Just WOW! (Levenson will sell Hawks)

[AHF]

Yeah I am not getting the extra disdain for Gearon. 

 

It is because he brought the issue forward in the most damaging way possible for the franchise.  He wrote a poison pen letter that was very deliberately written to exonerate himself and put the blame on others.  Instead of talking it through with the owners and handling like a professional, he took it outside the organization by hiring multiple people to opine on the situation (see my comments on this on the owner conflict thread) and then leaked it to the press deliberately to inflame the situation and create a power vacuum where he could step back into a role of authority with the team.  In doing so, he is willing to heep humiliation on the team and its fans rather than working behind the scenes like nearly any other employer would.  In other jobs, incidents like this happen and they are addressed quietly - either by discipline and training or by termination.  Here, Gearon wanted this to play out publicly so it would so embarrass the team that they would have to do what he wanted or be under constant criticism and scrutiny.  

 

This is why Woj and others have been critical of him and why Silver is furious with him.  If he had handled it quietly behind the scenes no one would resent him (for having had an issue with Ferry's comments).  Since that would not have put him in a position to overturn the power structure within the ownership group, however, he chose not to do that.

Edited September 11, 2014 by AHF

[Admin]

Yeah I am not getting the extra disdain for Gearon. I am glad he brought this to light to be honest; regardless of his intentions. I just find it funny how Silver could feel so adamantly against owner Sterling and his private tape at his house, but when it comes to a general manager who actually controls what players actually play for the team (and since he is president of operations he is Levenson's right-hand man when it comes to organizational ventures) Silver tells an already chaotic organization to "figure it out amongst themselves". It makes no sense to me. I understand Sterling's past but Silver made it specific that he was not being punished for his past. If these aren't Ferry's words the scout needs to be exiled from NBA.

 

You're glad that he brought this to light? Are you kidding me?? After what we went through with Belkin and are now going through this is the worst thing that could have happened. If he had good intentions then maybe I could see being glad it was brought to light, but his intentions are purely selfish and I'm stunned that any Hawks fan would be glad about what he's done.

[mrhonline]

Hilarious quote in what is otherwise a strange, meandering article from David Aldridge:

 

 

Let's get the niceties out of the way.

 

Danny Ferry, often, can be a jerk.

 

But he is not a racist.

 

It's an important distinction.

 

http://www.nba.com/2014/news/features/david_aldridge/09/11/aldridge-danny-ferry-atlanta-hawks-situation-bruce-levenson-racism/index.html

[GameTime]

You're glad that he brought this to light? Are you kidding me?? After what we went through with Belkin and are now going through this is the worst thing that could have happened. If he had good intentions then maybe I could see being glad it was brought to light, but his intentions are purely selfish and I'm stunned that any Hawks fan would be glad about what he's done.

 

See this is where we differ. It is not like the ASG has a good track record on being an honest and able ownership group. His intentions are irrelevant because he was not only one (may not even be the main one) attempting to bring down Levenson.  Koonin himself admitted that. The ownership group as a whole decided to investigate this issue. Koonin told Levenson to step down.To put all of this on Gearon is ridiculous IMO. Everyone should be held accountable here.

[Admin]

See this is where we differ. It is not like the ASG has a good track record on being an honest and able ownership group. His intentions are irrelevant because he was not only one (may not even be the main one) attempting to bring down Levenson.  Koonin himself admitted that. The ownership group as a whole decided to investigate this issue. Koonin told Levenson to step down.To put all of this on Gearon is ridiculous IMO. Everyone should be held accountable here.

 

No he probably wasn't the only one. I imagine it was collusion by the entire Atlanta based SSG. But their intentions were crap as they didn't care how much stink they had to put on the franchise, as long as they got Levenson and Ferry removed, that's all that mattered. I mean if they were so appalled with what Levenson had to say, why did it take them 2 years to bring up this email? If they didn't have ulterior motives, what were they doing voice recording the conference call? Why did they hire PI's? Why didn't they try and handle this internally? 

[GameTime]

No he probably wasn't the only one. I imagine it was collusion by the entire Atlanta based SSG. But their intentions were crap as they didn't care how much stink they had to put on the franchise, as long as they got Levenson and Ferry removed, that's all that mattered. I mean if they were so appalled with what Levenson had to say, why did it take them 2 years to bring up this email? If they didn't have ulterior motives, what were they doing voice recording the conference call? Why did they hire PI's? Why didn't they try and handle this internally? 

 

Dolf, thus this is why I said I was glad it was being brought to light..... to finally end the cancerous Spirit regime.

Edited September 11, 2014 by GameTime

[Admin]

Dolf, thus this is why I said I was glad it was being brought to light..... to finally end the cancerous Spirit regime.

 

That I can agree with, but this wasn't the way to do it. And I am not convinced that this will lead to that either. If this only causes us to lose our best (of the turds) owner and our GM then this is a terrible time for Hawks fans. 

 

Now if we end up with a singular, awesome, owner and he keeps Ferry or we get an equal or better GM out of it then at the end of the day it's good for us as fans. But I see that as being the least likely of all scenarios. 

