Lebron James is finished, the Hawks can take the East.

[Guest]

4 minutes ago, AHF said:

Somehow you made a worse post than calling LeBron James finished.  Pick your team and be a true fan!

This is what happen when one gets an...

Or 

 

Instead of just eating the crow and letting it die, the response makes even less sense.

Every time I read the headline...

[Thomas]

Watching Shirley Temple as a kid was pretty fun but this is definitely a perfect place for a clip of her. A very polite in your face.

[Mdizzle5]

46 minutes ago, JayBirdHawk said:

These ATLANTA FANS??????  Were they flocking for our #2 and #3 picks?

Easy there Jay. I'm on your side. Lol. 

As Diesel said, they didn't even show when Nique was there. 

Which is possibly the most valid point ever

 

[Diesel]

1 hour ago, Mdizzle5 said:

You make valid points. All of those could possibly happen if we went back to lottery status but what else can we really do if we aren't really all that close to being a true championship level team? Playoffs are cool. They bring more money to Phillips which is more profit for the owners. Which is what business is about. I get it. But how many more playoff sweeps do we really need to have? I don't know if I'd rather watch. Bad lottery Hawks or playoff demolished Hawks. Either way, we're like every other team in the league and watching someone else win that trophy. 

More Valid points. Can't argue there. 

What we can do.. is capitalize on our talent.   Keep winning and making good trades so that we can get good value for our players.   In the meanwhile.. use Analytics to bring in good players who fit our system and make them into great system players and trade them off.

Here's the thing...  We talk bad about our draft picks.  However the first rounders that we held on to are:

1.  Mike Scott.   2.  Dennis.

If not for his legal problems, i would be willing to make Scott a more valued piece.  However, based on what I have read, I don't know if he will be in the league after this summer.   We have done an awesome job of developing and displaying Dennis.

The other player to watch for is Walter.   When you just think of Walter, he could be our Gobert.   He has skills and size and he's rugged around the edges.  Keep him in the system and let's see if he can be better. 

I like what I have seen in the short time development of THJr.   People doubt him based on his past, but he has the potential to be a star player.  He has great size, he can shoot, great strength and he plays defense. 

Point is that our future isn't bleak.  It's just that we have to make the right moves at the right time.  Many people lack the patience to build a franchise.  I just say that Before GS went to the championship.. the Season before they went.. what were people saying about them??

 

[Hawkmoor]

9 minutes ago, Mdizzle5 said:

 

Atlanta IS the ultimate bandwagon town. Back in 1998, i said after about 5 games that the Falcons could win the Superbowl. Of course, got clowned by EVERYBODY.  In true Atlanta fashion, when that kick went thru the uprights in the NFC title game sending them to the Superbowl, suddenly, everybody was a life long dirtybird fan.  As soon as halftime came and the Falcons were down big, they was back to clowning the Falcons.  Its the same with the Hawks.  The problem is,  Atlanta ownership deserves what they get because they aint really trying to win big.

On a side note, i was watching a Braves vs Cubs game last week. They was in Atlanta, but i know this is a FACT.  There were more Cubs fans at Turner Field than Braves fans. It was a Cubs home game away from home. Granted, the Braves are losing, but it highlighted the fact that Atlanta is a transient city and if the locals dont show up in force, it becomes a home game for the away team.

Edited June 20, 2016 by Hawkmoor

[macdaddy]

1 minute ago, Hawkmoor said:

Atlanta IS the ultimate bandwagon town. Back in 1998, i said after about 5 games that the Falcons could win the Superbowl. Of course, got clowned by EVERYBODY.  In true Atlanta fashion, when that kick went thru the uprights in the NFC title game sending them to the Superbowl, suddenly, everybody was a life long dirtybird fan.  As soon as halftime came and the Falcons were down big, they was back to clowning the Falcons.  Its the same with the Hawks.  The problem is,  Atlanta ownership deserves what they get because they aint really trying to win big.

