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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.
The Top 5 From The Peach State
By: JJ Lanier
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Recently, the rural North Carolina town where I currently reside dedicated a plaque outside of its city hall to UNC head basketball coach, Roy Williams.
Now, Williams did not grow up in the town or attend the local high school. Truth be told, he has no affiliation with county at all, except for the fact he was born here.
As sports fans, you and I always take pride in seeing an athlete that attended the school we went to, or root for, be successful; now it appears that same pride extends to city/town of birth.
There has been a plethora of great athletes born in the state of Georgia, and while I’m sure I’m missing someone you believe deserves to be on this list (and you might be right) for a variety of reasons, these are my top five:
5.Terry “Hulk” Hogan (b. Augusta). Anyone who complains that wrestling is fake and therefore not a real sport, should have their fandom pass revoked.
Just because the first statement has some merit doesn’t mean the latter does, too. The athletic ability Hogan showed in the wrestling ring, particularly for his size, and the longevity he was able to sustain is enough to earn the respect of any informed sports fan.
Throw in the fact you could argue his popularity is the main cause behind wrestling’s three decades of success and that’s why he’s on this list.
I haven’t watched wrestling since the Rock asked me to smell what he was cooking, but I would start tonight if Hogan was back in the ring.
4.Wyomia Tyus (b. Griffin). I admit I had no idea who Wyomia Tyus was and to my own embarrassment, I still don’t know as much as I probably should.
What I do know is she was a three-time Olympic Gold Medalist (2- 100m. dash, 1- 4x100m relay) and was the first Olympian ever to win back-to-back gold medals in the same event. That alone is more than enough justification to have her on this list.
3.Herschel Walker (b. Wrightsville). Name me an athlete that is the definition of “Georgia Athlete” more than Walker. The man is such an icon I truly am surprised there isn’t some sort of state legislature stating every male born in Georgia is required to have “Herschel” or “Walker” somewhere in their birth name.
2.Ty Cobb (b. Narrows). If you’re going to be ahead of Herschel Walker on this list you’d better be damn good and since Cobb is considered one of the greatest baseball players ever, that fits the bill.
Obviously, I wasn’t around to watch him to play, but the man’s name appears more times in the record books than Donald Trump’s does on his own buildings.
Before I get to number one, let me say there are a number of other athletes (Bobby Jones, Walt Frazier, Fran Tarkenton) that could just have easily ended up in top five; most probably would have had they been born in other states. However, none deserve to be above this next person.
1.Jackie Robinson (b. Cairo). There probably isn’t a sports figure, outside of Muhammad Ali, that would top Jackie Robinson on any list like this, no matter where he was born. I’m not sure there’s anything else I can say that hasn’t already been said by people much more articulate, so I won’t.
If we’re celebrating birthplaces, it’ll be harder to find a better collection than in Georgia.
The Super Mario Of The SEC
By: JJ Lanier
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
When I was a kid, I remember I wanted to attend the college that had the best overall athletic program when it came to the three major sports- football, basketball, and baseball.
This way, no matter the season I would always be rooting for a winning team, not understanding at age 7 how those things fluctuate from year to year. (I actually asked my Dad, who told me Oklahoma at the time, and so for a brief period I was a Sooners fan. Don’t worry, it didn’t last long.)
Keeping that in mind I thought I’d take a look and see which SEC school had the most successful athletic season in those three sports- men’s and women’s, when applicable.
The most objective thing to do would be to assign a point system revolving around standings, post season appearances, and championships.
But, I would end up spending 80% of this article explaining the criteria and who wants to read that. Plus, it’s a lot more fun to just randomly pick a school and then argue it’s merit, right?
After much deliberation, (the amount of time it takes to drink a cup of coffee while listening to Side A of Aerosmith’s “Get A Grip”) I decided it was between three programs: Georgia, Kentucky, and LSU.
Georgia: If you take away the men’s basketball season then Georgia wins this by a landslide. Top 2 conference finishes in both football and baseball, as well as finishing in the upper half of the conference standings in both women’s basketball and softball.
