Keep Josh Smith Day

With the NBA trade deadline inching closer and nerve-rackingly closer, I have decided to make February 19, 2013 Keep Josh Smith Day. The former McEachern and Oak Hill Academy star has become the most exciting Atlanta Hawk since the days of Dominique Wilkins. His gravity defying dunks and tremendous shot blocking prowess consistently transform Philips Arena into the Highlight Factory. But, it is highly speculated that the Hawks are exploring trade possibilites revolving around J Smoove. So, I'm campaigning for the Hawks to keep Josh Smith.

The AJC's Jeff Schultz recently wrote, "Smith hardly is the Hawks' biggest problem. They need a center. They need consistency at point guard. They need more players to build around. Moving past years of being a punchline isn't easy."

Although the Hawks have made great strides over the past 5 seasons, Schultz is right. There is still a lot of work to be done, as far as tuning up the roster. But, trading your best player ain't the answer. As a fan, I hope to see #5 continue to deliver an exciting brand of basketball to the hometown Hawks. Josh Smith is the heart and soul of the Highlight Factory. Without those elements, what remains?

To Hawks GM Danny Ferry, I offer a few simple words. Keep Josh Smith.

Fooled by Otis Nixon?

Last April, I wrote an article praising the works of former Atlanta Brave, Otis Nixon off the field. But, according to tonight's Fox 5 report, I may have been tragically off base with my words. Allegedly, the "On Track Ministries," over-seen by Mr. Nixon hustled unsuspecting citizens and failed to deliver on promises made.

As I sat in the front row at Milford Baptist Church, I was mesmerized by the former centerfielder. Here stood one of my childhood heroes, spilling his heart on his struggles and his path toward redemption. It was a tale that could only be inspired by the power of Jesus Christ. But, maybe it wasn't. Maybe it was more like a false prophecy. Honestly, it's tough to say. But, as someone who believed every word Otis Nixon told the congregation, I wonder if I too was fooled by the words spoken during his "testimony."

For more information on this topic please click on the title of this post
or you can visit http://www.myfoxatlanta.com/story/21129294/former-braves-star-otis-nixon-accused-of

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.

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.

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."

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.

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.

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.

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/