dk7th wrote:

Nalod wrote:

dk7th wrote:the hawks, like any other ball club, need to start winning meaningful games in the playoffs if this swine levenson wants to put asses in seats. levenson's biggest mistake was hiring mike woodson, followed by larry drew. before that lon kruger hello?!? at least stotts has improved in the last ten years.

you get stuck in mediocrity for as long as the hawks have-- when was the last time they made an impression in the second round?-- and eventually there is nothing to get excited about during the regular season when you know you get crushed in the varsity season.

racism and basketball as entertainment? if the hawks were winning would these issues even exist?

the knicks sold out for years not even making the playoffs. Why is he "Swine"???

metropolitan area has 20 million people and NYC is the business capital of the world. with plenty of corporate sh!tbags and general riffraff you can have a franchise that is as loose as a 65-year-old tijuana whore and still sell out.

atlanta area has a population of 4.7 million people. you have to work harder at being a draw, and that means treating the sport with enough respect to actually build a good team and have a cohesive front office on the same page. if levenson possesses the same "values" as that azzhole who owns the knicks then he will unleash a mediocre and marginally "entertaining" "product." but now i have seen everything-- a white owner using quasi-racist statements as a pretext to sell his interest at a potentially huge profit. if true levenson = swine.

meanwhile you know what's really entertaining: winning

Second longest playoff inclusion streak and tied for 6th place with Los Angelus having 15 fortune 500 companies in the United States. http://www.debate.org/reference/cities-hosting-the-most-fortune-500-companies

ATL metro area ranks 9th in the country in population.

Was it racist for the Hawks to attempt to market themselves to the black community in the first place? Or Racist to try to appeal to a wider (more White) Audience?

They found 9 emails out of 24,000,000 that were judged to have questionable content. I don't condone the hurtful words and there are more tactful ways to word things but an organization that is struggling to draw can't have a "comfortable" conversation about demographics without tripping up in either direction. Isiah rumored comment about white ticket holders and sexual harrassment was dealt with by giving him an extension!

Levenson is no where near Sterling territory.

dk7th wrote:

Nalod wrote:

dk7th wrote:

Nalod wrote:

dk7th wrote:the hawks, like any other ball club, need to start winning meaningful games in the playoffs if this swine levenson wants to put asses in seats. levenson's biggest mistake was hiring mike woodson, followed by larry drew. before that lon kruger hello?!? at least stotts has improved in the last ten years.

you get stuck in mediocrity for as long as the hawks have-- when was the last time they made an impression in the second round?-- and eventually there is nothing to get excited about during the regular season when you know you get crushed in the varsity season.

racism and basketball as entertainment? if the hawks were winning would these issues even exist?

the knicks sold out for years not even making the playoffs. Why is he "Swine"???

metropolitan area has 20 million people and NYC is the business capital of the world. with plenty of corporate sh!tbags and general riffraff you can have a franchise that is as loose as a 65-year-old tijuana whore and still sell out.

atlanta area has a population of 4.7 million people. you have to work harder at being a draw, and that means treating the sport with enough respect to actually build a good team and have a cohesive front office on the same page. if levenson possesses the same "values" as that azzhole who owns the knicks then he will unleash a mediocre and marginally "entertaining" "product." but now i have seen everything-- a white owner using quasi-racist statements as a pretext to sell his interest at a potentially huge profit. if true levenson = swine.

meanwhile you know what's really entertaining: winning

Second longest playoff inclusion streak and tied for 6th place with Los Angelus having 15 fortune 500 companies in the United States. http://www.debate.org/reference/cities-hosting-the-most-fortune-500-companies

ATL metro area ranks 9th in the country in population.

Was it racist for the Hawks to attempt to market themselves to the black community in the first place? Or Racist to try to appeal to a wider (more White) Audience?

They found 9 emails out of 24,000,000 that were judged to have questionable content. I don't condone the hurtful words and there are more tactful ways to word things but an organization that is struggling to draw can't have a "comfortable" conversation about demographics without tripping up in either direction. Isiah rumored comment about white ticket holders and sexual harrassment was dealt with by giving him an extension!

Levenson is no where near Sterling territory.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_Atlanta#Major_shifts_from_2000_to_2010

so the upsurge in white population from 2000 to 2010 (and presumably to the present) is parallel to the hawks being somewhere between sucking and mediocre. if levenson wants to get some of these newer arrivals to the stadium he has to value winning over entertainment.

changing the cultural vibe of the games and alluding to their being too black is ridiculous. the franchise itself needs a change of culture! all they have to do is make a splash in the second round and not succumb meekly, woodson style, and voila!... you get crackers to games.

YOu just described more than half the league. So your saying Honky only likes a winning culture? You discount the entertainment factor? Economics? Transportation? Cultural Barriers? Half the leauge don't make the playoffs and all but Philly and Milwaukee do better at the gate.

C'mon man, you gotta give us more than that!

