Bishop Media Sports Network
Steering The Ship
By: Kipp Branch
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
In sports, usually the leader is the coach, but sometimes certain players are appointed team leaders and must possess some of the same leadership characteristics as an effective coach.
Coaches and team leaders are typically respected by other team members not only for their sports skills and abilities but also for other qualities, such as responsibility, work ethic and attitude.
For the 2017 Brunswick High football team that team leader was Ty Hinson. Hinson started 31 games at center for the Pirates during his career, and some things I noticed during his career:
Led by example: Ty Hinson was a picture of this during his time at BHS. I noticed Hinson at all off-season workouts even when BHS was in a coaching transition. First in line at football drills, and always carried himself in a positive manner off the field.
Passion: You cannot fake passion in sports or life. I don’t know another kid off the top of my head that loves Brunswick High School more than Ty Hinson. That passion always showed up on Friday nights during football season.
Ability: As I said earlier, Hinson made his first start in a playoff game in 2014 as a freshman and never left the starting line-up after that. That football ability was rewarded in February as Hinson signed a football scholarship to Valdosta State University.
Communication: Hinson played center and has great communication skills and his fellow offensive lineman depended on those communication skills every Friday. Hinson was a key piece in a record setting offense in 2017. The non-verbal communication skills are important as well. Hinson always seemed confident and poised when adversity hit, and his teammates took notice.
Will to Win: No person in the program wanted to win more than Ty Hinson. Hinson led a group of seniors to a 7-3 record in 2017, and got Brunswick High Football back on track after two tough seasons.
At 6’2 and now 275 pounds Hinson worked his tail off in the weight room to get bigger and stronger, and the younger kids in the program took notice and followed.
Hinson’s leadership skills were noticed early in his recreation football league days. His youth league coach State Court Judge Bart Altman said the following about Hinson, “Hinson is a natural born leader and he laid the foundation as an 11 year old for kids who followed him on the Red Death offensive line. I still talk about his leadership qualities to my current team and will do the same to future Red Death players. Hinson is a kid that will be a future leader in this country, and I’m proud to have coached him at an early age”.
Hinson’s principal Dr. Scott Spence added “Ty is a campus leader and anything he chooses to do in life will reflect positively on Brunswick High School”.
His football coach Sean Pender added “Ty was a leader in this program from day one when I arrived a year ago, and his leadership helped get our football program back on track last season. I’m going to miss him, but he’ll do well at VSU”.
Hinson comes from a family line of educators. His dad is a middle school principal and his mother an elementary school teacher. Ty is the role model of what a student athlete should be. Ty will graduate in May and head to Valdosta State and will have a solid career there. He will graduate from college and be a productive leader in society as an adult.
One lucky mom and dad will get the blessing of their life one day when their daughter brings Ty Hinson home to introduce him to the family.
Ty Hinson thank you for your commitment to Brunswick High School. You leave BHS football in a better place for others to follow.
AFC South Draft
By: Kenneth Harrison Jr.
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The NFL Combine is currently happening in Indianapolis. Personally, I don’t put too much stock in to the workouts that we see there. I think what we’ve seen on film really gives us an accurate idea of how good a player is.
The AFC South is one of the weaker divisions in the NFL. Jacksonville shocked the world by advancing to the AFC Championship game and they actually played well enough to beat New England. Let’s take a look at each team’s draft needs.
#3 Indianapolis: The Colts (4-12) obviously had a disappointing season. Andrew Luck missed the entire 2017 season with a shoulder injury. He’s supposed to return in 2018 but we will see. There are several positions that can be addressed like running back, offensive line, cornerback, defensive end and outside linebacker.
The Colts need to protect Luck so offensive line is very important. They also need a pass rusher because they finished 31st in sacks (26) and 26th in QB hits (75).
NC State defensive end Bradley Chubb would be a good pick. He’s 6’4, 275 pounds and he’s shown he can cause Havoc in the backfield. He had 10 sacks in 2016 and 2017 with over 20 tackles for loss as well both seasons.
#68 Houston: The Texans (4-12) moved up in the draft last year to draft a franchise quarterback (Deshaun Watson), which paid off. Unfortunately, Watson’s season ended with a torn ACL. Now Houston does not have any picks in the first two rounds. They do have three picks in the third round.
The biggest team needs are defensive back, offensive line, running back and tight end. I’m not sure what players will still be available in the third round so I can’t make a draft prediction for the Texans.
#25 Tennessee: The Titans (9-7) had a pretty good season. They made the playoffs for the first time since 2008. They won in the first round at Kansas City. They have a lot to be proud of.
