FOR THE BEST MEMORIAL DAY SPECIALS SEE BACK PAGE MAY 20-26, 2009 ATLANTA’S WEEKLY SPORTS TALK NEWSPAPER VOL 5 NO 10 02 I SCORE ATLANTA Get In The Game! WWW.SCOREATL.COM MAY 20-26, 2009 SCORE ATLANTA I 03 ™ STARTING LINEUP IN YOUR PUBLISHER/EDITOR I.J. Rosenberg FACE… MANAGING EDITOR Alex Ewalt ART/CREATIVE DIRECTOR DJ Galbiati VIDEO MANAGER Scott Janovitz BUSINESS MANAGER Marvin Botnick SALES MANAGER Mark Mayo WWW.SCOREATL.COM BEAT WRITERS Josh Bagriansky (Falcons, Dream), 5 Falcons quarterback Michael Vick will be released from prison on Stephen Black (Kennesaw State), Jason Boral (Thrashers), Wednesday, and I.J. Rosenberg believes the controversial QB deserves James Butler (UGA), Dave Cohen (Georgia State), Ricky a second chance and hopes he makes the best of it. Dimon (Tech), Alex Ewalt (Preps), Scott Janovitz ___________________________________________________ (Hawks/Recruiting), Fletcher Proctor (Braves) 10 We’ve completed the first two rounds of the high school baseball state STAFF WRITERS Cranston Collier, Joe Deighton, Rajesh Gupta, tournament and Joe Deighton has kept a close eye on all that’s happened thus far. Find out which players have starred through Zander Lentz, Andrew McCarron, Corey Mitchell, Alan Gales, the first two weeks. Brian Penter, John Edwards, Derek Wiley ____________________________________________________ CONTRIBUTORS Tad Arapoglou, Dean Zindler, Kevin Dankosky, 12 Christopher White, founder and CEO of the Sports Championship Mitch Evans, Matt Judy, Tony Schiavone, Richard Diamond, Management Group, is taking a new approach to hosting Joe Haines, Brian Katrek, Chris Dimino, Mike Bell, Matt Stewart, football camps; his clinics are as much about developing Fred Kalil, Nick Cellini, Phillip Leopold, Dave Marshall, Greg leadership skills as they are about football. Smith, Steak Shapiro, Mike Cather, Beau Bock, Hal Lamar, Chris __________________________________________________ Cotter, Roy Hickman, Dave Cohen, John Olah, Jeff Woolverton, 17 Beat writer Scott Janovitz considers three weaknesses the Chris Voss, Bob Rathbun, Courtney Capps, Bill Hartman, Chuck team must address before becoming a championship Dowdle, Shannon Alderman, Dan Kamal, Dennis Scott, C.C., contender. How will management use the offseason to seek Hal Lanier, Jeff Batten, Micah Hart, Ben Wright, some help for Al Horford (pictured) and company? Alan Vasquez, Andrew Vedlitz, Brian Jones A SCORE UPDATE: SPECIAL CONTRIBUTORS Mitch Albom, Dave Kindred, Barry Bloom Score Atlanta is partnering with the Georgia High School Association to bring prep baseball fans the official GHSA state championship program for all five classifications. The special edition will be handed ™ SCHOOL out at each championship series and will include full rosters, feature LISTING stories, finals previews and more! CHEROKEE/FORSYTH: Cherokee, Creekview, Etowah, Forsyth Central, North Forsyth, Sequoyah, South Forsyth, West Forsyth, Woodstock COBB: Allatoona, Campbell, Harrison, Kell, Kennesaw Mountain, Lassiter, TEAM PAGES I COLUMNS Marietta, McEachern, N. Cobb, N. Cobb Christian, Pebblebrook, Pope, S. Cobb, Sprayberry, Walton, Wheeler DOG DAYS: The Braves hosted their latest DEKALB: Chamblee, Columbia, Decatur, Druid Hills, Dunwoody, COVER DESIGN BY DJ GALBIATI. COVER PHOTO COURTESY OF SCOTT CUNNINGHAM. Lakeside, Marist, Miller Grove, M.L. King, Paideia, Redan, St. Pius installment of “Bark in the Park” earlier in the X, Southwest DeKalb, Stephenson, Stone Mountain, Tucker month, allowing baseball fans to include their four- FULTON: Alpharetta, Blessed Trinity, Centennial, Chattahoochee, 5 CHEAP SEATS 6 SCORE LIST-DUE UP 7 SPIN-C.C. Douglass, Grady, Lovett, Mays, Milton, North Springs, Northview, legged friends in their favorite pastime at Turner Riverwood, Roswell, Tri-Cities, Westminster, Woodward Academy Field. If you missed the first event, you can bring 8 HS SPORTS REPORT 14 HAWKS-THRASHERS-FALCONS GWINNETT: Berkmar, Brookwood, Buford, C. Gwinnett, Collins Hill, Dacula, Grayson, Greater Atlanta Christian, Meadowcreek, Mill Fido out to The Ted on June 10 for a night game. 15 DAWGS-JACKETS 16 BRAVES-OWLS-PANTHERS Creek, Norcross, North Gwinnett, Parkview, Peachtree Ridge, Register your pet on the Braves’ official website! South Gwinnett, Wesleyan Photo courtesy of Daniel Shirey/Atlanta Braves. 