I hope Masoli DOES go to Ole Miss

Perhaps my stance on the subject is off, and clearly it is different than everyone else's, but I LOVE the idea of Jeremiah Masoli coming to Ole Miss in the SEC. Apparently the former Oregon Ducks QB is on Ole Miss's campus right now, looking around and seeing if he likes it enough to officially transfer to play for the Rebels. Masoli was kicked off the Ducks team after he was found driving with weed in the car months after he pled down in a case involving (along with Roswell's own Garrett Embry) a frat house robbery.

But now Masoli, who graduated recently, is a "free agent" who is looking for a team to play on immediately, as long as the school offers a graduate program that Oregon does not. Three schools immediately expressed interest: K-State, West VA and Ole Miss. Now the Rebels have a history of taking QBs from other BCS programs (B. Schaeffer, J. Snead) and with Masoli in the fold, the team could go from 6-6 to 9-3 or even 10-2. 680 The Fan's Chuck Oliver was just on the air, hyping up Masoli, saying he will immediately could be a Heisman candidate at WVa or Ole Miss and could lead them to fantastic seasons because of his talent.

I agree. The Kang though doesn't seem to like the idea of Masoli at Ole Miss because Masoli is "dumb."

While that might be true, he is a HECKUVA player that had a very nice 2008 and a Rose Bowl 2009 season. He laid the wood to USC 47-20, I believe and won the Pac-10. Now he (maybe) heads to Ole Miss and the Rebels and I am thrilled. As an SEC fan, I want the BEST in this conference, no questions asked. I am glad that our conference gets another superstar to help boost our conference's cred. I want to see how this guy does against Alabama's defense. I want to see if he can go toe-to-toe with Ryan Mallet of Arkansas (I realize they have different games, but they both lead offenses). I want to see if his speed can outrun LSU's defensive speed. I want to see him go up against Cam Newton's similar skill-set.

Bottom line: better players in a conference is always good. I know this kid isn't winning a Tim Tebow humanitarian award, but come on. Pointing out the shady moral standards of Ole Miss just reveals the dirt under the fingernail that is doing the pointing. This is the SEC. Every program has some dirt going on. All of college football has that going on. I'm not excusing his past, but if he IS going to play, (and it is clear that he is) why NOT have him in the SEC, the BEST CONFERENCE AROUND?
Bring in Masoli and we can be even more entertained at 12:21 on a Saturday morning, or 3:30 on CBS or Thrusday nights on ESPN or 7:45 on ESPN2. This guy is one of college football's best players and now he could call the SEC home. Great for the SEC!

TheFletch for your viewing pleasure

There won't be a hard copy of Score Atlanta tomorrow, so I am going to go ahead and throw up TheFletch right here. PS, good stuff from 790 The Zone's Brandon Adams and PD Matt Edgar. Rodney Ho can kiss my grits.

680 The Fan did something last weekend that surprised me in a good way. As I was riding in my car last Saturday morning listening to sports talk radio, 790 The Zone’s Brandon & Woolvey went to commercial, so I flipped it over to 680, thinking I’d suffer through some ESPN national talk. When the dial stopped at 680 though, I was pleasantly surprised to hear Perry Laurentino and Jerry Elinger discussing why no NBA free agents had Atlanta on their lists of possible destinations. The topic isn’t what I was excited to hear about, but rather the fact that Jerry Elinger was on the air and 680 was going local opposed to turning the weekends over to ESPN. I miss the days of driving to the gym while listening to (Steve) West and Elinger on 680 with Brandon & Woolvey on 790. No disrespect to ESPN and SNR but who better to talk about Atlanta sports than folks living in Atlanta who know the situation. Typically when ESPN or Sporting News Radio talk about Atlanta, it is to mock the low crowds at Hawks/Braves/Thrashers/Falcons games or to drudge up Michael Vick dogfighting talk or to knock the Braves for winning just one World Series title during the magical 15-year run. The hosts are outsiders and I’d rather they just stuck to what they are experts in and not try and discuss what they don’t know. They just skim the stereotypical stories of a town and run with it. Give me local guys discussing the city they live in. And I don’t need cheerleader, rah-rah guys that only say good things about the city; you can be critical of the city’s sports teams. But I ask that you know what is going on. I hope 680 The Fan keeps Elinger and brings back West on Saturdays.
Laurentino and Elinger were live at the Atlanta Tennis Championships for their broadcast, but the event was truly captured by Score Atlanta. Kudos to Ricky Dimon, who covered the event and had pictures as well as quotes from the players on www.scoreatl.com throughout the weekend. After listening the 680’s coverage and reading Dimon’s work, I really started to wonder, “Is this it?” Why doesn’t Atlanta have a stop on the ATP? Why doesn’t the WTA have a tournament in Atlanta? Are you telling me that the Olympic complex up in Stone Mountain couldn’t host an event? The ATC was held in Johns Creek at the Atlanta Athletic Club and the event looked like it was a success. John Isner and Mardy Fish and Andy Roddick are nice folks to have in town, but I want Rafa Nadal and Roger Federer too. I want Serena and Venus and Maria to grace our city with a stop on the women’s tour. I find it hard to believe that Atlanta cannot get into the (tennis) game and a city like Cincinnati can host the biggest event on American soil leading up to the US Open. This city and surround area clearly loves tennis. On Score Atlanta’s Sports Sunday last week on 790 The Zone, we had multiple callers say that they loved the event and were ALTA players themselves. I believe that this city could definitely support a regular stop on the tour and it is time that the ATP takes notice and sends its big stars here.

Big news came down earlier in the week from 790 The Zone. Last Monday on Brandon & Woolvey, Brandon Adams announced that he was leaving the station to go back into education, his career before coming on full-time at The Zone. In an email to Score Atlanta Adams announced, “I think it's best to focus on some things outside of radio.”
Programming Director Matt Edgar confirmed to Score Atlanta that Adams was leaving the station. Said Edgar in an email to Score Atlanta, “He will not do anything, including football, in the foreseeable future. That is his decision as he wants to concentrate on his new endeavor.” Adams said that he has not ruled out an eventual return to radio for a weekend show down the line. Edgar confirmed that Adams’ long-time on-air partner Jeff Woolverton will stay on in the pair’s time slot from 11-1 weekdays, and the station is searching for his replacement, though one has not been decided upon as of press deadline. In recent weeks, Woolvey had been running point, possibly getting ready for life after BA.

Last week both radio stations were in Hoover, AL for SEC media days and I must say that at the end of the day, the interview “war” turned out to be a draw. Pollack & Bell managed to grab Georgia head coach Mark Richt for an interview, along with punter Drew Butler, standout wideout AJ Green and fullback Shaun Chapas but so did 680’s Chuck & Chernoff. Both stations had former Chamblee runningback and current Vanderbilt sensation Warren Norman and both secured several players from other schools. 790 was able to nab Heisman winner Mark Ingram from Alabama as well as the AJC’s Tony Barnhart, which was a very informative interview. Chuck and Chernoff meanwhile sat down with Gary Stokan of the Atlanta Sports Council and the SEC Commish Mike Slive. The edge for coaches other than Mark Richt went to 680 as The King was able to interview the head Auburn Tiger Gene Chizik as well as Ole Miss’ Houston Nutt. 790 settled for Vanderbilt’s new man Robbie Caldwell and Miss State’s Dan Mullen. The latter was a nice interview but I was hoping that Bell could have gotten a piece of Arkansas Bobby Petrino after all that he has said about the former Falcons coach. I would have liked to see Bell go after Petrino, because unlike some personalities that huff and puff before the interview then buckle when the guest actually appears, Bell pulls no punches. It was an opportunity missed by The Zone. (However I doubt Petrino would have even agreed to an interview with an Atlanta station anyway.)

Can you believe he said that?
“With Dwyer gone, it simply doesn’t have a guy who can come close to filling his shoes.” That was “Husker Fan” on The Bleacher Report after he ranked Georgia Tech Quarterback Joshua Nesbitt No.3 on his list of overrated players in college football. The AJC’s Georgia Tech beat writer Doug Roberson linked to the story online but I am not sure how Nesbitt is overrated as the list didn’t have any particular criteria for basing Nesbitt as overrated. Perhaps “Husker Fan” also doesn’t realize that Nesbitt is a quarterback and “Jon” Dwyer was a running back at Tech. The article made zero sense whatsoever.

McLouth is sent down and Ross gets a new deal!

The Atlanta Braves were quite busy leading up to its game against the Washington Nationals on Tuesday. General Manager Frank Wren had to deliver some bad news as well as some good news to a pair of Braves, telling Nate McLouth he had been sent down to Gwinnett after going just 1-15 since coming off the disabled list, then informing David Ross of a contract extension.

For Nate McLouth, the demotion to Class AAA Gwinnett for the moment ends the struggling centerfielder’s tour with Atlanta. McLouth came over to the Braves in a midseason trade last season but ran into trouble during spring training and never getting untracked during the regular season. Despite being solid with the glove, McLouth has been lacking at the plate, hitting under .200 for most of the season and only going 1-15 since returning from the disabled list (concussion). Brent Clevlen will take McLouth’s spot on the roster while Melky Cabrera and Omar Infante will likely take McLouth’s spot in the lineup, unless the team makes a move.

While Brian McCann recently made his fifth straight all-star game appearance, the team has now locked up his back-up to a two-year extension. The 33-year-old backstop is hitting .269 in 35 games (21 starts), and his defense has been sparkling. Ross has thrown out 47% of potential base stealers this year, while helping handle a pitching staff that has helped Atlanta hold a 3.5 games lead in the NL East. Terms of the deal were not disclosed by the team but it is believed to be worth around $3.25M according to the AJC.

In a recent interview with SBF and Score Atlanta, Ross talked about how well he was received by the organization when he signed his original two-year deal with Atlanta before the 2009 season. “I feel really comfortable here too. After last year, coming in the coaching staff and players treated me with a lot of respect and I feel really comfortable, and the result of that comfort zone was a good year last year and I’m trying to help with that and to help win.”

Ross, now in his ninth season in the majors, will stay with his sixth team for at least two more seasons, backing up Brian McCann, who is also signed through the 2012 season, with an option for 2013. “The end result, when you get to be 33 like I am and you know that you only have a couple, three or four years left is you want to win,” said Ross. “That’s what we have here is a good group of guys and a chance to win and I enjoy myself.”

The Brain and Doc Proc break down Georgia's top senior WR

If you missed Score Atlanta's The Official Visit last Monday (sorry, it was not on Tuesday as it normally is. It will be back to its normal time next week, 7-9pm 790 The Zone, www.790thezone.com.) Scott "the brain" Janovitz (self-proclaimed) and myself "Doc Proc" as he calls me, broke down the top rising high school senior WR in the state of Georgia. We want to point out that while last year had Markeith Ambles and Da'Rick Rogers and Michael Bennett, the rest of the list was lacking. This year, while no SUPERSTARS, we feel it has more depth of quality receivers, if that makes sense. Our lists......

