Point/Counter-Point: Was Dirk Koetter the Right Hire?

(Originally Published on the Grits Blitz Blog. Click here for the Pro-Koetter view)

I'm all for change, and goodness knows the Falcons anemic offense needed to be changed.  But going from Mike Mularkey to Dirk Koetter is like changing your wall color from white to beige.  The Falcons need a shake-up on offense, and I honestly don't think Koetter is the one who can do it.

His track record alone should have sent up an entire fabric store's worth of red flags to the Falcons front office, but Mike Smith I'm sure had a lot to do with calming any fears that they might have had.  He likes his old buddies around him, and so far that formula hasn't worked all too well.  But enough conjecture, let's look at some facts.

Curtis Lofton Read Too Much of Rob Parker

There was a time - just a few short weeks ago - when Falcons fans wanted Thomas Dimitroff to do whatever was necessary to try to keep Curtis Lofton on the team.  The young talented middle linebacker had proven to be a huge asset to the defense, and was very popular among fans...until....

Quick rewind.  Lofton was one of many potential Atlanta free agents this year.  He was a quick middle linebacker, great nose for the ball and a solid tackler (much like his predecessor Keith Brooking).  He wasn't much in pass coverage, but in the scheme that the Falcons ran under Brian VanGorder, he was really looked upon more as a captain of the defense, and the guy who would make sure the coverages were set.

Will Magic Johnson End the Dodger Blues?

If you and your pals have a few billion dollars sitting around, and you need an investment tax write off, why not go and buy yourself a major league baseball team?  That's what Magic Johnson and some of his buddies did, and the Los Angeles Dodger faithful are signing his praises...for now.  Even Dodgers star Matt Kemp showed his enthusiasm when he tweeted: "Good day 4 the @dodgers! The great @magicjohnson is the new owner!! Let's start a dynasty baby!!''

MVP Runner-up Matt Kemp is fired up about a new owner

Johnson - along with MLB/NBA executive Stan Kasten, entertainment mogul Peter Guber and the financing help of Mark Walter, CEO of Guggenheim Partners - agreed to purchase the Dodgers from beleaguered owner Frank McCourt for the record price of $2.15 billion, a price which includes the Chavez Ravine parking lots.  The Dodger franchise, which has been suffering under the ownership of McCourt...

Continue Reading on DailyShootout.com

Why Would a Millionaire Hold Out?

It never ceases to amaze me how in the world of professional sports, grown men who are making millions of dollars to play a game in front of fans who are shelling out millions of dollars to see them play a game, could even possibly think of themselves as disrespected or unappreciated.

It just doesn't seem plausible to feel this way when you are being coddled at practically every turn in your life.

Matt Forte is unhappy with his deal

I will concede a few facts to professional athletes in support of their case.  Their shelf life is limited, and their careers - when compared to an ordinary person - are relatively short.  So yes, they do need to make their wares in a much more compressed amount of time prior to retirement.  The possibility of debilitating injury also exists, as well as permanent damage both neurologically and physically even if they do play out an entire career.  These factors all definitely need to be taken into consideration when talking about the amount of money...

(Continue reading on DailyShootout.com)

Falcons Draft Outlook: Defensive Secondary

It's become something of a yearly battle cry during NFL draft time in Atlanta..."The Falcons need some help in the secondary".  This year is no different.  We've had some high round draft picks at defensive back and safety in recent years, and to date, none of them have really lived up to some lofty expectations.

Once again the Falcons find themselves looking thinner and less talented in the secondary than anywhere else on the team.  Truly, Atlanta hasn't had a real shut down secondary since...well...there was that Deion guy, but he was just one man (allegedly).

It's time to take a look at where the Falcons have picks available, and what possible prospects could be available at defensive back and safety....

(Continue Reading on GritsBlitzBlog)

UGA: It's All About the Mascot

It's not easy being rated the nation's top mascot, for there's an awful lot of stiff competition out there. But even fans from other schools can't deny the appeal and the tradition that comes with the University of Georgia's white English bulldog mascot, Uga.

Since 1956, all the dogs serving as Uga have been part of a lineage of English Bulldogs owned by Frank W. "Sonny" Seiler, and it has been a tradition at Georgia to have Uga (or one of his interim stand-ins) prowling the sidelines during a game.  During televised contests, there is generally an obligatory camera shot of Uga standing firmly by his trainer and barking towards the camera, or on hotter days just laying on the huge pile of crushed ice at the door of his air-conditioned dog house...
 (Continue Reading on ChuckOliver.net)

The Hawks: Glass Half Empty, or Full?

I'll give the Atlanta Hawks some credit.  They lost arguably one of their best players to injury early on in the season.  They've had lengthy injuries to other key players constantly.  They've dealt with the whole Josh Smith wanting to be traded situation.  They are playing for what amounts to lame duck owners, and they've had spotty play at best from the point guard position.

