Trojans in Trouble

Over the last few days, people have been asking me what I think about the massive sanctions USC recently received from the NCAA. Well, I've got no problem with the ruling. Seems like a six degrees of Kevin Bacon-esque justice got served to ole Lane Kiffin. The one year lead Volunteer worked under Pete Carroll as an assistant coach in 2004. That's when Reggie Bush allegedly took improper benefits from a speculated agent/booster.

The Kiffin led Trojans will forfeit 30 scholarships over the next 3 seasons and be banned from bowling over the next 2 years. The case is pending an appeal from USC. Athletic Director Mike Garrett is quoted in the LA Times as saying, "As I read the decision by the NCAA, I read between the lines and there was nothing but a lot of envy. They wish they all were Trojans... Today I got a purpose for really wanting to dominate for another ten years." Dude sounds bitter, but who am I to judge?

Let's reserve that right for someone a little closer to the situation. If columnist T.J. Simers had his wish, Garrett wouldn't be around the program for another ten seconds. To read his article in the LA Times, click on the title of this post. I also encourage you to check out the opinions of Gary Klein and David Wharton. They provide good insight for the best paper on the west coast.

Locals Succeed Elsewhere

Ya'll ready to start talkin' football? As I prepare for the upcoming season, I'm amazed at the endless supply of talent that annually flows from the beautiful state of Georgia. Athletes such as Eric Berry (University of Tennessee), Cadillac Williams and Ronnie Brown (former Auburn Tigers) cut their teeth playing high school football in the Peach State. But, they all went on to have incredible careers beyond Georgia's borders. Oh, and some dude named Chuck Smith (one of the greatest DE to ever wear an Atlanta Falcons uniform) was born and raised in Athens. But, he didn't play for the Dawgs. Instead, Mr. Smith took his skills to Tennessee and had an outstanding career as a Volunteer. The list could go on for miles.

Anyway, here are some lesser known local guys to watch in 2010:
LB #30 Mario Harvey from Forsyth, Ga led Marshall's defense with 117 tackles and 7 sacks in 2009. The rising senior could make his name well known, with a dominant performance against the Ohio State Buckeyes on September 2.

RE #49 Bruce Miller from Canton, Ga led UCF with 13 sacks last season. The rising senior should continue to wreak havoc on Conference USA QBs.

SS #32 Hiram Atwater from Decatur, Ga was the leading tackler for the UAB Blazers in 2009, recording 89 tackles. It's never a good sign when a DB leads your team in this statistic. But, somebody's gotta make plays. And that's what Atwater does best. This rising senior is a tremendous asset for the pedestrian UAB "defense."

WR #17 Dwayne Harris from Stone Mountain is a rising senior at ECU. Last year, he led the Pirates with 83 receptions for 978 yards and 7 TDs. His 11.8 yards per catch ranked second on the squad. Look for him to exceed the 1,000 yard mark (if healthy) and become one of the top WRs selected in next year's NFL Draft.

RB #27 Mario Fannin from Hampton, Ga could emerge as one of the top tailbacks in the SEC, as he totes the rock for Auburn in 2010. After spending the previous season at WR, Fannin moves into a rotation with Onterio McCalebb in the War Eagle/Tigers' backfield. Although Fannin was second on the team with 42 receptions for 413 yards, he is a much better playmaker at RB. Behind a well seasoned OL, #27 could be poised for his best season on the Plains.

Oh, and I almost forgot to mention the SEC's 2009 freshman of the year. RB #5 Warren Norman of Stone Mountain, Ga is coming off an electric debut in the Vanderbilt backfield. Norman led the Commodores with 783 yards rushing on 145 attempts, for an average of 5.4 yds per carry. Although he got into the endzone a modest 3 times, Norman added 3 more scores as a kick returner.

I'll wrap this up in a minute. But, here's a few more names you should know...
DT #99 Omar Hunter from Buford, Ga- Florida Gators, RB #31 Kenny Miles of Lawrenceville, Ga and DT #91 Ladi Ajiboye from Riverdale, Ga- both South Carolina Gamecocks, FS# 3 Darren Myles, Jr. hails from Atlanta but plays for the Vols, WR#15 Darius Hanks from Norcross and LT #77 James Carpenter of Augusta roll with the Tide.

