Blog Night went down at Philips Arena last night during the Hawk-Lakers tilt. As you can see from the picture above (thanks again to Dan Greenfield for passing along his photos), we had several bloggers with laptops in hand on hand to take in the action and provide their insight. As you can see, unlike the blogger stereotype, many of them appear to be clean-shaven and able to dress themselves on their own (though I suppose that part is debatable, I only got to see them once they arrived - but I'll give them the benefit of the doubt).

I for one had a great time - it's always fun to talk hoops with Hawks fans. Everyone has an opinion, and, much like a snowflake, every one of them is different.

Thanks to everyone who was able to make it out, and in particular, I have to give props to Chase, the editor of Impending Firestorm, who (and I am not making this up) drove to the game from Maine. Drove. From Maine. Chase, my hat is off to you, and I hope you enjoyed yourself and have either satellite radio or a 60 GB iPod to keep you company for your return home. That my friends is a dedicated fan.

Here are a few excerpts from the blogs who participated on the night:

The Crafty Veteran:
"Kiss Cam: And the highlight of the night is here. Easy now, Pops. There must be something in the air tonight or the crowd all watched Prince last night because they are definitely going at it more than usual. They didn't finish up with any of the players on the Lakers, but they highlighted two Lakers fans. I think we need to incorporate the idea of Kiss cam more into everyday life. Like at restaurants, movie theaters, malls or even work. Basically anywhere that needs a little extra spice."

Eric Cheek's Sports Chatter
"This city simply amazes me sometimes. Joe Johnson and Kobe Bryant just went back-and-forth exchanging three-pointers and the crowd roared each time the ball went through the basket. I have now decided that the average NBA fan simply roots for whoever is playing well at the time. That being said, the only thing that I hate about Atlanta (and I mean it, this is the ONLY thing that I hate) is that it seems like almost everyone is a fan of the “other team.” Maybe everyone is from another city originally or maybe it’s just “fashionable” to cheer for the Lakers. Either way, it disgusts me. We live in Atlanta, people!"

SportsGoneSouth:
"The Hawks have this fun promotion where if the team hits a three-pointer in a given two-minute span, some fan wins two free round-trip tickets on Delta. They’ve got a split-screen on the jumbotron now, and every time a Hawks player takes a step inside the perimeter, this fan looks like he’s going to keel over. Seriously–they need to hit an outside shot or this guy might croak on the spot."

Old School Nasty:
"Part of the 4th quarter turned into a duel between Joe and Kobe. Since the crowd was divided about 50/50 between Hawks and Lakers fans, there was a weird phenomenon going on. It had the feeling of a NCAA tournament game. Kobe hit a 3 and half the building went crazy, then seconds later Joe Johnson nails a three and the other half of the crowd explodes."

Hotlanta Hawks:
"Last night at the invitation of the great Micah Hart (the man that runs the Hawks website) (Ed. note - his words, not mine), a whole mess of bloggers rambled on down to Philips Arena to take in the Hawks vs. Kobe. I won't divulge too much about the men behind the greatest websites in the A, other than to say, well, we're all white dudes. I guess it's true what they say: "white people love blogging."

Impending Firestorm:
"8:13 Halftime. Gotta make sure I meet Mr. Smith (Sekou, the Hawks' AJC beat writer). They just talked about improving temperatures, which is 50 for them. It’s a little cooler up in Maine people, relax. They treat the game like it’s a show, they do a good job. There is some dude in a box for the halftime show. The world’s most flexible man apparently. He’s in a box.

8:17 Holy crap this guy is insane. I’m not sure who he is but his body shouldn’t be doing that. I think we’ve got a problem here…can someone call an ambulance?"

Braves and Birds:
"6:56 - Joe sets up Tyronne Lue for a THREEEEEE!!!!! Joe only has seven points so far, so the Hawks' barometer sees a storm. Then again, he's doing a good job on Kobe right now. I forgot to mention when I was whining about Johnson's all-star snub that his defensive production is just a wee bit better than that of Vinsanity. But then again, who is better suited for a meaningless exhibition in which there is no defense or passing?"

Rise Up Mofos:
"Philips Arena is awash with the putrid colors of Purple and Gold; Kobe jerseys are cheap tonight. Unfortunately, I think that there are as many people cheering for the Lakers as there are for the Hawks. I’m surprised as I would’ve figured that Kobe would’ve done his image permanent damage with the Colorado incident. He’s definitely a polarizing figure- when he was announced there were a ton of cheers and a ton of boos. I just don’t get the allure of Kobe’s game- the guy shoots way too much and doesn’t seem to elevate the players around him. I think that this was evident last season when Kobe was sitting at home during the playoffs and Shaq was winning another ring with the Heat. I’ve always argued that Shaq was the Show in LA and was the primary reason for the Championships; I think somewhere in Kobe’s mind he knew that too and that’s why he was always crying and pouting about Shaq."

Kevin Cott:
"7:39 - Bow Wow in the house. Also here are Martin Lawrence and Tim Allen(?!!).

7:40 - THIRD PHENOMENAL ALLEY-OOP OF THE QUARTER BY JOSH! Now is a good time to point out that I absolutely love his game this year. Hustles his ass off, changes the game defensively, can probably get higher on the glass than anyone else in the league - he’s quietly become a legit force.

7:46 - Right now I’m looking over Jeremy’s shoulder and announcing his observations to him as if they were my own. He’s not amused. But I am."

Hawks Hack:
"Everytime the Hawks would get close (i.e. within three), the Lakers would just pull enough away, but the Hawks would turn it on and come back. Eventually, the Hawks put up a good showing, but they ran out of gas and the Lakers were able to win by seven. The Hawks might have lost the game, but they showed great tenacity in coming back so many times when they were down and I enjoyed the experience of “Blog Night.” It was great to talk to other bloggers who share the same passion for the Hawks as I do."

Bernaisesource:
"In the end, it was a really great experience. It was interesting to hang out with bloggers who are more passionate about the subject matter than the technology that drives their discussions. I haven't decided about live blogging. It gives you a sense of immediacy, but it is hard for me to do much reflecting as I get caught up in the half time show -- the contortionist -- Rubberboy -- and the contortions of Kobe Bryant freeing himself from some pretty intense man-to-man coverage to score a basket."

All in all, I think it was a good time had by all, and thanks to everyone who came out and participated. For those that didn't...it's not too late. We may just do this again sometime this season, so if you are thinking of starting a Hawks-related blog, let us know!