This and That

In the wake of the conclusion of the NBA season and the NFL draft coming and going, we’ve reached that time of year when it can seem that there isn’t much to talk about when it comes to Atlanta professional sports. The Braves are the only one of our big three that is currently playing games, and so far they’ve been about what we expected: competitive but not exactly a world beater.

Not to worry! While each sport has an “offseason,” there really isn’t much downtime in the world of pro sports; at least not for the people who keep the teams running. Managing a sports franchise is a full time job, and for the hard core fan, so is pulling for one.

With that being said, I’ve spent the last few days coming up with some tidbits from our home teams. While talking about day to day operations may not be as exciting as recounting game action, at least it gives us something to get us through the long hot summer. So let’s get started.

Falcons

The big news this week was the release of former first round draft pick Sam Baker. After taking Matt Ryan with the third overall pick 2008, Atlanta traded back into the first round to get Baker. Thinking they were getting a left tackle to protect Ryan, what they actually got was an injury prone player who competed in all sixteen games just twice in his seven seasons with the Falcons. After Baker missed nearly all of 2013 and 2014, the writing was on the wall.

In other OL news, the Falcons lost tackle Lamar Holmes to a broken foot this week, further depleting a line that struggled mightily in 2014. While Holmes may be back in time for the preseason, an injury this early in the year gives me a disquieting feeling. After all, the Falcons have been decimated by injuries of late.

On a more positive subject, new head man Dan Quinn held his first mini camp this week. There seems to be a new attitude in Flowery Branch, as the players work to learn the schemes of Quinn and new OC Kyle Shanahan. Even with a coach as successful as Mike Smith, at some point it takes new ideas to shake things up. Quinn seems to have the attention of his players.

During the mini camp, fans were treated to the first images of first round pick Vic Beasley in an Atlanta uniform. Here’s hoping Beasley can improve a pass rush that ranked somewhere below anemic last year. And let’s not forget Julio Jones, who eased all of our minds when he stated on Wednesday that he has no plans to hold out as he enters the final year of his contract. We’ll just have to wait and see.

Hawks

There was quite a bit of news involving the Hawks this week, beginning with the latest development in the Danny Ferry saga. The rocky reign of the erstwhile General Manager appears to be at an end, as the Atlanta Hawks board voted in favor of a buyout on Friday. Ferry, who has been on leave since a recording of his racial insensitive comments about potential free agent signee Luol Deng surfaced last off season, will be paid more than the remaining balance on his contract.

Head coach Mike Budenholzer will promoted to Team President, while continuing to coach the team. Assistant General Manager Wes Wilcox will assume the GM role. The dismissal of Ferry had been rumored for weeks, with the thinking being that new owner Antony Ressler, whose purchase of the team is expected to be finalized next week, wouldn’t want to deal with the distraction.

In other news, the 2015 NBA draft is just four days away, and the name I most often see attached to Atlanta’s 15^th overall pick is former Arkansas Razorback Bobby Portis. I would be perfectly okay with this pick, as Portis would fit very well into coach Bud’s system. He is a 6-10 power forward with a great motor who can also his the jump shot.

One of the reasons I like Portis is the uncertainty surrounded Paul Millsap, who will likely command a max contract. Will the Hawks be willing to give him one? What about fellow free agent Demarre Carroll? While no one will offer Carroll the kind of money Millsap will get, someone could very well make him a very rich man. Will Atlanta resign one or both of these key pieces? Time will tell.

Braves

As the only one of the big three to be currently in season, the Braves have surprised quite a few people by hanging around in the National League East. Through June 20, they are only two games out of first place, though as was the case with the Falcons and the NFC East, this fact says a lot about the underachievement of the division as a whole.

Still, there have been promising signs. Jace Peterson continues to impress as second base. He has been a steady presence in the field, and has developed into one the best clutch hitters on the roster. Another who has outperformed expectations is centerfielder Cameron Maybin. Essentially a throw-in in the deal that moved Craig Kimbrel and Melvin (B.J.) Upton to San Diego, Maybin has been so good that the team released projected starter Eric Young Jr.