Yet, with all that, they sit here at the end of March with a 30-20 record, positioned currently at fifth in the Eastern Conference.  Smoke and mirrors, or a tenacious and tough team?

How about a little of both.

At the end of February, it looked like the Hawks were on their way to just bowing out of the playoff race altogether.  Between the injuries and the lack of cohesive play on the court, they looked like they'd be mailing it in moving forward.

PHOTO OF THE WEEK: 3/25/12

Louisville head coach Rick Pitino hugs Peyton Siva after his team defeated Florida 72-68 in an NCAA tournament West Regional final.

Rick Pitino showing a lot of emotion after defeating his protege Billy Donovan's Florida squad

Read more here: http://www.newsobserver.com/2012/03/25/1958123/ncaa-top-shots-032512.html#storylink=cpy

Favorite Falcons Memory

Having followed the Atlanta Falcons for as long as I have, there are a number of different experiences that could qualify for a favorite memory.  The first game I attended, meeting different players, a playoff game at the dome, watching big games at home with my family and friends, the 1998 Super Bowl team...any of these would be good choices.  But, in my usual unorthodox style, I'm going with something much less obvious, and something that only a true blue fan would remember and appreciate.  Two records are my favorite memory.  No, not passing, rushing or sack records...but actual records, on 45 rpm.

It was 1980, the decade had just turned, and I was in the 8th grade at North Clayton Junior High School.  By this time I was already a very passionate Falcons fan.  My friends and I watched every game that was televised, and I even had my own red, white and black Falcons outfit that I wore to school every Friday during football season.  The Falcons had made the playoffs for the first time in the 1978 season, and were perched to hopefully continue their success the following year.  Prior to the '79 Season, a local country artist named Steve Carlisle released a record entitled "Falcon Fever", promising great things for that season.  Sadly, the Falcons finished a disappointing 6-10, and the bold predictions of Carlisle's record were for naught. (Listen here)

There was a "Falcon Fever" long before Travis Tritt's

But there was a buzz in Atlanta in 1980.  The birds were back and healthy.  Bartkowski and company were serving notice that the Falcons were for real, and weren't going away that quickly.  The season started 3-3, but then things began to click.  Four straight wins including an overtime victory against the St. Louis Cardinals had put the Falcons atop the NFC West, and Atlanta was ready to soar with a new found love for their team.  "Falcon Fever" began to hit the town again, as well as the local airwaves.   By November, Atlanta was beyond the fever pitch for the team, and once again a local musician wanted to capture the spirit.  The trio of Elliot, Walter and Bennett had cut a nondescript Christmas record prior to the season beginning titled "The 12 Days of an Atlanta Falcons Christmas".  Set to the popular Christmas carol, using names of Falcons players for each day of Christmas.  The record began getting serious radio time as the Falcons unprecedented season progressed. (Listen here)

The record was a huge success, as were the Falcons that season.  But just as the intrepid trio's verses on vinyl didn't quite make it to the gold record level, nor did the Falcons quite make that Super Bowl appearance.  But all in all, both of those records represent a special time in Falcons history for me, and a one of those parts of my childhood that I remember being the absolute happiest...until Danny White came in anyway.

For the Love of the Game...and Chipper.

When you picture Chipper Jones in your mind, you don't picture the showboat dancing around the bases after a game winning home run.  You don't picture the flashy fielder who's nightly quest is to make the ESPN highlight reel.  You don't picture the guy who mindlessly spat out cliches in interviews and press conferences.  No, none of those things were...are...were, Chipper Jones.

Chipper trotted around the bases after a dinger, generally just looking down at the dusty dirt path in front of him.  Chipper made the flashy plays look easy, every time he barehanded a ball dribbling of the end of a bat and snapped a dart-like throw to first base.  Chipper was defiant in front of the microphone...challenging umpires, Bud Selig, detractors and anyone else who wanted a piece of his mind.  Those are the things that were...are...were, Chipper Jones

If you are a fan of a sport - any sport - and you get to witness the entire career of your favorite player, you are pretty lucky.  When that player is arguably the greatest player in that team's history, you just hit the daily double.  But when that same player is also a lock as a first ballot hall of famer, well you just hit the big money ball too.   When Braves third baseman Chipper Jones announced yesterday that he was retiring, I felt just that lucky.

I've seen some great Braves come and go...from the start of their career to the finish.  Royster, Horner, Murphy, Smoltz, Glavine, I could go on and on.  But there was something different about hearing Chipper Jones say that he was ready to call it a career.  It all has to do with loyalty and pride.  Chipper has played for 23 years - twenty...three...years - with just one organization.  He was drafted as a Brave, came up through the minors as a Brave, and played his entire big league career as a Brave.  No hold-outs.  No bartering or flirting with other teams to get a better deal.  Even going as far as to restructuring his own contract and taking less money so that the team could sign other players.

For the love of the game.

