Atlanta Hawks: Gearon: Garnett ‘dirtiest guy in the league,’ Hawks ‘don’t get any calls’

Hawks co-owner Michael Gearon Jr. was the featured speaker today at the Third Annual Art of It Luncheon at the Piedmont Park Conservancy. The event is sponsored by the W.E.B. Du Bois Society, an Atlanta-based nonprofit that is “focused on bridging the academic gap that exists between African-American students and their white and Asian peers.”

The AJC’s D. Orlando Ledbetter was at the event and reported the following Hawks-related highlights from Gearon’s speech.

On media coverage of Hawks’ playoff series against the Celtics

“Did you see what Al Horford did last night? The timeline for recovery for his injury is another three months. He’s not even supposed to be playing and Josh [Smith] should not be playing. Zaza [Pachulia] can’t stand up, but if we can get past this round there is a chance that we can get him back. So this is a team that is overcoming adversity. I wish . . . some of the national media or even some of the local media, more the paper than the TV guys, recognize how hard these guys are playing based on how injured they are.

“On top of all that, we don’t get any calls, which I know everybody always hears. But I’ll give you a stat. Last night, we are playing this old physical team. They are old. I know what happens when you play basketball, old guys foul. [Kevin] Garnett is the dirtiest guy in the league. We are playing Boston last night and they had two fouls the whole first half. We had five times that and we’re athletic.”

On the Hawks’ injuries

Derrick Rose goes down and the No. 1 seed is playing the No. 8 seed and everybody is like, ‘Chicago is down 3-1, that’s what you should expect with Derrick Rose down.’ Well, we’ve been playing these playoffs without Zaza, without Al Horford and Josh Smith should not be playing. Our center is Erick Dampier, God bless his heart, but he looks like a granddad. (laughter) He’s a great guy. It’s difficult enough to win a playoff series, but when you lose your whole frontline and nobody ever says, ‘Gee, you are out playing with guys that are hurt.’”

On Josh Smith and his Atlanta roots

“We wouldn’t be where we are without him. The tough thing for our team, I’m a lifelong Atlantian. I was born here. I lived the first 25 years of my life within two miles of where I was born. Right there near Piedmont Hospital. I moved to Cobb County back in 1994 when my Dad convinced me to buy a little house . . . . But the thing about our team, and it’s tough in every city. . . but when you look at the Atlanta Hawks and you know it’s tough.”

Michael Cunningham, Hawks beat

348 comments Add your comment

O'brien

May 9th, 2012
5:04 pm

If the Hawks lose tomorrow night, how many of you are willing to come back with the same core players, and the same coach next year?

After all, we really dont know how good we would have been with a healthy roster. Isn’t that implied from Gearon’s comments as well?

HighlightFactory

May 9th, 2012
5:05 pm

Bostonfan, why are you trolling on an ATLANTA blog? Go back to your pathetic boston, ignorant blog.

contrarian

May 9th, 2012
5:07 pm

Wow.

Being a Hawks fan is as lonely as being a Maytag repairman.

47 comments (so far) and only two appear to be written by people who actually like the hometown team.

It’s supposed to be easier to win at home in the NBA due to the ‘fifth man’ concept. For the Hawks, a night at the Highlight Factory is just another road game. It’s truly a wonder that they win at all.

Kevin

May 9th, 2012
5:08 pm

@Bostonfan……..the Celtics are hurt????when I see Pierce sit in his infamous wheelchair and get pushed off the court only to return 6mins later running and jumping everywhere, it’s kind of hard to believe he is really hurt. He is the biggest drama queen ever. He is a great player but a attention and drama queen nonetheless!!

The Celtics are garbage and will be watching the Finals along with everyone else. Hope they stock up on plenty of wine and cheese in the meantime!!!

contrarian

May 9th, 2012
5:09 pm

err… ’sixth man’ concept…. apologies for typing too fast…

take bad with good

May 9th, 2012
5:09 pm

You might right Boston fan but what nwe really need is for these brothers to suck up the pain and run those old gezzers off the court by 20 then take your a– back to boston

Bostonfan

May 9th, 2012
5:11 pm

HighlightFactory

I normally just read and have laugh but today I found it hillarious how one win changes most of your persperctive on the Series. When you had the opportunity to take control of the series (Game 2) you couldn’t. And now a desperation win gets you guys pump to take it all, guys have heart, etc…

Comedy….

