What's on Your Mind?

College football fans, there are only 43 days until the 2009 season begins. As Florida and "self motivated" Tim Tebow look to defend the national championship, the Dawgs look to regroup and reload. Ole Miss is 'sposed to be tough, and Mississippi State is... Ms State. Petrino's Pigs are excited about their future with Ryan Mallett at QB. Can the Michigan defector help Arkansas emerge as a force in the SEC West? 'Bama must replace John Parker Wilson and All American tackle, Andre Smith. The Crimson Tide defense outta be nasty, but that wasn't enough to guide LSU through a similar transition in 2008.

So...what's on your mind, ya'll?

Click on the title of this post to see a legendary tribute to Rocky Top.

WaShaun Ealey

Doesn't look like the enclosure link worked for the previous article. You can still click on the title of "Know Shaun Part II" to view highlights. To see what I also wanted to inlcude, click on the title of this post.
Thanks,
Rob.

Know Shaun Part II

College football fans all over America became familiar with Knowshon Moreno, due to his phenomenal two seasons at the University of Georgia. But now that Moreno is a Denver Bronco, where does that leave the Bulldog backfield? Caleb King, Richard Samuel, and Carlton Thomas will be given many opportunities to showcase their talents in 2009. But in the near future, there's another 'Shaun you need to know. Highly recruited out of Emanuel County Institute in Twin City GA, WaShaun Ealey is the future of Georgia football. The true freshman looks to be a natural fit for Mark Richt's offense. Ranked as the #15 RB in the class of 2009, Ealey is the complete package at running back. The former AJC player of the year also has the skills to excel as a blocker in pass protection schemes. He may not make his Bulldog debut until 2010, but SEC fans, you need to know WaShaun Ealey. He'll be the guy your defense can't contain.

Click on the title of this post to view some highlights. Also tried to include an enclosure link. Hope it works.

#31 Retired by Braves

It is now official. The number 31 will never be worn again by an Atlanta Brave. In a brief pregame ceremony, the Atlanta Braves retired the jersey of Greg Maddux. The 355 game winner was without a doubt, the best pitcher of his era. During his 11 seasons in Atlanta, Maddux won 194 games, along with 3 consecutive CY Young Awards. When he took the mound, you knew the Braves would win. The only question was, will the other team actually score? Maddux wasn't just great. The man was invincible. As the ceremony ended, he brought the crowd at Turner Field to their feet, saying "Thank you very much. Now, let's beat the Mets...just like old times."

Francouer Returns

As Jeff Francouer arrived at Turner Field this afternoon, he must have felt strange, walking into the visitor's locker room. I don't know what's worse, having to sit in the visiting dugout or having to wear a NY Mets uniform. Probably the latter. (As I'm writing this, Yunel Escobar just launched a BOMB. 1-0 Atlanta). But, a change of sceneray could be a good thing for the former Parkview Panther. (Garrett Anderson just went deep. Back to back HRs for the Braves. 2-0 Atl in 2nd inning). It will be interesting to follow his career with the hated Mets. How many big hits will Francouer deliver against his hometown Atlanta Braves? I hope he does well, just not at Atlanta's expense.

Good luck Jeff and welcome home...sort of.

50 Days: LSU

50 days must seem like an eternity for LSU. That is the distance between the Les Miles led Tigers and their quest for redemption. On September 5th, LSU travels out west to take on a terrible Washington Huskies squad that went 0-12 in 2008. This game is huge for LSU. Why? Because a victory helps to dissolve a bit of the sour taste left over from last season.

Down on the bayou, an 8-5 record is about as palatable as a bowl of rotten jumbalaya. One year removed from winning the national championship, the once mighty Tigers fell to just 3-5 in the SEC. The biggest factor in LSU's sudden demise was poor decision making at the quarterback position. In 2008, Tiger QBs threw a cumulative 18 interceptions. Against Georgia, Jarrett Lee threw two pick sixes to Dawgs linebacker Darryl Gamble. Those two mistakes loomed large, as Georgia defeated LSU by 14 points.

