Atlanta Hawks winning thanks largely to absence of Danny Ferry

@Go Hawks couldn’t be more right. Maybe other GMs would’ve done this but when Danny Ferry was hired the first thing he did was get rid of some amazingly bloated salaries and players that were holding the Hawks back (See: Joe Johnson and Marvin Williams). Those moves alone make him the best Hawks GM in a long long time.

Yeah also respectfully disagree Danny Ferry turned the Hawks from a Salary burdened team of mediocrity into a complete team first monster. Coach B was the right man for the job and they look better than ever. The offloading of all the dead weight was exactly what every real Hawks Fan wanted and he did it and we are doing better than ever at the moment. Go Hawks!

I agree with the other poster. First of all, you have the order of events wrong. First came the recordings of the conference call, where one owner said the racially insensitive comments. Then because of THAT investigation, the issue about Ferry came to light. And FYI, what Ferry did was read the comments from a scouting report made by another organization. They were never his words and he has apologized for reading them aloud. 
Even if Ferry did attempt to trade Teague, no one could have predicted this season. Everyone, even the Hawks, thought the rebuilding project would take much longer. So you can’t blame Ferry for trying to make moves he thought were right at the time. Mr. Dortch clearly has an ax to grind and you just let him sell you on it, hook, line, and sinker. That is sad because it clearly shows you don’t know much about the sport and that you allowed yourself to be taken in. You try and say “several people who are familiar with the inner-workings of the Atlanta Hawks” and yet the ONLY person you reference is Mr. Dortch. The reason Mr. Ferry is talked about as a GM of the Year candidate is a) got rid of some terrible contracts (Joe Johnson), b) didn’t get sucked in to resigning Josh Smith, c) hire Coach Bud and stuck with him even after his DUI, and d) got Kyle Korver for a pittance of his true value.

I think what this has clearly shown is that Ferry needs to be the GM and focus only on the players and Mr. Koonin as CEO needs to focus on the rest. That is a winning combination.

This is not a piece of journalism–it is a smear piece and Ms. Saporta should be embarrassed by this one-sided, uninformed hatchet job.  

Virtually every other basketball expert on the planet has given Mr. Ferry credit for building this team–if Mr. Ferry did not “build” the team, who did?  Certainly not all of the credit for the team’s success is due to Mr. Ferry as Coach “Budenhoizer” [sic] and the players certainly deserve their fair share but Mr. Ferry  assembled this roster AND selected and hired this coach.  I would call that building the team.  

The basis for Mr. Dortch’s basketball expertise is not identified in the article, other than his “familiarity with the inner-workings” of the team.  What does that mean?  As was stated in one of Ms. Saporta’s previous articles (but which is not mentioned here) is that Mr. Dortch is a “close personal friend” of Mr. Wilkins (see http://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/print-edition/2014/09/12/hawks-scandal-opensteam-to-local-ownership.html?page=all). If not Mr. Wilkins, how else is Mr. Dortch familiar with the inner-workings of the team?  Given the relationship between Mr. Dortch and Mr. Wilkins, this article and the earlier article appear to be nothing more than office politics by Mr. Wilkins played out through a compliant media personality who does not normally write about sports.  One is forced to wonder whether Ms. Saporta needs to maintain a “productive” relationship with Mr. Dortch due to his other business and political activities.

Contrary to Mr. Dortch’s opinion, I have seen DeMarre Carroll, on two separate, unprompted recent occasions, give both Coach Budenholzer and Mr. Ferry credit for the success of the team.  If players are speaking up publicly in support of Mr. Ferry’s efforts of their own initiative, it seems unlikely that Mr. Ferrry’s return would be the morale-crushing event that Mr. Dortch alleges it would be.  Moreover, this article also fails to identify a single supporting voice that agrees with Mr. Dortch’s apparently amateur and biased opinion.  In a true failure of journalistic professionalism worthy of Rolling Stone magazine, the author has made no documented effort to obtain a response or other opinion from Mr. Ferry or the Hawks or anyone else.  

