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| The Always Rowdy Kia Sixth Man Section at Philips Arena |
Hawks guard Jeff Teague scored a crucial basket in the fourth quarter of the Atlanta Hawks' nationally televised MLK Day matinee against the charging Detroit Pistons, earning a foul and receiving a chant that no home Hawk has heard since the days of 'Nique...maybe never. "M-V-Teague! M-V-Teague!" (a play off Teague's name and a customized MVP chant).
I know what you're thinking right now. "An Atlanta Hawk received MVP love? In Philips Arena? On ESPN?"
Why, yes. These chants were audible enough that color analyst Jon Barry acknowledged them during the broadcast. A far cry from the way patrons of Atlanta Hawks games have conducted themselves in prior years.
Only four short years ago in an embarrassing 114-81 blowout loss to the Chicago Bulls, Atlanta's arena sounded more like it had grown wheels and moved to Illinois. The few Hawk fans that were in the building were, for lack of a better term, "Deebo'd" by Chicago fans who showered guard Derrick Rose with MVP chants. In that late March contest, he powered the Bulls over the uninspired Hawks, scoring 30 points and dishing ten dimes. He was electric on the court that night, which catered to the superstar-hungry fanbase that Atlanta has been labeled as.
This has been an issue since the beginning of time, it seems, in the ATL. Any opposing player who came in and played an exceptional game would get as much, if not more, appreciation than any Hawk who netted 30. It goes back to fans longing for a player or players to identify with and rally behind since the departure of the aforementioned Dominique Wilkins in 1994. The trade of the franchise's best player did more than just sever ties between player and team, it alienated a generation of fans past and present who felt betrayed by the classless handling of Wilkins. Worst of all, it did irreparable damage to the Atlanta Hawk brand and identity; one which the 2014-15 version is doing a damn good job of restoring.
Atlanta's 35-8 start has surprised the NBA and those fringe fans inside and outside the perimeter who, by now, would be more invested in Braves pitchers and catchers reporting to Spring Training. They have grabbed headlines in the city by doing one thing, and one thing only...WIN. The team is, at the time of article submittal, riding a 14 game winning streak, beating elite teams and taking names. More importantly however, the turnstiles at Philips are reaping the benefits. The Hawks have sold out five of their last six contests at home, and the people inside the arena are not only supporting the Hawks, but creating a strong homecourt advantage. Creating this has been a systematic process for team CEO Steve Koonin.
Koonin was hired last spring by the Hawks to team his marketing genius with the basketball expertise of Head Coach Mike Budenholzer and on-leave General Manager Danny Ferry. The franchise hoped to combination of on-court success with the right amount of selling would translate into butts in the seats, cash in the registers, and a restored brand.
Mission accomplished.
However, in true Hawks fashion, the scenic route was taken to get to this point. And what ugly scenery it was. Not long after Koonin go to work, some very disturbing details about the Atlanta front office were being uncovered. First, outgoing ownership partner Bruce Levenson "self reported" to the NBA a scathing email he wrote to incoming General Manager Ferry in 2012 about the demographics of the crowds that frequent Hawks games. He was concerned that middle-aged white men, who he considered to spend more money, did not attend games because the attendance was majority black and it was not an inviting atmosphere. If it couldn't get worse, it did. Not long after Levenson's revelation and subsequent self-removal from the ownership group, Ferry was under fire for reading or paraphrasing an egregiously written scouting report on free agent prospect Luol Deng in the 2014 offseason. Among other things, the report described Deng as having 'A little African in him'. Ferry was placed on indefinite leave, which he's still on. By mid-September, the Hawks were not only considered a dormant, irrelevant franchise with no identity and no true support within its own city, but now they were labeled by some as racist and bigoted. Not a good look in a city who's metropolitan area is littered with people of different races and cultures.
But in true Steve Koonin fashion, he did not let this kill the momentum he started back in May by re-introducing one of the main staples people associate with the Atlanta Hawks...The Pacman logo. Almost immediately after the Levenson and Ferry debacle, he put boots to the ground and scoured the city and metro area reaching out to fans of all races, genders and ages. He went on any radio show that would have him, apologizing to people in the city and was obviously shaken by the controversy. He reached out to local hip-hop artists, namely T.I. to perform at the Hawks' home opener. Coining the hashtag phrase #TrueToAtlanta, he sought to bring the town together to support this Hawks squad. He is a must-follow on Twitter and he will reply back, even to the most basic question. That accessibility coming from a member of the Hawks front office is a far cry from the days of Billy Knight. There is still the question of "Who will own the Hawks?" lingering as the team recently went 100% up for sale, finally delivering us from the dysfunction that is the Atlanta Spirit Group.
Ownership limbo and unsupported relocation rumors aside, the Atlanta Hawks are trending upwards. Not only on the basketball court, but in the court of public opinion. The Kia Sixth Man Section has grown exponentially since it's inception in 2010. They do a great job of keeping the arena loud and engaged. If you have watched a Hawks game in Philips, you may have noticed the collegiate like atmosphere they create by standing the entire game and chanting in unison.
Yes, I said chanting.
And no, not for the opposing player.
Hawks fans, I only have one other thing to say.
Damn, it feels good!
Great read bruh
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