NOVEMBER 19-25, 2010 CHECK US OUT at scoreatl.com Vol 6 NO 43

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1 NOVEMBER 19-25, 2010 CHECK US OUT at scoreatl.com Vol 6 NO 43

2 2 Score Atlanta Get In The Game!

3 November 19-25, 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 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, Drew Collins, Raj Prashad CONTRIBUTORS C.C., Brian Katrek, Alex Ewalt, Tad Arapoglou, Dean Zindler, Zander Lentz, Kevin Dankosky, Mitch Evans, Chris Dimino, Matt Stewart, Fred Kalil, Nick Cellini, Dave Marshall, Greg Smith, Steak Shapiro, Beau Bock, Roy Hickman, Dave Cohen, Bob Rathbun, Courtney Capps, Bill Hartman, Chuck Dowdle, Dan Kamal, Dennis Scott, Jeff Batten, Jeff Measor 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, Mt. Paran Christian N. Cobb, N. Cobb Christian, Pebblebrook, Pope, S. Cobb, Sprayberry, Walker, Walton, Wheeler, Whitefield Academy 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... MR. LATE HIT: Auburn defensive tackle Nick Fairley is pushed off the field by Tiger assistant Trooper Taylor in the late stages of their win over Georgia. After a scrum between the two sides, two Auburn defenders were ejected from the game for throwing punches. Meanwhile, Fairley somehow escaped punishment from the SEC office despite several late hits on UGA quarterback Aaron Murray. Photo courtesy of Rob Saye. Can t Miss In Atlanta s only sports media column, Fletcher Proctor puts David Pollack in his place and plugs Chuck Oliver s blog. Brian Jones dishes on the latest happenings in the Atlanta sports scene in his Keeping Up with Big B column. Kennesaw State has seen unprecedented media coverage lately and Ricky Dimon tells why in our cover story. Tech and Georgia are on a football collision course. See our Jacket and Bulldog beats for the latest on both teams. Team Scoop and Voices COVER design by DJ Galbiati Cover Photo courtesy of kennesaw state university 6 SCORE LIST 12 GSU - OUR PICKS 13 CALENDAR 14 UGA - TECH THIS WEEK ON THE INSIDE AT SCORE Thrashers Zach bogosian 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! Falcons still flying under the radar; Pollack comments on Ryan s limitations Can You Believe......He Said That? If Paul Hewitt isn t the worst basketball coach in the country, it s only because ours is a mighty big country. Last week s Falcons win over the Baltimore Ravens really left me scratching my head. It was on a Thursday night; it was a thrilling finish; it was between two teams that could very well end up meeting in the Super Bowl; did I mention the incredible finish; and it was on national television (well, as long as you get the NFL Network). However after the Atlanta victory, instead of 72 hours of, Boy, this team is certainly ready for the next level! or WOW Matt Ryan just won his fifth fourth-quartercomeback of the season and his eleventh of his young career! it instead was pointing out that Baltimore was robbed. So weird. As I watched the game on a piggyback simulcast on WATL (because I, like 74% of America don t have the NFLN included in my basic cable service), I thought this is going to be great. For the next three days everyone will be giving props to the Falcons for taking the Ravens best shot and responding in less than 45 seconds for the win! Too bad that isn t how it played out. Not by a longshot. ESPN personality and Pardon The Interruption co-host Michael Wilbon railed on the officials and the NFL for Baltimore getting screwed over three calls on the final drive. He went nuts over the fingertip grab of Michael Jenkins, a play that the officials replayed and CONFIRMED was a catch. Then he went crazy over a penalty call. Lastly, he went berserk over the Roddy White play where he responded to some chicken-fighting by slapping the defender s hands away before catching the ball for a score. The defender tried to win a nomination for best supporting actor by pretending Roddy White pulled a Last Boy Scout on him before scoring as he fell to the turf. LOCAL CRITICS Sadly, the criticism wasn t just nationally. As his co-host on Pollack and Bell rejoiced over the win and how the Falcons were now FINALLY starting to find themselves on the positive end of 50/50 calls, David Pollack killed the buzz by arguing that White should have been popped for pass interference. As Bell nearly swallowed his tongue, Pollack tried to say that the defender was allowed to try and jam White, despite being past the 5-yard mark from the line of scrimmage, as long as he stood his ground and stood still. Then Pollack did concede that he was impressed with Ryan despite his limitations as a quarterback. PS, Pollack, I was impressed with your color commentary on last week s ESPNU broadcast despite the limitations of your not saying anything for a stretch of six plays at one point during the third quarter. NFL Insiders Joe Theismann and Peter King disagreed with Pollack recently on Atlanta radio in terms of Ryan s limitations,as both heaped great praise on the third-year signal caller. King acknowledged to 790 The Zone in an interview that he would take Ryan over JoeFlacco if the 2008 draft was redone today because he liked Ryan s whole package. Theismann more-or-less echoed the sentiment on 680 The Fan s Rude Awakening the day of the Falcons/Ravens game. Theismann was part