Sorry to be critical, but...

[TheNorthCydeRises]

Josh, you're forgetting the Clippers' announcers who've apparently bought into that squad's complaining mentality.  I had the displeasure of listening to their broadcast when we played them.  Almost made me give up being a fan of the game of basketball.

 

That's exactly what I'm talking about.  When you listen to that team, it's almost like Blake Griffin is announcing the game, with all of the whining they do.   That announce team even got suspended some years back, for making fun of Hamed Haddadi, who was from Iran.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oN5zyimKsp4

 

I listen to a lot of opposing teams announcers, because I can't get all of the Hawks games on TV where I live.  The Hawks easily have a top 10 announce team, even with all of Nique's catch phrases and so-called "terribleness".

 

Respect the Hall of Famer.

[Guest]

All you guys picking Ferry over Nique(even though there is no proof he initiated anything that has befallen Ferry) are certainly putting the cart before the horse.  All this winning is good, but you guys are ignoring the other principles like Bud, the Asst. GM, and Koonin.  Not to mention that Ferry has yet to win a playoff series.  But, hey to each his own.  Half of y'all aren't true Atliens anyway so what do you care if he gets love from the city and team?  You aren't footing the bill.  Its a damn shame he gets more respect from ESPN than the Hawks fan base.

I'm not picking Ferry over Nique, or Nique over Ferry.  

I'm picking THIS HAWKS team right now and for the future. We have a chance to do something special an unexpected.

I would like to see the vision that Danny Ferry had and started completed with him being a part of it.  He's had some hits and misses in the draft, he's had only hits with the free agents he's signed (no big names but they fit what we do), resigning of our own players.

[JETSET]

Dude this Ferry love is beyond the Team.  We have squandered some draft picks because of Ferry.  Had Ferry had his way, we would have moved Teague by now.  Ferry brought a good blueprint but it's the same talking points we got from BK.  Ferry just had a much better coach.

Ferry deserves his credit and his discredits but what this Hawks team have is beyond even Ferry.

LOL.

 

i would love to hear your explanation for this one.

[JETSET]

Your treating rumors of things that didn't happen as fact and assuming that they would have be failures.  That's BS.   Before the season you were arguing Ferry sucked and this team would be average at best.  Now you're arguing that Ferry was not only lucky but didn't really believe in this team.   More BS.

 

No one has a perfect draft record, especially later in the draft.  Last night Dennis and Scott were keys to bringing the hammer down on one of the top teams in the west.

This is the lengths that Ferry detractors must go to if they want to speak negatively about Ferry.

 

Ferry is so DAMN good that It takes lies and stretches of the imagination to get the job done.

[JETSET]

The entire membership here should be liking this post.  But they love Ferry so much, that they'll diss the Hall of Famer who is STILL the face of the damn franchise, over a guy that STILL hasn't had the balls to apologize to the fan base face to face.   Had to issue a dang statement, and hasn't shown his face around here since September.

 

Yet, Nique continues to be the ambassador for this franchise through thick and thin.  Traded him on the best team he ever played on in ATL, and he STILL came back.   No one is more loyal to the Atlanta Hawks than that guy.  But the fan base talks about him like he's Eldridge Recasner or somebody.   Just a lack of respect all the way around.   

 

This should be a flat out celebratory week for this fan base.  Instead, people still hold grudges toward Nique because he doesn't speak well, is TOO SUPPORTIVE of the Hawks, and aligned himself with a guy who has been a longtime friend and supporter.

 

It's sickening, to be honest.

You act like he had somewhere else to go.  What other team would allow Nique to have the current roles that he enjoys within the Hawks franchise?

[TheNorthCydeRises]

Here are some of the announcers around the league

 

 

Austin Carr . . . Cleveland Cavaliers

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hz4j0epMXuo

 

 

 

Stacy King . . . Chicago Bulls

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRAp00SxP30

 

 

 

Tommy Heinsohn . . . Boston Celtics . . a 2012 game vs the Hawks

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GryTCp-jk2A

[Dejay]

I almost divested myself from basketball after hearing Heinsohn and Stacey King. We have pessimists in the booth compared to them. Listening to their teams lose to anybody (but the Cavs) brings me joy. They cry and whine like a kid getting his toy taken away for not doing his homework...

[TheNorthCydeRises]

You act like he had somewhere else to go.  What other team would allow Nique to have the current roles that he enjoys within the Hawks franchise?

 

He didn't have to come back to the Hawks at all.  And it was Gearon who brought him back.   Hate that dude all you want, but Gearon is the ONLY reason why Nique is even affiliated with the Hawks. 