CP

May 9th, 2012
5:12 pm

Why does every blog deteriorate into a bash josh party? The guy routinely puts up 20-10 nights. Always among the leaders in blocks. Gets steals and assists. So he takes a couple more jumpers than people might like. He is NOT what is wrong with the Hawks. Quite frankly, when healthy, I don’t think there’s much wrong at all. Sund did a great job adding depth during the lockout, when no one could predict how things would go for any team. They played solid all year, with plenty of games lost to injury. I absolutely agree that the league would rather have boston win and the resulting officiating fiasco is a crying shame. This Hawks team should dispatch the aging celts.

Chris E

May 9th, 2012
5:12 pm

The Hawks have played hurt all year and still have succeeded. No Horford all year, but Drew is still a bad coach. Before JJ we couldn’t even win 20 games and now we win 40 in 66. The Knicks got All star and headline players and barely made the playoffs. Dallas won the championship last year and are out in the 1st round and barely won the playoffs. Avery got the Nets and a great player like Deron Williams and there at home. The Hawks have played 4 seasons without a real center and have made it out of the 1st round 3 years in a row but according to CB and KS on TNT they don’t play hard. First it was ISO Joe and now the team averages 22 assists a game but they don’t move the ball. Shaq got the nerve to talk but wouldn’t sign with the Hawks, goes to Boston and is a Shell of himself. He wanted the easy ring. Boston with 3 bigtime stars and only 1 championship to show for it. The year our Hawks took them 7 games. I am sick of nobody defending the Hawks and continuing to complain. Every sports writer in the country serenading Boston and besides game 4 they have been fortunate to say the least with a depleted Hawks team. You JJ haters won’t even give him the credit he deserves for his performance in game 3. So what, he makes a lot of money!!! That’s done and over with now. Get over it or find another team. Its not your money. I like to look at the facts and the facts are that the Hawks are a better team this year, mostly because of Teague and Josh’s improvement. If you blow up the Hawks, who knows what will happen. My point is, they are not to shabby right now.

drmaryb.(*_*).

May 9th, 2012
5:15 pm

Celtics can’t convert late opportunity

ATLANTA — Celtics coach Doc Rivers lamented his team’s execution down the stretch of Tuesday’s 87-86 loss to the Hawks in Game 5 of an Eastern Conference quarterfinal series at Philips Arena. A couple of his grievances:

* After Paul Pierce missed a 20-foot jumper with 18.9 seconds remaining, the Celtics were slow to foul, particularly frustrating to Rivers because the team still had one to give. Ray Allen finally gave it with 10.9 seconds to go, but Boston wasted valuable time trying to go fort a steal.

“We signaled to foul, but our guys decided to go for a steal first,” said Rivers. “What they didn’t understand was that we had a foul to give. I told them after the game — we talk about it every night and every day in practice — end-of-the-game execution is going to win or lose playoff games for you. You think about it, that’s 7 extra seconds that (Rajon) Rondo would have had (for a final shot attempt). That doesn’t mean we make a shot, but you never know. We would have had extra time, and we didn’t have it.”

* Despite that initial miscue, the Celtics still gave themselves an opportunity to win the game when Rondo swiped the inbounds pass intended for Joe Johnson. But without a timeout, Rondo had no choice but to rush up the floor. With Josh Smith defending, he came off a pick-and-roll with Kevin Garnett, but the Hawks switched him to Al Horford, who cut Rondo off from trying to drive baseline. As Rondo tried to dribble back out towards the arc, he lost control of the ball and couldn’t poke it to Garnett, the clock running out as Smith tipped the ball away.

“We were in a jumble,” Rivers said. “I wish (Rondo) had went down the middle of the floor, I think you should always go down the middle of the floor, especially when have a big on you. Listen, it’s a turnover, it’s a fast break — we were just trying to go. I thought Kevin set a nice step-up pick; I was hoping he would attack the basket. But really, I just thought he lost the ball and that threw off any chance we had.

“(Rondo) made the play though, a terrific defensive play. We told him in the timeout, the guy they are going to throw the ball to is Joe Johnson, clearly, and they did and we got the steal, but we didn’t capitalize on it.”

Rondo said of his missed opportunity, “I tried to make a play, but got caught on the baseline. Give Al credit. I just didn’t come up with the shot.”

Pierce added, “They defended it pretty well. (Rondo) came off the pick-and-roll, they switched and then cut off the baseline. At the end of the day, he gave us a chance. We were put in a situation where we were probably going to have to foul and maybe go down 3, but he got the steal, gave us an opportunity. Unfortunately, we turned it over. Sometimes it goes like that.

