Come see for yourself
You can catch Al Horford on Twitter anytime and at the Hawks' free public practice Saturday at Philips Arena.
HAWKSVILLE – For you Hawks fans fortunate enough to call the 13th colony home, Saturday is your day.
“Your” team is holding an open practice (free to the public) at Philips Arena from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. that will allow you to see for yourself all the things you’ve read and chatted about around here lately.
If you want to see just how unbelievably humongous rookie behemoth Garret Siler is, this is your chance.
Maybe you’ve always wondered what that tattoo on Josh Smith’s left forearm said, well this might be your chance to find out.
If you want to see if Joe Johnson uses the perfect form on his jumper, you can see it for free Saturday morning on the main floor.
Or maybe you just want to size up guys like Randolph Morris and Joe Smith to see if they have the bulk needed to help improve the Hawks’ frontcourt depth. Do it Saturday.
If Mike Woodson is the object of your affection (or something else, ha), now is your time to see him for yourself. Tell him all the stuff you write about him here, if you feel the urge (watch this team work in person and you might get a different feel for them and for the coach, or not).
ONE LAST TIME, Saturday, Oct. 10, from 11:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m. the Hawks will take the floor at Philips for a practice that is open to the public and free for any and all that wish to attend.
I guarantee you it will make our debates around here more spirited, at least for next few days. Because once you see this stuff for yourself, you won’t have to just take my word(s) for what transpired. You’ll have seen it with your own eyes and come to your own informed opinion about what is what.
ANOTHER TWITTER UPDATE
There’s another new Hawks’ neighbor on Twitter these days. Al Horford has officially joined the 140-character revolution and can be found on the network with a swift click. The Big Gator is witty and is sure to keep you informed on all things Hawks from an insider’s perspective. I see him daily but I’m still reading his tweets every chance I get just to see what I might have missed.
BREAKFAST WITH THE HAWKS?
From our friends at Truehoop we have breakfast with the Hawks, a nekit-chested Josh Smith in particular.
There goes lunch!
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240 comments Add your comment
karry
October 9th, 2009
10:20 am
First !!
terrell barron
October 9th, 2009
10:22 am
I’ll be there.
terrell barron
October 9th, 2009
10:25 am
What’s up with that 1st, 2nd nonsense? What do you guys do, just stare at the computer waiting for a new blog to appear? Sekou, you better be careful. You might have yourself a few stalkers. lol!
Sekou Smith
October 9th, 2009
10:25 am
Forget that Top Chef madness, the dude above (Bradley Rouse) is the baddest on the planet.
rms
October 9th, 2009
10:29 am
fifth!!! Whats up this Horford guy anyway. Is he going to be an All-Star this season or what
Hawksgirl
October 9th, 2009
10:32 am
are free tickets being given out this year sekou?
rms
October 9th, 2009
10:34 am
Too bad I gotta work Saturday. I am sure they look good playing against themselves but what about other athletes. Better atheletes. Athletes that can do things other players on our roster can’t do. Guess we gotta wait until the regular season for that. Oh well, I am sure the open practice will be fun. GEUX HAWKS!!!
Sekou Smith
October 9th, 2009
10:41 am
Free tickets from?
I get the feeling Horford’s in for a big year, rms, provided he stays healthy.
Dub C
October 9th, 2009
10:46 am
Terrell Barron, I was thinking the same thing on the 1st, 2nd stuff. its kind of funny though.
RMS, I don’t think Horford will be an All-star, but he’ll continue to get better. Honestly, if there’s going to be another Hawk all-star, it will be Josh Smith!
Samuel
October 9th, 2009
10:47 am
Make sure you wear you “long Johns” and overcoats. The Thrashers have started and last year it was about 10 degrees at Phillips. Hopefully, I can make it down to check out my boys.
Cuz,
You forgot: Maybe you can talk to Rick Sund and the ASG and tell them to do the right thing and give Woody and extension. He deserves it. It would be very “lame” if they let Woody go after he built the program to where it is now.
niremetal
October 9th, 2009
10:50 am
Melvin,
To continue the convo from the last blog, the other thing to consider is that Stackhouse probably wouldn’t get many-to-any minutes here. Like Mo, Stackhouse is a swingman but a little undersized to be a true SF. With Crawford and Mo around, we don’t need a 6′6 swingman off the bench to work significant minutes – Marvin can give you 32 minutes a game at SF, JJ can give you 8-10, and Mo is frankly no worse than Stackhouse for the remaining 6-8. Something tells me that if Stackhouse wants to come back, he won’t be willing to come back as the 11th man, only getting consistent minutes if someone gets hurt.
