This list debuted last night on Score Atlanta's The Official Visit on 790 The Zone. Did you miss it? You DID? Why? We had Isaiah Crowell, the standout running back that EVERY COLLEGE in the country wants in their backfield, on where he revealed that Clemson may have the inside track and he is likely a package deal with teammate Gabe Wright. See what you missed? Anyways, here is Big B's big list.
10) Chris Milton: 6-0, 175-pound athlete out of Charlton County. Offers from Duke, Georgia Tech, UNC, Purdue and Illinois. Good speed, quickness and agility. Needs to gain a ton of weight to play safety, more of a corner at this point. Doesn’t have blinding speed. Plays a lot of qb now. But great upside I think.
9) Justin Coleman: 5-11, 175-pound cornerback out of Brunswick. Offers from Georgia Tech, Kentucky, Oklahoma State, and West Virginia. Good height, speed and great hands. Plays a lot of safety in high school. Does have much man coverage experience.
8) Jared Boyd: 5-9, 165-pound corner out of Stephenson. Offers from Georgia Tech, Kentucky, Ole Miss, and UCF. Lacks height and size, but is a tremendous athlete. Tremendous speed. Great with the ball in his hands. Plays a lot of safety, but wont in college. Great punt and kick returner. Just put him on the field. Reminds me a little of Nickell Robey.
7) Tyler Hunter: 6-0, 190-pound safety out of Lowndes. Committed to FSU. Another good punt and kick returner. Needs to add weight, but good speed. Good all-around player, takes on blocks well. A little late reacting, but takes good angles.
6) Avery Walls: 5-11, 184-pound safety out of Union Grove. Offers from Auburn, Cal, LSU, Maryland, Michigan, Oklahoma and Tennessee. Very physical, big hitter, quick reaction time. Very impressive against the run. Great recognition skills. Love this kid.
5) Devin Bowman: 6-0, 175-pound athlete out of Ridgeland. Committed to UGA. Could play on both sides of the ball, but looks to be a corner. Good body control in air. Solid speed and quickness. Needs to gain weight and become more physical.
4) Brian Randolph: 6-0, 180-pound safety out of Kell. Had a tremendous sophomore season, but was hurt last year. Very physical, with good speed and reactionary skills. Offers from Georgia, Tech, Tennessee, VTech, Stanford.
3) Damian Swan: 6-0, 175-pound athlete out of Grady. Offers from Bama, Florida, UGA, UNC, N.C. State, USC…Good size, with tremendous speed and body control. Very strong too. Love him at both receiver and db, though he probably has more upside on d. Looks to have solid hands also.
2) Chris Sanders: 6-1, 185-pound athlete out of Tucker. Committed to Georgia. Great size and a willing hitter. Impressive in run support, but lacks explosive speed.
1) Corey Moore: 6-1, 195-pound safety out of Griffin. Committed to UGA. Smart player that knows how to play safety. Very good recognition skills to go along with great size. Very agile and quick for his size, with good enough speed. Great body control, and very good at reading the quarterback. A true safety. Will knock your head off. Great against the run and pass.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Monday, May 3, 2010
So Logan Gray wants to go to K-State?
Peace out Homey. You want to go and MAYBE play in the Big 12 for Bill Snyder, who might die on the sidelines (he is 94 afterall)? Be my guest. Or you could stay at Georgia and play a little wide receiver and get worked into a wilddawg package.
And what if Aaron Murray craps his pants against SoCar? You're just assuming you won't be called upon? what if Murray breaks his leg again or has the tendonitis flare up again?
man, logan gray is friggin' stoopid.
oh, "I was the Missouri Gatorade player of the year my senior year of high school!"
umm, Logan, you DO realize that being the best player in the state of missouri and being the best player in GA or Florida or Texas or Ohio or even Virginia is a little different, right? You maybe were the best QB coming out of the state of Mizzou your senior year, but Aaron Murray was the best (maybe second best behind Tom Savage) QB in Florida his year and Mettenberger was the best QB his year (sorry tamburo) in GA, right?
does he see the difference? if he is THAT stupid, then perhaps he shouldn't be a QB...
I hate to say this about somebody, but he just isn't a big-time SEC QB. Think about it....if he was any good, he WOULD have played last season. The coaches at the time looked at the "athlete" that is Logan Gray and said, "we'd rather go with the crapsack that IS Joe Cox."
But SURE Logan, you go to K-State. ...... where there is ZERO guarantee that you'll be the starting QB your ONE YEAR THERE!
if he REALLY wants to transfer, he should transfer to Furman or App State, somewhere where he will CERTAINLY be named the starter AS SOON AS HE STEPS ONTO CAMPUS. Georgia State perhaps.........
And what if Aaron Murray craps his pants against SoCar? You're just assuming you won't be called upon? what if Murray breaks his leg again or has the tendonitis flare up again?
man, logan gray is friggin' stoopid.
oh, "I was the Missouri Gatorade player of the year my senior year of high school!"
umm, Logan, you DO realize that being the best player in the state of missouri and being the best player in GA or Florida or Texas or Ohio or even Virginia is a little different, right? You maybe were the best QB coming out of the state of Mizzou your senior year, but Aaron Murray was the best (maybe second best behind Tom Savage) QB in Florida his year and Mettenberger was the best QB his year (sorry tamburo) in GA, right?
does he see the difference? if he is THAT stupid, then perhaps he shouldn't be a QB...
I hate to say this about somebody, but he just isn't a big-time SEC QB. Think about it....if he was any good, he WOULD have played last season. The coaches at the time looked at the "athlete" that is Logan Gray and said, "we'd rather go with the crapsack that IS Joe Cox."
But SURE Logan, you go to K-State. ...... where there is ZERO guarantee that you'll be the starting QB your ONE YEAR THERE!
if he REALLY wants to transfer, he should transfer to Furman or App State, somewhere where he will CERTAINLY be named the starter AS SOON AS HE STEPS ONTO CAMPUS. Georgia State perhaps.........
Friday, April 30, 2010
The Fletch for this week
Am I spoiling you by giving you TheFletch for free right here so that you don't go an pick up Score Atlanta at a quiktrip or Kroger in the Atlanta area? I hope not. Go pick one up!