“We definitely squandered away an opportunity today, but you take your hats off to the Hawks, they came with a purpose today. It’s a make-or-miss league, we had our opportunities down the stretch, they played with a lot of energy, a lot of pride with their backs against the wall and won a close one.”

From the Hawks perspective, even coach Larry Drew admitted to just being happy to escaping with the win.

“My heart was racing 100 miles per hour on that last sequence,” said Drew. “We put our best free throw shooters in the game, but we didn’t make a smart play inbounding the ball. I’m glad (Smith) had the presence of mind on the last play to step up on Rondo when he came flying up the court. We were forced into a switch, and Al stepped up and took the ball. Rondo tried to turn the corner, but Al forced him back and then Josh deflected the ball. You’re forced to make switches in those type of last-second situations.”

Said Horford: “I didn’t want to lose the series that way, so I didn’t want to let Rondo shoot a jumper over me. You’re fighting for your life out there.”

Kevin

May 9th, 2012
5:16 pm

Perfectly said Chris E!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Bostonfan

May 9th, 2012
5:17 pm

@Kevin
The celtics are hurting and you obviously know that since you had to reference the Pierce drama of years ago to try to prove your point.

And yes they might not get to the finals altought they certainly have a legitimate chance (like most years) and the main reason for that besides talent and hight IQ is HEART!

Late everybody.

Kevin

May 9th, 2012
5:20 pm

My point was to prove that Pierce is not hurt you idiot!!!!!!! Ray Allen is hurt, who else???????

BIG DOG

May 9th, 2012
5:21 pm

I wish one of Hawks players would just pimp slap a Celtics players and stop being so nice, this what Hawks need to become a more physical team and stop shaking everybody hands, last night was a beautiful thing to see Horford bring that dirty south toughness we so desperately need on this team.

WELCOME BACK HORFORD

BIG DOG IN THE HOUSE

Chris E

May 9th, 2012
5:23 pm

We are a back up pg and center away from a championship!!!! The Hawks healthy all year with JT, JJ, JSmoove at SM, Horford at PF and Zaza at center. Hinrich, Marvin, Mcgrady, Ivan and WG coming of the bench. They could make a deep run without injuries, less isolation, during lag times on OFF draw fouls and consistent effort.

drmaryb.(*_*).

May 9th, 2012
5:24 pm

ESPNForsberg Chris Forsberg
Was Ryan Hollins trying to get under the skin of the Hawks last night? “Hopefully,” he said with a smile. — http://t.co/oQ8MxQqb

drmaryb.(*_*).

May 9th, 2012
5:25 pm

ESPNForsberg Chris Forsberg
NBA officially locks in Game 6: Hawks at Celtics on Thursday for 8 p.m. on TNT.

drmaryb.(*_*).

May 9th, 2012
5:27 pm

This ESPN guy is a jerk!!!

ESPNForsberg Chris Forsberg
Hawks JumboTron going with Belushi “Over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor” clip. Let’s call the arena nonplussed.

Mr mojo

May 9th, 2012
5:28 pm

He basically just told u the same team is coming back next year.

Eb

May 9th, 2012
5:30 pm

@DOL- Did he smell of vodka? Just another ill-timed amateurish comment from this group of knucklehead owners. The #1 rule of respect is: if you have to ask for it you’re never going to get it. Gearon doesn’t seem to understand this and his comments only make him and the team appear more foolish.

His comments about KG just stripped any outside chance the Hawks had to win game 6. This will be bulletin board material in Boston and the Celtics will come out fighting. Nice move Gearon. Put the team up for sale……wait, it already is.

Bostonfan

May 9th, 2012
5:30 pm

@Kevin
geeshh, dont get touchy man haha. As you will notice i don’t need insults to prove points.
Kevin Garnett (hip)
M. Pietrus (knee)
Avery Bradley (shoulder)
Pierce( sore knee)
and Ray allen as you pointed out.

most teams are hurt, by this time of the year.

as for the celtics not winning more titles (I believe sombody pointed that out)
the did not have KG the following year and made a run to the second round. the following season we were only minutes away from winning but came short. and last season got beaten by a younger more talented team in Miami)

drmaryb.(*_*).

May 9th, 2012
5:32 pm

Big Dog

“I wish one of Hawks players would just pimp slap a Celtics players and stop being so nice, this what Hawks need to become a more physical team and stop shaking everybody hands”
_________

Did you see Marvin “clothes line” Bass in the paint, before the half? Then he came out to start the third & apologized to Bass? Zaza would have stepped on Bass neck with his good foot, pizzed on his head like a GI in Iraq and then, just walk away – Like it Never even happened.

