Sports scheduling is a tricky business. A team knows exactly where and when they will play their home games during the regular season. This allows the stadium owners to make the venue available for other activities when the home team is on the road.
However, the playoffs are a different beast altogether. In the NBA, all playoff series are played in a best-of-seven format. This means there is a minimum of four games and a maximum of seven. This allows both teams to get a minimum of two home games per series. Currently, a playoff series is played in a 2-2-1-1-1 format. This means that after game 4, the teams alternate hosting duties. But because those games aren't needed, the venue might have been left available on those nights. This uncertainty is now causing some headaches in Atlanta.
Janet Jackson Concert Pushed Back A Night
Janet Jackson was supposed to play at State Farm Arena, home of the Atlanta Hawks, on April 27. However, April 25 saw the Hawks top the Boston Celtics 119-117 in Game 5 of their NBA Playoff series. The Hawks had been 3-1 down and facing elimination. However, the win meant that the series would necessitate a Game 6...hosted by Atlanta. Suddenly double-booked, State Farm Arena announced that Jackson's concert would be pushed back a day to April 28. Tickets from the original Thursday show would be honored at the rescheduled event. Furthermore, refunds would be issued for anyone who could not attend the new show.
While some fans have cried foul, the decision makes sense (if necessitated by stupidity). As the arena's official tenants and primary users, the Hawks likely get first-priority use of the arena. However, there is an element of hilarity in the implication that the Hawks didn't expect to make it as deep as Game 6. If they had, they would have likely booked the arena ahead of time. Regardless, Jackson fans are unhappy with what they see as preferential treatment for the NBA. Furthermore, the rescheduling now puts Jackson in direct conflict with a Taylor Swift concert at the nearby Mercedes-Benz Stadium. However, we here at HotNewHipHop have a different solution. Janet Jackson, starting point guard for the Atlanta Hawks.
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