Fortunately for LSU, young QB Jordan Jefferson has emerged as a talented playmaker at the position. After starting just 2 games of the '08 season, Jefferson should be able to make great strides in 2009. "This year I understand the playbook more and I'm able to bring more to the table than last year," Jefferson told the press. If not, highly touted freshman Russell Shephard could get a chance to shine. Either way, LSU is in much better shape at the position than they were in '08. As the Tigers look to re-establish LSU as one of the nation's elite teams, 50 days must seem like a long ways away.

*To view highlights of Russell Shepard, click on the title of this post. Sorry, but there's no sound.*

Braves Go To Church

This afternoon, it was announced that the Atlanta Braves traded struggling right fielder Jeff Francouer to the dastardly NY Mets for Ryan Church. Honestly, I don't know how to politely write my true feelings on the matter. The most politically correct thing I can say is, "I hate this trade!" Although Francouer is having another horrible season at the plate, I can't justify trading such a young, dynamic asset WITHIN THE DIVISION! Especially, when all you receive is a past his prime, 31 year old outfielder in return. This move has the potential to haunt Atlanta for many years to come.

At a time like this, I'm left to wonder, what else does Frank Wren have up his sleeve? After all, we're talking about the guy who allowed John Smoltz to become a Boston Red Sock and stabbed Tom Glavine in the back. Well, this trade becomes his latest act of lunacy. What's next, Chipper to the Phillies for a pair of batting gloves? On behalf of angry Braves fans all across America, I would like to extend a very loud RS Sports "BOOOOOOO!!!" to the Braves GM.

SEC Football

SEC fans, college football is less than 2 months away. Whether you're a Gator, Vol, or Georgia Bulldog, it's easy to get excited about the upcoming season. In Gainesville, the national ('scuse me) champs return their entire defense plus Tim Tebow. Most experts predict a ('scuse me again) repeat for the Florida Gators. But, don't sleep on Texas, who retains the services of insanely accurate quarterback, Colt McCoy, or gauntlet of contenders from the likes of Norman Oklahoma and Southern California. Throw into the mix a couple of SEC powers such as the Crimson Tiders, LSU Tigers, and upstart Ole Miss, and this could be one of the most exciting seasons ever.

In Knoxville, uT fans anxiously await the arrival of sensational RB, Bryce Brown. Lame Kiffin may be an idiot, but the dude can definitely recruit. With his daddy overseeing the Tennessee defense, the Vols should continue to make life miserable on opposing offenses. Defensive back Eric Berry is one of the most talented athletes to ever play the game. He will wreak even more havoc in UT's version of the Tampa 2 defense. The biggest question for UT is, who will step up at QB?

In Athens, Mark Richt is embracing life without Matt Stafford and Knowshon Moreno. He believes that this year's squad will actually benefit from their absence. "I think the media, whether we liked it or not, wanted to portray Stafford and Moreno as the team. You couldn't talk about Georgia without talking about Stafford or Moreno. They are great players, but now that those guys are gone, it's much more of a team situation here," Richt said. The '09 Dawgs will be vastly improved in many aspects of the game, if they can remain healthy. All American caliber DT Jeff Owens returns to bolster the UGA defense. On the other side of the ball, former freshman All SEC offensive lineman, Trinton Sturdivant, comes back from injury. Don't be surprised, if the Joe Cox led Bulldogs creep from the shadows and emerge as a BCS contender. This team is very talented, despite losing it's best offensive weapons to the NFL.

P.S. I tried to post a link to this article. It failed. Click on the title of this post to access the link.

MVP Rob Sealer

A couple months ago, I posted a poll on the blog, which asked the question, "Who should be named NBA MVP?" Well, in jest, I threw my name into the mix for fun. Of the 2 votes tallied, I was named by a unanimous RS Sports vote the 2009 NBA MVP. So, I decided to write a mock article in response. It was brought to my attention, that you could type in the words MVP Rob Sealer, scroll down a little, and the article would appear on google.com. Well, I seem to have lost my "google power." This gimmick doesn't work any more, but it was fun while it lasted.
Thanks for supporting www.robsealersports.blogspot.com.

