02 I SCORE ATLANTA Get In The Game!

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1 JANUARY 1-7, 2010 CHECK US OUT AT SCOREATL.COM VOL 6 NO 1

2 02 I SCORE ATLANTA Get In The Game!

3 JANUARY 1-7, 2010 SCORE ATLANTA I 03 PUBLISHER/EDITOR I.J. Rosenberg GENERAL MANAGER Bob Houghton MANAGING EDITOR Alex Ewalt ART/CREATIVE DIRECTOR DJ Galbiati BUSINESS MANAGER Marvin Botnick SALES MANAGER Mark Mayo SALES ASSOCIATE John Saunders GRAPHIC DESIGN INTERNS: Samantha Wilco, Kristine Brannock BEAT WRITERS Josh Bagriansky (Falcons), Stephen Black (UGA), Jason Boral (Thrashers), Dave Cohen (Georgia State), Ricky Dimon (Tech), Alex Ewalt (Preps), Rajesh Gupta (Hawks) Fletcher Proctor (Braves) STAFF WRITERS Cranston Collier, Joe Deighton, Zander Lentz, Brian Penter, Foster Lander, Brian Jones, Jason Murdock CONTRIBUTORS Tad Arapoglou, Dean Zindler, Kevin Dankosky, Mitch Evans, Matt Judy, Tony Schiavone, Richard Diamond, Joe Haines, Brian Katrek, 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, C.C., Hal Lanier, Jeff Batten, Micah Hart, Ben Wright, Alan Vasquez, Andrew Vedlitz, Brian Jones SPECIAL CONTRIBUTORS Mitch Albom, Dave Kindred, Barry Bloom STARTING LINEUP 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: 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, Lovett, Mays, Milton, 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 GORDON: Calhoun, Gordon Central, Sonoraville SHOT OF THE WEEK GOING UP: Falcons WR Roddy White went top shelf on this catch in the team s 31-3 home shellacking of the Buffalo Bills last Sunday. White and the Birds are one victory away from clinching the franchise s first consecutive winning seasons in its history. Photo courtesy of Jimmy Cribb/Atlanta Falcons. CAN T MISS THIS WEEK I.J. Rosenberg looks back on the year s best local sports stories, but says that 2010 could be a banner year. Demaryius Thomas and Georgia Tech are set to play in the Orange Bowl against Iowa this Tuesday; Ricky Dimon has the scoop. The Falcons are oh so close to making history with a win this Sunday; beat writer Josh Bagriansky breaks down the second meeting with the Bucs. The recent Urban Meyer saga has left the sports media world in a frenzy, and Fletcher Proctor analyzes the madness. TEAM SCOOP AND VOICES COVER DESIGN BY DJ GALBIATI COVER PHOTOS COURTESY OF DAVID CASELLI, ED TURLINGTON, DON JACKSON, ROB SAYE, SCOTT CUNNINGHAM, JIMMY CRIBB/ATLANTA FALCONS 5 CHEAP SEATS 6 SCORE LIST-KATREK 7 UGA-GA TECH 9 FALCONS 11 SCORE MORE 12 GA STATE 13 CALENDAR 14 MEDIA-AD INDEX ON THE INSIDE AT SCORE Score Atlanta is seeking new interns for a brand new year of Atlanta sports. If you are looking to combine a love of sports with an opportunity in sales, marketing, advertising, sportswriting or graphic design, please contact managing editor Alex Ewalt at aewalt@scoreatl.com or Get in the game with Score Atlanta!

4 04 I SCORE ATLANTA Get In The Game! Meyer back-and-forth harmful to Gator program; college coaches crossing the line? M ick Jones of The Clash once famously sang, Should I stay, or should I go? Urban Meyer announced this weekend that he would be leaving the University of Florida after the Allstate Sugar Bowl on New Year s Day but later reneged, instead opting for an indefinite leave of absence. Offensive coordinator Steve Addazio will take the reins in Meyer s absence. What remains to be seen, though, is how much time Meyer will take off to get his health and family back in order or whether he will even return at all. Doctors diagnosed Meyer with an arachnoid cyst on his brain that causes severe headaches under stress or excitement, and the 45-year-old checked into a Gainesville hospital the day after Florida s SEC Championship Game loss to Alabama, complaining of chest pains. But, with no apparent life-threatening health risk at hand, why couldn t Meyer have waited until after the Sugar Bowl to announce such a decision or at least to think it through? Moreover, ESPN s Pat Forde reported that Meyer s wife and three kids were among the last to learn of his decision to quit Florida. How, then, can a coach extol the values of family without practicing what he preaches? The hastiness of his decision became clear the next morning, when after just one spirited practice, Meyer decided that quitting Florida permanently was not in his best interest. What changed overnight? This is not the first instance of a coach waffling on Florida basketball coach Billy Donovan flirted with the NBA s Orlando Magic in 2007 and AD Jeremy Foley has to wonder what type of impact Meyer s looming presence will have on the football program. Several major recruits (and Florida commits) have decided to look around at other options while Meyer remains in limbo, and other SEC coaches will use that uncertainty for their benefit. Sure, Urban Meyer put the Florida program over the top in recent years by winning two BCS national championships, but Florida doesn t owe him anything. He s there to coach, but not to hold Gator Nation hostage. PLAYER MISTREATMENT BECOMING A TREND? First it was now-former Kansas coach Mark Mangino losing his job over alleged verbal and physical abuse of his players. Just a blip on the radar for the NCAA, it seemed. But Texas Tech s suspension of coach Mike Leach for the Valero Alamo Bowl on Jan. 2 a result of a player and his parents complaint about Leach s treatment of the player after an injury raises bigger questions. Adam James, the son of ESPN college football analyst Craig James, suffered a concussion on Dec. 16 and was told not to practice a day later, but Leach allegedly had James confined to a small, dark electrical closet. The Texas Tech coach told James that if he left the closet, he would be kicked off the team. It s safe to assume that Bobby Knight and other coaches of his era went to such extreme measures with their players, but this is a different day and age. Players at a Big XII school like Texas Tech all were the stars of their high school teams and are well-taken care of throughout their careers. Parents have different standards for their kids and how they should be treated that is, with more respect and care. I have no problem with a coach yelling at a player to get him focused, but the physical contact perpetuated by Mangino and Leach s apparent psychological abuse crosses the line. Players in college are on the verge of being grown men and their coaches should treat them as such. HOW HIGH CAN HAWKS FLY? Finally, the NBA world is sitting up and taking notice of the Atlanta Hawks. There s reason to believe that the Hawks realistically can reach the Eastern Conference finals, but they ll face stiff competition to get there. Historically, the Magic have always given the Hawks trouble (including a win in Atlanta earlier this year), and Dwight Howard presents a major mismatch inside against Al Horford. On the other hand, the Hawks have been a constant thorn in the side for an aging Boston squad and boast enough athletic bodies to defend LeBron James and the Cavs should the opportunity present itself. If Mike Woodson can keep this group playing consistent defense and executing in the half court, there s no telling what this group could do. Lander can be reached at fosterlander@yahoo.com. HOW HIGH?: After increasing their win totals in each of the last four years, the Hawks were, at press time, on pace to win 59 games this season, 12 more than last year. Photo courtesy of Scott Cunningham.

