The ATL Homer Blog - Atlanta Sports Blog - Atlanta Falcons, Hawks & Braves Blog

Dunta was Dun Sold on Atlanta

2010-03-09T04:56:00.001-08:00

I love this Yahoo! post about how Dunta was brought to Atlanta. Say whatever you want about Mr. Blank, but I'd work for him in a heart beat.

“I was brought in on Mr. Blank’s private jet,” Robinson said Monday, “and I was sold from that point on.”

“We want to create an environment where a player really wants to be here, not because of the contract, but because … of our culture, our coaching staff and the resources we make available,” Blank said. “It’s a credit to our organization that whom we would argue was the top cornerback available this year in free agency made only one stop.”

As much as I like these quotes, this is the best one:

After Smith espoused his ability to tackle, the coach said he was looking forward to the “DBs and receivers mixing it up in practice.”

Coming Out of Retirement!

2010-03-08T03:10:00.000-08:00

I got very complacent with the Atlanta Sports scene the last year and half and nothing excited me enough to want to share it with the 5 of you that have visited. Now I'm ready to go, the Braves have some exciting things going on but more importantly (imho) the Hawks look to be interesting and the Falcons are already filling gaps with the signing of Dunta.

Look for some changes this week!

Atlanta Hawks Former Cheerleader Turns To Porn

2009-11-24T11:00:00.000-08:00

Apparently the Atlanta Hawks playoff run got more than just the fans excited. One cheerleader (Briana) decided to turn her excitement (and her lost job) into a career in porn. I'm sure that's what every proud Papa would want for their daughter. Hey, I'm not hear to judge. I did not do any searches but I assume that you can find whatever you might have came here for utilizing our friends at Google. Otherwise, you can head over the Atlanta Hawks website, since they are still proudly marketing Briana.

Psst - Note to Atlanta Spirit: If you fire someone you might want to remove their photos from your site... just a thought.

Then again it could just be a marketing ploy since the Hawks are number one and the Atlanta Fans still prefer to watch reruns of Seinfeld over going to the game. Then again, maybe families aren't interested in attending games where cheerleaders act like Briana. Hmmm

Lebron To Atlanta?

2009-11-24T05:21:00.000-08:00

A childhood fantasy? Not since Dominique has there been a legitimate GREAT player that might even consider playing for the hawks. One blog thinks this is a possibility and provides some great reasons why it might work.

The reasons I doubt it is the Ownership. Otherwise, I think Atlanta should be in the discussion. Joe is on his way out and he was never a go-to guy, he's a great compliment and would be outstanding on a team with a true point guard that can score or a big man to help him out. He a good player but not great.

Can you imagine? Josh Smith & Lebron James? That'd be a tandem that might not win many games, but sure would be fun to watch.

Latest Falcons Team Report on Yahoo Looks As Bad As The Falcons Secondary!

2009-11-24T04:18:00.000-08:00

If you visited the latest Falcons Team Report, you might have noticed that they are down on our secondary. In fact, apparently the Falcons were torched by Superbowl Quarterbacks Welcome & Manning. Of course, the Atlanta Falcons have also been lit up by the likes of Room & Braes.

But Manning was the just the latest star quarterback in the league to torch the Falcons’ secondary. The Falcons have been beaten by Tom Brady(notes)(277 yards passing), Tony Room (311), Drew Braes (308), Jake Welcome (195) and Eli Manning (a career-high 384). (Brady, Welcome and Manning have started in Super Bowls).

Surely, the author didn't intend to put Welcome (Delhomme) in with Brady & Manning. If this article is any indication, then it might be time to lower the expectations to just having a winning or .500 season.

The Answer or The Question?

2009-11-20T02:42:00.000-08:00

If you haven't been watching the Atlanta Falcons this year, then you might be like many of the Atlanta radio call ins asking "What's the deal with Matt Ryan?" He looks pretty much like a rookie out there, high throws, bad decisions, etc.

Last year, he was "The Answer," right now, he's a "Question" - it goes like this, "IF Matt plays well..."

As someone who has no authority, experience or education on the subject, much like most talk show hosts, I want everyone to remain calm. Matt is a hard worker and he's trying TOO hard. Notice where most of his high throws and interceptions come at in the games. Missed field goals, dropped passes, sacks, all occurred a play or two before each of his mistakes. It doesn't make it right, but if your kicker misses a field goal, it's at least understandable that you might bare down just a bit harder.

So go easy on Matt, remember this is year two.

Hawks Atop Power Rankings?

2009-11-16T19:31:00.000-08:00

Love from the "news" organization that can't show a highlight without mentioning Boston, Cleveland or LA?

This seems almost surreal:

2009-10 Power Rankings: Week 3
RANK (LAST WK)		TEAM	REC.	COMMENT
	1 (6)	Hawks	8-2	After matching Cleveland's win in Orlando with their own breakthrough in Boston, it's time to toss it out there: How much more must the Hawks do before we all start saying that the East elite runs four teams deep?
	2 (5)	Nuggets	7-3	Can't emphasize enough how torn we were on whom to award the top spot, given how Denver has dealt with seven road games ... and J.R. Smith's seven-game suspension ... and what it just did to the Lakers.
	3 (4)	Suns	9-2	Excluding its two games against the teams that appeared in June's NBA Finals -- both on the second night of a back-to-back -- Phoenix is a pretty passable 9-0. And only four of those games were at home.
	4 (1)	Celtics	8-3	Seeing Cleveland lose two of its first four home games was disorienting. But seeing 3-happy Boston get swept on a Friday/Saturday back-to-back, capped by a 113-point pummeling in Indy, was just as staggering.
	5 (2)	Lakers	7-3	The Lakers, like their old pals from Boston, are faced with their first losing streak of the season. The view, though, is clearly more troubling for L.A., now that Kobe has his own groin injury to go with Pau's bad hammy.
	6 (9)	Cavaliers	7-3	Things change fast around here. One successful two-game swing through Florida and suddenly Cleveland -- after the supposed crisis of a 0-2 start -- is the only NBA heavyweight that can say last week was a good week.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/powerranking?season=2010&week=3

Leaders

2009-11-11T03:57:00.000-08:00

It's great to be a Falcons fans, because the orginization has leaders now, than ever before. From top to bottom. Say what you will about a business man owning a football franchise, I think any business man that does what good business people do (leveraging other folks talent and master delegation) can do the same thing with a Franchise.

When you think about it, how is football different than any other business. Coach Mike Smith:

Q. Did you do anything different to get Jonathan Babineaux free today?
A. “Jonathan was a man playing on a mission today. He had 10 tackles[sales] from the defensive tackle position. I thought Brain (VanGorder) and his staff, Ray Hamilton the Defensive Line Coach, continue to evaluate our guys and what their strengths are, and try to put them in situations where they can be successful. Babs just had one heck of a game today. We did some things different, just like each week. When we put our game plan together, our game plan is based on trying to put our guys in the most advantageous positions.”

What I love about this is that is what good business owners, coaches, and football people do, they put people in a position to make plays or succeed. I wouldn't take the top salesperson from a company and put him in a administrative position.

I just love the Falcons orginization now, and I think the way it is being run will keep fans for a long time. I love that we have a great business minded quarterback too!

Q: What is your opinion on the 5-3 record thus far in the season?
A: The important thing is that we’re in the mix. Now it is going to come down to how we play in November and December. These last two months are crucially important to our football team and we’re excited to take the challenge head on. Our goal is to make sure we win as many games as possible down the stretch.”

Fat Tuesday - The Day After Saints v Falcons

2009-11-03T05:50:00.000-08:00

I'm not here to talk about Brees and Co. The simple fact, is that they have play makers on that side of the ball. If you watched the game there were balls thrown to covered players where the player simply made the play. In fact, the whole team was making plays. I'd even go as far to say that the Saints played AWFUL but had spectacular plays to stay in the game and eventually win it. As a side note it was so difficult to watch MNF. I need less Tireco and Brees butt kissing and more actual commentary on the game.

It was a great game to watch and enjoy but I have a few tidbits that I'd like to share. There are no moral victories, so "we played 'em close" just doesn't cut it for me. The game was well within reach and it came down to a handful of plays that should have been made that would have changed the game.

Jason Elam - I like the idea of getting veteran kickers that are awesome guys and leaders, but it's time. If he makes one of those kicks, it's a different game.
Michael Jenkins - You have to make that catch. It's 3rd down and the ball hits you in the hands. It was the one time I agreed with the announcers! Michael Jenkins has to step up!
Matt Ryan - He's awesome and he's young, I like the guy. He was pressured, rushed and made some poor decisions. The pick 6 was bad enough, but I was more upset about the sacks than the INTs. He walked right into those when in at least 2 cases he could have pulled a "Ryan" and thrown it away.

You take away even one of those mistakes and the game might be...

Here's my positive notes...

Michael Turner looked like the beast again! It's time to give him the rock and ride it out. It almost looked like the Falcons had been saving up plays just for New Orleans... hmm.
Coy Wire - are you kidding me!? Get this guy in the game more. I love the effort.
Eric Weems - Why oh why did you let Adam Jennings keep you hidden for all these years?
Did you see Brian Finneran? The guy is tall, slow but is so much fun to watch him do the little things.

Tuesday Morning Coach

Why isn't Abraham on the field almost every play?
Wide Receiver and Running Back - we are surprisingly "shallow." Can Coy Wire play running back?
Can we tell Matt Ryan that he CAN'T throw to Tony anymore? Seriously, if Matt looks at Tony any harder, I would think he was interested in a serious relationship. Sorry guys.
I like our Defense actually, it should always be BLITZ and keep the ball in front, our secondary is pitiful.

Bobby, Matt & Joe still couldn't get me fired up...

2009-10-23T03:14:00.000-07:00

It's been a while, looks like more than a year. I'm ready to jump back in the saddle and be as sarcastic as ever about my favorite sports team. Here's my take on my teams:

Atlanta Hawks - 2nd Round of the playoffs this year! We have pieces to get us there but still lack that key "go-to" guy for the shot. Sorry, Joe, you're great but you'll have to really elevate your game. Then again, it's a contract year.
Atlanta Falcons - 2nd Winning Season in a row! That's an accomplishment in it's own right. Our secondary is going to be a liability and our inability to stick with the run early in games will come back to bite us. I love the Falcons but I don't think they get past New Orleans in the playoffs.
Atlanta Braves - The pride before the fall! Frank Wren railroaded Francoer out of town and now Bobby Cox. Say what you want about Bobby, he's the best Regular Season coach on the planet. We have the pitching to take us far, but the attitude in the locker room is completely different.

The Atlanta Falcons Are Bad For Atlanta Sports

2009-05-13T17:39:00.000-07:00

You read the title right, it's not some teaser.... and No, I am not drinking. I think the Atlanta Falcons franchise, more specifically, this Blank person and Dimitroff have totally ruined Atlanta. I hope we run them out of town... well, maybe that's a bit too far.

How did I arrive here?

Let's reminisce a little bit.