Melvin
October 9th, 2009
11:08 am
Nire,
Stack played SF most of his career. Check out his archives. However,he seem like the perfect guy to bring in b/c he’s a vet that can play 2 and 3 position which is where the Hawks have the least amount of depth. Case in point, look who got the bulk of the mins in the 1st preseason game because Mo did not play, Mario (i know its preseason) but I don’t think we would want Mario playing extended mins in case of injury and we may not want to burn JJ out by playing him extended min at the SF either. Stackhouse said that he wants play with a contender so that statement alone tells me that he’s willing to accept a lesser role in order to play on a good team. Again, he makes perfect sense to me but I know there’s a whole lot of other factors that need to happen in order for him to sign with the Hawks. Just my thoughts…
lexluther
October 9th, 2009
11:15 am
I think I’m going to wait until the season starts. I don’t want to jump the gun on these Hawks. In practice..practice! When the regular season start and they have put this chemistry together, let’s pray that they can run some teams out of the gym. I’m excited about these Hawks and I don’t want to jinx them by showing up for practice…we talking bout practice…practice!!!
i_am_soulstar
October 9th, 2009
11:19 am
I’m already there. GO HAWKS! Yo Sekou, if we cannot be objective for a hot second, who are the top 3 of the training camp invitees?
Clyde
October 9th, 2009
11:22 am
ROLL TIDE CLYDE WILL BE THERE
rms
October 9th, 2009
11:23 am
Not to make an unfair comparison but I cant help but look at Al Jefferson and think Horford could somehow do something close to what he’s doing. Then again Jefferson is a beast and Horford is not quite there yet. Josh should defitnetly be a All-Star this year but it depends on him and his ability to play and understand the game at a high level every night.
niremetal
October 9th, 2009
11:36 am
Melvin,
Sorry, but it’s just not true that Stackhouse spent most of his career playing SF. When he was drafted, there was a lot of talk about how unusual it was for a true SG to get drafted in the top 3. Here’s one link where that’s mentioned:
He played at SG throughout his years in Philly (Weatherspoon played SF then) and Detroit (Grant Hill played SF, then Corliss Williamson). Even in Washington, Jordan ended up playing at SF (I’m SURE you remember all the talk about how Jordan was playing too many minutes at SF in his last season). It was only after his injury in 2003 that he started playing significant minutes at SF. But “most” of his career? I’m sorry, it’s not even close.
Now all that being said, he is more of an SF than an SG right now. But like Mo, he’s undersized for SF. And he’s not any quicker than Mo these days and certainly is not as strong or committed to defense as Mo. So where would he get minutes unless someone got hurt?
If he’s interested in coming here and being the 11th Man, that’s fine with me. But as much as Mo has become a whipping boy around here, Stackhouse won’t get more than scattered minutes at SF unless someone gets hurt. If he can live with that, I’m all for it. And hey, it’s not like the NBA is brimming with teams that need an aging swingman who has never been more than mediocre on defense, so being the 11th man is probably the best he can hope for…
Grip
October 9th, 2009
11:38 am
Part of our problems has been not using joe johnson in match ups that he can dominate, he needs to play more small forward and you will see that a lot this year. Very few people can match up with him on the block. That should have been woody’s focus against miami in the playoffs,d. wade is a beast but he is way to small to check Joe down low.
niremetal
October 9th, 2009
11:40 am
Sorry, here’s that link. Mine keep getting eaten for some reason:
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/multimedia/photo_gallery/2005/06/24/gallery.nbabusts/content.16.html
Samuel
October 9th, 2009
11:55 am
rms,
Don’t count of Horford ever being that good on offense. He can become a good player but his value will be in his all around game.
You said it. Al Jefferson is a beast.
http://nba.fanhouse.com/2009/10/08/al-jefferson-has-sights-on-team-usa/
primo
October 9th, 2009
12:01 pm
See you all on Saturday!!!
