Capers Childs
Give Him A Raise?
By: Capers Childs
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Every time Ronald Acuña Jr. steps to the plate, Braves fans are reminded that Atlanta may have one of the best deals in baseball. He’s one of baseball’s biggest stars, and he can change a game with just one swing or one stolen base.
However, injuries have repeatedly threatened his career. And the question remains: Should the Braves pay him more despite the risks?
Ronald Acuña Jr. is a star outfielder for the Braves. He made his MLB debut in 2018 and quickly established himself as one of the most talked about players in the sport.
He is best known as the only player in baseball history to hit more than 40 home runs and steal more than 70 bases in a single season.
Acuña is also a five-time All-Star, a three-time Silver Slugger Award winner, and the 2018 National League Rookie of the Year. His power, speed, and athleticism make him a rare talent that few players are able to match.
Acuña’s impact goes far beyond statistics. Whenever he is in the lineup, the Braves have a greater chance of winning.
Fans enjoy watching him play, and his jersey is one of the most recognizable in baseball. As the face of the franchise, he has become a huge part of the Braves’ success over the past several seasons.
Players who can influence games like this are difficult to replace, making Acuña one of the organization’s most valuable assets.
However, a major risk of keeping Acuña on the team is his injury proneness. In both 2021 and 2024, he tore his ACL and that forced him to miss significant playing time.
An injury like this can affect a player’s speed, agility, and overall athleticism, which is detrimental to someone whose game relies heavily on his quickness and explosiveness.
Just as Acuña seemed unstoppable, another injury would strike, raising questions about his future durability. Because of this, some people argue that giving him a larger contract could be a gamble.
Still, elite players are rare, and Acuña has consistently shown that he can overcome adversity. After recovering from his first ACL injury, he returned to have one of the greatest seasons in baseball history and won the National League MVP Award.
His ability to bounce back demonstrates his talent, his determination and work ethic.
The Braves know exactly what kind of player and teammate they have in Acuña, which makes investing in him less risky than taking a chance on an unknown player.
Injuries may always be part of Ronald Acuña Jr.’s story. But when he is on the field, few players can match his talent, energy, or influence on a game.
For the Braves, paying Acuña more would not simply reward past success…it would be an investment in the future of the franchise and the player who has become its face.
Why Georgia Bulldogs Can Never Let Kirby Smart Leave For NFL
By: Capers Childs
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
For decades, University of Georgia fans waited for someone who could finally bring the Bulldogs back to the apex of college football. Then, Kirby Smart arrived.
What Smart has built in Athens is more than just a winning football program. He has changed the standard of Georgia football in its entirety.
Before Smart, University of Georgia was a consistently-successful program, but the Bulldogs struggled to break through and become a national championship winning program.
Under previous head coach, Mark Richt (2001-15), Georgia posted a 145-51 record (.740) and remained nationally relevant, but could never reach the top of the college football landscape.
Smart took over as Georgia’s head coach in 2015 and has since built one of the most dominant stretches in college football history.
He currently has an impressive record of 117-21 with a .848 winning percentage. His accomplishments include back-to-back College Football National Championships in 2021 and 2022, a 2017 CFP title game appearance, SEC Championships in 2017, 2022 and 2024, six SEC Eastern Division titles, and eight New Year’s Six bowl appearances. In just his second season, he had the Bulldogs playing for the national championship for the first time in three decades.
What makes Smart so valuable to Georgia goes beyond his records. He took the job at his alma mater and a place he and his family love. His passion for the program has helped create a standard that Georgia fans had been waiting decades to see.
That impact is also reflected in the atmosphere surrounding the program. Georgia football has become one of the most iconic environments in all of college sports. The Dawg Walk, tailgates, and the packed Sanford Stadium is what defines a Saturday in Athens and under Kirby Smart, Georgia is expected to maintain greatness every season.
Smart’s dominance is also shown in recruiting. Before this year, the Bulldogs hadn’t signed fewer than three five-star recruits since 2017, and they have consistently been top 10 in the 247Sports Composite rankings.
That talent has translated directly to the next level. Under Smart, Georgia has produced 21 first-round NFL Draft picks – the same number as his total losses as head coach.
In that span, he has also had 84 players selected in the NFL Draft, including a modern-era record 15 players taken in the 2022 NFL Draft, the most from a single school in the seven-round draft format. Smart has turned Georgia football into one of the strongest NFL pipelines in college football.
Smart’s commitment to the program is also reflected in the investment Georgia has made in him. He is currently on a $130-million dollar contract through the year 2033. He’s making roughly $13 million dollars a year. In fact, only five NFL coaches are making more than Smart is at UGA. So, why would he leave the SEC?
Speculation about Smart eventually leaving for the NFL continues to surface. However, he already has a background coaching in the NFL. In 2006, he was the safeties coach for the Miami Dolphins for just one season under Nick Saban.
During his lone year in the league, the Dolphins finished with an overall record of 6-10-0. After a subpar year, he returned to college football, where his career has reached a whole new level of success
The reality is that Georgia Football is built around Kirby Smart. Every part of the program. If he were to leave for the NFL, Georgia would be losing the foundation of what the Bulldogs have spent decades trying to build.
For Georgia, the question is what the program would look like without Kirby Smart – and for a team built entirely around his standard, that answer is exactly why Georgia cannot afford to let him go.