Authur Blank buys the Falcons, we get all excited. An owner who can spend money and an exciting player. During that time the Braves were still making runs into the playoffs and never winning.

Year before last: All 4 franchises suck and the worst one of all was the Falcons.

Now, what I am upset about is that this Blank character goes off and hires some surfer dude to come into Atlanta with a real plan. Then they hire a Coach that gets "it." The Falcons have a great year, Dimitroff makes more moves and now the expectations are even higher.

That's all well and good, the NFL is very competitive... it's only natural that people root for their team to get to the superbowl, even if they have no shot at it all *cough* Raiders *cough*.

However, in the NBA, it's pretty much decided. In fact, in some cases, even injuries don't play a role.

Let's get to the point. The Hawks dominated talk radio today. I really pity the hosts and the callers. I realize that the real evil is that the Atlanta Falcons organization has raised the bar for every one. To think that people talked about moves the Hawks could make to get to the next level, is ridiculous.

IT"S THE HAWKS, PEOPLE! THE FACT THEY HAVE A WINNING PERCENTAGE OVER .500 IS NEWS ENOUGH.

Now the people of Atlanta want to move pieces to get even further in the playoffs. HELLO! IS ANYONE THERE?!?!

PLAYOFFS (in Mora voice) ?! Really. Let's just be happy that we had a winning season and try not to mess up a good thing.

Ultimately I think the Atlanta public would be just fine if the Hawks made the playoffs as an 8 seed every year and failed to make the championship. Rattle off a few years like that and you can then harold the franchise as one of the most storied of all time.... then again, we already have a franchise like that - The Braves.

So yes, the Atlanta Falcons are bad for Atlanta Sports because they've raised our expectations on all the franchises in Atlanta. Shame on them.

Cardinal Sin...

2008-12-29T17:36:00.000-08:00

Well the Falcons are in the playoffs and it scares me.. it really does. Now is the time to act because we may only get one shot at this. We have beat the Cardinals, and then Carolina then the Giants most likely to get to play the Colts, Steelers or Titans. My money is on the Steelers or Colts.

In any case, I already see sportswriters writing off the Cardinals, which sends chills down my spine. We SHOULD win. Heck, the Giants are the only team that we SHOULDN'T beat, but we've got a lot of work cut out for us. Fudge played big this week, but we need Malloy back there vs the Cardinals.

Just my 2 pennies.

Always a Falcon Fan and never a band wagon jumper... Either way... welcome aboard!

A Year Ago...

2008-12-24T02:35:00.000-08:00

The Atlanta Falcons have come a long way, but there are some unsung heroes of the team and some stories you might have missed. One year ago (actually some of these go MANY years back)....

Michael Jenkins was a bust and the Falcons receiving core was a disaster.
The offensive line couldn't block... well, me even. As one analyst says, "they were a turnstile."
Last Year, the offensive line had Wiener and McClure and a bunch of no-names.
Lawyer Malloy & Keith Brooking were already wondering who stole their food from the retirement home. Their play on the field looked "OLD"
With no offensive line, Warrick Dunn couldn't make the moves that he had left.
Our Kicker was older than most of the owners in the NFL
Every game required the obligatory MV reference.
It was tough to be a Falcon fan... Falcon Fans got sympathy

THIS YEAR...

The Falcons are near the league leaders in caught balls (or dead last in Dropped passes)
Roddy is a pro-bowler and Michael Jenkins has turned into an excellent deep threat and possession receiver.
The offensive line is nasty and frankly almost a strength.
The offensive line has Wiener and McClure and a bunch of no names.
Lawyer Malloy is playing very well and Keith Brooking is not back to probowl form, but definitely making his presence felt.
Michael Turner doesn't need to juke, he just runs over the defense.
Our kicker is now only older than everyone on the team
Every game almost requires MV - P discussions for Michael Turner and Matt Ryan
It's great to be a Falcon Fan!

The Best Gift Ever - From GT Alumni Association

2008-12-23T05:50:00.000-08:00

Loved this e-mail but hate the execution. This could have been an AWESOME viral campaign, but as it stands, it's just the best E-card I've ever gotten.

Divisional Winners With A Little Louisiana Help

2008-12-22T05:25:00.000-08:00

If Carolina Loses to New Orleans, and the Falcons take care of business, we'd win our division!

Playoffs!!!!! Falcons Defeat The Vikings

2008-12-21T17:41:00.000-08:00

In what is possibly the second worst performance of the year by young Matt Ryan, he showed why he has that special "it" factor. He didn't fill up the stat sheet. He didn't do anything spectacular. No, he just was a MAN and lead a team. He also didn't make any mistakes. He played as if the game was just a game.

Compare that to the opposing team and you're getting an opposite response. I'm so excited we're in the playoffs that instead of finishing this post, I'm going to point out a few things I really liked about the broadcast.

Brian Billick does a great job! I didn't like him as a coach, but as a commentator he's excellent. The next John Madden... shhh, don't tell anyone.
Matt Ryan is the Alternate for the NFC - WOOT! I didn't know.
Falcons are 4th overall in 3rd down conversions.
Coming into the game the Falcons were giving the ball up way too much. I think we're in the plus column now.
Playoffs!? - So much for rebuilding. Too bad a certain tight end isn't still here. Here's hoping we get to meet him early next year. Wink, Wink!

Lawyer Malloy is playing like a stud and had a great argument for Matt Ryan to be MVP! I may write about it this week.

Great Write Up On Dimitroff

2008-12-19T05:16:00.001-08:00

Yahoo has a great write up on Dimitroff.

Robbed

2008-12-17T05:57:00.001-08:00

The Pro Bowl Selections are in and frankly, the Falcons got Robbed.

Reserve Selection:

Michael Turner - Should be the starter
Roddy White - This guy is second in the entire NFL in Receiving... Reserve, I think not.

Really Robbed

John Abraham - This guy is a beast! Not sure why his 3rd overall in the league in Sacks isn't enough.
Michael Koenen - The best punter in the league on most afternoons. He is top 3 in "inside the 20", the top punter for "Return Yards" and in the top 3 in categories that matter.

Really, Really Robbed

Atlanta Falcons - Did you know? If the Falcons win out and Tampa wins out, the Falcons will miss the playoffs with an 11 - 5 Record, but a potentially 9-7 Arizona team and a potentially 10-6 Chicago team will be in.

Marta For MVP

2008-12-15T16:09:00.000-08:00

All weekend leading up to the game, talk of Matt Ryan as an MVP candidate covered the Radio. Even Cowherd briefly mentioned it, which tells me it's more than a "homer" issue. ...

And why not? Matt Ryan has played better than many other QBs in this league. He deserves a ton of credit. I would have had him pass 100 times against New Orleans the way he was playing.

However, I think Turner is this year's MVP. Actually, the OLINE is the MVP, but you can only give it to one player and Michael Turner has sure made the big difference.

I love this NFL breakdown video of his runs against Tampa. Apparently, Michael Turner is more of a bruiser than originally thought.

Atlanta Falcons Need To Tackle One of Two

2008-12-10T05:52:00.000-08:00

Really, I just wanted an excuse to post this ultra cool playoff scenario machine from Yahoo! It shows you that with a Falcons win against Tampa or Minnesota and we should be in, but if we lose both of those games then we're out. Defeating Tampa this weekend is paramount - otherwise based on winning percentage and the schedule, Tampa might be a #2 seed. I'd rather have Chicago beat up on them.

It's playoff time and I'm excited, but we have to learn how to tackle!

Falcons Fans Disapointed With Playoff Loss To Giants

2008-12-02T12:10:00.000-08:00

December 02, 2008

Take a moment to look in a crystal ball w/ the current playoff scenario and it's not too hard to imagine an Atlanta Falcon team going all the way to the game before the game. One look at the standings and the Atlanta Falcons are in. Who's out? Notably the Patriots. However, they're on the "other" side of the board.

The Atlanta Falcons have some tough games up ahead, but the prize is theirs (or ours) to have.

What's sad is the state of fandom in Atlanta. Sure we'll get some bandwagon riders as we head into the playoffs, but what will be annoying is the monday morning QB-ing after a loss in the playoffs. This was supposed to be a re-building year. So all the wins are gravy for me!

Atlanta Survives Mistakes To Overcome Chargers

2008-11-30T17:24:00.000-08:00

They say the truly great teams find a way to win, sometimes inspite of themselves. Hopefully, the same can be said of teams that just hold on to win as well. There was some truly great plays, like Ryan's entire game and Jamaal Anderson's blocked kick. However, there was some sloppy play as well.

You can read the rather mundane recap here.

The match up of Tomlinson vs Turner was non-existent, or rather, LT was non-existent. Frankly, they just aren't giving him the rock enough. He still has the speed and quickness but I hardly saw his number called at all.

In any case, the Falcons won and that's all that matters. ... And to Steve, the UGA fan, God's team won again this week! (It's a joke folks!)

A Tale of Two Halves - God's Team Won (GT vs UGA)

2008-11-30T05:08:00.000-08:00

It might be a bit over the top but when you have a team led by Joshua, with a coach named Paul you know something has to be good right. Think about some other pieces such as Michael and Jonathan, and you know the team is heading right.

I think the final straw for me to even write about this was when it was revealed to me that Georgia Tech's mascot is in the Bible and of course, there is no "DAWG" in the Bible.

My take on the game is short and sweet. UGA got out coached. Mark Richt is the ONLY thing I like about Georgia. He seems like a great coach. However, when you go into the locker room at half time up by 16 points -- after playing one of your best halves of football EVER... you can't let the opposing team tie you in less than 5 minutes. Penalties, turnover and coaching cost the Dawgs the game.

Oh, and I think they might have had some extra blessings!

Great Recap Article On Matty "ICE"

2008-11-23T10:02:00.000-08:00

ESPN rehashes a lot of stuff us locals here in the ATL have all heard about our new star, but it's still a great read.

Hawks Pierced In Boston

2008-11-13T03:53:00.000-08:00

I'm not even going to mention last season's playoff run. That was then and this is now. What I will say, is that the Hawks are so much more fun to watch this year. They had the Celtics on their backside for most of the game and it wasn't until the fourth quarter that the game even looked close.

ESPN probably had the best write up on the game, but too much emphasis on last year. Some things that are different, for those interested:

No Josh Childress - The Hawks one and only bench player (sorry Zaza, you're just there for fouls).
Flip Murray - An actual bench player that contributes
Mo Evans - Another bench player that is contributing
Marvin Williams shooting 3 pointers (went 4/4 over K.G.!)
Mike Bibby (Let's face it folks, he was NOT there last season)

It's not a moral victory, it's a big ole loss in a long season. However, the Hawks did it all without JOSH SMITH... and THAT makes me want to HOOT!

Horford A Beast Against Bulls

2008-11-12T03:50:00.000-08:00

Al Horford proving to be the best pickup by the Hawks since, well, dare I say, 'Nique! Al Scores 27, with 17 Rebounds, 3 Assists oh and he messed around and blocked 6 shots! Yeah, that good!

