Hawks headed to Nashville for training camp this fall

0:00He is the CEO of our Atlanta Hawks. His name is Steve Conan and he joins us here on sports radio 92 9 the game on a weekly basis and Steve First and foremost how you don't how's your how's your week been? Been a busy week been a very busy week lots of good stuff going on out of the earth Pretty good. I mean considering the Falcon situation It was good Monday because we felt like we had a hold of things and then two was named the starter Then two of gets an oblique injury and now we're down to our third quarterback, which is obviously Cooper rush So yeah, I mean considering it's not been a great week Steve. It's not been a great week Well, you know what the game hadn't been played yet stranger things have happened So let's not see the victory to Pittsburgh who has a Quarterback I think about four months younger than me Yes, I mean that's the thing Steve we and I always go back now ran to the Texas. They've got a lights out defense But the Steelers could not have looked more enemic than they did that final game the last year So there's always a plus week one is always such a fugacy you never know what you're gonna get

1:03Some teams look like garbage and come back the next week and they're in form Well, let's switch it off a bit. What do you think of Wednesday night football? I don't like it, but the NFL does it because they can I'm more about I'm more about not liking last night. We'll start with Wednesday. I mean a rematch of the of the Super Bowl is great But I mean, I don't know. It's so strange Steve and it's almost like the NFL's overflexing Yeah, I had two dinners the last two nights and it's like wow. I got to hurry up. I'm missing football. It's like The czar on Wednesday Thursday. I like I really do You know, and I wish there were better games on tonight. There's really you know There's not high quality games on but The Wednesday night games see you know The game the the Wednesday night before Thanksgiving Little strange Is Australia a bridge too far? I know again 49ers handle the travel the ramps right now everyone says they didn't Steve It's just I felt bad for those fans who paid good money for those seats on a cricket pitch

2:06You're literally like a mile from the field Yeah, we I mean we went to Abu Dhabi a couple of years ago And it was a fabulous experience for the players and team we took nine days. It was three season You know, we You know connecting with the team and having the family for the players with us But that's a pretty aggressive trip to start a season especially with two of your projected top teams in the league But you know everybody wants to make it a global game and the NBA. We're fortunate that you know a third of our players are from there and the NFL and Major League baseball's far less, but you know I think this is what our world look. It's gonna look like it's more games Where there's less competition David Stern was way ahead of the game though, wasn't he when you start talking about this international thing I mean like I think you know for the NBA Some people realize He was way ahead of this and at the time I remember the pushback like why would we want to be there?

3:10And he was trying to explain like we've got more people playing basketball now. It's a different world, right? And Steve that's my issue. Football is our thing. I'm talking about American football It's our thing we love it and this idea we have to take it abroad and it's just like and now I got to pay extra money And we lose a home game and you lose the home game like there's so many other elements to this but the NBA has always kind of been ahead of this Yeah, I think so you know look. I think we're gonna see in a couple of years Every Sunday morning at nine o'clock or nine thirty. We're gonna have an international game to watch for a full season I think that with the I mean 30 million people aren't wrong in tuning in and we both watched it. I found a way you know So I just think things are going to evolve and I think that sports are going To continue to be the primary thing people consume through their television screen Steve Let's talk about the Hawks real quick. We get word that uh

4:12I don't know how long it's been since we've gone out of state to have training camp Okay, so 1999 our producer just told us in our ear. We're going to Nashville. Is that right? What's what's behind this? Um I think a deep love of country music by everyone in the Ross And expanding the Hawks brand isn't that right Steve? I think it's a bit of that. I mean the You know, I think One of the brilliance of Quinn is When you go out of town as a group you get tight closer you get more connected Okay, you're away from your family. You're not necessarily at home. We gone we've gone to Athens. I think like eight out of the last ten years and obviously They've done University of Georgia's been credible host But it was you know, how do we continue to team build because chemistry means so much we saw that With the nicks last year. So let's go create an environment

5:14That's something new and different for the guys and um, it's exciting and it should be a lot of fun Our bad Steve Kudin when he's a national car. Oh, by the way, he's Garth Kudin Garth Kudin There you go that's his aliens His friends and his car and I'm talking about you Mike Or maybe he's hyphenated like Steve Strand Kudin Anyway, he joins us right now live from twin pigs in Buckhead dukes and bell hanging out with our man Yeah, Steve like that that's cool. I like that idea because you know, I mean This is a team which we have a high aspirations for I know I don't know how The coach is gonna play and get the rookies involved because I know you get mav when I say this but we went back and looked at it There is kind of a time on her tradition of rookies struggling for minutes with the hawks going all the back to letty Wilkins So can you give me some kind of guarantee that we were gonna see some of these young guys we've uh, we picked up this year I think we will if they've you know If they're Going to make us better and one of the ways they make us better is by getting them playing time. So

