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Farewell
By: JJ Lanier
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
When I was in high school my Dad wrote a weekly column for our local paper titled “The Way I See It.”
Each column revolved around our family and the topics ranged from visiting my aunt in Japan to rating movies based on how many bathroom breaks my youngest brother took.
Beside the columns being really well written (I believe he won a few awards for them over the years) I remember thinking how great it must be to write about something you enjoy; all I was writing were 8-page reports on books I didn’t want to read in the first place.
When I got a call six years ago, gauging my interest in writing a weekly sports column, I jumped at the chance. I was addicted to sports growing up. If I wasn’t at practice or playing pickup games I was watching them on TV.
My room was covered in posters with pennants outlining the tops of my walls, and almost all my clothes had some team logo or athlete on them. Sports have always been an integral part of my life for as long as I can remember, but like with most things, interests change over time.
Over the past few years those weeknights spent watching games and ESPN shows have been replaced by hanging out with my wife of over 18 years. (I’m not sure how she put up with me for the first 16 years, but bless her for doing so.)
And those weekends spent gorging myself on football and basketball games, they are now spent watching my 10-year-old son make regional and state cuts in all his swimming events, or seeing my daughter play the French Horn at an All-State conference.
I’ve upgraded from memories I’ll forget in two weeks to memories that will last me a lifetime.
So, as I write my final column for the Southern Sports Edition there are two people I need to thank.
The first is Jason Bishop, owner of SSE, for making that call 6 years ago and allowing the teenager’s dream in me to become a reality. What Jason has built in the Golden Isles is something special that I hope people will continue to support.
Jason, thanks for allowing me the opportunity to write what I wanted to write, when I wanted to write it.
And of course, I need to thank you, the reader. Thank you for logging on every week to read the words of someone who openly despises Georgia football, roots against the Falcons, and doesn’t even pay attention to the Braves, all while tolerating my obscure pop culture references. Sometimes it felt as if I was the leader of the band. (And there you have it folks, a Dan Fogelberg reference!)
My hope is you’ve enjoyed reading my articles half as much as I’ve enjoyed writing them.
I wanted to end this with some poignant words of wisdom, but like many mediocre writers before me, I came up with nothing. Instead, here are the life lessons one of my longtime, closest friends bestowed upon me in my 7th grade yearbook:
“You learn everything you need to know in kindergarten- playtime is for suckers; nap time is better when there’s someone else on your mat; never cross the monkey bars with your teeth; and never, NEVER, eat meatloaf.”
And that’s the way I see it.
Hot Bed
By: Kipp Branch
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Glynn County Georgia has produced some phenomenal athletes in the past 40 years. Let’s take a look at a few that have put Glynn County in the spotlight:
Kwame Brown: A graduate of Glynn Academy, Brown was the first overall pick in the 2001 NBA draft by the Washington Wizards, and was the first number one draft pick to be selected straight out of high school.
Over the course of his 12-year career, he played for the Wizards, Los Angeles Lakers, Memphis Grizzlies, Detroit Pistons, Charlotte Bobcats, Golden State Warriors, and Philadelphia 76ers.
Not many counties in our country can say they had the first overall selection in any professional sports draft. Brown put Glynn Academy basketball on the map around the state, and carved out a nice NBA career.
Darius Slay: Big Play Slay of the Philadelphia Eagles is currently or was the highest paid cornerback in the NFL. Think about that for a second folks.
Darius Slay is the best athlete I have ever seen wear the blue and gold at Brunswick High.
Slay could do it all in high school. He returned kicks, played running back, game breaking wide receiver, and played defensive back when needed.
Slay got drafted in the second round of the 2013 NFL draft by the Detroit Lions and developed into a Pro-Bowl CB. Slay is in his prime and has a few more years left in the NFL.
Davis Love III: DL3 has won 21 events on the PGA Tour, including one major championship: the 1997 PGA Championship. He won the Players Championship in 1992 and 2003.
He was in the top 10 of the Official World Golf Ranking for over 450 weeks, reaching a high ranking of 2nd. He captained the U.S. Ryder Cup teams in 2012 and 2016. Love was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2017.