5 JANUARY 1-7, 2010 SCORE ATLANTA I 05 It s been a great year in Atlanta sports, but 2010 will have more in store his column is being printed before TSunday s game at Tampa Bay but everyone has to feel good about the way the Falcons are ending the season, and especially about the future of head coach Mike Smith. Smith took a team filled with key injuries that easily could have finished A win over the Buccaneers and this team goes 9-7 and gives the franchise its first back-to-back winning seasons. Also, it will be a team that opened 4-1 and finished with three straight wins. There is probably not a team in NFL history that has done that and not made the playoffs, but games Nos equaled only two wins. If only this team had been healthy like last season. Oh well, there s nothing that can be done about that now, but Smith s ability to get the Falcons off the deck tells me he is going to win a championship here someday. I also like the grittiness of quarterback Matt Ryan, whose turf toe is killing him. He certainly hasn t been the QB he was last year but he is on the field leading the charge, and that is what a franchise quarterback does when he is not at full strength. It s something we haven t had since Steve Bartkowski in the 1970s. Good times are coming for the Falcons and football fans in this city. Here is a look back and a look ahead at what all us sports fans have coming our way in the new year *The Hawks are good and sixth man Jamal Crawford may just give them a chance in the playoffs to reach the NBA Finals. My feeling is they are probably one year away, though I do see a conference final appearance this year. Much like the Falcons, there is a lot of youth on the Hawks and the future is solid. I do hope this town begins to support this team more than just going to the big games. A night at Philips is a blast and this team is fun to watch. *Speaking of Philips, even with their recent losing streak, the Thrashers have been quite a surprise. It certainly makes a difference when you have someone in goal that can stop the puck from hitting the net. I see the Thrashers taking one of the last playoff spots and even winning a game or two in the playoffs. This may never be a huge hockey town but that doesn t mean this franchise can t be a big winner. *Despite the loss to Georgia, Tech s football season was a strong one and they are quickly proving they are one of the best in STRIKE UP THE BAND: Brandon Boykin sprinted past the Texas A&M kickoff coverage for an 81-yard score in the first half of the Bulldogs Independence Bowl win. The blowout was the Dawgs 26th bowl win, good for third alltime behind USC (32) and Alabama (31). Photo courtesy of Rob Saye. CATCH I.J. ON SUNDAYS Matt Ryan certainly hasn t been the QB he was last year but he is on the field leading the charge, and that is what a franchise quarterback does when he is not at full strength. It s something we haven t had since Steve Bartkowski in the 1970s. the ACC. I will say head coach Paul Johnson doesn t need to make the same mistake twice and, while he may not believe it, he needs to tell his fan base how important it is for them to beat the Bulldogs. The Jackets can finish with 12 wins if they beat Iowa in the Orange Bowl and there is plenty of talent in the pipeline. Next year s meeting with Georgia in Athens could be one for the history books. *In Athens, the Bulldogs certainly benefited from Urban Meyer s flip-flop at Florida. Just when it appeared Florida was going to dominate the SEC East for years, their head coach gave every other coach in the league a reason for recruits not to go to Florida. This will really help Georgia and, like Smith with the Falcons, Bulldogs coach Mark Richt found a way to beat Tech and win four of their last five games. The key, of course, is finding someone to help improve that defense, which has proven harder than first thought; as of this writing, Georgia still didn t have a defensive coordinator. *And of course in only a month, we will be talking baseball again. Right now I can t really get a good handle on the Braves. I don t know what to think of the Melky Cabrera trade since the team gave up its best starting pitcher, and I just don t love the everyday lineup. It is Bobby Cox s last year, so perhaps in some way it will be magical. By the way, I am proud to announce that I will be writing my fourth Braves book that will hit the streets to open the 2011 season, a 20-year anniversary of that Worst-to-First team. I am going back and finding every one of those players and where they are today (even the old catchers Mike Heath and Jerry Willard and the closer we called Senor Smoke, the popular Juan Berenguer). I will be working closely with the Braves and the AJC on the book, a project which is underway and will include great action and present-day shots of the players. And finally, Score is two editions away from celebrating our fifth anniversary, going from a once-aweek newspaper to a full-scale sports marketing company. So help us celebrate what we think will be a great 2010 in Atlanta sports. But I do have to mention something else, and that is about the ongoing saga of Tiger Woods. Former Sports Illustrated columnist Rick Reilly (who I feel is still the best sportswriter in the country), now with ESPN, wrote a fabulous column a few days ago on Tiger. You can read it at ESPN.com. In the column, he printed excerpts of s he has received about Woods and not one of them that he published was positive. The best one came from a reader in New York, who wrote: Your recent comments regarding OUT FRONT Paul Johnson s Yellow Jackets were certainly one of the great storylines of the 09 sports year. The athletes on the cover have represented the city of Atlanta over the past year, and in this issue we take a look back at their contributions to our sports scene. On the cover, from left to right: Tech s Josh Nesbitt, Lassiter High s Hutson Mason, the Falcons Tony Gonzalez, the Braves Tommy Hanson, the Thrashers Ilya Kovalchuk, Georgia s A.J. Green, and the Hawks Joe Johnson. The above photo of Johnson is courtesy of Georgia Tech. Tiger Woods were rather pathetic, stating to bring down someone as powerful and private... What a crock; the fact is that Tiger brought down Tiger! If he truly were private, he would not have been chasing and carousing and cheating on his wife. This has nothing to do with being human and everything to do with being faithful, honest, and having integrity, especially with his wife and children. Someone once said that with great power comes great responsibility. Tiger has failed miserably in this regard and you reap what you sow. And on that note, a very happy New Year s to you all. Rosenberg can be reached at and ijrosenberg@scoreatl.com. He can be heard on Sundays on 790 The Zone from 1-4 p.m. Also, make sure to check out Score s high school all-sports website at GAPREPNEWS.com and continue to follow all the sports action at SCOREATL.COM.

