Bishop Media Sports Network
Un-Armed
By: TJ Hartnett
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The baseball gods can be a cruel, unforgiving higher power.
When the hubris of a front office interferes with their will, they can strike down upon a team with great vengeance and furious anger that would make Samuel L. Jackson proud.
The baseball deities seem to have made their displeasure with the Atlanta Braves known, though mercifully not to Sam Jackson levels just yet.
Instead, they have handed out minor injuries to the Braves pitching staff, apparently in retaliation for the Braves’ front office avoiding spending any significant money or prospect capital this offseason. More specifically, not acquiring a stud pitcher to stand alongside Mike Foltynewicz and lead the staff in 2019.
Hyperbole aside, it really does seem like the injuries to Folty and Kevin Gausman (not to mention to relievers Darren O’Day and AJ Minter) are, at the very least, correlated to Alex Anthopoulos’ failure to pick up a starter since October.
That isn’t how real life works, I realize, but the lack of a new Brave and the slew of pitching injuries simply cannot be separated.
Imagine if the Braves had gone out and miraculously picked up Patrick Corbin, the biggest free agent pitcher available on the market. With Corbin reported to Spring Training in a Braves uniform, a couple of minor injuries to Folty and Gausman that, at worst, hold them out until the end of the April don’t seem like the end of the world.
But the reality is that injuries to the top two pitchers on the team, even minor injuries, are concerning developments with no one to pick up the slack.
It seems like Gausman is likely to be ready for Opening Day and that’s great.
But Folty missing two or three weeks at the beginning of the season has the potential to be truly damning for the Braves’ early season success.
It adds extra shine to the fact that the Mets, the Nationals, and the Phillies have all improved themselves (yes, the Nats lost Harper, but they picked up the aforementioned Corbin to solidify a terrifying rotation and also Harper is supremely overrated).
The Braves were falling behind even at full strength, but losing their ace for the first few weeks of the new campaign could put them in a deeper hole than necessary. Especially, since the Braves open the season in Philadelphia and host a four-game set against the Mets with the first two weeks.
Couple those tough series with tough draws like the Chicago Cubs, the Colorado Rockies in Denver, the Arizona Diamondbacks, and the Indians in Cleveland and not having someone to step into Folty’s shoes may cause the Braves to be looking up in the standings by a significant margin well before the close of April.
It was foolhardy for Anthopoulos and company to do nothing. Even signing a 3- or 4-type pitcher would have strengthened the Braves’ ability to weather this injury storm, but as it stands right now Julio Teheran is looking like the team’s number 2 to start the year (assuming Gausman’s health), and that is not a position Atlanta should be comfortable with if they intend to repeat or even compete for another division title.
Gausman may take the mound on Opening Day, or the Braves could turn to Sean Newcomb. Neither scrape the bottom of the barrel, but neither are who the Braves nor Braves Country want to see throwing the first pitch of the season.
There is still one avenue the Braves could take to remedy this situation and that is by calling Dallas Keuchel’s agent and paying him what he wants.
There is an ace-level pitcher sitting at home while Spring Training games are being played and the Braves are scrambling to fill their rotation.
Of course, even if the Braves do sign Keuchel, he won’t be ready for Opening Day on account of missing the start of Spring Training.
Never piss off the baseball gods.
The Stable
By: Kipp Branch
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The University of Georgia is known as “Running Back U”.
UGA fans have come to expect great things out of the running back position with the recent success of UGA greats like Todd Gurley, Nick Chubb, and Sony Michel. Gurley and Michel were the two feature backs in the recent Super Bowl for the Rams and Patriots.
The Bulldogs return D’Andre Swift, James Cook and Brian Herrien from the 2018 team. That is a combined 1,628 yards and 15 touchdowns coming back, with Swift accounting for 1,049 yards and 10 touchdowns alone.
Georgia will also welcome five-star 2018 recruit Zamir White back into the fold after he missed the 2018 season with an ACL tear. Rounding out the group is four-star 2019 recruit Kenny McIntosh.
Swift will be the next great UGA back to make a splash in the NFL. He has great vision, speed and can cut on a dime. Swift was not healthy for the first half of the 2018 season and it showed.
