WHO WILL BE KING OF THE GRILL? SEE BACK PAGE APRIL 15-21, 2009 ATLANTA’S WEEKLY SPORTS TALK NEWSPAPER VOL 5 NO 8 02 I SCORE ATLANTA Get In The Game! WWW.SCOREATL.COM APRIL 15-21, 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), Stephen Black 5 There’s a lot going on in the spring sports season, which means I.J (Kennesaw State), Jason Boral (Thrashers), James Butler Rosenberg has a lot on his mind. Check out his Sitting in the (UGA), Dave Cohen (Georgia State), Ricky Dimon (Tech), Cheap Seats column for thoughts on the Masters and more. Alex Ewalt (Preps), Scott Janovitz (Hawks/Recruiting), ___________________________________________________ Fletcher Proctor (Braves) 12 Score Atlanta’s high school recruiting guru Scott STAFF WRITERS Cranston Collier, Joe Deighton, Rajesh Gupta, Janovitz brings you all the news on the state’s top Zander Lentz, Andrew McCarron, Corey Mitchell, Jessica Parker, football prospects and the latest commitments. Leighton Savary, Keafer Triplett, Derek Wiley ____________________________________________________ CONTRIBUTORS Tad Arapoglou, Dean Zindler, Kevin Dankosky, 17 James Butler was on hand for Georgia’s G-Day festivities Mitch Evans, Matt Judy, Tony Schiavone, Richard Diamond, last Saturday and has a full report from Athens. Find out how Joe Haines, Brian Katrek, Chris Dimino, Mike Bell, Matt Stewart, Carlton Thomas (pictured) and the rest of the squad looked. Fred Kalil, Nick Cellini, Phillip Leopold, Dave Marshall, Greg ____________________________________________________________ Smith, Steak Shapiro, Mike Cather, Beau Bock, Hal Lamar, Chris 19 Falcons beat writer Josh Bagriansky has the full report on the Cotter, Roy Hickman, Dave Cohen, John Olah, Jeff Woolverton, upcoming NFL Draft, taking a look at both the Falcons’ needs Chris Voss, Bob Rathbun, Courtney Capps, Bill Hartman, Chuck and analysis of some of the draft’s top prospects and top sleepers. Dowdle, Shannon Alderman, Dan Kamal, Dennis Scott, C.C., Hal Lanier, Jeff Batten, Micah Hart, Ben Wright, A SCORE UPDATE: Alan Vasquez, Andrew Vedlitz, Brian Jones For the second year in a row, Score Atlanta will be bringing Hawks fans a SPECIAL CONTRIBUTORS Mitch Albom, Dave Kindred, Barry Bloom special edition playoff guide to be handed out at home playoff games throughout the postseason. The issue will include player features, team rosters and ™ SCHOOL player bios, and analysis of the Hawks’ first-round playoff series. Pick one up at LISTING Philips Arena this weekend, or download the issue at Scoreatl.com! 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 SMILING TIGER: Tiger Woods could- DEKALB: Chamblee, Columbia, Decatur, Druid Hills, Dunwoody, COVER DESIGN BY DJ GALBIATI. COVER PHOTO COURTESY OF DON JACKSON/PHOTOGRAPHIC ARTS. Lakeside, Marist, Miller Grove, M.L. King, Paideia, Redan, St. Pius n’t quite pick up his fifth Green Jacket at Augusta X, Southwest DeKalb, Stephenson, Stone Mountain, Tucker last weekend, but that didn’t stop the world’s FULTON: Alpharetta, Blessed Trinity, Centennial, Chattahoochee, greatest golfer (sorry, Angel Cabrera) from enjoy- 5 CHEAP SEATS 6 DUE UP-KATREK 7 SPIN-PROCTOR Douglass, Grady, Lovett, Mays, Milton, North Springs, Northview, Riverwood, Roswell, Tri-Cities, Westminster, Woodward Academy ing his time at the paradise that is Augusta 8 HS SPORTS REPORT 14 HAWKS-THRASHERS-FALCONS GWINNETT: Berkmar, Brookwood, Buford, C. Gwinnett, Collins National. Tiger made it interesting in the end, how- Hill, Dacula, Grayson, Greater Atlanta Christian, Meadowcreek, Mill 15 DAWGS-JACKETS 16 BRAVES-OWLS-PANTHERS Creek, Norcross, North Gwinnett, Parkview, Peachtree Ridge, ever, pushing the leaders before falling off on the South Gwinnett, Wesleyan last couple of holes. Photo courtesy of Rob Saye. 17 MEMORY LANE 18 CALENDAR 19 AD INDEX WWW.SCOREATL.COM 04 I SCORE ATLANTA Get In The Game! WWW.SCOREATL.COM APRIL 15-21, 2009 SCORE ATLANTA I 05 Thoughts on Masters coverage, NL East looking great and Hawks ready for playoffs pring is here and the blooming azaleas Washington pitcher John Lannan to the first- speaking of the East, after starting the season Sand sounds of cracking bats at Turner base bag. In this case, Jordan’s suspension for off 0-6, I wonder how former Braves boss Field make my pen feel alive again after an using performance-enhancing drugs may and current Washington Nationals president ugly winter … have been a blessing. Not that he wasn’t Stan Kasten is doing. The