It's going to be hard not seeing this at Turner Field

He played third base, shortstop, left field (quite uncomfortably I might add), and did anything that was necessary to help the Braves win.  He spent his entire career batting in the middle of the batting order, being the guy that pitchers pitched around in many cases to get to other hitters.  He unselfishly declined to go to the 2011 All-Star game so that he could heal his right knee.

For the love of the game. 

Chipper never minced words when speaking to the press.  He told the good, and the bad, just the way he saw it.  He didn't concern himself with fines, or losing friends in the press corps, or saying what he thought fans wanted to hear.  He was brutally honest, even with his teammates. In a locker room that had a reputation for being low-key and uninteresting, Chipper brought some zing.

For the love of the game.

I asked fans to send me some of their favorite Chipper Jones memories and stories.  Without a doubt, there was one thing that stood out in all the responses I received.   People just loved to watch Chipper "play the game".  Yes, there was this home run, and that great play, and so on and so forth.  But the main message that was conveyed from these fans is that just watching him play - play with joy, with a smile, with intensity, and with a big chaw in his mouth - is what fans loved the most.  Because he just played.

For the love of the game.

Now we get to spend one final season - a grand farewell tour for maybe the grandest good ol' boy of them all - watching Chipper play.  The body isn't as resilient as it was 19 years ago.   The eyes might be a little more blurry and a little less focused than those bright searing eyes we first saw in 1995.  The temper is probably a little more mailable than it was when he first brought attention to himself in the minors by getting into a brawl with future major league stars Manny Ramirez and Jim Thome.  But it's still Chipper.  It's our Chipper, and it's never been anyone else's.  We get to watch him wave his cap one final time.

For the love of Chipper

I'll say it again - Twenty...Three...Years - a Brave.  To many fans, he is the Braves.  I'm ok with that. I'm ok with saying that Chipper is everything we could ever want a Brave to be, and then some.  Hashbrowns scattered, smothered and covered all around boys!  Larry Wayne is hanging up the cleats! 

“I’m a Southern kid. I wanted to play in a Southern town where I felt comfortable, and I felt comfortable from day one in the Braves organization. … I bleed red, white and blue.” - Chipper Jones: March 22, 2012

The Saints Punishment Fit the Crime

Football - at any level - is by nature a rough, mean, violent sport.  It's best suited for those with aggressive personalities and in many cases, a mean streak wider than your Aunt Hattie's backside.  It's not a game for the faint of heart or the timid.  It can be downright ugly and nasty at times.  And you know what...that's okay with me.  What's not okay is when it becomes cheap...dirty...even downright cowardly.  And that, friends, is exactly what the New Orleans Saints did.

In my opinion, the punishment that NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell handed down to the Saints yesterday was more than fitting for the crimes that were committed.  The practice of giving players an extra monetary incentive to deliberately hurt an opposing player and knock him out of the game is about as dirty and cheap of a tactic as you will ever see.  That's exactly why the Saints had the hammer and the rest of the toolbox come down on their heads.

There have been some that argued with me that the game of football is supposed to be played that way, and that the "bounty" didn't really make a difference.  To that I say, you are living in a delusional world if you believe that.  Regardless of how much money a player is making, if his coach and his teammates tell him before the game that the first one to deliver a knockout blow to a particular player will not only get you him cash, but also some props and "attaboys' after the game...believe me, there's incentive.  Egos need to be fed. 

Kurt Warner may have been a target of a Saints "bounty"

There's nothing wrong with aggressive play, and sometimes a player being injured becomes an unfortunate part of that.  I'm sure there were (and still are) "headhunters" in the league who will do their best to injure someone whether they get the cash prize or not, but those guys are the exceptions.  But what if instead of talking to Peyton Manning from the podium in Denver about his new team, we were talking to him from his home while sitting in a wheelchair?  What if the discussion wasn't about where Tim Tebow would end up, but as to whether or not Tim Tebow would ever play again?  Are those risks worth taking for fistful of cash and some high-fives from your team in the locker room? Where is that supposed "loyal fraternity" of NFL players while this type of nonsense is going on in a locker room?

Because of their lack of respect for the rest of the league,  the Saints are going to be without their head coach for an entire season, their general manager for the first eight games, and they have lost 2nd round draft picks for the next two years.  The organization was fined, and former defensive coordinator (with the Rams for the time being) Gregg Williams was suspended indefinitely from the league.  If you don't think those things are going to have a major effect on the Saints season, you better think again.

Sean Payton can have no contact with the team or the offices during the 2012 season.  He can't coach, he can't text, he can't email, he can't sit at home with his iPad and armchair coach.  He is gone for the entire season.  Imagine the Patriots if Bill Belichick were suddenly yanked from them for the year.  Yeah, they'd still have Brady and company, but they would be a completely different and disheveled team.  That's what you will see from the Saints this year.

