Arms Race
By: TJ Hartnett
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
For most of 2019 the Atlanta Braves’ bullpen has shouldered most of the criticism for the team.
Braves Country has clamored for relief help for months, decrying that Craig Kimbrel signed elsewhere when the Braves really needed him.
Despite the fact that the Braves have had one of the top bullpens in the National League since June 1st, the idea that the relief corps is struggling has continued, but that notion is starting to shift.
Max Fried hit the 10-day IL with an injury last week and it started off a chain reaction that has exposed the Braves’ actual need: depth of starting pitching.
With prospects coming out of their ears, this might sound crazy, but guys the Braves were counting on to be reliable this season – namely Mike Foltynewicz, Kevin Gausman, and to a lesser extent Sean Newcomb – have been anything but.
Even with the injuries and poor showings by those three, the Braves have roared to the top of the NL East behind a stellar season from Mike Soroka, consistently good outings by Max Fried, a return to form by Julio Teheran, and the recent addition of Dallas Keuchel.
But after Fried went down, the Braves starting plugging holes with pieces that haven’t been up to snuff.
Bryce Wilson and Kyle Wright are talented pitchers and may very well still be huge parts of Atlanta’s future, but they haven’t been able to perform at the level that a first-place team needs them to. Certainly not Wright, who couldn’t make it out of the 3rd inning in his start against the Washington Nationals on Thursday.
And that’s the biggest sign that the Braves don’t have the depth they need in the rotation: Going into a four-game series against the team directly under them in the standings (and a scorching hot team to boot), the Braves pitched an unproven rookie in the first game and turned to Gausman and his 6.21 ERA to prevent a second straight series loss in game four (that previous series loss, to the Brewers, came ominously after Fried hit the IL and was Atlanta’s first series loss since the first week in June).
The Braves have just about a week and a half before the trade deadline (remember: starting this year, July 31st is the ONLY trade deadline). Gausman and Folty might turn things around, but Alex Anthopoulos can’t bet the whole season on that.
Atlanta needs to start wheeling and dealing for rotation help or – even if they manage to hold on to their NL East lead – they’ll get eaten alive in the playoffs, again, probably by the Dodgers, again.
Marcus Stroman, Zack Greinke, Trevor Bauer, Zach Wheeler, Madison Bumgarner; these are all potentially available pitchers that could make a difference in Atlanta’s fortunes.
They don’t need to go out and try to pick up the most dominant ace in the history of the game, but they need reliability on the mound every turn through.
It’s always stress-inducing to give up prospects. No one wants to overpay, but the price for the kind of pitcher the Braves need to succeed in the postseason is going to be steep.
That’s okay. The time of considering the future is in the past. The Braves have a chance to win in the here and now, but only if they act.
The comfortable lead the Braves carved out for themselves is getting less comfortable, especially over the weekend during their series against Washington.
Atlanta needs to arm itself (pun very much intended) in order to keep some distance between themselves and the Nationals (and Phillies, who are still playing above .500 with a dangerous lineup).
Back To Back?
By: Kipp Branch
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Let me go on record and say I have always respected Frederica Academy Head Football coach Brandon Derrick for his coaching abilities, but I have a new found respect for the man because he is an educator of young people to prepare them for life.
The man teaches 5 classes a day and I’m not talking PE classes, I’m talking college prep World History and Government courses on top of his role as head football coach.
The man’s plate is full and he has a passion for developing young people which is evident when you talk to him.
As for the 2019 football season the defending state champs have some big shoes to fill with departures.
But the coach says “I feel pretty good about the experience we have returning this fall. We played a lot of kids last year and we’ll be solid on the lines of scrimmage, running back and linebacker. We have Denver Anthony, Deke Jernigan, who are really good players coming back and we just need to stay consistent because we know what it takes to win and that is an intangible that mentally we have over other programs”.
Schedule/My Predictions:
08/23 at Charlton County: The Knights let the Indians off the hook on St. Simons last fall. Charlton has a new head coach. I have said all off season that I didn’t think Frederica would go down to Folkston and win. I have changed my mind Frederica beats Charlton 21-20 to go 1-0 on the season.
08/30 at Valwood: Frederica continues the brutal road slate with a trip to Valdosta to play a loaded Valwood team that has stocked the roster with Valdosta and Lowndes players that entered the transfer portal.