He will be the number one option in the running game for UGA this fall. Swift will be a Heisman contender in 2019. If he can stay healthy and get 15-20 touches per game then a 1,400-yard rushing season is not out of the question. Swift is a complete back right now with his combined running and receiving ability. He will be an NFL back playing in college in 2019.
Cook showed flashes of his talent as a true freshman in 2018. He is special in space and will probably be used more in the short passing game this fall.
An off-season in the strength and conditioning program will help him bulk up to carry more of a load in the rugged SEC. Look for UGA to line Cook up in the slot and expose opposing linebackers and safeties in the passing game.
Brian Herrien was UGA’s true bright spot on offense in the Sugar Bowl debacle against Texas. Herrien is steady and you know what he can do when he enters the football game.
His production will increase as carries increase. It feels like Herrien has waited his turn over the past couple of seasons with all the greatness UGA has had at RB and now it is his time to shine.
The wild card in all of this is Zamir White. White was the top HS running back in the nation in 2017, and tore his ACL in fall camp last season.
If he is 100% this fall then he could be really special. Have you ever watched his high school highlight tape? If you haven’t Google it, but have a napkin close by because you will be drooling if you are a Dawg fan.
If White bursts on the college football scene in 2019 then you can go ahead and pencil UGA into the College Football Playoff.
And the rich continue to get richer as UGA brought in Kenny McIntosh during the 2019 recruiting cycle. McIntosh is a big back who can run between the tackles.
Kirby Smart is the best recruiter in college football, and the talent being assembled in Athens, Georgia is mind-boggling.
UGA lost a 1,000-yard rusher in Holyfield, who declared early for the NFL draft, but they will not miss a beat at RB.
I’m predicting that this group will be better this year running behind the most talented offensive line in school history. Anyone ready for National Title run in the state of Georgia this fall?
Running Back U continues to produce! Hurry up August and get here.
Moneyball
By: Mike Anthony
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
For nearly a week, the talk of the baseball world has been of Bryce Harper and his new 13-year, $330 million contract with the Philadelphia Phillies.
Harper’s signing was the crescendo of an offseason hot stove market that everyone expected to produce plenty of fireworks – especially if you equate dump trucks full of cash to fireworks.
Just over a week before Harper’s signing, Manny Machado became the first jewel to be plucked from the free agent pool when he signed a 10-year $300 million contract with the San Diego Padres. And in between Harper and Machado came a monstrous eight-year extension for Nolan Arenado with the Rockies for $260 million.
Throughout Major League Baseball, teams are bringing in more revenue than ever before and the bidding wars for each huge free agent are soaring ever higher. Bigger television deals and a new generation of social media-savvy stars that are making the game more popular than in the last decade should have baseball in its best standing in recent history.
But that might not be the case.
For every huge contract that Harper, Machado and Arenado get there are other contracts that are taking a sharp downturn for other veterans, who don’t fit the bill as a superstar.
The old line of thinking was that players would work their way to the majors and play for peanuts before being rewarded with ever-increasing contracts if they developed into productive veterans.
Nowadays, front offices that are littered with sabermetric-minded analysts more in tune with hard drives than hardball are killing the market for aging players in the middle of the talent bell curve.
Proven top-of-the-rotation starters like Dallas Keuchel and Gio Gonzalez are still without a team nearing the middle of spring training and super utility man Marwin Gonzalez – at the peak of his supposed prime years at 29 – settled for just a two-year, $21 million deal when similar players were scoring contracts three and four times the length and value just a few years ago.
And it’s even worse for those who are stars in waiting.
It used to be that struggling teams with a budding star in the making couldn’t wait to pluck him from the minors. Even if the call-up was for publicity and exciting fans rather than winning more games, it was at least getting the ball rolling on a new career.
For potential superstars currently stuck in the same situation, the road to the show is much longer and more frustrating.
Instead of teams getting prospects big league experience, front offices seem more concerned with keeping that talent cheap for as long as possible. With three years of full control and three arbitration years once a player makes the big leagues, clubs are trying to pick their spots and thread the needle for the longest possible window of competitiveness – often at the expense of players.