In the 1980’s Love did his part in establishing the Glynn Academy golf program as the premier golf school in the State of Georgia.
With a couple of breaks Love could have won the 1996 US Open, 2003 British Open, and the 1995 and 1999 Masters. I have sat at home on too many Sunday’s to count and lived and died on every shot DLIII hit.
Morgan Brian: Brian attended Frederica Academy and led the Knights to four consecutive soccer state titles.
Brian was also an All State Basketball player at Frederica. Brian ended her high school soccer career with 186 goals and 95 assists. She was a two-time Parade All-American and two-time Gatorade Georgia State Player of the Year.
In 2010, she was named an NSCAA High School and Youth All-American and was also the 2010 NSCAA Youth Player of the Year as well as the 2010 Parade National Player of the Year. In 2011, she was named Gatorade National Player of the Year. Brian was also the first soccer player to be honored as the Gatorade National Female Athlete of the Year in 2011.
Brian has competed for the US in the FIFA World Cup and in the Olympics. Her married name is now Gautrat, Morgan Brian Gautrat is the face of Glynn County soccer.
Adam Wainwright: As my buddy Scott Spence asks in sports discussions how many people in Glynn County history have gotten the last out in a World Series clinching game? Answer Adan Wainwright.
Wainwright was the Gatorade player of the year in Georgia in 2000 and drafted in first round by the Atlanta Braves then was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals.
Waino has spent his entire career with the Cardinals. Wainwright has won 167 games, has three All-Star selections, two Rawlings Gold Glove Awards and finished in the top three in the Cy Young Award balloting four times. Glynn Academy’s baseball field is named after him.
You still have Dee Jay Dallas, Justin Coleman, Tracy Walker, and potential other future professional athletes to discuss in the upcoming years. Glynn County is a hotbed for sports.
Tip It Off
By: JJ Lanier
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Well, after months of watching old games, listening to pundits regurgitate the same storylines, and reading enough Top Ten articles that even David Letterman would roll his eyes, the return of sports is now on the periphery…in a limited capacity…at the end of the summer…for only a select number of teams.
The first domino to fall was hockey, which came up with a creative approach to the remainder of their season, consisting of qualifying rounds and round robin seeding games, to determine the 16 playoff teams.
With an expected start date sometime in late July, I imagine Gary Bettman must have been optimistic- if you’re starving for fan attention being the only game in town has its’ advantages.
It’s like being stranded on a deserted island for six months before realizing there’s someone of the opposite sex on the island with you. That person may not be your ideal mate, but after a certain amount of time, you’re not going to be picky.
Then, of course, the NBA announced their plans to finish their season with qualifying games among a select group of teams to narrow the field down to their playoff participants.
One of the aspects included in each league’s proposal I can easily get behind is they are only including teams that were in playoff contention at the time their respective leagues shut down. If we’re truly trying to be safe, there’s no reason to put players at risk by making them play meaningless games.
The main difference between the hockey and basketball plans is hockey is scheduling their games in at least two different hub cities, while the NBA will hold all their games at Disney World, requiring everyone to stay in a designated area throughout their time there.
The current NBA schedule has them resuming games in late July also, and running through October.
Besides the encouraging signs the sports world may be starting to open back up, the timeline of when everything takes place means September and October have the potential to be two of the most exciting months in recent memory.
Even if college football and the NFL delay their starts by a few weeks, there’s a very realistic possibility you could have multiple weekends consisting of NHL and NBA playoff games, to go along with football.
As much as people are tired of being stuck at home now, with all those options to choose from, I bet many of those same people would be staying indoors, deciding they needed to “self-quarantine”.
As much as I think most of us are looking forward to watching again, we may want to temper our expectations. We’re still weeks away before the first game will be played, and as positive Covid cases continue to rapidly increase in almost half the states across the country (many college programs are now announcing outbreaks among their players), it may be delayed even more.
Regardless of what you read into that, even the most skeptical critic would have a difficult time arguing an increase of positive test results would cause any league to speed up their return date.