I think you get my drift here. This will be a tall task for the Knights and they fall early in the season 34-22 to Valwood to go 1-1 on the season. These teams will probably meet up again in the GISA State Playoffs.
09/06 vs Tiftarea Academy: The Panthers, a final four team in 2018, roll into St. Simons probably ranked in the top 5 in State.
The opening three games are brutal for the Knights. Frederica wins their home opener 28-24 to end this brutal opening stretch 2-1.
09/13 at Bethlehem Christian Academy: The Knights hung 62 on Bethlehem last season and will hang 50 on them in 2019. Knights 52-12 to go to 3-1 on the season.
09/20 vs Augusta Prep Day: Frederica dominates Augusta Prep 49-7 to go to 4-1 on the season.
10/04 vs Pinewood Christian: Will Pinewood be much improved in 2019? Maybe, but not that much improved. Frederica rolls 35-20 to go to 5-1 on the season.
10/11 at Westfield: This trip to Perry worries me for the Knights. Westfield is said to be improved in 2019. Westfield was a playoff team last season. Knights pull out a win late 24-21 to go to 6-1 on the season and 2-0 in the region.
10/18 at Trinity Christian: Trap game in Dublin for the Knights. The Crusaders went 7-5 in 2018. Frederica can’t get caught looking ahead to JMA and Bulloch. Frederica struggles, but wins an ugly 14-7 to go to 7-1 and set up a region title showdown with Bulloch Academy in two weeks.
11/01 at John Milledge Academy: Knights travel for the third straight week to Milledgeville to play the team many are picking to win the State Title in 2019.
The Knights blew out John Milledge for the title in 2018. JMA handles the Knights 28-21. Frederica drops to 7-2 on the season.
11/08 vs Bulloch Academy: Rivalry game. An angry set of Knights coming off a tough loss rebound and handle Bulloch Academy easy 31-10.
Not much love between Frederica and Bulloch Academy. Frederica wins another region championship and finishes 8-2 on the season.
Opposing Team view on Frederica: “I thought the Anthony kid was the best player on the field when we played them last year. They flat out put one on us, and we have them circled this year.
Brandon has done a fantastic job there, but I wonder about their feeder system and how long they can keep that thing going over there.
They won a State Championship last year and you have to think they will take a step back this year. That road schedule is brutal.
They will be battle tested and will be a tough out in the playoffs because of the winning culture they have there. This is one of the better GISA programs in the state. They have tremendous financial support there.”
Barring key injuries this team can make another deep playoff run.
Return To Glory In 2019?
By: Mike Anthony
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
For a program with one of the most storied traditions in all of Georgia high school football, the last handful of seasons have been some to forget for Statesboro High.
From 1999-2013, the Blue Devils posted a winning mark every year, while racking up six region titles and two of the school’s five state championships. That all came to a drastic halt in 2014, as the team posted consecutive 2-8 seasons before bottoming out during a winless 2016.
Jeff Kaiser took the reins of the program in 2017 and has been slow but steady in the rebuilding project. Last season marked a big milestone for the Devils as – despite a 4-6 record in the regular season – they were able to clinch a spot in the state playoffs for the first time since 2013.
But for a program with awards and banners dominating most of the school’s trophy case, simply being competitive again isn’t good enough. And the 2019 Blue Devils know that there is much more work to be done.
While Statesboro has moved away from its former identity of a wishbone offense that runs 95 percent of the time and tries to overpower each opponent, the ability to move the ball on the ground is still central to the team’s success.
After years of battling turnover and inexperience in the backfield, Statesboro has plenty to feel confident about in its running game this season. Jaylon Roberson emerged as a star running back two seasons ago, but was pressed into emergency quarterback duty for the final half of the season. He resumed his stellar rushing career last year and will be featured heavily in his senior season.
Roberson was the only runner locked into a starting role at the beginning of 2018, but will be joined this season by fellow seniors Devardrion Lipsey and Corey McCullough.
It was Lipsey’s ability to find the corner and McCullough’s bruising inside running that created a more balanced – and more dangerous – SHS rushing attack by the end of 2018.
Calling the shots under center for a second straight year will be Drake Horton, although the senior quarterback will be without his top two wide receivers from last season.
The SHS defense carried the team early on in 2018, but a tough schedule and mounting injuries kept it from being as effective in the second half of the season.
