Home > Mark Bradley
Time for the Braves to look forward, not back
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Look at it this way. Even if John Smoltz does wind up with the Red Sox in 2009, the Braves can always bring him back for a farewell tour in 2010. Or 2020. Or in the year 2525.
Sad to say, that has become the Great Grand Organization’s modus operandi. No ex-Brave is ever finished until he gets to return to the GGO. The Braves brought back Tom Glavine. They tried to bring back Javy Lopez. They tried to bring back Rafael Furcal. They’re considering bringing back Andruw Jones.
Who’s next? Larvell (Sugar Bear) Blanks? Andy (Channel 17) Messersmith? Terry (Tub of Goo) Forster?
The trouble with becoming a Great Grand Organization — John Schuerholz’s immortal description — is that you’re forever tempted to take curtain calls. As heretical as this may sound, the Braves would be wise to take a tip from the Falcons, who have rarely been great or grand or even very good. Thomas Dimitroff arrived from New England and proceeded to lop four Pro Bowlers and his team was the better for it, and he’s about to dump more big names this winter
Put simply, the professional team that isn’t going forward is falling back. The Braves keep recycling old ideas, which is a sure sign they’re running out of new ones. Not coincidentally, they’ve also finished third, third, and fourth over the past three seasons.
As difficult as it would be to see Smoltz in a different uniform, it’s nothing the Braves couldn’t get over. (They got over seeing Glavine work for the hated Mets.) This is big-league baseball. These things happen. Better to let a 41-year-old pitcher take a guarantee of $5 million to play for the Red Sox, who toss millions around like pennies, than to risk $5 million of your own on his surgically altered shoulder.
By trying to repeat the past, the Braves are guaranteeing they won’t have much of a future. They need to learn how to say goodbye and mean it. If Smoltz wins 20 for the Sox, more power to him. But you can’t plan for tomorrow on the basis of what a 41-year-old might (or might not) do. You have to move on.
If he indeed leaves, fans will wring hands and gnash teeth, but in the end they’ll either have to get over it or find a new team. We on the periphery get all sentimental over sports, but we’re also reminded on a daily basis that these teams are businesses and these players are independent contractors. Yes, Smoltz has done meritorious service here for two decades. He was also handsomely compensated for so doing.
The trouble with being a Great Grand Organization is that you tend to view all paradigms from within. There are, believe it or not, good players out there who have never been Braves. It’s time — way past time, actually — to go find some of those.
Permalink | Comments (297) | Post your comment | Categories: Braves/MLB
UGA loses its glitz, but may gain ferocity
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Athens — Mark Richt told reporters Monday his staff might have done its best coaching in the season just completed. We can debate that premise until Groundhog Day, but what’s beyond dispute is this: Somebody’s going to have coach awfully well if Georgia is to win 10 games next time. And both things could happen.
For two seasons the Bulldogs didn’t worry overmuch about precision, believing one of their two big-name skyhooks would do something breathtaking to save the day. Georgia will miss Matthew Stafford and Knowshon Moreno, yes, but it won’t necessarily miss the let-them-do-it attitude that grew from having two such talents in the same backfield.
“I just don’t think we executed as well as we needed to,” said Joe Cox, the redshirt junior who’s now the No. 1 quarterback. “I felt as a team we weren’t as hungry as we needed to be. That’s something we need to work on.”
Then this: “It’s going to be a big help not being preseason No. 1.”
Talent is a wonderful commodity, but we’ve just seen that talent doesn’t necessarily yield championships. Stafford and Moreno won a lot of games but never even a division title, and it was significant that on the day of their announced departures Mark Richt was moved to say: “There are a lot of things we can improve on [in 2009] that might give us a chance to win the SEC East.”
It wasn’t that Stafford and Moreno didn’t work hard and play well. But the trouble with having terrifically gifted players is that such a team comes to see itself as terrifically gifted. Lest we forget, Tennessee won the national championship the year after Peyton Manning exited. And didn’t some team win the SEC in Year 1 after David Greene and David Pollack?
“In certain games it seemed like we were flat,” said Cox, speaking of the three seasons he mostly stood and watched Stafford work. “Hopefully I can bring some of the way I like to play [to bear], maybe bring some fire.”
About Joe Cox: He’s a redhead, and you know what they say about redheads and their temperament. He conceded he’d been penalized “a couple of times” in high school for emotional excess, and if you check the famous photos you’ll find No. 14 smack in the middle of the Gator Stomp.
Pointing to Cox’s apprenticeship, Richt likened him to D.J. Shockley, who waited four seasons behind Greene to become MVP of the 2005 SEC title game. “Joe’s become one of our leaders without being a starter,” Richt said, and that was likewise said of Shockley.
The 2005 Bulldogs might have been sixth-most talented team, but it maximized resources. The 2008 Bulldogs did not, and now the two most precious resources are bound for the NFL. This means Georgia, as Cox suggested, won’t be nearly as highly regarded in August, but seasons, as we well know, aren’t made in the heat of summer.
