How the Atlanta Hawks Regime Fell Apart (ESPN) Great Read!

[JETSET]

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/13457071/nba-how-atlanta-hawks-regime-fell-apart

 

We finally get the full story on what happened with Ferry and Levenson and the snake Gearon.

[TheNorthCydeRises]

If this was "Empire",

Levenson would be Luscious,

Ferry would be Cookie,

and Gearon Jr would be Anika ( Boo Boo Kitty ).

[JETSET]

Gearon is a bigger snake than we ever thought.  He threw Ferry and the organization under the bus as a grudge against Ferry/Levenson and to fatten his pockets even more. 

 

After this greedy b.s., I'm surprised he is willing to show his face at games since Nique is probably his only supporter in the building.  It would be nice if the crowd would make him feel a little uncomfortable every now and then.

[Sothron]

Long read but every fan here should read it. Gearon is the meddling son of a bitch that I always suspected him to be. Ferry should still be our GM. And yes, Wally Blase and the other trainer should still be here as well.

[capstone21]

Long read but every fan here should read it. Gearon is the meddling son of a bitch that I always suspected him to be. Ferry should still be our GM. And yes, Wally Blase and the other trainer should still be here as well.

It was a very interesting read.  Did not paint a good picture of Gearon and I am glad that is out in the national media.

 

It looks like Blase should have been gone a while a go.  We needed to update our training staff/technology and he was holding that back.  Sounds like he was not very favored and as soon as even Bud had the opportunity he was gone.

[Guest]

Long read but every fan here should read it. Gearon is the meddling son of a bitch that I always suspected him to be. Ferry should still be our GM. And yes, Wally Blase and the other trainer should still be here as well.

Agree Ferry should still be here. Don't agree about Wally. We need an upgrade there.

[asdogg]

Surprising that Bud threw Ferry under the bus as well. If Ferry would have had Buds support he would still be here. Especially since Bud looked like a genius with the Hawks play.

[Dejay]

Wow. Just wow. Who needs Empire, Scandal, Gotham, and Have and Have Nots when we have the episodes of Atlanta Spirit? Where's Tyler Perry and Shonda Rimes when we need them the most?

 

Seriously though, if this was NYC, Boston, Chicago, Philly, or LA, this would be the biggest story in the sports world this side of the FIFA mess going on right now. It's no secret on this board, Peachtree Hoops, and RealGM that for years (decades if you ask any of us long timers), the Hawks' front office and ownership has been a flaming hot dumpster fire of the highest degree. We can go on for hours talking about the bad draft picks, missed free agents, and incompetent coaches (and we have). And for the first time, the entire world finds out what we already knew. It was thoroughly inept to the point that it almost killed pro basketball in this town and lost an NHL franchise. Many, including myself, will never forgive that ownership group for how it sold the Thrashers down the river. Not that the NHL helped like they did when they rescued the Coyotes from also moving to Canada but that's for another time.

 

How our team managed to win 19 in a row, go 60-22 and end up in the ECFs for the first time in team history with this as their everyday backdrop remains one of the greatest mysteries in modern team sports. I mean, it is straight out of Major League, except that it is even more unbelievable than the actual movie.

 

And now, after decades of spinning our wheels in the abyss, there looks to be a silver lining. The team have promotions that actually make headlines and increase ticket sales; not insult the customers. We have marketing folks who finally 'get it' instead of sitting in their offices trying to bust the high score in Bejeweled. Season ticket sales is at a number not seen since Theus and Moses (RIP) first arrived in town over a quarter-century ago. Think about this past Saturday when there were close to 7k at an effin basketball scrimmage in the midst of all three major college football teams about to play at home. You could combine the scrimmages from the last ten years and couldn't come up with that number. Could you imagine what that number had been if UGA had a bye week (although they played like it; I know, too soon)?

 

Regardless of what the so-called experts think, something special is on the horizon for us long-suffering Hawk fans. Our years of waiting on our big payoff may finally be coming to an end...

