With the first month of the football season coming to a close, the airwaves and newspapers have plenty of fodder to keep the listeners and viewers coming back for more everyday. The Atlanta Falcons have been by far the most successful football team in town as Georgia Tech is idling in mediocrity and Georgia is free-falling into the depths of the SEC cellar typically occupied by Vanderbilt. The Atlanta Falcons earned some major kudos from both of the sports radio stations as well as the AJC for going on the road and knocking off the defending Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints in overtime. The game was far from primetime, shown regionally on Fox in the first shift of games, but with the game going into OT and Fox not having an afternoon game, the football-watching nation was able to look in on the game’s exciting conclusion. After the game in the AJC, Jeff Schultz wrote a column entitled, “The Falcons just turned into the team we expected last season,” and the team was praised over and over by the local radio stations. On 790 The Zone’s Falcons post-game show, Sam Radin and John Michaels agreed that this game was perhaps the best game for Atlanta since the Matt Ryan-led rally against Chicago two years ago. Then on Mayhem in the AM, Steak, Chris and Nic all were positively pro-Falcons with Steak offering up that this game was the best the Falcons have looked in two years.
The callers and bloggers were even glowing as several callers were saying that Ryan’s arm strength shouldn’t be questioned anymore and others saying they enjoyed Ryan’s fire while calling out the offensive line. Chris Dimino seemed to relish Matty Ice putting a charge into the left tackle Sam Baker, and he admitted that he had never seen Ryan show the emotion he did after the missed field goal by New Orleans in OT. One quick note about some of the local fans calling up the radio stations: several Saints fans called up to “congratulate” the Falcons but then slid in the excuses of “the Saints played their worst game of the year while the Falcons played their best.” JUST GIVE CREDIT WHEN IT IS DUE! BE A GOOD SPORT.
Score Atlanta’s own Brian Jones was glowing in his summation of the game on the Score Atlanta website. Jones wrapped up his thoughts with “To say this was a big win for the Falcons would be an understatement. Not only (does) the win put the Falcons one game above .500, it puts them in first place in the NFC South.” Ricky Dimon of Score Atlanta also broke down the Falcons win on the Score site, crediting Atlanta’s ability to overcome adversity as the biggest reason for the W.
Going from happy to sad in regards to football in the state of Georgia is as easy as 74 miles up 316. The Georgia Bulldogs dropped to 0-3 in SEC play after a dismal showing in Starkville, MS in a loss to the SEC West Bulldogs. The Georgia Bulldogs looked so bad that on Sunday’s Score Atlanta Scoreboard show, we were flooded by callers that wanted to fire head coach Mark Richt. One upset fan had a three-point plan which I cannot repeat here, but it did involve renting a U-Haul and driving to Athens.
The local writers from the AJC and some of the 790 talking heads were a little more lenient towards Richt as Tony Barnhart of both the AJC as well as 790 said in the paper that he believes that Richt should be given a chance to fix the problems, granted with some internal changes. Mark Bradley of the AJC finally admitted that Richt might be in some trouble after he was beating the “Richt is safe” drum for the last two weeks. Said Bradley in the AJC, “Too many SEC programs have caught and passed Georgia, and this has nothing to do with the superpowers in Tuscaloosa and Gainesville….No longer does an opponent tremble at the sight of Georgia approaching.” On 790’s Ford Football Show last Sunday Beau Bock defended Richt but Steak was on him, saying that he is losing the games that Georgia never lost before. And one FM radio station named Richt its weekly “d*******g,” but I’ve never put too much stock into FM stations talking sports because that isn’t what they do. They do music. Leave the sports to SPORTS TALK RADIO.
I must say, as a Georgia alum, that while I am upset with the way the program has fallen, I am tending to fall on the side of Tony Barnhart. I believe Richt should get another season between the hedges based on his track record and his two SEC titles, but some changes must be made on the offensive side of the ball. The play-calling should go back to Richt and the offensive line coach and strength coaches should be held accountable for the offensive o-line this year. If Richt decides to make changes or not, next season will be the one I’d look at if I’m Richt’s boss. Though, if a change IS made, perhaps give Georgia alum Will Muschamp a call in Texas or go radical and have AD Greg McGarity get out his rolodex from his Florida days and see if he still has the Utah number. He and Jeremy Foley had some success when they plucked Urban Meyer from the Utes. Perhaps Foley’s protégé McGarity would have some success if he hired Meyer’s protégé Kyle Whittingham.
One local football team LOVING Georgia’s struggles is the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. The Jackets are struggling as they try to defend the ACC crown, but the attention and panic isn’t being thrown at Tech simply because the Bulldogs are the bigger story in town. While most Tech fans hate that, the coaching staff that SURELY doesn’t pay attention to the media-wink-probably is relieved that the spotlight isn’t on the defensive struggles.
Can you believe he said that?
Somebody Up There must really like these Atlanta Braves
That was the headline for Mark Bradley’s blog in the AJC about how the Braves, despite dropping two of three to the Washington Nationals and going 1-5 on a crucial road trip. I realize the Braves can still make the playoffs by taking care of business at home and hoping that the Padres and Giants and Rockies cannibalize each other out west, but don’t blow smoke up my butt. The Braves STRUGGLED on that road trip. They face an uphill task in making the playoffs. Don’t spin the trip as a positive. Please. We are smarter than that.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Jonathan Battle battles back and Marcquis Roberts wants to look good
Entering his senior season Marcquis Roberts dedicated his summer to getting bigger, but the McEachern (GA) linebacker, despite excelling so far this fall, is vowing to get even bigger and faster before heading off to college next season. “I’m a good team player, I play fast and I play with a lot of heart,” says Roberts about his game.
This season Roberts has anchored a defense that has helped the Indians climb to No. 4 in the Class AAAAA polls and while Roberts won’t credit himself he does admit that he’s been working hard. “It’s been a team effort. We’re working and working hard.” Earlier this season the Indians welcomed in the Lowndes Vikings, ranked No. 2 in the state at the time, and walked out with a win. Roberts helped hold Lowndes tailback Troy Braswell to under 100 yards and spearheaded the defensive effort that allowed the McEachern rally.
While McEachern has been impressive on the field, Roberts has been even more so to college recruiters. Roberts calls SEC power South Carolina his leader because of its facilities and coaching staff. “South Carolina is my top (school) right now,” said Roberts on Monday’s Official Visit, presented by Score Atlanta. “I have family down there and I’ve been there a few times.”
South Carolina’s Steve Spurrier may have the inside track to Roberts but he might be fighting off a hard-charging Mike London and the Virginia Cavaliers. Roberts was impressed by UVA, calling it pretty similar to the Gamecocks program. “South Carolina has the edge in facilities, but Virginia has a nice campus. All they need is a couple of good players and they’ll be set.” Roberts said that London was impressive and the linebacker enjoyed meeting the entire staff.
Skip Holtz and the University of South Florida might also be in the running. Despite not having toured the Tampa campus, Roberts is intrigued. “It’s a very good location. I want to get down there and take a visit.”
Those three schools are sure to get an official visit from Roberts along with West Virginia as the linebacker says he will wait to commit until after he takes his five visits. Roberts was not sure which school might get his fifth visit, but it is sure to be a state outside of the state of Georgia. “I just want to get out and see other states and campuses,” said Roberts of the fact that neither Georgia nor Georgia Tech has shown a ton of interest in the linebacker. And whoever gets Roberts may be in for a treat as standout McEachern tight end Rory Anderson and Roberts have spoken about potentially matriculating to the same school.
At the end of the day, Roberts will have to do what is best for him and not necessarily for the package including Anderson. Roberts did mention that his decision will ultimately come down to academics, coaches, facilities and the jerseys. Roberts says he’ll need to have a nice jersey wherever he goes. Whatever colors Roberts wears next season, he’ll certainly be making plays on the defensive side of the football.
***********
Jonathan Battle might be the best defensive tackle that you haven’t heard of yet. Battle of Americus-Sumter (GA) missed his junior season with a knee injury and is now still just getting back to 100% healthy. “Football is not guaranteed,” said Battle in an interview with Score Atlanta’s The Official Visit last Monday. Battle admitted that the first time he stepped on the field he was a bit scared, but he says he is getting over it quickly. “I’m starting to geel 100%. It is still a mind thing but on the field you can see it’s getting better.”
The knee injury certainly affected the recruiting process for Battle as many teams dropped communication immediately after the DT hurt his knee. “Georgia is still high on the list, but there’s not been a lot of contact since the injury.” Battle noted that Georgia offensive coordinator Mike Bobo came to spring practice but there hasn’t been a conversation since Battle attended junior day at the school. “I was supposed to get an offer but then I got injured.”
Georgia Tech meanwhile has stayed on Battle’s radar as he calls himself “a big fan of engineering.” “They (the Georgia Tech coaching staff) have been showing a lot of interest and I liked the coaching staff when I went to one of their summer scrimmages,” said Battle of the Yellow Jackets. Battle also likes the fact that Georgia Tech is close enough for his parents to come and visit and he sees some playing time in Al Groh’s 3-4 defense.
The Yellow Jackets, based on the coaches and the location, are one of the three leaders for Battle’s services next season. Battle also likes Georgia Southern, Cincinnati, Arkansas and Louisville. Arkansas offered Battle a scholarship but hasn’t been in contact recently but it was Charlie Strong and Louisville that “never really lost confidence,” in Battle he says. “They believed in me; they’ve been behind me.” Strong impressed Battle and definitely has a chance as the Cardinals were “the first to offer and they’ve been there through everything.”
Battle’s recruitment is likely to take quite a while as the schools are starting to just now notice Battle again as he recovers from the devastating knee injury that threatened to derail his bright future. As the schools start to come after Battle again, he says he’ll be looking for a family-oriented program where he can get a good degree that would help him after college. Battle is just now getting back into the flow of things and the injury may turn out to be a blessing in disguise. From his remarks loyalty will likely play a factor in his recruitment and whomever ends up with his services will be glad they stuck around through the recovery process.
This season Roberts has anchored a defense that has helped the Indians climb to No. 4 in the Class AAAAA polls and while Roberts won’t credit himself he does admit that he’s been working hard. “It’s been a team effort. We’re working and working hard.” Earlier this season the Indians welcomed in the Lowndes Vikings, ranked No. 2 in the state at the time, and walked out with a win. Roberts helped hold Lowndes tailback Troy Braswell to under 100 yards and spearheaded the defensive effort that allowed the McEachern rally.
While McEachern has been impressive on the field, Roberts has been even more so to college recruiters. Roberts calls SEC power South Carolina his leader because of its facilities and coaching staff. “South Carolina is my top (school) right now,” said Roberts on Monday’s Official Visit, presented by Score Atlanta. “I have family down there and I’ve been there a few times.”
South Carolina’s Steve Spurrier may have the inside track to Roberts but he might be fighting off a hard-charging Mike London and the Virginia Cavaliers. Roberts was impressed by UVA, calling it pretty similar to the Gamecocks program. “South Carolina has the edge in facilities, but Virginia has a nice campus. All they need is a couple of good players and they’ll be set.” Roberts said that London was impressive and the linebacker enjoyed meeting the entire staff.
Skip Holtz and the University of South Florida might also be in the running. Despite not having toured the Tampa campus, Roberts is intrigued. “It’s a very good location. I want to get down there and take a visit.”
Those three schools are sure to get an official visit from Roberts along with West Virginia as the linebacker says he will wait to commit until after he takes his five visits. Roberts was not sure which school might get his fifth visit, but it is sure to be a state outside of the state of Georgia. “I just want to get out and see other states and campuses,” said Roberts of the fact that neither Georgia nor Georgia Tech has shown a ton of interest in the linebacker. And whoever gets Roberts may be in for a treat as standout McEachern tight end Rory Anderson and Roberts have spoken about potentially matriculating to the same school.
At the end of the day, Roberts will have to do what is best for him and not necessarily for the package including Anderson. Roberts did mention that his decision will ultimately come down to academics, coaches, facilities and the jerseys. Roberts says he’ll need to have a nice jersey wherever he goes. Whatever colors Roberts wears next season, he’ll certainly be making plays on the defensive side of the football.
***********
Jonathan Battle might be the best defensive tackle that you haven’t heard of yet. Battle of Americus-Sumter (GA) missed his junior season with a knee injury and is now still just getting back to 100% healthy. “Football is not guaranteed,” said Battle in an interview with Score Atlanta’s The Official Visit last Monday. Battle admitted that the first time he stepped on the field he was a bit scared, but he says he is getting over it quickly. “I’m starting to geel 100%. It is still a mind thing but on the field you can see it’s getting better.”
The knee injury certainly affected the recruiting process for Battle as many teams dropped communication immediately after the DT hurt his knee. “Georgia is still high on the list, but there’s not been a lot of contact since the injury.” Battle noted that Georgia offensive coordinator Mike Bobo came to spring practice but there hasn’t been a conversation since Battle attended junior day at the school. “I was supposed to get an offer but then I got injured.”
Georgia Tech meanwhile has stayed on Battle’s radar as he calls himself “a big fan of engineering.” “They (the Georgia Tech coaching staff) have been showing a lot of interest and I liked the coaching staff when I went to one of their summer scrimmages,” said Battle of the Yellow Jackets. Battle also likes the fact that Georgia Tech is close enough for his parents to come and visit and he sees some playing time in Al Groh’s 3-4 defense.
The Yellow Jackets, based on the coaches and the location, are one of the three leaders for Battle’s services next season. Battle also likes Georgia Southern, Cincinnati, Arkansas and Louisville. Arkansas offered Battle a scholarship but hasn’t been in contact recently but it was Charlie Strong and Louisville that “never really lost confidence,” in Battle he says. “They believed in me; they’ve been behind me.” Strong impressed Battle and definitely has a chance as the Cardinals were “the first to offer and they’ve been there through everything.”
Battle’s recruitment is likely to take quite a while as the schools are starting to just now notice Battle again as he recovers from the devastating knee injury that threatened to derail his bright future. As the schools start to come after Battle again, he says he’ll be looking for a family-oriented program where he can get a good degree that would help him after college. Battle is just now getting back into the flow of things and the injury may turn out to be a blessing in disguise. From his remarks loyalty will likely play a factor in his recruitment and whomever ends up with his services will be glad they stuck around through the recovery process.
Monday, September 27, 2010
The Vols will be getting two Peach state standouts
Derek Dooley may have sweated out a nail-biter against UAB last week, but next season he’ll have two players from the state of Georgia willing to do whatever it takes to win. Dooley has received pledges from several Georgia prep stars but two in particular have really made Georgia fans and Tech fans upset that their programs couldn’t keep these guys in-state. Gainesville’s AJ Johnson and Kell’s Brian Randolph have done whatever their coaches have asked to get the job done in the 2010 campaign. Johnson, a super-star linebacker and member of the Score 44, has laid the wood on defense but it has been his offense that people really take notice. In what he dubs the Gorilla formation, Johnson has come in and run the ball like Darren McFadden used to do for Arkansas. Johnson has put the Red Elephants on his back to lead the team to a winning record following the team’s season-opening loss to Buford. In an interview last week, Johnson told Score Atlanta that he has been told by the Vols coaching staff that he might be used on offense as well as at SAM linebacker.
Brian Randolph meanwhile will likely only play safety next season at Tennessee, but it has been his offense for Kell this year that has helped the Longhorns get off to the best start in school history. The Longhorns, thanks to Randolph have also reached its highest ranking ever after a win over No.6 Hiram last Friday. Randolph has scored the game-winning touchdown in several of Kell’s wins this season and scored to beat Grayson in the Georgia Dome to start the season. If Randolph keeps scoring and playing defense like he did as a sophomore (he was injured for much of last season), he might have a chance to score a game-winner in the Georgia Dome at the end of this season too.
The Volunteers have stolen two fine Georgia athletes from the Yellow Jackets and the Bulldogs, but Georgia residents are still able to watch these two for the next six or seven weeks in the Peach State. I’d advise them to get out and watch these two while they can.
Brian Randolph meanwhile will likely only play safety next season at Tennessee, but it has been his offense for Kell this year that has helped the Longhorns get off to the best start in school history. The Longhorns, thanks to Randolph have also reached its highest ranking ever after a win over No.6 Hiram last Friday. Randolph has scored the game-winning touchdown in several of Kell’s wins this season and scored to beat Grayson in the Georgia Dome to start the season. If Randolph keeps scoring and playing defense like he did as a sophomore (he was injured for much of last season), he might have a chance to score a game-winner in the Georgia Dome at the end of this season too.
The Volunteers have stolen two fine Georgia athletes from the Yellow Jackets and the Bulldogs, but Georgia residents are still able to watch these two for the next six or seven weeks in the Peach State. I’d advise them to get out and watch these two while they can.
Big B breaks down the SEC recruiting classes THUS far
Brian L Jones of Score Atlanta fame released his list of the top recruiting classes AS OF RIGHT NOW for the SEC. This list will debut tonight on Score Atlanta's The Official Visit on Sports Radio 790 The Zone. The show is 7:30-10, that's right an extra 30 minutes of THIS GUY. Enjoy!
12. Vanderbilt
11. Miss State
10. Kentucky
9. Tennessee
8. Arkansas
7. South Carolina
6. Ole Miss
5. Georgia
4. Auburn
3. Florida
2. LSU
1. Alabma
12. Vanderbilt
11. Miss State
10. Kentucky
9. Tennessee
8. Arkansas
7. South Carolina
6. Ole Miss
5. Georgia
4. Auburn
3. Florida
2. LSU
1. Alabma
Sunday, September 26, 2010
How about Kyle Whittingham?
Let me start by saying that I do NOT want to fire Georgia head football coach Mark Richt. Some of his staff, yes, but I like Richt and would like to see him turn the ship BACK around to where it was 6 years ago.
But if the new AD decides it is time to cut bait, let me offer one name: Utah's Kyle Whittingham. Georgia's AD has a little bit of experience hiring Utah head coaches to run an SEC Program when he helped Jeremy Foley at Florida bring in Urban Meyer. Wouldn't you love to see Foley's protege bring in Urban's Protege? I think I would, IF Richt is shown the door.
Boise State's Chris Petersen isn't coming to Georgia and I don't want Tuberville to come to Athens, no thank you. I'd like to see Richt calling the plays again and Georgia return to contending for the SEC East and SEC Conference title. But if Richt does leave, Georgia could do A LOT worse than Kyle Whittingham.
But if the new AD decides it is time to cut bait, let me offer one name: Utah's Kyle Whittingham. Georgia's AD has a little bit of experience hiring Utah head coaches to run an SEC Program when he helped Jeremy Foley at Florida bring in Urban Meyer. Wouldn't you love to see Foley's protege bring in Urban's Protege? I think I would, IF Richt is shown the door.
Boise State's Chris Petersen isn't coming to Georgia and I don't want Tuberville to come to Athens, no thank you. I'd like to see Richt calling the plays again and Georgia return to contending for the SEC East and SEC Conference title. But if Richt does leave, Georgia could do A LOT worse than Kyle Whittingham.
Friday, September 24, 2010
West Forsyth storms the Fortress
It was homecoming night at Centennial’s Fortress but the festivities took a bit of a hit after the Wolverines of West Forsyth took advantage of some early turnovers to lead 23-0 after the first quarter en route to a 43-7 victory. West Forsyth, playing it just its third season of varsity football and it first season in Class-AAAAA, up from AAA, earned its first Region 6-AAAAA win thanks to a powerful ground game. Colton Cloud scored a hat trick in the first quarter and the Wolverines defense posted a safety to dampen the Knights’ spirit. In the second quarter, the Wolverines went to the air for a nine-yard TD connection between AJ Erdely and Ethan Shirley to lead 30-0 at the half. The two connected again in the third quarter on a 46-yard scoring pitch-and-catch to snuff out any hopes of a Centennial comeback. Late in the third Tyler Lott scampered in from sixteen yards out to cap West Forsyth’s scoring at 43 points.
Centennial finally dented the scoreboard late in the fourth with senior Carlson Carty bulling in from one yard out for his fifth TD of the season. The Knights fall to 2-3 and 0-1 on the season. West Forsyth meanwhile is making everyone forget the loss to Etowah with yet another impressive victory. While the Wolverines likely won’t be ranked, the playoffs in the school’s first year of Region 6-AAAAA play is likely not out of the question. With region play getting underway tonight, the season has truly begun, and West Forsyth is ahead of the game.