Unfortunately, much to the dismay of some SEC fans, the next to last finish the men’s basketball team suffered this season does count. It’s hard to be the outright winner when you have a year like that in a major sport, even if you have the best finish of the three in the most popular one.
Kentucky: The Wildcats finished in the Top 4 in football, men’s and women’s basketball, and softball; a claim no other program in the SEC can come close to. Come to think, maybe they would win in a landslide??
Oh, that’s right, Kentucky’s baseball team was so abysmal this year the only logical conclusion is Drake owns at least three of their baseball jerseys. If I’m going to hold Georgia’s basketball season against them, I guess I’ve got to do the same with Kentucky’s baseball.
LSU: As for the Tigers, their best and worst finishes came within the same sport- first place finish for the men’s team, ninth place for the women’s. Everything else fell in between.
LSU is kind of like that band with one great hit and a bunch of decent songs nobody really remembers; the “Candlebox of the SEC” if you will.
Out of all three programs though, LSU is the only one to have a team to win a regular season conference title (neither of the three programs had a conference tournament champion among them), so there’s that.
When all is said and done there is really only one thing you need to take away from this article- If my son were to ask me the same question I asked my father over 30 years ago I’m not sure I could tell him which school he should go to, but I could tell him which one not to go to; Vanderbilt. I think we’re all in agreement that outside of their baseball team, they should just go ahead and shut the rest of them down.
The Constant
By: JJ Lanier
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
“…And that’s why you the play game” is a phrase we’ve all heard trickle out of an announcer’s mouth on more than one occasion.
While it normally pertains to a team winning a game they weren’t supposed to win, you could argue it’s just as appropriate when referencing a certain player’s careers. To me, Jake Fromm’s time at Georgia, and his probable future in the NFL, falls under that category.
From the time Fromm stepped foot on the Athens campus it feels as though he’s been the underdog; having to prove himself time and time again.
First there was Jacob Eason, the highly touted incumbent quarterback. Granted, Fromm didn’t win the starting quarterback job his freshman season and was only given the reigns when Eason went down with an injury. But he never relinquished those reigns once he got them forcing the former #1 rated quarterback to transfer.
Then, there was Justin Fields. Again, another quarterback rated higher than Fromm, whom most expected to see as the starting quarterback by the end of the season, if not earlier.
Yet again, Fromm played well enough to make sure there wasn’t even a discussion of who the starting QB should be entering the 2019 season, and following in Eason’s footsteps, Fields was gone.
Three 5-star quarterbacks in three years, with the lowest ranked of the three being the last one left standing.
That’s not to say Fromm will be a better NFL quarterback than those two, or that he is the better of the three, but to have outlasted the other two says a lot about his play and leadership on the field, and I think quite a lot about his mindset of it.
As fans, we like to complain when someone transfers to another program, or just signs with another team to begin with, because there’s a better chance that player may get playing time with another team. I mean really, we yell “lack of heart” or “is afraid of competition” more often than roses are given out on the Bachelor/Bachelorette.
So, if we’re going to complain about someone trying to improve their chances at a professional career- as if we wouldn’t be doing the exact same thing- then we should praise Fromm for attacking his college career in the way we want our athletes to.
Instead of searching for playing time and signing elsewhere his freshman year, he decided to attend to the university he’s always wanted to go to, even though that meant likely sitting behind Eason; injuries excluded, obviously.
Then, after being recruited over with Fields, he didn’t cry about on social media or make any kind of inflammatory remarks about the situation. All he did was show up, work hard, and proved he belonged.
I have nothing against a player making a move that suits him or her best, especially since coaches change jobs like Game of Thrones changed character arcs. I have a lot of respect though for someone who decides to take the road less traveled.
I know what I’m saying is nothing new, or anything you haven’t probably thought of, but every now and again sometimes we need to be reminded of the obvious.
If you’re a Georgia fan, enjoy this upcoming season because in less than a year from now Fromm will likely hear another phrase we’re all used to- “And with the (insert number) pick of the 2020 draft…..”
The Burning Questions
By: Kipp Branch
GeorgiaSportsEdition.com news services
40 sports questions that need answers in our surrounding area:
Is the window really closing on the Georgia Bulldogs national title hopes or is it just media hype to stir up the Dawg nation?
