No Love for The Predator

Really? I know that the Pro Bowl is a joke, the fans are notoriously bad voters, and that no one really watches the game, but really? No love for the man with the 3rd most sacks at 15.5, which is more than the league leader (Jared Allen) had last year? Really?

Ah well, that just means that I might feel some sympathy for Tarvaris Jackson or Gus Frerotte as Abraham takes out his frustration on the Vikings QB de jour. Might...

Speaking of sacks, they are WAY up this year. In 2007 the league leader had 15.5 sacks, in 2006 it was 17.0, and in 2005 it was 16.0. This year, with two weeks left the leaderboard reads 19.0, 17.5, 15.5, 15.0, and 14.5. That's some major sackage (that's what she said). I blame it on the prevalence of the shotgun spread and the fact that teams are passing more and more. By spreading out the field with receivers, teams are also leaving fewer people back to protect the QB. Additionally more passing downs means more opportunities to sack and plunder the QB's backfield (you thought I was going to say backside, didn't you?).

But in summary, screw you pro bowl voters!

Stocking Stuffer

Little thoughts about Atlanta sports.

Starting with...The Braves offseason.

So far we have traded for a workhorse, signed (likely) a leadoff hitter and middle infielder, missed out on an injury prone strikeout pitcher, and held our ground against Kevin Tower's ridiculous demands.

I've already stated that the trade for Javier was a great move. Our pitching needs stability and consistency, he provides that. Our bullpen will be better due to added rest and our hitters will relax not thinking they have to score 10 every game to win.

Losing out on Burnett is a mixed bag. While I'd like to have a pitcher of his caliber on the team, I'm sure I won't be regretting it this July or next when he is disabled and the Yankees are eating his salary. I also don't mind not spending 16 million on a pitcher who we hope has kicked his injury bug. We just got done doing that already.

I like the Furcal signing a lot. It gives us flexibility, maturity (who ever thought we'd say that about Raffy), and a pure leadoff hitter. His ability (and willingness) to play 2B or SS gives us roster flexibility to trade either Kelly or Yunel without hurting ourselves offensively or much defensively. The shortness of the contract with an option year is also a nice touch to limit our exposure if Furcal declines suddenly.

Relatedly, the Peavy trade is "only mostly dead." Furcal's signing does give the Braves the option to trade one of them to the Padres in a package. At this point, I'm not sure the Braves want to take back in salary as much as Peavy is owed. Really, with the upgrade on the offense and less strain on the bullpen, a starter more like Greinke would be ideal. It would also cost less in prospects and we could perhaps fill a gap or two. Something like Kelly, Gorkys, Locke for Greinke and DeJesus.

The Falcons Miraculous Run

With three close losses and two ugly ones early in the season, the Falcons are proving that they have the testicular fortitude to fight back and pull out tough games. While the Bears' win was on the shoulders of Ryan, the victors against the Bucs came as a result of our O-Line punishing the injury plagued front of the Pirates of TampaBay. Coupled with Abraham's desire to remind everyone how dominant he can be, it was a complete team effort. The true measure of a team is how it responds against adversity and when a key player had a bad game. The coaching staff's ability to recognize and make adjustments was key in getting the Falcons drive going in OT but also in the defense's ability to stop the Bucs after watching Dunn and Bryant go crazy in the second half.

That has been the key all season that has been lacking in the past, specifically in regards to our last "franchise quarterback." While Ryan has gotten accolades, he has been the first to admit that the success of this team is a result of everyone "buying in" and working hard day in and day out to improve as an unit. As the season winds down, it is not pure talent that wins games--it is preparation, determination, and heart. For once, the Falcons have all three and it's a pleasure to watch--win or lose.

The Hawks Home Soaring

After playing 2/3 of their games on the road, the Hawks have looked road weary. The trip to Texas was the same as it always is: a slog through tough road losses. No longer could the team blame the "injury bug" as the entire team was basically healthy. Fortunately, the Hawks remained playing at the Texas teams' level of competition against some inferior teams back on the East Coast. Even though they weren't able to sprint out to big leads and coast, the Hawks seemed in control of themselves at least. Basketball is about confidence and the Hawks seem like they have more of a feel for what they want to do offensively and defensively.

The addition of shooters like Flip (when he's hot) and Mo and emergence of Marvin's beautiful stroke from the corners has freed up more space. While it is not being regularly used to get in the lane, it is creating more ball movement and open shots. Josh Smith has been his usual maddening self going through spurts where he wants to shoot jumpers more than bang in the post. I'd like to attribute that to him needing to get a little more conditioning and being tired from his defensive assignments, I can't help but be pessimistic that it's "Josh being Josh." That said, he is still a great weakside defender and alters twice as many shots per game as he blocks so his value is somewhat hard to calculate statistically (as there is no substantial way to figure out how many of his 'altered shots' don't go in).

I would like to see Woody stick with a rotation and commit to developing emerging talent like Acie and Solo. I would also like to see Woody listen to every statistician and Drew and CoCo and STOP FRIGGING PLAYNG ACIE AND FLIP TOGETHER. You can't develop a PG when your "shooting guard" decides that he = LeBron and can go 1v5 and won't give up the ball. Maybe give him a new pair of shoes for every pass he completes or something. I like Flip in the 4th because he does have Sam Cassellitis and isn't afraid of the big shot, but if we're going to have a shot in the playoffs we need to have a quality backup PG who can actually defend something.

The Thrashers

I'm kidding I'm kidding. And since there is no news to report on the Dawg front, for once all is peachy in the sports world. It's nice to feel like it's good to be a fan all around for once.

What I Love Best About This Year's Hawks

Ball Movement. And no, that's not a joke about the maturation of the Hawks. I mean there seem to be fewer and fewer instances of the give it to Joe and get out of the way offense. No offense to Joe, but that's not the most efficient offense if the other team knows how to play defense at all.

Let's take last night's game for instance. All of the starters had at least 4 assists, led by Bibby's 10. On 40 made field goals, the Hawks assisted on 33 of them (82.5%). Granted this was against the Grizzlies, and the Hawks (and by the Hawks I mean Woody) tend to curl up in the fetal position offensively and just try to cram Joe down the other teams throat when the score is close late in the game, but it's just nice to see the ball swing around the perimeter to find an open shooter in the corner. It's such a simple thing, but it's so beautiful since I haven't seen the Hawks consistently do it in so many years.

Just watch the highlights from last night and go to the 1:12 mark. It's just beautiful.

Please Don't Suspend "Fat" Jackson!

This morning the AJC is reporting that while six NFL players have been suspended due to using a diet pill banned by the NFL, Jackson's appeal is still pending:

"Falcons defensive tackle Grady Jackson’s appeal of his four-game suspension remains pending before the NFL office, which has requested further information, according to league spokesman Greg Aiello."

The article further states:

"Aiello said the league would decide Jackson’s appeal “as soon as possible." The Falcons are 8-4 and in the thick of the NFC playoff race. With four games left in the season, Jackson could be in danger of missing a round of the playoffs if his case is not decided before Sunday’s game."

I think I'm of the opinion that the longer we can push off any potential suspension, the better. Even if that means Jackson missing the first round of the playoffs. Right now we're fighting for a playoff spot, and Jackson is our one true run-stuffer. Without him, things get more difficult. I'd rather make the playoffs and lose, then fall short. It certainly did wonders for the Hawks confidence as a team...

Why The Javier Freak Out

Reports today indicate that the Braves made their first big deal of the offseason coming to terms with the Chicago White Sox on a trade for RHP Javier Vazquez.

I've been browsing comments on all the fan blogs and websites and the overwhelming sentiment is that we gave up too much. To which I respond: huh?

