Thursday, September 6, 2012

September 8 in the SEC

Last Saturday, I was very impressed with Derek Dooley's Tennessee Volunteers. Led by Junior QB Tyler Bray, the Knoxvillians defeated NC State 35-21 in a game I expected the Wolfpack to win. This week, the Vols welcome Georgia State to Neyland Stadium. But, there won't be a whole lot of pleasantries. Tennessee wins 56-3.

Meanwhile, the UTEP Miners will travel to Vaught-Hemingway Stadium as they take on the Mississippi Rebels. New head coach, Hugh Freeze, faces the tall task of building a contender in Oxford. Fans at the Grove will be greatly disappointed to see the home team drop to 1-1 on the season.

The most boring games this week will be Alabama vs Western Kentucky and Louisiana Monroe at Arkansas. Tide Leader, Nick Saban recently told the media, "We play these games for a reason..." And, there are two great challenges facing the home teams: keeping their players focused and healthy. Tide and Hogs easily crush inferior opponents. Also on the list of snooze-worthy matchups is Kent State at Kentucky. The Wildcats will rebound from a 32-14 loss to Louisville by defeating the Golden Flashes 35-17. Meanwhile, ECU at South Carolina receives honorable mention, as Spurrier's team wins by 3 touchdowns. Also, look for LSU to throttle Washington 31-13, while Vanderbilt gets a victory on the road against Northwestern.

And now, let's discuss the weekend's big 3. Auburn kicks off an intense battle against Dan Mullen's Bulldogs at noon on ESPN. This is a big road test for the 0-1 War Eagle Tigers, but I believe they will prevail. Auburn 24 Mississippi State 17. A few hours later, Texas A&M will make its SEC debut, as the Aggies host the Florida Gators at Kyle Field. But, the fun won't last very long in Texas. Gators win 33-16. Speaking of conference newcomers, Missouri takes on "Old Man" Mark Richt and the Georgia Bulldogs at 7:45 on ESPN2. Although I've got the Dawgs on upset alert, I expect their defense to regain its Junkyard Dog mentality and be a key factor in UGA's victory over Mizzou.





Thursday, August 30, 2012

This Week in The SEC

South Carolina just scratched out a tough win in Nashville, by defeating the Commodores 17-13. And tomorrow evening, Double D's Volunteers will suffer the first loss of their season at the hands of (gasp) an ACC squad named NC State. But, there's plenty of football left to be played in the SEC. Florida opens their season with a loss to Bowling Green on Saturday, while Georgia is busy beating up on the Buffalo Bulls in Athens.

Meanwhile, the University of Mississippi will defeat Central Arkansas in Oxford. Also on the schedule, the Bobby Petrino-less Pigs will demolish Jacksonville State in a similar fashion to the trouncing LSU will give North Texas. In a laugher, the Dogs of Mississippi State will easily defeat Jackson State in Starkville. Due to weather issues, newcomer to the SEC, Texas A&M will not play Louisiana Tech this weekend. The game is a rescheduled loss for LA Tech, which will occur later in the season. In Louisville, I've got former Dirty Bird, Ray Buchanan's Cardinals over the Wildcats of Kentucky.

Now, let's discuss the highest profile games of week one in the SEC. Nick Saban's National Champions will derail Denard Robinson's Wolverines in Arlington, Texas by a score of 31-17. Not to be outdone by their in state rivals, the War Eagle Tigers will corral a Clemson offense that is minus Sammy Watkins. First year defensive coordintor, Brian Van Gorder will make an immediate impact on the plains. Auburn wins 24-19.

*For those of you who are new to the site, I ain't crazy. But I do enjoy celebrating the RS Sports tradition of picking Florida to lose their season opener, regardless of whom those Gators are playing. It is personal. Ha ha. Go Dawgs!!!

Note: I forgot to mention the Missouri Tigers. But, there won't be anything exciting about their lopsided victory over Southeast Louisiana.

South Carolina at Vanderbilt

Currently watching South Carolina vs Vanderbilt. The Gamecocks are leading 10-7 in the second quarter after a 78 yard six-strike from Jordan Rodgers to Jordan Matthews. It's good to see the 'Dores suddenly come to life. The Dawg in me is pulling for an upset.

Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Thomas Brown

As football fans, we all have our favorite players. One of mine was a 5'8" scatback from Tucker named Thomas Brown. During his UGA career, number 20 ran for 2,646 yards and 23 touchdowns. But, some of his greatest plays went unnoticed by statisticians.

In 2007, Knowshon Moreno burst onto the scene, rushing for 1,334 yards and 13 scores. But, one of my favorite plays transpired with Thomas Brown in the Bulldogs backfield. On a playaction pass with 3:09 left in the first quarter, Brown threw a key block on a blitzing Auburn defender, allowing Matt Stafford to launch a 58 yard six-strike to wide open receiver, Mohamed Massaquoi. The score gave Georgia a 10-3 lead and electrified the sellout crowd at Sanford Stadium on Blackout Saturday.

Bolstered by tremendous efforts from Brown, Moreno, Sean Bailey, and a defense that played with clean, old fashioned junkyard tenacity, the Dawgs finished the drill by defeating Auburn 45-20. The last score of the game was a 1 yard touchdown by Brown with 6:48 left in the fourth quarter.

As a member of the Georgia Bulldogs, the Tucker native led by example in all aspects of his life. Brown was a leader in the classroom, the weight room, and on the field. If you ask Mark Richt about the strongest player, pound for pound in UGA history, I'm sure he'll say, "Thomas did it the right way...as a matter of fact, he did it the Georgia way."

Thursday, June 28, 2012

NBA Draft

As a Hawks fan, draft night usually means I should go to bed early. Although I have yet to be mistaken for an NBA expert, I rarely agree with their decisions. Even when they're not busy selecting busts like Priest Lauderdale, Cal Bowdler, and Marvin Williams, I'm consistently disappointed with their moves.

Al Horford has been an All-Star and Josh Smith has brought an exciting brand of basketball to Philips Arena. But, this team can not win a championship with both players at the core of their roster. Smith fills up the stat sheet, but also has a tendency to forget that his 3 point shot is both dismal and deficient. If healthy, Horford could be a very valuable asset to this team, but he's gotta be moved to power forward. For that to happen, Atlanta needs to acquire a quality center to take over the 5 spot. Then, the high flyin' J Smooth must be evicted from playing the 4.

In today's NBA, good ain't good enough. You've got to have an elite squad, if your goal is to win championships. Atlanta has plateaued and will continue to be another title-less team, if significant upgrades to the roster aren't made. A rebuilding project will be tough to overhaul with Joe Johnson's immovable contract on the books. But, an attempt at shaking things up, in order to pursue a greater collection of talent would be extremely refreshing.

Saturday, June 2, 2012

Braves vs Nats

A rainy night in Washington caused Friday's game between the Nationals and Braves to be postponed. Stephen Strasburg will get the series started at 4:05 this afternoon, when he throws the first official pitch. Instead of Mike Minor opposing him on the mound, Atlanta will turn to Brandon Beachy, who is 5-3 with an ERA of 1.77 in 2012. Today's matchup is very intriguing, as a couple of the game's best young pitchers will duel in D.C.

Thursday, May 31, 2012

Catching up with the Atlanta Braves

At 7:05 on Friday night, Atlanta's Braves will be in D.C. as they take on the first place Washington Nationals. With a winning percentage of .538, Atlanta trails the Nats by 2 games in the NL East. The visitors will send former Commodore, Mike Minor, to the mound. The 24 year old south paw is off to a rough start in 2012, with a 6.98 ERA and diminutive record of 2 wins and 4 losses.

Meanwhile, Washington will be represented by the hard throwing Stephen Strasburg. The former San Diego State Aztec has recorded 70 strike outs, along the way to an impressive 5-1 record. With an ERA of 2.64, the right handed pitcher has held opponents to a .223 batting average.

Looking to improve their infield, Atlanta will replace shortstop Tyler Pastornicky and his 7 errors with minor league prospect, Andrelton Simmons. Although he has yet to play an inning above double A ball, Simmons is expected to provide the Braves with a huge upgrade defensively.

