Hawks still hoping for No. 2 seed (and a little attention)
Josh Smith and the Hawks hope for a welcoming party in two weekend home games. (AP photo)
The third best team in the NBA’s Eastern Conference, which is based in one of the league’s top markets, returns home to Philips Arena Friday night. Their hope is that somebody notices.
The Hawks are doing their part. They’ve had a chance to fizzle and haven’t. OK, there was that collapse Wednesday night in Toronto when a 12-point lead evaporated in the fourth-quarter and they lost in the final seconds on a jumper by Chris Bosh. But here’s the pass: The loss came with their leading scorer (Joe Johnson) sitting out. It was their second game in two nights on the road against a team (Toronto) fighting for a playoff spot. There are worse ways to go splat.
Four weeks ago, the Hawks lost consecutive games at Phoenix and Golden State. There were signs of settling. At 34-20, they basically were a .500 team (15-14) after a meteoric 19-6 start. But since then, they’ve won nine of 13. A win at New Jersey actually put them 20 games over .500 for the first time in 13 years. Can’t remember seeing that in any headlines.
Loading ...They’re doing it in ways you want to see, particularly in March. When Johnson missed consecutive games with an injury, others stepped up their game, particularly at the offensive end. Even Jeff Teague played. Remember Jeff Teague?
“I like the fact that everybody is making a contribution,” general manager Rick Sund said. “I like our chemistry.”
So here’s the question: Has anybody noticed?
The Hawks rank 20th in the NBA in home attendance at 16,092. Of the 10 teams behind them entering Thursday’s games, seven have losing records. Eight are out of the playoff picture. The two exceptions: Charlotte and Milwaukee. Both play in significantly smaller markets.
The fact the Hawks draw pretty well on weekends should help Friday (Charlotte) and Sunday (San Antonio). But shouldn’t the overall picture be better? Players can’t help but notice the half-empty arena, but they aren’t going to say much about it publicly, beyond, “All we can do is win.” And then maybe they roll their eyes.
Sund, who for a long time worked for one of the NBA’s most-vibrant franchises in Seattle, said: “I haven’t lived here long enough to comment. I don’t know.”
It’s not anybody’s business to tell people how to spend their money. But the bad-economy argument goes only so far. Chicago, Portland, Dallas, New York and Salt Lake City are in the same economy. Nobody can play the economy card more than Detroit, and the Pistons are averaging over 18,000 — and they’re a 23-45 team.
Maybe this will get people’s attention: The race for the Southeast Division title and the No. 2 seed in the East isn’t dead yet. Nobody is catching Cleveland. But the Hawks play four games in the next six days, the last one coming against the Magic. They have only 15 games left. It’s safe to say if they’re going to make a move on Orlando, it’s now.
Sund speculates that to catch the Magic, “We need to beat Orlando and then win seven out of eight or something like that.”
Even if the Hawks fall short, it’s a worthy product, a fun team to watch even if sometimes aggravating. It’s a team that lost four straight earlier in the season – two of those to Cleveland – but otherwise has not dropped more than two in a row all year.
“The good thing is we’ve been through some highs and lows like every club, but we’ve come out of it,” Sund said. “We’ve shown some resiliency.”
Teams sell out games when enough fans believe there’s a reason to go.
When LeBron and Kobe come to town, the games sell out.
When the playoffs start, the games sell out.
Until then, the Hawks may have to settle for being just north of curiosity, even if in relative anonymity.
♦
Follow me on Twitter @JeffSchultzAJC and on Facebook.com/JeffSchultzAJC
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
111 comments Add your comment
Bullwinkle
March 18th, 2010
5:21 pm
NBA players are incredibly overpaid. Thus ticket prices are too high. Nuff said.
Jeff Schultz
March 18th, 2010
5:24 pm
Najeh Davenpoop — Funny you mention that because, unless I’m mistaken, I think reason games were moved to 7 was to make it easier for people to just go straight from work. I don’t know — maybe they also thought they’d get more kids with the earlier start.
FSJR
March 18th, 2010
5:37 pm
For what it’s worth, I don’t miss a TV game; that Falcons season ticket, parking pass, and tailgating costs consume much of my “sports” expenses. My wife is not into sports at all and I have to save other $$$ for her vices.