Here is what we get:
A pitcher with a career .500 record a slightly below league average ERA who tosses just under 1K/IP and about 2BB/GS. A pitcher still reasonably young (32) who has started 32 games and thrown 200 Innings every year for the last decade without any history of injuries. A pitcher who has pitched well at Turner Field in his career and could thrive under a less pressuring manager than Ozzie Guillen (that is to say, anyone else).

Here is what we give up:
An A-Ball Catcher who hit the hell out of the ball in the AFL but struggles behind the plate.
A middle infielder who looked (like he is 11) way over his head at the ML level.
A LHP who was so terribly inconsistent that it didn't look like he would ever "figure it out" (Kyle Davies redux).
A throw in low A LHP who no one knew anything about.

So in essence we get 2 years of 200 IP with a league average ERA for 11 million per year and we give up nothing that would have started for our ball club the next 2 years. Additionally, none of the prospects for this deal were keys in a deal for Peavy. Not that I want to blow up our minor leagues to get him, but if Wren decides to do so he still has that option.

I, for one, am happy with a deal. It's a typical trade from strength to shore up a weakness and we do so without giving up anything more than true "prospects".

The NFC South Is Not As Good As It Seems

And that includes the Falcons. I have come to the conclusion (and no I don't have stats to back this up) that the teams that are 10-6 are just as good as the teams that are 6-10 and everyone in between. These are the teams that are dangerous every Sunday, but they have serious flaws. Even if they make the playoffs, they are not a real title contender. The difference between these teams? A lucky break here or there, a slightly better coach, an injury to a major player, or (the topic of the column) one teams' schedule is easier than the other.

Here are the standings for the NFC South:
Carolina is 8-3
Tampa Bay is 8-3
Atlanta is 7-4
New Orleans is 6-5
All of the teams have winning records, but all of the teams are also imminently beatable. None of them scream "Title Contender." Are Tampa and Carolina really better than New England or Indy? Who would you rather put money on to win the Super Bowl?

So why are the records of the NFC South so good? We all get to play Detroit, Kansas City, and Oakland, who have a combined 4 wins. So that's three guaranteed wins right there. Delhomme threw 4 picks and a total of 72 yards against Oakland, AND THEY STILL WON! Then you throw in the underachieving Chargers, the defensive sieve that is Denver, and the rest of the NFC North (Bears, Packers, and Vikings) who are just average teams, and you have a recipe for a winning season if you have a decent team.

Now I'm not saying that Atlanta's good play this season is a mirage created by playing inferior competition. Far from it. I'm just saying I don't know if we're really 7-4 good. A few tweaks in the schedule and I could see us being 5-6 or even 4-7, which, considering my expectations coming into the season, I would still consider a rousing success. So don't buy Super Bowl tickets... until next season.

Too Early To Evaluate

But I enjoy a bit of hyperbole from time to time.

Comrade Dmitroff = Genius

Below is a 2008 draft summary for the Falcons with some comments by me. Before that, I'd like to note that pundits were basically wetting themselves after the Giants got contributions from just about their entire draft class of 2007 during last year's super bowl run. Perhaps the Falcons should go ahead and start covering their furniture with plastic? I hope so...


1st Round (No. 3 overall)
QB Matt Ryan (Boston College)

Not really much to be said that hasn't been said already. Being a Falcons fan my entire life, I've never "watched a QB grow" or even knew what that meant. The change in Matt is appreciable and noticeable on a week to week basis and it really excites me to think what can be accomplished down the road as long as he stays healthy and we surround him with quality players.

1st Round (No. 21 overall)+
T Sam Baker (USC)

Was having a stellar season at LT until injuries derailed him. A couple of concussions and a busted hip have kept him out half the season. Hopefully he'll be back because the inability to run behind Weiner could be a real weakness against good defenses. Good thing there is only one of those left on the schedule.

2nd Round (No. 37 overall)
LB Curtis Lofton (Oklahoma)

If Ryan is "Matty Ice", I vote for calling Lofton "The Beast". We can have an all crappy beer nicknamed team. Not sure who gets to be called Schlitz, OE, and/or PBR. Lofton is a pretty sure tackler and doesn't seem to get out of position on many occassions. We haven't seen much of his pass rush ability as we tend to send OKB (Old Keith Brooking) on blitzes for some reason. Continued development should make him and Boley and impressive force.


3rd Round (No. 68 overall)
CB Chevis Jackson (LSU)

Corners typically develop slowly as the athleticism advantage they once had in college is gone and they have to learn how to cover. That said, Jackson has been solid in nickel and dime situations and I have rarely seen him burnt deep (DHalled as I like to call it).

3rd Round (No. 84 overall)#
WR Harry Douglas (Louisville)

He and Jenkins are the perfect complements to Rowdy Roddy White. Roddy is the "guy" defenses have to key on. Jenkins makes the tough catches and can go up for the ball. And Harry Douglas is the squirrely guy that gets open and squirts for extra yards when you need him to. Combine that with punt return ability and creative use in the run game and he can be a game changer.

3rd Round (No. 98 overall)~
S Thomas DeCoud (California)

With the surprising (to me) play of Erik Coleman, we haven't gotten to see much of DeCoud. He made big plays on special teams last week and I have no doubt he is learning a lot under the tutelage of Lawyer Milloy.

5th Round (No. 138 overall)
LB Robert James (Arizona State)

I haven't seen or heard from this guy all year. I'm too lazy to check the Falcons roster. Our first miss. And it's in the 5th round. I'm okay with that.

5th Round (No. 154 overall)%
DE Kroy Bierman (Montana)

Has been part of the regular rotation at DE all season and has gotten QB pressure on numerous occassions. A situational pass rusher, but it gives Abraham a breather and that's a great thing.

6th Round (No. 172 overall)
RB Thomas Brown (Georgia)

Blew out his knee in pre-season. I still have high hopes for him as a replacement for Norwood when Norwood moves on (which he will) to a starting job. Can excel as a 3rd down back and a receiver and return punts and kicks.

7th Round (No. 212 overall)
CB Wilrey Fontenot (Arizona)

Not on the active roster. How dare you screw up our 7th round pick, GM!

7th Round (No. 232 overall)
TE Keith Zinger (LSU)

I am convinced we drafted him for name only.

Summary:

When you pick at the top of the draft you have to make the most out of it. Getting a pro-bowl caliber QB, a starting LT, LB, WR and depth at CB, DE, and S is about as much as you can ask of a new GM coming in to a horrible mess.

Flip on the Free Throw Line

I don't want Flip taking 20 shots a game.

I don't want Flip to play more than 20 minutes a game.

I don't want Flip to be on the floor with Bibby.

I don't want Flip to guard anyone good.

I don't want Flip to influence our young players (especially Law).

I do, however, want Flip to be on the floor at the end of the game when we have a lead. The man does not feel pressure. I was comfortable having him at the free throw line on Wednesday against the Wizards to ice the game. To me, he's the equivalent of Sam Cassell the last couple of years. Too much confidence, which isn't a horrible thing when the game is on the line.

Lack of Defense

So I was going to write separate articles about the struggles of the Falcons and Hawks, but then I realized their problems were exactly the same: no defense, especially in late game situations.

First, let's start with the Falcons. The Broncos get the ball with 10:36 remaining in the fourth quarter starting on their own 17 yard line down by three. They proceeded to march down the field for a touchdown with relative ease despite playing with two green tackles (Clady is a rookie, Harris is a second-year guy). Granted the Falcons are a good example of young players coming through, but still. A crucial drive in the fourth quarter and the Broncos only see 2 third downs? One of them at the 9 yard line? That's rough...