Tennessee has a franchise quarterback in Marcus Mariota. He’s the first Titans QB to throw for 3,000 yards in consecutive seasons since Steve McNair in 2002-03. Heading into his fourth year Mariota is expected to become a top-10 quarterback.
Team needs are offensive line, cornerback and running back. The running game has been very strong the last two years but the Titans are likely to release DeMarco Murray, saving $6.5 million under the cap. Derrick Henry is probably not going to be handed the feature back role without competition.
Washington defensive tackle Vita Vea might be picked here. He would be a nose tackle in their defense.
#29 Jacksonville: The Jaguars (10-6) had an amazing 2017 season. They got to the playoffs for the first time in a decade. They were ranked 2nd in total defense. Rookie running back Leonard Fournette was 8th in rushing with 1,040 yards and 9 touchdowns.
The formula of good defense and a strong running game can win on the road in the playoffs. That’s why the Jags were able to beat Pittsburgh (again) in the second round of the playoffs. They also led New England for most of the AFC Championship.
Quarterback Blake Bortles is looked at as being a weak link but he just signed a three-year contract. I don’t think he’s an elite level talent but he’s pretty decent.
The biggest team needs are offensive guard and middle linebacker. Ohio State OG/C Billy Price will address that need.
On The Other Hand
By: JJ Lanier
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
I think we’re all in agreement, except for maybe anyone that actually works for an NFL organization, that the NFL Combine is more show than substance. It’s similar to proclaiming that a particular movie is the greatest piece of cinema ever created, after having only seen the trailer.
Nevertheless, there is always one athlete who tends to steal the show with a quicker than expected 40-yard dash, or impressing the attendees with the amount of reps they do on the bench press. This year was no different, albeit for one minor exception.
Before the Combine, I didn’t know much about Shaquem Griffin. I knew he played for UCF and I was aware that he did not have a left hand; that was it.
I didn’t know if he was a good player or not. I had no idea if he had been born without a left hand, or if it had been amputated. Hell, I didn’t even have a clue as to what position he played, besides defense. I can promise you, I know now.
Besides impressing everyone with his 40 speed (4.38 seconds), or his 20 reps on the bench press using a prosthetic hand, Griffin is coming off two very successful seasons at Central Florida.
In 2016, his junior year, he was 1st team All-AAC and AAC Defensive Player of the Year. He followed that season up with a senior campaign that saw him receive not only 1st team All-AAC honors again, but AFCA 2nd team All- American, as well.
Over the two year span he combined for 166 tackles, 18.5 sacks, and 1 interception.
I’m not saying Griffin is going to be the next Ray Lewis, but he’s good enough to play on Sundays.
Throw in the fact he did all this without the use of a left hand, which was amputated when he was four years old, and it’s pretty incredible.
All that said, the more interesting question to me is, “Where will he get drafted?”
You can always count on two things happening at the draft: 1. A player is drafted higher than their talent level would suggest, based upon the Combine. 2. A player’s stock will drop, below where their talent level warrants, because of same ridiculous, inane reason. I could see either of those two scenarios playing out for Griffin.
Overall, I think he’s a late 2nd round/early 3rd talent, so it’ll be intriguing to see if a team reaches a bit and drafts him earlier than that, or if they are hesitant and he drops into the later rounds.
Like most draft picks, much of his success will depend on where he goes and who his coach will be. In the right situation, he could be a huge asset for whomever drafts him. Personally, I wouldn’t mind seeing him on the Panthers.
There will be a lot of feel good articles written about Griffin between now and the NFL Draft, and there should be. What he accomplished in his college career, and what he hopes to achieve at the next level, is something that should be applauded; not necessarily because of what he’s done, but because of what it took for him to get to this point.
I don’t normally get too sentimental about these type of things, but his story is certainly inspiring and I’m rooting for him.
At this point I have no idea what type of professional football career Griffin will wind up having, but so far he’s put out one hell of a teaser trailer.
Jason Bishop Show with Kipp Branch March 3
Out Of Options
By: TJ Hartnett
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
For a while after Suntrust Park was announced, the fable was that when the stadium opened in 2017 the Braves would be ready to compete.
As the opening for the new park drew closer, that hope became less of a reality and instead the expectation to compete for a playoff spot was pushed back a couple of years.
It still hasn’t arrived, but 2019 could very well be the first true step forward in Atlanta’s rebuild. That means 2018 won’t be a playoff year, but it is still a very crucial season for the Bravos.
The steps they take through this season will determine how to spend the money coming off the books next offseason to field a team that will challenge for a postseason berth. It’s also an opportunity for players who have high expectations but haven’t yet produced to do so; especially those with no more minor league options.