of the NFL Network broadcast team that called the game and right after the Ravens took the lead with 65 seconds left to play, Matt Millen or Bob Papa pondered if the Ravens scored too quickly, leaving Matt Ryan too much time to comeback and win. Theismann quickly responded, there is no such thing as scoring too early in the NFL. Umm, really? Because I agreed with the first guy. They scored WAY too soon because of EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED. Theismann didn t go back and say my bad, to all Ravens fans after Atlanta scored to win the game. As far as the announcing crew, I can leave Theismann but this crew is clearly better than the old crew of Bryant Gumbel and ANYONE. Good work NFLN, too bad I cannot watch you guys on a regular basis. Earlier, I mentioned Theismann s appearance on 680 The Fan s The Rude Awakening. It went well. Theismann does know the game and is very opinionated on the NFL. The interview went well with Rude and Perry peppering Theismann questions and it was about to end when Leo Mazzone finally piped in (I didn t realize he was there as he hadn t said a word the entire interview) to ask a football question about Notre Dame. Of course Theismann answered, but it was out of place and weird. Leo needs some coaching on what to ask, but at least this non sequitur came at the end of the interview and didn t disrupt the flow. At some point 680 might want to consider simply using Leo on the Braves coverage and giving Brandon Home Team Leak a shot at the third chair on the morning show. He d offer a bit of a different perspective and could also do the updates for the morning shows. Finally, 680 s King of College Football Chuck Oliver received a little more ammo in his quest to get Mark Richt bounced from Athens after Georgia fell to 5-6 with a loss to Auburn. Oliver has been beating the drum that Richt should be relieved of his whistle due to Georgia s slide into mediocrity, and his breakthrough website really stepped it up after the Georgia loss with a special section dedicated to the situation. The section included columns about how Richt is no longer among the elite coaches, what Richt would do That was Mark Bradley of the AJC ripping into Paul Hewitt after the Jackets lost to Kennesaw State. It seems this is Bradley s modus operandi: put the coach of the school s flagship program in your sights and pound away at him. He does it with Mark Richt and he s started up again with Hewitt. After a while Mark, it sounds like you are just writing the same blog over and over again. Bis repetita placent, I guess. if not at Georgia, Georgia s place in the SEC and simply that Richt is at the end of the line, written by the King himself. If you haven t visited the site and you are a fan of southern football, you are missing the boat. Finally, kudos to CBS for being able to switch your central theme surrounding the Georgia/Auburn game so quickly. I didn t see a single Cam Newton/Tim Tebow splitscreen all game, and I just KNOW you guys spent most of the week getting those ready. Instead, CBS casually mentioned every once in a while about Newton s troubling week, at one point flashing up headlines of news outlets from around the country. That showed guts to partially tear down its 2010 flagship team. I salute CBS for not ignoring the story like it has in years past, especially when it comes to Florida. Proctor can be reached at fproctor@scoreatl.com.

5 November 19-25, 2010 Score Atlanta 5 Atlanta sports scene never fails to entertain; KSU athletics gaining prominence One of the great things about sports in Atlanta is that there never is a dull moment. This past week featured a major upset on the college basketball scene, a big time trade for the Braves and the Falcons getting a win that caught the eye of the rest of the nation. Sounds like a good week to me. Here s a closer look at some of the topics that are hot in Atlanta. OWL NATION As a graduate of Kennesaw State, it s good to see the school gaining more attention when it comes to athletics. First, the students of KSU voted yes to a football fee of $100 per semester so the school can field a football team by This is a good move for everyone involved because it will cost the university $5 million to $6 million a year to field a football team. While that may seem a bit steep for some students, trust me when I say it will be worth it. Just look at Georgia State. The Panthers finish their 2010 season with a winning record and the fan support was great throughout out the season. That s what I want to see out of KSU. It s been too long for this school not to have a football team and if the university wants to take that next step, it will do whatever it takes to get the football team ready to go in One team from KSU that seems to be taking that next step is the men s basketball team, as they smashed Georgia Tech at KSU s Convocation Center. It was the first time the school hosted a team from the big six conferences and to say this was the biggest win in school history would be valid. While most fans and media members focused on what Tech did wrong in the game, credit has to go KSU because they dominated Tech and seemed like a team that will get better and better under head coach Tony Ingle. And for those who don t know, KSU did win a Division II national championship