The article also fails to accurately portray Mr. Ferry’s opposition to a statute for Mr. Wilkins for what it was–a well-documented opposition to any statutes, not an opposition to a statute of Mr. Wilkins in particular–and the article intimates that the opposition was somehow racially based.  While reasonable minds could differ on Mr. Ferry’s position on statutes, characterizing Mr. Dortch’s experience as a “personal unpleasant experience” seems excessive.  Mr. Dortch comes off as someone who, along with Mr. Wilkins, didn’t get what he wanted and is now using the media to get his revenge.  

Considering trading Jeff Teague is also not the same thing as trading Mr. Teague–many things should be considered; somethings shouldn’t be done.  What was being offered in return for Mr. Teague?  What about the personnel moves that Mr. Ferry actually made?  Hiring Coach Budenholzer when no one else had heard of him.  Dumping Joe Johnson, Josh Smith, Marvin Williams, et al.  Adding Paul Millsap, DeMarre Carroll, Thabo Sefolosha, Kent Bazemore–all at reasonable contracts.  Drafting Dennis Schroder.  Retaining Kyle Korver and Jeff Teague (when there was a real difference of opinion on whether to match Milwaukee’s offer two years ago).  In Mr. Dortch’s assassination of Mr. Ferry’s performance, however, all of that is overcome because Mr. Ferry “thought about trading Jeff Teague last year but didn’t.”  Please.  

Finally, I’m not sure that any of us know whether Mr. Wilkins, despite his unquestioned talents as a player, actually makes a good front office executive.  Mr. Wilkins was certainly associated with the team long before Mr. Ferry’s arrival and the team was terrible and rejected by the community during that period.  What, exactly, besides his legacy as a great player, has Mr. Wilkins brought to the table as an executive and why would it be important to retain him as an executive?  As we have seen this year, only a losing team needs to network with the community to sell tickets; a winning team sells tickets itself.  In Mr. Wilkins’ defense, the annals of the NBA are littered with quality players who were not so great in the front office or on the bench (see, e.g., Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson).

Ms. Saporta, you have a long and well-regarded reputation in the Atlanta community.  This is the kind of article that causes one to consider how many of your other articles need to be viewed through a different lens much as Brian William’s Iraq reporting is now causing his Hurricane Katrina reporting to be viewed in a new light.  Please do not squander your reputation this way.

Ms. Saporta–if you are going to remove my comment, you should probably remove this article.  My comment was certainly more professional than this article.  Feel free to email me with a clear explanation of the reason why my comment was removed.

I would like to echo the others on here and respectfully disagree with Mr. Dortch’s unique take on Your Atlanta Hawks. Danny Ferry’s finger prints are all over this team from the roster to the players who are no longer here to Coach Bud to working with a comically dysfunctional ownership group. I too am deeply offended by the words Ferry used to describe Luol Deng and I imagine his time in Atlanta is over. But to assert the Hawks are better without Ferry in the building is ridiculous. These are nearly the same Hawks that pushed the team with the best record in the NBA to seven games in playoffs last year without their leader and center Al Horford. Ferry was sitting in the front row. That is where this run really started.

Really poor article for all reasons posted below. Otherwise enjoy Maria’s work but fans with axes to grind should not be held up as sports experts no matter how bad ferry’s comments were.