No, the Saints broke the rules, and defied the NFL's specific instructions about this type of behavior, and continued this unsavory tradition for years after the mandate to stop came down.  And yes, it absolutely taints their Super Bowl victory.  The Saints reached that game as a direct result of illegal and cheap hits to both Kurt Warner and Brett Favre, both of whom were allegedly targets in this bounty program.  So go ahead and put that asterisk next to the Saints name on Super Bowl XLIV.

The Braves Pitching Struggles are Quickly Becoming a Concern

The Atlanta Braves starting rotation was supposed to be the foundation of this team.  Even if they had trouble scoring runs or doing some of the little things that win games, the starting pitchers were going to give them a chance to win every game.  As spring training enters into the final week, it's looking more and more like that pitching staff is becoming a liability.  Given the recent history of the Braves inability to score runs in bunches, this could be a major problem for manager Fredi Gonzalez.

Normally you want to take spring training with a grain of salt, and not pay a lot of attention to the won-loss record.  But this year, some disturbing trends have grabbed my attention.  The Braves aren't just losing games, but they are losing games big.   The pitchers are serving up dingers like Halloween candy, and the thumpers have been pretty quiet for the most part.  When you scrutinize some of the team and individual numbers, they do not a pretty picture make.

Jurrjens has to find the velocity on his fastball to be effective

The Braves number one go-to guy in the rotation, Jair Jurrjens, has been particularly shaky.  This spring in 13 innings pitched he has a 10.13 ERA, as compared to last spring when he finished with a 3.43 ERA.  He's been hampered by a sore knee and wearing a brace, and the velocity on his fastball is topping out at just below 90 mph.  Jurrjens needs to be hitting 92-93 mph with that fastball to set up his slider and change up, or else he loses effectiveness.

Outside of Mike Minor - who is sporting a 0.00 ERA in 14 innings pitched - the rest of the rotation has looked just as poor this spring.  If you combine Jurrjens, Hanson, Delgado, and Teheran (4 potential starters), they are carrying an 8.01 ERA.  In 2011, the starters came out of spring training with a 2.01 ERA.  When you are giving up six runs per nine innings more than you were last year, then it's probably time to sit down and evaluate exactly where the problem lies.  Yes, Hudson is recovering from surgery and hasn't pitched at all this spring...and yes, Jurrjens knee and Hanson's tweaked delivery are to some degree the cause of inflated numbers.  But every other team in baseball deals with the same type of issues in spring training, as did the Braves last season.  Something is definitely not clicking. 

Right now the Braves are 5-13 in spring training, which normally wouldn't be a huge cause for concern.  But when you look at those pitching numbers and take into account that the Braves have been outscored by opponents by 35 runs (the biggest run differential in the Grapefruit League this spring), then all of the sudden that record starts to take on a whole new meaning.  If Fredi Gonzalez and Roger McDowell can't figure out what is going on with this pitching staff, and how to fix the problem, then the 2011 September collapse may have been a preview of what is to come in 2012 for the Braves.  If these trends do continue into the regular season, there will be plenty of blame to go around, but right now all eyes are on Gonzalez and McDowell. 

Dammit Nike..Leave My Beatles Alone!

As a sports fan, one of the great joys of watching sports on television is that you generally get to witness some of the most creative, and humorous commercials made.  Beer commercials are an especially fertile ground for such things, and automakers aren't far behind.  Once you get into the meat of the NFL season, then everyone tries to figure out a way to tickle your funnybone or tug at your heart strings to get you to run out and throw down your heard earned pocket chance on their product. 

Admit it...you miss Britney on Super Bowl Sunday

But one of the biggest victims in all this tomfoolery is music...specifically pop music.  There is nothing worse to me than having some criminal corporation that is already polluting the environment and adding to the problems of the world, taking one of my favorite tunes and bastardizing it for the sake of their profit margin.  And the bigger the corporation, the less shame they have about what song they are going to turn into hated fodder among music lovers.  Is there nothing worse than hearing a song you used to love come on the radio or on your mp3 player, and having to skip it because it dredged up images of Brett Favre pretending he actually goes out and throws a football in a muddy field on his days off? 

Georgia Legend Hines Ward Retires from the NFL

149 career receptions for 1,965 yards, 3,870 all-purpose yards, and 872 passing yards (including a UGA record breaking performance at the 1995 Peach Bowl) while at Georgia.  1000 career receptions for 12,083 yards, 12,511 all-purpose yards and 86 total touchdowns as a Steeler.   He holds Georgia records for bowl game pass attempts, completions, and yardage...and is second only behind Herschel Walker in all-purpose yards for the Bulldogs.  He is the Steelers all-time leader in receptions. receiving yards, and touchdown receptions.  He is one of only eight players to ever surpass 12,000 yards receiving in the history of the NFL.