The Devils return the teeth of what was a very good defensive secondary last season. Graduation claimed some of the front seven, but senior defensive linemen Dake Williams and Xavier Lee figure to hold up the front while experience is gained through the rest of the defensive depth chart.
Statesboro once again finds itself in a five-team region, meaning that the last month will consist of all of its region games for an all-out sprint to state playoff eligibility.
Wayne and Ware County once again figure to be the powers in the region, with Statesboro looking to repeat last year’s victories over South Effingham and New Hampstead for a repeat trip to the postseason.
No Time To Be Blue
By: Kenneth Harrison Jr.
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Marietta High School is not a traditional football powerhouse. They have one state championship and that is from 1967. Recently they have been in the news for the wrong reasons.
The Blue Devils had a great year in 2017, finishing the regular season 8-2. They were forced to forfeit all of their eight wins after an investigation by the Georgia High School Association determined two of the players were ineligible.
The program also got a $1,500 fine and was placed on “severe warning status” for the 2018 season.
Marietta began the 2018 season ranked in the top 25 nationally of multiple national polls and No. 1 in Georgia’s Class AAAAAAA.
Marietta’s star quarterback and wide receiver were lost to injury late in the season, and two other Division I recruits never took the field, declared ineligible by the GHSA in preseason.
Marietta finished 5-6 and unranked.
“Our season ended in a disappointing way,” Marietta coach Richard Morgan said. “But the way they came back to work, instead of sulking, showed me we’ve got a shot to be really good. Based on the work ethic I’ve seen in the off season and the commitment and dedication; I’ve got real high expectations for this team.”
On paper, this is the most talented team in the state. The 2019 Blue Devils have nine seniors ranked among the top 100 prospects in Georgia. No other Georgia school in the highest classification has more than four.
Tight end Arik Gilbert, who had 88 catches for 1,210 yards and 14 touchdowns last season, is a five-star recruit.
Quarterback Harrison Bailey, defensive end/tackle B.J. Ojulari, tackle Jake Wray and defensive back Rashad Torrence are consensus four-star prospects.
Running back Kimani Vidal, defensive back Dawson Ellington and wide receivers Taji Johnson and Kobi Stewart all have offers from ACC and SEC schools.
How confident are they? On the school’s website they have all playoff dates including the state championship listed on their schedule.
The Blue Devils start the season August 22 on the road at Rome. The Wolves had their 40-game win streak snapped in the 5A semifinals. They are a good team but I expect a talented 7A team like Marietta to win.
St. Joseph’s (PA) comes to town the next week. I don’t know anything about them but I give the edge to Marietta.
The next two weeks are on the road against Gwinnett County teams. They play Collins Hill and Grayson.
Collins Hill struggled last season so this should be an easy win. Grayson on the other hand will be a tough game. The Rams advanced to the state quarterfinals in 2018. Their head coach resigned at the end of the season so having a new coach might put them at a disadvantage.
After a bye week, the last non-region game is against Edgewater (FL). The Eagles were 12-2 last year and advanced to the Class 7A state semifinal. This game could go either way.
The first region game is at North Paulding and this is an easy win.
That is followed by a rivalry game versus McEachern. The Indians are always one of the best teams in Cobb County and anything can happen when rivals play. This is too close to call.
The toughest remaining game is against last season’s region 3-AAAAAAA champion, Hillgrove. The Hawks are playing on the road and Marietta wants revenge. They lost in 2018 48-24. The Blue Devils will get revenge.
Marietta has so much talent that I expect them to advance to the state championship at the very least.
Florida Baseball In October?
By: TJ Hartnett
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Baseball is a strange and wonderful game. Sometimes incredible things happen; like the Angels throwing a combined no-hitter on the night they honor their fallen teammate Tyler Skaggs. Skaggs passed away a couple of weeks ago.
Sometimes bizarre things happen, like an attack swarm of midges derailing the Yankees’ playoff hopes in Cleveland in 2007.
Sometimes things are both expected and unexpected – like the Tampa Bay Rays finishing the first half of 2019 in 2nd place in the AL East, 6 ½ games behind the New York Yankees and 2 games above the mighty Boston Red Sox.
This is unexpected because the Rays are always overlooked and consistently underfunded. People always seem to forget about Tampa Bay, with their lack of superstars and roster that seems made up of cast offs.