Ms. Saporta:
Here is an email I wrote to Mr. Koonin about Danny Ferry which resulted in a phone call from him that lasted approximately 30 minutes followed by an email sent to the editorial page of the AJC. Dear Mr. Koonin:
It has taken us awhile to write this as we wanted to be appropriately measured in our response, even though that is not what we really wanted to do. We really wanted to go off like fireworks. When I first heard the news I felt like I had been kicked in the gut and my wife felt the extreme anger I arrived at as the news progressed. We are team gear buying, RED customers, and season ticket holders. We also grew up in the fearful, deadly and terrorizing civil rights era. My wife grew up in a town that took her parents’ tax money to support a public pool she couldn’t swim in. When African-Americans marched and protested, the response was to close the public pool and build a private pool for Whites. When she wanted a hot dog and to spin around on the counter stool like her young White peer in a downtown Atlanta establishment she was informed by her aunt, “that is for White folks.” She threw her hot dog on the floor, stomped it and left. I spent my school years running from mobs of White kids, being injured the first time and trying to sidestep the racism of many of their parents. Now we find ourselves unwelcome in our arena which we live 10 minutes from. It is the swimming pool all over again. We have spent thousands of dollars with the Hawks and the vendors in the arena. My wife has spent considerable money on team gear over the years. Do we feel like fools for spending our money where we are not wanted or welcome? Of course. I am glad Bruce Levenson is selling his interest and would welcome the others to do the same. Mr. Gearon, Jr. seems to be the only one willing to question this heinous behavior. GM Danny Ferry should be leaving on the first available transportation. He “was reading the report” does not pass the smell test. He went to Duke. He’s an educated man. He knew what he was saying. He felt comfortable because he was aware 2 years ago, via Bruce Levenson’s email, how some of the Hawks owners and operations personnel felt about African-Americans in general and African-American Hawks fans in particular. I have to question your motivation in providing your unwavering support for Danny Ferry. Perhaps you are of the same mind pertaining to your African-American fan base. You said the organization “did not do the right thing.” The right thing is to terminate the contract of Danny Ferry. Our purchase of season tickets predates your and Danny Ferry’s involvement with the Hawks organization. You call us members. How can we be members if we have to look in the face of the GM when we are acutely aware of his disdain and possible hatred of his African-American fan base? After my wife and I voted for the first African-American mayor in Atlanta history, we thought , at least on this little island called Atlanta the fear and terror had been driven underground. Congratulations to the ownership group and operations personnel for not only raising that specter again but welcoming it with open arms. Conveying the depth of the emotions we feel in an email is nigh impossible. They have turned a place we felt as comfortable in as a second home into a place we now dread to enter. Do not expect us to fall in line with the misguided and I’m thinking self-serving comments of Magic and Jabbar on this issue. If they want to tell us how to think then they need to pay for our Hawks’ “membership”, team gear, and related expenses. They both need a serious education in African-American history. They are not “members”, Hawks’ fans, or Atlantans. Do the right thing. It is not the easiest thing to do but it is the most courageous. We will be in the arena this season since we already purchased our tickets. We may not be in attendance the following season. That depends on the actions of you and the organization going forward. I will close now even though there is much more that needs to be said.
In response to the 2/8/2014 letter to the editor advocating the return of Hawks’ GM Danny Ferry:
We are long-time, team-gear buying, Hawks’ season ticket holders with African in us. We also grew up in the fearful, deadly and terrorizing Civil Rights’ era.
GM Danny Ferry should be leaving on the first available transportation. He “was reading the report” does not pass the smell test. The writer wants us to believe, this man is so feeble-minded he did not understand what he was reading and the inappropriate, racist, and mean-spirited nature of what came out his mouth. He went to Duke, one of the preeminent universities in the country if not the world. He’s an educated man. He knew what he was saying and another attendee of the meeting stated, that’s going to be on ESPN. He felt comfortable saying it because he was aware 2 years ago, via Bruce Levenson’s email, how some of the Hawks owners and operations personnel felt about African-Americans in general and African-American Hawks’ fans in particular. He did not stand up for us. Why should we stand up for him? We found ourselves unwelcome in our arena which we live 10 minutes from and spent thousands of dollars in. Forgive? Possibly. Forget? Never. Overreaction? Hardly. We understand the Rattlesnake will strike us in self-defense so we forgive its presence while denying it access to our homes. Danny Ferry has no such excuse. Such behavior was, is, and always will be dangerous to those of us labeled by such deragatory speech. We do not intend to sell our principles for some basketball games. This is bigger than NBA basketball.

The quality of this article is is reflected in the gross misspelling of two of the three players’ names in the caption.  “Al Hereford, Jeff Teague, and Paul Milsaps”.  Really?

@Ron Hewitt Jr “They have turned a place we felt as comfortable in as a second home into a place we now dread to enter” No one would defend what Levenson said or what Ferry said but “dread to enter”? When were any threats made against anyone? Levenson’s emails were stupid and suggested his problem with the generally black culture in the arena but threats? And for that matter, Magic & Kareem need lessons in African-American history? Uhh…I think they have a good idea about it. Kareem was a 7 foot black man born in 1947. I think he has a pretty good idea about the African-American experience.

