october 15-21, 2010 CHECK US OUT at scoreatl.com Vol 6 NO 38

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1 october 15-21, 2010 CHECK US OUT at scoreatl.com Vol 6 NO 38

2 2 Score Atlanta Get In The Game!

3 october 15-21, 2010 Score Atlanta 3 Starting Lineup Publisher/Editor I.J. Rosenberg GENERAL MANAGER Bob Houghton Managing Editor Stephen Black ART/CREATIVE DIRECTOR DJ Galbiati Business manager Marvin Botnick sales Mark Mayo BEAT WRITERS Josh Bagriansky (Hawks), Stephen Black (UGA), Dave Cohen (Georgia State), Joe Deighton (Thrashers), Ricky Dimon (Falcons), Fletcher Proctor (Braves), Thomas Watson (Tech), Brian Jones (Preps) STAFF WRITERS Jamie Walker, Jay Thomason CONTRIBUTORS C.C., Brian Katrek, Alex Ewalt, Tad Arapoglou, Dean Zindler, Zander Lentz, Kevin Dankosky, Mitch Evans, Matt Judy, Tony Schiavone, Richard Diamond, Joe Haines, Chris Dimino, Mike Bell, Matt Stewart, Fred Kalil, Nick Cellini, Phillip Leopold, Dave Marshall, Greg Smith, Steak Shapiro, Mike Cather, Beau Bock, Hal Lamar, Chris Cotter, Roy Hickman, Dave Cohen, John Olah, Jeff Woolverton, Chris Voss, Bob Rathbun, Courtney Capps, Bill Hartman, Chuck Dowdle, Shannon Alderman, Dan Kamal, Dennis Scott, Hal Lanier, Jeff Batten, Micah Hart, Ben Wright, Alan Vasquez, Andrew Vedlitz SPECIAL CONTRIBUTORS Mitch Albom, Dave Kindred, Barry Bloom School listing CHEROKEE/FORSYTH: Cherokee, Creekview, Etowah, Forsyth Central, North Forsyth, Sequoyah, South Forsyth, West Forsyth, Woodstock COBB: Allatoona, Campbell, Harrison, Kell, Kennesaw Mountain, Lassiter, Marietta, McEachern, N. Cobb, N. Cobb Christian, Pebblebrook, Pope, S. Cobb, Sprayberry, Walton, Wheeler DEKALB: Arabia Mountain, Chamblee, Columbia, Decatur, Druid Hills, Dunwoody, Lakeside, Marist, Miller Grove, M.L. King, Paideia, Redan, St. Pius X, Southwest DeKalb, Stephenson, Stone Mountain, Tucker FULTON: Alpharetta, Blessed Trinity, Centennial, Chattahoochee, Douglass, Grady, John s Creek, Lovett, Mays, Milton, Mt. Pisgah, North Springs, Northview, Riverwood, Roswell, Tri-Cities, Westminster, Woodward Academy GWINNETT: Berkmar, Brookwood, Buford, C. Gwinnett, Collins Hill, Dacula, Grayson, Greater Atlanta Christian, Meadowcreek, Mill Creek, Norcross, North Gwinnett, Parkview, Peachtree Ridge, South Gwinnett, Wesleyan FAYETTE: Whitewater, Sandy Creek, Starr s Mill NEWTON: Eastside SHOT OF THE WEEK... SO LONG, BOBBY: Mr. Cox walked off the Turner Field grass one last time Monday night during the Braves loss to the Giants in the NLDS. Cox led Atlanta to 14 division titles, one wild card championship and a World Series title in his 25 years as Braves skipper. Photo courtesy of Jacob Warhaftig. Can t Miss The Fletch dishes on college football broadcasting tandems, Pam Ward and Tech s novacaine offense. Brian Jones unveils his column, Keeping Up with Big B, in which he discusses Georgia State head coach Bill Curry s recent appearance at the Touchdown Club of Atlanta. In our cover story, Josh Bagriansky digs deep in discussing Fredi Gonzalez, the Braves new manager. Several big games will take place on the gridiron this weekend and our panelists give their picks on six of them. Team Scoop and Voices COVER design by DJ Galbiati Cover Photo courtesy of the atlanta braves 6 SCORE LIST - coach s diary 11 SCORE MORE 12 GSU 13 CALENDAR 14 UGA - TECH THIS WEEK ON THE INSIDE AT SCORE GSU QB Kelton Hill Score Atlanta is looking for new sales associates as well as writing and graphic design interns. For sales positions, Bob Houghton at bhoughton@scoreatl.com. For writing internships, Stephen Black at sblack@ scoreatl.com. For graphic design internships, DJ Galbiati at djgalbiati@scoreatl.com. Feel free to call to speak with someone about any of these positions.