Braves GM Alex Anthopoulos has said that those players may break camp with the Braves in order to get a longer look at what they can do.
He’s saying that the 25 best guys out of spring training may not be the 25 on the roster on Opening Day (clue number 346 that Ronald Acuna is starting the season in Gwinnett).
The players without options include Jose Ramirez, Luke Jackson, Josh Ravin, Chase Whitley, Lane Adams, and Danny Santana. Some of those names were penciled in anyway, but others may come as surprise picks for the opening of the season.
Luke Jackson, for example, will need to prove that he deserves a spot on the team once they kick it into gear in 2019. He had a lot of growing pains out of the bullpen in 2017, including getting eaten alive by right-handed hitters.
Jackson may end up a left-handed specialist but that will all be determined by what he shows Anthopoulos and Brain Snitker this year.
Josh Ravin was picked up after the Dodger’s DFA’d him in November and at the age of 30 he’ll have a huge chip on his shoulder as he tries to stay afloat in the majors.
Chase Whitley is another new addition; picked up off waivers from Tampa Bay in December. Whitley had a successful season in Tampa, posting a 4.08 ERA. He was a former starter and can offer the Braves another option as a long reliever, so expect him to be given a fair amount of leeway as the season progresses.
Danny Santana is only 27 years old but since a stellar rookie campaign in Minnesota in 2014, he hasn’t managed to consistently produce at a level anywhere close. He could be incredibly important to a competitive team, with versatility and speed that can win plenty of ballgames, even if it’s just off the bench. However, hitting at a .202 clip, as he did last year simply isn’t going to keep him on the team. He’s young and has enough raw speed that someone would take a flyer out on him if he doesn’t remain a Brave but being productive for an up and coming young team will draw more eyes to him than being picked up off the scrap heap will.
All eyes will be understandably focused on the stars of the future in 2018. The Swansons, the Albieses, the Freemans and the Acunas, but it takes a whole team of ballplayers to win with enough consistency to fight for a chance at a postseason run.
These players might be even more fun to watch these season, as they with nothing to lose seek to prove their worth for this year and beyond.
New Captain Of The Ship
By: Jason Bishop
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
After interviewing several coaching candidates, the MCA Buccaneers have chosen their next head football coach.
Tony Glazer will take over as the head Buccaneer for the upcoming football season.
Glazer will be coming over from Liberty County where he served as the Defensive Coordinator for the last four seasons.
Glazer did a very good job as the DC for Liberty and coached Richard LeCount. LeCount, of course went on to commit to Georgia and was considered by many the #1 safety in the country.
Glazer also coached standout RaeKwon McMillan while filling the DC role for the Panthers.
Glazer will be the 5th coach in 7 years at MCA. With everything that program has been through with coaches this needs to be a long-term hire.
If Glazer is still at MCA in four years then it has been a successful hire. Stability is the key word for this hire.
There is potential to win at MCA, as proven by former coach Robbie Robinson as he took the Bucs all the way to the State Title game just two years ago.
The first step is to win the trust of the kids in the program and then get more kids to come out. McIntosh County is loaded with athletes, they just need to come out.
Tony Glazer will have a tough job in front of him. MCA’s best player, JP Palmer, has moved on to the next level and the Bucs’ starting QB, Denver Anthony transferred to Frederica Academy in the offseason. Those were the two best players for MCA from last season.
There is also the job of winning community support in McIntosh County for his new football team.
This is Glazer’s first job as a head coach.
MCA went 3-6 last season.
Bortles Breaking The Bank
By: JJ Lanier
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
When I initially heard Jacksonville had extended the contract of Blake Bortles (3 yr/$54 million; $26.5 million guaranteed) the first thing that popped in my head was “Tom Coughlin has some terminal illness and the doctors are treating it with medical marijuana.”
You see, the only explanation I could come up with as to why Coughlin would extend Bortles’ contract was that when he made this decision he had to have been sitting on his couch, stoned out his mind, eating powdered donuts, and watching “The Big Lebowski”.
Not many people wanted one more year of the Blake Bortles Experiment, let alone three. Of course, the more I read and thought about it, the more I actually liked the move.
For starters, Jacksonville just freed up $9 million in cap space for this upcoming season. Bortles was scheduled to clear $19 million dollars, instead of the $10 million he will now make.
As close as the Jaguars were to winning the AFC this year, having an extra $9 million to either bring in new players (a wide receiver perhaps), or resign current ones, is extremely valuable.
Secondly, when it comes to the going rate for a starting NFL Quarterback, especially one who just played in a Conference Championship (regardless of how vital he may or may not have been in achieving that), Jacksonville is getting Bortles on the cheap.
