Periodically throughout the 2008-09 season, Hawks.com will reach out to several Hawks and Atlanta-area bloggers to get their thoughts on the season. We are calling it the Hawks Blog Roundtable (hence the catchy banner above!). Have a topic you'd like to see discussed here, or have a blog and want to participate? Email us at hawks.mailbag@atlantaspirit.com and let us know!
This week's question:
| Co Co from The Vent: |
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Is there a rivalry between the Atlanta Hawks and the Boston Celtics? I don’t know if it’s a rivalry, but there’s something there. Both teams developed a healthy animosity towards each other during the playoffs and it clearly carried over into this season. The first meeting in Boston went down to the last second literally. They both wanted to beat each other badly. Their motives were probably different, but their goal was the same. The Celtics prevailed and handed the Hawks their first loss of the season. I’m sure they will be looking for a little payback next Wednesday at Philips Arena. The Hawks have already proven they will not be intimidated by KG’s chest pounding or his potty mouth. That kind of thing might scare Glenn Davis, but it does nothing to the Hawks. Nor will they be intimidated by Kendrick Perkins scowl and not just because it’s contrived, but because it’s simply not scary. The Celtics are on a hot streak right now and I’m sure the Hawks would love nothing more than to put an end to it. These two teams don’t hate each other, but if Paul Pierce got a paper cut and Al Horford had the last band aid on the planet he probably wouldn’t give it to him. |
| Craig and Josh from Billy Knight Took My Lunch Money: |
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While Hawks-Celtics is not the Dominique Wilkins of sports rivalries, it certainly isn't the Obinna Ekezie, either. For a rivalry to exist, both franchises must consistently field competitive teams that challenge each other year-after-year, and game-after-game. For the past few years, both of these teams have struggled to accomplish this feat. Starting last year, however, both teams turned it around. In the playoffs, the Hawks shocked the world and took the Celts to 7 games, and in so doing renewed a historic rivalry between the teams. When asked about the Celtics-Hawks rivalry, Kevin Garnett denied its existence. Apparently, spending one year in a Celtics uniform makes you the prevailing authority of Celtics lore. By ignoring this renewed rivalry, KG is slapping the Hawks organization in the face (much like the one he deserved from Zaza Pachulia in Game 4 of their 2008 playoff series). Furthermore, Garnett shows his ignorance of NBA history by failing to acknowledge the Hawks-Celtics rivalries of the late 1950's to early 60's, as well as the teams' clashes in the late 80's - including the classic game 7 of the 1988 Eastern Conference Finals. As fans, we are both fortunate and thankful that we get to witness the next generation of one of the NBA's great historic rivalries. So, Kevin, is this a rivalry? You'll find out on December 17th. |
| Larry from Hawks Str8talk: |
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This is actually so easy that I had to go back to the definition of rivalry to see if I wasn’t overlooking something. A rivalry is where two teams place an added emphasis on emerging victorious in any event that includes their rival. In this sense, we’ve really only had three occasions to have that be the case in any form. 1st occasion – the Bird/Nique series (I could give the years and all that, but if you don’t know this series – you probably need to go to NBA TV and watch the Classics series to bone up). 2nd occasion would have been last year’s playoffs where the added emphasis for Boston was – you’re in the way of us getting a title and for Atlanta was – let’s show the NBA and the country that we are better than this 37-45 record AND that we’re no longer the doormats that everyone believes we’ve been for the past 10 years. 3rd occasion would have been the first time we played this season in an instant classic. Now, the definition of a rivalry would still hinge on added emphasis on emerging victorious and while I know the Hawks would like to feel like the Celtics care about us in that way - I’m fairly certain that at no point in our history have the Celtics considered us rivals. Maybe worthy opponents (and that Bird-Nique era would surely fall into that category), but not rivals. I’d say that the 76ers, Knicks, Pistons, and Lakers would lay claim to being a rival of the Celtics at some point, so the focus for this season and all future seasons should be – MAKE BOSTON RESPECT US ENOUGH TO CONSIDER US RIVALS. One way to go about that would be a blowout and copious amounts of JSmoove alley oops on KG’s head. So, if there is any pride in Hawksville – KG’s statement still sounds like fightin’ words to me, so whether we take it or earn it – let’s get some respect this Wednesday. Nothing would make me happier than to consider the Hawks and Celtics rivals, but for now – I’ll settle for a split in the season series. Let’s go Hawks!!!!! |
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