People also always forget that over the past decade or so, the Rays have been pretty good. They’ve been to the playoffs four times since 2008, and made a real run of it just last year and yet I don’t think many expected them to be in this position after the All-Star Break.
But here they are. At one point in May (that’s the second month of the season, mind you) Tampa Bay had the best record in all of baseball.
The Yankees heated up at the opportune time (when the Rays cooled down) and even with two and half months left in the season the Bronx Bombers seem uncatchable, but going into Saturday’s games Tampa is on top of the Wild Card heap by a game over Cleveland and Oakland. If they keep on as they have been, there will be playoff games in Florida for the first time since 2013.
A lot of the winning ways have come from Tampa’s starters, namely Charlie Morton, who brought some Houston Astros winning mojo with him when he signed during the offseason.
He’s leading the American League in ERA with a 2.32 mark and is in the top 5 in strikeouts with 142 whiffs. Assuming more of the same in the 2nd half, the Rays can count on wins every time Morton takes the mound for them.
The offense isn’t leading the pack in the way that Morton is, but they have been consistently average throughout the season so far.
They are a bit of an outlier in 2019, as they are a contending team that doesn’t hit the ball over the fence. The Rays have only 114 runs, outside of the top 10 in the AL.
However, while that’s abnormal for a good team in today’s game, it’s also kind of normal for Tampa Bay to be abnormal. They’ve always found creative ways to win, dating back to when Joe Maddon was at the helm of the team.
Looking ahead, there is a lot for the Rays to look forward to and take advantage of. Specifically, the number of games against the teams looking up at them from below in the AL East.
Tampa plays the Orioles and the Toronto Blue Jays a combined 23 times over their last 70 games. These are bad teams and should be easy wins for the Rays.
Which isn’t to say there aren’t challenges. The Rays have a west coast trip ahead, including a showdown with the Los Angeles Dodgers, far and away the scariest team in the National League.
There’s also the unfortunate scheduling happenstance that the Rays only play the Yankees six more times before the season ends (again, it’s unlikely that they’ll be making up those 6 ½ games).
That being said, if the Rays can stay the course (or even add a little something before the July 31st trade deadline) they should be in a good position to claim a Wild Card spot come this October.
Glynn Set To Terrorize 2019
By: Kipp Branch
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
When I sat down with Glynn head coach Rocky Hidalgo a few weeks ago he said the following: “The 2019 edition of Red Terror football will be exciting. Who plays a tougher non-region schedule than us? We are going to be a good football team”.
That about sums it up for the Glynn Academy faithful. This team is solid across the board and the clear favorite in Region 2-AAAAAA this fall. The Wayne, Ware, and Camden games will have this team peaking by region play in October.
My Regular Season Prediction: 9-1
Game by Game Predictions:
8/23 @ Fort Dorchester SC: The Red Terrors travel to the Charleston area and play a seasoned South Carolina playoff team. Fort Dorchester beat GA on the field in 2018 but had to forfeit the win later.
Glynn sets the tone early in this one with the power run game and wins a tough one on the road 31-21.
8/30 vs Washington: GA blows out this team 49-7, and everyone in the program plays in the contest. Glynn goes to 2-0 on the season.
9/6 @ Groves: Glynn could beat Groves 80-0 if they wanted to do so. Coach Rock calls off the Terrors midway through the second quarter as GA hammers Groves 56-6. The Red Terrors go to 3-0 on the season.
9/20 vs Wayne County: The Jackets beat Glynn in Jaycee Stadium last year, but the 35-mile trip to Glynn County Stadium won’t be kind to the Jackets in 2019.
The Red Terrors physically whip Wayne and win a 28-14 ball game to go to 4-0 on the season. By this point Glynn should be ranked in the top 3-4 teams statewide in 6A.
9/27 vs Ware County: This will be a huge one between the bricks. Quote me later on this “no first-year coach is coming to Brunswick and beating Rocky Hidalgo and Glynn”. Glynn beats the Gators 24-17 to go to 5-0 on the season.
10/4 vs Camden: Camden is going to be really good in 2019. I think the 7A Cats with more depth than Glynn win a tough 24-21 contest on the road. Glynn drops to 5-1 on the season.