KingfishStevens
October 9th, 2009
1:02 pm
22nd.I attended the NO game and I was impressed. Go Hawks!!!
bigdave
October 9th, 2009
1:08 pm
Samuel…
isnt he (Hibbert) though but the boy has potential… they were actually going up strong but he was throwing it… not to mention he had a pretty good rookie campaign…
those on Josh Smith’s camp conduct…
he’s a 23-24 yr old… Lebron is just as big of a goof… but he’s Lebron so nobody complains… Josh is who he is. keep in mind though, while we’re trying to drive him out of town based on personality traits, he is nowhere near a finished product as a professional. in time maturity sets in every aspect of his game comes together due to a renewed focus. im patient with Josh for the simple fact that even at this stage of his career he has done very well, but there is a high ceiling for growth.
Mike N.
October 9th, 2009
1:32 pm
I live down in Florida so I hope you guys can all give us a good report on who looks good at the open practice.
Melvin
October 9th, 2009
1:33 pm
bigdave,
Good points about Josh.
Nire,
Good find on Stack. However, the 2 and 3 position are very similiar and interchangeable depending on the matchups. I like Stack b/c his skills (attacking the rim) are complimentary to this team. Not too many guys on the Hawks can drive to the basket as effective as Stack. If he was on this team, I’m not so sure that Mo would be ahead of him in the rotation. I don’t have a problem with Mo but I prefer Stack offensive skills over him….
Daniel
October 9th, 2009
1:33 pm
I hope to make it tomorrow.
Chris
October 9th, 2009
1:40 pm
3 years in – was Horford a better pick than his teammate, Joakim Noah?
I know I am in the minority, but I am glad JJ did not sign for the $15MM. He is a good player, but not a championship player. Use that room, plus some more to make a serious run at LeBron, etc. Who wants to go to NYC vs. the ATL? Nobody.
Daniel
October 9th, 2009
1:42 pm
Jumping in on the Stackhouse talk. I have always said that IF Stack would sign for the vet min.(most likely). IF he was willing to be a 3rd string player who many nights wears a suit (maybe?), and be willing to do all of that with the Hawks as opposed to San Antonio, etc.(very doubtful). Then sure why not sign him.
The problem is that there are just too many IF’s for the discussion to be realistic.
I am much happier discussing how pissed off I am that Siler won’t make this team because we have to pay Morris his stupid contract.
Daniel
October 9th, 2009
1:43 pm
oh Chris… really? you really think LeBron will leave Clevland for Atlanta?… and NYC?….Really?
Daniel
October 9th, 2009
1:44 pm
I meant “over NYC”
Chris
October 9th, 2009
1:46 pm
Plenty of media exposure in Atlanta. It’s basically the capital of black America. Much better place to live. Great nucleus of a team. Could probably win 5 championships. Why not?
Melvin
October 9th, 2009
1:56 pm
Daniel,
At this point, if Stack signs with any mid to elite team. I’m sure he knows that he going into a situation that will allow him to play limited mins (unless there’s injury) at the Vet min. So you can eliminate 2 or 3 of your If’s…
niremetal
October 9th, 2009
2:06 pm
It’s basically the capital of black America.
I’m sorry, I can’t help but laugh at the idea that there’s a single capital of black America. I think Chicago, New York, and LA all might have something to say about that.
As for the much better place to live? Sure, if you love a city where you sit in traffic for 3 hours and that doesn’t know the meaning of “mass transit.” I grew up in Atlanta, but there’s a reason I’m not living there now, and it’s not because I like the people up North more…
niremetal
October 9th, 2009
2:12 pm
PS – Not trashing my hometown as a worse place to live. Just pointing out that those other cities have some edges over Atlanta. Well, except maybe LA…
Daniel
October 9th, 2009
2:13 pm
Alright Melvin but what about the 3rd if?