ESPN decided to bring the 2010 NFL draft to prime time LIVE from Radio City Music Hall in New York, but the local radio stations kind of missed out on the coverage. In years past, both stations had a crew at a local sports bar, breaking down the picks and giving analysis on the spot. This year, due to the timing of the first round, that wasn’t the case for one. 680 The Fan was instead airing the finale of the Braves/Phillies series even though the station spent the week touting John Kincade, Chuck Oliver and Falcons receiver Brian Finneran’s roundtable discussion. That would have been cool to hear, but I wasn’t able to go out to their location to be a part of the discussion. 790 The Zone meanwhile was in Sandy Springs where Pollack and Bell were able to do their show until the draft started. Then, as much as I respect Brandon Adams and the Soon to be Famous Jon Michaels, the big guns left. 790 has former first round pick David Pollack at the station as well as former NFLer Ryan Stewart, yet the coverage is left to Brandon and Jon. Again, I have great respect for those guys, but why didn’t the station decide to use Pollack in its coverage? The Atlanta Falcons were at least broadcasting a special draft program that allowed patrons of Taco Mac to see live interviews with owner and CEO Arthur Blank, Rich McKay and other Falcons staff. Then fans were treated to an interview with GM Thomas Dimitroff.
The leadup to the draft was actually quite entertaining this season, despite no local player being at the top of the board like last year with Georgia QB Matthew Stafford. Jon Gruden of ESPN provided a great feature on SportsCenter that eventually grew and grew and eventually got its own special the day before the draft. Gruden invited the top four QBs to go over some tape and Gruden was brutally honest during these sessions. It ultimately came off as tough love, and in several cases, Gruden was flat out funny as he put players on the spot. When Gruden sat down with CJ Spiller, just days before the draft, seeing Spiller writing down “Pointer Sisters” as something to look into made me crack up and “CJ’s AL-WAYS IN-JURED!” is sure to be serenaded should the Clemson back get hurt and leave the field during his rookie year.
One final NFL note, the schedule was released and Falcons fans should be feeling good about not only the schedule, but the two national games that Atlanta will play. The slate opens up with the Pittsburgh Steelers, sans Ben Roethlisberger and caps off with a date against the Carolina Panthers in the Georgia Dome in Week 17. In Week 16, Matt Ryan and company will have a HUGE chance to impress when the Falcons host the defending Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints in the Georgia Dome. ESPN and Monday Night Football will be in town for that one. The other nationally televised game will be on the NFL Network (OK, so not nationally televised if you don’t have the expanded television package on Comcast or Charter…) against the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday, November 11 in Atlanta.
The Atlanta Hawks are of course in the playoffs and if you live in the Atlanta area, you are clearly seeing the games with our local broadcast crew providing the sound. If though, like me, you were out of town last week during game one against Milwaukee, you were treated to the broadcast on ESPN. The NBA on ESPN team certainly had some nice things to say about the team and coach Mike Woodson, though some wondered if the team would resign Joe Johnson. ESPN.com’s Bill Simmons echoed that thought in his NBA: Think, Know, Prove column. Said Simmons of the Hawks, “I think this spring could be the last stand for the Rejuvenated Atlanta Hawks. And here's why: Joe Johnson is getting max money this summer to play in Chicago, New Jersey, New York, Clipperland or wherever. He's irreplaceable for Atlanta obviously. Assuming Josh Childress returns from his Greek exile, that gives the Hawks Childress, Josh Smith, Al Horford, Jamal Crawford, Marvin "I Look Worse As A No. 2 Pick Each Season" Williams, Zaza Pachulia, Zaza Pachulia's bacne and Mike Bibby's chalk outline next season. That's a 42-win team. The window is right now. They can absolutely make the 2010 Eastern finals ... and then get swept, but still. The Eastern finals!”
The AJC’s Jeff Schultz was impressed following the Hawks game two victory. He boasted that Josh Smith, when on, was unstoppable. Schultz quoted all-star forward Al Horford who said that Smith was the X-Factor, even over Johnson. “Josh is the biggest key,” said Horford, and Schultz piggybacked to say that, if Smith plays this way, not even the Lakers could stop him. Maybe a bit much, saying that Smith could beat Orlando, then Cleveland then Los Angeles (aka, Dwight Howard, then LeBron James, then Kobe Bryant), but Schultz is allowed to dream.
Speaking of the AJC, FINALLY, a headline that wasn’t misleading. The Atlanta newspaper’s headline typically takes a page out of yahoo.com by posting misleading headlines to get clicks to its stories, especially when it comes to Georgia Bulldog football news. However, last week the paper decided not to fool the general public when a walk-on punter was arrested. Instead of running a headline like, “ANOTHER GEORGIA BULLDOG ARRESTED, RICHT HAS LOST CONTROL!” the paper instead noted that a walk-on had been arrested. Yellow journalism was popular back in the early 1900s but the AJC was working with Yahoo to bring it back. Has the website seen the light? Doubtful. In fact, they will probably regret that they missed the chance to hookwink readers into potential clicks to the site.
Tony Barnhart did get my click on ajc.com the other day with his opinion on SEC expansion. The Big Ten (or 11) has been rumored to be after Notre Dame and could add as many as five more teams to become a super-conference of 16 teams. USA Today called for the Big Ten (11, really) to give Notre Dame the ultimatum of “join now or never,” as it went up to 16 teams. Barnhart argued that if the Big Ten (11) adds just Notre Dame, it won’t affect the SEC. However, Mr. College Football went on to add that if the Big Ten (11) ends up adding 16 including Notre Dame, the SEC’s hand will be forced and the conference will likely have to raid the Big East, Conference USA and even the ACC and Big 12 for members to become another super-conference. I tend to agree with Barnhart that if Notre Dame joins the Big Ten (11), that won’t really matter. Maybe then Notre Dame games won’t occupy NBC on Saturdays and the Irish will be on the Big Ten Network, which, thankfully, I don’t get and won’t have to watch.
CAN YOU BELIEVE HE JUST SAID THAT?
“Anybody recall Francisco Cabrera, Game 7, 1992 NLCS?” That was Mark Bradley of the AJC, comparing Jason Heyward’s game-winning single with the hit that sent the Braves to the franchise’s second straight World Series in the early 1990s. I realize that the situation Heyward came to the plate with was similar in that the Braves were down one, with two outs and the bases loaded. And the ball was even hit to the left side of the infield. There was one tiny difference though: Cabrera’s hit came in the playoffs whereas Heyward’s hit was in APRIL. MID-APRIL!
