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Sports
Atlanta’s apathetic fens
Joe Carlos
Sports Editor
Well, I'll tell you. I'm tired
of Atlanta's fans. They don't
realize a good thing when they
have it. Atlanta's sports fans
are more finnicky than the fans
we have in Dallas. Not until the
'Dirty Birds' were winning,
was there an interest in
anything that went on in the
Dome other than Monster
Truck Motorcross or WCW
wrestling. So, they won some
games, won their division,
their conference and didn't
even score a touchdown in the
Super Bowl, and now they're
everyone's favorite team?
Before the Falcons recent
success, all we ever heard
about was the Braves. The
Braves have won eight
consecutive pennants this
decade, and have been to three
World Series, but have only
won once. However, they are
the most beloved team in this
spoiled, single minded city.
The Braves are owned by
master of the universe, Ted
Turner, and they have a
beautiful, state of the art park
to play in, but late October
seems to have their number.
Turner also owns another
hometown team, the NBA's
Hawks. The Hawks are a
perennial playoff team, and the
real reason I wrote this story.
No one ever talks about their
success and their consistency.
I come from a place that
would lay down and die for a
perennial playoff spot. Citizens
of Atlanta constantly berate the
Hawks, but this season, they
have proven to be one of the
top three teams in the league
and the number two team in
the East.
The Hawks are the number
two seed in the playoffs, but no
songs are written about these
'Dirty Birds'. They have a
coach who could easily be
considered for the Coach of the
Year, and key, team players
who will be considered for post
season honors.
The Hawks are a winning
team, with a tradition of
excellence, but they are
neglected. They are overlooked
because they haven't won their
divsion since the 80s. They are
overlooked because in the past,
they usually had to meet up
with Larry's Celtics or most
recently, Michael and his Bulls.
But this year, Mike's gone,
and my Mavs have a better
record than the Bulls. This year,
the sky is the limit for these
Atlanta Hawks. And despite
the extremely high winning
percentage, the high seed in the
playoffs, and the general
success, it still goes seemingly
unmentioned and unnoticed.
They can't even sell out the
damn Dome for the playoffs.
Why is that? Why the apathy
here in Atlanta towards the
Hawks?
It seems inconceivable
that a team this good would
go this long without some
type of recognition. Last week,
when the Hawks were in key
matchups at the Dome and
Mark McGwire was at Turner
Field, guess who got more
press? The Hawks are getting
more press in other cities
across the country because
they are for real.
When will the sports fans
of Atlanta realize that they
have it so good? When will
they realize that they are
fortunate enough to have
visionary owners, talented
head coaches, smart general
managers, and players who
perform at the top of their
game in all of their sports?
If history repeats itself,
and the Hawks go deep in the
playoffs, perhaps the Mayor
will make a sighting at a game,
and maybe, just maybe there
might be a song about these
Hawks. But for some reason, I
just don't see a changeable
billboard for Lenny Wilkens,
Continued from page 11
has been invaluable and
whose bonds will last a
lifetime. Not to mention,
being a man of Morehouse
(the Harvard of the South)
spoke volumes to sisters in the
Atlanta University Center and
those back home in Chicago
and gained me favor of those
who may have otherwise paid
me little attention.
Beginning for me was
easy, but completing was
rocky. Commencement
actually beings the day that
you enter college and I did not
know it. Financing
Morehouse became so difficult
that I had to leave school, raise
money and return. Some days
I just wanted to throw in the
towel. However, my mother
wrote me the most inspiring
letters that drove me to persist
anyhow. It has taken prayer,
borrowed money, late night
study sessions, visits to the
infirmary, breaking up with
my former fiancee, resilient
professors, knowing the Truth,
a joint act of congress and God
to make my commencement
from Morehouse College a
reality. It feels as if it took the
like the one that's up right now
on Peachtree for Dan Reeves.
And unlike Dan, Lenny's won
a championship before as a
player and a coach. You can call
it like you see it, but man, that's
just plain wrong.
And what do you say to
these Hawks, who can't sell out
their home arena, but have the
second best record in the
Eastern conference? What do
you tell them when it comes to
fan support and winning it for
the city of Atlanta? An
apathetic Atlanta who is more
interested in Seeger's the latest
posh restaurant in Buckhead,
or the new exhibit at the High,
than their hometown team
who has a very realistic chance
of bringing the NBA Finals to
the 404 area code.
I say, thanks fellas. Thanks
for bringing a little excitement
to us in the May and June
months. Hey, I know an
Atlanta-Portland final may
sound boring, but imagine
what it would do for this city?
And fellas, if you're lucky, the
Commish, Dave Stem might be
making more than one flight to
Hartsfield this summer.
whole village to raise this child.
And it is to the village that I am
most deeply grateful.
Dr. Peter Gomes, Dean of
Chapel at Harvard University,
in his book, Yet More Sundays
at Harvard, reminds us that:
"the end is to have done that
which we are meant to do.
Perhaps that is what our text
(Ecclesiastes 7:8) means when it
says, better is the end of a thing
than its beginning..." Not that
it is better to conclude than to
start, but rather that the
objective is to achieve what we
intend rather than simply to
conclude" (Gomes 228).
Therefore, beloved,
whether you are at the
beginning, middle or
approaching graduation, I
challenge you to study, to serve,
and to search. Seize the day!
Press forward and only consult
the past to inform your future.
Take every step of your journey
with great anticipation and with
wise optimism. Persist until
you are counted among those
who can with great enthusiasm
declare, Mission Accomplished!
Until then, fare ye well.