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
Melvin
March 19th, 2009
8:43 pm
We don’t have the ball movement on offense like we did in the 1st half.
Blast
March 19th, 2009
8:43 pm
That was the same play! Joe shooting when Zaza fouled Dallas. Why did Hawks not get that basket, and Dirk did? Why?
KevinA
March 19th, 2009
8:43 pm
To many darn jumpers. Take it to them and atttack the rim.
Melvin
March 19th, 2009
8:45 pm
Blast they call ZaZa for a foul…
Ken Strickland
March 19th, 2009
8:47 pm
TERRELL BARRON-I can’t argue with that. However, I do think the blowup between Woodson and Smoove was a major contributing factor as well.
bigdave
March 19th, 2009
8:49 pm
when they bring that double thats exactly what the Hawks should do, slash to that bucket… good job Josh…
bigdave
March 19th, 2009
8:50 pm
JT doing a job on Mario…
Melvin
March 19th, 2009
8:51 pm
We need to do a better job at the free throw line….
KevinA
March 19th, 2009
8:51 pm
Were going to need that lock down defense and better shooting to pull this one out.
niremetal
March 19th, 2009
8:52 pm
I wonder what Flip’s 3PT% would be if someone subtracted all of his end-of-quarter half court shots. Gotta give someone props for never being afraid to be the one to pull the trigger on those “throwaway” shots, even though it means a hit on their stats.
If Flip doesn’t finish Top 5 in Sixth Man voting…
Astro Joe
March 19th, 2009
8:55 pm
Who’s going to help Joe in the 4th quarter?
niremetal
March 19th, 2009
8:58 pm
Beautiful – an off-ball screen by JJ to set up a pick and roll between Bibby and Horford. That actually looked like a planned play!
KevinA
March 19th, 2009
8:59 pm
Nice mini run. This is play off style ball. Time to seal the deal. Al looking good.
Melvin
March 19th, 2009
9:06 pm
Look like Woodson went back to his 7 man rotation this half..
richbrave
March 19th, 2009
9:07 pm
A little post from one of the WIZARDS’ blogs to remind us HAWKS fans how lucky we are this year and how far the team has come.
NOTES on the MIND-NUMBING LOSS article:
Obviously last night, the CLIPPERS weren’t worse. LOS BARBEROS were dull, but sufficient to provide a shave with their trim. Despite D.C.’s visit to the barber-shop, the LIZARDS still slithered into second place for 25% of the lottery balls in the draft. However, it surely was thoughtless to beat SACRAMENTO. What COULD the club have been thinking? We’re running out of ways to lose on our journey to the top, ARRIBA ABAJO.
bigdave
March 19th, 2009
9:10 pm
they need to turn in this game tape…
horrible officiating…
Melvin
March 19th, 2009
9:11 pm
Lucky for the Hawks the Mavs are missing their free throws..
DUANE FERELL
March 19th, 2009
9:12 pm
WASSUP RAY, DAMN WE NEED A NEW FREAKIN COACH
bigdave
March 19th, 2009
9:12 pm
why does Al do all those head fakes every time instead of going quick. nobody bites those fakes…
O'brien
March 19th, 2009
9:14 pm
Bibby is 4-14 in 29 minutes. Where is Acie, and where is Mario? And why won’t Josh give up the ball on the break? 5 turnovers? Give up the ball Josh!
bigdave
March 19th, 2009
9:14 pm
sekou, tell Jason Kidd i said whhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhaaasupppppppppp….
Melvin
March 19th, 2009
9:16 pm
The Hawks are grasping for air and lucky the Mavs hasn’t taken advantage. Woody should have used his bench early in the 4th so we could finish the game with fresher legs…
KevinA
March 19th, 2009
9:20 pm
Shot their wad? lol.
The Hawksta
March 19th, 2009
9:20 pm
Did Nique just say what I think he said?
mo
March 19th, 2009
9:21 pm
did anyone else catch what nique just said about “dallas has just shot their wad”
The Hawksta
March 19th, 2009
9:21 pm
The Mavs just shot their wadd? OMG!!! Is that FCC cleared?
KevinA
March 19th, 2009
9:22 pm
Nique bringing a little color to the commentary lol.
KevinA
March 19th, 2009
9:24 pm
What a fun 7 game streach. These young guys gotta be pumped. They don’t play perfect but they sure take the other teams out of their comfort zone.
Melvin
March 19th, 2009
9:26 pm
The 2nd half wasn’t pretty but I will take it… Go Hawks… Let’s do Lebron on his floor….
Blast
March 19th, 2009
9:28 pm
7-0! A perfect homestand indeed!
bigdave
March 19th, 2009
9:30 pm
time to watch the works of David Stern, and NBA officiating at its best in Cleavland Sat.
Sam from da Swats
March 19th, 2009
9:41 pm
Hootie Hoo…Hootie Hen… Another win…without Marvin!!!
