Home sweet home?
How loud does Joe Johnson have to holler before someone shows up to see the Hawks rock the house at Philips Arena?
HAWKSVILLE - Ask Joe Johnson the difference between the Hawks at Philips Arena and elsewhere and he’ll give you a simple answer.
“This is home for us and we have to act like it,” he said. “So we’re feeding off our fans like anybody would in this situation. Our crowd is where we get our energy. That’s what’s fueling us right now. And that’s the way it’s supposed to be.”
A 25-7 home record can be improved to 26 tonight with a win over Sacramento. That would push the Hawks’ record on their current seven-game home stand to 6-0, one win away from matching the seven they piled up (with just one loss) during a December home stand they used to vault to a 21-10 start to this season.
Still, it’s hard for me to imagine Johnson bragging about the home crowd when there have been so many empty seats lately. So this is what home sweet home looks like?
It’s strange, for all the bellyaching that’s gone on (here and elsewhere) about wanting a legitimate NBA team to root for in this town, it seems few people are actually willing to venture out to Philips Arena to see it in person.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not knocking anyone that roots from afar. In these economic times, watching the Hawks in HD from the crib is every bit as righteous as showing up for games. If the choice is making your car payment or buying those Hawks tickets, there’s really no choice. And unlike Polow Da Don, Jeezy, Dream, Ciara and all the other A-listers that show up most every night, funds for things like Hawks games are limited these days.
It’s just that there have been sellouts for certain teams and then crickets for others. Again, nothing out of the ordinary when the Hawks were a laughingstock. I just thought it would change now, with them being a legitimate playoff team.
Polow and Jeezy are down with the Hawks ...
The Hawks have had just nine sellouts this season. They are averaging 16,494 fans, which is impressive when some of the league’s stalwarts (Detroit and Sacramento) are struggling to put fannies in the seats. I guess I just expected more with all the chatter about wanting a big time team to fit a city that felt it was so deserving.
I’m sure this conversation will be useless next week, when the Celtics and Lakers are in town. But that has as much and more to do with the opponents than it does the Hawks, who are still chasing that 50-win pipe dream like it’s a possibility – even if cats like me abandoned the mere mention of such foolishness weeks ago.
The worst part for local fans who have suffered through years of frustration is that you haven’t had a chance to see your team play lights out basketball the past week. However fantastic it looks on the screen, it looks even better in person. As the Portland game ended Sunday I turned and chatted up some of the regulars who sit behind me every game and they said as much.
... Cici is too!
Once the playoffs start there’s no doubt in my mind the city of Atlanta will represent. That’s never going to be a problem. But on nights like tonight, when the lowly Kings stroll into town, you can count the people in the stands for the national anthem on two hands (this is Atlanta and unless it’s Kobe or LeBron, the crowd will arrive fashionably late as always).
Then again, it’s taken the Hawks the better part of a decade to crawl out of obscurity and back into the realm of the relevant in the NBA. Maybe we should allow the same for the crowds at the building formerly known as the Highlight Factory.
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306 comments Add your comment
bigdave
March 17th, 2009
7:46 pm
funny…
glad to see the anti-Joe comments back… knew it wouldn’t be long before Joe had an off to a slow start and folks would be back on his a$s…
Sautee
March 17th, 2009
7:47 pm
Good Job Kirk.
Could Horford have a triple double tonight?
Certainly has a good start.
ray
March 17th, 2009
7:53 pm
I won’t even lie. If I live in, around, or near the ATL, I would probably have season tickets. Complain, gripe, moan, I would have up-close view of Woody’s shining dome.
BravesFan79 must’ve been one of the cops fired from the Rodney King beating. I sure wish he’d stand up tall and proud, wearing one of those signs like Bruce Willis had on in the beginning of Die Hard 3: Die Hard With a Vengeance.
I’d buy tickets to see that one. Difference is the Bruce Willis was forced to do so through a terrorist threat. BravesFan79 has a sign like that at home, no doubt. He’d proudly wear it right up until the first Yukon Denali on 26s pulled over behind him….
