How would you feel if Joe does leave?

[HawkItus]

Beyond the contract etc. How would you feel about the man? I honestly don't think I'd feel anything. Joe isn't a bad guy, but he is not endearing either. Reading his words in the article that was posted here, he said "I work in Atlanta". That is the feeling I generally get from him. He doesn't like or dislike the city, he works here. Juxtapose that against what Dwight has said about Orlando. Joe could basically give a damn about this community. Am I wrong? Should there be a connection between the players and the city?

[NineOhTheRino]

Beyond the contract etc. How would you feel about the man? I honestly don't think I'd feel anything. Joe isn't a bad guy, but he is not endearing either. Reading his words in the article that was posted here, he said "I work in Atlanta". That is the feeling I generally get from him. He doesn't like or dislike the city, he works here. Juxtapose that against what Dwight has said about Orlando. Joe could basically give a damn about this community. Am I wrong? Should there be a connection between the players and the city?

This community has little attachment to Joe. I'm not the biggest Nique fan but at least we know Nique is one of us. Nique played for the Dawgs and actually seems to like being a part of this community. Joe is just a hired gun. I'm not a saying he's a bad guy. I just don't consider him a true Hawk. I think if you were to switch this to a poll at least half the respondents would say the same.

Edited June 14, 2011 by Not5Not6Not7

[Diesel]

If we're being honest, no player (for a long time) has been attached to the city.. regardless of how much community service they do and regardless of how well they play. I think the closest is Zaza.

Fans don't love Josh. They want to trade him next.

We always have a next list.

First it was Smitty

Then it was Mookie

Then it was Deke

Then it was JT

Then it was Shareef.

Then it was Harrington.

Then it was Shelden.

Then it was Childress.

Then it was Marvin.

Now it's Smoove and Joe.

How can you grow attached to a city that don't attend the games. That easily cheer for the other team's stars rather than you. That is not something that endears fans to you.

I remember when JTerry had signed an offer sheet with the Jazz and thought that the Hawks wounldn't match. He gave a rant about Atlanta Fans and how they are so terrible. Then we resigned him.

:warning:

[NineOhTheRino]

If we're being honest, no player (for a long time) has been attached to the city.. regardless of how much community service they do and regardless of how well they play. I think the closest is Zaza.

Fans don't love Josh. They want to trade him next.

We always have a next list.

First it was Smitty

Then it was Mookie

Then it was Deke

Then it was JT

Then it was Shareef.

Then it was Harrington.

Then it was Shelden.

Then it was Childress.

Then it was Marvin.

Now it's Smoove and Joe.

How can you grow attached to a city that don't attend the games. That easily cheer for the other team's stars rather than you. That is not something that endears fans to you.

I remember when JTerry had signed an offer sheet with the Jazz and thought that the Hawks wounldn't match. He gave a rant about Atlanta Fans and how they are so terrible. Then we resigned him.

:warning:

I actually agree with you. We Atlanta people are a fickle bunch. You're 100% right on with JT and Smitty too. Everybody wanted Jet gone and poor Smitty was treated like an ugly stepchild for years because he couldn't measure up to Nigue. Hell even Nique got the treatment towards the end.

...and please don't get me started on my man Primetime Neon Deion Sanders.

Edited June 14, 2011 by Not5Not6Not7

[hawkman]

I actually agree with you. We Atlanta people are a fickle bunch. You're 100% right on with JT and Smitty too. Everybody wanted Jet gone and poor Smitty was treated like an ugly stepchild for years because he couldn't measure up to Nigue. Hell even Nique got the treatment towards the end.

...and please don't get me started on my man Primetime Neon Deion Sanders.

True. This isn't the most endearing fan base. Mike Vick was as close to infallible with the fanbase as it got until his screwup(s). The city loves superstars, but how do you explain how Nique was treated? I remember some pretty negative things being said about a guy who a Hawk through and through after he got traded. The same could be said about 'Reef to a lesser extent. This fanbase can be awesome when it wants and look downright horrible(at least on TV) when it wants. :scratchhead:

[macdaddy]

Its true but you could say we just have very high expectations. Matt Ryan is pretty much universally loved across the city but you see him everywhere. Chipper Jones will never get 'the treatment' from anyone in Atlanta because he's been nothing but a great player and stand up guy.

[Eddielives]

It's hard to explain unless you go visit or live in another part of the country where sports fanaticism is a part of the dna of the populace. A team or player will face much more harsh scrutiny in New York or Philadelphia but the fans still show up and fill the stadiums and bars. In Atlanta, the teams and players don't really face much harsh scrutiny from the media, just bloggers and message board junkies.

[Randy]

I thought the "work in Atlanta" comment was telling, but the rest of the article actually made JJ sound a lot more interesting and likable than I gave him credit for. Perhaps he was just trying to tell the home people that Little Rock was still his home town. I lived in Indana for only about 10 years, and I've lived in Atlanta for 30, but I call Indianapolis my "home town" because that is where most of my family lives.

But nowadays, that's the way it is - players don't usually stay around in one town long enough for the fans to get very attached to them. I used to joke that the Braves traded players as soon as jersey sales dropped off. It is pretty much a revolving door. So if JJ were to go, I doubt many would miss him for long. There would likely be another guy to get excited about, and probably disappointed with before you know it. Playing pro sports is a job, probabbly a darn good one, but its still a job. Your boss transfers you to the Alaska sales office, and you probably start telling people the customers in Alaska are the best ones in the country, whether you mean it or not.

[DrReality]

I'd be happy but I'd also be happy if he changed his game to fit the needs of the team. Think I've given up on that.

[Swatguy]

Its true but you could say we just have very high expectations. Matt Ryan is pretty much universally loved across the city but you see him everywhere. Chipper Jones will never get 'the treatment' from anyone in Atlanta because he's been nothing but a great player and stand up guy.