Equally impressive has been the performance of young pitchers Williams Perez and Matt Wisler, the latter of whom allowed just one run over eight innings in his major league debut on Friday night. As Julio Teheran and Alex Wood have struggled with consistency, Perez, Wisler and Shelby Miller have helped keep the Braves’ heads above water.

That about wraps things up for now. I’ll be back in the near future with my thoughts on the NBA draft, as well as a Braves mid-season check in. Until next time, keep the faith Atlanta!

 

NFL Draft: Dirty South Edition

If you’re a Falcons fan, the NFL draft has always been a bit dicey. You never know if whatever General Manager/Head Coach/Team President combo is currenly in place will make the obvious choice, or throw up a hail mary with an off the grid choice.

So many drafts have seen the team either go with an overhyped player (Bruce Pickens, Aundray Bruce) who turned out to be a bust, or panic and reach for a prospect (Jamaal Anderson, Reggie Kelly) that no one in their right mind would have taken in a particular spot. So it was with more than a little apprehension that I turned in to watch the first round of the 2015 draft.

As things kicked off, rumors were swirling that the Falcons might pull the trigger on Todd Gurley with the eighth overall pick. I have to admit, a large part of me wanted that to happen. When healthy, Gurley is one of the most dynamic players to come along in awhile (and a former Bulldog, which earns extra points in my book). But what the team really needed was defense, so it was no surprise when Dimitroff, Quinn, and company went with Clemson defensive end/linebacker Vic Beasley.

While not the highest rated defensive player in the draft (Dante Fowler, Leonard Williams), Beasley was a guy I’d been on board with for quite awhile. In his time at Clemson, he racked up 52.5 tackles for loss and 33 sacks. A lightning quick edge rusher, he could be the answer for a team that totaled only 22 sacks in the entire 2014 season.

I had the opportunity to see what Beasley could do over the past two seasons when his Tigers faced my Georgia Bulldogs. He was all over the field, especially in the 2013 game. If his highlight reel is any indication, he may well be just what the Falcons need. Plus, he is from Georgia, and openly stated that he’d love to play for the home team. I love that as much as anything about the pick.

The next two picks have the potential to be breakout players as well. At 6’1” and 203 pounds, former LSU Tiger Jalen Collins is the type of big cornerback that Dan Quinn craves.  While his collegiate stats, 10 starts, 90 tackles, 3 interceptions, are a bit underwhelming, Collins could quickly push Robert Alford for the starting cornerback job opposite Desmond Trufant.

Third round pick Tevin Coleman of Indiana had a tremendous 2014, rushing for 2036 yards and 15 touchdowns. He has tremendous speed, and ran a sub-4.4 second 40 yard dash at the combine, but also isn’t afraid to lower the boom on opposing defenders. I love this pick, as Coleman was projected by many to go in the second round. He should immediately contend for a starting spot, and his presence should make second year running back Devonte Freeman work even harder.

In the fourth round, the Falcons went with a likely replacement for the departed Harry Douglas in East Carolina wide receiver Justin Hardy. A former walk-on, Hardy not only made the team, but went on to a record setting career. In four seasons for the Pirates, he caught 387 passes for 4541 yards and 35 touchdowns. He isn’t much of a speed guy, but I think he could be quite the find as Matt Ryan’s safety valve.

The team went back to the well again for its fifth round pick, Clemson defensive tackle Grady Jarrett. Again, I feel like they got outstanding value here. Jarrett is a bit undersized, but makes up for it with quickness and effort. He should make an immediate push for playing time in Quinn’s 4-3 scheme. It was also awesome to see the way the team rallied to his support after his home caught fire during the draft, and how excited his dad Jessie Tuggle (yes that Jessie Tuggle) was when his son’s name was called.

