SB Nation Atlanta - Features

Evan Gattis, His Incredible Start And His Chances With The Atlanta Braves

2012-05-11T12:15:03Z

Examining the most interesting man in Braves Country.

There really isn't any player in baseball history to compare Braves slugger Evan Gattis to. Despite already being 25 years old, Gattis has played very little professional baseball over the course of the last decade, bouncing around from job to job, city to city.

As we read in this incredible story published during Spring Training by David O'Brien of the AJC, Gattis did everything from signing and failing to arrive at Texas A&M on a baseball scholarship, to checking into drug rehab, to working as a ski lift operator.

He was drafted in 2010 by Atlanta and spent the entire 2011 season with the Rome Braves, smashing 22 homers and hitting .322 in the process. Even with this success, no one really gave him a second look. He was 3-5 years older than just about everyone else he was competing against on a nightly basis, and while he served as the catcher in Rome, most figured his body projected him to be a first baseman or designated hitter down the road. Not exactly things you look for when evaluating a prospect.

Imagine an 8-year-old playing Little League with a bunch of kids enrolling for kindergarten.

Here is the issue scouts run into when trying to decipher Gattis' prognosis going forward: he isn't a normal prospect. He isn't even close to resembling a normal prospect, nor will he likely ever.

Gattis spent all of about three weeks in High-A Lynchburg before being promoted to Double-A Mississippi. In 21 games at Lynchburg, he hit .385/.468/.821 with nine homers and a league-best 29 RBI. Some figured he would cool off following his jump to Mississippi -- a jump that is considered the most difficult a player makes in the Minor Leagues -- but that has been far from the case; in only nine games, Gattis already has four homers, 10 RBI, and posted an OPS of 1.127, which is only slightly lower than the one he produced at Lynchburg.

Given the amount of depth surrounding the catcher's position in Atlanta, Gattis began preparing for a transition to left field a couple of weeks ago. While he won't confuse anyone for a gold glover in the outfield, he's learning the position quickly and may be good enough to be serviceable for a few seasons.

Again, though, no one is really concerned about his glove. He has been referred to as a "man-child" and a "beast" by Chipper Jones and David Ross, two guys who know their fair share about hitting.

Gattis can hit, and his first 30 games of the 2012 season have been remarkable.

So what could be his future with the Atlanta Braves?

First of all, it's silly to start penciling this guy in as a starter in the lineup for next year. Yes, he's been great thus far, but you have to remember that he's a man among boys right now in the Minors. Even with his promotion to Mississippi, Gattis is 2-3 years older than most of his competition. He's three years older than Jason Heyward, a little more than 24 months younger than Brian McCann. This is Mac's seventh year in Atlanta.

This is not to say that the slugging catcher/left fielder/DH/whatever doesn't have a future in Major League Baseball.

Take a look at a guy like Brandon Beachy; he went undrafted after pitching well at a very small college in Indiana, and is now the best pitcher on the Braves' starting rotation and quickly becoming one of the better righties in the entire league. Tommy Hanson wasn't drafted until the 22nd round. The same went for John Smoltz.

But as far as penciling him for left field goes next season? Pump the brakes a little bit.

There is still plenty of season left for Gattis. It would be unfathomable for him to reach Atlanta this season, but it could potentially happen should he continue to rake the way he has through 30 games. Conventional thought (and logic, really) should tell us this won't happen, but again, Gattis isn't your typical ball player. His story is unmatched by anyone in the game right now, and you can't help but root for the guy to be successful.

Will he be? You never know. Plenty of guys have had hot starts before just to fizzle out over the course of a long, mentally draining season. It could certainly happen this time around. We've all seen Gattis hit at the lowest of levels in professional baseball, seldom doing anything wrong or unproductive. Now it's just a matter of continuing his success against the toughest competition in the world, defying the odds and proving every scout in the game wrong.

Follow @scottcoleman55

For more on the Braves, check out Talking Chop.

Ban Northeasterners From Writing About College Football

2012-05-10T12:21:05Z

Buzz Bissinger knows what is best for you, evil college football fans. Sadly, he does not know how to make consistent, logical arguments.

In a shocking development, a sportswriter based in the Northeast does not think much of college football. As is his wont, Buzz Bissinger has not just written a piece criticizing the excesses of the sport and suggesting reforms. No, Buzz instead scratches his bomb-throwing itch by advocating that the entire sport be banned. And in one of life's little ironies, Buzz pens a piece supporting the academic mission of universities, but his arguments are such that they would get him flunked if they were found in a blue book. This in not the first time that Buzz has shown that argumentation never was his strong suit. I'm feeling fisky, so let the sport commence.*

* - There are three paraphrases from James Bond movies in the first paragraph. Kudos to anyone who gets all three.

In more than 20 years I've spent studying the issue, I have yet to hear a convincing argument that college football has anything do with what is presumably the primary purpose of higher education: academics.

Oh man, the excitement builds. Twenty years of study! This column is going to be the fruit of a life's work. I am sure that it is going to be chock-full of facts and citations as an homage to academia. I certainly hope so, because it would be a major disappointment if Buzz Bissinger has spent two decades analyzing a subject and has nothing more than unsupported allegations...

That's because college football has no academic purpose. Which is why it needs to be banned. A radical solution, yes. But necessary in today's times.

Uh oh.

Here is a non-exclusive list of functions that universities perform that have nothing to do with academics: housing, dining, security, media, health care, provision of IT services, and funding of student groups. Buzz, maybe a click on your alma mater's web site would have educated you on this fundamental problem with your argument. Universities provide these functions because they mimic society as a whole. They function as mini-cities, providing for the needs of their students that have nothing to do with classroom learning.

Also, if you use the second definition of academic, professional schools have no academic purpose. Ban Wharton!

Football only provides the thickest layer of distraction in an atmosphere in which colleges and universities these days are all about distraction, nursing an obsession with the social well-being of students as opposed to the obsession that they are there for the vital and single purpose of learning as much as they can to compete in the brutal realities of the global economy.