Scott's:
1. Quan Bray: 5-11, 178-pound WR out of Callaway. Good hands, but tremendous speed, agility, and open-field moves. Offers from just about everyone, but Alabama, Clemson and Georgia lead.
2. Chris Conley: 6-3, 180-pounder out of North Paulding. Great size, good hands, surprisingly good after the catch, and tremendous at going up and getting the ball. I only doubt his speed running routes and coming out of breaks.
3. Zach Witchett: 6-0, 185-pounder out of Washington High. Great agility, athleticism, speed and leaping ability. Also an impressive pass catcher.
4. Justin Scott-Wesley: 6-1, 210 pounds out of Mitchell County. Needs to improve his true receiving skills, and though he has very good size at 6-1, 210 pounds, he doesn’t seem to play football at the speed he runs track.
5. Nile Daniel: 6-0, 180 pounds out of Grffin. Lacks elite speed and explosion, but if very quick, has great hands, is an excellent rout runner and makes all the tough catches. Offers from Maryland, South Florida and Troy.

My list:
1) Chris Conley. I like this guy a lot, but it probably has something to do with the fact he is headed to Georgia. Much like Scotty, I like his size and hands. He reminds me of Herman Moore of UVa and Detroit Lions fame. Georgia has a good one here that I doubt will ever kick a cop when he's knocked out on the ground.

2) Justin Scott-Wesley. He is the fastest person in the history of Georgia high school athletics (well, he broke the 100M dash time at last year's T&F championships, which of course is the "fastest person alive" event.) and you have to think that Georgia will take full advantage of that. Plus at 6-1, that is not too shabby of a height to go with that speed.

3) Zach Witchett. Yet another Georgia guy, I know. But he is the next great athlete from Booker T Washington. Branden Smith is doing pretty well. This guy will too. Georgia will get the 6-0 on the field in some capacity (receiver or DB)

4) Michael Showers, 6'2 Camden County. This guy is just the big target the 2X defending state champs need to make it three in a row. Two years ago I watched at the Dome as DeAngelo Smith, who would go on to SoCar, made several big catches in the Camden Co Wing-T offense after the defense had been lulled to sleep with the FB dive and the Buck Sweep. Smith is in Columbia, insert the 6'2 Showers. Camden's coaches know they have a weapon here with that size.

5) Alex Chisum, Sandy Creek. This was the possession guy on last year's 4-A champs and with WR Jarrett Davis gone and Rajion Neal in Knoxville, the Cincy-commit should see plenty of TD passes coming his way from QB Ronnie Bell. Chisum has proven he can secure the catch, but he needs to work on his breakaway speed. The hands are there though folks. Relax. He'll be able to score plenty for the Patriots this year and may have to as they dropped to Class AAA and will face some tough competition in Region4-AAA with Spalding and Henry County.

Big B's top ten recruiting classes as of RIGHT NOW

Score Atlanta's The Official Visit was on one night early, sorry I didn't give the heads up via twitter. Brian Jones provided his list of top recruiting classes for the 2011 season AS OF RIGHT NOW. Our next show will be next Tuesday from 7-9pm. Tune in this Sunday 2-5 pm to 790 the Zone for The Block Party.

10) Georgia: 15 players have committed to date, 11 from Georgia. The class is led by Chris Conley, Sterling Bailey, Nick Marshall, Watts Dantzler and Christian LeMay, and Now Nathan Theus, brother of John Theus, and also making a serious push for James Wilder;

9) Florida State: Great start for Fisher with 14 guys, though some lack quality in my opinion. Tremendous recruiting in the defensive backfield, including top safeties Karlos Williams (maybe MVP of all 7-on-7 tournaments), Keelin Smith, Tyler Hunter of Valdosta, and Lamarcus Brutus. St. Thomas Aquinas WR Rashad Greene is also a nice prospect and we love LB Terrance Smith. Also, Bobby Hart is a top OL;

8) USC: It’s way too early to tell for sure, but the sanctions don’t look to have hurt USC just yet. 11 Guys are already committed in this class, including top WR Victor Blackwell, top DE Jalen Grimble, top quarterbacks Cody Kessler and Max Wittek, top FL linebacker Kent Turene, and perhaps the nation’s top athlete in De’Anthony Thomas;

7) Ohio St: Also off to a good start with 17 commitments already. Have received big verbals from top Ohio DT Michael Bennett, top Ohio DEs Steve Miller and Kenny Hayes, and the country’s second-best QB in Braxton Miller;

6) Clemson: Somehow Dabo Swinney is dominating the recruiting world from Clemson, South Carolina. Has 16 commitments to date, including from top OL Shaq Anthony, top Florida DB Cortez Davis, top SC WR Charone Peake and top TE Eric MacLain. Most importantly, has two huge commitments from top national running backs in Marlin Lane and Mike Bellamy, both from Florida;

5) LSU: I’d have the Tigers ahead of Georgia, with 12 guys on board, including La’El Collins, the best player in Louisiana, Kenny Hilliard – a top, top running back, Jarvis Landry and Anthony Johnson, other in-state stars. Great year for talent in Louisiana, so expect Tigers to finish near the top;

4) Oklahoma: The Sooners are in position to have a top five class once again, with 17 already on board. Texas WR Trey Metoyer and Texas RB Brandon Williams lead the class, while Marquis Anderson, Dylan Dismuke, Nathan Hughes, Jordan Wade and Jordan Phillips give the Sooners great depth along both lines;

3) Florida: 12 players have committed to date, and in the ultra-talented mold to which they are accustomed. Commitments include Jeff Driskel, Javares McRoy, Jeoffrey Pagan, Ryan Shazier, A.C Leonard and Ja’Juan Story. Also had a very successful Friday Night Lights;

2) Alabama: 15 commitments to date, including ones from Alabama’s top player, LB Brent Calloway, Florida athlete Hasean Clinton-Dix, Georgia LB Shannon Brow, top defensive linemen LaMichael Fanning and D.J. Pettway and WR Danny Woodson;

1) Texas: As usual, off to yet another great start early with 22 commitments already on board, all but one coming from Texas. Class is led by ATH Quandre Diggs, LB Steve Edmond, DB Josh Turner, OL Sedrick Flowers, DT Desmond Jackson, and Oklahoma DB Josh Turner. Still, I think they miss out sometimes on late bloomers in Texas and on some of the top players nationally.

PS, Brandon Adams of 790 The Zone has announced that he is leaving the station to go back into education, his profession before he moved to 790 full-time several years back. Good luck BA. We are trying to get in touch with him for a comment. Score Atlanta was able to reach The Zone's programming director Matt Edgar. For more, check out TheFletch this Friday on SBF and in Score Atlanta.

Jared Boyd and Xzavier Dickson joined the Official Visit

Last night on Score Atlanta's The Official Visit, co-hosts Fletcher Proctor and Scott Janovitz had a chance to catch up with two of the top recruits in the Class of 2011 from the state of Georgia. Xzavier Dickson, the defensive end from Griffin and CB Jared Boyd both called in to the show, which aired on 790 The Zone.
Dickson just returned returned from a 7-on-7 tournament in Alabama where he excelled as a receiver, hauling in several "nice" TDs receptions. "It was good for our team," said Dickson of the camp. Dickson said that he worked hard at the camp and learned a lot, all while trying to show leadership.
Dickson was asked about his skills as a receiver as Janovitz considers Dickson the top tight end prospect in the state, even over Valdosta's Jay Rome. While DIckson was flattered by the praise he considers himself a defensive end first and foremost. "I prefer Defensive End. I'm better at defensive end. But I can do Tight End too." Dickson hinted that he will seek to play Defense at the next level.
As for where that will be, Dickson revealed that it will likely be an SEC school. "I would like to attend an SEC school," said Dickson who then declined to put any SEC school in the lead. He noted that Georgia, Alabama and Auburn were all "pretty close, pretty tight with the top schools." Dickson said that his decision among those schools, as well as a few others, will come down to education, playing time and the fan base of the school.
As we read between the lines and considering his tone, we put Alabama at the top of his list. The Tide has great fans, coaches and a great system according to Dickson. Dickson seemingly gushed at the idea of playing for a great defensive mind like Nick Saban. Alabama's state-rival Auburn will "coach you up real well," said Dickson and Dickson also seemed to like Auburn's coaches.
Finally Georgia's new defensive coaches have caught DIckson's attention, who admits he likes the NFL system that Todd Grantham has brought to Athens. He said he would play DeMarcus Ware's position of Outside linebacker if he were to go to Athens.
One school that didn't make his cut was Georgia Tech. "They haven't recruited me as hard as maybe they should be," remarked Dickson. He ruled out the Yellow Jackets, saying "they (weren't) in the running."
Dickson told Score Atlanta that he will announce his college decision at the Under Armour All-America game. Before then, Dickson said he will try to become a better leader and "bigger and stronger and faster in the weight room." Dickson is done with visits for now while he focuses on his school work but he might try to get back to Gainesville, FL, for a game this season.
Whoever gets Dickson will, according to Dickson, get a "hardworker, a playmaker and a person that likes to have fun but is serious on the field."


The Official Visit's other guest last night was Jared Boyd of Stephenson. The Jaguar senior defensive back announced over the weekend that he was committing to Duke and David Cutcliffe. Boyd said the decision was "very exciting, considering Duke is one of the top academic schools in the country." Boyd considered Duke a "great fit" for his future as soon as he saw the campus and met with the coaches.
Coach Cutcliffe's past successes at Tennessee and Ole Miss certainly didn't hurt. "He's won everywhere he's been. I want to be a part of that." Boyd said that he felt comfortable around the staff, though he also liked the NC State and UNC coaches. In the end, playing time and the chance at history swayed him to be a Blue Devil. "I want to be one of the players that changes Duke."
Looking back on the recruiting process, Boyd said that he enjoyed the attention, much like everyone does. He did admit though that he was ready for it to be over and there are things that he won't miss. "Having to call coaches back, especially before you go to sleep...it can get old."
Now that he has made his decision, Boyd will become a recruiter for Duke but will also focus on "trying to get that ring." From the way he spoke about his senior season, Boyd feels he has unfinished business with Stephenson and he will leave everything he has out on the field before he leaves the Jaguar program.
When asked what he will bring to Durham, Boyd said simply, "heart." "I'm a ballhawk on the field and I play with huge heart." How will that heart help him at Duke? Boyd said he is hoping for early playing time, whether that is a starter or on special teams. "Whatever to make the team better," Boyd said before heading back to his workout.

