AJC > Sports > Hawks > Blog > Archives > 2007 > September > 10 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USWhen do you know it’s over?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
It’s a fair question.
Just take a look at some of the folks who are facing what looks like the end:
Britney Spears (whew, she’s fallen harder and faster than the Michigan football program judging from her showing at the VMAs last night).
Lloyd Carr (as the joke goes, you can’t spell LLoyd without two Ls) and Charlie Weis (the Patriots and Tom Brady look just fine without the genius calling plays, Notre Dame on the other hand …).
HBO (tried to get through their Sopranos replacement last night, on the way to my man Larry David and Curb Your Enthusiasm, and I’ll just say it was the letdown of the century. And Entourage was less than stellar this season as well).
There are plenty others I’d love to mention here, but I’ll move on. The point is, when is enough … well, enough? How do you know when it’s time to fade into the sunset honorably and step aside for someone else to take center stage?
The passionate fans of all of the entities mentioned above would tell you yesterday on all counts. I’d have a hard time disagreeing. And that’s not a knock on any of the past success that’s already in the bank. But we’re just not a society built on people surviving on sustained mediocrity (well, in most cases).
If you’re not capable of reinventing yourself on a continual basis, in whatever you do, maintaining a high level of anything becomes a mighty chore. Just ask anyone charged with maintaining a sustained level of excellence in his or her chosen endeavor.
That’s why everything I’m hearing from my spies in Hawksville should make Hawks fans feel good.
Thanks to lofty spots in the draft lottery every year, they’ve had the opportunity to reinvent themselves every year. And if the early reviews of Al Horford’s workouts with the rest of his veteran teammates are any indication, he’s going to bring a much-needed dose of toughness to the Hawks’ interior rotation.
According to my spies, the usual suspects are showing as expected. “Joe Johnson’s as smooth as ever. Josh Smith is all over the place. Marvin’s shooting it picture perfect. But man, Al Horford has some lift around that basket. He’s going to be a monster.”
Having seen Horford (albeit on a bad ankle) in summer league, it’s easy to see him becoming the type of guy that relishes the opportunity to mix it up around the basket. He wasn’t able to show off that “lift” around the basket the way I’m sure he would have liked in Salt Lake City. But he’s been in the gym all summer, based on reports from some of my other spies.
Without the addition of any high profile free agents this summer, the Hawks will need for both Horford and fellow rookie Acie Law IV (who has also made a strong early impression on his veteran teammates) to navigate the transition from college stars to NBA regulars rather quickly.
Comments
By mykhalc
September 12, 2007 11:25 AM | Link to this
JOE, off base on that one IMHO. when multiple parties speak in unison or as one voice, it’s a lot more powerful than the man standin’ alone…no matter how loud he can yell!!!!LOL
By Anakin Joe
September 12, 2007 9:42 AM | Link to this
Flash, I once heard a corporate exec say “in the battle of attrition the fat man always wins”. While the collective wealth of the remaining Spirit owners may match or top Belkin, I wouldn’t be surprised if your guy still comes out on top. When things get thick, having one focused voice is often much more powerful than having 4-5 voices saying different things. So while I would prefer an Atlanta-based owner (or ownership group), I’m not predicting this as a long-term lost for Belkin. It would be great for the fans if Uncle David (who is partially responsible for this dysfunctional marriage of rich boys) could get this thing magically resolved behind closed doors. But with the referee scandal unfolding, he may not maintain the absolute power to broker a deal anymore.
Sekou, this would make for a fascinating novel on the behind the scenes machinations of professional franchise ownership. Throw in a few hot babes and maybe a hired hit man and we’re talking Oprah Book Club. Get to writing, man, get to writing. Just make sure there is a character who blogs alot and has a super-fine wife. When the book becomes the movie, I’ll play myself and Beyonce can audition as my wife. Get to writing man… please, get to writing.
By mountain_jim
September 11, 2007 10:01 PM | Link to this
The Tucker sports page article now has more info and some of the ruling language compared to the earlier version.