That’s what this team is amiss! Zaza and for the love of Basketball, unleash Ivan – just one good time! But, you know Drew won’t do that, he’s to cool for “The Crazy.”

Kevin

May 9th, 2012
5:33 pm

That’s what I thought Bostonfan…..Ray Allen is hurt and that’s it. Pierce would make a great soccer player being that he is such a queen. Like most soccer players, when there is contact they just flop around on the field like they have a broken leg until the ball comes back their way and then they get up and sprint towards the ball (very Paul Pierce like)!!! And you want me to believe he is hurt, now that is COMEDY!

BIG DOG

May 9th, 2012
5:34 pm

The perception of this team is that everybody is soft, LD need wake his A$$ up and play Ivan more idon’t no what he have done not to deserve any playing time but if this team go out like suker the hole reunion could be broken up because of our coach holding self grudges against a certain individual, Ivan need to play more game 6, if starters play the hole second half like game 5 they will run out of gas and lose, Marvin played good but LD need start Josh at SF.

BIG DOG IN THE HOUSE

Kevin

May 9th, 2012
5:36 pm

Lol….. Just saw your post. So everybody is hurt?? WOW, I take everything back then. You guys are playing lights out hahahaha. Don’t get mad that I called you an idiot. If you make stupid remarks that is what most people will call you, and you call me touchy.

GT

May 9th, 2012
5:36 pm

These people talk about whining. I have never heard the bellyaching as when the hockey team left town. 40% of the people watching the Hawks in person last night were Boston fans. You got grown men and women dress up looking like green Leprechauns or wearing Boston jerseys, lifeless people showing up at our place for a fix and these classless vagabonds are telling Michael Gearon who sponsors their sickness at a loss to buck up. They should be thanking MG like a drug user thanks a dealer, or better yet like a addict thanks a facilitator. This highway 400 crowd worships this stuff to the point of mania yet have judgement on a man presenting them the product. Lets play a little college football, the one sport the northern sport fan can’t take our players and call them their own, and beat us with them. So much talent is grown down here it has almost ruin the sport in the northeast. And I can take my daughter and wives to a college football game because the little green painted Yankee lunatics can’t get in, we keep all those tickets for ourselves. A very pleasant atmosphere for family gatherings.

Bill Bridges would take KG out!

May 9th, 2012
5:39 pm

Gearon is, in a word, clueless. Not so much for his whining in this article, but he is, as are the rest of the Spirit, clueless. I don’t care for KG, never have, and he is dirty. He’s always been dirty since he came into the league. No what else he is? The owner of an NBA championship ring. The Hawks win one, or even get past the second round, maybe they’ll
start getting respect.

BIG DOG

May 9th, 2012
5:45 pm

drmaryb – Yes girl we need some dirty pimp slapping going around here, every time i turn around media always calling ATL sports teams soft, JUST DAM.

Hawks, My Falcons, even in baseball the Braves,

I’m glad Gearon call out KG the Celtics always talking Sh!t, SMH

BIG DOG IN THE HOUSE

BIG DOG

May 9th, 2012
5:48 pm

Dam i miss Zaza in this series, Zaza big forehead pounding on KG.

BIG DOG IN THE HOUSE

UGA

May 9th, 2012
5:56 pm

Well spoken Gearon!!

KG is dirty!! Read his lips after every play!

2 fouls in the first half was a joke.

IF Horford and Smoove and Zaza were healthy, this series was over last night!! No doubt about it.

Eb

May 9th, 2012
6:02 pm

@GT- Without these “vagabonds”, 40% of the seats could have been empty. Gearon isn’t sponsoring anything for anybody- check the ticket prices if you doubt me. The fact he’s losing money is because of his own stupidity and that of the other non-sensical stoolpidgeons with whom he associates. Nobody walking through the gates of Philips arena with a valid ticket owes any of these stiffs anything. Do you thank Frank Blake every time you buy something at Home Depot? Muhtar Kent every time you buy a Coke product? Gearon should be thanking all ticket holders as any business owner interested in a buck would do.

Ray

May 9th, 2012
6:12 pm

Yeah let’s just trade Josh Smith away Now here’s the question who you going to replace him with?????

Dwight Howard that’s his best friend
Deron Williams Dallas going after him plus he lead the league in TO’s
Taj Gibson not even on Josh’s level
T. Prince…………old

Who else is there look the only way you get rid of Josh is if you get someone like Kevin Love, Kevin Durant, or people like that back for him. That’s how much I value Josh Smith to this franchise.

