By BILLY JOE JESSUP
If you loved actress Jami Gertz in the 1982-83 Sarah Jessica Parker TV series “Square Pegs,” you will hate her now if you are a New Orleans sports fan.
Gertz has been added to the enemy list in the NOLA rivalry with Atlanta because she is married to businessman Tony Ressler, the principal owner of the Hawks NBA team.
She just might be the first woman on the enemy list, joining such names as Steve Bartkowski, Matt Ryan, Tree Rollins and John Drew.
The Hawks-Pelicans rivalry is weak compared to Falcons-Saints and 1970s Hawks-Jazz, but the Gertz connection to Atlanta will make her an unwelcome guest if she ever shows up at the Smoothie King next season.
The Pelicans were one of the most improved teams in the NBA this season, advancing to the second round of the playoffs, and the Hawks were one of the worst, so bad they will have the No. 3 selection in the draft after the lottery Tuesday in Chicago, where Gertz represented her franchise.
Rich Eisen interviewed Gertz on his daily sports talk show Wednesday, and she said she “openly wept” after attending Super Bowl 51 in Houston in February 2017, when the New England Patriots came back from a 28-3 deficit to beat the Falcons 34-28 in overtime.
Yats will love hearing dat. Boo hoo!
The internet was ablaze Tuesday night when actress Jami Gertz popped up representing the @ATLHawks during the #NBADraftLottery so we got her to call in and explain how it all came about: pic.twitter.com/XcQHGMS4u1
— Rich Eisen Show (@RichEisenShow) May 16, 2018
Perhaps even more tears will be shed during the 2018 NFL season, when the Saints play the Falcons on Thanksgiving night in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.
My prediction: Cam Jordan will turn Matt Ryan into Muffy B. Tepperman.
