Bishop Media Sports Network
Varied Winds
By: JJ Lanier
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Trying to get a community of sports fans to come to a consensus of how the draft went for their favorite team is like asking coffee connoisseurs what their favorite brand is- everyone has an opinion and almost no two will be alike.
Even if you find a majority that agrees, it’s mostly determined on the first few rounds only; outside of an NFL scout, who has time to read up on every available player.
So, instead of grading the Falcons picks here are few observations that came to mind regarding Atlanta and the draft.
Because of Atlanta’s draft position, especially in the first few rounds, the end result was almost predetermined to be underwhelming. The main talking points after almost any pick revolve around “value” and “need vs. talent”.
Early in the round you’re more likely to find a player that meets all those criteria, and you know you won’t find one towards the end of the round, so you basically pick a lane and stick with it; the middle of the round can get tricky though.
Do you do what Atlanta did and pick a player like A.J. Terrell, whom most people believe fills a need, fits the system well, and was the best available at that position with the most upside, but is considered to be a reach at that spot, especially when there was better talent available?
What makes the decision tough is that while all five draft recap articles I read unanimously agreed with what I just wrote, every single one listed a different player Atlanta should’ve drafted. So even had Atlanta drafted someone else, the same articles still would’ve been written, just with a different name.
The same issue rears its head in subsequent rounds, albeit on a much lesser scale. Point being, no matter who Atlanta picked, people were going to have issues, and it’s not entirely their fault.
Atlanta will need to hand out “Hello, my name is…” stickers at their first defensive meeting. Most of the Falcon’s biggest needs entering this season are on the defensive side of the ball and their draft reflected that. (When your lone offensive pick is a lineman that probably won’t play much for another year or two, you must feel ok with the side of the ball.)
Regardless of how people feel about those picks, the team will need some of them to contribute quickly, especially Terrell and 2nd round pick Marlon Davidson. I mean, that is why those guys were drafted where they were, right?
Is Atlanta fielding a second, secret team full of undrafted free agents? I realize the number of undrafted players a team signs after the draft has finished varies, but Atlanta almost signed enough to field an entire team before Tae Crowder could be crowned Mr. Irrelevant.
I know they’re making up for only having six draft picks, but it’s almost as if the Falcons front office wasn’t even wild about their draft.
Matt Ryan’s arm just may fall off after attempting his 10,000th pass of the year. Seriously, you’re good entering the season with one viable running back whose knee is one wrong cut away from ending his career? Good luck with that.
Obviously, I have no idea how these picks will pan out, and neither does anyone else. I just hope we all get a chance this fall to see for ourselves. I feel like that’s something we can all agree on.
Power Off
By: Mike Anthony
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
With just over four months remaining until the scheduled start of the college football season, there is still no answer to when teams will come out of their suspended status in order to prepare.
There have been myriad discussions about what this means for the 2020 campaign. Everything has been discussed, from when to resume team activities, to how long of a period is needed from first practice to first game, to how abbreviated schedule would work, to whether or not any fans will be permitted to watch the game in person.
In short, there are still many balls in the air.
Regardless of when the games start or how they will look, there is one variable that is sure to be the main factor in the final decision – money.
That’s not some new or surprising reveal as far as motives go, but there is no doubt that money – to be made or to be made up – will determine how college football is next played.
And that factor could be the final straw in an FBS landscape that is already seriously divided between the ‘Power 5’ conferences and the ‘Group of 5.’
Power 5 teams tend to have tighter conference groupings and host more home games, which all cut down on travel expenses. They also have huge network television contracts that they will be incentivized to honor by playing games, even if an altered or limited schedule lessens the payout.
On the other hand, there is the G5. Football teams in the other half of the FBS have larger geographic footprints and travel schedules that are often exacerbated by random long trips to “payout” games at P5 opponents that will never be returned.
And while these schools and conferences also receive money in the form of media rights agreements, it’s safe to say that a check from ESPN+ isn’t keeping the lights on conference-wide in quite the same way as deals with national networks and huge corporations that sponsor P5 marquee matchups and conference championship games.