JustaThought
March 18th, 2010
5:41 pm
Thank you Doc,you are so right, but unfortunately when management seems to have there heards either stuck in the sand or more realistically “up there arse”, this is the results. Besides, I think everybody in the ATL knows a DUD when they see one.
Blake
March 18th, 2010
5:45 pm
I got some motivation for the Hawks…How about closing out games in the fourth quarter to start.The Hawks have lost two many stupid games in the fourth quarter this year…tells me their gonna be pushovers in the playoffs.Especially on the road where their pretty dismal.The elite teams win on the friggin’ road and play tough hard nosed basketball,when are we gonna see that on the road.I’ll be a believer when I see them beat a Orlando or Cleveland on the road!
Blake
March 18th, 2010
5:47 pm
I know I’m coming with passion but I do love the Hawks!!!
Najeh Davenpoop
March 18th, 2010
6:16 pm
Eh… if they did move games to 7 to make it easier for people to go straight from work, I don’t think it’s had the desired effect. Some of the worst crowds I’ve seen on TV this season have been for the 7 PM weekday games, where the place didn’t look half full until halftime.
Diego
March 18th, 2010
6:18 pm
A lot of typical baloney. Najeh Davenpoop is the only one who really nailed it. Weekend games are always very well-attended. Weekday games–most of which occur on Wednesday–are never (absent the Cavs or Lakers) well-attended. It is just tough to get there at 7:00 p.m., PLUS naturally a lot of folks just don’t go out in the middle of a tough work week. (The same reason folks go to the movies during the weekend and not mid-week.) The economy certainly also is a factor for people who buy tickets on a game-by-game basis, which is where the real shortage has been this year. (There actually are many devoted season ticketholders.)
All this usual blather about dangerous downtown, etc., etc. is hooey (with a bit of latent racism thrown in). And take it from this mid-40s, white professional (with a handful of university degrees) season ticketholder, the games are a blast–and the Hawks rarely lose at home these days.
wayne
March 18th, 2010
6:32 pm
Agree with Blake, The hawks have to learn to close out teams in the fourth qtr. They are rolling along with the lead, then start throwing up long balls. seems like the other teams start going to their big guys, see who Toronto went to last night. It also appears the hawks are minus a big center, have been for some time.
Jeff Schultz
March 18th, 2010
6:33 pm
Najeh — No question about the weekday crowds. When I’m watching the games on TV it’s embarrassing. I really don’t know if moving times back to 7:30 would help but I think we can agree it certainly wouldn’t hurt.
Jeff Schultz
March 18th, 2010
6:33 pm
Blake — don’t apologize for passion.
MannyT
March 18th, 2010
6:39 pm
Jeff Schultz–You bring up an interesting question that leads me to question the depth of fanhood in Atlanta. It’s more than the Hawks. I hope they get more support, but I wouldn’t bet on it.
When the Braves were on that great run, it was tough to get people to attend early round playoff games. In the early 1990s, it was a cool experience, but by the late 1990s, fans said–been there, done that.
Falcons attendance rises and dips with the record.
I recall loooong ago, when I first moved here,getting a ticket to the last game of a Hawks playoff series vs Detroit as a walk up. There were not enough fans to pack the place when Steve Smith et al went up against a young Grant Hill & Allen Houston.
Teams with big TV & radio ratings get big TV & radio $$$. The Hawks get bumped by Ga Tech on a radio station that has to go home after dark.
All that said–people don’t support the Hawks much when they win, but much less when they lose.
You can get tickets to an average (not Lakers, Boston, Cleveland) game off Stub Hub for less than face value. You can park for $5 or less in safe location if you know where. Free if you eat at the right places before the game.
The reality is this is a college sports area. As for the pros, fans just are not that into you…unless you are a sports icon.
I found this site that has old attendance data…seems to imply that Dominique Wilkins (1982-1994) didn’t pack the Omni either.
http://www.apbr.org/attendance.html
One tell tale sign about your team is how they rank in road attendance %, where we do a little better than home.
http://espn.go.com/nba/attendance
I like the NBA. I’ve been a Hawks season ticket holder for about 6 years. It is rarely full unless there is a star in town from the other team.
