FAST TRACK MEANS LOTS OF ACTION SEE BACK PAGE SEPTEMBER 17-23, 2008 ATLANTA’SATLANTA’S WEEKLY SPORTS SPORTS TALK TALK NEWSPAPER NEWSPAPER VOL 4 NO 38 02 I SCORE ATLANTA Get In The Game! WWW.SCOREATL.COM SEPTEMBER 17-23, 2008 SCORE ATLANTA I 03 ™ STARTING LINEUP IN YOUR PUBLISHER/EDITOR I.J. Rosenberg FACE… MANAGING EDITOR Tad Arapoglou DIRECTOR OF SALES/MARKETING John Duke ART/CREATIVE DIRECTOR David Gaudio GRAPHIC DESIGNER D.J. Galbiati WEBMASTER Alex Ewalt WWW.SCOREATL.COM VIDEO MANAGER/PREP EDITOR Scott Janovitz BUSINESS MANAGER Marvin Botnick SALES Zander Lentz, Brian Pruett 4 Kevin Dankosky offers his plan to fix the Braves for 2009. PHOTOGRAPHER Scott Cunningham If the front office is willing to spend, some solid free agents OFFICE MANAGER Nakia Washington could land in Atlanta. BEAT WRITERS Josh Bagriansky (Dream), Stephen Black _________________________________________________________ (Silverbacks), Jason Boral (Thrashers), James Butler (UGA), Dave Cohen (Georgia State), Johnny Crosskey 5 I.J. Rosenberg comments on new 790 The Zone personality (Tech), Alex Ewalt (Preps), Erik Horne (Falcons), Scott David Pollack and also says that the Falcons’ loss to Tampa Janovitz (Hawks/Recruiting), Fletcher Proctor (Braves) Bay was NOT a “setback.” STAFF WRITERS Cranston Collier, Joe Deighton, Rajesh Gupta, _______________________________________________________ Keilah Johnson, Zander Lentz, Andrew McCarron, Corey Mitchell, Jessica Parker, Leighton Savary, Keafer Triplett, Derek Wiley 13 790 The Zone’s Chuck Oliver helps Mark Richt (pictured), CONTRIBUTORS Dean Zindler, Kevin Dankosky, Mitch Evans, the Bulldogs and their fans get better acquainted with the Matt Judy, Tony Schiavone, Richard Diamond, Joe Haines, Brian Katrek, Chris Dimino, Mike Bell, Matt Stewart, Fred Kalil, Nick team’s next opponent, Arizona State. Cellini, Phillip Leopold, Dave Marshall, Greg Smith, Steak Shapiro, ___________________________________________________________ Mike Cather, Beau Bock, Chuck Oliver, Hal Lamar, Chris Cotter, Matt Chernoff, Roy Hickman, Dave Cohen, John Olah, Jeff 22 790 The Zone’s Brian Katrek breaks down each and every Woolverton, Chris Voss, Bob Rathbun, Courtney Capps, Bill player for both Team Europe and Team USA participating in Hartman, Chuck Dowdle, Shannon Alderman, Dan Kamal, Dennis the upcoming Ryder Cup. Scott, C.C., Hal Lanier, Jeff Batten, Micah Hart, Ben Wright, Alan Vasquez, Andrew Vedlitz, Brian Jones A SCORE UPDATE: SPECIAL CONTRIBUTORS Mitch Albom, Dave Kindred, Barry Bloom Don’t forget to check out Atlanta’s best real-time scoreboard at www.ScoreATL.com. Every Friday night beginning at 7:30 p.m., ™ SCHOOL the scoreboard will feature in-game scores from all the matchups LISTING around the state. 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 DODGER BLUES: Ex-Brave DEKALB: Chamblee, Columbia, Decatur, Druid Hills, Dunwoody, COVER DESIGN BY DAVID GAUDIO; COVER PHOTOS COURTESY OF DOUG JACKSON (PHOTOGRAPHIC ARTS) AND PHILLIP FAULKNER (UGA). Lakeside, Marist, Miller Grove, M.L. King, Paideia, Redan, St. Pius Andruw Jones will end the year on the disabled list X, Southwest DeKalb, Stephenson, Stone Mountain, Tucker with a sore right knee, giving him a .158 average FULTON: Alpharetta, Blessed Trinity, Centennial, Chattahoochee, Douglass, Grady, Lovett, Mays, Milton, North Springs, Northview, and three home runs in 2008. Only three years ago, 6 DUE UP-SCORE LIST 7 SPIN-C.C. 8 MEMORY LANE Riverwood, Roswell, Tri-Cities, Westminster, Woodward Academy Jones had 51 homers to lead the majors. So does GWINNETT: Berkmar, Brookwood, Buford, C. Gwinnett, Collins Hill, Dacula, Grayson, Greater Atlanta Christian, Meadowcreek, Mill L.A. Dodgers GM Ned Colleti regret signing him to 10 PANTHERS 12 TRIDENT LACROSSE 15 FALCONS Creek, Norcross, North Gwinnett, Parkview, Peachtree Ridge, South Gwinnett, Wesleyan a two-year, $36.2 million deal? “I’ll let you know in 16 BRAVES 17 HAWKS-THRASHERS-DREAM 18 DAWGS a year,” he said. Photo courtesy of Scott Cunningham. 