The final two picks, Eastern Washington offensive lineman Jake Rodgers and San Jose State defensive back Akeem King, are seventh rounders, so you can’t put too much stock in them. Not that late round picks can’t become productive, or even Pro-Bowl caliber players (Jamal Anderson, Todd McClure), but it doesn’t happen very often. Anything we get out of these two will be an added bonus to what could turn out to be a quality draft.

There, I’ve said my piece. Feel free to have your say in the comments. Hopefully these picks will help our Falcons return to playoff contention in the near future. I, for one, am tired of drafting in the top ten. I’d much rather have a lower pick, say 32^nd overall. After all, I can dream, can’t I?

 

Top 20: Part 3

So no Todd Gurley. I never really thought the Falcons would take him with the eighth pick in the draft. I knew that what the team needed most was defense, so I wasn’t surprised when they chose Vic Beasley in the first round. But I have to admit that a big part of me wanted Gurley to be a Falcon. But sometimes, as a certain Legendary front man once said, you can’t always get what you want, you get what you need.

While the Falcons brass was in Chicago looking to revamp their porous defense, the Hawks were in New York putting the finishing touches on a first round playoff win over the Nets. After watching the first five games go down to the wire, we finally got what we’d been waiting for on Friday when Atlanta routed Brooklyn 111-87 in game six. On to bigger and better things, namely a second round series against Washington, which begins on Sunday.

I’ll be back next week with my thoughts on all the Falcons’ draft picks, as well as a few words about game one between the Hawks and Wizards. But for now, on to the continuing saga that is my top 20 countdown, beginning with number 12….

12. Greg Maddux: Pitcher-Braves

I can already hear some of you asking how one of the greatest pitchers of his generation isn’t higher on the list. Rest assured, it has nothing to do with his performance for the Braves. I loved watching Maddux pitch. Few athletes in any sport could dominate a game the way he could.

I guess my reasoning at having him outside the top 10 has something to do with the fact that he wasn’t in Atlanta for the beginning of the run of 14 consecutive division titles. By the time he arrived in 1993, the Braves had already made a pair of World Series appearances. But with Maddux, they were able to take the final step; winning it all in ’95.

He won Cy Young Awards in his first three seasons in Atlanta, the last of which came in 1995, the year the Braves finally won it all. In those three seasons, Maddux posted ERA’s of 2.36, 1.56, and 1.63. In ’95, he went an unbelievable 19-2 to lead us to the promised land. One of the great control pitchers of all time, he also walked just 23 batters in 209.2 innings in ’95.

Overall, Maddux went 194-88 with a 2.63 ERA with the Braves. He appeared in the postseason in every season he spent in Atlanta, with the exception of 1994, when the playoffs were canceled due to a players’ strike. He made six All-Star teams, won ten gold gloves, and ended up in the MLB Hall of Fame. Not bad for someone who looked like the guy who does your taxes.

11. Deion Sanders: Defensive back-Falcons/Outfielder-Braves

Did you get it right? In a previous post, I mentioned the Brian Jordan was one of two people who played for more than one Atlanta franchise. Sanders holds the added distinction of doing so simultaneously.

“Prime Time” was one of the most electric athletes I’ve ever had the privilege of watching. The Falcons drafted him out of Florida State in the first round in 1989, and he immediately made the team worth watching. In five seasons with the Falcons, Sanders intercepted 24 passes (including three TD returns) and made 238 tackles. He was also pretty good on special teams, scoring five touchdowns on kick and punt returns.

Sanders was also a part of three Braves division championships. From 1991-94, he hit .277 and stole 75 bases as a part- time player. His speed was just as impressive on the diamond as it was on the gridiron. In 1992 he led the NL with 14 triples. He played in two World Series for the Braves, and hit .348 overall in three playoff appearances.

I must admit, I was a huge fan. I loved to watch him close on opposing receivers, break ankles on returns, and high step his way into the end zone; even when he did it for other teams. By the time his career was over, Sanders had put together a Hall of Fame resume. He’d also played for four other teams, but he’ll always be an Atlanta icon to me.

