<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Despite the Hawks' franchise-worst record and the Thrashers' canceled season, the owners appear upbeat about both teams' future. "When we came into this operation, it didn't have a pulse. It really didn't," Levenson said. He has been encouraged by the play of Hawks rookies Childress and Smith, the improved atmosphere at Philips Arena (USA Today ranked the Hawks No. 7 in the NBA in fan friendliness this season), an uptick in attendance, reduced financial losses, a possible No. 1 NBA draft pick and a possible free-agent shopping spree with the Hawks' much-touted salary cap space. He believes the organization has found a pulse. And if there is a hockey season in 2005-06, as he expects there to be, all the better. "Yeah, we'd like to win," said Peskowitz, reflecting on the 13-69 Hawks season. "But I think that's going to come, and it's probably going to come a lot sooner than a lot of people think." And will Atlanta Spirit be intact when that day comes? "That would be what I would envision going forward," Belkin said. "I'm optimistic, you know, it can work out. "We got married just about a year ago and we're going through some growing pains, but . . . I think it's going to get better from the learning process we've gone through this year. We've gotten a better understanding of what everybody's interests are, what everyone's skills are, and how to work together better as a team. "All of us always enter a relationship thinking everyone else sees the world as we do. Everyone has slightly different ways of looking at the world. So you have to . . . figure out how to incorporate everybody's view."</div> Source
