Hawks get slammed by foxsports.com...

[Seano]

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I definitely take issue with this:

"Even when the All-Star game was there, showcasing beautiful Philips Arena, there was no local energy, and now the problems have grown to a boiling point again."

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I take issue with that too, as well as the author's contention that professional basketball just won't fly in Atlanta (and it's a joke for him to suggest that Seattle would be any better).

Basketball can definitely thrive in Atlanta. It has before, back in the days of Dominique and Co., and it can again. Give the fans a decent product, something they can rally around and begin to love, and then of course basketball can succeed there.

[Dejay]

Being a native Atlantan, I take MAJOR ISSUE with his assessment of the fans here. It amazes me how quickly the media types are to tell us how to spend our hard-earned $$$ when most of them get free credentials, parking passes, and a fresh buffet waiting on press row. I have a question for him; would he take $$$ out of his pocket to see this team? If not, then why should he expect a transient fanbase (many of which have no clue as to whether the team still exists until their hometown teams come to town) and disgruntled longtime residents (who's seen the Adam Keefes, Dion Glovers, and Ed Grays trotted out for years and know better) to do likewise? This team hasn't given us anything, and I mean ANYTHING, to get excited about in almost a decade yet we are expected to show up, spend $$$, and watch the owners laugh their way to the bank like Cub fans do at Wrigley. They sell out almost every year while Tribune shrinks the payroll, guts the farm system, and tell them about the budget while pocketing their $$$. What changed there besides the exchange of funds from the fans' pockets to the owners? Nothing. So on behalf of the City of Atlanta and its metro area, forgive us for having the common sense to not spend our $$$ on a product that hasn't sniffed the playoffs since Clinton ran the show or drafted an All-Star since the days of Reagan, Ms. Pac Man, and the Commodore Vic-20. Please forgive us for actually having expectations for our entertainment $$$. Forgive us for having numerous attractions and 11.5 months of good weather to distract us from watching them and the Wizards get it on in mid-February when they're already out of playoff contention. Yeah right, F!CK the national media and their Pollyanna views on supporting a franchise who can't get out of their own way and haven't in a long time.

[drzachary]

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Being a native Atlantan, I take MAJOR ISSUE with his assessment of the fans here. It amazes me how quickly the media types are to tell us how to spend our hard-earned $$$ when most of them get free credentials, parking passes, and a fresh buffet waiting on press row. I have a question for him; would he take $$$ out of his pocket to see this team? If not, then why should he expect a transient fanbase (many of which have no clue as to whether the team still exists until their hometown teams come to town) and disgruntled longtime residents (who's seen the Adam Keefes, Dion Glovers, and Ed Grays trotted out for years and know better) to do likewise? This team hasn't given us anything, and I mean ANYTHING, to get excited about in almost a decade yet we are expected to show up, spend $$$, and watch the owners laugh their way to the bank like Cub fans do at Wrigley. They sell out almost every year while Tribune shrinks the payroll, guts the farm system, and tell them about the budget while pocketing their $$$. What changed there besides the exchange of funds from the fans' pockets to the owners? Nothing. So on behalf of the City of Atlanta and its metro area, forgive us for having the common sense to not spend our $$$ on a product that hasn't sniffed the playoffs since Clinton ran the show or drafted an All-Star since the days of Reagan, Ms. Pac Man, and the Commodore Vic-20. Please forgive us for actually having expectations for our entertainment $$$. Forgive us for having numerous attractions and 11.5 months of good weather to distract us from watching them and the Wizards get it on in mid-February when they're already out of playoff contention. Yeah right, F!CK the national media and their Pollyanna views on supporting a franchise who can't get out of their own way and haven't in a long time.

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[BusBoyIsBack]

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All you give is another excuse why the Hawks didn't get a decent player.

The article is right on.

The excuses why the Hawks don't get players is getting old.

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Who did you want us to get from them Jeff Foster? You want us to overpay for Jeff Foster and Anthony Johnson? Yeah that would have been great.

The Hawks not getting players? What the hell are you talking about? We got Joe Johnson and Speedy Claxton. That's not getting anybody? Yeah ok you live in la la land with the rest of the media but don't come jumping back on the bandwagon when this team we are putting together is making some noise.

[Seano]

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This team hasn't given us anything, and I mean ANYTHING, to get excited about in almost a decade yet we are expected to show up, spend $$$, and watch the owners laugh their way to the bank like Cub fans do at Wrigley.

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Very true, and NBA tix ain't cheap either- in fact pricewise they're right up there in the upper tier along with the NFL as being among the most expensive tickets in sports. That's one thing that turns me off, is that the average fans are getting priced right out of the game in favor of the corporate yahoos who often don't even give a crap about the home team, and for them it's much more a PR and 'see and be seen' type thing...and if you've got a family and are not super rich, then you may as well just forget about it.

I took my wife and two boys to a game at the Fleet Center last season, and that little venture ended up costing me in the neighborhood of $300. It was well worth it to see the enjoyment my sons got out of seeing their first pro basketball game, but again- it's not really the type of thing I can afford to do more than once, maybe twice a year.

[Vol4ever]

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All you give is another excuse why the Hawks didn't get a decent player.

The article is right on.

The excuses why the Hawks don't get players is getting old.

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Who did you want us to get from them Jeff Foster? You want us to overpay for Jeff Foster and Anthony Johnson? Yeah that would have been great.

The Hawks not getting players? What the hell are you talking about? We got Joe Johnson and Speedy Claxton. That's not getting anybody? Yeah ok you live in la la land with the rest of the media but don't come jumping back on the bandwagon when this team we are putting together is making some noise.

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Don't talk bandwagon to me, I've been around for 20 years. I have been to many games in the past 20 or so years also. I will criticize owners, mgt, players coaches whatever if I believe it is needed.

The biggest probelm we had last year was team driving down the lane for uncontested shots and no rebounding. Now is you think Speedy is a shot blocker and rebounder you are sadley mistaken.

And hell Yes I would take Jeff Foster, he is a rebounder, defensive player who hustles all the time.

[Dejay]

I took the family to watch the Hawks and Jazz play. I had excellent seats but after tix, food, parking, etc., I found myself on the net looking at my checking account the next morning and didn't like what I saw. While its great to do these things every once in a while, you cannot justify it on a nightly basis unless the team is winning. Yet the media finds the time to hop on their soapboxes as if its our civic duty to make millionaire owners even richer when its hasn't been remotely deserved. I'd love to ask him whether or not he'd be willing to spend his $$$ on such a lousy product; I doubt he'd bother to respond or talk about being a season ticket holder for (insert bad team here) back in 1964 when they went for a whopping $10.