The main culprit for this is an utter lack of a pass rush outside of Abraham. And since Abraham got banged up earlier in the game, Atlanta's got dominated on the line. The Broncos were rushing effectively despite signing running backs off the street, and Cutler had way too much time to sit in the pocket and wait for a receiver to get open. Our secondary, which is improving, can't defend receivers for that long, especially when playing against talented receivers like Brandon Marshall. So it's time for Jamaal Anderson to wake up and start playing like the defensive end he resembles and will see this week: Julius Peppers. (Seriously, compare! Around the same height, weight, build, facial hair, hair cut... he needs to channel his inner Peppers)

As for the Hawks, I think the main culprits are injuries and poor subbing. Since Josh went out the Hawks' defense has suffered as evidenced by surrendering 108 points to Chicago, 103 to Boston, 115 and 119 to New Jersey, and 113 to Indiana. Additionally Horford has missed the last couple of games so our interior defense at key times consisted of Zaza and Marvin, neither of which can block of shot to save their life (though they rebounded well against Washington, but their big men aren't any good). Combine this with the fact that Woody is running out the combo of Bibby and Flip at the same time and you have a recipe for disaster. The guards on the perimeter can't keep their man in front of them (still have nightmares of Devin Harris), and our bigs can't clean up the mess when they get into the paint.

Getting Horford and Josh back will obviously alleviate some of these problems, but Woody has to realize that he really shouldn't play Flip and Bibby together for long stretches of time. Even with Horford or Josh in there, you're putting so much pressure on them that you have the potential for them to rack up quick fouls or force them to leave their man open for easy dishes or easy rebounds. So unless we're going up against a team with inept guards, Woody needs to stagger Flip and Bibby and mix in Mo Evans more. He can still extend the D, but he can also play D.

But, unlike last year, I feel like these Atlanta teams can actually make adjustments to correct these problems. So they feel more like speed bumps rather than the mountains of last year. Nice feeling...

Gazing Into My Crystal Balls

We're 6-4* today

I've been busy with some other things going on in real life so D has been kind enough to do most of the posting lately. I got the message that "Dave the Falconer" was seeking our predictions and I had every intention of writing this up before the Broncos game. I really thought we should have and could have won that game and would have predicted so. Looking back it seems like the major problem was that our line wasn't able to make many holes against the Broncos front and the left side in particular behind aging Todd Weiner and already aged Wayne Gandy was subpar. Ryan was pressured more by the Broncos d-line and while I'd like to give them credit, I still credit our poor play more than I can credite excessive skill on their part. So what does the rest of the season hold for us?

vs. Carolina: WIN
Here's why: Despite the poor play of the line last week, we are a better team on the road. In some ways, Ryan facing some heat and making a few bad decisions is a good thing. You develop in any sport by playing against better competitors and learning from mistakes. Last time Ryan had a bad game he followed it up with a great game. Granted Carolina won't play like Kansas City, but the teams always have a little more juice for a division rival. Factor in the home crowd, the close margin last time (the game wasn't out of hand til late), and Ryan's development and I think we can squeak out a win on Elam's leg.

at San Diego: WIN
Here's Why: A lot of people seem to think we'll lose this game. I don't get it. As a disgruntled owner of LT, I can tell you he isn't the same this year. It hasn't mattered which defense he has been going against, he's been pretty terrible. This will be the first game in a while where the opposing team doesn't have a WR that we have to worry about. Against the Chargers, I'm comfortable with our corners man to man. San Diego's defense isn't what it was with Merriman and the Falcons will follow the Oakland game plan of getting out to a decent lead and letting the other team try to claw back. This just in: Norv Turner isn't a good coach.

at New Orleans: WIN
Here's Why: We demolished them at home. Their defense is terrible, their offense is falling apart and their players are starting to blame one another. Part of our "home field advantage" is that the surface we play on is much different than grass. It'll FEEL like a home game on the field in New Orleans as their crowds aren't as loud as they were the last few years (that'll happen when you are mediocre) and we're accustomed to the "fast surface".

vs. Tampa Bay: WIN
Here's Why: Bad QB with a running game either missing players or with players coming off of injury on the road and no playmakers on the outside to stretch the field. That sounds like a recipe for a low scoring game. This will shape up to be one of those 13-7 affairs and I think the Falcons have more playmakers and a more consistent kicker. These games come down to a big play or two and a clutch kick a lot of times and I think we have both.

at Minnesota: LOSS
Here's Why: Because you can't win them all. The homer in me wanted to pick us to win this game and run the table but that's not likely to happen. This team reminds me a lot of a better version of Tampa. A mediocre QB with a great defense around him. The difference is that Minny has a playmaker and is at home. Adrian Peterson will likely control the clock for the Vikes in front of an always raucous crowd.

vs. St. Louis: WIN
Here's Why: Let me get this straight: needing a big win to stay in the playoff picture we get one of the worst teams in the league the last game of the year? You don't get to automatically put one in the win column in the NFL but this is about as close as you can get. Rams' players will be playing to finish out the season and not get hurt, coaches will have checked out knowing their fate is already sealed for the next year. And the Falcons are at home with a QB who is learning visibly every game with the playoffs on the line! We'll be up big by half and cruise on home.
That puts the Falcons at 11-5 and 4-2 in the division. The division title could turn into a mess as each team has 3 games remaining and anything can happen. Regardless, at worst we finish the season with a .500 record and a legion of suddenly mute pundits eating crow on the Ryan pick. At best, I'm right and we make the playoffs. I'm not sure how they will shake out but if we can get Arizona or an NFC North team, I'd be fairly confident.

It's a good time to be an Atlanta fan. If only Josh Smith's ankle would hurry up and heal...

*We should be 7-3 but we got jobbed by the refs in the Eagles game. This is almost indisputably the worst season in officiating ever. That's not hyperbole. They've screwed the Chargers, Falcons and $64 million dollars worth of Vegas bets. Somewhere Tim Donaghy is giggling.

Falcons Predictions

Well Dave the Falconer asked for predictions of the upcoming schedule, so here it goes. In the interest of full disclosure, I made a prediction at the beginning of the season in my article "This I Believe," where I thought I was being generous in predicting 6 wins for the Falcons. I hope that prediction does not come true since that would mean the Falcons went on a 7 game losing streak. So I guess this would be a more revised prediction.

Falcons v. Broncos
Didn't we just play this team last week? Horrible defense, great passing offense, abandons the run at the drop of the hat. What's that? That was the Saints? Oh... well I'm still going to predict the same result. Falcons win in a shootout where the secondary makes just enough plays, and Turner milks the clock with his ginormous thighs.

Falcons v. Panthers
I think this game will come down run defenses. The Panthers have a pretty good one, and Peppers seems to be coming on (3 sacks and 2 forced fumbles last week). The Falcons have a good one as well, but only when Grady "Fat" Jackson plays. I'm thinking that Grady will play and the Falcons will win by a field goal. Delhomme will march the Panthers down the field with time running out, but he will either be intercepted or a pass will be defensed on fourth down to preserve the win.

Falcons at Chargers
I'm still not ready to believe that Tomlinson has fully fallen off the cliff yet. Maybe I'm just in denial. Plus by this time Ron Rivera (the new d-coordinator) will have had several weeks to get his mitts around the Chargers defense, which still has plenty of talented players. The Chargers, desperately trying to salvage their season will win by 10 points.

Falcons at New Orleans
The Saints, also trying to salvage their season of broken dreams, will be playing their hearts out. Reggie Bush, back from his injury, and Marques Colston, who looked rusty last week, will further aid Drew Brees in his quest to try and save the Saints. Unfortunately there is no one coming to aid the New Orleans defense, and Turner's titanic thighs will keep the ball out of Brees' hands. Therefore, the Falcons win running away... literally.

Falcons v. Tampa Bay
The Falcons first home loss will come to the hated Buccaneers. Honestly, now that the NFC South has been together for 6 or so seasons, I have a natural disdain for the other three teams in our division. I think that's what the head offices were going for, and it worked well in the NFC South.