17 DREAM 18 CALENDAR 19 AD INDEX WWW.SCOREATL.COM 04 I SCORE ATLANTA Get In The Game! WWW.SCOREATL.COM MAY 20-26, 2009 SCORE ATLANTA I 05 Vick has long road back to respectability; Dawgs should end neutral-site series irst of all, before I get started, I want to it time served after 16 months in a federal whole ordeal. Fortunately for the Falcons, Flet the people of PETA know that I love pen and two years away from the league. they were able to bounce back quickly and dogs and do not in any way condone what And when he does get his chance to have a new superstar quarterback in the Michael Vick did. suit back up, he shouldn’t have to do so young Matt Ryan. R However, with that said, it’s time to give among a crowd of protestors who remain Still, many people from owner Arthur E the player, who just three years ago was per- vigilant in their crusade against Vick. It Blank on down are not vengeful and would haps the biggest attraction in the NFL, anoth- was PETA that sent a letter to the NFL call- like to see Vick get back on his feet. V er chance. Vick, in the opinion of this long- ing for the league to require Vick to under- What will be the key is how Vick han- O time sportswriter, has paid his debt to society. go a new brain-scanning procedure already dles his comeback, which needs to be well- Period. in use at a New Mexico corrections facili- organized and not overplayed. The publici- C Unlike other athletes who have dodged ty, effectively testing Vick for psychopathy ty will be there but Vick and his people conviction and continued playing despite (anti-social personality disorder) before he need to keep on the straight line. No reali- E doing far worse, he was prosecuted to the full extent of the law for dogfighting and, as a H T result, should be allowed back into the NFL and given a chance to rebuild his career. In fact, few athletes before have ever N been torn down like Vick, who was at one time a $100 million-plus business and an O endorsement machine; now, he is bankrupt with a shattered reputation. They were his Falcons quarterback Michael Vick will mistakes and it was all his doing, but I have a be released from jail on Wednesday feeling that there are going to be those that after spending more than a year behind make Vick’s road back very difficult. bars. Convicted of dogfighting charges About the Vick dilemma, NFL commis- over 12 months ago, the controversial sioner Roger Goodell recently had this to quarterback has missed the last two say: “Michael did an egregious thing. He has NFL seasons but will most likely look to paid a very significant price for that. If he's make a return to the field for the learned from that and is prepared to live a upcoming 2009-10 campaign if league different life, I think the general public is for- commissioner Roger Goodell grants giving on that when people are genuine and him the right to do so. According to I.J. they show remorse and are prepared to live a Rosenberg, Vick has already paid his different life. That's something he has to debt to society and deserves an imme- prove to myself and the general public.’’ diate shot at redemption. The above But to prove himself, Vick has to be photo and cover photo are courtesy of given the opportunity to succeed and, having watched him here in Atlanta all his profes- Scott Cunningham. sional life, that is what concerns me. takes and how much he’s lost. JUST TOO MUCH: LeBron James powered the Cleveland Cavaliers past the Hawks and into the Eastern I know Vick, have spoken with him on I’ve never thought Vick was a bad person, many occasions and, while what he did was Conference Finals, but Flip Murray (left) and Josh Smith (middle) have much to be proud of after increasing their regular-season win total by 10 games and beating the Miami Heat in the first round of the playoffs. just one brought up on the streets, who, despite terrible, he never once struck me as being a all his success on the field, couldn’t put his Here’s hoping another offseason will bring similar improvements in 2009-10. Photo courtesy of Rob Saye. mean or cold-hearted person. Even Falcons tough past behind him. I also am a strong management will tell you that they liked believer in second chances and hope Vick has Michael, who for the most part was rather become a different person and, someday, returns reserved and kept to himself. But he made CATCH I.J. ON SUNDAYS to the Vick we knew and loved on the field. bad choices, beginning with the people he It’s a comeback I want to write about. chose to hang around. To use a word that can ‘Now that Vick is out of jail, however, he shouldn’t have to start serving anoth- turn all our stomachs, they were thugs, and in AND FINALLY … the end they led to Vick’s downfall. er sentence, such as an NFL suspension. Let’s call it time served after 16 If Georgia is smart, they do not renew Still, his path to making it back should months in a federal pen and two years away from the league.’ the contract to play Florida in Jacksonville not be blocked by an NFL commissioner or after the 2010 season. The solution is sim- an animal rights group. Goodell is known for is allowed to become a children's hero ty shows, no stupid stunts, no holding dogs ple and that is to play it one year in Athens his no-nonsense approach when it comes to again.