Talk about a pile-on.
First Charles Barkley knocked the Atlanta Hawks on national TV. Now ESPN is ripping the city’s entire fan base – or lack of it.
In a scathing column, ESPNNewYork.com's Rob Parker concludes that Atlanta "and its lame fans simply don't deserve" a playoff victory over the New York Giants on Sunday.
Why? Because when it comes to pro sports, Atlanta is the “worst sports town in America” due to its abysmal fan support, regardless of how a team performs.
The Falcons (10-6), are appearing in the NFL playoffs for the second straight year and third time in four seasons. The Giants (9-7) are making their first playoff appearance since 2008.
Unlike Giants fans, Parker notes, it’s not uncommon to see thousands of empty seats at professional sporting events in Atlanta, whether it’s the Falcons, Hawks or Braves. (He also threw in the Thrashers, who have since left for Winnepeg).
Parker has covered pro sports events in Atlanta for more than two decades while working for a New York newspaper. To help prove his point, he noted that despite winning 14 straight division titles, the Braves only led the league in attendance once. The Hawks ranked 22nd in NBA attendance last year.
Observed Parker:
Your typical Atlanta fan -- who is probably from another city since so few are actually from ATL -- will be preoccupied with something else. They might not even be sure what time the game is on. In fact, at some point, they might ask a friend -- filled with sweet tea -- at a pork-saturated barbeque, "Are the Falcons playing today?"
A victory over the Giants amounts to rewarding “some of the worst fans in the country,” Parker said.
What Parker failed to mention was the passion associated with college sports in metro Atlanta with yearly sellouts of the SEC championship game and the Chick-fil-A Bowl at the Georgia Dome.
During Thursday's telecast of the Hawks-Miami Heat game, Barkley was overheard telling fellow commentators: "Man, I can't stand to watch this Atlanta Hawks team play."
Staff writer Leo Willingham contributed to this article.
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