Dude is a game changer, but yet y’all want to get rid of him if we get rid of either of the two (Josh or Al) might as well blow it up Atlanta Hawks will be sent into another Dark Age for a long time.

I hope you don’t expect Marvin or Joe to save us yeah Marvin had a good game yesterday what about the other 54 that he didn’t? Same thing can be said about Joe excuse me Mr. Choke Max Johnson.

We all get onto Josh about shooting those jumpers, but thing is those jumpers don’t hurt us as much as Marvin being invisible or Joe going into the Iso-Joe mode. I also wish Josh would calm down a tad on the jumpers when they aren’t falling, but thing is he’s also won games that way too. Josh is a legit NBA All-star maybe not superstar yet, but that’s only because we don’t MARKET HIM or anyone else for that matter.

KevinM

May 9th, 2012
6:12 pm

Boston isn’t going to get called for fouls if we continue to settle for jumpers and fallaways. Go inside and attack their weak C Garnett. He isn’t going to get in foul trouble….there is no depth.

NOTE to Gearon: Have you even discussed this with league officials? Are you too busy to back your team to the league and let them know we aren’t going to be quiet until things are impartial?

Give this team the resources it needs to be a championship contender and get out of the way.

Congrats to DMB being acknowledged by Josh as a supporter. He is the guts of this team and wouldn’t it be special for this group to finally climb that hurdle and do the ‘impossible’?

That is where this group is right now. They have to make a statement to the Celtics, to the league and to the fans. We aren’t going home!

Terrell

May 9th, 2012
6:12 pm

So what happens if we lose tomorrow? If you blow up the team you’re to where you were in the late 90s. People know Josh Smith is in his last year next year and they can sign him then or if Atlanta’s Brass are like some of fans just trade him for anything. Where does that put us? Amnesty Joe, trade Marvin. What do you think potential free agents are going to think? As much as you all don’t agree, those guys I mentioned have value and when you get rid of guys like that what makes you think a new head coach is going to want to come here? New Players? Just blowing up a team isn’t going to do it. Our problem is lack of consistency not talent. I could see a new head coach down the road maybe.

Terrell

May 9th, 2012
6:14 pm

KevinM

You’re right, we won’t get foul calls if we don’t drive to basket but a lot of times the jump shots are taken because we aren’t getting the calls as we drive to the basket.

Ray

May 9th, 2012
6:14 pm

Someone do Gearon a favorite and give him a free lesson in marketing 101 cause Josh would have been an All-star this year for all that great work he put in if Gearon actually does some DAM* MARKETING.

Yeah I’m upset a little.

Hey Josh if you reading most of the smarter people think you deserve to be the All-star and have been snubbed at least twice these last three years.

Ray

May 9th, 2012
6:16 pm

@ Terrell

Agreed

Getting rid of Josh, Al, Teague, or Zaza and maybe even T-mac would be a bad idea.

LakeDawg

May 9th, 2012
6:18 pm

Funny, but I commented to my brother during the game last night that this has been the best officiated playoff series I’ve ever watched. Not once has there been a controversial call. A pretty mean feat. I haven’t even noticed the officiating, which is a good thing. Boston gets more fouls, because they drive the lane. The Hawks settle for jumpers.

Max Southwest

May 9th, 2012
6:19 pm

Trade Josh Smith

Obviously Paul W and TJS are not watching the same Josh Smith that I have seen, basically all season long. Josh Smith overall basketball game has improved tremendously. He is shooting a nice 15 foot jumper, (sometimes a little further out) rebounding the ball, filling the wing on fast breaks, passing the ball into teammates cutting to the basket (when they move without the ball), going to the low post and scoring, and blocking shots. Points per game same as JJ, leads NBA in rebounding, and can get the crowd into the game with his above the rim play. Josh is the Hawks MVP. Certainly not Joe Johnson. To all Hawk fans: Hawks Shock the World and beat Boston on Thursday night.

ASG...No Wonder

May 9th, 2012
6:22 pm

Hearing Gearon speak leaves no doubt why this ownership group is the laughingstock of the NBA and formely the NHL. Burn in hell Mike for what you did to the Thrashers. Until you sell the team, we will never attract the elite players or achieve anything significant. They will lose by 20+ in Boston and you will have some tough decisions and an ever shrinking fanbase.