Centennial finally dented the scoreboard late in the fourth with senior Carlson Carty bulling in from one yard out for his fifth TD of the season. The Knights fall to 2-3 and 0-1 on the season. West Forsyth meanwhile is making everyone forget the loss to Etowah with yet another impressive victory. While the Wolverines likely won’t be ranked, the playoffs in the school’s first year of Region 6-AAAAA play is likely not out of the question. With region play getting underway tonight, the season has truly begun, and West Forsyth is ahead of the game.
I need LESS cowbell
Am I looking foward to tomorrow night's adventures in Starkvegas, home of the cowbell and RW:NoLa cast member Jemmye? No. Mainly because I don't want Aaron Murray to catch an STD through the air. After calling for two Georgia wins the last two weeks, I will not be predicting a Georgia win in this blog. I'm not saying they'll lose, but you won't find me saying that Georgia is FINALLY going to get the running game going against a pair of sophomore DTs and will then be able to go play-action over the top with TKing and KDurham. I won't be saying that Bobo, fresh off throwing his FRESHMAN QB under the bus, will be using the Tight Ends a bit more, since Orson Charles and Aron White are being criminally underused. I won't say that Todd Grantham will have his team pissed off and looking for blood. I won't predict that Ealey finds the endzone twice, Murray once on the ground and once through the air and the defense gives up just 10 in a 28-10 Georgia win. Won't be doing that today.
ON TO THE PICKS!
Tonight, if you AREN'T watching GPB's game of the week West Forsyth and Centennial called by SBF's Paul Mac and Fletcher Proctor, you've got #4 TCU @ SMU. June Jones is trying to get things going in Dallas, but come on. Like TCU is going to do me a favor and lose here. Are you kidding? Apparently the universe hates me and is causing Georgia to lose while Boise State and TCU get to keep winning.
SATURDAY PICKS!
Austin Peay @ #11 Wisco. I wouldn't have picked this game except that Ean Pemberton from Grayson now plays for Austin Peay. Maybe the little giant can get things churning like he used to for the Rams and Austin Peay can spring the upset. Doubtful, but hey....
Ball State @ #18 Iowa. Hey Hawkeyes, way to lose at Arizona and make my upset pick to win the Big 11 look bad. I know it wasn't a conference game but still....Hawkeyes roll over the David Lettermans.
Bowling Green @ #21 Michigan. Hey, Pam Ward is BACK! She'll likely call this crap Big11 game on ESPN2! Good for Wolverine fans. Dance party in Ann Arbor after a Michigan win!
NoColorado @ #25 Michigan State. Sparty beats Notre Dame on a fake field goal in OT, coach has a heart attack (this one was real though URBAN!) and Sparty is ranked. Hmmmm Urban fakes a Heart attack and got a few more recruits. Perhaps Mark Richt should fake a heart attack and then people would back off of the hotseat talk.
VaTech @ BC. Wow does Virginia Tech Suck. How much? head to http://chuckoliver.net to read more about the Hokies. VaTech goes 1-0 in ACC play with a win here.
UAB @ Tennessee. The Vols were close for about one half against Florida. Too bad the second half was played. DDool gets the win over UAB. Is this homecoming? It should be.
VMI @ UVa. This will be the third different Uni combo for the Hoos. What does Fletcher Proctor think about that? Head to http://chuckoliver.net to find out! Wahoos win.
#20 USC @ Wazzou. Will Lane Kiffin get outcoached again? Likely. Will Lane Kiffin lose? Doubtful. How is USC down to No.20? Not that I am rooting for them, but the Trojans DO have Matt Barkley...
EMU @ #2 Ohio State. There is the scheduling we know and love from the sweatervest!
UCLA @ #7 Texas. The Longhorns haven't looked impressive thus far this season. Oh, the power I running game isn't sexy. Welcome to Georgia's world. Though with us it is the power "Suck" running game. Horns hook the Bru-crew
#16 Stanford @ Notre Dame. Don't know if you realized this or not but Jimmy Harbaugh is becoming the next "dick" coach ala Steve Spurrier. He runs up the score after the game is over and then he rubs salt in the wounds by sneering about it afterwards. Screech's cousin may be a dick, but he's doing it to schools we all want him to do it to, ala USC and now, HOPEFULLY Notre Dame. Rub it in Jimmy!
Temple @ #23 Penn State. I wanted badly to make this the upset of the week, but I refrained. Honestly though, if Al Golden walked into Happy Valley and walked out with a win, he's the next head coach of Penn State as in August 2011, right? Penn State wins...barely.
Wake @ FSU. Hopefully Jimbo Fisher can do what Bowden couldn't do the last few years: beat Wake. With Ponder at QB and Wake without a QB, you'd think that the Noles are in a good spot right now.
UNC @ Rutgers. This is the classic Fogler game right here! You have former South Carolina coach Eddie Fogler who turned down the UNC basketball job to stay at South Carolina, only to get fired a few months later and now the guy trying to steal the expression in Greg Shiano, who turned down MIAMI to stay in Rutgers aka New Jersey. Seriously? Only The Situation goes to Miami and decides to return to New Jersey, and that's only because MTV paid him to do so. Shiano, are you serious? But honestly with UNC still missing 88 players with tutor-gate, Tom Savage makes me cry with a Rutgers win. (Though i am now feeling pretty good about the Savage/Murray debate as Aaron Murray is going to be REALLY good as long as Bobo stops throwing him under buses. Savage has struggled of late.)
#8 Oklahoma @ Cincy. Remember when the Bearcats were good? That was SOOOOOO 2008-09! Landry Jones gets things BACK on track for the Heisman with a big win in Ohio.
UK @ #9 Florida. Florida started to look half-way decent after that fake-punt last week. That is so weird how Urban has resort to fake things to have success. A fake punt in the 2006 SEC Championship game, a fake punt last week, a fake heart attack... He wins with NO fakes here, but perhaps they beat up Brantley a bit.
Fresno State @ Ole Miss. I would think that ole miss should roll, but I thought that about JAx State too. And on a side note, how bad has Masoli looked? Pretty turrbull. Certainly NOT a heisman contender. For the record I was wrong about that one. Maybe if he had been able to practice with the team a bit more....No excuses. He wins this one.
#12 SoCar @ #17 Auburn. I don't think this would count as an UPSET of the week when Auburn rolls the gamecocks. It is AT Auburn and Stephen Garcia isn't very good. How many TDs did he overthrow against Georgia? Lattimore is good, but Auburn might just lick him up pretty hard, something Georgia failed to do two weeks ago. It might take until the 3rd QTR, but Auburn will win by at least 9.
#22 West Va @ #15 LSU. The Neers are No.22 after barely pulling one out over Marshall two weeks ago? Wow. LSU still has Les Miles but WVA still has Bill Stewart, aka Miles on steroids. The winner of this game (LSU) will keep its coach, so does that mean West Va REALLY wins?
Cal @ #14 Zona. My in-laws must be going nuts out in the greater-Tucson area. Probably not. The Wildcats will beat up on Tedford's Bears. Poor Sandy Cohen. At least he got his house back in Berkley!
#5 Oregon @ Arizona State. Is that right? The Ducks, sans Masoli, are No.5? WHAT? I guess the woman-beat LaMichael James can really run. He'll run all over Arizona State, that is for sure. But it is so hard to go on the road in the Pac-10......wait, that's not true.
Special picks
Falcons @ Saints. I would like to think that the Falcons would have an edge with Nawlins coming off of the MNF game and no Reggie Bush, but really, Matty Ice has never really won a big game like this for Atlanta. I can't see him doing it until he does it. The Saints are my pick.
Redskins v Rams. WOW, do I feel like a dope for thinking that the Redskins would be able to hold a 17 point lead over the Houston Texans with a little over a quarter to play. Doh! The Skins win here though. I am SOOO wearing my jersey on Sunday!
Lock of the week
#1 Bama @ #10 Arkie. Anyone that thinks the Hogs can beat the Tide, I have some land to see you in the Arctic circle. It isn't really that cold up there. For Pete's Sake Arkansas nearly lost to Georgia last week!
Upset of the week:
#24 Oregon State @ #3 Boise State. Wishful thinking more than a real pick. I guy can dream, can't he?
Georgia Tech game:
NCState @ GT. I feel bad for Tech fans watching this game on TV, and they will because they don't sell out, because it is likely the same announcing crew that was in Athens last week. The crew includes the father of the lush, the former partner of Pam Ward that would rather sit beside the father of a lush than Ward and a lazy PXP guy that ONLY discusses the most-obvious storyline. Tech will win with ESPN on mute.
Georgia Game: I'm not saying ANYTHING until next week when Georgia will CLEARLY win (they are playing Colorado. come on. We suck, but they suck worse). I just hope we beat Miss State
ON TO THE PICKS!
Tonight, if you AREN'T watching GPB's game of the week West Forsyth and Centennial called by SBF's Paul Mac and Fletcher Proctor, you've got #4 TCU @ SMU. June Jones is trying to get things going in Dallas, but come on. Like TCU is going to do me a favor and lose here. Are you kidding? Apparently the universe hates me and is causing Georgia to lose while Boise State and TCU get to keep winning.
SATURDAY PICKS!
Austin Peay @ #11 Wisco. I wouldn't have picked this game except that Ean Pemberton from Grayson now plays for Austin Peay. Maybe the little giant can get things churning like he used to for the Rams and Austin Peay can spring the upset. Doubtful, but hey....
Ball State @ #18 Iowa. Hey Hawkeyes, way to lose at Arizona and make my upset pick to win the Big 11 look bad. I know it wasn't a conference game but still....Hawkeyes roll over the David Lettermans.
Bowling Green @ #21 Michigan. Hey, Pam Ward is BACK! She'll likely call this crap Big11 game on ESPN2! Good for Wolverine fans. Dance party in Ann Arbor after a Michigan win!
NoColorado @ #25 Michigan State. Sparty beats Notre Dame on a fake field goal in OT, coach has a heart attack (this one was real though URBAN!) and Sparty is ranked. Hmmmm Urban fakes a Heart attack and got a few more recruits. Perhaps Mark Richt should fake a heart attack and then people would back off of the hotseat talk.
VaTech @ BC. Wow does Virginia Tech Suck. How much? head to http://chuckoliver.net to read more about the Hokies. VaTech goes 1-0 in ACC play with a win here.
UAB @ Tennessee. The Vols were close for about one half against Florida. Too bad the second half was played. DDool gets the win over UAB. Is this homecoming? It should be.
VMI @ UVa. This will be the third different Uni combo for the Hoos. What does Fletcher Proctor think about that? Head to http://chuckoliver.net to find out! Wahoos win.
#20 USC @ Wazzou. Will Lane Kiffin get outcoached again? Likely. Will Lane Kiffin lose? Doubtful. How is USC down to No.20? Not that I am rooting for them, but the Trojans DO have Matt Barkley...
EMU @ #2 Ohio State. There is the scheduling we know and love from the sweatervest!
UCLA @ #7 Texas. The Longhorns haven't looked impressive thus far this season. Oh, the power I running game isn't sexy. Welcome to Georgia's world. Though with us it is the power "Suck" running game. Horns hook the Bru-crew
#16 Stanford @ Notre Dame. Don't know if you realized this or not but Jimmy Harbaugh is becoming the next "dick" coach ala Steve Spurrier. He runs up the score after the game is over and then he rubs salt in the wounds by sneering about it afterwards. Screech's cousin may be a dick, but he's doing it to schools we all want him to do it to, ala USC and now, HOPEFULLY Notre Dame. Rub it in Jimmy!
Temple @ #23 Penn State. I wanted badly to make this the upset of the week, but I refrained. Honestly though, if Al Golden walked into Happy Valley and walked out with a win, he's the next head coach of Penn State as in August 2011, right? Penn State wins...barely.
Wake @ FSU. Hopefully Jimbo Fisher can do what Bowden couldn't do the last few years: beat Wake. With Ponder at QB and Wake without a QB, you'd think that the Noles are in a good spot right now.
UNC @ Rutgers. This is the classic Fogler game right here! You have former South Carolina coach Eddie Fogler who turned down the UNC basketball job to stay at South Carolina, only to get fired a few months later and now the guy trying to steal the expression in Greg Shiano, who turned down MIAMI to stay in Rutgers aka New Jersey. Seriously? Only The Situation goes to Miami and decides to return to New Jersey, and that's only because MTV paid him to do so. Shiano, are you serious? But honestly with UNC still missing 88 players with tutor-gate, Tom Savage makes me cry with a Rutgers win. (Though i am now feeling pretty good about the Savage/Murray debate as Aaron Murray is going to be REALLY good as long as Bobo stops throwing him under buses. Savage has struggled of late.)
#8 Oklahoma @ Cincy. Remember when the Bearcats were good? That was SOOOOOO 2008-09! Landry Jones gets things BACK on track for the Heisman with a big win in Ohio.
UK @ #9 Florida. Florida started to look half-way decent after that fake-punt last week. That is so weird how Urban has resort to fake things to have success. A fake punt in the 2006 SEC Championship game, a fake punt last week, a fake heart attack... He wins with NO fakes here, but perhaps they beat up Brantley a bit.
Fresno State @ Ole Miss. I would think that ole miss should roll, but I thought that about JAx State too. And on a side note, how bad has Masoli looked? Pretty turrbull. Certainly NOT a heisman contender. For the record I was wrong about that one. Maybe if he had been able to practice with the team a bit more....No excuses. He wins this one.
#12 SoCar @ #17 Auburn. I don't think this would count as an UPSET of the week when Auburn rolls the gamecocks. It is AT Auburn and Stephen Garcia isn't very good. How many TDs did he overthrow against Georgia? Lattimore is good, but Auburn might just lick him up pretty hard, something Georgia failed to do two weeks ago. It might take until the 3rd QTR, but Auburn will win by at least 9.
#22 West Va @ #15 LSU. The Neers are No.22 after barely pulling one out over Marshall two weeks ago? Wow. LSU still has Les Miles but WVA still has Bill Stewart, aka Miles on steroids. The winner of this game (LSU) will keep its coach, so does that mean West Va REALLY wins?
Cal @ #14 Zona. My in-laws must be going nuts out in the greater-Tucson area. Probably not. The Wildcats will beat up on Tedford's Bears. Poor Sandy Cohen. At least he got his house back in Berkley!
#5 Oregon @ Arizona State. Is that right? The Ducks, sans Masoli, are No.5? WHAT? I guess the woman-beat LaMichael James can really run. He'll run all over Arizona State, that is for sure. But it is so hard to go on the road in the Pac-10......wait, that's not true.
Special picks
Falcons @ Saints. I would like to think that the Falcons would have an edge with Nawlins coming off of the MNF game and no Reggie Bush, but really, Matty Ice has never really won a big game like this for Atlanta. I can't see him doing it until he does it. The Saints are my pick.
Redskins v Rams. WOW, do I feel like a dope for thinking that the Redskins would be able to hold a 17 point lead over the Houston Texans with a little over a quarter to play. Doh! The Skins win here though. I am SOOO wearing my jersey on Sunday!
Lock of the week
#1 Bama @ #10 Arkie. Anyone that thinks the Hogs can beat the Tide, I have some land to see you in the Arctic circle. It isn't really that cold up there. For Pete's Sake Arkansas nearly lost to Georgia last week!
Upset of the week:
#24 Oregon State @ #3 Boise State. Wishful thinking more than a real pick. I guy can dream, can't he?
Georgia Tech game:
NCState @ GT. I feel bad for Tech fans watching this game on TV, and they will because they don't sell out, because it is likely the same announcing crew that was in Athens last week. The crew includes the father of the lush, the former partner of Pam Ward that would rather sit beside the father of a lush than Ward and a lazy PXP guy that ONLY discusses the most-obvious storyline. Tech will win with ESPN on mute.
Georgia Game: I'm not saying ANYTHING until next week when Georgia will CLEARLY win (they are playing Colorado. come on. We suck, but they suck worse). I just hope we beat Miss State
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Thisweek's TheFletch
Do me a favor....enjoy reading this!
What an amazing finish to the Georgia Public Broadcasting Friday Night Game of the Week between Marist and Southwest DeKalb on the GPB webcast. In case you missed it, War Eagle junior Austin Hardin nailed a 59-yard field with just three seconds remaining to help send Marist to 2-1 on the season. The kicker, who also plays on defense, was drilling field goals from sixty during the halftime warm-ups but the pressurized situation of a game-winning kick made the feat even more impressive. Honestly the kick would have been good from sixty-five the way Hardin booted it. Score Atlanta as well as the AJC covered the story very well but to see the pure joy on the kicker’s young face as well as the faces of his teammates was truly something that I was proud to be a part of as I called the game for GPB along with Bob Houghton. If you missed the kick, you can catch the entire game on replay on gpb.org/sports or visit the link on gaprepnews.com.
Hardin’s long kick wasn’t the only outstanding Georgia prep performance broadcast to the world last Friday. Isaiah Crowell of Carver-Columbus rushed for 185 yards and scored three touchdowns in Carver’s win over LaGrange on ESPN2. Crowell utterly dominated in the contest to the extent that the AJC and the GHSF Daily to openly wondered if the race for player of the year in Georgia is over. Crowell has played well as Carver is undefeated and has knocked off three-time defending-champion Buford, thanks in large part to Crowell. Having played just four games, Crowell is nearly at 1000 yards according to GHSF Daily and the article predicted that the Carver back could be the first wire-to-wire choice since 2004 when LaGrange’s Tray Blackmon won. Crowell has been dominant but I must throw the name of Brian Randolph into the conversation. The Kell two-way standout has seemingly scored the game-winning touchdown in each of his team’s first four games. Randolph will no doubt play in the defensive secondary at Tennessee but he has been lighting it up from the offensive backfield his senior season after missing some time last year due to injuries. Randolph is healthy again and he is reminding everyone why, as a sophomore, he was tabbed as one to keep an eye on in the 2011 signing class.
Speaking of high school football, Georgia Public Broadcasting will be teaming up with the Valdosta Daily Times on Saturday, October 2 for a special webcast of the Valdosta Wildcats/ML King Lions game at Hallford Stadium. Earlier this season the Valdosta newspaper carried the GPB webcast of the Lowndes/McEachern game and it was such a success with over 2000 chat hits that the Valdosta Daily Times has partnered with GPB for this special Saturday webcast. The game will feature several members of the Score 44 including Jay Rome and Malcolm Mitchell of Valdosta and Demarco Robinson of ML King. There are also several other players that may make future Score 44 lists so be sure and log on Saturday, October 2, starting at 7 p.m.
A lot of work goes on before a football webcast on GPB or a radio broadcast on 790 The Zone or 680 The Fan. The announcers will usually speak with the coaches, and at GPB we acquire a two-deep and interview the coaches on GPB Sports Central XL. We also read up on every game the two teams have played over the course of the season and we study up on the season statistics. I would assume the same process is done for NFL and college games, but sometimes it is hard to tell on some secondary games. As I watched the Georgia/Arkansas game last week it seemed as though the ESPN announcing crew decided that it would only discuss AJ Green’s absence and the fact that Ryan Mallet had never won an SEC road game. The crew harped on these points over and over and over and over and over… to the point that I wanted to vomit. After every completion, a shot of AJ Green; after every incompletion, a shot of AJ Green. Then when Arkansas was on the field, “Ryan Mallet has never won a big SEC road game,” was said so many times I felt sorry for the kid. The game had so many angles that could have been explored such as Petrino’s first trip back to Georgia since his Falcons departure, Arkansas coming in ranked, Arkansas’ improved defense, Georgia’s freshman QB in his first home SEC game, but for whatever reason, the crew and the producers engaged in lazy journalism and just talked about two players. I have worked on numerous play-by-play crews and none have been as lazy as that telecast was last Saturday. I would have been embarrassed to come into a game with only two storylines. Pick it up guys, we are three weeks into the season.
