Narrowly Averting Disaster: How the Hawks Advanced into the Great Unknown.

The Atlanta Hawks have advanced to the Eastern Conference finals. How I’ve waited to write this statement! The Hawks moved to Atlanta in 1968. Entering Friday’s game six vs Washington, they had never gotten past the second round of the playoffs. Note my use of the phrase had never. At roughly 10:00pm on May 15, 2015, the Hawks laid to rest nearly 50 years worth of demons. Of course, the exorcism didn’t come easily.

After looking forward to game six all day on Thursday, I ended up arriving late to the party on Friday. Circumstances dictated that I remain at work until nearly 7pm, which resulted in my listening to most of the first quarter of the game on the radio in my car. Of course sometimes a curse can become a blessing, and I spent a little quality time with the long time voice of the Hawks, Steve Holman, who nevers fails to entertain.

I made it home just in time to witness an early lead evaporate. The Wizards, who trailed by seven points midway through the period, ended up leading by one at the end of the first quarter. I immediately began to slip into “here we go again” mode, but forced myself to remain upbeat as the second quarter got underway.

Toward the end of the first half, Paul Millsap took over. Using a variety of post moves and jump shots, he led the Hawks back into the lead. At the half Atlanta led by six points, largely due to Millsap’s fifteen points.

During halftime, my wife Dena returned from a trip to Taco Bell with Mexican pizzas, tacos, a burrito, and some nachos. I know, it souds like a lot. But due to my deeply held belief that is it very wrong to throw food away (thanks Sesame Street!), I polished off every last scrap just in time to settle in for the second half.

After an up and down third quarter, the Hawks led by eight points. In the fourth quarter, I began texting with my brother Matt after every significant play. Here are a few of the texts I sent during this most stressful of periods, which I feel will do a better job of expressing my feelings than anything else:

-Regarding Pero Antic, to me the Hawks most polarizing player:

“Keep it going, and keep Pero on the bench where he belongs”

“Antic is the kiss of death. Get him out of there!”

-During Washington’s comeback from a ten point defecit:

“Blowing it.”

“Blown.”

“No lead is un-blowable.”

-After a pair of horrible foul calls against Jeff Teague:

“They’re cheating for Washington.”

“The refs are ridiculous!”

-During the last few minutes, as the lead changed hands a number of times:

“For the love of God, please!”

“Gotta be kidding me!”

“I can’t take this.”

-After Al Horford missed a free throw in a 94-91 game to give the Wizards one last chance:

“No chance he was going to make both.”

“It always comes down to this. Keep Paul Pierce out of there.”

That’s right. Paul Pierce. Paul F*****g Pierce. Nearly every game in the Hawks-Wizards series had come down to Pierce with the ball and a  chance to either win the game or tie it. With six seconds to play, Washington prepared to inbound the ball. Surely, I thought, the Hawks would do whatever it took to deny him the ball.

The inbound pass went to John Wall (whose broken hand I’d become supremely tired of hearing about by then). Wall was double-teamed, and it looked like the clock might run out. But with a couple of seconds left, he was able to lob a pass to Pierce. Then this happened.

It seemed that Pierce had done it to us yet again. But if you watched the entire video clip, you’ll know what happened next. If you didn’t, here are a few more texts which will tell the story:

“That was still in his hand!”

“This should not count!!!”

“Yes!!!!!!”

Yep, for once the refs made a call in our favor. The fact that it was the correct call in no way guaranteed that they would make it. But in this case they did. Pierce’s miracle shot was waved off and the Atlanta Hawks advanced to the conference finals. As happy as I was, I felt even better for Holman, who’s been through so many tough seasons. Listen to his call of the final moments of the game here.

In the aftermath of the Hawks win, I’d like to call attention to a man who has become my favorite member of the team over the last few weeks: Demarre Carroll. In a game where Kyle Korver was held to just two points, and the Hawks got just 14 combined points from the bench, Carroll led the way with 25 points and 10 rebounds. It was a performance that will go down as one of the best in Atlanta postseason history.

That wraps it up for now. I’ll be back in the coming days with more on the Hawks, as well as a Braves check in and the finale of my top 20 Atlanta sports stars list. As always, keep the faith Atlanta! Conference finals here we come!

 

Punched in the Gut, or how I spent my Saturday

After all these years, you’d think I’d be prepared. You’d think I wouldn’t allow myself to be set up for such a soul crushing evening. After all, It isn’t as if I haven’t been through this before. Any longtime Atlanta sports fan will cringe at the mention of Cliff Levingston, or Jim Leyritz, or Eugene Robinson. But yesterday was unique in that there wasn’t just one heartbreaking moment but two, and they transpired just minutes, and a few miles, apart.