Mz. Hawkdafied
October 9th, 2009
2:14 pm
Sekou, having to see the A Town dancers walk around half naked makes me wanna vomit so I can sympathize with you on seeing Josh without a shirt on. :-/
LOL, I’d like to see a fan on this blog tell Mike Woodson or a player what they say on this blog, that would be quite interesting to see. Picture it: Mike you need to run less iso JJ plays and your rotation sucks, you ruined Acie’s chances, and other coaches are better than you so you should have been fired a long time ago. JJ you’re selfish cause you didn’t resign with the Hawks, you’re not a superstar anyway. Mike Bibby you’re too slow and fat. Marvin you will never be an allstar as a matter of fact you shouldn’t even be starting. It would be chaos at the event.
I’d bet money that no one will step to Woodson and critique him to his face. They are gonna just take their pictures and get their autographs. What time is the event again, 11:30am-1pm.
Okay I can see it if they are going to have a fan forum or something, where you get to actually ask questions. But I even see something like this getting out of hand considering how people get emotional on this blog. Just saying, I don’t mean to be a downer.
Keep it Hawks!
Daniel
October 9th, 2009
2:15 pm
chris, I too love Atlanta, but why would LeBron leave Clevland? They can pay him more than any other team(Larry Bird, rule) and it is hometown. The only reason to leave would be to increase his profile, which is already huge. The only place he can do that is in NY or LA, and since LA is not in the market that leaves NY. Atlanta cannot compete from a marketing stand point with NY.
Chris
October 9th, 2009
2:16 pm
If you live within the city limits in Atlanta, you don’t sit in traffic. Somehow, I don’t picture LeBron living in a split-level in Alpharetta.
Rather than “basically”, I should have said “arguably” the capital of black America. LA and Chicago would certainly have a claim. NYC – I am not so sure. But if you admit that Atlanta is in that mix, and you look at the supporting cast he’d have here, it looks like a pretty attractive option (aside from the Spirit Group and Woodson, of course).
Melvin
October 9th, 2009
2:19 pm
Daniel,
The Spurs have enough wing players…
Ramon
October 9th, 2009
2:20 pm
Daniel, I think if Sund wanted Stack, Stack would sign within a couple of seconds. Stack knows where he is in his career. And Stack also know the health history of Marvin. So he knows Atlanta presents the best chance at postseason wins and significant playing time. And although it may be Evans job to lose, Evans does make questionable decisions on offense that would make Stackhouse an asset to have. Also the addition of Stack leaves the team open to look at the possibility of trading Evans and other goods during the season.
niremetal
October 9th, 2009
2:25 pm
Chris,
I don’t picture LeBron setting up shop in Cabbagetown either. Something tells me that if he buys a place, it’ll be one of those $5M Buckhead condos. In any case, I don’t think LeBron/Wade/Bosh would be living in the city they play in to begin with, except during training camp and the nights before home games.
Everyone thinks that their own city is a great place to live. But Atlanta has never been a magnet for marquee free agents in any sport. New York has.
Sekou Smith
October 9th, 2009
2:32 pm
I’m not ready to debate which city is the best Nire. They all have their good and bad traits, but it’s hard for me to imagine many better cities to live in than Smyrna!
Daniel
October 9th, 2009
2:38 pm
Ramon- Without having any inside knowledge, I doubt that. Sund may not have offered Stackhouse, but I don’t get the since that is waiting around hoping to jump on with the Hawks. Then again I know this guy who does have more insight into the team…
Hey Sekou, what have you heard about Stackhouse? Is it that he isn’t interested in the Hawks, they aren’t interested in him or both?
PDubATL
October 9th, 2009
2:39 pm
It is the Jonquil City! And the only city I know of with sub-cities (Smynings and Smableton). That’s hard to beat.
Daniel
October 9th, 2009
2:39 pm
I meant “get the sense that he…” terrible, sorry guys.
Daniel
October 9th, 2009
2:41 pm
Don’t get me wrong Chris. I am from Atlanta, heck I AM Atlanta, from Decatur where it is greater and Marta is Smarta. We just can’t put the guy on a bigger stage than NY, just a numbers game.
Mike N.
October 9th, 2009
2:41 pm
LeBron to the ATL…funniest thing I’ve heard in a while. I think Billy Knight has a better shot at being named GM of the year.
Chris
October 9th, 2009
2:47 pm
OK. LeBron in the ATL in 2010 is admittedly a stretch. But I did say LeBront, etc. That etc is meant for Dwight Howard in 2012. All the same reasons as LeBron, plus the ATL is his home town. Larry Bird (max contract) rule is the only thing stopping that one, IMO.