Maybe that’s why there is quiet from the ownership as they try to figure out how to replace Belkin’s money in the long term. If you had a stack of cash, would you want to be a 40% owner of a team that probably won’t get significant support until they either go farther than they ever have in Atlanta (conf finals or better) or get one of the top 5 players in the league to make it the “social” place to be. Easier to sell it all than sell almost a majority (Belkin’s share) of something that the fans don’t support.
jamie c
March 18th, 2010
8:10 pm
as a lifelong hawks fan (33 years young), i have been there through the best (nique) years and worst (manning) years. i now have a family of 4, make a decent living and would never pay the $ just to get to the hawks games. i can’t validate spending that much on that. once every couple years is what i can justify.
but to rebut the one guys point about NEEDING a superstar, this team is built as a TEAM. no lbj, no kobe. i like what billy knight started and rick sund is finishing. a team that can switch off like no other, and can have at least 5 guys in double digits every night. and as far as stars go, i’m here to say – JOSH SMITH IS THE CATS PAJAMAS! that guy is AMAZING! if only he’d stop shooting from 20 feet. buy hey, nobody’s perfect.
all that we need to be a contender is a tougher coach. i don’t know if woody has it in him to get tough. i can tell when he might actually say something, cuz the team plays better for about 10 minutes. but i think he gets brain farts after the 3rd quarter and stops coaching and only relies on crawford/johnson to bail the team out. can we imagine how good this team could be if we got the czar back? i wonder if they’ve tried…
ASHEVILLE DAWG
March 18th, 2010
8:20 pm
My Dad took me lots of games when Walt Bellamy, Pete Maravich, super Lou Hudson, and the like. So far in 33 years they have been here,the last ten years they have really played badly. Who is the big star? Look on the other teams roster for one. Maybe they could actually draft a star, but I doubt it. Maybe a consistant product? Of course, when you can’t retain top talent, why should I bother to come downtown? Just like the Thrashers, get a real ownership group in. Get rid of the “Clown Posse” maybe fans will return.
S Hawk Fan
March 18th, 2010
8:39 pm
Simply put…. I will not go to another Hawks game until they get rid of Woody! They start taking it serious then I will!!!
tyger
March 18th, 2010
8:47 pm
Falcoons Easy Button 1.0
1.19 Golden Tate, WR, ND
3.81 John Jerry, OL, Ole Miss
3.97 Jimmy Graham, TE, Mia
4. 115 Brandon Lang, DE/OLB, Troy
5. 130 Greg Hardy, DE, Ole Miss
5. 161 Danario Alexander, WR, Mizz
6. 163 Myron Lewis, CB, Vandy
Mr. Turnip-Green Jeans
March 18th, 2010
8:54 pm
Dominique Wilkins was a star, but not on the same level as LeBron or MJ. Dominique was unfortunate in that his career was overshadowed by MJ throughout. Until we get our first MEGA-star, a charismatic presence unworldly in nature, attendance is gonna suffer. Once it finally happens, folks here will finally embrace the Hawks as never before. There’ll be a following that will stick, even after the mega-star is long gone.
justahawkfan
March 18th, 2010
9:02 pm
The NBA make stars by giving them 10-15 extra free throws pre game.
Ros
March 18th, 2010
9:14 pm
Plethora of problems cause attendance. One that should be explored is too many games. 82 regular games plus a few preseason and whatever you get in the playoffs is way too much. Listen to expert NBA analyst and they acknowledge as much when describing teams like the Lakers who turn it up for the playoffs. The long season wears down the players and for thier own survival they pace themselves thorough the grind. Very few teams or players give maximum effort for the season. (Michael Jordan being an exception). Reduce the season to 60 games and you will see better effort and better games that mean something. Probably won’t happen because of the green of the owners and greed of the players who want more revenue and are not interested in the best possible product. AS to the reasonalbly priced tickets with all the discounts, the massive and frequent discounts indicate the product is poorly priced int the first place.
Jeff Schultz
March 18th, 2010
9:33 pm
MannyT — Good post. The only thing I would point out when it comes to attendance averages is the population of Atlanta was less than half of what it currently is during the ‘Nique era. I know when I moved here in 1989, the population in the metro area was 1.8 million. Now it’s, what, 5 or 6 million?