in 2004, so if Ingle continues to get the players he wants, the team will be a force in the Atlantic Sun conference and will make it to the big dance in March. BIG UGGLA: The Braves traded Mike Dunn and Omar Infante to Florida for power-hitting second baseman Dan Uggla Tuesday. Despite playing most of his career in the infield, Uggla may play left field now that he is in Atlanta. Hopefully, he hits a little better for the Braves than McLouth or Lee. Photo courtesy Florida Marlins/Denis Bancroft. A NEW BRAVE When the season ended for the Braves last month, general manager Fran Wren knew he had to find a big bat to bolster the offense. Wren hit a home run with his latest move, trading Omar Infante and Michael Dunn to Florida for second baseman Dan Uggla. This is what the Braves have been waiting for because Uggla is a guy who can average 30 homers 95 RBIs per season. This past season, Uggla had his best year as a major leaguer, hitting.287 with 33 home runs and 105 runs batted in, and as result of his efforts, Uggla was awarded the Silver Slugger award, which was the first of his career. With Uggla now a Brave, several questions have to be answered before the 2011 season begins. First, where will Martin Prado play and who is going to be your No. 1 bench player since Infante is gone? Prado will likely play in left field but that is only if Chipper Jones is ready to go. If Jones isn t ready, Prado will be at third and outfield will still be in question except for right field with Jason Heyward holding that spot down. As far as Infante goes, if the Braves can hold on to reserves Eric Hinskie and Matt Diaz, they should be fine. I know Wren and Uggla are happy about the trade, but manager Fredi Gonzalez was so happy he was working in the 2011 lineup as soon as the trade was finalized on Tuesday. Hey, spring training is three months away so Gonzalez is making sure he is ready to go. BEST IN NFC With the Falcons defeating the Baltimore Ravens in front of a national audience last Thursday, many think this team is one of the best in the NFC and could play for the NFL title. With a 7-2 record and winners of their last three games, they are looking like a team that is getting better as the season rolls along. They have been playing at a high level for a number of reasons. First has to be the play of Roddy White, who leads the NFL in receptions and second in the NFL in yards. He has made big plays for this team and there have been rumblings he could get some MVP votes if he continues his hot streak. The guy that is throwing the ball to White, Matt Ryan, is not having a bad season either. Though nine games, Ryan has thrown for 2,265 yards and 16 touchdowns with five interceptions. He is coming of a game where he threw for a season-high 316 yards against an aggressive Baltimore defensive front. OUT FRONT KSU men s basketball coach Tony Ingle guided his team to a programdefining win over visiting Georgia Tech Monday. The following day, the school announced the results of a student vote which allowed an increase of student fees to help pay for the development of a football program. See page 9 for our cover story on KSU athletics. Photos courtesy KSU Sports Information. Also, the Falcons are ranked first in penalties committed (35) and sixth in the NFL and takeaways (19). That is an indication the Falcons are playing smarter football than their opponents and it pays dividends when games are decided by a touchdown or field goal. Are they the best in the conference? They are certainly a team that is a NFC title contender, but they have to keep winning. They have a tough task coming up as they play four road games the next five weeks. But if they want to be the best in the NFC, these are the games that they have to win. And by the way the Falcons have been playing, there is no reason they can t find a way to do it. Jones can be reached at bjones@scoreatl.com.

6 6 Score Atlanta Get In The Game! Score List BY BRIAN JONES BRAVES WELCOME UGGLA: The Braves found the big bat they were looking for when they acquired Dan Uggla from the Florida Marlins in exchange for Omar Infante and Mike Dunn. Uggla is coming off his best season as a pro, hitting.287 with 33 home runs and 105 RBIs. It s the big bat the Braves desperately need, but Infante and Dunn will be missed. FALCONS ON FIRE: After the Falcons earned a huge win against the Baltimore Ravens last Thursday, they have a 7-2 record which is tied for the best in the league. They won their last three games and are 5-0 at the Georgia Dome. However, they have a tough road contest Sunday against the St. Louis Rams who are much improved from last season. Can the Falcons keep the good times rolling? ANOTHER TOUGH LOSS: UGA was able to play with the No. 2 Auburn Tigers through three quarters, but Cam Newton was able to lead the Tigers on a second half scoring frenzy to take down the Bulldogs. UGA is now 5-6 for the year and are off this week before they face Georgia Tech. The Dawgs need a win over their arch rivals for a bevy of reasons. FALLING AT THE FLATS: Speaking of Tech, the Jackets couldn t get anything going against Miami on Saturday, losing The Jackets were able gain over 400 yards of total offense, but they could never finish off drives while Miami was able to that and more. They looked to get back on