Thursday, April 26, 2012

Mar-Tans at IMax

If you're looking for a great place to spend a Friday evening out, I highly recommend the Fernbank I-Max Museum. Local blues band, the Mar-Tans will be performing from 6:30- 11:00 PM. The talented musicians are led by the soulful sounds of Matt Wauchope on vocals/piano, Melvin Zachary's legendary basslines, and the charismatic Terrence Prather on congos. Regardless of your taste in music, you'll be hooked on the Mar-Tans, as soon as the notes start flyin' off the page. There is a small cover charge of $7, but it is definitely money well spent. Hope to see you there.

For more details, please go to www.fernbankmuseum.org/experience-imax/martinis-and-imax/

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Otis Nixon

What is the first thought that comes to your mind, when you hear the name Otis Nixon? For many, it has always been "The Catch." Well, Sunday morning, myself and the rest of the congregation at Milford Baptist Church were blessed with the opportunity to hear the former Atlanta Brave share his testimony. He spoke about his baseball career and his relationship with Jesus Christ.

In 1991, Braves general manager, John Schuerholz acquired Nixon in a trade with Montreal. Looking back, Nixon had some regrets about joining his new team. "On April Fools day, I got traded to the Atlanta Braves. You guys probably don't remember, but I do very well. It was the worst team in America. You guys had the worst team in America... How in the world did I go from here (Montreal Expos) to there and get traded to the worst team in baseball?" At the time, Nixon's concerns were legitimate. Atlanta would struggle into the All Star break and stand 9.5 games behind the division leading Los Angeles Dodgers. But, this was a team destined for a miraculous second half. And, Otis Nixon knew the key to turning the season around. "What happened is, we started believing inside, what nobody else would believe and we started to win... The only thing I could do, was to think we're in the worst spot in the world, we're in last place, we got the worst team, we can only go up."

And, eventually, they did. During a game on June 16, 1991, in which he stole an MLB record 6 bases against the franchise that sent him to Atlanta, Nixon started to voice some of his concerns. "That particular game, I went up to Bobby Cox (and said) Right now, I'm doing everything. We're supposed to have eight other guys out there and I'm the one scoring all the runs. I scored four runs, stole all the bases, made some catches out there. If I could get some help from Ron Gant, Terry Pendleton, Mark Lemke. I was calling out everybody and they busted out laughing. But don't you know, we went on to win 13 straight games?"

In a disappointing end to his season, the North Carolina native tested positive for cocaine in September of 1991 and was suspended for 60 games. "I did not play in the first World Series....I had went out with some friends one day and I had a couple drinks and there was a doctor. I won't call his name, but man I wanted to get him to this day. And he had something back there, cocaine. He said, I love you, man. We're gonna do this in front of you. I said no, no man, I don't wanna do this. And he kept pressuring me, and pressuring me. I went back there and I said one line. Okay, I'm gonna do it. That was a trick of the devil. One line and a couple drinks and went home. I got into the car and I said, why in the world did I just do one line? And, don't you know, when we got ready for the World Series, I thought about it for a minute and said, what if they test me? I couldn't sleep all night, not worried about who's pitching and how many hits and everything. I'm worried about if they're gonna test me. A guy comes in with a white coat on, randomly decides who to test. He says, (pointing) let me have you, let me have you, let me have you, and let me have...okay that's it. My heart was beating like an instrument and I said, Thank God. And he came out to see me and said, I forgot somebody. Mr. Nixon, can you come with me? My heart came out my chest, rolled down, fell on the floor and I felt like I had died, man. He said, You alright? I said, yeah I'm just thinking about the game, you know? So, what happened is, I went in there and tested positive.... So, I went into rehab. I hurt a lot of people, hurt myself. I didn't know exactly what was going on, but I knew every time I looked at the drink, I felt different. Every time I tried to do drugs, I felt different....That addiction was so powerful, that you can't break it just by saying no, don't do this. I believe you need a little Jesus to break that power over you. I realized something, I can't do it unless I have the power of God in my life."