So, while current superstars are now rich beyond the wildest dreams of most, the rest of the league is seeing their average contracts decline. And for stars of the 2020’s still in minor league camp, it could be a long time before they get to the big club – regardless of whether or not they’re ready – if the team decides that another year or two of tanking and stockpiling prospects is in order before making their run.
Moneyball and advanced metrics have been the name of the game for nearly 20 years now. It has certainly produced some good results, but it is also breaking the economics of the game.
And with some serious labor negotiations just around the corner, it’s time for baseball to take a serious look at how players are paid if all the newfound revenues are to continue.
Feeling Blue
By: Kenneth Harrison Jr.
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The college basketball regular season is winding down this week. Before the season began, Duke looked to be head and shoulders above everyone else.
Then they played archrival North Carolina and Zion Williamson was injured 33 seconds after tip off. We all saw his shoe explode and he’s been out with a knee sprain.
Zion is extremely explosive and he will be the top pick in the upcoming NBA draft. He has missed the last three games and we do not know when he will return. The question is can Duke still win a title without Zion?
I’ll give a quick recap of how life has been without Zion. The Blue Devils lost to UNC the game he was injured. They followed that up by getting revenge against Syracuse. Then they lost on the road to No. 20 Virginia Tech. They finally looked good against Miami, routing the Hurricanes 87 – 57.
On paper, Duke has the talent to still be a number one seed. They signed the top three recruits in 2019. RJ Barrett and Cam Reddish are also projected to be top five draft picks. The weak link has been point guard Tre Jones. Jones was five-star recruit and the No. 1 point guard in the class of 2018.
Jones averages 8.5 points per game and 5 assists per game. In the game against Va Tech, the Hokies did not guard him. They dared him to shoot and collapsed the extra defender in the paint. He has to play like the elite player he was projected to be to give the Blue Devils a chance to win it all.
Coach K has given us some updates about Zion and if he will return.
“No. He hasn’t done anything with contact,” Krzyzewski said. “But he’s moving really well. But contact makes you do things that you don’t think about. You have to get past that phase of things. We’re not in any hurry or whatever.
“The other thing with Zion, he’s an exquisite athlete. There aren’t people like him, athletically,” Krzyzewski said. “And so, he has to be 100 percent so that his body has always responded instinctively to what his mind and heart feel. And his body then, well, we’ve seen it. You can’t put him out there with any less than that. You cannot. You cannot. And we won’t. We won’t. But it’s getting better.”
The remaining regular season games are against Wake Forest and at North Carolina. The game against the Demon Deacons will be an easy win so I expect him to sit out. I think the season finale against UNC is where Zion will make his return. There is a lot on the line with that game in addition to being the best rivalry in college basketball.
UNC and Virginia are tied for first place in the ACC. Duke is one game behind them in second place. Winning the final two games will give them at least a share of the regular season ACC title.
That should be enough to guarantee them a No. 1 seed and possibly the top overall seed. This will make the path to the Final Four much easier.
Give Him An Inch…
By: JJ Lanier
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
If a defensive lineman can outrun a wide receiver, even though he’ll never be matched up with him one on one, should we really care?
If Kyler Murray’s first NFL pass is just out of reach of the outstretched arms of JJ Watt or Aaron Donald, will I yell out “Hell yeah, I told you that 1/10 of an inch makes a difference”? (Maybe, but that will have more to do with personal reasons rather than football ones.)
And if DK Metcalf can run a 4.33 40-yard dash while on the Thanos 30-Day Workout Plan, should it overshadow the fact he has the nimbleness and agility of an elephant?
Look, I think the NFL Combine can be extremely advantageous, if you approach it correctly; using it as an additional tool to assist in a team’s analysis of a player.
However, you know as well as I do that at least one general manager or coach is going to lose his job because he fell in love with a player’s combine numbers over his performance on the field.
I’m always taken aback, although I shouldn’t be by now, how as you go up through the coaching ranks (high school, college, professional) the coach’s arrogance towards being able to turn a player around increases.
I remember watching my high school football team go up against an opponent whose middle linebacker had signed with North Carolina. He was very imposing- about 6-2, 215 lbs- and was incredibly fast.
He was also manhandled by our offensive line and fullback, whose one combined college scholarship offer came from a Division III team.
In fact, not only did he get schooled by our offensive line, but he didn’t have a tackle all game; a pretty impressive feat for a middle linebacker.