Grumpy
March 18th, 2010
10:17 pm
Detroit’s 18,000 figure is a mirage. Larger season ticket base and lots of early renewals. Next year will be a different story.
go thrash/Hawks
March 18th, 2010
10:46 pm
you are loser if you think it is a HASSLE to get to a game
get a life J.. off
go thrash/Hawks
March 18th, 2010
10:50 pm
so if you think the asg has done a good job with hawks…youre considered an insider…shultz has an issue with them….the thrashers will be around alot longer than this looser….go write a book about Obamba
go thrash/Hawks
March 18th, 2010
10:51 pm
never trust a dude with a beard who writes about sports…insecure?
northcyde
March 18th, 2010
10:58 pm
All of these dang excuses as to why people don’t go to Hawk games. It’s simply a bunch of bull crap.
- Charlotte game is tomorrow night ( on a Friday )
- Laker game is in 2 weeks ( on a Wednesday )
But watch how many more people will be at the Wednesday game ( which starts at 7 PM ), than the Friday game ( which starts at 7:30 PM ). And those people who will be at the Laker game, will be ON TIME.
And in between those games, watch how many people will just flat out NOT show up to the Sunday Afternoon game vs Indiana that starts at 3:30 PM. No traffic issues on a Sunday afternoon. But the people will simply fill the place at about 65% – 70% when the Pacers come to town.
Atlanta is simply a bandwagon sports town. Plain and simple. Always has been . . always will be. I have absolutely NO RESPECT for you fans in Atlanta that continue to make excuses for not going to the games. Absolutely NONE.
The Hawks are 57 – 17 in their last 74 home games. Regardless of what this team does on the road, when they get inside Philips, they will win over 75% of their games. That would put them right around being one of the top 5 to 7 home teams in the NBA the past 2 years.
And yet so-called Hawk fans will find excuses not to go to the games.
I personally drive 300 miles about 5 – 10 times a year, just to see the Hawks. And not just for the big games either.
The last game I went to, was a Sunday afternoon game vs Milwaukee. A game in which I saw about 3,000 of you pathetic ATL fans WALK OUT ON THE HAWKS, after we couldn’t win a game in regulation. It wasn’t but 11K in the building anyway, but about 3K walked out on this team that day. The remaining 7K ( because another 1K walked out during the overtime, thinking that we couldn’t win the game ), saw the Hawks get it together in the OT, and win the game.
If the fact that JJ isn’t as flashy as Wade or Kobe keeps you away from the arena . . then stay your butts at home.
If the fact that you can’t commute 20 miles ( 35 minutes ) in traffic to get to Philips Arena that keeps you from seeing the Hawks . . . stay your butts at home
If the fact that Woody is still our head coach keeps you from supporting the Hawks .. . then keep your butts at home.
Seriously. Stop acting like you’d support the teams if things were different.
Bandwagon (( bleepin )) fans.
Jeff Schultz
March 18th, 2010
11:03 pm
Grumpy — You’re certainly right about the season-ticket base. That’s where it all starts.
Jeff Schultz
March 18th, 2010
11:05 pm
go Thrash/Hawks — Having a bad day at the office? Work downtown by chance?
Jeff Schultz
March 18th, 2010
11:07 pm
Northclyde — Good post. Agree. I don’t discount economic reasons for a lot of people. But bottom line for most people is you either want to go to a game or you don’t. You either believe in the product or you don’t. And that’s fine, really. But I heard all of the traffic/crime/downtown excuses for the Braves before 1991.
Shooobah
March 18th, 2010
11:13 pm
All the Hawks need to do is keep winning.
–If you build it, they will come.–
All things considered, we should be the top
market in US for hoops other than LA and NY.
Go Hawks.
northcyde
March 18th, 2010
11:22 pm
And the reason you’ll know that they’re bandwagon, is that they’ll actually try to pack Philips Arena during the playoffs ( if we play Miami or Chicago ). Then again . . that may be Miami and Chicago fans that determines if the arena will be packed or not.
Let us play Milwaukee or Charlotte, and I would bet that one of those first 2 games WILL NOT be a sellout.
All the excuses need to stop.
Either support the dang team . . . or don’t.
Make a commitment to UNCONDITIONALLY see the Hawks, if you’re a fan of this team. Don’t make those lame azz excuses. People will break their necks to see a Wednesday night game vs the Lakers starting at 7 PM . . so don’t tell me that you can’t make it to a 7:30 PM Friday start against the Bobcats.