6 06 I SCORE ATLANTA Get In The Game! SCORE LIST BY ALEX EWALT HAPPY NEW YEAR: It was another exciting year make that decade of Atlanta sports, but here s hoping we have even better things in store in Will our teams be hanging championship banners anytime in the next 365 days? Let s make it a resolution. BEAT THE STREAK: Michael Vick and the 05 Falcons could have done it, but they laid an egg in the last three games of the regular season to finish 8-8. The Falcons HAVE to take out Tampa Bay this Sunday to earn back-to-back winning years the city needs it. ORANGE TUESDAY: The game is nigh impossible to attend for the fans (a Tuesday after the holidays?) but it should be an entertaining BCS game this week between our Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets and the Iowa Hawkeyes. Let s hope Tech remembers the LSU shellacking last season and avoids another letdown. SALVAGE JOB: It wasn t a BCS bowl (heck, it wasn t even the Capital One Bowl), but the Dawgs needed to unleash a little tension against Texas A&M in the Independence Bowl. Take heart if Richt finds the right man for the DC job, things are looking up GONE COLD: The Thrashers are currently on a five-game losing streak, and it seems the momentum the team gained early in the season has melted away. If the team misses the playoffs this year AND loses its franchise player in Kovalchuk, things could get ugly. A LONG WAY: Just think; a few years ago, we had a 13-win Hawks team on our hands. Now, we have a contender that gets mentioned in the same breath as the Clevelands and Bostons of the world. Stay tuned for even more improvement this winter. MEYER-ED IN TURMOIL: We thought Urban Meyer was a man of strong convictions, but now everything is in doubt, from his return date to his motivations. How does one practice convince him to reconsider his resignation? This will be interesting to follow. BOWLED OVER: It hit me when I found myself watching Marshall and Ohio in the Little Caesars Bowl last Saturday: there are, in fact, too many bowls. I love football, but it s hard to get excited for what would have been a less than stellar matchup even in the regular season. REPRESENTING: Our state had VIKING SHIP SINKING?: For 5 13 players chosen for the Under 10 that little urge inside everyone (yes, Armour High School All-American EVERYONE) that wants Brett Favre Game this Saturday, coming in third to fail, you might want to start paying attention now. With a loss behind only Florida and Texas. Watch the Black Team, as it will feature Mack to the very below-average Bears, Brown (MLK) and Storm Johnson playoff glory seems to be far from a (Loganville) in the backfield. given for Minnesota. THUMBS UP TO WINNING HOME FINALES Atlanta Falcons The Falcons played their final game at the Georgia Dome for the 2009 season and they did not disappoint, as they defeated the Buffalo Bills 31-3 to improve to 8-7. Matt Ryan threw three touchdown passes and Roddy White caught two of those to go along with 139 receiving yards. Georgia Bulldogs And let s not forget the Dawgs as they blew out the Texas A&M Aggies in the Independence Bowl in Shreveport. Caleb King scored two touchdowns and Brandon Boykin returned a kickoff for a touchdown, his third of the season. Georgia HS football players Some of the top high school players in the state will be in Orlando for the Under Armour All-American High School Football game on Saturday. Some of the 13 players from Georgia that will be in attendance are Da Rick Rogers (Calhoun), Ryan Ayers (South Paulding), Kolton Houston (Buford) and Alec Ogletree (Newnan). THUMBS DOWN TO UNWANTED WAFFLING Urban Meyer First, Urban Meyer decides to step down as Florida head coach effective after the Sugar Bowl. Then he decides to just take a leave of absence and return in Regardless of the decision he makes, he has put the Gators in a tough situation heading into the bowl game and the offseason. Mike Leach On Monday, Texas Tech suspended head football coach Mike Leach while they investigate complaints from WR Adam James about the way he was treated after a concussion. Tech is slated to play in the Alamo Bowl on Jan. 2 and Ruffin McNeil will take Leach s place for the game. Falcons special teams It s not that the Falcons special teams are playing badly, they are just getting bitten by the injury bug. In the game against the Buffalo Bills, punter Michael Koenen suffered a concussion and kicker Matt Bryant suffered a hamstring injury. Their status for the game against Tampa Bay is uncertain. CRUNCHING THE NUMBERS Number of consecutive bowls to which Georgia has been invited Number of bowls in which Georgia has participated, sixth best all-time 26 Number of bowl wins Georgia has earned, which is tied with Penn St. for third all-time LOOKING FORWARD A full week without any Tiger Woods grooves. Players will pay a higher price for news. I am very surprised. It seems this story missing fairways this coming year. In the end, has run its course. Finally. this will mean at least a temporary end to Tiger s return will be one of the the lengthening of golf courses. Also, big stories of 2010, if he comes guys who drive the ball straight, and back in Either way, there are not necessarily far, will have a better some other big stories that I am chance to win. This should give us interested in. I wonder if Phil some pretty good stories in the year Mickelson can take advantage of ahead. And, it won t hurt when his improved putting and Tiger s Tiger comes back either. absence and maybe grab Number 1 Brian Katrek can be heard on 790 in the world. I also wonder if any of The Zone s On The Green with Brian the rookies will win in But, the Katrek Sundays from 8-9 a.m. and can story I am most excited about is the new be reached at katrek@790thezone.com. SANITY AT LAST We wanted to show the world that even though we lost most of our coaches, we would come out and play and finish strong.... A lot of people were saying their offense was going to put up a lot of points on us and we wanted to show that we re a good defense. - Georgia safety Reshad Jones on the Independence Bowl win over Texas A&M