track as they face Duke Saturday in their final conference game of the year. READY FOR ROUND 2: The first round of the state playoffs had its share of excitement, so there s no reason the second round should disappoint. One game to watch is Valdosta taking on McEachern. Valdosta is looking to win their first title in 12 years while McEachern is looking to go 2-0 against teams from Valdosta as they already defeated Lowndes earlier in the year. TRIVIA QUESTION When was the last time a Braves outfielder hit 30 more home runs in a season? Answer on Page 14 crunching the NUMBERS BY BRIAN JONES Home runs Dan Uggla averaged in the last five seasons RBIs Uggla averaged in last five seasons All-star appearances Uggla has made in his career The last time a Georgia football team lost six games in a season Record of Georgia s basketball team, its best start since 2007 Yards Matt Ryan threw for in the game against Baltimore, a season high Penalties committed by the Falcons this year, a league low Takeaways created by the Falcons, sixth-best in the NFL Receptions Roddy White has on third down, best in the NFL Thumbs up to good stories Kennesaw State We love the Owls. The oft overlooked KSU athletics program is finally getting attention after beating Tech in hoops and adding football. It looks like the school from Cobb County is heading in the right direction when it comes to sports. Atlanta Falcons After taking down the Ravens last Thursday, the Falcons are looking like a team that can make a deep playoff run. They now have a 7-2 record, which is just the third time in franchise history the team has sported that record through nine games. Atlanta Braves We like what the Braves did Monday by trading the Marlins for power-hitting Dan Uggla. This is the power hitter the Braves needed because Uggla has averaged 30 homers and 93 RBIs in five seasons with Florida. my two cents Congratulations to the Fighting Owls on their recent athletic success. I was fortunate enough to be at their win over Georgia Tech and the crowd was unbelievable. It had to be the biggest and most energetic crowd in school history. I was happy to see KSU students get behind Coach Ingle and the Owls. When did Athens turn into a police state? Upon a recent trip to watch the Georgia men s basketball team, I was shocked at the overwhelming amount of police officers that were on duty in and around Stegeman Coliseum. Despite a crowd of more than 6,000 fans at the game, there were probably more cops walking around than there were fans. No wonder Georgia football players get arrested for such minor violations- the cops have nothing better to do! The Falcons have the NFC s best record but they still seem to be under the radar. I m kind of upset that they aren t getting more love from the national media, but I am thinking it is better to be overlooked at this point. The Falcons will get their s if they continue this consistent success. And, by the way, I would love to see a rematch with Philly down the road Managing Editor Stephen Black can be reached at sblack@scoreatl.com. Thumbs down to underachieving Tech Basketball Just when things couldn t get any worse for the Jackets, the basketball team fell to Kennesaw State to put them at 1-1 for the season as of Tuesday. Tech has a lot of issues and it looks as if it s going to be a long season. Georgia Football It s been a tough year for the Bulldogs and things did not get any easier on Saturday as they lost to Auburn to put them at 5-6 for the year. With the loss, Georgia will not win eight games in a season for the first time since Tech Football Don t feel too bad Georgia fans, because Tech is not having a great season either, losing to Miami on the Flats last Saturday to put them at 5-5 for the year. With the way things are turning out, Georgia Tech may play in a bowl game, but it will be in San Francisco. SANITY at last I ve read the [Internet] message boards; that was probably the first thing I did on the bus. A lot of fans already seem to have jumped off the bus. I read where they ve said we ve hit rock bottom. - Tech F Brian Oliver on the fans after the loss to Kennesaw State

7 November 19-25, 2010 Score Atlanta 7

8 8 Score Atlanta Get In The Game!

9 November 19-25, 2010 Score Atlanta 9 Basketball win over Tech and football vote brings KSU much-appreciated notoriety t has been a big week for Kennesaw State Iathletics. The basketball team hosted Georgia Tech on Monday evening and the Owls of the Atlantic Sun Conference hammered the ACC s Yellow Jackets On Tuesday, the school announced that students voted to approve a fee increase that would help fund a football program, which could come into existence as early as For head basketball coach Tony Ingle, this week could not have been better. Not only did his team pull off a memorable victory, but he also took an important step toward seeing his other favorite sport become a part of Kennesaw State. Ingle, who played both basketball and football in high school, was an assistant hoops coach at Brigham Young University between 1989 and 1997, crossing paths with 1990 Heisman Trophy winner Ty Detmer. So he knows first-hand what a football craze can do for a university. I think we re definitely heading in the right direction, Ingle said of the KSU athletics program. I was elated that the students