LET'S GO HEAT!

[Wretch]

This...It's a tough sell to get folks behind this team of journeymen and B-level players while the ones who play for world titles have guys that drive up the TV ratings. There is no cache with this team, no feeling of privilege for having played here, unless the guy was here in the 80's. The Hawks are just another filler team, who will get a pat on the head for winning 40-45 games before being sent home again.That's why so many of us still rail BK for passing on the likes of Paul, Deron, Jefferson, Deng, Roy, Gay, Iguodala for the scrubs he ended up bringing in. That was our window, our once in a lifetime chance to change the script, and that idiot blew it. That's why we're still counting on the likes of Teague, Tolliver, et al to play above their heads. That's why JJ could demand and get a max deal. And that's why Smith will likely get moved for 54 cents on the dollar come tomorrow.Don't that sound like a team the entire city should get behind?

And it isn't a crime to want to see better players. People act like that's a crime! If it's not a crime, then it's just a pipe dream. But the reality is that nobody wants to see a very good competitor beat down a very average competitor. It's basic Sports 101. You don't build a team to lay down. Nobody wants to see that.

Now we will watch it all day long. I'll watch this team and spend money on it until they move it or until I go to the grave. But that's US. We've always been here supporting this team. If you want mass appeal, then you've got to have a team capable of draw. I love Teague. I love Horf. Hell, I love Ivan. But you roll that team out against these big time teams...you're asking for people to turn on you. And it's not just that their all over movies, games, TV and whatnot...these dudes can PLAY... Call them superstars or whatever, but the truth is these are the players that can flat out PLAY BALL.

That's what people want to see man and it hasn't changed since games were invented.

[Wretch]

This is the truth. Atlanta fans are a fickle bunch. Falcons didn't show before Vick and then after Vick b4 Ryan and now the dome is actually a nice advantage for the Falcons. Atlanta didi the same thing to the Braves over the past 20 years too.. 2008 was the pinnacle of Hawks fever with this current bunch...

The bigger problem IMO is the NBA fan bases in general.. Stern made it a star driven league and that is how the fans respond. In the NFL loyalty is what drives fan bases. In the NBA the superstar drives the fan bases. I actually think that it is more of a fundamental flaw of the NBA than just Atlanta. Even when Miami travels to a city like San Antonio there are bandwagon Bron Bron fans there...

I agree with that too. Although, there is no way it's THAT ridiculous in a place like San Antonio or Boston. Especially not at playoff time. Bandwagon fans are not unique to Atlanta...but this is:

[plskeepbibby]

I agree with that too. Although, there is no way it's THAT ridiculous in a place like San Antonio or Boston. Especially not at playoff time. Bandwagon fans are not unique to Atlanta...but this is:

One of the biggest embarrassments in Atlanta sports franchise history, if not the BIGGEST...

[Admin]

It was like 2 years ago when the Broncos came to play the Dolphins in Miami and the Phins had a Florida Gators appreciation day to celebrate Tebows championship team. Talk about humiliating. As a Phins fan I also get to deal with transplant fans so I am really tired of the sad homefield advantage for my sports teams.

[PSSSHHHRRR87]

It's kind of funny that fans at the Philips were rooting for the Heat when the Heat are based out of one of the most fair-weathered sports cities in America. No one in Miami gave two shits about the Heat until the Trio happened. The team literally won the championship in 2006 and then two measly seasons later the attendance numbers were in the toilet. Miami has had a superstar since the '03 draft in Wade, but no one cared about Heat for about 4 years of Wade's career and then here we are BEGGING for a superstar talent to come Atlanta. We are even willing to give Dwight - a guy that may never be 100% again in his lifetime - a max deal. This is how desperate this city is for something to cheer for.Another thing is that those bandwagon fans would never show their faces if the Hawks would beat the shit out of them every time they were at the Philips. When you can go to the Philips and know that it's a great chance that the Knicks, Celtics, Bulls, Heat, or Lakers will win, then why not go out? If you think that maybe those teams will get destroyed by the Hawks, then they will likely stay at home or become a bandwagon Hawks fan.Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Dejay]