On a side note, i was watching a Braves vs Cubs game last week. They was in Atlanta, but i know this is a FACT.  There were more Cubs fans at Turner Field than Braves fans. It was a Cubs home game away from home. Granted, the Braves are losing, but it highlighted the fact that Atlanta is a transient city and if the locals dont show up in force, it becomes a home game for the away team.

Even in the Braves heyday the stands were packed with Cubs fans.    When the Falcons played the Packers in the playoffs a few years ago the stands were packed with Green Bay fans (yeah i'm so sure you grew up in Green Bay )      I've learned to get over it.   It's not important.     Call it a bandwagon town but the truth is we have more and better things to do than watch a shitty sports product and buy $11 beers.    There are lots of other cities in the same boat. 

[Diesel]

26 minutes ago, Hawkmoor said:

Atlanta IS the ultimate bandwagon town. Back in 1998, i said after about 5 games that the Falcons could win the Superbowl. Of course, got clowned by EVERYBODY.  In true Atlanta fashion, when that kick went thru the uprights in the NFC title game sending them to the Superbowl, suddenly, everybody was a life long dirtybird fan.  As soon as halftime came and the Falcons were down big, they was back to clowning the Falcons.  Its the same with the Hawks.  The problem is,  Atlanta ownership deserves what they get because they aint really trying to win big.

On a side note, i was watching a Braves vs Cubs game last week. They was in Atlanta, but i know this is a FACT.  There were more Cubs fans at Turner Field than Braves fans. It was a Cubs home game away from home. Granted, the Braves are losing, but it highlighted the fact that Atlanta is a transient city and if the locals dont show up in force, it becomes a home game for the away team.

More than just a bandwagon town... Atlanta is a gimmick town.  Let's understand the Braves won the pennent for 14 years in a row.  I believe the only ones that brought the fans out were the first three.  Us beating Pittsburgh was magical.   After that though....  We got rolled on by Minnesota.   Me... i would have never played Charlie Liebrandt... but that's another subject.  However, we have always had good teams but to get the fans out it takes a gimmick.

The gimmick was there versus Boston the first time.  Nobody expected us to get Boston a fight and the Hawks gave the Celtics the best fight of those playoffs.   But the three years later, the fans had once again turned on the Hawks. 

The falcons are the Kings of the gimmick.  I think Jerry Glanville Was the best coach for the Falcons.  He knew how to capture the imagination.   From leaving the tickets for Elvis.. to changing the teams color to Black.. to  2 Legit to Kick... Bad Moon Rising... Neon Deion... and the Dirty Bird.  All those gimmicks captured the fans imagination.  

IF it had been us going to the finals last year, and us beating the Warriors in game 7.. I can't imagine the Hawks fans... Taking to the streets.  I can't imagine Hawks fans filling up Peachtree Street or hanging out on Dominique Wilkins BLVD.   In fact, I can see the city pitching a bitch about having a parade.   Our fans just don't work that way. 

 

[NBASupes]

5 hours ago, JayBirdHawk said:

I understand the premise I just don't think a 32 year Melo is the answer at this point.

North really wants Melo to the point he wants to trade players who are better than  him for him. Millsap is better as is Horford.

[Hawkmoor]

1 hour ago, Diesel said:

More than just a bandwagon town... Atlanta is a gimmick town.  Let's understand the Braves won the pennent for 14 years in a row.  I believe the only ones that brought the fans out were the first three.  Us beating Pittsburgh was magical.   After that though....  We got rolled on by Minnesota.   Me... i would have never played Charlie Liebrandt... but that's another subject.  However, we have always had good teams but to get the fans out it takes a gimmick.

The gimmick was there versus Boston the first time.  Nobody expected us to get Boston a fight and the Hawks gave the Celtics the best fight of those playoffs.   But the three years later, the fans had once again turned on the Hawks. 

