Discussion from game thread about Hawks attendance

[Guest]

I can honestly say I have never once felt unsafe going to a Hawks game. I get there, pay $20 to park, stand in line, get inside, get some pricey food, a foam finger for my daughter, then popcorn and blue cotton candy for her , cheer myself hoarse, leave feeling good about a win, video bomb Stinger and Jerome, walk to my car, then head on home.

[Admin]

I guess a mockingjay since the jabberjays are all male.

what's it with you trying to hi-jack this newthread YOU created with Hunger Games talk.

Haha you know way more about those movies than I did as I had no idea of those facts but thank you for letting me know. I just thought that either would be fitting for you based on the names lol jk

[Admin]

I can honestly say I have never once felt unsafe going to a Hawks game. I get there, pay $20 to park, stand in line, get inside, get some pricey food, a foam finger for my daughter, then popcorn and blue cotton candy for her , cheer myself hoarse, leave feeling good about a win, video bomb Stinger and Jerome, walk to my car, then head on home.

Maybe some of the guys around here should start going to games with you then so that you can protect them?

[Guest]

Haha you know way more about those movies than I did as I had no idea of those facts but thank you for letting me know. I just thought that either would be fitting for you based on the names lol jk

I cheated - I had no idea what the hell you were talking about so 'Google is my friend' LOLOLOL

[Guest]

I can honestly say I have never once felt unsafe going to a Hawks game. I get there, pay $20 to park, stand in line, get inside, get some pricey food, a foam finger for my daughter, then popcorn and blue cotton candy for her , cheer myself hoarse, leave feeling good about a win, video bomb Stinger and Jerome, walk to my car, then head on home.

I don't think of it as a safety issue around Philips, to me I hate being harassed by the bums. It is unpleasant to me to see some drunk mess begging for change. But there are certainly some that find it unsafe, I don't share that opinion but I could see how one would form that opinion.We will have to keep an eye out for a JBH bomb next game you make it to!

[Guest]

I don't think of it as a safety issue around Philips, to me I hate being harassed by the bums. It is unpleasant to me to see some drunk mess begging for change. But there are certainly some that find it unsafe, I don't share that opinion but I could see how one would form that opinion.We will have to keep an eye out for a JBH bomb next game you make it to!

I pass by the bums all the time and I've never found them to be overtly aggressive, they beg I ignore (sometimes) and keep on my merry way. It may be unpleasant but unfortunately it's part of this life. I don't and won't let that deter me from going to and enjoying the Hawks game with the Fam.

[Admin]

I don't think of it as a safety issue around Philips, to me I hate being harassed by the bums. It is unpleasant to me to see some drunk mess begging for change. But there are certainly some that find it unsafe, I don't share that opinion but I could see how one would form that opinion.We will have to keep an eye out for a JBH bomb next game you make it to!

Irony. Hawksfanatic doesn't want to be bothered by some grouchy drunk mess.

[lethalweapon3]

When a Kevin Durant headlines your team, and your team is built to be at least in legitimate parity with legitimately good teams, the bums and the crazies and the scammers and the thugs of the world tend to disappear into the backdrop for awhile.

Stuff like this isn't keeping the Thunder from 100% attendance for three seasons going.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/8-hurt-in-oklahoma-city-shooting-after-thunder-lakers-playoff-game/

It also isn't going to keep people from going until the team moves to the "Good neighborhoods" 45 minutes out of town.

If the product is great enough, the people will come and you won't hear a peep about all the smelly and scary and shady people encountered along the way. They're all still there. They just don't matter.

~lw3

[Dejay]

A proven product? Where are their proven trophies? Seven straight playoff appearances without even sniffing the conference finals does not constitute a proven product to me; not in the slightest. The only thing it proves is that the product hasn't and isn't good enough to compete with the big boys.I love you to death, Dolf, but in one of your arguments, you stated that they warranted more support by keeping the status quo by making the playoffs every year. That alone defeats your argument. It's that status quo to stay decent and not dare to be great that keeps folks glued to their couches at home. There are those who think highly of their run of playoff appearances while there are many others like myself who think of opportunities lost. As stated millions of times, we wouldn't be having this conversation if we had a competent GM to draft players when they were losing 50+ games a year. I would be right there with you if CP3, Iguodala, et al were here playing into May and beyond in front of a half-filled arena. But alas, we have had nearly a decade of Iso Joe, Osh jacking up threes, and poor Al doing his very best not to pop a coronary in the process.Sorry but that's simply not good enough. Not for me. And not for a lot of people here...

[WraithSentinel]

The attendance has very sad this year. Even the big names that have come through barely had any fans at the game. Thunder and Clips games average around 13,000 per. Lakers didn't even get above 16,000.

I remember on NBATV several weeks back. Dennis said he was talking to some fans about the Hawks. The ones he talk to said they were boring to watch. Then Dennis said "You guys first complain about ISO Joe,Josh Smith and now your complaining about this." He gave a WTF look.

Just way too many fair weather/bandwagon fans in this city to ever get any real support going. It make me envy the Warriors and Thunder. Their crowds are awesome. Warriors have been terrible for years but you would never know it with how much passion their fans show on a nightly basis.

