Comments on: Why The Hawks Will Fly South This Series

By: An Outside Look at an Intriguing Matchup | Sports of Boston

An Outside Look at an Intriguing Matchup | Sports of Boston — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 09:19:23 +0000

[...] Spratling regularly writes for the blog, “The Blue Workhorse,” and gained my respect when he predicted a “scuffle” in Game 4 of Round 1 between the Hawks and [...]

By: Celtics Four-Point Play 4-30 | Sports of Boston

Celtics Four-Point Play 4-30 | Sports of Boston — Thu, 01 May 2008 00:53:45 +0000

[...] This is where I apologize. The other day, I called out “Shotgun” for his ridiculous argument on his blog that the Hawks would be the reason the Celtics would not win the title. I said his [...]

By: KC

KC — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 07:25:33 +0000

OK Shotgun. I understand what you’re getting at, but remember Tim Donaghy was reffing back then in that Suns-Spurs series. Those days are over.

As far as the Hawks Game 4 win, which included a minor scuffle involving KG…you did predict such an event. Good thing KG can control himself

By: RickJames

RickJames — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 04:20:48 +0000

You called it Shotgun! Your rebuttal was as close to prophecy as I have seen.

By: Shotgun

Shotgun — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 22:32:46 +0000

Very insightful response KC. And for my rebuttal:

I’ll avoid all of the political references b/c I attempt to avoid politics like the ebola virus (not like the black plague, which I happen to find I very intriguing disease – but that’s another tale), so onto the rest of your collective banter –

Let me first state that, even though it pains me to say, the Hawks are not going to beat the Celts. Every game they win is the equivalent of 1.5 wins (2 wins would = 3 meaning they were ultra competitive in the series; 3 wins = 4.5 meaning they shocked the world).

And all of this is b/c just as you have stated the Hawks are one of the worst playoff teams (even though I was one of like 4 people to claim they’d make the playoffs before the season) ever after being 8 games under .500.

I agree Rondo has played like a veteran and that Pierce and Cassell are both seasoned veterans, and I don’t believe any of the three would create an altercation that could lead to an untimely suspension b/c of their veteran mentalities.

However, I do believe they could cause one of the young, not fully matured Hawks into possibly throwing a punch or something of that nature. Pierce has normally been able to walk away from anything like that in his career (he got stabbed for jeez sakes – he should be able to walk away from verbal taunting), but I’ve never seen him go after an opposing bench like he did after Horford’s kind words to him at the end of the game, so it appears the Hawks are getting under his skin.

So I could see him or Rondo (who can get hot under the collar as well) engaging in a scuffle if it is instigated by one of the youthful Hawks, and I definitely don’t see Sam I Am backing down if confronted in the manner.

While I hope I am wrong (b/c confrontations and altercations are unneeded expect in a good benches-clearing brawl in baseball or the ice sports of hockey and curling), this is how the Hawks could ruin the Celtics title hopes…much as Robert Horry and the pesky Bruce Bowen ruined the Suns title dreams last year with their physicality against the mild-mannered Steve Nash that led to the suspensions of Phoenix’s Stoudamire and Diaw.