As football is starting to dominate the airwaves, baseball is coming down the homestretch, and I was surprised at 680 The Fan’s approach to the “Braves vs. high school football” decision. As I left Hallford Stadium after the exciting finish, I was surprised to hear a promo for 680’s high school football coverage airing on the two Fan sister stations instead of 680 itself. I understand that the station spent a bunch of money on the rights to the Braves broadcasts, but the game was over and the postgame was over, so why run even more postgame with the Braves Wrap-up call-in show? Why not slide over to high school football which is on everyone’s mind at 10:45 on a Friday night? As much as I love Sports Central and Sports Central XL contributor Tommy Palmer and his Friday Night show, which airs on 790 The Zone, I really enjoyed hearing about the metro-area games on 680’s old wrap-up show. There was a large round-table with multiple voices weighing in on the night’s action with local callers describing the games. Most of Palmer’s reports are from games outside of the metro-area. While that is great to hear about those games, sometimes I just want to hear people talk about the Atlanta games. I just wish 680 would consider bringing back the prep round-up show and stick the SECOND Braves post-game show on one of the sister stations. We don’t need THAT much Braves dissection.
Can you believe he said that?
“The most overrated QB in the history of the NFL? Brett Favre…OK, how about Matt Cassel?” That was Will The Thrill of 790 The Zone, as the assistant producer was given a quick minute of airtime last Sunday on the Ford Football Show, part of the Zone’s Falcons coverage. Will, who helps out with the production of Score Atlanta Sports Sunday wasn’t quite ready for his on-air time with Steak and John Michaels and he was subsequently given a hard time. In his defense though, he has driven home some valid points in the past and deserves a bit more air-time, as long as he is prepared for it in the future.
What an amazing finish to the Georgia Public Broadcasting Friday Night Game of the Week between Marist and Southwest DeKalb on the GPB webcast. In case you missed it, War Eagle junior Austin Hardin nailed a 59-yard field with just three seconds remaining to help send Marist to 2-1 on the season. The kicker, who also plays on defense, was drilling field goals from sixty during the halftime warm-ups but the pressurized situation of a game-winning kick made the feat even more impressive. Honestly the kick would have been good from sixty-five the way Hardin booted it. Score Atlanta as well as the AJC covered the story very well but to see the pure joy on the kicker’s young face as well as the faces of his teammates was truly something that I was proud to be a part of as I called the game for GPB along with Bob Houghton. If you missed the kick, you can catch the entire game on replay on gpb.org/sports or visit the link on gaprepnews.com.
Hardin’s long kick wasn’t the only outstanding Georgia prep performance broadcast to the world last Friday. Isaiah Crowell of Carver-Columbus rushed for 185 yards and scored three touchdowns in Carver’s win over LaGrange on ESPN2. Crowell utterly dominated in the contest to the extent that the AJC and the GHSF Daily to openly wondered if the race for player of the year in Georgia is over. Crowell has played well as Carver is undefeated and has knocked off three-time defending-champion Buford, thanks in large part to Crowell. Having played just four games, Crowell is nearly at 1000 yards according to GHSF Daily and the article predicted that the Carver back could be the first wire-to-wire choice since 2004 when LaGrange’s Tray Blackmon won. Crowell has been dominant but I must throw the name of Brian Randolph into the conversation. The Kell two-way standout has seemingly scored the game-winning touchdown in each of his team’s first four games. Randolph will no doubt play in the defensive secondary at Tennessee but he has been lighting it up from the offensive backfield his senior season after missing some time last year due to injuries. Randolph is healthy again and he is reminding everyone why, as a sophomore, he was tabbed as one to keep an eye on in the 2011 signing class.
Speaking of high school football, Georgia Public Broadcasting will be teaming up with the Valdosta Daily Times on Saturday, October 2 for a special webcast of the Valdosta Wildcats/ML King Lions game at Hallford Stadium. Earlier this season the Valdosta newspaper carried the GPB webcast of the Lowndes/McEachern game and it was such a success with over 2000 chat hits that the Valdosta Daily Times has partnered with GPB for this special Saturday webcast. The game will feature several members of the Score 44 including Jay Rome and Malcolm Mitchell of Valdosta and Demarco Robinson of ML King. There are also several other players that may make future Score 44 lists so be sure and log on Saturday, October 2, starting at 7 p.m.
A lot of work goes on before a football webcast on GPB or a radio broadcast on 790 The Zone or 680 The Fan. The announcers will usually speak with the coaches, and at GPB we acquire a two-deep and interview the coaches on GPB Sports Central XL. We also read up on every game the two teams have played over the course of the season and we study up on the season statistics. I would assume the same process is done for NFL and college games, but sometimes it is hard to tell on some secondary games. As I watched the Georgia/Arkansas game last week it seemed as though the ESPN announcing crew decided that it would only discuss AJ Green’s absence and the fact that Ryan Mallet had never won an SEC road game. The crew harped on these points over and over and over and over and over… to the point that I wanted to vomit. After every completion, a shot of AJ Green; after every incompletion, a shot of AJ Green. Then when Arkansas was on the field, “Ryan Mallet has never won a big SEC road game,” was said so many times I felt sorry for the kid. The game had so many angles that could have been explored such as Petrino’s first trip back to Georgia since his Falcons departure, Arkansas coming in ranked, Arkansas’ improved defense, Georgia’s freshman QB in his first home SEC game, but for whatever reason, the crew and the producers engaged in lazy journalism and just talked about two players. I have worked on numerous play-by-play crews and none have been as lazy as that telecast was last Saturday. I would have been embarrassed to come into a game with only two storylines. Pick it up guys, we are three weeks into the season.
As football is starting to dominate the airwaves, baseball is coming down the homestretch, and I was surprised at 680 The Fan’s approach to the “Braves vs. high school football” decision. As I left Hallford Stadium after the exciting finish, I was surprised to hear a promo for 680’s high school football coverage airing on the two Fan sister stations instead of 680 itself. I understand that the station spent a bunch of money on the rights to the Braves broadcasts, but the game was over and the postgame was over, so why run even more postgame with the Braves Wrap-up call-in show? Why not slide over to high school football which is on everyone’s mind at 10:45 on a Friday night? As much as I love Sports Central and Sports Central XL contributor Tommy Palmer and his Friday Night show, which airs on 790 The Zone, I really enjoyed hearing about the metro-area games on 680’s old wrap-up show. There was a large round-table with multiple voices weighing in on the night’s action with local callers describing the games. Most of Palmer’s reports are from games outside of the metro-area. While that is great to hear about those games, sometimes I just want to hear people talk about the Atlanta games. I just wish 680 would consider bringing back the prep round-up show and stick the SECOND Braves post-game show on one of the sister stations. We don’t need THAT much Braves dissection.
Can you believe he said that?
“The most overrated QB in the history of the NFL? Brett Favre…OK, how about Matt Cassel?” That was Will The Thrill of 790 The Zone, as the assistant producer was given a quick minute of airtime last Sunday on the Ford Football Show, part of the Zone’s Falcons coverage. Will, who helps out with the production of Score Atlanta Sports Sunday wasn’t quite ready for his on-air time with Steak and John Michaels and he was subsequently given a hard time. In his defense though, he has driven home some valid points in the past and deserves a bit more air-time, as long as he is prepared for it in the future.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
AJ Johnson and Stephon Tuitt interview recaps from The Official Visit
AJ Johnson and Stephon Tuitt both joined Score Atlanta’s The Official Visit earlier this week to discuss their recent commitments to Tennessee and Notre Dame respectively. AJ Johnson of Gainesville High School recommitted to Tennessee after originally committing to the Volunteers during Lane Kiffin’s tenure as head coach. When Kiffin left to take the USC job, Johnson backed out on his pledge to look around the recruiting scene again. Johnson spoke about his decision to co-hosts Fletcher Proctor and Scott Janovitz saying “I just chose Tennessee. I went back and forth with Florida but in the end it was Tennessee.” Despite building a rapport with Kiffin, Johnson said he kept an open mind about new coach Derek Dooley. “He won’t lead you wrong,” Johnson said of Dooley. “He’ll teach you in life.” Johnson also liked Coach Chuck Smith whom Johnson said “recruited (him) hard.”
Johnson didn’t hide the fact that he initially went against his word and blamed it on the coaching change. In the end though, Johnson said he “just felt Tennessee.” And the early timing wasn’t an issue with Johnson as he said he just wanted to go ahead and do it.
Interestingly enough Johnson never truly considered either of the in-state schools Georgia Tech or Georgia. The Yellow Jackets were on him “pretty hard,” but Johnson said he didn’t know what happened with Georgia. Florida seriously entered the picture but after visiting both schools and watching his first college game live, he decided on the Volunteers.
The Gainesville Red Elephants, Johnson’s high school squad, have been utilizing Johnson in a variety of ways other than just his traditional linebacker role. Johnson has been coming in on offense in “gorilla” sets and running the ball. It has been working as Gainesville has rallied after opening the season with a loss. “Winning matters. I want to win,” said Johnson of his role with his high school team. That also translates to his future as well. At Tennessee, he said the coaches told him he’ll play the SAM linebacker position and rush the quarterback, but the coaches didn’t rule out a Wildcat role. “I want to be the best,” Johnson said but he knows that it will take work. “My first year, I’ll try and come in and compete, but at the next level, you just can’t tell.”
Johnson will likely take a few more visits but Tennessee is getting a player with lots of heart and a broad skill set. Johnson has the potential to make an impact at several positions on the football field and the SEC should not take Johnson lightly.
Stephon Tuitt also spoke of his surprising decision to leave the state for Notre Dame. The Irish were in Tuitt’s final pool of schools but perhaps was a long shot until he visited South Bend. “I didn’t expect it to be as scenic as it was,” Tuitt said after he visited Notre Dame. “The students, the coaches, the scenery were great. It was a great environment and I can get a great degree there,” said Tuitt of his great time.
Many folks believed that the Monroe Area star would stay in-state and go to Georgia Tech, but Tuitt said Notre Dame had too many positives. “To me, I felt Notre Dame had everything I was looking for and they had my major (a medical program).”
New coach Brian Kelly helped sell Tuitt, but the defensive end could also not deny the networking aspect of the Irish alumni base. “You can see success in the program.” Tuitt was impressed by Kelly though, remarking that the chemistry of the coaching staff is great. “They are tough but a wonderful staff.”
At Notre Dame, Tuitt will be a versatile player though his natural position will be defensive end. Rivals and Scout.com have Tuitt as one of the top defensive ends in the state of Georgia and it is easy to see why seemingly all of the nation’s top schools were hot on his trail. Georgia, Georgia Tech, Clemson, Auburn and Miami were all hot on the trail but now they are all done, according to Tuitt. He announced his recruitment is finished and the Tigers of Auburn and Clemson and the Hurricanes are just finished. Georgia Tech though might have been the hardest cut to make. “It was hard to call the coaches (at Tech). One of the hardest decisions I’ve ever made.”
Tuitt though believes it was the right one. Chemistry, a wonderful environment and a strong program in his major all made the decision for him Tuitt said. And the football tradition didn’t hurt either. Tuitt will have a chance to add to that tradition, perhaps as early as next season. Tuitt said the coaches want him to come to campus in June to “get stronger.”
“I hope to play the first year and be starting by my sophomore year or junior year,” Tuitt said. If he can impact Notre Dame the way he has his high school team in his senior season, the Irish will be just fine. After struggling the last few seasons with winless campaigns, Monroe-Area has started this year 3-0. He credits chemistry for the team’s turnaround but Tuitt has gotten stronger and better and is leading by example, something he’ll surely bring to Notre Dame next season
Johnson didn’t hide the fact that he initially went against his word and blamed it on the coaching change. In the end though, Johnson said he “just felt Tennessee.” And the early timing wasn’t an issue with Johnson as he said he just wanted to go ahead and do it.
Interestingly enough Johnson never truly considered either of the in-state schools Georgia Tech or Georgia. The Yellow Jackets were on him “pretty hard,” but Johnson said he didn’t know what happened with Georgia. Florida seriously entered the picture but after visiting both schools and watching his first college game live, he decided on the Volunteers.
The Gainesville Red Elephants, Johnson’s high school squad, have been utilizing Johnson in a variety of ways other than just his traditional linebacker role. Johnson has been coming in on offense in “gorilla” sets and running the ball. It has been working as Gainesville has rallied after opening the season with a loss. “Winning matters. I want to win,” said Johnson of his role with his high school team. That also translates to his future as well. At Tennessee, he said the coaches told him he’ll play the SAM linebacker position and rush the quarterback, but the coaches didn’t rule out a Wildcat role. “I want to be the best,” Johnson said but he knows that it will take work. “My first year, I’ll try and come in and compete, but at the next level, you just can’t tell.”
Johnson will likely take a few more visits but Tennessee is getting a player with lots of heart and a broad skill set. Johnson has the potential to make an impact at several positions on the football field and the SEC should not take Johnson lightly.
Stephon Tuitt also spoke of his surprising decision to leave the state for Notre Dame. The Irish were in Tuitt’s final pool of schools but perhaps was a long shot until he visited South Bend. “I didn’t expect it to be as scenic as it was,” Tuitt said after he visited Notre Dame. “The students, the coaches, the scenery were great. It was a great environment and I can get a great degree there,” said Tuitt of his great time.
Many folks believed that the Monroe Area star would stay in-state and go to Georgia Tech, but Tuitt said Notre Dame had too many positives. “To me, I felt Notre Dame had everything I was looking for and they had my major (a medical program).”
New coach Brian Kelly helped sell Tuitt, but the defensive end could also not deny the networking aspect of the Irish alumni base. “You can see success in the program.” Tuitt was impressed by Kelly though, remarking that the chemistry of the coaching staff is great. “They are tough but a wonderful staff.”
At Notre Dame, Tuitt will be a versatile player though his natural position will be defensive end. Rivals and Scout.com have Tuitt as one of the top defensive ends in the state of Georgia and it is easy to see why seemingly all of the nation’s top schools were hot on his trail. Georgia, Georgia Tech, Clemson, Auburn and Miami were all hot on the trail but now they are all done, according to Tuitt. He announced his recruitment is finished and the Tigers of Auburn and Clemson and the Hurricanes are just finished. Georgia Tech though might have been the hardest cut to make. “It was hard to call the coaches (at Tech). One of the hardest decisions I’ve ever made.”
Tuitt though believes it was the right one. Chemistry, a wonderful environment and a strong program in his major all made the decision for him Tuitt said. And the football tradition didn’t hurt either. Tuitt will have a chance to add to that tradition, perhaps as early as next season. Tuitt said the coaches want him to come to campus in June to “get stronger.”
“I hope to play the first year and be starting by my sophomore year or junior year,” Tuitt said. If he can impact Notre Dame the way he has his high school team in his senior season, the Irish will be just fine. After struggling the last few seasons with winless campaigns, Monroe-Area has started this year 3-0. He credits chemistry for the team’s turnaround but Tuitt has gotten stronger and better and is leading by example, something he’ll surely bring to Notre Dame next season
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Job opportunities for ex-Gator Chris Rainey
Chris Rainey, formerly of the Florida Gators has been suspended indefinitely from the team after his arrest for aggravated stalking. Apparently he texted his girlfriend after an argument, "Time to Die, B*tch!" which is classy. Top one percent of the top one percent, eh Urban?
Anyways, if Rainey is officially done with the Gators and college football, I would imagine the endorsements and job opportunities would just flow in for him. In fact I recently spoke with a person (no I didn't) who is angling to rep Rainey should his collegiate career be at its end. He said he had the following deals lined up for his potential client....
A job with Virgin Air, texting customers with any changes to flights with "Time to Fly"
A job with MayTag washing machines to have his voice replace the typical buzzer that sounds the end of a load. He would announce "Time to Dry"
A job with a Gainesville KFC, informing the cooks when it was "Time to Fry"
A job with the Florida judicial system to announce when a judge enters the courtroom, "Time to Try"
A job with Columbia pictures to appear in sappy movies before each sad scene to announce "Time to Cry"
A job with the Food Network to serve as the Voice Over person on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives to declare, "Time to Guy"
A job going around Myrtle Beach remind sunbathers when it is "Time to re-apply"
A job with E-Vite to send out a text to folks that haven't responded to the invitation with "Time to reply"
A job with CNBC for his own Wall Street Wrap-up show entitled, "Time to Buy"
A job with Atlanta Bread Company pushing products with text messages such as "Time to Rye"
A job with Asian food court restaurants in the Mall of Georgia offering the option of "Time to Thai"
So it seems Rainey has options if the football stuff doesn't work out.
Anyways, if Rainey is officially done with the Gators and college football, I would imagine the endorsements and job opportunities would just flow in for him. In fact I recently spoke with a person (no I didn't) who is angling to rep Rainey should his collegiate career be at its end. He said he had the following deals lined up for his potential client....
A job with Virgin Air, texting customers with any changes to flights with "Time to Fly"
A job with MayTag washing machines to have his voice replace the typical buzzer that sounds the end of a load. He would announce "Time to Dry"
A job with a Gainesville KFC, informing the cooks when it was "Time to Fry"
A job with the Florida judicial system to announce when a judge enters the courtroom, "Time to Try"
A job with Columbia pictures to appear in sappy movies before each sad scene to announce "Time to Cry"
A job with the Food Network to serve as the Voice Over person on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives to declare, "Time to Guy"
A job going around Myrtle Beach remind sunbathers when it is "Time to re-apply"
A job with E-Vite to send out a text to folks that haven't responded to the invitation with "Time to reply"
A job with CNBC for his own Wall Street Wrap-up show entitled, "Time to Buy"
A job with Atlanta Bread Company pushing products with text messages such as "Time to Rye"
A job with Asian food court restaurants in the Mall of Georgia offering the option of "Time to Thai"
So it seems Rainey has options if the football stuff doesn't work out.
Monday, September 20, 2010
Big B breaks down the ACC recruiting classes to date
Big B Brian Jones breaks out a top ten list every Monday Night on Score Atlanta's The Official Visit (from 7:30-10 pm) on Sports Radio 790 the Zone. For more of Big B, tune in this Sunday from 1-4.
12) N.C. State: Seven guys committed to date. According to Rivals, the Wofpack don’t have a single four-star commit. Massachusetts running back Anthony Knight is a big physical back and NC athlete Juston Burris is a quality prospect as well;
11) Wake Forest: Nine commitments on board, also without a four-star guy. Florida OL Cody Preble and Florida DB Allen Ramsey lead the class;
10) Duke: Cutcliffe has done a masterful job at Duke, and currently has 23 guys committed in the Class of 2011. From Georgia, Duke has commitments from Westlake’s Chris Tavarez, Flowery Branch kicker Will Monday, and Stephenson DB Jared Boyd;
9) Boston College: Just 12 commitments thus far, but Connecticut linebacker Graham Stewart is a very impressive looking prospect and Massachusetts TE Brian Miller and NY DE Kieran Borcich are top recruits in their own right;
8) Georgia Tech: 14 commitments, including big ones from Darrius Caldwell, Jeff Greene, Jabir Hunt-Days, Chris Milton and Vad Lee;
7) Virginia Tech: Beamer has 12 guys committed, including seven from Virginia. The class is led by Indiana DT Kris Harley and Virginia DE Corey Marshall. Should be behind Georgia Tech;
6) Miami: The Hurricanes have just eight commitments, though they are from talented guys. The class is led by Teddy Bridgewater and DE Anthony Chickillo. Also, commitments from Albert Louis-Jean and WR Phillip Dorsett;
5) Maryland: The Terps have an impressive 17 commitments, but just one from a four-star prospect and that’s Virginia OL Nathaniel Clarke. Lacks great quality;
4) Virginia: Another big class, already 21 men, but a mediocre one. Only two headline recruits, and they are Maryland athlete Brandon Phelps and Virginia RB Clifton Richardson;
3) North Carolina: 17 commitments, 10 from NC. Top OL class with Landon Turner, Jarrod James, and Kiaro Holts, all top at their position,, and T.J. Thorpe is among the top athletes in NC as well;
2) Clemson: 18 guys on board, including top offensive stars such as Marlin Lane, Mike Bellamy, WRs Martavis Bryant and Charone Peake, Shaq Anthony, and leading for the likes of Jadeveon Clowney, Tony Steward and Sammy Watkins;
1) Florida State: 15 commitments including two five-star guys in James Wilder and Karlos Williams. Wilder looks weaker than I thought, though. Also love Terrance Smith, Tyler Hunter, Rashad Greene and Bobby Hart.
