JULY 16-22, 2010 CHECK US OUT AT SCOREATL.COM VOL 6 NO 29 02 I SCORE ATLANTA Get In The Game! ALW A Y S AT SCOREA TL.COM JULY 16-22, 2010 SCORE ATLANTA I 03 ™ STARTING SHOT OF THE CCAANN’’TT LINEUP MMIISSSS THIS WEEK PUBLISHER/EDITOR I.J. Rosenberg Paul Hewitt GENERAL MANAGER Bob Houghton WEEK… In Atlanta’s only sports media column, MANAGING EDITOR Stephen Black Fletch reviews the cavalcade of Lebron ART/CREATIVE DIRECTOR DJ Galbiati 4 BUSINESS MANAGER Marvin Botnick coverage and gives Mark Bradley credit SALES Mark Mayo, Mike Nale for an accurate prediction. BEAT WRITERS Josh Bagriansky (Falcons), Stephen Black (UGA), Brian Penter (Hawks), Dave Cohen (Georgia State), Joe Deighton (G-Braves), Ricky Dimon (Tech), In our cover story, David Wilkerson Michael Anello (Thrashers), Fletcher Proctor (Braves), analyzes the Dream’s ascendence to the David Wilkerson (Dream), Brian Jones (Twitter) 7 top of the WNBA after winning just four STAFF WRITERS Rachel Bowers, Summer Goldberg, Foster Lander games in 2008. CONTRIBUTORS Alex Ewalt, Tad Arapoglou, Dean Zindler, Zander Lentz, Kevin Dankosky, Mitch Evans, Matt Judy, Tony Brian Penter reports the latest Atlanta Hawks Schiavone, Richard Diamond, Joe Haines, Brian Katrek, Chris Dimino, Mike Bell, Matt Stewart, Fred Kalil, Nick Cellini, Phillip Leopold, news and catches up to the latest on future Dave Marshall, Greg Smith, Steak Shapiro, Mike Cather, Beau Bock, 8 point guard Jeff Teague. Hal Lamar, Chris Cotter, Roy Hickman, Dave Cohen, John Olah, Jeff Woolverton, Chris Voss, Bob Rathbun, Courtney Capps, Bill Hartman, Chuck Dowdle, Shannon Alderman, Dan Kamal, Georgia Tech beat writer Ricky Dimon gives Dennis Scott, C.C., Hal Lanier, Jeff Batten, Micah Hart, Ben Wright, the rundown on a recent men's basketball Alan Vasquez, Andrew Vedlitz, Brian Jones SPECIAL CONTRIBUTORS Mitch Albom, Dave Kindred, Barry Bloom signee while UGA beat writer Stephen Black 10 goes over the latest police reports from Athens. ™ SCHOOL LISTING TEAM SCOOP AND VOICES INSIDE AT SCORE E Score Atlanta is looking for new sales associ- CHEROKEE/FORSYTH: Cherokee, Creekview, Etowah, Forsyth Central, COVER DESIGN BY DJ GALBIATI ates. If you are interested, email general manag- North Forsyth, Sequoyah, South Forsyth, West Forsyth, Woodstock COVER PHOTOS COURTESY OF DJ GALBIATI H er Bob Houghton at [email protected] COBB: Allatoona, Campbell, Harrison, Kell, Kennesaw Mountain, Lassiter, T Marietta, McEachern, N. Cobb, N. Cobb Christian, Pebblebrook, or call him at 404-256-1572. Score also has a Pope, S. Cobb, Sprayberry, Walton, Wheeler few internship openings for graphics, writing, DEKALB: Chamblee, Columbia, Decatur, Druid Hills, Dunwoody, Lakeside, REPRESENTIN’: Braves catcher Brian 5 CHEAP SEATS 6 SCORE LIST - KATREK N editing, radio, web video and production and Marist, Miller Grove, M.L. King, Paideia, Redan, St. Pius X, Southwest McCann, in his fifth consecutive All-Star game O internet development. If you are interested, DeKalb, Stephenson, Stone Mountain, Tucker HAWKS - G-BRAVES SCORE MORE FULTON: Alpharetta, Blessed Trinity, Centennial, Chattahoochee, Douglass, appearance, won the night for the National League 8 11 email creative director DJ Galbiati for graphic artist positions at [email protected] or Grady, Lovett, Mays, Milton, North Springs, Northview, Riverwood, with a three-run double in the seventh inning and BRAVES - GSU CALENDAR Roswell, Tri-Cities, Westminster, Woodward Academy was awarded the game's MVP award. The win was 12 13 managing editor Stephen Black for the other GWINNETT: Berkmar, Brookwood, Buford, C. Gwinnett, Collins Hill, Dacula, openings at [email protected]. Grayson, Greater Atlanta Christian, Meadowcreek, Mill Creek, Norcross, the Senior Circuit’s first in the Midsummer's Classic 14 SPIN CYCLE North Gwinnett, Parkview, Peachtree Ridge, South Gwinnett, Wesleyan since 1996. Photo Courtesy of Scott Cunningham. ALW A Y S AT SCOREA TL.COM 04 I SCORE ATLANTA Get In The Game! LeBron talk dominates airwaves; Bradley accurately predicts UGA arrests he LeBronmania of last week was so nause- gram. Several callers seemed a bit miffed “Robin” to his Batman in Wade, but I spit on Tating beccause everyone was asking, James would make the decision the way he that theory. In Miami, aka “Miami-Wade “WHERE’S HE GONNA GO?” over and over did, and I tend to agree. Despite what James County” as it was dubbed by the locals in an CAN YOU BELIEVE... and over leading up to his big announcement. said on the one-hour show, according to Wade attempt to keep Wade in South Beach, LeBron James felt the need to go on ESPN for on another ESPN interview, this decision for Dwyane (sic) Wade will always be the head- ...HE SAID THAT? a one-hour