By mykhalc
September 11, 2007 9:29 PM | Link to this
fellas, i want you to know that i luv ATL and definitely continue to support the teams from SF. but i’m tellin’ ya, there is somethin’ seriously ‘amuk’ in the city. WE GOTTA CHECK THE AIR AND WATER!!!
first , we make it to the SB and EUGENE ROBINSON has a brain freeze!! or some kinda freeze!!!;o) then we get the JJ fiasco that leads to the ATL STOOGES GROUP that leads to STEVE ‘IT TAKES A THIEF’ BELKIN that leads to COMEDY CAPERS COURT that still leads us to where we sit today. then we get MV and his drama that leads to HARRINGTON bein’ in charge!!???!!! what the hell is in the air/water??? i’m really dumb founded by it all!!!
HAS THERE EVER BEEN A CITY SO SNAKE BITTEN WHEN IT COMES TO PRO SPORTS??? and that is a serious question too??? and thru it all i continue to hope, support, and cheer for ‘em all!!??!!
FLASH, my apologies. i guess i WAS NOT quite thru!!LOL
and GO HAWKS!!!! despite it all!!!
By mykhalc
September 11, 2007 9:06 PM | Link to this
FLASH,LOL. i think i got it out……for now..LOL
By The Flash
September 11, 2007 8:26 PM | Link to this
myk I wouldn’t worry about those old rants of yours, you’re doing just fine now. No better than I would, btw, had the ruling gone for my guy. Go crazy.
By mykhalc
September 11, 2007 7:57 PM | Link to this
AND they need to disbar the freakin’ judge that made the pro-BELKIN rulin’ in the first place. or send his a$$ to traffic court!!! he’s the MAIN reason that this drama has now played out this long. OBVIOUSLY, he can’t interpret the law nor a legal contract!! as mountain jim said the previous rulings was absurd to start with!!!
By mykhalc
September 11, 2007 7:28 PM | Link to this
man, it must be turnin’ around for the HAWKS!! FINALLY a freakin’ judge/court with some sense and knows how to interpret the damn law!! just what i need to get my juices flowin’ for the YOUNG GUNS again…a common sense ruling against the person that should not be allowed to enter the PHILLIPS ARENA EVER AGAIN!!!!
i wish i had saved my previous ANTI-BELKIN rants!!! beause the court ruled EXACTLY as i said, as i thought, and as they should!!! NOW the question remains, will it go the the COURT OF APPEALS next??? if not, then it’s time for STERN to get off his a$$ and settle this thing sometime before the next millenium!!!
By The Flash
September 11, 2007 7:12 PM | Link to this
Doc, needless to say I’m bummed.
Have not seen the opinion and would second the emotion that ajc post it—never did see a copy of the lower court decision in full. I’ll be in the office tomorrow and see what I can do.
I know I’m in the minority on this, but I think that the offseason was managed okay except for the coaching thing. My thought is that this is agroup that can compete, even though it has only one big name. Many of the big names have lots of wear and tear on them tires, aka Boston.
Sooo, in the short run, going with this group might bring some smiles.
By mountain jim
September 11, 2007 6:59 PM | Link to this
I think the Belkin decision is progress. I always thought the previous rulings were absurd, and that Belkin somehow had that court in his pocket - now he has to deal instead of steal.
I expect the restrictions ceased with this ruling, unless the ruling keeps them in place until the lower court revisits that as well.
So we need to see the complete decision.
By Astro Joe
September 11, 2007 5:54 PM | Link to this
“Allowed to operate without restrictions”, don’t you mean court-ordered restrictions? If I recall correctly, Belkin brought 40% of the purchase price to the table. That says to me that the other guys collectively were falling far short of what was needed to purchase the properties in the first place and needed Belkin to close the gap. I can’t help but wonder if the remaining owners of the Spirit have the requisite funds to do anything more, especially after bleeding money the last few seasons between operating losses and legal fees. This may be more harmful to the fans than it is good, as it may mean that we are still several years away from an ownership group with the power AND the funds to field a competitive ball club. And with several extensions due in the next 2 seasons (Smith, Chill, Marvin & Zaza), we may be watching some of our talent walk out the door while these owners are still debating appraisals. Where’s the Alka-Seltzer, my stomach’s all in a knot again.