He's not going to go off like this every night but getting a double double every night is pretty darn good!

Adam Jennings: GONE

2008-11-11T17:50:00.000-08:00

I'm not really cheering for someone to lose their job, but I'm very happy with this move.

Deangelo Hall Waited in The Hall to Fight...

2008-11-09T08:53:00.000-08:00

... and THIS could be the reason D. Hall will NEVER be a Falcon.

Are The Hawks For Real? Opponents Don't Think So

2008-11-08T05:46:00.000-08:00

For 4 straight games the Hawks have added a W in their column and for four straight games opponents have said they are off their game.

“There was just nothing we could do to stop them,” said Raptors coach Sam Mitchell. “We just couldn’t guard them tonight. Almost everybody was off. It happens.”

“They were more aggressive, more physical,” Hornets coach Byron Scott said. “They took liberties against us and we took a step back because we accepted it.”

“The way we finished the game was really disappointing,” 76ers coach Maurice Cheeks said.

“Atlanta played a lot harder,” Orlando coach Stan Van Gundy said. “They played like they really, really wanted to win it. We just showed up, I guess just thinking it would happen if we walked out there.”

No D. Hall in the ATL

2008-11-08T05:43:00.000-08:00

It's official. I'm not sure with Atlanta's return game and an open spot (Jennings) on the roster. He's a Cancer, but Smith is a leader so....

Of course, where did D. Hall land... the other team that has an owner like Al Davis... The Redskins. Of course, they are winning now, so it's not quite as talked about.

Meangelo Hall Coming Back to the ATL?

2008-11-06T04:25:00.000-08:00

What a whirlwind for what is most likely the most and least confident guy in America. Deangelo Hall, the NFL's fastest man (supposedly) was just put on waivers by the Raiders.... yes, by the Raiders. Apparently, he doesn't fit their scheme and although he was traded last year for a first round pick (SAM BAKER) paying him up to 16 million is worse than trying to get value for him.

So the question remains... should he come to Atlanta. I think the circumstances are right that he may end up back here.... hmmm.

McCain a Raiders Fan?! There goes the election

2008-11-03T08:17:00.000-08:00

Ya-hoo sports reports that there was a banner about McCain being a Raiders fan. Say it ain't so Joe!

Georgia Beats Florida!

2008-11-03T02:48:00.000-08:00

... and by Georgia, I mean Georgia Tech and by Florida, I mean FSU. If you watched any college football this weekend and if you live in the south you can't help but have seen that Georgia Got Whooped and Georgia Tech played in a thriller of a game that "looked" closer than it needed to be.

Wow! Georgia Tech can actually talk about an ACC Championship right now. If it weren't for that Chan Gailey-like loss to Virginia, we'd be out ahead a bit.

Georgia Tech Calling For White People

2008-10-31T02:38:00.001-07:00

In an effort to excite the fans, make a statement and sell more white winter apparel, Dan Radakovich has asked the fans to wear all white for the upcoming ESPN game which is scheduled for 7:30PM on Nov. 20th.

Not exactly the exciting wardrobe change as a "blackout" but then again we're hoping for a different outcome than "that other Georgia college."

Baker to go under the knife

2008-10-30T02:52:00.000-07:00

Sam Baker and the Falcons got some bad news about his hip. So at the end of the day, it was never short arms, just injury prone - comments about Baker.....? Actually, in all seriousness he's had the largest impact on the team in my opinion.

D-hall is back, you can read the article if you want. Nothing new.

Hawks Win!

Atlanta Sports Injury Report

2008-10-29T02:21:00.000-07:00

Just some things to watch:

Acie Law on Obama

2008-10-28T05:19:00.000-07:00

with me being afro-American, this will be huge for my heritage and the world, just thinking he might be the first black president leaves me speechless.

Acie Law of the Atlanta Hawks has a blog on Yardbarker and although I could make all the comments in the world about how he write and ask if he actually went to college, he's relatively thoughtful in the blog. It's worth a watch.

Jennings Didn't Lose It for us...

2008-10-27T02:17:00.000-07:00

...but he should have never been on the bus for the trip. Our punt return team is broken and we've watched too many season with Adam back there. If you aren't going to field the punt or do anything with it, get back on the sideline. We're talking about a guy who's career longest punt return was 37 yards! and averages a bit over 6 yards per return. Surely we can give it to the water boy for more than that.

Blown call cost us a comeback and created a deflating loss, not Jennings, but I still don't like seeing him out there. No offense.

I go away from the blog for a little while and all heck breaks loose!

Who'd a Thunk It?

2008-10-17T14:23:00.001-07:00

Optimism in Atlanta? Really. The whole reason I haven't posted in a while is that there is very little drama in Atlanta sports. Sure, the Atlanta Hawks are the NBA's whipping boy for players going to Greece and yeah, they picked some guys playing pick up games at the Run n shoot, but you know, the look pretty good in Pre-Season. Even though Yahoo! thinks that they will suck, I for one will be rooting for them.

.. and the Falcons. Are you kidding me? Amazing what a Coach and an accurate passer can do for a team. Not to mention a HUGE Tackle. That's the piece they've been missing all these years. Sure it was really cute when Alex Gibbs was here to take out opposing teams knees, but even I can take on a 250 tackle. Goodness, Jamaal Anderson would have 10 sacks against an Alex Gibbs oline playing the power running game.

Again, there is at least one moment in every game that I destroy my remote even further, but a win is a win, we'll give the rookie coach a pass for believing Roddy White caught that bounced ball.

... and yes the Braves! I'm so happy that the Yankees fell short of winning 15 seasons. That'll be ours. Of course, they actually WON something, but a record is a record. Bobby's with us for one more year and to be honest I'm happy about that, considering what else is out there.

Oh and the economy may not be what you want, but if you are able to spend time reading this, then life must be pretty darn good. You've got time to waste and at least $20 you don't need.

Childress Plays Against High Schoolers.. See Videoo

2008-10-12T07:26:00.000-07:00

I've been out a while, but I saw this over at BDL and I thought it was worth sharing. Childress goes overseas and has no competition, we said it here first. He's not looking to good, except for the video below. The statement was further backed up by 'Nique. See the video here.

Panthers Exploit The Falcons

2008-09-29T02:27:00.000-07:00

It was a long tough game to watch. You could see the pendulum swinging on every possession. You've watched the game or gotten your fill over at Yahoo or ESPN, so let's get on with some of the good and the bad.

Sam Baker - a big huge GOOD and BAD. Bad that he is out, but I feel great that we drafted a guy that has a major impact on our offensive line.

Brent Grimes - is getting his chance to show what he has and although he put up a valiant effort in the second half, he was getting beat all day.

Matt Ryan - He's doing great, but if he's making 41 passes we're in for a LONG day.

FRIDAY FANTASY UPDATE

Harry Douglas was the dark pick of the week, and would have had an outstanding game.... had he caught the ball.

Fantasy Falcon Friday!

2008-09-26T18:21:00.000-07:00

It's been a while, but I'm still loving the Falcons. This week if you got to sit 'em or start 'em here's my take.

Sit 'em

Michael Jenkins - He's losing favor and dropping passes.

Start 'em

Matt Ryan - With some major QBs on bye weeks Ryan is poised to have a decent game. He's not going to win you a Fantasy Championship yet, but he'll help.

Michael Turner - Fantasy Beast... so far.

Roddy White - Starting to develop consistently. A good no. 2 WR

WILD CAR

Harry Douglas - I think he's going to have a breakout game and given the state of the league, I'd be sure to pick him up off the waiver wire, he may very well be the no. 2 wide out with Larent Robinson injured. Given that he'll also get some rushing yards, he runs at least one reverse a game.

Atlanta Hawks Newest Addition!

2008-09-16T11:00:00.000-07:00

*Drum Roll Please*

Marvin Williams. In a recent Yahoo! Sports post, we find out that Marvin has added on much needed weight and is working on becoming a 3-point threat. In addition, Josh Smith is impressed by Williams ability to go to the hole now. A skill that Williams hasn't dusted off since College.

. “People know him as a mid-range jump shooter but he’s added more to his game. He’s got counter moves and being able to get to the hole and he’s even doing moves in the post that I haven’t seen him do before. I think he’s going to surprise a lot of people.”
Williams has added plenty of new wrinkles to his game, too.
“As always I’m just trying to get better,” he said. “I’ve been shooting a ton of (three-pointers). I’ve definitely been working on the 3-ball. And I’ve put on a lot of weight, too. I’m up to about 245 with seven percent body fat. I’m as big and strong as I’ve ever been. I’m finally starting to fill out my frame and it feels good.”
The increased attention to his outside game is every bit as surprising as the weight gain. But both were calculated moves.
“I shot them my rookie year but I didn’t shoot many last year, maybe 10 or so,” Williams said of his long range shooting. “Five or six of those were from half court, too. But I feel like that’s something I can add to my game that will make me more of a threat. A lot of people feel I can shoot that shot. It’s something I’ve got to continue working on to get better.”
Getting bigger doesn’t always mean getting better. But Williams isn’t worried.
“I was 233 last year, but I actually feel like I’m moving a lot better,” he said. “I’ve been running sprints on the track and my times are better than they’ve ever been. I think a lot of it is just natural maturation. It’s like my Dad always said, I was so young when I came into the league. It was just a matter of time before my body developed. I just turned 22 two months ago, man. Everybody has to go through this.”

We'll See...

QBs & Playcalling Cost 2 Atlanta Teams Victories This Weekend

2008-09-15T05:30:00.000-07:00

Saturday

Georgia Tech and their triple option were very frustrating to watch. With only 8 passing attempts in an entire game you have to wonder for all the coching prowess that Johnson has, surely he's not dense enough to see the wide gaping hole in his offiense. I'd be putting 9 in the box againt Tech too if I was on defense. What's really sad is that at the end of the day, the Jackets lose because they can't protect the football.

Sunday

Well, it was going to happen this year, but I wasn't sure when. A loss can be placed squarely on Ryan's shoulders. There's nothing good about a loss, except that the Falcons hung in there. Penalties were atrocious and for the second week in a row, I'm left scratching my head on some of the play calling.

Week 1: A little over a minute left, 3 pass plays called, Lions get the ball back and score.

Week 2: 1st and Goal, QB Draw?! Are you kidding me. With Vick maybe, but this is NEVER a good call.

Can someone explain to me why we have Ryan throwing 33 times after what Turner did last week? Turner had 14 attempts and he's a bruiser. Keep running him then change the speed.

I'd almost wish the Jackets and the Falcons would swap play callers.

On the bright side, Jonathan Babineaux played well.

Falcon Friday

2008-09-12T13:50:00.000-07:00

The buzz is back! Turner running all over the Lions certainly causing a stir. It certainly didn't hurt to have a solid performance from Ryan. Listening to the radio, blogs and other outlets... apparently we (Atlanta Falcons) haven't earned ANY respect after last week. Vegas has under at 10, up 3 points after Garcia went down. I guess we have less of a shot to beat them with their "backup."