ESPN decided to bring the 2010 NFL draft to prime time LIVE from Radio City Music Hall in New York, but the local radio stations kind of missed out on the coverage. In years past, both stations had a crew at a local sports bar, breaking down the picks and giving analysis on the spot. This year, due to the timing of the first round, that wasn’t the case for one. 680 The Fan was instead airing the finale of the Braves/Phillies series even though the station spent the week touting John Kincade, Chuck Oliver and Falcons receiver Brian Finneran’s roundtable discussion. That would have been cool to hear, but I wasn’t able to go out to their location to be a part of the discussion. 790 The Zone meanwhile was in Sandy Springs where Pollack and Bell were able to do their show until the draft started. Then, as much as I respect Brandon Adams and the Soon to be Famous Jon Michaels, the big guns left. 790 has former first round pick David Pollack at the station as well as former NFLer Ryan Stewart, yet the coverage is left to Brandon and Jon. Again, I have great respect for those guys, but why didn’t the station decide to use Pollack in its coverage? The Atlanta Falcons were at least broadcasting a special draft program that allowed patrons of Taco Mac to see live interviews with owner and CEO Arthur Blank, Rich McKay and other Falcons staff. Then fans were treated to an interview with GM Thomas Dimitroff.
The leadup to the draft was actually quite entertaining this season, despite no local player being at the top of the board like last year with Georgia QB Matthew Stafford. Jon Gruden of ESPN provided a great feature on SportsCenter that eventually grew and grew and eventually got its own special the day before the draft. Gruden invited the top four QBs to go over some tape and Gruden was brutally honest during these sessions. It ultimately came off as tough love, and in several cases, Gruden was flat out funny as he put players on the spot. When Gruden sat down with CJ Spiller, just days before the draft, seeing Spiller writing down “Pointer Sisters” as something to look into made me crack up and “CJ’s AL-WAYS IN-JURED!” is sure to be serenaded should the Clemson back get hurt and leave the field during his rookie year.
One final NFL note, the schedule was released and Falcons fans should be feeling good about not only the schedule, but the two national games that Atlanta will play. The slate opens up with the Pittsburgh Steelers, sans Ben Roethlisberger and caps off with a date against the Carolina Panthers in the Georgia Dome in Week 17. In Week 16, Matt Ryan and company will have a HUGE chance to impress when the Falcons host the defending Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints in the Georgia Dome. ESPN and Monday Night Football will be in town for that one. The other nationally televised game will be on the NFL Network (OK, so not nationally televised if you don’t have the expanded television package on Comcast or Charter…) against the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday, November 11 in Atlanta.
The Atlanta Hawks are of course in the playoffs and if you live in the Atlanta area, you are clearly seeing the games with our local broadcast crew providing the sound. If though, like me, you were out of town last week during game one against Milwaukee, you were treated to the broadcast on ESPN. The NBA on ESPN team certainly had some nice things to say about the team and coach Mike Woodson, though some wondered if the team would resign Joe Johnson. ESPN.com’s Bill Simmons echoed that thought in his NBA: Think, Know, Prove column. Said Simmons of the Hawks, “I think this spring could be the last stand for the Rejuvenated Atlanta Hawks. And here's why: Joe Johnson is getting max money this summer to play in Chicago, New Jersey, New York, Clipperland or wherever. He's irreplaceable for Atlanta obviously. Assuming Josh Childress returns from his Greek exile, that gives the Hawks Childress, Josh Smith, Al Horford, Jamal Crawford, Marvin "I Look Worse As A No. 2 Pick Each Season" Williams, Zaza Pachulia, Zaza Pachulia's bacne and Mike Bibby's chalk outline next season. That's a 42-win team. The window is right now. They can absolutely make the 2010 Eastern finals ... and then get swept, but still. The Eastern finals!”
The AJC’s Jeff Schultz was impressed following the Hawks game two victory. He boasted that Josh Smith, when on, was unstoppable. Schultz quoted all-star forward Al Horford who said that Smith was the X-Factor, even over Johnson. “Josh is the biggest key,” said Horford, and Schultz piggybacked to say that, if Smith plays this way, not even the Lakers could stop him. Maybe a bit much, saying that Smith could beat Orlando, then Cleveland then Los Angeles (aka, Dwight Howard, then LeBron James, then Kobe Bryant), but Schultz is allowed to dream.
Speaking of the AJC, FINALLY, a headline that wasn’t misleading. The Atlanta newspaper’s headline typically takes a page out of yahoo.com by posting misleading headlines to get clicks to its stories, especially when it comes to Georgia Bulldog football news. However, last week the paper decided not to fool the general public when a walk-on punter was arrested. Instead of running a headline like, “ANOTHER GEORGIA BULLDOG ARRESTED, RICHT HAS LOST CONTROL!” the paper instead noted that a walk-on had been arrested. Yellow journalism was popular back in the early 1900s but the AJC was working with Yahoo to bring it back. Has the website seen the light? Doubtful. In fact, they will probably regret that they missed the chance to hookwink readers into potential clicks to the site.
Tony Barnhart did get my click on ajc.com the other day with his opinion on SEC expansion. The Big Ten (or 11) has been rumored to be after Notre Dame and could add as many as five more teams to become a super-conference of 16 teams. USA Today called for the Big Ten (11, really) to give Notre Dame the ultimatum of “join now or never,” as it went up to 16 teams. Barnhart argued that if the Big Ten (11) adds just Notre Dame, it won’t affect the SEC. However, Mr. College Football went on to add that if the Big Ten (11) ends up adding 16 including Notre Dame, the SEC’s hand will be forced and the conference will likely have to raid the Big East, Conference USA and even the ACC and Big 12 for members to become another super-conference. I tend to agree with Barnhart that if Notre Dame joins the Big Ten (11), that won’t really matter. Maybe then Notre Dame games won’t occupy NBC on Saturdays and the Irish will be on the Big Ten Network, which, thankfully, I don’t get and won’t have to watch.
CAN YOU BELIEVE HE JUST SAID THAT?
“Anybody recall Francisco Cabrera, Game 7, 1992 NLCS?” That was Mark Bradley of the AJC, comparing Jason Heyward’s game-winning single with the hit that sent the Braves to the franchise’s second straight World Series in the early 1990s. I realize that the situation Heyward came to the plate with was similar in that the Braves were down one, with two outs and the bases loaded. And the ball was even hit to the left side of the infield. There was one tiny difference though: Cabrera’s hit came in the playoffs whereas Heyward’s hit was in APRIL. MID-APRIL!
