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Josh Smith Calls Hawks fans "Bandwagoners"

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Josh Smith Calls Hawks fans "Bandwagoners" 

Post#1 » by ATL Boy » Wed Mar 4, 2015 5:38 am

http://m.espn.go.com/nba/story?storyId= ... rc=desktop

"I mean, those fans are fickle, very fickle and bandwagoners," Smith said. "It really doesn't mean anything to me."

Despite qualifying for the playoffs in Smith's final six seasons in Atlanta, the Hawks never finished in the top half of the NBA in attendance. This season, the Hawks are faring better at the gate and averaging just more than 17,000 per game, their highest total since Smith came into the league.

Looks like Josh felt the need to vent some frustration during and after his third return to Atlanta. Really sad watching him turn against his hometown and seeing the town having already turned against him.

"I'd been here for nine years, and all I did was positive things in the community and with the basketball team," Smith said.

This is where I get some Sympathy for Josh. He has done a lot of good in the community and has given a lot to the city, so I really hated it when the fans booed him in his first return with Detroit last year. However, he deserved to get booed tonight after shushing the Atlanta fans when he made his first 3 (again, the built up frustration finally coming out).

Nonetheless, he's out of line, calling out the entire fanbase like that. Bridges have been burned tonight.
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Re: Josh Smith Calls Hawks fans "Bandwagoners" 

Post#2 » by atlantabbq99 » Wed Mar 4, 2015 5:59 am

WELL DONE.....
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Re: Josh Smith Calls Hawks fans "Bandwagoners" 

Post#3 » by Rip2137 » Wed Mar 4, 2015 6:35 am

1. Lets be honest...he is right. There is nothing wrong with being a bandwagon fan but alot of these Hawks "fans" were the same people chanting "Defense" for opposing teams and giving Kobe "MVP" chants when Josh was here. But I personally don't care where they came from, its good to see the arena full and cheering for the Hawks. But as a former season ticket holder....he is right.

2: He was booed mercifully before he ever shushed the crowd. And I think its understandable he got pissed having his hometown boo him and he REALLY didn't deserve it. He was a frustrating guy to watch play, but he never dissed the city, it's fans, or threw the team or teammates under the bus like a certain guard that plays for Brooklyn.
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Re: Josh Smith Calls Hawks fans "Bandwagoners" 

Post#4 » by Rip2137 » Wed Mar 4, 2015 6:41 am

Compare with his comments before the game and you see the guy just was speaking emotionally after getting his feelings hurt by the undeserved booing.

http://m.ajc.com/news/sports/basketball ... zer/nkM9F/
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Re: Josh Smith Calls Hawks fans "Bandwagoners" 

Post#5 » by Makaveli2 » Wed Mar 4, 2015 9:32 am

I strongly agree.
Rip2137 wrote:1. Lets be honest...he is right. There is nothing wrong with being a bandwagon fan but alot of these Hawks "fans" were the same people chanting "Defense" for opposing teams and giving Kobe "MVP" chants when Josh was here. But I personally don't care where they came from, its good to see the arena full and cheering for the Hawks. But as a former season ticket holder....he is right.

2: He was booed mercifully before he ever shushed the crowd. And I think its understandable he got pissed having his hometown boo him and he REALLY didn't deserve it. He was a frustrating guy to watch play, but he never dissed the city, it's fans, or threw the team or teammates under the bus like a certain guard that plays for Brooklyn.
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Re: Josh Smith Calls Hawks fans "Bandwagoners" 

Post#6 » by ATLHawksfan21 » Wed Mar 4, 2015 2:44 pm

I don't get the hate and non-stop booing of Josh. Sure, he made us all want to pull our hair out many times. He also was a key player on a team who went to the 2nd round three years in a row. He also brought us that great dunk contest performance at a time when the franchise was terrible. I may be glad that Josh has moved on, but I will always appreciate the things that he did do for this team whether they were all great or not.
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Re: Josh Smith Calls Hawks fans "Bandwagoners" 

Post#7 » by azuresou1 » Wed Mar 4, 2015 3:07 pm

Josh Smith is like an ex-girlfriend where things didn't really work out due to too many small annoyances that wore on you over time. No reason he should be getting booed on his return and I think it reflects really poorly on us as a collective fanbase that he's being treated this way.

Then again, he's 100% right in that we have a lot of bandwagoners now following the team. And I mean, I openly welcome the bandwagon because this team deserves the support, but these are the same fairweather fans that used to come to see the other team rather than the Hawks.
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Re: Josh Smith Calls Hawks fans "Bandwagoners" 

Post#8 » by PandaKidd » Wed Mar 4, 2015 3:35 pm

Couple things

1) Hes 10000% right about Bandwagon fans. But, when you are stale and stagnant as many of those ISO Hawks teams were, and you were perennial 1st round exits , with THAT talent, I completely understand why No one watched. Josh was part of the problem too. So he needs to recognize hes PART of the reason why the fans were fickle.

2) In 12 years hes done NOTHING to elevate his game. Instead hes argued and ran every team/coach out of town or been traded. The Pistons would rather pay him to PLAY AGAINST them than have him on the team. Thats what they think about J Smoov. Instaed of getting better, he bucked everyone and continued to jack 17 footers and 3 pointers despite historically bad results. Theres nothing worse than a guy who THINKS he can shoot outside and continues to do it.

3) He started it. He trash talked on a made 3(Shushed the crowd), and then got beat by his old team.

Hes always been his own worst enemy. He will go down in history as an after thought, no one will remember his name 10 years from now, he will be a what if, or could have been. Which is sad, because he was capable of being a top 10-15 player IMO, he had that elite athleticism.