Since a lot of people commenting on this article share similar sentiments to the guy for whom I wrote this, I’m going to echo what I said to him:

There were no doubt pros to Danny Ferry’s role as GM. Such
as getting rid of iso player contracts (Joe Johnson and Josh Smith being the
biggest), getting hopeful Dennis Shroder, and signing players like Paul Millsap
to a 2 year contract (should’ve been longer). The biggest, by far, bringing
over coach Mike Budenholzer.
However, there are also apparent racist negatives: his
comments of Loul Deng and “his African ways,” not wanting to honor Dominique
Wilkins, and trying to get rid of Jeff Teague.
I read every Hawks article, and I’m surprised by the
pervading sentiment that “he does not get credit for the team he built” or that
we should bring him back. He does get credit, and I think bringing back a
racist, brash, and decision-oriented person as the face of our front office
could throw off everything the team has going for it.
I believe our success is less about the players that Ferry
brought, and more due to Mike Budenholzer and his staff in developing these
players and creating such a smart and efficient system.
Danny Ferry did a lot of good for our team, but I think he
left at the right time. Something magical happened when Budenholzer was able to
take free reign of the team. I think Budenholzer should stay in his new role,
much like Popovich does in San Antonio, and we should wish good riddance to a
man that made some good decisions, but revealed a dark, disquieting side
towards the end.
That is not to say that Danny Ferry should stay out of the
NBA, but he is not what Atlanta needs.

Michael Guerin, really? A serial leaker.

@David “the face of our front office could throw off everything the team has going for it.”
  Yes, but he wouldn’t be the face of the front office now, would he? That’s now Koonin’s role.

@David Baker Actually you are both right. Ferry’s comments came first, then the investigation that found Levenson’s email. BUT the news about Levenson broke 1st and was the biggest issue at first. Then the news about Ferry broke and they suspended him. Chances are if not for Levenson’s email and how bad that made the Hawk’s look, they never would have suspended Ferry.  So Ferry’s exile does have to do with the email. 
BTW, they have released the scouting report (which came from the Cavs FYI) and it says almost exactly what Ferry said. This is similar to the Sony hacking scandal, because the real lesson in both is in this day and age, ALWAYS assume anything you say (whether verbal or written) in private can come back to bite you. See also: Mitt Romney and the 42%.

@David Yes, I get that. And this is also why Ferry never should have been involved with whether or not a statue to Dominique Wilkins was installed. That isn’t a GM’s job and shows that he had far too much on his plate. If he does come back it will be in a much more traditional GM role.
   I think both sides in this are feeling a part of the elephant and make decisions based on it. All of the success isn’t all due to Ferry. However, just because Ferry has been away, that doesn’t mean it is all Coach Bud’s either. Bud had coached for one year with Ferry and now (so far) one year without. Both are very small sizes not to mention the rosters are different in both cases. We just don’t know. I think either way the Hawk’s go (keep or lose Ferry) the decision is justified. One thing worth noting, is that after Bud got napped for DUI, Ferry stood by him.

@David DebAz But you are assuming that bringing Ferry back WOULD screw it up and we have no data to support that either. And there is no proof that letting him go would led to the continued success either.

Baker  Yes. Dread to enter. What did you not understand? Those type of comments always preceded hateful and sometimes terrifying actions by White schoolchildren and their parents. It is especially terrifying when children are confronted by adults in this manner and when you must run for what you assume to be your life. The threat is implicit in the language. Do you not understand the power of language? The timing of Magic’s and Kareem’s birth has absolutely nothing to do with whether they understand their history. That is why Black History programs were initiated at institutions of higher learning. It wasn’t being taught elsewhere. Who are you to question our feeling of dread? Could you possibly be more arrogant and supercilious?