Buzz, you're defending the traditional mission of universities in one paragraph and then you are redefining that mission into preparing students for the "brutal realities of the global economy" in the second. How many liberal arts professors would describe their mission in those terms? Very few. Again, you are arguing in favor of an academic-focused mission for universities and then you are shifting the focus from academics to vocational training. And I thought that you knew your way around the English language, like what the word "academic" means.

Who truly benefits from college football? Alumni who absurdly judge the quality of their alma mater based on the quality of the football team. Coaches such as Nick Saban of the University of Alabama and Bob Stoops of the University of Oklahoma who make obscene millions. The players themselves don't benefit, exploited by a system in which they don't receive a dime of compensation. The average student doesn't benefit, particularly when football programs remain sacrosanct while tuition costs show no signs of abating as many governors are slashing budgets to the bone.

Ask the average student at a school with a major football team whether he/she benefits from having the team. Unless there is a secret groundswell of support for banning college football among that class of students, then Buzz is just engaging in a paternalistic exercise, telling students that he knows their interests better than they do. In any event, to answer Buzz's question, here is a non-exclusive list:

1. Students who like having a diversion from their studies.

2. Students who participate in non-revenue sports, which are funded almost entirely at major football schools by ticket and TV revenues generated by the football program.

3. Citizens of states like Alabama and Nebraska that do not have pro sports teams, but still want to be able to cheer for a local side.

Taking a broader view of Buzz's question, sports can play a positive role in breaking down barriers and college football is just as good at that as any other sport. (In fact, as the most popular sport in the region of the country with the worst racial past, college football has more of a role to play than other sports.) Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier in Major League Baseball is often cited as a major step in the improvement of race relations in America. On a more regional level, how important was it that Herschel Walker - an African-American who grew up in tiny Wrightsville, Georgia - became the most popular Georgian in 1980 and remains one of the most beloved products of this State to this day? If the national media were less provincial, then I wouldn't have to make this point because racial pioneers who played in cities not named New York would get credit for helping to change minds.

And lastly, Buzz makes a second contradiction here. He cites a college education as being tremendously important for students dealing with "the brutal realities of the global economy" and then he claims that the players "don't receive a dime of compensation." Really, a free college education isn't worth a dime? Then what the hell am I doing funding my kids' 527 accounts?

If the vast majority of major college football programs made money, the argument to ban football might be a more precarious one. But too many of them don't-to the detriment of academic budgets at all too many schools. According to the NCAA, 43% of the 120 schools in the Football Bowl Subdivision lost money on their programs. This is the tier of schools that includes such examples as that great titan of football excellence, the University of Alabama at Birmingham Blazers, who went 3-and-9 last season. The athletic department in 2008-2009 took in over $13 million in university funds and student fees, largely because the football program cost so much, The Wall Street Journal reported. New Mexico State University's athletic department needed a 70% subsidy in 2009-2010, largely because Aggie football hasn't gotten to a bowl game in 51 years. Outside of Las Cruces, where New Mexico State is located, how many people even know that the school has a football program? None, except maybe for some savvy contestants on "Jeopardy." What purpose does it serve on a university campus? None.

Congrats, Mr. Bissinger, you have made a persuasive argument that maybe the schools in the lower half of college football's Bowl Subdivision should spend less on their football programs. You have not established that the Big Ten and SEC should stop what they are doing. The fact that certain businesses in an industry are unprofitable is not an argument for banning the entire industry. Additionally, the fact that many football programs do not turn a profit just makes them like just about every water polo, volleyball, golf, tennis, and softball program playing at a college or university. If profit-making is the measure, then college football and men's college basketball should be the only two sports offered. You want to take that position, Buzz?

The most recent example is the University of Maryland. The president there, Wallace D. Loh, late last year announced that eight varsity programs would be cut in order to produce a leaner athletic budget, a kindly way of saying that the school would rather save struggling football and basketball programs than keep varsity sports such as track and swimming, in which the vast majority of participants graduate.

Imagine that you are the head of a household where the family budget is in the red. Your employer has cut your salary, so you are having a hard time paying for all of your expenses. According to Buzz, the solution is to quit your job entirely because it isn't bringing in enough money to cover your expenses. Mr. Bissinger might be able to string sentences together, but he would be a total failure teaching home ec.

Part of the Maryland football problem: a $50.8 million modernization of its stadium in which too many luxury suites remain unsold. Another problem: The school reportedly paid $2 million to buy out head coach Ralph Friedgen at the end of the 2010 season, even though he led his team to a 9-and-4 season and was named Atlantic Coast Conference Coach of the Year. Then, the school reportedly spent another $2 million to hire Randy Edsall from the University of Connecticut, who promptly produced a record of 2-and-10 last season.

In an interview with the Baltimore Sun in March, Mr. Loh said that the athletic department was covering deficits, in large part caused by attendance drops in football and basketball, by drawing upon reserves that eventually dwindled to zero. Hence cutting the eight sports.

Lehman Brothers made serious mistakes prior to the Great Recession, so let's ban the financial services industry. Our military did not win the Vietnam War, so let's get rid of the armed forces altogether. The Philadelphia Eagles have never won a Super Bowl, so the NFL should contract them. Maryland made a series of mistakes in the management of its football program, so let's do away with college football.

This is just the tip of the iceberg. There are the medical dangers of football in general caused by head trauma over repetitive hits.

This is true, but it is an argument for either banning football altogether or at least making changes to the rules of the game to make it safer. It is not a specific criticism of college football.

There is the false concept of the football student-athlete that the NCAA endlessly tries to sell, when any major college player will tell you that the demands of the game, a year-round commitment, makes the student half of the equation secondary and superfluous.