Be sure to tune in next week as Stephon Tuitt and possibly CJ Uzomah are scheduled to join us. Next Tuesday from 7-9 pm on 790 The Zone

The Prankster becomes the Pitching Master

For twelve seasons, Roger McDowell was a major league reliever known for pranking teammates and earning the win in Game Seven of the 1986 World Series. McDowell played for five different teams over his career though most casual baseball fans simply remember McDowell donning a kilt for the Awayboys on MTV’s Rock ‘N Jock or being the secret-spitter on one episode of Seinfeld. After many hotfoots and bubblegum tricks on teammates as a player, McDowell got into coaching after retiring in 1996 and his career has been skyrocketing ever since. McDowell began his coaching career in the Dodgers farm system, instructing in Class A then Class AAA before Atlanta came calling in October 2005. Leo Mazzone left to go to Baltimore and suddenly one of the premier coaching jobs was available and the Braves sought out McDowell. Manager Bobby Cox in particular wanted McDowell on his staff and the skipper got his wish, much to the pleasure of McDowell. “I’m very lucky to have gotten the opportunity to be on the staff with Bobby Cox as manager and everybody knows how great a manager Bobby Cox is but he’s an even better person,” said McDowell recently before a game in Cox’s final season. This is the pair’s fifth season together and McDowell calls the experience special. “I’ve had the luxury of being with him for five years now, and I’ve formed a tremendous relationship and good friendship and hopefully we’ll continue that as the years go on.”

McDowell may credit Cox for helping him once he got to the major leagues as a coach, but McDowell has come a long way since the hotfoots. While his goofy antics may have been what people remember about his career, McDowell was also quite a pitcher. In addition to earning the win for the New York Mets in the seventh game of the 1986 World Series, McDowell won seventy games in his career while posting a 3.30 ERA as a reliever over 723 games and 1050 innings. The righty earned 159 saves over his career and struck out 1928 batters while playing for the Mets, Phillies, Dodgers, Rangers and Orioles. McDowell made the transition from reliever to pitching coach by continuing to learn everyday. “Obviously whether we’re playing or we’re coaching, we learn everyday in this business, so at this level I’ve had the opportunity to learn a lot, especially from Bobby Cox about handling the pitching staff, and a lot about the game.”

This season has been one to write home about for McDowell. The staff has been one of the best in baseball despite a rebuilt bullpen and a crucial injury to an expected ace. Kris Medlen stepped in earlier this season when last year’s ace Jair Jurrjens went down, and the converted reliever has really contributed with six wins thus far this season. McDowell could not have seen the Jurrjens injury coming but he prepared his staff just in case an injury like that did occur. “Kris Medlen was a big part of our team last year out of our bullpen,” McDowell said before a recent Medlen start. “He started in the minor leagues, so that was always a fallback plan if one of the starters were to go down. But Kris Medlen would have the knowledge and the knowhow from pitching and starting in the minor leagues and he’s done it very successfully.”

Medlen concedes that having McDowell as the Braves pitching coach has been good for his career. “It’s been cool having a guy that’s been in the big leagues before, been with different teams, different situations,” Medlen revealed. “He was a reliever too. It’s cool. He’s very personable and he knows everybody and each individual’s personal flaw in their delivery and so it’s good having him around.”

McDowell has also worked his magic with Tim Hudson, who returned from Tommy John surgery and was counted on to replace Javier Vazquez. “The only loss (to the rotation) really from last year was Javy Vazquez and the addition was Hudson, who was coming back from Tommy John. He pitched five games at the end of the year last year and so having him and Derek Lowe… it’s been a real joy” A healthy Hudson was named to his third career all-star appearance earlier this month while Lowe is on pace to surpass his fifteen wins he recorded last year, a feat that shouldn’t be glossed over. “(Lowe’s) in his second year here now and is obviously a little more comfortable and having success.”

So how does McDowell build a successful pitching staff that is far different today than it was Opening Day 2009? Communication and time, for starters. “You spend time with them,” McDowell reveals. “You get to know them, you get to know their personality, get to know a little bit more about them than what they’re like on the field. That’s a part of it, but their background, everything that’s involved is a piece of that person.” McDowell admits that he tries to learn everything he can about a player. “How he works and how he ticks, things that are his positives and negatives can help me.”

And McDowell is one of the best in the business at doing just that according to one of his charges. Second-year star Tommy Hanson believes McDowell really knows his stuff. “He’s an easy guy to talk to and if you ever have a question or you need to get some advice from him he knows and he’s a great guy to go to. He’s helped me out a lot and I’m glad he’s the pitching coach here.”

Backup catcher David Ross says that McDowell isn’t just a psychologist. Ross believes McDowell is quite a “baseball man” as well. “Roger McDowell does a really good job on scouting reports and communications,” Ross says. “His communication skills with the players, the pitchers and catchers are some of the best I’ve ever been around. He lets us know what he is thinking and we give each other feedback and come up with a good gameplan.”

So perhaps some folks underestimated the man that once wore a wig on Rock ‘N Jock while trying to strike out Bill Bellamy. McDowell is constantly thinking and analyzing and tweaking while sitting beside Bobby Cox in the Braves dugout. McDowell last appeared in the playoffs in 1988 when he surrendered the game-winning home run to Kirk Gibson and the LA Dodgers. If his pitchers keep making their coach proud and the former prankster can keep his charges motivated and focused, then maybe he can make the experience some postseason baseball once again this Fall.

The Class of 2011 dream team for GaHSFB

Ealier this week, Janovitz and I unveiled out Georgia Dream Team of prospects that could make up a football team with 11 offensive players, 11 defensive players and one kicker that could take on any other state's "Dream Team." (Of course, for more great analysis like this, listen to our show on a SPECIAL NIGHT! This Monday from 7-9pm ONLY on Sports Radio 790 The Zone or www.790thezone.com)
We did this because we ran across an interesting piece on rivals.com where the site called Georgia typically the No.4 state in the country (behind Texas, Florida and Cali) in terms of college prospects, but that Louisiana was giving it a run for its money this year. While the site DID give Georgia a 10-point win, both Scott and I had problems with the team the site put together. Therefore, we decided to make our own teams. With no further ado...

Note: I wanted an offense that could go with multiple looks, suck as Wing-T all the way to Spread. Scotty wanted SPEED, SPEED, AND MORE SPEED.

QB Me: Nick Marshall of Wilcox
Scott: Martay Mattox of Clarke-Central
RB Both: Isaiah Crowell of Carver-Columbus

WR Me: Chris Conley of North Paulding, Justin Scott-Wesley of Mitchell Co, Quan Bray of Callaway as H-Back
Scott: Chris Conley of North Paulding; Zach Witchett, Washington; Quan Bray, Callaway

TE Me: Jay Rome of Valdosta
Scott: Xzavier Dickson of Griffin

OL Me: LT-Xzavier Ward of Colquitt Co; LG Alan Posey of C-C; C David Andrews of Wesleyan; RG Thomas O'Reilly of Pope; RT Watts Dantzler of Dalton
Scott: LT Watts Dantzler, Dalton; LG Thomas O’Reilly, Pope; C Tarik Cook, Stephenson; RG Kyle Harris, Pepperell; RT Xavier Ward, Colquitt County.

Defense. I went with a 3-4 while Scott went traditional with a 4-3.

DLine Me: DE Ray Drew of TCC, DT Stephon Tuitt of Monroe Area, DE Gabe Wright of Carver-Columbus
Scott: DE Ray Drew, DT Gabe Wright, DT Chris Mayes of Spalding, DE Stephon Tuitt

LBs Me: OLB Terrance Smith of SWD, ILB James Vaughters of Tucker, ILB AJ Johnson of Gainesville, OLB Sterling Bailey (though he may be too slow, but I wanted him to be able to walk up to the line and put a hand down if need be)
Scott: WLB Terrance Smith, MLB James Vaughters, SLB Shannon Brown of Cook

CBs Me: Damian Swann of Grady, Malcolm Mitchell of Valdosta (I wanted physical corners ala Gratham's request. These guys are physical to say the least.)
Scott: Jared Boyd of Stephenson and Nick Marshall of Wilcox

S Me: Corey Moore of Griffin and Brian Randolph of Kell
Scott: Corey Moore and Avery Walls of Union Grove

K Me: Will Monday of Flowery Branch

I felt bad leaving off CJ Uzomah of NoGwin as well as Ronnie Bell of Sandy Creek, same with Chris Sanders of Tucker and Dickson, but I had to make some cuts.

I'd put this team against any state's team....and I bet I'd win

I'd have loved to have had the stable of RBs from last year though. I'd have to run the Wing-T, but it might be fun. Last year's team off the top of my head....
QB: Connor Shaw, FloBranch
RB: Rajion Neal, Mack Brown with Rajaan Bennett as an A-Back
FB Martez Eastland
WR: Da'Rick Rogers
OLine:LT JuWuan James, G K Houston, C Daniel Blitch, RG David Beasley, RT David Yankey

DLine: Garrison Smith, Jeff Whitaker, Michael Thornton, TJ Stripling
LB Tyrone Cornelius, Telvin Smith, Neiron Ball
CB BJ Bostic, Brad Roby
S Alec Ogletree, Daunte Carr
K Joe Mansour

TheFletch for this week.

So there will not be a printed paper of Score Atlanta this week. Therefore, this is the ONLY place you can get TheFletch.....except of course for www.scoreatl.com. Enjoy

A radio promotion that is exactly what it seems. Atlanta’s 790 The Zone recently began a promotion to find some of the next “young guns” in Atlanta radio in a reality-TV sort of competition that has drawn plenty of headlines from the AJC as well as local university radio station websites. The “open casting call” on The Zone’s website asked 21-29 year-olds if they had “an insane passion for sports and love to entertain?” Then the site ordered the applicant to “show (the Zone) you can entertain!” Now that the deadline for entry has passed, this past Wednesday was scheduled to be the first round of the competition. Program director Matt Edgar recently told the AJC, “This is not a cheap promotion. This is legitimate. We are looking for raw talent we can groom who speak to a different audience.”
I am sorry but a cheap promotion is exactly what it seems like. I remember back in 2006 when ESPN was still doing the show “Dream Job,” 790 did a similar competition one Saturday with the winner supposedly getting a coveted spot on the Saturday morning college football preview show. I remember watching the entire competition play out as I was helping the Zone that day run the promotion and yet I don’t remember ever hearing the “winner” appear along side The King Chuck Oliver or Brandon and Woolvey that football season. I fear that this competition will play out with the station milking as much publicity from this as possible then letting the show slowly fade away. If the station is really finally deciding to push young talent forward, I also find it sad that the head honchos are going out of the office to find it. I have worked with multiple “young guns” at the station over my years who were loyal to The Zone (and quite talented to boot) who have earned a shot, but instead the station has decided to go try and win the headlines and turn its back on some in-house talent that needs the chance and support this promotion is presenting. Maybe I am wrong and the new young guns will really get a shot, but I would then say that the station is wrong for not giving guys that have worked their tails off a shot first.

One thing the young guns won’t have a chance to do at The Zone will be the Hawks pregame and postgame shows. 680 The Fan made another “major announcement” recently revealing that Atlanta’s NBA franchise will move from 790 to 99X on the FM dial with pregame and postgame analysis shifting to The Fan. Assistant Program Director Scott McFarlane told Score Atlanta that while The Fan is excited about its newest acquisition, baseball will still rule the airwaves. “Braves will take precedence on 680 The Fan over the Thrashers and Hawks. When we have conflict, Thrashers pre, pxp, and post and Hawks pre and post will be moved to either 1230 The Fan 2 or 1340 The Fan 3 with the Hawks play-by-play on 99X on 97.9 FM.” Part of the big announcement also included the news that The Fan had reupped with the Thrashers for a sixth season of coverage.