EveryLastWord No my website wasn’t hacked. 
Maria’s Metro is my weekly column. Several weeks I don’t even quote a source because I’m usually offering my point of view based on the information and analysis I have gathered over the years of growing up and living in this town.
As a journalist for 35 years, I have come to realize that “truth” is relative. We are all a product of our own experiences and our points of view. I always try to maintain an open mind to get as close to what could be considered an absolute truth – but I have come to realize that such truth may be beyond our grasp as human beings.
That said, I never went into this business to be “liked” or to write stories that everybody “liked.” Sometimes I write pieces that I believe need to be written.
I strongly believe in what Atlanta stands for – a city that has been able to show the South and the rest of the world the best side of humanity – dignity among people of different races and ethnicities. 
When I go to Hawks games, that’s what I see – a multicultural and diverse Atlanta. And that is the Atlanta that I celebrate.
After having had a dozen or more conversations with people I respect who value the spirit of Atlanta as I do, I continue to believe that it would be harmful to what our city stands for if Danny Ferry were to return as GM. Yes, that is my opinion. But it is my opinion based on solid information. I also do not think it would be good for the team or its winning spirit.

mariasaporta EveryLastWord I get that it’s an opinion piece.  The reason people pay attention to your opinion is because you’ve earned a reputation for being in the know AND for fairness. This piece doesn’t pass the fairness test imo.  I don’t expect to “like” much of what I read in the media.  But I do look for fairness, which no doubt I will continue to find in your column far more often than not.  
Anyway, thanks for responding.

@mariasaporta I’m not sure I get it? Spud Webb deserves credit for today’s success? Ted Turner? You have now made this a basketball conversation. So let’s talk basketball. Nobody but Danny and Bud and the guys on the bench can take credit for this team. NOBODY. You think the owners know Sephalosha is the right fit to play defense? No. Danny and his scouting team hand picked the team. They did it to create a style of play that would be able to create match up problems for opponents and defend. It took years and they have done it. The owners just wrote checks and put there trust in basketball operations. Don’t give credit to this team to those that were involved years ago and don’t even come to games. Spud Webb and Ted Turner probably couldn’t name our starting 5 or tell you who our 6th man is. Can you?

@David

Josh Smith wasn’t an iso player. Not wanting to honor Dominique Wilkins is logical because only players who win titles are supposed to get statues. Trying to trade Jeff Teague had nothing to do with race.

mariasaporta Would if I could.  I didn’t keep a copy.  It was posted.  I saw it.  An hour later it was gone.

“I would (welcome Ferry back). He’s the one that had the vision. He brought us together.” – Al Horford
“I would welcome him with open arms,” said Hawks forward DeMarre
Carroll, one of many players Ferry brought to Atlanta. “I don’t feel
he’s a racist. I think he genuinely learned from his mistakes.”

“After a year of watching what Danny (Ferry) was doing and the people he
was bringing in. Everything I saw, was so attractive to me and I really
believed in it. I believed that he was going to turn things around.” – Kyle Korver

Magic Johnson said after a “heart to heart meeting” with Ferry, he considered
the latter’s apology “very sincere” and thinks Ferry “deserves a second
chance.”
“All I can say is with my own relationship with Danny, and I know I’ve
got a lot of teammates from all over from San Antonio, Cleveland — it
doesn’t matter whether they’re black or white or what race or religion —
everybody who knows Danny knows that he’s a good person,” Steve Kerr said.
“And it’s just a difficult time for him, and he made a mistake, so
hopefully he can get through it. But he’s got our support.”

“I think one of the hardest things to do as a human being, and it’s
something we should do more often, is forgive,” Deng said. “I really do
forgive Danny. It’s not something I want to hold onto for the rest of my
career or the rest of my life.”
“I know Danny very well and we’ve always had high-quality interactions,”
said player agent Bill Duffy, who represents more than 30 clients
including http://espn.go.com/nba/player/_/id/592/steve-nash, http://espn.go.com/nba/player/_/id/3026/rajon-rondo, http://espn.go.com/nba/player/_/id/3224/joakim-noah and http://espn.go.com/nba/player/_/id/3059319/andrew-wiggins.
“He’s been involved in pro basketball his entire life and I’ve been
shown nothing but respect in my dealings with him. He’s always been of
good character and I have admired him over the years.”