4 4 Score Atlanta Get In The Game! College football tandems interesting mix of personalities; Tech offense numbs the top of the chart would be, this is exactly what we KNEW would happen Verne. Interesting, Gary. Why did Verne just say, Wow, Can You Believe... Gary! Can you believe this is happening? He...He Said That? I don t think anyone would confuse Tim KNEW that Georgia was going to run onto the field and celebrate in He KNEW Hudson with a great-hitting pitcher. that Auburn would take an early lead over That gem was from TBS s Bob Alabama last season. He KNEW that Ryan Brenly after Hudson broke up Jonathan Mallet would start Arkansas/Alabama game Sanchez s no-hit bid in game three of the on such a hot streak with some early TDs. Giants/Braves National League Divisional If an alien spaceship were to suddenly Series. Brenly was joined in the booth descend onto the field at Death Valley, surely by Dick Stockton and on the field by Tom Danielson would have foreseen that happening. Verne, we KNEW this was going to Verducci of Sports Illustrated. Stockton happen. The green men are clearly trying to was finally able to alert Brenly that AChelp LSU slow down Cam Newton and this TUALLY Hudson led the Braves pitchers Auburn offensive attack! in hits this season, for the record. Also, while at Auburn, Hudson was a pretty decent hitter. Just so he knows College football coverage on television is always interesting and last weekend was no different. 790 The Zone s David Pollack has been doing games on ESPNU all season long with play-by-play partner Rob Stone and the last few weeks the young tandem have had some cruddy games. Last week, Stone and Pollack were in Blacksburg, Va., as the Hokies of Virginia Tech faced Central Michigan. The two have also done games involving FIU and Samford, but two weeks ago did the Wake Forest/Georgia Tech game. As bad as the games are that ESPNU sticks Pollack with, he clearly won the coin toss with one of his fellow Experts cohorts, Danny Kanell. As I flipped to ESPNU to check out Georgia Tech taking on the Cavaliers of Virginia, I shuddered when I heard the low tones of Pam Ward setting the scene as the Atlanta skyline invited viewers to Historic Grant Field at Bobby Dodd Stadium. Georgia Tech fans surely groaned as they heard Ward going over the offensive philosophy of Yellow Jacket head coach Paul Johnson, but she didn t make too egregious of an error for me to comment on here. While Pollack doesn t have the good games, he also doesn t have to deal with Ward, though you just KNOW that his 790 The Zone Pollack & Bell co-host Mike Bell would LOVE for Pollack to have been partnered up with one of his famous spoofing targets. OPEN WIDE Speaking of Georgia Tech, since I had to mute the television to avoid hearing Ward butcher the call of the game by not knowing how many quarters there in a college game (it sounds ridiculous, but I wouldn t put it past her ), I tuned in to 790 The Zone to hear Wes Durham call the game (PS, I believe Ward has a deeper voice). One thing I found interesting was, late in the second half, Durham made the comment after Tech took control of the ball, And we ll likely see the Novocain offense here. Now I am percent certain this was not a swipe by the Georgia Tech play-by-play announcer at the play-calling of coach Paul Johnson, but what if subconsciously it was? What if he was just like the REST of the college football world that doesn t wear Old Gold, Navy and White (and even some that do) that is sick of this boring, high school offense? As one of the play-by-play announcers for GPB s Friday Night Game of the Week, I see enough of the Wing-T on Friday nights. I don t need to see it Saturday mornings or even Sunday afternoons, as Johnson implied the offense could work in the NFL in a recent column in The Sporting News. What if Durham had heard from enough football fans that were fed up with the offense that it seeped into a part of his brain that let it slip when Tech was dominating Virginia? Again, it most likely wasn t meant with any ill will towards the play-calling, but what did Tech have to lose by trying to give the fans SOMETHING at the end of a game the Jackets were clearly going to win? Does anyone else who watches CBS s SEC coverage pick up on the fact that Gary Danielson is clearly a cross between Nostradamus and Stephen Hawking? Seriously! This guy is SOOO freaking smart it is unreal. ANYTHING that happens in the SEC Saturday game of the week, he knows about and he knew it was going to happen. I m not sure if it is his tone or the smugness with which he delivers his analysis, but something about Danielson just comes across weird. If you tracked his common expressions, HOCKEY TALK In case you picked up any of the recent Sports Illustrated or The Sporting News issues looking for some predictions on the NHL season and the Thrashers in particular, I doubt you found anything. No, not just on the Thrashers, but on the NHL. WOW, hockey just doesn t get ANY sort of pub anymore, and you sort of have to blame the NHL as well as ESPN. When the National Hockey League s television contract was up with ESPN several years back, the commissioner and other league execs shopped the rights around and decided to go for more money with Versus. Apparently, that didn t please ESPN and the Worldwide Leader of course stopped discussing hockey pretty much anytime other than the playoffs. Without ESPN talking about it, the magazines followed suit too and the only hockey preview I ve gotten this for this season (which has already started, by the way), has come from the Score Atlanta Scoreboard Show this past Sunday on 790 The Zone. Michael Queen broke down the Thrashers playoff chances, which he put at 60 percent and he said the team likely would not be breaking up with all of the new additions and acquisitions because the players are relatively inexpensive. He noted that the team was just five wins away from the playoffs last season, and in his opinion, the team has made the effort to make a playoff push this season. The Thrashers can be heard on 680 The Fan and you can read all about Atlanta s hockey squad in Score Atlanta. And PS, could someone tell Jim Mora Jr. of Fox and the NFL Network that NO, Michael Vick WASN T listening to him back when both were with the Falcons! Proctor can be reached at fproctor@scoreatl.com.

5 october 15-21, 2010 Score Atlanta 5 Under the leadership of Curry, Georgia State football off to fast start Georgia State football got off to a roaring start on September 2 when they took down Shorter University 41-7 at the Georgia Dome where close to 30,000 people were in attendance. But the question at that point was how will the rest of the season go for the Panthers? That s one of the many questions a new football team has to face because, as much excitement as there is from students, faculty and alumni, there is a lot of uncertainty and doubt about whether or not they will be successful. Georgia State has been up to the challenge so far with a 4-2 record after six games and has had an average attendance of over 18,500 which ranks eighth in the FCS. The reason for their success could be Bill Curry being the head coach for the first-year program. Curry, a Georgia native, played college football at Georgia Tech and was the head coach for Alabama, Kentucky and his alma mater. After the coaching stop in Lexington, he spent 11 years with ESPN as a college football analyst. On June 11, 2008, 12 years after stepping down as the head coach for Kentucky, Curry accepted the job as the head coach of the Panthers, and when his team took the field for their first game, he said it was like he was always there. It s like riding a bicycle. It s like I never left, Curry said while speaking to members of the Touchdown Club of Atlanta. I love being on the sidelines. I love being engaged in the huddle. STARTING FAST In the Panthers first game against Shorter, an NAIA program from Rome who has had a program for the last six years, GSU looked like the more experienced team, firing on all cylinders to earn their very first win. However, things did not go according to plan the next two games, losing to Lambuth and Jacksonville State. In those games, the Panthers made mistakes young football teams tend to make in the form of turnovers and making physical mistakes whether it was dropping passes or missing tackles. They were able to right the ship the IN THE HUDDLE: Georgia State head coach Bill Curry spoke at the Touchdown Club of Atlanta Monday and updated fans on the Panthers season. Curry told stories about how difficult it was to get the program going and also mentioned his book, Ten Men You Meet in in the Huddle. Photo courtesy of Bill Rubin. I love our team because our guys love to play. We may not run the right direction, we may not catch the ball, we may not make the tackle. But we re flying around. next three games by edging past Campbell and blowing out Morehead State as well as Savannah State. During Curry s speech at the TCA, Curry told fans what he likes most about his team and, based on the way they have been playing the last three games, the answer was obvious. I love our team because our guys love to play, Curry said. We may not run the right direction, we may not catch the ball, we may not make the tackle. But we re flying around. We re trying and we re having fun all the time. There are some players that have done well this season, such as quarterback Drew Little who has thrown for over 1,000 yards and 12 touchdowns, and Fred Barnes, who leads the team in tackles with 35. But Curry said the reason for their success is everyone on the team believes in Georgia State football and believes they can build a program that can be successful for years to come. In fact, there have been ordinary students coming up to Curry because they want to be part of the program. We have guys everyday begging to try out everyday just to be on our team and some of them are good enough to play, Curry said. Some of them have earned a spot covering kicks as walk-on players. LOOKING AHEAD The Panthers have five more games before their inaugural season comes to a close. Their next home game will be this coming Saturday when they host North Carolina Central. Then they will be on the road for the next two games and will play against Old Dominion and South Alabama before they come back to the Georgia Dome to take on Lamar in their final home game of the season. GSU will then have the biggest game in their very young history when they face 2009 FBS national champion Alabama in the final game of the year. Because of the strong start the Panthers had in the first half of the season, the second half sets up nicely for them to have a successful season, at least when it comes to wins and losses. So is the program ahead of schedule, or are they right on schedule? I didn t have a specific schedule time that I wanted certain things to happen, Curry said. We got more good offensive linemen OUT FRONT Former Braves assistant and Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez has been tapped to replace Bobby Cox at the helm of the Braves. Some are saying Gonzalez was hand-picked by Cox to be his replacement. Our Josh Bagriansky has been following the selection process and writes about Gonzalez the man and the coach on Page 9. Photo courtesy of the Atlanta Braves. than I thought we could find at this point. We have fewer defensive linemen that can actually play than we thought we would have. We have some making up to do in some areas and we were a little ahead in others. Curry has done something very few football coaches get to do and that is build a football program from the ground up and make it a team that fans want to support and make it another option for college football here in the Atlanta area. They are going to have their ups and downs the second half of the season as well as the first few years when they move to the Colonial Athletic Association in But under the watchful eye of Curry, GSU will have more wins than losses and should be another team from Georgia that becomes a huge success. Jones can be reached at bjones@scoreatl.com.