Friday, April 23, 2010
Drafting a few thoughts about last night....
The NFL held the first round of the draft last night in PRIME TIME for the first time ever, and a few things stood out to me. No.1, lots of crying last night. Wow. Have I ever seen so many HUGE men crying before? Only when Larry's Original Calabash Seafood shut down to remodel. There were a bunch of fat men crying for a few minutes before they realized they could just eat somewhere else.
No.2, as a Redskins fan, the first few things I DIDN'T want to hear about the No.4 overall pick Trent Williams....
Boomer: A bit of a surprise with Washington going with Williams over Okung, right Mel?
Kiper: He'll need to work on his strength. He only did 23 reps at the combine, but he is athletic. He can dunk a basketball.
Todd McShay: this is a versital guy. His first few seasons he was a right tackle and even played center. His last year he played left tackle.
So let's recap, shall we: he was moving up draft boards late, for whatever reason. Perhaps news that he could dunk a basketball sparked that. Wait, I don't remember new Redskins coach Mike Shannahan running many plays that required his LT to dunk a basketball when winning two Super Bowls in Denver. Hmmm. And he only did 23 reps at the combine? You know who did more? Several quarterbacks.
and he played RIGHT TACKLE AND CENTER his first few years before switching to LT his final season....when Sam Bradford was knocked out TWICE on sacks. Great. Your first game as LT and Bradford leaves the game with a crushing injury. 6 weeks later after he returns, he is hurt AGAIN in that first game and misses the rest of the year. GREAT JOB LEFT TACKLE!
The Falcons got Sean Weatherspoon. A pretty good pickup for them. Thank goodness that Maurkice Pouncey was taken one pick ahead of them because I think they would have taken him. Boy, I'd have loved to have seen the spin machine try and sell a freaking CENTER over Dez Bryant, Gresham, Kindle, Weatherspoon, etc.
Tim Tebow got picked in the first round. Wow. one of three gators. And he's going to Denver where he won't start but can learn. A great spot for him. Not a good spot for Gator-haters. He might actually make it out there. CRUD.
Two GT players taken in the first round, though no Dwyer. He still HAD to go though. No Dawgs taken on day one. expect at least Owens and Atkins to go today as 2nd and 3rd rounds are tonight.
No.2, as a Redskins fan, the first few things I DIDN'T want to hear about the No.4 overall pick Trent Williams....
Boomer: A bit of a surprise with Washington going with Williams over Okung, right Mel?
Kiper: He'll need to work on his strength. He only did 23 reps at the combine, but he is athletic. He can dunk a basketball.
Todd McShay: this is a versital guy. His first few seasons he was a right tackle and even played center. His last year he played left tackle.
So let's recap, shall we: he was moving up draft boards late, for whatever reason. Perhaps news that he could dunk a basketball sparked that. Wait, I don't remember new Redskins coach Mike Shannahan running many plays that required his LT to dunk a basketball when winning two Super Bowls in Denver. Hmmm. And he only did 23 reps at the combine? You know who did more? Several quarterbacks.
and he played RIGHT TACKLE AND CENTER his first few years before switching to LT his final season....when Sam Bradford was knocked out TWICE on sacks. Great. Your first game as LT and Bradford leaves the game with a crushing injury. 6 weeks later after he returns, he is hurt AGAIN in that first game and misses the rest of the year. GREAT JOB LEFT TACKLE!
The Falcons got Sean Weatherspoon. A pretty good pickup for them. Thank goodness that Maurkice Pouncey was taken one pick ahead of them because I think they would have taken him. Boy, I'd have loved to have seen the spin machine try and sell a freaking CENTER over Dez Bryant, Gresham, Kindle, Weatherspoon, etc.
Tim Tebow got picked in the first round. Wow. one of three gators. And he's going to Denver where he won't start but can learn. A great spot for him. Not a good spot for Gator-haters. He might actually make it out there. CRUD.
Two GT players taken in the first round, though no Dwyer. He still HAD to go though. No Dawgs taken on day one. expect at least Owens and Atkins to go today as 2nd and 3rd rounds are tonight.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
TheFletch for this week
Back from NYC, on my way to Cabo. Thought you should still enjoy this week's THEFLETCH. But you know the drill. STOP BY QUIKTRIP and GRAB a copy of Score Atlanta. DO IT!
I was able to finally catch the Braves pregame show on 680 The Fan recently and I must say that I’m a bit disappointed. Buck Belue and Mark Lemke were hosting the official pregame show on the Braves flagship station, and honestly, Belue’s show last season was better. In 2009, Belue hosted a thirty minute show that aired before Braves home games, usually featuring a Jonathan Chadwick interview or report from Turner Field, and I don’t know if it was the length of the show (much shorter, so more meaningful minutes) or the slant of the broadcast, but last year was better. This year Belue seems more corporate when previewing the games whereas last season he was able to relax more. Perhaps it is because Belue is having to set up other people, but he is so conversational when by himself opposed to that sometimes hushed voice he breaks out for big time interviews, his serious voice, I guess. I hate to be one that longs for the good ole days, but I long for the days of…last year. And for the record, when it comes to the Braves pregame coverage, it seems as though Leo Mazzone is finally comfortable on the radio. Leo offers great insight and strong opinions when discussing baseball and the Braves in particular that I quite frankly have not heard on the Rude Awakening. He and Lemke play well off each other, and it is nice to hear his thoughts on the way the game is played today. Leo is old school for sure when it comes to pitching, and I find myself agreeing with him on the pregame shows instead of just wishing he would stop talking like I do when he giggles through the morning show.
The Official Visit, presented by Score Atlanta pulled off quite a coup last Tuesday when Pope offensive lineman Thomas O’Reilly committed to Auburn on the show, which aired on 790 The Zone. O’Reilly is the first recruit to commit for the 2011 class live on The Official Visit, which had McEachern’s Terrell Mitchell pledge to the University of Kentucky in January 2009 and was scheduled to have Hutson Mason deliver his pledge to the Georgia Bulldogs earlier this year, before Mason instead declared on CSS. Chip Towers of the AJC was quick to credit The Official Visit with the announcement, but the two major recruiting websites, scout.com and rivals.com used the content without giving proper credit. Scout.com did send an email, thanking Score Atlanta for the information, however rivals.com lifted the interview, verbatim, claiming that its writer had asked the same questions and had gotten the exact same answer. The “interview” on rivals.com’s site was also posted roughly 45 minutes after the conclusion of O’Reilly’s appearance on The Official Visit. As a co-host of the show and a member of the media, I realize that everyone borrows from everyone, but I personally give credit if I use something that should be credited. Hopefully rivals.com can learn that lesson someday.