few hairs he had R Have you ever noticed that the announc- headed for the majors anyway, but the 90-day on his head when he left Atlanta have to be ers (especially Jim Nantz) who handle the suspension humbled him and, instead of gone, as his team has won only 43 percent of E Masters on CBS never say anything negative coming to spring a cocky 22-year-old, he their games (284-369 through Monday) V about the players or tournament? It’s almost kept his head down and worked his tail off to since moving to the capital city. as if Masters’ chairman Billy Payne has a make the major league team. I also applaud O dump switch, allowing him to cut off the manager Bobby Cox for not putting Schafer HOME FOR THE PLAYOFFS … C audio if he hears something he doesn’t like. into the leadoff hole, instead taking some The Hawks open up the playoffs this While the Masters is one of the best sporting pressure off him and batting him eighth. weekend and there is no reason to think they E events in the world, the broadcast would be While this team is not going to overpower won’t take the first-round matchup with so much better if the CBS announcers could anyone offensively, it appears they have the Miami. That would set up a second-round H take their muzzles off. This goes back to ability to produce runs with strong batting meeting with Lebron James and Cleveland. T 1995 when analyst Gary McCord wasn’t invited back after he said the 17th green at N Augusta National was so fast that it seemed to be “bikini-waxed” while “body-bags’’ O were located behind the green for players who missed their approach shots. Hawks head coach Mike Woodson will I would love to see how controversial analyst Johnny Miller of NBC would han- be looking to lead his team to a first- dle himself at the Masters? I don’t know if round playoff series victory, something he could make it through the first hole. But the franchise hasn’t experienced since the Masters has always had a stranglehold the 1998-99 season. “Woody” has had on CBS and remains very guarded about what the network can do and, more impor- to deal with his fair share of injuries tantly, what it can’t do. during the regular season, but with a And can someone on the air one day healthy Marvin Williams back in the please ask Tiger Woods a tough question? lineup, the Hawks should be nearly at The fact is, he was supposed to win this, a 2-to-1 favorite over the rest of the field full force when the playoffs start this (which was 5-to-2 together), but couldn’t weekend. The cover photo and photo hit a putt. I don’t know why everyone is so above are courtesy of Don Jackson scared of Tiger. Ask him the tough ques- and David McGregor, respectively, tion. Tiger is perhaps the toughest athlete in both of Photographic Arts. sports, and I’m sure he can handle a reporter doing his job. Interestingly, the print media is very THRASHED OUT: Unlike their Hawks brethren, the Thrashers will not be bringing any playoff excitement to GET OFF THE COUCH … careful about what they write about the Philips Arena, or Blueland, as its called by Thrashers faithful. The season ended last Saturday night with a win I was on the radio Sunday and two of my Masters, worried that they also might not over division rival Tampa Bay, and we can only hope that the late-season momentum that the team achieved co-hosts, Scott Janovitz and Fletcher Proctor be invited back. It is a fantastic event and I will carry over to next season. Photo courtesy of Rob Saye. (and I am sure Bulldog Nation), were talking enjoyed my experiences there when I was about how poorly Georgia’s offense looked in working at the Atlanta Journal- its spring game last Saturday, which was tele- Constitution. But it is still just a game, and CATCH I.J. ON SUNDAYS vised by ESPN. Are you kidding me? It’s a while this event may be the only one out spring game. I played in a spring game when there that hasn’t been touched over the years by the ever-changing world we live in, ‘I don’t know why everyone is so scared of Tiger. Ask him the I was at Alabama and they are nothing more nothing in sports is that sacred. Again, at tough question. Tiger is perhaps the toughest athlete in than a glorified scrimmage. First of all, the end of the day, no matter how pristine Georgia had a large number of players miss- the setting and great the event is, it’s just a sports, and I’m sure he can handle a reporter doing his job.’ ing and, secondly, spring practice is nothing game.