7 JANUARY 1-7, 2010 SCORE ATLANTA I 07 Dawgs dominate on special teams, thrash Texas A&M in Independence Bowl The Bulldogs defeated Texas A&M in the Independence Bowl on Monday night to the tune of a drubbing. The Dawgs were opportunistic all night and profited from two interceptions, a blocked punt, a blocked field goal, and a kickoff return for a touchdown. In between big plays by the defense and special teams, Joe Cox threw for two touchdowns to tight end Aron White while running backs Washaun Ealey and Caleb King combined for 140 rushing yards. Brandon Boykin set a school record and tied an SEC record with his third kickoff return for a touchdown this season. The 44 points scored are a UGA bowl record, breaking the mark set by the 2007 team in the Sugar Bowl win over Hawaii. The Dawgs six touchdowns tied a school record which was set in the 1942 Orange Bowl in a win over TCU. Georgia (8-5) now has 26 bowl wins, which is tied for third-most all time with Penn State. The Dawgs have been to 46 bowl games, which is tied for sixth-most all time. UGA now has 13 consecutive seasons of eight wins or more, which is the longest active streak in the FBS. The game was won in the third quarter after A&M tied the game on the opening possession of the second half. UGA then reeled off five scoring drives in their next six possessions to gain a edge late in the fourth quarter. The win sends the Bulldogs into the offseason after having won four of their last five games, including wins over rivals Auburn and Georgia Tech as well as the bowl win over Texas A&M. Now, UGA fans will wait it out as juniors Rennie Curran and Reshad Jones decide whether or not to go to the NFL or come back for their senior seasons. Also, Mark Richt will be ending his search for a defensive coordinator shortly. I can t imagine (the search) lasting past the first week of January, said Richt. HOOPS SQUAD WINS AGAIN Mark Fox s basketball team continued its winning ways with a demolition of Florida Atlantic last Wednesday. The win was the second in a row for the Bulldogs (6-4). Forward Trey Thompkins dominated the box score with career highs in both points and rebounds. The sophomore from Lithonia poured in 35 points and grabbed 15 rebounds in the game. Trey s numbers were very good, said Fox. I said to my assistants that Trey should get 40 points and I think he should have gotten 40, to be honest with you. He certainly carried us at certain points during the game. The 35 points were the most individually by any UGA player since Litterial Green had 35 against Florida in Ten other Bulldogs scored including Dustin Ware, who had 12. The Dawgs played Wednesday against Pepperdine, but results were not available at press time. On Saturday, Georgia will travel to Columbia, Miss., to take on Missouri before hosting in-state rival Georgia Tech on Tuesday. Following the Tech game, the Bulldogs will open their SEC schedule at Kentucky. Black can be reached at sblack@scoreatl.com. Jackets, Hawkeyes ready to rumble on Tuesday in much-anticipated Orange Bowl he Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets have waited T43 years for a return trip to the Orange Bowl, and they have waited almost 30 days since edging Clemson in the ACC Championship. Now, the wait is just about over. On the South Beach horizon for the Jackets is a date with Iowa, which earned a BCS at large-spot by going The Hawkeyes started the year 9-0 including a signature early-season win at Penn State before losing two of their last three, including a overtime loss at Ohio State. STRENGTH VERSUS STRENGTH While the Orange Bowl may not be the most glamorous of the five BCS showdowns, it will feature an extremely entertaining matchup in Georgia Tech s rushing offense going up against Iowa s heralded run defense. Led by quarterback Josh Nesbitt and running back Jonathan Dwyer, the Yellow Jackets are averaging yards per game on the ground, good for No. 1 in the ACC and second in the nation. A stingy Hawkeye defense, however, ranks 11th in the nation overall and the unit is allowing only 122 rushing yards per contest. With a month to prepare for Tech s tripleoption attack, Iowa could be even scarier than normal on the defensive side of the football. After all, to say LSU made the most of its 2008 bowl preparation would be a gross understatement. The Tigers corralled everything Georgia Tech s offense threw at them and hammered the Jackets 38-3 in the Chick-fil-A Bowl. We haven t faced anything like that in my 11 years at Iowa, coach Kirk Ferentz said of the Tech offense. It's a very different attack; very difficult to prepare for schematically. They are a unique challenge for us. GETTING DEFENSIVE The Hawkeyes rank second to last in the Big Ten in both scoring and total offense. It is no secret that the best defense against Tech s high-powered offense is keeping it off the field by controlling the clock, but a futile Iowa rushing attack is averaging just yards, also second to last in the conference. A reeling Georgia Tech defense, however, did not force a single punt against either Georgia or Clemson despite boasting ACC Defensive Player of the Year Derrick Morgan at defensive end. Any time you struggle as much as we have, it s a little of all of it probably, head coach Paul Johnson said of the defense. If I knew exactly what the answer was, we wouldn t be struggling. Players have to be held accountable, coaches have to be accountable, and you have to take a good hard look at everything. ARRIVAL IN SOUTH BEACH The Hawkeyes arrived in Miami on Sunday night after mechanical problems delayed their flight more than two hours. They are holding practices throughout the week leading up to the Orange Bowl at Barry University in Miami Shores. The weather was snowy when we left this morning, noted tight end Tony Moeaki when he touched down in 70-degree weather. This feels great. I ve got my swimsuit ready. Moeaki will be able to use it, too; at least for a few days. They may wander off, Ferentz said of his players. We ll have a late curfew the first couple of nights, and we ll let them go where they want to go within reason. The Yellow Jackets, meanwhile, were scheduled to arrive in Miami on Wednesday. Dimon can be reached at rdimon@scoreatl.com.

