Live from Game 5: Do the Hawks have an answer for Bango?
Seeking to one-up a deer, Joe Johnson shoots from the bench. (Photo by M. Bradley)
Big game. Lots of pressure. If the Hawks lose tonight, they probably lose the series. But enough gloom and doom. Let’s talk about Bango.
Bango is the Milwaukee Bucks’ mascot. He — and I believe he’s a he — wears a deer costume. He’s not what you’d call intimidating. (When last did you see a scary deer?) But Bango did become the biggest Internet sensation of the NBA playoffs with a feat performed in Game 4 on Monday.
During a timeout, Bango climbed up a 20-foot ladder and, with his back to the basket, jumped off and dunked the ball. The Bradley Center crowd went Bango-ballistic, and even the Hawks took note. “That,” Joe Smith pronounced before tonight’s Game 5, “was sweet.”
And here’s my challenge to the Hawks: Last year Philips Arena produced a playoff star in Spirit the Hawk, who flew rampant before Game 2 of Round 1 against Miami and became so famous that he — the bird himself informed me in a Tweet that he was a he — had his own Twitter postings. But Spirit has been strangely quiet this time.
I say, on the behalf of Hawks fans everywhere, it’s time to unleash the fury. Un-tether Spirit and let him dunk the ball from the rafters. This is the postseason. Gotta bring your mascot’s A-game.
Oh, about Game 5 itself: You all know what’s at stake. So do the Hawks. They seem ready, and they’d better be. Lose tonight and Bango could easily sky-slam them into the floorboards Friday in Milwaukee.
And with that, we’ll open the floor for questions, comments and your favorite anecdotes about dunkin’ deer. I’ll be here until the Hawks have taken a 3-2 lead in the series — yes, I think they’ll win, but I’ve been wrong rather recently — and I’d love to have you alongside.
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736 comments Add your comment
D Hawks
April 28th, 2010
8:30 pm
It’s about time somebody bowed up against Jennings. You can’t keep letting hime run all over the lane.
Mark Bradley
April 28th, 2010
8:30 pm
Jeff Teague in the game.
Mark Bradley
April 28th, 2010
8:31 pm
Milwaukee back in front.
LC
April 28th, 2010
8:31 pm
Crawford is playing terribly.
Mark Bradley
April 28th, 2010
8:31 pm
Air ball from Josh.
LC
April 28th, 2010
8:32 pm
Meanwhile, the braves are stinking up the joint in the first inning with errors by Escobar and McLouth already.
Mark Bradley
April 28th, 2010
8:32 pm
Teague strips Luke Ridnour.
Mark Bradley
April 28th, 2010
8:33 pm
Bucks up one after one.
Bob
April 28th, 2010
8:33 pm
Dawgnole, and if you consider the pathetic play of the UGA football team, we would definitely be considered loserville. I might also add basketball team and baseball team. Anything else?
Steve
April 28th, 2010
8:34 pm
2 errors on the Braves, still in the 1st. Anyone know what the MLB record is for more errors for a team on a season?
DawgNole
April 28th, 2010
8:34 pm
I noticed that our shill announcer referred to those in attendance as “this big crowd.” So which is it?
D Hawks
April 28th, 2010
8:34 pm
C’mon TNT announcers, gimme a break, being up 1 at the quarter break is not an omen. The first 4 games were blowouts at the quarter break. That’s why the leading team won those games.
LC
April 28th, 2010
8:35 pm
Josh looks lost on offense. I never thought I’d say this, but it looks like Marvin is our best option on offense right now. Crawford is playing scared and stupid.
Can’t wait to see what will happen if we lose this game.
Steve
April 28th, 2010
8:35 pm
Bob, lets not get started on the college debate but remember who won between UGA and Tech in football and basketball. If UGA is “pathetic” what does that make Tech?
Bob
April 28th, 2010
8:35 pm
dawgnole, and when you consider pathetic fans like you, another reason why we might be labeled loserville. Just saying……
Big Ray
April 28th, 2010
8:35 pm
Be careful what you wish for? Why? Since when has the wishes of the general public decided anything within this professional sports franchise?
On another note, it’s funny how the shortcomings of other coaching candidates are not connected to the shortcomings of their respective GMs. Bag on Byron Scott, but forget how Jeff Bower left him hanging, then got moved down into the same spot he just fired Scott from, with his job on the line.
Yet, the regular defense of Woody is that whatever GM he was under, be it Knight or Sund, hasn’t gotten him this or that to work with. Huh. Double standards…gotta love ‘em…
DawgNole
April 28th, 2010
8:36 pm
UGA, fortunately, is not located in ATL, Bob. Need a course in geography?
D Hawks
April 28th, 2010
8:36 pm
Obviously, Frank Wren is not John Scheurholtz MiniMe.
Mark Bradley
April 28th, 2010
8:37 pm
It is not a big crowd. There are 4,000 empty seats. And I’m being kind.