The falcons are the Kings of the gimmick.  I think Jerry Glanville Was the best coach for the Falcons.  He knew how to capture the imagination.   From leaving the tickets for Elvis.. to changing the teams color to Black.. to  2 Legit to Kick... Bad Moon Rising... Neon Deion... and the Dirty Bird.  All those gimmicks captured the fans imagination.  

IF it had been us going to the finals last year, and us beating the Warriors in game 7.. I can't imagine the Hawks fans... Taking to the streets.  I can't imagine Hawks fans filling up Peachtree Street or hanging out on Dominique Wilkins BLVD.   In fact, I can see the city pitching a bitch about having a parade.   Our fans just don't work that way. 

 

Atlanta has the perfect mix for a failure sports town. You got ownership in every sport that just cares about season ticket sales and making a profit. You got transient fans and you got local fans who have given up hope.  It TRUELY is the only city in American where most of the fans hate the home teams because they are not from Atlanta.

Thats why the owners of these teams can get away with being scrubs.  They have just enough of a season ticket base from the surrounding states to keep running their teams the way they do.  For the longest time, Atlanta had almost the entire southeast to itself before Charlotte got into the game with football and basketball.   

[Guest]

2 hours ago, Diesel said:

What we can do.. is capitalize on our talent.   Keep winning and making good trades so that we can get good value for our players.   In the meanwhile.. use Analytics to bring in good players who fit our system and make them into great system players and trade them off.

Here's the thing...  We talk bad about our draft picks.  However the first rounders that we held on to are:

1.  Mike Scott.   2.  Dennis.

If not for his legal problems, i would be willing to make Scott a more valued piece.  However, based on what I have read, I don't know if he will be in the league after this summer.   We have done an awesome job of developing and displaying Dennis.

The other player to watch for is Walter.   When you just think of Walter, he could be our Gobert.   He has skills and size and he's rugged around the edges.  Keep him in the system and let's see if he can be better. 

I like what I have seen in the short time development of THJr.   People doubt him based on his past, but he has the potential to be a star player.  He has great size, he can shoot, great strength and he plays defense. 

Point is that our future isn't bleak.  It's just that we have to make the right moves at the right time.  Many people lack the patience to build a franchise.  I just say that Before GS went to the championship.. the Season before they went.. what were people saying about them??

 

Mike Scott was a 2nd rounder #43 overall.

[PSSSHHHRRR87]

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Diesel]

3 hours ago, JayBirdHawk said:

Mike Scott was a 2nd rounder #43 overall.

I stand corrected. 

[Dejay]

16 hours ago, Hawkmoor said:

Atlanta has the perfect mix for a failure sports town. You got ownership in every sport that just cares about season ticket sales and making a profit. You got transient fans and you got local fans who have given up hope.  It TRUELY is the only city in American where most of the fans hate the home teams because they are not from Atlanta.

Thats why the owners of these teams can get away with being scrubs.  They have just enough of a season ticket base from the surrounding states to keep running their teams the way they do.  For the longest time, Atlanta had almost the entire southeast to itself before Charlotte got into the game with football and basketball.   

You give some great points here. You have a swath of transients who could care less about the local products and never will. When you've been a lifelong Celtics fan, the very last thing you want to see is the Hawks do well. It doesn't matter if you just moved here from Amherst and like the weather; even if the Hawks won the title, they will forever suck and never compare to the 'Big 3', much less Russell or Bird's teams. And to add injury to insult, they raise their kids to be the same way. The same goes for the Falcons and Braves as well. When the bulk of folks who have discretionary income only shows up when their hometown team is playing and/or when some superstar is in town and carry a white-hot hatred for what the local teams stand for, well, you get what you get. It would be like me having to live in New Orleans (just threw up in my mouth a little). You wouldn't be able to get me to the Superdome with the wave motion gun pointed at my house unless the Falcons were in town. And I'd never spend a red penny to watch the Pelicans much less watch them on TV no matter how great a player Anthony Davis is unless the Hawks were playing against them.