For years, it has been rumored that the highest level of college football could fracture as it has before. There is a lot of fan support and corporate money that would love to see more heavyweight regular season matchups and a prolonged national championship playoff without giving a second thought to those things coming at the expense of the G5 conferences that have much less money and national appeal.
There are currently arguments that say attended football games simply won’t happen this fall due to ongoing pandemic concerns. If that happens, the biggest and wealthiest schools could probably find a workaround.
It wouldn’t be fun or pretty, but there will be SEC and ACC and national championship playoffs played if games are allowed to continue. If G5 schools follow this schedule, the financial blow will be inconceivable.
Wherever P5 universities with budgets for over-the-top amenities, constant facility upgrades and a private-jet-based recruiting strategy have to skimp through some lean times, G5 schools will already be tapped out as soon as football programs lose any sort of revenue.
One G5 school (Cincinnati) has already cut loose its men’s soccer team. Others are putting coaching staffs on furlough. It’s not just possible, but probable, that these measures will only get more drastic and more prevalent if sports remain shut down.
As advertising and fundraising trends go, it’s pretty safe to assume that when games and attendance resume, it will be the P5 schools who benefit first, even though G5 schools will need the return to normalcy more.
There is also the growing pressure for student athletes to be paid in some form – a totally new cost that would demand an overhaul of every athletic department’s finances.
Unless things change course in a hurry, the already abundant theories of what will happen to Division I sports needs to have another theory thrown onto the pile.
When all of this is done, there could be a complete split. Some big-name and high-dollar schools could easily survive and split off to form some new quasi-professional level of competition.
Less fortunate institutions will be left scrambling just to keep their athletic departments intact or petition the NCAA for rule changes as any significant decrease in football revenue will put in jeopardy the ability for many schools to fund the requisite 16 varsity sports in the coming years.
There are no easy answers for the upcoming economic impact that is coming. There isn’t an FBS school out there that doesn’t need every cent generated by its football program to set budgets for the rest of its teams.
And there isn’t a school out there that isn’t going to see a decrease in that revenue, regardless of what games do or don’t get played.
It will be weeks before any schedules are set and months – or years – before the true impact on the collegiate sporting world is known, but one certainty is that we’re about to be in a whole new ballgame.
Making The Grades
By: Kipp Branch
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The first sign of normalcy returning happened with the first round of the NFL Draft.
Let’s take a look at teams in our geographical area and assign a first-round grade.
Atlanta Falcons: The Falcons selected cornerback AJ Terrell from Clemson with the 16th pick.
Atlanta had their sights set on CJ Henderson from Florida, but Jacksonville took Henderson with the 9th pick.
Apparently, Thomas Dimitroff missed the National Championship game where Terrell got scorched for over 200 yards by Joe Burrow and LSU.
Yes, we know CB is a big need for Atlanta, but Terrell that early in the first round? I don’t like the selection when Kenneth Murray LB from Oklahoma was still on the board. Terrell needs technique work, and there was more value on the board when the Falcons made the pick.
Grade: D
Jacksonville Jaguars: The Jags had two first round selections.
With the 9th pick the Jaguars took CJ Henderson cornerback from Florida. Henderson was regarded by most as the second-best corner in the draft behind Jeff Okudah, who was selected by the Lions at pick number 3.
Henderson is a good cover corner and has great ball skills. The issue with Henderson is he runs away from contact at times and that worried scouts.
I think this is a reach at #9 for Jacksonville who passed on Jerry Jeudy, Henry Ruggs, and CeeDee Lamb in typical Jaguar fashion.
Grade: C
At pick 20 the Jaguars selected K’Lavion Chaisson OLB of LSU.
I think this is a great pick for Jacksonville to add another edge rusher to team up with Josh Allen on the Jacksonville defense. The pass rush is back in Jacksonville.
Chaisson is a match up problem who can rush the passer, drop in coverage, and play solid in the run game. Great pick by the Jags to get a three-down player at LB.