*Should have made this list but didn’t, part 2

Josh Smith: Forward-Hawks

Few basketball players have the kind of raw talent that Smith had. At his best he was a dynamic force, capable of scoring 30 points while dominating the paint. Unfortunately there were too many times when he either wasn’t at his best, or refused to play within his limits.

Smith was always good at scoring points at the rim, and finishing on the fast break. He was also one of the NBA’s best defensive players, finishing in the top ten in blocked shots six times in nine season with the Hawks. He also helped the team to six consecutive playoff appearances from 2007-08 to 2012-13.

But somewhere along the way, Smith decided that it was a good idea to develop as outside shot. After attempting just seven three pointers in 2009-10, he hoisted up 464 over his last three years in Atlanta, including 201 in 2012-13. This would have been okay had he been a good shooter. He wasn’t. Smith shot just 28% from three point range in his time with the Hawks. I’ll never forget the collective groan that would rise from the crowd in Phillips Arena whenever he’d load up for a shot.

On top of his ill fated attempt to be a 6’9” shooting guard, he was also a hot head. It seemed that Smith was never called for a foul that he agreed with. Time after time he would argue with the officials until they would issue a technical foul. It was a scene that quickly became tiresome.

Despite all of these drawbacks, there were some good times: winning the slam dunk championship in 2005; pushing the eventual champion Celtics to a seventh game in a 2008 playoff series; winning 53 games in 2009-10. But the bad always seemed to outweigh the good with Smith, and he’ll always be one of the biggest “what could have beens” of Atlanta sports.

10. Mike Kenn: Offensive Tackle-Falcons

17 years is a long time. It is the approximate length of a childhood, as 18 is the age at which young men and women can make their own choices. It’s also more than twice the length of the average American marriage (8 years). For 17 years the Falcons didn’t have to worry about their situation at left tackle, because Mike Kenn was there every Sunday.

As I mentioned earlier, I became a Falcons fan in the mid 1980’s. It never occurred to me to wonder who would protect the quarterback’s blindside because, as far as I knew, Kenn was, had always been, and always would be, the man who did the job. From 1978-1994, he played in 251 games. He also started 251 games.

Despite playing on some terrible teams (the Falcons made the playoffs just four times in his career), Kenn was selected for five Pro Bowls. In 1980 he allowed just 3.5 sacks and, even more impressively, wasn’t flagged for a single penalty all season. In 1981, he played every down of the season!

It is a crime that Kenn isn’t in the Hall of Fame. He was everything a left tackle is supposed to be and more. In 2014 Claude Humphery became the first player who spent the majority of his career with the Falcons to make it to the Hall. If there is any justice in the world, Kenn will eventually join him.

9. Mookie Blaylock: Guard-Hawks

Before we get into Blaylock’s career with the Hawks, let’s get this out of the way. I’m well aware of the the 2013 car accident that resulted in a prison sentence, as well as his substance abuse problems. It is the type of tragic story that happens all too often in the world of sports, and life in general.

But we aren’t here to talk about that. Blaylock was the catalyst that made the Hawks go. The team made the playoffs in each of his seven seasons, during which he averaged 15 points, 7 assists, and 2.5 steals per game. He was also the best outside shooter on the team, hitting on 35% of his three point attempts.

As has been the case for the Hawks’ entire run in Atlanta, Blaylock’s teams were good but never great. They won 50+ games three times, including a then team record 57 in ’93-94, an All-Star year for Mookie. But they were never able to make it beyond the second round of the playoffs, a fact that continues to haunt the franchise to this day.

When Blaylock was traded to Golden State in 1999, he left as the Hawks all-time leader in three-pointers made and three-pointers attempted, and steals, and second only to Doc Rivers in assists. He did a lot for the team, and despite his personal demons, he remains one of my favorites.

That does it for now. We’ve moved into the top ten of my list, with more titans of Atlanta sports to follow. Thanks for reading, I always appreciate it. See you soon!