By Sekou K. Smith
September 11, 2007 5:11 PM | Link to this
This certainly appears to be a blow for the Spirit, provided they are allowed to operate without restrictions. But that question, along with many others, has yet to be answered.
If nothing else, it turns the clock back to summer 2005 and an appraisal process that could last months. But again, if the team is allowed to operate without restriction, things in Hawksville could interesting real soon. Stay tuned.
By J. Shuttlesworth
September 11, 2007 5:06 PM | Link to this
Sekou,
Could I trouble the AJC to flex it’s first amendment muscle and post the recent court opinion from the Belkin case. I think a lot of us would like to read it, and it doesn’t appear to be available online, but I’m sure someone at the AJC has a copy and has access to a pdf machine.
Thanks.
By Astro Joe
September 11, 2007 5:03 PM | Link to this
Sekou, can we get an interpretation of today’s court ruling? Does this have any impact to last year’s 5-year contract mandate or the salary cap limits (assuming the owners want to spend a little money)?
By ray
September 11, 2007 5:00 PM | Link to this
Mykhalc! Whasssup, Brothaaaa!
Doc, The Spirit Group probably WAS paying attention…until the MD Court of Appeals threw them a bone to chew on. Now they’re right back to what they were doing before: trying to get rid of Belkin.
And you’re right, it’s not over for fans, that’s always a fan’s decision.
By doc
September 11, 2007 3:59 PM | Link to this
IT ISNT OVER YET FOR HAWKS FANS!
By G Money
September 11, 2007 3:56 PM | Link to this
The real question is when is it going to be over for Belkin? This latest ruling should either set back the whole process or force him to do what he should have done at first. It would be interesting to have an appraisal done now. Certainly, the shenanigans have done nothing but hurt the value of the Hawks (however the Thrashers are doing extremely well). I just hope that this all settles within the next 90-120 days so that the Hawks can make some moves by All-Star weekend if they feel compelled.
By Astro Joe
September 11, 2007 3:55 PM | Link to this
Sekou, how about a little word from the old men on the team, Wright, AJ and Lue? I’m interested in hearing if AJ has shed some weight since last season, if Lue is rehabbing well and if Lo has had a chance to workout with Horford yet. Mostly, I’m wondering if AJ looks like he could be trading for a 2nd round pick by getting into far better shape than he was when he was traded here.
By doc
September 11, 2007 3:51 PM | Link to this
well it is going to be nbdl and rookie league disguised as big league nba for a while as the courts threw out previous rulings that had given the franchise to belkin for a song. look to the clipper model on how to run a franchise on the cheap as to what to expect going forward.
the broken atlanta spirit still continues. for how long, we need a legal consultation … flash? someone?
By smartguy
September 11, 2007 3:46 PM | Link to this
Disaster for Hawks fans…. Spirit keeps the team. Another decade of crap. Oh great.
By Sekou K. Smith
September 11, 2007 2:59 PM | Link to this
Read for comprehension Mark,
Larry D. was at his usual best Sunday night. It was that other show that was garbage. LD ranks right up there with my favorite comedians of all time. and SPOILER ALERT Vicica Fox burning down the house was classic.
Read for comprehension.
By Darrin "The Vent King"
September 11, 2007 10:41 AM | Link to this
AL HORFORD IS THE NEXT KARL MALONE!! (without the choking of course)
You heard it here first!
Remember the Vent King told ya!
GO HAWKS!!!
By Big G Money
September 11, 2007 7:36 AM | Link to this
Hey, sometimes you just know when it’s over. For UGA, M, and ND it is potentially very over. There won’t be any “We’re number one” chants. Maybe a winning record will get them in the Hula Bowl or something….On a basketball note however….I was reading about Oden’s upcoming knee surgery and stumbled across this,
*There’s a document on Blazers general manager Kevin Pritchard’s desk at the practice facility with the words “Rule of Three” written across its top. It’s a theory Pritchard is testing, and it’s based upon the idea that every major NBA championship contender has three go-to players on its roster.