The Atlanta Thrashers reshuffled its coaching staff and front office, naming Rick Dudley its new GM after Don Waddell was promoted to team president. The move was met with an “it’s about time,” piece from Jeff Schultz from the AJC and kind words from an ESPN NHL blogger. Pierre LeBrun said of Dudley, “He's a quirky guy, doesn't suck up to owners or people in power like many of his colleagues, and doesn't play politics all too well. He's just a great hockey man; but, unfortunately, that's not always good enough in this business.” Dudley was a former assistant GM with Chicago before coming to the Thrashers before this past season. LeBrun noted in his blog that it was only a matter of time before Dudley replaced Waddell, saying, “Another season out of the playoffs, the ninth time in 10 seasons that's happened, made it the right time. The local fans and media have soured greatly on Waddell.” Meanwhile, Schultz of the AJC wondered last week if enough had been done. “Change is good. Change is needed. Change is the only thing that gives the Thrashers a chance for success and hockey an extended lifeline in Atlanta. But did the Atlanta Spirit go far enough?” Schultz bemoaned the lack of accountability and surmised that perhaps the only reason this change in infrastructure went down was because it was the least expensive way.
I know that this is the South where college football is religion, but I find it interesting the differences in signing day coverage between college football and college basketball. For college football EVERY local paper, be it the AJC, the Gwinnett Daily Post, the Marietta Daily Journal or even the Athens Banner-Herald, is all over National Signing Day. When it comes to basketball’s signing day though, the coverage dips a little bit. Perhaps it is because there are two signing periods, the early period and the late period which we are currently in, but the coverage always seems second-rate. This season is a bit of an exception though. Not only has The Official Visit on 790 been all over the late signing period, but the Athens Banner-Herald has posted updates in regards to Georgia, and the AJC has been chronicling the Marcus Thornton story. Thornton of Westlake was named Mr. Basketball by the AJC and once Clemson’s coach departed, Thornton asked for his release, as he signed in the early period. The AJC is describing him as one of “the top free agents” in recruiting circles. College basketball recruiting should receive more coverage than it does, especially with the stars having to go to college for at least one season. Two years ago after Georgia won the SEC tournament championship, the Dawgs signed Travis Leslie, Dustin Ware and several other players in the late period. This season, Georgia picked up Donte Williams and Sherrard Brantley. With all of the talent in the state of Georgia, with top programs invading the state every signing period looking for the best players, seemingly the local media would amp up its coverage. Perhaps we are now FINALLY seeing that.
CAN YOU BELIEVE HE JUST SAID THAT?
“You got this punk ass Billy Payne who goes on TV…for him to get on there and act like he’s all Uncle Tom, he’s the master on the plantation, that piss [sic] me off.”
Charles Barkley added on Dan Patrick’s radio show that he wishes someone would walk up to Payne and punch him in the face. Clearly Chaz is upset with Payne, the Masters chairman, for coming down hard on Tiger Woods in his pre-tournament press conference. TMZ actually beat me to it, but Charles, in the book, “Uncle Tom” was black. Just saying.
I was able to finally catch the Braves pregame show on 680 The Fan recently and I must say that I’m a bit disappointed. Buck Belue and Mark Lemke were hosting the official pregame show on the Braves flagship station, and honestly, Belue’s show last season was better. In 2009, Belue hosted a thirty minute show that aired before Braves home games, usually featuring a Jonathan Chadwick interview or report from Turner Field, and I don’t know if it was the length of the show (much shorter, so more meaningful minutes) or the slant of the broadcast, but last year was better. This year Belue seems more corporate when previewing the games whereas last season he was able to relax more. Perhaps it is because Belue is having to set up other people, but he is so conversational when by himself opposed to that sometimes hushed voice he breaks out for big time interviews, his serious voice, I guess. I hate to be one that longs for the good ole days, but I long for the days of…last year. And for the record, when it comes to the Braves pregame coverage, it seems as though Leo Mazzone is finally comfortable on the radio. Leo offers great insight and strong opinions when discussing baseball and the Braves in particular that I quite frankly have not heard on the Rude Awakening. He and Lemke play well off each other, and it is nice to hear his thoughts on the way the game is played today. Leo is old school for sure when it comes to pitching, and I find myself agreeing with him on the pregame shows instead of just wishing he would stop talking like I do when he giggles through the morning show.
The Official Visit, presented by Score Atlanta pulled off quite a coup last Tuesday when Pope offensive lineman Thomas O’Reilly committed to Auburn on the show, which aired on 790 The Zone. O’Reilly is the first recruit to commit for the 2011 class live on The Official Visit, which had McEachern’s Terrell Mitchell pledge to the University of Kentucky in January 2009 and was scheduled to have Hutson Mason deliver his pledge to the Georgia Bulldogs earlier this year, before Mason instead declared on CSS. Chip Towers of the AJC was quick to credit The Official Visit with the announcement, but the two major recruiting websites, scout.com and rivals.com used the content without giving proper credit. Scout.com did send an email, thanking Score Atlanta for the information, however rivals.com lifted the interview, verbatim, claiming that its writer had asked the same questions and had gotten the exact same answer. The “interview” on rivals.com’s site was also posted roughly 45 minutes after the conclusion of O’Reilly’s appearance on The Official Visit. As a co-host of the show and a member of the media, I realize that everyone borrows from everyone, but I personally give credit if I use something that should be credited. Hopefully rivals.com can learn that lesson someday.