6 6 Score Atlanta Get In The Game! Score List BY BRIAN JONES SOARING INTO PHILLY: The Falcons got a big win last Sunday against the Browns and now have a league-best 4-1 record. They have another tough contest when they travel to Philadelphia to take on the Eagles and Michael Vick who missed last week s game due to injury. Regardless, it should be one great NFC battle. A KING DETHRONED: More trouble out of Athens this week as UGA running back Caleb King was jailed Monday for missing a court appearance for a speeding ticket he received in Walton County. He becomes the 11th UGA player to be arrested this year and will miss the next two games. When is it going to stop? NEW ERA BEGINS: The Bobby Cox era has come to an end, but the Braves did not take long to find a new manager to take his place as Fredi Gonzalez was named the new skipper Wednesday. Gonzalez was the Marlins manager for nearly four seasons and was named Manager of the Year by The Sporting News in SCARY OPENER: The Thrashers won their home opener Friday, but it came with some tense moments as goalie Ondrej Pavelec collapsed and was take out on a stretcher. After numerous tests, it was revealed Pavelec suffered a fainting spell. It s good news that it s not serious, but it was a frightening sight to see him go down the way he did. BATTLE IN NORCROSS: Friday night fever is still going strong in the Atlanta area and one of the bigger games will take place in Gwinnett County Friday when Peachtree Ridge takes on Norcross. Both teams are looking to keep up with North Gwinnett for the Region 7-5A lead and stay in the playoff mix. The game will be broadcast online at gpb.org/sports. TRIVIA QUESTION What team drafted Fredi Gonzalez in the 1982 Amateur Draft? Answer on Page 14 crunching the NUMBERS BY brian jones Record compiled by Fredi Gonzalez with the Florida Marlins from Braves managers since the team started playing in 1871 Errors by Brooks Conrad over the last seven games Undefeated teams left in Class 5A, which are North Gwinnett and Stephenson UGA players arrested this year Where the Falcons rank amongst NFL teams in popularity according to Harris Interactive Points opponents have scored against the Falcons, which ranks fourth-best in the NFL Points scored by the Falcons, which ranks 10th-best in the NFL Sacks John Abraham has through the first five games, just 1.5 behind last year s total Thumbs up to LEAGUE-BEST RECORDS Atlanta Falcons The Falcons got a big win Sunday as they defeated the Cleveland Browns and improved their record to 4-1. They also got some positive news Wednesday when the Harris Poll announced they were the 10th most popular team in the NFL. Georgia Bulldogs The losing streak is finally over for UGA thanks to a drubbing of the Tennessee Volunteers. They may not be able to run the table, but the win does ease a lot of pain for many fans who had their doubts about the program. Fredi Gonzalez After being ousted by the Marlins in the middle of the 2010 season, Gonzalez is now the new manager for the Atlanta Braves. Gonzalez s record with the Marlins was over the last 3.5 seasons, but he did win Manager of the Year in 2008 according to The Sporting News magazine. A COACH S DIARY: JEFF MEASOR Friday night was one of the best professional experiences of my career. I have been fortunate to be a part of winning a state championship, an SEC championship, two wins over UGA at the World s Largest Cocktail Party, an Orange Bowl win, and two wins at Centennial over ranked opponents, Chattahoochee in 2007 and Walton last year. However, Friday night s win was good as or better than any of those previous experiences. Friday night, we played Roswell who we consider our biggest rival. We are the other Roswell high school, and most of our kids played in the Roswell pound ball league when they were younger. However, I would imagine if you asked Roswell people their thoughts about us, they would put us well down their list of rivals, and to be honest, they would be 100 percent justified in thinking that way. It is hard for a team to consider an opponent a rival when you beat them every year. As a coaching staff and a school, we knew we wouldn t be taken seriously by Roswell and their supporters until we found a way to beat them. Our senior class had lost to Roswell s senior class every year, from 6th grade until this year, and the losses weren t close - they were by points. However we knew that if we played well, we would have a legitimate shot at beating them, and our kids played their hearts out, coming from behind twice in the game, driving the ball 80 yards in the 4th quarter to score the go-ahead touchdown, and then shutting Roswell down when they attempted their own come-from-behind drive. When the final horn sounded, and we won, it was a surreal moment. The looks on the seniors faces was priceless. We push our kids extremely hard, and for them to put in the time and work and see the result was awesome. After getting the Gatorade shower, I held my three-year-old son in my arms and he said, The boys sure are happy daddy! After he said that I stood back and watched the celebration for a minute or so - it was a great sight to behold. As magical as Friday was, we immediately challenged our kids to refocus and realize that only one of our four season goals had been accomplished. If we rest on this accomplishment alone and fail to meet any of the other goals, our season will be considered a failure. That is our next challenge, and I look forward to seeing if our kids can meet it. Centennial High School head coach Jeff Measor will share his thoughts here throughout the football season. Thumbs down to MORE ARRESTS Caleb King Although the Bulldogs got the win Saturday, Caleb King did not have a winning start to his week as he was jailed for missing a court date for a speeding ticket he received in Walton County Monday morning. He becomes the 11th UGA player this year to be sent behind bars. Paul Emmel The Braves lost the Division Series against the Giants as a team, but received several questionable calls from one umpire. Emmel called a Giants runner safe at second when replay showed he was clearly out. He then tossed Cox in Game 2 and gave the Giants several calls when behind the plate for Game 3. Fainting It was a very scary scene at Philips Arena Friday night when Thrashers goaltender Ondrej Pavelec collapsed and laid on the ice motionless. It turns out he had a type of fainting spell and suffered a concussion when his head hit the ice. SANITY at last It s hard to have great continuity week-by-week if a young man has done something to keep himself from being on the field. Again, it s our job also to deal with those things, but also not take away from the preparation and not take away from the focus of the team. - Georgia coach Mark Richt on all the off-the-field distractions