voted to go with football. It s exciting to know that it s coming. I think it s going to help us come together as a university in a lot of ways. GRIDIRON DREAMS ALIVE The process is still very much in its infantile stages, but Tuesday s announcement was without question a crucial development. In an online vote conducted between Nov. 8 and 14, Kennesaw State students gave the green light to a $100-per-semester fee increase in hopes of bringing football to their school sooner rather than later. All those who currently pay the University s $144-per-semester athletics fee were eligible to vote, making the number of potential voters 22,338. Thirty-three percent of them (or 7,358 to be exact) voted, of which 55.5 percent said yes. We were nervous, but we were hopeful, athletic director Scott Whitlock said of getting a thumbs-up from the students. It s a very exciting announcement. We would love to add football to our school. Kennesaw State president Daniel S. Papp, who announced the results in front of the student body, stressed the importance of the favorable vote. Student financial support is critical if KSU is going to have a football program, Papp told the school website. The only way we can afford to field a football team is with the support of student fees. With the vote completed, the next step is a vociferous fundraising campaign over the next 18 to 30 months. According to KSU s Football Exploratory Committee, spearheaded by legendary Georgia coach Vince Dooley, the football program will require between $8 and $12 million to get off the ground and could cost another $5 to $6 million annually. The campaign would need to raise at least $8 to $12 million, for football start-up costs as well as for the necessary expansion of KSU women s sports to meet Title IX requirements. The student fee increase is expected to generate between $5 and $6 million per year. If the fundraising campaign accomplishes its goals, the university would then submit a business plan to the state s Board of Regents. Should the plan be approved, KSU could target the hiring of a head coach and staff in 2012 followed by player recruitment in The additional $100 student fee would take effect no sooner than the fall of If all goes according to an ideal schedule, with fundraising completed in 18 months, football would officially kick off in A football program could serve our mission well, Papp concluded, as it may help bring increased national recognition to our institution and highlight the important work that is being done here in teaching and research. Fielding an intercollegiate football team will promote student and alumni attachment, make KSU degrees more valuable, and will enhance our ability to raise funds and attract more students. OWLS SPOOK JACKETS While a football program appears to be on the way, Kennesaw State basketball is on the way up. The Owls scored arguably the most significant win in school history by putting a beatdown on Georgia Tech inside the KSU Convocation Center. In front of a raucous crowd of 4,784, the home team never gave its favored opponents a chance. KSU jumped out to a 7-0 advantage and did not trail throughout the entire game. The Owls extended the lead to 10 points less than six minutes into the contest, led by as much as 20 during the first half, and enjoyed a cushion at halftime. Georgia Tech pulled to within five with 9:35 remaining, but Kennesaw State held off the Jackets and finished the game on a 17-7 run. Spencer Dixon poured in 27 points for the Owls, including 19 in the second half. LaDaris Green added 19 points and 12 rebounds while Markeith Cummings, who played all 40 minutes, scored 13. It was by far the biggest on-campus win in the history of the school, Ingle assured. It means a lot. We gave our students, our alumni, our boosters, our fans, and our faculty a lot to cheer about. We were playing for everybody who ever put on a Kennesaw State uniform. Nobody in a Kennesaw State uniform had a win this big prior to Monday night. The Owls did not have much of chance in earlier years, playing in the Division II ranks (they won the National Championship in 2004). They made the jump to Division I prior to the season as part of the diminutive Atlantic Sun Conference. On Monday, the Owls suddenly found themselves going up against an ACC giant, one that had played for the NCAA championship in Ingle and company, however, were undaunted. He explained, I told the guys tonight before the game. I said, You got a dream? Then bring it. I want you to dream tonight. Bring your dream. HOOTING WITH PRIDE Dreams are very much alive these days on the campus of Kennesaw State University. The basketball team is on fire, football talk is heating up, and a new $16.5 million KSU Soccer Stadium was completed in May. KSU volleyball, currently playing in the conference championships, has won 34 matches this season and is 9-1 in ASC action. Karen Weatherington was named Atlantic Sun Coach of the Year. It s just incredible, Ingle said of the athletic frenzy at Kennesaw State. The kids on campus are just going wild. If this week s developments are any indication, KSU students will have plenty to go wild about in the coming years. Photo courtesy of KSU Sports Information. Dimon can be reached at rdimon@scoreatl.com.

10 10 Score Atlanta Get In The Game!