Will Jake Fromm lead UGA to a National Title?
Will Zamir White return to five star form in 2019?
Will Kirby Smart pass Vince Dooley in career wins at UGA?
Will Georgia Tech be a factor in the ACC now that the Jackets have ditched that high school offense?
Will Georgia Tech focus on the Atlanta metro area and state of Georgia and be a factor in recruiting?
How long will Geoff Collins survive at Georgia Tech?
Will Alabama start to decline under Nick Saban?
Will Gus Malzahn get fired during or after the 2019 season?
Is Dabo Swinney now the best coach in college football?
Is the heat about to get turned up on Will Muschamp at South Carolina?
Will the Atlanta Hawks ever graduate from the NBA Draft Lottery?
Will the Atlanta Falcons ever get back to Super Bowl form?
Is Matty Ice still a top five QB in the NFL?
Has Julio Jones peaked or will he continue to put up huge numbers?
When will the Falcons be feared on defense again?
Will the Jacksonville Jaguars bring in Joe Flacco and draft Drew Lock in the 2019 draft and fix their QB woes?
Will the Brunswick High boys’ basketball team make another deep run in the state playoffs?
Will the Brunswick High Pirates bounce back and be a factor in the region football race this fall?
Will the Brunswick High baseball squad win the region title in 2019?
Will the Frederica Knights have a solid title defense in football in 2019?
Will the Baseball Knights get back to the state finals in baseball this year?
Will Glynn Academy win its fifth region title in a row in football in 2019?
Will the Terrors beat BHS in football for a sixth straight time in 2019?
Will the Terror soccer teams bring home a state championship this year?
Will the Lady Terror basketball squad make a region title run in 2019?
Is Rocky Hidalgo the greatest football coach in GA history?
Is Darius Slay the best football player ever to play in Glynn County?
Will the Miami Hurricanes ever give Dee Jay Dallas a shot at playing QB?
Will Randon Jernigan lead the SEC in stolen bases before his UGA career is complete?
Who was the better football team the 1964 Glynn Academy Red Terrors, 1999 Brunswick High Pirates, or 2018 Frederica Academy Knights?
Will the Atlanta Braves trade for a front line starter before the start of spring training?
Will Julio Tehran be the opening day starter again for the Braves?
Is Ronald Acuna Jr. a future NL MVP?
Will the Braves win a World Series before Freddie Freeman retires?
Who will play right field for the Braves in 2019?
Will Josh Donaldson play an entire season without going on the DL for Atlanta?
Will the Braves win the NL East in 2019?
Who is the greatest athlete to ever come out of the state of Georgia?
Who is the most followed sports team in the entire state of Georgia?
Have I given you enough to think about yet?
Non-Sports Day
By: Mike Anthony
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
It probably won’t come as much of a surprise to people that my radio is always on. For as long as I can remember, sports have always been my biggest interest. While baseball and college football are my favorites, I can get wrapped up in just about anything.
A few weeks ago, in the waning hours of a program where the hosts were trying to fill out their last segment of the show, the topic of the ‘sports calendar’ was brought up.
Obviously, there is no right answer to the question. Plenty of sports jump the normal calendar from December into January and there is enough of a following in each sport to keep one from being the league that opens or closes a ‘sports year’.
But I’d like to nominate today – July 18, 2018 – as the official unofficial singular day of the sports offseason.
This being the day after the MLB All-Star game, we’ve arrived at one of only two days each year in which none of the United States’ major professional leagues host games.
And that’s what makes today perfect for ending one year of sports and starting another
In this way, we’ll have wrapped up the last sports season with tennis’ most popular major at Wimbledon and the most watched all-star game of all major sports. We can all take inventory today and begin again tomorrow with the start of the British Open.
Using this timetable, the next ‘year’ should be an exciting one for sports fans in Georgia.
When MLB play resumes, the Braves will pick back up just half a game out of first place.
Atlanta is now popping up in many trade rumors as they look to add a piece that can put them over the top and each passing day is reaffirming that the success of the young roster is no fluke.