6:18You know, I have huge trust in and Quinn and Kingston we had Much higher on our board than even where it was drafted at eight So I think he's gonna have plenty of opportunity and hopefully they can rise to the occasion But you don't expect to get a ton from your rookies But we had this nice balance, you know, you saw what team Canada's been able to do and it's been Nikiola Alexander Walker and Ludoort leading that team so It's exciting. It's real exciting. I think we're gonna be tough. I think we're going to Be a very very fun watch and I think the league itself you see these new stars emerging Which is um also makes it fun. So I'm excited. I can't believe You know, it's weeks away from starting literally weeks It is it's Steve Cunningh guys before we uh, let you go Jalen Brunson's gonna host Saturday Night Live and it's gonna be the first episode this season

7:18I just think you know, we forget how many great sports figures have hosted all right And that crossover of you know, Deon Sanders Derek Geter Michael Jordan was on there. Joe Montana and Walter Page Charles Barclay. I was fortunate to go When Charles Barclay's hosted a couple times when Barclay was hosting and you know the best part is the after party It starts at one you get home about 430 and you went did I really get to do that? How lucky am I Yeah, that's cool. It is and I just love how you know again with the writers get creative I always think of like the Peyton Manning sketch Carl with the kids. Oh, yeah, he's playing pickup football I'm not saying I'd kill a snitch The Gatrop's ball greatest Joseph in the Porta John Get back in there get in there It's completely opposite of Manning's personality. That's what makes it so great But yeah, so Jalen Brunson is gonna and I'm just I guess the question for me though is what does it do for the NBA?

8:18I mean, they're all it's New York. They won the championship again. We we saw him firsthand, you know first up close and personal, but for the NBA What's it do? It's part of you know But with everything we have at our disposal to be connected and entertained with Having something that surprises and delights you've Jalen Brunson will no matter how bad he is he'll be great Because the fans in New York and that in the studio only see like 300 people I mean, but they'll be they'll be cheering for him and it'll be raucous and um I hope he's funny. I hope he's funny. That's my favorite show of all time. I could talk to you for hours about that show But athlete, you know Tom Brady wasn't exactly a riveting guest Charles Parkley dresses a woman kind of interesting and oddly appealing The funny scene for those that remember we're doing like SNL memory lane, but the one would Brady It was a skit. I want to say it was either John Loves of the character Carl where Brady comes in the office

9:20And he's got a dress shirt on with no pants on and and and the women are of course he's so good looking the women don't care So there's no claims of sexual harassment. Yeah, it being inappropriate. That's our man Steve Kuhnen guys hanging out He's a big shot because they hang out at SNL rap parties joins us here live from a twin peaks and but yeah Be nice. I'm kidding. I got to go with Charles. Somebody needed to drive him Right by the way you think Charles does you think Charles does step away with Ernie They've kind of said like it's a package deal one more year for these guys in the US panther going to walk away What are you here with Charles starting in 2000 when he started retiring So it's 26 year, but I do believe Ernie will be 70 Um Charles doesn't want to be you know tied to to work he wants to Play golf and fish and do what he has to do, but I don't know man, you know I don't know he is such a public figure and to go Away from that so I'm sure there'll be some kind of

10:21Reduce schedule where you know, maybe Charles just come to our all-star and play offs and at all start he can lose his voice Which if you remember it should have been a Saturday night lives get the first year TNT We have all-star game. We're so excited and Charles shows up for work He was out partying the entire night and we had larynxitis He couldn't speak No, it's true. I that takes me back man. I was at that all-star game. That's crazy. Yes, Steve But we got to get out of here real quick dogs this weekend Look the handle business last week and I expect we'll do the same Yeah, I missed my I missed my prediction last week I had him winning by 72. They only won by 60 So I'll say it'll be no win in the mid 40s Okay, all right they did cover Uh and final thing thoughts on Falcons Falcons first weekend Pittsburgh on the road I am caring loudly for our home team, but it's it's gonna be a challenge to open the season With a third string quarterback who is experienced who's played for seven years

11:25Yeah, and you know, we'll say this is why we play the games gentlemen That's why we play the games look if we go up there and win find a way to get it done It'll be the biggest shocker week one. Oh, it's going to pans down hands down So Steve thank you have a great weekend. We appreciate you as always and hawks guys right around the corner Is there going to be having training camp up in Nashville before and by the way They're media day will be here and then they'll head up to Nashville, but good stuff Steve. Thanks again See you guys soon take care. All right and by the way, uh was it 45 with western Kentucky hilltop is are really good Was it other guy conference school? They're pretty solid. They played in post seasons. They've won games against big teams So this might get back to the Kirby not covering the big number Although someone feel that dog fans Look at that Georgia team and say the players heard all this stuff They're frustrated about how the last two seasons have ended So they want to play with a chip. I hope so well if they are Mike didn't they they've got a chance to achieve their goals Hey guys, we're coming back the latest update on the Falcons the injury report. It's Friday

12:29Nothing's changing between now and Sunday if you're not playing you're not playing And what do we want to see from some of our key guys? Mike and I'll break that down for your next live from Twin Peaks on sports radio 9029 the game