Braves have attendance problems as well and they have a winning culture.

Nalod wrote:

dk7th wrote:

Nalod wrote:

dk7th wrote:

Nalod wrote:

dk7th wrote:the hawks, like any other ball club, need to start winning meaningful games in the playoffs if this swine levenson wants to put asses in seats. levenson's biggest mistake was hiring mike woodson, followed by larry drew. before that lon kruger hello?!? at least stotts has improved in the last ten years.

you get stuck in mediocrity for as long as the hawks have-- when was the last time they made an impression in the second round?-- and eventually there is nothing to get excited about during the regular season when you know you get crushed in the varsity season.

racism and basketball as entertainment? if the hawks were winning would these issues even exist?

the knicks sold out for years not even making the playoffs. Why is he "Swine"???

metropolitan area has 20 million people and NYC is the business capital of the world. with plenty of corporate sh!tbags and general riffraff you can have a franchise that is as loose as a 65-year-old tijuana whore and still sell out.

atlanta area has a population of 4.7 million people. you have to work harder at being a draw, and that means treating the sport with enough respect to actually build a good team and have a cohesive front office on the same page. if levenson possesses the same "values" as that azzhole who owns the knicks then he will unleash a mediocre and marginally "entertaining" "product." but now i have seen everything-- a white owner using quasi-racist statements as a pretext to sell his interest at a potentially huge profit. if true levenson = swine.

meanwhile you know what's really entertaining: winning

Second longest playoff inclusion streak and tied for 6th place with Los Angelus having 15 fortune 500 companies in the United States. http://www.debate.org/reference/cities-hosting-the-most-fortune-500-companies

ATL metro area ranks 9th in the country in population.

Was it racist for the Hawks to attempt to market themselves to the black community in the first place? Or Racist to try to appeal to a wider (more White) Audience?

They found 9 emails out of 24,000,000 that were judged to have questionable content. I don't condone the hurtful words and there are more tactful ways to word things but an organization that is struggling to draw can't have a "comfortable" conversation about demographics without tripping up in either direction. Isiah rumored comment about white ticket holders and sexual harrassment was dealt with by giving him an extension!

Levenson is no where near Sterling territory.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_Atlanta#Major_shifts_from_2000_to_2010

so the upsurge in white population from 2000 to 2010 (and presumably to the present) is parallel to the hawks being somewhere between sucking and mediocre. if levenson wants to get some of these newer arrivals to the stadium he has to value winning over entertainment.

changing the cultural vibe of the games and alluding to their being too black is ridiculous. the franchise itself needs a change of culture! all they have to do is make a splash in the second round and not succumb meekly, woodson style, and voila!... you get crackers to games.

YOu just described more than half the league. So your saying Honky only likes a winning culture? You discount the entertainment factor? Economics? Transportation? Cultural Barriers? Half the leauge don't make the playoffs and all but Philly and Milwaukee do better at the gate.

C'mon man, you gotta give us more than that!

Braves have attendance problems as well and they have a winning culture.

if by half the league you mean half the teams are .500 or less, that is a mathematical certainty.

so let me ask you this: what winning teams, and by "winning" i mean the team makes a significant impression in the conference semifinals, fail to fill their arenas?

conversely, what mediocrities fill their arenas other than the knicks?

Nalod wrote:
http://espn.go.com/nba/attendance

Have at it. I get your point and its a good one. Nobody is saying they don't draw cuz whitey is afraid. You saying they don't have a culture.
Freaking Jazz been sucking for a long time since Jordan put them away. They still draw pretty good. I was at a game in February out there and the arena sucks, the halftime was a joke, the video screen is way too large and few black people. About 30% latino. Only game in town in Salt Lake.
They love that team.

No doubt winning draws. But other teams draw too that don't. There are teams that are able to draw better from both black and white in attendance? I don't have a breakdown.

I am not sure about "African" culture but modern US culture sucks for sure.
Instead of bringing people together by stopping calling then whites, blacks, Latinos, Asians, etc. we cultivating and promoting racism at every level. Especially when we are "fighting" it.
All this politically correct diversity crap is getting more harmful by day.
Making money and political caries on "racism" became most popular business.
Shame on us...

nixluva wrote:I live in Georgia and there are PLENTY of affluent Blacks here who would spend IF they put a legit product on the court. Also the Whites in GA would have no problem going to games if they had Lebron or Durant or a Kevin Love to go see. It's the product.

While it's true that the fan base is weak due to all the out of state new residents that isn't really the problem. Young kids would adopt the team if it was good or they drafted a stud. There are very real Racial issues much as there always have been in the American south but that's not the biggest problem.