8 8 I SCORE ATLANTA Get In The Game! ALWAYS AT SCOREATL.COM

9 JANUARY 1-7, 2010 SCORE ATLANTA I 9 Winning season on the line in final week The Atlanta Falcons resounding 31-3 win over the Buffalo Bills last week meant nothing in terms of a postseason berth. But despite already being eliminated from playoff contention, Mike Smith had his team motivated early as the defense dominated while the offense picked up steam as the game went on. Clearly, accomplishing back-to-back winning seasons is a goal that the team is focused on despite all the disappointment in They have a chance to achieve that with a win at Raymond James Stadium, where they face a 3-12 Tampa Bay team that was eliminated from the playoffs ages ago. But to their credit, the Bucs have continued to play hard and are now trying to close the year on a three-game winning streak. The nation s eyes will be elsewhere this Sunday, and for good reason. However, Falcons fans can still expect a hotly contested game, with Atlanta possibly ridding itself of one of the worst streaks in professional sports. O FINISHING STRONG The Bucs defense gave Atlanta fits the last time the two faced. It was Tampa that knocked Matt Ryan out with the toe injury that may have cost the Falcons their playoff chances. The Bucs sacked Atlanta quarterbacks six times in the first meeting with Stylez White and Tim Crowder leaving the way. Also making things tough was 26-year-old Barrett Ruud, who has blossomed into one of the league s best middle linebackers. Raheem Morris calls the plays for a fearless unit that goes all out for their enthusiastic young head coach. The rush defense has been poor all season, but Michael Turner s availability is still in question. It s unlikely he will be able to shoulder a full workload even if he plays. As for the pass defense, veteran Ronde Barber continues his steady play at corner, while Aqib Talib has begun to unlock the world of potential that he possesses. Ryan will look for Roddy White and Tony Gonzalez, both of whom had solid but unspectacular games in the win in week 12. GETTING STINGY Atlanta s defense has played its best football of the season over the last two weeks. With Tampa Bay, a team with a rash of inexperience on offense, the Falcons defense has a shot to finish the season off with three solid performances. Bucs first-round draft pick Josh Freeman has thrown for nearly 1,700 yards in just eight starts this season. But he s also been extremely careless with the football throwing 16 picks, many of them coming in the red zone. That statistic will surely whet the appetite of the Atlanta secondary, which has been forcing turnovers at a high rate recently. Playing especially well lately is Brent Grimes, who has three interceptions over the last two games. Rookie Chris Owens has also gotten into the lineup, and picked off a pass last week as well. John Abraham has finally made his presence felt with sacks in each of the last two weeks. He ll want to make life tough for the rookie QB. Tampa has had little success in the run game this season with Carnell Williams and Derrick Ward splitting carries. But Cadillac looked great last week, running for 129 yards and a touchdown in the upset win over New Orleans. The Atlanta front seven has been gashed at times, but turned out to be an average group that can shut down the weaker run games. They did just that when they held Williams to only 30 yards earlier in the year. Photo of Jason Snelling courtesy of Jimmy Cribb/Atlanta Falcons. Bagriansky can be reached at jbagriansky@scoreatl.com. ALWAYS AT SCOREATL.COM

10 10 I SCORE ATLANTA Get In The Game!