The aim, in theory, is to get three star NBA players, then build around them with role players and veterans that give you depth.*
I used to think that it only took two. Obviously, three seems to be the magic number. For the Hawks, it would be JJ, JSmoove, and who else. Perhaps part of the Hawks problems has been that it only had one “go to” player and is in dire need of two more to step up. Perhaps this is the opportunity for Acie to step in like CP3 did for the Hornets a couple of years ago. Could there be anyone else?
By Mark
September 11, 2007 1:08 AM | Link to this
Curb was not a disappointment. It was hilarious. Get a clue Sekou.
By mykhalc
September 11, 2007 12:28 AM | Link to this
oh can’t forget about my man CLYDE…how’re the t-shirts bro??
By mykhalc
September 11, 2007 12:22 AM | Link to this
yo DOC, might be headed to the ATL at the end of the month. i’ll keep you posted my friend. we’ll have to check out that nylon string flamenco playin’ friend of mine. hope all is well with all the cast of the USUAL SUSPECTS..BIG RAY, JOE, MAVID, VOLMAN, REESE, ANDO, JHAN, and SS..and etc!!!! GO HAWKS!!!
By doc
September 10, 2007 11:38 PM | Link to this
myc, suuupp?
By mykhalc
September 10, 2007 11:15 PM | Link to this
JOE, damn that was good!!LOL
wassup fellas!! yep, still checkin’ in on you cats and wishin’ you plenty of hoops from the BAY AREA. i’m ready for the YOUNG GUNS to show!! ‘cause my FALCONS….well you know…damn, that was sad and STUPID!!! anyway, i’ll be joinin’ the BLOG again as camp nears. i’m lookin’ forward to seein’ what you young cats bring!!! have we got rid of WOODSON yet???!!!! yeah, i know…GO HAWKS!!!!
By doc
September 10, 2007 10:25 PM | Link to this
sekou, sometimes you just have to take the medicine and decide it is better to be happy than right or be cast out. passionate is asociated with pain not pleasure, hence the true fan has to experience pain.
i have often said billy has shown the ability to get talent, what he hasnt shown is the ability to hire a coach to get the best in wins out of them. woody has to come through soon or knight will be challaenged to do what he has never done and what west did to bring success with billy’s acquisitions. what that is is to hire coach that can win in the nba. i hope the broken atlanta spirit is paying attention.
By ray
September 10, 2007 9:48 PM | Link to this
Over? We’re talking about “over” and official training camp hasn’t even started?
If you stuck around all this time, it was for the team (players) and for sentiment. Or maybe a pay check, depending on who you are. Otherwise, no reason to stick around. What should be “over” is the current ownership/management/organizational part of this. That includes the head coach, although he could possibly repent of his ways more readily than his superiors. MAYBE. Personally, no tears when he’s gone.
In spite of my feelings of doubt and gloom, I still refuse to become a member of the Harbingers of Doom. Why? Because, as stated before, I’m here for the team (and other fans, I suppose), not for the organization itself.
Having said that, I AM ready and anxious to see what our two rooks can/will do, in addition to our young “veterans.”
By the way, if we have a half dozen injuries out of nowwhere (and as close together as last year), someone might want to look into getting a better team trainer. Not to point any fingers, but…
Here we go with this again: who says that repercussions for bad behavior by employees has to be public? I would have thought that keeping it private would not only be setting an example for employees, but is the proper, professional thing to do. Public punishment is little more than retaliation (of course, there are exceptions, as there are to anything), a t**-for-tat type of thing. Or so it seems to me, anyway. Doesn’t set a good precedent, I’d figure. But whatever…
By KevinM
September 10, 2007 6:31 PM | Link to this
2) refuse to go over the salary cap and making this team competitive night-in and ‘Knight-out’
3) are counted on to be the wiining face of the city when the Falcons and Braves are self-imploding right in front of you. Could Tom Glavine and Greg Maddux have helped us this year? Don’t blame it on the salary limitations. It’s all a tax-writeoff! How much profit do the Braves provide this year?
