Foremost, any Cavs fan, except for the admitted front runners from Birmingham, AL that I almost came to blows with during the game, congratulations on a great series of domination. As Hawks fans, we have no one but our team to blame and no new player to hate. You won with class and skill. A rare combination in the this league. My hat is off to you. And I have no problem saying the Cavs are my team for the rest of the playoffs.
That being said, I will not lie. I left the arena pretty dang sad tonight. No funny antidotes or venting over coaching or Gorin's beer is going to make it any better. The Hawks season is over. Many of us are upset over shot selection, coaching, and injuries, but in the end, we are all fans. We come to this website, wright posts, and make comments because we have invested time in the team. We care about the players, the fans, the city, the team. And now, that investment has been returned empty.
For me, it is countless blog posts, 25 plus games attended, a horrible road trip to Charlotte, near fights, verbal fights, high fives, many beers, screaming joy, screaming agony, rants, raves, fist pumps, and game four losses.
For others of you, it is a cable bill you only muster to watch the Hawks, arguments with your wife over what to watch one night, bar debates on why you enjoy the NBA more than the NCAA tournament, a joyous Josh Smith dunk at the one game you attended, your son asking if he can have a Joe Johnson jersey too, a horrible buzzer not beater against the Celtics, a constant refresh of AJC to check the injuries, or a decision to be a little more tired at work the next day because you actually care whether the Hawks beat the Lakers in LA.
We all are invested. During the season, it is about who is right and who is wrong, who is playing well and who needs to step it up, and those issues will certainly return, but when it is all said and done, at least for one day, it is just sad.
I am a Hawks fan. You are a Hawks fan.
And that said, thanks for the ride.
Go Hawks!