Grade: A
Miami Dolphins: With the 5th pick the Dolphins selected Tua Tagovailoa QB from Alabama.
Tua is the man immediately in South Beach. If he can stay healthy, he can be a force in the NFL.
Tua is an accurate passer with a nice touch on the football. Many compare him to Steve Young and if he lives up to that hype then Miami will get back into playoff discussions soon.
Miami has had 21 starting quarterbacks since Dan Marino retired after the 1999 season. Ouch!
Grade: A
With pick 18 the Dolphins selected Austin Jackson OT from USC. Jackson is only 20 years old but has very good feet. He may not be ready in 2020 to contribute but has a pretty good upside. The jury is out on this selection.
Grade: C-
With the 30th pick the Dolphins selected CB Noah Igbinohene from Auburn. Another SEC selection in the first round. I like this pick for Miami in a position of need. Tough and physical kid.
Grade: B
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: The Bucs gave up a 4th round pick to San Francisco to move up one spot to take OT Tristin Wirfs from Iowa.
Iowa may be Offensive Line U right now in college football. Many thought Wirfs was the best offensive lineman available in this draft.
He ran a 4.85 40-yard dash at the combine, and had 36.5 inch vertical jump. This kid is athletic and a valuable asset to protect Tom Brady. I love this pick, and Tampa got a kid that had a top five grade entering the draft.
Grade: A+
It is a relief to watch something live on TV that is sports related.
Beasts From The East
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The SEC East should be a very interesting division in college football. Here is how I think the division stacks up.
Florida: I give the Gators a slight edge over Georgia.
Under Dan Mullen’s watch, Florida has won 21 games and finished in the top 10 in back-to-back years.
The offense needs to take the next step and improve. The offensive line returns four starters so they should get better. Kyle Trask will be one of the best quarterbacks in the conference.
Tight end Kyle Pitts (54 catches) along with receivers Jacob Copeland, Trevon Grimes and Kadarius Toney make up a strong receiving corp.
The defense should still be strong this season, adding UGA transfer Brenton Cox to strengthen the pass rush. The secondary will be one of the best in the SEC thanks to Marco Wilson and Kaiir Elam.
I think the deciding factor will be crossover scheduling. LSU comes to Gainesville and Georgia plays at Alabama.
Georgia: The Bulldogs lose quarterback Jake Fromm, running back D’Andre Swift and four offensive line starters.
Wake Forest transfer Jamie Newman will be the new QB. Last season Newman threw for 2,868 yards, 26 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. He also rushed for 574 yards and 6 TD’s.
WR George Pickens had a good freshman season and he could have a breakout sophomore year.
In 2019 the defense ranked at the top of the SEC in yards per play allowed (4.3) and fewest points a game (12.6). They lost safety J.R. Reed and DL Tyler Clark but return most of the unit intact.
Tennessee: The Volunteers are going into coach Jeremy Pruitt’s third year on the right track.
They started 2019 0-2 but rebounded and won their final six games.
Quarterback play is a huge question mark and they need a drastic improvement. Whether it’s Jarrett Guarantano, Brian Maurer, J.T. Shrout or freshman Harrison Bailey, this position will determine the success of the team.
The offensive line and running backs should be the strength of the offense.
The defense improved, holding teams to 5.01 yards per game. I think the Vols are due for a big upset in 2020. I doubt it comes against Alabama or at UGA. Most likely it will be at Oklahoma or home against Florida.
Kentucky: The Wildcats won 26 games through the first five seasons under Mark Stoops, Kentucky has posted 18 over the last two years. Finishing 8-5 in 2019 was an accomplishment for Stoops and his staff.
Starting QB Terry Wilson was lost for the season due to injury in early September but he is returning. The O-line is one of the best in the conference and they return three backs that have at least 500 rushing yards in 2019.
Kentucky’s defense finished fourth in the SEC in fewest points allowed per game (19.3) and allowed 5.3 yards a snap.