It all began just after 4pm, when the Braves took the field to play the Nationals. It didn’t take long for Julio Tehran, who currently possesses an ERA of 4.74, to pitch himself into a hole. I watched as the Nats put up three runs in the second inning, just before switching over for the tip off of the Hawks-Wizards playoff game. Not that it was much better on the hard wood.

Actually it was worse. The Braves poor start paled in comparison to the miserable first half performance by the Hawks. They shot about 30% from the field and trailed by thirteen at halftime. It didn’t get better in the third quarter either, as Washington stretched the lead to nineteen entering the fourth quarter.

Meanwhile, the Nationals increased their lead over the Braves to 6-1 with a three-run fifth inning. I briefly considered just turning the television off and going on with my evening. But being the glutton for punishment that I am, I flipped back to the basketball game.

It was early in the fourth quarter, and the Wizards’ lead had ballooned to 21. Conceding defeat, coach Budenholzer pulled his starters and emptied the bench. The Hawks would play the final ten minutes of the game with a lineup consisting of Shelvin Mack, Dennis Schroder, Mike Scott, Mike Muscala, and Kent Bazemore.

I turned back to baseball to find the game in the top of the eighth inning. The Braves had narrowed the Nationals’ lead to 6-3, and had the bases loaded! A groundout by Jace Peterson scored a run, and put the potential tying runs on second and third.

I checked in on the basketball game and realized that the Hawks were on a bit of a run. The lead was down to 13. The all-sub lineup was giving the Wizards fits! Apparently Washington had begun celebrating a bit too early. With only a few minutes to play, I didn’t hold out much hope of a true comeback, but I was damned if I would miss out if it did happen.

At this point, I began flipping rapidly back and forth between the two games. On the diamond Christian Bethancourt came to the plate with a chance to tie the game, while on the court Dennis Schroder was killing the Wizards with his drives to the basket. He dished to Bazemore for a lay up, and suddenly, the lead was in single digits!

I turned back to the baseball game just in time to see Bethancourt, who is hitting just .188 on the season, lauch a line drive into the gap. The game was tied! I switched back to the basketball game as Mike Scott drilled a long three pointer to cut the lead to five.

From here on out, my recollection of the timeline of events gets a little hazy. I was watching both games a little behind live television through the miracle of DVR, and I can’t be certain which order the next few things happened between the two games. All I know is that I was fully invested in both.

The Nats went quietly in the eighth, as did the Braves in the ninth. Washington came to bat in a 6-6 game. At around the same time, the Hawks finished off a 17-0 run to cut the Wizards’ lead to 94-91. Could it really be happening? Could one, or even both, of my teams pull off an epic comeback?

It certainly looked like it might happen. The Hawks got the ball with 22 seconds left, down by three. Schroder drove toward the paint, lost his footing, and slid to the floor, but still managed to kick the ball out to the waiting…Mike Muscala. Of all the shooters you’d want with a good look from behind the arc, Muscala ranks somewhere between Pero Antic and “Oh God no” on the list. He set his feet and let it rip.

The ball hung in the air, spinning lazily toward the rim. I had time to think that it was just my luck that the potential game tying shot ended up falling to someone who wouldn’t ordinarily even see time on the court. But then something unusual happened: it went in! The game was tied with 14 seconds left!

I couldn’t believe it! They’d done it! The Hawks had rallied from a 21 point fourth quarter deficit! In my elation, I nearly forgot to switch back to the Braves game. But then I remembered to flip over to it. Maybe this would be my night! But just as the thought began to crawl into my mind, this happened.

Bryce F*****g Harper. His two-run walk off home run won the game for the Nationals. What a crushing way to lose. My heart sank. Still though, there was the basketball game. I switched back just as the Wizards inbounded the ball.

With just a few seconds left, the ball found its way to Paul Pierce at the top of the key. Bazemore and Schroder were all over him, and it seemed like he wouldn’t even get a shot off. This game was headed for overtime, I thought. Then this happened.

Paul F*****g Pierce. Were the Wizards playing any other team, there is no way Pierce would have banked in an eighteen foot, fade away jumper at the buzzer. A fan of any other team would have watched the ball clank harmlessly off of the rim and headed to the kitchen for a snack before OT began. But not the Hawks. Not in my world.

I felt like I’d been kicked in the crotch. In rapid succession I deleted both games from the DVR, turned off the television, hurled my notebook and pen against the wall, punched the door, and stormed out of the room. I then proceeded to launch into a full blown tirade about the Braves, the Hawks, sports in general, and my own bad luck. It was a performance that would have made Steve Martin proud.

As I mentioned earlier, I guess I should have seen it coming. But when you think about it, what fun would it be if you didn’t let yourself believe? If I didn’t pour my heart and soul into every game, then those wonderful times when things do go our way wouldn’t be nearly as enjoyable.