Any major college player? Really? There is a legitimate criticism buried within Bissinger's hyperbole. Major college football is a time-consuming activity. It is hard for players to balance their academic and athletic demands, especially when many of them come from families and school systems that did not prepare them for college. However, there are ways to solve this problem that do not involve banning college football (and thereby depriving many of the players whose interests Buzz professes to have in mind of attending college altogether). For instance, the NCAA could mandate that players get time after the expiration of their eligibility to complete their degrees. But what fun is suggesting measured changes when Buzz can make outlandish claims because he comes from an area of the country where college football is an afterthought and he is confused by a world where the sport has replaced baseball as the second most popular in the country.

There are the scandals that have beset programs in the desperate pursuit of winning-the University of Southern California, Ohio State University, University of Miami and Penn State University among others.

Congrats, Buzz. You have made the case for paying players. On a related note, two recent Super Bowl winners were found to have cheated, one by stealing signals and videotaping opponents' practices and the other by employing and then covering up a bounty system. Let's ban the NFL! Numerous recent World Series champions were populated with players who were using PEDs. Let's ban baseball! As long as there are rewards for winning, there will be players and teams that will cheat to gain a competitive advantage. Let's ban rewards for winning!

I can't help but wonder how a student at the University of Oregon will cope when in-state tuition has recently gone up by 9% and the state legislature passed an 11% decrease in funding to the Oregon system overall for 2011 and 2012. Yet thanks to the largess of Nike founder Phil Knight, an academic center costing $41.7 million, twice as expensive in square footage as the toniest condos in Portland, has been built for the University of Oregon football team.

Always important to feed those Ducks.

Yes, when I think of Oregon students, I think of a group that hates their football program and would vote to ban it in a heartbeat if they had a chance.

The first fallacy of Buzz's argument is that Phil Knight was going to donate that amount to the University of Oregon regardless of whether they had a football program. Yes, that money would be better spent on purely academic purposes, but we live in a world where people spend too much money and attention on sports. That obsession pays a portion of your salary, Buzz, so pay for your ticket and don't complain.

Second, at least Oregon's program is being funded by private sources. The Minnesota Vikings are currently shepherding a bill through the Minnesota legislature that will amount to a nine-figure subsidy from state government for a new stadium. That amount dwarfs the sums about which Buzz complained earlier in his piece, but somehow, I'm not holding my breath that a Philadelphian will realize the implications of his "logic" and advocate that the NFL go the way of the USFL by government fiat.

I actually like football a great deal. I am not some anti-sports prude. It has a place in our society, but not on college campuses. If you want to establish a minor league system that the National Football League pays for-which they should, given that they are the greatest beneficiaries of college football-that is fine.

I like football a great deal; I just don't like it when it is played by rubes in the South and Midwest. I love that Buzz sees the NFL as the greatest beneficiary of college football as opposed to, you know, those of us who watch and love the sport. You mean that there are people out there who like college football for its own sake as opposed to as a proving ground for future NFL players? Heaven forbid!

Call me the Grinch. But I would much prefer students going to college to learn and be prepared for the rigors of the new economic order, rather than dumping fees on them to subsidize football programs that, far from enhancing the academic mission instead make a mockery of it.

The Grinch? No, Buzz, you are not the Grinch. The Grinch could strong coherent thoughts together.

Hawks Vs. Celtics: Game 6 Could Be Defining Moment In Atlanta Team History

2012-05-10T12:00:54Z

A victory in Game 6 over the Celtics would be a signature win for the Atlanta Hawks in its team history.

Unlike the Boston Celtics the Atlanta Hawks don't have a lot of postseason success in the team's history that conjures memories of solid performances in big games. In fact if the Hawks can pull out a win in Game 6 Thursday night it could be one of the biggest wins that the franchise has enjoyed since moving from St. Louis to Atlanta. After falling behind 3-1 in the series few will be picking the Hawks to prevail on Boston's home floor. Still the opportunity is there and it isn't one that the franchise has enjoyed very often throughout its history.

Speaking of history, lets take a moment and look back at some of the Atlanta Hawks biggest playoff wins in chronological order.

April 24, 1979 - Game 5 Eastern Conference Semis - Atlanta Hawks 107 Washington Bullets 103

The 1979 Atlanta Hawks were coached by Hubie Brown and led by John Drew, Eddie Johnson and Dan Roundfield. Atlanta finished with a 46-36 record during the regular season which was good enough for third place in the Central Division. After dispatching Houston in the first round the Hawks were locked into a back and forth series with the Bullets who would go on to lose to Lenny Wilkens led Seattle in the NBA Finals.

After falling in double overtime in Game 4 Atlanta responded with a 107-103 win in Game 5 on the road while facing elimination. They pulled out the victory despite John Drew hurting and both Eddie Johnson and Tree Rollins nursing injuries of their own. Atlanta went on to win Game 6 at home before missing out on the Eastern Conference Finals with a loss in Game 7.

May 18, 1988 - Game 5 Eastern Conference Semis - Atlanta Hawks 112, Boston Celtics 104

Perhaps the signature win for the Dominique Wilkins led teams was the Game 5 victory over the Celtics at the Boston Garden where they never seemed to lose. Atlanta outscored the Celtics 43-27 in the fourth quarter to steal the victory. Kevin Willis led the way with 27 points and 14 rebounds while Doc Rivers added 21 points and seven assists. Dominique finished with 25. Atlanta would disappoint with a Game 6 loss at the Omni which set the stage for the shootout between Wilkins and Larry Bird back in the Garden for Game 7.

May 5, 1996 - Game 5 Eastern Conference First Round - Atlanta Hawks 89, Indiana Pacers 87

The Hawks upset Larry Brown's Pacers team in the first round of the playoffs surviving a 29 point outburst from Reggie Miller. Mookie Blaylock hit five threes on his way to 23 points while Steve Smith added 17. Christian Laettner finished with 15 points and 11 boards. Atlanta would go on to lose in the second round 4-1 to the Orlando Magic.