12) N.C. State: Seven guys committed to date. According to Rivals, the Wofpack don’t have a single four-star commit. Massachusetts running back Anthony Knight is a big physical back and NC athlete Juston Burris is a quality prospect as well;
11) Wake Forest: Nine commitments on board, also without a four-star guy. Florida OL Cody Preble and Florida DB Allen Ramsey lead the class;
10) Duke: Cutcliffe has done a masterful job at Duke, and currently has 23 guys committed in the Class of 2011. From Georgia, Duke has commitments from Westlake’s Chris Tavarez, Flowery Branch kicker Will Monday, and Stephenson DB Jared Boyd;
9) Boston College: Just 12 commitments thus far, but Connecticut linebacker Graham Stewart is a very impressive looking prospect and Massachusetts TE Brian Miller and NY DE Kieran Borcich are top recruits in their own right;
8) Georgia Tech: 14 commitments, including big ones from Darrius Caldwell, Jeff Greene, Jabir Hunt-Days, Chris Milton and Vad Lee;
7) Virginia Tech: Beamer has 12 guys committed, including seven from Virginia. The class is led by Indiana DT Kris Harley and Virginia DE Corey Marshall. Should be behind Georgia Tech;
6) Miami: The Hurricanes have just eight commitments, though they are from talented guys. The class is led by Teddy Bridgewater and DE Anthony Chickillo. Also, commitments from Albert Louis-Jean and WR Phillip Dorsett;
5) Maryland: The Terps have an impressive 17 commitments, but just one from a four-star prospect and that’s Virginia OL Nathaniel Clarke. Lacks great quality;
4) Virginia: Another big class, already 21 men, but a mediocre one. Only two headline recruits, and they are Maryland athlete Brandon Phelps and Virginia RB Clifton Richardson;
3) North Carolina: 17 commitments, 10 from NC. Top OL class with Landon Turner, Jarrod James, and Kiaro Holts, all top at their position,, and T.J. Thorpe is among the top athletes in NC as well;
2) Clemson: 18 guys on board, including top offensive stars such as Marlin Lane, Mike Bellamy, WRs Martavis Bryant and Charone Peake, Shaq Anthony, and leading for the likes of Jadeveon Clowney, Tony Steward and Sammy Watkins;
1) Florida State: 15 commitments including two five-star guys in James Wilder and Karlos Williams. Wilder looks weaker than I thought, though. Also love Terrance Smith, Tyler Hunter, Rashad Greene and Bobby Hart.
These kids can do it ALL
Anyone that wakes up today and says, “Oh they won’t be able to do that, they’re just high school kids,” obviously hasn’t been watching high school football in Georgia the last few seasons. For years, save for the elite few, high school football players were clearly a level below the college players that strapped on the pads Saturdays across the country. However with outstanding coaching, improved weight training programs and a year-round commitment by the programs and the players, high school football in Georgia has soared to the top of mountain nationally. Folks should no longer write off high school kids saying they cannot do something. They can pretty much do it all these days and the first month of the high school season has proven that.
Last Friday night I called the Marist 17-14 victory over Southwest DeKalb at Hallford Stadium for GPB where the outcome was decided by a 59-yard game-winning field goal by War Eagle junior Austin Hardin with just three seconds left on the clock. The game was a well-played affair until the kick which was amazing but did not surprise me. I watched this young kicker boom field goal attempts during the halftime warm-up period and I have seen all season long these kickers nailing 45+ yard kicks. I was impressed with the result, considering the pressure-situation, but at the end of the day these kids have stepped up their games.
Earlier this season I saw a Hail Mary thrown 65 yards in the air and nearly completed thanks to a tremendous play by a receiver. These young quarterbacks can fling it and they can do it on a dime. These aren’t the same wounded ducks or floaters that used to be seen coming from a prep-ranked signal caller. The QBs are stronger and faster and many can recognize the defensive coverage and change the play on their own.
The offensive lineman are bigger and faster too these days. Gone are the days of the “fat” lineman in Georgia high school football. These kids are muscular and quick. Most, if over 300 lbs, are packed with muscle and can run like anyone toting 300lbs shouldn’t be able to do. These guys use all of the weight instead of just haul it around.
The running backs in Georgia are much faster than in previous generations. While good players have always been around, now it seems EVERY team has a stud running back destined to go to a school at the next level. Last season the state was loaded with top-tier running back talent while this year Isaiah Crowell showed on ESPN2 last Friday that he might just be the top running back in the country thanks to his blend of size, speed, catching-ability and blocking-prowess. Without question, Crowell could step onto a college field and stand out immediately.
And that is the point I am trying to make. These kids aren’t really kids anymore; they are finely tuned athletes that expect to excel on the high school gridiron. A 4.3 forty-time isn’t a shock anymore. A 75-yard Hail Mary isn’t out of the question these days. And a 59-yard field goal shouldn’t surprise anyone. The amazing has become run-of-the-mill in today’s Georgia High School football and we should embrace that these guys can truly do it all.
Last Friday night I called the Marist 17-14 victory over Southwest DeKalb at Hallford Stadium for GPB where the outcome was decided by a 59-yard game-winning field goal by War Eagle junior Austin Hardin with just three seconds left on the clock. The game was a well-played affair until the kick which was amazing but did not surprise me. I watched this young kicker boom field goal attempts during the halftime warm-up period and I have seen all season long these kickers nailing 45+ yard kicks. I was impressed with the result, considering the pressure-situation, but at the end of the day these kids have stepped up their games.
Earlier this season I saw a Hail Mary thrown 65 yards in the air and nearly completed thanks to a tremendous play by a receiver. These young quarterbacks can fling it and they can do it on a dime. These aren’t the same wounded ducks or floaters that used to be seen coming from a prep-ranked signal caller. The QBs are stronger and faster and many can recognize the defensive coverage and change the play on their own.
The offensive lineman are bigger and faster too these days. Gone are the days of the “fat” lineman in Georgia high school football. These kids are muscular and quick. Most, if over 300 lbs, are packed with muscle and can run like anyone toting 300lbs shouldn’t be able to do. These guys use all of the weight instead of just haul it around.
The running backs in Georgia are much faster than in previous generations. While good players have always been around, now it seems EVERY team has a stud running back destined to go to a school at the next level. Last season the state was loaded with top-tier running back talent while this year Isaiah Crowell showed on ESPN2 last Friday that he might just be the top running back in the country thanks to his blend of size, speed, catching-ability and blocking-prowess. Without question, Crowell could step onto a college field and stand out immediately.
And that is the point I am trying to make. These kids aren’t really kids anymore; they are finely tuned athletes that expect to excel on the high school gridiron. A 4.3 forty-time isn’t a shock anymore. A 75-yard Hail Mary isn’t out of the question these days. And a 59-yard field goal shouldn’t surprise anyone. The amazing has become run-of-the-mill in today’s Georgia High School football and we should embrace that these guys can truly do it all.
Friday, September 17, 2010
Marist junior kicker boots it 59 yards for last second win
Marist edges Southwest DeKalb on 59-yard Field Goal with :03 remaining.
During halftime of Friday Night’s GPB Game of the Week, right after Southwest DeKalb’s band had performed yet another masterpiece, Marist placekicker Austin Hardin practiced his field goals and he just missed a booming 60-yard attempt. He had the distance just not the direction. With :09 remaining, Hardin would have the leg AND the direction to help Marist rally from down seven in the third to win 17-14.
Sophomore Gray King got the scoring going after a scoreless first with a thirteen yard scamper on an option pitch from Marist QB Andy Perez. About eight seconds later the score would knot up at 7-7 after a 47-yard kick return from Moses Charles and then a 53-yard screen pass catch and score from Nicholas Barnett. The Panthers of Southwest DeKalb would stand firm after Marist had second-and-goal from the one yard line, eventually stopping King on a fourth down rush for a five yard loss.
In the third quarter, junior linebacker Toran Davis tried his hand at running back and found paydirt to give the Panthers a 14-7 lead in the third. In the final quarter, Marist was slicing the Panther defense to get fourth and goal from the one yet again. This time King was able to plop into the endzone for his second score. After stopping Southwest DeKalb and regaining possession, the War Eagles drove to the Panther 42 before stalling out. Instead of punting with nine seconds remaining, the junior Hardin was called upon and the heir to Justin Moore’s job was up to the job, splitting the uprights on a kick that would have been good from 65 out.
The War Eagles improved to 3-1 while Southwest DeKalb fell to 2-2. Tucker still leads Region 6-AAAA, but Marist is in a prime position to make the playoffs with this big win over a traditional region rival.
During halftime of Friday Night’s GPB Game of the Week, right after Southwest DeKalb’s band had performed yet another masterpiece, Marist placekicker Austin Hardin practiced his field goals and he just missed a booming 60-yard attempt. He had the distance just not the direction. With :09 remaining, Hardin would have the leg AND the direction to help Marist rally from down seven in the third to win 17-14.
Sophomore Gray King got the scoring going after a scoreless first with a thirteen yard scamper on an option pitch from Marist QB Andy Perez. About eight seconds later the score would knot up at 7-7 after a 47-yard kick return from Moses Charles and then a 53-yard screen pass catch and score from Nicholas Barnett. The Panthers of Southwest DeKalb would stand firm after Marist had second-and-goal from the one yard line, eventually stopping King on a fourth down rush for a five yard loss.
In the third quarter, junior linebacker Toran Davis tried his hand at running back and found paydirt to give the Panthers a 14-7 lead in the third. In the final quarter, Marist was slicing the Panther defense to get fourth and goal from the one yet again. This time King was able to plop into the endzone for his second score. After stopping Southwest DeKalb and regaining possession, the War Eagles drove to the Panther 42 before stalling out. Instead of punting with nine seconds remaining, the junior Hardin was called upon and the heir to Justin Moore’s job was up to the job, splitting the uprights on a kick that would have been good from 65 out.
The War Eagles improved to 3-1 while Southwest DeKalb fell to 2-2. Tucker still leads Region 6-AAAA, but Marist is in a prime position to make the playoffs with this big win over a traditional region rival.
My Pig-spittin' picks
Well clearly Georgia is going to lose this weekend, so I was debating whether or not to even do picks, but you know, I owe it to everyone out there that reads these blogs (all 3 of you) so the picks must go on! PS, tonight's Friday night GA HS Game of the week between Marist and Southwest DeKalb will begin at 8 with coverage to start at 7:30. That's a backup of 30 minutes. I hope you can deal. Thanks!
ON TO THE PICKS!
Ohio @ #2 the Ohio State. Here we go. I was wondering when Tressel was going to play one of the small instate schools that he typically does to run his record out to 12-0 before he loses to an SEC school in the BCS. Gotcha. Sorry Bobcats, the alma mater of Gary Trent. I'm going with Brutus.
UMass @ #20 Michigan. Watch out RichRod-haters, he's ranked. It is pretty hard to fire a coach that is ranked. I guess you'll just have to settle for him being a preseason Top 5 pick next year. Denard Robinson....wow. I was saying last week how Georgia could have used him against South Carolina. But then I remembered Bobo would have had him running the bubble-screen. I'm going with the Hugh Jackmans! (though isn't this the type of game that Michigan loses in recent years? Nah, not this year.)
Maryland @ #21 West Va. Without Steve Slaton there to be motivated over an invented-slight by the Terps, how will the Hillbillies get fired up? Wait, they won't need to. They are facing maryland. Yes, the lowercase was intentional.
Kent State @ #22 Penn State. Man, that is harsh to drop Penn State all the way down to No.22 after they go TO Bama and avoid a 60-point beat down that Saban surely would have dropped (and might just still) on Ohio State. But then again, the voters dropped GT out of the rankings after they lost to Kansas. Wait for it.....
Iowa State @ K-State. the battle of the two "State" schools that are clearly little brothers to Iowa and Kansas, respectively. Imagine being second-class citizens in Iowa and Kansas. That would REALLY suck. Ummm, let's go with K-State. Logan Gray wanted to potentially transfer there. it must have SOMETHING going for it...
Ball State @ Purdue. I am pretty sure I drove by both of these schools on last year's road trip to Chicago. I want those 13 hours back. Purdue has a former Miami QB. I'm going with them.
Vandy @ Ole Miss. Masoli for Heisman. Wait, nevermind. For more on Ole Miss, go to http://chuckoliver.net and read Paul Mac's work. Do it! The Rebels win. Clearly.
ECU @ VT. I wrote about it on chuckoliver.net but I will semi-repeat myself. According to Bill Parcells, you are what your record says you are. The record says VaTech is 0-2. That is not good. Virginia Tech isn't a BAD team, but right now, they are not good. That changes against a Skip Holtz-less Pirates squad. Hokies, hopefully so people will continue to read my stuff on co.net, win.
#1 Bama @ Duke. Hey Duke, way to NOT beat Wake Forest and making me look dumb last week! Well, actually no one really cares. Of the 34,000 people that can fit into Duke's Wallace Wade stadium, I would imagine 33,800 of them will be Tide fans. The other 200 will be the Duke band and a few parents. All of the students are already camping out for BBall tickets and buying face paint. And Those people will be congressmen one day..... In case you couldn't figure out my pick, the Tide.
Air Force @ #7 OU. I passed by the AFA last Thanksgiving in Colorado and the chapel is awesome out there. Too bad they are playing in Norman. They will clearly lose to the Sooners who BOOMED FSU. Wow. not even a game last week. Landry Jones is a player, ready for his closeup. Wow. Heisman, maybe even.
#8 Nebraska @ U-Dub. I thought it was interesting the writer I read that said, "I have been around football enough to recognize a No.1 overall pick and Jake Locker is NOT a No.1." Interesting. I am thinking that this would be close, but I am going with Nebraska. Actually, I am a tad disappointed in Locker as well, same with Mallet (hopefully he doesn't change my opinion of him this Saturday), but you might just see the No.1 pick in this game....the Nebraska DLineman Crick.
Arizona State @ #11 Wisco. Last season the Sun Devils got to go to Athens and it really was hot chicks v hot chicks. (Two years ago, i was impressed with the ASU female talent at the Georgia/ASU game in Tempe). This season they go to the land of cheese and fat women. Sorry Sun Devils. About the women and the game. Wisco runs all over ya
#18 USC @ Minn. I will say this about Kiffin, at least his teams are playing actually out-of-conference games. Well sort of. Hawaii, Virginia and now Minnesota. he's SORT of playing out of conference toughies. Hawaii scored 90 points on him in a Trojan win; UVA outcoached him according to Kiffin and now Minnesota, the bottom-feeder of the Big11. Kind of..... Kiffin wins this one. and please get Matt Barkley some more time back there.
Hawaii @ Colorado. Two of the hottest vacation spots in America. Do we think the Buffs fire Dan Hawkins IMMEDIATELY after Hawaii beats them or after Georgia pulls their pants down in two weeks. ok, i'll be nice. Colorado wins this game. And then loses in two weeks when Georgia pulls their pants down.
BYU @ FSU. I remember when the Noles went out to Provo and beat BYU a season or two ago and everyone said, "FSU IS BACK!" This game doesn't quite have that hype. But watch out for Jake Heaps, BYU's QB. He may be the better QB in this game. That's right Ponder. I've turned on you. FSU wins though thanks to Greg Reid.
Baylor @ #4 TCU. HEY TCU, THIS SHOULD BE A CONFERENCE GAME FOR YOU! PLEASE AT LEAST CALL THE BIGXII ABOUT JOINING. Especially after you beat Baylor. Or maybe you do like in the WWF and make Baylor put their membership on the line. That would be sweet.
Louisville @ #25 Oregon State. I read where BJ Butler is doing really well at Louisville. Butler was committed to the Dawgs until exCWM was not re-signed and he left to go join Chaz Strong in Louisville. So he's doing well. Well, that's relative I guess. You're talking Louisville football. I'm all for the Beavers in this one. Beaver one, beaver all, let's all do our beaver call!
Furman @ #13 SoCar. PLEASE South Carolina, do NOT do what Okie State did last season after beating a ranked Georgia team: please do NOT follow up the win with a home loss to a crap team. Please go on to do really well (but not too well. When Georgia runs the table I want to still be in the SEC CG) so that loss doesn't look too bad.
Miss State @ #15 LSU. I am really starting to get scared that Miss State will only beat one "good" team this season in Mullen's second year and that win is coming next week. PLEASE say it ain't so Miss State. LSU wins this one. Hey Miss State, have your "good" win come against Arkansas later this season.
Clemson @ #16 Auburn. People are giving me crap for saying that Auburn is going to take a step backwards this season. That Cam Newton is the real deal and he hasn't thrown this well since a laptop was in his hands. Well, honestly, Auburn has played a directional school and Miss State. SUCH DOMINANT COMPETITION. We'll see how good Aubie is after this game. PREDICTION: Clemson wins in an upset, but I'd love NOTHING MORE than for Auburn to be undefeated when Georgia comes to town to crush that season.
#3 Boise State @ Wyoming. I am not kidding: this is HONESTLY one of Boise State's toughest road games of the year. That is sad. Broncos.
#6 Texas @ Texas Tech. I want to take Tubs, I really do. But I like the idea that Texas is going back to running the football. And the Red Raiders don't quite throw it like they did under Leach. Horns Hook 'em.
#14 Utah @ New Mexico. One of Utah's toughest road games. Hey Pitt, thanks for not taking out Utah at Utah, so now I have to hear about them for another few weeks. GREAT! Thanks a lot Pitt, Oregon State (though you can redeem yourself against BSU) and VaTech for not giving me a BCS-Crasher-free season.
#9 Iowa @ #24 Arizona. I wanted to pick this as my UPSET of the week, but then I remembered Mike Stoops is still the HC and Iowa is pretty good. My Big11 sources tell me (and I agree with them) that Iowa is the team to beat in the Big11 this season. SUCK IT Ohio State. Therefore I'm going with the Hawkeyes.
Wake @ #19 Stanford. This is the second straight late start for the Cardinal. No one is watching you Jimmy H, but you keep putting up big scores and you'll get an ABC 3:30 start in NO TIME. Beat Wake for me too after they knocked off Duke last week.
ProGame
Atlanta v Arizona. So the Falcons lost to Pittsburgh in Week One. it is OK. Except that The Body Paul Mac said he was burning his Matt Ryan jersey. I tried to talk him back from the ledge, but he seems to think the Falcons suck. Maybe he gets back on the bandwagon after this game. Falcons win at home. (They had better otherwise Paul may no longer be writing for us here at SBF)
Specialties of the house
Lock of the week
#10 Florida @ Tennessee. Is Chris Rainey still on the team after his text message? Probably just suspended for a half and then he volunteered to kick himself off the team. That would be par for the course. If Florida can figure out how to snap the ball, the Gators should roll.
Upset of the week
UConn @ Temple. Al Golden wins this one and then calls JoePa and says, "I'm ready. Retire already otherwise I'm headed to Miami after they fire Shannon!" Actually Al Golden could go to Alabama after Saban leaves for the Cowboys after this season. Or maybe Georgia calls him.....JUST KIDDING!
Local flavor.
GT @ UNC. I must say that in one of my anti-GT rants over the summer I had Tech going 6-6 with a loss to KU, but I didn't have the guts to say it last week in the picks blog. I CERTAINLY have them losing to UNC mainly because about 8 of those 229 suspended players will return this week. I like the Heels at home, coming off of a bye week. remember the last time UNC came off of a bye at home against Tech? A beatdown. History repeats itself. Hey CPJ, I thought you were a genius?
#12Arkansas @ Georgia. I LIKE that Arkie is ranked #12. I LIKE that Georgia has a ranked team coming between the hedges, I just wish Georgia didn't lose last week. But since the Dawgs did, they should CERTAINLY be too fired up to lose this one. The next big game Mallet has on the road will be his first; it WON'T come here. Dawgs win by 4. I'm such a homer.
Enjoy the weekend. Suwanee Day is tomorrow, hopefully I'll be enjoying it after a Georgia win. listen to me tomorrow morning at 9:25am on 790 and then Sunday from 1-4pm on the ZONE. Tonight, coverage on gpb.org starts at 7:30.
ON TO THE PICKS!
Ohio @ #2 the Ohio State. Here we go. I was wondering when Tressel was going to play one of the small instate schools that he typically does to run his record out to 12-0 before he loses to an SEC school in the BCS. Gotcha. Sorry Bobcats, the alma mater of Gary Trent. I'm going with Brutus.
