Michael Bibby is a Man Who Knows the Score

[FromWayDowntown]

I have to think that Bibby's comments are fueled by his knowledge that tonight will be the last time his team will play in Boston this season. Why worry about pissing off the Boston fans? It's not as if the fans are going to adversely impact the Hawks' chances in this series.

Anyway, interesting candor from Bibby:

HAWKS REPORT: Bibby chides Boston 'bandwagon'

Boston —- Leave it up to Mike Bibby to light the fire with the Boston fans.

The Hawks point guard lit into Celtics fans before practice Tuesday, calling them "bandwagon jumpers."

"They were kind of loud at the beginning," he said. "But a lot of these fans are bandwagon jumpers trying to get on this now. I played here last year, too, and I didn't see three-fourths of them. They're for the team now, and they might get a little rowdy, but that's about it."

When asked if he thought they were fair-weather fans, joining the party only after the Celtics' offseason trades that brought Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen to town, Bibby didn't hesitate to pour more gasoline on the fire.

"You could say that," he said. "I remember them having bags on their heads [last season]. It's a different look. I guess that's what happens when you win."

Bibby and Josh Smith were the most noticeable targets of a small section of fans at TD Banknorth Garden on Sunday. The two got into a verbal sparring match with some of the crowd as they left the floor at the end of Game 1.

"It's good that they know I'm here," Bibby said. "It was just a little confrontation to get them involved a little bit. But they are fair-weather fans if you ask me."

If Bibby thought things were sticky Sunday (he shot 2-for-10 from the floor and had just five points and one assist in the Hawks' 23-point loss), they ought to be downright wicked tonight.

"Coming off a 2-for-10 shooting performance, you expect a guy to say something like that," Celtics center Kendrick Perkins said. "We have the best fans in the world, but we don't expect other players to like our fans."

Garnett's reaction was relatively benign.

"That's Mike Bibby speaking his mind. I wouldn't say it's the smartest comment, but that's Mike Bibby," Garnett said. "I'm not going to get into any comments going back and forth. If I was in my younger days, I probably would have said something, but I learned that you let your play do your talking."

Although the Hawks have yet to sell out Philips Arena for Saturday's Game 3, Perkins is under the impression that the crowd will be bigger than usual in Atlanta.

"It's about time," he said. "It takes us going down there to pack their building out."


http://www.ajc.com/sports/content/printedition/2008/04/23/hawksnot0423.html

[Fillmoe]

hes just speaking the truth (no pun intended)

[FromWayDowntown]

hes just speaking the truth (no pun intended)

I agree. I just suspect that if the Hawks were likely to extend the series at all, he wouldn't be this open about the truth.

[ancestron]

the Bibster just wants some face time before his annual fishing trip.

[JamStone]

It's true but so what? That's 95% of sports fans everywhere. It's rare that a fanbase really supports a team that sucks. They wore bags over their heads because they wanted things to change. At least the fans that wore bags over their heads were attending the games. They got those changes they wanted and now they have a great team. And, not attending games doesn't mean fans stopped being fans of the team. Just mean they would rather use that money for other things. In a way, fans that don't go to games when their teams suck is telling ownership and management to make some changes so the team can win. Every fanbase has fairweather fans. It really doesn't matter anyway. Bibby is just talking to talk.

[ancestron]

thats a sweet Ginobili sig.

[balli]

I hate this thesis that a lot of fans and now I guess Bibby is propogating; that you shouldn't be able to criticize your own team. It's like labeling those who speak ill of Bush and the neocons as unpatriotic. Quite frankly, that's an idiotic and simple-minded way to think about anything, especially sports. You can still be a fan of a team while absolutely loathing and criticizing the direction said team is taking. In fact, I think that makes you more of a fan to do so, if you're still watching the games. I get a sense that most Boston fans have probably been watching every single dismal game of the past few seasons. Otherwise, their crowd wouldn't be as smart as they are.

And Bibby sucks. I've liked and rooted for the Hawks ever since the JJ trade and I guess Bibby does make them better, but before he was there Bibby was one of those guys I just didn't like for whatever reason. We all have players that indefinably annoy the shit out of us and Bibby was always at top of my list in that regard. It sucks ATL needed him. I really wish Acie Law had turned out to be good.

[SpursPreacher]

I think he told the truth,I mean look at other teams,their fans stay though them forever,red sox,cubs fans,hell even kings fans stay around.

[Steve_Javie]

Mike Bibby is a Man who Knows how to Fish.

