Hope You're All Happy Now!!

[d2v16DKG]

Well, you pseudo-Hawk fans who think it's smart to root for the other team so we get a shot at the first draft pick, you got what you wished for. Hawks are the worst team this year and will now get the most ping pong balls so be proud of yourselves. I'm totally embarrassed (but I'm not sophisticated like you- I actually root for my team to win ALWAYS!)

BK reminds me of that owner in the movie "Major League" who did everything she could to make her team lose. I know lots of you (hopefully not all of you) think he's a genius because we set records in futility this year. Traded our best player and got zip in return. I know you're all banking on the draft and signing free agents with all the cap room we have but it may just blow up in your face. Who wants to play for a lousy team with a GM that plays to lose? Bob Pettit and Cliff Hagen would not approve and "Pistol Pete" must be turning over in his grave. But you guys know best and I'm the fool right?

[Nicholasp27]

lol@pseudo-fans

again, we forgot that there were 'rules' to being a fan

the spurs had the worst record and got duncan

the magic had the worst record and got howard

the cavs had the worst record and got lebron

[d2v16DKG]

Actually, the rules are quite simple to follow. You root for your team to win!

[Lascar78]

wow we would be so much better if we had kept toine, won 6 more games, and then seen him walk this offseason and had a worse shot at the lottery. Then the franchise would be saved!

Look, it's easy. Do you want a shot at long term success for the hawks, or do you want to try to scrape a couple more wins in a non-playoff year. That's the question.

In retrospect, do you wish we had tanked last year and gotten okafor or howard instead of chill? I do.

Getting a 5-10 pick year after year never makes enough of an impact to carry a team. A top 3 pick can. It's as simple as that.

It sounds like you would be happy if we went back to the babcock years, barely making or missing the playoffs year after year and getting swept in the first round if we do. That would not be satisfactory to me. I would rather aim big, attempt a full rebuilding, and give ourselves a chance at building a true contender. There is no guarantee, but to me it is worth the risk.

And to call people who spend their time not only watching /going to all the hawk games, and post time after time after time on how they think the franchise can be saved "pseudo-fans" is below the belt. We spend more time than you here trying to come up with the best strategies to turn this team into a contender. So save your breath and your insults, we're trying to save the franchise, not win 17 games instead of 11. Developing our youth is more important than winning right now.

Just because you have an opinion doesn't make it the right one

[Lascar78]

Quote:

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Actually, the rules are quite simple to follow. You root for your team to win!

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Speak for yourself, I'm willing to do whatever it takes to turn us into contender

[TheDude]

i'ts called living in reality....to be REALISTIC if we won a few more games, it would have hurt us in the future..THAT IS REALITY AND THAT IS THE TRUTH..i don't know how many times we have to explain that...

you pick..win some now or win alot later....logic.

[Vafan]

So are you saying we should fire BK and rehire Babcock? No thanks. It may be dark right now, but I see light at the end of the tunnel. With Babcock, I would never see the light.

[Nicholasp27]

if u think about it, fairweather and bandwagon fans root for their team when it's winning...they abandon it when it loses

those are 'pseudo-fans'

we are the opposite...we are more passionate about the hawks while they are losing, as we care about the team and franchise and want it to be built into a contender...

we are willing to sacrifice and suffer in the hopes that it will make the team better...that makes us true fans

i think fans that only like teams when they win are 'pseudo-fans'

[Lascar78]

Quote:

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if u think about it, fairweather and bandwagon fans root for their team when it's winning...they abandon it when it loses

those are 'pseudo-fans'

we are the opposite...we are more passionate about the hawks while they are losing, as we care about the team and franchise and want it to be built into a contender...

we are willing to sacrifice and suffer in the hopes that it will make the team better...that makes us true fans

i think fans that only like teams when they win are 'pseudo-fans'

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Great point

[pathway23]

My thoughts exactly, Nicholasp27. I'm tired of mediocrity. I think this team had to hit bottom the right way in order to go to the top...We had limited potential on those mediocre teams because of all the poor locations of draft picks and poor scounting by the Babcock administration. Now we have a chance to grab the best Center or PG in the draft in a year where PGs are strong and the #1 Center prospect this year is probably the best in years as well and those are our positions of need. I agree totally with your sentiment that the real fans are those that are with the team through thick and thin, as it does whatever it has to do to become a contender, not just to make the playoffs, to make the playoffs and go far.

I think Knight is on the right track.

(Lol I had to edit out Babcock in place of Knight!)

[chillzatl]

which was our last winning season.

I'm surprised that you can't look beyond the superficial losses and see why everyone, excluding yourself and a few others, are happy.

First the first time, we actually have something. We're not a team full of aging mid-talent players who are trying to remain respectable by plugging holes. We finally and officially rebuilt the team. We dumped everyone, we got young talent and we should do nothing but improve.

With the right draft pick(s) and FA moves, we could and should realistically be a 30+ win team next year. That might be hoping for a lot. But I think it's possible. If we didn't quite get there, I would still not be disappointed. As long as we see consistant improvement over hte course of the season (which we did see this year btw), will be happy.

It's the following year that I will start expecting more concrete and consistant results.

[Lrenfro]

I admit that this year has been kind of hard for me. First I have been in Memphis the whole year and have not had the opportunity to go to but about 7 Hawks games (to include two in Memphis)this year which is probably still more than a lot of "Real fans on this board". But I like to see my team win. However I have been a fan long enough to want something better than the first round of the playoffs year after year. Thats why I was tired of Pete. Reality did not hit me until I was at the game the night Nique retired #21 the whole place Boo'd Pete. I knew then that we had to have something better. I was willing to sit through a few loosing seasons so that we can have what we once had and maybe better. So if loosing could make us better than thats what we have to do. Thats what we do as adults. We do what we have to do to get what we think is best. Does that make me a Pseudo-Hawk fan. I hope not. I love to see the Hawks win but I know sometimes you have to struggle to get to the top and I am willing to struggle with my team to get what I want. I will stand by my team through the Bad and the Good. If that is not a real fan then you tell me what is.