When it comes to having those 'hardcore' pro sports fans, neither of the local teams have done enough to garner such an avid following from longtime locals. Those other teams who have massive followings have two things that ours don't; multiple generations of fandom and/or world titles. Those two elements make a HUGE difference between being a Steelers or Packers fan who have Super Bowl rings falling out of their pockets and being a Falcons fan who never seen a championship parade before. 

And as far as who to blame for this, you can point the finger directly at the ones in charge of these teams. Throughout their run of winning the division, the Braves' greatest undoing was their obvious lack of urgency in terms of raised expectations. When the Yankees canned Buck Showalter after the '95 playoff loss to Seattle and Boston got rid of Grady Little for leaving Pedro in one batter too many in the ALCS, that told their fans that losing in October was simply not tolerated. But when the Braves were getting jail sexed in the playoffs year after year, yet Bobby Cox could freely call his shot as far as when he wanted to walk away, that told the fans here everything they needed to know. When hanging up division banners became the standard to shoot for instead of having parades down Peachtree Street, fans noticed and walked away. 

The same could be said for the Hawks for a long time as well. So long as they could hang their heads on just making the playoffs, not taking any risks to blow it by getting mid-tier guys who didn't make any waves, and getting some TV $$$ from the playoffs to offset some of their losses at the gate from fan apathy, they were good. The proof is in the pudding when Michael Gearon made an even bigger idiot of himself (if that was possible) by blasting the fans on local radio for having higher expectations of his teams despite making the playoffs every year. It only became a problem for the Hawks when they stopped making the playoffs, player salaries shot through the roof, and the ownership group who shall not be mentioned had to also carry a hockey club on their books as well. And as for the Falcons, TV $$$ was/is so big in the NFL that you don't have to win titles in order to come out in the black. Ask the Smith family who had no problem cashing those checks from the NFL while the team was getting their backs blown out at AFCS or the Georgia Dome. 

The only way to get transients away from their Magic Johnson or Michael Jordan posters or have the longtime locals who gave up years ago to believe again is to change the narrative. Instead of doing the typical 'Hawks' thing and sign a bunch of castoffs and journeymen in order to keep the status quo, why not go for it by going after a star player who isn't five years past his prime? The entire basketball world know that in order to beat Hall of Fame basketball players like Lebron, you need Hall of Fame talent on your squad to do it....

Edited June 21, 2016 by Dejay

[Hawkmoor]

47 minutes ago, Dejay said:

You give some great points here. You have a swath of transients who could care less about the local products and never will. When you've been a lifelong Celtics fan, the very last thing you want to see is the Hawks do well. It doesn't matter if you just moved here from Amherst and like the weather; even if the Hawks won the title, they will forever suck and never compare to the 'Big 3', much less Russell or Bird's teams. And to add injury to insult, they raise their kids to be the same way. The same goes for the Falcons and Braves as well. When the bulk of folks who have discretionary income only shows up when their hometown team is playing and/or when some superstar is in town and carry a white-hot hatred for what the local teams stand for, well, you get what you get. It would be like me having to live in New Orleans (just threw up in my mouth a little). You wouldn't be able to get me to the Superdome with the wave motion gun pointed at my house unless the Falcons were in town. And I'd never spend a red penny to watch the Pelicans much less watch them on TV no matter how great a player Anthony Davis is unless the Hawks were playing against them.

When it comes to having those 'hardcore' pro sports fans, neither of the local teams have done enough to garner such an avid following from longtime locals. Those other teams who have massive followings have two things that ours don't; multiple generations of fandom and/or world titles. Those two elements make a HUGE difference between being a Steelers or Packers fan who have Super Bowl rings falling out of their pockets and being a Falcons fan who never seen a championship parade before. 

