What would be the recent all-wanna-be-a-hawk team

[Guest Walter]

JJ - wanted to be a Hawk (and is)

Chris Paul - publically stated he wanted to be drafted by and play in Atlanta

Dwight Howard - publically pleaded for the Hawks to win the lottery(?)

Josh Smith - wanted to be a hawks (and is)

Who else would make the recent all-wanna-be-a-Hawk team?

W

[bird_dirt]

al harrington

[warcore]

ty corbin

trust me guys, that fat boy loved bein a hawk

[Popeye]

Shelden

[vdunkndunk]

Here's my starting 5 (AI said he wanted to be a Hawk this summer and loves the ATL). We'd be going small-ball in a sense, but I still think this would be one of the best teams in the league:

G: Chris Paul

G: Allen Iverson

F: Joe Johnson

F: Josh Smith

C: Dwight Howard

[Guest Walter]

Quote:

---

Here's my starting 5 (AI said he wanted to be a Hawk this summer and loves the ATL). We'd be going small-ball in a sense, but I still think this would be one of the best teams in the league:

G: Chris Paul

G: Allen Iverson

F: Joe Johnson

F: Josh Smith

C: Dwight Howard

---

Small ball or no, enough legit stars to justify it.

[wasBlackHawkDown]

It is the buffoonery in Management and lacklustr ownership. Atlanta is constantly ranked by every black publicatiuon as the #1 city for African AMericans, 1/2 of Black Atheletes and Entertainers have homes in Metro Atlanta. Atlanta is by far the #1 tourist destination amoung African Americans. Hell its even the Black Gay capital. Atlanta is also a TOp 10 market ( #8 to be exact). I used to be part owner of a nightclub here in Atlanta and my manager would routinely field 30 to 40 call from atheletes managers saying "such and such" will be there tonight and make arrangements for them. Most blacks when they graduate from college rate Atlanta as there most desired destination.

Yet the Hawks cant get a free agent......Now if Atlanta is the most desired city amoung NBA players why wouldnt they want to play for the Hawks Maybe its because the Hawks are run by Clowns. Why do you think Ga.Tech has had such an easy time getting blockbuster talent, Atlanta is an easy sell, other than Prince George County (Washington DC)there isnt an easier place to sell to any black person in America.

[Swatguy]

Quote:

---

It is the buffoonery in Management and lacklustr ownership. Atlanta is constantly ranked by every black publicatiuon as the #1 city for African AMericans, 1/2 of Black Atheletes and Entertainers have homes in Metro Atlanta. Atlanta is by far the #1 tourist destination amoung African Americans. Hell its even the Black Gay capital. Atlanta is also a TOp 10 market ( #8 to be exact). I used to be part owner of a nightclub here in Atlanta and my manager would routinely field 30 to 40 call from atheletes managers saying "such and such" will be there tonight and make arrangements for them. Most blacks when they graduate from college rate Atlanta as there most desired destination.

Yet the Hawks cant get a free agent......Now if Atlanta is the most desired city amoung NBA players why wouldnt they want to play for the Hawks

Maybe its because the Hawks are run by Clowns. Why do you think Ga.Tech has had such an easy time getting blockbuster talent, Atlanta is an easy sell, other than Prince George County (Washington DC)there isnt an easier place to sell to any black person in America.

---

Athlete, ATHLETE is the word. Not Athelete.

[Spiral]

[Yeti]

Quote:

---

Now if Atlanta is the most desired city amoung NBA players why wouldnt they want to play for the Hawks

Maybe its because the Hawks are run by Clowns.

---

Well, you're right about the clowns. But there is low attendance, minimal local press coverage, few endorsement opportunities, and not much national exposure. And then there is the losing ... no one likes to lose.

Probably all have seen the BK / Belkin picture and don't want to step in that mess. Then there are the Diaw's (and JT's) who couldn't play in our system but flourished elsewhere - so why take a chance that the Hawks will make you play out of position and ruin your career. I can see why a lot of guys don't want to play here - maybe a good place to live, but a crappy situation.

The bright spot is that if we can start winning games, then a lot of that will turn around and maybe we can attract people.

[Guest]

Quote:

---

Why do you think Ga.Tech has had such an easy time getting blockbuster talent

---

Sorry, but GT doesn't get that much talent.

But besides that, right on. It is an easy sell and we just aren't doing that. But maybe the players don't want to be around those temptations all the time, which I could see for some but definitely not most.

[Final_quest]

I think it will happen, but we have to start winning first. I know it's a paradox, but I don't think you can sell the city until you can sell the team.

