I apologize for the pun. Something about blogging brings out the junior copy editor in me.

Or I’m just naturally cheesy.

Anyhow, the Celtics won and the Hawks lost. Still nice to see/hear Philips rocking. *This* was what many folks in town (and james and I) have been talking about/waiting for: an energetic style of play and an outpouring of hometown, homecourt support.

Will it last next season? With the coach?

And you could do far worse than read some of CL’s blogging on the subject. They seem to get the local angle, the sports and the blogging. Kudos!

Anybody think the Hawks will eventually win/Celtics lose this first-round series.

And if you haven’t been watching this series, the Hawks are a different team at Philips than they were in Boston. Josh Smith and Joe Smith are *definitely* worth the price of admission.

Who’s going Friday night?

i tried to tell you a long time ago. our hawks ended the nba’s longest playoff drought and snuck in as an 8 seed in the eastern conference finals.

the hawks open tonight against the celtics in boston. sekou smith has the match-ups, and you can see how hard it will be. the hawks have lost all the regular season games against the celtics by 10 points or more, getting blown out by 23 in the first meeting.

the celtics are arguably the best team in the nba, and one blogger is seriously hoping the hawks can just win ONE game.

the hawks are 15.5 point underdogs, which according to some is probably a good bet. i’d offer to bet my friends over at the boston metblogs but i am a realist.

either way they are in the dance and it’s nice to say i told you so…..

but after rattling off an overtime victory last night against shaq and the miami heat, the hawks are now 1 game above .500.

the win extends the hawks winning streak to three games and a quick look at the nba standings show the hawks with a clear route to the playoffs.

i tried to tell you, i tried to tell you again.

do you believe yet?

Yesterday I had a post all queued up about the Hawks season so far. They’d reached .500 (10-10) had reeled off 3 straight wins - the last against one of the East’s hottest teams, Orlando - and they seemed ready to make the leap to the next level.

Then this happened:

My wife and I were actually watching live as Raptors guard TJ Ford stole a ball and went in for a layup when rookie Hawk Al Horford fouled him hard in the face, sending Ford to the floor where he struck his head against the court.

My synopsis doesn’t really do it justice. Watch the video. I saw it live and I could hardly believe it.

It really sucks for TJ, a talented young player who already missed an entire season (2004-2005) with back and neck problems. Our thoughts and prayers are with TJ and his family.

Poor guy got the business end of a lazy defensive effort by an equally young and talented, though inconsistent, big man in Al Horford. Yet another reason (for me, anyway) to hate Florida Gators. Horford was ejected for a Flagrant 2 foul.

This is a big turning point for the Hawks. How do they overcome this event and the loss of their streak? And what about Toronto?

Oh, and since we’re on sports, the Falcons lost head coach Bobby Petrino to the University of Arkansas.

Is it Baseball season yet? How are the Thrashers even doing?

okay, a bit of a rant here, but this sunday i went to witness the hawks implosion against the washington wizards, and per my pledge i decided to ride marta to phillips arena.

ugh.

first thing, all of the sporting events are off-peak so if you miss the train by 30 seconds as we did you are totally screwed while you wait another twenty minutes to get the next one.

and then when the game lets out there are absolutely NO trains waiting at the station.

what sucks about this is i know how much better it could be done. in dc, when there is a major event, they run extra trains leading up to the game on the line that runs to the mci center.

and when a game is over? there are trains just waiting, WAITING, to take the crowds home.

seriously, i really want to not drive. i want to do the responsible thing and not drive, but c’mon, can’t marta give a little?

and i would think that atlanta spirit would get on board too. if it was easier to get to, don’t you think that more people would actually go to the games????

okay, i’m done ranting….tell me why i am a fool.

i tried to tell you guys. i tried to get some of you on the bandwagon.

last night, the atlanta hawks beat last season’s holder of the best regular season record, the dallas mavericks, 101-94.

yes you heard me right. the hawks beat the mavericks.

they looked good too. they were playing hard, hustling for every ball and taking everything dallas had to throw at them. the rookies, acie law and al horford looked good - horford was dominating dirk nowitzki until he came out with foul trouble - and joe johnson and josh smith played lights out.

that picture, unfortunately taken from my iphone because the batteries on my camera died, is the scene in phillips arena right after joe johnson scored to put the hawks up by five and seal the game. it was amazing, the whole place was on their feet, waving the flags they gave out and screaming their lungs out for THE HAWKS.

do you believe yet?

and while you are at it, get your kids on boad too. my new favorite nba team, the atlanta hawks are going to be hosting an event called “Paint the Town” at the new world of coke tomorrow.

the event kicks off with interactive games out in front of the building at no charge. starting at 2 pm, hawks players and coaches will be working alongside the coke ambassadors inside the building, so with a paid admission you can head on in and spend some time chatting with them before you check out the exhibits. from 3:15 to 4 the players will be outside of the new world of coke signing autographs (no charge.)

so head down and check it out.

btw - the hawks won again last night. unbeaten in the preseason. seriously, you need to get on this bandwagon NOW.