And as far as who to blame for this, you can point the finger directly at the ones in charge of these teams. Throughout their run of winning the division, the Braves' greatest undoing was their obvious lack of urgency in terms of raised expectations. When the Yankees canned Buck Showalter after the '95 playoff loss to Seattle and Boston got rid of Grady Little for leaving Pedro in one batter too many in the ALCS, that told their fans that losing in October was simply not tolerated. But when the Braves were getting jail sexed in the playoffs year after year, yet Bobby Cox could freely call his shot as far as when he wanted to walk away, that told the fans here everything they needed to know. When hanging up division banners became the standard to shoot for instead of having parades down Peachtree Street, fans noticed and walked away. 

The same could be said for the Hawks for a long time as well. So long as they could hang their heads on just making the playoffs, not taking any risks to blow it by getting mid-tier guys who didn't make any waves, and getting some TV $$$ from the playoffs to offset some of their losses at the gate from fan apathy, they were good. The proof is in the pudding when Michael Gearon made an even bigger idiot of himself (if that was possible) by blasting the fans on local radio for having higher expectations of his teams despite making the playoffs every year. It only became a problem for the Hawks when they stopped making the playoffs, player salaries shot through the roof, and the ownership group who shall not be mentioned had to also carry a hockey club on their books as well. And as for the Falcons, TV $$$ was/is so big in the NFL that you don't have to win titles in order to come out in the black. Ask the Smith family who had no problem cashing those checks from the NFL while the team was getting their backs blown out at AFCS or the Georgia Dome. 

The only way to get transients away from their Magic Johnson or Michael Jordan posters or have the longtime locals who gave up years ago to believe again is to change the narrative. Instead of doing the typical 'Hawks' thing and sign a bunch of castoffs and journeymen in order to keep the status quo, why not go for it by going after a star player who isn't five years past his prime? The entire basketball world know that in order to beat Hall of Fame basketball players like Lebron, you need Hall of Fame talent on your squad to do it....

 I shed a tear...   EVERYTHING you said was spot on!!!

 

 

A HUGE part of all this is " The filter" . Every team in Atlanta has a filter. If a free agent, heck, if a current player isnt clean shaven, with zero personality, they either will not get offered a free agent contract or they will get ran out of town.  Lets start with the Braves as you pointed out.  Think back.  DURING the Pirates second playoff series against the Braves, Barry Bonds let it be KNOWN in the media and to the Braves that he wanted to become a Brave at the end of the playoffs. He was a free agent.  The Braves claimed they had no money and actually interviewed Sid Bream about Bonds as a team mate.

EXCUSES!!  The Braves found money for Greg Maddox.  They couldve had BOTH Maddox and Bonds because this was back with Ted Turner was spending BIG TIME.   The Braves didnt want Bonds personality on that team.  They already was trying to run Deion Sanders out of Atlanta and didnt wanna add Bonds to that mix.   The Braves couldnt had the best ALLTIME team in baseball history.    The outfield wouldve been Bonds, Gant and Otis Nixon.  Sid Bream wouldve got demoted to the bench and David Justice wouldve been on first base.   Terry Pendleton at 3rd base.  Belliard short stop, Lemke second base and Berryhill, Olsen etc. at catcher.   They wouldve had the best offense EVER.  Deion and Bream coming off the bench.   THERE WENT THE MULTIPLE WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONSHIPS right there when the Braves decided they didnt need Bonds.   Think about this lineup. Who you gonna walk in the middle of that lineup? 

c otis nixon

2b marke lemke

3b terry pendleton

rf  barry bonds

1b david justice

lf ron gant

c olsen/berryhill

ss belliard

That was too much for Atlanta. Also, as you pointed out, Cox got a pass the whole time he was the manager. Dude wasnt a strategy manager. He was a players manager.

The Falcons.  Think back. They couldnt sell out the Georgia Dome for years after Deion Sanders was run out of town.  You couldnt even watch a local Falcon game because they was always blacked out.  The Smiths had a problem.  They wanted to unload the Falcons, but the team was unattractive. NO SUPERSTARS, no value.  The Falcons went behind the scenes and instructed Reeves to draft Michael Vick. INSTANT box office, instant team value increase and Arthur Blank jumped on the party.  There was and still is a lot of gloating by some fans that Vick isnt a Falcon anymore.   Remember Peerless Price?   He got treated so bad by the local media that he said the infamous " i hate yall" at Flowery Branch to the media.