I also think that NBA players want to play with the elite talent more than in a cool town. San Antonio attracts players because of Tim Duncan more than because of the city. When Michael Finley signed with them do you think he did it for the San Antonio night life?

[wasBlackHawkDown]

Half the Falcons came because of Atlanta, 1/2 the NFL lives in ATL already. The problem is the bozos who own the team dont capitalize on it. People want to be in a place where they can raise their families and live comfortably, that is why people cry when they get drafted by Utah. Certain places dont seem appealing and marketing yourself is big. When University of Florida was recruiting me all I saw was black people, girls and parties on all my recruiting trips, I actually didnt think there were white people there until I actually when in for registration. Because they wanted to make the place seem appealing to a 18 year old, black kid. From what I hear before Billy Knight got there the Hawks had the worst free agent pitch in history, and notice Toronto isnt signing any free agents. Atlanta doesnt even have to do that players have told me they want to be in Atlanta but they dont want to play for the Hawks.

The Hawks are actually despised and dont think thing like what went down with J.R.Rider go unnoticed. People have said they dont want to be in that kind of enviroment, where their team calls them out or makes them look foolish, If the Hawks will wave a player that puts up 25PPG, what makes you think they feel safe. Billy Knight was changing that people like him and respect him but, again the clowns show up to fight over who owns the team now people are scared again.

Udonnis Haslem told me he would have loved to play for the Hawks but its a fiasco how they are run by comparision to the Heat. 19 or 20 players have said the same thing to me. Rick Mahorn said at the barbershop that Babcock and Kasten were a couple of racist asses who didnt know anything about basketball. The playoff gaurantees that fail, the second rate ownership, The clown coaches like Lon Kruger, Tery Stotts. All this get around the league alot faster than it gets to us. The current rumor is that the Hawks owners including Belkin are broke.

Long story short if we had a resonable owner and alittle buzz behind the franchise we would have half the league clammering to be a part of it. Hell forget Atlanta as a city if this franchise was even run like a business instead of a pet project we would have seen a few championships or at least something more than the second round of the playoffs.

[Final_quest]

Quote:

---

The current rumor is that the Hawks owners including Belkin are broke.

Long story short if we had a resonable owner and alittle buzz behind the franchise we would have half the league clammering to be a part of it.

Hell forget Atlanta as a city if this franchise was even run like a business instead of a pet project we would have seen a few championships or at least something more than the second round of the playoffs.

---

The ownership is a huge problem. Are they broke? Probably close to it.

If Belkin takes control, forget it. We're done. I have to have some hope in the other owners because what choice do we have? They are all we got. At least they brought in Dominique to be a central figure. We can all dream that we'll have another new owner, but is that realistic?

[lifelong]

While we have a great city, let's face it we have one of the worst NBA franchises if you look at the current state of affairs. It's great that athletes who can live anywhere choose to live here, but they also have the means to play anywhere, so I would think (all other things equal, including the money) they would choose a franchise that has a history of success, fan support, exposure, etc. over one that frankly currently has a bad reputation.

[Guest Walter]

Quote:

---

The ownership is a huge problem. Are they broke? Probably close to it.

If Belkin takes control, forget it. We're done.

---

What if any say does the central league have over this issue? It doesn't really harm other teams. I can't see anyone stepping in on this until it somehow does or threatens to ruin the franchise, move it, or whatever. I'm suprised the courts wouldn't move faster on this.

W

[Guest Walter]

Quote:

---

so I would think (all other things equal, including the money) they would choose a franchise that has a history of success, fan support, exposure, etc. over one that frankly currently has a bad reputation.

---

...a Hawk we had better consider that more than we perhaps have in the past. Perhaps we could have done more to trade up for Howard, we certainly should have gotten Paul, and were even more right to get JS and JJ (but not right to potentially bench JS at this point).

W

[Final_quest]

I think the courts will yield to the league for advise on occasion. An example would be the contract restrictions that we're put on us last summer. Didn't the judge change his ruling when he was advised on how much damage it could do?

Personally, I'm not counting on the league or anyone else to step in to speed this up. Until I have a reason to believe there will be intervention, I'm not going to expect it.

[AHF]

Quote:

---

I think the courts will yield to the league for advise on occasion. An example would be the contract restrictions that we're put on us last summer. Didn't the judge change his ruling when he was advised on how much damage it could do?

---

I don't think the league had any official role with that, if any.

[Sothron]

I've met both Pete Babcock and Kasten a number of times over the years and to call either of them a racist is a joke. Why the hell would we have hired Lenny if that was the case? Or have teams that were almost 100% black?

Get that weak [censored] out of here.