By the way, I am no homer. I have lived in NYC and LA and worked in Chicago. Atlantan by choice only.
bigdave
October 9th, 2009
3:15 pm
Nire,
actually Atlanta has been dubbed the ‘capital of black america’
niremetal
October 9th, 2009
3:16 pm
Sekou,
I lived in Smyrna when I was in elementary school (King Springs!), and I can tell you – it’s come a loooooong way since then. But even now, I think that it depends on which side of the tracks you live on
In any case, LeBron’s stated goal is to be the world’s first billionaire athlete. If he wants to achieve that goal, he probably needs to sing from the world’s biggest stage. There’s a reason that pretty much all of the athlete megastars – from Magic to Gretzky to Kobe to Shaq to Jordan to ARod to Beckham – either start or end up in New York, Chicago, or LA. Hell, even Federer has a place in NYC now…
niremetal
October 9th, 2009
3:30 pm
bigdave,
So have NYC/Harlem and Chicago. Don’t believe me? Google “capital of black America.” Washington DC is in the first 10 results too. And the only page that uses “capital of black America” in the first 10 is a Flickr group called “blackatlanta.” Something tells me that group is comprised mainly of Atlantans
Hey, Atlanta has a claim to it. But so do Chicago, LA, DC (apparently), and NYC (sorry Chris, but come on…it has Harlem and STILL has twice as many blacks as Atlanta). The fact that some people have dubbed Atlanta that doesn’t mean that it’s the ONLY city to have been so dubbed.
It’s not unlike those people (mainly people from New Orleans or Memphis) who say New Orleans or Memphis is the country’s music capital. They might have claims, but so do Detroit, NYC, and LA.
Anyway, this conversation has strayed far from basketball. New topic: What team will make the biggest unexpected playoff run this coming year? My pick is the Clippers, in no small part because I think Blake Griffin will catch onto the NBA even quicker than most people expect.
niremetal
October 9th, 2009
3:31 pm
*And the only page that uses “capital of black America” in the first 10 to describe Atlanta is . . .
As you’ll see, there are other pages in first 10 using that phrase to describe other cities.
Ramon
October 9th, 2009
3:33 pm
Niremetal, Chicago isn’t any better as far as markets than Atlanta. Jordan ended up in Chicago because he MADE Chicago, with the exception of the Cubs. Jordan name alone got more love in his 4th and 5th season than the entire Chicago Bears team. Deep down Lebron may want to do the same thing in Cleveland. The quickest way to become a billionaire is to create your own market. If it was only about markets you would be hearing more about the Clippers being a factor for Lebron, but not once have you heard that.
By the way, I still think Jordan will be the first athlete billionaire.
Jin Rummy
October 9th, 2009
3:35 pm
F@#$ck LeBron!!!….lil bytch…
Anyone who thinks up north is any better is obviously crazy. Cold horrible weather. Tons of violence on D.C and traffic is so damn slow and the lanes are to small VERY annoying.
And I couldn’t bare to live in NYC. I HAVE to have my car. I’m not payin no damn taxi and i’n not walking anywhere. NYC traffic is HORRIBLE bumper to bumper 24/7 whath u talkin bout’?
Sekou Smith
October 9th, 2009
3:36 pm
Door isn’t closed on Stackhouse, Daniel. Both sides could have use for each other at some point this season, provided Stack doesn’t sign elsewhere.
And we’ve got the King Springs School Lions magnet on the trunks of the rides Nire, so you know I know. Ha. Hadn’t the heard the Smableton or Smynings names, PDub. Those are funny. We’re city dwellers, though (Smyrna4Life). City of Smyrna baby. We’ve got resident cards and library cards and everything. Don’t sleep on my adopted city. It’s on the come up in a major way.
Jin Rummy
October 9th, 2009
3:37 pm
Actually, Atlanta is commonly dubbed “Black Hollywood” not the capitol of Black America….
Sekou Smith
October 9th, 2009
3:38 pm
School me on my city Nire, which side of the tracks does Ridge Road fall on?