And it isn't a crime to want to see better players. People act like that's a crime! If it's not a crime, then it's just a pipe dream. But the reality is that nobody wants to see a very good competitor beat down a very average competitor. It's basic Sports 101. You don't build a team to lay down. Nobody wants to see that. Now we will watch it all day long. I'll watch this team and spend money on it until they move it or until I go to the grave. But that's US. We've always been here supporting this team. If you want mass appeal, then you've got to have a team capable of draw. I love Teague. I love Horf. Hell, I love Ivan. But you roll that team out against these big time teams...you're asking for people to turn on you. And it's not just that their all over movies, games, TV and whatnot...these dudes can PLAY... Call them superstars or whatever, but the truth is these are the players that can flat out PLAY BALL. That's what people want to see man and it hasn't changed since games were invented.

Exactly. No one is willing to pay top $$$ to see a second-rate squad get it's backside pushed in. Folks talk about this and that not happening in other cities but those other cities have championship banners hanging up in their arenas. Things would be different if their fans had to sit through years of Babs and BK blowing one draft pick after another while ownership sat on its hands with Sund spitting out the infamous 'WLOC' line. If this franchise had won something that's mattered over the last, say, 40 years, and was getting the same bad attendance, then the guys who berate the fans for not showing up would have a basis for their argument. Just about every team in this town has at the very least played for the big belt; hell, the Knights and Chiefs both won it all and their leagues don't even exist anymore. Even the Thrashers won a division title more recently than the Hawks before moving to Canada. And folks on this board still question why soooooooo many fans show up in opposing gear whenever (insert superstar here) arrives in town? It doesn't take Matlock or Perry Mason to figure this one out.Get a REAL team with REAL players to make a REAL run to the Finals and you won't see nearly as much Laker/Bull/Celtic/Heat/OKC/Clipper gear being worn in the building. You can't expect fans to pay for filet mignon while serving them Bologna sandwiches... Edited February 21, 2013 by Dejay

[Bahamut]

Sick and tired of the lack of city pride from Atlanta and the suburb residents.

Bingo! No city pride here, and these assholes have the nerve to tell people they're from "Atlanta." GTFO my city, transplants and bandwagoners!

[Wretch]

Exactly. No one is willing to pay top $$$ to see a second-rate squad get it's backside pushed in. Folks talk about this and that not happening in other cities but those other cities have championship banners hanging up in their arenas. Things would be different if their fans had to sit through years of Babs and BK blowing one draft pick after another while ownership sat on its hands with Sund spitting out the infamous 'WLOC' line.If this franchise had won something that's mattered over the last, say, 40 years, and was getting the same bad attendance, then the guys who berate the fans for not showing up would have a basis for their argument. Just about every team in this town has at the very least played for the big belt; hell, the Knights and Chiefs both won it all and their leagues don't even exist anymore. Even the Thrashers won a division title more recently than the Hawks before moving to Canada. And folks on this board still question why soooooooo many fans show up in opposing gear whenever (insert superstar here) arrives in town? It doesn't take Matlock or Perry Mason to figure this one out.Get a REAL team with REAL players to make a REAL run to the Finals and you won't see nearly as much Laker/Bull/Celtic/Heat/OKC/Clipper gear being worn in the building. You can't expect fans to pay for filet mignon while serving them Bologna sandwiches...

...and just to highlight how significant that is, dude we're not even talking about the NBA Championship series with the Hawks. This team has not even made the NBA Semi-finals. Not only have they not made it, but only ONCE in all the years since I've been watching ONLY ONCE have they come even remotely close to making the Eastern Conference Finals.

I don't know why this doesn't just ring a bell with some people, but there's something WRONG with the formula there. Something very wrong and something that two teams in all of pro sports haven't figured out in the past 40 years. If the Clippers make the WCF's, we will be the most infamously unique team in all of pro sports.