Really? "Matty Meltdown"?

[ATLJA316]

1 word: Relieved.

[TheNorthCydeRises]

Sad . . and possibly angry, depending on who replaced him.

I remembr when we got rid of Smitty and Mookie . . and essentially replaced them with JR Rider. I was pissed. That is like trading JJ for Ron Artest.

If the right people aren't brought in, the departure of JJ would mean the end of playoff basketball. I've gotten used to rooting for this team during playoff time, and I don't want it to stop now.

Now if the right person(s) were brought in to replace JJ, and it made us better, the transition to forget him will be much easier . . much like how most of us did with Josh Childress.

Next to Nique, JJ is my favorite Hawk of all time. So initially, it would be sad.

[Diesel]

True. This isn't the most endearing fan base. Mike Vick was as close to infallible with the fanbase as it got until his screwup(s). The city loves superstars, but how do you explain how Nique was treated? I remember some pretty negative things being said about a guy who a Hawk through and through after he got traded. The same could be said about 'Reef to a lesser extent. This fanbase can be awesome when it wants and look downright horrible(at least on TV) when it wants. :scratchhead:

I don't even think you can lump Hawks fans and other sports fans of Atlanta together. I think each fan base is different:

The Braves fans just became complacent when the Braves won all those pennants.

The Falcons fans really take to gimmicks...

• 2 Legit to Quit
  
• Gritz Blitz.
  
• Man with the Black Hat leaving tickets at the box for Elvis
  
• Dirty Bird
  
• Bad Moon Rising
  
• Neon Deion
  

I can keep it going. For the Falcons fans, they like a good personality.

However, Hawks fans are the worst.

Nothing excites them.

They always see the worst of everything.

Even when we were winning, they look for the worst.

When we had stars, they were pessimistic.

When we were young, pessimistic.

I think it's just a history of not winning the big game. If this team won the championship, maybe fans would believe. Now the Falcons haven't won a championship either but at least they have been. And the Braves, Like I said have complacent fans.

But we can talk about transients. We can talk about lack of media coverage. We can definitely talk about having a 1 paper town.. But the truth is that he Hawks have to make it to the finals.

[RonMexico]

Could it be how the media portrays them? I know that sounds kind of weird but they're on the Falcons and Braves bandwagon for the most part and they seem to continually dump on the Hawks.

[Diesel]

Could it be how the media portrays them? I know that sounds kind of weird but they're on the Falcons and Braves bandwagon for the most part and they seem to continually dump on the Hawks.

I think so. There's plenty to be said about having one paper in town and that that one paper always dumps on the Hawks.

The Hawks owners have not learned how to grease the tracks with the newspapers yet.

[Seano]

If he left in the type of situation where we got some kind of good player or player + picks in return, I could live with that. If he left where it was just basically us trying to rid ourselves of his salary, in other words a trade motivated primarily by a straight salary dump, then I wouldn't feel too happy about that. Overpaid or not, he is our best player, and to consider trading him also requires you to think about how you're going to replace him. How do you go about replacing your best player, and who either currently on the team or that you might acquire in trade could step up to help fill the void that a departed Joe would leave behind? That's what I wonder anyway.

On the one hand, I'm very wary about his high salary and how that escalates as he gets older, and what that could mean to us and how it might hamstring us most terribly assuming his productivity will fall as it does for every player as he gets older. On the other hand, he is our best player and in that regard I support him 100% even though he has flaws and limitations just like everybody else.

I don't know. I guess I'd be torn. It's hard for me to think about Joe not being here anymore, but it's also hard for me to think about the ungodly amount of $$$$ that is still owed to him and that the Hawks are responsible for unless they do trade him.

[macdaddy]

I don't even think you can lump Hawks fans and other sports fans of Atlanta together. I think each fan base is different:

The Braves fans just became complacent when the Braves won all those pennants.

The Falcons fans really take to gimmicks...

• 2 Legit to Quit
• Gritz Blitz.
• Man with the Black Hat leaving tickets at the box for Elvis
• Dirty Bird
• Bad Moon Rising
• Neon Deion

I can keep it going. For the Falcons fans, they like a good personality.

However, Hawks fans are the worst.

Nothing excites them.

They always see the worst of everything.

Even when we were winning, they look for the worst.

When we had stars, they were pessimistic.

When we were young, pessimistic.

I think it's just a history of not winning the big game. If this team won the championship, maybe fans would believe. Now the Falcons haven't won a championship either but at least they have been. And the Braves, Like I said have complacent fans.

But we can talk about transients. We can talk about lack of media coverage. We can definitely talk about having a 1 paper town.. But the truth is that he Hawks have to make it to the finals.

It could be that nba fans in this city aren't that knowledgeable and just want superstars, but it also could be the opposite.

This season did anyone of us really believe the Hawks could win the championship? No. We knew better. Last season the Falcons could have won the Super Bowl. Its not that hard to put together 3 great games in the NFL and win the title. You have to be a good team of course. How many people think the Braves have a shot at the world series this year. I do. Its a little unlikely the way they're hitting right now but they will start hitting better and they can always trade. How many thought the Giants would win the Series last year?

NBA is just more predictable and when casual fans see that you can't compete with the big boys they lose interest.

[Vol4ever]

I agree with what Diesel had to say about the fans of Atlanta.

The main problem that I see with Joe is he is not a franchise superstar player. Yes, he is very good, but a superstar takes the team on their shoulders at the end of the game, Joe doesnt do that.. A lot of games are won in the last minute of the game and we do not have a player of that calibur.

[jerrywest]

The way the monks felt when Jim Carey left Tibet in Ace Ventura 2.