AJC > Sports > Columnists > Archives > 2006 > January > 21 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USNoise, hoopla outweigh Hawks’ progress
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Furman Bisher
I went to a basketball game Friday night. The Hawks lost. That appears to be happening rather frequently. “Playing well and winning are the most important things,” Zaza Pachulia, the center imported from Tbilisi, Georgia, has said. Poor fellow, he can’t be having much fun.
This time it was Milwaukee. The encounter with the Bucks offered a couple of entertaining matchups. Here were the Nos. 1 and 2 draft choices on the floor at the same time: Andrew Bogut, from Australia by way of Utah, and Marvin Williams, from Bremerton, Wash., by way of Chapel Hill. Bogut nailed 13 rebounds, which is his specialty, and Williams exceeded his scoring average with nine points, good but not glittering.
Now, the other coincidence is the one that captures your attention. It matched the coach the Hawks fired, Terry Stotts, to hire its present coach, Mike Woodson. Stotts left town with a record of 52-85. Woodson, in his second season, has a record of 24-98 and a team that’s sinking like a rock in water.
Stotts had the Bucks one game above .500 upon arrival. He lost his place in Atlanta with the change in management, though he was probably over-educated for the job. He had been student-athlete of the year at Oklahoma, and he certainly had the proper degree to survive in the NBA, a B.S. in zoology. He was kind to his former team when he said to our Sekou Smith, “Obviously, they’re rebuilding here.”
Just what they’re rebuilding is in question. If it can be done with noise, flashing lights and other such hoopla, they’re on the road to brilliance. They have all the gigs you’ll see at any other game in the league, and it’s scary for some first-timers. If loud is good, louder is better. It’s bigger than “King Kong.” And when Pachulia scores, cover your ears. The Philips announcer comes at you with a blast, “ZA-ZA Pa-CHU-LIA!” Better be ready for it.
The Bucks came on the floor a strange-looking entourage, some in long black stockings, some half-stockings and some drooping, Pete Maravich style. When Toni Kukoc entered later, the cast was given a vintage balance. The Croatian was a Hawk a few years ago, but he has now reached the age of 38, oldest player on the court, and his role is mainly serving his friends, setting picks and as a conduit for the ball.
The flow of the game, such as it was, was continuously plagued by fouls, and when the Bucks went to the line, the congregation was agitated into pounding those things called “Thundersticks,” with coaxing from the PA announcer. Those things first came out during the World Series in Anaheim, far as I know, and our civilazation would be well served if they took the course of the hula hoop. Happily, as the Bucks’ margin increased, the fans’ interest in their “Thundersticks” lessened, to the relief of many.
After the Bucks took control of the game, the Hawks’ offense, what there was of it, became more akin to something out of a pickup game. It was sort of like a game of “horse,” every man to his own shot. Key to it all was that Salim Stoudamire, the rookie out of Arizona, was their leading scorer off the bench with five 3-pointers. Organized offense was never discernible, and postgame critics never gave them a kind thought.
“Probably the worst performance of the year,” said Steak Shapiro, maestro of the sports station WQXI. And I pick this night for my coming-out. Sorry to say, but the Hawks look like a team coming unraveled.
“This has been the worst two-game stretch of my life,” Stoudamire said, coming on the heels of a blowout by Detroit.
Well, I did get to see something I’d never seen before in professional basketball. I got to see an official named Violet Palmer in action, and she carried her load efficiently, handling her share of the plethora of fouls.
When Woodson inserted Esteban Batista into the game, the Uruguayan who rarely gets off the bench, it was the same as raising the white flag. The evening was done, and an announced audience of 9,812 left the premises hoping this could not truly represent the Spirit of Atlanta.
Permalink | Comments (14) | Categories: Furman Bisher, Hawks / NBA
Comments
Commenting is now closed for this entry.
By DavidU
January 21, 2006 07:17 PM | Link to this
The Hawks are bad, we know that already, but the article you wrote, makes you sound older than the picture you have on the page and thats hard to do.
But I agree with the overall message, Hawks stink and the coach is way over his head with so many young players on the roster. And no one sees the light at the end of the tunnel…….but the important thing is RISE UP!!!