If both leagues are able to resume their seasons in July it will have been a long four months in sports purgatory. And even though we won’t have technically been deserted on a desert island during that time, we’ll welcome the first puck drop, or opening tip, as if we had been.
The Right Thing
By: Mike Anthony
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The NCAA has long been a punching bag for fans and member institutions alike and, for the most part, deservedly so.
The Indianapolis-based institution has all-encompassing power over its members, but it is often accused of being too strict in hamstringing the rights of student athletes, while also catching flack for doing too little in the face of major violations at marquee institutions.
That said, the NCAA received nearly universal applause for its quick action in the face of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The organization cancelled all spring sports championships – including the immensely profitable March Madness men’s basketball tournament – on March 12, weeks before many local and state governments took similarly drastic shutdown measures in the name of public health.
Cancelations were preventative in nature and aimed at decreasing the impact of the virus, but the NCAA also acted quickly in announcing that seniors participating in spring sports will be afforded an additional year of eligibility should they choose to return to school and compete again next year.
That was undoubtedly the right call to make, but there is still a long way to go in achieving that goal.
The NCAA has cleared up the question of eligibility, but the national organization has no say in how each school finds the money to afford scholarships.
The NCAA has said that it will figure out an adjustment to the scholarship limits for spring sports, but it is up to each school to figure out a way to accommodate seniors wishing to return and play while also honoring scholarships that have already been awarded to incoming freshmen.
It will likely be months before the next year of collegiate athletics can set a firm schedule, but there’s no doubt that every school will face its own set of complications moving forward.
Things will eventually get back to normal, and that will be a great day. But normal is a relative term. For fans, it will be enough to have the opportunity to go see a game and cheer on their team.
For schools, there is the much more complicated matter of putting on those events, while financing an athletic department that could be at risk for shortened 2020-21 seasons and heavily decreased ticket sales due to ongoing public health fears and economic circumstances.
It’s still far too early to know how any schools will be able to deal with this unprecedented set of circumstances. There is no easy answer, but there is one thing that is perfectly clear and that might lead to a new way of doing sports, business and athletics at the collegiate level.
Players want to play and have earned the right through their work on both the athletic and academic side.
Academic institutions routinely rely on the millions upon millions of dollars raised on the backs of those athletes and their accomplishments in order to advance the school’s brand and build bigger and better opportunities for the athletes of tomorrow.
This pandemic has caused an impasse. Athletes most definitely deserve the right to return to get their part of the agreement they signed up for.
Athletic departments will likely have to take a hit in the wallet to make that happen.
Next spring will be all about making things right on a contractual level. Everything after could lead to bigger movements about what athletes bring to their respective schools and what more should be asked of those schools to make sure that both sides are getting as much as they give.
Appreciate
By: Kipp Branch
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The Coronavirus is a serious public health issue that has caused loss of life around the world.
It has wreaked havoc on our economy, our freedom of mobility, and now with the cancellation of most major sporting events like the NBA, it has rocked us at our core.
This article is going to take a look at sports in our culture and how woven sports are in the fabric of our society.
No matter what sport you play, you are bound to have better health than those who do not partake at all. No other activity is as productive in strengthening of muscles and overall physical fitness as sports.
I come from the generation of playing outside before dinner, and the activity revolved around the three major sports seasons football, basketball, and baseball.
In the fall, growing up I was Joe Montana in my backyard, in the winter I was Larry Bird or Magic Johnson, and in the spring, I was Reggie Jackson growing up as a youngster in the Golden Isles. Whatever season it was it didn’t matter we stayed active.
When we are playing sports, we use our time doing something good and fun. I watched a T-Ball game my grandson participated in just yesterday, and watching the interaction with other kids is a social skill that goes unnoticed these days. It also plays a major role in the social development of youth today in our country.
Playing sports increases awareness of mind and mental strength. Sports teach you how to handle disappointments and also teaches you how to win with class and sportsmanship.
Sports prepares people for life in clutch situations, where stress can take over. Positive traits and a healthy mind can be gained from sports.