UMass @ #20 Michigan. Watch out RichRod-haters, he's ranked. It is pretty hard to fire a coach that is ranked. I guess you'll just have to settle for him being a preseason Top 5 pick next year. Denard Robinson....wow. I was saying last week how Georgia could have used him against South Carolina. But then I remembered Bobo would have had him running the bubble-screen. I'm going with the Hugh Jackmans! (though isn't this the type of game that Michigan loses in recent years? Nah, not this year.)
Maryland @ #21 West Va. Without Steve Slaton there to be motivated over an invented-slight by the Terps, how will the Hillbillies get fired up? Wait, they won't need to. They are facing maryland. Yes, the lowercase was intentional.
Kent State @ #22 Penn State. Man, that is harsh to drop Penn State all the way down to No.22 after they go TO Bama and avoid a 60-point beat down that Saban surely would have dropped (and might just still) on Ohio State. But then again, the voters dropped GT out of the rankings after they lost to Kansas. Wait for it.....
Iowa State @ K-State. the battle of the two "State" schools that are clearly little brothers to Iowa and Kansas, respectively. Imagine being second-class citizens in Iowa and Kansas. That would REALLY suck. Ummm, let's go with K-State. Logan Gray wanted to potentially transfer there. it must have SOMETHING going for it...
Ball State @ Purdue. I am pretty sure I drove by both of these schools on last year's road trip to Chicago. I want those 13 hours back. Purdue has a former Miami QB. I'm going with them.
Vandy @ Ole Miss. Masoli for Heisman. Wait, nevermind. For more on Ole Miss, go to http://chuckoliver.net and read Paul Mac's work. Do it! The Rebels win. Clearly.
ECU @ VT. I wrote about it on chuckoliver.net but I will semi-repeat myself. According to Bill Parcells, you are what your record says you are. The record says VaTech is 0-2. That is not good. Virginia Tech isn't a BAD team, but right now, they are not good. That changes against a Skip Holtz-less Pirates squad. Hokies, hopefully so people will continue to read my stuff on co.net, win.
#1 Bama @ Duke. Hey Duke, way to NOT beat Wake Forest and making me look dumb last week! Well, actually no one really cares. Of the 34,000 people that can fit into Duke's Wallace Wade stadium, I would imagine 33,800 of them will be Tide fans. The other 200 will be the Duke band and a few parents. All of the students are already camping out for BBall tickets and buying face paint. And Those people will be congressmen one day..... In case you couldn't figure out my pick, the Tide.
Air Force @ #7 OU. I passed by the AFA last Thanksgiving in Colorado and the chapel is awesome out there. Too bad they are playing in Norman. They will clearly lose to the Sooners who BOOMED FSU. Wow. not even a game last week. Landry Jones is a player, ready for his closeup. Wow. Heisman, maybe even.
#8 Nebraska @ U-Dub. I thought it was interesting the writer I read that said, "I have been around football enough to recognize a No.1 overall pick and Jake Locker is NOT a No.1." Interesting. I am thinking that this would be close, but I am going with Nebraska. Actually, I am a tad disappointed in Locker as well, same with Mallet (hopefully he doesn't change my opinion of him this Saturday), but you might just see the No.1 pick in this game....the Nebraska DLineman Crick.
Arizona State @ #11 Wisco. Last season the Sun Devils got to go to Athens and it really was hot chicks v hot chicks. (Two years ago, i was impressed with the ASU female talent at the Georgia/ASU game in Tempe). This season they go to the land of cheese and fat women. Sorry Sun Devils. About the women and the game. Wisco runs all over ya
#18 USC @ Minn. I will say this about Kiffin, at least his teams are playing actually out-of-conference games. Well sort of. Hawaii, Virginia and now Minnesota. he's SORT of playing out of conference toughies. Hawaii scored 90 points on him in a Trojan win; UVA outcoached him according to Kiffin and now Minnesota, the bottom-feeder of the Big11. Kind of..... Kiffin wins this one. and please get Matt Barkley some more time back there.
Hawaii @ Colorado. Two of the hottest vacation spots in America. Do we think the Buffs fire Dan Hawkins IMMEDIATELY after Hawaii beats them or after Georgia pulls their pants down in two weeks. ok, i'll be nice. Colorado wins this game. And then loses in two weeks when Georgia pulls their pants down.
BYU @ FSU. I remember when the Noles went out to Provo and beat BYU a season or two ago and everyone said, "FSU IS BACK!" This game doesn't quite have that hype. But watch out for Jake Heaps, BYU's QB. He may be the better QB in this game. That's right Ponder. I've turned on you. FSU wins though thanks to Greg Reid.
Baylor @ #4 TCU. HEY TCU, THIS SHOULD BE A CONFERENCE GAME FOR YOU! PLEASE AT LEAST CALL THE BIGXII ABOUT JOINING. Especially after you beat Baylor. Or maybe you do like in the WWF and make Baylor put their membership on the line. That would be sweet.
Louisville @ #25 Oregon State. I read where BJ Butler is doing really well at Louisville. Butler was committed to the Dawgs until exCWM was not re-signed and he left to go join Chaz Strong in Louisville. So he's doing well. Well, that's relative I guess. You're talking Louisville football. I'm all for the Beavers in this one. Beaver one, beaver all, let's all do our beaver call!
Furman @ #13 SoCar. PLEASE South Carolina, do NOT do what Okie State did last season after beating a ranked Georgia team: please do NOT follow up the win with a home loss to a crap team. Please go on to do really well (but not too well. When Georgia runs the table I want to still be in the SEC CG) so that loss doesn't look too bad.
Miss State @ #15 LSU. I am really starting to get scared that Miss State will only beat one "good" team this season in Mullen's second year and that win is coming next week. PLEASE say it ain't so Miss State. LSU wins this one. Hey Miss State, have your "good" win come against Arkansas later this season.
Clemson @ #16 Auburn. People are giving me crap for saying that Auburn is going to take a step backwards this season. That Cam Newton is the real deal and he hasn't thrown this well since a laptop was in his hands. Well, honestly, Auburn has played a directional school and Miss State. SUCH DOMINANT COMPETITION. We'll see how good Aubie is after this game. PREDICTION: Clemson wins in an upset, but I'd love NOTHING MORE than for Auburn to be undefeated when Georgia comes to town to crush that season.
#3 Boise State @ Wyoming. I am not kidding: this is HONESTLY one of Boise State's toughest road games of the year. That is sad. Broncos.
#6 Texas @ Texas Tech. I want to take Tubs, I really do. But I like the idea that Texas is going back to running the football. And the Red Raiders don't quite throw it like they did under Leach. Horns Hook 'em.
#14 Utah @ New Mexico. One of Utah's toughest road games. Hey Pitt, thanks for not taking out Utah at Utah, so now I have to hear about them for another few weeks. GREAT! Thanks a lot Pitt, Oregon State (though you can redeem yourself against BSU) and VaTech for not giving me a BCS-Crasher-free season.
#9 Iowa @ #24 Arizona. I wanted to pick this as my UPSET of the week, but then I remembered Mike Stoops is still the HC and Iowa is pretty good. My Big11 sources tell me (and I agree with them) that Iowa is the team to beat in the Big11 this season. SUCK IT Ohio State. Therefore I'm going with the Hawkeyes.
Wake @ #19 Stanford. This is the second straight late start for the Cardinal. No one is watching you Jimmy H, but you keep putting up big scores and you'll get an ABC 3:30 start in NO TIME. Beat Wake for me too after they knocked off Duke last week.
ProGame
Atlanta v Arizona. So the Falcons lost to Pittsburgh in Week One. it is OK. Except that The Body Paul Mac said he was burning his Matt Ryan jersey. I tried to talk him back from the ledge, but he seems to think the Falcons suck. Maybe he gets back on the bandwagon after this game. Falcons win at home. (They had better otherwise Paul may no longer be writing for us here at SBF)
Specialties of the house
Lock of the week
#10 Florida @ Tennessee. Is Chris Rainey still on the team after his text message? Probably just suspended for a half and then he volunteered to kick himself off the team. That would be par for the course. If Florida can figure out how to snap the ball, the Gators should roll.
Upset of the week
UConn @ Temple. Al Golden wins this one and then calls JoePa and says, "I'm ready. Retire already otherwise I'm headed to Miami after they fire Shannon!" Actually Al Golden could go to Alabama after Saban leaves for the Cowboys after this season. Or maybe Georgia calls him.....JUST KIDDING!
Local flavor.
GT @ UNC. I must say that in one of my anti-GT rants over the summer I had Tech going 6-6 with a loss to KU, but I didn't have the guts to say it last week in the picks blog. I CERTAINLY have them losing to UNC mainly because about 8 of those 229 suspended players will return this week. I like the Heels at home, coming off of a bye week. remember the last time UNC came off of a bye at home against Tech? A beatdown. History repeats itself. Hey CPJ, I thought you were a genius?
#12Arkansas @ Georgia. I LIKE that Arkie is ranked #12. I LIKE that Georgia has a ranked team coming between the hedges, I just wish Georgia didn't lose last week. But since the Dawgs did, they should CERTAINLY be too fired up to lose this one. The next big game Mallet has on the road will be his first; it WON'T come here. Dawgs win by 4. I'm such a homer.
Enjoy the weekend. Suwanee Day is tomorrow, hopefully I'll be enjoying it after a Georgia win. listen to me tomorrow morning at 9:25am on 790 and then Sunday from 1-4pm on the ZONE. Tonight, coverage on gpb.org starts at 7:30.
Thursday, September 16, 2010
TheFletch one day EARLY
With my weekly picks segment dominating Friday, I've decided to give you TheFletch one day early. Be sure and pick up Score Atlanta tomorrow at metro-Atlanta QuikTrips and Krogers
As a Georgia Bulldog fan, sitting down and watching the Dawgs tilt against the South Carolina Gamecocks was not just painful for my alma mater-football pride but also for my ears. Georgia was put on ESPN2 with Mark Jones and former Notre Dame coach Bob Davie calling the action. I have not heard a worse pairing since I heard Chris Spielman explaining to Pam Ward why Georgia Tech would want to go on defense first in overtime. With all due respect to ESPN, just because some one has at one point in his life been a coach or a player, that does not mean he should automatically get a spot in a play-by-play booth. Lots of folks “know” the game of football from being around it all of their lives, watching, listening and breaking down, and clearly every play-by-play crew spends time with the coaching staffs the week before the game. That is where they can get insight. Let some folks that can speak coherently have a shot at a major gig and perhaps let some of the old coaches just watch the games from home. It would certainly save on the “well, back when I was coaching…” stories. Really? If you were any good at the whole coaching-thing, “back when you did coach,” perhaps you’d still be on the sidelines.
Anyway, back to the Georgia Bulldogs, after appearing on ESPN this week against Arkansas, the Dawgs will return to television next Saturday night at 7 p.m. against Mississippi State on Fox Sports Net. It will be the first of two straight games on Fox Sports Net as the Dawgs travel the following week out to Colorado for a late afternoon game against the Buffs. I will be interested to hear which announcers will call that game in Mississippi. I doubt the same crew will call the Georgia/Colorado game as the different region of the country will likely mean a Big XII-favored crew, but I wonder which SEC crew gets assigned to the battle of the Bulldogs. If it is Bob Rathbun, I will clearly only be able to think about 790 The Zone’s Mike Bell just doing an impression of him throughout the game with engineer Marvin providing the “Yes sah,” every now and then as The Stinger. In fact, could we just go ahead and get those two to call the game AS Bob Rathbun and whomever his color analyst is?
And the Georgia football television coverage news doesn’t stop there. The Idaho State game on November 6 will be shown on WSB-2 in Atlanta instead of shown only on pay-per-view. According to a story in the AJC, Georgia athletic director Greg McGarity said in a statement, “This free-of-charge broadcast is a way to give back to our fans throughout the state. We believe making the game available on WSB-TV and its coverage area is a way to show our appreciation to Bulldogs around our state.” Every SEC school is permitted to produce one game a season outside of the ESPN and CBS contracts and the school opted to go for local coverage instead of the pay-per-view route. No word has been released on who the announcers might be for the non-conference contest.
I will give full credit to Matt Stinchcomb for his evolution as a studio analyst. I remember watching the former Bulldog offensive lineman and NFL vet when he first started on television on a weekly UGA football recap show. He would talk directly to the host and refuse to turn to address the camera straight-on. Now though, Stinchcomb’s conversational skills and his turning to the proper camera appears effortless on the SEC on ESPN halftime and pregame coverage on Peachtree-TV and ESPN during Southeastern Conference games. He has come a long way and now I really enjoy hearing from him because he is smart on the broadcasts, offers incredible insight and is generally a player that, unlike earlier, I don’t mind talking about the game. If a former player/coach can come across the way Stinchcomb does, let him rock-and-roll in the booth. He doesn’t just rely on bad jokes and stories from his playing days. Way to go Stinchcomb.
Braves manager Bobby Cox’s final Saturday showdown with NL East-division rival Philadelphia will now be broadcast nationally on Fox as the network picked up the game as its Saturday Game of the Week. This is important because the organization was planning a pregame ceremony to honor the retiring manager. The ceremony has been moved to 3 p.m. with Fox sure to show bits and pieces of the ceremony on its GameDay-like pregame show before first pitch at 4 p.m. The game was originally scheduled for 7:10.
Georgia Public Broadcasting was able to land quite an interview earlier this week when GPB Sports Central host Gil Tyree was able to land an interview with former Florida State head coach Bobby Bowden. The now-retired coach recently addressed the Touchdown Club of Atlanta and spoke with Tyree about the quality of Georgia High School football recruits and how social media has changed coaching and recruiting. The interview was set to air on both GPB’s Sports Central, which originally aired last Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. as it does every week and the episode will re-air Friday night at 11 p.m. and Saturday morning at noon. Or you can log on to GPB.org’s Sports page to watch the shows on-demand at anytime.
Finally, folks are coming out in droves to the gpb.org/sports webcasts and chatting it up with Alex Ewalt. Chats are offered during GPB’s Sports Central, Sports Central XL as well as the Friday Night webcasts of the football games and the last few Friday nights have seen over 2000 chatters join the game with folks as far away as Korea contributing in the chat. The conversations are mostly a series of chest-beating but every now and then folks discuss polls that Ewalt puts up for discussion and even a celebrity or two has made an appearance on the chat. Last week with Peachtree Ridge faced Newnan, a “Cam Heyward” posted several chat lines, referencing the next day’s game against Miami. Cameron Heyward is a former Lion who may have been watching his high school alma mater play on GPB.org!
Can you believe he said that?
“It made me more sick as I had to watch Michael Vick playing for the Iggles. Just awful. How do you balance wanting a team you root for to win while knowing you have to then root for a bad guy?” - That was John Kincade on his blog for the 680 The Fan website. It is difficult for fans all over the country having to root for bad guys on their teams all the time. Too bad Kincade now has to “root” for a guy that a certain faction of Atlanta residents still apologize for despite that he lied to the Falcons owner and then went on a local radio station saying he wanted to come back and beat the Falcons twice a year. John, you can be a fan of a team but not a player, the mirror-opposite of what these guys are: fans of the player over the team.
As a Georgia Bulldog fan, sitting down and watching the Dawgs tilt against the South Carolina Gamecocks was not just painful for my alma mater-football pride but also for my ears. Georgia was put on ESPN2 with Mark Jones and former Notre Dame coach Bob Davie calling the action. I have not heard a worse pairing since I heard Chris Spielman explaining to Pam Ward why Georgia Tech would want to go on defense first in overtime. With all due respect to ESPN, just because some one has at one point in his life been a coach or a player, that does not mean he should automatically get a spot in a play-by-play booth. Lots of folks “know” the game of football from being around it all of their lives, watching, listening and breaking down, and clearly every play-by-play crew spends time with the coaching staffs the week before the game. That is where they can get insight. Let some folks that can speak coherently have a shot at a major gig and perhaps let some of the old coaches just watch the games from home. It would certainly save on the “well, back when I was coaching…” stories. Really? If you were any good at the whole coaching-thing, “back when you did coach,” perhaps you’d still be on the sidelines.
Anyway, back to the Georgia Bulldogs, after appearing on ESPN this week against Arkansas, the Dawgs will return to television next Saturday night at 7 p.m. against Mississippi State on Fox Sports Net. It will be the first of two straight games on Fox Sports Net as the Dawgs travel the following week out to Colorado for a late afternoon game against the Buffs. I will be interested to hear which announcers will call that game in Mississippi. I doubt the same crew will call the Georgia/Colorado game as the different region of the country will likely mean a Big XII-favored crew, but I wonder which SEC crew gets assigned to the battle of the Bulldogs. If it is Bob Rathbun, I will clearly only be able to think about 790 The Zone’s Mike Bell just doing an impression of him throughout the game with engineer Marvin providing the “Yes sah,” every now and then as The Stinger. In fact, could we just go ahead and get those two to call the game AS Bob Rathbun and whomever his color analyst is?
And the Georgia football television coverage news doesn’t stop there. The Idaho State game on November 6 will be shown on WSB-2 in Atlanta instead of shown only on pay-per-view. According to a story in the AJC, Georgia athletic director Greg McGarity said in a statement, “This free-of-charge broadcast is a way to give back to our fans throughout the state. We believe making the game available on WSB-TV and its coverage area is a way to show our appreciation to Bulldogs around our state.” Every SEC school is permitted to produce one game a season outside of the ESPN and CBS contracts and the school opted to go for local coverage instead of the pay-per-view route. No word has been released on who the announcers might be for the non-conference contest.
I will give full credit to Matt Stinchcomb for his evolution as a studio analyst. I remember watching the former Bulldog offensive lineman and NFL vet when he first started on television on a weekly UGA football recap show. He would talk directly to the host and refuse to turn to address the camera straight-on. Now though, Stinchcomb’s conversational skills and his turning to the proper camera appears effortless on the SEC on ESPN halftime and pregame coverage on Peachtree-TV and ESPN during Southeastern Conference games. He has come a long way and now I really enjoy hearing from him because he is smart on the broadcasts, offers incredible insight and is generally a player that, unlike earlier, I don’t mind talking about the game. If a former player/coach can come across the way Stinchcomb does, let him rock-and-roll in the booth. He doesn’t just rely on bad jokes and stories from his playing days. Way to go Stinchcomb.
Braves manager Bobby Cox’s final Saturday showdown with NL East-division rival Philadelphia will now be broadcast nationally on Fox as the network picked up the game as its Saturday Game of the Week. This is important because the organization was planning a pregame ceremony to honor the retiring manager. The ceremony has been moved to 3 p.m. with Fox sure to show bits and pieces of the ceremony on its GameDay-like pregame show before first pitch at 4 p.m. The game was originally scheduled for 7:10.
Georgia Public Broadcasting was able to land quite an interview earlier this week when GPB Sports Central host Gil Tyree was able to land an interview with former Florida State head coach Bobby Bowden. The now-retired coach recently addressed the Touchdown Club of Atlanta and spoke with Tyree about the quality of Georgia High School football recruits and how social media has changed coaching and recruiting. The interview was set to air on both GPB’s Sports Central, which originally aired last Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. as it does every week and the episode will re-air Friday night at 11 p.m. and Saturday morning at noon. Or you can log on to GPB.org’s Sports page to watch the shows on-demand at anytime.
Finally, folks are coming out in droves to the gpb.org/sports webcasts and chatting it up with Alex Ewalt. Chats are offered during GPB’s Sports Central, Sports Central XL as well as the Friday Night webcasts of the football games and the last few Friday nights have seen over 2000 chatters join the game with folks as far away as Korea contributing in the chat. The conversations are mostly a series of chest-beating but every now and then folks discuss polls that Ewalt puts up for discussion and even a celebrity or two has made an appearance on the chat. Last week with Peachtree Ridge faced Newnan, a “Cam Heyward” posted several chat lines, referencing the next day’s game against Miami. Cameron Heyward is a former Lion who may have been watching his high school alma mater play on GPB.org!
Can you believe he said that?
“It made me more sick as I had to watch Michael Vick playing for the Iggles. Just awful. How do you balance wanting a team you root for to win while knowing you have to then root for a bad guy?” - That was John Kincade on his blog for the 680 The Fan website. It is difficult for fans all over the country having to root for bad guys on their teams all the time. Too bad Kincade now has to “root” for a guy that a certain faction of Atlanta residents still apologize for despite that he lied to the Falcons owner and then went on a local radio station saying he wanted to come back and beat the Falcons twice a year. John, you can be a fan of a team but not a player, the mirror-opposite of what these guys are: fans of the player over the team.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
The most INTIMIDATING CBB Arenas
Hooters Magazine asked me to rank the top five most intimidating arenas in college basketball. Here is my list. Look for the article in the upcoming Hooters Magazine!