 

My feelings on this is that you do NOT disrespect a franchise ICON, simply because he mispronounces words or doesn't see eye to eye with The Great Exiled One.  

 

A lot of times, that dude represents the ONLY tangible link we have on the national NBA stage. More radio announcers ask to do interviews with that guy, than any current player on the Hawks.  And he ALWAYS speaks highly of the franchise.  

 

People not affiliated with the Hawks or are non-Hawks fans, have a lot more respect and admiration for that dude, than some in this fan base.  All of you are entitled to your own opinions about Dominique, but I just think it's sad that he doesn't get the respect he deserves.   Even Boston fans will defend the over the top homerism of Heinsohn.   They love that dude through thick and thin.

 

Can't say the same thing about Hawks fans and Dominique.

[TheNorthCydeRises]

I almost divested myself from basketball after hearing Heinsohn and Stacey King. We have pessimists in the booth compared to them. Listening to their teams lose to anybody (but the Cavs) brings me joy. They cry and whine like a kid getting his toy taken away for not doing his homework...

 

You'll never see Nique actually gloat and be disrespectful toward the opponent like that either.  He'll express his opinion on a situation.  But the disrespect, you won't see it.  Even with Josh, he tempered his emotions at times when he could've flat out trolled Josh.

[Dejay]

You're not lying, North. I remember the Clipper announcers all but hoping the Hawks get rick-rolled in Portland after beating their guys (didn't happen). They give credit when it's due to the opponent instead of showing sour grapes and hoping that they lose the rest of their games.

 

And yeah, they could've ethered Osh late in the game, especially after the Hawks hulked up and gave the Rockets their finishing maneuver. But they stayed the course...

[JETSET]

He didn't have to come back to the Hawks at all.  And it was Gearon who brought him back.   Hate that dude all you want, but Gearon is the ONLY reason why Nique is even affiliated with the Hawks. 

 

My feelings on this is that you do NOT disrespect a franchise ICON, simply because he mispronounces words or doesn't see eye to eye with The Great Exiled One.  

 

A lot of times, that dude represents the ONLY tangible link we have on the national NBA stage. More radio announcers ask to do interviews with that guy, than any current player on the Hawks.  And he ALWAYS speaks highly of the franchise.  

 

People not affiliated with the Hawks or are non-Hawks fans, have a lot more respect and admiration for that dude, than some in this fan base.  All of you are entitled to your own opinions about Dominique, but I just think it's sad that he doesn't get the respect he deserves.   Even Boston fans will defend the over the top homerism of Heinsohn.   They love that dude through thick and thin.

 

Can't say the same thing about Hawks fans and Dominique.

I became a diehard Hawks fan in 2007 and I wasn't around for the Nique years.  My only concern is what is best for the future of this team.  I respect what Nique has done for this franchise, but it does not make him immune from criticism if he chooses to put himself before the future betterment of this franchise. 

 

I'm not sure where you are going with your last two paragraphs.  So you think that Nique is the only Hawk who will ever be worthy of media attention?  I've seen our starters interviewed a hell of a lot more than Nique this season.  They will be interviewed even more once they are representing us in the ECFs.

 

Maybe you should stick the VHS in and just watch reruns of Nique games if you care less about the current team and only about the greatness of Nique.

[Admin]

Josh, you're forgetting the Clippers' announcers who've apparently bought into that squad's complaining mentality.  I had the displeasure of listening to their broadcast when we played them.  Almost made me give up being a fan of the game of basketball.

 

Yeah that might be the crew I'm thinking of. I want to say the Nuggets have some bad ones too but can't recall as I've mostly been fortunate enough to hear Bob and Nique this year.

[Admin]

When you listen to the other guys around the league, the Hawks announce team is not only one of the more entertaining duos, they're also one of the more HONEST groups when announcing a game.  Rathburn plays a more homer type, while Nique gives you the type of commentary that you'd expect from a former player.

 

And when Nique announces a game and says that's the "dagger" or the "back breaker", the fan base should rejoice, because the Hawks win 95% of those games.  I think the only game we lost after Nique said that, was the Orlando game in which Tobias Harris beat us at the buzzer.  Oh . . and the Boston game right before the All-Star break.

 

I'm on the opposite end when it comes to Nique.  I think a good number of fans simply don't give the guy the respect that he deserves.  So what if he mispronounce names at times.  So what if he isn't giving out some in-depth X's and O's type of analysis.

 

We COULD have a completely annoying guy like Stacy King as the color commentator ( Bulls ).  We COULD have a straight up homer like a Tommy Heinson as the color commentator ( Celtics ).  Instead we have Nique, a living legend to a franchise that pretty much denied him of his only legitimate shot to win a championship.  And despite all of that, he's stayed loyal to the franchise.