South Carolina: The pressure is mounting for Will Muschamp after finishing 4-8. He hired former Colorado State coach Mike Bobo as offensive coordinator.
They have a few options at QB with transfer Collin Hill (Colorado State), Dakereon Joyner, Ryan Hilinski and freshman Luke Doty battling for the starting job. They lost their top three running backs.
Missouri: The Tigers were 8-5 in 2018 and 6-6 in 2019.
Eli Drinkwitz is in his first year in Columbia. He is coming off of only one year as a head coach at Appalachian State.
They will not be able to make a bowl this season.
Vanderbilt: The Commodores finished 3-9 last season. On the bright side these guys are intelligent since they attend Vandy.
That’s the only thing they have to look forward to.
Pay Me
By: JJ Lanier
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
At a time when we seem to rank everything from best to worst, we’ve forgotten about value.
You know, like the $5.95 lunch menu at your local Chinese restaurant, where the food isn’t the best, but you always leave full.
In that spirit, instead of ranking the SEC coaches, below is whether or not I think they’re worth the money they’re making; within the context that all coaches are overpaid, of course.
Nick Saban, Alabama: $9.1 million- Yes. The better question is what number would Saban’s salary have to reach before the answer is “no”?
Ed Orgeron, LSU: $8.7 million- No. I realize it’s a little strange to knock a coach coming off a national championship, but compare what Orgeron has accomplished in his career to Saban, and then convince me it justifies him making only $400k less than the Alabama coach.
Jimbo Fisher, Texas A&M: $7.5 million- No. They had to pay it to pry Fisher away from FSU, I just don’t think he’s worth it.
Gus Malzahn, Auburn: $6.9 million- No. Never. Nope. Not in this lifetime.
Kirby Smart, Georgia: $6.8 million/Dan Mullen, Florida: $6.1 million- Yes. Once Saban retires, one of these two will be considered the best coach in the SEC.
Mike Leach, Mississippi State: $5 million- Yes. Even though I view Leach as the John Calipari of college football, minus the smarts, he tends to win wherever he goes. At the very least, he’ll make Mississippi State fun to watch.
Mark Stoops, Kentucky: $5 million- I guess. He’s gotten about as much out of the Kentucky program as one can ask for, which should validate his salary.
Eliah Drinkwitz, Missouri: $4 million (taking 10% reduction this year due to Covid-19)- No. I’ve always understood the hire, but not the money. Drinkwitz’s lone season at Appalachian State was extremely successful, but was that because of him or the fact the roster was pretty loaded to begin with?
Lane Kiffin, Ole Miss: $3.9 million – Yes. Out of all the contracts, Ole Miss may just be getting the most bang for their buck. Sure, there are a lot to question about Kiffin, and his last name opened doors for him early on in his career that hadn’t been earned, but I’ve thought he was a pretty decent coach. I suspect that number will be higher in 2-3 years, it may just not be with Ole Miss.
Jeremy Pruitt, Tennessee: $3.8 million- Eh, ok. Pruitt isn’t as good a coach as some of the ones listed above, his pay is commensurate with his coaching ability. Honestly, the whole situation says more about the state of Tennessee football than anything.
Will Muschamp, South Carolina: $3.3 million- Yes. Perfect example of getting what you pay for; near the bottom in salary, near the bottom in on the field play.
Derek Mason, Vanderbilt: $3.3 million- Yes. At any other school Mason would’ve already been let go, but everyone seems happy with whatever arrangement they’ve got going on in Nashville. Who am I to argue?
Sam Pittman, Arkansas: $3 million- Sure, why not. I feel like if I’m going to complain about Drinkwitz, who at least has some head coaching success, making $4 million, I should do the same for Pittman, who has no major college head coaching experience. However, you won’t get a SEC coach for less money than that, so you might as well spend it on someone with a good reputation.
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.
Hidden Gems
By: Robert Craft
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The 2020 NFL Draft will be here soon.
Everyone is focusing on where each of the blue-chip players will go in the draft, but what about all those players that wind up going in the fourth, fifth, sixth or seventh rounds that turn out to be diamonds in the rough?
