If Joe had signed with another team...

[Sothron]

Am I the only person that thinks the national media and average NBA fan would be crowing about how their team just signed a four consecutive All Star and All NBA player? Am I the only one that would read columns talking about how Joe's game doesn't rely on athletic ability or getting killed going to the net and with no real injury history it means his game should age well into his thirties?

Tell me I'm not the only person who thinks if Joe had been ESPN's pet boy and signed with the Knicks we wouldn't be reading those pieces. Because I'm about sick of reading how JOE JOHNSON IZ KILLINGZ NBA ZOMG! with this contract. The fact every talking head had him leaving Atlanta and going somewhere else is laughable at this point. Heck I didn't even think he'd stay.

But this complete overreaction of Joe getting a max deal is laughable. I've never seen a four time All Star and All NBA player get treated like this over a contract. For God's sake Dirk and Pierce who are three years OLDER both signed huge four year extensions and all you hear about this is praise! :cant believe:

[GABALLA]

Am I the only person that thinks the national media and average NBA fan would be crowing about how their team just signed a four consecutive All Star and All NBA player? Am I the only one that would read columns talking about how Joe's game doesn't rely on athletic ability or getting killed going to the net and with no real injury history it means his game should age well into his thirties?

Tell me I'm not the only person who thinks if Joe had been ESPN's pet boy and signed with the Knicks we wouldn't be reading those pieces. Because I'm about sick of reading how JOE JOHNSON IZ KILLINGZ NBA ZOMG! with this contract. The fact every talking head had him leaving Atlanta and going somewhere else is laughable at this point. Heck I didn't even think he'd stay.

But this complete overreaction of Joe getting a max deal is laughable. I've never seen a four time All Star and All NBA player get treated like this over a contract. For God's sake Dirk and Pierce who are three years OLDER both signed huge four year extensions and all you hear about this is praise! :cant believe:

You sir speak the truth. ESPN would have never said this had he gone to NY. they would be slobbering over how good of a move it was and oooh is lebron going to join him now? I hate those guys!

[99PROBL3MS]

I think you hit the nail on the head. Dirk's team lost in the first round as a 2 seed. You here nothing but praise for him. The Hawks have been getting killed in the media from everyone to your ESPN talking heads to your basement bloggers.

[buckeye242424]

Am I the only person that thinks the national media and average NBA fan would be crowing about how their team just signed a four consecutive All Star and All NBA player? Am I the only one that would read columns talking about how Joe's game doesn't rely on athletic ability or getting killed going to the net and with no real injury history it means his game should age well into his thirties?

Tell me I'm not the only person who thinks if Joe had been ESPN's pet boy and signed with the Knicks we wouldn't be reading those pieces. Because I'm about sick of reading how JOE JOHNSON IZ KILLINGZ NBA ZOMG! with this contract. The fact every talking head had him leaving Atlanta and going somewhere else is laughable at this point. Heck I didn't even think he'd stay.

But this complete overreaction of Joe getting a max deal is laughable. I've never seen a four time All Star and All NBA player get treated like this over a contract. For God's sake Dirk and Pierce who are three years OLDER both signed huge four year extensions and all you hear about this is praise! :cant believe:

No, you're not the only person that thinks any of that. You're dead on.

What gets me is the national media is STUCK on pointing out JJ"s playoff performances the last couple of years. Granted, they have been...well...not good, but for everyone to totally hang your hat on the playoffs is unfair to Joe. Especially when 90% of the national media didn't see Joe play during the regular season except for the All-Star games and playoffs, people forget we won 53 games, largely because of him.

The two biggest critics of Joe, from what I've read have been Bill Simmons (columns and tweets) and Bob Ryan (PTI). Interesting to me, a die-hard Boston fan, and a Boston Globe writer. Just a little salty seeing a Celtic first round pick doing so well not in green and white....Too bad.

Edited July 5, 2010 by buckeye242424

[Buzzard]

Yea I think ESPN has some *enis envy going on when it comes to Atlanta in general. We are the home of TNT ( major sports media competitor); and lets face it, ESPNs home (Connecticut) is just a very large suburb of NYC; wheras the ATL is the New York of the South.