Blast
March 17th, 2009
7:58 pm
Kings helping us out with all these tech’s. Hawks need to make the free throws, though. Al is on fire! 7 dunks and counting!
Melvin
March 17th, 2009
8:00 pm
Big AL is killing them….
ray
March 17th, 2009
8:01 pm
Youch. Joe’s a bit cold…but Al and Bibby ain’t!!
Melvin
March 17th, 2009
8:03 pm
Blast I guess Al was having too much fun getting dunks b/c Woody took him out for Solo. Not sure if I would have took his hot hand out of the game although I like to see Solo on the court….
Melvin
March 17th, 2009
8:04 pm
Nice drive to the hoop by Joe…
Melvin
March 17th, 2009
8:05 pm
Solo serves up a Facial…..
Blast
March 17th, 2009
8:11 pm
Al had to get some rest, Melvin, but he’ll be back tall and strong. A triple from him would be nice! And Al said it all. Lock down on defence and Kings not playing any. It’s a Hawk’s dunkfest out there!
Blast
March 17th, 2009
8:18 pm
Joe not scoring much so far, but I like that he’s now going to the hole. Kings will foul you, hence all the three point plays or could have been, the foul troubles and reaching penalty early for Kings. Joe is now racking up the assists, though.
Kings looking to push the ball.
Joe has two field goals and Hawks leading by 9?
Go Hawks, Go!
Melvin
March 17th, 2009
8:19 pm
Dunk fest indeed…. I’m a little surprise Woody didn’t give Super Mario any mins….
KevinA
March 17th, 2009
8:20 pm
Fan and feed the front court. This is what we’ve been talking about. What a start for Al and Josh.
bigdave, Love JJ and Bibby, just think they shoot a higher shooting percentage when they shoot jumpers of the drive and kick. Like it even better when they drive.
Hawksfan
March 17th, 2009
8:23 pm
I wish I lived in Atlanta so I could be a season ticket holder. But unfortunately, I live 2 1/2 hours away and a full time college student. I try to make it up to the ATL for at least 1 game a month. My March game will be against the Lakers. I am so proud of the Hawks this season. There will no problem with attendance when the playoffs roll around. Does anyone know when the playoff tix go on sale?
KevinA
March 17th, 2009
8:25 pm
15/23 for the front court.
Blast
March 17th, 2009
8:29 pm
The refs can’t do that! He got in the way and caught the ball. That’s Hawks ball!!!!!
Blast
March 17th, 2009
8:32 pm
Refs are killing us again. Mike did not touch Martin. Even against the lowly Kings, Hawks can’t catch a break on their own home court?
ray
March 17th, 2009
8:33 pm
Josh and Al show, coming to a court near you!
Blast
March 17th, 2009
8:41 pm
Mike Bibby is back! I think.
How many dunks Hawks gonna get tonight?
Hawksfan, playoff tixs already up for sale, but only if you buy a package this season. It could be as low as 4 or 6 games.
bigdave
March 17th, 2009
8:42 pm
Hawes has a nice offensive game…
Melvin
March 17th, 2009
8:49 pm
My goodness. Kevin Martin has already shot 17 free throws with 2mins left in the 3qtr…
ray
March 17th, 2009
8:51 pm
Kevin,
Have we not been screamin’ that for a long while? Finally, it’s becoming a normal way of life.
Nice of JJ to give his “wild-runnin’ young guys” props for once, instead of roasting them in interviews.
bigdave
March 17th, 2009
8:51 pm
no Mario tonight…?
#21=Top50,1stBallot
March 17th, 2009
8:52 pm
This has to be one of the worst officiated games I’ve seen in a while… Fortunately Hawks persevering
**RISE UP**
ray
March 17th, 2009
8:52 pm
Yeah, the refs suck. More this season even, then last. And the only good ones left are tech-happy. They’ll T you up in a minute.