[Wretch]

When Childress, Smith, and whomever we draft in the future are leading this team (deep) into the playoffs - don't root for them. Because you didn't want them in the first place.

I don't know how long you've watched the NBA, but there are only so many ways to rebuild a team. And if your team isn't in LA or NY, then chances are you're going to have to do it in the draft. And even those teams need a boost from the draft or draft trades.

The reality is, we are not getting any decent free agents to come to this miserable franchise.

We would have to overpay for average talent JUST to give us HOPE for the playoffs.

IF we made the playoffs we would get swept and end up with a pick in the mid/late 1st round.

A mid or late 1st round pick will not help us improve.

That is called a cycle of mediocrity. That's what we've been trapped in for the majority of the 20 years that I've followed the team. I don't root for any team to beat us.

I simply have NO interest in being mediocre again. I'd rather us be horrible and get good draft picks.

[KBatPCSOM]

Actually, no one is banking on free agents. Billy Knight said from the first day he took the job that the team would be built through the draft, and if a free agent made sense for us, then we would make a move.

He also said that building a team that is capable of winning a championship takes time and isn't a one year turnaround type of thing.

If your only goal is to get to the playoffs, then just say that. Billy Knight's goal is to win a championship though, and he knows that to get to that point, he may have to take his lumps for a few years.

For the first time in a very long while, the Hawks have two rookies who have a very bright future and are among the best rookies in the league. One of those rookies has the ability to be the type of superstar athlete we need to build this team around.

[macdaddy]

I think maybe you have a misconception. I can't speak for everyone but I never root for the Hawks to lose. I never watch a game a say 'damn I wish we wouldn't have tied the game up'. But once we were about 20 games under .500 I quit caring if they won because it meant nothing. I still watched games and wanted them to win, but I was more concerned with the team competing and the young guys developing and the coach learning. When you know you won't make the playoffs you look for the positives in each game even in a loss. And the postive of any loss is it gives us a better chance of drafting someone to help us.

As for BK look at it this way. His job is more than winning its to make money by selling tickets and the franchise in general. Its a business and he's looking for how to make it successful over the long haul and sometimes that means sacrificing.

[Iman]

Actually I did root for us to win games, just wanted to lose most of the close ones and barely slip in with the worst record. I thought we had enough margin going into this last week that I wanted us to win more, at least one against Charlotte. Btw, I do think Charlotte has a better team than we do and just as much chance to build properly. But I'm still glad we got a pick for Toine and got that extra PT by moving him also. Chillz really came on after the move since that allowed him to start.

I realize we may not get a few prime free agents while rebuilding but I think most will come here, they know it shouldnt take much to turn us around now. Plus some may want the chance to start for us and prove themselves.

We're on the right track and I'm sure BK will continue to take his time and do it right. I'm guessing we are in the playoff hunt next year and around as strong as BK's other project Memphis within a few years.

[TheRedStripes]

Personally i am very glad the Hawks lost more games than any other team and will get a good shot at a no.1 draft choice...

but...every game i watched this year i pulled for the Hawks to win and i truly wanted them to win, i dont think anybody here watched every hawk game and was thinking to themselves cmon hawks lose lose lose, but with the talent on the team at this time it was inevitable they would lose more games than any other team, i realized this as im sure most of the posters on this board did, and most of us also realized that you have to go through some years like this in order to succeed in the future, its not a question of pulling for or against the Hawks, its a question of whether or not you can accept the hawks are rebuilding and will have to go through some rough years in the process

[Lrenfro]

I tell you this. I loved watching the games. This year was a big gigantic upgrade from last year. Think about it. No blow out games. A whole lot more excitement. A little allstar recognition. I am not complaining a bit. It was fun just hoping for an ally-oop, Just wating for J'Smooth to cathch the ball down low drop step and "dunk on them" as deke would say. Last year I knew we were going to loose I just hoped it would not be by much. This year I know we are going to loose but it is a chance to win every game and I knew it would be a good game.

[CBAreject]

Are we supposed to feel bad? I guess 95% of the people on this board aren't 'real Hawks fans'.

If we're not real Hawks fans, why do we come on this board and read and post every day?

Why do we watch every game we can, even when we lose by 35?

Why is it that when we lose by 35, we still find positives (Smoove played well???)?

Listen, when we won a few games last year with the street ball team, it was fun, but what did it get us? No shot at Dwight Howard, a true superstar prospect. No chance at a player to really build a team around. Childress is nice, but he'll never be a primary option. If he maxes out his potential, I can maybe see a 20/9 player, but that's absolutely maxing out. We need a superstar, but we don't have one. How can we get this player if not through the draft? You said yourself that no FA's will sign here.

You can point a finger and lecture us all you want, but ask yourself this question:

Do I want the Hawks to win 30 games every year, or would I rather see them win 15 games one or two years so that they can win 50 games a couple years down the road.

I think that is a remarkably easy choice, and I can't believe any 'true Hawks fan' would want instant gratification (if you can even call it that) over long-term, sustained success.

None of us wanted to get into this situation to start with, but we are where we are. We have to look forward and decide what the best course of action is, given our circumstances.

[emeans]

BINGO!!! Great statement!!