11 JANUARY 1-7, 2010 SCORE ATLANTA I 11 SCORE MORE Early January slate brings winnable games fter an overtime loss to Chicago A(which looks worse in hindsight considering the Bulls melted down over the next two games, blowing a 35-point lead against the woeful Sacramento Kings and renewing rumors that Vinny Del Negro would be fired), Atlanta finished the road trip by winning two of the next three with some much more inspired play. Al Horford provided the stat line of the trip with 25 points, 19 rebounds and five blocks in the road finale against Indiana to push the Hawks record to 21-8 as of press time. After the New Year, the Hawks start a busy January at home against New York. For the Hawks, it will be a chance to redeem themselves after losing to the Knicks at Madison Square Garden by the score of in early December. The Hawks won the first matchup this year in a decision at Philips Arena. The Hawks are most successful against New York when they are driving the ball to the hoop and controlling rebounds offensively and defensively. If they can minimize David Lee s presence in the paint, it should be another win for Atlanta. Next, Atlanta hits the road to take on Miami. Holding Dwyane Wade to 15 points on 6-of-18 shooting seems like a task that is easier said than done. However, that was all Wade could produce against Atlanta in a Hawks win earlier this season. As of late, the Heat have been playing their best basketball of the season, with several players stepping up their roles to complement Wade. Most notably, Michael Beasley is showing signs of developing into the number two option that Miami lacked all of last year. A win in Miami would be important after struggling so much on the road against the division rival in the playoffs last year. Finally, there is a game on the calendar that should inspire confidence. The matchup with the Nets at home should be a victory for the Hawks provided that they do not overlook their opponent. With New Jersey headed for a losing season of epic proportions, the Hawks will want to take care of business against their reeling Eastern foes, who started the year with 18 straight losses. Gupta can be reached at rgupta@scoreatl.com. Five-game skid makes for sour end to 09 ith the possibility of this being Ilya WKovalchuk s last season in Thrasher blue beginning to sink in for the fans, a five-game losing streak is one thing the organization was hoping to avoid. However, that is the situation as the clock approaches midnight on Unlike last year, the team got off to a strong start, but in an exact replication of last year s form, the middle months have provided less and less hope for Atlanta s first playoff appearance since being swept out of the tournament in The defense has struggled against some of the lower-tier offenses, and even with a penalty kill percentage above 80 percent, the Thrashers rank fifth to last in number of goals allowed per game. With Johan Hedberg having the eighth best save percentage in the league, and Ondrej Pavelec not far behind, the obvious question is, can Atlanta stop its opponents from taking so many shots? That question is sure to be answered as Atlanta continues its longest road trip of the season with games in Buffalo, in New York against the Islanders, and in Pittsburgh to take on the defending champs. BUFFALO S BRICK WALL While Atlanta has seen its struggles with keeping opponents out of the net increase, the Sabres have found a calming influence known as Ryan Miller who has taken them to the top of the NHL in almost every defensive category. Miller is second in the NHL with a 1.98 GAA, and is tops in save percentage, stopping 93.5 percent of shots faced. This has propelled the Sabres to the top spot in the Northeast Division, and puts them ever so close to the top spot overall in the conference. When Miller takes the net against the Thrashers on Friday night in Buffalo, it will be his first contest against Atlanta this season. Over his career, Miller sports a record against Atlanta while allowing 2.55 goals per game, his seventh highest number against teams he s faced more than 10 times. Helping Miller will be the newly reestablished top line of Tim Kennedy, Mike Grier and Thomas Vanek. The three had major success in the early part of the season before they were broken up by injuries. However, recently they have reignited their old flame, combining for eight points in the last two games. Boral can be reached at jboral@scoreatl.com. Expect Woods to stay strong with collectors Big Al deserves bigger role in Hawks offense ecember is one of the best times of Dthe year. Great sports, vacation A l Horford is being horribly underused time, and lots of holiday parties. Now, I love a good party, and who doesn t? But as you meet new people the conversation at some point enters the where do you work or what do you do phase. When I tell people I m in the sports memorabilia business I usually get a good story, like I used to collect baseball cards when I was a kid, but my mom threw them out, or my Dad has an old autograph of so and so. I ve heard some very interesting stories over the years, but the topic/question everyone seems to be asking this year is, So what is going to happen to Tiger Woods items? My holiday party answer: Buy his stuff now it s only going to go up in value after his wife kills him. But seriously, don t look for Tiger s items to take a Simpvick (OJ Simpson/Michael Vick) dive in price. In the short term, Woods s items will come down slightly in value, but once he weathers the current storm and rejoins the PGA tour, look for values to return and possibly increase if he wins another major. Now, there s always a moral issue for some on whether they should collect Tiger s stuff, but if we look at sports superstars and morals well, I ll let you draw your own conclusions. FROM THE MAILBAG Dear Dean: I went to a Braves game several years ago and was lucky enough to be given a Julio Franco game-used bat. Any idea as to how much it might be worth? Dear Senior Citizen: Being one of the oldest major leaguers to ever grace the base paths, Julio is very popular with the collecting world. In addition, he played with eight different major league ball clubs and was with the Braves from The bat is worth $150. Want to know what your item is worth or have a question about a particular sports item? me, Dean Zindler, at dzindler@scoreatl.com. in the Hawks offense. Is he undersized? Sure, but whatever he lacks in size he more than makes up for with athleticism, quickness and determination. He is not a perfect post player, but he is the Hawks most efficient player down low. He s shooting almost 60 percent from the field and that s mostly due to his hard work on the offensive glass. In other words, a lot of Horford s points come from rebounding his teammates misses. One can t help but wonder what might happen if the Hawks consistently ran plays for him. Horford is being treated like a dirty work player and he deserves better than that. Quite frankly, the offense should run through him. Jump shots will not always fall, but they will always be available. The one thing the Hawks have is a group of guards who know how to get their shots off whether they re being defended by one player or three players. They could get easier shots if they establish a consistent post game. Horford works extremely hard in the post and there are many nights when the guys who are guarding him have no chance of stopping him. The only people who stop Horford from being dominant are his teammates. Having a legitimate post threat would make the game so much easier for the shooters. Imagine Horford being double teamed and passing the ball to a wide-open Joe Johnson or Jamal Crawford or Mike Bibby or Marvin Williams or Mo Evans. If the Hawks want to be a serious contender, they ve got to figure out a way to score points when the jump shots aren t falling. It s early in the season, but we ve seen this team go through some awful shooting slumps. The second half of the Orlando game and the second quarter of the Dallas game were the worst. Their only defense against that is to throw the ball down low and get high percentage shots. Make things a little easier on yourselves in the New Year, and let the Boss lead the team. C.C. can be reached at cfelicec@yahoo.com. SCORE MORE