7 october 15-21, 2010 Score Atlanta 7

8 8 Score Atlanta Get In The Game!

9 october 15-21, 2010 Score Atlanta 9 Former assistant Gonzalez takes over for Cox; Hubbard, Cadahia not retained The long and illustrious career of Bobby Cox as Atlanta Braves manager ended in a series loss to the San Francisco Giants in the NLDS. Now it s time for a new era to begin. Enter Fredi Gonzalez, an experienced manager whom Atlanta has brought to town in hopes of making a seamless transition from Cox. Executive Vice President and General Manager Frank Wren introduced Gonzalez to the media, with Cox alongside them. We are excited and proud to announce Fredi Gonzalez as our manager. Fredi brings a wealth of experience and great enthusiasm to this job, he said. And that is essential for a club that continues to have expectations of playing in October. Gonzalez was hired Oct. 13, less than 48 hours after Atlanta s elimination from the postseason. Clearly, the Braves already had their guy before the season even ended. The 46-year old was quick to accept the job as Braves manager. COX S WISHES Cox and the organization wanted a Braves Guy as his successor. And Gonzalez appears to fit the bill. The former 16th-round draft choice was the Braves third base coach from 2003 to 2006, he spent the last four seasons managing division-rival Florida. The native of Havana, Cuba was well recognized in baseball circles for managing an overachieving young Marlins team despite having a lack of resources. Fredi s got all the respect of the ballclub and from the players and managers around the league, Cox said. We were always talking about Fredi. Fredi s a great pick to lead this organization going forward. Now Gonzalez comes to Atlanta, where the pressure and attention are at a completely different level compared to Miami. Cox set the standard with the incredible 14 straight postseason appearances that spanned over two decades. Now he leaves him with a strong team that includes an interesting mix of veteran and young talent. Early indications are that things will stay much the same under Gonzalez, who learned much of his trade under Cox. A players manager who did things similar to his predecessor, the team won t be making a huge adjustment come spring training. That s something that veteran players such as Chipper Jones had said would be best for the club, and they appear to be headed down that road. The day before the hiring, Wren echoed Jones sentiments regarding the expectations of the next manager. The players realize and understand that the manager respects them for their talents, Wren said. They re the guys that make it happen. And having somebody that can show that respect and confidence there s nobody that s ever shown more confidence in players than Bobby Cox. That s what we want from our next manager. STAFF SHAKEUP Much of the coaching staff remains intact. Eddie Perez, pitching coach Roger Mc- Dowell, and third base coach Chris Snitker will stay in their respective positions, while Terry Pendleton makes the move to first base coach and infield instructor. Long-time Braves coach Glenn Hubbard was not retained. Nor was bench coach Chino Cadahia. Carlos Tosca comes with Gonzalez to take Cadahia s spot. He filled the same role with the Marlins during Gonzalez s time there. Gonzalez has seen it all during his coaching career. Over 14 years he has managed throughout the minor league, and was Atlanta s third base coach under Cox from 2003 to 2006 after spending 2002 as the manager of AAA Richmond. He then spent four years managing the Florida Marlins, where experts say the cashstrapped Fish overachieved during his term, staying in the postseason picture late into the season in two of his three full seasons. Gonzalez was The Sporting News Manager of the Year in 2008, leading the Marlins to an 84-win season despite having baseball s lowest payroll. Gonzalez was fired in June after a start to this season, leaving many baseball people, including Cox, somewhat befuddled at the sudden firing. But for the Braves, Gonzalez s firing may have actually been a good thing, as he had been their top man since they began scouting future managerial candidates last winter. Fredi was number one on our list last winter, said Wren. That never changed. The history between Gonzalez and Wren is also a long one. The two have been friends for over 20 years going back to Gonzalez s managerial days in Class A ball. After Gonzalez was relieved in Miami, the two took a trip to Wren s vacation house in Alabama to talk baseball and potentially working together again. By September, Wren said that the process was all but wrapped up: The Braves had their guy in Gonzalez. Meanwhile, players appear happy with the decision. Fredi Gonzalez is always the first in my mind that pops up [regarding candidates], just because this organization has been run the same for so long, pitcher Derek Lowe said just one day before the hiring. After a season and their first playoff appearance since 2005, this year s brief stint in the postseason reminded the city about how special playoff baseball can be. With the 2010 Playoffs not even yet completed, it s not time for any bold predictions from the Braves manager or team. But after a year where they made the playoffs despite injuries to top players like Jones, Martin Prado and Jair Jurrjens, Atlanta will be shooting for more than a Wild Card berth and first-round playoff exit in We feel he is the guy who fits our ballclub and can lead us going forward, Wren said. The ballclub has a chance to contend on an annual basis and we wanted to make sure we had someone of Fredi s caliber. Gonzalez already knows that expectations are high in Braves Country. But the man that set the bar so high things he ll do just fine. He knows the game of baseball inside and out, Cox said. He s got a great personality, his communications skills are excellent. He s got everything you want in a young manager. Photo courtesy of the Atlanta Braves. Bagriansky can be reached at jbagriansky@scoreatl.com. TEACHER AND STUDENT: Bobby Cox and Fredi Gonzalez coached together in Atlanta from when Gonzalez was third base coach. The Braves thought so much of Gonzalez that he was their top choice to succeed Cox prior to the 2010 season starting. At the time, Gonzalez was managing the Florida Marlins. Photo courtesy of the Atlanta Braves.