Hawks Swept by Orlando

Orlando just locked the door to Atlanta's "Highlight Factory." As a Hawks fan, that truly sucks. This was a season that witnessed the Hawks winning 53 games, including a 37-4 home record. Atlanta has made huge strides over the past few years. But, they still have no answer for elite teams such as the Magic and Cavaliers. And, once again, this was a season that ended too soon for my liking.

Hawks leading scorer, Joe (no show in the playoffs) Johnson appears to be on his way out of town. After a humiliating loss in game 3, a chorus of boos rained down on #2 and his team as they left the court. Johnson responded, "That doesn't bother me and I hope it doesn't bother anyone in this locker room. It's about us in this locker room. We could care less if fans showed up."

After that last statement, I could care less if Johnson ever shows up in a Hawks uniform again. #2 can kick rocks.

Hawks Vs Magic

The Atlanta Hawks were outscored 28-10 in the second quarter of game 1 vs Orlando. Cheryl Miller is currently drooling over Dwight Howard. "Big fella, what a first half!," she yelled in his ear.

Well, the game has mercifully come to a pause for halftime. The staggering Atlanta Hawks put up a dismal 33 points so far and trail Orlando by 20. Game 1 is pretty much decided and I almost wish Atlanta would have lost game 7 to Milwaukee. At least I'd be spared the shame of watching such a disgraceful effort from the dudes in Atlanta uniforms. The 2nd quarter was absolutely embarrassing. I don't expect the second half to be much different. Hawks fans, go to bed. This one is over.

Braves vs Gnats

Last summer, the Washington Nationals were a lowly club that gave the Braves fits. But, this is a new season. If Atlanta is going to re-emerge as a contender in the NL East, Washington is a team the Braves must handle.

Well, Atlanta is in DC tonight and Livan Hernandez is on the mound for the Nats. April's Rookie of the Month, Jason Heyward tied the game at 2, with a solo HR in the top of the 4th.

Sammy Kawakami (0-4 with a 5.55 ERA) got the start for Atlanta.

Side note: After a miserable 9 game losing streak, the Braves swept Houston at Turner Field, and entered tonight's contest just 3 games back of first place Philadelphia.

Update: The Magic lead Atlanta 33-27 in Orlando. Dwight Howard is causing problems for the Hawks. Meanwhile, the Braves are still tied at 2 with the Nats in DC. There are 2 outs with Jason Heyward (Intentional Walk) on 1st and catcher Brian McCann on 2nd, as Melky Cabrera bats in the 5th.

Hawks at Orlando

In the last few days, the Atlanta Hawks have made me feel like a "doubting Thomas" for not believing in them. After losing game 5, I thought Atlanta's playoff dreams were over. But, I'm happy to say I was wrong.

The Hawks dominated the Milwaukee sucks in games 6 and 7 with a suffocating defense. So, their reward is a trip to Disneyland (stole that line from Ryan Cameron). During the regular season, the Magic won 3 of 4 meetings. Atlanta's lone victory vs Orlando came late in the season, on a last second dunk by Josh Smith off a missed shot by Joe Johnson.

I'm hoping to see the rested Orlando Magic have a rusty performance tonight. Dwight Howard will do what he does. But, I'd like to see Vince Carter, Michael Pietrus, and Jameer Nelson struggle to find their rhythm in game 1. Opening tip is less than an hour away.

Go Hawks!!

Click on the title of this post to see the Dunk by Smith.

Hawks lose game 5

The Atlanta Hawks are in trouble. After winning the first 2 games of their playoff series against the Milwaukee sucks, Atlanta has lost the next 3. After 2 embarrassing efforts in Brew country, the Hawks couldn't hold onto a 9 point lead late in game 5 at Philips Arena. Now, the Bogut-less Bucks are 1 win away from knocking Atlanta out of the playoffs.

Making matters worse, is the fact that game 6 will be played in Milwaukee. Atlanta has continued to play scrub level basketball on the road, not just during the regular season, but also in this series.

Joe Johnson fouled out with an unlucky 13 points for Atlanta. If the Hawks are going to have any chance of keeping their playoff hopes alive, he must come up huge in game 6. Jamal Crawford needs to step up as well. Given the Hawks history on the road, I have very little faith this series will see 7 games. Hope I'm wrong about that.