12 12 I SCORE ATLANTA Get In The Game! Panther men win battle of GSUs; ladies lose to cross-town rival Georgia Tech t s been a long 13 seasons in between Igames for the Georgia State and Georgia Southern men s basketball teams. I tried for years to get former coaches Lefty Driesell and Michael Perry to get the Eagles back on the schedule, telling them how good the rivalry used to be when the two schools were members of the old Trans America Athletic Conference (TAAC). Georgia Southern left the league to move to the Southern Conference and the series ended. It mostly fell on deaf ears. I mentioned it to Rod Barnes as well during an early conversation about the Panthers schedule and he finally made it happen. It helps, too, that the Eagles new coach Charlton Young, a former Georgia Southern player, remembers the great games the two GSUs used to have. So last week they took to the court at the Sports Arena for the first time since 1996 and it was Georgia State winning the game behind Trae Goldston s game-high 28 points. Merry Christmas to everyone; my team gave me a nice present tonight, said Barnes. And I can t say enough about Trae Goldston. We ve worked really hard on our offense, but our main focus has been defense. But I knew sooner or later, our guys were going to start shooting the ball well. What better night than tonight? Trey Hampton had a spectacular game as well, going 8-for-8 from the floor with 16 points, seven rebounds and four blocked shots. Joe Dukes finished with 15 points, six assists and four steals. The Panthers are now 7-6 heading into CAA play. Tune in to the weekly Rod Barnes Show on Mondays from 4-5 p.m. on NewsTalk 1160, WCFO-AM. JACKETS DOWN PANTHERS In women s action at the Sports Arena, the Lady Panthers had their winning streak snapped when they lost to Georgia Tech Danyiell McKeller led with 14 points while Angelique Burtts added 13 points and seven assists. The majority of the game we played well and we disrupted them with our defense, head coach Lea Henry said. But with their size, they got easier shots and put-backs, as well as the free throws. Dave Cohen is in his 27th season as the Voice of Georgia State Basketball and Baseball on WRAS-FM (88.5) and works on the football radio crew at Furman University in Greenville, S.C.

13 JANUARY 1-7, 2010 SCORE ATLANTA I 13 BASKETBALL Hawks. January 1 vs. New York Knicks 7:30 PM. January 4 at Miami 7:30 PM. January 6 vs. New Jersey 7 PM. January 8 vs. Boston 8 PM. January 9 at Orlando 7 PM. January 11 at Boston 7:30 PM. January 13 vs. Washington 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 Suwanee Sports Academy. Ongoing. Basketball train ing and development for boy and girls grades K-12. Rising Stars, Future Stars, Suwanee Basketball League, On Court Player Development, nationallyrecognized year-round comprehensive player devel opment program. For more information contact Mike Brown at or visit ports.com. Mark Price Shooting Lab. Ongoing: Personalized pro fessional shooting instruction through one-on-one coaching and state-of-the-art technology at Suwanee Sports Academy. For more information, contact Mike Brown at or 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 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 les sons by Rob Blair, former college coach, Snellville. To set up a free pitching or hitting analysis call Jack City Baseball. Ongoing. Baseball pitching and hit ting. 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. January 3 at Tampa Bay 1 PM. Georgia Tech. January 5 vs. Iowa 8 PM. Collins Hill Athletic Association. Ongoing. Accepting applications for qualified coaches in all age groups. For information 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 infor mation please contact (678) or mark@georgiasportsleagues.org. Visit portsleagues.org. Arena Indoor Football. Ongoing. Youth and Adult Leagues. Youth 7 vs. 7; Adult 6 vs. 6. For informa tion, call or info.indoor@atlantasil verbacks.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. January 1 at Buffalo 7:30 PM. January 2 at New York Islanders 7 PM. January 5 at Pittsburgh 7:30 PM. January 7 vs. New York Rangers 7 PM. January 9 vs. Washington 7 PM. January 12 vs. Ottawa 7 PM. January 14 vs. Buffalo 7 PM. Gladiators. January 2 vs. Florida 7:05 PM. January 3 at Charlotte 2 PM. January 8 vs. South Carolina 7:35 PM. January 9 vs. South Carolina 7:05 PM. January 10 at South Carolina 4:05 PM. January 13 at Charlotte 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 physi cally 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 ter.org. 5:30-7 PM. Competitive Amateur Soccer in Atlanta For more information, visit TENNIS Technique Clinics. Ongoing - Bitsy Grant Tennis Center. Tuesdays (serve/volley) and Saturdays (forehand/back hand). 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 awaylacrosse.com. 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 New Years at Noon 5K. Jan. 1. Athens, 12 PM ATC Resolution Run 5K/10K/Mile. Jan. 1. Kennesaw, 12:20 PM. Wonderful Days of Winter 5K. Jan. 1. Marietta, 8:00 AM CAMPS Nike Basketball Camps. Camps located in Snellville, Roswell, Kennesaw, Oxford and to find out which dates suit your campers best. Club Sport, "Where Atlanta Comes To Play!" Registration Ongoing for Sand & Indoor Leagues and Tournaments League games played every day and night at the Brookhaven Boys and Girls Club. For more info or to register visit Harlem Legends. The Harlem Legends have scheduled their 2009 Shoot for the Stars Basketball & Physical Fitness Camps. The "Shoot for the Stars Youth Basketball Camps and Clinics" are a unique form of learning experiences geared towards young basket ball players of all skill levels. There are two Gwinnett County camps this year. Please visit our website ( or call for additional camps. VOLLEYBALL Gwinnett Sports Center. Registration ongoing. For information call Jerry Robison at or visit Suwanee Sports Academy. Ongoing. Volleyball training and development for boys and girls grades VolleySkills, VolleyStars, VolleyTraining, and OnCourt Player Development, a year-round com prehensive player development program. For more information, contact Mary Carnell at x108 or visit SWIMMING & DIVING Swimming lessons. Ongoing - Alpharetta City Pool - Alpharetta, Ga Old Milton Parkway. For information call 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 or info.indoor@atlantasilverbacks.com. SOFTBALL Club Sport, "Where Atlanta Comes To Play!" Registration Ongoing for Men's & Coed Leagues League games played at multiple locations throughout the Metro Area. For more info or to register visit 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 Winter Flurry. January 30 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. OFFICIATING Club Sport, "Where Atlanta Comes To Play!" Flag Football, Softball, Soccer, Basketball, Volleyball. Earn money officiating. Training provided. For more info atlanta@usclubsport.com or visit 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 yo uth 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 SPORTS COUNCIL Chick-Fil-A Bowl. Dec. 31, Georgia Dome. For tickets, call To reach the Atlanta Sports Council call or visit MISC. Pool Tournament. Nightly - Ongoing - Sean Patrick s Bar & Grill - Buckhead. Fees: No cover. For infor mation call PM. Suwanee Sports Academy. Pre-K Athletics for 2, 3 and 4 year-olds introduces the basic skills needed to play basketball, soccer, and t-ball. Also, there is a unique after school program that provides students with a weekly sports curriculum along with the after school classroom setting. For more information, call or visit 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