10 10 Score Atlanta Get In The Game!

11 october 15-21, 2010 Score Atlanta 11 SCORE MORE Hawks open preseason winless tlanta opened the preseason at 0-3 Awith losses to New Orleans, Detroit and Washington. Even though the games don t count yet, the rest of the schedule features a few intriguing matchups. Southeast Division nemesis Orlando comes to town for a 7 p.m. tip at Philips Arena on Monday. Then, fans can check the team out on national television, as they tip against the new Big Three of Miami on Thursday at 8 p.m. on TNT. Despite the losses, there have been several strong individual performances thus far. Jeff Teague opened up the preseason with 20 points and six assists against New Orleans. Then, Joe Johnson dropped 19 in 28 minutes on 7-for-10 shooting against Detroit. Firstround pick Jordan Crawford impressed in game three by scoring 30 points on 13-for-20 shooting from the floor. The rookie also checked in with five boards and five assists on the night. Fans can also get out to see a free public practice at Philips Arena this weekend. Sunday s session begins at 1:30 p.m. and is free of charge to fans. The Hawks open up the regular year with Memphis on Oct. 27. RED CROSS REPORT Hawks Captain Josh Smith was added to a long injury list for Atlanta, although none of them appear to be serious. Smith suffered a cut on Oct. 9 his hand while making contact with the rim and required five stitches. It s a little tender, Smith told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. I ll be okay. Smith was expected to miss a week. Also among the walking wounded this preseason have been Jamal Crawford (back), Mo Evans (knee), Josh Powell (groin), Jason Collins (leg), Etan Thomas (achilles) and Pape Sy (back). TEAGUE OPTION EXERCISED Second-year point guard Jeff Teague is off to another strong preseason. And Atlanta wants to keep him around for at least one more year after exercising their team option on him for the season. Teague appeared in 71 games last season, but struggled to adapt to the NBA and failed to earn the trust of then head coach Mike Woodson. Bagriansky can be reached at jbagriansky@scoreatl.com. Falcons win tough one vs Browns he Falcons did not need another Tgame-winning field goal, but they homme pass, making a diving catch, and rumbling 41 yards to the endzone with just four minutes remaining. VICK-LESS IN ATLANTA? A Week 6 showdown between a pair of winning NFC teams is intriguing no matter the circumstances, but Sunday s meeting between Atlanta and Philadelphia may be lacking some luster. When healthy, former Falcons quarterback and face of the franchise Michael Vick is now entrenched as the Eagles starter. However, cracked rib cartilage forced Vick to miss last week s game and it is likely he will not be able to get a shot against his former team. If Vick can t go, Kevin Kolb the starter at the beginning of the season before suffering an injury of his own would get the nod. Interestingly, the 3-2 Eagles are winless at home and undefeated on the road so far this year. They are coming off a victory at San Francisco to go along with wins over Detroit and Jacksonville. Dimon can be reached at rdimon@scoreatl.com. Series loss to Giants ushers in new era s the Braves enter the offseason, Aclearly the number one thing on the to-do list will be replace a Hall of Fame manager, name a new closer to replace future Hall of Famer Billy Wagner, who has announced he is retiring, and figure out if Chipper Jones, another Hall of Fame candidate, is returning or not. The closer/bullpen issue might be the easiest to solve as Craig Kimbrel pitched quite well after being recalled late in the season. In the playoffs, Kimbrel was perfect in his first two appearances and was pitching well in game three before he was charged with the two runs after being removed from the game. He faired well in game four, not allowing a run in his appearance. Jonny Venters might be a candidate for the job as well, but he could be looked at as too valuable as the setup man to move to closer. Chipper Jones hinted earlier this season that he might be near hanging it up along with Bobby Cox, but with the way he was playing before the season- still had to battle through one more close game last Sunday in Cleveland. Atlanta picked up its second road win of the season by using a late Kroy Biermann interception and touchdown to defeat the Browns Matt Bryant had the week off from delivering late-game heroics, but he provided all of Atlanta s first-half offense with two field goals in the second quarter. The Falcons trailed 7-3 at one point in the second and 10-6 midway through the third, but this time they did not wait until the fourth to take a lead. The air attack had been held in check by Cleveland for most of the afternoon, but Matt Ryan suddenly found Roddy White on a deep route for a 45-yard touchdown with 7:57 to go in the third quarter. That gave the Falcons a advantage, and the defense was not about to let it slip. Atlanta did not allow the Browns to get any closer throughout the final two quarters and Biermann put the game away by swatting a Jake Delending injury, Jones seems likely to return, simply because no one wants to go out the way he did. Jones was still a presence around the club after he endured the surgery and throughout the stretch run and in the playoffs. THE NEW GUY Fredi Gonzalez has beentasked with replacing Cox, but it isn t as daunting as it may have been. Suddenly the Braves situation looks better than it did before the year. Tim Hudson was dominant this season and Lowe pitched well down the stretch; he was a stud in the playoffs despite being tagged with two losses. The rest of the staff is young and looks to be ready to contend for years. The only thing Gonzalez would potentially worry about is where the power would come from in the lineup. Still, the job would seem to be a cushy one, especially with a sharp mind like Frank Wren upstairs giving you plenty of help. Proctor can be reached at fproctor@scoreatl.com. Mason fills in admirably at goalie hrashers goalie Ondrej Pavelec was re- from the hospital on Sunday Tleased after a truly frightening incident in the opening game last week. Pavelec started against Washington, but fainted and collapsed to the ice, then suffered a concussion after hitting the ice and remained unconscious while he was rushed to the hospital. The true nature of Pavelec s episode is called neurocardiogenic syncope (a fancy name for fainting). He went through a number of different tests on his brain and heart and will undergo more tests to look for genetic or blood issues. I want to thank all the doctors, trainers, and emergency personnel who took such good care of me, Pavelec said on the team website. DEAL PAYS OFF... The signing of Chris Mason in the offseason looks crucial right now. He came in and played great in after Pavelec went out, making 29 saves in a 4-2 win. The first period was weird. I don t remember anything about it, said Ma- son. All I could think about was Pav and his family. Mason made 31 saves in a 5-3 loss to Tampa Bay. He finished the game even after trailing 4-0 at one point because he is the best option the Thrashers have right now. In a 3-1 loss to L.A., he made 32 saves on 34 shots AND the last goal was an empty net tally. In desperate need of a back-up goaltender, GM Rick Dudley called up Peter Mannino from the AHL s Chicago Wolves. Mannino himself has had health issues, battling the flu last week, which caused him to miss the first two games for Chicago. The 26-year old from Farmington Hills, Mich., went with a 2.34 GAA last season with the Wolves. If Pavelec passes all the required tests and is cleared to play, Mannino will most likely be sent back down. That is still up in the air at this point, so we ll see how things play out. The hope is that Pavelec will be back between the pipes very soon. Deighton can be reached at jdeighton@scoreatl.com. SCORE MORE