Speaking of The Fan, it is nice that a sports radio station finally has the Braves on its airwaves. With all due respect to The Bull and a few rock stations in the past, the AM station that the Braves used to be on didn’t know baseball and didn’t have the platform that The Fan currently has to promote the team. After the team traded away Yunel Escobar, it was nice to be able to hear Frank Wren come on and explain the reasoning behind the trade. The interview was conducted by people that follow sports and it was interesting to hear his response as well, in essence saying without actually saying that it was the young shortstop’s attitude that led to his being shipped north to Toronto. I personally think that Escobar needed to go, not so much because of his attitude, but because a change needed to be made. Another shortstop needed to be put into this lineup because, while the roster is built with its pitching staff to make a run TO the postseason, the lineup needs a little punch to be successful IN the postseason. Shortstop is a position, since Cal Ripken, of power and the Braves couldn’t afford to have a hole there. Could Escobar have been kept? Yes, but when you factor in that he likely would have pouted (here comes that part about the attitude again), it is likely a good thing that he was told to go North, Young Man. Mark Bradley of the AJC said it best when he said “addition by subtraction.” In this case, the cliché applies.

Finally, I need to start off by saying that I am a UGA grad, so what I say may sound blasphemous but, ENOUGH WITH DJ SHOCKLEY NEWS ALREADY. Please. I remember watching Shockley come in against Clemson in 2002 and rally Georgia past the Tigers. I remember watching him light up Kentucky that same season. He played well against Florida State in the Sugar Bowl. He had flashes his first few seasons and of course he won the 2005 SEC Championship game with his arm and his legs, making me among many wonder what the Dawgs would have looked like in 2004 with him under center. But then the Falcons drafted the Atlanta kid in the seventh round and he spent 2006 and 2008 as the third string QB. Last year John Parker Wilson beat him out for emergency QB and Shockley has still never played in a regular season game. Now the AJC is breaking down his move to the UFL and I say, “let’s stop this please.” David Greene, a back-up that went to the Super Bowl with Seattle his rookie year never got this much attention. Matt Stafford didn’t get this much pub from the Atlanta paper when he was a STARTER his rookie season. I realize it is because he went from North Clayton to Athens to Atlanta that he is followed but he’s never played in a game. Enough unless he gets into a game.


Can you believe he said that?
“aThese owners (the Atlanta Spirit Group) talk a decent game, and sometimes you start to believe them. But there’s no follow-through, and again you stop believing.” Mark Bradley of the AJC was railing on the Atlanta Hawks for looking like the team will no longer pursue Shaq or any other big-time free agent this off-season. Bradley comments that the ASG bragged that it would spend what it took to put a winner on the floor, but with a low-paid coach and essentially the same roster with NO addition thanks to the Josh Childress trade, it looks like more of the same, which in the improved East, will mean less. someone has

The Official Visit's Top senior GA Running backs

Last Tuesday on Score Atlanta's The Official Visit, Scott Janovitz and I broke down the top (rising senior) running backs in the state of Georgia. Below are our lists of each of our top fives. As a disclaimer we should point out that this crop of RB is the norm, maybe even a little down compared to normal. It actually seems a little worse than it actually is though because last year's crop is in everyone's mind. Last year you had Storm Johnson, Jessel Curry, Rajon Neal, Rajaan Bennett, Mack Brown, Charles Perkins, Ean Pemberton, Ken "Boo" Malcolm, Clarence Jackson, Raymond "The Colonel" Sanders, Jon Lee and several others that received big-time scholly's to big-time programs. It was a phenominal year in terms of running backs. Hard to top. This year, you have the best RB from last year (Isaiah Crowell) and some other quality TBs. Does the list stack up to last year? No. Will any in the next 10 years? Maybe not. But enjoy

Scott's top five.

1)Isaiah Crowell, Carver,: Tremendous all-around break, with great vision, speed, hands and quickness. Is he tough enough between the tackles?

2)Marcus Caffey, Grady, 6-0, 175: Offers from Arkansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, Tennessee, West Virginia, South Carolina, Mississippi State. Runs very upright, and is tall, which makes his change of direction a bit more methodical, but he runs with quality speed and great vision. Impressive top-end speed for his size. Good moves and cutting ability, though. Very physical between the tackles and quick to the hole. A more explosive athlete than Morgan.

3)Quartterrio Morgan, Mt. Zion, 5-10, 180: Hits the hole with tremendous speed and aggression, has a great first cut and excellent vision. Also shows good toughness and decent speed.

4)Akeem Hunt, Newton, 5-11, 170: Offers from Auburn, Minnesota, Purdue, South Carolina, South Florida, Wake, and Wisconsin. Needs to add weight to nice frame, to go along with good speed. Great quickness through the hole, but also very effective at getting outside. Great hands. Great agility and moves.

5)Willie Davis, Stephenson, 5-11, 190: Committed to South Florida. Good moves, agility, size and strength. Clearly not as fast or explosive as Morgan or Caffey. Good, tough, between the tackles runner. Doesn’t seem to have the same type of vision as the better backs.

Fletcher's list

1) Isaiah Crowell. Not much you can say about this guy that I haven't gushed about many a time on this blog. He has a gear that I've never seen on the high school level. I've seen fast guys before but his gear....I hope Georgia gets this guy. Not sure they will (as I see him going to Bama to team with Richardson to replace Ingram), but I hope so. He makes angles disappear. He is just straight fast. In-Credible.

2) Quan Bray, 5'10 Callaway. I wouldn't call him a running back at the next level, but as far as high school goes, he certainly qualifies for this list. I'd play him at a sort of hybrid Percy Harvin/Damian Gary type that can run but can also go out to the slot. Maybe even an A back at GT. So fast, just get this athlete on the field.

3) Marcus Caffey. Rivals has him #41 running back in the country but don't buy into the 3-star ranking. he is GOOD. Arkie, UK, Maryland, Minnesota, Ole Miss, Vandy, Wake and West VA all seem to think so. If not for Damian Swann on defense at Grady, THIS would be the Knight everyone would be talking about.

4) Willie Davis. He played behind the Colonel last season but still managed 700+ yards. South Florida and Skip Holtz are both getting a good one here. I cannot wait to see his numbers climb once he is the focus of the Stephenson attack. Sleeper here.

5) Aaron Wimberly. South Gwinnett 5'11. I went off the board and away from Quartterio Morgan just to mix it up a bit. I like what Wimberly can do and without Kent Rollins, John Small and the Comets can center the offense around Wimberly. So far he just has an offer from Troy, but that list should climb this season.

Also receiving consideration: Ralph David Abernathy, 5'6 153. Westminster. 4.42 40. Offers from Cincy, Air Force, Ole Miss. It seems like the 3-star back has been there for 6 years doesn't it?; Shaq O'Neal, Northside-WR. This is one of the fastest BIG backs I've seen in my time covering GaHSFB. So big, but can MOVE once going. Kind of like Bowser on SNES MarioKart.

Tomorrow I'll give out our GA prospect dream teams, a team of 23 (11 offense, 11 defense, 1 K) that we each made of the class of 2011 stars.
You'll also get TheFletch tomorrow and on Monday, check back to SBF for a piece on Roger McDowell, the Braves pitching coach.

Why you should give a Hoot about the mid-term elections

This column will appear in next month's Hooter's Magazine. Enjoy

The 2010 mid-term elections will go down this November, and as with most mid-term elections, the President of the United States Barack Obama will get his first report card. Typically the mid-term elections that occur two years into a president’s first term serve as a barometer as to how the President is doing nationally. If the American people like his performance thus far into his term, usually his party receives a big boost in the make-up of the Senate and the House of Representatives. If the citizens feel that the President is lacking, the opposite party usually gobbles up a few of the up-for-grab seats as well as some of the weaker held seats of the President’s party. This year, the Senate will have 36 seats up for grabs in the Class III election while the House of Representatives will have all 435 seats in play. So how will Obama’s first report card look? Will his wife put it up on the fridge or will he hid it under the couch?

In the Senate, 34 seats will be six-year terms while the two other seats are shorter (four years in Delaware and two in New York). The current seats up for election include 18 currently held by Democrats and 18 held by Republicans. Each party though will lose some incumbents as six Democrats are retiring while seven Republicans are calling it quits.

One of those “retiring” or choosing not to seek reelection is Roland Burris (D). The Illinois Senator was appointed to the seat by former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich after Obama was elected President and resigned from the seat. Blagojevich was arrested by the FBI after allegedly selling the seat, though that hasn’t stopped “Blago” from appearing on reality TV. He made a run on The Apprentice and watched his wife scream, “Help, I’m a celebrity! Get me out of here!” (A very liberal use of the word celebrity if you ask me.) The Senate Democrats eventually allowed Burris to have the seat, but Burris decided not to run for reelection as he still faces an investigation by the Senate Ethics Committee. Kind of hard to serve in the Senate from a jail cell, just saying. Three men will go for the seat including the state treasurer Alexi Giannoulias (D), US Congressman Mark Kirk (R) and LaAlan Jones, a football coach that will run on the Green Party Ticket. Jones isn’t the first football coach to run for public office, just the first that no one has ever heard of.
Vice President Joe Biden’s former seat in Delaware will also be up for grabs as appointee Ted Kaufman announced he would not be a part of the special election to take place this November. Hopefully whoever wins this seat won’t drop the F-Bomb on national television or ask a man in a wheelchair to stand up.

Another interesting race featuring a retiring Senator will take place in Kentucky where Jim Bunning will retire rather than seek a third term. Bunning narrowly won his last time out, and the Republican Party decided to go in a different direction, that of Rand Paul. Rand is the son of Ron Paul, a 2008 Republican Party primary candidate from Texas and overall “crazy person,” and Paul, for what it is worth, has the support of Sarah Palin, the very attractive former Republican VP candidate from 2008. No word out of Tina Fey camp if she too is endorsing Paul.

Two other interesting races will take place in Utah and Pennsylvania as Democrat Arlen Spector of PA was defeated in a Primary Nomination and Republican Bob Bennett of Utah was also defeated in his Primary. Spector was a five-time Senator in Pennsylvania who left the Republican Party in 2009 to become a Democrat, however the move backfired when he lost the Primary to US Congressman Joe Sestak. Sometimes karma bites you. Sestak will be opposed by Republican candidate Pat Toomey, a former US Congressman. The race is considered by most experts to be a tossup that could go either way. Utah meanwhile has been considered a Republican stronghold by most political pundits, and despite Bennett’s loss, the state is still likely to swing to GOP candidate Mike Lee.

As far as Democrat incumbents, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid will seek re-election in Nevada, though he is considered a vulnerable seat and his bid may come up snake eyes. Barbara Boxer, seeking a fourth-term in California, will also see some competition from the right in the usually left-leaning state. Both New York seats are currently held by Democrats though Chuck Schumer seems like a surer bet than Kristen Gillibrand, who was appointed to Hillary Rodham Clinton’s spot when the former First Lady was named to the Secretary of State post. It is not known at this time if either tried (and failed) to lure LeBron James to the Knicks.