College basketball is a game that runs on emotions and the home crowd can push its team over the top by blowing the roof off of the gym in big moments. While the crowds are important, sometimes the gym itself is the sixth man on the court. For years Cole Field House in Maryland was an advantage for the Terps, helping Maryland compete in the ACC against the likes of Carolina and Duke. UCLA’S Pauley Pavilion for years gave the Bruins an advantage, but in today’s game, it just doesn’t compare to several other arenas. There are five arenas that give the home team at least a five-point advantage in every game that is played there. Here are the top five most intimidating gyms in the country.
#5 Rupp Arena. The home of the Kentucky Wildcats deserves to be on the list because of one simple upgrade the university did several years ago: The Rupp-E-RUPP-tion Zone. The 23,500-seat arena used to put the old blueblood season ticket holders in the lower level, and while the players were usually dynamic, the crowds were anything but. The decision was made to move the students down near the court of the largest arena build specifically for basketball in the country. Rupp has led the NCAA in attendance for five straight seasons, 14 of the last 14 years and 22 of the last 24 years. Oh, and don’t forget Ashley Judd!
#4 Cameron Indoor Stadium. Name me one other place in the country where students camp out in "Krzyzewskiville,” to get one of 1,600 student tickets to cram into a gym that houses about 9,000 people. The Cameron Crazies section is RIGHT ON TOP of the action, with future Supreme Court Justices and Congresswomen donning face paint and chanting up a storm. Cameron’s credibility took a bit of a hit in 2002 when the school installed AC because apparently the odor was too much to take for some of the fans.
#3 The Carrier Dome. The Syracuse Orange basketball team shares its home venue with the Orange football team, but that doesn’t exclude the Carrier Dome from being an intimidating arena. The Loud House as it has been dubbed can hold 33,000 basketball fans and nearly 50,000 football fans but in February of 2010, more than 34,000 packed in to watch the Orange knock off Villanova. The Carrier Dome has a Teflon-coated, fiberglass inflatable roof which is a scary wonder to look at during a game.
#2 The Pit. New Mexico’s University Arena goes by the nickname of “The Pit,” for a good reason. The floor is 37 feet below grade, and with 17,000 people screaming, it is no wonder that The Pit is an intimidating place to play. During a game in the 1988-89 season, the noise registered 118 decibels officially, two decibels louder than the old record set at Cameron Indoor Stadium. The home team doesn’t seem to mind the noise though, winning 631 of 776 games (.813) played at the Pit since it opened in 1966.
#1 The O’Connell Center. The Florida Gators have been a football school since Steve Spurrier roamed the sidelines, but the basketball team has its own home court advantage. Florida’s answer to the Cameron Crazies, the Rowdy Reptiles, create such an advantage that ESPN the Magazine dubbed the gym “The House of Horrors,” And the actual floor is enough to inspire the Gator team as it is the same floor from the Indianapolis RCA Dome from when the Gators won the 2006 National Championship.
College basketball is a game that runs on emotions and the home crowd can push its team over the top by blowing the roof off of the gym in big moments. While the crowds are important, sometimes the gym itself is the sixth man on the court. For years Cole Field House in Maryland was an advantage for the Terps, helping Maryland compete in the ACC against the likes of Carolina and Duke. UCLA’S Pauley Pavilion for years gave the Bruins an advantage, but in today’s game, it just doesn’t compare to several other arenas. There are five arenas that give the home team at least a five-point advantage in every game that is played there. Here are the top five most intimidating gyms in the country.
#5 Rupp Arena. The home of the Kentucky Wildcats deserves to be on the list because of one simple upgrade the university did several years ago: The Rupp-E-RUPP-tion Zone. The 23,500-seat arena used to put the old blueblood season ticket holders in the lower level, and while the players were usually dynamic, the crowds were anything but. The decision was made to move the students down near the court of the largest arena build specifically for basketball in the country. Rupp has led the NCAA in attendance for five straight seasons, 14 of the last 14 years and 22 of the last 24 years. Oh, and don’t forget Ashley Judd!
#4 Cameron Indoor Stadium. Name me one other place in the country where students camp out in "Krzyzewskiville,” to get one of 1,600 student tickets to cram into a gym that houses about 9,000 people. The Cameron Crazies section is RIGHT ON TOP of the action, with future Supreme Court Justices and Congresswomen donning face paint and chanting up a storm. Cameron’s credibility took a bit of a hit in 2002 when the school installed AC because apparently the odor was too much to take for some of the fans.
#3 The Carrier Dome. The Syracuse Orange basketball team shares its home venue with the Orange football team, but that doesn’t exclude the Carrier Dome from being an intimidating arena. The Loud House as it has been dubbed can hold 33,000 basketball fans and nearly 50,000 football fans but in February of 2010, more than 34,000 packed in to watch the Orange knock off Villanova. The Carrier Dome has a Teflon-coated, fiberglass inflatable roof which is a scary wonder to look at during a game.
#2 The Pit. New Mexico’s University Arena goes by the nickname of “The Pit,” for a good reason. The floor is 37 feet below grade, and with 17,000 people screaming, it is no wonder that The Pit is an intimidating place to play. During a game in the 1988-89 season, the noise registered 118 decibels officially, two decibels louder than the old record set at Cameron Indoor Stadium. The home team doesn’t seem to mind the noise though, winning 631 of 776 games (.813) played at the Pit since it opened in 1966.
#1 The O’Connell Center. The Florida Gators have been a football school since Steve Spurrier roamed the sidelines, but the basketball team has its own home court advantage. Florida’s answer to the Cameron Crazies, the Rowdy Reptiles, create such an advantage that ESPN the Magazine dubbed the gym “The House of Horrors,” And the actual floor is enough to inspire the Gator team as it is the same floor from the Indianapolis RCA Dome from when the Gators won the 2006 National Championship.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
You want some Braves knowledge? I'm droppin' it HERE
as we all know SBF's Fletcher Proctor is Score Atlanta's Braves beat writer. For more of me, follow my twitter @fproctor or log on to www.scoreatl.com
Braves rookie rightfielder Jason Heyward is continuing to close in on the 2010 National League Rookie of the Year award. After winning NL Rookie of the Month for the first two months of the season, Heyward made the all-star team after being voted in by the fans. Despite a thumb injury that sabotaged his June and caused him to miss the first few weeks of July, Heyward still is the likely leader in the clubhouse for the award based on his recent hot streak. Over the last three weeks, despite the Braves struggling, Heyward has been on fire, batting over .425 with five homers after a long home run drought. Following the recent St. Louis series, Heyward was, according to the Braves team website, leading all qualified rookies in on-base percentage with a .395 mark and slugging with a .476 percentage, and was second in batting average at .286. Heyward is likely competing with Florida’s Mike Stanton, Chicago’s Starlin Castro, San Francisco’s Buster Posey and Washington’s injured Stephen Strasburg. The Braves have not had a rookie of the year since the 2000 season when shortstop Rafael Furcal took home the honors. Recently Tommy Hanson finished just short of the award last season, Jeff Francoeur was beaten out by Philadelphia’s Ryan Howard and Chipper Jones was beaten out by Hideo Nomo in the 1995. David Justice won the award for Atlanta in 1990 and before him Bob Horner claimed the prize in 1978 and Earl Williams in 1971.
The Braves welcomed in the organization’s top minor leaguers last weekend before the series-finale with the St. Louis Cardinals. Nineteen-year-old Julio Teheran was named the organization’s Minor League Pitcher of the Year while recently called-up first baseman Freddie Freeman was tabbed as Minor League Player of the Year on his twenty-first birthday. Teheran split the season between Class-A Rome, Advanced-A Myrtle Beach and Class-AA Mississippi, compiling a 9-8 record with 159 strikeouts to just 40 walks in 142.2 innings of work. The power pitcher secured a 2.59 ERA for the season. Each farm club also named a pitcher of the year and a position player of the year with Gwinnett naming reliever Craig Kimbrel its pitcher of the and infielder Barbaro Canizares its player. Canizares contended for the International League batting title all season in Gwinnett. Willie Cabrera was named Mississippi’s top player with Brandon Beachy its pitcher of the season. Beachy’s 1.73 ERA was the best in all of the minor leagues and the righty was promoted to Gwinnett, where as a starter he went 2-0 in seven starts. Class-A Myrtle Beach named Randall Delgado and Mucal Jones its pitcher and player, respectively, while Class-A Rome tabbed Arodys Vizcaino and Philip Gosselin its standout pitcher and player. Vizcaino was acquired in the trade with the Yankees where New York received starter Javier Vanzquez in exchange for Vizcaino, reliever Mike Dunn and outfielder Melky Cabrera. Danville’s Carlos Perez and Elmer Reyes were honored as pitcher and player for the franchise’s Advanced Rookie-Level team. The Gulf Coast League’s squad named Dan Jurik (pitcher) and Matt Lipka (player) as its honorees and Ignacio Geronimo (pitcher) and Gerrado Reyes (player) were selected from the Dominican Summer League.
Finally, Tim Hudson continued his recent struggles by taking the collar of a 7-3 home loss to the St. Louis Cardinals. After picking up his 15th win of the season on August 28 against the Florida Marlins, his sixth straight victorious decision, Hudson has since dropped three straight decisions to fall to 15-8. Hudson only lasted five innings, allowing six runs on nine hits while giving up two home runs. Hudson had gone 6.1 and 7 innings his last two times out but Hudson is also not getting the runs he was earlier in the season. The Braves score a total of five runs in the last three games Hudson has started. At the end of the day however, Hudson is still the team’s ace this season and, should the team make the playoffs, manager Bobby Cox would likely hand Hudson the ball in game one. Speaking of the playoffs, following the Cardinals series, Atlanta sat one game back of the Philadelphia Phillies for the NL East lead and led the San Diego Padres and San Francisco Giants by one game in the NL Wild Card standings.
Braves rookie rightfielder Jason Heyward is continuing to close in on the 2010 National League Rookie of the Year award. After winning NL Rookie of the Month for the first two months of the season, Heyward made the all-star team after being voted in by the fans. Despite a thumb injury that sabotaged his June and caused him to miss the first few weeks of July, Heyward still is the likely leader in the clubhouse for the award based on his recent hot streak. Over the last three weeks, despite the Braves struggling, Heyward has been on fire, batting over .425 with five homers after a long home run drought. Following the recent St. Louis series, Heyward was, according to the Braves team website, leading all qualified rookies in on-base percentage with a .395 mark and slugging with a .476 percentage, and was second in batting average at .286. Heyward is likely competing with Florida’s Mike Stanton, Chicago’s Starlin Castro, San Francisco’s Buster Posey and Washington’s injured Stephen Strasburg. The Braves have not had a rookie of the year since the 2000 season when shortstop Rafael Furcal took home the honors. Recently Tommy Hanson finished just short of the award last season, Jeff Francoeur was beaten out by Philadelphia’s Ryan Howard and Chipper Jones was beaten out by Hideo Nomo in the 1995. David Justice won the award for Atlanta in 1990 and before him Bob Horner claimed the prize in 1978 and Earl Williams in 1971.
The Braves welcomed in the organization’s top minor leaguers last weekend before the series-finale with the St. Louis Cardinals. Nineteen-year-old Julio Teheran was named the organization’s Minor League Pitcher of the Year while recently called-up first baseman Freddie Freeman was tabbed as Minor League Player of the Year on his twenty-first birthday. Teheran split the season between Class-A Rome, Advanced-A Myrtle Beach and Class-AA Mississippi, compiling a 9-8 record with 159 strikeouts to just 40 walks in 142.2 innings of work. The power pitcher secured a 2.59 ERA for the season. Each farm club also named a pitcher of the year and a position player of the year with Gwinnett naming reliever Craig Kimbrel its pitcher of the and infielder Barbaro Canizares its player. Canizares contended for the International League batting title all season in Gwinnett. Willie Cabrera was named Mississippi’s top player with Brandon Beachy its pitcher of the season. Beachy’s 1.73 ERA was the best in all of the minor leagues and the righty was promoted to Gwinnett, where as a starter he went 2-0 in seven starts. Class-A Myrtle Beach named Randall Delgado and Mucal Jones its pitcher and player, respectively, while Class-A Rome tabbed Arodys Vizcaino and Philip Gosselin its standout pitcher and player. Vizcaino was acquired in the trade with the Yankees where New York received starter Javier Vanzquez in exchange for Vizcaino, reliever Mike Dunn and outfielder Melky Cabrera. Danville’s Carlos Perez and Elmer Reyes were honored as pitcher and player for the franchise’s Advanced Rookie-Level team. The Gulf Coast League’s squad named Dan Jurik (pitcher) and Matt Lipka (player) as its honorees and Ignacio Geronimo (pitcher) and Gerrado Reyes (player) were selected from the Dominican Summer League.
Finally, Tim Hudson continued his recent struggles by taking the collar of a 7-3 home loss to the St. Louis Cardinals. After picking up his 15th win of the season on August 28 against the Florida Marlins, his sixth straight victorious decision, Hudson has since dropped three straight decisions to fall to 15-8. Hudson only lasted five innings, allowing six runs on nine hits while giving up two home runs. Hudson had gone 6.1 and 7 innings his last two times out but Hudson is also not getting the runs he was earlier in the season. The Braves score a total of five runs in the last three games Hudson has started. At the end of the day however, Hudson is still the team’s ace this season and, should the team make the playoffs, manager Bobby Cox would likely hand Hudson the ball in game one. Speaking of the playoffs, following the Cardinals series, Atlanta sat one game back of the Philadelphia Phillies for the NL East lead and led the San Diego Padres and San Francisco Giants by one game in the NL Wild Card standings.
The World of Gwinnett County Prep Sports
Football in Gwinnett County was thrown for a loop last week when several region match-ups flipped the script on the Region 8-AAAAA standings. Brookwood, which had taken care of both Walton and Collins Hill with the running game, fell to Dacula as the Falcons played keep away from the No.9 team in the state. The Broncos received just 61 yards on eight carries (50 coming on one TD run) from Nick Tompkins and some negative yardage from Jamaal Cole. Both had averaged over 100 yards apiece entering the game. Andre “AJ” Sims, a member of the Score 44, had just one rush for eight yards and zero catches. Dacula meanwhile had 362 yards on 66 plays as QB Rocky Capobianco threw one TD in the third quarter and accounted for 164 total yards while Marcus Cox had 125 rushing yards and Dexter Walker contributed 70 yards. The Broncos fell to 2-1 with the 24-14 loss.
Norcross meanwhile improved to 3-0 after a 20-14 win thanks to Kendrix Huitt’s 100 yards rushing and QB Matt Poole’s 107 passing yards. Poole sneaked one score in while also connecting with Bradley Coleman on a 12-yard scoring strike late in the first half. Chris Bingham had two field goals for the Blue Devils, in prime position for a playoff run after missing the postseason last year.
In what may have been the biggest win of the weekend though, No.3 Peachtree Ridge traveled to Coweta County and rolled up No.4 Newnan 27-17. Dewayne Brooks got the Lions on the board with a 6-yard scoring scamper in the second quarter after the Newnan Cougars went up 14-0 early. Three-way standout Justin Watts made a 40-yard field goal to trim the lead to 14-10 and then really turned the game on its head by returning an interception 56 yards to give the Lions a 17-14 lead. Diandre Atwater, who did not play in the first half, capped a 97-yard scoring drive with a one-yard plunge to make it 24-14. After a field goal from Newnan, Peachtree Ridge finished off the scoring with another Watts field goal, this one from 19 yards out to achieve the final margin. Angelo Whatley, a member of the Score 44, was very active at Tight End while playing in key spots on defense, even sacking Newnan’s quarterback on an important 3rd down play late in the comeback. Coach Bill Ballard of Peachtree Ridge said of his South Carolina-bound phenom, “He’s very athletic. Quick hands and a good second step. He’s a very talented young man all the way around.”
South Gwinnett captured a victory in region play over Shiloh with a 45-12 win. Kent Rollins did most of his damage early before finishing 11-23 for 176 yards and one touchdown. He also picked up six on a 59 yard bootleg in the first quarter. Trevon Walker rushed for 110 yards and Aaron Wimberly tacked on a TD with a 2-yard dive in the first.
Other standout performances included Collins Hill’s Taylor Heinicke as he threw five TDs, including three to Jeff Glover in a 43-36 loss to ML King and the entire Grayson offense for banging out 55 against Archer. GAC (3-0) tripled its 2009 win total with a 49-10 win over Holy Innocents’ and Buford rebounded from a 14-0 loss last week to notch 16 fourth-quarter points in a 32-10 victory over Westminster. Duluth also dropped its first game of the year with a 44-7 loss to Alpharetta.
Finally, Wesleyan whitewashed Twiggs County 33-0 in what continues to be part of “the toughest early schedule in my five years here,” according to head coach Franklin Pridgen. The coach, whose squad is ranked in the top three of Class A, applauds the teams such as North Gwinnett, Camden County and Lowndes for playing out of state teams. “It’s what we’re trying to do.”
In news outside of the gridiron, North Gwinnett shut out Duluth 8-0 on the softball diamond behind Alex McDavid’s 3-3 night with four RBI recently. Caroline Rogers had two runs batted in on two hits to support Emily Wood’s complete game victory. Collins Hill dispatched Peachtree Ridge by the same score. Kayla Floor allowed just one hit while stiking out nine in the shutout win. Brookwood dispatch South Gwinnett 9-1 thanks in large part to Jenny Blackwell’s 3-3 afternoon.
And on the recruiting front, Norcross’s Josiah Moore recently pledged to play basketball at the next level at Nebraska. Moore is ranked as the 15th best prospect in Georgia by Scout.com and last season averaged 9ppg as a combo-guard/small forward.
Norcross meanwhile improved to 3-0 after a 20-14 win thanks to Kendrix Huitt’s 100 yards rushing and QB Matt Poole’s 107 passing yards. Poole sneaked one score in while also connecting with Bradley Coleman on a 12-yard scoring strike late in the first half. Chris Bingham had two field goals for the Blue Devils, in prime position for a playoff run after missing the postseason last year.
In what may have been the biggest win of the weekend though, No.3 Peachtree Ridge traveled to Coweta County and rolled up No.4 Newnan 27-17. Dewayne Brooks got the Lions on the board with a 6-yard scoring scamper in the second quarter after the Newnan Cougars went up 14-0 early. Three-way standout Justin Watts made a 40-yard field goal to trim the lead to 14-10 and then really turned the game on its head by returning an interception 56 yards to give the Lions a 17-14 lead. Diandre Atwater, who did not play in the first half, capped a 97-yard scoring drive with a one-yard plunge to make it 24-14. After a field goal from Newnan, Peachtree Ridge finished off the scoring with another Watts field goal, this one from 19 yards out to achieve the final margin. Angelo Whatley, a member of the Score 44, was very active at Tight End while playing in key spots on defense, even sacking Newnan’s quarterback on an important 3rd down play late in the comeback. Coach Bill Ballard of Peachtree Ridge said of his South Carolina-bound phenom, “He’s very athletic. Quick hands and a good second step. He’s a very talented young man all the way around.”
South Gwinnett captured a victory in region play over Shiloh with a 45-12 win. Kent Rollins did most of his damage early before finishing 11-23 for 176 yards and one touchdown. He also picked up six on a 59 yard bootleg in the first quarter. Trevon Walker rushed for 110 yards and Aaron Wimberly tacked on a TD with a 2-yard dive in the first.
Other standout performances included Collins Hill’s Taylor Heinicke as he threw five TDs, including three to Jeff Glover in a 43-36 loss to ML King and the entire Grayson offense for banging out 55 against Archer. GAC (3-0) tripled its 2009 win total with a 49-10 win over Holy Innocents’ and Buford rebounded from a 14-0 loss last week to notch 16 fourth-quarter points in a 32-10 victory over Westminster. Duluth also dropped its first game of the year with a 44-7 loss to Alpharetta.