11 November 19-25, 2010 Score Atlanta 11 SCORE MORE Hawks riding roller coaster thus far t s been a season of ups and downs for IAtlanta thus far. A 6-0 start gave fans reason to cheer, but the team promptly fell backwards by losing four straight thereafter, with all four losses coming against 2009 playoff teams. The Hawks responded from that losing streak by winning two straight, albeit against lesser competition once again. The team dominanted down low with 15 offensive boards, while Josh Smith and Al Horford combined for 51 points and 20 rebounds on the evening en route to a victory over Minnesota. Smith was heavily involved in the Hawks victory over Indiana on Nov. 16. He led all scorers with 25 points, but also contributed in other categories with eight rebounds and seven blocks. Atlanta placed six players in doublefigures and kept the Pacers at bay in a win. It was beautiful to watch, said head coach Larry Drew. When we play and the guys move the ball and pass the ball like that, we become hard to beat. FINDING CONSISTENCY Atlanta s record was 8-4 at press time. But with its four losses all coming against 2010 postseason squads, there is still some doubt regarding the Hawks consistency, something they have struggled mightily with in the past. They ll have a chance to right some of those wrongs on Saturday when Dallas comes to town. The Mavs think they are contenders in the Western Conference. Prolific 7-foot scorer Dirk Nowitzki is a tough cover. Smith and Horford should draw the assignment. The Boston Celtics are in Atlanta on Monday for a 7 p.m. tip. The Hawks have been the C s bugaboo in past seasons, and they took all four from the 2008 champs last season. One of the reasons has been Atlanta s athleticism, which has allowed them to wear down an older Celtics team, as Rajon Rondo is the only player who can run with Atlanta. If Drew s team can play the game at its tempo, it could be looking at five straight wins over its rivals from New England. Bagriansky can be reached at jbagriansky@scoreatl.com. NFC-best Falcons take to the road he Atlanta Falcons have the best re- in the NFC and they are Tcord tied with New England and the New York Jets for the best record in the entire NFL at 7-2. Atlanta assured itself of the best-record label by pulling out a thriller over Baltimore last Thursday night at the Georgia Dome. Quarterback Matt Ryan erupted for 316 yards on 32-of-50 passing while throwing three touchdowns and no interceptions. He tossed a pair of fourthquarter scores to Roddy White, the second of which won the game from 35 yards out with only 20 seconds remaining. White had another fantasy owners dream performance, hauling in 12 passes for 138 yards and two touchdowns. After having only three days of rest in between tilts with the Bucs and Ravens, the Falcons are in the midst of a nine-game break prior to Sunday s clash at St. Louis. Atlanta is going up against a Rams squad that is a respectable 4-5 and just one game back of divisionleading Seattle in the NFC West. St. Louis, which went 1-15 last season before handing over the quarterback reigns to No. 1 overall pick Sam Bradford, is coming off a hard-fought overtime loss at San Francisco. The Rams are winless on the road in 2010, but they are an impressive 4-1 at home. With the weekend off, Falcons head coach Mike Smith was able to scout the Rams-49ers game. I sat down there in the basement and had an opportunity to watch the entire game and I saw two pretty good football teams play yesterday, Smith said in his Monday press conference. I was very impressed with the Rams... Bradford is very efficient. I think he has a very good understanding of their offense. ROAD WARRIORS Atlanta plays four of its next five games on the road, with visits to Tampa Bay, Carolina and Seattle following a home date with Green Bay. Playing on the road is a big challenge, Smith noted. Our guys understand that and this season so far we ve had some success on the road. Dimon can be reached at rdimon@scoreatl.com. Braves trade Dunn, Infante for Uggla he Atlanta Braves continue to make Tmoves as the off-season turns into the Hot Stove season and GM Frank Wren tries to help new manager Fredi Gonzalez reach the playoffs in his first season back with the franchise. First off, the Braves acquired two-time All-Star second baseman Dan Uggla from Florida in exchange for 2010 All-Star Omar Infante and reliever Mike Dunn. Last season, Uggla posted careerhighs in home runs (33), RBIs (105), and average (.287). Uggla will slide into the second base position while Martin Prado will likely head to the outfield once Chipper Jones is healthy enough to return to third base. Uggla is arbitration-eligible and will likely see a raise from his 2010 salary of $7.8M, though the Braves could try and lock up the long-time Braves killer who in 45 games at Turner Field has posted a.354 average with 12 home runs and 36 RBIs. If the team tries to ink him long-term though, it will have to do better than the 4-year/$48M deal Florida recently offered him. ODDS AND ENDS In other news, Kenshin Kawakami was placed on waivers, only to clear waivers and be dropped from Atlanta s roster, outrighted to Class AA-Mississippi. The team is reportedly talking to several Japanese teams to gauge interest of a possible agreement to take Kawakami in exchange for some compensation. Kawakami is entering the final year of his threeyear contract and is owed $6.67M for the upcoming season. Braves rookie outfielder Jason Heyward finished second in the National League Rookie of the Year voting, finishing behind