Notable Republican incumbents seeking reelection include Richard Shelby of Alabama, a former Democrat that is aiming for another term in the GOP, as well as Johnny Isakson of Georgia and John McCain in Arizona. McCain was the Republican Presidential candidate in 2008 though he faces some early competition from his own party in a primary before going up against a Democrat in November. The current immigration situation in Arizona is likely bringing down McCain’s ratings right now as the state is getting a black eye nationally for its stance. McCain is likely bullet-proof out there though because he is old, just like the snowbirds that will be voting for him.
Early predictions have eight seats “locked up” for the Republicans with four “penned in” for the Democrats. Of the other races, eight appear to be in favor of the Republicans while five lean towards the President’s party. That leaves eleven seats up for grabs that could decide the next few years of President Obama’s administration.

In the House races, all 435 seats are up for grabs to serve in the 112th Congress. Seventeen incumbent Democrats are retiring while twenty Republicans will retire as well. The Democrats have controlled Congress since the 2006 election and the 2008 elections strengthened the Democrats hold on the numbers. Currently the Democrats hold 59% of the seats with 257 while the GOP hold 41%, or 178 seats. The US House of Representatives loses members every election to “retirement” as many members choose to pursue a run for US Senate or to take a stab at a gubernatorial race. Four Republican seats will be open as incumbents aim for the Governor’s seat in each state while one Dem will seek his state’s highest office. As distinguished as a spot in the House is, everyone sort of understands it is a stepping stone to a better gig.

Most of the House seats up for grabs, at least according to the political experts, are currently occupied by Democrats. As many as 29 seats could swing over to the Republicans, though that would still leave the Democrats in power as the GOP would need 39 seats to gain control of the House. The only two Presidents to lose 39 seats in his first mid-term election were both Democrats: Bill Clinton and Harry Truman, something that clearly won’t go unnoticed by the Obama camp. We are still not sure to this date though if Clinton even noticed he lost those seats as he might have had visions of blue dresses dancing in his head.

And that is what the mid-term elections all come back to: Obama’s job performance. The President has a four-year term and the mid-term elections after his first two years are clearly a way for the American people to grade him on how he has done. The two camps of Democrats and Republicans are seemingly always at odds; however in 2010, the chasm seems the widest it has ever been. Loyal lefties claim that Obama has done the best he can with the situation he was handed while those who stand in the party of Lincoln, aka the Republicans, wonder aloud where all the “CHANGE” is that was promised. If you support the President and his policies and actions, get out and vote to make certain that, yes, he can continue to uphold his promises of change. On the flip side, if you are fed up with the current climate, nothing can be a stronger statement than to cripple his power in the House and the Senate. Get out this November and let your voice be heard. Participate in the American process of voting and send a message that we care what our leaders do. Plus you get a cool sticker whenever you vote!

Big B breaks down the ACC recruiting classes thus far

Spoiler alert!!!! This is Big B's "top ten" for tonight's Official Visit, which can be heard on 790 The Zone from 7-9 pm. And now you know!

12. N.C. State – Only four players have committed to the Wolfpack. Juston Burris is a versatile athlete that is expected to contribute right away.

11. Wake Forest – Six players have committed to Wake and three of those players are OL. Hunter Goodwin is the best player out of the six and is considered one of the best players coming out of Maryland.

10. Duke – They may not have a homerun prospect so far, but things are looking up for the Blue Devils with 15 commitments. A couple of players to watch for are RB Jalen Simmons and OL Lucas Patrick.

9. Boston College – Looks like it’s going to be a strong class for the Eagles. TE Brian Miller Has to all the tools to be a great ACC tight end.

8. Maryland – Thing are also looking up for the Terrapins as they have 12 commitments. OL Larry Mazyck and WR Nigel King are two players to watch.

7. Virginia – 20 players have committed to Virginia and 12 of them are from the state. Vincent Croce and David Dean are two defensive tackles that can contribute right away.

6. Georgia Tech – Another good class so far for Paul Johnson and company. FB Jabari Hunt-Days will be a stud in the triple option scheme.

5. Virginia Tech – So far eight players have committed to VA Tech and they are all players that fit the Hookie way of playing football. With DT Kris Harley and DE Corey Marshall headed to Blacksburg, the Hookie defense should be stout for a long time

4. North Carolina – There is no question Butch Davis has things cooking over in Chapel Hill. UNC has gotten players such as OL Jarrod James and ATH T.J. Thorpe to commit.

3. Clemson – Dabo Siwinney is pulling off some magic in down in South Carolina. Out of the 16 commits, RB Mike Bellamy is the guy to watch who could be the best running back in the country.

2. Miami – The “U” has only six committed players, but they are some of the best in Florida. Watch out for WR Phillip Dorsett and QB Teddy Bridgewater who could be a great QB-WR tandem in the next couple of years.

1. Florida State – Jimbo Fisher is looking to make his mark, and with 14 committed player for 2011, it looks like he is doing just that. If there is one player to keep an eye on, it’s OL Bobby Hart as he is one of the best offenseive tackles in the country.

What you MIGHT have missed while I was gone

The Major League Baseball trading deadline may be a few weeks away, but the Atlanta Braves have already made a move to solidify the team as it tries to make the postseason for the first time since 2005. The team sent struggling shortstop Yunel Escobar to the Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for shortstop Alex Gonzalez. The trade included several other minor leaguers exchanged with Jo-Jo Reyes heading to Toronto’s organization with the Braves receiving lefthanded pitcher Tim Collins and shortstop prospect Tyler Pastornicky. Gonzalez will be quite a change from Escobar at shortstop as Escobar has struggled all season long, going homerless for Atlanta with only 19 RBI and a .238 batting average. The Braves newest addition meanwhile entered the all-star break with 17 home runs and 50 RBI with a .259 average. Gonzalez, 33 years-old compared to the 27-year-old Escobar, also led the AL with 43 extra-base hits upon his arrival to Atlanta to form a double-play combo with Martin Prado, leading the majors in hits. Said Braves GM Frank Wren in a team release, “This trade improves our club for the second half of the season. We have been looking at ways to strengthen our club offensively and Alex Gonzalez is a proven veteran player who gives us added power. He is a winner and a solid offensive presence in the lineup as well as a quality defensive shortstop."

The other pieces involved may have put this trade over the top in Atlanta’s favor, while the Braves lose a 27-year-old shortstop with great defensive abilities that the Braves could control contract-wise for three more years, Gonzalez is under contract through the end of this season and has an option for next year. If the Braves decide that after 2011 to let Gonzalez go, Tyler Pastornicky could be ready to go at shortstop. A former fifth-round pick by Toronto in 2008, the twenty-year-old has hit .258 in 77 games this year in Class-A Dunedin. Pastornicky has also thumped six homers while driving in 35 runs and stolen 24 bases. The exit of Escobar also potentially clears the way for the recently signed 18-year-old Edward Salcedo or the team’s first round pick of the 2010 draft Matt Lipka out of McKinney (TX) HS, who was thought to be on the move to outfield. All three players likely wouldn’t see any action higher than Class AA this season however.

As far Collins, some have compared the twenty-year-old lefty to Giants ace Tim Lincecum due to his small stature and big abilities. Thus far this season with Toronto’s Class AA team, Collins has appeared in 35 games, striking out 73 in 43.0 innings of work. Collins has walked just 16 while allowing hitters just a .174 average. His ERA this season is 2.51 after being named a Florida State League Mid-Season All-Star last year and a Baseball America Class-A All-Star in 2008. In his Class-AA debut for the Braves, Collins was perfect in two innings, striking out five for Mississippi.

It is certainly becoming dangerous to pitch to Braves All-Star catcher Brian McCann with the bases loaded. In a crucial tilt against the Phillies before the All-Star Break, McCann emptied the bases with a double and then did the same in the All-Star game, helping the National League get its first victory in 13 tries. In the recent series finale against Milwaukee, McCann unloaded once again with the bases loaded and recorded his sixth career grand slam in an 11-6 Braves win. McCann’s grand slam was part of a five-run inning that helped the Braves win yet another series. In the last twenty series entering the San Diego series, Atlanta had won fifteen, split four and lost just one series, on the road against the Chicago White Sox, the best team in the AL Central.

Finally, Tommy Hanson recently was asked by SportsByFletch if he felt any extra pressure when he goes out to the bump, knowing that this is manager Bobby Cox’s final season on the bench. “It’d be nice to send Bobby out on a good note, but that’s what you’re here for anyways. You’re here to win baseball games to begin with so with the team we have here we just need to keep doing what we’re doing and it’ll be fine.”

For more, go to www.scoreatl.com!

Big B's Top Recruiting Classes of the SEC as of RIGHT NOW

This is a spoiler, sorry, for the Top 12 list to be revealed tonight on Score Atlanta's The Official Visit. Tune in to Janovitz tonight from 7-9 on 790 The Zone. I will not be there... sorry.

12. Vanderbilt – It’s not easy recruiting at Vandy, but having only two recruits committed at this stage is not a good sign. OL James Lewis could be a star in the making, though.

11. South Carolina – They have only seven players committed but all seem to be pretty solid. QB Martay Mattox is a dangerous QB that can run and throw.

10. Miss St. – They also have only seven committed players but have done a good job recruiting in-state. Jermaine Whitehead and C.J. Johnson are two off Mississippi’s best.

9. Ole Miss – Miss State is winning the in-state recruiting war, but the quality of talent coming in to Ole Miss is better. Cody Prewitt is considered by some as the best ATH in Mississippi.

8. Kentucky - This is a team to keep an eye on because they have 14 player committed. DB Glen Falukner could be the best player out of the state of Illinois and the best safety in the country.

7. Tennessee – What’s interesting about the Vols is have nobody committed that is from Tennessee. OL Alan Posey and DB Brian Randolph could do some damage right away.

6. Arkansas – Bobby Petrino has done a good job getting the in-state guys. Landing OL Brey Cook is huge who is the best player in Arkansas and the one of the best lineman in the country.

5. Auburn – They only have eight players committed, but they are some of the best players in the southeast. OL Reese Dismukes and OL Thomas O’Riley lead the way for the Tigers.

4. LSU – As usual, LSU hold on their in-state players which are some of the best in the country. La’El Collins is considered by many as the best player in Louisiana.

3. Georgia – 13 players have committed to player for the red and black and 11 of them are from the state of Georgia. Nick Marshall, Sterling Bailey and Christian LeMay are some of the names Dawg fans will know real well soon.

2. Florida – 10 players have committed to the Gators and they all fit the mold of Florida football. DE Jeoffrey Pagan is one of the best defensive lineman in the country and the best player from North Carolina.

1. Alabama - When you are the champs, everyone wants to be a part of it and ‘Bama has had no problems being the best recruits in. LB Brent Calloway is the best player in the state of Alabama and WR Danny Woodson is not far behind Calloway.

Some quick Braves news before I head out...

