Did Babcock guarantee which season we would be in?

[Admin]

Maybe he didn't really mean that he guaranteed it that year LOL.

[TheTruth]

What is this that you speak of?

On a side note, Babcock was our speaker for our Emory Business School Senior Seminars. He talked about running an NBA franchise and how the system works (like scouting, coaching, etc.) He talked extensively about his time with the Hawks as GM and why he made certain trades that he gets killed for...

[Admin]

I think it was 5, maybe 6 years ago, the Hawks guaranteed that we would make the playoffs.

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By not making the playoffs, the Hawks -- who pledged a postseason guarantee at the beginning of the season -- will be rebating each season ticket holder $125 per seat. The team, part of AOL Time Warner's sports properties that are currently on the market, reportedly will give back about $500,000 to 4,000 season ticket holders.

Babcock is a good man and his honesty and openness was well respected here but he was a terrible talent evaluator and that cost him his job.

[mrhonline]

He used to respond in detail to my emails about all kinds of things that weren't my business.

A man of character, no doubt.

[BusBoyIsBack]

Your playoff bound Atlanta Hawks!

Good ole days. Well maybe not so good, but still

[TheNorthCydeRises]

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I think it was 5, maybe 6 years ago, the Hawks guaranteed that we would make the playoffs.

Ah yes. That "great" 2002 - 2003 Hawk team with JT, Big Dog, Reef, Ratliff, and Glover. A team very similar to this year's version of the Hawks in many, many ways. ( no bench, high scoring starters, multiple defensive lapses, horrible road team, etc. )

I'm not sure what was happening on this board at that time, but on the ESPN boards, the move to get Big Dog ( an All-Star caliber player at the time ) was seen as the move to not only put us in the playoffs, but also possibly get us a top 4 seed.

It was a good move by Babcock that just didn't pan out. Talent wise, there was no reason why that team shouldn't have made the playoffs. That was pretty much the beginning of the end for Lon Krueger.

[flava]

for the record, it was Kruger who made the guarantee...

flava

[Admin]

It was Kruger who made it public but I'm pretty sure the decision came from management.

[Admin]

That was how it was received here as well. That was our first year with the new (now old) Hawksquawk look when the site moved over from Bravenet. I think that even Hotlanta was excited about the move to get Big Dog.

[DJ_Money]

I think we all were, Dolfan. I remember it came down on a Friday afternoon. I was driving into Atlanta that afternoon...and all the sports talk stations were talking about was the Braves. Go figure.

I remember some Milwaukee fans warning us about Big Dog that weekend. Sadly, they were so right...

[frosgrim]

I was in Connecticut when the Hawks traded for Robinson. I actually thought it was a horrible move, but I never liked Big Dog. The sports talk in Boston actually thought it was no-where move. Jus my recollection of that time.

As far as now goes. I am much more into this team than I have been in 2 years. I think Feb was one of the worst months I've had as a Hawks fan. We got Bibby and I was pumped, then we sucked (looking back I should have expected an adjustment period). Now, I am ready to watch the team tip-off to final buzzer. That Toronto game was great, the home Philly game was gut renching. The win in Philly was awsome. I can't wait for the Indy game. Lets kill the Pacers!