4th best team so far in Atlanta Hawk history, and people are still making excuses.
northcyde
March 18th, 2010
11:23 pm
north cyde . . . no L in the name.
Mike Jay
March 18th, 2010
11:52 pm
I do here by commit to my beloved Hawks.
SSSSQQQUUUUAAACKKK! SSSSQQQUUUUAAACKKK!
Jeff Schultz
March 19th, 2010
10:09 am
Northcyde — Got it. As in Northside, but not?
Jeff Schultz
March 19th, 2010
10:12 am
Scottbravesfan — You’re welcome to re-post without the black/white references. Had to take your post out. Your first three sentences were fine and on the mark. If you need me to send me your old post back for cleanup, send me an email (jschultz@ajc.com).
MsDee
March 19th, 2010
11:08 am
northcyde,
You are right about the Lakers game. We will probably sellout at 7pm but we only play them once a year in Phillips, so that’s not hard to image. Fans can sacifice once a year to maybe take off work that day to make it on time, or to save up extra dollars to see Kobe once a year b/c of high ticket prices for good seats. So, I wouldn’t use the Lakers as an example as to why the fans dont come on a nightly basis.
MsDee
March 19th, 2010
11:14 am
The Hawks just need to focus on winning and not base their wins on fans b/c you cant control what you cant control but they CAN control how they play on a nightly basis. Trust me, if they focus on why they play in the NBA 1st and for most, the fans WILL come a support them in due time. Prove to yourselves 1st that you (the Hawks) can play hard against the best and worth of them regardly of wins and loses cause I would most definely come out to every home game if I KNEW THE HAWKS WOULD GIVE 110% ON EVERY GAME..WIN OR LOSE!!!!!!!!
All I'm Saying...
March 19th, 2010
1:31 pm
As has been typed, Hawks just need to keep winning and fans will come. Accessibility to Philips Arena is fine and it’s location has nothing to do with attendance. Hawks fans showed what they will do attendance-wise in playoffs vs. Celtics two years ago and against the Heat and, despite everything said, season ticket sales and average attendance figures have grown the last few years. As long as the Hawks finish strong, win their first playoff round, and play well in the next playoff series (i.e. don’t get swept like last year), then interest will grow and next year’s season ticket base will escalate. especially if they make a splash in the offseason by either resigning Joe Johnson or, if necessary, signing someone else to take his place.
(Can’t compare Hawks to ‘91 Braves because baseball has 81 home games which allows for wider range of ticket prices (and certainly more affordable tickets back then), and Braves were intensely competing against hated Dodgers (back in our NL West days) for the only playoff spot from their division (no wild card back then)).
LET’S GO HAWKS!
Diego
March 19th, 2010
3:42 pm
Regarding the Lakers game on March 31, yes it will be a sellout, but if the game is at normal 7:00 p.m. time, it will still be a while after tipoff before arena fills up (probably only about half full at tipoff), because a lot of folks just have a tough time getting there at 7:00 p.m.
j
March 20th, 2010
10:12 am
did i just read a POSITIVE article … maybe i need to go back to sleep and wake up again. Yes, the Lakers game will be a sellout BUT the big game is the Orlando game. my hope is that one is sold out too. these guys need the fans to come out. we’ve waited for so long for a decent hawks team, and now that we have one, where are all the fans? too many empty seats last night for a friday night game …
j
March 20th, 2010
10:23 am
sorry, just read through some comments … somebody said the ticket prices are way too high for a decent seat? ummmm … maybe you haven’t paid to watch a Falcons game yet in the 300 level or have you just ignored the costs of the same seats in other arenas for lesser teams??? i think that argument died awhile ago, and really reserved for a person who is just trying to make excuses not to attend. i paid $47.50 for the $95 seats last night with my company discount, and got in 110 Row KK. we dont get discounts like that all the time but the fact is great seats can be had for a discount for certain nights.