The Atlanta Braves rookie of the year candidate Jason Heyward missed the All-Star game as he continues to rest his injured thumb but Heyward did have some company in Anaheim as the Braves ended up with six total all-stars after Billy Wagner was named to the squad last Sunday. Wagner did not make the trip but was credited with his seventh career all-star selection, and with good reason. Wagner ended the “first half” of the season with 20 saves in 23 opportunities in his final season as he has announced his retirement. Said Wagner recently of his impending retirement, “Actually I've probably relaxed a little more to where I can just (pitch). It's not that there's any less intensity when I'm out there, it's just being able to understand what the game's about and how to go about it and not get so caught up in having to, and now I can just go out there and enjoy it a little bit more.”
The Braves that traveled to the contest and were available to play were catcher Brian McCann, utilityman Omar Infante and pitcher Tim Hudson. Martin Prado started at second base for the National League squad. The NL manager Charley Manuel penciled Prado into the No. 2 spot of the order, behind Florida Marlins SS Hanley Ramirez and ahead of first baseman Albert Pujols. Alas McCann was not selected as the NL’s DH, as that honor went to Ryan Howard of the Phillies, one of four first basemen on the roster. McCann was the NL’s only other catcher.
The Braves wrapped up the first half of the year in first place, four games over the New York Mets and four and one-half games ahead of the Philadelphia Phillies. The Phillies have won two straight pennants and many expected them to once again claim the division, but it is the Braves that sit on top after taking two of three from the Phillies in Philadelphia leading up to the all-star break as well as taking two of three from the Mets in Citi Field right in the first half’s final series. And the Braves won’t have to sweat Cliff Lee being in the National League East race like he was last season when the Phillies acquired him. Lee, rumored to be on both Philly’s wishlist as well as the Mets’ list, was traded by Seattle to the Texas Rangers. Now both New York and Philadelphia will likely target Cub lefty Ted Lilly or long-time Houston Astro ace Roy Oswalt.
Who will the Braves target at the trading deadline or will the team even make a move down the stretch? The Sporting News seems to think that the Braves will make a serious play for Chicago Cubs outfielder Xavier Nady, a past Braves target in 2007 and 2008. Nady would likely slide into centerfield as well as into the No.6 spot in the lineup. Nate McLouth, the opening day centerfielder, continues to rehab after suffering a concussion in a collision with Jason Heyward last month and recently stroked a home run during a 3-8 stretch in Gwinnett, but the team is currently making due with Melky Cabrera and Omar Infante playing centerfield. The other school of thought is that the Braves may try and make a run at an infielder to possibly replace Yunel Escobar at shortstop. ESPN sources have several teams calling in regards to the availability of Escobar but the team seems to be sticking with Escobar, despite the struggles. Escobar entered the all-star break without a home run on the year. He is hitting .235 with just an OBP of .334. When Escobar does make contact, the ball isn’t going very far as he is slugging .284, down from .436 last season and .404 for his career.
Heyward was eligible for activation from the 15-Day DL following thumb surgery over the all-star break. Heyward had been in a cast for his injured left thumb that sidelined the April and May NL Rookie of the Month for the last few weeks before the all-star break. Heyward was recently cleared by an Atlanta doctor to resume batting practice, which he was scheduled to take in Anaheim, though he did not play in the game.

Early look at this week's TheFletch

I am off to the beach this afternoon, so enjoy a little bit of TheFletch.....see you guys Monday!

LeBronmania surrounded last week to the point of nausea in that everyone was asking, “WHERE’S HE GONNA GO?” over and over and over leading up to his big announcement. Then LeBron James felt the need to go on ESPN for a one-hour television special (actually, ESPN ran a three-hour SportsCenter leading up to the announcement and then “broke down” what he said for several hours after he decided to go to the Miami Heat). Then the radio airwaves in Atlanta were a-go-go with nothing but reaction in the days that followed. Suffice to say that LeBron dominated the conversation in Atlanta last week and the Hawks were not even in the discussion of potential destinations for The Chosen One who calls himself King.
On his one hour special, James declared that he would be a member of the Miami Heat, joining up with Chris Bosh to sign with Dwyane (sic) Wade’s team in South Beach. Personally, I think James made the wrong decision and should have gone to Chicago because I feel the team is ready to compete for championships THIS SEASON and his talents would have put them into the Finals. In Miami, I realize that the Heat now has three (well, two) Superstars, but I’m not certain that Wade and James complement each other as much as Carlos Boozer, Joakim Noah and Derrick Rose would have complemented James as a member of the Chicago Bulls. I had some support in this theory recently on Score Atlanta’s Sports Sunday aka The Block Party last week on 790 The Zone. While two co-hosts though James made the right move in leaving Cleveland (and don’t get me wrong, I don’t begrudge James for leaving the Cavs), Brian Jones of Score Atlanta believes that the Heat can win multiple titles and he said as much on the program. Several callers seemed a bit miffed that James would make the decision the way he did, and I tend to agree with them. Despite what James said on the one-hour show, according to Wade on another ESPN interview, this decision for all three to come to Miami sounded like a done deal weeks ago. Why go through the charade of a big show and making teams travel to you for a dog-and-pony show if you already knew you were headed to South Beach. After spending seven years for his home-state team I also think James should have at least informed the Cavs that he would not be returning opposed to letting them hear through ESPN. That is just something I would have done, but I’m not LeBron.

The Cavs owner Dan Gilbert certainly didn’t take the news well and made a fool out of himself and really makes it hard to feel sorry for the Cleveland organization. He came off like Urban Meyer: a crazy person, with his comments directed towards LeBron through the team’s website. Gilbert certainly tried to keep his fans’ faith but he cost his team the nation’s sympathy.

Last thing on LeBron, 680 The Fan’s Perry Laurentino couldn’t understand the next morning following the announcement why people were saying that this is “the easy way out.” He wondered aloud why any title he wins with Miami will be cheapened. Bottom line, the title, assuming he wins one or more with the Heat will always be Dwyane (sic) Wade’s titles with LeBron coming along for the ride in Miami. Did Gary Payton win the title in 2006 with Miami? No, Wade did, and Payton, who peaked back in 1996 with Seattle, just happened to sit on the bench. Same with Zo. Several members of the radio community have said that LeBron will have the greatest “Robin” to his Batman in Wade, but I spit on that theory. In Miami, aka Miami-Wade County as it was dubbed by the locals in an attempt to keep Wade in South Beach, Dwyane (sic) Wade will always be the headliner. If the three (Bosh included) had gone to Miami, then yes, James is the alpha while Wade plays Pippen. But in Miami, which will ALWAYS BE WADE’S TOWN, James is the outsider brought in to help out Wade. And that is how it will always be.
PS, Laurentino’s tune changed the following Monday as he seemed to have thought about it over the weekend or perhaps he wasn’t playing the villain-role that day with Chris Rude out on vacation and had to play straight-point man.

Perhaps Mark Bradley should start playing the lottery because it was semi-scary how right he was at the end of last week. The Tennessee Volunteers got into a bit of trouble and it was a pair of Georgia-natives in the center of the trouble up in Knoxville. Da’Rick Rogers of Calhoun, who infamously spurned Georgia the night before National Signing Day to pledge to the Vols, as well as Darren Myles, Jr., of Carver, who were involved in a fight in a Knoxville bar that left one cop knocked out in the street, having been clocked while trying to break up a fight and then kicked once on the ground for good measure. The AJC.com message boards were filled with all sorts of college football fans laughing and calling the Vols a bunch of thugs. Bradley sent out a warning of not to laugh too hard because kids across the country in EVERY program can get in trouble just as easily as these kids did. Less than 24 hours after he posted this warning, he was posting a “See, I tried to warn you!” blog because a pair of Georgia football players were sent to the pokey for an alcohol arrest. A fourth-string running back for the Dawgs was popped on six counts, including DUI and leaving the scene of an accident and receiver Tavarres King, expected to push for a starting spot, was nailed on an underage possession of alcohol charge less than 24 hours after the Volunteer football program received its latest black eye. Derek Dooley kicked Myles off of the team and has not yet made a decision on Rogers’ future with Tennessee. Georgia head man Mark Richt meanwhile was swift with a decision as well, giving Dontavius Jackson at least a six-game ban while announcing that King will miss at least the season opener. In the wake of the Damon Evans situation, Richt had to act swiftly to an alcohol arrest and did within 48 hours of the arrests.



Can you believe he said that?
“Instead of wearing a 2 on his jersey, (Joe Johnson) should wear a < (less than) symbol! Because he’s ‘less than’ every superstar he faces.” Brandon Adams was bringing it recently on Brandon & Woolvey on 790 The Zone. Adams was responding to an interview in the AJC between Michael Cunningham and Johnson, where Johnson promised that he would bring the “same effort” this season, and that wasn’t good enough for Adams, who pointed out that Johnson will make more than James, Wade and Bosh over the next six seasons. Johnson’s postseason numbers are certainly frustrating and Adams was hammering Johnson for not promising to do more. of

