SB Nation Atlanta: All Posts by Tim Altork

Georgia Bulldogs Will Win The SEC...In Basketball (According to ESPN The Mag)

2010-11-05T16:26:00Z

If the players in the SEC have any true sense of the future of their conference, the Georgia Bulldogs men's basketball team is going to win the conference championship this year.

"According to most polls, Kentucky and Florida are the SEC's teams to beat. Not in ours: the Wildcats finished in a tie for third, just behind the Gators and well back of the players' choice, upstart Georgia, which gets 42.9% of the vote. 'You watch, Georgia is really going to surprise some people,' says an SEC colleague.'"

So says ESPN the Magazine in their college football preview issue, which came out earlier this week. I don't have the stats in front of me, but I'd say the esteem for the Dawgs is at an all-time high. They took the honors in three of the four big questions that ESPN asked players to answer anonymously.

• Mark Fox won the Best Coach vote, with 33.3 percent naming the Dawgs 2nd-year coach. "I'd love to play for Fox – he seems like he connects with his guys," the Mag quoted a player as saying.

• Trey Thompkins was the unanimous choice as the conference's best player.

• And the team got 42.9 percent of the vote when players were asked who will win the conference. The were ahead of Florida (28.7 percent), Kentucky (14.2) and Tennessee (14.2).

The only question that the Bulldogs didn't win was regarding who the league's best trash talker is. That went to Mississippi State guard Dee Bost.

The respect for the Dawgs makes perfect sense based on the fact that they are the only team in the league with two potential lottery picks, and they have four returning starters. But the national media is always slow to recognize talent over tradition, as exemplified by ESPN the Mag's "voice of reason" Hubert Davis, who picks Florida to win the league and Tennessee's Scotty Hopson as its best player.

Georgia Bulldogs Eerily Similar To Idaho State, Atlanta Hawks Early Season Cakewalk Continues: Too Busy To Hate

2010-11-01T16:39:50Z

You have a lot to look forward to this week, Atlanta sports fan. The team that beat the Braves in the playoffs can win the World Series, so the Braves can make a solid "We played them the closest. We might be the second best team in baseball" argument. Georgia Tech is a two-touchdown underdog to a team that lost to I-AA James Madison (which is now 4-4 and 1-4 in its I-AA conference, by the way). And the Falcons find themselves in the Bermuda Triangle of NFL scheduling. Here’s what’s happening:

MONDAY

The team that beat the Braves in the Divisional Series mostly because the umpires refused to call Buster Posey out at second base under any circumstances (I’m not bitter), can clinch the World Series. The Giants have now been to the World Series three times since moving to San Francisco, and in the previous two visits they’ve been done in by a Game 6 collapse and an earthquake. So the series isn’t over. I’m guessing the Rangers win this one to send it back to San Francisco, but, barring a catastrophic act of God, I’d be surprised if the Giants don’t close the door at home.

TUESDAY

The Hawks start a brutal stretch in which they play Cleveland, Detroit and Minnesota over a span of four days ... oh wait. This isn’t 2005. Let me give this another shot. The Hawks’ early season visit to the bake sale (a lot of cupcakes) continues with three teams that may not crack 25 wins this season. The Hawks’ typical early-season giddyup will have petered out by Wednesday, so they’ll probably lose one of these games. But a 5-1 record heading into the first real test of the season (against Phoenix on Sunday) is something the Hawks will gladly take.

THURSDAY

Last week I inexplicably found myself pining for a Georgia Tech Thursday night game, which was strange since, as a Georgia fan, Tech doesn’t generally register on my radar. It was like a vegan having an inexplicable urge to eat a porterhouse and club a baby seal.

This week my fantasies come to reality as Tech takes on the other Tech in a game that inexplicably (this section sponsored by the word "inexplicably") has implications in who wins the ACC Coastal Division. And, yes, the ACC has had two divisions for six years and I still had to look up which division the Yellow Jackets are in. My guess is that Georgia Tech’s slim hopes for a significant postseason get dashed to bits on Thursday, much like Georgia’s did on Saturday.

SATURDAY

Georgia whimpers home from Jacksonville to take on a team that won its first game in blowout fashion, stumbled in Colorado against an out of conference team that it probably should have beaten, and has since struggled to keep pace in its conference. Of all of Georgia’s wake-up calls this season, the fact that they have more in common with Idaho State than any BCS contender should be the clanging cymbals at 6 a.m. that something is amiss.

