AJC > Sports Thrashers > Blog > Archives > 2007 > December > 12
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Atlanta’s Best Team Today?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
When Don Waddell eventually gets around to appointing a new head coach for the Atlanta Thrashers I am sure he will have taken into consideration many factors and will ask many questions. One that thing that I hope he looks into is whether or not there is a head coaching position that is open at a major college that could pull him away before the end of the season. Say like, The University of Arkansas. Do they even have a hockey team?
My goodness!
Two months ago the Thrashers made a coaching move. Since then, the Georgia Tech football team released their coach and the Falcons just yesterday saw theirs up a quit for a gig at Razorback-U after lasting three-quarters of one season. Bobby Patrino basically told Atlanta, “I’m taking my ball and going home”! Home to the college ranks again. I guess he just couldn’t play with the big boys. Head coaches in Atlanta have faired as well this fall as the lawns in the drought.
Anyway, it got me to thinking about the local sports teams in Atlanta, all four major franchises and where they are in the big scheme of things.
Take the Braves for instance. They are still fresh off of a decade and a half run at greatness. I don’t think we’ll ever see anything close to it again. But they have been out of the playoffs for 2 straight seasons and just showed their star center fielder the door. Sure, Tom terrific is back on the staff but it remains to be seen what the future holds for the lefty and the Bravos as a team.
The Hawks…this is a team that last saw post-season when they played in the Omni, before the Thrashers dropped the puck for the very first time. While it’s true that they have played well over the last few weeks, (actually sitting in the 6th spot in the conference), they are still below .500 and not too many would bet on their post-season possibilities.
The Falcons: A team that will see their 3rd head coach in 11 months on the sidelines this weekend cannot be in good shape. From doggie-gate to yesterday’s “out-the-gate” by Bouncing Bobby, combined with a 3-9 record…life isn’t real fun in the Dome’s Birdland!
Why, even Jaw-JUH Tech is now going through the shifting sands of change as Chan Gailey was tossed overboard for Navy’s Paul Johnson.
This leads us to our Boys of Blueland…the only team to see post-season play since Houston dumped the Braves in October of ’05. A quick look at the standing find them at 14-14-1, or break even. However, since Bob Hartley was relieved of his duties, they have gone 14-8-1, which is a level of play that, if continued, would land them in the hunt for Lord Stanley’s cup for the second consecutive season. That would be a great feat for the franchise, for sure. But where would that put them as far as their status in the city?
Consider this: The Falcons have never had back-to-back winning seasons, and the Hawks have not since…what…the first term of the Clinton administration? That plus the Braves are, seemingly, on the backside of their glory days.
That would leave the Thrashers as arguably Atlanta’s highest performing pro team today…emphasis on the word TODAY.
You see, as sports fans in this town have painfully come to understand, success can be fleeting. The Hawks have never been a success since the late ’80s when they were the hottest thing in town. The Falcons? Simply look to each season after they played in post-season. So, the typical Joe Fan out there could say of our Thrashers, “yeah, sure OK…division title last spring, but what are they gonna do THIS season”? And he would have a point.
That is why I think it is so important for the Thrashers to make the post-season again and do well once they are there. Right now is their time. The question is, how long will they have and what are they going to do with the chance afforded them?