Sekou Smith
October 9th, 2009
3:39 pm
Most everyone I’ve run into, of every shade, enjoys living in and around Atlanta. Other than the traffic, I don’t hear too many folks complaining.
Jin Rummy
October 9th, 2009
3:40 pm
Cobb is really Nice. I live in Kennesaw and I love it. Lived in Gwinnet before that sice I was young.
Chris
October 9th, 2009
3:41 pm
Nire, you almost had me nodding in agreement until you brought up the Clippers. That is where high draft picks go to die. Blake Griffin would not have been the first pick in any of the preceeding 10 drafts. It was a clearly a down year.
Sekou Smith
October 9th, 2009
3:44 pm
True story: I’ve been East of I-85 probably 10 times in the five years I’ve been here. Crazy huh? Guess I just like the WestSide! I need the GPS once I cross 400 headed to Decatur.
Jin Rummy
October 9th, 2009
3:46 pm
I LOVE ATL Traffic!!!! Are you kidding me? Well not the “jams” but the SPEED!!! I love the SPEED!!!! you can go as fast a u want a long as ur in a group so 5.0 doesn’t sigle you out for a ticket.
Sekou Smith
October 9th, 2009
3:46 pm
I don’t know about that Chris. I’d have taken him ahead of Bargnani, Kwame and Bogut without hesitating.
rainman
October 9th, 2009
3:51 pm
Hey Sekou, I just moved to Fla. from Vinings – so I’m down with Smyrna too. I was curious what former or current PG you would compare Teague to, assuming he reaches his projected potential. Do you think he could be a top ten PG someday if everything goes well?
A recent list of top ten centers that I saw the other day didn’t even have Horford as honorable mention. Has he added any bulk at all, or should we just accept that ‘it is what it is’ as far as his build goes?
As to the Stack vs. Mo arguement — I would take Stack in a heartbeat as long as its for the vet minimum and he understood his role. At this point, SF probably has the least quality depth of any position and Stack has more potential to make an impact in the playoffs. What do you think?
Jin Rummy
October 9th, 2009
3:51 pm
What! Sekou you gotta go East lol. Gwinnett/Stone Mountain is a great spot. Yuo gotta visit stone mountain and take a cable car to the top. One of the best views in Georgia. Norcross GA,was my spot, then I moved to South Gwinnett just in time for the Lou Willims hype.
Jin Rummy
October 9th, 2009
3:55 pm
Lived in Fulton co. and Marietta as well…
I hope we Sign Gerald Green good young player/servicable backup who won’t demand many minutes. We all know how cranky Mo can get if he sits on the bench too long ha…
$800k!!!
niremetal
October 9th, 2009
4:08 pm
Ramon,
I’m sorry, but did you really just say that “Jordan MADE Chicago?” Dude, come on. For over a century, it was second only to NYC in terms of population. LA only overtook it in the 1990 census. Jordan’s abilities as an athlete would have made him a superstar anyway, but in those early cable years, his worldwide marketability was HUGELY enhanced by the fact that he played in what was then the 2nd largest city in the country.
The idea that it was Michael Jordan or the Cubs that made Chicago is just absurd. And there still is a MASSIVE gap in market exposure between Chicago and Atlanta. Go talk to anyone who works in a big marketing firm and they’ll tell you the same thing. ATL certainly is on the rise, but it’s got a loooooong way to go to crack the Big Three -and Dallas and Houston are far closer than we are.
Daniel
October 9th, 2009
4:25 pm
Hey Sekou,
Decatur is where it is at. I am not talking South Decatur with Flat Shoals and all that. I am talking city of Decatur, Druid Hills, Avondale, Kirkwood. Beautiful houses, lots of restraunts (esp. Indian) Great parks. Nice mix of people. And lots of places to ball either B-ball or Soccer(I actually prefer soccer.. I am just better at it). So come East Brother, Come East.