Ray

May 9th, 2012
6:23 pm

@ Max Southwest

They aren’t when Joe is on the court the offense slows to a stop and we just watch this one guy do something for about 24 seconds, and once it hits 10 seconds then the other guys got to scramble to get a shot up.

That’s my problem with Joe right now he sits there trying to pull And 1 tricks when you playing in the NBA playoffs man get that ish out of my face. If I wanted And 1 I’d go see that, but I want to see NBA Carmelo ain’t no better though.

LakeDawg

May 9th, 2012
6:27 pm

For all of those asking, “if we blow it up, who do we replace JJ, Smooove, etc. with?” Probably nobody. Doesn’t matter. Its reached the point that I don’t like the Hawk players. Especially Smooove. If I see him one more time in a critical point in a game get a rebound, wave off the guard, dribble the length of the court, only to dribble it off his knee or shoot a dribble/drive 25 footer off the backboard….well. Let’s just say, I would rather watch bad players give it all they have and play team BB than watch this bunch. BTW There is a reason Smooove hasn’t been picked as an all-star. He doesn’t deserve it. Talented, but selfish, not a team player. Everybody in the NBA sees this. No contending team wants him. JJ would be a nice addition to a contender as a #3 man.

Ray

May 9th, 2012
6:32 pm

@ LakeDawg

Wow you say selfish I’ve never seen the guy pull an Iso play seems like he’s always directing people where to go most of the time.

Smoove should have been an All-star this year and the year before last even most of the analyst have said he was snubbed twice this year was big time.

JJ wouldn’t even be on a contending team especially after all these things they see and hear about him our best bet to get rid of Joe is a team our west probably Golden St. or Portland.

Josh actually has better BB IQ then most people give him credit for there are some boneheaded plays he does, but I’ve seen far worse.

If you really want an example of high talent low IQ Javale Mcgee is your guy.

prison mike

May 9th, 2012
6:34 pm

Bout time this mute has said something. The next thing he says better be “we are in the final stages of selling the Hawks”.

drmaryb.(*_*).

May 9th, 2012
6:34 pm

Research Notes

The Celtics are now 9-13 when attempting to close out a series under Doc Rivers, including 2-10 on the road.

The additions of Marvin Williams and Al Horford to the Hawks’ starting lineup for Game 5 paid off as Atlanta’s starters outscored the Celtics by 14 points during the 35 minutes they played together. [+]

ESPN Stats & Information

LakeDawg

May 9th, 2012
6:38 pm

I never said smooove had low BB IQ. I think he’s pretty smart, which makes his boneheaded plays all the more infuriating. When he feels its time to score some points, he doesn’t take in consideration the point in the game or what’s best for the team. As for JJ, if he doesn’t have to lead or carry the weight, he can be very effective as a #3 or off the bench for a contending team.

GT

May 9th, 2012
6:40 pm

Eb the reason you can buy tickets is because southerners just don’t care about the atmosphere surrounding a NBA game. Our lives unlike yours would not be off one day if we didn’t have this sport dictated by northern demand, and put down south because of carpetbaggers migrating down here. The reason the press is so anti Hawks is it can afford to be, most of the fans down here are not Hawk fans they are fans of the towns they escaped from, New York, Philly, Boston. No one gets mad when the Hawks are put down because there is no lost capital doing so. The press can have a field day on a Mike Gearon because there is no real grass root support here for the Atlanta Hawks, it is a theater for northern entertainment.

You won’t see such “courage” shown when it come to something that has popularity down here like Georgia Bulldog football. You let the press scratch that surface and you will have a riot. As far as most Atlanta or state of Georgia people are concern about pro basketball or hockey, it is just like the airport, people passing through.

drmaryb.(*_*).

May 9th, 2012
6:40 pm

KevinM

“NOTE to Gearon: Have you even discussed this with league officials? Are you too busy to back your team to the league and let them know we aren’t going to be quiet until things are impartial?

Give this team the resources it needs to be a championship contender and get out of the way.”
____________

PREACH!!! PULPIT!!! TABERNACLE!!!

prison mike

May 9th, 2012
6:43 pm

To Levenson or Gearon…

We are the Dallas Mavs of the East. We need our Tyson Chandler somewhere out their in free agency and also a pure veteran pg in Andre Miller…

Also get us a young respectable coach and watch this team take the next few steps…

Rick James

May 9th, 2012
6:48 pm

As much as I hate to say it I have to side with Steve Belkin regarding Joe Johnson. The Hawks can lose every year in the first or second round of the playoffs without him.