The Atlanta Thrashers reshuffled its coaching staff and front office, naming Rick Dudley its new GM after Don Waddell was promoted to team president. The move was met with an “it’s about time,” piece from Jeff Schultz from the AJC and kind words from an ESPN NHL blogger. Pierre LeBrun said of Dudley, “He's a quirky guy, doesn't suck up to owners or people in power like many of his colleagues, and doesn't play politics all too well. He's just a great hockey man; but, unfortunately, that's not always good enough in this business.” Dudley was a former assistant GM with Chicago before coming to the Thrashers before this past season. LeBrun noted in his blog that it was only a matter of time before Dudley replaced Waddell, saying, “Another season out of the playoffs, the ninth time in 10 seasons that's happened, made it the right time. The local fans and media have soured greatly on Waddell.” Meanwhile, Schultz of the AJC wondered last week if enough had been done. “Change is good. Change is needed. Change is the only thing that gives the Thrashers a chance for success and hockey an extended lifeline in Atlanta. But did the Atlanta Spirit go far enough?” Schultz bemoaned the lack of accountability and surmised that perhaps the only reason this change in infrastructure went down was because it was the least expensive way.
I know that this is the South where college football is religion, but I find it interesting the differences in signing day coverage between college football and college basketball. For college football EVERY local paper, be it the AJC, the Gwinnett Daily Post, the Marietta Daily Journal or even the Athens Banner-Herald, is all over National Signing Day. When it comes to basketball’s signing day though, the coverage dips a little bit. Perhaps it is because there are two signing periods, the early period and the late period which we are currently in, but the coverage always seems second-rate. This season is a bit of an exception though. Not only has The Official Visit on 790 been all over the late signing period, but the Athens Banner-Herald has posted updates in regards to Georgia, and the AJC has been chronicling the Marcus Thornton story. Thornton of Westlake was named Mr. Basketball by the AJC and once Clemson’s coach departed, Thornton asked for his release, as he signed in the early period. The AJC is describing him as one of “the top free agents” in recruiting circles. College basketball recruiting should receive more coverage than it does, especially with the stars having to go to college for at least one season. Two years ago after Georgia won the SEC tournament championship, the Dawgs signed Travis Leslie, Dustin Ware and several other players in the late period. This season, Georgia picked up Donte Williams and Sherrard Brantley. With all of the talent in the state of Georgia, with top programs invading the state every signing period looking for the best players, seemingly the local media would amp up its coverage. Perhaps we are now FINALLY seeing that.
CAN YOU BELIEVE HE JUST SAID THAT?
“You got this punk ass Billy Payne who goes on TV…for him to get on there and act like he’s all Uncle Tom, he’s the master on the plantation, that piss [sic] me off.”
Charles Barkley added on Dan Patrick’s radio show that he wishes someone would walk up to Payne and punch him in the face. Clearly Chaz is upset with Payne, the Masters chairman, for coming down hard on Tiger Woods in his pre-tournament press conference. TMZ actually beat me to it, but Charles, in the book, “Uncle Tom” was black. Just saying.
Friday, April 16, 2010
This week's The Fletch. enjoy
just because you read it here doesn't mean you shouldn't still go pick up a score! go to quiktrip and grab a copy! NOW!
With the Braves baseball season underway, let’s take a second to look at how the announcing crews are doing. Jim Powell and Don Sutton on the Braves radio broadcasts are really a treat to listen to. When Sutton returned to the Braves broadcast booth, I fidgeted a bit because I remember how sometimes he can go Back in MY day-crazy, but he has truly been a delight thus far on the broadcasts. He KNOWS the game of baseball, and as a former pitcher, he knows what is coming and breaks it down in a way that Tim McCarver must be green with envy over. And kudos to Powell for not going overboard on the Jason Heyward home run on opening day. He knew the importance of the moment, yet he still let the moment speak for itself with a bit of silence to let the crowd noise come over the radio. It was a simple call but one that I will remember for some time because of the way it came off. Nothing overboard, just a call-and-get-out-of-the-way. Great job Jim.
Moving over to the television side, I don’t care that sometimes he misjudges the trajectory of the ball or switches his safe/out calls, I like Chip Caray in the Braves television booth. Harry was great to watch as I grew up on WGN and Skip was a true delight with his sense of humor, and now it just feels right to have Chip in the booth. He isn’t Joe Buck (who is MUCH better doing baseball opposed to football), but he is WAY better than Thom Brennaman, in terms of people who got their starts due to famous relatives.
And on the first Braves on Peachtree TV broadcast of the year, Braves fans were able to welcome back John Smoltz to the team after a bitter off-season two years ago. Smoltz seemed very confident, very comfortable, and quite honestly, he could be another Don Sutton in terms of knowing the situation and what is coming next. It was fun listening to him talk about what manager Bobby Cox was thinking, as he knows Cox so well, and Smoltz broke down the game in a way that kept my wife (a Braves fan the three times a year we go to the games) interested and me (a huge baseball fan) on the edge of my seat to hear the insight. Smoltz and Ernie Johnson Jr. were quite the duo in the broadcast booth and when you add in Joe Simpson, this booth is maybe the best it has ever been. I am serious. With all due respect to Pete and Skip, I like Ernie, John and Joe. Ernie brings something to the booth that has been missing the last few seasons, in my opinion. Johnson is a true professional in his presentation, yet you can feel his connection to the team. I could never have said that about former Braves announcer Jon “Boog” Sciambi. Boog was a play-by-play man that just happened to be doing Braves games. He knew the sport, but Johnson comes off as he knows the fabric of the Braves franchise. I know EJ is only doing 45 games this year for Peachtree TV, but I am looking forward to every single one of them.
One final Braves coverage thought, WOW it took just three games until 680 The Fan decided to throw the Braves onto one of its sister stations. So unless you were inside the perimeter, I guess you were listening to the game on Rock 100.5. And I also think it is funny that Leo Mazzone is allowed to miss chunks of the morning show because he had to work an extra hour on the Braves pregame show. If Leo is going to be with the Braves coverage, that is cool as he knows the game. He is the former pitching coach. But don’t treat him like he is a regular on the morning show. Let him JUST do the Braves stuff, please, which is what he probably should be doing anyway.