Falcons at Minnesota
I don't know why, but I just can not respect the Vikings this season. I love Peterson, I love the Williams in the middle, and Jared Allen is good (don't love him though), but I just can't take them seriously with such a mess under center. Their run D scares me since Turner seems to vanish against these teams. However, I believe this game will come down to who turns the ball over the least, and I think it's a safe bet that Ryan will protect the ball better than Frerotte. Therefore, Falcons win by a field goal.

Falcons v. St. Louis
The Rams are awful. We're at home. Falcons win.

That will leave the Falcons at 11-5. And I think there is a possibility of a three way tie at the top of the NFC South. The Panthers have a tough schedule over their last 7, and I could easily see them dropping 3 games. The Bucs have a much easier schedule than the Falcons or the Panthers, but I don't think they are as good. Therefore I'm predicting a three-way tie for first in the NFC South. Wouldn't that be fun?

Man I Hate Paul Pierce

Let me get something straight right off the bat: I don't hate Pierce because he hit the game-winning shot last night. Far from it. I was disappointed that the Hawks lost, and, honestly, impressed by the shot he hit. Besides, the Hawks should be blamed for even allowing Pierce that opportunity. They got the ball with 21 seconds left and should have bled the clock before driving to the basket. Then Pierce would have had a rushed shot at best. No, I don't hate Pierce for one moment.

I hate Pierce for how he plays basketball. He has the ugliest game short of Anthony Mason. I hate how he flops around the court worse than the European players.

I hate that he flails his arms and falls every which way on the offensive end, but still stares at the refs in shock when he gets called for a foul on the defensive end. He's probably trying to get the refs to call a foul in the above picture.

I hate that the refs encourage his behavior by calling fouls on defenders who are standing to the side with their arms up when Pierce flops to the side while shooting. NO ONE SHOOTS LIKE THAT! WHY ARE YOU CALLING A FOUL?!

When I texted Matt last night that I hated Pierce he responds with, "I wonder if he walks down the street and falls into people and then calls the police." In everyday life Pierce is the guy that slams on his brakes and then hops out of his car holding his neck when he gets into a fender-bender, threatening to sue.

I hate that he attempted more free throws (16) than field goals (14) last night. Let me get this straight... almost all of our players get in foul trouble, but Glen Davis is allowed to literally shove Joe at the top of the key when flashing out on a screen?

I hate that people are going to be talking about how he scored 34 points when 15 of those points came off of free throws.

I hate when people say he is "good at creating contact," and mean it as a compliment. He's a used car salesman on the court, creating something that isn't there and selling that bs to the refs. In his honor the NBA should change the rules. Even if you get your guy up the air, you have to at least attempt your normal shot to get a foul call. No falling to the side or lunging forward or backward to create contact. If the shooter literally creates the contact, then it shouldn't be a foul.

Man I hate Paul Pierce.

So Really, How Good are the Hawks?

I think I like Sekou's answer the best, you're not as good as your best days and you're not as bad as your worst days. I'm sure I butchered the saying, but you get the gist of it. The Hawks are flying high at 5-0, but I think you're jumping out on a limb to say they're one of the elite teams in the East. I'm not saying the limb is going to break, but it isn't the steadiest position. So let's move back to the trunk and try to figure out what we can glean from the first 5 games.

1. The Hawks will not be awful on the road this year. Last year the Hawks barely squeaked into the playoffs mainly due to a 12-29 road record compared to a 25-16 home record. This home/road split was quite evident in their playoff series where they lost 4 games in Boston by an average margin of 25.25 points. This year, however, the Hawks already have 3 road wins (1/4 of last years total), including wins against 2 playoff teams from last year; Orlando and New Orleans. I think this trend will continue with the young players getting another year under their belt and the addition of Flip and Mo, two vets who will provide more stability on the road.

2. The Hawks bench will not be a liability. I'm not going to go as far as calling the bench an asset just yet, but we have gone from having one bench player worth anything in Childress to having several bench players that can contribute. Now we have 3-4 (depending on how you count Solo). Additionally the bench players look like they defined roles this year. Last year Woodson yanked around everyones minutes (except Childress) so they never knew when they were coming into the game, for how long, and what they're role was going to be. This year the roles are:
Flip is the bench player who can create his own offense. Mo is the wing defender who can knock down the 3. Zaza is the energy big man (18 offensive rebounds in 5 games). Even Solo has played good D off the bench (5 blocks and many more altered shots in the last two games).
Hopefully Woody will stick to his rotation and give the bench some consistency. The bench will especially help over the long haul of the season as it will keep Joe's minutes down, give us more of a chance on the second night of a back-to-back, and will help us survive the inevitable injuries.

3. The Hawks can shoot the 3. Last year it was Joe and Bibby, and before the trade for Bibby it was just Joe. This meant that opposing defenses could lock down on Joe and cheat off of everyone else. This made every offensive possession a struggle to find room to operate. This year, however, Mo (43.8%) and Flip (41.2%) joined Joe (44%) and Bibby (37.9%) in shooting well beyond the arc. Additionally Marvin, who attempted 10 3's all season last year, has hit 4-7 (57.1%) in 4 games this year. Now the Hawks can put on the floor 3-4 (if we go small) players who can consistently knock down the 3. This will spread out the floor for Josh and Horford, and, especially, make it so a defense will pay for collapsing down on Joe.

Like I said at the top, I think it's way too early to predict anything too crazy for the Hawks. At the same time, however, the fast start has made it so people won't think you're completely insane for putting the Hawks in the elite of the east.

Billy Beane is Smarter Than You

I wanted to come out of my little work-induced break with an Atlanta article, but I just had to comment on the Holliday trade. In case you were asleep yesterday, the Oakland A's are acquiring the Rockies' Matt Holliday for starter Greg Smith, closer Huston Street, and outfielder Carlos Gonzalez.

That's right, for one of the top five hitters is baseball, Beane is giving up a starter who had a 4.16 ERA (even though he was pitching in Oakland), a rookie outfielder who hit .242 in 302 at-bats, and a good pitcher in the most over-rated position, who is also injury prone, closer. I would call that a heist.

You can argue that it's not that great of a deal since Holliday is on the last year of his contract and the A's will have no chance of signing him since he's a Boras client who will be asking for a contract in the neighborhood of A-Rod's. But if the A's aren't contending by June or July, what kind of prospects do you think people are going to be willing to shell out for a legitimate middle of the order bat? And if they are contending, they gave up not much for a run at the AL west, and when he leaves for free agency they will get two compensatory picks.

And that's why Beane is smarter than you...

Terrible Calls All Around

When D called me with 2:00 remaining in the 4th quarter of the Falcons game, we shared the same sentiment: worst officiating call since Kent Hrbek. For the ref/ump to rule that Jennings "muffed" the punt and award possession to the Eagles with just over 2:00 left at the 40 yard line was nothing short of a travesty. I immediately compared it to the "Hochuli" call from earlier this season and D agreed. In a situation like that where you are not certain what happened, you award the ball to the recieving team and let the kicking team challenge. Even the Eagles knew that Jennings didn't touch the ball (as you can tell from the gunner pulling up after he corralls the punt). Instead, the officials (who were at least 20 yards away from the play) determined that the ball somehow grazed Jennings and that the punt was "muffed". That was the determining factor of the game and it is amazing me that it is not getting more coverage right now. I've watched at least 6 wrap up shows and no one has actually shown the play itself. They are simply alluding to a "muffed punt by Atlanta" and moving on. Collusion from the NFL for not wanting MORE of their terrible officiating broadcast.