Sports teach you to be completely alert all the times. It also gives you the ability to make split second decisions when needed. Playing sports actually increases your thought processes.
Playing sports helps you become detailed oriented by keeping you highly attentive. Sports prepares you for those quick decisions in life that we all will face.
Sports is the best way to eliminate stress. Playing a sport you love relaxes you and gives a fresh outlook on life. A hard day at work can be really be stressful but a few minutes on the tennis, or basketball court at the end of a long day is just what the doctor ordered in stress relief.
Self-confidence is improved by participating and excelling in sports. Discipline then becomes a part of the process. Anyone who takes sports seriously knows the importance of discipline and the determination to succeed.
Our society is filled with success stories that started with team sports. Most of the popular sports are team structured. Playing team sports makes a person more comfortable with others. It improves the interpersonal skills and makes a person a team player.
How much money does your employer spend on improving critical thinking and team work skills? These are lessons taught by team sports at an early age in life.
It stings to see March Madness cancelled, the NBA season postponed, MLB suspending operations, and the list goes on and on.
We have a public health crisis on our hands and the right thing to do is to cancel these events until we get a handle as a society on the Covid-19 Coronavirus situation.
A temporary suspension sports activities that are woven in our core values may allow us to gain a fresh appreciation for the sports we love and take for granted at times.
I just know all this better get sorted out by the start of college football season or its going to be “Houston, we have a problem”. Get well soon Tom Hanks. We are praying for you and all affected by the Coronavirus. Netflix anyone?
Burning Questions
By: Kipp Branch
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
It has been an interesting week for southern sports topics. Here are my takes on various subjects.
Hey KB, what do you think about Jake Fromm declaring for the NFL draft?
If you are an Auburn, Florida, Georgia Tech or a Tennessee fan then you are dancing in the streets because Fromm was a combined 12-1 against the four schools mentioned above.
We all know Jake had an off year in 2019 statistically, but at the end of the day Jake will always be known as the gator killer in the Jacksonville area.
Good luck Jake and thank you for your contributions to Georgia football. Next man up is? I’ll let Kirby sort that out.
Hey KB, what do you think about Cade Mays leaving UGA and going to Tennessee? I’ll do my Powers Boothe imitation from Tombstone and say “well bye” to Mays and his family who filed a lawsuit against UGA because dad could not figure out how to operate a folding chair.
We all know this is an attempt to gain an immediate waiver to play next year at Tennessee without having to sit out a year. Mays looked like a Matador in the recent Sugar Bowl, while assigned to guard Jake Fromm’s backside. See you in Athens next November Cade. Nolan Smith can’t wait to see you.
Hey KB, will Florida win the SEC East in 2020? We’ll see but the Danny Kanell’s of the world are already anointing Florida as the beast of the east in 2020.
We will see how Florida performs as the favorite in 2020. The Gators lost a pretty good running back, four good wide receivers, two great pass rushers, and their best cornerback when the final seconds of the Orange Bowl ticked away.
Hey KB, what do you think about Mississippi State hiring Mike Leach? I think it is absolutely fabulous.
MSU will struggle in 2020 as Leach gets guys to run his system, but it is great for the conference. I can’t wait until SEC Media Day this summer. You have Saban, Coach O, The Pirate (Leach), and Joey Freshwater (Lane Kiffin) representing the SEC West.
And can you imagine Egg Bowl week in Mississippi next Thanksgiving? Big Splash hires by the Mississippi schools. Let’s all laugh at Arkansas now.
Hey KB, what do you think about Tua declaring early for NFL the draft? Coach Saban was almost in tears, which speaks volumes about Tua.
With the 5th pick in the 2020 NFL Draft the Miami Doiphins select _________. I’m pretty confident you can insert Tua’s name in the blank.
Hey KB, will the Braves resign Josh Donaldson? I think the Braves end up resigning Donaldson and I hope he continues to be productive in the middle of that lineup.
Right now, he seems to be the missing piece of a team that is ready to contend for the World Series.
Hey KB, who will win the National Championship game on Monday night? When the playoff matchups were revealed I picked Clemson to beat LSU in the title game.