May 8, 1997 - Game 2 Eastern Conference Semis - Atlanta Hawks 103, Chicago Bulls 95

Hard to believe a lone victory in a 4-1 series loss makes this list but the fact that it came against a 69 win Bulls team that went on to win the championship and happened in Chicago provide it with extra points. Steve Smith scored 27 points and Mookie Blaylock hit eight of nine three point attempts for 26 points as the Hawks pulled the upset over Jordan's Bulls in Chicago. Atlanta put up a fight early in Game 3 but were not much of a match for the Bulls in the rest of the series.

May 3, 2009 - Game 7 Eastern Conference First Round - Atlanta Hawks 91, Miami Heat 78

Joe Johnson scored 27 points and hit 6 of 8 from beyond-the-arc to help lead the Atlanta Hawks to their first playoff series win since the 1999 season. Atlanta defeated the Dwayne Wade and the Miami Heat by a score of 91-78. Josh Smith added 21 points and Mike Bibby 11 for Atlanta. This was the Hawks second straight trip to the playoffs under Mike Woodson after taking the eventual NBA Champion Celtics to seven games the year before.

Out of all of these wins, Game 5 of the 1988 series was probably the biggest because it might have been the closest that Atlanta came to ever reaching the Eastern Conference Finals. That victory set up a return home where the Hawks could have closed out the Celtics which is somewhat eerily similar to the exact situation they are facing this time around.

Overplaying Your Hand: John Junker, DeLoss Dodds, Mike Brown ... And Arthur Blank?

2012-05-04T12:58:35Z

The sports world is replete with recent examples of overreach. The Falcons ought to think about those examples when pushing for a new stadium.

For me, one of the running themes in sports and politics for the past several years has been overreach. People in positions of power have found themselves in advantageous positions, but have then pushed their advantages too far, leading to a counterproductive backlash. If you asked a Republican about this concept, they would argue that President Obama overplayed his hand in his first two years in office, specifically with the content of the stimulus bill and the way that he approached his health care initiative. If you asked a Democrat about this concept, they would say the same about the Republican majority in Congress that came to power in January 2011, most specifically in the debt ceiling crisis.

Because I am contractually* obligated to reference World War II whenever possible, the German treatment of Ukrainians in the aftermath of June 22, 1941 is a historical example of overreach. Stalin's policies intentionally devastated the Ukraine in the lead-up to World War II, including one of the worst famines in human history. Ukrainians would have welcomed with open arms anyone who promised to end Stalin's rule over them. Hitler could have occupied the Ukraine in such a way that he would have had secure supply lines for his assault on Moscow and the oil-rich Caucusus. Instead, he authorized the SS to brutalize the Ukraine, in part to steal the agricultural wealth of the region (an element of the motivation for invading the USSR in the first place) and in part out of racial animus (another motive for starting Operation Barbarossa). Whereas the Germans could have had a secure rear area, they ended up having to fend off intense partisan activity. Underestimating Soviet manpower, industry, and will to fight, Hitler thought that his position in the East against Stalin was stronger than it was, so he overplayed his hand.

* - Not really.

There are numerous recent examples of overreach in the sports world, but I will stick to three. The first is the way that the major bowl games have endangered their position in the college football universe by screwing over their partners, namely the teams that play in them. Thinking that they are indispensable, the bowls have wrung every last penny out of their participants. As a result, as the powers that be in college football have discussed a playoff, they are giving very strong consideration to giving no role to the major bowls, with campus sites and/or NFL stadia both as options. Dan Wetzel did a great job of illustrating why:

All in all, the "2012 BCS Complimentary Tickets" document obtained by Yahoo! Sports detailed most of what would wind up being a $526,924 bill LSU owed the Sugar Bowl just for tickets.

It isn't uncommon. Almost every bowl charges schools for everything it can dream up. That's how the industry works: cutthroat capitalism that has made these games and the people that run them rich.

Yet, now athletic directors and conference commissioners say the extreme profiteering is one of the reasons bowl games could be pushed aside as college football's power brokers meet this week in Florida to discuss the future of the postseason.

"Everything has changed in the last couple of years," said an athletic director at a BCS school. "The business practices of the bowl games are of great discussion. ... When is enough, enough?

"There's a feeling that it's time to do it ourselves."

Anti-SEC grumblers aside, college football fans would have watched Alabama and LSU play for the national title anywhere. Put the game in Jerryworld, Gillette Stadium, Rungrado May Day Stadium, or a cow pasture in Montana and viewers would have watched. The people running the Sugar Bowl view their institution as indispensable, so they felt that they were on safe ground making all sorts of unreasonable demands to the teams playing in their game, but they are finding out that college football can live without the Sugar Bowl as part of the national title structure.

One state to the west, the University of Texas also illustrated the concept of overreach when they started the Longhorn Network. The thinking behind this move had to be something along the lines of "we are the biggest, baddest team in the Big XII, so we can have our own network and there is nothing that the other eleven members of the conference can do about it." As it turned out, there was something that Nebraska, Colorado, Missouri, and Texas A&M could do: leave. T. Boone Pickens described the situation perfectly:

While Texas athletic director DeLoss Dodds professed his love for the Big 12, Oklahoma State billionaire booster Boone Pickens says the league won't last much longer.

Pickens believes the Cowboys will end up in the Pac-12, with Oklahoma. He largely blames Texas' insistence on creating the Longhorn Network.

"The network could have been the straw that broke the camel's back," Pickens said.

Dodds "is a friend of mine," Pickens said. "But DeLoss had too many cards and he played every damn one of them. I think that's too bad. You get tired of saying ‘aaah' while you get something shoved down your throat."

Even if the Oklahoma schools did not move West, one-third of the Big XII's membership ultimately left. The conference now exists as a smaller version and it had to add TCU (a small school that will not bring much value to the league if the football program does not maintain the level that Gary Patterson has attained) and West Virginia (a small market that is geographically remote from the Big XII region). Texas overplayed its hand and now sits in a less valuable conference.