And what is the Falcons recourse? Likely the same as the Chargers. Be pissed off at the officials and get an "I'm sorry" from the NFL? It's pathetic. I've long wondered why the NFL doesn't adopt the collegiate method for review. There is already a review committee in the booth all game anyhow, why not put them to work and have them able to stop play and review things themselves. You still can have a challenge or two to work with at your discretion with the same loss of timeout. It's asinine to penalize a coach for good clock management by removing the ability to dispute an egregious call from backwoods retarded officials. Where is the harm? Hell, if it extends the game 15 minutes it means more revenue dollars from advertising. I'm failing to see the issue. Except that it could potentially point out the unending amateurism that is "professional" officiating.

If there was such a replay system in place here is what would have happened in the Falcons/Eagles game. Call would have been made correctly (overturned by replay) and Ryan would have had the ball at the Falcons 40 with over 2:00 to work with against a pass defense that had seen their best CB and S miss time throughout the game due to injury (Samuel and Dawkins both left the field at different times for injuries). Ryan would likely have worked the Falcons down and gotten in position to score the go ahead TD with minimal time remaining.

Instead: craptastic call and a disheartened defense (who had forced the Eagles off the field with a stellar effort before the punt) gives up an immediate Westbrook icing TD. It's miserable to watch a valiant effort by an inferior but great hearted team go in vain due to errors in judgement by impartial parties.

Then again, this all could have been avoided if Mularkey hadn't decided to throw the fade to Roddy instead of pounding the ball in with Turner from the 2. Any run call would have been better. Of all the things Roddy is good at, jump balls isn't one of them. He's quick, elusive, fast, and has pretty good hands. But he is neither tall nor a good leaper and I'm yet to see him develop the ability to body his way into position and fight for a ball in the air. At the goal line you pound the ball as the pass defense has to defend much less space and the options for a QB are terribly limited and predictable. From inside the 3 you are relegated to fades, slot slants (if the LBs are out of the middle), and slot outs (if you have the TE covered by a LB). The better options are to pound the rock with your big back or FB, spread the formation and run the QB, or try a "flip 90" (RB to the outside). I would have preferred to see the flip to Norwood or Turner running behind Ovie.

Good thing the UGA depantsing of LSU had my spirits high and I'm packing for Florida or I'd have too much time to stew on this crapfest.

To Peavy or Not to Peavy

So what could awaken my interest in baseball after the Braves season that could have been, the Falcons having a winning record, and the Hawks season about the start? No, not the Red Sox losing to the Rays (though that was awesome! How great was it to hear this quote, "And the Boston season rides on pinch-hitter Jed Lowrie"? The guy batted .207 in the playoffs, now allegedly had a hurt wrist, and the Red Sox season rested on his shoulders? Cracked me up.) No, the thing that peaked my interest was off season rumors. Where you have no clue what you're team might end up doing... especially with the Braves and how they keep everything quiet.

So the new and exciting rumor is that we're the leading candidate to trade for Jake Peavy. He's only 27, he's got a Cy Young award, and he grew up a Braves fan in Alabama... what's not to like?

Well several people have answered that question. Some people are worried that Peavy's jerky motion is a recipe for a major arm injury. Also that the Padres willingness to deal their ace, who has a reasonable contract ($11 million in 2009, $15 million in 2010, $16 million in 2011, $17 million in 2012 and a $22 million option ($4 million buyout) for 2013), is a little disconcerting. Additionally, many people don't want to have to give up Tommy Hanson, our top pitching prospect, in the trade. Hanson is a 22 year old fireballer with the mentality of a bulldog... whatever that means, who just won the Arizona Fall League player of the week by winning both his starts while allowing only one hit over 6.2 innings pitched. In his most recent start last Saturday, October 18, Hanson struck out eight of the first nine hitters.

I say go for Peavy. Several of our key players (Chipper, Smoltz, Glavine) are getting old, and won't have too many more productive seasons. Peavy has avoided any major injury so far with his motion, so what's to say that he won't continue that trend. Many people think Sabathia's arms should have fallen off years ago... some people just defy the trends. If we can keep Hanson and still trade for Peavy, great. But I think several teams learned last year that a proven star is much more valuable than a couple of potential stars. The Yankees missed out on Johan Santana because they were unwilling to part with Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy. Here's their stats for last season respectively: 0-4 6.62 era in 8 starts and 0-4 with a 8.17 era in 9 starts. Boston missed out because they didn't want to trade their prospects, and they certainly could have used another starter in the playoffs.

Now I know that Hanson won't necessarily turn out as a bust, and Hughes and Kennedy might still blossom, but it shows the danger of valuing prospects over a certified ace. But I'm not convinced the Padres will trade Peavy without a deal that blows them away. They can still control him for four seasons with a reasonable salary so they're not just going to give him away. And I don't think the Braves are going to sell the farm for him.

So I think this is just an interesting rumor for bloggers to bat around for a month or so before it dies off and the Braves make some other trade or signing that no one saw coming. It's pretty much their MO at this point. I say Hudson convinces Mulder to sign with the Braves for cheap.

He has Seen the Light

These quotes from an ESPN interview will be a comfort for everyone who saw Arthur Blank as a meddling owner (which is pretty much everyone):

"I'm interested in building a long-term winning organization. There are some teams that have done that in the NFL and had success over time and we've studied those organizations and they have certain characteristics. One is that they keep their coaching staff together over a long period of time and they keep their general manager in place. They have a sense of patience about building their team and they stay the course of their plan."

"My role is to be a cheerleader for them and make sure Mike [Smith] and Thomas [Dimitroff] have the resources they need."

I think I speak for everyone when I say, THANK GOD! The Falcons organization has a chance!

Don't get me wrong, I've always had a soft spot for Blank, especially after the Rankin Smith line of asleep at the wheel owners. But he was getting a little too buddy-buddy with the players. Maybe he was taking the lead from Mora. But I think he's got it now!

Still Urging Patience

Well that prediction was more accurate than I could have ever... well... predicted. And today, due to the dramatic end of the game, the Falcons are getting more national attention than the rest of the season combined. This would be a time where our expectations as Falcons fans could ran away from us, especially with a pretty much guaranteed win over the lifeless "Bye Week." I, however, will continue to extol the virtue of patience.

If you watched the game, you know the Falcons should have blown out the Bears. The end of the game should have come with Matty Ice (a now well-deserved nickname) taking a knee rather than Elam attempting a 48 yd field goal. It's a problem when you look at the box score and see "Elam - 29 yd field goal. Elam - 32 yd field goal." And he missed a 33 yd field goal. We got an 85 yd return from Norwood in the 4th quarter and our drive looked like this: Turner runs for -2 yards, Turner runs for 2 yards, Turner runs for 2 yards, missed field goal. Granted the aforementioned drive happened in the fourth quarter when we were trying to run out the clock, and granted the Bears are still a very good defensive team, but those are red zone (or near enough) opportunities the Falcons cannot afford to squander against good teams. It didn't kill them Sunday against an anemic Bears team, but it will later on.

On the bright side the close score belies the fact that the Falcons dominated a solid Bears team that was hot coming into this game. Ryan proved, for one game at least, that he can burn a team if they continuously stack the box. I love the offensive game that Mularkey called. He put his trust in Ryan by allowing him to throw 30 times against a battered Bears secondary, but he didn't pull a Gruden and go completely pass wacky. He ran the ball 28 times to ensure that the Bears had to continually worry about Turner going off.

But now it's time for the stat that continues to blow my mind, and no one in their right mind would have suggested at the beginning of the season. It's so mind-blowing, I just might make it a reoccurring section at the end of Falcons articles. I'm just going to end on it to give it plenty of room to sink in and let you realize just how much it explains all the success the Falcons are having...