10/18 @ Richmond Hill: The Wildcats should be good on defense but can they contain Glynn enough and score enough points to win?
The answer is no, as Glynn goes to 6-1 with a 30-14 win over Richmond Hill.
10/25 vs Brunswick: Glynn owns the town and series at the moment. Brunswick will be improved but not enough.
The Red Terrors win the sixth straight game in the series 27-20 to go to 7-1 on the season.
11/1 @ Effingham: Effingham can’t match Glynn on the line of scrimmage and GA rolls into Springfield and clinches a fifth straight region title 35-10.
The Red Terrors go to 8-1 on the season.
11/8 vs. Bradwell: The Terrors roll over the Tigers 42-7, and enter the state playoffs as a number one seed from region two at 9-1 on the season.
Opposing Coach View on Glynn: “Rocky has built a solid program from the inside out down there. They are always going to be solid on defense, and how far they go depends on how far the QB position takes them.”
They have a good chance to make a run this year and when I say run, I mean final 4 or championship game. They play a great schedule that gets them peaking come region and playoff time.
Camden should be getting close to being the Camden we all know again so watch that game to get a gauge on where Glynn is.
Outside of Benedictine this has been the best program in Southeast Georgia for past 4-5 seasons. They have tough kids who have bought into what they are teaching down there. This is a good high school football program. They have been close a couple of times there.
That 2015 team was better than the team they lost to in the dome, and that 2017 team was peaking and the wheels fell off late at Lee County. This 2019 team has the potential to be better that both.”
Look for Glynn to make a deep playoff run in 2019.
Gators Look To Chomp on 2019
By: Mike Anthony
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The 2018 season was the best in recent memory for the Gators of Bulloch Academy.
An 8-2 record and a second-place finish in region action was solid in its own right, but the Gators took things a step farther in winning their first state playoff game since 2009.
In fact, Bulloch Academy could have gone even farther if not for how its schedule played out. The Gators lost a non-region contest to John Milledge Academy and missed out on a region title when they dropped a close one against Frederica.
Those turned out to be possibly the only teams that could handle Bulloch last season as the Gators made it to the quarterfinals before being eliminated by John Milledge, which advanced to the state championship game before falling to Frederica.
All of that came in the first season with Pat Collins running the ship for BA. Collins has been the school’s athletic director for two seasons, but stepped into the football head coaching role – a title he has previously held at Portal, Screven County and Southeast Bulloch – during the spring of 2018.
He has seen success wherever he’s gone and while he usually inherits a rebuilding squad, he now has the task of continuing to build on an impressive debut.
“We’ve definitely got our work cut out for us,” Collins said. “We lost 12 seniors, a three-year starting quarterback and 98 percent of our offensive yards from last year. That’s a lot to replace, but we’ve got eight rising seniors who are stepping up and I think we can be a good team again this season.”
Fischer Oglesby is the heir to the quarterback spot vacated by Don Aaron. And while Collins admits that nothing can replace Aaron’s experience, Oglesby has more size and speed that will fit well in the Gators’ offense that showcases plenty of option, with the ability to take long shots down the field.
While the offense settles into an entirely new backfield, it will be the defense that Bulloch relies on early in the season.
Eight starters return, giving Collins hope that his thoughts on the gravity of experience translate into a shutdown defensive unit.
Perhaps the biggest edge Bulloch can take into 2019 is its depth. Not only did plenty of underclassmen get quality playing time last season – including a JV squad that went undefeated in its abbreviated schedule – but the numbers continue to creep up on the roster in general.
The Gators figure to have at least 40 – and possibly 45 – players in uniform to open the season. That’s up from the normal roster of 30-ish Gators from just a few years ago and will allow the team to avoid too many instances of two-way players that can become an issue late in the season as fatigue mounts.
Bulloch will once again kick off its season against arch-rival Pinewood as part of the Erk Russell Classic at Paulson Stadium on the campus of Georgia Southern University.
The Gators will face familiar non-region foes – including Westfield and a rematch with John Milledge – early in the season before playing the entirety of its Region 2-AAA schedule over the final four weeks of the regular season.
Wolves On The Hunt
By: Kenneth Harrison Jr.
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Buford High School has been a powerhouse for quite some time.
The Wolves won their first state title in 1978. Then starting in 2001, they won 10 state championships with the last one in 2014. They advanced to the state final 2015 and 2016 and lost close games.