Bob
April 28th, 2010
8:37 pm
Steve, I didn’t start it. One of your fellow redneck, trailor trash fans did.
todd grantham
April 28th, 2010
8:38 pm
will you quote the “paid attendance” in the column?
Mark Bradley
April 28th, 2010
8:38 pm
Hawks have to take a timeout 29 seconds into the quarter. Mo was trapped at halfcourt.
Nique's Revenge
April 28th, 2010
8:38 pm
if ya wanna drive a tractor go to U.G.A. if ya wanna…
BUAHAWHAHAHAHAH
go Tech!!!!!!!!!!!
DawgNole
April 28th, 2010
8:38 pm
What do you expect from the fans, Bob? We’re talking half a century of losing here. A record of futility matched by very, very few.
Mark Bradley
April 28th, 2010
8:39 pm
A bad sign. Salmons ran away from Joe Johnson — why, I know not — and yet JJ missed the open shot.
Steve
April 28th, 2010
8:40 pm
Hey Glaus just stuck out. Weird. The next Norton!
Empty seat theory
April 28th, 2010
8:40 pm
Maybe the empty seats are for the paparazzi, and being from LA, they’re just fashionably late.
Or maybe 4,000 fans bought tickets hoping Bango would be here.
DawgNole
April 28th, 2010
8:40 pm
Bob, how do you spell “trailor”? And you’re calling the UGA fans rednecks?
Mark Bradley
April 28th, 2010
8:40 pm
Joe Smith in the game. And blocks Salmons. But then Crawford throws the ball away. And Joe fouls Luke Ridnour hard.
Mark Bradley
April 28th, 2010
8:40 pm
Crawford with three floor errors, no points.
Big Ray
April 28th, 2010
8:41 pm
If the Hawks lose this series, you can put Mike Woodson right next to Avery Johnson. How’s that for irony?
Bob
April 28th, 2010
8:41 pm
Mark, I enjoy your blogs. I will try again another day when it isn’t infested with the UGAY fans. I’m sorry to have helped take the subject away from basketball. I will not continue to do so.
Nique's Revenge
April 28th, 2010
8:41 pm
Wow. we are actually going to lose this series.
FIRE WOODY NOWWWWWWWWWWWWWW
DawgNole
April 28th, 2010
8:41 pm
Enter your comments here
Mark Bradley
April 28th, 2010
8:41 pm
Kurt Thomas called for his second foul. Dick Bavetta called it.
Nique's Revenge
April 28th, 2010
8:42 pm
How do we spell “trailor”? U.G.A.
Mark Bradley
April 28th, 2010
8:43 pm
Delfino misses a transition trey. Neither team can score now.
DawgNole
April 28th, 2010
8:43 pm
Good riddance, Bob.
Mark Bradley
April 28th, 2010
8:43 pm
Crawford finally makes one. Hawks nose in front.
Mark Bradley
April 28th, 2010
8:44 pm
Crawford again. Hawks up three.
Mark Bradley
April 28th, 2010
8:44 pm
Not anymore. Delfino jumper ties it.
Some variety please Steve
April 28th, 2010
8:44 pm
Steve, since you run the risk of redundancy with the phrase “Glaus struck out,” could you use some other phrases that mean the same thing? Such as:
Glaus woke up today
Glaus is at the ballpark today
Glaus put on his uniform today
Glaus is at the plate
Glaus is breathing
They all mean the same thing, but they’ll add more variety to your writing.
Mark Bradley
April 28th, 2010
8:46 pm
Odd game. It was 18-18 with 5:50 left in the first. It’s 29-29 8:03 before halftime.
Mark Bradley
April 28th, 2010
8:49 pm
Joe Johnson has missed seven of nine. And just was called for Foul No. 2.
JL Burke
April 28th, 2010
8:49 pm
Very little energy right now — from the crowd or the Hawks.
Black Lab
April 28th, 2010
8:50 pm
they need to be more physical with the Bucks….
Mark Bradley
April 28th, 2010
8:50 pm
Ilyasova trey. Alone again.
Smitty
April 28th, 2010
8:50 pm
Man . It is so tuff to b a Hawks or a Braves fan. My frustration seems to b mirrored by the frequently similar expressions on the faces of Joe Johson( when we cant handle Luke Ridenour or delfino or Kurt Thomas but w/out Bogut) or Chipper Jones when we leave runners on base or give up so many early runs). Why would Joe come back or why should those 4000 fans pay so much to attend when we play so soft against marginal talent?
Tweets that mention Live from Game 5: Do the Hawks have an answer for Bango? | Mark Bradley -- Topsy.com
April 28th, 2010
8:52 pm
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Mark Bradley and Mark Bradley, Hawks Fan Zone. Hawks Fan Zone said: Live from Game 5: Do the Hawks have an answer for Bango?: Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog) Seeking to one-up a … http://bit.ly/drbsBJ [...]
Mark Bradley
April 28th, 2010
8:55 pm
Al Horford drives on Ilyasova. Hawks lead.