I look back now and slap myself at criticizing anything we’ve done in Sanford for marketing and promotions. From the piped in music, to the insane overuse of the third down sound in the Alabama game, to the little hand-held flashing lights for the fourth quarter light show. All of it seems like chef’s-kiss level genius when compared to the marketing and promotions team that works for the Atlanta Hawks.
Yes, you are reading that correctly. Celebrating a place with world renowned chicken wings, or so they say, that is also renowned for being a strip club. No kidding.
It caused such an uproar that apparently there wasn’t enough wisdom and foresight in the Hawks’ front office to cancel it on their own, so the Commish had to step in.
To make it worse, the Hawks decided to defend their event, seemingly unapologetic about it.
“The best of Atlanta” doesn’t have a good ring to it, so much so that you’d think the local government would’ve tried to intervene with the organization and put a stop to that or something.
There’s a lot of the current state of sports all around that I don’t seem to get or understand anymore, and if I’m being honest, I don’t want to understand this. Geez.
Knowing the culture of that cesspool, l am not surprised. That league is not a bunch of standup guys in more ways than one. No nba for me since Larry Bird, Kevin McHale or Robert Parrish. Never pick up another round all would not bother me!!
I heard the first 5,000 fans were going to get commemorative thongs and pasties. Guess those will end up in Guatemala or somewhere now.
I thought they were saying the first 100 were privileged to a free Lap Dance center court.
Magic city titty bobbleheads?
Give a big Atlanta welcome to Grammy award winner and multi convicted felon T.I. !!!
It’s all a work. Free publicity for the Magic City and Atlanta’s non WNBA basketball team. Quit falling for it.
Why is anyone surprised? We live in a society led by a league of pedos with a bottomless pit of greed. Like it or not, this is who we are as a nation at this point in time.
But the promo still wouldn’t get anyone to watch the Hawks…
Branding and moychendizing!
Aw, man. I was really looking forward to Put ‘Em on the Glass cam.
All I’m saying is a long time ago I was a single marine and they had good wings.
For clarity, I was drunk while I had them so they might not be that awesome.
The wings are still good.
Here’s the challenge…..wings at a strip club…or thighs at a Gentlemens Fine Establishment….where it just means more!!!
Back in the day (and another life) there was no better accumulation of talent than at The Gold Club. As fast as it arrived in ATL, it left. But my Gawd!
One of my favorite little know facts is that the official business name of the Cheetah III lounge was something along the lines of the “International Cafe,” so that when credit card charges showed up on expense reports the accountants were less likely to question the sales guys.
The (old) Cheetah was my first viewing of birthday suits on a small tabletop. Just breathtaking!!!
So, does that mean that Chip Towers is no longer needed to emcee Toppers Night at Stegeman? Guess it’s back to delivering DoorDash for him…
This post deserves a celebration.
Not so fast, my friend….
They serve chicken wings? Huh…never noticed….errrr…heard about it.
Let’s quell the outrage here for a second folks. The NBA gets all verklempt because a professional franchise wants to do a promotion with *CLUTCHES PERALS* A STRIP CLUB that is *ALSO* popular with the local populace *AND* BASICALLY THE ENTIRE PLAYERBASE OF THE LEAGUE, but said league has ZERO problems FULLY EMBRACING gambling dollars at EVERY TURN?!? Spare me the convenient moralizing.
Like it or not, Magic City is/will be associated with Atlanta, much like the Gold Club/Cheetah/Blue Flame Lounge/Strokers/etc before it/since. And, yeah, the wings ARE legit, and you don’t even have to go INTO the naughty place to get them!
Good piece here by one of the women who ACTUALLY works at said club – https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nba/atlanta-hawks/news/dancer-magic-city-cancellation-luke-kornet-nba-slap-face/496d4b5ecbd462f224239b73
Michelle Beadle (also a woman last I checked) ALSO has some words – https://nypost.com/2026/03/08/sports/michelle-beadle-rips-luke-kornet-for-take-on-hawks-strip-club-promotion/