They all wish like hell they could get in 18 after a days work in December then go and catch a Hawks game that night. Instead they are freezing their begebees off just getting out to their cars.

Edited July 5, 2010 by Buzzard

[Buzzard]

Bob Ryan (PTI). Interesting to me, a die-hard Boston fan, and a Boston Globe writer. Just a little salty seeing a Celtic first round pick doing so well not in green and white....Too bad.

We catch Boston in the 2nd round, its us in the conference championship game. He knows it and is hating the fact we were able to keep our team together. And if we beat them out for Shaq, I am sure he will call that a bad get as well.

Edited July 5, 2010 by Buzzard

[frankthetank966]

Thank god someone else supports this signing. Look, we may have overpaid but the bottom line is we got the deal done and he gives us the best chance of winning.

[buckeye242424]

Thank god someone else supports this signing. Look, we may have overpaid but the bottom line is we got the deal done and he gives us the best chance of winning.

That pretty much sums it up...

[NJHAWK]

If he signed a 5 year max in Chicago or Ny and left us with nothing in return the national media WOULD HAVE KILLED THIS TEAM. We would hear how cheap and incompetent ASG is and how they want to sell to the highest bidder. We would hear that nobody wants to play in ATL not even Joe. We would hear how the Hawks should have stepped up and gave him a 6th year.

Hell we hear alot of that now on the Squawk. You guys act like we just gave that contract to Gilbert Arenus after he missed two seasons with injury. This isnt an injury prone player, this isnt Ron Artest or some other nut job thats cant be depended on. Its Joe, an all star, a multi all star. Our best player.

[Alex]

Thank god someone else supports this signing. Look, we may have overpaid but the bottom line is we got the deal done and he gives us the best chance of winning.

We may have overpaid? Uh yeah we most definitely overpaid for Joe Johnson's services. He isn't a top tier talent in the league. He is a damn good player, but he isn't on the level of the greats and never will be.

[Gray Mule]

:worshippy:

Joe Johnson, now the pressure is all on you. All Atlanta fans know that you are good. We all know

that you have made the all star team for the past several years. We all know that you were Woody's

boy and he bowed down to your wishes, more or less, because you were that good. We all know that

you have taken our money - lots of it - and now we expect great things from you and the Hawks.

:newspaper:

All Atlanta fans know and wil remember how you threw an insult about them showing up for the playoffs.

We will remember. Some fans booed. You were shocked. You didn't believe your preformance deserved

any of this? Then you had to insult everyone for the actions of a few? Every Hawks fan everywhere didn/t boo.

Heck, a lot of us weren't even there. We might have booed if we had been there, but we weren't.

We can't look back. It's over. You are being paid as one of the elite players of the NBA. Now, the pressure

is on you to preform up to this high standard. We all hope that you can. We want the best for our team.

You are the best player we have. If you preform up to this standard, if you can lead us to many victories,

we will ignore your insulting comments about Atlanta fans. But, you fall on your face and don't play up

to your elite status and watch out. You just thought your first time being booed was bad.

Did Atlanta pay too much? We didn't have a choice. Pay it or lose Joe Johnson. By paying up early and

taking JJ off the market, Atlanta has set the market price for others. Now players can say, "Joe Johnson

was paid $$$ and I expect to be paid in the like manner or I won't sign."

This signing transfers the pressure. The front office had the pressure to get the signing done. They came

thru. Now, Joe Johnson, all the pressure is on you. You must come thru for your team.

:handshake:

GO DREAM!

13-5 FIRST PLACE!

[Sothron]

I just find it funny how a few weeks ago you could easily read an article raving about Joe and what his signing could mean for "X" team and then when he decided to stay in Atlanta it is now the WORST CONTRACT EVER. Talk about zero journalistic integrity.

[BudBall]

Yea I think ESPN has some *enis envy going on when it comes to Atlanta in general. We are the home of TNT ( major sports media competitor); and lets face it, ESPNs home (Connecticut) is just a very large suburb of NYC; wheras the ATL is the New York of the South.

They all wish like hell they could get in 18 after a days work in December then go and catch a Hawks game that night. Instead they are freezing their begebees off just getting out to their cars.

I LOL @ this. :biggrin:

[bird_dirt]

thanks, sothron.