19 JACKETS 20-21 CALENDAR 22 MEDIA-AD INDEX WWW.SCOREATL.COM 04 I SCORE ATLANTA Get In The Game! Time to spend: How to fix Braves for ’09 ome March, your Atlanta Braves will look cost: $8 million.) The rest of the infield is set Cmuch different from what you’re seeing on with Kelly Johnson at second, Yunel Escobar the field this season – and I’m not talking about at short and Chipper Jones at third. a uniform change. You can expect a major over- In the outfield, many of my colleagues haul on the roster this offseason. Here’s why. think that Frenchy (Jeff Francoeur) will be With attendance dwindling and fan traded, but I think the Braves will keep him interest following fast behind, the Braves around at least through Spring Training just have to make a big splash in the free-agent to be sure he wasn’t suffering through a jun- market to rekindle the flame that made ior year jinx. Look for the Braves to add at Atlanta the hot bed of baseball in the South least two lesser-known free agents in the out- for the past two decades. With an underper- field. I think oft-injured Rocky Baldelli is on forming minor league system, the Braves their radar. (Estimated cost: $5 million.) have no other choice but to buy some veter- an bats and arms. The only bad news is that REMAINING DOLLARS … the Yankees and Mets, both moving into new So far I’ve spent about $28 million. ballparks, will be tossing money around like We only have $27 million left and it kids at Disney World. should all be spend on starting pitching. I General manager Frank Wren reportedly beg the Braves not to touch anyone over will have up to $40 million to spend on free 35 years old to prevent a repeat of this agents. This money comes from the departure year’s MASH episode. Give $10 million a of Mark Teixeira, John Smoltz, Mike year to Ben Sheets and Mark Prior. Then, Hampton, Tom Glavine, Mark Kotsay and let’s hope that Kyle Lohse will accept $7 several other veterans. I’m hoping Liberty million a year. That gives you the three Media, the current Braves owners, will kick starters you need. in $15 million more. With $55 million on the And here’s my “out-of-left-field” board, the Braves will have the money need- prediction for you: I think you’ll see Leo ed to field a competitive team next season. Mazzone back as the Braves pitching First of all, the Braves need to go after coach. With Mazzone, it seemed, the Adam Dunn. He has hit 40 home runs in each Braves starters always went longer and of the past four years. He plays 150 games a injuries weren’t so common. Although year and is always near the top of the league in this doesn’t count as a free-agent move, I on-base percentage. Pay Dunn what he wants think it will be a confidence booster to and run a special on the seats in right field. the pitching staff. (Estimated cost: $15 million.) So get ready for a roller coaster ride I’m not sold on the Braves keeping Casey this offseason. If nothing else, everyone Kotchman at first base. Remember the glory will be talking about the team more so years with Fred McGriff and Andres than they’ve been during the season. Let’s Galarraga? Bobby Cox likes power on the cor- hope the moves pay off. ners. Look for the Braves to trade Kotchman But that’s just my opinion. and spend some money to lure a veteran like Dankosky can be reached at Sean Casey or Richie Sexson. (Estimated [email protected]. WWW.SCOREATL.COM SEPTEMBER 17-23, 2008 SCORE ATLANTA I 05 Pollack is perfect addition to Zone and Falcons loss was NOT a setback omething is always going on at 790 can find a way to beat Mississippi State at and led the team to two strong drives late. I SThe Zone. home this weekend they should go into their watched the postgame press conference and I They never worry about ruffling feath- Oct. 18 game at Clemson with a 5-1 record. liked what Ryan said when he told the media, ers (sometimes to their own detriment) and But Tech may have to play a great game to win “As a competitor, as a football player, as a remind me of a good offensive coordinator, Saturday. The Bulldogs gave Auburn every- quarterback, no matter what happens you’ve R able to make adjustments at any time, like thing they could handle (losing 3-2) and appear got to go out there and continue to throw the E bringing in a popular Georgia football player ready to break out. Still, Tech is a 7.5-point ball and continue to make plays. Obviously to counter the voice of Buck Belue at rival favorite, while Georgia is giving 6.5 points. you don’t want to start 0-9 and throw two V 680 The Fan. interceptions, but you’ve got to keep battling O Now that can’t make those over at STAY THE COURSE … and everybody on our team did that today, you Georgia Tech too happy, considering 790 is If you looked at the final score, the statis- have to love that. The offensive line was out C the flagship radio station of the Yellow tics and listened to some of the local reports on there battling until the end, wideouts were Jackets. But David Pollack certainly gives the the game, you would think the Falcons took a making plays and working as hard as they E station a huge asset during the afternoon step backwards in the 24-9 loss at Tampa Bay could.