Finally, Wesleyan whitewashed Twiggs County 33-0 in what continues to be part of “the toughest early schedule in my five years here,” according to head coach Franklin Pridgen. The coach, whose squad is ranked in the top three of Class A, applauds the teams such as North Gwinnett, Camden County and Lowndes for playing out of state teams. “It’s what we’re trying to do.”
In news outside of the gridiron, North Gwinnett shut out Duluth 8-0 on the softball diamond behind Alex McDavid’s 3-3 night with four RBI recently. Caroline Rogers had two runs batted in on two hits to support Emily Wood’s complete game victory. Collins Hill dispatched Peachtree Ridge by the same score. Kayla Floor allowed just one hit while stiking out nine in the shutout win. Brookwood dispatch South Gwinnett 9-1 thanks in large part to Jenny Blackwell’s 3-3 afternoon.
And on the recruiting front, Norcross’s Josiah Moore recently pledged to play basketball at the next level at Nebraska. Moore is ranked as the 15th best prospect in Georgia by Scout.com and last season averaged 9ppg as a combo-guard/small forward.
Monday, September 13, 2010
Big B's updated Top Ten recruiting classes to date
Big B Brian Jones follows recruiting for Score Atlanta and contributes to Score Atlanta's The Official Visit. This list aired last night on The Official Visit on 790 The Zone. The new show time will be 7:30-9:30 every Monday Night. With no further ado....
10. Georgia
9. Florida State
8. Stanford
7. Ohio St.
6. Clemson
5. Florida
4. LSU
3 Oklahoma
2. Alabama
1. Texas
USC just missed the cut according to Big B. Scott Janovitz, one of my co-hosts on the Official Visit says that Auburn should be on the list.
10. Georgia
9. Florida State
8. Stanford
7. Ohio St.
6. Clemson
5. Florida
4. LSU
3 Oklahoma
2. Alabama
1. Texas
USC just missed the cut according to Big B. Scott Janovitz, one of my co-hosts on the Official Visit says that Auburn should be on the list.
I was wrong about Peachtree Ridge
When I saw the preseason rankings putting Peachtree Ridge in the top ten in Class-AAAAA, I must admit I was a bit surprised. I remember calling the Lions game against Collins Hill last season at the Lions’ Den and came away thinking, “good defense, but not a state title contender.” Coming in to this season, after the Lions lost PR/KR/WR/DB Brad Roby to Ohio State, I was really concerned for the Suwanee school after seeing them in the top ten.
I would like my crow medium-rare please. After watching the No.3 Lions go on the road to Coweta County to face the No.4 Newnan Cougars with a dynamic QB/RB tandem and spot the team that had not lost a regular season home game since 2006 and a regular season game since 2007 14 points only to win by 10, needless to say I was impressed.
The Lions brought it from so many directions with so many different backs in the backfield and the starting T-Back didn’t even play. The quarterback really seemed to know the offense and was the perfect trigger-man for that Spread-I/Wing T formation. Throw in Angelo Whatley making a few nice catches as a Tight End and the offense is hard to stop once it gets going.
The defense meanwhile was on fire after giving up the two early scores. The Botts boys were both making plays despite Tanner being questionable before the game. Even Whatley made a few plays on crucial situations on the defensive side to make South Carolina Gamecock fans happy that he’ll be in Columbia next season. Justin Watts was also a force, taking an interception back 56 yards for a score, his second straight game with a huge pick. And Watts isn’t just a DB. He connected on a 40-yard field goal as well as a 19-yarder to show that coach Bill Ballard is focused on all three aspects of the football game.
Bottom line: Peachtree Ridge isn’t going to allow North Gwinnett to just walk away with the region title. The Lions showed me enough against the No.4 team in the state in ending that winning streak that I fully believe the Lions to be contenders to challenge Lowndes, Camden and North Gwinnett this season for the state title.
I would like my crow medium-rare please. After watching the No.3 Lions go on the road to Coweta County to face the No.4 Newnan Cougars with a dynamic QB/RB tandem and spot the team that had not lost a regular season home game since 2006 and a regular season game since 2007 14 points only to win by 10, needless to say I was impressed.
The Lions brought it from so many directions with so many different backs in the backfield and the starting T-Back didn’t even play. The quarterback really seemed to know the offense and was the perfect trigger-man for that Spread-I/Wing T formation. Throw in Angelo Whatley making a few nice catches as a Tight End and the offense is hard to stop once it gets going.
The defense meanwhile was on fire after giving up the two early scores. The Botts boys were both making plays despite Tanner being questionable before the game. Even Whatley made a few plays on crucial situations on the defensive side to make South Carolina Gamecock fans happy that he’ll be in Columbia next season. Justin Watts was also a force, taking an interception back 56 yards for a score, his second straight game with a huge pick. And Watts isn’t just a DB. He connected on a 40-yard field goal as well as a 19-yarder to show that coach Bill Ballard is focused on all three aspects of the football game.
Bottom line: Peachtree Ridge isn’t going to allow North Gwinnett to just walk away with the region title. The Lions showed me enough against the No.4 team in the state in ending that winning streak that I fully believe the Lions to be contenders to challenge Lowndes, Camden and North Gwinnett this season for the state title.
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Newnan done streaking as PTR Lions prevail in top-4 matchup
The Cougars of Newnan High School saw a 29-game regular season winning streak and a 20-game regular season home winning streak come to an end Friday night as No.3 Peachtree Ridge knocked off No.4 Newnan 27-17 in front of a packed Drake Stadium.
The first quarter was all Newnan as Chris Robinson ran in a 21-yard score on the Cougars’ first drive and after a blocked field goal attempt from the Ridge Lions, the Cougars ran right back down the field to punch it in again, this time with Lendell Arnold the QB finding paydirt early in the second quarter.
Then the tide shifted and Peachtree Ridge found some momentum with senior tailback Dewayne Brooks and junior fullback Raham Dixon splitting the load. Brooks capped off a scoring drive with a 6-yard scoring scamper to cut the lead to 14-7. Justin Watts would add a 40-yard field goal and the Lions would deny the Cougars a three-pointer of their own as time expired in the first half.
Justin Watts, who nailed the field goal for Ridge would come up big in the third quarter, snatching an Arnold pass and taking it 56 yards for a pick-six, giving Ridge it’s first lead of the night. After a Newnan punt pinned the Lions in on the three, the game was nailed shut as the Lions broke the Cougars’ spirit by driving 97 yards for yet another touchdown.
Aided by Newnan penalties, including one on fourth down, the Lions eventually found the endzone with Diandre Atwater’s one yard plunge. The two teams exchanged field goals and Peachtree Ridge escaped with a 10-point victory over No.4 Newnan.
The Lions open up Region 7-AAAAA play next week with Meadowcreek while Newnan travels to face Woodstock next Friday. Ridge likely won’t move up in the polls and Newnan shouldn’t drop out of the top ten as this team only started to sputter once senior tailback Chris Robinson left the game with an injury and did not return. The loss of the top tailback was too much for the Cougars, who suffered its first home regular season loss since 2006 to Whitewater.
The first quarter was all Newnan as Chris Robinson ran in a 21-yard score on the Cougars’ first drive and after a blocked field goal attempt from the Ridge Lions, the Cougars ran right back down the field to punch it in again, this time with Lendell Arnold the QB finding paydirt early in the second quarter.
Then the tide shifted and Peachtree Ridge found some momentum with senior tailback Dewayne Brooks and junior fullback Raham Dixon splitting the load. Brooks capped off a scoring drive with a 6-yard scoring scamper to cut the lead to 14-7. Justin Watts would add a 40-yard field goal and the Lions would deny the Cougars a three-pointer of their own as time expired in the first half.
Justin Watts, who nailed the field goal for Ridge would come up big in the third quarter, snatching an Arnold pass and taking it 56 yards for a pick-six, giving Ridge it’s first lead of the night. After a Newnan punt pinned the Lions in on the three, the game was nailed shut as the Lions broke the Cougars’ spirit by driving 97 yards for yet another touchdown.
Aided by Newnan penalties, including one on fourth down, the Lions eventually found the endzone with Diandre Atwater’s one yard plunge. The two teams exchanged field goals and Peachtree Ridge escaped with a 10-point victory over No.4 Newnan.
The Lions open up Region 7-AAAAA play next week with Meadowcreek while Newnan travels to face Woodstock next Friday. Ridge likely won’t move up in the polls and Newnan shouldn’t drop out of the top ten as this team only started to sputter once senior tailback Chris Robinson left the game with an injury and did not return. The loss of the top tailback was too much for the Cougars, who suffered its first home regular season loss since 2006 to Whitewater.
Friday, September 10, 2010
The Biggest weekend of football means BIG PICKS!
And NO I'm not talking about Joe Cox in the clutch. It is Friday which means time for the weekly picks blog and WOW, looking at the schedule, this weekend is HUGE. OhioState/Miami and OU/FSU in recent BCSCG rematches and Bama is facing Penn State from a backintheday Sugar Bowl rematch. Don't forget UVa/USC....let's move past that pasting and get to the PICKS!
San Jose State @ #11 Wisco. John Clay and the Badgers might just put Ohio State out of the BCS, Rose and BCSCG if Iowa plays well and Wisco can pop the Buckeyes later this season. The schedule doesn't set up well for Wisco but this game does. Badgers burrow to a win.
Duke @ Wake. Ummm, do I HAVE to pick this? This is my blog. I don't have to do ANYTHING I DON'T WANT TO! I DON'T HAVE TO SAY DUKE WILL WIN THIS. So I WON'T!
SoFla @ #8 Florida. Hey Brantley, you thought the Dawg Walk was stupid? I think not being able to receive a shotgn snap is stupid! EAT IT! Gators win.
Idaho @ #6 Nebraska. Wasn't it the douchebag Idaho coach who was wearing sunglasses at night for his team's bowl game last season? Douchebag. Nebraska!
Iowa State @ #9 Iowa. The battle for Iowa. I'm not sure why you'd WANT Iowa, but they will battle for it. I'll take the Hawkeyes and feel bad for them once they "OWN" the state. HEY COOL! WE HAVE CORN!
Colorado @ Cal. Two programs that will be meeting up soon IN CONFERENCE PLAY! I wonder if, after Cal beats the Buffs down, they'll bring Chris Carmack out to say, "Welcome to the Pac-10 Bitch!"
Michigan @ ND. Remember when this game meant something? Lou Holtz and NBC will try and tell us it does, but seriously, the winner MAY get to a cruddy bowl. The loser hopefully stops calling themselves a football power. 18 YEARS AGO, MAYBE! Michigan looked good last week though. Denard is DeMan
Presbyterian @ Clemson. I am picking the Tigers for two reasons: Dabo! and the fact that I am a Methodist. EAT IT PRESBYTERIANS! You WISH you had open communion!
7 Oregon @ Tenn. I will be rooting for the Vols (SEC pride) but come on. The Ducks will fly away with this one. Seriously? Come on. Tennasty sucks this season. 50-0, I don't care. You'll lose to LaMichael and LaDucks.
19 LSU @ Vandy. It is next to IMPOSSIBLE to win on the road in the SEC....unless you are "on the road" at Miss State (cowbells? comeon...) or Vandy. LSU is at the latter. they ROLL.
Troy @ Okie State. Am I still pissed that Okie State used the illegal Dez Bryant last year against the Dawgs? YES. And WHY hasn't the NCAA gone back and given Georgia the win? I AM TAKING TROY! SCREW YOU GUNDY!
Syracuse @ Washington. If you had a Syracuse all-star team face a Washington all-star team, THAT would be a game I'd want to watch. This one....not so much. I'll take U-Dub.
Ole Miss @ Tulane. WHY IS AN SEC SCHOOL GOING TO A SMALL CRAP SCHOOL, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COULDN'T BEAT AN FCS SCHOOL AT HOME? Well Nawlins will be fun. Maybe to help your fans FORGET YOU LOST TO AN FCS SCHOOL! Ole Miss can't lose two in a row, at least not these two in a row.
Northern Arizona @ Arizona State. The SunDevils v the Lumberjacks. AWESOME Nicknames. I just wish NAU's colors were flannel. I remember going up to NAU last summer and I saw a sign as you were leaving a parking lot that said, "Buckle up NAU." I laughed for 10 minutes. I was not drunk. I'm taking the SunDevils.
UVa @ 16 USC. See http://chuckoliver.net for more UVa coverage. Take the Trojans
25 Stanford @ UCLA. I love Screech's cousin over the basketball pick master. I recently wrote the Hooters College Basketball preview (you had better BELIEVE I gave the Dawgs some love) but perhaps I should have invited Ricky Neu to have weighed in with his thoughts. Wait, this is FOOTBALL. GO WITH ANDREW LUCK and Co. CARDINAL!
REAL GAMES: 12 Miami @ #2 Ohio State. I would LOVE to go with the athletes of Miami over the Sweatervest's boys, but then I remember Randy Shannon, who recruits by looking at the Rivals.com top 100 list, and thought, nah. Gotta go with the Buckeyes.
18 Penn State @ #1 Bama. Wait, I said real games. Crap. Why was this one included? I'll take the team with the player who was flown to Miami to be wined and dined by and agent and thus suspended for two games (good thing because if he had sold a jersey for about $800 less than the total of the trip, he'd miss FOUR games) over the team with the 99-year-old coach.
Specials of the house
Lock of the week
JMU @ 13 VaTech. Sorry Dukes, but the Hokies are about to take out some frustration.
Upset of the week.
17 FSU @ #10 OU. Landry Jones has some weapons on offense. Too bad Mark Stoops knows all about it because he spends Christmas with the Sooners coach. I'm going with the NOLES and Christian Ponder over the Sooners. Boomer, meet Greg Reid. He makes a big play in a big upset. Florida State, back? Dunno, but they'll win this one.
The Pro Game:
Washington v Dallas. I hate the Cowboys. I hate seeing them win in the regular season. I love watching them lose in the postseason. I'll love seeing Washington help keep them from the playoffs this year. It starts with this game!
Atlanta @ Pitt. No roethlisberger, but I can bet that the announcers will call him "Ben" every 10 minutes this game. Go with Matty Ice and the Falcons to start the season strong
Local rooting interest.
#15 GT @ KU. At least the ACC will get one FOR SURE non-conference v a BCS-team win this week.....
#22 Georgia @ #24 SoCar. Garcia looked good last week. SoCar has had 10 days to brace for the Dawgs. Georgia is sans AJ Green. SoCar is favored. Georgia is starting a freshman in his first road start. Doesn't matter. TKing and Washaun are back. That is huge, especially with AJ out. And AMurr and Orson Charles didn't really connect last week. This week they will. Dawgs pull out an 8-point win for Roomie and JCole's birthdays.
Tune in tonight to http://gpb.org/sports for #3PTR v #4 Newnan. Coverage starts at 7pm. And catch me tomorrow on 790TheZone around 9:25 for the High School Wrap and Sunday we're back with the Score Atlanta Scoreboard show from 1-4pm on 790. Scores and such every 10 minutes. BE THERE!
San Jose State @ #11 Wisco. John Clay and the Badgers might just put Ohio State out of the BCS, Rose and BCSCG if Iowa plays well and Wisco can pop the Buckeyes later this season. The schedule doesn't set up well for Wisco but this game does. Badgers burrow to a win.
Duke @ Wake. Ummm, do I HAVE to pick this? This is my blog. I don't have to do ANYTHING I DON'T WANT TO! I DON'T HAVE TO SAY DUKE WILL WIN THIS. So I WON'T!
SoFla @ #8 Florida. Hey Brantley, you thought the Dawg Walk was stupid? I think not being able to receive a shotgn snap is stupid! EAT IT! Gators win.
Idaho @ #6 Nebraska. Wasn't it the douchebag Idaho coach who was wearing sunglasses at night for his team's bowl game last season? Douchebag. Nebraska!
Iowa State @ #9 Iowa. The battle for Iowa. I'm not sure why you'd WANT Iowa, but they will battle for it. I'll take the Hawkeyes and feel bad for them once they "OWN" the state. HEY COOL! WE HAVE CORN!
Colorado @ Cal. Two programs that will be meeting up soon IN CONFERENCE PLAY! I wonder if, after Cal beats the Buffs down, they'll bring Chris Carmack out to say, "Welcome to the Pac-10 Bitch!"
Michigan @ ND. Remember when this game meant something? Lou Holtz and NBC will try and tell us it does, but seriously, the winner MAY get to a cruddy bowl. The loser hopefully stops calling themselves a football power. 18 YEARS AGO, MAYBE! Michigan looked good last week though. Denard is DeMan
Presbyterian @ Clemson. I am picking the Tigers for two reasons: Dabo! and the fact that I am a Methodist. EAT IT PRESBYTERIANS! You WISH you had open communion!
7 Oregon @ Tenn. I will be rooting for the Vols (SEC pride) but come on. The Ducks will fly away with this one. Seriously? Come on. Tennasty sucks this season. 50-0, I don't care. You'll lose to LaMichael and LaDucks.
19 LSU @ Vandy. It is next to IMPOSSIBLE to win on the road in the SEC....unless you are "on the road" at Miss State (cowbells? comeon...) or Vandy. LSU is at the latter. they ROLL.
Troy @ Okie State. Am I still pissed that Okie State used the illegal Dez Bryant last year against the Dawgs? YES. And WHY hasn't the NCAA gone back and given Georgia the win? I AM TAKING TROY! SCREW YOU GUNDY!
Syracuse @ Washington. If you had a Syracuse all-star team face a Washington all-star team, THAT would be a game I'd want to watch. This one....not so much. I'll take U-Dub.
Ole Miss @ Tulane. WHY IS AN SEC SCHOOL GOING TO A SMALL CRAP SCHOOL, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COULDN'T BEAT AN FCS SCHOOL AT HOME? Well Nawlins will be fun. Maybe to help your fans FORGET YOU LOST TO AN FCS SCHOOL! Ole Miss can't lose two in a row, at least not these two in a row.
Northern Arizona @ Arizona State. The SunDevils v the Lumberjacks. AWESOME Nicknames. I just wish NAU's colors were flannel. I remember going up to NAU last summer and I saw a sign as you were leaving a parking lot that said, "Buckle up NAU." I laughed for 10 minutes. I was not drunk. I'm taking the SunDevils.
UVa @ 16 USC. See http://chuckoliver.net for more UVa coverage. Take the Trojans
25 Stanford @ UCLA. I love Screech's cousin over the basketball pick master. I recently wrote the Hooters College Basketball preview (you had better BELIEVE I gave the Dawgs some love) but perhaps I should have invited Ricky Neu to have weighed in with his thoughts. Wait, this is FOOTBALL. GO WITH ANDREW LUCK and Co. CARDINAL!
REAL GAMES: 12 Miami @ #2 Ohio State. I would LOVE to go with the athletes of Miami over the Sweatervest's boys, but then I remember Randy Shannon, who recruits by looking at the Rivals.com top 100 list, and thought, nah. Gotta go with the Buckeyes.
18 Penn State @ #1 Bama. Wait, I said real games. Crap. Why was this one included? I'll take the team with the player who was flown to Miami to be wined and dined by and agent and thus suspended for two games (good thing because if he had sold a jersey for about $800 less than the total of the trip, he'd miss FOUR games) over the team with the 99-year-old coach.
Specials of the house
Lock of the week
JMU @ 13 VaTech. Sorry Dukes, but the Hokies are about to take out some frustration.
Upset of the week.
17 FSU @ #10 OU. Landry Jones has some weapons on offense. Too bad Mark Stoops knows all about it because he spends Christmas with the Sooners coach. I'm going with the NOLES and Christian Ponder over the Sooners. Boomer, meet Greg Reid. He makes a big play in a big upset. Florida State, back? Dunno, but they'll win this one.
The Pro Game:
Washington v Dallas. I hate the Cowboys. I hate seeing them win in the regular season. I love watching them lose in the postseason. I'll love seeing Washington help keep them from the playoffs this year. It starts with this game!
Atlanta @ Pitt. No roethlisberger, but I can bet that the announcers will call him "Ben" every 10 minutes this game. Go with Matty Ice and the Falcons to start the season strong
Local rooting interest.
#15 GT @ KU. At least the ACC will get one FOR SURE non-conference v a BCS-team win this week.....