The Cincinnati Bengals are a third illustration of overreach in sports. The Bengals managed to strike an incredibly favorable deal with their city and county to get Paul Brown Stadium paid for using a sales tax. As the revenue situation of the city and county worsened during the economic downturn, the Bengals refused to budge an inch, even as Cincinnati's public schools found themselves in a cash-strapped position. The New York Times explains:

The generous deal for the Bengals has been a sore spot. The team had to pay rent only through 2009 on its 26-year lease, and has to cover the cost of running the stadium only for game days. Starting in 2017, the county will reimburse the team for these costs, too. The county will pay $8.5 million this year to keep the stadium going.

The Bengals keep revenue from naming rights, advertising, tickets, suites and most parking. If the county wants to recoup money by taxing tickets, concessions or parking, it needs the team's approval.

Compared with the lucrative deals for teams in Baltimore, St. Louis and elsewhere, the Bengals won a particularly lopsided lease.

Bob Bedinghaus, the commissioner who spearheaded the stadium project, said as much in 2000.

"They're an organization that's run by lawyers, and they look for every penny around every corner," he told The Cincinnati Enquirer. "It's going to be a difficult relationship going forward for the next 30 years."

The national sports media was aghast last December that the Bengals were not selling out games even when they were playing for a wild card spot. Personally, I was happy to see that development because the Bengals deserve to be punished for screwing over their home city. It's one thing for a commercial partner to try to get the best deal against another. It's another for a professional sports team - one that relies on goodwill from the community for its revenue - to blackmail the local government into a one-sided deal and then refuse to budge. If I were living in Cincinnati and dealing with a situation where my children's teachers are being furloughed and trash pick-up is less frequent, you can be sure that I would have no interest in going to Bengals games.

I mention all of this as a cautionary tale for the Falcons. The local professional football franchise is seeking to replace the Georgia Dome - a facility that is only twenty years old and is a perfectly good place to watch a football game - with a retractable roof facility. The price tag for the new stadium is estimated at $948 million, although that seems to be a conservative estimate. Additionally, the only funding source listed so far has been a hotel/motel tax. The remaining funding is undetermined, but could very well come in the form of either additional tax revenue or in the form of charging fans more for the privilege of supporting the local team through PSLs and higher ticket prices.

I feel leery about any analogy that has Mike Brown and Arthur Blank in a sequence. Mr. Blank is widely popular in Atlanta for a variety of reasons, two of which are his various philanthropic endeavors and his generally good stewardship of the Falcons. That said, the Falcons risk the same sort of backlash that the bowls, Texas, and Bengals have all seen for pushing their position too hard. A new Falcons stadium promises little or nothing for an average fan, save for fewer seats, higher ticket prices, and the opportunity cost involved with $300 million in tax revenue going for a private business as opposed to schools, police, and other public services. The Falcons rely on the local community for much of their revenue. They ought to consider that fact when pushing for an unnecessary new stadium.

Poll

A new stadium for the Falcons: is this overreach?

Announcing The Atlanta Braves MVPs & LVPs For April

2012-05-01T12:18:43Z

A look at who shined (and who struggled) the most in a wild month of April.

The Atlanta Braves got their 2012 campaign off to a fine start with a record of 14-9 and currently sit in second place in the National League East. Despite in inauspicious four-game losing streak to begin the season against inferior competition, the Braves have battled back to win 14 of their last 19 games. Let's take a look back on the month of April and see who stood out -- for better and for worse.

Hitting MVP: Michael Bourn

	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	K	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG
2012 - Michael Bourn	23	90	13	31	5	1	0	4	10	14	7	4	.337	.400	.411

Michael Bourn, who may be playing his final season in Atlanta, did everything and more the Braves could have possibly hoped for from their leadoff man. His stellar on-base percentage ranks him among the best in baseball and he is already near the top of the leader board with seven stolen bases. Bourn has the highest batting average of anyone on the Braves and posted a wRC+ of 140 (read more here; 100 is average), which is elite for any hitter, especially a center fielder.

Bourn was worth 1.4 WAR (Wins Above Replacement; read more here), tying him for fourth-best in baseball and tops on the Braves. Given his stellar performance at the plate, on the base paths and in the field, the decision to make Bourn MVP for the month of April was a no-brainer.

Pitching MVP: Brandon Beachy

	W-L	G	GS	CG	SHO	SV	BS	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	K	ERA	WHIP
2012 - Brandon Beachy	2-1	4	4	0	0	0	0	25.2	18	7	3	1	7	20	1.05	.97

This was a close two-horse race leading up until monday between Beachy and Mike Minor, but a poor start from Minor against a bad offensive club all-but-eliminated him from consideration. While Minor (and Tommy Hanson) were certainly qualified to take home the pitching MVP award for April, simply neither can touch what Beachy did.

His ERA and WHIP rank him in the top-five in baseball. Beachy has allowed two earned runs or fewer in all of his starts, including a shutout of a talented Diamondbacks team. Many pegged the young righty to have a breakout season, and if this past month was any indication, Beachy is more than on his way to becoming a household name across the league for years to come.

Hitting LVP: Jack Wilson

	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	K	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG
2012 - Jack Wilson	14	26	2	3	0	0	0	3	0	7	0	0	.115	.111	.115

Want to know something awesome? Despite their slow start to the season, there really isn't an everyday starter who qualifies for LVP in the month of April. Everyone with 50 or more plate appearances -- basically your eight starting players -- posted a wRC+ of 97 or higher, with Tyler Pastornicky being the lowest of the bunch. Given him being a 22-year-old rookie shortstop and all, you really can't fault the kid for being average at the plate.

That brings us to the bench, where Jack Wilson was absolutely awful. He did not draw a walk or produce an extra-base hit, and he had just three hits in 29 plate appearances. His OPS is a meager .226, placing him near the bottom of the league. Not much was expected from Wilson at the plate, but these numbers are just too bad to ignore.