SO STOP TALKING ABOUT IT…
I think it is hilarious when a sports talk radio personality complains about a topic that in his opinion has been talked about to the point of vomiting, only he keeps talking about it. Recently on Pollack & Bell, Mike Bell was growling that he was tired of talking about the Tiger Woods’ sex story and hated that Billy Payne brought it up at his Masters press conference. Umm, Mike, if you are tired of talking about it, don’t talk about it. The topic goes away faster when you stop addressing it. You’re tired of Tiger? Don’t talk about that story and start talking about something else, and suddenly THAT’S what people are calling about, not Tiger. I know you are a veteran in this and everything, but …
A TRADITION UNLIKE ANY OTHER…
The Masters was last week and with all due respect to CBS, Score Atlanta was all over it. Not only did Score Atlanta Sports Sunday on 790 The Zone have our Masters correspondent Paul Mac call in the week before the tournament to break down the field, Mac also called in from the grounds of Augusta National just minutes before Tiger Woods teed off for his final Sunday round. Mac was able to give us a first-hand account of the pin placements, the location of the tee boxes, but also how the players looked on the driving range and on the practice putting greens. He was also able to give us a feel of how Tiger was treated by the patrons. To sum up, Mac said that Tiger was treated politely, but the aura that he once commanded was not there this year. To check out more from Paul Mac’s experience at Augusta, look for his column a few pages from now.
As for CBS, once again the Masters coverage was superb, and it left me wanting more. The lack of commercials is always a pleasure, and although Jim Nantz is good, I want more Verne Lundquist. The voice of SEC football is even better doing golf than he is during basketball season and the SEC basketball games.
CAN YOU BELIVE HE JUST SAID THAT!?!?
“Jesus Christ couldn’t turn around some of those teams.” Billy Packer, former CBS college basketball analyst was on the Rude Awakening recently and spoke about how some college coaches “tarnish” their coaching resumes with short stops in the NBA. I don’t have a problem with the statement at all but likely some fools out there listening to the show will flip out over the “blasphemy.” To those people I say, “Come on. It’s Billy Packer.” He has certainly earned the right to speak his mind on everything college basketball and he shouldn’t be afraid to speak his mind. It is refreshing to hear what everyone is thinking.
With the Braves baseball season underway, let’s take a second to look at how the announcing crews are doing. Jim Powell and Don Sutton on the Braves radio broadcasts are really a treat to listen to. When Sutton returned to the Braves broadcast booth, I fidgeted a bit because I remember how sometimes he can go Back in MY day-crazy, but he has truly been a delight thus far on the broadcasts. He KNOWS the game of baseball, and as a former pitcher, he knows what is coming and breaks it down in a way that Tim McCarver must be green with envy over. And kudos to Powell for not going overboard on the Jason Heyward home run on opening day. He knew the importance of the moment, yet he still let the moment speak for itself with a bit of silence to let the crowd noise come over the radio. It was a simple call but one that I will remember for some time because of the way it came off. Nothing overboard, just a call-and-get-out-of-the-way. Great job Jim.
Moving over to the television side, I don’t care that sometimes he misjudges the trajectory of the ball or switches his safe/out calls, I like Chip Caray in the Braves television booth. Harry was great to watch as I grew up on WGN and Skip was a true delight with his sense of humor, and now it just feels right to have Chip in the booth. He isn’t Joe Buck (who is MUCH better doing baseball opposed to football), but he is WAY better than Thom Brennaman, in terms of people who got their starts due to famous relatives.
And on the first Braves on Peachtree TV broadcast of the year, Braves fans were able to welcome back John Smoltz to the team after a bitter off-season two years ago. Smoltz seemed very confident, very comfortable, and quite honestly, he could be another Don Sutton in terms of knowing the situation and what is coming next. It was fun listening to him talk about what manager Bobby Cox was thinking, as he knows Cox so well, and Smoltz broke down the game in a way that kept my wife (a Braves fan the three times a year we go to the games) interested and me (a huge baseball fan) on the edge of my seat to hear the insight. Smoltz and Ernie Johnson Jr. were quite the duo in the broadcast booth and when you add in Joe Simpson, this booth is maybe the best it has ever been. I am serious. With all due respect to Pete and Skip, I like Ernie, John and Joe. Ernie brings something to the booth that has been missing the last few seasons, in my opinion. Johnson is a true professional in his presentation, yet you can feel his connection to the team. I could never have said that about former Braves announcer Jon “Boog” Sciambi. Boog was a play-by-play man that just happened to be doing Braves games. He knew the sport, but Johnson comes off as he knows the fabric of the Braves franchise. I know EJ is only doing 45 games this year for Peachtree TV, but I am looking forward to every single one of them.
One final Braves coverage thought, WOW it took just three games until 680 The Fan decided to throw the Braves onto one of its sister stations. So unless you were inside the perimeter, I guess you were listening to the game on Rock 100.5. And I also think it is funny that Leo Mazzone is allowed to miss chunks of the morning show because he had to work an extra hour on the Braves pregame show. If Leo is going to be with the Braves coverage, that is cool as he knows the game. He is the former pitching coach. But don’t treat him like he is a regular on the morning show. Let him JUST do the Braves stuff, please, which is what he probably should be doing anyway.
SO STOP TALKING ABOUT IT…
I think it is hilarious when a sports talk radio personality complains about a topic that in his opinion has been talked about to the point of vomiting, only he keeps talking about it. Recently on Pollack & Bell, Mike Bell was growling that he was tired of talking about the Tiger Woods’ sex story and hated that Billy Payne brought it up at his Masters press conference. Umm, Mike, if you are tired of talking about it, don’t talk about it. The topic goes away faster when you stop addressing it. You’re tired of Tiger? Don’t talk about that story and start talking about something else, and suddenly THAT’S what people are calling about, not Tiger. I know you are a veteran in this and everything, but …
A TRADITION UNLIKE ANY OTHER…
The Masters was last week and with all due respect to CBS, Score Atlanta was all over it. Not only did Score Atlanta Sports Sunday on 790 The Zone have our Masters correspondent Paul Mac call in the week before the tournament to break down the field, Mac also called in from the grounds of Augusta National just minutes before Tiger Woods teed off for his final Sunday round. Mac was able to give us a first-hand account of the pin placements, the location of the tee boxes, but also how the players looked on the driving range and on the practice putting greens. He was also able to give us a feel of how Tiger was treated by the patrons. To sum up, Mac said that Tiger was treated politely, but the aura that he once commanded was not there this year. To check out more from Paul Mac’s experience at Augusta, look for his column a few pages from now.
As for CBS, once again the Masters coverage was superb, and it left me wanting more. The lack of commercials is always a pleasure, and although Jim Nantz is good, I want more Verne Lundquist. The voice of SEC football is even better doing golf than he is during basketball season and the SEC basketball games.
CAN YOU BELIVE HE JUST SAID THAT!?!?