Guys like Tom Brady Jared Allen (4th round), Brandon Marshall (4th round), Richard Sherman (5th round), Josh Norman (5th round), Antonio Brown (6th round) and many more.
The NFL Draft is an inexact science, which is a pro’s way of calling it an educated guessing game teams routinely experience success based on luck.
Here is a list of a few players that may emerge to become NFL stars.
DeeJay Dallas-Miami: Dallas is a 5’10”, weighs 217 and ran 4.58 forty at the combine. His career stats at Miami 265 carries for 1,557 yards rushing and 17 touchdowns on the ground. He caught 28 passes for 317 yards and two touchdowns.
Dallas showcases explosiveness off his plant foot and moves downhill with a force. He runs with balance to bounce off tacklers and tends to fall forward. He is also a physical presence in pass protection.
Overall, I have Dallas with a 6th/7th round grade. His blocking skills, balance, and ball security makes him a perfect fit to an NFL roster.
Gabriel Davis-UCF: Davis is a 6’2”, weighs 216 and ran 4.54 forty at the combine. Davis was a three-year starter at UCF. His career stats 152 receptions, 2447 yards and 23 touchdowns.
Davis’s production steadily increased in every category each season. Davis is a natural hand catcher with the ability to win one-on-one matchups
Overall, I have Davis with a 4th round grade. He has a large catch radius and “my ball” mentality.
Solomon Kindley-Georgia: Kindley is 6’3”, weighs 337 and did not workout at the combine due to a foot injury.
Kindley was a three-year starter at Georgia at left guard. He did not live up to the hype coming into the 2019 season due to injuries. Kindley has a nasty, aggressive mindset to seek out and extend contact.
Overall, I have Kindley with a 6th/7th grade. Kindley is quick footed with mean man tendencies. He will need to be coached up on his technique.
Kindle Vidlor-Georgia Southern: Vidlor is 5’9”, weighs 191 and ran a 4.44 forty at the NFL combine. Vidlor’s career stats include 95 tackles, 1 sack, 33 pass breakups and 9 interceptions. He was a three-year starter.
Vidlor doesn’t have the ideal size to play outside in the NFL. He makes a perfect slot corner and special team with his burst and physical toughness. Vidlor plays fearlessly and has good ball instincts.
Overall, I have Vildor as a 7th round or priority free agent.
Rodrigo Blankenship-Georgia and Tyler Bass-Georgia Southern: These are the two top kickers in the 2020 NFL Draft. Overall, I have both with 6th/7th round grades. Well, that’s enough about kickers.
Teams find hidden gems in the draft. It doesn’t happen all the time, but every once in a while, a player will slip in the draft. Yet, he goes on to have an incredible NFL career. Who will be the next big-name draft steal like Tom Brady or Antonio Brown?
Wild West
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Everyone is aware of the current COVID-19 pandemic and how it has changed everyday life for the world.
The social distancing also has an impact on sports since players cannot compete against or work out with each other.
I think this will be a factor this college football season, assuming we still have one. I’m going to preview the SEC West in 2020.
Alabama: They were plagued with injuries in 2019. One player returning from injury is linebacker Dylan Moses. He missed the entire 2019 season with a torn ACL. He led the Crimson Tide with 86 tackles in 2018.
They also lost the top running back in the class of 2019 for the season, Trey Sanders. Najee Harris is also back after passing on the draft.
Quarterback play is under the spotlight with Tua Tagovailoa off to the NFL, but Mac Jones played well at the end of 2019, and true freshman Bryce Young will join the mix.
I don’t think they will have the same bad luck with injuries two years in a row.
LSU: The reigning national champs lose Heisman winning quarterback Joe Burrow. Offensive coordinator Joe Brady left for the NFL. Running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire and wide receiver Justin Jefferson left early for the NFL.
Biletnikoff Award winner Ja’Marr Chase and Terrace Marshall are returning, and they combined for 33 touchdown catches.