12 12 Score Atlanta Get In The Game! IJ Rosenberg (26-10) President Eagles Falcons DJ Galbiati (24-12) Creative Art Director Eagles Falcons Bob Houghton (21-15) General Manager Eagles Eagles Brian Jones (21-15) Big B Eagles Falcons Fletcher Proctor ( ) The Fletch Eagles Falcons Stephen Black (17-19) Managing Editor Eagles Falcons Auburn Arkansas Auburn Arkansas Auburn Arkansas Auburn Auburn Auburn Auburn Auburn Arkansas Michigan Iowa Michigan Iowa Michigan Iowa Michigan Michigan Michigan Iowa Michigan Iowa Roswell Roswell Roswell Alpharetta Roswell Roswell Roswell Roswell Roswell Roswell Roswell Roswell Blessed Trinity Lovett Blessed Trinity Lovett Blessed Trinity Lovett Blessed Trinity Lovett Blessed Trinity Lovett Blessed Trinity Lovett Peachtree Norcross Norcross Peachtree Norcross Peachtree Ridge Peachtree Norcross Peachtree Ridge Peachtree Norcross Peachtree Ridge Peachtree Norcross Peachtree Ridge Peachtree Norcross Peachtree Ridge Panthers coast past Savannah State 55-21; Martelli earns milestone coaching victory I was cautiously optimistic going into the game but in the end Georgia State made it look easy in beating Savannah State at the Dome. The Panther offense amassed 433 total yards, with 232 of it on the ground, and had four takeaways from the gift-giving Tigers. The Panthers scored a total of 17 points on drives after three of the four Savannah State (0-6) miscues, all of which happened in the first half. Linebacker Louie Muasau had an interception and a fumble recovery - both in the first quarter - to spark the Panthers defense. Jamal Ransby added an interception and Brent McClendon picked up a fumble. I m very pleased with our men today because this is another first for us, said Panthers head coach Bill Curry. It is the first time we have played two decent games in a row. Quarterback Drew Little was again very effective going 16 for 25 passing with 166 yards and four touchdowns. On the receiving end of those scoring strikes were Sam Burkhalter, Danny Williams and Albert Williams twice. Fred Barnes led the defense with 6.5 total tackles, including a sack, forced fumble and two tackles for loss. Georgia State, now 4-2, hosts North Carolina Central Saturday in the Georgia Dome. Join us each Monday afternoon (4:00-5:00 p.m.) at STATS Restaurant on Marietta Street near Philips Arena for the Bill Curry call-in radio show on WCFO-AM, Newstalk OFF THE GRIDIRON Congratulations to GSU women s soccer head coach Domenic Martelli, who earned his 100th career victory last week in the Panthers 2-1 overtime win over James Madison. Martelli s Panthers are now overall and stand second in the CAA standings. Freshman Jewel Evans and Sarah Bennett share the CAA lead in goals with seven each. Basketball coach Rod Barnes was on with us at halftime last week and we talked a little Panther basketball. Georgia State opens the season November 16th at McNeese State. Dave Cohen is in his 28th season as the Voice of Georgia State Athletics on WRAS- FM (88.5) and WCFO-AM, Newstalk 1160.