Well, Otis Nixon clearly has the power of God behind him and has put the struggles in his past to rest. And, what makes his testimony so compelling, is the fact that he's been there. He's been through adversity and battled his way back to solid ground. And now, he's in position to reach out his hand and lift others up. Today, the former Atlanta Brave is doing much greater things than stealing 620 bases and batting .270 during a 17 year career in Major League Baseball. Through On Track Ministries, the Otis Nixon Foundation is making a tremendous impact in our communities by helping others change their lives in a positive direction...One man, one woman, and one child at time. "I believe that when Jesus Christ comes back and I'm sitting in line...and He says, Otis why should I let you into my kingdom? (Otis responds) Well, I caught that ball and made it to the World Series, (Jesus answers) Not good enough. (Otis replies) I stole six bases and those other guys didn't even help...(Jesus answers) Ain't good enough...(Otis responds) I said, Lord I believe in you. I believe that you died on the cross. I believe...hold on, can I do something? Can I ask my guys that I've helped, one man at a time to stand up, so they can know you? And, I believe He's gonna say, Otis, welcome. Good job, faithful servant. Come on in."

If you or anybody you know has been incarcerated because of substance abuse, please contact the Otis Nixon Foundation at www.otisnixonfoundation.org.

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Football Free Beaches?

Sam Farmer of the LA Times just opened my eyes to one of the dumbest rulings I've ever read. Apparently, the city of Los Angeles just approved a law that prohibits citizens from "casting, rolling, or tossing" anything other than volleyballs or beach balls on its beaches. What does that mean? According to CBS report, your football or frisbee could cost you up to $1,000 if you dare to fling it on California sand.

As someone who loves the outdoors, I ain't mad at L.A. But, I won't vacation there, either. Maybe I'll take my dastardly football and frisbee routine down south. They've been begging me for a trip to Florida anyway.

For more details, you can click on the title of this post to read the CBS report. Thanks to them, Sam Farmer, and the LA Times for the info.

Hawks vs Pacers

At 16-9, the Atlanta Hawks have gotten off to a very good start, regardless of the fact they've been Al Horford-less for most of the season. But, 15's absence is starting to cause deficiencies on the glass. Recently, Atlanta has lost 3 straight games and has fallen 7 spots from 10th to 17th in the league in rebounds over the last 10 contests. That ain't good.

In just a few minutes, the Hawks will tip off against a 17-7 Pacers squad that ranks third in the NBA in rebounds (44.6 a game) and 5th in points allowed. Led by the tandem of Danny Granger and Roy Hibbert, Indiana has quickly become a contender in the East.

Atlanta will win...if Ivan Johnson and Zaza Pachulia put forth great efforts in the paint and Marvin Williams re-discovers his 3 point shooting ability.

Thursday, January 19, 2012

First Place Hawks

Fifteen games into the regular season, the Atlanta Hawks are doing a great job of proving me wrong. I expected the loss of Jamal Crawford to set this franchise back quite a bit. But so far...I stand corrected.

Fueled by Joe Johnson's 18.9 points per game, Atlanta is currently in first place in the Southeast standings, following a 92-89 victory over Crawford and the Trailblazers on Wednesday night. Jeff Teague has played well at the point, averaging 5.8 assists and 2.1 steals per game. Starting center, Al Horford, has been lost for the season, which could catch up to this team at some point.

But, the Hawks will continue to succeed, if they stick to the formula that's gotten them off to an 11-4 start...great defense and rebounding (ATL is 6th in NBA by allowing just 90.8 ppg, 10th in rebounds with 43.5 per game), along with a balanced scoring attack. Joe Johnson is the team's leading scorer, but role players Vlad Radmanovic, Willie Green, and Janero Pargo have filled in nicely off the bench.

On Friday night, the team will be in Philadelphia, as they take on Lithonia, GA's Lou Williams and the 76ers. The 25 year old point guard leads his team with 15.7 points per game. Click on the title of this post to watch the multi-talented Williams in his music video titled Imma Boss.

Friday, January 6, 2012

Martans at Fernbank IMax

Blues fans, you don't want to miss the opportunity to hear the Martans perform tonight at the Fernbank IMax. This group of local musicians, including Matt Wauchope and Melvin Zachary, is very talented. Tickets are just $7 to hear the band and $13 to hear them perform and see the IMax movie. I've seen these guys on stage and can say it is definitely money well spent. Hope to see you there.