Texas A&M: The Aggies have returning talent on both sides of the ball.
Leading running back Isaiah Spiller (946 yards) will improve as a sophomore and the offensive line remains largely intact.
The receiving corps is led by receivers Jhamon Ausbon (66 catches) and Ainias Smith (22) and tight ends Jalen Wydermyer and Baylor Cupp.
Can quarterback Kellen Mond take the next step in development as a senior? The defense also returns most of its key pieces.
Auburn: Bo Nix should be one of the most improved players in 2020. He had a good freshman season with 2,542 yards, 16 touchdowns, 6 picks and he completed 58% of his passes. He also rushed for 313 yards and 7 scores.
Former Arkansas coach Chad Morris was hired as the team’s new offensive coordinator, and his experience working with quarterbacks should help Nix develop as a passer.
The Tigers return a solid stable of running backs, and the team’s top three statistical receivers. Unfortunately, the offensive line loses four starters.
The Tigers also have the same problem in the trenches on defense, losing three starters.
Ole Miss: The Rebels lost eight games in 2019 but five came by eight points or less.
New coach Lane Kiffin isn’t stepping into a total rebuild. QB John Rhys Plumlee had a dynamic freshman season and the top three receivers are back. Both tackles are gone so the line may have some problems.
Ole Miss showed marked improvement on defense in 2019. After giving up 36.2 points a game in 2018, this unit allowed 26.5 last season.
Mississippi State: This is Mike Leach’s first year in Starkville.
He’s known for high-powered offense, but he needs to find a quarterback and receivers. All-SEC running back Kylin Hill returned for his senior year.
Arkansas: The Razorbacks have lost 19 consecutive conference games. They have a new coach, Sam Pittman. They have former Last Chance U star, running back Rakeem Boyd (1,133 yards)
Decade Of Dominance
By: JJ Lanier
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
With the 2010’s in our rearview mirror it was only a matter of time before the All-Decade NFL Team was announced.
While there were some individual teams that had more representation than the entire NFC South, it’s not as though the division was under appreciated, garnering five players itself.
Julio Jones- The NFL records and Awards & Honors section of Jones’ Wikipedia page reads like one of those Lifetime Achievement speeches at the Oscars; there are twenty-five currently listed.
Jones is that rare case where he may not have ever been the best receiver in the NFL at any point over the past ten years, but when you look at the totality of the decade, you could argue there wasn’t anyone better.
The Atlanta wide out still has a number of productive seasons left in him and I wouldn’t be shocked to see his name on the Best Of…. list for this upcoming decade.
Alex Mack & Jahri Evans- My dad, who is a newspaper editor, recently joked with me that sports writers are like wide receivers (divas) and editors are more like the lineman (unsung heroes).
I joked I would at least compare him to a defensive lineman, since most fans actually had an idea who those players are. I should know more about both players, and offensive linemen in general, but I don’t root for either Atlanta or New Orleans (or any of the teams Evans has subsequently played for) and my brain only has a finite amount of space to hold information.
Most of that storage is currently being used to hold useless pop culture references and the multiple storylines in Tiger King. That said, both players are obviously considered to be the best at their positions, hence the award, and you’ll certainly not get any argument from me.
Julius Peppers- Depending on the day, my favorite Carolina Panther rotates between Cam Newton, Steve Smith, and Julius Peppers.
Now, I’m taking some liberties even including Peppers since he spent the better part of this last decade playing in Chicago and Green Bay, but he began and ended his career with the Panthers, so that’s my reasoning.
I was a bit surprised to see his name on this list since his production had dropped over the latter half of the decade, but still glad he made it.
Peppers’ incredible athleticism was one of the more incredible displays I’ve seen from an athlete, in any sport. If only he hadn’t gone to UNC.
Luke Kuechly- There was a stretch of time where Kuechly was the best defensive player in the NFL.
Besides his athletic ability, I loved his mental approach to the game. One of the things the former linebacker was known for was his ability to call out the opposition’s play based on their formation and pre-snap movement.
