Bobcats > Hawks, Really Doe?

So, according to Tim Legler of ESPN, the Charlotte Bobcats have a bigger upside than the Atlanta Hawks. Mainly because of players like Jason Richardson and Gerald Wallace. Yeah...ok.

This is why I don't fuck with ESPN or any sports outlet too tough, they never show us any love. Last time I checked, we were in the playoffs giving the best team in the league a run for their money. But...

He did have somewhat of a point in that the Hawks don't have any of their best players locked into long term contracts. I'm confident that we can keep them though. Keeping players here has never been the problem. Our problem has been simply giving them away in trades for next to nothing.

That got me the thinking. After seeing how the Hawks are doing right now, I pray we don't end up like the 1996-97 Washington Bullets. You know, that squad with Chris Webber, Juwan Howard and Rod Strickland. The one who got to the playoffs and got swept by the Bulls, but had everybody looking forward to seeing them wreak havoc next year.

History tells you that they changed their name to the Wizards the next year (the name Bullets started getting looked at in poor taste with D.C.'s rising crime rate) and shit just went down hill from there. Webber got traded the season after next because he couldn't keep his ass out them skreetz!. They gave Howard a ridiculous contract (can you believe he was the first player to ever sign a $100 Million-plus contract? Howard? Really?) and never lived up to it. Strickland lost a step and yeah, I'm not even gonna mention the rest of those guys.

Washington Wizards basketball didn't get back on the map until Michael Jordan came on as GM and drafted Kwame Brown in 2001 (ouch!), and they was so damn sorry that MJ brought his old ass out of retirement to try and put butts back in the seats. Yes, this is what's called a failure.

They didn't get back into the post season until the 2004-05 season when Gilbert Arenas, Antwan Jamison and Larry Hughes emerged as stars. Meaning that after that promising 96-97 season, they didn't get back to respectability until 8 years later.

I don't think I can take it. Another 8 years of a playoff drought? LORD PLEASE NO! I'm knocking on wood as I write this.

Players had always complained about the lack of fan support at Phillips Arena. Hopefully our crunkness at the playoff games will show them that people don't mind cheering when you do your job and win games. Leading them to want to stick around and see what can be, instead trying to find big money somewhere else.

But, I'll worry about that another time. Right now, I'm focused on losing my voice for the third time this week as I scream at the Playoff Factory tomorrow night. GO HAWKS!!!