television special (actually, ESPN all three to come to Miami sounded like a liner. If the three (Bosh included) had gone to “Instead of wearing a 2 on his jersey, (Joe ran a three-hour SportsCenter leading up to the done deal weeks ago. Why go through the Chicago, then yes, James is the alpha while Johnson) should wear a < (less than) sym- announcement and then “broke down” what he charade of a big show and making teams trav- Wade plays Pippen. But in Miami, which will bol! Because he’s ‘less than’ every super- said for several hours after he decided to go to el to you for a dog-and-pony show if you ALWAYS BE WADE’S TOWN, James is the star he faces.” Brandon Adams was bringing the Miami Heat). Then, the radio airwaves in already knew you were headed to South outsider brought in to help out Wade. And that it recently on Brandon & Woolvey on 790 Atlanta were a-go-go with nothing but reaction Beach? After spending seven years with his is how it will always be. The Zone. Adams was responding to an in the days that followed. Suffice to say LeBron home-state team, I also think James should P.S., Laurentino’s tune changed the follow- interview in the AJC between Michael dominated the conversation in Atlanta last week have at least informed the Cavs he would not ing Monday as he seemed to think about it over Cunningham and Johnson, where Johnson and the Hawks were not even in the discussion be returning opposed to letting them hear the weekend or perhaps he wasn’t playing the promised that he would bring the “same of potential destinations for The Chosen One through ESPN. That is just something I would villain-role that day with Chris Rude out on effort” this season, and that wasn’t good who calls himself “King”. have done, but I’m not LeBron. vacation and had to play straight-point man. enough for Adams, who pointed out that The Cavs owner Dan Gilbert certainly Johnson will make more than James, Wade MIAMI HEATS UP … didn’t take the news well and made a fool out NICE CALL … and Bosh over the next six seasons. During his one-hour special, James of himself and really made it hard to feel Perhaps Mark Bradley should start Johnson’s postseason numbers are certain- declared he would be a member of the Miami sorry for the Cleveland organization. He playing the lottery because it was semi-scary ly frustrating and Adams was hammering Heat, joining up with Chris Bosh to sign with came off like Urban Meyer: a crazy person, how right he was at the end of last week. The Johnson for not promising to do more. Dwyane (sic) Wade’s team in South Beach. with his comments directed toward LeBron Tennessee Volunteers got into a bit of trou- Personally, I think James made the wrong through the team’s website. Gilbert certainly ble and it was a pair of Georgia-natives in pokey for alcohol arrests. A fourth-string run- decision and should have gone to Chicago tried to keep his fans’ faith but he cost his the center of it. Da’Rick Rogers of Calhoun, ning back for the Dawgs was popped on six because the team is ready to compete for team the nation’s sympathy. who infamously spurned Georgia the night counts, including DUI and leaving the scene championships THIS SEASON and his talents before National Signing Day to pledge to the of an accident and receiver Tavarres King, would have put them into the Finals. LeROBIN … Vols, and Darren Myles, Jr., of Carver, were expected to push for a starting spot, was In Miami, I realize that the Heat now has Last thing on LeBron: the morning fol- involved in a fight in a Knoxville bar that nailed on an underage possession of alcohol three (well, two) superstars, but I’m not cer- lowing the announcement, 680 The Fan’s left one cop knocked out in the street after charge less than 24 hours after the Volunteer tain Wade and James complement each other Perry Laurentino couldn’t understand why being clocked while trying to break up a football program received its latest black eye. as much as Carlos Boozer, Joakim Noah and people were saying this is “the easy way out.” fight. The cop was then kicked once on the Derek Dooley kicked Myles off of the Derrick Rose would have complemented He wondered why any title he wins with ground for good measure team and has not yet made a decision on James as a member of the Chicago Bulls. I Miami will be cheapened. Bottom line, the The AJC.com message boards were filled Rogers’ future with Tennessee. Georgia head had some support in this theory recently on title, assuming he wins one or more with the with all sorts of college football fans laughing man Mark Richt, meanwhile, was swift with Score Atlanta’s Sports Sunday aka The Block Heat will always be Dwyane (sic) Wade’s and calling the Vols a bunch of thugs.