Tim Duncan: “I don’t think he’s a racist in anyway. He said something that was absolutely wrong, but he’s not a racist.”
“I have known Danny Ferry for 30 years,” Jay Bilas told Basketball Insiders.
“He is and always has been a great teammate and friend.  I have always
known him to be a man of great character and integrity and, knowing him
as I do, I don’t doubt his character or integrity for one second.”

@Ron Hewitt Jr Baker  it is obvious from Mr. Hewitt’s missives that there is only one correct answer and he will tell us what it is. He obviously knows nothing about Kareem who was well ahead of his time.

I think that Dortch is off-base. It’s obvious that his distaste for Ferry is personal. I am of the opinion that the Hawks are the team that Danny Ferry built -and that it’s time for him to formally come back to work. I am a long-time African-American resident of the city and avid sports fan. 

Yep, Danny Ferry screwed up. However, it would appear that he has learned greatly from his mistake and the experience. On the other hand, I greatly believe in forgiveness, second chances and compassion. It’s past time for him to come back.

Fanplex was an entertainment center in http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlanta,_Georgia, adjacent to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turner_Field. It opened in 2002 and was shut down in early 2004 after losing $500,000, above and beyond an initial investment of $2.5 million.
The attraction was meant to lure fans of the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlanta_Braves with http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miniature_golf and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Video_game, and to pump economic activity into the depressed area around the stadium. However, Fanplex saw little business, even on game days, perhaps since it was actually located far away from most game-day foot traffic. An initial staff of 16 was pared down to one and operating hours were scaled back as patrons continued not to show up.
Critics say Fanplex was largely built to justify the existence of the Atlanta-Fulton County Recreation Authority, which was originally created to manage http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlanta-Fulton_County_Stadium and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omni_Coliseum, both of which no longer exist, along with http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zoo_Atlanta.
An October 2, 2006 article http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fanplex#cite_note-1 in the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlanta_Journal_Constitution says that the authority has put the facility up for sale twice, but cannot find a buyer at the $2.7 million price it has sought. The miniature golf course is now overgrown and nearby residents complain that the facility has become another vacant parking lot. With seemingly few commercial prospects for the current facility, Atlanta leaders quoted by the paper speculate Fanplex may ultimately be swept up in large-scale redevelopment of areas around the stadium.
Starting November 2013, the Fanplex is home to the “A” team of Archer Western Contractors who is currently constructing a 5 million gallon underground storage tank in the media lot across Hank Arron Drive.

from the AJC today:
People like Gearon love working in the shadows, trying to plant stories with media outlets. When one doesn’t bite, they go to another, or they feed their friends and have them feed stories.
Suddenly, we have this amusing piece in an Atlanta business newsletter, the Saporta Report, with a headline, “Atlanta Hawks winning thanks largely to absence of Danny Ferry.” The article extensively quotes Atlanta businessman Tommy Dortch, a member of the “100 Black Men of America,” and a strong proponent of the Wilkins statue.
Dortch and “several people who are familiar with the inner-workings of the Atlanta Hawks,” according to writer Maria Saporta, believe the Hawks couldn’t function like this if Ferry was around. Never mind that Ferry picked the players, picked the coach and restructured the organization. He’s the problem, “several people who are familiar with the inner-workings” of the Hawks believe.

Hawk no more  Whether one thinks that Ferry is the savior of the Hawks or the devil incarnate, one thing can’t be denied – the Atlanta Spirit is the most annoying clown act in this town since the Shriners parade used to gum up downtown traffic.  I’m sorry to read in Schultz’s piece that the sales process isn’t humming along as fast as I had thought.

Hawk no more EveryLastWord Fwiw, The conclusion of that piece you’re excerpting here is also that Danny Ferry should go.

Baker Hawk no more EveryLastWord What drew me to the conversation was the premise and headline of Maria’s piece that Ferry’s absence made possible the Hawks’ current success, and the statement in her lead that the team was not built by him.  Those are ludicrous positions imo, whether Ferry does or doesn’t come back.

mariasaporta  Did you talk with Mike Gearon?