13 october 15-21, 2010 Score Atlanta 13 BASKETBALL Hawks. (Preseason). October 16 at New Orleans 8:30 PM. October 18 vs. Orlando 7 PM. October 21 vs. Miami 8 PM. October 27 at Charlotte 7 PM. (Regular season). October 27 at Memphis 8 PM. Club Sport, Where Atlanta Comes To Play! Registration Ongoing - Men s League plays on Sunday evenings at the Brookhaven Boys & Girls Club. For more info or to register visit Open Recreational Basketball. GSL Georgia Sports Leagues. Georgia s Best Sports Leagues. Registration ongoing. We offer Top Gun, B, C and Co-Ed styles of play around Atlanta. We play ALL year round. For more information please contact (678) or mark@georgiasportsleagues.org. Visit Roundtable Fundamental Basketball Camp Boys and Girls. Rising 6th-10th Graders (Current 5th-9th Graders) June am-2pm. St. Francis High School, Alpharetta. Contact Coach Huff stfrancisbball@yahoo.com. BASEBALL Prospect Watch. Ongoing - Buckhead. Baseball pitching and hitting lessons by a former college and minor league coach. For information call or visit Adult Baseball League Metro Atlanta. Ongoing. MSBL 18+, 28+, 38+, and 48+. Sunday League contact info is , info@atlantamsbl.com. MSBL 18+ Saturday League contact info is , AtlantaMABL@aol.com. MSBL 18+ Midweek Wood bat league contact info is , AtlantaMABL@aol. com. MSBL 18+Fall League contact info is , AtlantaMABL@aol.com. For more information about our Atlanta Adult Baseball League, please visit our website at TNT Sports. Ongoing. Baseball pitching and hitting lessons by Rob Blair, former college coach, Snellville. To set up a free pitching or hitting analysis call Jack City Baseball. Ongoing. Baseball pitching and hitting. Instruction with former pro Keith Whitner. 18-y looking for high school players. The new location is inside Velocity Sports in North Gwinnett. For more information call or visit jackcity.net. FOOTBALL Falcons. October 17 at Philadelphia 1 PM. Georgia. October 16 vs. Vanderbilt 12:25 PM. Georgia Tech. October 16 vs. Middle Tennessee State 3:30 PM. Georgia State. October 16 vs. North Carolina Central 1 PM. Collins Hill Athletic Association. Ongoing. Accepting applications for qualified coaches in all age groups. For informtion Craig Deneau at deneauc@charter.net Grayson Athletic Association. Ongoing. Football coaches needed for eighth grade and all age groups. For information call Duane Davis at or visit Flag Football. GSL -- Georgia Sports Leagues. Georgia s Largest Flag League. Registration ongoing. We offer 7-Man, 8-man, Youth and Co-Ed styles of play around Atlanta. We play ALL year round. For information please contact (678) or mark@georgiasportsleagues.org. Visit Arena Indoor Football. Ongoing. Youth and Adult Leagues. Youth 7 vs. 7; Adult 6 vs. 6. For information, call or info.indoor@atlantasilverbacks.com. Capitol City Officials Association. CCOA is accepting ongoing registration for the upcoming GHSA High School season in football. We hold weekly training meetings. For more information, contact Irvin Seabrook at or Irv_Seabrook@yahoo.com. HOCKEY Thrashers. October 15 at Anaheim 10 PM. October 16 at San Jose 10:30 PM. October 20 vs. Buffalo 7 PM. October 23 at Washington 7 PM. October 23 at New York Rangers 7 PM. Gladiators. (Preseason). October 15 at Florida 7:30 PM. October 16 at Florida 7 PM. (Regular season). October 22 vs. South Carolina 7:35 PM. October 28 at Trenton 7 PM. Peachtree Booster Club. Ongoing - Pickneyville Roller Hockey Rink. Fees: $95 for 12-game season, $30 out-of-county fee. For information visit SOCCER Challenged Soccer. Ongoing. For mentally and physically disabled youngsters. For information call Ken Higgins at Hall of Fame soccer clinics. Ongoing on Fridays Clarkston Community Center. For under-6 through under-12 players. Fees: Free. For information call or visit 5:30-7 PM. TENNIS Technique Clinics. Ongoing - Bitsy Grant Tennis Center. Tuesdays (serve/volley) and Saturdays (forehand/backhand). Fees: $18. For information call or jimhines01@yahoo.com. 2 PM on Saturdays, 6:30PM on Tuesdays. Tennis camps for kids. Ongoing weekly. Lost Mountain Tennis Center. For information call LACROSSE Lacrosse. Ongoing. Registration for 1st-8th grades. For information call , jasona@bagatawaylacrosse. com or visit Double Stixx Lacrosse. Ongoing - Leagues, Travel Teams and Tournaments for youth, high school and adult s boys and girls. More information about the best lacrosse programs in Georgia can be found at or by contacting Chris Smith at chris@doublestixxlacrosse.com or RUNNING Georgia State Trail Running Championships 8.5 Mile. Oct. 23. Lawrenceville, 8:30 AM Fast Pace Race 5K/10K. Oct. 23. Cumming, 8:00 AM Race to See 5K/Mile. Oct. 23. Smyrna, 8:00 AM ATC Haunted Hustle Cross-Country 5K/Mile. Oct. 23. Canton, 9:00 a.m.; Beirut Memorial 5K. Oct. 23. McDonough, 5:00 PM Party in the Park 5K. Oct. 23. Suwanee, 9:00 AM Costume 5K Run. Oct. 23. Atlanta, Lullwater Park, 8:30 AM th Annual Kids Chance Fun Run 5K. Oct. 23. Roswell, 8:00 AM VOLLEYBALL Gwinnett Sports Center. Registration ongoing. For information call Jerry Robison at or visit SWIMMING & DIVING Swimming lessons. Ongoing - Alpharetta City Pool - Alpharetta, Ga Old Milton Parkway. For information call Dynamo Swim School. DynaBabies, Preschool, Grade School, Adult Classes. Youth Swim Team. Call us (770) Ext 16 Gwinnett Aquatics. Ongoing Quinberry Drive and Bethany Church Road. For ages Swim team and lessons available. For information call Senior Water-Exercise class. Ongoing - Mountain Park pool - Lilburn, Ga. Fees: $1 per class. For information call :50 AM. SwimAtlanta Sugarloaf at Kid s Village. Ongoing. Swim team, lessons, lap swimming, master s program, water aerobics and scuba available. For information call YOUTH REGISTRATION Soccer-Soccer Alley. Ongoing Roswell Road- Atlanta. For information call or visit Tucker Youth Soccer. Ongoing Henderson Road Tucker, Ga. For information call or visit Track and Field - Peachtree City Flash Youth Track Team registration. Ongoing - Riley Field - Peachtree City, Ga. For ages For information call or ptcflash@ bellsouth.net. Gymnastics - Georgia Gymnastics Academy. Ongoing. For registration in Lawrenceville call ; in Suwanee call Gym Elite. Ongoing. Registration for ages 2 and older. Cheerleading for ages 6 and older. For information call Youth Soccer Training. Ongoing. Start age 3 and up. For information, call , info.indoor@atlantasilverbacks.com, or visit Corpus Christi Youth Basketball League Registration is now underway for our 29th season! Boys and girls ages 5 through 14, any skill level, are welcome. Cost: $90 per child/$85 for siblings. Fee includes uniforms, field trips, skills clinics, 9 games and maore! Register while space is still available Saturdays October 11 & 18, 2008, 10 AM to 12 PM. Location: Corpus Christi Church Sports Arena, 600 Mountain View Drive, Stone Mountain, GA For info, call , ccybl1@gmail.com or visit the league s website ( SOFTBALL AYSA Spring Season. Ongoing - North Park - Cogburn and Bethany - Alpharetta. Fees: If Alpharetta Residential Property Tax IS NOT PAID at the primary residence of the player, then the Non-City Resident Fee must be paid. After Jan. 13, $10 late fee is charged. GYMNASTICS Gymnastics Classes at Gymnastics AcademyofAtlanta. Ongoing Cobb Parkway Kennesaw, Ga. For information call or visit Gymnastics Classes at Gwinnett Gymnastics Center Ongoing Killian Hill Road Lilburn, Ga. For information call Atlanta School of Gymnastics in Lawrenceville. Ongoing. Classes for tots through teens. Cheerleading classes for ages 5 and older. For information call The Little Gym of Snellville. Ongoing. Noncompetitive gymnastics and motor-skills development classes and camps. For ages 10 months-12 years. For information call or visit RACING EGGtoberfest. October at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Speed Tech Racing School. October at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Richard Petty Driving Experience. October at Atlanta Motor Speedway. SVRA Season Finale. October at Road Atlanta. OFFICIATING 9RCorp Sports Officials. Ongoing. Provider of sports officials for multiple sports including basketball, flag football, & softball. Looking for additional officials. For information call Dennis Reagan at or 9rcorp@150mail.com. Georgia Lacrosse Officials Association. Needs boys youth and High School officials for 2010 season. Games are played Spring, Summer, and Fall. Great way to earn extra money and get some fun aerobic exercise. For more information, please visit or recruit@galaxref.com. Atlanta Peachstate Football Officials Association. High School Football Officials needed. We are in need of people who want to officiate high school football in the Atlanta Metro area. No experience is necessary. We have weekly training sessions. For more information go on our web site or call ATLANTA SPORTS COUNCIL Chick-Fil-A Bowl. Dec. 31, Georgia Dome. For tickets, call To reach the Atlanta Sports Council call or visit MISC. Club Sport. Club Sport opens registration for summer leagues on May 1st with league play beginning in June. Club Sport is Atlanta s recreational sports and social group with over 10,000 participants each year on 1200 teams in 120 leagues. Each season Club Sport offers leagues in flag football, softball, soccer, sand and indoor volleyball, basketball and more. Club Sport is where Atlanta comes to play! For more information about Club Sport, upcoming events, photos or interviews with the owner, please contact Rich Alvarez at ext. 818 or visit GOkickball Atlanta s Premier Social Experience. Providing social, co-ed adult kickball leagues throughout metro-atlanta centered around having a good time, meeting new people, and playing recreational games of kickball at local parks. Registration is open now for spring season. Join the fun! For more information and to register, go to Special Score Atlanta 15% off discount code: Score15.

