Hotlanta is Back!
Young, gifted and ridiculously athletic, the Atlanta Hawks have showed flashes of brilliance, but no one saw them as a legitimate contender coming into this season. It’s been the same story for years — a decent squad, but bowing out in the first round of the playoffs was all that was ever expected.
How High will the Hawks go?
But fifteen games into this season, the once-ignored Hawks have the best record in the Eastern Conference and are finally playing with a fire we haven’t seen since the days of Dominique. And the city has responded, welcoming these new Hawks so warmly that Tiger Woods is in danger of losing his place as the only black man allowed to play at Augusta National Golf Course.
But Atlanta’s seen a rise like this before — all you gotta do is flashback to the the late 90s, when a new sound hit the airwaves, defining the city. The “Dirty South” movement was full of undeniable talent, and although it lacked the smooth production of more established artists, there was something that just made you want to get up, shake your big ass booty, and get your teeth grilled out.
So as we watched Joe Johnson hit jumpshot after jumpshot the other night, that same feeling struck us again. It was as though we were back at the high school dance where we saw some drunk freshman drop down to “get her Eagle on” for the first time. And we went to high school in white suburban New York.
So enjoy the Hawks while they last. Lord knows the Ying Yang Twins and Pastor Troy didn’t have much time in the spotlight…
Category: Basketball