So you’re willing to take the word of people who’s business dealings ran our second (and possibly last hockey team) out of the city. People who IMMEDIATELY broke an agreement with the NHL to NOT sell the team for a period of six years and tried to sell it as soon as they got up from the table buying the team. The very same people who ignored local attempts to buy the team and sold it to a Canadian outpost? 

That’s the people you’re putting your trust in?

David Stern and Gary Bettman are on record as having said how poor the Atlanta Spirit ownership group is. How bad their judgement is.  Any true fan of the Hawks and the Thrashers knows how incompetent Gearon’s cadre of insanity is. Agreeing with Billy Knight’s hair brained scheme. Giving Joe Johnson a huge contract. Choosing to not support the hockey team. Running both teams on a shoestring budget just good enough to make the playoffs to collect the playoff checks. 

Where do these facts end up in the matrix of “truth” that you seem to be looking through?

@mariasaporta what happened to the article criticizing Koonin disbandment of team ambassadors?

@mariasaporta what happened to the article also citing Dortch support of said children (and one SR who is the reason JR is anything)…. hmmm… not hosted here any more… 

Racial tension has permeated the Atlanta Hawks organization during the leadership of Danny Ferry, according to Tommy Dortch, a leading African-American businessman in Atlanta.
…
And it’s not just Wilkins. Three basketball greats have recently passed away — Walt Bellamy (November, 2013), Lou Hudson (April, 2014) and Danny Roundfield (August, 2012) – all receiving virtually no recognition from the Atlanta Hawks.
“ When the great Walt Bellamy died, I heard nothing from the organization,” Dortch said. “When the sweet Lou Hudson died, I heard nothing. And when the great Danny Roundfield died, Danny who despite being hurt, kept playing, you heard nothing from the organization.”
…
Dortch, however, only had positive things to say about the Atlanta team owners — Rutherford Seydel, Michael Gearon Jr. and his father, Michael Gearon Sr.

Maria, I enjoy your newsletter but I am afraid you may have gotten out of your depth droving into the world of sports journalism. Maybe it would be best to stick to areas that you understand better. Who besides Tommy Dortch supports this one sided view of Danny Ferry and his role in the Hawks organization?

@Brazilian Hawk absolutely correct.  The real problem is Michael Gearon Jr. And the sad thing is that the Atlanta Spirit is going to profit more than handsomely from the sale.   Why?  Because the value has increased thanks in large part to the work of Danny Ferry and Coach Bud.

Dear readers, 
For starters, I love an active debate and discussion.  That said, I have been surprised how many of you think I don’t know what I’m talking about when it comes to writing anything about sports. I have been covering the business related to sports for decades. 
I covered the building of the Georgia Dome (when Rankin Smith was trying to pull it off as a private venture); the demolition of the Omni Coliseum and the building of Philips Arena (from when Stan Kasten said he was moving the Hawks to the suburbs and Ted Turner stopped those plans); from the 1996 Olympics; the Atlanta Braves; the Atlanta Falcons plans to tear down and rebuild a new stadium and all the issues related to leadership in Atlanta and Georgia. 
Of all of Atlanta’s professional sports teams, the one I have loved the most is the Atlanta Hawks – even though I loved covering the adventures of the Atlanta Braves in the 1990s.  I really do miss Ted Turner as the owner of the Braves (they wouldn’t be moving to Cobb) and the Hawks. 
Also, I’m the journalist who broke the story – getting the exclusive interview with Arthur Blank and Taylor Smith – when the Atlanta Falcons were sold.
So I really do care about what happens to the Atlanta Hawks.  And it is wonderful that Coach Bud has been able to implement his recipe of team basketball with a self-less group of talented players. I am glad that Danny Ferry is not coming back. Now I hope that whoever buys the team will nurture the Atlanta Hawks and help it be a championship team for years. And I also hope that the new ownership team will include Atlantans and African-Americans. 
After what we went through with Bruce Levenson and Danny Ferry, we deserve a harmonious era that parallels the kind of team spirit that Coach Bud has created on the floor.
And I hope we can rediscover that harmony among readers (and me) at SaportaReport. 🙂
On that note, I’m going to bed.
Maria