Free agents see this crap in Atlanta.  Transient fans see this crap and want NO PART of it.  They see that the teams from their home markets  dont give a crap about a filter and try and get the best player available. Meanwhile, you got folks in Atlanta that continue to make excuses for why the franchises suck.  They bring up cap space, " its a process" , any excuse for this crap.  The Falcons and Hawks been in " a process" for over 50 years.  I said earlier in thread that im tired of my folks laughing at me for being a Hawks fan.  They are all Celtic fans and i made a promise. Let the Hawks mess up this off season with the draft and free agency and im bouncing on them. Ill cheer for them and hope them well, but ill have TWO teams to root for.  Boston aint afraid to win.

Edited June 21, 2016 by Hawkmoor

[AHF]

On 6/20/2016 at 3:21 PM, Hawkmoor said:

Somehow, this thread turned into a Lebronfest, when i was trying to give the Hawks credit when they havent even earned it yet, and got clowned for doing it. Now, im not a Hawks fan?? And im the one who said that Lebron is finished and the Hawks can win the East next year.   lol, i tell ya.

#1 - I've got no problem with unbridled optimism.  I'll call it like I see it but I'm not going to crap on anyone for believing in the Hawks too much even if I'll tell them I think they are overreaching.  That type of discussion about this team's ability to break through and contend for a chip is a big part of fun fan discussion.  Good stuff.

#2 - The reason this thread turned into a Lebronfest is because you entitled the thread "lebron james is finished."  When that guy turns around and wins NBA finals MVP and yet another ring...well, you can expect people will shake their heads a bit.  He is an all-time great on the downside of his prime which means he is still a beast and probably the best player in the game.  And he has owned the Hawks in the post-season for years so expect some skepticism on him being finished.

Quote

It is what it is brah.  Been rolling with the Squawks since around 1978. Enough is enough. I"ll always root for them, but if choose to like another team also,  its all good with me.   Ill always root for the Falcons, Braves and Hawks.

One more thing.  You have the audacity to say what you did when it was i who said the Hawks could win the East, and got clowned for saying it and half the board rooting for the fact that i was wrong about lebron and he won a championship.  

Now saying that "if I choose to make one of the Hawks' biggest rivals my primary team, its all good" is something I will crap on.   To make it clear:

I won't ever crap on you for being an enthused Hawks fan -- to the contrary I think that is fantastic.  But I will crap every time on the idea of someone abandoning 37 years of Hawks fandom to jump on the Boston Celtics bandwagon.  Becoming primarily a Celtics fan but saying you'll still like the Hawks is like remarrying but promising to still be friends.    Can't endorse that.

[Thomas]

Hawks and Celtics clash is very much like the Falcons and Saints. As they say "good old fashion hate " whether the recent circumstances are different from years gone by or not. In the seventies we didn't scare them in the playoffs so much but the regular season games were crazy good. Boston and New York were our road blocks in the playoffs but they also won championships in most of those years. The city we compete against in the playoffs may have changed but the circumstances remain similar don't y'all think.    

[Guest]

I agree with the post above.

[somegsuguy]

5 hours ago, Hawkmoor said:

 I shed a tear...   EVERYTHING you said was spot on!!!

 

 

A HUGE part of all this is " The filter" . Every team in Atlanta has a filter. If a free agent, heck, if a current player isnt clean shaven, with zero personality, they either will not get offered a free agent contract or they will get ran out of town.  Lets start with the Braves as you pointed out.  Think back.  DURING the Pirates second playoff series against the Braves, Barry Bonds let it be KNOWN in the media and to the Braves that he wanted to become a Brave at the end of the playoffs. He was a free agent.  The Braves claimed they had no money and actually interviewed Sid Bream about Bonds as a team mate.