Of course, his actual play on the field didn’t matter, he had plenty of athleticism and the UNC coaches were convinced they could turn him into a collegiate player.
He never played a minute for Carolina, as far as I remember. Any of this sound familiar?
As for this year’s combine, all the conversation about Murray and his height leading up to the combine was the pinnacle of how ridiculous this whole thing can be.
Yes, height is important, but had he been measured at 1/16 of an inch shorter than 5-10, all the talk about his height would have amplified.
Instead, he measures what equates to about 4 millimeters taller and it looks like he’s the favorite to go to Arizona with the number one pick. That whole ⅙ of an inch will affect whether or not he’ll be a success NFL quarterback as much as an offensive lineman’s 40-yard dash time.
Still, those results were “breaking news” on just about every sports talk/radio show.
Like most things, the combine started out with good intentions and has devolved over the years into somewhat of a sideshow, albeit a very entertaining one- especially when you consider some of the interviews that take place.
The combine may not be the best way to evaluate a player probability of success at the next level, but as long as guys are running sub 4.4 40’s and walking around with 1.6% body fat, teams will still be placing an emphasis on the whole experience.
The NFL used to be a game of inches. If the combine is any indication, it looks like the league has become a game of millimeters, for now.
Jason Bishop Show with Kipp Branch March 2
New Golf Course
By: Mike Anthony
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
A decade ago, professional golf was mostly relegated to the man caves of middle-aged dads as they napped their way through Sunday rounds while winding down their weekends.
Since then, a swarm of young talent has brought the game much closer to the sports mainstream. Not only are the current stars a far cry from the beer-bellied prototypes of pros from previous eras, they’re also personable to crowds, all over social media and – most importantly – better than any generation of golfers that has ever come through the sport.
Players like Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas and Rickie Fowler have started to move the needle, and resurgences from the old guard of Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson have resulted in plenty of drama.
The changing of guard from one generation to the next is enough of a storyline to hook in the usual golf fans, but the shakeup to this year’s schedule could be the spark that ignites a burst in ratings for the game.
For years, the golf schedule religiously held to the same timing for its biggest events, inadvertently causing lulls of a month or more in viewing for the casual fans. This time around, the season will feature a schedule that features marquee events in six consecutive months.
The big shakeup begins in March as the Players’ Championship jumps forward on the calendar by nearly two months. The Masters will hold its usual spot in early April, with the PGA Championship cutting in front of the other two majors by moving from August to May.
That leaves the U.S. Open for its normal spot in the blistering heat of June, followed by every golf fan’s guilty pleasure of sneaking out of bed early to catch the (very) early morning rounds of the British Open in July. With the PGA already done, the season will bump up it’s big-money Fed-Ex Cup playoff, culminating with the Tour Championship in Atlanta in late August.
It remains to be seen how viewership and attendance will respond to the drastic change, but it seems to be a shrewd move for a sport that has always had a massive casual following while lacking the ticket gate and sponsorship revenue of the traditional major sports.
Golf may have just played its hand perfectly.
In an industry where leagues are struggling to get fans to come to games instead of going to bars or purchasing all-inclusive television packages, golf has spent a decade investing in technology and information beamed right onto the screens of everyone watching the action at home.
And while every other sport is locked into a schedule that lends it to lapses in attention from casual fans, golf has made the decision to condense what had been a very scattered 10 months of tournaments – many of which weren’t featuring top players – into six months of better tournament fields that see the four majors bookended by the next biggest player and viewer draws of the season.
If golf was a sports franchise, this is when all of its fans would be starting to get excited.
Golf had some down years in the early 2010’s, but it took a step back and evaluated its position. It developed a young group of talent that can produce for years to come, it still has the star power of old veterans and – thanks to the new schedule – it’s got some sleek new packaging that will catch the eye of more than just the die-hard fans.
So, for all of the lazy Sunday dads out there, watch out. Your regularly scheduled nap is going to be interrupted by a lot more excitement this year.
AFC South Draft Preview
By: Kenneth Harrison Jr.
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The NFL Draft fast approaches. After free agency ends, we will have a clearer picture on the direction teams will go in for the draft.