Daniel
October 9th, 2009
4:27 pm
Jin Rummy- I totally agree on Stone Mountain, great place to take the kids on a random afternoon when it is quiet. highly underrated.
niremetal
October 9th, 2009
4:28 pm
Sekou,
Ridge Road is most definitely on the right side of the tracks
. When I was young, some of the areas further north off of South Cobb Drive were a bit sketchy, but that might have changed since the last time I drove out that way (5 years ago). But I grew up in Mableton and Smyrna, and only moved away a couple years after Home Depot built its new HQ and the cost of living started creeping ever-upward…
bigdave
October 9th, 2009
4:38 pm
of course Nire… ‘Chocolate City’ DC… though i was speaking of more current relevance… back to basketball…
Rummy… Black Hollywood as well… sure…
i guess it all depends on your source…
ILL-logical
October 9th, 2009
4:40 pm
FWIW:Forbes magazine has listed Tiger Woods as being the first athlete to EARN $1 billion.
My experience has been that a lot of athletes/entertainers ,primarily but not exclusively African -American, prefere living in Atlanta because of the cost of living and they can enjoy relative anonymity.
however, the financial(HAWKS) , social(Braves) and political(Falcons) conditions of the professional franchises limit the serious ballers interest.
The Hawks have the greatest opportunity to break the barrier and attract players who want to both play and live here. And, most importantly, become a contibuting member of the community.
Atl Resident
October 9th, 2009
4:52 pm
How the hell this go from hawks open practice to talking about this sorry atl traffic? And yeah Jin the traffic in D.C. is horrible but its better up there than here cause at least I dont have to slow up on highway, at least people know how to get on and off, people here to indecisive will get you killed.
Jin Rummy
October 9th, 2009
4:57 pm
Atl Resident, I can’t argue with that lol.
Ramon
October 9th, 2009
5:16 pm
Niremetal, population and economic market are two different things. That’s like saying Houston is a better market than Boston due to the population, when economically its not even close. The economic strength of Chicago in the 80s were not that of Los Angeles. As I said on an endorsement level (the strength of MJ’s finances) MJ brought the endorsement companies to him in Chicago. MJ brought many of the athletic companies to Chicago that previously only stayed in NYC and LA. You go ahead and Google and show me where in the 80s Chicago was in the top two cities for economical wealth. I’ll be here waiting.
By the way, as far as your argument about the city of Atlanta. Take a look, http://www.inc.com/magazine/20040301/top25_pagen_2.html .
rms
October 9th, 2009
5:16 pm
Who cares about ATL traffic? Its bad enough I gotta sit in it let alone come home and talk about amongst Hawks fans! Enough already!!!
Destiny
October 9th, 2009
5:21 pm
I was wondering does the team do autographs after practice or before?
DSS82
October 9th, 2009
5:23 pm
What’s up with Jason Collins. He didn’t play because he was out of shape. Are you serious? This is the NBA. There are a million guys that would love to be in his situation, but it is what it is. I guess there aren’t a million guys with his size and athleticism.
What’s the story?
Ramon
October 9th, 2009
5:25 pm
DSS, there are a million guys true enough. But when you’re the 3rd center in preseason and your skills are better than whats on the free agent market, whats the rush to be in shape? lol. I’d rather have an out of shape Jason Collins, than an in shape Solomon Jones lol.
Jin Rummy
October 9th, 2009
5:37 pm
Collins has a quad injury I beleive. Sekou was just playin’ lol.
Jin Rummy
October 9th, 2009
5:39 pm
Ramon, seriously? Collins over Solo? IDK about that. I like Collins, but at least Solo show up in the stat sheet….I herd he’s doing well up there in Indiana.
Ramon
October 9th, 2009
5:43 pm
Jim, Collins for Vet min or Solo for 1.5 mil a season? That’s not even an argument for me. I’d take Collins every time. There are only a very select few in the league who Solo could guard, so you’re basically paying 1.5 mil for three quarters of a season. Solo is doing well in Indiana like he did here, because what true big does he have to guard in their practices? Troy Murphy? lol. I’d take Collins.
Ramon
October 9th, 2009
5:54 pm
ESPN preview of the Hawks http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=4541681&categoryid=2459788 .
I wouldn’t agree that they’re still thin up front, not sure I would agree with that. But at least he didn’t pick Washington to skip over the Birds. (when we all know Wizards only win in Harry Potter).
tyger
October 9th, 2009
5:55 pm
Washington, DC hands down!