Obviously, Coughlin and Doug Marrone see something in the soon to be 5th year quarterback that makes them feel comfortable about having Bortles lead this team, at least for next year.
It’s also very possible that both Coughlin and Marrone were not all that impressed with the available quarterbacks on the market and figured their best chance going into next season was to stick with the quarterback they already have. A “Better the devil you know than the devil you don’t” scenario. I’d put my money on the latter.
Plus, and I know this isn’t how Jacksonville is hoping this turns out, but if Bortles continue his less than stellar play, they’ll have a couple options at their disposal. The Jaguars could release him, which is what most people would probably expect.
Financially, it would be a bit of a hit, but minimal enough that it makes this extension worth the risk. They could also try and trade him; his contract did just become a little more appealing to other teams. I’m not saying Jacksonville would be able to get much in return, but in a year where backup quarterbacks played such a large role, a team could do worse than having Bortles as their backup.
Personally, I don’t believe Blake Bortles is the long term answer for Jacksonville. Besides his 2nd season and a handful of games here and there in which he played well, there hasn’t been anything I’ve consistently seen that makes me think next season will be any different than the last two.
But, when you consider Coughlin had already committed to bringing Bortles back next year, I completely understand why this extension happened.
There are a variety of reasons a team may extend a quarterback’s contract- play; money; they don’t like the other options that are out there. Like in most professions, the reason why isn’t nearly as important as what the person does with the opportunity.
With the Jacksonville Jaguars being so close to reaching their ultimate goal of playing in the Super Bowl, Coughlin and Marrone are hoping Bortles will make the most of his. However, they’ve taken the necessary steps, just in case he doesn’t.
Brave New Beginning
By: TJ Hartnett
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
While Spring Training is not a good example of what will come to pass in the regular season for any major league team, every game provides at least something to watch.
For the Braves, there will be many things to keep an eye one throughout spring, from any innings pitched by their young hurlers to Dansby Swanson’s attempt to make adjustments and improvements. And of course, most of all, Ronald Acuna taking at bats.
The Braves have started off their Grapefruit League season with consecutive losses against the Mets and Astros, but who cares?
That first loss featured every run scored by the Mets coming in the ninth inning off a pitcher whose name I can’t spell and don’t care to because he won’t be on the roster on Opening Day.
Prior to that, the Braves gave up only two hits and two walks in eight innings, featuring the likes of Matt Wisler and Kolby Allard pitching scoreless baseball.
Rotation contender Sean Newcomb gave up one run on a hit and a walk in his one inning of work in the second game, but also struck out two batters. Watching his one inning he certainly lacked control but after the first two batters got on Newcomb buckled down and adjusted.
Which is, again, more important to see than his actually line score. His big curve ball to strike out Carlos Correa looking reaffirmed that his stuff is good and that he can battle. He just needs to consistently throw strikes.
Ozzie Albies looks to continue his good work from 2017, going 1 for 3 in both games, including leading off game 2 with a slap hit on the first pitch.
Watching him play is going to continue to be a joy in 2018, if his gameplay so far is any indication. He was a pesky hitter who also drew a few throws while leading off from first base. That is exactly the kind of scrappy player I hope he continues to be during the regular season.
Watching Ronald Acuna bat was a treat (he made his debut in the second game) despite going 0 for 3 with a pair of strikeouts. I had never seen him play before, but his swing was smooth and he fought off some tough pitches before going down swinging in his first at bat.
Once he straightens out a few balls he’s going to really make keeping him in Gwinnett a tough call for Alex Anthopoulos (sort of – I’d be surprised if he makes the roster Opening Day even if he leads the Grapefruit League in four baggers).
I’d be remiss not to mention his able chase down of a ball to the warning track that was smoked by Tony Kemp in the second inning. His bat gets all the headlines but Acuna is also heralded as a defender who could man center field for Atlanta if not for Ender Inciarte firmly in place at the position. It’s good to see the kid’s makeup.
Even though he didn’t have the preferred results at the plate, Acuna still scored rave reviews from Brian Snitker due to him staying in the dugout to soak up more baseball after he was taken out of the game.
This isn’t required or expected, or even very common, but it says something about the game’s best prospect that he isn’t resting on his laurels and is still trying to learn everything he can about the game of baseball.
It’s so early and the games are massively populated with players that are a long way from the Major Leagues (especially after the 4th inning or so) but storylines are already starting to develop in Braves camp, with more to begin their opening chapters in the coming weeks.
Jason Bishop Show w Kipp Branch Feb 24
SSE Minute Feb 23