I’m going to examine the AFC South and who will be selected in the first round. This is one of the weaker divisions in the NFL with only one team ever winning a Super Bowl (Indianapolis).
Houston and Jacksonville have never been to the big game and Tennessee has only been once.
Jacksonville (5-11): The Jaguars looked poised to be one of the best teams in 2018. They had an elite defense in 2017 and relied on the ground game with Leonard Fournette. That formula led them to the AFC Championship game where they led New England in the fourth quarter.
We know how that played out. Quarterback Blake Bortles was the obvious weak link of the team. He was rewarded last offseason with a three year contract extension worth $54 million. It seemed to pay off early after they got off to a 3-1 start. That included a victory over the Patriots. Then they had a seven game losing streak.
Quarterback is the position that must be addressed. If they don’t acquire Nick Foles in free agency they will draft a QB with the 7th pick. Oklahoma’s Kyler Murray will get selected. The Heisman Trophy winner has great talent but lacks ideal height.
Tennessee (9-7): The Titans have had two consecutive winning seasons. They have several needs they can address with this pick like wide receiver, guard, edge rusher or quarterback. Their franchise QB Marcus Mariota cannot stay healthy.
One possible pick is NC State receiver Kelvin Horne. He could be paired with Corey Davis to make a dangerous passing attack.
If they go with a pass rusher Jachai Polite of Florida could be the pick. Last season he had 11 sacks and 6 forced fumbles.
Houston (11-5): The Texans won the division but lost in the Wild Card round to the Colts. They finally have a franchise quarterback in Deshaun Watson but they can’t protect him.
He has one of the best receivers in the game (DeAndre Hopkins). They should draft an offensive lineman to help with that problem.
Offensive tackle Jawaan Taylor (Florida) would be a good pick. He would be a day one starter. If he is not available tackle Greg Little from Ole Miss will be picked. He looks like he will be the fifth o-lineman picked in the first round but he still has good value. He’s a good pass blocker but he needs to be more consistent.
Indianapolis (10-6): The Colts have one of the best young quarterbacks in the league in Andrew Luck. He missed the entire 2017 season and came back in 2018 with a vengeance. They have a pretty good offense and they need to get better on defense. The biggest needs are at cornerback, defensive line and wide receiver.
Washington corner back Byron Murphy would be a good pick if available. He had four interceptions and 58 total tackles in 2018. He’s physical enough to help stop the running game and he can cover.
Receiver D.K. Metcalf of Ole Miss is also a possibility if they do not add another WR in free agency.
I’m excited to see if one of these teams can become a serious contender after the draft.
The Madness Begins
By: JJ Lanier
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
As the college basketball season winds down and teams on the outside looking in began to focus on what they can do to make the tournament, there are a handful of teams that will begin their preparation for a deep run in the NCAA Tournament.
Below is a list of those teams I believe have a legitimate shot at cutting down the nets on April 8. Most teams will seem obvious, but there may be one or two surprises thrown in.
My Projected #1 Seeds: Duke, Gonzaga, Virginia, Tennessee
Duke- Two of their three losses this year have been accompanied with an injury to one of their freshmen (Syracuse- Tre Jones, UNC- Zion). When healthy, Duke has the most talent in the country and their best will beat everyone else’s best.
Problem is they’re as top heavy in talent as a weightlifter who has never used a leg machine. If any of the four freshmen are injured or in foul trouble, they’re vulnerable.
Gonzaga- Tell me if you’ve heard this before: “They’re an experienced team without any glaring weaknesses, but will their weak conference schedule hinder them come tournament time?” This team may be better than one that played UNC for the title a few years ago.
Virginia- Go ahead and get the UMBC jokes out of your system now, this team isn’t losing in the opening round.
They’re pace is slow and they’re not the most exhilarating team to watch, but they may be the best.
Tennessee- Probably one of the deepest, most complete teams in the country. Unfortunately, their coach is as allergic to winning tournament games as my teenage daughter is to cleaning her room.
In 20 NCAA Tournament appearance with Clemson, Texas, and Tennessee, Rick Barnes has made it past the opening weekend six times- none in the last seven tries. The talent is there to make a run, but is the coaching?