14 14 Score Atlanta Get In The Game! Dawgs dominate Volunteers to end streak of futility uddenly, everything seems okay. S On a gorgeous Saturday afternoon in Athens, the Bulldogs destroyed rival Tennessee to get their first SEC win of the year and end a devastating four-game losing streak that had the Bulldog Nation in an uproar for much of the young autumn. The win was a welcome relief for all involved, as criticism of the program mounted and fans began to call for the heads of coaches. But head coach Mark Richt s program stuck together and played their best game of the season against one of the program s biggest nemeses. You can t play the way we did today unless the guys are sticking together, said Richt. They are still working and still be- lieving and still doing what the coaches say. If we continue to do that, we ve got a chance to win. The Dawgs played with a toughness and physicality that they had been missing all season. Georgia was also benefitted from three crucial Vol turnovers. One cause of the sudden poise and tenacity of the team may have been the implementation of more physical practices. The team went through Bloody Monday, a physical practice that included full pads and the first-team offense scrimmaging against the first-team defense. This week, Richt moved Bloody Day to Tuesday in preparation for Vanderbilt. Today was very physical, Richt said. They got after it pretty good. I thought the defense had a really, really good day in the competition phase. The defense won the team run portion. The 11-on-11 was pretty much a wash. It was very equal. The offense did win the 3-on-3 tackling drill, the old-school Oklahoma drill but it was close. It is something that had been a part of Georgia football for a long time until Richt ended it in recent years due to injury concerns. In the Tennessee game, the Bulldogs held the Vols to just nine yards rushing. To do that against a team that is traditionally known for its physical running attack is very impressive. It is something to build on for the future. Black can be reached at sblack@scoreatl.com. Yellow Jackets wary of looking past Middle Tennessee s Georgia Tech prepares for Middle Tennes- State this week, many fans see this Asee as an unofficial off week before hoping back into ACC play against Clemson the following week. But Paul Johnson, the model for consistency, in no way is taking the Blue Raiders lightly. Middle Tennessee is an interesting team There are a lot of kids from the state of Georgia on their squad, two dozen or so, and I am sure they are going to come in and be highly motivated to play, the coach said in his weekly press conference. Johnson also warned about looking ahead to a difficult ACC schedule down the stretch. You don t approach this game any CHECK OUT SCOREATL.COM! trivia answer The New York Yankees drafted Gonzalez in the 16th round as a catcher. differently than the last game; you have to approach them all the same, he said. The next game is the biggest game of the year because it is the next one. You can t worry about the end of the year; you have to worry about Middle Tennessee because if you lose that, it takes the luster off the next one. A big reason the third-year coach warns of getting too far ahead is the improvement he is seeing in his team, and the need to build off of that and not be complacent. We tell the team all the time: you never stay the same, you get better or worse, he explained. Hopefully you don t take a step back, you keep growing. This week offers the Yellow Jackets TO ADVERTISE IN SCORE ATLANTA: a chance to take a step towards getting better before a grueling stretch of conference games. The next three conference games are against Clemson, Virginia Tech and Miami, and the first two are on the road. The upcoming few games could make or break them. During the grueling stretch, seniors Josh Nesbitt and Anthony Allen will have to come up big for the Yellow Jackets. Johnson said of the duo, Both of those guys are good players and they are coming off of good games, so we will see how it unfolds as the year goes on. Watson can be reached at Copyright 2010 Score Atlanta Publishing, LLC. All rights reserved. Score Atlanta is published every week on Fridays. Views expressed in Score Atlanta are not necessarily the opinion of Score Atlanta, its staff or advertisers. Score Atlanta does not knowingly accept false or misleading editorial content or advertising nor is Score Atlanta responsible for the content or claims of any advertising or editorial in this publication. No content (articles, photographs, graphics) in Score Atlanta may be used for reproduction without written permission from the publisher.

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