Had injuries not pushed him into an early retirement I truly think he could’ve been not only one of the greatest linebackers of the decade, but one of the greatest of all time.
I’m sure there’s a player or two you feel was deserving of being added to the list, but it’s a difficult job that, for the most part I think the Hall of Fame did a pretty decent job of putting it together.
There is so much talent in the NFL right now, I can only imagine what the next All-Decade team will look like.
The Bravest
By: TJ Hartnett
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
As this long stretch of time without any baseball games continues stretching out even longer, we’ve got time to look back on games, players, and teams of the past, and reflect.
The Atlanta Braves are one of the most celebrated franchises in baseball, with three World Series championships across three cities (a record), a run of 14-straight division titles (a record), and some of the greatest players the game has ever seen donning an Atlanta uniform.
It’s those players I want to look back on today and try to figure out the best ever player at each position for the Braves.
That is, I’m going to make up an all-time Braves roster – the greatest to ever suit up at each position, with one starter and one reliever.
Some of these will be easy. You’ve already thought them up after reading these first few sentences; some of them will be tough to single out just one player; and some of them will seem like I’m bending the rules, which I will be, because there are no rules. I’m making this up with impunity.
Let’s do the position players first.
Catcher: there are actually a few good options here, beyond what you may think of off the top of your head: Brian McCann, Javy Lopez, Joe Torre, even Dale Murphy, if you felt like it.
I, however, don’t feel like it, and therefore I’m going with Javy Lopez.
Lopez caught the best pitching trio of all time in Atlanta (ironically the only no-hitter he caught was thrown by Kent Mercker), and won the division every year he was on the team, compared to 3 out of 10 for Mac. Javy also had some of the biggest seasons at the plate when he was behind it.
First Base: Fred McGriff should be in the Hall of Fame, but Freddie Freeman is the guy here. He’s in the top 10 all-time for the franchise in WAR and he’s 30.
Second Base: There are a lot fewer options here than most other positions: Marcus Giles and Glenn Hubbard are the only two with long and memorable stints in the past few decades, and while both were notable, I’m going to jump the gun a little and go with Ozzie Albies.
Albies is locked up to a long-term deal, so I’m looking ahead here and assuming that if his production at least stays consistent to what it has been, he’ll be the obvious choice.
Shortstop: here’s one where the Braves keep almost having a franchise player, but then don’t: Andrelton Simmons being the most recent example (jury’s out on Dansby). I’m going to go with Rafael Furcal. He was an above-average defender and a better hitter than he has ever been given credit for.
Third Base: Eddie Mathews. The only guy to play for the Braves in all three cities. Hall of Famer. 512 home runs. He gets overshadowed in the Braves lore a lot by another Hall of Fame third baseman, but Matthews was the real deal.
And before you riot…
Left Field: Before you accuse me of riding a crazy train, keep in mind that Chipper Jones was the full-time left fielder for two and a half seasons. Yes, he’s a third basemen by trade, but the years he spent patrolling the outfield were enough to allow me to squeeze both him and Mathews onto this roster (if I weren’t allowed to put Chipper in left? He’d be the third baseman. Sorry, Eddie).
Center Field: Andrew Jones. Duh.
Right Field: Hank Aaron. Duh.
Starting Pitcher: Okay so originally I was going to provide a full starting five, but I decided to make myself pick one guy from the wealth of starting pitching legends the Braves have employed dating back to Hall of Famer Kid Nichols (who played 11 season with the Boston freakin’ Beaneaters and was apparently never replaced by a relief pitching in his entire career).
So, given the limitation I placed upon myself, I narrowed it down to Nichols, Warren Spahn, Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, John Smoltz, and Mike Hampton (just kidding).
Maddux is the guy. Spahn is close, but Maddux gets the edge because I got to watch him play and I could rarely believe what I was seeing.
Closer: I could go Smoltz here and include two of the three greats of the 90s, but in truth the best closer the Braves have ever had is Craig Kimbrel. The stats back it up.
There you have it! Disagree? I’m sure you might.