[Admin]

A proven product? Where are their proven trophies?Seven straight playoff appearances without even sniffing the conference finals does not constitute a proven product to me; not in the slightest. The only thing it proves is that the product hasn't and isn't good enough to compete with the big boys.I love you to death, Dolf, but in one of your arguments, you stated that they warranted more support by keeping the status quo by making the playoffs every year. That alone defeats your argument. It's that status quo to stay decent and not dare to be great that keeps folks glued to their couches at home. There are those who think highly of their run of playoff appearances while there are many others like myself who think of opportunities lost.As stated millions of times, we wouldn't be having this conversation if we had a competent GM to draft players when they were losing 50+ games a year. I would be right there with you if CP3, Iguodala, et al were here playing into May and beyond in front of a half-filled arena. But alas, we have had nearly a decade of Iso Joe, Osh jacking up threes, and poor Al doing his very best not to pop a coronary in the process.Sorry but that's simply not good enough. Not for me. And not for a lot of people here...

Dejay I never said the "status quo" merited the fans showing up. I've said 7 straight playoff appearances and the #3 seed this year along with changing GM's, coaches, getting new young players and getting rid of the old core warranted support from the fans.

Of course had we had a competent GM in the past things would be different now but we have a competent GM now and I think he deserves our support just as the players do. We aren't getting blown out at home like we used to, we're winning more often than not at home and staying competitive in our losses. I just don't see any real justification for the fans not supporting this group of players.

[Vol4ever]

No the objective has never been to have the largest membership. That's why I require double authentication and I hand review every new member to make sure they aren't a spammer or already a member. I want the best members we can have so that discussion here is great and I think we have a terrific group of people who make this one of the more educational and entertaining places around with very little of that the sky is falling crap you see on a daily basis at most other sites. My Dolphins site has 123,000 total members, while Hawksquawk has 2,764 members and let me tell you, I won't go on that site for 5 days after a loss because it's unbearable with how many horrible posts there are. Here we've got a few who are pretty negative, Hotlanta and Vol4ever and MrMeltdown I'm speaking to you, but other than them we've got a pretty level group who don't get too down after a loss. That's the way I think it should be.

Dolfan you've hurt my feelings.

[Dejay]

Understand, but like a guy with bad credit, they have to prove themselves over a longer period of time before folks begin to trust them. They have a lot of wrongs from the Babcock, Kasten, BK, and Sund years to make up for. Not Ferry's fault but them's the breaks.That's why he had to get total control of personnel before coming here. That's why he had to get someone to put a cork in Gearon's mouth. Good moves but not enough to move the meter. Getting the transcendent superstar to compete with the elite is the next hump. Until that bridge is crossed, well...

[Admin]

Dolfan you've hurt my feelings.

You gonna turn me in for bullying? lol

Understand, but like a guy with bad credit, they have to prove themselves over a longer period of time before folks begin to trust them. They have a lot of wrongs from the Babcock, Kasten, BK, and Sund years to make up for. Not Ferry's fault but them's the breaks.That's why he had to get total control of personnel before coming here. That's why he had to get someone to put a cork in Gearon's mouth. Good moves but not enough to move the meter. Getting the transcendent superstar to compete with the elite is the next hump. Until that bridge is crossed, well...

Eh, we had that with Nique and it didn't matter as the fans didn't show up then either.

[NBASupes]

The attendance has very sad this year. Even the big names that have come through barely had any fans at the game. Thunder and Clips games average around 13,000 per. Lakers didn't even get above 16,000.

I remember on NBATV several weeks back. Dennis said he was talking to some fans about the Hawks. The ones he talk to said they were boring to watch. Then Dennis said "You guys first complain about ISO Joe,Josh Smith and now your complaining about this." He gave a WTF look.

Just way too many fair weather/bandwagon fans in this city to ever get any real support going. It make me envy the Warriors and Thunder. Their crowds are awesome. Warriors have been terrible for years but you would never know it with how much passion their fans show on a nightly basis.

This team is extremely boring. They lack excitement. They play like the Squrs but without the dominance and Tim Duncan. The Hawks haven't been exciting since Nique. The Highlight Factory gave us highlights especially with Jamal, Joe, and Josh but their streetball iso joe offense was boring and they had no one who really entertained you. Josh makes you mad and sad more than happy.

[Vol4ever]

You gonna turn me in for bullying? lol Eh, we had that with Nique and it didn't matter as the fans didn't show up then either.

Yep, you are using your position to bully an old man, lol

[Vol4ever]

Truth is we have always had a attendance problem, even in the 90s when Ted owned the team. The south is about football, baseball and there are a lot of transplants in Atlanta.

Edited December 20, 2013 by Vol4ever

[Bahamut]

Potentially the A$G is suffering because of this move. Who knows? Maybe they are suffering because over the past 4 years they alienated the fans by exporting the Hockey team to Canada?

Yes, and everyone is underestimating the number of fans that were fans of both teams. I knew plenty of Thrashers fans that supported the Hawks just because they happened to be Thrashers fans, so A$G shot themselves in the foot here too. The Hawks won't have great attendance again until they have a new, visible, likeable, single-person ownership.

[Sothron]

Yes, and everyone is underestimating the number of fans that were fans of both teams. I knew plenty of Thrashers fans that supported the Hawks just because they happened to be Thrashers fans, so A$G shot themselves in the foot here too. The Hawks won't have great attendance again until they have a new, visible, likeable, single-person ownership.

This times this times this.

I know hundreds of Thrasher fans that refuse to step foot into that arena, myself included, until the A$G are gone. They completely backstabbed Atlanta fans by what they did with the Thrashers. They lost a lot of fan support as a result. I don't see that ever changing until new owners are here.

[hawkman]

The announcers were correct. Atlanta has plenty of basketball fans, but not many Hawks fans. If not for this message board I would have assumed that I was the only hardcore Hawks fan left on the planet.

^^^This. This is the reason the Hawks absolutely need a superstar. I know the attendance wasn't awesome during the Omni/Nique days, but there are a lot more transplants in the ATL today that ONLY come out to see superstars.