NL East Tonight

Last night, the Chicago Cubs defeated Atlanta, 4-2. But, today's another day. Javier Vazquez (5-7 3.05 ERA) will take the mound for the visiting Braves. Cubs ace, Carlos Zambrano (4-3 3.50 ERA) will be pitching for the bad guys. Atlanta will need to provide the hard luck Vazquez with some offense, if the Braves are going to avoid a 4 game losing streak. With the All Star Break just 6 days away, any moment the Braves can capture will be huge going into the second half of the season. But, Atlanta MUST find a spark for their struggling offense. If the bats don't heat up soon, this could be a very long season for the Bravos. First pitch is scheduled for 8:05 eastern. If your cable provider carries WGN, you can watch their broadcast of the game. Go Braves!

As for the rest of the NL East:
Cincinnati is in Philadelphia. Starting for the Reds will be right hander, Aaron Harang. He brings a 5-8 record with a 3.86 ERA into tonight's game. Opposing him, will be 26 year old J.A. Happ. The former Northwestern Wildcat is 5-0 with an impressive 2.96 ERA for Cincinnati. The first pitch will be thrown at 7:05 eastern.

Meanwhile, the struggling Mets look to rebound from an awful ten game stretch, that has seen NY lose 8 of these games. With Manny Ramirez back from suspension, the Dodgers bring a confident squad to Metropolis. 21 year old Clayton Kershaw (5-5 3.49 ERA) takes the mound for L.A. The young south paw has allowed 5 Homeruns in 87 and 2/3 innings pitched. Opposing batters are hitting a dismal .207 against him. Mike Pelfrey (6-3 4.26 ERA) will be pitching for New York. First pitch is slated for 7:10 eastern.

Washington is at Colorado. Pitching for those annoying Nats, will be 23 year old Jordan Zimmerman. He is 3-3 with a 4.52 ERA on the season. The Rockies will rely upon South Carolina native, Jason Hammel. Hammel is 5-4 with a 3.90 ERA. First pitch is set for 8:40 eastern.

And for the nightcap, the Florida Marlins will face off against the San Francisco Giants at 10:15 eastern. Josh Johnson (7-1 2.76 ERA) will pitch for the visiting fish. San Francisco goes with left hander, Barry Zito, who is coming off a terrible outing. In his last start, Zito surrendered 5 earned runs in just 4 and 1/3 innings. Through 16 starts, opponents are batting .255 against him. Zito looks to improve upon a disappointing 4.82 ERA. The former All Star is just 4-8 with 4 no decisions at this point of the season.

Braves at Cubs

After a stunning sweep of the Philadelphia Phillies, the Atlanta Braves jumped to within 2 games back of the NL East leader. But, the Braves squandered that success, by losing 2 of 3 to the lowly Washington Nationals (24-55) in D.C. The 39-42 Braves must now travel to Wrigley Field. Jair Jurrjens (6-6 2.73 ERA) takes the mound for an Atlanta squad that now finds themselves 4 games back of Philadelphia. In game 1, they will face Belleville, Illinois native Randy Wells. The 27 year old Chicago SP is 3-3 with a 2.43 ERA. First pitch is set for 7:05 eastern on the 4 letter network.

Steve McNair

I am very saddened to write about the passing of former Tennessee Titans QB Steve McNair. Honestly, there's little I can add that would respectfully reflect upon this recent tragedy. McNair was without a doubt the greatest athlete to ever play for Tennessee. According to ESPN.com, Steve was one of just 3 NFL quarterbacks to pass for 30,000 yards and rush for 3,500. The former Alcorn State and Titans star was a man that teammates loved and respected for who he was, both on and off the field. If you wish to read more, click on the title of this post. It will direct you to coverage provided by ESPN.com.

My thoughts and prayers are with the McNair family.

Bullpen costs Hanson and Braves

Atlanta's bullpen squandered a great performance by rookie, Tommy Hanson. Hanson pitched a solid seven innings, allowing just one run on a homer by Adam Dunn. Going into the bottom of the 8th, Bobby Cox handed the ball to the Braves bullpen. Washington erupted for 4 runs, and took a stunning 5-3 lead into the 9th. Atlanta failed to rally, and lost a game they should have won. Tommy Hanson was very impressive on the mound, although his shut out streak of 27 consecutive innings was lost on Dunn's long ball.

Happy 4th of July, ya'll.