Pitching LVP: Jair Jurrjens

	W-L	G	GS	CG	SHO	SV	BS	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	K	ERA	WHIP
2012 - Jair Jurrjens	0-2	4	4	0	0	0	0	16.1	30	17	17	5	10	8	9.37	2.45

It's tough to say much about Jair Jurrjens that hasn't already been said. He was sent down to Triple-A Gwinnett after just four starts after getting pounded in each one, taking the demotion professionally and without incident. While he claims that his knees are healthy you have to believe that he adjusted his mechanics on the mound due to previous discomfort, which was undoubtably hindered his ability to get outs in a timely fashion.

Braves fans can only hope that Jurrjens gets back to doing what he did a few seasons ago and return to the starting rotation sometime during the summer. At this point, it's likely either that or be traded before the July 31 deadline.

For more on the Braves check out Talking Chop. For more news and notes from around Major League Baseball head over to Baseball Nation.

Atlanta Falcons Draft Recap: Big, Tough Linemen Everywhere You Look

2012-05-01T12:00:13Z

The Falcons entered the 2012 NFL draft knowing they needed a "back to basics" approach. The offensive line had been a disappointment, and the defense failed to generate much pressure on opposing quarterbacks. They needed to get bigger. And, well, it certainly looks like they've done that much.

Going into this year's draft, the Falcons had two glaring needs: offensive line and defensive line.

And by my count, the Falcons took two offensive linemen and two defensive linemen. Even without a first-round pick, at first glance Thomas Dimitroff looks to have executed another promising draft. The picks weren't sexy, nor flashy, nor even all that exciting.

But the Falcons know they need to protect Matt Ryan and get after the quarterback more consistently, and the players they've added really look to fit that mold. Let's dive in!

Round 2: OG/C Peter Konz, Wisconsin
Like I said earlier, Konz is your typical big-bodied, tough, punishing Big Ten blocker. A "blue collar type of player," as Dimitroff called him. In a post-draft interview, the Falcons GM raved about the Wisconsin center for his versatility, character and football intelligence.

He also noted how Wisconsin offensive lineman are, on the whole "plug and play" type of players. And he's right: the Big Ten and especially the Badgers are great at churning out linemen that are well-prepared to play at the pro level.

The injury concerns, as I mentioned earlier, might have been a little over-hyped in pre-draft scouting. Konz only missed three games to an ankle injury, and himself said how he's fully able to play through any nagging injuries. The blood clots in his lungs were also apparently an anomaly, according to Dimitroff.

All in all, I like the pick. Most projections had Konz- the best center in the draft- going in the first round, so the fact that Atlanta took him at pick no. 55 is actually pretty astounding. He fills a need and should be starting somewhere on the line from day one.

Round 3: OT Lamar Holmes, Southern Mississippi

Here's where the Falcons may have reached. They were able to pick up a fifth-rounder and still able to land the left tackle out of Southern Miss, but he's a "project" lineman by all accounts.

I certainly don't question the need for a left tackle: Baker and Svitek both only have one year left on their contracts, and Matt Ryan needs some protection if the Falcons want him to have a long and prosperous career. I would've preferred a tight end here, and there were still plenty of talented ones on the board.

But the more I read about Holmes, the more he actually sounds like a smart pick. At 6'5 and 323 pounds, he has all the physical tools to dominate at the NFL level. He's incredibly athletic, has some very long arms (this was a weakness of Baker), and his main strength is pass-blocking.

He won't start this year barring injury, but if he pans out, the Falcons could've struck gold in Holmes.

Round 5: FB Bradie Ewing, Wisconsin

If there was one pick that caught me off guard this year, this was it.

Ewing is, by all accounts, a good fullback prospect, either listed as the best or second-best lead blocker in his class by most scouting sites out there, and like Konz was an integral part of Montee Ball's success at Wisconsin. While he won't be running with the ball any time soon, he's an asset in the running game, can catch the ball out of the backfield, and like the others has strong leadership potential.

The only reason I can imagine the Falcons took a fullback this early in the draft, however, is that they're concerned about Ovie Mughelli. Mughelli's season was cut short, if you recall, by a knee injury that required surgery. He is currently owed a $3M salary, and the Falcons need to create some cap space for Asante Samuel. You do the math.

While Ewing won't be able to replace Mughelli's on-the-field production right away, he's at the very least a solid starting option who could get even better if he bulks up his small-ish frame.

Round 5: DE Jonathan Massaquoi, Troy

Probably my favorite pick in this draft, Massaquoi could turn out to be a real diamond in the rough.

While Massaquoi only recorded 6.0 sacks in his junior year, he managed 12.5 sacks as a sophomore and has shown some really strong potential as a pass-rusher. He's got all the athletic ability and explosiveness you want in an edge rusher, and keeping in theme with the rest of the draft he's not undersized in any way at 6'2, 241 lbs.

The main concerns about the Troy product are his ability to read the play pre-snap and overall awareness in the open field in coverage. His run-stopping ability isn't anything special, either.

But as a pure pass rusher, Massaqoui shows enough promise that a few analysts, including Doug Farrar over at Yahoo, had him among their top 50 players in the draft. If my intuition is right, he'll see limited success as a situational pass rusher with the Falcons right away.

Round 6: SS Charles Mitchell, Mississippi State

At another position of need, we have Mitchell, a hard-hitting safety out of the good old SEC. He's another passionate, leader type of player who shows promise as a contributor on special teams.

He's not exactly massive at 5'11 and 205, and in many ways is much like sixth-rounder Shann Schillinger: a thumper in the running game, but real questions about his ability to hold up in coverage.

Personally I would've liked to see someone with more upside as a cover man, given that he's the same type of player as Schillinger and the Falcons could use a replacement for James Sanders. But I'll take what we can get in round six. All in all, Mitchell projects as a quality backup and special teams man this year.

Round 7: CB Asante Samuel

In case you forgot, the Falcons got Samuel in exchange for a 7th-round pick. My initial guess is that Andy Reid was in some sort of food-induced coma when this occurred. Advantage: Dimitroff.

Round 7: DT Travian Robertson, South Carolina

With their last pick, the Falcons get another massive, high-upside player. At 6'4 and 305, a few sites actually had him listed as a nose tackle.

