Chic scene at Philips Hawks unfashionable, but lounge attracts a wealth of VIPs By MICHELLE HISKEY The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Published on: 01/25/06 So what if the Atlanta Hawks are a losing team? That's but a trifling detail in the lowlit, purring den only a free throw away from their home court. The Replay Lounge is a club for the beautiful, powerful and wealthy who sit courtside and on the floor at Philips Arena. It's sleek digs, serious people watching and smooth Absolut cosmopolitans, for those who could care less about the W. This spot is all about the L — looks, luxury and luminaries. This wedge-shaped club always hops for big games, as measured by the fame of the visiting team. It will be busy Wednesday night when the Hawks host Cleveland, and again Friday, for Phoenix. What brings out the peeps? Consider what the teams offers. The Lounge serves up the exact opposite. Recognizable names. The young Hawks are far from household fame. But in the Replay Lounge, you can rub shoulders with rappers T.I. and Bonecrusher, OutKast and Ludacris, Atlanta Braves pitcher Tim Hudson, comedian Chris Tucker, former Falcon Jamal Anderson, former NBA star Gerald Wilkins, movie director Robert Townsend. Usher has shown up with Naomi Campbell. Samuel L. Jackson has dropped in. "It's not mass population here," said Anderson, relaxing near the end of last week's 28-point loss to Detroit. "You can come back and unwind." "The dessert cart comes right here and the bartender's friendly and always hooks me up," said actor Emmanuel Lewis of the show "Webster." He admired the black leather and cleavage of the A-Town Dancers, the team's dance troupe, who popped in to sign their 2006 swimsuit calendar. "The girls are always prettier every game," he said. "And did I tell you how friendly the bartender is?" That's Kevin Arnold, mixing a signature Pink Lemonade (vodka, cranberry and lime juices, triple sec and sweet and sour mix) for female guests, who are outnumbered in the lounge during Hawks games. Oh yes it's ladies night, and the feeling's right. Do the tips flow? "Oh yeah," he said, nodding vigorously. The welcome distractions can make the game an afterthought. "I see former players, politicians, some Falcons, business people in there and they are not even watching the game," said Hawks general manager Billy Knight. The scene reminds him that the NBA fan base has broadened from basketball purists to those who want an entertaining night out. "It goes without saying that we're not the best basketball team, " Knight said. "But we have good people coming to games for other things. . . . Everything is magnified in the NBA now. It's not all basketball." "I don't think they enjoy the lounge more than the game, I think they enjoy it as part of the game," said Bernie Mullin, president and CEO of Atlanta Spirit, which owns the Hawks and Philips Arena. "The Replay Lounge is all part of the game, and that's OK as long as they are there [cheering] for the team in the fourth quarter, down the stretch, for the Hawks." Success and maturity. The youngsters are only on the Hawks roster. At the R-Lounge, amateurs need not apply. Access is pricey, granted through a $550 courtside ticket, $150 floor seat or suite lease. Suiteholders such as Selig Enterprises developers, King & Spalding law firm and Wolf Camera can turn a doorknob and step right into the Replay Lounge. The suite patrons have valets to bring them drinks and gourmet kibbles. Shrimp barbecue and sliced sirloin, for example, are discretely billed to their house account. "Oh honey, this makes all the difference in the world," said suite guest Sandra Bridgeman of east Cobb, sipping a glass of merlot. "You never know who you are going to meet, celebrities or business people or athletes." She nodded at her husband Garry, an investor. "And he's always looking for people who have a lot of money." "They want that personal something extra," said suite captain Wallace Bailey, who has served in the lounge since the arena opened 7 seasons ago. He tries to limit some of the distractions. He turns off the TVs to encourage patrons to return to courtside because the Hawks need the support. Potential that pays off. The Hawks = erratic play. Business people count on the lounge atmosphere to lubricate deals. Wednesday, Atlanta publicist Cherry Ban'ez plans to schmooze with Cincinnati Bengal star Willie Anderson. She'salready entertained clients such as Falcons Rod Coleman and Alge Crumpler at the lounge. "It's very exclusive," she said, perched on one of the plush sofas. "Who's who are here, lot of movers and shakers." "We're having a good time and talking business and forming a relationship," said Martin J. McKinley, a Wells Fargo executive who flew in from Minnesota to entertain potential investors, Aurora Management Partners of Atlanta. "I've been in a lot of buildings in the league and this is one of the finer." A pleasantly memorable evening. It's easy to forget another defeat when so much else beckons before morning. The late-arriving lounge crowd often uses a Hawks game as a warmup to a night of dining and clubbing. "The Hawks game serves as your springboard to your nightlife," Banez said. The upside of an 11-28 record is that the lounge is not that crowded, said Scooter Braun, who has escorted Ciara, Bow Wow and other hip-hop stars to Hawks games. "If this place is doing this well now, imagine how well it will do when the team gets where it wants to be." That scenario would marry backstage style with basketball substance. Summing up that yin and yang of the Replay Lounge, Atlanta engineer Tommy Samples posed two rhetorical questions. "Is there any other way to watch a Hawks game?" he wanted to know as he sipped his Bombay and tonic. As the Pistons blew out the Hawks, none of the pretty people in the lounge appeared in a rush to leave. He considered the score: 117-89, Detroit. "Oh," he said dryly, "did the Hawks play tonight?" 原文轉載 http://www.ajc.com/hawks/content/sports/hawks/stories/0125hawkscene.html --

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