SUNDAY

The Falcons come off the bye to take on Tampa Bay in a battle of divisional leaders … Oh wait. This isn’t 2005 ... What? This actually is a battle of first place teams? Surprisingly, Tampa Bay has started the season 5-2 and finds itself filling the revolving annual role of "surprising NFC South team."

The teams that Tampa has beaten: St. Louis, Arizona, Cincinnati, Cleveland and Carolina. Combined record of those teams: 12-24. So the Falcons should have nothing to worry about. However…

This is a weird scheduling scenario for the Falcons, as they should be rested and ready to go coming off the bye. But they may also have one eye looking past this game, as they have to turn around and play Baltimore on Thursday. That’s right. The schedule makers gave the Falcons 14 days to prepare for Tampa Bay and three days to prepare for the Ravens.

Georgia-Florida Week, Atlanta Hawks Open Regular Season: Too Busy To Hate

2010-10-25T20:52:53Z

Halloween is this weekend, which only means one thing – Georgia will lose t…um, play Florida in Jacksonville on Saturday. That’s what this whole week is gearing toward for anyone who roots for the red and black.

Every year Georgia-Florida week feels less and less like a week to look forward to a rivalry, and more and more like the night before a final exam that you didn’t study for. If the questions are asked just the right way, there’s a slight chance you might pass the test based on what you gleaned during the semester. But you dread the arrival of test time because chances are you’re going to bomb horrifically.

So here are some things that you can use to keep yourself occupied sports-wise to distract you from the impending horror.

MONDAY

New York Giants at Dallas Cowboys: What does this game have to do with Atlanta? If the Cowboys win, the Falcons will stand alone as the top team in the NFC with a record of 5-2. Despite the hiccup in Philadelphia two weeks ago, the Falcons look to be well on their way to an 11- or 12-win season. This means they could be the team that ends up playing the season’s final game, which just so happens to be scheduled for the new Cowboys Stadium, where tonight’s game is being played. (See how neatly I tied that back together?)

TUESDAY

Louisiana Tech at Boise St.: What does this game have to do with Atlanta? Absolutely nothing. Unless you need something to remind you how far the Dawgs have fallen. In 2005, when Georgia destroyed Boise State in Athens, I would have wagered my unborn third child that the Bulldogs would have come closer to a national championship than Boise State by 2010. But that is not the case, which is why I don’t gamble.

And, yes, the No. 3 team in the BCS has a blue field and plays on Tuesday.

WEDNESDAY

Atlanta Hawks at Memphis Grizzlies: I don’t know if who and where you play for the opening game of the season is any indication of the league’s respect for your franchise, but I’d say opening the season in Memphis is no tip of the cap from Stern Land. This is the seventh time in the last nine seasons that the Hawks have opened the season on the road. So despite three straight playoff appearances they don’t exactly seem to get top billing at the start of the season.

Also, this may be the most shocking basketball statistic I’ve seen this year – Memphis’ preseason record: 8-0.

THURSDAY

Florida State at NC State: It’s the ninth week of the season and Georgia Tech still has not played on Thursday night, which feels odd to me. I couldn’t care less what Tech does, as long as they keep tradition and show up and lose to Georgia at the end of the season. But I like watching them on Thursday nights. Which, of course, has nothing to do with FSU and NC State.

FRIDAY

Atlanta Hawks at Philadelphia 76ers: Much like the Hawks, Philly is essentially fielding the same team that it had last year. Yes, they added Andres Nocioni and drafted Evan Turner. But they are basically the same team that went 27-55 last season. See, Hawks fans? Things can always be worse.

SATURDAY

Georgia vs. Florida: It’s Georgia’s turn to be the "home" team in this game, which hopefully means players will show up wearing normal red jerseys and silver pants. If they run out wearing any other gimmicky uniform I’m going to Jacksonville and holding Verne Lundquist hostage until they go inside and change.

Georgia has won three straight games coming into this one and is actually favored in the game. Florida has lost three straight, but it comes into the game after a bye week. Also, consider that anytime there has been something to play for the last three seasons, Georgia’s collective rectum has closed up tighter than a snare drum and they play horribly. When there’s nothing on the line they’re the ’85 Bears.

Which all means that it’s final exam day, it’s an all essay test and Georgia is screwed.

And there’s no Falcons game on Sunday to cheer you up. Happy Halloween, Dawgs fans.