Now that I’ve had a few hours to collect my thoughts, I’ve already begun looking forward to the next game. And the next one. And the next one. Because sports are what I do. Deep in my heart, I am a fan. And no matter how bad things get for my teams, that’s what I’ll always be.

That just about does it for now. I’ll be back soon to talk about the next huge embarrassing failure game in the Hawks-Wizards series. Perhaps Atlanta can even things up and come home in a 2-2 tie. And maybe the Braves can salvage a game vs the Nationals before heading for Cincinnati. Who knows? At this point, anything can happen. Until next time, keep the faith Atlanta. Even after yesterday, keep the faith.

 

Top 20: Part 4h

Game three of the Hawks-Wizards playoff series is nearly upon us, and there is no way to know whether or not John Wall’s injured hand will keep him out of the lineup. It seems likely that Wall would be severely limited, even if he does play. This would be good news for the Hawks, not that they’ve always taken advantage of such breaks. Hopefully the three days of rest they’ve gotten since game two will help them play the way they did earlier this season. We’ll have to wait and see.

In the meantime, let us continue with my top 20 Atlanta sports stars list. Last time we entered the top ten, and there are now only eight names left to reveal. An we’re off…

8. Tom Glavine: Pitcher-Braves

In 1991, when the Braves suddenly went from a punchline to a contender, Glavine was the team’s ace. He was the stud pitcher; the stopper; the one who remained stoic even in the toughest of times. Nearly twenty-five years after that magical year, the whole thing seems almost like a dream. Thank God it wasn’t.

Glavine broke in with the big league team in 1987, a dark time in Atlanta sports. His first few seasons were inconsistent, but in ’91 he put it all together, winning 20 games, a Cy Young award, and leading the Braves to the World Series. It was the first of two Cy Youngs for Glavine, and five 20 win seasons. In 17 seasons in Atlanta, he won 244 games and racked up more than 2000 strikeouts.

To be sure, Glavine ruffled more than a few feathers when, as the team’s player representative during the 1994 strike, he was such an outspoken supporter of the union. He also didn’t make many friends when he signed with the rival Mets in 2003 to continue his pursuit of 300 wins. That he reached this milestone, and locked down a spot in the Hall of Fame, in New York rather than Atlanta is still a sore sport for many Atlanta fans.

But in my eyes those things don’t do anything to diminish what he accomplished with the Braves. He was a member of teams that won 11 consecutive division titles, and appeared in the World Series five times. Who could ever forget his performance in game six of the ’95 Series, as he held a Cleveland lineup loaded with All-Stars to one hit over eight innings to bring a championship to Atlanta for the first time? I know I never will.

7. Gerald Riggs: Running Back-Falcons

I came along a little too late to remember much from the William Andrews days. Of course I’ve seen all the old films, and heard the stories about him from members of my family. He was one of the best in the NFL during his Atlanta tenure, but the running back I remember the most is Gerald Riggs.

During the 1980’s, the Falcons were not a good team. They made the playoffs just one time in Riggs’ seven seasons, and that appearance came in his rookie season of 1982. For several years the only reason I enjoyed watching their games was to see Riggs.

He was a bulldozing runner, powering his way to three consecutive 1,000 yard seasons from 1984-86. In 1985 he finished second in the NFL with 1719 yards rushing. He is still the Falcons’ all-time leading rusher with 6631 yards, and was the team’s primary scoring threat with 48 touchdowns. A solid receiver out of the backfield, he also caught 186 passes for 1384 yards. In addition, Riggs was selected for three Pro Bowls during his time in Atlanta.

But it was more than just the numbers. I respected the way he ran, plowing over anyone in his path. Like centers in basketball and closers in baseball, I love nothing more than watching a big power running back. For me this is what football is all about, and for a four or five year stretch, no one did it better than Riggs.

6. Chipper Jones: Third Base/Outfield-Braves

When people talk about the Braves teams of the 1990’s and 2000’s, most of the attention goes to the pitching. With a trio of Cy Young award winners on the staff, this is hardly surprising. For a long time, ace pitchers were the face of the franchise. But there was one future Hall of Famer among the everyday players; one man who was the cornerstone of the offense for so long it felt like forever. That man was Chipper Jones.

I’ve been a fan of Chipper’s ever since he burst onto the scene in 1995, finishing second to Hideo Nomo (he should have won) in the National Rookie of the Year voting and helping the Braves to their first, and so far only, World Series championship in Atlanta. He was one of the best hitters I ever had the pleasure of watching, and a leader in the clubhouse as well.