They are trying to get back on track and prove they are the best team in 5A.
John Ford took the top job at Buford in 2017 after coaching Roswell to a 14-1 season and a 23-20 loss to Grayson in the class 7A championship game.
After two seasons, he resigned. He went 21-5 in two years as head coach, taking both teams deep into the state playoffs.
Ford led Buford to last year’s state quarterfinals, where they were upset, 23-20, by Bainbridge. That was the program’s first Elite Eight loss since 2006. That loss ended Buford’s state-record 35-game winning streak in home playoff games.
The Wolves won the Region 8-AAAAA championship and lost in the regular season to Class AAAAAAA semifinalist Archer and to Florida power Deerfield Beach.
They also won the region championship in 2017 and reached the state semifinals with an 11-2 record. That season ended with a rough 45-7 loss to Rome.
Buford promoted defensive coordinator Bryant Appling to head football coach. Appling has been on Buford’s staff the past 15 years through seven state titles and five runner-up finishes. He was an assistant for two seasons at Lithonia before coming to Buford.
The Wolves are ranked No.5 in the state in the 5A preseason poll. They have a lot of talent on the team. Corner back Jalen Huff is the highest ranked recruit on the team. He is the 53rd ranked player in the state and he’s a Georgia Tech commit. Huff is a bigger corner, listed as 6’0.
Center Seth McLaughlin is 6’4, 270 pounds. He’s ranked as the tenth best center in the nation and he committed to Alabama.
Willie ‘T’ Lee is listed as an athlete and he plays wide receiver and cornerback. He is a three-star recruit and an Arizona State commit. Lee is 5’11 so he also has good size for the position.
Running back Elijah Turner is also a three-star recruit.
The season opens August 23rd in the Corky Kell Classic at Coolray Field. They play Milton, the defending 7A state champs. Milton lost a lot of talent from last year’s team so I think this will be a very close game.
The next week is home against Jonesboro and that will be an easy win. Last season Buford beat the Cardinals 58 – 7.
Life Christian Academy from Virginia comes to town after a bye week for Buford. They were 2-6 last season so this will be another easy win.
Newton, another 7A opponent comes to town. Buford beat them 54 – 27 in 2018 and I expect more of the same.
They play a better 7A team September 27th when Archer comes to town. The Tigers beat up on Buford last year, 48 – 24. I think the game should be closer but I expect Archer to win.
They begin region play October 4th and Buford will slaughter these teams. Last season they beat all five region 8 AAAAA opponents and scored 253 points while only giving up 9 points.
I know they’ll make it to the playoffs but can they get over the hump and win another championship? That is the burning question.
The Coach’s Corner
By: JJ Lanier
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
There are a few things I look forward to ever summer: vacations, beautiful weather, and SEC Media Day.
I have no idea why I look forward to Media Day with the enthusiasm of a teenage boy on prom night; maybe it’s because the summer months are fairly slow and it’s something to write about?
Could it be that sometimes they’re actually a tad bit entertaining? Regardless of the reason, with media days approaching here is what you can expect to see or hear from all 14 SEC coaches.
Dan Mullen. Mullen will start things off that Monday morning wearing a 2019 Florida Gators SEC Championship t-shirt, assuming the Gators are favored to win the conference title because he’s going ahead of Nick Saban and Kirby Smart.
Ed Orgeron. Reporters will bring in those interpretation headsets used during U.N. Conferences and still nobody will understand what the hell Orgeron is saying. Still, odds are at least one reporter will try and run through a wall.
Barry Odom. Most of Odom’s time will be spent asking the media to put in a good word with his fellow coaches, just in case he’s looking for a job at this point next year.
Kirby Smart. Smart will bring the transcript of all Nick Saban’s answers from last year’s media day and recite them accordingly. Things will get a bit dicey when he makes a reference to his quarterback, Tua Tagoviaola.
Matt Luke. This session will be one of the shortest of the summer. Luke will merely state “Still not Hugh Freeze”, will receive a standing ovation, then turn and leave.
Jeremy Pruitt. With Phillip Fulmer by his side, all questions will be directed to the Tennessee Athletic Director; nobody loves Phil Fulmer more than Phil Fulmer.
Jimbo Fisher. Fisher will spend most of his time subliminally mentioning Willie Taggert’s name whenever something negative comes up.