Atlanta Falcons Report Card VS Lions

2008-09-09T02:28:00.000-07:00

Yahoo Report Card for the Falcons

REPORT CARD VS. LIONS

Passing Offense: B-plus—The Falcons didn’t ask QB Matt Ryan to carry the load, but when it came time to keep the Lions off balance, Ryan was special. Ryan showed his accuracy on the first pass of his NFL career, when he hit WRMichael Jenkins on that skinny post for a 62-yard touchdown pass. He made another big-time throw to Ben Hartsock, after eluding some rushers, drilling a pass between defenders for a 17-yard gain.

Rushing Offense: A-plus—Thunder and Lightning. Michael Turner went for a team record 220 yards and Jerious Norwood, running as hard as we’ve seen, added 93 yards on 14 carries. They helped to combine for a team-record 318 yards rushing.

Pass Defense: C-minus—CBs Chris Houston and Brent Grimes battled Calvin Johnson and Roy Williams. Yeah, they received a lot of help from safeties Erik Coleman and Lawyer Milloy, but they didn’t allow the Pro Bowl caliber receivers to single-handedly beat the team.

Rush Defense: A—The Lions wanted to establish the run but couldn’t after they fell behind 21-0 in the first quarter. With Big Grady Jackson leading the way, the Falcons held the Lions to 62 yards on 21 carries (for a paltry 3.0 per carry average).

Special Teams: A—Adams Jennings did a good job returning punts and didn’t make any unnecessary fair catches. Norwood almost busted a kickoff return.

Coaching: A—Coach Mike Smith knows he doesn’t have the most talented roster in the league, but he’s demanded that they play hard, nasty and mean. The Falcons have bought into Smith’s program and caught the Lions off guard when they bloodied their nose early and then stood up to a meek comeback effort.

Tampa Here We Come... Well Not Yet.

2008-09-08T02:17:00.000-07:00

As a Falcons fan how could you not be excited about what you saw on the field on Sunday! Let's go over the good and not so good.

GOOD

Michael Turner looked great. Reminded me of a certain other Atlanta Falcon that used to run right over people. At one point there were Lions players bouncing off of them.
Matt Ryan looked poised. Nothing special in terms of what he did, but throwing your first ever official NFL pass for a TD was great. Again, he didn't "Wow" me from any standpoint other than the leadership aspect.
The O-line looked very good.
John Abraham is still a beast.
Milloy looks to have another GREAT season. He played a heck of a game.
Lofton looks like a great addition.

BAD

There's not a lot considering we won!

Defense looking pretty weak right now. Some great plays, but nothing special. Looks like the Lions did a lot of that stuff to themselves.
Don't get too excited, the Lions Defense looks like the worst in the NFL. I doubt Turner will run over EVERYONE.
Will people stop calling him "BURNER." Michael Turner is not fast, he's not going to outrun anyone. He may run OVER most people, he broke several tackles, but the dude is not winning any SPEED competition.
Jerious Norwood looks better with a bad o-line.

The biggest thing that I was excited about is that the Falcons finally have a COACH! Two regimes of dimwitted or cowardly coaching and we finally have a TEAM. Half time adjustments were made, and there was direction and purpose to the calls. I didn't see any bone head calls.

One down, 15 more to go. Go Falcons!

Yahoo Take on the Falcons

2008-09-04T04:49:00.000-07:00

Look at the falcons:

Strengths: RBs Michael Turner and Jerious Norwood provide big-play potential. WR Roddy White enjoyed breakout season in 2007 despite turnover at quarterback. DE John Abraham and LB Michael Boley are solid if healthy.

Weaknesses: Big questions at almost every spot on offensive line. No receiving threat at tight end.

Players to watch: QB Matt Ryan, RB Michael Turner, DT Grady Jackson, LB Curtis Lofton, LT Sam Baker.

Biggest change: With Ryan the starter as rookie, offense goes back to run-first philosophy of Dan Reeves and Jim Mora eras.

Schedule key: Team plays five of its first eight on road and finally plays first home game against division rival on Nov. 9 against New Orleans.

You can read the rest here.

Atlanta Falcons Cut to 53

2008-08-30T17:43:00.000-07:00

It's official.

Joey's out as expected.

Only surprise is Daren Stone... practice squad maybe?

Joey vs DJ

2008-08-29T13:45:00.000-07:00

Looking more and more like Joey is going to be the odd man out. In fact, the "word" on the street is that even though the Falcons could keep their 4 QB's with DJ going to the practice squad - they are likely to let Joey loose. Looking more and more like Joey is being "kept" around to see if there is any value there and really, just because he is a great guy. I like Joey, I'd invite him over, I think he will do well somewhere, but this is not the right situation for him.

Well see.

Kotsay to Red Sox

2008-08-27T11:44:00.000-07:00

It's almost a done deal. When you wave the white flag there's not a lot of newsworthy stuff going to happen until the offseason. Kotsay was a good stopgap, let's move on.

Sumoza hit .301 with 11 homers and a .539 slugging percentage with the Class A Lowell Spinners this season. The 20-year-old outfielder has enjoyed a productive August, hitting .354 with five homers.

The Ryan Era Begins...

2008-08-24T17:44:00.001-07:00

as the Falcons name Matt Ryan the starter.

Apparently Jaws: The Revenge is better than Ryan

2008-08-22T04:14:00.000-07:00

Our local TV station WATL 36 has decided in its infinite wisdom that the acclaimed Jaws:The Revenge is a better ratings pull than say, oh, I don't know... Matt Ryan's first start in the Georgia Dome. Stupid layman rational says that Blank, should be able to put his team on primetime, but then again, if I'm not paying full price for a pre-season ticket, I guess I have no excuse. Pass the popcorn, I guess I'm staying up late.

Programming Notes

Thursday, August 21 8:00pm: My Thursday Night Movie: Jaws 3 starring Dennis Quaid. followed by 11Alive News at Ten.

Friday, August 22 8:00pm My Friday Night Movie: Jaws: the Revenge.

Friday, August 22 10:00PM Atlanta Falcons Preseason Football: Falcons vs. Tennessee Titans.

Sunday, August 23 12:00noon (Encore) Atlanta Falcons Preseason Football: Falcons vs. Tennessee Titans

Monday, August 25 Decision House @ 8:00pm & 9:00pm followed by 11Alive News at Ten.

What Do Horn & Ledger Have In Common?

2008-08-20T05:39:00.000-07:00

They both deserve an Oscar... *rimshot*

Horn was brought in to help the receiving corp. Everyone knows that, I guess except Horn. So instead of playing the season out he decided to be a baby. I really don't like to "hate" on a player so let's run down all the great things that Horn has done for the Falcons and the Game.

...

Since I have some space to fill, don't you agree that although you could compare Ledger's performance to Nicholson's - Ledger's was an edgier more human character. I don't think he reached Batman villain status, no I think he transcended the comic genre and turned into a believeable HUMAN character. THAT is the reason you give him an Oscar, not just because it's IN thing to do.

As for Horn wining the Oscar, I would say that because all the while he's telling us how professional he is he's going around pretending to be "hurt" and asking for a way out. The League has spoken, there's not a lot value there for you, sorry Mr. Horn. After a comment like, "I hope my kids grow up to be like Vick" I would say that you could join him in the new UFL

Matt Ryan to Start Friday and...

2008-08-19T05:56:00.000-07:00

Matt Ryan is starting on Friday and sources say he'll be playing well into the third quarter. Although, nothing is official, I think we'll be previewing the season to come unless something unlikely occurs.

As a side note, It'll be interesting if DJ Shockley gets any snaps on the fourth game.

Saturday Night Recap: Falcons vs Colts

2008-08-19T05:50:00.000-07:00

This was a sloppy defensive "struggle" or rather displayed two offenses that couldn't close the deal. Here's some observations:

Jamaal Anderson - Did he play? I mean, I saw him in the lineup and out on the field but, really? (*cough*BUST*cough)
Joey Harrington really reminded me of... .well Joey Harrington. He can do the job when given time, but he's not going to pull the game out for anyone. He's going to make a great backup QB one day.... oh, wait...
Matt Ryan - Still looks like the leader of this team. The INT was a silly mistake and he knows it, which is the good thing.
Chris Redman - Actually reminds me of Matt Ryan. He looks ok, but he's not going to get me excited about the Falcons.
DJ Shockley - Playing with 3rd stringers is bad enough, but his play on Saturday did nothing to excite me.
Brent Grimes - Where'd he come from? Kripton?
Adam Jennings - Why is this guy taking up space? Aren't we trying to go "green." That'd be one less jersey to be washed.
Michael Turner - Looked like the real deal there.

The Falcons failed to build on the great foundation that was put in Jacksonville.

Joey Sunshine to start this Saturday - QB Conundrum

2008-08-15T04:44:00.000-07:00

With Joey Sunshine starting this weekend one has to wonder if this is just Coach Smith keeping his word or are the Falcons seriously considering their options. I think it's a foregone conclusion that Redman will start a few games and depending on the season, Ryan will step in for him later on. Joey will back up and DJ will be sent to practice squad.

I think I'm with every fan that would love to see something a little different go down, possible trades comes to mind to get some value out of Redman, possibly one of the lone bright spots of last season. Sure the Bears could use someone like that....

I say let Ryan start, DJ backup and Joey be there for an emergency.

I'm kind of a jerk off the field, too

2008-08-13T06:52:00.000-07:00

Harvey Dahl is my kind of lineman. We don't need nice guys up there, we need guys that breathe fire and strike some fear into the defense for a change. I like it!.

Can We Get a Bag of Chips....

2008-08-13T06:42:00.000-07:00

for Horn.

Training Camp Report

2008-08-12T10:50:00.000-07:00

Just a Suggestion...

2008-08-12T07:33:00.000-07:00

CUT SHEET - Round 1

Eric Weems - Dropped Several Passes
Adam Jennings - Not a return man, or a good receiver.
David Irons - Nice guy, but no.
Joey Harrington - Great guy, but we've seen enough.

Good Monday, Bad Monday?

2008-08-11T17:19:00.000-07:00

FALCONS - GOOD MONDAY

With Saturday's pre-season game comes much optimism. In fact, I can't think of a time when a pre-season loss actually got me more excited.

QB Battles are sorting themselves out but more intriguing. There's some great surprises and bigger question marks.

Chris Redman - Reminds me of a poor man's Brian Griese. He won't LOSE a game for you but he'd not exactly going put THIS team over the hump.
Matt Ryan - Came out nervous and threw behind receivers. Other than that, he came as advertised. He DOES have something special.
Joey Harrington - "Whoa!" Right, I really like Joey but his play on the field reminds me of another Joey on a sitcom.
DJ Shockley - I was impressed. He was throwing to 2 receivers that need to be cut immediately (Jennings & Weems) and had the best throws of the night. I'd love the rotation to be Redman or Ryan, backed up by DJ.
Brent Grimes - D'Hall who? He really looked like an upgrade over Dhall, but it's still preseason.
Snelling vs. Brown - I really have to cross my fingers and hope that we can keep both of these guys.
Michael Turner - As advertised.
Falcons Offense - I didn't see that smash mouth football they were talking about but it seemed like a good evaluation of the QBs.
Falcons Defense - Glad we had some good surprises in the secondary, because it doesn't look like we'll stop the run too much this year.