Games: 6
Sacks Allowed: 7

More Falcons Predictions

So I was 1-1 with my last set of predictions. I nailed the Panthers game, but I didn't account for the injuries to the Packers secondary (Harris and Bigby), the injury to Rodgers, and the growth of Matt Ryan for the Packers game. I was actually going to write last week predicting that the Falcons would beat the Packers, but I didn't have time... I swear I was!

This week we are playing the Bears, and our offense will not fare quite as well. The Bears run defense is stouter than the Packers, and our two losses have come against teams that can stop the run. The only way the Falcons can win this game is if Ryan continues to look good in the passing game. Luckily Roddy White getting KO'ed in practice wasn't that serious. Also Mularkey needs to make sure he mixes in some deep routes to stretch the defense. In our two losses, the Bucs and the Panthers were stacking the box, but Ryan was still trying to throw short routes. Ryan has to take several shots down the field, otherwise Turner will be hit behind or at the line of scrimmage every single time.

Defensively I'm not too concerned. Other then Devin Hester, there are no playmakers on the Bears offense. Everything is predicated on not turning the ball over. Forte (Thomas Jones 2.0) is a good, solid back, but he's not going to break any huge runs. He's only averaging 3.6 ypc. Similarly, Orton doesn't have the throws or the receivers to make the big throws as evidenced by his 7.1 ypa average. So as long as we play good special teams, take note of when Hester lines up as a receiver, and force a turnover or two, then the Bears won't score more than 20 points.

Well I was going to predict that the Falcons would lose their first home game, but I just can't bring myself to do it. I'm going with the Falcons winning on a Jason Elam field goal after Matty Ice's first 2 minute drill with the game on the line.

The Fro That Is No Mo

Because (a) Hawks season is around the corner and I am quite ready for basketball season and (b) I’m tired of staring at my horribly errant projection regarding the Crimson "Hang on while we wait for the officials to hand out another 60 yards of terrible penalties" Tide game: It’s time for some Hawks Tawk. Oh yeah, I just did that.

The loss of Josh Childress as he goes on his National Lampoon’s European Vacation tour won’t be as significant as most pundits seem to think. While it is true that Childress was vital as back up PG/SG/SF and even PF at times and was the only strong bench player, his presence on the court also hindered things at times. Here is how the team looked with him on the floor at various positions depending upon whom he was replacing:

At PG: Childress, Joe, Marvin, Josh Smith, Al. While a capable ball-handler, he was never a threat to score and didn’t have the passing ability to be a facilitator. Lacking any real shot, the defense could load up on Joe and clog the passing lanes.
At SG: Bibby, Childress, Marvin, JS, Al. While having a seasoned PG on the court to distribute the ball will help for offensive movement, with no great outside shooters on the court (especially if Bibby was riding a cold-streak), the defense could collapse down low and force low percentage jumpers from Bibby, Marvin, and JS.
At SF: Bibby, Joe, Childress, JS, Al. Probably the best position for him in relation to keeping spacing for the others. He can cut and dive to the basket for easy buckets, but doesn’t really have the strength to finish in traffic. Relies more on angles and with JS and Al down low struggles to find lanes. One option is to pull JS out a little but that would leave JS open for ill-advised jumpers.
At PF: Bibby, Joe, Marvin, Childress, Al. Besides getting abused on the defensive end, Childress doesn’t have the frame to back people down or the height to finish over them. Most of the time, this lineup would push Marvin into the 4 where he wasn’t suited yet.

That isn’t to say that the team won’t miss him. He was our most intelligent player and a great on-ball defender adept at cleaning up errant shots. However, the development of Acie Law (who got a bad rap last year while trying to play injured) and Horford (who will be stronger down low after a season of experience) combined with the maturation of Marvin and JS will create a stronger starting 5 with a more adept backup PG. The additions of Flip Murray to solidify the PG rotation (and Speedy if he actually plays), Mo Evans as a capable bench scorer, and Randolph Morris to give the front lines some beef when ZaZa goes on a fouling spree should create a deeper bench. Personally I’d rather have 2-3 good bench players rather than 1 great one, which is what I think we did. It enables the team more flexibility and gives the roster more places to turn when injuries and tired-ness come along.

I also wouldn’t underestimate ‘Super’ Mario West. He brings the same energy and intelligence that Childress brought and with more playing time could prove to be a very valuable asset off the bench for the Hawks.

The Schedule Begins

There haven't been any posts about the Dawgs so far for a couple of reasons. The first is that we had yet to encounter what I could call a serious enough challenge to merit posting. The schedule thus far has required only that we play with mediocrity to win. We've played to that level or better so far and head in to our actual schedule 4-0 and are facing real challenges for the first time. The second reason is that there is no glory in beating who you should beat. You simply throw it in the W column and move on.

So Saturday our schedule begins in earnest. We face an overly cocky Alabama team on Saturday in the Classic City.

Here is why I'm not really that worried about the Crimson Hefelumps.

(a) We beat this same squad last year in OT at their place at night on ESPN

(b) We've improved on both sides of the ball particularly at WR, LB, DB since we last played them.

(c) We will be jacked up from having ESPN Gameday on campus for the first time in a decade

(d) We will be jacked up from playing a night game at home

(e) We will be jacked up because of the Blackout

(f) We will be jacked up because their coaches are idiots and mocked our Blackout

(g) They can't throw the ball and we can stop the run

(h) Our game plan last year was to slip/screen/bomb them and it worked modestly. With an obviously matured MoMass and super-frosh AJ Green along with a much smarter and developed QB we're going to take chunks of yardage at a time.

(i) Saban will try to change up and Knowshon goes wild in the 2nd half.

(j) JPW will choke and throw two easy picks. It's just what he does.

(k) I was able to compile 10 reasons why I'm not worried without thinking too hard...

What Have We Learned After 3 Weeks?

The Falcons, much to the chagrin of almost everyone, are 2-1 after 3 weeks. Normally, this would lead to some measure of optimism, but the two wins have come against two 0-3 teams (Lions and Chiefs) who have looked absolutely awful so far. I think a better measure of how good a team we are comes from contrasting our wins to our one loss.

Lesson One: If we can consistently run the ball, we can put up some points. In the two games Turner went over 100 yards, we scored over 30 points. In the game he did not reach 100 yards, we only scored 9 points.

Lesson Two: Our success is inversely related to the number of pass attempts Matt Ryan has. In the two wins, under 20 attempts. In the one loss, 33 attempts. That doesn't mean that Ryan is awful, but he's not at the point in his career that he can beat a team without a good running game. He's a rookie... what can you expect?

Lesson Three: Our secondary isn't nearly as bad as I expected. Kitna only got numbers because they were down early and had to abandon the run. Griese didn't really do anything. And we dominated Thigpen. Now those three QBs aren't anywhere close to being considered elite, but they have still equipped themselves well. I don't think they'll get absolutely abused by the better QBs of the league.

Lesson Four: Our run D needs Grady "Fat" Jackson. We got killed by the Tampa running game with Jackson injured, and they were only throwing Dunn and Earnest Graham out there. With Jackson in the lineup for the two wins, we were able to contain the running game either completely (Lions) or until we had a large lead (Chiefs).

Lesson Five: It's good to be home.

So the question remains, based on these lessons, how will the Falcons do over the next few weeks? Answer: We're going to lose the next three weeks.

We're on the road for the first two games. Against the Panthers, they are going to put 8-9 guys in the box, stuff the run, and force Ryan to beat them; which he won't be able to. Against the Packers, we will be able to run the ball, but, while our secondary is decent, we don't have enough quality cornerbacks to keep up with the 3-4 wide receivers sets of the Packers. Finally we will be at home against the Bears, but they are only giving up 71.3 rushing yards per game. I mean Tampa abandoned the run and had Griese throw 67 times this past week against the Bears. We have no chance to win if Ryan has to throw 67 times.