Last Week's TheFletch

The state of Georgia was certainly in the national news last week with Joe Johnson and Damon Evans causing most of the headlines. Stephen A. Smith, who hosts a national morning show for Fox Sports Radio which can be heard on The Fan3, appeared on both 680 The Fan’s Buck & Kincade as well as Pollack & Bell of 790 The Zone to discuss the NBA free agent situation. Smith or “Screamin’ A” as he was called while he worked at ESPN, stuck to his guns in regards to a “superteam” coming together in Miami, despite the appearance that Miami may end up losing Dwyane Wade, LeBron James and Chris Bosh to other teams. But his strongest argument was made on both shows in regards to Hawks free agent Joe Johnson. Smith on 680 The Fan said that Johnson “is a stud, an all-star. But he’s not a super-star.” On 790 The Zone, Smith point-blank stated that Johnson was not a max-deal player. And it doesn’t seem like Smith is alone in these thoughts. Several of the ESPN Radio personalities shared Smith’s thoughts over the weekend, as did “Bob” from one of the Sporting News Radio shows. Last week when the Hawks floated the max deal Johnson’s way, and before Johnson even accepted the deal, Yahoo! sports went ahead and labeled the deal, “the worst (deal) in NBA history.” The columnist said that NBA fans could actually label this the worst, not retroactively, not in the middle of the deal due to injury, but before the deal was even signed. Argued Kelly Dwyer of Yahoo!’s NBA blog Ball Don’t Lie, Johnson is regarded as the second option “at best” on a great team, certainly not worthy of a six-year/$119M deal. “It's just an astonishing deal, on so many levels. A good part of me thinks that — because his stats are so inflated by his ball dominance and big minutes — that Johnson will be worth about half of his yearly salary next year (next year!), so imagine how far he'll taper off by 2016? Johnson isn't the most athletic player we've seen, he isn't tricky enough with the ball to get to the line much (a shocking 3.5 free-throw attempts per game, criminal for someone who has the ball so much, and for so long), and this isn't someone who will age well.
On top of that, didn't we watch him age quite considerably in the playoffs last season? Johnson averaged 11.8 points per game in the second round, shooting a terrifying 29.5 percent along the way. He seemed nonplussed as ever as his Hawks fell out of the second round again, and for the second time in five years, he's chosen big offseason money over a chance at a championship.”
Dwyer has one more shot in regards to Johnson and his “absurd” contract. “There’s just no way around it. Joe is a nice player who might get to shoot himself into yet another All-Star berth next season. If he's lucky, the year after that, even. Give it to him. Let the Hawks roll to the second round again, earning the ownership a few more gate receipts as they take yet another first-round series to seven games.”
The other big news story was clearly the Damon Evans arrest. The University of Georgia Athletics Director was stopped by a Georgia State trooper just four minutes before his contract extension was set to roll over with a $110,000 annual raise. The officer smelled alcohol and saw a pair of red panties in Evans’ lap and soon Evans was arrested for DUI, among other charges. I won’t get into the specifics because Stephen Black and Rachel Bowers did a magnificent job covering the story from the jump on www.scoreatl.com throughout the holiday long weekend. Black even broke down potential replacements after Evans was ousted from the position, digging deep and finding candidates that Mark Bradley of the AJC didn’t feel like suggesting when he threw two names into the ring on one of his AJC blogs.
But the real story is NOT the DUI but the potential bargaining that was revealed to have happened in the police report offered online by the AJC. Before anybody gets into a foul mood over the AJC linking the police report in its sports section, realize that anyone in the news-gathering field can get copies of police reports from sheriff’s offices or police departments across the state. It is the freedom of information act (and $5, sometimes as a processing fee) that allows those to be released to the media. And in Evans’ case, that police report was a case where the paper had every right, in seeking information, to obtain a copy. The bargaining and the playing of the “Do you know who I am?” card is what likely did Evans in at Georgia. You cannot represent your alma mater and place of employment by trying to bribe and bargain your way out. The DUI maybe could have been overlooked and moved past by Georgia, despite the fact that he did the “Don’t Drink and Drive” PSA before each football game. But the attempt to throw his weight around in an unwinnable situation was it. The red panties in his lap didn’t help his case. Our esteemed boss IJ Rosenberg was giving me a bit of grief over it as I am a University of Georgia alum, but I agree with him that Georgia couldn’t have continued with him in charge. Rosenberg hypothesized that it was the female in the vehicle that would lead to his dismissal but I think it was the entire situation, especially the potential “not bribe” that cost him his job. How can you be a leader of young men and women and act in that way? You simply cannot. You also cannot do what you did and have your picture end up on Rome is Burning, Deadspin, AJC, Yahoo!, ESPN, CNNSI, and PTI, among other places and expect to keep your job.



Can you believe he said that?
“It smells like alcohol in here. Quick, give me your panties.” That was 680 The Fan’s Christopher Rude’s theory of how former a 28-year-old female’s panties ended up in the lap of Damon Evans. It was nice to hear him try and break Perry’s “serious voice,” but I must say that this attempt was simply unsuccessful. He could have attacked it in a funnier way; there are PLENTY of jokes to be had. That one just fell flat. At least he was funnier than Michael Bradley, a “sports comedian” that appeared on SNR who tried to mock Evans as well. That guy was definitely not funny. I hope that guy doesn’t seriously try to make a living as a “sports comedian.” Even his LeBron jokes were terrible. many of us are just grateful that someone has

UGA cops missing out!

So it took less than two months for Da'Rick Rogers to get arrested in Tennessee. WOW. The kid "graduates" from Calhoun at the end of May and I guess reports to Knoxvegas in June and now in early July he gets arrested after he beats up several cops and other patrons in a bar (we won't get into how he got INTO said bar, but if he had a fake ID ala Mettenberger, we'll see how Dooley handles it) and PS, another former Atlanta-area kid Darren Myles (he of the "arrested this past April" fame) was involved.

Rogers gets popped though, WOW. I shouldn't say I am surprised from some of the stories I've heard about Rogers on the recruiting trail. Score Atlanta's The Official Visit has its perks.

PS#2, the most nervous person right now....Nash Nance. Why in the WORLD would Derek Dooley keep Nance around (who likely would never see the field even in Rogers won the Heisman) when the reason he is at Tennessee was to get Rogers on campus? Yeah, if Rogers gets dismissed from the squad (that won't happen. This is Tennessee. He'll MAYBE miss A game, tops), shouldn't Nance get the boot too? You know he is freaking out right now. Hey, Dad, do you think Bobby Johnson would take me back?

The Universe and Karma: ONE
Da'Rick Rogers: Zero.

And the UGA cops are sad because they would have LOVED to have had this guy on campus.....to arrest. I guess they'll just have to go back and put up cones in the parking decks then get mad when you try and follow their direction so you have to go and move the cones and then they get mad at you for doing just that. And then they straight up lie to you by telling you they saw you move the cone. Really? How? You were too busy sitting in your car, facing the opposite direction. MORON. UGA Univeristy Cops SUCK! Yeah I said it. Go give more people tickets for passing a bus that is pulled into a pull-in at 10:45 on a Friday night, you jerks. Sorry you got denied for a REAL police gig. Way to take it out on the rest of the world.

The Brain tries to defend his boy Pope Urban

My The Official Visit, presented by Score Atlanta (which can be heard on Sports Radio 790 The Zone) co-host Scott "The Brain" Janovitz and I go round and round on Urban Meyer quite often, seeing as how he is a Florida grad and I'm a Georgia grad. Last Tuesday we got into an argument during one of the commercial breaks that spilled onto the air on the fact that Alabama Coach Nick Saban is CLEARLY the better coach than Urban and CMR comes in at No.3 or 4 in the pecking order.
Scott took issue with my saying this and he tried to break down the merits of Pope Urban...

On Saturday, Florida football coach Urban Meyer turns 46.

Already, the man has accomplished quite a bit.

In fact, you could say he's a legend.

Not an urban one, but a real one.

To date, Meyer is 96-18 as a head coach and has produced five 10-win seasons, two Southeastern Conference titles and, of course, two national championships. Meyer's .851 winning percentage in Gainesville is the best in school history and his .800 winning percent in the SEC tops everyone who spent five or more years in the league.


Last December, the Sporting News and Sports Illustrated named Meyer college football's coach of the decade.

And here's what is scary: Because he's still relatively young in his profession, Meyer just might only be getting started.

How does he stack up against other noteworthy coaches?

Well, at age 46 …

-Robert Cleckler "Bobby" Bowden was coaching West Virginia to a 9-3 record and spot in the Peach Bowl. He began a legendary stint at Florida State a season later (1976) and had his only losing season in Tallahassee that fall.

-Paul "Bear" Bryant was in his second season (1959) at Alabama. He had one SEC title to his credit, but that had come at Kentucky in 1950. His 1956 Texas A&M squad went 9-0-1, but no team of his had finished ranked higher than fifth.

-Doug Dickey completed his ninth and final season as Gators coach. He went 4-7, moving his UF record to 58-43-2. Dickey had won two SEC titles -- but both occurred while he was head coach at Tennessee.

-Legendary Georgia coach Vince Dooley had won three SEC titles (1966, '68 and' 76). His first and only national title didn't come until 1980, when he was 48. Before turning 46, he was 8-6-1 against Florida.

-Lou Holtz had yet to win a national title and was in his last of seven seasons at Arkansas (1983). A few days before his 46th birthday, he defeated Florida in the now-defunct Bluebonnet Bowl.

-Eddie Robinson, the king of historically black college football, was in his 23rd season as coach at Grambling (1965). He led the program until 1997 and won 408 games.

-Joe Paterno was in his seventh season (1972) at the helm of the Penn State Nittany Lions. Although he already had two unbeaten and untied teams, both finished No. 2 in the AP rankings. Paterno would not win his first national title until he was 56.

-Nick Saban was in his third season as head coach at Michigan State (1997). The Spartans went 7-5 that fall. Up to then, Saban's best season was at Toledo in 1990, when he went 9-2. He also had spent time as defensive coordinator for the Cleveland Browns.

-Steve Spurrier had completed only one season (1990) as Gators coach. He went 9-2.

I told him that he forgot....

-at the age of 45 he faked a heart attack-ish situation in order to secure ESPN sympathy after Saban took his butt to school in the SEC Championship game. The fake heart attack (which turned out to be acid reflux) also helped in recruiting.


-at the age of 45 he threatened to get a beat writer fired because the beat writer had the audacity to do his job


-at the age of 44 he railed on and on about sportsmanship and how Georgia had zero and then kicked a field goal with under one minute to play when his team was ALREADY leading by 20. He also called a few timeouts against Georgia as time wound down, but HEY, he DOES love sportsmanship.


-at the age of 45 he retired...for two days, then went back on his word to his children by returning to work.


REAL GREAT GUY. A VERY STRONG LEADER OF YOUNG MEN.
If things are going great, rub it in. If someone beats you, come up with an excuse and then do whatever you need to do to get back into the news, even faking a life-threatening illness if need be!

Paul Mac breaks down LeBron...

Um. Wade stayed in Miami.. Bosh is there too... The Bron could go a number of places but Newark is unlikely... What is Jay Z going to do now??? Change the song? But I guess Jesus was paying LeBron and Jay-Z was paying Dwyane (sic) Wade. Well not really. Pat Riley is.

I don't completely buy that LeBron is a jackass to the point that Bosh said, "I'm going to Miami opposed to going and playing with The Bron." I think Bosh to Miami is more of a dig on how lame Cleveland is. Dude didn’t like cold Toronto, he’s not trading that for worse (lake effect snow) and Cleveland to play with dancing Lebron... I’m more interested if the guy goes to Miami because essentially it turns Miami into a front runner along with Orlando and I guess Boston, Atlanta would be 4th and then Chicago and then a whole lot of nothing.

The other thing about this is that Kevin Durant gets 86 million from OKC, with far less fanfare. I think he realizes he can get paid a ton in a small market soak up the adoration, not have the pressure to really HAVE to beat the Lakers because… hey they are just OKC and the Lakers are supposed to win… Now he’s got that + 86 million dollars for a few years and that’s plenty of money to vacate or buy houses anywhere you want…. Just don’t gamble and waste it and you’re golden.

A sitdown with Jared Boyd on The Official Visit

Jared Boyd appeared on Score Atlanta’s Official Visit last night on Sports Radio 790 The Zone. Co-hosts Fletcher Proctor and Scott Janovitz interviewed the Stephenson defensive back and found out that Boyd is enjoying the recruiting process, even if he is adjusting to a new position for his senior season. During last season’s playoff run, Boyd starred alongside UGA-commit Mike Thornton and Miami Hurricane-bound Tyrone Cornelius on the defensive side of the ball and cheered on Raymond Sanders as the Kentucky tailback chewed up yards on offense. Boyd said last night that watching those guys go through the recruiting process really helped him as they offered him pointers on how to make a decision. The advice was interesting: they said to make sure you are happy with your pick and not to rush deciding, but commit once you are ready because you might miss out on a potential school. Boyd also revealed that he is speaking with each of his former teammates at least once a week.