the concessions, albeit not as great as previous years, still aren’t that bad, with quite a few options. now, if they could just work on getting those “jumbo” hot dogs more jumbo. hell, eat in the CNN center or Taco Mac. really? come on … now you’re really just making up stuff to not attend
traffic – flat out sucks, no doubt … if you dont get there early, its a nightmare. if you had just stuck with that argument, i’d agree
j
March 20th, 2010
10:34 am
oh, and the homless attacking your daughter excuse? pathetic … i’ve taken my 4 year ol downtown many times for the circus, etc and that thought has never crossed my mind that a homeless guy would pull a gun out and shoot him. plus, there are PLENTY of cops on the street around the CNN center, one of which i personally know. seriously, these excuses are weak and have no facts behind them. however, big kudos to the loyal. sounds like whitey is just making up lame excuses that a “thug” is keeping him from coming downtown. don’t you attend business functions downtown? when will this city ever embrace its teams … i listened to people whine for years about how bad sports are but its really no different when the teams are winning b/c people then wine about how we won’t win it all … i got into an argument years ago with an idiot at a bar about the Braves. they made the playoffs all those years (yes i know one championship) but still, they were there all those years. his argument, they didn’t win it all those years … how unrealistic can you be? id be happy to have a shot every year unlike some of those other teams that have shots once in 8 years. until people get past these false excuses, we wont see sellouts every nigh, PERIOD
j
March 20th, 2010
11:00 am
last comment … dr. warren, not to beat a dead horse, but as i recall last year, we had Joe and horford injured during second round of the playoffs. do i think we would have made it out last year with them healthy? no, but it would have allowed us to win at at least two. the team has a great shot this year to make it past the second round . thats the great thing about playoffs, you dont know what is going to happen, upsets will be around every corner (think the Hawks v. Boston, almost the upset of all time)
you can analyze as much as you want doc, but people in this city are excuse makers. they dont search for deals and only assume that ticketmaster is the only way to go. Most nights (minus a Cavs/Boston/Lakers) you can get in the 100/200 level for around $30 to $60 per ticket. people aren’t smart enough to do their homework, so they complain about something that is easily remedied by doing some background searching first. the traffic problem cant really be fixed but thats no excuse for a game not to be sold out on a friday/saturday/sunday night game. friday night games are at 7:30pm, unless they change to accomodate ESPN.
yeah, i rant about this but i’m just as tired as most people are about empty seats. If i can go to the games and find deals, it shouldn’t be that hard for somebody else to find these same deals. the worst is hearing these excuses b/c 90% have nothing behind them.
schultz, you as a reporter should write these articles about why fans should be attending. go out and get the facts on ticket prices, the concessions, the police surrounding the arena. do your job like you did today and get the city excited about this team. these excuses are uncalled for … when fans like myself read these blogs, i can see how a casual fan might decide not to attend based off what they read. i go to the games, i know half this stuff isn’t true so somebody has to call it what it is, garbage talk.
j
March 20th, 2010
11:08 am
and if you want to debate with me on ticket prices, bring your facts b/c i have mine … FYI – seats could be had for $30 for the $70 seats and $50 for the $95 for the Spurs game Sunday. one of the other specials discounts i got through email. those are 100 level seats … believe me, i can put somebody in their place when it comes to a lame excuse on ticket prices (except for Lakers/Cavs/Celtics which would normally sellout anyways). if a loyal fan can do that, schultz you should be able to make the same argument but only stronger with the words of a reporter
Greg
March 20th, 2010
2:25 pm
There are a lot of reasons for the apathy. Anyone who knows anything about basketball can see that they are a severely flawed team. Blowing 4th quarter teams to bad teams(GS, NY and Toronto…yes, Toronto, they’ve been as bad as anyone lately and got stomped at home last night by OKC). Talented and fun to watch at times, but horribly inept(primarily due to coaching) at other times. Case in point: Any number of scenario’s last night, but I’ll pick out a few obvious ones. End of regulation, Hawks can get no better than a 3 pt jump shot by Josh Smith at the buzzer. Up 3 with a little more than 1 minute left in OT and the two offensive possessions before Johnson’s buzzer beater consisted of Johnson and Crawford dribbling the ball for 20 seconds and then taking a long jumper. No passing, no teamwork whatsoever. And, on the other end, Charlotte of course got the shots they wanted and made them on the last two possessions. It’s the difference between Larry Brown and Mike Woodson. All is forgotten because JJ throws in a jumper at the buzzer, but this is typical of these Hawks in crunch time. I will be very surprised if they make it out of the first round and no way they get past round two whether they meet Cleveland or Orlando.