I am now going to pick LSU. The game is in New Orleans and Joe Burrow has had the best season ever by a college QB. Clemson is very good, but it just feels like this is LSU’s year. I’m picking the LSU Tigers to win 38-31.
Hey KB, what do the Jacksonville Jaguars need to be contender? I have a 600 word maximum for this article. It would take a 500 page novel to figure out the Jaguars. They need everything.
The Rear View
By: JJ Lanier
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
As we ring in the new year and a new decade, it dawned on me that I’ve been writing for The Southern Sports Edition for just over five years now- and I haven’t been fired yet.
Over that time frame, there have been a number of things I’ve either learned, or have had reinforced, about sports in our area.
For example, there are a few things you just assume to be true, like the SEC is the best football conference in the country, or that the ACC is usually the strongest in basketball.
And while I’d argue both of those are true, I didn’t realize how dominant both conferences were combined, when it came to the three major college sports.
In the six football championships that will have taken place by the end of this month, five of those champions will have come from either the ACC or SEC.
The two conferences can also stake claim to three of the past five championships in both basketball and baseball over that same period of time. (If you want to include Coastal Carolina in our “area” then it’s actually four of five in baseball.) That’s not quite “Bo Jackson in Tecmo Bowl” dominance, but it’s pretty close.
One important lesson I learned early on is nothing brings Florida and Georgia together like their hatred of Tom Brady.
I’ve written over 300 stories since I started in October of 2014, and I don’t know if I’ve received more comments on any single article than the one I did on Brady being the best NFL quarterback of all time.
One on hand, I get it. Even though I wrote it after the Patriots beat Seattle in the Super Bowl, it was during the height of Deflategate, so the timing was a bit off.
On the other hand, Brady did lead New England to three of the next four Super Bowls, winning two of them, so I do feel a little vindicated.
Also, if I was paid based on the number of “Joe Montana never cheated” responses I got from that story, I’d be making Stephen A. Smith money right now.
One of the evolutions that has been a bit surprising is the SEC’s transition from being a more defensive minded league to an offensive one. That’s not to say the defensive side of the ball isn’t still the calling card of the conference, but you’re more likely to see a 45-38 score than a 17-13.
I must admit, the two stories I enjoyed writing the most didn’t teach me anything, but rather reminded me of why sports can mean so much to so many.
The first is the Father’s Day story I wrote about my dad and I watching a Braves game for my 10th birthday.
The other was about the Pink Out game that took place in Athens a few months ago.
Neither were especially well written, it’s just there’s so much negativity around sports nowadays it was nice to remember how athletics can bring people together.
I’ve really enjoyed these past few years and I appreciate you taking the time to read, pop culture references and all.
Here’s to the next five years of learning, reminiscing, and if my track record is any indication, being wrong on 80% of my predictions.
Unless it has to with Tom Brady; I’m pretty spot on with those.
20 For 2020
By: Kipp Branch
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and a great 2019.
Here are my 20 sports wishes for 2020.
1.The Brunswick High Pirates win a minimum of 8 regular season games, break that six-game losing streak to Glynn Academy and win a region football championship.
Also, both Frederica and Glynn have fine football seasons in 2020.
Sean Pender’s Pirates are about to go on a nice run over the next 3-4 years.
- Jake Fromm returns for his senior season and leads the Georgia Bulldogs to a 12-0 regular season, a SEC title win over Auburn, and a National Championship win over Ohio State in the College Football Playoff.
- The Atlanta Braves win the World Series in 2020, and pick up a top line starter by the trading deadline.
This team is on the cusp of being really good for a long time.
- Ronald Acuna Jr. wins the National League MVP and hits 50 HR’s in the process.
This kid is a generational type player that will be the face of the franchise for the next decade.
- Local Glynn County High School basketball teams make deep runs in the state playoffs.
Pirate nation, you better appreciate what you have in head coach Chris Turner.
- Deep playoff runs for BHS, Frederica Academy, and Glynn Academy baseball squads next spring.