LeBron James In The ATL, Georgia In Kentucky, Atlanta Braves Brass In Florida: Too Busy To Hate 10/18

2010-10-18T20:33:35Z

MONDAY

Atlanta Braves vs. the Payroll: The Braves begin their team organizational meetings in Florida (as this amazingly comprehensive blog post by the AJC’s David O’Brien details) in an effort to begin plugging the holes that were exposed in 2010. No discussion of "Braves" and "holes" would be complete without talking about Brooks Conrad, but, oddly enough, he’s not mentioned in the post.

Atlanta Hawks vs. Orlando Magic: The Magic come back to town for the first time since treating the Hawks like a developmental league team in the second round of last season’s playoffs. Neither team made any significant upgrade during the off-season, unless you count Larry Drew. But unless Larry Drew can score 24 points (the average margin of victory for the Magic in last season’s seven Hawks losses) expect the Hawks to cower away like Mister Coach Klein in the presence of Red Beaulieu in "The Waterboy."

WEDNESDAY

Atlanta Thrashers vs. Buffalo Sabres: The Thrashers have won three of their first five games. They’ll look to build on that trend when the Sabres come down for a visit. The Sabres make two trips to Atlanta this season and they’re both within 10 days of each other. They can’t be happy about the schedule making here. Their only two chances to come to the sunny south and get out of the Arctic hell of a Buffalo winter get wasted in October. This could play to the Thrashers’ advantage.

THURSDAY

Atlanta Hawks vs. Miami Heat: The Miami Heat are bringing their talents to Atlanta for one night. This should be interesting. If the Hawks can’t even compete against the Magic, who have Dwight Howard, an old Vince Carter and Rashard Lewis as their big three, what will the trio of Dwayne Wade, Lebron James and Chris Bosh do to them?

SATURDAY

Georgia at Kentucky: When these two teams show up on the hoops schedule in January this match-up might actually mean something. In football? Not so much. Georgia is mathematically still in the race for the SEC East championship, which has been the talk of the town after convincing home wins over Tennessee and Vanderbilt. But you know who else is mathematically still in the race? Kentucky.

But let’s get this clear. A knowledge of mathematics does not always coincide with a grasp on reality. Georgia was horrible for four weeks. Beating two horrible-er teams at home does not make you a contender. So everyone just calm down and repeat after me. Georgia is not going to the SEC championship game.

And how bummed out would everyone be if after all the shenanigans that have taken place in the first six weeks of the season, Florida and Alabama (two teams that fully control their own destiny) end up back in the SEC title game?

Georgia Tech at Clemson: Tech hasn’t lost to Clemson since 2006. Which is a little surprising because these two teams are strikingly similar in terms of where they traditionally sit in the ACC pecking order – always hanging around the top, not quite capable of becoming consistently elite (notwithstanding Tech’s ACC championship last season).This could be the year that Clemson breaks the skid, which means that they'll be at least one more game over mediocre at the end of the year.

SUNDAY

Atlanta Falcons vs. Cincinnati Bengals: The Falcons return home licking their wounds from the beat-down they received in Philadelphia. But the last time the Falcons played a less-than-impressive game on the road (against Pittsburgh) they came home the next week and pounded Arizona into the Georgia Dome field turf. The opening line for the Falcons-Bengals game was Falcons minus-4.5. If I were a betting man, I’d put all my money on the Falcons, then strip down and sell my shorts to a homeless guy and take the MARTA token he gives me and put that on them too. And, yes, my shorts are only worth a MARTA token.

Michael Vick Vs. Atlanta, Georgia Tech In The Middle, And Braves In Trouble: Too Busy To Hate, 10/11

2010-10-11T16:37:04Z

MONDAY

Braves-Giants NLDS Game 4 – The Braves try to keep the series alive while trying to figure out a way to keep Brooks Conrad out of the building. If he’s starting at second base Monday, Braves fans have every right to get out of their seats and walk out of the stadium. It appears that playing Troy Glaus at third and Omar Infante at second is the defensive shift of choice.

But Diory Hernandez is an infielder who hasn’t played yet in this series. He’s on the playoff roster apparently only for emergencies. I’d love to hear Bobby Cox explain how Brooks Conrad’s complete defensive collapse doesn’t constitute an emergency. And I'd love to see Hernandez get a shot rather than replacing one defensive liability (Conrad) with another (Glaus).

NBA Preseason, Atlanta Hawks at Detroit Pistons – This game isn’t on local TV, but judging from the first preseason game in which the Hawks blew a 26-point lead and rookie Jordan Crawford took the last shot to win it in overtime (and missed), there’s probably nothing you would want to see.