Several schools have shown an early interest and that is important to Boyd, he says. UCF and Ole Miss were the first two schools and while Boyd wouldn’t reveal if put them at the top of his list, he did say that he was very impressed with Ole Miss and how they were willing to take a chance on him. Georgia Tech was another school that Boyd spoke warmly of, indicating that he has plenty of respect for Coach Paul Johnson and defensive coordinator Al Groh. Boyd claimed that he wasn’t afraid of any competition either in that the Yellow Jackets signed several cornerbacks last season; he just needs a chance.

Boyd said he recently returned from a trip from Miami, where he visited with some of the coaches as well as his former teammate Cornelius, though no offer was presented at the time. Miami will be receiving an official visit, as will Stanford, Boyd revealed last night as he is very focused on his life after football, hopefully after a stint in the league he says.

In describing himself, Boyd said that, despite his size (5’9) he is very aggressive on the football field and he just wants a chance to show the coaches how tough he can get, how he’ll lower his head and make a hit. Boyd seemed confident that he can not only make the transition from high school safety to college cornerback but that he can be a success at the next level and make it to the NFL.

The Skipper's Last go-round

At the end of this season, a baseball legend in Atlanta will leave the dugout for the final time and enjoy one final cigar in the bowels of Turner Field. Bobby Cox, the Braves future Hall of Fame manager has said that this will be his final season and currently the Braves are trying to send out their skipper with one final trip to the playoffs. After missing the playoffs for four straight seasons, the Braves are making a play for the playoffs with the best record in the majors since early May as well as the National League’s best record as of June 21. A trip to the playoffs may seem huge for a team that has not tasted the postseason since 2005, but Cox managed the Atlanta Braves to the playoffs for a record 14 straight seasons by winning 14 straight division titles. Under Cox the Braves went from worst to first in 1991, reaching the seventh game of the World Series before falling to the Minnesota Twins in extra innings. The Braves returned to the Fall Classic the following season, coming up short against the Toronto Blue Jays. In 1995, Cox managed Atlanta to the city’s championship lone championship with a six-game series win over the Indians, and the Braves ventured back to the World Series the following season before bowing to the Yankees. Cox’s final trip to the World Series came in 1999 as Atlanta once again fell to the New York Yankees. Along the way, Cox has managed more than 4500 games and could finish his career with 2500 wins if the Braves continue to play well.

But how does the Skipper feel about his accomplishments? Good luck getting Bobby Cox to give himself credit. That seemingly isn’t in his nature. “I treat them like I’d want to be treated. I’d want my boss to stand up for me,” Cox said about why he sticks up for his players. Cox is well known for his enthusiasm towards his players, barking out encouragement during the games and giving everyone a pet nickname. After the games Cox is known for taking any and all blame for anything bad and passing along all credit to his players. All of the players tend to agree that Cox is truly a player’s manager. Braves starter Tommy Hanson realizes the importance of sending Cox out on a good note. “When you go out there you obviously want to win the game and go out there and do well, especially with it being Bobby’s last year.”

Cox’s influence is all over the league as well. Numerous former players and bench coaches have ascended to prominent positions around baseball, and many credit Cox for helping them along the way. Ned Yost left Cox to become the manager in Milwaukee before the 2003 season and won over 450 games for the Brewers. Yost recently returned to Turner Field as the manager of the Kansas City Royals and the two embraced outside of the Braves clubhouse and exchanged stories and laughs. Another one of Cox’s former coaches Fredi Gonzalez went head to head with Bobby as the manager of the Florida Marlins. Ozzie Guillen won a World Series title as manager of the Chicago White Sox after spending a few years serving as starting shortstop under Cox in Atlanta. Earlier in the 1990s, Jimy Williams left Cox’s staff to become Boston’s manager and later did battle against Atlanta as Houston’s skipper. Several other former Cox players now serve as hitting or pitching coaches including Terry Pendleton in Atlanta and Randy St. Claire in Florida. All speak glowingly about Cox, especially Cox’s former pitching coach Leo Mazzone, who now works with an Atlanta sports radio station and participates in the Braves radio broadcasts. Current Atlanta pitching coach Roger McDowell said recently that Cox is more than just a great manager. “I’m very lucky to have gotten the opportunity to be on the staff with Bobby Cox as manager and everybody knows how great a manager Bobby Cox is but he’s an even better person.” McDowell has served in Atlanta for five seasons, long enough to realize how special this time has been with the skipper. “I’ve formed a tremendous relationship and good friendship (with Cox) and hopefully we’ll continue that as the years go on.

This season might just be Cox’s finest yet as a manager however. The Braves skipper, who has won several manager-of-the-year awards, is seemingly coaching with a bit more spunk, recently calling for a suicide squeeze in the late innings to beat the Minnesota Twins in a big interleague contest. Less than one week later, Cox called for another squeeze and his club executed the risky move for another run. In his final year Cox seems to have found the managing “fountain of youth.” “We’re very fortunate to have found good players and to have good players,” Cox says, again dismissing that he deserves any credit for the turnaround the team has experienced this season.

Regardless of what anyone says about this year or his recent seasons, there is no denying that Cox will soon be enshrined into the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. There may be a shortage of seats with all of his former players that will no doubt want to be there to support and honor their former leader. The bigger win though according to Cox is that soon he will be joined in the Hall by several of his former players. John Smoltz, Tom Glavine, Chipper Jones, and Greg Maddux are a few of the names that he helped put into the Hall and it is those players that make him beam with pride. “Hopefully I live long enough to see them in the Hall of Fame,” Cox blushed about his former charges before adding simply a “we’ll see,” in regards to his own bronze bust appearing in Cooperstown.

Whoever follows Bobby Cox in Atlanta will be stepping into a shadow that Phil Bengtson entered in Green Bay, Gene Bartow entered at UCLA and Ray Perkins at Alabama. Vince Lombardi’s successor Bengtson finished his three year stint with a losing record 20-21-1 while Bartow actually had a better winning percentage than John Wooden but couldn’t win the big one in two years on the Bruin bench. Perkins lasted four seasons following Bear Bryant at Alabama, registering the Tide’s first losing season in over 30 years before ducking out for the NFL. The man that takes over for Cox will likely not win fourteen straight division titles, but he will definitely hear nothing but encouragement from Cox, who will stay with the club in an adversarial role. That is just how Cox is, quick with the praise, and if the new manager fails, Cox will likely try and take the blame. It is just Cox’s nature.

Brian Jones' Top Nine Georgia Tech commits for 2011

Big B, Brian Jones drops his latest list for Score Atlanta's Official Visit. Tune in tonight from 8-10 p.m on 790 The Zone.

9. Darren Waller (DB, North Cobb) – A very big and long safety standing at 6-5, 205. Waller is fast and can cover all parts of the backfield. Could be an All-ACC performer if he continues to improve.

8. Shaquille Mason (OL, Columbia Central (TN)) – Big guy at 305 pounds, but is quick off the line of scrimmage. Mason had two great camps this summer and will fit well in the Jackets option attack.

7. Kyle Harris (OL, Pepperell) – Harris explodes off the ball and he is able to do that because of his quickness off the line of scrimmage. He has played tackle most of his high school career, but because of his size (260 pounds), he will more likely play guard at Tech.

6. Bryan Chamberlain (OL, Monroe) – Has been playing football for only three years, but has raw talent and could be very dominant with more seasoning. Has good mechanics and quick off the line of scrimmage.

5. Airyn Willis (ATH, SW Guliford (NC)) – Considered as one of the best athletes in the country, Willis has played quarterback, running back and wide receiver. When it’s all said and done, I believe he will play the WR position for Paul Johnson.

4. Quartterrio Morgan (RB, Mt. Zion) – Morgan hits the hole as good as any running back in the country. Has a smaller frame but every time he touches the ball he makes plays because of his speed and quickness.

3. Trey Braun (OL, Leon (FL)) - Braun can play both offensive and defensive tackle but is being recruited to play the OT position for Tech. Has athleticism, strength and quickness to excel at the next level.

2. Chaz Cheeks (DE, East Hall) – At 6-2, 225 Cheeks looks like a prototypical linebacker and that’s the position the he will play next year. Cheeks is a dominant pass rusher and will thrive in Al Groh’s 3-4 scheme.
1.Jabari Hunt-Days (ATH, Hillgrove) – Jabari is a dominant fullback that has excellent size and speed. And because of his 6-3, 225 frame he will get a hard look at the linebacker spot. No matter what position he plays, he will be a force to be reckoned with.

Unlike the drivers, I SAW this in the AJC today...

I have already put in for a vacation day so I can go down and watch the test run. I cannot wait. Are you friggin' kidding me? This is an excerpt from the AJC...

Could a blind person drive a car? Researchers are trying to make that far-fetched notion a reality.

The National Federation of the Blind and Virginia Tech plan to demonstrate a prototype vehicle next year equipped with technology that helps a blind person drive a car independently.

Only Virginia Tech would be dumb enough to come up with a bar for blind people. Why don't they try and come up with a way to hide Beamer's neck scar.

The technology, called "nonvisual interfaces," uses sensors to let a blind driver maneuver a car based on information transmitted to him about his surroundings: whether another car or object is nearby, in front of him or in a neighboring lane.

The Baltimore-based organization (The National Federation of the Blind) was announcing its plans for the vehicle demonstration at a news conference Friday in Daytona Beach, Fla.

Dude, I am GOING!

The vehicle has its roots in Virginia Tech's 2007 entry into the DARPA Grand Challenge, a competition for driverless vehicles funded by the Defense Department's research arm. The university's team won third place for a self-driving vehicle that used sensors to perceive traffic, avoid crashing into other cars and objects and run like any other vehicle.

Following their success, Virginia Tech's team responded to a challenge from the National Federation of the Blind to help build a car that could be driven by a blind person. Virginia Tech first created a dune buggy as part of a feasibility study that used sensor lasers and cameras to act as the eyes of the vehicle. A vibrating vest was used to direct the driver to speed up, slow down or make turns.

Well YEAH VaTech created a dune buggy. All dirt roads lead to Blacksburg. They need SOMETHING to travel on dirt roads...

The blind organization was impressed by the results and urged the researchers to keep pushing. The results will be demonstrated next January on a modified Ford Escape sport utility vehicle at the Daytona International Speedway before the Rolex 24 race. The latest vehicle will use nonvisual interfaces to help a blind driver operate the car. One interface, called DriveGrip, uses gloves with vibrating motors on areas that cover the knuckles. The vibrations signal to the driver when and where to turn.

Another interface, called AirPix, is a tablet about half the size of a sheet of paper with multiple air holes, almost like those found on an air hockey game. Compressed air coming out of the device helps inform the driver of his or her surroundings, essentially creating a map of the objects around a vehicle. It would show whether there's another vehicle in a nearby lane or an obstruction in the road.
It would SHOW? THEY CAN'T FREAKING SEE!

A blind person, who has not yet been chosen, will drive the vehicle on a course near the famed Daytona race track and attempt to simulate a typical driving experience. Stevie Wonder. Please.

How about you spend a little less time in fantasyland building cars for blind people and start looking at what is going on around you. How about that? You wanna try that?