TheHawksFan
March 19th, 2009
9:41 pm
I know there is NO ONE who loves Nique more than myself. I even get a little ticked when he is picked on for his verbal skills. But if I had heard him call DEREK NOWINSKI 1 more time, I was gonna loose it. LOL . Damn its 1 thing to get a name wrong AND correct it. But My Man said fugg it tonight your name is DEREK No Win Ski. I STILL LOVE YOU NIQUE!!
Did anyone forget to tell the Mavs the Hawks are the HOTTEST team in the NBA??? Where was Cuban???? My HAWKS are flying high. GOOOOOO Hawks!!!
Sam from da Swats
March 19th, 2009
9:41 pm
By the way, can the host please come on here and tell these dummies that me and Rod from College Park are not the same person?
Blast
March 19th, 2009
9:43 pm
If Hawks can defend and execute on the road the way they do at home, then no one can stop them.
rms
March 19th, 2009
9:46 pm
BLAST, you were right, the radio guys Steve Holdman, I think, was excellent. Much better than, well what I was used to on T.V. Hope the Hawks play aggresive and knock down their shots against the Cavs cause you know the regs wont let them just come in there and win.
KevinA
March 19th, 2009
9:52 pm
The young studs didn’t get double double tonight but came close enough. ZaZa had another great game. How much money will it take to resign Flip. I say give the man a raise. Why wait for till off season.
Blast
March 19th, 2009
9:56 pm
Way to go, RMS. I hadn’t tried it out myself, just thought it might work since I listen on radio when Hawks games aren’t on TV, or I go to church those few Thursdays Hawks play. Great win, Hawks! Now, can we beat Cleveland at home? That will solidify our status!
Najeh Davenpoop
March 19th, 2009
10:14 pm
4 games up with 13 games left. If the Hawks can go .500 the rest of the way I think they have the 4 seed on lock.
rms
March 19th, 2009
10:33 pm
I would like to see how they perform on the road because a thats where they struggle and the refs really work against them. I think now we get to find out what this team is really made of with the likes of Cleveland and a tougher home schedule against the NBA’s true elite. We come outta that stretch with a win streak in tact then we will defitnetly have a bulleyes on our back going into the playoffs.
Ken Strickland
March 19th, 2009
10:36 pm
I was actually hoping against hope. I knew Woodson wanted this gm badly, since it was the end of the homestand and the Mavericks were the opponent. That’s why I mentioned in my previous post that I hoped Woodson wouldn’t revert back to his old habit of overplaying his key starters and ignoring the bench. Well, that’s basically what happened. Woodson used a 7 man rotation with JJ and Smoove playing 43:13mins and 42:47mins respectively, while four others played between 31mins and 36+ mins. Playing Acie 1:04mins and West 4:13mins isn’t utilizing you bench effectively. IN WOODSON’S CASE, YOU REALLY CAN’T TEACH AN OLD DOG NEW TRICKS. GOOD WIN HAWKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Rod from College Park
March 19th, 2009
10:59 pm
Sam from the Swats,
5+5 = 10 …….. Another Win, without MarVIN!!!!!!!
All you clowns blogging about me and Sam from the Swats,
Stop being lame!!!
Read the article Sekou wrote, spend some money,
And get to the game.
SECTION 105 EVERY HOME GAME
Rollins Tree
March 19th, 2009
11:43 pm
Home be very very good to me.
cp
March 19th, 2009
11:47 pm
Nique is pure comedy. I have never heard one announcer mess up so many players names on such a consistent basis as Nique. Sometimes I wonder if Nique is even watching the game because his so called analysis makes no sense what so ever. That shoot ya wad comment was his best of the season. Good win but I hated the short rotation. Lmao@calling Dirk the name Derrick all night. Man you just have to love Nique.
niremetal
March 20th, 2009
12:20 am
CP,
According to Using English, Dominique’s usage of the term “shot their wad” was perfectly prim, proper, and, appropriate:
http://www.usingenglish.com/reference/idioms/shoot+your+wad.html
That is all.
otrhawksfan
March 20th, 2009
1:46 am
steve does a good job giving us the word pictures to those who cant make it to the game or away from home. I dont know why they dont pass out the lil radios at the game like they do at the dome. I do miss 3d in the seat next to steve it was great listen.
otrhawksfan
March 20th, 2009
1:51 am
big dave,
i have wake, pitt, okla, mizzu
kirkinga
March 20th, 2009
2:08 am
Good job tonight against another legit team. The Hawks have built a cushion that they will need as they go through a another tough stretch against some top teams. I think it’s pretty safe to eliminate the Pistons and Sixers from contention for the 4th position.
With this win, it’s official, the Hawks will not have a losing season. Congratulations to the team for that.
Go Hawks!!
cp
March 20th, 2009
2:35 am
lol thanks for the link niremetal. I guess Nique was saving that one.
brewdawg
March 20th, 2009
5:22 am
Sekou,
That’s now 9-4 needed to finish the season with 50 wins. Huge pipe dream right? Maybe you need to be “one of those cats” that gets back on board.