Antoine Walker = interesting read

[hawkster411]

In ESPN's Page 2, Bill Simmons writes an interesting column on Antoine Walker.

Welcome back, Employee No. 88

[TheDude]

Good article although i take offense to the little jab at Atlanta.

[Nicholasp27]

no [censored]

"least talented, worst city"

i can understand that we have been mediocre the past decade, but "worst city?"

[andycard69]

I think he ment that this was the worst NBA city to have the least talented team in or atleast that was the way i read it. If that is what he was saying its very true b/c the Hawks dont have many hardcore fans who are able to support the team even through tought times. Most of the fans are fair weather and will only go to the games if we are winning.

[Duff_Man]

That article sums up everything I have been feeling this season. I loved watching Toine out there giving 110% every game. I really wanted us to keep him because of his heart and leadership. Now, there's nothing to replace that. Al Harrington isn't the answer. Hopefully Toine was here long enough to rub off on the players we do have, and it will have a positive spin. I will miss Antoine every game, though.

[Dejay]

Have you seen the prices for a Hawks game? I know it's amoungst the lowest in the league but c'mon, $35 upper-deck tickets (the good ones, not the ones wayyy up top)? I live in Atlanta and I can't justify spending that kind of $$$ on a 10-47 ballclub. I see absolutely NOTHING wrong with folks wanting to stay away, regardless of the promising young players; long-time residents here have heard the 'rebuilding' story before with not only the Hawks but the Falcons and Braves as well. I know this rebuilding process maybe different than those of the Babs and Kasten regime but many others are waiting on proof, i.e., WINS THAT MATTER. What's wrong with putting a premium on your entertainment dollar? What's wrong with wanting more for your investment and believe me, I've been waiting on a return on my investment when it comes to this team for over twenty years and running. I'm waiting on my 'payoff' and many others are too. Call it fairweather, call it spoiled; I call it common sense.

[Plainview1981]

I know it's amoungst the lowest in the league but c'mon, $35 upper-deck tickets (the good ones, not the ones wayyy up top)? I live in Atlanta and I can't justify spending that kind of $$$ on a 10-47 ballclub"

I agree. I guess some fans like to think they are special

because they will spend lots of cash on really bad teams.

I mean it;s fine if you want to the game, but when you

start going off about how you are true for or whatever

it's almost like you are pat yourself on the back.

[macdaddy]

That's the truth. I know some will say our ticket prices are comparable to the rest of the league (which is sad), but its way too expensive. I got a call from the Hawks the other day offering special deals for some of the remaining games. The special deal was I didn't have to pay the ticketmaster fees. I still had to pay full price for the tix! Give me a break.

I know I'm in the minority but I hate Philips. Access to the upper level (or non-corporate seats) is unnecesarily difficult and some of the upper level stairs are just dangerous, the seats are too small, the 200 section have no view of the scoreboard.

Anyway, I haven't complained about it this year so I thought I'd get it in while I could.

[Nicholasp27]

it's always half-price if u have a college id...

u don't even have to really be in college...

[Dejay]

I remember reading a column from this same guy stating that the Super Bowl had the two most deserving cities in it. Huh? What makes a city 'deserve' to have a winner? What makes a fan 'hardcore' in the first place? I hear that term so many times it drives me up the wall. Do you get your 'hardcore' pass for attending so many games after your team gets eliminated from playoff contention? I just don't see the logic in that. So to all of the 'hardcore' fans out there, forgive me (and the rest of Atlanta) for having higher expectations and actually demanding to see a better product before taking out my wallet. Forgive me for having the (gasp) common sense to find something else to spend my $$$ on in this town other than to watch a team get beat (again). I don't want my teams to be 'competitive'; I expect DOMINANCE. Yankee fans, Duke basketball fans, USC football fans expect it from their teams; why can't we have a title run here (and believe me, NL East division titles certainly DO NOT COUNT)? I'm tired of hearing about the 'process'; we've all been there and done that. After spending the last 37 years in this town and getting not just one but TWO arenas built for their cause (the Omni and Philips), it's high time to cash in on the investment. It's time to cash in for waiting on Stacey Augmon to develop a jump shot, for watching Jim Les and Ennis Whatley get the ball taken away from them like children, for waiting on Adam Keefe to get a shot off without getting it blocked, for watching David Thompson and Marvin Webster leave us high and dry for the ABA, for Danny Manning, for Deke wagging his finger to the crowd under the basket while Scottie Pippen take the loose ball and dunks in a playoff game, for J.R. Rider, for Jon Koncak and Blair Rasmussen locking up the cap situation for years, for Pete Babcock's incompetence, for Stan Kasten's negligence, and most importantly, for all of the wisecracks from ESPN and TNT constantly calling us the worst sports town in America and doing their best to get the team moved. Sorry for the rant but I had to get this off my chest before my boss comes back in the office.

GAME, SET, MATCH.

[DominiqueWilkins]

Quote:

---

I think he ment that this was the worst NBA city

---

If that is the case, he is just a idiot.

[bballfan]

He bashed Antoine all the time when he played in Boston.

He even wrote a skit for Jimmy Kimel for an NBA all star team where he called Antoine Walker stupid.

Now he changed his opinion.

I hate that man.