Mz. Hawkdafied
October 9th, 2009
6:28 pm
Last time I checked Gwinnett, Smyrna, Decatur, etc. is not Atlanta. I like how yall claim my city though! Yeah the people in my city can’t drive I’ll give you that! Fudge Lebrick, Lecrabdribbler. My city don’t need him to win a championship. Dwight Howard in 2012 okay. But Lebron’s following around Jay Z behind can go to NY. He disrespects Cleveland every chance he gets, sporting NY Yankees hats talking about I’m from Akron not Cleveland. But I can kinda feel him on that though cause I’m from the A and I’ll rep it to my dying day. You won’t see me walking around talking about Decatur’s where it’s greater. I think not!
I ♥ ATL ! I ♥ the Atlanta Hawks!
Ramon
October 9th, 2009
6:42 pm
Hawkdafied, are you saying the Falcons name should become the Doraville Falcons? lol.
Yadro
October 9th, 2009
8:09 pm
Be sure to take your bullet-proof vests for after practice.
Melvin
October 9th, 2009
9:09 pm
I know last season and early this summer I was hoping the Hawks could acquire Mike Miller from Minny but after watching him play tonite in the Wash/Dallas game, I’m glad he’s in DC….
ÛfØ
October 9th, 2009
9:14 pm
Sekou:
Can you ask Josh Smith to come to Campbell High school in Smyrna Georgia?
Hawk fans: Al Horford lives in Smyrna, If I knew his adress I would go to his house and ask him for free tickets.
ÛfØ
October 9th, 2009
9:19 pm
………….
ÛfØ
October 9th, 2009
9:28 pm
Sekou:
Can you get me free tickets?
Hawk fans: I remember when I saw Al horford at Cumberland Mall. We went to Game Stop and played NBA 2K9.
ÛfØ
October 9th, 2009
9:32 pm
Good times, Good times!
Ken Strickland
October 9th, 2009
9:33 pm
What’s up fellow Hawk fanatics? I’ve been away from the action and discussions recently due to relocating back to the ATL. I don’t have a lot to say since I’m still trying to catch up on what’s going on. I still find it hard to believe the attitudes of those who refuse to believe the Hawks have a chance to finish in the top 3 in the East.
Last yr, after losing all 3 of our frontline starters for extended time, we proved we can weather injuries and still succeed, and that was with a very thin bench. This yr, we have a very talented, experienced, deep and versatile bench that will allow us to weather the loss of any starter. Can Orlando say that if they lose DHoward, or Cleveland, if they lose LJames? We’ve already seen how fragile the Celtics are when they suffer a key loss. The got RWallace to replace KG, but who replaces PPierce in the case of an injury?
ÛfØ
October 9th, 2009
9:42 pm
………..
ÛfØ
October 9th, 2009
9:48 pm
So when can we see the new jersey?
ÛfØ
October 9th, 2009
9:52 pm
I feel like am talking to myself. lol
ÛfØ
October 9th, 2009
9:54 pm
?
niremetal
October 9th, 2009
11:39 pm
Good to see you back, man.
I think the Celtics are the one team is basically guaranteed to win 50 games even if they suffer 2 major injuries. Remember that Doc Rivers uses a VERY deep bench and mixes and matches rotations better than anyone in the NBA. So long as any 2 of the Big Three are healthy, they’ll be fine. Remember that they added Sheed and Marquis Daniels while only losing Powe from their rotation.
As you said, they’ve got Sheed and Big Baby to back up KG. If Pierce or Ray Allen goes down, they’ll plug Daniels, Tony Allen, or House into the lineup – they’re strong enough defensively (in ALL ways – perimeter and post, on-ball and help) that they can deal with a height mismatch at one or two positions, so they might go with Tony Allen or House even if Daniels is healthy. Doc will find a way to make it work. He’s a master at getting the most out of a roster.
niremetal
October 9th, 2009
11:41 pm
Ken – in case you couldn’t tell, that last post was directed at you
Hawksta
October 9th, 2009
11:56 pm
Greetings fellow Hawks fans! First time ever reading a blog where the topic is changed and it’s not about race(progress yes)! Been a while since I posted but as usual I read and read. Miss the game the other night. Good thing we got Sekou! Haven’t bought 2k10 yet but I hear it’s still King. Yet EA did it’s best to catch up? Go Hawks!!!