#22 Georgia @ #24 SoCar. Garcia looked good last week. SoCar has had 10 days to brace for the Dawgs. Georgia is sans AJ Green. SoCar is favored. Georgia is starting a freshman in his first road start. Doesn't matter. TKing and Washaun are back. That is huge, especially with AJ out. And AMurr and Orson Charles didn't really connect last week. This week they will. Dawgs pull out an 8-point win for Roomie and JCole's birthdays.
Tune in tonight to http://gpb.org/sports for #3PTR v #4 Newnan. Coverage starts at 7pm. And catch me tomorrow on 790TheZone around 9:25 for the High School Wrap and Sunday we're back with the Score Atlanta Scoreboard show from 1-4pm on 790. Scores and such every 10 minutes. BE THERE!
The Braves are limping down the homestretch
The Atlanta Braves are absolutely killing it at home this season, having only dropped one series at Turner Field all season long, and as of last Monday, sporting the best home record in the Majors with 49 wins to just 19 losses.
The Braves recently traded for a slugging former all-star first baseman that can slide right into the cleanup spot and let all-star catcher Brian McCann relax a bit in the five-spot of the order.
Rookie pitcher Mike Minor has stepped in seamlessly to the rotation spot that Kris Medlen had been mastering all season long before requiring Tommy John surgery to fix his pitching elbow.
Rookie sensation Jason Heyward has found his stroke from the first two months of the season and appears to be on cruise-control towards the National League Rookie of the Year award.
Martin Prado and Omar Infante are living up to their all-star billing this year and have just each other to contend with for the NL Batting Title.
So why are the Braves slumping? How has Atlanta managed to watch an 8-game division lead disappear into a one-half of a game deficit to the Philadelphia Phillies in the race for the NL East? The warning signs were there the whole time, it is just many folks were choosing to ignore them and instead beat the drum of “this is a magical season!”
It just might be a magical season, but if the Braves want to send retiring manager Bobby Cox and retiring closer Billy Wagner out as World Series champs, several adjustments need to be made. Quickly.
The Atlanta Braves have close to thirty last at-bat victories this season and while that means you can never count this team out of ANY game, it is a bit alarming for anyone out there not owning TUMS stock. Several times over the last few weeks it appeared that the team was looking forward to the late innings in a “well, we missed our chance with the bases loaded in the fourth, we’ll get ‘em in the eighth” approach and that simply cannot happen. The Braves don’t have the big bopper in the lineup that past lineups had, such as Fred McGriff, Andres Galarraga or Gary Sheffield, capable of putting three on the board in a hurry. Derrek Lee was this type of player three years ago, but you get the feeling that his skills have diminished a bit that the Cubs were willing to let him go for a trio of unproven minor league pitchers. This team MUST take advantage of ANY opportunity that presents itself regardless of the inning. Sometimes if a team has too much success, it will condition itself to maybe not try as hard until it is in that situation. I relate it a bit to Rafael Furcal, the former Braves shortstop. The speedy infielder had a bit of power and when he hit one out, it seemed he tried for the next five at-bats to cream another ball out and not just pound the ball and get on base.
Another flaw with this team is that, as excellent as it is at home, it is just as bad on the road. Well, not JUST as bad, but with a loss in the series-opener to the Pirates in Pittsburgh earlier this week, the Braves fell ten games under .500 on the season in road contests. At 30-40, the Braves have the worst road record of any team currently in a “playoff position if the season ended today.” The Yankees and Rays of the American League both play very well on the road, as do the Reds on the NL Central. While the Braves would host three games in a first round, best-of-five series should the team hold on to the NL East lead, what if the Phillies, who are SO hot right now ala Hansel in Zoolander, catch and pass the Braves. Then Atlanta would have to hold off the hard-charging San Francisco Giants for the RIGHT to go on the road for three in a best-of-five first round series. Atlanta must treat the road games with the same approach the team takes for a match-up at the Ted. If that means bringing sweet tea into the lockerroom, whatever, do it.
Finally, the pitching has been stellar with Tim Hudson and Jair Jurrjens on the bump but the other parts of the rotation need to pick up the slack. At the beginning of the season, the rotation was clearly the best in baseball. Derek Lowe was getting run support and winning games and Kris Medlen was stepping up to replace Kenshin Kawakami after the second-year Brave started to struggle with a 1-9 record. Then Medlen got hurt and Lowe dropped seven of his last nine decisions. Jurrjens’ return has helped to offset the drop in production from Tommy Hanson and Lowe. The rotation right now is getting quality starts from the rookie Minor but Lowe and Hanson are wild cards right now, leaving just Jurrjens and Hudson as the sure bets. It isn’t quite along the lines of Spahn and Sain and pray for rain, but it could get dicey in the playoffs.
The bottom line with the Braves right now is to keep dominating at home and try to at least split the road games. If Atlanta can beat up on some of the divisional opponents left, perhaps the two remaining series with the Phillies won’t mean anything other than playoff seeding as both will have clinched a playoff spot. The Braves will continue to ride this homestand for a series with the Nationals after the Cardinals leave town but then the team goes on the road for nine games before wrapping up the season with six games at home. Those odds seem to favor the Braves in a chase for the playoffs, but a few more road wins from the struggling pitchers would go along way to the folks not owning TUMS stock. Speaking of that, can you pass me a TUMS? The Phillies just won again, for seemingly the 900th time this month.
The Braves recently traded for a slugging former all-star first baseman that can slide right into the cleanup spot and let all-star catcher Brian McCann relax a bit in the five-spot of the order.
Rookie pitcher Mike Minor has stepped in seamlessly to the rotation spot that Kris Medlen had been mastering all season long before requiring Tommy John surgery to fix his pitching elbow.
Rookie sensation Jason Heyward has found his stroke from the first two months of the season and appears to be on cruise-control towards the National League Rookie of the Year award.
Martin Prado and Omar Infante are living up to their all-star billing this year and have just each other to contend with for the NL Batting Title.
So why are the Braves slumping? How has Atlanta managed to watch an 8-game division lead disappear into a one-half of a game deficit to the Philadelphia Phillies in the race for the NL East? The warning signs were there the whole time, it is just many folks were choosing to ignore them and instead beat the drum of “this is a magical season!”
It just might be a magical season, but if the Braves want to send retiring manager Bobby Cox and retiring closer Billy Wagner out as World Series champs, several adjustments need to be made. Quickly.
The Atlanta Braves have close to thirty last at-bat victories this season and while that means you can never count this team out of ANY game, it is a bit alarming for anyone out there not owning TUMS stock. Several times over the last few weeks it appeared that the team was looking forward to the late innings in a “well, we missed our chance with the bases loaded in the fourth, we’ll get ‘em in the eighth” approach and that simply cannot happen. The Braves don’t have the big bopper in the lineup that past lineups had, such as Fred McGriff, Andres Galarraga or Gary Sheffield, capable of putting three on the board in a hurry. Derrek Lee was this type of player three years ago, but you get the feeling that his skills have diminished a bit that the Cubs were willing to let him go for a trio of unproven minor league pitchers. This team MUST take advantage of ANY opportunity that presents itself regardless of the inning. Sometimes if a team has too much success, it will condition itself to maybe not try as hard until it is in that situation. I relate it a bit to Rafael Furcal, the former Braves shortstop. The speedy infielder had a bit of power and when he hit one out, it seemed he tried for the next five at-bats to cream another ball out and not just pound the ball and get on base.
Another flaw with this team is that, as excellent as it is at home, it is just as bad on the road. Well, not JUST as bad, but with a loss in the series-opener to the Pirates in Pittsburgh earlier this week, the Braves fell ten games under .500 on the season in road contests. At 30-40, the Braves have the worst road record of any team currently in a “playoff position if the season ended today.” The Yankees and Rays of the American League both play very well on the road, as do the Reds on the NL Central. While the Braves would host three games in a first round, best-of-five series should the team hold on to the NL East lead, what if the Phillies, who are SO hot right now ala Hansel in Zoolander, catch and pass the Braves. Then Atlanta would have to hold off the hard-charging San Francisco Giants for the RIGHT to go on the road for three in a best-of-five first round series. Atlanta must treat the road games with the same approach the team takes for a match-up at the Ted. If that means bringing sweet tea into the lockerroom, whatever, do it.
Finally, the pitching has been stellar with Tim Hudson and Jair Jurrjens on the bump but the other parts of the rotation need to pick up the slack. At the beginning of the season, the rotation was clearly the best in baseball. Derek Lowe was getting run support and winning games and Kris Medlen was stepping up to replace Kenshin Kawakami after the second-year Brave started to struggle with a 1-9 record. Then Medlen got hurt and Lowe dropped seven of his last nine decisions. Jurrjens’ return has helped to offset the drop in production from Tommy Hanson and Lowe. The rotation right now is getting quality starts from the rookie Minor but Lowe and Hanson are wild cards right now, leaving just Jurrjens and Hudson as the sure bets. It isn’t quite along the lines of Spahn and Sain and pray for rain, but it could get dicey in the playoffs.
The bottom line with the Braves right now is to keep dominating at home and try to at least split the road games. If Atlanta can beat up on some of the divisional opponents left, perhaps the two remaining series with the Phillies won’t mean anything other than playoff seeding as both will have clinched a playoff spot. The Braves will continue to ride this homestand for a series with the Nationals after the Cardinals leave town but then the team goes on the road for nine games before wrapping up the season with six games at home. Those odds seem to favor the Braves in a chase for the playoffs, but a few more road wins from the struggling pitchers would go along way to the folks not owning TUMS stock. Speaking of that, can you pass me a TUMS? The Phillies just won again, for seemingly the 900th time this month.
TheFletch for ThisWeek
Don't let this stop you from going out and getting your copy of Score Atlanta...or visiting www.scoreatl.com Do IT! And watch me tonight on gpb.org/sports the GAME OF THE WEEK! Tomorrow as well at 9:25 AM on 790 The Zone
After Brandon Adams left 790 The Zone last month to step away from full-time on-air work, the Zone has been using the Midday Buffet with a rotation of hosts to get through the 11-1 time slot formerly held by Brandon & Woolvey. No more. The station announced last week that Tony Barnhart and Wes Durham would be joining the station full-time and co-hosting Barnhart and Durham every weekday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The duo had been appearing Thursdays during the football season on a southern football show along with Chris Dimino, but now the two are by themselves on a permanent basis. Barnhart of course is known for his work in the AJC as well as for ESPN, CSS and CBS Sports. He also hosts his own show on CBS College Sports South. Durham meanwhile serves as the voice of the Atlanta Falcons and the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, who both call 790 The Zone their sports radio flagship. With these other obligations, the two will miss some time during the football season with Barnhart out Tuesdays and Durham working only a partial day. If one or the other needs to travel, say for a Georgia Tech game on a Thursday, the station announced that it will use fill-ins. The new show will take one hour from Mayhem in the AM, shifting that show to 6-10.
I personally think this is a GREAT move for the station as both Barnhart and Durham are incredible sources of knowledge and both have prior radio experience. The duo has also been working together, so their chemistry is something that won’t have to be created as it has already been established. Plus both are true professionals with some serious contacts that can bring some big names to the Zone and help the station win the late-morning ratings war with 680 The Fan’s Colin Cowherd, a national show. As much as I enjoyed Brandon & Woolvey, Barnhart & Durham just kicked it up a notch and was a huge move for The Zone.
Speaking of 680 The Fan though, the station has decided to bring on Georgia legend Fran Tarkenton Fridays during the college football season, and I must admit that I am a bit scared of how this will go. Several years ago he appeared on 790 for a few interviews and played the, “back in my day card,” to the point that I remember screaming at the radio, “I get it! You once played in the NFL!” but hopefully he will stick to talking about college. I had the opportunity to work with Fran’s nephew Chip at a Richmond, Virginia television station and Chip was, of course, quite complimentary of Fran’s football knowledge. I am a bit cautious over the “I’ve played this game before and if you haven’t, you shouldn’t be talking,” card that I hope he does play on a regular basis. Some listeners enjoy hearing about the good ole days, but I am betting that a majority will roll their eyes if that drum is beaten too many segments in a row. And he isn’t off to a hot start after predicting in his first appearance that Aaron Murray would struggle mightily in his first game for Georgia. Murray had a very nice debut for Georgia, throwing for three scores and running for one as well.
College football kicked off in a hurry last week and a local radio co-host went national thanks to ESPNU. David Pollack, former three-time All-American at the University of Georgia and current co-host of 790 The Zone’s Pollack & Bell, was featured on a, ESPNU college football roundtable entitled, “The Experts.” While I thought the title “Experts,” might have been a little generous in some cases, the three-hour show certainly had its moments. Perhaps if the panel had been cut down from six to maybe four, the flow would have been better but it seemed as though EVERYONE had to weigh in on EVERY subject, and in several cases, the last few folks to offer an opinion were simply repeating the other “Experts’” opinions. I wish the guys in editing had gone to work a bit more on the show to take out some of the, “yeah, that’s exactly right.”
Pollack, or Davey as he was being called on “The Experts,” then appeared Saturday on ESPNU’s broadcast of the FSU/Samford game. While he had a few rough patches Pollack managed to provide some insight from his playing days without coming off as a pompous jerk that some former players tend to become on those broadcasts. As Pollack continues his on-the-job training he will likely get better, just as he did with his on-the-air training he went through with 790. One measure ESPN might want to consider to help ease his transition to color commentating is to put him on the ESPN SEC games on Peachtree TV. Replace Andre Ware, a former quarterback with the University of Houston, with Pollack, who was a SEC legend. It makes more sense. Plus Dave Neal might also help Pollack opposed to Rob Stone from ESPN. Neal is a smooth-as-silk play-by-play man while Stone made his bones as a sideline reporter who was kicked up/promoted to the box but is still learning himself.
Finally, I found it interesting the two sides of a college football debate that waged earlier this week between 680 The Fan’s Perry Laurentino and ESPN’s Colin Cowherd. On The Herd on Monday, Cowherd was arguing that we shouldn’t put stock into the struggles of Oklahoma and Florida because, despite the week one performance, we know they will be fast and be good. Cowherd said anyone writing off Florida at this point is just wrong. The next morning on The Rude Awakening, Laurentino objected to Cowherd’s opinion, saying that Florida’s struggles were indicative of what will be and week one struggles SHOULD be taken into great account. While I can see Cowherd’s argument, I will have to agree with Laurentino on this one. Struggles in week one or struggles in week seven, it doesn’t matter. If a team that is normally incredible loses, it is a loss. Done. Cannot undo it. It doesn’t matter if the losing team would win nine times out of ten, if it struggles that day and loses, it is a problem. If Florida continues to struggle like it did in week one, and honestly, the way the Gators struggled it looks like they will, then week one’s struggles CERTAINLY will matter.
Can you believe he said that?
“My belief is that Bobby Cox is the best manager I’ve ever seen and the best I’ll ever see.” That was Mark Bradley of the AJC who apparently has never been to a game managed by Joe Torre and his four World Series rings or by Tony La Russa, who is third all-time on the managerial wins list and is one of just two managers with a World Series title in both the American League and the National League. I really respect Bobby Cox as a manager and he is the greatest manager in Braves history, but the best ever? Even a homer like myself cannot say that.
After Brandon Adams left 790 The Zone last month to step away from full-time on-air work, the Zone has been using the Midday Buffet with a rotation of hosts to get through the 11-1 time slot formerly held by Brandon & Woolvey. No more. The station announced last week that Tony Barnhart and Wes Durham would be joining the station full-time and co-hosting Barnhart and Durham every weekday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The duo had been appearing Thursdays during the football season on a southern football show along with Chris Dimino, but now the two are by themselves on a permanent basis. Barnhart of course is known for his work in the AJC as well as for ESPN, CSS and CBS Sports. He also hosts his own show on CBS College Sports South. Durham meanwhile serves as the voice of the Atlanta Falcons and the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, who both call 790 The Zone their sports radio flagship. With these other obligations, the two will miss some time during the football season with Barnhart out Tuesdays and Durham working only a partial day. If one or the other needs to travel, say for a Georgia Tech game on a Thursday, the station announced that it will use fill-ins. The new show will take one hour from Mayhem in the AM, shifting that show to 6-10.
I personally think this is a GREAT move for the station as both Barnhart and Durham are incredible sources of knowledge and both have prior radio experience. The duo has also been working together, so their chemistry is something that won’t have to be created as it has already been established. Plus both are true professionals with some serious contacts that can bring some big names to the Zone and help the station win the late-morning ratings war with 680 The Fan’s Colin Cowherd, a national show. As much as I enjoyed Brandon & Woolvey, Barnhart & Durham just kicked it up a notch and was a huge move for The Zone.
Speaking of 680 The Fan though, the station has decided to bring on Georgia legend Fran Tarkenton Fridays during the college football season, and I must admit that I am a bit scared of how this will go. Several years ago he appeared on 790 for a few interviews and played the, “back in my day card,” to the point that I remember screaming at the radio, “I get it! You once played in the NFL!” but hopefully he will stick to talking about college. I had the opportunity to work with Fran’s nephew Chip at a Richmond, Virginia television station and Chip was, of course, quite complimentary of Fran’s football knowledge. I am a bit cautious over the “I’ve played this game before and if you haven’t, you shouldn’t be talking,” card that I hope he does play on a regular basis. Some listeners enjoy hearing about the good ole days, but I am betting that a majority will roll their eyes if that drum is beaten too many segments in a row. And he isn’t off to a hot start after predicting in his first appearance that Aaron Murray would struggle mightily in his first game for Georgia. Murray had a very nice debut for Georgia, throwing for three scores and running for one as well.
College football kicked off in a hurry last week and a local radio co-host went national thanks to ESPNU. David Pollack, former three-time All-American at the University of Georgia and current co-host of 790 The Zone’s Pollack & Bell, was featured on a, ESPNU college football roundtable entitled, “The Experts.” While I thought the title “Experts,” might have been a little generous in some cases, the three-hour show certainly had its moments. Perhaps if the panel had been cut down from six to maybe four, the flow would have been better but it seemed as though EVERYONE had to weigh in on EVERY subject, and in several cases, the last few folks to offer an opinion were simply repeating the other “Experts’” opinions. I wish the guys in editing had gone to work a bit more on the show to take out some of the, “yeah, that’s exactly right.”
Pollack, or Davey as he was being called on “The Experts,” then appeared Saturday on ESPNU’s broadcast of the FSU/Samford game. While he had a few rough patches Pollack managed to provide some insight from his playing days without coming off as a pompous jerk that some former players tend to become on those broadcasts. As Pollack continues his on-the-job training he will likely get better, just as he did with his on-the-air training he went through with 790. One measure ESPN might want to consider to help ease his transition to color commentating is to put him on the ESPN SEC games on Peachtree TV. Replace Andre Ware, a former quarterback with the University of Houston, with Pollack, who was a SEC legend. It makes more sense. Plus Dave Neal might also help Pollack opposed to Rob Stone from ESPN. Neal is a smooth-as-silk play-by-play man while Stone made his bones as a sideline reporter who was kicked up/promoted to the box but is still learning himself.
Finally, I found it interesting the two sides of a college football debate that waged earlier this week between 680 The Fan’s Perry Laurentino and ESPN’s Colin Cowherd. On The Herd on Monday, Cowherd was arguing that we shouldn’t put stock into the struggles of Oklahoma and Florida because, despite the week one performance, we know they will be fast and be good. Cowherd said anyone writing off Florida at this point is just wrong. The next morning on The Rude Awakening, Laurentino objected to Cowherd’s opinion, saying that Florida’s struggles were indicative of what will be and week one struggles SHOULD be taken into great account. While I can see Cowherd’s argument, I will have to agree with Laurentino on this one. Struggles in week one or struggles in week seven, it doesn’t matter. If a team that is normally incredible loses, it is a loss. Done. Cannot undo it. It doesn’t matter if the losing team would win nine times out of ten, if it struggles that day and loses, it is a problem. If Florida continues to struggle like it did in week one, and honestly, the way the Gators struggled it looks like they will, then week one’s struggles CERTAINLY will matter.
Can you believe he said that?
“My belief is that Bobby Cox is the best manager I’ve ever seen and the best I’ll ever see.” That was Mark Bradley of the AJC who apparently has never been to a game managed by Joe Torre and his four World Series rings or by Tony La Russa, who is third all-time on the managerial wins list and is one of just two managers with a World Series title in both the American League and the National League. I really respect Bobby Cox as a manager and he is the greatest manager in Braves history, but the best ever? Even a homer like myself cannot say that.
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