As far as abilities goes, Robertson is strictly a big-bodied run stopper, could for short-yardage and goal line situations. His massive frame also made him useful on special teams at South Carolina, evident in his blocked PAT against Nebraska last season.

He should compete with Vance Walker and Peria Jerry for snaps in Mike Smith's rotating front, and his massive frame should allow him to see time in a few goal-line situations.

Undrafted Rookie Notables: QB Dominque Davis, WR James Rodgers, LB Jerrell Harris, DB Chad Faulcon

The team signed about 20 undrafted free agents following the conclusion of round seven. While I won't go into detail on every single one, there are definitely a few intriguing names to highlight.

Davis, the quarterback, was backup to our very own Matt Ryan at Boston College before he transferred to East Carolina about midway through his collegiate career. Though he runs about a 4.6 40-yard dash, Davis is your typical pocket passer, and spearheaded what was a high-powered offense in college. All in all, someone who could give third-stringer John Parker Wilson a run for his money.

Rodgers is also connected to a current Falcons, being the younger brother of running back Jacquizz Rodgers. Like his bro, James is small (5'7, 188 lbs) but shifty, functioning as a slot-type receiver as well as a dangerous return man. After losing Eric Weems in free agency, I really like his chances of making the final roster.

Harris, a guy who can double as an inside or outside linebacker, is very much an Akeem Dent-like defender: strong against the run and capable of holding his own in the pass. He's also like Dent in that he's an SEC boy, playing for a national championship Crimson Tide team. Harris is a 3-4 linebacker at heart, so Mike Nolan could view him as a "special package" type of player.

Finally, Faulcon is a special case because he comes from D-III Montclair State. He's a bit undersized at 5'11 and 200 lbs, and is mostly a finesse player, someone who can double as a corner or free safety. Also, his last name is Faulcon, which is fantastic.

That just about does it. I'm not going to grade this draft, because that's nothing more than a practice in futility. But even with their limited picks, the Falcons looks to have added at least one immediate starter and bolstered the depth at several other positions. Only time will tell.

For more on the Falcons, visit The Falcoholic; for everything else pro football, check out the NFL hub page.

Celtics Vs. Hawks Preview: Another Chapter In The Rivalry

2012-04-29T12:00:23Z

The Atlanta Hawks and Boston Celtics meet in Game 1 of their 2012 NBA Playoffs first-round series Sunday at Philips Arena.

The Atlanta Hawks and Boston Celtics will meet once again in the postseason as they begin their 2012 NBA Playoffs first-round series at Philips Arena on Sunday. These two teams aren't strangers when it comes to meetings in the playoffs having had two memorable matchups in both 1988 and 2008. The Celtics won both of those series and the Hawks hope this time around that things will be different.

In 1988 it was Larry Bird's Celtics that would defeat Dominique Wilkins in a memorable Game 7 duel between the two star players to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals. In 2008, the Hawks limped into the playoffs for the first time in a decade and pushed the eventual NBA champs to seven games in the opening round. That Hawks team wasn't ready but the playoff experience they gained would be valuable and they haven't missed the postseason since.

Many wrote this Atlanta Hawks team off before the season even began. Al Horford's season ending injury eleven games in just gave the detractors more ammunition. Larry Drew and company persevered to finish with a 40-26 record in the lockout shortened season capturing home court advantage in the first round of the playoffs along the way. Josh Smith took his game to another level and Joe Johnson bounced back from an injury plagued season a year ago. A rebuilt bench and solid performances from Jeff Teauge and Zaza Pachulia helped Atlanta overcome the loss of Horford and remain a factor in the Eastern Conference playoff race.

The lockout shortened schedule wreaked havoc on the Celtics early but they hit their stride during the second half and overtook the Philadelphia 76ers to claim another Atlantic Division title. A trademark of the Big 3 era has been a smothering team defense and the Celtics put that on full display down the stretch.

Boston took two of the three meetings with Atlanta during the regular season and nearly pulled off a sweep as an undermanned Celtics' team put up a good fight in the final meeting at Philips Arena. In both losses Atlanta led late but couldn't sustain them. The Hawks were victimized by big runs by Boston which were usually fueled by Atlanta turnovers and a lack of execution offensively.

Boston was the worst rebounding team in the league this season in terms of total boards but held their own with Atlanta in each of the three matchups. That will be a key area for the Hawks as a team effort on the boards will be needed especially with Zaza Pachulia's status for Game 1 and the series up in the air because of a foot injury.

In both losses to the Celtics this season the Hawks essentially wilted at crunchtime. The excellent ball movement they enjoyed throughout the game disappeared as they broke things off into a series of isolations down the stretch. Its no secret that Atlanta wants to put the basketball in Joe Johnson's hands with the game on the line. The challenge for Larry Drew is to put Johnson in position to make plays for his teammates and to be a little less predictable when those situations occur. The challenge for Johnson is to make the correct play when that situation arrives.

Jeff Teague bust onto the scene in the second round of last year's playoffs against Derrick Rose and the Chicago Bulls. The Hawks need Teague to be aggressive against the Celtics the same way he was against the Bulls.Atlanta can't afford him to be passive and he must be willing to take the shot when called upon. The Hawks should look for transition opportunities whenever they are available to prevent the Celtics from having the time to set their defense and a lot of that falls square on the shoulders of Teague.

Josh Smith has answered the call all season for Atlanta elevating his play in the absence of Al Horford. He is likely to start at center for the Hawks if Pachulia is unable to go and will spend most of the series matched with Kevin Garnett. Smith will have the advantage in quickness and athleticism over Garnett and it is very important that he lead the way on the boards.

Both teams enter the series with injury concerns to key players. Zaza Pachulia didn't practice on Saturday and is a game-time decision for Sunday's Game 1 with a foot injury that kept him out of the final seven games of the regular season. The feeling is that he will likely not play before Game 2 on Tuesday. Ray Allen traveled to Atlanta but is also unlikely to play in Game 1 because of an ankle injury.