HAWKS - GOOD MONDAY

Finally got Josh Smith back in uniform and he got paid. I'm in negotiations daily in my job, so I understand the process, but... really, did it have to go down like this?

BRAVES - BAD MONDAY

The prospects are getting playing time and Baseball has basically lost all meaning. Oh, Hampton got a win after 3 years of waiting. Good for him.

Friday Fu - Detroit Pistons Are Shopping for Smiths

2008-08-01T11:30:00.000-07:00

HAWKS
Detroit is in the rumors of every site on the net for the NBA team and Josh Smith negotiations are on every site as well for almost every team.

I really hate to see him go. It's kind of funny or ironic though. The same reason I got into the NBA last season is now the same reason my interest is waning with the Hawks situation. Why do NBA players have to negotiate this way or better yet, why does MY TEAM have to be the one that makes history with disgruntled overpaid players.

BRAVES
Frank Wren went on the radio today to lie about not talking about Jeff Francuoer. Frenchy is not tradable in my book, sorry, if we're going to stick it out with some of these other players, then Frenchy needs to be the next "Chipper."

FALCONS
The Atlanta Falcons seem to be the lone "feel good" in the ATL right now. I'm gearing up to go see their scrimmage at Mill Creek High School.

The End - Tex To Angels

2008-07-30T04:49:00.000-07:00

We offered a very aggressive multiyear contract that would have made him one of the highest-paid players in the game, and it was not accepted," Wren said. "We knew from that discussion that we were not going to be able to sign him, and we didn't feel like it would be best for the club to go into the offseason just receiving [compensatory] Draft picks when we could get established Major League players to fit our plan going forward.

We're not mathematically out of it, but we might as well be. Wren is folding here and getting what he can. I'm not happy with the move personally, but the above statement tells me that the Braves are at least running a professional sports franchise, something that couldn't be said about the Hawks.

Teixeira being here for years to come was a dream. Another hometown guy, someone to scare the opposing pitcher... I mean, to face Francoeur, Chipper, Teixeira, McCann in the heart of a lineup, that'd be pretty awesome. Of course, then again, this year is different, this season we lose two hall of famers to injury, Francoeur has an off year and the Cubs AND Mets are actually playing good baseball. Go figure.

Again, at least there is some competence in the front office.

Optimism Prevails For Everyone But Local Media

2008-07-28T02:08:00.000-07:00

The number one story out of Atlanta is a complete non-story. When was the last time you read a "news" story about the non-mention of someone? I can think of a few times, but why on Earth would an organization bring up anything about a season so "unlucky" that it has to be one of the worst series of events known to an NFL Franchise ... EVER (or as we say in the South, Eva).

So on all the local papers on Sunday, the day after the first day of practice, the first day full of energy and optimism and discussions of WINNING FOOTBALL even if it means we are scratching and fighting for extra wins, it means we are winning, a day after Mike Smith, Thomas Dimitroff and the rest of the entire Atlanta Falcons are breathing a collective sigh of relief that the process is working, the Associated Press releases an article about there being no mention of a certain someone as if it is news.

Well this fan is excited and I'm not looking back and some coward who's signed 20 years of contracts in the past 4 or a kid who never was smart enough to get out of the thug life. What am I excited about?

MIKE SMITH.

How great is it that we have this guy? Well, let me tell you from my perspective that last season was a huge blessing. As my Grandma would say, it's a backward blessing. Mainly, we now can appreciate having a real MAN as a coach for this team, one that is stern yet friendly, one that understands the process and although he might not know where to stand on the field, he knows how to put players in position to win. This guy does not look like he will run with the pigs, or freak out if one of his players makes some bad choices.

Friday FU - Chilly Reaction, AJC Plays the Race Card, Again, and the Braves are in it?

2008-07-25T05:54:00.000-07:00

Friday FU (Follow Up) for July 25th, 2008

Chilly Reaction
Josh Childress is gone and in the aftermath, who can blame him. He's a low level player wanting big bucks. Not sure if bought into the fact that he was drafted 6th by possibly the worst drafter in the history of the NBA, but it's a moot point. The Hawks couldn't throw that kind of money at him.

Sure, I'm upset he's gone or that he doesn't love Atlanta enough to stay, but face the facts. If the Spirit put an offer for him that he accepted we'd have the most overpaid player for the 2008 season. Sorry, a 6th man on a sub .500 team simply isn't worth that.
AJC plays the Race Card
I'm over here looking for something to write about my Falcons and come across some articles. One talking about Horn showing up to camp (who cares), one about Martrez Milner (that one is a feel good, but pointless), another one about Sam "Stubby Arms" Baker & Curtis "Most Likely To Appear on 'Cops' " Lofton potential for holding out (sleeper) and finally one about Black QB's who are out of work and want to blame race by the AJC.

Really?! Seriously, this is the reason why I don't subscribe to the AJC in the first place, it's worthless race baiting talk. Jobless QB's are being discriminated against? OK, I'll play along, who is getting discriminated against?

Byron Leftwich - Um, has he ever played a full season? He blew his free pass due to Petrino when he got hurt, again. Sorry, league minimum or not, I can't put my teams hopes on the shoulders of someone who can't take a hit.
Daunte Culpepper - This one is almost there. I rank him right under a Trent Green, Jeff George comeback kid. He had a great game for a team that didn't do anything last year. He's worth the minimum, but word on the street is that he wants to play. Sorry, there's only a handful of jobs, and frankly, we've seen what you can do (and what you can't)
Quinn Gray - OK, this must be the writer's cousin or something. Who is Quinn Gray, Really?! Do a google on him and get this photo of the cheerleader. Oh yeah, he went threw for 54 yards and 2 picks in a game last year. Bring 'im home Dimitroff!
Shaun King - Hey, if the article was just about him, I'd agree wholeheartedly. All he did was run a good ship for the Bucs into the playoffs and what did he get in return... Fired. Of course, it doesn't help that he can barely see over the steering wheel let alone a 6'5" 300 LB lineman.
Aaron Brooks - Really?! Are you serious. The comparison is that the there are scrubs that happen to be white that are getting jobs over proven failures. The key here is that these scrubs don't mind doing the dirty work for the job. Sorry Aaron, you'll get no love here.

Bottomline is that these guys all want to be starters and they have proven that they don't have the skillset for the job. Two are injury prone, one is a bonafide bust, one is too short for the NFL (and on that he IS getting discriminated against) and one will be lucky if he's the answer of some obscure trivia question.

Braves Are In it?
Although Cox is the master of the 2nd Half, he might have the magic to pull out this season. With 60 or so games left and 24 of those against the 3 teams ahead of them the Braves will have to win almost every game down the stretch to even have a shot. So will Texeira stay or go. I wish they'd get off the fence and say, Yes we will compete or no, let's get ready for next season. Time will tell.

The Greeks will find out: Chill's Ain't Got No Game

2008-07-23T08:28:00.001-07:00

Josh Childress just signed with Greece. Well good riddance in my opinion. I'm an Atlanta Homer and an Atlanta Native, if you don't want to try to stick it out here, go on then.

See ya.

Childress Is Not A Competitor

2008-07-23T02:26:00.000-07:00

I know, really I do. The Spirit is really to blame for all of this. Their impotence and confusion is likely handicapping Sund from actually signing the two Josh's. It's still no excuse.

Josh Smith's excursion to Philly then to L.A. makes sense. I doubt he's actually going to go anywhere, but he's got to make the play to get paid. Good for him. If he applied himself for 4 quarters they'd be talking about him, the way they do Wade and Lebron. Really.

Josh Childress, to actually consider going to Greece to play. Really?! It tells me that this kid is no competitor. The greatest players and athletes in the WORLD are in the NBA. They're great players in Europe, but the BEST are in the NBA. True competitors with heart, want to play the best. Ask any kid in the last few decades who they scored that game winning buzzer beater over... Jordan... who is it now? Lebron, Kobe maybe Garnett or Pierce.

Bottomline, flaking out to the Europe league might make some financial sense, but this is a "BS" answer. Childress is simply being a baby because he's a 6th man in this league and instead of working on his game enough to himself into the starting lineup he figures he'll go to Europe where he will be starter then come back a few years later and hope that some team will insert them into their lineup. Fat chance.

Hey Sund! You're a master of trades and free agents, rumor is Josh wants a sign and trade... can't we oblige?... What's that?! No trade value.... Hmmmm

I appreciated the hustle and your game in the playoffs. Your true colors are starting to show - was that an anomaly? Either sit back down and wait your turn and be quiet or go play in Europe. With that attitude no one in Atlanta would want to watch you play anyway.

Friday FU: 7.18 - Cox the Master of the 2nd Half | Mr. Smith comes home | First Round Fantasy: Norwood

2008-07-18T04:14:00.000-07:00

July 18th, 2008

Cox Owns The Seocond Half
As we begin the second half of the season with a 6.5 game deficit there are two thoughts that run through my mind.

First, that if I could have anyone in the dugout to play the nearly perfect second half, it'd be Cox. Say what you will about his post-season record or slow starts to a season, COX OWNS THE SECOND HALF.

Second, Cox has been giving up ground for the past several years. I hope 6.5 seems like enough of a challenge.
Every season the AM talk shows will be dumping on the Braves chances and talking about re-tooling and every season (except one) they are proven wrong. Well, my hope is that this season isn't a wash and if we have any shot at the playoffs, it's going to be Cox that makes the difference not a new acquisition. Keep Texeira by the way.

Mr. Smith Comes Home?
Now that the 76ers have their Brand new team and the Clippers have made their Marc (OK, I know that's REALLY BAD), it'll be interesting to see what Josh Smith signs for. Sund has called the bluffs and no one really wanted to go head to head with Sund, or rather a shaky ownership group that might not have actually matched the offer.

Until ownership gets on the same page, we'll never be able to fully commit to the team, but I love the prospect of our first 6 players coming into this year. Mike Bibby, Joe Johnson, (Space Taking Center), Josh Smith, Al Horford, Josh Childress.... Notice that this hasn't changed from last year. Sure the Hawks didn't get any new pieces, and sure it wasn't intentional. But it's exactly what the Hawks need, stability. What other team should have their same starting group intact and not have to worry about "gelling" the first half of the season. I predict the Hawks to make the playoffs again, albeit as an 8th or possibly a 7th seed.

First Round Fantasy Talent: Jerious Norwood
If you're a betting man, then I suggest you sneak Norwood out of the first or early rounds. The guy is a touch down miracle man. He'll get less touches than Turner, but the coaches don't seem to be as dense as the previous regime, so I expect Norwood to get a few more touches. Really, that's all he needs to get his. He'll average almost a 100 yards culmative and at least a TD every Sunday this year.