As a Bulldog he was one of the most versatile players in Georgia history, and was named to the All-SEC team in 1997. As a Steeler he was a four-time Pro Bowl selection...
(Continue Reading on ChuckOliver.net)

Manning, Tebow, Lies and Videotape

It has been reported that barring "a snag" in negotiations, Peyton Manning will be taking his talents and his surgically repaired neck to the Rocky Mountains in Denver.  From a Colt to a Bronco, all Manning will have to do is add a little orange to the decorating scheme in his man-cave.  Now that Peyton has apparently made his choice, it means Denver fan favorite Tim Tebow is certainly on his way to the bench, and possibly on his way out of town.  Oh John Elway, what a tangled web we weave.

There is no question that Denver was the best fit for Manning.  With Manning added to the mix, the Broncos are Super Bowl ready.  Manning needed a team with a strong running game (check) and dominant offensive line (check).  Manning needed a team with a playmaking defense that can keep you in a close game (check), and Manning needed a team that needed a quarterback to put them over the top (check, check).

PHOTO OF THE WEEK: 3/19/12

We'll just call this one the "Duke-Double-Facepalm".  The Cameron Crazies were given their Prozac on Friday

Isaiah Crowell Might Finally Be Getting It

When you come out of high school with the moniker of the nation's number one running back, and you are recruited by every big Division-1 program in the nation, and you sign with one of the top schools in the top conference in the country, it might be easy to start believing your own headlines.  That may be precisely what happened last season to Georgia's Isaiah Crowell.  But it didn't take long for Mr. Crowell to be introduced to what life is like in the SEC, and to be under the ever-watchful eye of coach Mark Richt.

UGA fans hope to see less of this from Isaiah Crowell in 2012

Since ancient times, all heroes have been warned “all glory is fleeting”, but Isaiah Crowell may have turned a deaf ear to that warning.  At the beginning of the season, Crowell was dubbed by many to be the savior of the Bulldogs lagging running attack.  By the time mid-season rolled around, there were questions of his toughness and commitment....
(Continue Reading on ChuckOliver.net)

NCAA Tournament Ramblings

Every sportswriter has a certain area of expertise, and most also have an area (or twelve) that they know very little about.  My comfort zones are football, baseball, pro basketball, soccer, some hockey (still too jaded to really let my keystrokes flow on that one), wrestling, and pop culture.  I know enough golf and tennis to be dangerous but still keep me out of the really nice country clubs, and I know next to nothing about any type of auto racing, boxing/MMA, or extreme sports.  One sport that I really should be more involved in, but I'm not, is college basketball.

It's kind of hard for me to figure out why.  Every year I say that I'm really going to pay attention to the college basketball season, and every year I end up giving much more of my sports viewing efforts to the NFL, NBA and ongoing offseason shenanigans for all sports.  Being such a crazed college athletic fan as I am, I'd think this to really be the reverse. 

Could Chipper Say an Early Goodbye?

Braves fans knew this day would eventually come.  The man who has never known anything but a Braves uniform at any professional level would eventually have to retire...and as he approaches 40 years old, third baseman Chipper Jones might already be at that point.

Having signed to play for "one more season" in 2012, expectations were that this might be Chipper's last season, but his faltering bat during spring training has him thinking that it might not even last that long. Chipper has gone 0 for-8 with three walks in four games this exhibition season, and he sounded like he may not make it to Turner Field next month.

Chipper's normally sweet swing has been a bit off this spring

"Tomorrow might be my last day," Jones told David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "I don't know. I don't really focus on it that much. The body is starting to tell me every morning when I wake up that it's getting close. I'm signed through the end of this year. If I play in a certain amount of games, I got an option for next year. I don't know what next year entails.  I don't know if I can make it through this year"

PHOTO OF THE WEEK: 3/12/12

USF is playing in the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 20 years.  Players react on Selection Sunday

USF will be playing in a play-in game against Cal on Wed. night. 

Unsung Heroes of Sanford Stadium

It's a hot summer day in Athens, Ga., and somewhere on a sun-bleached practice field young students are running laps in dew coated grass and performing relentless core and calisthenic exercises.  Some of them are slinging hunks of resin and metal weighing up to 50 pounds on their shoulders, and continue drills up and down the field in sweltering heat.   Others strap harnesses holding equipment on their young backs, and work through the practices, putting relentless pressure on their abdomen and lower back.

They will run, drill and practice for over four hours...and then come back tomorrow and do it again.  They will do this until the timing is perfect and they move as one cohesive unit, answering only to the whistle of their instructor.   No, I'm not talking about the Georgia football team, I'm talking about one of it's biggest and most vocal supporters...the Georgia Redcoat Marching Band.  For being in the Redcoat band - or any college band or drum corps -  takes passion, dedication, skill and athleticism. 

When the members of Georgia's famed Redcoat Band report for training camp this summer, they will go through an exhausting gamut of practice sessions and drills...