EXCUSES!!  The Braves found money for Greg Maddox.  They couldve had BOTH Maddox and Bonds because this was back with Ted Turner was spending BIG TIME.   The Braves didnt want Bonds personality on that team.  They already was trying to run Deion Sanders out of Atlanta and didnt wanna add Bonds to that mix.   The Braves couldnt had the best ALLTIME team in baseball history.    The outfield wouldve been Bonds, Gant and Otis Nixon.  Sid Bream wouldve got demoted to the bench and David Justice wouldve been on first base.   Terry Pendleton at 3rd base.  Belliard short stop, Lemke second base and Berryhill, Olsen etc. at catcher.   They wouldve had the best offense EVER.  Deion and Bream coming off the bench.   THERE WENT THE MULTIPLE WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONSHIPS right there when the Braves decided they didnt need Bonds.   Think about this lineup. Who you gonna walk in the middle of that lineup? 

c otis nixon

2b marke lemke

3b terry pendleton

rf  barry bonds

1b david justice

lf ron gant

c olsen/berryhill

ss belliard

That was too much for Atlanta. Also, as you pointed out, Cox got a pass the whole time he was the manager. Dude wasnt a strategy manager. He was a players manager.

The Falcons.  Think back. They couldnt sell out the Georgia Dome for years after Deion Sanders was run out of town.  You couldnt even watch a local Falcon game because they was always blacked out.  The Smiths had a problem.  They wanted to unload the Falcons, but the team was unattractive. NO SUPERSTARS, no value.  The Falcons went behind the scenes and instructed Reeves to draft Michael Vick. INSTANT box office, instant team value increase and Arthur Blank jumped on the party.  There was and still is a lot of gloating by some fans that Vick isnt a Falcon anymore.   Remember Peerless Price?   He got treated so bad by the local media that he said the infamous " i hate yall" at Flowery Branch to the media.

Free agents see this crap in Atlanta.  Transient fans see this crap and want NO PART of it.  They see that the teams from their home markets  dont give a crap about a filter and try and get the best player available. Meanwhile, you got folks in Atlanta that continue to make excuses for why the franchises suck.  They bring up cap space, " its a process" , any excuse for this crap.  The Falcons and Hawks been in " a process" for over 50 years.  I said earlier in thread that im tired of my folks laughing at me for being a Hawks fan.  They are all Celtic fans and i made a promise. Let the Hawks mess up this off season with the draft and free agency and im bouncing on them. Ill cheer for them and hope them well, but ill have TWO teams to root for.  Boston aint afraid to win.

Believe it out not, the Braves and Pirates HAD agreed to a trade for Barry Bonds.  Both sides were getting ready to make the trade official until Jim Leyland found out about the trade and pitched a fit to the GM. 

[somegsuguy]

Truth be told, Atlanta missed out on a golden opportunity to be considered titletown. Think about what our teams went through from '95-'00. The Braves had clinched a title and was up 2-0 on the Yankees in '96. Our Falcons went to the Super Bowl in '98.  We should have had two more titles AT LEAST if Wohlers didn't hang that slider and Eugene hadn't got caught smh.

Here's another thing: the Yankees always made it known they would only hang championship banners instead of division titles.  Management was always afraid to make changes because of Bobby's regular season success.  It's akin to GA fans who didn't want to see Coach Richt fired because of what happened at TN.  Both UGA and Falcon fans kept saying,  "we were one play away from the BCS/Super Bowl" after 2012.  We're taught to accept being mediocre instead of demanding championships.  

The point is, we will never make the bold moves necessary.  The last franchise to actually do something bold was the Julio trade.  Unfortunately, people still complain about that trade.  

[Guest]

You have to have something of value that other teams want to make a bold 'Julio' type move.

When we blew it up had a chance at the lottery, we effed it up. Not just 1 pick but pick after puck after pick. That put us behind the 8 ball from then until now.

I'm waiting to hear what the bold move the Hawks should have made that they passed on that would make us better from the 13 win season until now.