SO....Have we earned a little respect or Is it good we are flying under the radar?

[DocWilkins]

I for one am always PO'ed about the lack of attention the Hawks get...The team has played remarkably well, has arguably their most consistent performer out and currently has a better record than the likes of Orlando, Miami, New York etc..While I am not suggesting an espnATLANTA needs to be created just to follow our Air Force, I belive the coverage for our team is just horrific. I think Teague, JSmoove and JJ are all playing at an All=star level and it is mums the word nationally on our Hawks.

On the flip side...I believe some of the guys on our team play better because they feel jilted...Josh walks around like he is going to kill someone...I suppose All-Star snubs will do that to people but I like the hunger he seems to play with...I believe some of our bench players play that way as well as they really have never had the respect they probably deserve...

Either way I love this team this year and hope we can make it all the way...What say you???

[Dnice]

I think some folks were gonna wait and see, The commentators can keep overlooking them it's fine with me to go unnoticed. I'm sure they'll get love in a roundabout way.

[Sothron]

Respect comes from winning in the playoffs. We started the ball rolling last season but we need to go further to get some respect.

[hazer]

It was much easier watching them on ESPN last night than it was on TNT the other day. Much more respect and props, mostly due to the absence of the juss turrrble Barkley. Mullins kept praising Teague, mentioned how good a shooter Pargo was a few times, and called Joe "LeBron James Lite". Glad the national audience got to hear that. Josh probably just got himself on the all-star team too.

[ATLSmith]

ESPN commentators did a good job. I learned a good bit about the Blazers and actually a few new facts about the new Hawks players (like Pargo). After all, isn't that what they are there to do, call the game and teach you something? Too many clowns these days.

Back on topic. It is early in the season and the critics won't go out on a limb based on these few games. If the Hawks keep this up for another 10 games there will be a "Hawks Growing Up" article then nothing much else until somewhere near the end of the season where they will be labeled as the "Wildcard", "Unknown Factor", or "The team you don't want to play in the 1st round if you are a 'contender'".

[sturt]

Wilbon gave his top 5 East teams last night, and though we weren't among them, he at least indicated he felt guilty for not including the ATL boys.

Answering the question, I actually don't mind at all that we're such a darkhorse right now... as Sothron suggested, it's playoff time when I'll care what's being said.

[CarverC]

On Sportcenter this morning, they actually called JJ the quietest SuperStar in the leage. It bothers me sometimes, but i really don't care that we don't get alot of attention.

[the_sheff]

Look at our February schedule, if we take care of business in that month then they will have choice but to talk about us.

[AHF]

It was much easier watching them on ESPN last night than it was on TNT the other day. Much more respect and props, mostly due to the absence of the juss turrrble Barkley.

I think it was mostly due to us playing about 10x better than the game we were on TNT. That was an embarrassing performance not because of Barkley but because of how much we played down to the competition and let them steal that game. It is much easier to watch the Hawks playing well against a playoff team than playing poorly against one of the worst 5 teams in the NBA (which is what Miami is without Wade and LeBron).

[Randy]

I'd rather win games that get media attention. The only media that matters much is local - since that's what probably gets people to buy tickets, and even that's not nearly as important as winning games.

[Guest]

I prefer us under the radar - we play better that way. The Hawks don't handle expectations well, when we are expected to win easily we lose or make it tough, when their are no expectations we surprise everybody and play well.

[01d0rd3r]

If I have learned anything over the past two years on this board it is that once someone makes one of these threads, we immediately prove why we shouldn't get talked about.

[AJtheGreat]

Thats because most of their schedule has been composed of the likes of the NJ Nets, Washington Wizards, and Charlotte Hornets. They still have a lot of work to do and wins to make before getting respect.

[AHawks89]

This is why fan voting is pathetic. We get no attention, therefore, none of our players will get hardly any attention. I wish another sports station would rise up.

[WakaFlocka]

I honestly like the fact that the Hawks (and the Braves and Falcons) basically fly under the radar. There's absolutely no need to draw extra attention to what us true fans already know; I'd hate for us to be like the Knicks, Celtics, Lakers, Heat, etc. and have constant coverage over every little detail. Can you imagine the kind of coverage a "big market" team would get if one of their All-Stars went down for the season?

+1 to the remarks about the Blazers game on ESPN. I gotta say that I was pleasantly surprised to watch/listen to the game on there versus TNT. Barkley is funny at times, but he can get so damn annoying it's not even funny. Contrary to what he thinks about himself, he's far from the end-all-be-all of sports knowledge.

Edited January 20, 2012 by WakaFlocka

[ATLSmith]

Sooo, I was thinking that winning tonight's game against Philly is important if the Hawks want to be in the limelight for a little while. I've heard the 76ers mentioned quite a few times in the media lately, and they do have a great record so far (though, to be honest, their schedule looks kinda easy at a glance). If the Hawks can take this win then I'll almost guarantee some sort of article in the national media... Otherwise, it will be all about those scrappy Sixers.

I guess the only thing that might stop this is if the Lakers loose to the Magic and they run yet another "What's up with the Lakers?" article.

[DocWilkins]

Good to see some Hawks fans on here that get it!

My point is with the reduced schedule we are already a quarter thru the season...Thru that first quarter we are playing at a very high level. We fell in Marc Stein's power rankings last week becuase Al went down...Granted we are still winning but he felt he should drop us 8 notches because of the loss of Al...I like most of you only care about what they do on the court and would hope we would be judged that way...nothing more...nothing less.

[macdaddy]

Definitely need to beat some big name teams, preferably on national tv, before we get recognition. Its also important to not have any major blowouts or horrible play like we saw last year. Espn/tnt love to highlight when we play like crap.

[WraithSentinel]

It is good for this team to fly under the radar and for nothing to be expected of them. In the Hawks case disrespect is a good thing. Whenever people start to respect them and raise their expectations for the Hawks. We know what happens everytime.

Atlanta Sports' Teams - Home of Underdogs aka Please do not put any pressure and expectations on the teams. They can't handle it.

Edited January 20, 2012 by ThunderHawks

[benhillboy]

I've grown to like being under the radar, especially since I'm almost positive there is an ongoing practice to specifically lowball anything from Atlanta on ESPN. They spent days on every show they have chronicling the Red Sox' collapse, while the Braves, who did the exact same thing, got a couple mentions on Baseball Tonight. In those cases, I'm glad they weren't talking about what drugs our manager was taking or who's drinking beer.

ESPN's coverage is clearly better than TNT's though. I really like Doris Burke, although many don't. Mullin is cool, but that thick NY accent weighs on you. The best basketball analysts besides Legs and Hubie (Where's Bill Walton?) by far on ESPN are the college guys, and I don't even watch college ball. They arent in the business of sugar-coating anything for the home team like Dominique, but are intelligent about the game and dont just blurt out foolishness just because someone made a bad play like Chuck. Jay Bilas will roast you for not fighting over a screen, Digger Phelps is always discussing formations, and Coach Knight gives great candid coachspeak answers to anything he's asked. Would love to see the Hawks on when they switch up the two crews. Jay would blast Josh from multiple angles about hanging around the perimeter, then throw a heap of praise about him beating everyone down the floor or the many ways him being a lefty gives guys hissy fits.

On a side note, anybody see the story on Jamal Mashburn and how he hopes to buy the Hornets? Dude has about 50 businesses. Just a good post-career story to combat all of the riches-to-rags tales we hear from middle-aged Black Athletes. Always liked that dude. Smooth on the court, even smoother off it.

Edited January 21, 2012 by benhillboy