790 the rag

[Yeti]

The idiots on 790 had a good opportunity this morning to interview Levinson about the Hawks future. They didn't really try to get any info about who we are interested in. Instead they kept asking about problems between owners, BK, and Woodson. They were so rude it was embarassing. It sounded like a National Equirer interview not what you'd expect from a SPORTS station. If there had been a mix of questions it might have been ok but they ONLY seemed interested in driving a wedge between the owners, or between them and BK, or Woody. If it weren't for the Stew's in the afternoon, 790 would be programmed off my radio.

Levinson was very professional and seemed to be very aware of all the derogatory comments 790 had made about the team previously. He was well prepared. He said they new they were going to lose money until they got a quality product and expected to continue for a little more. He said BK was there to run the team and get quality people, not PR. And he said that the Belkin problems were being handled by the lawyers, and were not a big distraction for the owners.

[Teeareess]

One of the other owners (Bernie I think?) was on 680 this morning. He seemed to be trying to kill the AI rumors. Dukes wanted to get him to say that since the team is losing money, they need to make a move that would put butts in seats even if it wasn't a good basketball move. The owner pointed out that the owners collectively had more money than A. Blank, and that the losses that they've had won't make them panic and go and get a player that didn't fit. He said that "the player I can't mention" had a team built around him, and never won a championship, and this Hawks team was not built around him, and would have to reconfigure a lot to adapt to him.

[KB21]

I would have loved it if he had said...."And we are dropping 790 as our radio affiliate."

With all the derogatory comments those bafoons at 790 have made recently, I would look for the Hawks to make a move to another radio affiliate sometime in the near future. I also wouldn't look for Steak Shapiro to get an opportunity to be in the warroom with the Hawks during the draft this year like he got last year.

[DJlaysitup]

The guys on 790 are pretty good IMHO - how do you interview a train wreck like the Hawks...take off the rose colored glasses people.

[drzachary]

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The guys on 790 are pretty good IMHO - how do you interview a train wreck like the Hawks...take off the rose colored glasses people.

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Not like a belligerent drunken conductor, I'd guess?

Some people like the slam-your-town coverage that's popular up north, but I find it foolish and exasperating. Oddly enough, it tends to go hand-in-hand with outright ignorance.

[Teeareess]

I agree with DJ. I don't see how you can avoid being derogatory when talking about this team. We haven't been good. It doesn't help that we have an arrogant GM and a timultuious ownership situation.

[drzachary]

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I agree with DJ. I don't see how you can avoid being derogatory when talking about this team. We haven't been good. It doesn't help that we have an arrogant GM and a timultuious ownership situation.

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Full disclosure: I did not hear the coverage in question. But from the original post, it sounds like they are trying to drive the metaphorical wedge. Does that help at all either?

I've always thought that sports journalists should remember that "journalist" is part of their job title. Otherwise they're just froth-mouthed buffoons.

[KB21]

The Hawks are clearly not a train wreck. They are not a team that is continually getting worse. They don't have salary cap problems. They have a lot of young talent. They doubled their win total from this past season and have a star player to build the team around now in Joe Johnson. How does this constitute a train wreck of a team?

[Nicholasp27]

i don't care about all this, but they still should DEFINITELY change radio stations

how do u choose a station that has to LOWER ITS POWER during 99% of your games?

you can't get reception for 790am after dark if you are past the perimeter...this is so dumb...why use a station that can't broadcast more than 10 miles during 99% of your games?

ARRRGGGHHHH

[Teeareess]

I didn't hear them this morning either, but I've heard them talk on the Hawks before, and while there is some ignorance there, there's a lot of truth too. I know it's the home team, and they are the official station, but I don't think anyone would give them any respect if they didn't point out the problems this franchise has had over the past few years.

I also think they're a lot more entertainers than journalists.

[Teeareess]

I agree completely. I hate that I can never hear the games. Even leaving after a game, I lose the post game coverage before I get home. But I imagine 790's offer was the best that they could get. Covering the Hawks probably isn't seen as a license to print money.

[KB21]

If it were constructive criticism, I would agree with you. This is nothing but a vendetta against the Hawks for whatever reason. Most of the bashing they do has no basis in reality.

It's one thing to point out that the Hawks doubled their win total from last season, but if they want to continue the improvement, they must become better defensively in the paint and more efficient offensively. It's another thing to continually make comments like "We have the most ignorant GM in the NBA because he passed on Chris Paul", or "Our owners need to get their act together." I think Bruce Levenson pretty much shot down the idea that there was a rift between the current owners, and he also shot down the idea that they were hurting for money, as he pointed out that they collectively have more net worth than Arthur Blank.

[DJlaysitup]

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i don't care about all this, but they still should DEFINITELY change radio stations

how do u choose a station that has to LOWER ITS POWER during 99% of your games?

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I definitely agree with you there Nic...it's very frustrating when you're driving around outside of Atlanta proper...

[Teeareess]

I know what you mean, and like I said, there is a bunch of ignorance there, but I say a lot of that falls heavily on Knight's shoulders. His personality and attitude can be more than a bit grating. Until he shows some real success, a lot of people are going to bash him whenever they can.

[DJlaysitup]

Get real KB - what do you expect? The Hawks "group" only surfaces when their gutless pine-sitter puts up 34 and the game winning shot in the conference finals. Can you imagine the calls between the owners when Diaw laced that jumper with 0.5 on the clock IN DALLAS? LOL. They were likely pretty spooked. They had to try for some damage control immediately.

So what do you expect 790 to ask...

[KB21]

And that bashing has no basis in fact. It's simply a "He treats me like crap, so I'm going to bash him for nothing" situation. Listen to their comments. These idiots deserve to be treated like crap.

[KB21]

Wow! Another stupid post. I should be expecting this on this board lately.

[DJlaysitup]

It's not Bashing...it's just telling the truth.

As "Give em H#ll Harry Truman" used to say....I don't give anybody H#ll...I just tell the truth and they think it's H#ll.

[Yeti]

It's one thing to ask hard questions and to try to get an idea where the management thinks the team is going, but it's another to do nothing but ask derogatory questions and insult the guy who is dumping millions of dollars into the franchise. None of us are "happy" with where the team is but that doesn't mean we have to behave like some drunk at an English soccer game.

[frosgrim]

No, the 790 interview with Levinson was an attack for entertainment sake. You can ask the hard questions, but when you lace the questions with derogatory statements, rumor monger, and approach the "interview" with anger, then you are not telling the "truth". Instead, you are pushing an agenda, of which, 790 seems to want to get out of broadcasting Hawks games.

Bernie this morning said that there is an on going problem with 790, so that indicates to me that the Hawks management might get out of that contract once the Darth situation gets settled.

I will not listen to the morning crew on 790 any more. They have no knowledge of the Hawks and then joke about how little they know. There is NO local flavor on that show, well maybe that idiot Bock, but he's been fired from every major Atlanta media outlet, yet still hangs around the city.

680 at least tries to be a little more even in its interviews, though at times they need to probe more than they do.