Georgia native and San Francisco catcher Buster Posey. Posey had a higher average than Heyward while the Braves outfielder drove in more runs. Each rookie hit 18 home runs but Posey did it in fewer games. Heyward picked up just nine first place votes to Posey s 20. In the American League, former Braves farmhand Neftali Feliz claimed the award. The Braves traded Feliz to Texas as part of the Mark Teixeira deal. Brian McCann continues to add awards to his resume as he picked up his fourth Silver Slugger award. Proctor can be reached at fproctor@scoreatl.com. Thrash enjoying long homestand he Thrashers are in the midst of a six- homestand, the longest of Tgame the season. Friday night, the Capitals will be back in town for the second time this season and first since opening night. Atlanta has a record in three games against Washington this year. Andrew Ladd and Evander Kane were both stellar in those three games, combining for nine points, four penalty minutes and 28 shots on goal. Sunday, the last-place Islanders come to Philips Arena for an afternoon tilt. New York recently fired head coach Scott Gordon after a 10-game losing streak dropped it to last place in the Atlantic Division. Gordon s replacement is Jack Capuano, who was the coach of the Islanders AHL affiliate Bridgeport Sound Tigers. Sunday s game will be the first of four matchups with New York this year. The night before Thanksgiving, the Thrashers will entertain the Detroit Red Wings. The Wings are traditionally an NHL powerhouse, and things are no different this year. Currently, Detroit is in first place in the Central Division. Surprisingly, Atlanta has won three of the past five games with Detroit. They split the series last year, with each team winning on the other s home ice. This will be the only game with the Red Wings this year. Since Ondrej Pavelec s return to net against St. Louis a couple weeks ago, the production of Chris Mason has fallen dramatically. In three starts since then, Mason has been pulled from two of them. In his last two starts against Ottawa and Washington he allowed eight goals on only 34 shots. His GAA has ballooned to 3.90, which ranks close to the bottom in the league. Pavelec has clearly been the better goalie, but that has not resulted in wins. He has a better GAA with 2.38 and a better save percentage at.926, but he only has one win in six starts. To this point of the season, Atlanta has allowed more goals than any other team in the entire NHL. If something doesn t change in a hurry, Rick Dudley should start looking for a new goaltender. Deighton can be reached at jdeighton@scoreatl.com. SCORE MORE

12 12 Score Atlanta Get In The Game! IJ Rosenberg (47-19) President Rams Falcons Brian Jones (40-26) Big B Rams Falcons DJ Galbiati (40-26) Creative Art Director Rams Falcons Fletcher Proctor ( ) The Fletch Rams Falcons Bob Houghton (36-30) General Manager Rams Rams Stephen Black (33-33) Managing Editor Rams Falcons Ohio Iowa Ohio State Ohio Iowa Ohio State Ohio Iowa Ohio State Ohio Iowa Iowa Ohio Iowa Ohio State Ohio Iowa Ohio State Cal Stanford Cal Stanford Cal Stanford Cal Stanford Cal Stanford Cal Stanford Chattahoochee Marist Chattahoochee Chattahoochee Chattahoochee Chattahoochee Chattahoochee Chattahoochee Chattahoochee Marist Chattahoochee Chattahoochee McEachern Valdosta McEachern McEachern McEachern McEachern McEachern Valdosta McEachern McEachern McEachern Valdosta Athens Academy Wesleyan Athens Academy Wesleyan Athens Academy Wesleyan Athens Academy Wesleyan Athens Academy Wesleyan Athens Academy Wesleyan Lady Panthers lose to Georgia Tech in opener; men fall to Clark Atlanta in exhibition Even with all of the hoopla swirling around the Georgia State vs. Alabama football game, both Panther basketball teams are in the very early stages of the season. The Lady Panthers opened the season at Georgia Tech last Friday night with a loss. Freshman guard Kendra Long hit three three-pointers and tallied 13 points to lead the way, while Chan Harris pulled down 15 rebounds and added 12 points. I guess the positive in a loss is that we kept fighting until the end and we executed a whole lot better in the second half, said head coach Sharon Baldwin-Tener. Chan did a great job for us and we need to find ways to get her the ball more. They were a lot bigger and it was good that we fought to get more rebounds, but we will work on getting tougher down low, too. The Lady Panthers play at Stetson on Nov. 21. OPENING WEEK Rod Barnes Panthers open on the road at McNeese State and then return to play their home opener Friday against Troy. The Panthers lost their exhibition game to Clark Atlanta last week in overtime Eric Buckner finished with seven points and 12 rebounds while Marcus Johnson scored 10 points. We really wanted to come out on top, so it is disappointing to start off with an exhibition loss, said Barnes. We had some good shots, but at the end of the night, did not execute on the offensive end. (Listen to Panther basketball on WRAS-FM, 88.5) Panther volleyball just missed earning a spot in the CAA Tournament following their 3-1 loss at Delaware last Saturday. The team finished the season at and 8-6 in conference play. This was a tough weekend for our team and it hurts now because we were so close to the CAAs, said head coach Tami Audia. But this was a special season. We came together as a team and fought to the end for a berth in the CAAs. The future of Georgia State volleyball is bright. 