I could really careless what he thinks about the fans. His opinion stopped mattering to me when he couldnt recognize that shooting 25% from 3 pt range was bad and called the fans dumb for questioning his shot selection. Good riddance.
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Re: Josh Smith Calls Hawks fans "Bandwagoners" 

Post#9 » by Rocky M5 » Wed Mar 4, 2015 4:35 pm

Thats cause you are.
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Re: Josh Smith Calls Hawks fans "Bandwagoners" 

Post#10 » by PandaKidd » Wed Mar 4, 2015 4:42 pm

Every city is though to be honest.

50% of the Miami fanbase couldnt tell you who Alonzo Mourning was.
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Re: Josh Smith Calls Hawks fans "Bandwagoners" 

Post#11 » by ATLHawksfan21 » Wed Mar 4, 2015 5:26 pm

Rocky M5 wrote:Thats cause you are.


Let's see what the Miami crowd looks like as the franchise climbs firmly aboard the treadmill for the next 5 years. GL paying Dragic 100 mil over 5 years while paying Bosh 120+ over 5. Looks like a couple of Joe Johnson contracts.
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Re: Josh Smith Calls Hawks fans "Bandwagoners" 

Post#12 » by Rip2137 » Wed Mar 4, 2015 7:21 pm

3) He started it. He trash talked on a made 3(Shushed the crowd), and then got beat by his old team

I keep hearing this and that is not what happened. After being booed over and over again he shushed the crowd. Otherwise, what was he shushing? The guy reacted to his hometown going him for no reason...I don't think you can say he "started it".
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Re: Josh Smith Calls Hawks fans "Bandwagoners" 

Post#13 » by PandaKidd » Wed Mar 4, 2015 7:53 pm

Is this the first time hes been booed? Cmon. He taunted the fans, to call them fickle is hilarious coming from him
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Re: Josh Smith Calls Hawks fans "Bandwagoners" 

Post#14 » by MaceCase » Wed Mar 4, 2015 8:08 pm

I will say this, Josh got away with A LOT while in Atlanta for no other reason than "he's one of ours". His attitude and antics wouldn't have allowed him to last anywhere else in such a prominent position as he was thrust into here and lo and behold, he was cut by the Pistons in one of the most unprecedented moves in NBA history and went on to become a bench player in Houston. Hawks fans reached their limit with Josh and have every right to voice their displeasure after all the years he was coddled and they have done so for years even while he still wore the home jersey. To see him walk into Phillips and continue the same maddening type of play that made Atlanta fans sour on him in the first place and then have the bravado to pump his chest at the slightest bit of success only to falter in the end was one of the most satisfying moments I've had in this dream of a season. He's an entitled punk that could never accept blame while also being the first to toss it at others, this instance is no different.
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Re: Josh Smith Calls Hawks fans "Bandwagoners" 

Post#15 » by PandaKidd » Wed Mar 4, 2015 8:10 pm

^^^^^^

well said
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Re: Josh Smith Calls Hawks fans "Bandwagoners" 

Post#16 » by Hawkeyes » Wed Mar 4, 2015 10:45 pm

Rocky M5 wrote:Thats cause you are.

Coming from a Heat fan? Pot calling the kettle black....
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Re: Josh Smith Calls Hawks fans "Bandwagoners" 

Post#17 » by Jamaaliver » Thu Mar 5, 2015 4:03 pm

What's scary to think about: If Josh Smith had signed that extension offer from Ferry back in Summer 2012, he'd likely still be our starting PF making $15 million a year. Same antics, getting yelled at by the home crowd.

There is some truth that ATL fans are fairweather and bandwagon. But part of that is the product.

I found an old quote of Smoove talking about how great the fans were during that 2008 7 game series vs the Celtics.

"The first time we made the playoffs [in 2008], we played the Celtics," Smith said. "It was a seven-game series and the three games we had at home, it was unbelievable. You could feel the building shaking. You could feel the intensity, it was loud....

"The only time where I can honestly say it was rocking was that first series against the Celtics," Smith said wistfully about the first-round matchup. "For those moments, that excitement should just be there."

"Winning changes everything," Smith said. "And the person changes everything."


I'll never hold a player under too much of a spotlight for comments made directly following a loss. Most players aren't particularly thoughtful or eloquent. And in the heat of the moment...dumb things are said.

I can't imagine being (essentially) fired, publically, twice in two straight years and then booed by the same hometown fans that once cheered me as a teenager.

But his behavior here was pretty terrible. And his play got worse as he got older. It's a shame that his relationship with this city only worsened once he left and it became apparent he was indeed a major hindrance to us progressing to the next level.

I can't imagine the pain of seeing your ex doing exceptionally well, while your life is in shambles...
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Re: Josh Smith Calls Hawks fans "Bandwagoners" 

Post#18 » by Skyhawk1 » Thu Mar 5, 2015 10:11 pm

I never liked Josh, never will. He's a low IQ basketball player and honestly that's all that matters to me. Our management made a huge mistake in keeping him for so long hoping that all of a sudden he'd change and play within his limitations. I do not like him as player and have never found myself rooting for him. With that being said, I hope his rockets plunge down come playoff time as they have 2 of the dumbest clowns in the NBA in Josh and Howard. For that matter, I hope the Mavs lose in the 1st round as well after adding Rondo. Isn't that interesting that all 3 players share a lot in common including their upbringings and basketball roots?
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Re: Josh Smith Calls Hawks fans "Bandwagoners" 

Post#19 » by Hawkeyes » Fri Mar 6, 2015 2:35 am

Josh was one of the most frustrating players I've ever watched. He'd love to try and dribble the ball up court out of control which led to a turnover 95% of the time and he'd take inopportune 3s that he'd almost always miss. I was so relieved when we let him leave for Detroit. He was such a headache. I still have nightmares of him dribbling.

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