So everyone get ready for three losses and three posts about how Ryan is learning from the losses.

Well That's Good News

On Sunday the Falcons will be taking on the mighty Kansas City Chiefs whose last victory was October 21, 2007.

Oh, but it gets better!

It was announced yesterday that the Chiefs will be starting 2nd-year quarterback Tyler Thigpen. Everybody join me in saying, "Who?" That's right! THE Tyler Thigpen from football powerhouse Coastal Carolina! "Which Carolina?" you ask. Easy! The one with the coast!

This start is notable because Matt Ryan will officially have his first NFL start in which he is the more accomplished passer. Here's the breakdown on career stats:

Ryan 22-46 for 319 yards, 1 td, 2 ints for a rousing 60.0 passer rating.
Thigpen 16-39 for 192 yards, 1 td, 2 ints for a robust 44.0 passer rating.

That's right folks, it's going to be a shoot out of epic proportions! Set your TIVO now!

Vince Young Loses Mobility Due to Aching Vagina

According to ESPN , Vince Young is hurting inside and out and it's making him feel sad and he doesn't want to play anymore. Apparently when the going gets tough, VY gets going. It must be tough to play QB and have to be accountable for team leadership, knowing the playbook, scouting teams, and not turning the ball over twice as much as you score. I'm sure he longs to go back to UT where he could just run around because he was way more athletic than 80% of the people he was playing against.

The Titans, for their part, are pretending that they care. I'm sure it has more to do with them selecting him so high in the draft than it does him actually being needed on the field. After all, Kerry Collins led them to a win this past weekend once VY's Bajingo started bleeding.

This story comes after he insinuated he was ready to retire in the spring. It's pretty telling that he's a little bitch when reporters are interviewing his mom about his mental state. To hell with the pocket protection, he needs a womb.

Apparently He Has Docs on the Bajingo Hall

From Peter King's MMQB:

"I tried to apologize to him,'' Bernard Pollard said over the phone from Foxboro. "But I'm not sure he heard me. He was screaming.''

If you watched even 30 seconds of sports coverage yesterday you probably are aware the Pollard accidentally rolled up on Tom (Jan) Brady's knee and Brady is likely out for the year with a torn ACL. Instead of understanding he plays a violent and physical sport, however, Brady was determined to prove to the world that his time in the spotlight has made him a little bitch.

When Trent Green got KFO (knocked the f- out) last season he didn't blame the other player. Every week a lineman goes down with an injury like this and no one bats their eyes. Reporters say "it's a part of the game" and the players agree. Unless you are Brady. Then you should get to wear a green jersey and never be hit.

Pollard went on to say:" It was an accident. It's tough. It's football. I'm sorry it happened, obviously. I can't do anything but apologize to him."

He could have said "tough shit, that has happened to just about every player ever. I guess he didn't learn what happens on the field while riding the bench at Michigan. Ask Rodney Harrison how often he's done it to other players, then get back to me." But he didn't. That makes him a nice guy in my book.

We should all thank Brady who has proven that Boston sports are the new New York sports. Congratulations, you're whiny, petulant, little bitches. You earned it!

re: the image. it's a picture of a little cat and he's done for the night! look at that visual metaphor!

Must... Contain... Optimism...

In case you missed it, the Falcons played better than anyone could have imagined. The offensive line was dominant, Turner could not be tackled, Ryan got a TD on his first throw, and Abraham got three sacks (6 ball).
But the wild amounts of optimism stemming from this victory have to be tempered by the fact that the Lions defense is AWFUL.

I can guarantee our o-line will not be that dominant all year long. But if they play half as well as they did on Sunday, I think we should be fine and Ryan will make it through the year in one piece.

Relatedly, I can also guarantee that our running game will not gain over 300 yards every week. I think Turner and Norwood will be great, but not that great. The Mikes (Smith and Mularky), however, know that our best chance at winning is through the running game, so they will be feeding those two guys the rock again and again. It was good to see an offensive coordinator that knew how to effectively use two running backs, however, after seeing Norwood languish on the sideline last year.

Finally, in this logical string, with the running game not able to churn out 300 yards, Ryan will not be able to get away with just 13 pass attempts. I'm glad that he got his first TD out of the way, but overall Ryan looked like a rookie QB. He was very conservative in his reads, most of the time looking to dump it off. He had several passes that were off the mark, including one that was tipped up by his receiver and should have been picked off. Any significant third down was either picked up by our running game or wasn't picked up at all. Our offense will struggle when Ryan has to throw more. That's just the reality of a rookie QB starting.

I was most surprised though that our secondary held up pretty well. Granted they were playing from ahead the entire game and could sit back in a soft zone, but they covered and tackled one of the most athletically gifted pair of receivers in the game in Calvin Johnson and Roy Williams. One note from Williams' TD catch in the corner of the endzone at the end of the first half. Since Grimes is so short he either needs to pull a Darrell Green (hit the ball out of his hands on the way down) or just shove him out of bounds. The NFL killed the "force-out" rule, so Grimes should have just shoved Williams once he touched the ball. No way he would have landed in bounds.

Find Something Better To Do On Sunday

Because the Falcons probably won't be on TV. According to Sporting News, the Falcons are scrambling to avoid blacking out the game by lowering ticket prices. I'm betting this won't be enough to entice enough people to go to the game. So either listen to it on radio, go to the local bar, or make alternate plans. Or I guess you could go spend $35 per ticket plus parking and food to go watch a craptastic game.

From Jason Stark @ ESPN:

One more time: Meanwhile, friends of John Smoltz and Tom Glavine continue to report that both want to return to Atlanta next year for low-guarantee, incentive-packed deals as long as it's even remotely possible for them to pitch. In part, it's because they feel remorse for collecting $22 million this year and contributing just five wins and 18 starts. But in part it's also because these guys are such good friends, they feel as if they were cheated out of one last season of playing with each other. And they'd love a mulligan, in more ways than one. "If they want to come back, and you're the Braves," one NL executive said, "I don't know how you would say no."

That is wonderful news. So not only does it look like the braves will have a little cash to play with (due to the ending of the contracts of Smoltz, Hampton, Glavine, Tex, and Kotsay as well as the insurance payments on Hudson's contract), we will likely have the chance to bring several of those pitchers back at significantly reduced salary. I wouldn't discount the notion of Hampton doing the same. He seems like a reasonable fellow by all accounts and has been pitching fairly well (8 IP 3 ER his last start).

Perhaps we can get all three back next year for a total of $15-20 million (which would be 17-22 million less than this year). This would give us added pitching depth which could allow us to bring along the Medlens, Hansons, and Osunas of the minor leagues a little slower.

Here's to hope!

"This I Believe" Falcons Preview

I'm excited about the Falcons season. No joke here, I'm actually excited. Of course I love watching young, rebuilding teams. Something about looking at all the potential and seeing it gradually fall into place just makes me want to watch a team more than an aging, average one that will win 7-9 games.

On offense, I believe the biggest question mark will not be Ryan, but rather our offensive line.
I believe, however, if they are able to make some holes for Turner and Norwood, and if they are able to keep Matt Ryan in one piece, then the Falcons offense could surprise some people.

I believe those are some big ifs...

I believe that Matt Ryan will have an average statistical year, but he will make leaps and bounds in becoming an NFL QB and, more importantly, he will further solidify his status as a leader of the offense. He's already got his receivers pointing at him after they catch scores.

I believe that the combo of Turner and Norwood will gash defenses for close to 2,000 yards, and Turner especially will take a ton of pressure off of Ryan.

I believe that our receivers will continue to mature, led by Roddy White who will be noted more for his stats this year rather than his choice of uniform accessories.

I believe that no one in our secondary could start for any other team.