4)are already looking forward to the next year’s draft and free agent market! This goes for all the above!
By MannyT
September 10, 2007 5:49 PM | Link to this
You think it’s over when you jump the shark.
As a professional, you know it’s over when the whistle blows. Because even if it is over this season, unless you are retiring, it’s never over. There is always another contract or another team that may take a chance on you.
Look at Kurt Warner moving up from the arena league.
Specific to the Hawks, when Joe went down, the Fonz was jumping the shark for last season. However, it gave the younger guys a chance to step up. If it pays dividends this season, it was not over when they were finding their way last season.
Bringing it back to Ann Arbor, unless Lloyd Carr is resigning, he still has to coach like they are going to run the table or that team may become the most talented version of the Washington Generals to play college football.
If you have no heart, you get no part (of the field, floor, etc.)
By Sekou K. Smith
September 10, 2007 5:47 PM | Link to this
You’re a bad man Joe, a very bad man.
Remind me to stay on your good side, because you don’t have an empathetic bone in your body.
Did Mike Woodson beat you up in the sandbox in grade school or something? Ha. Kidding, of course, but you raise valid points as always.
We don’t have to agree, but it’s good to respect each other’s opinions.
And doc, I’m not bummed out. I’m nauseous realizing that my years of crying wolf have come to this. I warned 12 years ago that the sky was falling. Then the year after we went 12-0 we opened up with two games against mobile quarterbacks (Kevin McDougal of Notre Dame and one Donovan McNabb of Syracuse) and they sliced us up like an episode of Nip/Tuck). I screamed and hollered then that we needed to get with the times and be on the cutting egde of the game rather than allow LC to play out his Bo fantasies for the next decade. It got me booted off of two fan message boards and banned from several others before I could even get started. Funny, nearly a decade later here were are.
By doc
September 10, 2007 5:17 PM | Link to this
when you beat up on notre dame and continue to make progress by winning a few in a row. is some cases it just goes on and on and on. ask any hawks fan or cubbie fan. you are really spoiled my friend to even suggest it after two losses in a row to start a season for the first time since before bo. in the case of brit she has got a lot of coke to do before it is all gone so her reign of terror might continue awhile.
when humility and true empathy resides in your heart and can truly understand how a hawks fan feels will you be at least connected to the process of the true passion for your team. hopefully, you dont land there sekou. you are only in “bummed out” territory for now. it goes a lot further down from here if they dont shake out of it soon.
By Astro Joe
September 10, 2007 4:53 PM | Link to this
When do you know it’s over? Here are some clues: When you’re high school jersey is retired in front of adoring family and friends and your team responds by getting dismantled by a bad Pacers team. When 80% of the city is clamoring to resign a player who cursed you out late in the season with no public repercussions. When your bosses refuse to allow the guy who is “next in line” to leave because it is so obvious that later this year, they will need someone who is “next in line”. When your ex-boss’ older brother becomes your personal baby-sitter so that he can tell you how to coach without fear of being fired (since he no longer reports into you). When there is no public discussion of a contract extension. When one mentor is out of a job (LB) and the other mentor is mostly an irrelevant caricature of himself (Knight). When your staff is actively seeking employment elsewhere to avoid an inevitable appointment with Mr. Pink Slip. When Clyde is selling his custom-made t-shirts at your favorite barber shop, and he runs out of merchandise.
I think any two of the above are a hint-and-a-half-for-your-booty that it is time to pack up your throat lozenges and get to stepping. He ain’t gotta go home, but…
By Rimfire
September 10, 2007 4:38 PM | Link to this
Hope….springs eternal! No more Bravo dominance, Fal-cons are just BAD… maybe the worm can turn…??? Hope, sweet ignorant, hope.
By Rimfire
September 10, 2007 4:38 PM | Link to this
Hope….springs eternal! No more Bravo dominance, Fal-cons are just BAD… may the worm can turn…??? Hope, sweet ignorant, hope.