Even when they were winning while Woodson was coaching

Their attendance barely cracked Top 20

I think they do a poor job marketing the team

Not to mention the overall sentiment of Atlanta fans

They never feel their teams are truly good

They sense mirages and don't support

Exception may be the baseball team

Remember when they were winning and Joe Johnson called them out

dk7th wrote:

Nalod wrote:

dk7th wrote:

Nalod wrote:

dk7th wrote:the hawks, like any other ball club, need to start winning meaningful games in the playoffs if this swine levenson wants to put asses in seats. levenson's biggest mistake was hiring mike woodson, followed by larry drew. before that lon kruger hello?!? at least stotts has improved in the last ten years.

you get stuck in mediocrity for as long as the hawks have-- when was the last time they made an impression in the second round?-- and eventually there is nothing to get excited about during the regular season when you know you get crushed in the varsity season.

racism and basketball as entertainment? if the hawks were winning would these issues even exist?

the knicks sold out for years not even making the playoffs. Why is he "Swine"???

metropolitan area has 20 million people and NYC is the business capital of the world. with plenty of corporate sh!tbags and general riffraff you can have a franchise that is as loose as a 65-year-old tijuana whore and still sell out.

atlanta area has a population of 4.7 million people. you have to work harder at being a draw, and that means treating the sport with enough respect to actually build a good team and have a cohesive front office on the same page. if levenson possesses the same "values" as that azzhole who owns the knicks then he will unleash a mediocre and marginally "entertaining" "product." but now i have seen everything-- a white owner using quasi-racist statements as a pretext to sell his interest at a potentially huge profit. if true levenson = swine.

meanwhile you know what's really entertaining: winning

Second longest playoff inclusion streak and tied for 6th place with Los Angelus having 15 fortune 500 companies in the United States. http://www.debate.org/reference/cities-hosting-the-most-fortune-500-companies

ATL metro area ranks 9th in the country in population.

Was it racist for the Hawks to attempt to market themselves to the black community in the first place? Or Racist to try to appeal to a wider (more White) Audience?

They found 9 emails out of 24,000,000 that were judged to have questionable content. I don't condone the hurtful words and there are more tactful ways to word things but an organization that is struggling to draw can't have a "comfortable" conversation about demographics without tripping up in either direction. Isiah rumored comment about white ticket holders and sexual harrassment was dealt with by giving him an extension!

Levenson is no where near Sterling territory.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_Atlanta#Major_shifts_from_2000_to_2010

so the upsurge in white population from 2000 to 2010 (and presumably to the present) is parallel to the hawks being somewhere between sucking and mediocre. if levenson wants to get some of these newer arrivals to the stadium he has to value winning over entertainment.

changing the cultural vibe of the games and alluding to their being too black is ridiculous. the franchise itself needs a change of culture! all they have to do is make a splash in the second round and not succumb meekly, woodson style, and voila!... you get crackers to games.

Dude! How are you any better than the man you are trying to admonish? "Honky"? "Cracker"? Seriously?

NardDogNation wrote:I'm Black and I don't find the emails offensive in the least. I'm not sure why this guy self-reported a non-story and don't understand why he feels compelled to sell his team, unless this is a smokescreen for something else. I wouldn't be surprised if he's being blackmailed with something bigger.

http://www.si.com/nba/2014/09/07/bruce-levenson-atlanta-hawks-owner-sell-team-donald-sterling

I don't find them offensive either. He was looking at things purely in a business perspective and all he was asking for was a few more white cheerleaders(Though its proven white men do love themselves a chocolate women) and some music that both whites and blacks are familiar with. It didn't seem like he was trying to rid himself of blacks in order to add more whites. Only offer some appealing things to attract more whites. But he is looking at it the wrong way. If he wants more season ticket holders they need to be a more relevant franchise and start creating more history with there brand.

Drafting Chris Paul over Marvin Williams when you have 3 forwards on your roster already would have helped the cause more.

newyorknewyork wrote:

NardDogNation wrote:I'm Black and I don't find the emails offensive in the least. I'm not sure why this guy self-reported a non-story and don't understand why he feels compelled to sell his team, unless this is a smokescreen for something else. I wouldn't be surprised if he's being blackmailed with something bigger.

http://www.si.com/nba/2014/09/07/bruce-levenson-atlanta-hawks-owner-sell-team-donald-sterling

I don't find them offensive either. He was looking at things purely in a business perspective and all he was asking for was a few more white cheerleaders(Though its proven white men do love themselves a chocolate women) and some music that both whites and blacks are familiar with. It didn't seem like he was trying to rid himself of blacks in order to add more whites. Only offer some appealing things to attract more whites. But he is looking at it the wrong way. If he wants more season ticket holders they need to be a more relevant franchise and start creating more history with there brand.

Drafting Chris Paul over Marvin Williams when you have 3 forwards on your roster already would have helped the cause more.

this is the crux of the matter-- the hawks are a poor to mediocre team the last 10-12 years. why go to games? this is where the vaunted "basketball as entertainment" canard is exposed. you need to field a winning team if you want to fill the arena!!!

too many chiefs and not enough indians is also a recipe for disaster.