By Chuck
January 21, 2006 08:04 PM | Link to this
Amen Furman! Bring it on baby!!I’m tired of reading articles about overpaid hip hop basketball playuhs that can’t finish a sentence without saying MAN. Articles about being fueled to win by getting to eat sushi from a chef. It must not be doing that much as they RUN OUT OF GAS in the last THREE MINUTES of many games.
Thanks for bring some accountablity to an organization that wilts when compared to say The Dallas Mavericks.
Now because Billy “balling” Knight we have no future draft picks because of the vastly overrated Joe Johnson. Knight proved he has no class when given the chance to shake a mans hand.
Congrats to the former owner who knew a sinking ship when he saw one and decided to bail out.
Keep it coming Furman.
By Hugh G. Rection
January 21, 2006 09:38 PM | Link to this
Rise Up!!!
By pinball34
January 22, 2006 12:54 AM | Link to this
Hey Furman, great journalism. Now go back into retirement.
By Birdbrain
January 22, 2006 02:09 AM | Link to this
A “B.S. in Zoology”…..that’s a good one Furman..basically called the NBA players “a barrel of Monkeys”…that should play well “In da Club”….
By scott
January 22, 2006 03:26 AM | Link to this
Billy Knight is the worst general manager in the history of sports. Draft and sign some more 6 foot 8 players you idiot. We’ll soon have a team full of shooting guards and small forwards. That will surely bring the champion to Atlanta. It’s been since 1958 since the Hawks last won their only NBA championship. It will be another 50 years before they win another.
By Tom
January 22, 2006 08:44 AM | Link to this
It gets worse everytime I read this guy. C’mon, AJC. Get some talent for the largest paper in the hub of the South. Bisher is 10 years past retirement, Moore just can’t write (his articles remind me of my students’ papers at school-6th graders, mind you), and most of the other journalists write articles for shock value and personal agendas.
Bisher: “… and he certainly had the proper degree to survive in the NBA, a B.S. in zoology.” ARE YOU KIDDING ME???????????? How this statement will ever survive without dismissal is beyond me. I guess the best example of Bisher having no clue was when he was at a Cal Ripken press conference and ‘ole Furm asked Jr. how Ripken, Sr. was doing nowadays. Uh….the man had passed away a few years back.
Look at every comparison Bisher will make between white/black players/coaches, etc. There is always a hint of negativity toward the black player/coach. You can read it in this column.
I hate reality TV but I would LOVE to watch a show pitting Furman and Terrence Moore in the same cabin for 6 months. THAT would be a study in contrasts!!!!!!!
By the way, I’m white and can see this blatant crap.
By ron
January 22, 2006 10:02 AM | Link to this
i just finished reading an interesting article on the hawks chef.really interesting,too bad the team doesn’t put out as well as the chef produces an array of meals for the team during game and practice days.if they had the dedication and work ethics of the chef they would probably be .500 team.i’m sure he won’t be there too much longer after word leaks around the other major league franchises.he can always remember with fondness his start began with hawks as his first professional team.
By jon
January 22, 2006 11:40 AM | Link to this
how can you get away with making a comment like that
By DavidU
January 22, 2006 12:01 PM | Link to this
In this newspaper and in these blogs you can get away with those type of comments, I’ve just come to accept it, and try not to respond to it. And when some kind of racial undertone (or blatantly portrayed like here) is not there, that’s when I think its peculiar.
By Rutuger
January 22, 2006 03:55 PM | Link to this
Do you clowns seriously believe that Bisher was likening black NBA players to monkeys with that comment?
By Elijah
January 22, 2006 04:49 PM | Link to this
Last time I went to the zoo I saw zebras, wild birds, snakes, giraffes and, yes, monkeys. For someone to automatically assume that Furman was referring only to the monkeys in some sort of thinly veiled racist reference tells me that person is just looking for a reason to cry foul…part of me thinks it was actually Terrence Moore making that post.
By Steve
January 22, 2006 07:22 PM | Link to this
Bisher is comparing the NBA to a zoo..particularly the game atmosphere. The same could be said for most pro sports arenas lately. Some of you people are what I like to call ‘deceptively stupid’.
By Tyger
January 22, 2006 09:24 PM | Link to this
I too relish in the good ole’ days of Lenny Wilkens and six consecutive playoff appearances. Dang fools, Snake Kasten and Pete Boobcock, we wouldve had a championship by now.