Are you really pleased? At what point did you become pleased, last night? When they made the playoffs? I have to say I'd have a lot easier time pulling for the Hawks if Shelden Williams were still playing for them and a certain other Williams was playing in Antartica.
The scene you describe if I do say so doesn't sound like Atlanta at all. My mom was born and raised in Cumming GA (go ahead make jokes, I know I do.) and I have relatives from Cordele to Marietta. For all we know you and I may be cousins. There are a bunch of posters on DBR from GA, particularly Atlanta, native and transplant alike. (Earl Jam doesn't count, he's from Burlington NC originally and the tainted water fried his brain so badly he thinks he's in Atlantis.) But I have thought something for a long time, and don't take this as a slap directed at you Wilson. It's actually directed at the average sports fan in Georgia, many of whom are my relatives. The state of Georgia has some of the worst sports fans in the world.
I remember Dominique's Hawks playing the Bulls in the Omni years ago. The fans down there were pulling for Jordan, IN THE PLAYOFFS! Granted I loathe Jordan for where he went to school, but they were pulling against the home team. Every NBA draft when they make a bad pick that doesn't address needs I laugh and say it serves them right. If Atlanta wanted a good basketball team they should have been pulling for them the last time they had a decent team.
Then we go to the beloved Braves, everyones favorite baseball team from Gafney SC to Gainsville FL. We Duke fans are called spoiled, and perhaps it's with good reason. But a few years back when the Cubs and Braves met in the playoffs, Cubs fans bought up all the away tickets and Turner field had at least an equal number if not more fans than the Braves. I suppose if I were the owner I might just be glad the games were sold out. But knowing my home city didn't care enough about the most popular team in the city to give a homefield advantage? Well imagine Cameron being 50% or more filled with UNC fans durring a Duke vs. UNC mens basketball game. You can't envision it and neither can I.
Next we go to the Falcons who didn't do anything every single year after being in the NFC championship game against the Cowboys to get the right to lose to the Steelers in the 1979 Super Bowl. The city had high hopes, but year after year it got worse and worse. People in Georgia do LOVE some football and they actually know it better than baseball despite the Braves. It's just a shame all hope of the future went down in a dog fight in a Home Depot lot. Blame PETA all you want to, but season ticket sales haven't been anything to smile about since Jimmy Carter was still in office.
Now UNLIKE North Carolina, Georgia knows, loves and appreciates college football UGA and GT both have national titles. (Although GT's last one was a co-champion and UNC tied them that year so it doesn't really count.
) Game day in Athens or Atlanta is actually a happy time filled with hope, unlike recent autumn Saturdays in the triangle. And next to Ibiza Spain, Mardi Gras and anytime my ex wife drinks absynthe there isn't a bigger party than Florida vs. Georgia in football. GT has been to two Final Fours (oddly enough in the same year as Duke went) but even a national title in basketball wouldn't rank up there with an SEC title in football.
I just wonder if the Hawks were to knock off the Celtics how much talk around the average peach flavored water cooler there would be about it. If they won the whole freakin' title I don't think the city would go half as Gonzo as just going to the Super Bowl. (Oh dirty bird where art thou?) My mom played basketball for Berry College way back in the day, and swears it's where I get my game from. I tell her, "no mom, you're from Georgia, you don't know anything about basketball, I'm good, lol". To the GA DBR posters on here PLEASE don't take this as a knock on any of you. From most everything I've read your knowledge of the game however you came to find it is encouraging if not impressive. But anyone could see fans in the city / state tend to be a little "fickle" to put it nicely. I guess unlike NC when you grow up having teams in all the major sports (Go Flames....I mean Thrashers!) it all gets passe. God knows this state didn't go bonkers when the Hurricane's won the stanley cup like they did when that ugly shade of blue won their last title, so I have no room to talk. And maybe it's being forced to watch the Pathers EVERY bloody week that has me misthinking this state is any more loyal.