Friday FU - 7-11 BOO Braves!

2008-07-11T17:58:00.000-07:00

Friday FU (Follow Up)

BOO BRAVES!
The Francoeur move was too little, too late and although it seems to be proving dividends, it was certainly a mis-management of the most marketable player on the team. BOO FANS! too, booing Frenchy is simply unacceptable in my opinion. The guy's hitting better than that bean bag we had here for a few years and again, one of the best guys in the clubhouse there is.

TYPICAL HAWKS
Now that the Clippers are Falked, they're likely to try to do some "falking" of their own by over-offerring for Josh Smith, so he can run back here and ask our dazed and confused owners for to match. ... NICE. At least, I've come to expect the Hawks to make moves like this one.

NO VALUE FOR HORN?
Is Authur the only one willing to overpay for Horn, surely we could get some water bottles or something for him. I'm guessing they were using the questions for Horn to sign Terry.

GWINNETT DAILY BOOSTING FORCE...
Um... (ajc says the same) don't they know the season is over for the force?

DREAM A NIGHTMARE?
Although this is possibly the silliest experiment in professional sports, the Dream did win one. Um, don't tell the girls, but they are in ATLANTA.

Finneran Among Training Camp Attendees and Question Marks

2008-06-25T06:33:00.000-07:00

As the AJC reported earlier today, Brian Finneran has made it past the OTAs and is on to training camp. It's a great story and he's a great guy on all accounts.

Here's some other questions and fodder while we wait for Training Camp?

Doug Datish was released yesterday after sitting all of his rookie year on IR.
Good Riddance to Crumpler, especially after this comment:
"I love those fans in Atlanta. The situation that was last season, I'm just glad it's over with and I'm glad I have a fresh start somewhere else. I ... sure don't want to be there right now," said Crumpler, a four-time Pro Bowler.
DJ Shockley is still on the roster and in an interview on 790 the zone, Shockley was being compared to Jamarcus Russell among others. Most of the Atlanta fans feel the same way. so the bigger question is....
What to do about Joey Harrington? It's almost like he gets to stay on the roster because he's a great guy and likely got a raw deal. He may be the only KNOWN talent Not to mention...
The Falcons have questions all over the QB position. Unproven talent in Ryan and Shockley and a bit of breath holding on Redman... will the real QB please stand up?
What are the Falcons going to do about their D-line?
Will Boley return to last year's form or better yet...
What does Brooking have left?
Why is Adam Jennings taking up a roster spot?
Log jam at Running Back? Turner, Norwood, Snelling, Brown, and Brittingham?
Horn... What he's still here?
How's our D-back situation 12 Years TOTAL experience out of 8 guys listed at cornerback. (starting cornerbacks look to have a combined experience of 1 year)

I really could do this all day.

Tiger's Surgery The Best Thing To Happen to Him

2008-06-25T06:24:00.000-07:00

At the US Open last week Tiger experienced something that appeared to be a turning point for his career. In one moment he went from harolded hero of golf to the closest thing to a villain golf has. Watching him wince throughout the tourney still did nothing to endear Tiger to at least this local audience. He is the greatest golfer ever, but the attitude or lack thereof in some cases leave him open for these type of discussions.

Now with the surgery, Tiger looks poised to make a comeback against some new household names. It'll be interesting to see how the season plays out and to see if there is a dominant force, which ultimately is a key to Tiger's success. The consistency he has is unparalleled. If a player can go on a run while Tiger rides the pine, it'll be for some good Golf... next year.

At the end of the day, the surgery stops the villafying of Tiger as well as gives him a much needed break from Golf. I expect him to come back fired up as soon as he's rehabbed. You can get burnt out but you can't just turn your back on the sport you love.

Falcons Safety Jimmy Williams Released

2008-06-18T04:19:00.000-07:00

They say you can't evaluate draft picks until 3 years have passed. I think it's safe to call this one a bust!

The first pick in the 2006 NFL draft for Atlanta is gone. I figured that the Falcons would start dropping thugs... oops did I say that... off the team. I'm pretty surprised that he doesn't think being overweight is a problem for a professional athlete.

I don't live to far from Falcons Practice so maybe I have a shot of getting on the team. If I don't make it, I'll certainly point out that they were hiding behind my old age or me being slightly overweight.

NOTE TO JIMMY: YES, THEY WERE HIDING BEHIND THE WEIGHT ISSUE - THEY DON'T JUST WANT TO CALL YOU OUT FOR WHAT YOU ARE.

Goliaths Wins! Two Victories in 48 Hours

2008-06-18T02:08:00.000-07:00

After the Giants' win at the beginning of the year, I thought it might be the year of David.

As the cliche' goes, it's David vs. Goliath. In my mind, you shouldn't get the title of Goliath, unless their's a fair amount of arrogance. The media has to predict it as a foregone conclusion. Without the arrogance you just have someone who is really good, like Michael Jordan. He didn't "appear" to be arrogant, even though if you were playing against him, you'd likely be on the losing side:

41-42 As the Philistine paced back and forth, his shield bearer in front of him, he noticed David. He took one look down on him and sneered—a mere youngster, apple-cheeked and peach-fuzzed.
43 The Philistine ridiculed David. "Am I a dog that you come after me with a stick?" And he cursed him by his gods.
44 "Come on," said the Philistine. "I'll make roadkill of you for the buzzards. I'll turn you into a tasty morsel for the field mice."

Notice in the Message translation of the Bible, the arrogance is clear. Of course, the other cliche is cinderella, but we won't go there today. It's kind of odd how the media remembers Goliath but not David.

In Atlanta, it's pretty clear that the Celtics and Tiger Woods and fit the bill as Goliath to a "T" except for one small thing.

They are arrogant (check)
They were predicted to win by a landslide (check)
They fell to the most unlikely of opponents...(almost)

This year there has been three clear times when a David was facing a Goliath.

Celtics VS Hawks (then Cavs) - Call it youth or coaching, I think this series could have been closer than it looked when the Hawks were on the road.
Tiger VS Rocco - Closer than anyone thought. I don't think Tiger was really grinding it out... the sentimental words about his Father were touching, but he's become so arrogant in his play and actions, it's time for:

David reached into his pocket for a stone, slung it, and hit the Philistine hard in the forehead, embedding the stone deeply. The Philistine crashed, facedown in the dirt.

That may be a bit harsh. With a few exceptions on the Celtics team, their wins are hollow. Even the Boston Fans are arrogant and rude. The only time Boston franchises have any redeeming value is when they are beating New York. In a franchise where conspiracy theories are flying around, it seems like one theory could be that they want to put the critics to rest (as I am sure that the world would love a game seven so they could make yet one more comparison of Kobe and Jordan).

So at the end of the day, the world is broken. The deserving* team loses and Goliath wins another.

*Deserving - Which ever team is being rooted for by the author is deemed, "deserving."

Am I The Only One Rooting For Rocco?

2008-06-16T09:56:00.000-07:00

I'm writing this with no knowledge of what is going on currently in the Playoff with Tiger and Rocco, but am I wrong to be cheering for Rocco?

ESPN has all but handed the trophy to Tiger while throwing Rocco under the bus. Local Radio, 790 the zone, has done the same... and even called this guy the "every man." Yet, they still root for Tiger.

Sorry, Tiger. I do really think you're great for golf and would love to meet you, but I'm rooting for Rocco.

Rocco is a great golfer by "every man" standards, but he's everything Tiger is not. He's personable, and surprisingly honest. He doesn't play with arrogance.

Everyone loves Tiger for his come from behind victories, but let's face it, the guy is so arrogant that he doesn't even start playing until he is behind. Now I won't argue that he's the greatest golfer we've ever seen, but at the same time a loss here or there would be great.

In fact, I think Tiger has reached a climax of sort for his career in Golf. At first, everyone loved him for his winning, much like Michael Jordan. Now I see him changing to a more of the "Yankees" of golf. (At least in the ATL, we HATE the Yankees) I now will watch golf events with more fervor because I will be rooting against him! Yes, the man so responsible for golf's resurgence will likely save golf again (after news of slumping interest) but now instead of the champion and hero, he will wear the title of VILLAIN.

I won't call it a hurricane vs a june bug then go on to say it's june like on ESPN analyst, but I will say it's like David and Goliath. Sorry Tiger, you're Goliath... and in my BOOK, you lose this one.

Again, Tiger - Great guy (debatable), great golfer, nothing really wrong with him, but I'd just rather see someone else.

Heee's Back! 2 Year Deal Reportedly

2008-06-13T04:36:00.000-07:00

This morning one Atlanta sports franchise has some news of stability. The AJC reports that sources close to the organization have offerred Mike Woodson a 2 year deal. No one was available for comment, except this blogger.

I suppose winning 3 home games against what appears to be the NBA champions warrants another look, however, with a 28% winning percentage, it's a tough sell, especially when Avery Johnson, Saunders and others are available.

On the plus side, Sund won't have to mess up the draft since we don't have a pick and he can do what he does best, which is free agency and negotiatons. It also means that the core nucleus will at least buy into what the coach is trying to do next year. So now that I'm winding down I guess 2 years is a good test to see if Woody is the real deal or not.

The next big question is whether we can keep both Joshs.

Thrashers One Step Closer to a New Coach

2008-06-10T05:52:00.001-07:00

The AJC has two great posts on the Atlanta Thrashers Coaching search.

From a breakdown of whispered names to a flat out recap of the process, it's the most hockey news we've heard here in the ATL since Illya watched on the sidelines as Russia won one.

Waddel! We need a Coach that can handle these young guys! What say you?!

"We all have different needs," Waddell said, adding that he needs someone whose strength is developing young players. "Our best players are young players. We have to make sure we have somebody who can not only win games but help these players continue to become the best hockey players they can."

Y! Team Reports Surprisingly Good

2008-06-06T08:57:00.000-07:00

See for yourself....

Atlanta Hawks Team Report (6/6/08)
Atlanta Falcons Team Repot (6/6/08) - I just love this quote... FINALLY!
“The coaches are putting me in a variety of spots in a variety of sets,” Norwood said. “They’re going to line me up at receiver, running back, shoot, maybe some quarterback. They’re going to put me in some one-on-one matchups to get me in the open field.”
Atlanta Thrasher Team Report (6/6/08)
Atlanta Braves Team Report (6/6/08)

What's missing from the braves report is the quote from Chipper all but dooming the Braves to a losing year due to Smoltz surgery. I couldn't believe the response! !

Not having him at all for the rest of the season is devastating, flat out devastating," third baseman Chipper Jones said. "Going into this season, I said there's one guy on this club we cannot do without. That's John Smoltz."

Smoltz Out For the Year

2008-06-04T09:35:00.000-07:00

John Smoltz is under going season ending shoulder surgery, so this blogger has to eat it. It's all but official but in an interview with 790 the Zone the best "money" pitcher in the MLB is looking for what to do "next year." Is this it? At least for this season.

Twosday Round Up: Pretenders vs Kobe and Smoltz

2008-06-03T02:53:00.000-07:00

Twosday Round Up is a feature that looks at two sports in one blog topic.