[Hart]

If this were Philly they'd be going home with a bloody nose at the very least! Not that I'd want Atlanta fans to be like Philly fans, but a little Philly in em wouldn't be so awful.

A fan of an Atlanta team (Falcons) tried that already...wound up getting stabbed lol Edited February 21, 2013 by Hart

[Dejay]

...and just to highlight how significant that is, dude we're not even talking about the NBA Championship series with the Hawks. This team has not even made the NBA Semi-finals. Not only have they not made it, but only ONCE in all the years since I've been watching ONLY ONCE have they come even remotely close to making the Eastern Conference Finals.

I don't know why this doesn't just ring a bell with some people, but there's something WRONG with the formula there. Something very wrong and something that two teams in all of pro sports haven't figured out in the past 40 years. If the Clippers make the WCF's, we will be the most infamously unique team in all of pro sports.

Dude, you're preaching to the choir here. I was at the Omni in '88 when the Hawks were last taken seriously as a viable contender. One Cliff Levingston left-handed hook shot in Game 6 ended all of that.

I really don't get it. So many people are satisfied with the cracked idea of just making the playoffs that they don't want to take any risks to become something more. That attitude started from management and over time has worked itself to the fans. From Kasten wasting away Nique's prime by sitting on his hands while watching half of the conference pass them by to Babs' 'win without losing' concept to BK's wacky all 6'7"-6'9" idea to Sund's 'WLOC' speeches after they returned to the playoffs but did little afterwards.

Well, all I have to say in response to those folks is simply this: 'how's it working out for ya?' You guys saw the same game I did last night. How did it feel watching well over half of those in attendance wearing Miami gear, chanting 'DEFENSE!!!' when the Hawks had the ball, along with 'LET'S GO HEAT!!!' after a Lebron dunk? How does it feel to have TNT's crew, which is based here BTW, continue to crack jokes about the franchise whenever they are mentioned, without a single response from the leaders on the team? How does it feel to not even get a mention, much less a Sunday game on ABC, which is the NBA equivalent of being on Monday Night Football? How does it feel to make the playoffs going on six years in a row while NEVER being in the conversation in terms of having a snowball's chance to win the East? And how does it feel to watch guys our 'basketball expert' passed on in the draft flourish, make All-Star teams, become All-Star MVPs, play in the Summer Olympics, play in games that MATTER, and become household names while counting on the likes of Jeff Teague, Anthony Tolliver, and Ivan Johnson to play well over their heads in order to have a fighting chance every night?

Well, I know how I feel about it and the words I'd used to describe that feeling would probably get me kicked off of this forum. This organization reminds me of the proverbial 'nice guy' who constantly take women out to dinner/lunch/coffee dates, movies, Six Flags, concerts, and the latest shows featuring Madea without getting any play whatsoever. The women in question will tell their girlfriends all about the $85 lamb chops they had but couldn't tell them two things about the guy who paid for them because they are so non-descript. That's our Atlanta Hawks in a nutshell; NON-DESCRIPT.

Folks, it's time. It's HIGH TIME for someone who knows what they're doing to throw a monkey wrench into this endless machine the Notorious A.S.G. has going on. Enough with counting on flea-market level free agents making a difference while contending teams make moves for REAL players. Enough with the 'WLOC' speeches after getting rick-rolled in the playoffs. Enough with drafting for 'upside' when the guy in question has done next to nothing to show that he has the inclination to be the next KIA spokesman, let alone be a franchise player. And enough with hiring B and C-level coaches for the sake of saving a buck.

The biggest enemy of greatness is the satisfaction of being good...

Edited February 21, 2013 by Dejay

[Makaveli96]

1000% Agree. I'm absolutely sick of our terrible fanbase. If Josh is traded today, then I will feel even worse. THAT would be Josh's last game as a Hawk. Absolutely PATHETIC.