Instead of cryN for BK and days gone pass, you ought to hope for KIKI in our future!

[Lascar78]

Quote:

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It's not a matter of Belkin keeping BK. If Belkin gets the team, BK walks period.

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I doubt it.

He's gone either way. Either he can be out of a job and still get paid out of Belk's pockets (Belk fires him), or he walks and gets nothing. If I'm him I stay. You know he'll be fired before a single day goes by anyhow. Why not take some of your enemy's money with you on the way out?

[KB21]

Kiki won't be the GM, and all he has proven anyway is that he can do just enough to get a team to the playoffs. Denver can't get out of the first round of the playoffs though. I don't want a GM that is going to go for the quick fix and just build a team that can compete for the 8th seed with no chance at winning a championship. Kiki isn't as good as Billy.

[gsuteke]

Quote:

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Kiki won't be the GM, and all he has proven anyway is that he can do just enough to get a team to the playoffs. Denver can't get out of the first round of the playoffs though. I don't want a GM that is going to go for the quick fix and just build a team that can compete for the 8th seed with no chance at winning a championship. Kiki isn't as good as Billy.

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[Diesel]

You are the funniest nut hugger I have ever known about.

Ok.. One quick thing..

Kiki has been a GM in less time than BK has been a GM for less teams that BK has been a GM...

However,

Kiki = 2 playoffs appearances in 3 yrs.

BK = 4 last place finishes (overall) in 5 years.

[Watchman]

"I have waited a long time for this moment, my little GREEN friend."

[Diesel]

"A Jedi gains power through understanding, and a Sith gains understanding through power."

[KB21]

So much for those playoff appearances when you can't win in the playoffs and have now killed your ability to improve after giving Kenyon Martin a big contract -- a contract that only Isiah Thomas is willing to take off his hands.

Billy has acquired talent better and has managed his salary cap better. Had he been given more than two years in Memphis, he would have built a team that could actually win in the playoffs, unlike Jerry West and Kiki Vandeweigh.

I realize that your only goal is to be one and done in the playoffs, but there is no sense in saddling the rest of the Hawks fans with that curse.

[Diesel]

Actually...

My goal is to be championship calibre.

I realize that there has been no championship calibre team without a superstar and without good structure.

The montra of Long, versatile, and athletic sounds good on paper.... but a 6'9 team will not win anything.... Moreover, a GM has to recognize the need for a PG.

Your boy has not recognized the need for a real PG. He traded away Bibby. He called JJ a PG and has not looked at a real PG for this team.

No championship calibre team does it without a superstar or a PG.

[tmac13]

You do know Billy offered Martin the same exact contract?..He just turned Bk down..