14 14 I SCORE ATLANTA Get In The Game! Meyer saga takes twists; analysts flip-flop on Colts decision ait, this just in: Urban Meyer is back WOUT as head coach of Florida because the wind shifted. The Florida Gators head coach announced last weekend over the Christmas weekend that he was resigning as head football coach and ESPN, predictably, went off of the deep end. Announcers of bowl games stopped calling the games (Pitt and UNC fans were probably peeved that the Meineke Car Care Bowl wasn t getting its just due) and the studio guys were of course up in arms over the decision. Slowly, Saturday night during the Emerald Bowl between USC and BC, updates were leaking in on the crawl at the bottom of the screen making the Emerald Bowl perhaps the biggest postseason game, ratings-wise, to date. Chris Mortensen was revealing that Meyer had a problem with a heart valve and a reporter in Houston somehow got a quote from the family that they were happy to have Meyer back as a member of the family. Meyer himself said that he needed to step away to focus on his family and his faith, not to mention his health. In less than 24 hours, all of that changed. Apparently after a spirited practice, the coach was sitting with his strength and conditioning coach, looking at the championship banners (and probably reading reports that high school commits were thinking about decommitting) and Meyer pulled a hokey-pokey. In his best Billy Donovan impression, Meyer decided that he could NOT step away permanently and scaled back his situation to just a leave of absence. Meyer said that he couldn t possibly think of the Florida Gator program taking a step back and the school not doing things The Urban Meyer Way. (P.S., this just in, Meyer found $20 in a pair of pants he hadn t worn in six CHECK OUT THE NEW AND IMPROVED SCOREATL.COM! TO ADVERTISE IN SCORE ATLANTA: months and he s decided to return!) ESPN likely exhaled a huge sigh of relief and immediately started reporting this over its NFL coverage and of course all throughout the pregame for the Music City Bowl. Several of the media types went against the grain and tried to take Meyer to task for the flip-flop, which, knowing Meyer, means they won t be welcome to cover Florida and will instead be relegated to sit with Shane Matthews in Section 34F. CNNSI.com s Stewart Mandel wondered in a Monday column if Meyer is pulling a Coach K from the season, when the Duke hoops coach missed the season to have back surgery. The missing season also just so happened to coincide with the Blue Devils worst record since he arrived in Durham. With Tebow leaving as well as likely multiple defections to the pros from the defense, AND his defensive coordinator bolting for the Louisville head job, could Meyer have been using the heart valve as an excuse for a potential rebuilding year? Probably not, but after saying that family is important to him, why is the man going back on that to return to the profession that has caused him all of the stress that put him in the hospital multiple times since the SEC Championship game? ESPN s Adam Schefter, filling in on Mike and Mike in the Mornings, wondered the same thing, and even compared Meyer to Brett Favre with the will-he-orwon t-he, only on a WAY more serious level. I hope Meyer is healthy and, if he is, hope for a swift return. It just seems strange that one practice can get you to switch your course of action from resigning to be with your family to all of a sudden going back to the stress pit of coaching. But the publicity has certainly given the Gators the spotlight this bowl season. I bet Lane Kiffin is thinking about pulling the stunt next. Oh, this just in: Urban is back out as coach because the maid in his New Orleans hotel didn t offer turndown service. Wait, breaking news Meyer is back in after getting a BOGO at Payless. I kid. TO SIT OR NOT TO SIT Finally, how funny is it that most of the folks calling for the Colts to rest Peyton Manning and the rest of the starters are now calling foul after the coaches pulled the weapons against the Jets and the team ended up losing 29-15? Colts coach Jim Caldwell was damned if he did and then again even if he didn t. Manning and the rest of the offense was pulled with about five minutes to go in the third quarter last week against the Jets and the Colts saw a lead quickly turn into a loss. On Monday morning, people were ripping the Colts, including several people who, over the last few weeks, were calling for Indy to rest Peyton for fear of injury. These experts need to realize that fans are smart enough to remember their stance from just 10 days ago and we can call them on it. You wanted Peyton to rest to avoid injury, so Caldwell did that and now you are killing him for it? I hope you are judged in the same vein, boys. Wait, Urban is out again after his dry cleaning was not ready in one hour. Oh, no, he s back in now after finding a Pepsi vending machine in the hotel lobby. Proctor can be heard on The Official Visit on 790 The Zone, brought to you every Monday night by Score Atlanta, and will provide color commentary on the GPB/Score Atlanta weekly high school basketball webcasts every Tuesday night on gpb.org. He can be reached at fproctor@scoreatl.com. 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. SCORE ATLANTA ADVERTISING INDEX 790 The Zone...Cover, 15 Army...10 Atlanta Falcons...Cover Atlanta Hawks...2 Atlanta Thrashers...2 Cool Beanz...3 Complete Game B casting...back Page GEICO...Cover Georgia State...12 GHSF Daily...4 Hooters...Cover, 8 Man s Best Friend...5 Mikael s Auto Spa...4 North River Tavern...7 Ringling Bros...9 Ron Veal Football Camp...14 Trivia Zone...14 Worthmore...12

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