For Atlanta this series is more about showing poise and a toughness that they have never been able to sustain against the Celtics. Its not playing solid for three quarters only to succumb to old habits in the fourth. There is no easy way out against a team like Boston. In 1988 it was Larry Bird who had every answer to Dominique Wilkins' scoring assault. In 2008, the Hawks were much too young to understand what it took to win tough playoff games, particularly those on the road. Its now time for them to prove that they are ready for the Celtics' test.

Not surprisingly the same people that wrote the Hawks off before the season certainly aren't giving them a chance now. Therefore the Hawks shouldn't feel any pressure when the series begins on Sunday. Doc Rivers really wasn't concerned with capturing homecourt advantage down the stretch instead opting to rest key players in the final games. The Big 3 era started with a series victory over the Atlanta Hawks. How fitting would it be for the Big 3 era to come to an end at the hands of the Atlanta Hawks?

For more on the Atlanta Hawks head over to Peachtree Hoops. For more news and notes from around the NBA check out SB Nation's NBA Basketball page.

NFL Draft 2012: Can The Falcons Capitalize When The Chips Are Down?

2012-04-24T12:00:10Z

The Falcons gave up their first and fourth-round picks for Julio Jones last year. They stayed quiet in free agency, re-signing an aging John Abraham and losing Curtis Lofton to the Saints. Both offensive and defensive lines still have question marks. Does Thomas Dimitroff have any more tricks up his sleeve?

After suffering an embarrassing postseason loss to the New York Giants last year, Falcon brass was mad. Three trips to the playoffs, three subsequent losses, and one disappointed fan base. The ghosts that haunted all those '90s Braves teams must have migrated to the Georgia Dome. Perhaps Atlanta should've used the old Mickey Loomis trick.

But neither integrity nor gloom and doom is my focus. Remember that the Colts, the great Peyton Manning, also went 0-for-3 in the playoffs before finally finding their playoff feet. In fact, they won the Superbowl in a year where they saw stalwart veterans Edgerrin James and David Thornton leave Indy as free agents. So where did they find the talent to compensate for a terrible offseason? Two impact rookies in Joseph Addai and Antoine Bethea.

Remember the 2009 draft? None of those players really made a difference as rookies, something that affected the team as a whole as they regressed to a 9-7 record. The Falcons must avoid that fate, and while they don't have a first-round pick, they can still find one or two players who can make a big-time impact this year. It's not impossible.

In 2010, the Bengals took Carlos Dunlap at No. 54. He would record 9.5 sacks in his rookie year. The Ravens found wideout Torrey Smith last year, who totaled 847 receiving yards and seven TDs as a rookie. There's talent aplenty.

The real question: can the front office finally prove that they are capable of finding a top-end lineman in the draft? Because I think it's clear the top need has to be...

#1- Offensive Line
It's hard to really quantify an offensive line or individual members because, well, there are no statistics. So I'll rely on the eye test, and I'm sure you all can agree it wasn't pretty.

Even though Matt Ryan was only sacked 26 times on the year, he was hit 84 times and probably hurried even more than that. The O-line was inconsistent in the running game, struggled to win battles in short yardage situations, and looked completely outclassed against the Giants.

Thomas Dimitroff has stood by Sam Baker- probably because, you know, we traded up for him- but he was a magnificent disappointment last year. Will Svitek isn't anything special, Vince Manuwai didn't play football last year, and Todd McClure is 35 years old.

And besides, we need Ryan to be upright so we can actually use guys like Julio Jones and Roddy White. They don't need to be fantastic, either. Just better than Garrett Reynolds.

#2- Defensive Tackle
If we don't see the Falcons take a defensive tackle or end before the sixth, I'll be very surprised. Though the team managed to keep John Abraham around for another three years, they still have depth issues at defensive tackle.

Jonathan Babineaux had a sub-par 2011, and while I think he'll bounce back I'm also not sure of how well he'll fit into Mike Nolan's new system. And if their scouting of Alabama nose tackle Josh Chapman means anything, it's that the Falcons will try adding players that could find a place on the field in some 3-4 style formations.

Oh yeah, and don't forget Peria Jerry, who hasn't done anything memorable since... ever. Unless everything magically clicks for him out of the blue, the Falcons could use some depth at D-tackle. That is, assuming they don't sign Aubrayo Franklin first.

#3- Safety
The Falcons lost James Sanders to free agency, and came very close to signing Madieu Williams a couple of weeks ago. Schann Schillinger, while a capable special teamer, would be a liability in coverage.

And let's not forget the big nickel formation that Nolan apparently favors so much. The team could definitely use a competent safety to improve a third-down defense that was agonizingly bad last season. Someone like Trumaine Johnson out of Montana would certainly fit the bill.

#4- Tight End
Right now, Tony Gonzalez's primary backup is Michael Palmer. Like every other team, I want to see the Falcons copy New England and have two pass-catching tight ends.

They'll also need to find a starting option for the future once Gonzalez retires (he's already said this will be his last season), and it never hurts to have your eventual starter learn from the best to ever play the game. Ladarius Green could be perfect here.

#5- Outside Linebacker
Sean Weatherspoon is obviously locked in as a starter, but I wouldn't be so sure about Stephen Nicholas. He'll probably see less time in Nolan's defense, and the team may opt to draft a backup with more pass-rushing potential, someone to help out on third downs.

There's also the need for a backup after Mike Peterson's departure. Someone like Mychal Kendricks (yes, I know he's listed as an inside LB) or an Andre Branch-type linebacker (Branch will be off the board well before Atlanta picks) is just what the doctor ordered.

Honorable Mention- Backup Quarterback
The Falcons re-signed Chris Redman to a one-year deal. But Redman is old and fairly ineffective, and John Parker Wilson has been thoroughly unimpressive in his limited preseason action. Can I get a Dominique Davis shoutout?

For more on the Falcons, check out The Falcoholic. For all things NFL and draft coverage, visit SB Nation's NFL hub page.