Nick Saban. The part of Nick Saban will be played by Bill Belichek. Everyone will be confused as to why “Saban” is talking about the Miami Dolphins and the leap Sam Darnold will make in his 2nd year with Jets. Yet, no one will question his remarks in fear of being yelled at.
Chad Morris. If it wasn’t bad enough Morris was at the helm during Arkansas’ first ever 10 loss season, he gets stuck with this slot at media day. Good news is most of the media will probably be eating lunch, so it may not be too painful.
Joe Moorhead. Moorhead will appear on the podium wearing a “My Name Is Joe Moorhead” sticker. No questions will be asked.
Will Muschamp. The final media day will begin with the South Carolina coach. If a coach nobody really cares about answers questions that don’t matter, does anyone really pay attention?
Gus Malzahn. I’m pretty sure Malzahn will spend his entire time reciting Chris D’Elia’s “Brinks” standup routine, because that’s what I would do if I were being paid $7 million a season with his coaching record.
Mark Stoops. This may be the first year Stoops doesn’t spend most of his time answering questions about Kentucky basketball or what his brother Bob is up to. Who am I kidding, that’s still going to happen.
Derek Mason. As the final session approaches all of the reporters but two will have already left, forgetting that Vanderbilt is still part of the SEC and that Mason has actually done a decent job.
Braves Tomahawk First Half
By: TJ Hartnett
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The Braves will be entering the All-Star Break sitting pretty atop of the heap of the National League East.
That fact, plus a three-All-Star showing in the personages of Ronald Acuna, Jr., Freddie Freeman, and Mike Soroka, should make baseball fans all across Braves country rejoice.
It’s especially sweet given the potential offseason improvements made by the Washington Nationals (adding Patrick Corbin, among other things) and Philadelphia Phillies (adding Bryce Harper, J.T. Realmuto, Andrew McCutchen, and Jean Segura, among other things), both of whom are tied for 2nd place in the East at 6 games back going into Sunday’s contests.
The Mets too, made moves to improve themselves (blockbuster trade for Robinson Cano and Edwin Diaz), and they sit under .500 at 13 games back going into Sunday.
The Braves, for their part, made very few headlines in the offseason other than signing Josh Donaldson to a hefty $23 million contract for a year and he has only really been bringing the rain for the past two weeks or so, offensively.
So, the fact that the Bravos have managed to put a relatively nice cushion between them and the rest of the NL East at the end of the first half is truly an impressive feat, though maybe not an entirely surprising one, as they did win the division last season.
The question is: can they maintain the lead they’ve carved out for themselves during the second half of 2019? And if they can, are they capable of playing deeper into the playoffs than their fairly unimpressive showing against the Los Angeles Dodgers last October?
The answer to the first question is a resounding yes. The Mets are being the Mets and seem to be on the verge of implosion, so let’s table them for the time being.
The Phillies are a talented squad but the Braves have shown that they can handle them, winning the last two series against them and outscoring them 50-25 over those six games.
The Nationals are a bit more of an unknown factor. The Braves have only played them five times so far this season, and have gone 2-3 so far. Granted, they took 2 out of 3 from them in the nation’s capital two weeks ago, so recency bias has the Braves at an advantage for their season exchange going forward.
The Braves have won with a nearly unstoppable offense in 2019. They’ve set a new season record for home runs before the break and tied the franchise record for most players with 15 bombs in the first half – both records set by the 2003 squad (note: if Ozzie Albies knocks one out on Sunday, the new record will be set with six – SIX – players with 15 homers).
The pitching for Atlanta in 2019 has been more inconsistent, which is partially why the answer to the second question is probably a no.
Mike Soroka has earned his All-Star selection, but the Atlanta rotation just hasn’t shown it can get the job done day in and day out. Obviously, the team has been winning, but that doesn’t mean that if the Braves draw the Dodgers in the first round again that they won’t get spanked.
There’s potential here. However, Julio Teheran has found his old self in 2019, though he still has his poor streaks.
Mike Foltynewicz has proved that he can be better than he has been this year, and I feel confident we haven’t seen the best of Dallas Keuchel in an Atlanta uniform yet (he just got started, after all).
But these guys need to find another gear if this second exciting year atop the NL East is going to end differently than the last one.