(Continue Reading on ChuckOliver.net)

Dunta Robinson May Have Just Helped Land Mario Williams in Atlanta

Dunta Robinson may not be the most popular player with some fans in Atlanta, but his willingness to restructure his contract may have just helped the Falcons make a serious play at Houston defensive end Mario Williams.  ESPN's Pat Yasinkas is reporting that the Falcons and cornerback Dunta Robinson have come to an agreement that restructures his contract to free up nearly $1.75 million in 2012.  Robinson also agreed to waive a $3 million option bonus and he agreed to lower his base salary by $1 million this season.

We could see a Williams-Robinson reunion in Atlanta

But Robinson is going to see some benefits from this new deal as well.  The Falcons have fully guaranteed his $5 million base salary for this season, and they have also increased Robinson's 2013 and 2014 base salaries....

(Continue Reading on Grits Blitz Blog)

Some Falcons Who Should (or need to) Step Up in 2012

Every season each team has a few players who unexpectedly make that jump from a guy on the team to an impact player, and every season each team has a few players who need to make that jump to keep their jobs. The Falcons have had their share of players in the last few years - Brent Grimes, Jason Snelling, Corey Peters - who have stepped up when the team needed them most, and there are sure to be more in the upcoming season.  On the flip side, Atlanta has also had it's share of draft disappointments who are going to be heavily scrutinized during the upcoming training camp.

DT Peria Jerry needs to do a lot less of this to make the cut this year

Starting with the latter, there are a few guys who have yet to live up to the high expectations the Falcons had when they were drafted....

(Continue Reading on GritsBlitzBlog)

Josh Smith Is Ready to Fly...Out of Atlanta.

I think we all knew it was eventually going to come to this.  But with the March 15 trade deadline looming, Hawks forward Josh Smith has reached his limit, and he's letting ownership know that after eight seasons of flying high with the Hawks, he's ready to spread his wings and soar elsewhere.  Anyone surprised by this probably is still in shock that the Thrashers aren't playing in Atlanta this season.

Josh Smith's thunderous dunk against Serge Ibaka on March 3rd

The relationship between the man they call J-Smoove and Hawks management has been tenuous at best.  Between Smith's occasional lack of maturity, and ownership's apparent lack of concern (even apathy at times), the two sides have tangled more than once.  This season Smith has shown a lot of growth, and has stepped up in the wake of injuries to key players and kept the Hawks afloat in the playoff race.  His thunderous dunk against Serge Ibaka on March 3rd prompted me to tweet immediately "JSmoove is making his case for his next contract...and team".  Unfortunately how right I was.  Josh was serving notice to the rest of the league that he was ready to move to the next level.  Sad that it most likely wont be with the Hawks.

It's a sad commentary on the state of professional basketball in Atlanta when two of the leagues best players - Josh Smith and Dwight Howard - both hail from the Atlanta area, and grew up playing blacktop basketball here...and neither one of them have any desire to play for the city's professional team.   In fact, if you think about it over the last ten years, Joe Johnson is pretty much the only premier player in the league who ever expressed a desire to come to Atlanta.  Big fish in a little pond syndrome for Joe perhaps?

So now the Hawks are left with the age-old dilemma...trade Smith now and potentially flush our playoff hopes down the toilet?  Or hang on to him and then get nothing in return when he refuses to sign a new contract with with us in 2013?  Either way, it looks as though the Atlanta Spirit Group has once again managed to dampen the spirits of Atlanta fans by creating the feeling for the players that they, as an ownership group, are not committed to excellence and building a championship team.

Georgia is Confident Heading into 2012, and It Should Be

That's right Bulldog Nation...go ahead and bark away about the possibilities of running the table in the SEC and possibly even landing in Miami come January.  The expansion of the SEC and other changes have caused the scheduling gods to smile down upon Athens this year, and the Bulldogs need to make hay while that sun shines.  The rest of the SEC can moan and complain all they want about Georgia's so-called light schedule in 2011 and in the upcoming 2012 season, but the fact of the matter is that scheduling is a part of the game that every team benefits from, or suffers from each year.  There have been plenty of seasons where the gauntlet of teams that Georgia has been required to face looked like the murderer's row of college football, so I don't think any Georgia fan feels at all ashamed about missing the SEC Bremuda Triangle of LSU, Alabama and Arkansas for a second straight season.

Georgia is set up in prime position to make a serious run at not only the SEC crown, but a national title this season....
(Continue reading on ChuckOliver.Net)

Braves Fans, it's Time to Stop "The Chop" (and...here comes the hate mail)

DISCLAIMER: This is not an indictment of Braves fans, or a lessening of my support for the team.  Nor does it have anything to do with political correctness.  That said...read on.

The Tomahawk Chop, or as it's been shortened over the years in Atlanta..."The Chop".  Perhaps one of the worst ideas for a crowd participation cheer ever.  And yet, 20 years after being imported to Atlanta "The Chop" still lingers on much in the way that the pungent wallop of bad cigar lingers on long after the embers have been extinguished.  The big question is...why?