- The UGA baseball team makes it into a Super Regional in 2020.
- The UGA basketball team earns a bid to the big dance March Madness.
- Georgia Tech football team winning 6-7 games in 2020 and going to a bowl game.
- Clemson, Oklahoma, and Texas join the SEC, while the conference boots Missouri. Then Auburn makes a permanent move to the SEC East and the conference moves to 9 conference games per season to eliminate at least one cupcake game per season.
- UCF and South Florida join the ACC.
- Florida State becomes Florida State again and Florida continues to improve under Dan Mullen.
- The Atlanta Falcons draft Derrick Brown to improve that defense and spend 15 million per season to get Nick Saban as their new head coach.
Falcon press conferences with Saban at the helm would be must see TV.
- The Jacksonville Jaguars trade for Matthew Stafford at QB and bring in an offensive minded head coach.
Stafford with that defense would be a winning combination in Jacksonville and fill the damn stadium.
- Jason Bishop improves his overall sports knowledge. That will be a tough one. I know I’m asking a lot on this wish.
- The Miami Dolphins draft Tua. He can’t wear #13 though because Marino’s number is retired.
- The Atlanta Hawks winning 30 games. The Hawks are bad. Did I say the Hawks are very bad?
- UGA hiring Hugh Freeze as the new Offensive Coordinator but keep a close watch on cell phone usage. The entire SEC would be very afraid.
- Gus Malzahn is given a lifetime contract at Auburn. One could only hope right?
- And finally, Kirby Smart continues to be known as The Gator Daddy!
Have a great 2020 all!
On My Mind
By: Kipp Branch
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
There are a lot of things going on in the world of southern sports currently. Here are some random thoughts:
- On 4th and a foot you run the football, Dan Mullen. To win in the SEC you have to be able to run the damn football. At Mississippi State you can get away with that, but at Florida you can’t. Lose again to UGA next year and see how hot your seat gets.
- Wristband Gate at UF caused them to use two early timeouts in the World Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party. Again, you can get by with that in the Egg Bowl, but not against Daddy Kirby.
- The Atlanta Falcons are a huge dumpster fire. Time to clean house and start over. Nick Saban has a home in Georgia. Home Depot will make tons of money during the Christmas season. Breakout the check book Falcons.
- The Atlanta Braves decline the 2020 option on Julio Teheran’s contract. That took about three years too long.
- Cam Newton has major health issues and is out for the season, but the Panthers are 5-3 and in playoff contention. Can someone in Charlotte pick up the phone to the Chicago Bears and say are on the line looking for a QB?
- The Brunswick High Pirates are back in the playoffs in 2019. Note to region 2-AAAAAA if you didn’t beat the Pirates in 2019 you won’t again until 2023 at the earliest, and if you did you better enjoy it.
- Richmond Hill got bumped to 7A in the latest reclassification by the Georgia High School Association through 2022. How quickly will RH file the isolation paperwork to the GHSA to stay in 6A?
- FSU is looking for a new football coach. We never got the time to know you Willie. Who wants to come in and continue cleaning up the mess Jimbo left?
- Auburn is looking at another banner year under Gus. Bus number 8-4 is running out of gas finally on the Plains.
- Tua’s ankle, Tua’s ankle, Tua’s ankle, Tua’s ankle, Tua’s ankle. You get my drift.
- The first QB selected in the 2020 NFL Draft is Joe Burrow.
- The best college football team in the State of Georgia is the Valdosta State Blazers. They just keep winning and winning.
- The Atlanta Hawks are an NBA Draft Lottery team once again.
- Anthony Edwards will lead the UGA Men’s Basketball team to a bid in the NCAA Tourney.
- Randon Jernigan will bat over .300 and make All-SEC in 2020 for the Diamond Dawgs. Why? Because his Aunt Sandra told me so. That’s good enough for me.
- The Frederica Knights beat Bulloch Academy on Senior Night Friday under the oaks on St. Simons, and win two GISA Playoff games.
- Kawhi Leonard is the best NBA player on the planet at this moment in time. Those who don’t agree I have three words for you MAKE THE PLAYOFFS!