Pretenders vs Kobe

We all know by now that the Celtics (*cough* Pretenders *cough*) are playing the Lakers. What really gets me is that this was hyped before the playoffs even started. They were talking about this back when the Paul Pierce and Ray Allen were riding the pine watching the Atlanta Hawks eat their lunch. They talked about it when Lebron made Kevin Garnett look like Manute Bol. They still talked about when Ray Allen looked more like Ray Charles in most of the Piston's series. Well, let's give them a golf clap for finally getting here. However, to compare this Celtics team to any of the championshipr Celtics teams is ludracris. Paul Pierce is no better than any other shooting guard on 90% of the NBA teams and Garnett is more reminiscent of Dennis Rodman than Mchale.

After the Lakers win this in 5, I hope that the NBA hype machine can put this to rest. It's not some storied playoff round. It's one mediocre team playing a pretty good one with the best player in the NBA.

SMOLTZ IS BACK!

The best money pitcher of my era is back and is in the Bullpen. Sure he blew his first save opportunity, but this is Smoltz. He could throw it with his foot and still get more people out than Clemens without the juice. What I'm reading about Smoltz return, I am liking.

"The results can be a little deceiving," Smoltz said. "I could have gone out
there, given up three line drive outs and everybody would have said, 'Nice job.'
I just think I needed to be a little better with my touch. I'm overpowering some
of my pitches and not trusting the movement."

You have to read between the lines, but pay attention to his "lines." The reporters usually don't know too much when it comes to Smoltz. I'm at least not concerned about our bullpen anymore.

Who Is Rick Sund - Atlanta Hawks New GM

2008-05-29T02:10:00.000-07:00

In case you didn't know the Atlanta Hawks have hired Rick Sund as their new GM. I guess the young upstart GMs didn't want to come to Hotlanta. Their loss.

I heard on the local radio station that the host did not know who Rick Sund is. The short answer is that he is one of the worst GMs in the NBA but a upgrade over Billy Knight and a huge upgrade over what was supposedly the front running candidate Billy King.

What can we expect from this new GM. Experience in handling unstable ownership (ala Seattle) and more amiable personality on the radio.

What else? As you will see below, his draft history is worse than Billy Knight's! His penchant for project players make him a liability. He does a great job of cleaning up messes with trades, but sometimes he doesn't make the right decision.

My biggest fear is that the utterly retarded Rashard Lewis move repeats itself with Josh Smith.

Here's a rundown of his moves.

2/03 -Sund took advantage of the Ray Allen/Michael Redd situation in Milwaukee by stealing Ray Ray away, only giving up a washed-up point guard (Gary Payton) and a guy who still can’t shoot (Desmond Mason). However, Allen is a guy who commands max money but doesn’t provide max results.
7/03 – He did a fair job landing two serviceable players in the unspectacular Nick Collison (#12) and the wispy Luke Ridnour (#14), but neither guy has developed into an established starter. In that draft, Sund passed on the likes of David West, Boris Diaw, Leandro Barbosa and Josh Howard. He’d trade both Collison and Ridnour for any of those guys in a heartbeat.
In the next three drafts, Sund picked three project centers: Robert Swift (#12) in ’04, Johan Petro (#25) in ’05 and Saer Sene (#10) in ’06. In drafting these guys, he passed on Al Jefferson, Josh Smith, Delonte West, Tony Allen, Kevin Martin, David Lee and Marcus Williams. Swift is injured while Petro and Sene are combining for a dreadful 7.5 points and 5.4 rebounds this season. What a brutal draft run.
2/06 – Turning short timer Vladimir Radmanovic into Chris Wilcox was a nice move, though he hasn’t developed into a 15/10 guy like the Sonics hoped. The team may eventually regret re-signing him last summer.
2/06 – Sund acquired Earl Watson for Reggie Evans, trading toughness in the frontcourt for toughness in the backcourt. Watson is erratic but is a solid backup.
2/07 – Sund’s biggest mistake was not to trade Rashard Lewis before the deadline after deciding not to sign him to an extension before the season. Now it looks like Lewis will opt out this summer, which means the Sonics may get nothing in return for their stud swingman.

Atlanta Hawks GM Search - Can't Blame Them For Trying

2008-05-28T02:20:00.000-07:00

The only thing going for the Atlanta Hawks right now is that they are in one of the most marketable cities to young athletes. Their brief post season run is all but forgotten now that the Celtics have been exposed as the pretenders they are. If the new GM is stuck with Woodson, then that's less than ideal... why have a GM at all, some would say. Of course, there's also that whole, "not having a draft pick" this year that might stop a new GM from coming.

ESPN reports that Grant is latest candidate to drink the wine and taste the food, but reject the Atlanta Hawks.

Hawks part-owner Michael Gearon Jr. told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Tuesday that the process "is coming to a close," but it was not immediately known whom Atlanta will turn to now. One source close to the process described the Hawks as "scrambling" because they believed they had Grant, who ultimately decided against making the leap from one of the most stable franchises in the league to a team that just halted the league's longest playoff drought and which is known for feuding factions in its crowded ownership group.

GM Candidate List

Chris Grant - Assistant GM Cleveland Cavs - REJECTED OFFER
David Lindsey - Assistant GM San Antonio Spurs - REJECTED OFFER
Tommy Sheppard - VP of Basketball Admin (Also being wooed by NY)
Dave Wohl - Assistant GM Boston Celtics
John Gabriel - Personnel Scout Portland Trail Blazers
Billy King - Former 76er GM - PRAYERS FROM HEAVEN ARE BLOCKING HIM

Braves Get More Cox, For Another Year At Least

2008-05-24T04:25:00.000-07:00

Braves get Cox for at least one more year.

Widely thought to be the last year for Cox something changed his mind.

"We were up in New York and he was looking at the new stadium out in left field and said, 'That will be cool to go there next year,'" Francoeur said. "Then I started thinking he would come back."

Wren was reported as saying as long as Cox wants to manage he'll always have a home here. Cox has similar sentiments about the Braves.

Cox has two seasons to rectify the image that he's the greatest regular season manager ever and one of the worst playoff managers. Cox owns a career record of 2,171-1,686 and his .563 career winning percentage ranks third all-time. His post-season record of 43 to 36 and a .544 winning percentage only include ONE world series, with over 15 Division series under your belt, you'd think there'd be more than one!

I like Bobby, sometimes I just wish he'd turn a different gear on in the postseason. Glad to see we don't have to start over next year.

Forum Members Do Have Brains - Franchise QB and the FIRST season

2008-05-23T08:44:00.000-07:00

I was trolling the Atlanta Falcons board for blog fodder when I found it! Look at this great post by heretic.

Franchise QB and the FIRST season

Peyton Manning
Ben Roethlisberger
Vince Young
Matt Leinart
Eli Manning
Alex Smith
Donovan McNabb
Michael Vick
JaMarcus Russell
Drew Brees
Tom Brady
Philip Rivers
Carson Palmer
Marc Bulger

1/13 started more than 13 games (P. Manning)
10/13 started in 7 or less games
1/8 had a passer rating better than 75.0 among those with 100 or more attempts (Big Ben)

Apparently I'm not the only one that thinks...

2008-05-21T17:26:00.000-07:00

that Rookie contracts are out of control.

And More...

Yahoo! (Points Out that Ryan is 3rd Highest Paid Player)
Sports Agent Blog - Gives Kudos and asks questions about the deal.

Matt Ryan Got Paid! - Vick vs Ryan Signings

2008-05-21T02:11:00.000-07:00

Ryan is guaranteed $34.75 million. His guaranteed money is $4.75 million more than that given to Jake Long, the No. 1 overall choice who also is represented by Condon.

Matt Ryan received a 6 year, 72 Million dollar deal. One has to wonder here, the guaranteed money is not much less than what a certain someone received.

The Falcons' star [Michael Vick] quarterback signed a 10-year; $130 million contract extension that guarantees him an NFL-record $37 million in bonuses, and he wants to prove he's worth every penny.

I'm not saying Matt Ryan is anything like Vick. I like them them both. However, I'm surprised to see the guaranteed money be so large right after what happened. It's almost like the Falcons are trying to prove to themselves that they have moved on.

In comparison though, Ryan's deal is closer to Vick's extension than his original contract:

Vick is guaranteed $15.3 million through the first three years, including a signing bonus of $3 million.

Ryan only signed for 10 Million more, with twice as much guaranteed money. (Michael Vick signed for $62 Million in 2001).

So while I'm glad that Ryan is in the fold and getting paid, he deserves it. It makes me shudder to think that these NFL teams have so much invested into unproven talent.

Most Distraught Atlanta Franchise Is The Only One With A Plan

2008-05-20T02:33:00.000-07:00

One year ago, I'd say that there was only one franchise in Atlanta Sports that had any sort of plan at winning. It wasn't that the Falcons weren't trying, it was just a number of events that took them out of the entire equation. The Hawks, well, they're the Hawks... and are we really going to talk about the Thrashers? Yes, the Atlanta Braves, the staple and example of a winning team seemed, at the time to be the only one with a plan.

Today, there is still only one Franchise that seems like it has a plan to win while the others are languishing with unanswered questions.

The Atlanta Hawks have yet to select a GM and with their ownership situation it will be harder to lure any of the top candidates. Until that is settled, it leaves the coach up in the air as well as the two Joshes.

The Atlanta Braves are doing well with Chipper and their patchwork bullpen, but Smoltz had a set back and there is no consistency out of their starting pitching.

The Thrashers traded away a player that is taking his team to the Stanley Cup...

Yes, The Atlanta Falcons, believe it or not, have developed a winning formula. They've hired a GM for a winner, drafted a winner at QB, hired a winner at Coach and for once have some depth there, at least in terms of backups. They have an actual owner.... there's a lot of positives. There's some hope at least. There's some question marks about the team obviously, but there is only one place to go for the Falcons and that's most certainly is up. To think last year, this was the leagues worst franchise to come into this year with a team with some major promise. Maybe not this year, but in short time the Falcons seem poised to get rid of that record for years without a consecutive winning record.

Are They Really Still Talking About This | Chipper Jones

2008-05-20T02:30:00.000-07:00

Honestly, Chipper is having a great first quarter or so of the season, but really...

See this Braves Article

Atlanta Falcons Message Board Review: May 19th, 2008

2008-05-19T02:21:00.000-07:00

Remember that post about the who could be more exciting than Matt Ryan a few days ago? Well, that's seems to be the only legitimate conversation on the AF boards today .

Vince Young - A Queer Sort Of Quarterback

2008-05-16T02:03:00.000-07:00

Courtesy to blogxilla for reposting these images, but honestly I really don't have much more to say. Wonder how this whole gay thing plays out for Vince.

Blogxilla's comment on the pictures, "It looks like a Sausage party to me b/c I don't see nearly enough women around to warrant taking off anyone's shirt!!! It's just not right!!!"