[JoeTait75]

Even if Bibby is right- and he probably is, although C's fans are no more bandwagon than anyone else- why is it assumed that fans are obligated to support a franchise no matter what kind of team it puts on the floor? A sports franchise is just a business, and it's on the business to attract customers with a quality product. No one would expect consumers to blindly support a restaurant that serves shitty food. Why is a pro franchise any different?

And I can tell you that the fans in Cleveland are bandwagon as hell, at least for the basketball team. The Q was absolutely dead before LBJ came on board in '03. But the team wasn't doing anything to deserve a good draw. People shouldn't be expected to pay green money for a bad product, especially if management isn't making an honest or competent effort to improve it.

[Pero]

Celtic fans were bags over their heads in the arena? :lol

[dirk4mvp]

Even if Bibby is right- and he probably is, although C's fans are no more bandwagon than anyone else- why is it assumed that fans are obligated to support a franchise no matter what kind of team it puts on the floor? A sports franchise is just a business, and it's on the business to attract customers with a quality product. No one would expect consumers to blindly support a restaurant that serves shitty food. Why is a pro franchise any different?

And I can tell you that the fans in Cleveland are bandwagon as hell, at least for the basketball team. The Q was absolutely dead before LBJ came on board in '03. But the team wasn't doing anything to deserve a good draw. People shouldn't be expected to pay green money for a bad product, especially if management isn't making an honest or competent effort to improve it.


Yeah, but this is Boston we're talking about. By far the biggest bandwagon city in the country.


Boston shits on NY, Philly, Dallas, or LA in terms of whose more bandwagon.

[Indazone]

I would not want Bibby on my team. What an ass. Plus he's on the downside of his career too like Jason Kidd.

[JoeTait75]

Yeah, but this is Boston we're talking about. By far the biggest bandwagon city in the country.


Boston shits on NY, Philly, Dallas, or LA in terms of whose more bandwagon.

Boston fan's problem is he's under the delusion that you should be as happy about his team's success as he is. They're like the woman at work who thinks everyone else gives a shit about every little thing her kid does.

[Thunder Dan]

he is 100% right. The same can be said for all Boston area teams-especially the Red Sox. Nobody gave 2 shits about that team until they won a World Series a couple years ago. FOX and ESPN make the Yanks/Sox rivalry into much more than it is, it's overrated, the Sox suck and the bandwagon fans will just jump to the Cubs once they start to win.

[Thunder Dan]

Mike Bibby is now my 2nd favorite player (LBJ being 1). I'm sick of fucking Red Sox fans, I hate Celtics fans, I hate them all. I hate the people who try to justify rooting for the Lakers,North Carolina basketball, USC football, Red Sox or Yankees, and the Cowboys. These are the people that make up most Celtics fans this year.

[JMarkJohns]

I would not want Bibby on my team. What an ass. Plus he's on the downside of his career too like Jason Kidd.

At this point in his career, the only reason any team wouldn't want him is his contract. For the MLE, every team would show interest.

He's hit some huge shots at every level of his career. He's a very good shooting PG that can run the pic-n-roll very well. He can score, but doesn't command the ball to do such. He can run a halfcourt offense pretty well.

Yeah, he's a step slower, and yeah, his defense is average at best, but if you had a shotblocker behind him, he wouldn't look near as bad.

Maybe at this stage of his career he's only capable of leading for stretches, but he's good enough to still be a leader of a playoff team. Hardly his fault injuries have claimed large portions of his past several seasons.

I don't know why you think he's an ass. He is exactly right. Not that it needed to be said, but why the hell not?

[dirk4mvp]

I would not want Bibby on my team. What an ass. Plus he's on the downside of his career too like Jason Kidd.



the Mavericks stay om your mind 24/7

[Shaolin-Style]

Every team in the NBA would be like Boston this year.

Your team goes from shit to talented, you're always gonna get a surge of people.

Of course the front office exploited that too and started charging higher prices from what I read for tickets and stuff. So its not without its drawbacks.

[ShoogarBear]

Those Celtics fans are really going to rip into Bibby just as soon as they finish throwing away all their Patriots gear.

[Amare_32]

When you shoot 2-10 in Game 1 you lose any right to talk smack. Bibby needs to locate his shot and not rile up Bostonians.

[Amare_32]

Every team in the NBA would be like Boston this year.

Your team goes from shit to talented, you're always gonna get a surge of people.

Of course the front office exploited that too and started charging higher prices from what I read for tickets and stuff. So its not without its drawbacks.



But at least the Front office put a great team on the floor. Could be worse could be the Mavs.