- Lawrence Cager is still wide open against DBU.
- Lowndes County is the best high school football team in Georgia.
- McIntosh County Academy hats off to you and the improvement you have shown in 2019. Look out for the Bucs moving forward.
- Note to the College Football Playoff Committee, you have undefeated Baylor ranked behind one loss Oklahoma, who lost to Kansas State by 7. Baylor beat Kansas State by 19 points. Dollar Store spring water is just as good as Dasani. Clemson ranked 5th? Get better committee. Baylor is not UCF they play in a real conference.
- The ACC in football is Clemson and the dependents.
- Glynn County Stadium needs an elevator going to the Press Box.
- Camden County officials need to be placed on top of every press box they visit to taste that medicine they dish out.
- The Washington Nationals won the World Series and can’t even win the NL East. Ouch!
The Question Of The Day
By: Kipp Branch
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
There are a lot of questions that need answers in the regional sports landscape. Here are 50 questions that need answers:
- Do the Braves stick with Luke Jackson at closer or do they get one at the trading deadline?
- Will Austin Riley win the NL Rookie of the Year?
- Will Freddie Freeman win the NL MVP?
- Will the Braves run away with the NL East?
- Will the Atlanta Falcons get back to the playoffs in 2019?
- Will the Falcons make Julio Jones the highest paid wide receiver in football?
- Will Matt Ryan get back close to MVP form?
- Can the Falcons win with defense when it matters the most?
- Will Georgia Tech make a bowl game in 2019?
- How many recruiting classes with it take for GT to be competitive in the ACC with a pro-style offense?
- Who will be the starting quarterback for Auburn?
- Will a quality running back surface for Auburn in 2019?
- If Auburn struggles early will Gus Malzahn get fired before November?
- How much longer will Nick Saban coach?
- Will the Alabama defense have any drop-off in 2019?
- Will Tua win the Heisman?
- Will Willie Taggart make it through year two at FSU?
- How bad of shape did Jimbo Fisher leave FSU in?
- How obsessed is Dan Mullen with UGA?
- How good will the Gator offensive line be?
- Will UF win the SEC East with Feleipe Franks at QB?
- Will UF lead the SEC in QB sacks in 2019?
- Will we be hearing UCF deserves to be in the college football playoff talk in 2019?
- Do the Miami Hurricanes get blown out by Florida in their opener?
- Will Jameis Winston make it through 2019 as Tampa Bay’s starting QB?
- Will the Dolphins tank in 2019 to draft Tua or Jake Fromm?
- Will the Jacksonville defense play up to 2017 standards in 2019?
- Is Nick Foles the missing piece of the puzzle in Jacksonville?
- If the Jags struggle does Doug Marrone get fired by mid-season?
- Can the Jags beat New England, Kansas City, or even Tennessee when it matters?
- Can South Carolina navigate a brutal schedule to play in a bowl in 2019?
- Will the Gamecocks be patient and let Muschamp build the program?
- Is Trevor Lawrence the most prized QB prospect since Peyton Manning?
- Will Clemson take a step back on defense in 2019?
- Should we go ahead and pencil Clemson in the college football playoff now for 2019?
- How is Cam Newton’s shoulder?
- Can the Panthers make a run in the NFC South?
- Will the Brunswick High Pirates make the state football playoffs in 2019?
- Will the QB position be more productive for Sean Pender in 2019?
- Will the BHS Pirates be much improved on defense?
- Will Glynn Academy win a fifth straight region football championship in 2019?
- Will Glynn make another state title run in 2019?
- Will Glynn beat Camden County at home this fall?
- Will UGA win the SEC in 2019?
- Who will step up at Wide Receiver at UGA this fall?
- Will Georgia be able to pressure the passer better in 2019?
- Will the UGA/Notre Dame game atmosphere be the most electric ever in Athens?
- Will UGA win a National Title in the next 3 years?
- Will Jake Fromm return for his senior season in 2020?
- When will UGA fans stop talking about 1980?
Some things to ponder Southern sports fans.