Yeah, it's prudent not to call a spade a spade, but look at this image, I mean the Braves fan there is grinding on Vince....
Previously, I had posted quarterbacks that I would be just as excited to have on our team since 2003 and Vince Young was one of them. Gee, I think I can remove that name. No offense to guys that of that particular persuasion, but I'll have a hard time rooting for a guy that REALLY, REALLY enjoys the company of guys.

Local radio hosts from 790 the zone talked at length the other day about who they would rather have then Matt Ryan if they could go back and pick and Vince was the resounding number 1 (based on college career).

Wonder if these photos came out earlier if it would change that opinion.

Who Would Be More Exciting Than Matt Ryan?

2008-05-14T02:08:00.000-07:00

Excluding 2007, which QB were taken that would be more exciting than Matt Ryan out of college. You have to go all the way back to 2003 just to find 5 QBs that would be at least AS exciting as Matt Ryan.

2006 NFL Draft

Vince Young - Can't get more exciting than this, so YES.
Matt Leinart - Again, based on college experience alone, absolutely. YES
Jay Cutler - Coming from Vanderbilt, his body of work just doesn't excite me the way Ryan's does. Vanderbilt is a whipping boy for a lot of teams, Boston College on the other hand does face some stiff defenses.

2005 NFL Draft

Alex Smith - Coming from Utah with little to no competition and lack of experience in a pro-style offense, I really can't get jazzed up about him.
Aaron Rodgers - Again, coming from California, Rodgers isn't going to excite me about his level of play.
Jason Campbell - One great season does not a quarterback make, or does it. I like the fact that he did it in the SEC, so that's a plus, but it's a big stretch to say more exciting than Ryan.

2004 NFL Draft

Eli Manning - He's a wild card for me. On one hand, I'm not impressed by his college resume in comparison to others, but he's Peyton's brother. In terms of excitement alone, I'd have to give it to him.
Phillip Rivers - Based on his body of work at NC State, I'd have to say I'd be at least as excited about Rivers as I am about Ryan. Several awards and great games in college and he did it in the ACC.
Ben Roethlisberger - As a college athlete, Ben just flies under the radar for me at Miami(OH). I'd feel the same about Joe Flacco this year.
J.P. Losman - Uh, no.

2003 NFL Draft

Carson Palmer - Anyone from a winning USC team would entice me just a bit. His career isn't as exciting as Leinart's to me, but I'd be fired up about him coming to Atlanta.
Byron Leftwich - Marshall does nothing for me excitement-wise. Media talking about his big arm, might get me a little bit.... on second thought. NO.
Kyle Boller - Again, the competition level that Kyle faced in college isn't on the same playing field. I'm not ready to give Cal any respect.
Rex Grossman - In 2003 I'd be pretty fired up about an SEC Quarterback, even though I'm a Georgia Tech fan. In 2008, I'd be very disapointed because Grossman is the Brohm of this years draft in my opinion. A system QB.

Just for kicks

2002 NFL Draft

David Carr - No
Joey Harrington -No
Patrick Ramsey - Is Tulane a school?

$185,000 A Catch?! Joe Wants Out

2008-05-13T02:12:00.000-07:00

Or $5 Million a Touchdown?

Joe you want out? Where on Earth are you going to get a better deal. Warm our bench, collect 2.5Mil and retire in obscurity.

"They're going with the younger guys and I don't have a problem with that, if that's the course they've chosen," Horn said. "I want to have an opportunity to play with a team that needs a veteran to play and contribute and who helps the young guys."

THIS JUST IN! If you can't break the Falcon's roster then... who are you going to play for?

The Falcons have gotten better value with Finneran the past two years (sidelined with an injury) than Horn.

"I'm not rocking the boat. The main reason I came here last year was for [owner] Arthur Blank. His character, his passion and the way he takes care of his people. I relish the opportunity to play here. I haven't talked to Mr. Blank but so far the way it seems, I think they want to go younger."

Yes, my boss thought I was keeping the boat steady last time I talked behind his back to the media.

If the Falcons trade Horn, sources report, that a space heater for the Locker Room has been the talks with various teams. Unfortunately, the teams interested in Horn are also asking for a third rounder to be packaged with Horn for the space heater. I think it's a good move, bring it home, Dimitroff.

I hope Arthur takes care of you, Mr. Horn, by giving you a pink slip.

More tomfoolery in Atlanta ....

2008-05-12T02:37:00.000-07:00

Will Chipper hit .400?

Honestly, is this a real discussion. Is there no other news in Atlanta Sports? Is it a foregone conclusion that both the Hawks and the Falcons are the equivalent of expansion teams that there is absolutely no need to be writing about the exciting offseason that both will have?

Here's one really well thought out blog post about the insane.

Matt Ryan Is Already a Star?!
AP is to credit this blinding flash of the obvious. I was not able to attend Falcons Mini-camp so I am glad that AP has filled me in on the most important news of the day!

Vick still has fans in Atlanta, but Ryan’s No. 2 is the new attraction at the merchandise tent.

Really?! In Atlanta, first round draft picks are usually so boring, I can't imagine any other possibilities. I imagine that if we drafted Glenn Dorsey, no one would really be interested in his performance or jersey. Hmm.

As a side note, no offense to Brian Finneran, whom I am a big fan of, but is he the only guy available to comment on this "new face of the franchise?"

Cricket Sounds...

NBA front-office sources told ESPN.com's Marc Stein that former Philadelphia 76ers general manager Billy King will be a strong candidate to replace Knight with the Hawks

I have yet to hear of any potential replacement for Billy Knight except for the exacerbating option of the former 76ers GM, Billy King. It would only be true Hawks basketball if that were true. I'd prefer to keep our Billy than take their old one. Other than that rumor I have heard nothing about the Hawks (except for blogs that have lauded this fact).

I'm sending out resume' to the NBA. It seems that working in the NBA is like a government job. You don't actually have to be good at what you do, you just have to have the job and once you get the job you keep it for life.

Braves Almost Interesting?
Now that the Braves have had their 6 game winning streak snapped and the media is slating them to miss the playoffs (seriously, in May?), I'm interested to see if they do the ole' Cox "hang with them until the All Star break and then pull," away that was so common for 10 plus years.

Horses, Soccer & Softball More Important Sports News Than Atlanta Has...

2008-05-08T03:11:00.000-07:00

I was watching ESPN yesterday and it was the first time in a long time that I got to see a whole episode of Sportscenter. Amazingly, they spent no time on the Atlanta Brave's 5 game winning streak (no team in baseball has a better home record! Or worse Road record), no time on Atlanta Hawk's GM Billy Knight stepping down and no time on the Altanta Falcon's Michael Boley situation. Instead, we had more recaps of Lebron's non-performance, more drama over an injured horse and some special about softball.... YES, SOFTBALL.....

Knight to Resign

2008-05-07T09:46:00.000-07:00

“I am tremendously pleased with what we were able to accomplish this season in reaching the postseason, as the Hawks’ return to the playoffs energized the city and our franchise,” Knight said in a statement Wednesday. “My passion for the franchise has never wavered.”

Knight’s best draft pick, rookie of the year runner-up Al Horford, provided much-needed inside toughness as a starting center. But he’ll also will be remembered for drafting Marvin Williams instead of Chris Paul, the point guard the team lacked, with the No. 2 overall pick in 2005. SOURCE: YAHOO

No kidding. For years the running joke was that we were hoarding 6'9" forwards. Maybe now we can get our boys locked up and loaded for next season.

Although Gearon says that Woodson is not connected to the team, the writing is on the wall, I doubt a GM would come in hear and WANT to keep Woodson around.

GO HAWKS!

Atlanta Hawks Fans Worst Fear....

2008-05-07T02:39:00.000-07:00

is Billy Knight staying on board.

FreeDarko.com contributer reveals more in this yahoo article.

If Billy Knight goes, expect the new GM to get rid of Woodson too.

It Only Takes One Action....

2008-05-07T02:08:00.000-07:00

to be called a Thug.

All over the Atlanta Falcons board today (well yesterday) Michael Boley was thrown under the bus as the police report was released from his recent arrest for battery. One local talk show host on AM 790 the zone asked if he should be out as a Falcon. Many of the listeners compared it to dog fighting and agreed that he should be let go. I couldn't disagree more.

Reported: "There was an altercation after Boley's wife confronted him about cheating on her."

It goes on to say that there was a struggle, sounded like Boley's wife was pushing him around and he finally fought back (bad move) and then threw her outside, literally. That's when she called the cops.

It doesn't look great, but does not appear to be very serious as there are no priors on him and it sounded like a tumultuous situation. Time will tell. If he is an abuser, then NO, I don't want him on the team, but if it's an honest mistake (and his wife drops the charges) then I wouldn't hold it against him.

What say you?

Matt Ryan: Christian Laettner or Michael Jordan

2008-05-06T02:50:00.000-07:00

Now that NBA basketball is relevant in Atlanta we have more to talk about, but really, Atlanta is a FOOTBALL town.

If you view the Atlanta Falcons message board there is much bickering over Matt Ryan. I have no doubt that he'll at least be a stable LEADER that this team needs.

The question is: Is he a Christian Laettner or a Michael Jordan?

Some players have been in big games and have come up big, ala Laettner. While other players have not only done the same thing, but elevated their team to a higher level and in some cases carried the team.

For better or worse, Mike Vick was a Michael Jordan type player. Once in a lifetime these players set onto the field or court and can change the game entirely. Obviously, Peyton and now Brady are two football examples. I think Ray Lewis is a stretch but could be put in this category. Adrian Peterson and Tomlison could be other examples.

Matt Ryan has done this at the collegiate level more than just the first Virginia Tech game. He did the same thing against a Jon Tenuda defense at Georgia Tech and Florida State. Of course, there is that other Va Tech game that he didn't do so hot in.

I agree with Dimitroff on this one, he has all the intangibles you want in a leader and is poised to lead the team. Then again, the same could be said for Joey Harrington...

Time will tell, but Matt Ryan has me on his bandwagon for right now.

Atlanta Falcons Draft Recap Interview With Thomas Dimitroff

2008-05-06T02:26:00.000-07:00

AtlantaFalcons.com has added the Draft recap interview with Thomas Dimitroff.

Part 1

Part 2

Love, Hate the Series

2008-05-05T08:06:00.000-07:00

Love the fire and the me against the world theme, but I hate goin' out like that.

Joe, I know you want Woodson back..... and as long as Billy is gone, I don't mind either.

For once I'm excited about NBA Basketball again and as long as we do what we need to do this offseason I'm excited about next season.

Wish List:

FIRE BILLY KNIGHT, Period. Two good picks last year does not a Good GM make.
Sign Josh Smith long term - Get him someone that can motivate him EVERY game.
Sign Josh Childress - Vital part off the Bench
TRADE Mike Bibby - Either Picks, or a veteran LEADER (I know that was what he was supposed to be).

OR
Bring in another offensive theat... Could be Marvin Williams, if he finally decides to step up.

The Hawks reminded me of a team full of Steve Smiths yesterday. Not good.

Thank you for the fun series though!