[Guest]

What do y'all make of Sterling's attorney's take.  Granted, he's probably biased but I imagine he's not completely lying here 

 

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nba/2014/09/09/donald-sterling-bruce-levenson-atlanta-hawks-private-investigators-nba/15355539/

 

"We engaged private investigators. It's no secret to anybody," Samini told USA TODAY Sports. "I would never discuss what their findings were or anything of that nature. It wouldn't be appropriate, but what I can tell you is that my sense is that this is just the beginning. There's not a single owner in the league who doesn't have an e-mail, a conversation, a conference call comment, that by this standard that's been established by (NBA Commissioner) Adam Silver, that wouldn't completely taint them."

 

In addition to the reason already stated, this could also be a reason why Gearon's in trouble.  Essentially opening the floodgates on every organization, or at least a portion of them, regarding potentially questionable emails and such.

[Guest]

Hilarious quote in what is otherwise a strange, meandering article from David Aldridge:

http://www.nba.com/2014/news/features/david_aldridge/09/11/aldridge-danny-ferry-atlanta-hawks-situation-bruce-levenson-racism/index.html

It does meander all over the place but these are the things that stood out:

1. He doesn't think DF is a racist but his words were odious (I guess he means nasty or stink) and he has to own his own words regardless if he was reading from a report

2. It is not worse than Sterling

3. Could Danny Ferry be prejudiced? Sure. I think most of us, including me, are prejudiced, in one way or another, about one thing or another.

4. Do any of us want to be judged on the dumbest, least informed thing we've said about someone else?

5. Levenson does not get a pass - Insisting on action based on race is RACISM.

6. He rips Gearon

7. The shame of the dysfunction in Atlanta's front office is that the Hawks were improving on the floor, taking Indiana to seven games in the first round even without All-Star Al Horford, on the shelf for the season with a torn pectoral muscle. But while Ferry had built a solid team with solid, low-priced free agents, Atlanta had failed miserably in its pursuit of superstars like LeBron James, Chris Paul or Dwight Howard. The Hawks were always on the outside looking in.

Edited September 11, 2014 by JayBirdHawk

[lethalweapon3]

What do y'all make of Sterling's attorney's take.  Granted, he's probably biased but I imagine he's not completely lying here 

 

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nba/2014/09/09/donald-sterling-bruce-levenson-atlanta-hawks-private-investigators-nba/15355539/

 

 

In addition to the reason already stated, this could also be a reason why Gearon's in trouble.  Essentially opening the floodgates on every organization, or at least a portion of them, regarding potentially questionable emails and such.

 

I'm gonna use that phrase I despise so much: I don't "condone" Sterling's misdeeds, BUT....

 

This was exactly what Sterling and/or his reps suggested back when Sterling-gate dropped. If we're going the "A-ha! Gotcha! Yer outta here!" route, then what are the other dozens of NBA owners, and league officials, going to do when stuff they thought was being uttered behind closed doors gets blown out in the open? It's not just shady chicks behind visors that have dirt they can dig up, it can come from bitter colleagues in your own house.

 

That's not an excuse to avoid this "A-ha!" route. But Sterling's fiasco may wind up spoiling the behind-the-scenes party for a good number of pro-sports execs, not just the folks on Marietta Street.

 

~lw3

[lethalweapon3]

"We must measure his heart. And oh, BTW, F*** Brooklyn."

 

~masai

[NekiEcko]

"We must measure his heart. And oh, BTW, F*** Brooklyn."

 

~masai

 

Masai has a point but we dont know how to measure his heart.  There could be other things we dont know of about him behind closed doors.  Right now, this is the most confusing time right now for Hawks fans. 

[PSSSHHHRRR87]

Or maybe.... he doesn't exist.

And if he does why doesn't Ferry call them out and save his job/reputation?

That is the main question that baffles me.

It was a conference call, so the only thing that Gearon can't prove is that Ferry was or wasn't reading. I can tell ya, that document has long been destroyed to—that is, if it even existed.

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[PSSSHHHRRR87]

Just a thought—This whole scenario would make an excellent comic book series. lol

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[Guest]

Has there been any talk of Sponnsors dropping the Hawks if DF is retained?

[AHF]

Has there been any talk of Sponnsors dropping the Hawks if DF is retained?

 

Not to my knowledge.  I think the Hawks' PR department briefed that topic and it went like this:

 

"Person #1:  Will all our Sponsors bail on us because of this?

Person #2:  We have Sponsors?"

[Guest]

Not to my knowledge. I think the Hawks' PR department briefed that topic and it went like this:

"Person #1: Will all our Sponsors bail on us because of this?

Person #2: We have Sponsors?"

Das cold!! Brrrr

[PSSSHHHRRR87]

Not to my knowledge. I think the Hawks' PR department briefed that topic and it went like this:

"Person #1: Will all our Sponsors bail on us because of this?

Person #2: We have Sponsors?"

Hey Philips BR-30's have supported us for years

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[HawkItus]

Hey Philips BR-30's have supported us for years

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That freaking commercial haunts me lol

[lethalweapon3]

That freaking commercial haunts me lol

 

You can go from this... to THIS! (somebody turns on a lamp)

 

~lw3