Melvin
March 17th, 2009
8:53 pm
It must be a blue light special at Philips tonite b/c KMart has shot more free throws the entire Hawks team…
The Bird
March 17th, 2009
8:56 pm
Please no Al
The Bird
March 17th, 2009
8:56 pm
Whewwwwww
*sigh of relief*
#21=Top50,1stBallot
March 17th, 2009
8:56 pm
Al think he was going to dunk that?
RISE UP
KevinA
March 17th, 2009
8:57 pm
Man, that had to hurt.
Reggie
March 17th, 2009
8:57 pm
Yikes
My heart stopped. We can’t loose another forward.
Melvin
March 17th, 2009
8:57 pm
Got dumnit… Somebody need to put the bounty on Hawes head now…
Melvin
March 17th, 2009
9:00 pm
Yes sir. Joe is coming thru during crunch time…
Reggie
March 17th, 2009
9:02 pm
There we go Joseph let’s go ahead and end it. Let’s bring in the bench an a few minutes Woody. We have some big games coming up and none with more than a day of rest.
Reggie
March 17th, 2009
9:03 pm
How about this stat. The 10 minutes Acie has played tonight we are +17 while he is on the floor. Next is Joe and Flip at +11
Blast
March 17th, 2009
9:04 pm
Hawks on the way to 40 wins, people! I’ve been in the ATL for 11 years, and I can’t remember seeing that happen this early in the season, or happen with so much drama. This is great tv! Go Hawks!
bigdave
March 17th, 2009
9:04 pm
Woody says, he better see that last call on tape…
#21=Top50,1stBallot
March 17th, 2009
9:05 pm
Joe getting an early 4th qtr rest, we go straight to post- coaching. Finally.
RISE UP
KevinA
March 17th, 2009
9:09 pm
Time for the bench. The young studs could not be stopped tonight.
#21=Top50,1stBallot
March 17th, 2009
9:09 pm
For future notice, haters please note the quality “IQ” game Smoov has played. There are multiple assists left on table due to misses. He has also been doing a lot of dirt not showing up in box scores. This is a preemptive assertion.
RISE UP
Melvin
March 17th, 2009
9:10 pm
My gosh. Josh looks like Magic on the block with his passing ability…
KevinA
March 17th, 2009
9:14 pm
Why wear out Bibby, Josh and Al. ZaZa, Acie and Solo can take it home.
Blast
March 17th, 2009
9:14 pm
All those teams that beat us on their home court when the Hawks were on the road, are now getting a taste of their own medicine in Philips.
niremetal
March 17th, 2009
9:15 pm
Joe flips a switch and puts the game out of reach (not that the Hawks weren’t already going to win anyway). Thank heavens he figured out that he didn’t have it going after the first quarter – he missed his first 8, then took a breath and hit 3 of his next 4. In the second half, he knocked down 5 of 9.
A year ago, JJ might have just kept shooting. He seems to have a little more trust in his teammates (although I might have stopped shooting early after missing the first 4 rather than the first 8…but the shooter’s mentality is to just keep shooting).
Melvin
March 17th, 2009
9:21 pm
Yes Sir the 2nd unit has came in a put their feet on the Kings necks…
bigdave
March 17th, 2009
9:24 pm
Hawks look real good…
in a real groove right now…
Blast
March 17th, 2009
9:25 pm
40 wins, baby! 27 at home! 6 home straight wins! Go Hawks, continue to go!!!!!!!!!!!!
Melvin
March 17th, 2009
9:25 pm
Hawks held the Kings to 11 pts in the 4th and keep their streak of not allowing their opponent to score 100pts… WOW…
The Bird
March 17th, 2009
9:25 pm
JOE ONLY HAD TO PLAY 36 MINUTES!!!!!
LOW OF THE SEASON
rms
March 17th, 2009
9:26 pm
What the heck happened? I left at halftime to go get some fish and come back home and its a blowout? Dang Hawks!!