One of the newest sports on the scene in the Peach State is also turning some heads as the sports year begins.
Soccer is still trying to gain a strong foothold in the hierarchy of American sports, but it always gets a boost after the World Cup and those who give Atlanta United a chance will be pleasantly surprised.
The second-year franchise had a solid expansion season and has kept up the momentum in year two as United currently leads the Eastern Conference.
As fall arrives, the biggest fun starts as football returns.
On the pro side of things, the Falcons again figure to be a playoff team and will get a good barometer check from the get-go as they visit defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia in the first NFL game of the season.
Down in the college ranks, UGA fans might still be having nightmares of a national title game that got away but the Bulldogs have every reason to believe they can contend for a national title once again.
Football undoubtedly carries the bulk of the weight in this unique calendar and takes us into the early days of February. Georgia fans will face a lull for a month or two as Atlanta has no NHL team and the Hawks are only an NBA team by the most charitable of definitions.
But Georgia Tech, UGA and Georgia Southern all have solid baseball teams that will be in full swing by March and April brings The Masters, easily the most prestigious golf tournament in the world, to Georgia.
The end of the Masters coincides with the beginning of the MLB season, taking us into the dog days of summer where the head and grind call for this solitary day of rest.
Now enjoy your one day of sports offseason and get to bed early. The first groups at the British Open tee off at 1:35 a.m. Eastern time.
Home Grown
By: JJ Lanier
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
When my wife and I moved to Glynn County back in 2003 we didn’t know much about the area at all.
Over the three years we spent in the “Marshes of Glynn” we learned all about Willie’s Wee-Nee Wagon and 25 cent oysters during Happy Hour over on St. Simon’s.
We also became very aware of the importance and pride among all the high school athletic programs; a knowledge, along with an immense amount of respect, that has only grown over the years.
Most counties the size of Glynn are lucky if they have one or two athletes that make it to the professional level.
As comparison, the county in I live in now has roughly half the population and the biggest athlete they’ve produced has been St. Louis Cardinals reliever, Greg Holland. Granted, being the hometown of a three time All-Star certainly isn’t anything to scoff at, but it pales in comparison to Glynn County.
The first athlete I was aware of was Davis Love III. I couldn’t go anywhere without hearing someone talk about him; he was like the human embodiment of Starbucks.
Next, was Kwame Brown. Now obviously, I knew of Brown beforehand, but I didn’t realize he was from Brunswick until moving. I know his career didn’t wind up exactly like the locals wanted it to but being the number one overall draft pick is impressive, nonetheless.
Now, most communities have their own version of the “white whale”. And by that, I mean there’s always an athlete that is just mediocre, but over time the stories have taken on a life of their own, to point where he or she is the greatest athlete to have ever been born.
During our time in Brunswick, Adam Wainwright was that guy. I heard stories of what a tremendous pitcher he was and that he was destined to be an All-Star; all stories that I believed to be told in an attempt to hype up a local legend.
It’s rare that someone can live up to the reputation, but Wainwright has done that and more. Being a 2-time World Series Champion, to go along with 3 All-Star appearances, has a way of showing people the light.
If that list of players isn’t impressive enough, I did a double take, Bugs Bunny style, while watching the Women’s World Cup a few years ago. As I’m watching I swear I hear that one of the women is from St. Simon’s.
So naturally. I hop online and take a look. Of course, that player was Morgan Brian. For my money what Brian has accomplished is the most impressive, when you consider she is playing for our country in the World Cup.
You’ll notice I haven’t even mentioned a player like Darius Slay Jr., someone whom if he came from 95 percent of the towns across the country would have a key to the city and his own holiday.
Unfortunately, for him he’s up against a #1 draft pick, an All-Star, and a World Cup participant. Oh, and the human version of Subway (seriously, I couldn’t go anywhere without Love’s name being brought up).
The point is, there are a lot of things to like about Glynn County and a lot the residents of that area should take pride in.
Sure, it’s not nearly as big as Atlanta, Miami, or those other big cities, but when it comes to big time athletes, they take a back seat to no one.