Too Early 4 Frustration

Hey ya'll, the Atlanta Braves are mightily struggling. The bats are colder than the beers in my fridge. But, it's April. Don't get me wrong. Those are some ice cold cervezas and losing is always bad. But, we're talking about a sport that boasts a season of 162 games. For the most part, Atlanta is getting stellar performances by any pitcher not named Derek Lowe. And, "Wild Bill" Wagner has already gotten his once in awhile blown save out of the way.

Yes, my Braves are currently stuck inside a somber land called loss after loss after lossville. In the past week, they've fallen from a 3 way tie for first in the NL East, to last place in the division with an 8-9 record. That puts them 2 games back of WASHINGTON, who is tied with Florida for runner up to Philly. But, this is after 17 scrawny azz games. I've adopted the John Kincade (of 680 the fan) theory on the sport. What's that, you ask. When it comes to Major League Baseball, you really don't know squat, until the end of May.

Early on, I've been a little over zealous in my praise for Jason Heyward. That doesn't mean the kid won't be a star. What it does mean, is that I should temper my enthusiasm just a bit. I need to chill with a cold Corona and let things play out on the diamond a little longer, before I crown him the next Henry Aaron. It also means, my fellow Braves fans and I shouldn't freak out and become frustrated with this team after just 17 games. I don't like the Troy Glaus experiment at first base, but I'll give him another month, before I question his presence on the 25 man roster.

I've just got to keep telling myself, "It's a long season, Robster. And, all of the Braves' goals are still in front of them."

What are they saying on Braves radio? Nothing. Tonight's game is currently delayed by rain, which could result in another loss, but we're not lamenting that here. So, how 'bout some CCR? Click on the title of this post, ya'll. The video's a bit boring, but the song is classic rain delay music.

Update: Between the time it took me to write, proof read, and post this clever article, the game was called. Mets win a five inning affair, 1-0. Chipper Jones appears to be headed back to the DL. Florida Evans says, "Damn, Damn, DAMN!" Braves fall to 8-10 after getting swept by the Mets in New York. Oh well. Don't let that stop you from enjoying this post and rain delay music. Ha. Have a good night, ya'll.

Jason Heyward Rocks

Oh, you Jason Heyward. Just a rookie...He's hittin' home runs off people. My God, a rookie! Dawg fans, I'm sure you get the comparison. Yes, it's early for such praise, but the kid from Henry County is rockin' this town. Just 2 days ago, #22 delivered a game winning 2 run single. Tonight, he saved the Braves again. Trailing 3-2, with 2 outs in the bottom of the ninth, Heyward was money. With the game on the line, Jason Heyward blasted a Ryan Madsen pitch into Midtown. All of a sudden, the life-less Braves were tied with Philly.

"Wild Bill" Wagner pitched a flawless 10th, thus setting the stage for Nate McClouth. And, the Braves center fielder would be the only Bravo to bat in the inning. Jose Contreras sent a ball towards his bat that is still flying above the Atlanta skyline. And, just like that, the Atlanta Braves (with help from a Marlins loss) are tied for first place in the NL East. It's early, real damn early in the season. But, I've seen enough to know that Jason Heyward is the man.

Thank you, Mr. Heyward for setting the stage. Hey ya'll, this kid is clutch. And, as crazy as it sounds, he seriously could become the Herschel Walker of the Atlanta Braves. It's early, but I wouldn't bet against #22!

Free Baseball in Atlanta

Just wanted to post a quick update. In the bottom of the ninth, Troy Glaus hit a 2 run bomb, to get the Braves within 1 run of the phillies. Then, came the rookie, Jason Heyward. With 2 outs and his team down a run, the kid from Henry County crushed a game tying homerun into the outfield seats. The game is tied at 3, as the Braves come up to bat in the bottom of the 10th inning at Turner Field. So far, Jason Heyward has more than lived up to hype surrounding his skills. Just 2 days ago, he delivered a game winning 2 run RBI single. And, tonight, he electrified the crowd. I'm gonna stop talking about this, because I need to mention the fact that Nate McClouth just hit a walk off HR.

BRAVES WIN 4-3!!