On that note, I believe that our secondary will give up a ton a big passing plays, but they will improve as the year goes on.

I believe that we could get a good pass rush from DEs Anderson and Abraham if Abraham stays healthy for 16 games.

I believe Abraham will get hurt.

I believe our linebacking core is deep and talented, and that Boley and Brooking will be able to protect whichever middle linebacker plays between Taylor and Lofton.

I believe resigning Grady "Fat" Jackson (note: not his real nickname) was one of the smartest offseason moves for the Falcons.

I believe that signing Jason Elam was another great move this offseason as he will win 2-3 games for a Falcons team that will grind out every game and every possession they have.

I believe the Eagles (if McNabb is healthy) and the Chargers are the only teams that scare me on the Falcons schedule.

I believe the Falcons will win 6 games.

This I believe.

Pleasant Distraction

The riveting run of Team USA in Commiejing is coming to an end. The only really compelling event remaining is the "Redeem Team" (edit: I hate that name, it sounds stupid) going to Gold. Phelps' run is complete (and still damn amazing), the gymnasts medaled all over the place, beach volleyball took Gold in mens and womens for the first time ever at the same games. The closing ceremonies are Sunday. USA will likely celebrate it's "win" in the medal standings (whatever that means) and we will be forced to go back to watching our normal sports.

That's where the trouble comes in. We're left with a week of braves (they get lowercase letters for the rest of the season if I can remember to do so) before college football starts up (and even then it's only non-compelling blowouts for the first two weeks). Really we are 2-3 weeks away from anything worth getting excited about and that is boring. But since I still have sports on my brain, here are a few thoughts for the next couple of weeks:

The braves should rest Jurrjens the rest of the season. He's never pitched this many innings and there is no reason to wear his arm down now. He's a good pitcher now and could be a great one in 2 years. Let's not ruin that.

Similarly, bring up prospects like Anderson (riding a 26 game hit streak), Hanson, B. Jones, even Schafer. These guys need to get a feel for the league and there's no better way to do that than in low pressure situations. And they can't be worse in the field than Infante was in left last night.

I like the decision to give Matt Ryan plenty of time. He's not the typical rookie QB that will be phased by a weak O-Line and a steady stream of defenders in his face. He got used to that at BC.

I wish the Falcons would give Shockley some time with the 1st or 2nd string offense in a game. He's on the edge of the roster because he's behind the worst 3rd stringers in the league while Harrington and Redman get the benefit of having at least NFL level bench players around them.

While losing your left tackle like UGA did with Sturdivant stinks, I'd much rather lose him pre-season than mid-season. It's a lot easier for the coaches to adjust and get people in positions to succeed if you have a game or two to work the kinks out.

The buzz around Stafford is that he may go pro after this season. I doubt that. By coincidence I ate dinner across from him this week and he seems to enjoy the low-key life and relaxing with his friends. Some people have an air of superiority and you can just tell they want to move on. He just seemed like a good old boy happy to be hanging out with his friends. I may just be overly optimistic.

Relatedly, our waitress was an idiot. Besides screwing up our order twice, she (while being a college student and waitress in Athens) had no idea she was waiting on Matt Stafford. After he left she commented "Oh my God! Do you know I just served the #1 QB in the nation." My first thought was to discuss whether or not he is the #1 QB, but my second was to hit her on the head with a pizza box. I went with neither. Occasionally, I'm kind.

It's too early and the anger still too recent to talk about the Hawks.

The Braves are kinda Depressing

So I got a message from Matt today that read, "Braves are being one-hit by Jason Marquis," and I don't know what was sadder. The fact that the Braves were indeed being one-hit by Jason Marquis through 4 innings, or that I didn't care.
At this point, as a fan, I've mailed in this Braves season. They simply don't have the horses to make any sort of run at the playoffs, and even if they did, I would fully expect the hottest player to come down with some season ending injury. That's just the sort of season we've had.
Our top two starters (Smoltz and Hudson) are out for a while, maybe forever for Smoltz. Glavine went on the DL for the first time in his 21 year career. Our top three relievers from last year (Soriano, Gonzalez, and Moylan) all missed significant amounts of time. Franceour stunk up the joint at the plate. Due to all of the above, we then traded Tex. And to top it all off the rock in the announcing booth, Skip Carey, died, may he rest in peace. I don't know if anything else can go wrong.
Therefore I have checked out of the Braves season. Someone tell me when I can start talking about offseason trades.

SIGN HIM ALREADY!!!

This is maddening.
The Hawks finish the season on a high note: pushing the champions further than anyone thought possible, establishing an actual home court advantage, and all with an incredibly young core of players. And how do the Hawks celebrate the off season?
By being the only team that can't keep their non-European player from leaving the country. (Still love you Chill)
By low balling their second best player; a young player who craved attention and praise (see his trip to Philly), but instead the Hawks gave him the middle finger.
Basically by taking any credibility the franchise had gained in the playoffs and flushing it straight down the toilet.
The Bulls can get it done.
The 76ers can get it done.
The Warriors can get it done. Twice.
Hell, even the Bobcats can get it done.
The Hawks? Not so much...
And Sekou reports that we refuse to offer Josh more than $9 mil/year even though everyone else in his draft class is getting about $12 mil/year.
Give him his due, and give the fans something to be happy about again.

Boley Waives Arraignment

I just wanted to reference this story, as reported by the AJC, for a couple of reasons.
One, his lawyer taught one of my classes in law school. Thought it was kinda cool.
Two, to point out an inefficiency in the court system. Most of the time judges will require people to show up in court for their arraignment, even though the whole process takes all of 2 minutes.

Judge: The case of State of Georgia v. Michael Boley.
Lawyer: Judge, Manny Arora for Mr. Boley. He waives his right to a formal arraignment and enters his plea of not guilty.
(Lawyer and Boley sign paper)
Clerk: The plea has been entered.
Judge: Thank you. Next case...

That's it... literally. And there are a lot of judges who won't even let you enter a plea of guilty. The whole process came about in England because most people didn't know how to read, and the first time they would find out what they were exactly charged with would be when the judge read it out to them. Do we really still need this?

The Falcons Should Trade for Favre

Hear me out on this one. Favre wants out of Green Bay. Green Bay would like Favre gone but wants something in return. Green Bay doesn't want to trade him to the Vikings (which is supposedly where he wants to go).

So what is precluding a team from trading for Favre and then spinning him right back to Minny? We have the cap space to absorb him for a day and then ship him right back out. We could probably net ourselves a 3rd round pick by expending a 4th round pick to get Favre here.

Now, there are potential problems: namely, getting Favre to agree to come here. A quick line to his agent should be able to clear that up.

We'd be effectively deciding not to deal with GB ever again because they would want nothing to do with us after we did something like this but it's a business and they should understand that.

thoughts?

Artest is Crazy as Hell

I know this isn't an Atlanta sports topic, but I just had to share some quotes from Ron-Ron. He was responding to this quote from Yao:

"Hopefully, he's not fighting anymore and going after a guy in the stands."

A legitimate concern, especially considering Ron-Ron's response to the Sacramento Bee:

"I understand what Yao said, but I'm still ghetto," Artest said, according to the report. "That's not going to change. I'm never going to change my culture. Yao has played with a lot of black players, but I don't think he's ever played with a black player that really represents his culture as much as I represent my culture. Once Yao Ming gets to know me, he'll understand what I'm about."

Oh, he's not done yet...

"If you go back to the brawl, that's a culture issue right there," Artest added, according to the report. "Somebody was disrespecting me, so he's got to understand where I'm coming from. People that know me know that Ron Artest never changed."

Wow... just wow. Just be glad the Hawks didn't consider a sign and trade with the Kings. There! I worked the Hawks into this post.