Edited October 6, 2015 by Dejay

[HawkItus]

Budenholzer very much owed his job to Ferry. His former Spurs colleague had pleaded with Levenson that the Gregg Popovich assistant was the man for the position. Yet Budenholzer felt Ferry should resign, lest the Hawks be subsumed in disruption when training camp opened, and he made his wishes known in a heartfelt conversation with Ferry and Levenson at that time.

 

But that's his bestie, he might leave over this lol

 

[Guest]

In the old country in Italy, Gearon would be considered a rat bastard and taken care of immediately. A rat, a snake, whatever you want to call him.

[capstone21]

Surprising that Bud threw Ferry under the bus as well. If Ferry would have had Buds support he would still be here. Especially since Bud looked like a genius with the Hawks play.

I don't know if he threw him under the bus ... he was probably trying to do what was right for the team ... that was a HUGE distraction

[MaceCase]

The happy ending to a nightmare of a story

 

Gearon was given a heads-up, but as a 1 percent stakeholder, it was merely a courtesy.[/quot]

[Guest]

Surprising that Bud threw Ferry under the bus as well. If Ferry would have had Buds support he would still be here. Especially since Bud looked like a genius with the Hawks play.

 

I'd be surprised if Ferry and Budz didn't discuss that ahead of time.  Ferry, seeing the writing on the wall, probably told Budz to do what he had to do.  Even if Ferry had been saved, the turmoil would've been way to disruptive.

[Sothron]

Agree Ferry should still be here. Don't agree about Wally. We need an upgrade there.

 

What upgrade? Wally Blase is one of the most highly respected trainers in the NBA. Sounds like Ferry wanted to stick it to Gearon and wanted to fire the trainers just to prove a point.

[HawkItus]

Glad they are all gone.  Ferry included.  

[Guest]

What upgrade? Wally Blase is one of the most highly respected trainers in the NBA. Sounds like Ferry wanted to stick it to Gearon and wanted to fire the trainers just to prove a point.

 

I don't think we have enough evidence to say whether Wally was deserving to stay.

 

Apparently Ferry and Budz thought his methods were lacking.

 

While it's true he was also apparently seen as a favored GoneGearon guy, which probably didn't earn him much favor with Ferry.  That doesn't necessarily mean he didn't deserve to be replaced.

[JETSET]

What upgrade? Wally Blase is one of the most highly respected trainers in the NBA. Sounds like Ferry wanted to stick it to Gearon and wanted to fire the trainers just to prove a point.

Then why did Bud fire Blase as soon as he took over?

[capstone21]

What upgrade? Wally Blase is one of the most highly respected trainers in the NBA. Sounds like Ferry wanted to stick it to Gearon and wanted to fire the trainers just to prove a point.

Based on?  His hair?  Tenure?  

 

It sounds like it was not just Ferry who wanted to update/upgrade our training staff.  Bud replaced him as soon as he was allowed to.

[Guest]

Wow, Wow , wow...GREAT read.

So much stuff to digest.

Some things we knew or suspected already: Gearon and Ferry not caring for each other, Gearon saw the Hawks as his play thing, Gearon made a money grab.

 

New things coming to light:

1. Using analytics

2.  Seems as if the Nique thing was less about the statue but about his improvement as the color guy (we've all said he need improvement)

3. Updating the training staff by wanting to get rid of Blaze and Radulovic to move into the 21st century

4. Ferry suggested hiring a true CEO

5. Bud thought Ferry should resign.

 

I'm just glad the ASG is caput!!!

[Guest]

What upgrade? Wally Blase is one of the most highly respected trainers in the NBA. Sounds like Ferry wanted to stick it to Gearon and wanted to fire the trainers just to prove a point.

I always thought Blaze was the 'cut' man.

 

I commented last season how he had trimmed down.  I guess Bud thought it wasn't enough.