As for the “this is a baseball and UGA town reference”, Atlanta is hardly a baseball town. The reason folks jumped on the Braves bandwagon so quickly is because they went to the World Series immediately and came within an eyelash of winning it. At that point, even the most disillusioned of ATL sports fans felt all things were possible with those Braves. That feeling doesn’t yet translate to these Hawks and probably never will. It definitely won’t as long as Woodson is the coach.
northcyde
March 22nd, 2010
10:08 am
Blah, blah, blah @ Greg. 45 wins . . . and still on pace to post the 4th most successful season in Atlanta Hawks history. That city should be completely buzzing about the Hawks.
The fans stay away because the team doesn’t play perfect? Please. When a team is a whopping 28 – 7 at home ( that’s an 80% winning percentage by the way ), there should be no apathy whatsoever. Hawks games are exciting, even when we barely pull out wins over “inferior” teams.
The fans stay away because they’re not truly fans of the team. This team is tied for the 4th best home record in the league. Coming to watch a game at Philips Arena has been the best sports ticket in town for Atlanta sports fans for the past 2 years.
Better than the Falcons
Better than Georgia Tech
Definitely better than the Braves
Like j said, people simply need to do some research to get pretty good ticket deals to these games. And the “true fans” of this team, don’t just show up to games vs the marquee teams.
AceDawg
March 22nd, 2010
12:24 pm
It seems Atlanta has a fanbase in all sports that is tentative to go out and see their teams. I totally DO think Atlanta traffic, coupled with most residents living away from the stadiums, plays a role. Chicago, New York, etc – they have far more people living a couple miles from their stadiums. Smaller market teams have far less entertainment options then Atlanta on the other side of the debate. And there are so many sports bars in Atlanta! Hard to want to drive downtown, buy expensive beers, and wonder how to get home when you can drive to a sports pub a mile away for much cheaper. Then again I live in DC now and have to cheer for the Hawks from a distance.
J
March 22nd, 2010
1:01 pm
Northcyde, i guess people stopped blogging b/c they couldn’t come up with a better excuse for not attending the games? who knows … great game last night though. That should quite down some of these people on here.
Barnes
March 22nd, 2010
1:30 pm
IMO, I think the problem is due to Atlanta being a transient city. Although I’ve been here 17 years, the Hawks are my second favorite NBA team. And the Falcons will never surpass my loyalty to the Packers. With that being said, I still attend Hawks games and cheer loudly.
As for the homeless/ dangerous downtown excuse, we all know what you guys really mean.
Bottom line: It’s cheaper to keep your existing customers than acquire new customers. People will always use their traffic/ danger/ cost/ food (that’s a new one) excuses. The Hawks should focus on growing their fan base organically. The current fans should be treated like royalty.
I lived in Dallas, TX during the late 90s when Mark Cuban bought the Mavericks. The Mavs had worse attendance than the Hawks. Cuban would let all of the fans in the upper-deck move down to the lower level when the arena was empty. Cuban also created a post-game experience called the Mavs Club in which all fans with a ticket stub had free entrance to a post-game party where occasionally Don Nelson and Mavs players served as bartenders. That’s just an example of how Cuban thought outside of the box in order to enhance the fans’ experience and increase the overall fan base.
Also, the AJC could do their part to increase fan support. It’s ridiculous that I have to search for Hawks articles on this site because they are never on the homepage.
jojatek
March 23rd, 2010
10:54 pm
Same old story in Atlanta. Despite the record turn-around in 1991 and subsequent run to 14 straight division titles, we saw empty seats and easily-had tickets during the playoffs (!!) during those years. Nobody has ever been able to explain it, but it’s been the trademark of Atlanta fans for years (if not decades). One thing that I will say for the Braves: Despite the empty seats, my kids believe that the Braves have always been “perennial winners” and talk about them in the same breath they talk about the Yankees and Red Sox. That certainly never happened when I was their age growing up in Atlanta in the 1970’s, when we saw Biff Pocoroba and Jeff Benedict on the field and Ted Turner (at least for one game) in the dugout. Always entertaining, but never a winner…
Keep winning, Hawks! The seats may not always be full, but the hearts and minds will follow… eventually…
Atlanta Fawks
March 24th, 2010
11:00 pm
This headline is funny. I mean cmon…… really?