mariasaporta Maria,  I have read your stories for years and I know how much you
care about this city, particularly in your columns about the nonprofit
community. As such, we have come to expect a high level of
journalistic quality from you as well.  Unfortunately, this story fell
far short in not only investigative journalism standards, but in basic
knowledge of the business of sports.    I know full well that Danny
Ferry is not the cause of the problem before us, and for Mr. Dortch to
go on record making the statements he did is very tragic.   Anyone who
knows about the dysfunctional Atlanta Spirit group knows what happened
here, and how this was largely orchestrated by the Atlanta faction of
the ownership group.   Ferry was certainly in the wrong, but to make the
statement that Ferry’s absence is the reason for the Hawks good
fortunes this season is categorically false.
The folks
who read your stories care about what you write; otherwise, they would
be reading posts elsewhere.   We all appreciate spirited, civil
discourse.  However, when one person’s biased point of view is taken for
the truth without any corroboration, we will voice our displeasure.  
When the journalistic quality reaches the standard we have all come to
expect from The Saporta Report, this commenter has no doubt that the
harmony will return in droves.

I suspect the driving force behind this article is money changing hands for some Thought Leadership.

Five months later, the Hawks acquired Kyle Korver from Chicago, and he could be headed for the best perimeter-shooting season in NBA history.
“When I got traded to Atlanta I was coming from Chicago and I wasn’t really all that excited about it, to be honest with you. But all the people that Danny Ferry kept on bringing in, they’ve been not just good basketball people, but good people,” Korver said.
“When I was a free agent two summers ago, I chose to come back. We had some opportunities to go to some teams that already were more established and could win, but I just really believed in what Atlanta was building and what they were doing. I could see my role in it and I just wanted to be a part of that. I never thought that it would come together this quickly.”
Read more here: http://www.macon.com/2015/02/17/3591235/all-in-or-sit-out-nba-teams-decide.html#storylink=cpy

The Rev. Young has pronounced the benediction on this matter as far as I’m concerned.

Longtime Hawks Fan Remember, Andy Young defended John Rocker and Nike and almost every other target. That is who he is. Danny Ferry can be forgiven for what he has said. That doesn’t mean he should get his job back.

mariasaporta Burroughston Broch  With all due respect, methinks thou dost protest too much.
You sell Thought Leadership Sponsored Content on this website for compensation. You support the Business Chronicle’s views for a fee with your writings. You supported the AJC’s views with your writings for years for compensation. My siblings are both professional journalists and I know how the profession works.

mariasaporta Longtime Hawks Fan Does anybody else find it ironic that Maria besmirched the opinion of Andrew Young but readily accepts the opinions of the Gearon cabal?  As Jeff Schultz wrote in his article, “The problem with people like Gearon is they want you to believe they’re humble and pure and their intentions are honorable, when in fact they’re more conniving and devious than you could possibly comprehend.” Also, how does Dortch, a person with no role with the Hawks organization, know about internal trade talks unless he’s fed the information so somebody can stay behind the scenes.  Based on the info in your article it would seem that Schultz is right about you

EveryLastWord Burroughston Broch mariasaporta  Most of what we read and listen to is puff stuff and PR is an easier job.

mariasaporta Burroughston Broch 
“Are you suggesting that all journalists should work for no money?”

No. I watched my siblings do enough of that in recent years.
“It is no coincidence that our coverage overlaps with our Thought Leader topics.”
And your Thought Leaders appear on your website at no cost?

You should forgive Danny Ferry because he made a mistake and he apologized for his error. You rehire him because he has assembled one of the best teams in the NBA and we need his continued leadership to remain successful.

I find it interesting that despite claims of fairness, Ms. Saporta is silent when the A&B report completely cleared Danny Ferry, when the Hawks would not release the report for months because it cleared him, and she refuses to acknowledge that it was all casued by Gearon and his small minded cronies. Even the letter from the Hawks to Ferry stated that it was caused by the owners. Maybe Ms. Saporta will post another hatchet job that is ghost written by Michael Gearon. All credibility is gone.