"The Chop" has gone from this in 1991....

First of all, let's just be blunt about it.  It's not even really the Atlanta Braves' cheer.  The chop had it's humble beginnings in Tallahassee, Florida at Florida State University.  The FSU "War Chant" (as it's called there) began in a game against Auburn in 1984, when  the Marching Chiefs were performing the stadium cheer they used to call "Massacre".  Some students behind the band joined in and continued the "war chant" portion after the band had ceased. The unmelodic and annoying result sounded like chants by Native Americans in western movies.  While this was going on, many of the spirited FSU fans began adding the "chopping" motion.  Thus, it was born...much to the dismay of many.

...to this in 2011.  Make it stop!

Fast forward to 1991, the Atlanta Braves famed worst-to-first season, and the beginning of an incredible two decade long run by the team.  Braves outfielder Deion Sanders, a graduate of FSU, was seen "chopping" in the dugout during a Braves comeback.  As games passed, more and more teammates began joining in with Sanders, and before long it caught on like wildfire and soon became the signature of the 1991 club.  Ok, so the Braves had found something cool to bind themselves and the fans together...and truthfully, it worked.  It was amazing to watch 40,000 arms with red foam tomahawks moving in unison to the sound of the wobbly organ playing the "War Chant" theme.  And even for a few years after that, it was still kind of fun to see.  But once the Braves reached the mountain top and won the World Series in 1995, that should have been the end of it.  Unfortunately, like it's west coast originating counterpart, "The Wave", it didn't end.

ESPN columnist and Grantland website founder Bill Simmons (@sportsguy33 on Twitter in case you want spread the love with hate mail on this) said, "The Chop never seems to end. It just will not go away; it's the crowd version of VD....know what I mean? It's driven me to the point where I can't even watch a playoff game that takes place in Atlanta anymore. Seriously. It's that brutal. I hate it. I'm breaking out in hives just writing about it."   And frankly Bill, I agree with you.  Especially now when they've added the piped in soundtrack of the FSU Marching Chiefs playing, and only half the fans the stands even bother to do it (and those who do are rarely able show any sense of time or rhythm). 

If you watch the pained expressions on the faces of people in the stands, I think you'll find there are a lot more who agree with me than disagree.  Kids do it because, well...they're kids and parents need the distraction.  Drunk fans do it because, well...they're drunk and need the attention.  Beyond that, you see a few fans lazily waving one arm in the air while their jaw is planted firmly on the other hand.  The rest of them stare in awe at each other as if to say "What...are we still doing this crap?"  I swear, it's got a longer half-life than Uranium, and it's twice as toxic. 

Nothing short of sabotaging the sound system at Turner Field is going to bring a quick end to this ridiculous cheer either.  I'm afraid it's going to have to live out a long and painful death.  I just wish more people would refrain from giving in to the flailing urge when that dreadful music begins.  Maybe a 12-step program is in order..."Choppers Anonymous"  (make it a requirement for all season ticket holders while we are at it).  We are supposed to be a modern and cosmopolitan city.  Can we not think of a better (and more original) cheer?  There has to be some brain-trust group at Georgia Tech who can breakout their slide rules and scientific calculators to formulate something workable. (Googling the GT School of Cheer Engineering) But someone needs to stop the madness...stop the war chant...and in the name of Chief Noc-a-homa...STOP THE CHOP!

Who Should be the Next Falcons Ring of Honor Inductee?

Every two years since 2004, the Atlanta Falcons have inducted a new member into the Falcons Ring of Honor.  Thus far, the choices have been rather easy, as some of the most recognizable names in Falcons history were enshrined by the team.  Lets face it...Andrews, Bartkowski, Van Note, Kenn, Nobis, Tuggle, Humphrey, and Sanders were all no-brainers.  But in 2012, we are hitting a point where you really have to start scrutinizing the numbers and looking at the overall contribution to the team by a player, both on and off the field.  And that's if there is even anyone worthy at all.  There are still some great names out there who have been a huge part of the Falcons franchise, so who of them could possibly be worthy? You could start by looking at the record books....
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PHOTO OF THE WEEK: 3/4/12

Yeah..in this case a photo just wasn't going to do it justice.  Video clip of J-Smoove POSTERIZING the Thunder's Serge Ibaka.  Bob Rathbun and Dominique Wilkins with the call.

Mutiny on the Saints "Bounty". Who Snitched?

Falcons fans have some really good days and events that just stick in their memory banks forever -- the "Big Ben" play, Deion Sanders high-stepping, beating the Packers in Green Bay in the playoffs, the Dirty Bird and the 98 Super Bowl Run -- and March, 2. 2012 will go down as one of those days.  That was the day that division arch-nemeis the New Orleans Saints were implicated in a "bounty program" scandal that encompassed three seasons, scores of players and coaches, and wads of tax-free cash. 