“Jesus Christ couldn’t turn around some of those teams.” Billy Packer, former CBS college basketball analyst was on the Rude Awakening recently and spoke about how some college coaches “tarnish” their coaching resumes with short stops in the NBA. I don’t have a problem with the statement at all but likely some fools out there listening to the show will flip out over the “blasphemy.” To those people I say, “Come on. It’s Billy Packer.” He has certainly earned the right to speak his mind on everything college basketball and he shouldn’t be afraid to speak his mind. It is refreshing to hear what everyone is thinking.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
After seven games.....NO NEED TO PANIC!
Note: this was written for the Score Atlanta website (www.scoreatl.com, or see the link at the bottom of the page!) yesterday, though it was not posted. Wednesday is deadline day, so I can understand. Sort of. The Braves of course won last night. Go Bravos!
After seven games, the Atlanta Braves are 3-4 and are out on the left coast, battling the Padres. That is sad actually when you think about it. Having to battle the Padres, one of the worst teams in baseball coming into the season. Actually, Atlanta lost the first game of the series 17-2, so perhaps I shouldn’t say battling.
What should we make of the Braves after the first seven games? This team sadly still has some of the problems the 2009 team encountered. Troy Glaus was brought in and converted to first base in an attempt to supply the lineup with more power. Tim “The Tool Man” Taylor would weep as Glaus has not lived up to the billing, and his defense has been suspect to date. On the other side of the diamond, Chipper Jones has already missed action due to an injury, though he did provide the Turner Field faithful with a jolt of electricity last week with a game-winning home run. Nate McLouth has also yet to return to his all-star form he showed for so long with the Pirates.
It hasn’t all been bad though, despite the record. Derek Lowe has yet to pitch lights out, but he is 2-0. If he is going to “struggle” like that all season, I’ll take it. Kenshin Kawakami pitched well against Tim Lincecum the other day and Tim Hudson looked strong in his season debut.
The Braves bullpen has had its moments, with Billy Wagner looking really sharp, save for his blown save against the Giants. Even in that outing though, Wagner looked good until he hung a slider to former Brave Edgar Renteria. Moylan and Saito have looked impressive out of the pen, and Scott Proctor has been very impressive for Gwinnett. It is only a matter of time before Jo-Jo Reyes (nine runs in his last outing on Monday) is sent down and replaced with Proctor.
The middle infield has picked up right where last season left off, both defensively and offensively. Martin Prado’s hitting has been the bright spot of the season and his defense is more than passable. Yunel Escobar meanwhile remains as clutch as any Brave we’ve seen since David Justice and his range and arm take the sting out of Rafael Furcal’s do-si-do last season.
And who can forget the biggest story thus far of the season: Jason Heyward. Whether it is NBC Sports, ESPN, Sporting News or MLB Network, everyone is heaping praise upon the Braves young rightfielder and he has lived up to the hype thus far, just like Tommy Hanson did last season. Heyward is leading the team in RBI and home runs, and he broke out of a slump by making adjustments, seemingly overnight. This kid is impressive and it will be interesting to see if Bobby Cox keeps him in the No. 7 hole or is tempted to move him up to compensate for the struggling Glaus. Due to Glaus’ struggles, Brian McCann is once again hitting from the cleanup spot, and while he has proven he CAN do it, I’d rather him not have that added pressure and just be allowed to rake from the 5-spot in the order.
Bottom line; it appears that McCann will have some company this season for the all-star game with Heyward and perhaps Wagner, but the real story will be this team finding that clutch hitting when need be. The San Francisco series was 1-2 but could have been 3-0 with timely hitting. Solve that and the Braves will challenge for 92 wins. That’s a big if, but, it always is.
After seven games, the Atlanta Braves are 3-4 and are out on the left coast, battling the Padres. That is sad actually when you think about it. Having to battle the Padres, one of the worst teams in baseball coming into the season. Actually, Atlanta lost the first game of the series 17-2, so perhaps I shouldn’t say battling.
What should we make of the Braves after the first seven games? This team sadly still has some of the problems the 2009 team encountered. Troy Glaus was brought in and converted to first base in an attempt to supply the lineup with more power. Tim “The Tool Man” Taylor would weep as Glaus has not lived up to the billing, and his defense has been suspect to date. On the other side of the diamond, Chipper Jones has already missed action due to an injury, though he did provide the Turner Field faithful with a jolt of electricity last week with a game-winning home run. Nate McLouth has also yet to return to his all-star form he showed for so long with the Pirates.
It hasn’t all been bad though, despite the record. Derek Lowe has yet to pitch lights out, but he is 2-0. If he is going to “struggle” like that all season, I’ll take it. Kenshin Kawakami pitched well against Tim Lincecum the other day and Tim Hudson looked strong in his season debut.
The Braves bullpen has had its moments, with Billy Wagner looking really sharp, save for his blown save against the Giants. Even in that outing though, Wagner looked good until he hung a slider to former Brave Edgar Renteria. Moylan and Saito have looked impressive out of the pen, and Scott Proctor has been very impressive for Gwinnett. It is only a matter of time before Jo-Jo Reyes (nine runs in his last outing on Monday) is sent down and replaced with Proctor.
The middle infield has picked up right where last season left off, both defensively and offensively. Martin Prado’s hitting has been the bright spot of the season and his defense is more than passable. Yunel Escobar meanwhile remains as clutch as any Brave we’ve seen since David Justice and his range and arm take the sting out of Rafael Furcal’s do-si-do last season.
And who can forget the biggest story thus far of the season: Jason Heyward. Whether it is NBC Sports, ESPN, Sporting News or MLB Network, everyone is heaping praise upon the Braves young rightfielder and he has lived up to the hype thus far, just like Tommy Hanson did last season. Heyward is leading the team in RBI and home runs, and he broke out of a slump by making adjustments, seemingly overnight. This kid is impressive and it will be interesting to see if Bobby Cox keeps him in the No. 7 hole or is tempted to move him up to compensate for the struggling Glaus. Due to Glaus’ struggles, Brian McCann is once again hitting from the cleanup spot, and while he has proven he CAN do it, I’d rather him not have that added pressure and just be allowed to rake from the 5-spot in the order.
Bottom line; it appears that McCann will have some company this season for the all-star game with Heyward and perhaps Wagner, but the real story will be this team finding that clutch hitting when need be. The San Francisco series was 1-2 but could have been 3-0 with timely hitting. Solve that and the Braves will challenge for 92 wins. That’s a big if, but, it always is.
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