 

Honestly, Friday night should be one of the greatest nights in this franchise's history.  Nique gets his statue, and I'm sure one of of the best highlight tributes ever seen. AND we play the league's darling Cleveland Cavaliers in the process.  We could have a chance to celebrate that win PLUS knock off King James and his minions on the same night.

 

Respect the Hall of Famer . . .even if he annoys you.

 

I respect the hell out of Nique the player. Nique the announcer isn't worth a damn. And his analysis would be even worse if he didn't have someone else to parrot off of. Sorry but the guy has no original thoughts when it comes to calling games. 

[Admin]

LOL.

 

i would love to hear your explanation for this one.

 

He's saying that Ferry would have signed Ellis, even though there's zero real proof (that I'm aware of) that Ferry was ever interested in Ellis. 

[Admin]

You'll never see Nique actually gloat and be disrespectful toward the opponent like that either.  He'll express his opinion on a situation.  But the disrespect, you won't see it.  Even with Josh, he tempered his emotions at times when he could've flat out trolled Josh.

 

Now that I'll give him credit for. He and Bob are both class acts when it comes to calling games and he was as respectful as he could be for Josh last night, even though Josh didn't deserve it.

 

And thanks for mentioning Carr as well as I forgot how bad the Cleveland crew were. 

[HawkItus]

and all this talk about Nique when he is genuinely good dude.  I have met him several times and observed him all types of fans.  Always cordial and humble.  I see many of you weren't around for that era.  But, you look at guys like Mookie, Shareef, Mutombo, Spud, Doc and they don't have time for the Hawks.  Nique does.  I remember asking him on twitter about what the Hawks should do in free agency and building the team after Ferry got here.

 

 

Dominique Wilkins ‏@DWilkins21  Mar 28

@Sultan_of_atl My opinion is just that...an opinion. It might ruffle too many feathers.

 

 

 

He didn't take shots or say I know what's best.

[Dejay]

I've also met Nique on several occasions while he was in his prime. He was always cordial and I cannot recall a time when he gave the 'I'm too big to talk to you' look...

[TheNorthCydeRises]

I became a diehard Hawks fan in 2007 and I wasn't around for the Nique years.  My only concern is what is best for the future of this team.  I respect what Nique has done for this franchise, but it does not make him immune from criticism if he chooses to put himself before the future betterment of this franchise. 

 

I'm not sure where you are going with your last two paragraphs.  So you think that Nique is the only Hawk who will ever be worthy of media attention?  I've seen our starters interviewed a hell of a lot more than Nique this season.  They will be interviewed even more once they are representing us in the ECFs.

 

Maybe you should stick the VHS in and just watch reruns of Nique games if you care less about the current team and only about the greatness of Nique.

 

I didn't say he was the only Hawk worth media attention.  I'm saying that he's the only Hawk that ever gets it.  Nobody calls Dikembe to talk about his days as a Hawk, because he's been all over the place.  The same goes for Steve Smith, although Smitty being on NBA TV does help us have somewhat of a knowledgeable voice about the franchise and the team.  Other than that, who is the national media talking to, in relation to the Hawks?  Kevin Willis?  Mookie is in jail, so they can't talk to him.  Josh Childress?

 

Even with this year's team, you've seen sporadic interviews with Horford at times, but that's really it.  

 

I care about the current team AND the greatness of Nique.  I can separate the two and appreciate them both equally. 

[MaceCase]

You'll never see Nique actually gloat and be disrespectful toward the opponent like that either.  He'll express his opinion on a situation.  But the disrespect, you won't see it.  Even with Josh, he tempered his emotions at times when he could've flat out trolled Josh.

You must have forgotten about how he used to always go in on your boy Jordan Crawford.  I don't know what Jordan did in his short time as a Hawk, maybe dunked on Nique too perhaps even had some choice words after, but in every game he played for Washington or Boston Nique made it a point to trash every shot attempt he made, every dribble he took, and every pass he threw.  It was to the point that we'd joke in the chat every time Nique harshly criticized any other player that they made his "Jordan Crawford Shit List".

[Guest]

Really? I want to punch him in the face when I hear him use words that just don't belong in basketball announcing. Plus he's a Knicks homer (no shame there as he should be one) and that just annoys me. He's not the worst as that's reserved for the Heat announcers and the Celtics announcers (I know I'm forgetting another annoying pair as well) as they are definitely the worst.

I'd say ..

1. Celts...Tommy H. raises my blood pressure..idiot

2. Warriors... Bob Fitzgerald is a complete moron..I'd fight

3. Anybody playing the Hawks that night that I have to listen to because I have the stupid nba package.