If the Bracket Fits: UNC, Kentucky, Michigan State
UNC- Think of a less talented Tennessee team, but with much better coaching. Obviously, I think there’s enough talent for the Tarheels to win or I wouldn’t list them here, but after their win in Durham I may be suffering more from “prisoner of the moment” syndrome than anything.
Kentucky- One of Calipari’s less talked about teams, in recent years at least. Yet, he always seems to have his players ready come tournament time, and this year’s squad is no different.
A lot is going to be riding on PJ Washington’s shoulders, but if any one of the Keldon Johnson, Tyler Herro, or Reid Travis trio can step up and play consistently, they are as dangerous as anyone.
Michigan State- I’ll be honest, I’m including the Spartans because of Tom Izzo; I just assume his team is going to make tourney run every year. If Izzo doesn’t have to face Duke or North Carolina (I’m pretty sure he’s a combined 1-2387 against them) Michigan State will probably be in the mix.
Visit from the Fairy Godmother: Marquette
Marquette- It’s not always the best team that wins, sometimes it’s the team whose best player has the hot hand. Dwayne Wade came close to pulling it off when he carried the Golden Eagles to the Final Four in 2003; could Markus Howard be that guy in 2019?
If Duke is completely healthy by the start of the tournament, they’re my pick to win it all in Minneapolis. Of course, if my past predictions are any indication, you’re better off betting the field.
Acuna Matata
By: Kipp Branch
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Ronald Acuna just turned 21 years of age this past December and is the current National League Rookie of the Year.
He is a five-tool player who looks to be the face of the Braves franchise and could be for the next decade or so.
Acuna missed all of April because of the business side of baseball and then a sprained knee that hampered him in June.
The young Venezuelan hit .293/.366/.552 over 111 games and 487 plate appearances, scoring 78 runs, driving in 64, and pounding out 26 doubles, 4 triples, and 26 home runs.
Did I already mention that Acuna missed roughly two months of the 2018 season? If not for that I believe this kid would have been named the National League MVP in 2018.
You probably can already tell by reading this article that I’m a huge Ronald Acuna fan. I think he is the most talented player to arrive in Atlanta since Andruw Jones. That is saying a lot.
The projected Braves lineup in 2018 looks like this:
LF: Ronald Acuna Jr. (R)
1B: Freddie Freeman (L)
3B: Josh Donaldson (R)
C: Brian McCann (L)
RF: Nick Markakis (L)
2B: Ozzie Albies (S)
CF: Ender Inciarte (L)
SS: Dansby Swanson (R)
Before the Braves brought back Brian McCann, it was looking like Acuna would move to the clean-up spot in the batting order, but now he is back at the leadoff spot where he can lead the 2019 Braves.
With Acuna, Freeman, Donaldson, McCann, and Albies this batting order has some pop in it. Then you have Tyler Flowers, Charlie Culberson, Pedro Florimon, and John Camargo providing depth that should keep Donaldson and McCann fresh throughout the season.
I think this can be a dangerous, run producing batting order that may allow some of the younger arms in the rotation to flourish.
Back to Ronald Acuna, this kid has superstar written all over him. Acuna moved to the leadoff spot on July 20th last year and he hit .322 with 19 homers and a 1.028 OPS over the last 68 games.
Without that line-up move the Braves do not win the NL East in 2018. Acuna was the Braves MVP in this writer’s opinion in 2018.
With Acuna, Donaldson and Freeman the Braves have three MVP caliber players in the everyday line-up. Acuna could possibly end up batting in the four-hole, but after the excitement you saw in 2018 why would you move him?
Right now, Ronald Acuna projects as the best player in the National League going into the 2019. If you don’t believe me look it up. Barring injury I’m predicting Ronald Acuna Jr. to be the 2019 National League MVP.
Excitement for Braves baseball is off the charts right now. If this rotation can hold up and a closer steps up this offense will lead the Braves back to the playoffs.
Who knows who the Braves can pick up at the trade deadline maybe a quality arm or two for a playoff run?
Ronald Acuna is the new face of the Atlanta Braves, and now the Braves must put the pieces together to ensure Acuna retires as a Brave in about 15-18 years.
Baseball is thriving again in Atlanta, Georgia. Ronald Acuna may be the face of Atlanta sports. The Falcons and Hawks are struggling at the moment.