Hey Saints.. "Cheaters Never Prosper"

The NFL presented findings from over 18,000 documents showing that former Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams and between 22-27 defensive players maintained a paid-in-cash bounty pool of up to $50,000 (when it was at it's peak in the 2009 playoffs) for players to inflict game ending injuries.  The investigation describes a system that rewarded Saints players with $1,500 for a “knockout” hit and $1,000 for a “cart-off” hit.  Payouts rose up to two or three times during the team’s three playoff appearances.  This specifically violates the leagues 'bounty rule" which prohibits the payments to players for specifically targeting an opposing player.  The rule was put in place by the NFL to promote both player safety and the competitive integrity of the game.  

The thing that should be troubling to the Saints about this situation is how the investigation unfolded.  The NFL began investigating claims of this program in New Orleans early in 2010, but could find no hard evidence of wrongdoing.  Everyone interviewed at that time vehemently denied any knowledge of the program.  Then, just a few short months ago "new evidence" was brought to light.  Interesting, don't you think?  Yeah..someone snitched!  Gregg Williams must have made an enemy somewhere in that organization.  There is going to be some real friction in that locker room if it ever comes out as to who the turncoat is.

So now what happens? Well, that's up to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell at this point.  I think you can count on some suspensions and fines for individual players, and most certainly a very weighty fine for the Saints organization (it should most certainly exceed the $750,000 the Patriots were fined for SpyGate).  The Saints will also probably face draft pick losses, and perhaps compensatory picks to teams whos players were injured as a result of this program.  And let's not rule out the possibility of criminal charges, as a precedent for such action has been set in some cases in the NHL.   Either way, ti's going to be a long season for the Saints.

For Gregg Williams, now the defensive coordinator in St. Louis, it could get even worse.  Depending on the NFL's findings regarding allegations of Williams administering a similar program in Washington, it will most likely mean a lengthy suspension, or could even possibly spell the end of his career in the NFL as a coach.  Rams head coach Jeff Fisher is probably fishing through his pile of resumes as we speak.

While some criticize the fiery reaction by the media to this story, I think it's justified.  You want to coach your defensive players to be aggressive and to lay jaw-rattling hits on the opposition, but paying them to injure someone is unsportsmanlike and frankly, cowardly.  So Falcons fans can now rejoice in the fact that every time a Saints fan tries to rub their nose in the "at least we've won a Super Bowl" argument, they can come back with "at least we didn't cheat....'Aints" 

Falcons Best/Worst Draft Picks Ever

We are less than a month into the NFL off-season, and already fans are salivating for some action.  The combine in Indianapolis just having ended, we now look towards April and the NFL draft.   Falcons fans will know that we have a draft record that resembles that of a dying cardiac patient...not quite flatlined, just an occasional *blip* from time to time to let you know he's still breathing.  So let's explore some of Atlanta's more studious, and erroneous, draft choices in the franchises history.  We'll start with the bad first, and end this on a positive note.  We'll limit the worst picks to the first 3 rounds only.

WORST:

#5 - Warren Bryant (OT, Kentucky):  Drafted with 6th pick in the 1st round in 1977, Bryant was supposed to help solidify the offensive line protecting star quarterback Steve Bartkowski.  Bryant's primary method for doing this was holding.  He could be counted on for at least 2-3 holding penalties every game.  He was able to maintain his starting position throughout his seven year stint with Atlanta, but that's only due to lack of serious competition.
Left on the board: Pro Bowl cornerback Gary Green, taken by the Chiefs.

#4 - Bruce Pickens (DB, Nebraska): Drafted with the 3rd pick in the 1st round in 1991, Pickens only nabbed two career interceptions in a brief four year career, and had terminal prickly heat on his backside from being burned by receivers on a weekly basis.
Left on the board:  Pro Bowl cornerback Todd Lyght, taken by the Rams.

#3 - Steve Broussard (RB, Washington State): Drafted with the 20th pick in the first round in 1990, Broussard is clearly another example of Jerry Glanville's rampant insanity.  Why would you draft a running back from Washington State that only ranked 3rd on that schools all-time rushing list?  It's not like they have been a hotbed for star tailbacks.
Left on the board: Pro Bowl running back Rodney Hampton, taken by the Giants

#2 - Aundray Bruce (LB, Auburn):  Drafted with the 1st overall pick in 1988, Bruce was going to be the next big thing on defense in the NFL.  A guy who could line up at linebacker or defensive end comfortably, and had solidified himself as a star in the SEC.  He ended up only starting 42 games in his entire career, and only had 32 career sacks and 4 career interceptions.  Epic bust.
Left on the board:  Tim Brown, Sterling Sharpe, Keith Jackson, Michael Irvin, Neil Smith, etc. etc. etc...

Aundray Bruce brought new meaning to "draft bust"

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