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 November 19-25, 2010 Score Atlanta 13 BASKETBALL Hawks. November 20 vs. Dallas 8 PM. November 22 vs. Boston 7 PM. November 23 at New Jersey 7 PM. November 25 vs. Washington 8 PM. November 27 at New York 1 PM. November 28 at Toronto 1 PM. December 1 vs. Memphis 7 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. Jack City Sports Center. Indoor T-Ball League being offered at Jack City Sports Center. 10 game season with games on Sundays. $125 per player. Team rates available and questions can be directed to FOOTBALL Falcons. November 21 at St. Louis 4:05 PM. Georgia. November 26 VS. Georgia Tech 7:45 PM. Georgia Tech. November 20 vs. Duke 1:30 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. November 19 vs. Washington 7:30 PM. November 21 vs. New York Islanders 5 PM. November 24 vs. Detroit 7 PM. November 26 vs. Montreal 7:30 PM. November 28 vs. Boston 5 PM. November 30 at Colorado 10 PM. December 2 at Pittsburgh 7 PM. Gladiators. November 19 at South Carolina 7:05 PM. November 20 at South Carolina 7:05 PM. November 21 at Greenville 4:05 PM. November 23 vs. South Carolina 7:05 PM. November 25 vs. Toledo 7:05 PM. November 26 at South Carolina 7:05 PM. November 27 vs. Toledo 7:05 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 Atlanta Half Marathon & 5K. Nov. 25. Atlanta, 7:00 AM. MUST Gobble Jog K/10K/1K/Tot Trot. Nov. 25. Marietta, 8:00 AM Thanksgiving 5K Thanks4giving. Nov. 25. Canton, 9:00 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 Bud Baker Racing School. November at Atlanta Motor Speedway 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 treated roughly in Auburn; hoops squad 2-0 Georgia found itself in the middle of the Cam Newton saga this past Saturday when the Bulldogs traveled to the Plains to face No. 2 Auburn. Despite taking a surprising 21-7 lead in the first half, the Dawgs fell to the Tigers like 10 others teams have this season. After Auburn scored on seven straight possessions, the outcome of the game was not in doubt in the closing minutes. But that didn t stop the Tigers from going after hitting Georgia quarterback Aaron Murray way after the whistle. Murray was speared in the back by lineman Nick Fairley and also suffered a bruised knee after Fairley rolled into him on a separate occasion. At that point, Richt took Murray out of the game. However, a fight broke out on the field and two Auburn players were ejected. We took a knee on the last play because it was just obvious to everybody that tempers were flaring and getting a little bit out of hand, said Richt. And I thought if we ran another play, there was a chance something could break out again. My goal was to take the knee and make sure nothing broke out. I wanted to make sure all our guys were available for the Georgia Tech game. Mark Richt s squad is now 5-6 and faces a must-win game against Georgia Tech next Saturday to qualify for a bowl bid. The Auburn loss clinched Georgia s worst record since FOX HOUNDS Mark Fox s Georgia basketball squad defeated Mississippi Valley State in the season opener The Dawgs actually trailed much of the game, including by seven twice in the second half. Georgia did not take the lead for good until the final minute of play. Jeremy Price led the Dawgs with 20 points, including eight in the final minutes of play. The Hoops Hounds improved to 2-0 with an defeat of Colorado on Tuesday night. Transfer point guard Gerald Robinson iced the game with less than a minute left when he sank two free throws. Robinson led the Dawgs with 21 points. Black can be reached at sblack@scoreatl.com. Jackets have a lot to play for despite losing streak his is uncharted territory for Paul Johnson. Be- this season he had never lost two games Tfore in a row at Tech. Now, he has to deal with the reality of three consecutive losses. The last time Johnson had to deal with a skid this bad, he was in his first season at Navy and his team lost 10 straight. Needless to say, Johnson was not happy during his postgame press conference. After being asked how his team would play going forward, Johnson seemed slightly perturbed. What do you mean how do you play forward? You keep playing. You don t quit. What are you going to do, because you don t have any alternatives do you? You either keep playing or you quit. We re not going to quit. I CHECK OUT SCOREATL.COM! trivia answer 2006, when Andruw Jones hit 41 can promise you I m not going to quit. The Yellow Jackets still have a lot to play for this season. With another victory, Georgia Tech will be bowl eligible for the 14th consecutive season. By beating Duke, Tech can set a conference record by finishing.500 or better for the 16th consecutive season. And more important, to fans at least, the Jackets still have a chance to beat the hated Georgia Bulldogs.A victory against the Bulldogs and most fans will forget about all the troubles of this season. BASKETBALL STRUGGLES After his team was picked to finish ninth in the ACC this season, Paul Hewitt TO ADVERTISE IN SCORE ATLANTA: did not want to get the season started off like this. The Yellow Jackets had one of the more embarrassing losses in recent memory when they fell to Kennesaw State on Monday night. Making matters worse, the Jackets never led during the game, were losing at the half, and the closest they got in the second half was five points. It was the Owls first time hosting a team from a major conference and the crowd of 4,784 was described as raucous by Tech, which is worrisome for a team that will have to play road games against Duke and North Carolina. 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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