TUESDAY

NBA Preseason, Atlanta Hawks at Washington Wizards – The Hawks get their first look at rookie point guard John Wall. Wall had 21 points and nine assists in his preseason debut against the Dallas Mavericks and is averaging 14 points and eight assists in three preseason games so far. He is also the subject of this picture, in which he's either preparing for a dramatic look-up into the camera or hoping they change his nickname to "Great John...son."

NHL, Atlanta Thrashers at Los Angeles Kings – The Thrashers begin a west coast swing in L.A. that also includes trips to Anaheim (Friday) and San Jose (Saturday). It's the only extended trip that they take out west all season.

WEDNESDAY

Braves-Giants, NLDS Game 5 (if necessary) - If the Braves survive Monday's game and force a game 5, they'll play on Wednesday in San Francisco to decide the series. With a flash of Brooks Conrad's glove, Braves fans went from hoping that there wouldn't have to be a Game 5 to praying that their team makes it that far. The pitching matchup would likely be Tommy Hanson versus Tim Lincecum, which does not favor the Braves. But games 2 and 3 of this series have shown us that neither team can take anything for granted, no matter how it looks on paper.

SATURDAY

Vanderbilt at Georgia - Georgia should be on a winning streak by the end of this game, but based on Georgia's performance in the SEC and on the legal front the past two seasons, nothing can be taken for granted. And let's not forget that Vanderbilt beat Georgia at Sanford Stadium in 2006. And Caleb King's arrest, combined with Washaun Ealey's fumble yips and Carlton Thomas's proclivity for tripping over yard lines, means that Georgia's running game could be in trouble.

Against Vanderbilt that shouldn't matter, but it shouldn't have mattered against Mississippi State or Colorado either.

Middle Tennessee at Georgia Tech - Georgia Tech hosts the only team in FBS football with the word "Middle" in it. The school is in Murfreesboro, which means that "middle" is actually the best description of the school's location. It also describes their current standing in the Sun Belt Conference, which means that Tech should have no trouble taking care of business at home.

SUNDAY

Atlanta Falcons at Philadelphia Eagles - The Falcons have won four straight games for the first time since 2004, when Michael Vick led them to the division title and the NFC championship game. Ironically it could be Vick who will try to prevent the Falcons first five-game winning streak since the Dirty Birds won nine straight at the end of 1998 on their way to the Super Bowl.

Vick has been called a lot of things in his career, but "motivated" is not one of them. If he's in pain, he's not going to play. And that's a good thing for the Falcons. Last year these two teams met and in limited playing time Vick threw for a touchdown and rushed for another. He's hard to defend for 60 minutes, so the Falcons better hope they get Kevin Kolb instead.

Braves-Giants NLDS Game 3 Final Score: Giants Rally For 3-2 Win

2010-10-11T00:03:29Z

The Braves managed a baserunner in the ninth when Brian McCann reached on an infield single, but that was all the fight they could muster. Fittingly, a ground ball to second ended the game.

This has been a nutty series, so anything is possible. But to be that close to a 2-1 lead and having a chance to close it out at home and blowing it, has to be hugely demoralizing.

Here’s hoping Diory Hernandez gets the start on the infield tomorrow.

Braves-Giants NLDS Game 3 Score: Brooks Conrad Is Going To Need Therapy After Tonight

2010-10-10T23:53:26Z

Brooks Conrad’s third error of the night led to the go-ahead run and the Giants took the lead 3-2 in the ninth inning.

Bobby Cox went with the rookie Craig Kimbrel to close the ninth, but didn’t give him a chance to complete the save. After a walk, a single and two outs, Cox brought in Mike Dunn to get the third out, but Aubrey Huff delivered an RBI single to tie the game.

That’s when the disintegration of Brooks Conrad was completed right before our eyes. He may be manning a radar tower in Alaska by the end of the night.

Braves-Giants NLDS Game 3 Score: 2-1 Braves Heading To The Ninth Inning

2010-10-10T23:28:35Z

Eric Hinske just made Bobby Cox look like a genius. Cox pinch-hit Troy Glaus for Rick Ankiel, prompting Bruce Bochy to take out Jonathan Sanchez. Cox countered with the left-handed hitting Hinske, who hit a two-strike pitch just over the wall and just inside the foul pole. Craig Kimbrel in to close it out.