Over the years players came and went; from Fred McGriff and David Justice to Jason Heyward and Brian McCann. Only Chipper remained, anchoring the team and leading Atlanta to the postseason year after year. Sometimes it was almost as if he put the team on his back and carried it, most notably during his MVP season of 1999, when he almost single-handedly led the Braves to the division title over the New York Mets.

Jones played for the Braves for his entire career, a rarity in this era of professional sports. He also put up some incredible numbers. In 18 seasons in Atlanta, he compiled a .303 batting average, 2726 hits, 468 home runs, and 1623 RBI. He also made 8 All-Star teams and won 2 Silver Slugger awards, a batting title (2008), and the previously mentioned MVP award.

I’ll always remember the way he seemed in control in the batters box. He looked calm and confident, as if nothing the pitcher did could faze him. He was also an underrated defensive third baseman, someone I always felt deserved Gold Glove consideration. Overall he was likely the greatest position player in Atlanta Braves history, and we’ll never see another like him; at least not anytime soon.

*Should have made this list but didn’t, part 3

Michael Vick: Quarterback-Falcons

What’s left to say about Vick? It’s all been said before, though in different ways and for different reasons. Yes, what Vick did in participating in and bankrolling a dog fighting ring was reprehensible. He deserved every bad thing that happened to him as a result. On top of his legal problems, he also destroyed any momentum that the Falcons had in the mid 2000’s. Still, I can’t help but look back on his time in Atlanta with a certain degree of nostalgia.

I still remember how excited I was when I found out that the Falcons had traded with San Diego to acquire the top overall pick in the 2001 draft. I’d been a huge fan of Vick’s during his time at Virginia Tech, and was overjoyed when my team took him. Surely he would be the one to elevate the franchise to the top of the NFL!

Vick was among the most popular athletes to ever play in Atlanta. The excitement when he was on the field was unlike anything I’ve witnessed before or since. When he tucked the ball under and headed down field, we all knew that something spectacular could happen at any moment.

During his six years with the Falcons, Vick led the team to the playoffs twice, including an NFC championship game appearance in 2004. He passed for 11,505 yards and 71 touchdowns for Atlanta, but it was his running that really made him a star. He racked up 3859 yards and 21 touchdowns with the Falcons. In 2006 he became the first quarterback to go over 1000 yards on the ground, finishing with 1039.

My favorite Vick memory came in 2004 when the Falcons played the Panthers in the Georgia Dome. Trailing by seven points with 1:44 to play, the Falcons faced a fourth down at the Carolina 12 yard line. Vick dropped to pass and, finding no open receivers, took off for the goal line. He left his feet at about the five, seeming to will his body to avoid contact with the ground. He scored the tying touchdown, which led to a game winning field goal in overtime.

When the whole dog fighting deal went down, I was absolutely crestfallen. My favorite player had done the unthinkable, killing any chance my team had at a Super Bowl in the process. The time following his arrest and suspension remains the lowest I’ve ever been as a professional sports fan. Fortunately, there was relief on the way, in the form of the next name to make my list.

5.Matt Ryan: Quarterback-Falcons

As the 2008 NFL draft approached, the Falcons were in complete disarray. In addition to the Michael Vick fiasco, there was also the matter of head coach Bobby Petrino, who resigned just 13 games into his tenure with the team. The Falcons had finished 2007 with a record of 4-12, and it seemed as if it might take years to repair the damage.

Just when all seemed lost, the Falcons spent the third overall pick on a quarterback from Boston College, and everything changed. Matt Ryan came to Atlanta for the 2008 season and, along with new coach Mike Smith, immediately set about changing the culture of the team. Behind the leadership of Ryan and newly acquired running back Michael Turner, the Falcons went 11-5 and made the playoffs for the first time since 2004.

But they were just getting started. In his first five seasons in Atlanta, he led the Falcons to five consecutive winning seasons. To put that accomplishment into perspective, consider that prior to drafting Ryan, the team had never posted back-to-back winning seasons. Ever. During this five season run, the Falcons also made four playoff appearances, including a pair of NFC South division titles.

Ryan was a huge part of this success, and continues to be the most important player on the team to this day. In his seven seasons in Atlanta, he has passed for 28,166 yards and 181 touchdowns. He has also been selected for three Pro Bowls, and become the Falcons all time leading passer.

I have so many favorite Ryan moments: hooking up with Michael Jenkins for a touchdown on his first NFL pass attempt; his last second, game winning drive to beat Chicago that same year; leading the Falcons to the playoffs in his rookie year; winning the NFC South and going to the NFC championship game in 2012. He is the best quarterback in Falcons history, and I look forward to many more moments in the coming years.

There you have it. We are now down to the final four names on my list. Any guesses as to who will be included? I will reveal my top 4 in the very near future. Until next time, keep the faith Atlanta.

Go Hawks!