“I feel like we’re in very good shape,” Richt said. “We’ve got four [tail]backs in the program who have to be thinking, ‘My time to get more carries may be here.’ And Joe is a team guy all the way whose senior year has just taken on a whole new light.”
Then, casting a wistful eye both forward and back: “It would have been fun to see what [Stafford and Moreno] would do behind the [2009] offensive line … It would have been pretty to see.”
It would, sure. But there’s a prosaic beauty in seeing a team commit 40 percent fewer penalties, in seeing a bunch of guys strive to break into the Top 10, as opposed to being installed there. Much of the glitz is gone from Georgia football, but the ferocity might just be coming back.
Permalink | Comments (144) | Post your comment | Categories: UGA/SEC
Falcons offseason needs to focus on defense
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Flowery Branch — Here we see the ancillary benefits of having signed a free-agent tailback who tied for second in the NFL’s MVP voting and having drafted a quarterback who was offensive rookie of the year. Give or take a tight end, that platoon is set. And now the general manager who aced his first offseason can muster all resources in the effort to fix his defense.
For 16 games the Falcons schemed around inherent liabilities, but they were exploited to the max in a playoff loss on a Saturday afternoon in Glendale, Ariz. The Falcons ranked No. 11 in a 32-team league in scoring defense, but that was a tribute to the brainpower of Brian VanGorder and the ball-control work of Michael Turner and Matt Ryan. In every other category they were substandard — 24th in total defense, 21st against the pass, 25th against the run.
To go further, the D must improve. And here’s the good news: Thomas Dimitroff nearly has a blank slate. He has unrestricted free agents he can discard, Keith Brooking and Lawyer Milloy and Michael Boley chief among them, and he has free agency and the draft to help him restock.
Regarding the latter, Dimitroff was asked Monday if he’s apt to draft even one offensive player come April. “Yes,” he said, smiling. “One-plus.”
Something to know: The Falcons are very happy with John Abraham, duh, and the rookie linebacker Curtis Lofton. Beyond that, there are no givens.
Milloy, who was elected one of the defensive captains Sunday, figures to want too much money and will wind up signing elsewhere. Boley could fit into the same category. If Brooking returns, it almost certainly won’t be as a starter. And Jamaal Anderson, who has had two sacks in two seasons as an end, could well become a full-time defensive tackle.
In his former life as a defensive coordinator, head coach Mike Smith regarded tackles as the core position. The Falcons see Jonathan Babineaux as a comer, and they like Trey Lewis, who missed the season due to knee surgery. And they could well bring back Grady Jackson, for another tour. Regarding defensive end, the rookie Kroy Biermann showed much late in the season — did Dimitroff have a great first draft or what? — and the sheer number of bodies up front available could mean that the Falcons won’t draft a D-linemen in Round 1.
If you’re betting, bet on them using their first pick — they have the 25th choice in Round 1 — on a cornerback. They’re prepared to try Chevis Jackson, another rookie who played nickel back, on the outside, but clearly the secondary is the area most in need of upgrading.
“We will make calculated decisions,” Dimitroff said. “They won’t be emotion-driven.”
We saw last spring that Dimitroff wasn’t shy about shedding big names: DeAngelo Hall, Warrick Dunn, Alge Crumpler. We’ll see it again soon. That’s the Patriots Way — lop a guy a year too soon, as opposed to a year too late — and Dimitroff learned it in New England.
As warm and fuzzy as the season just completed was, the months ahead are a time for the cold and clinical. As much as Brooking and Milloy have done for this franchise, they were still culpable in the three biggest plays made by the Cardinals. (Milloy was beaten on two touchdowns, and Brooking whiffed on the tight end on third-and-16 inside the final three minutes.)
The new regime has made the brightest start possible, and Dimitroff is just getting going. He has already reconfigured the offense, and now he gets to redo the D. And we, once again, get to stand back and watch the man work. Prepare, once again, to be impressed.
Permalink | Comments (125) | Post your comment | Categories: Falcons/NFL
Bradley’s Buzz: How high would Stafford go?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The clock ticks for Stafford (and Moreno)
He refused to drop even a hint after the Capital One Bowl, but a check of the latest mock drafts suggests Matthew Stafford is gone daddy gone. (Not to sound like Dave O’Brien, but that’s the title of a nice little ditty by the Violent Femmes.) He has until Jan. 15 to decide, and it would surely be hard to stay in school if you’re going to be taken in the top five, which most everybody believes he’d be.
Here’s a mock from Todd McShay of Scouts.Inc that has Stafford going No. 3 overall, behind Sam Bradford of Oklahoma and Andre Smith of Alabama. Here’s another from WalterFootball.com that has Stafford going No. 1, and another from Draft Countdown that does the same.
More mocks: Here’s one from DraftKing.com that has Stafford at No. 3, and one from Scout.com that has him at No. 4, while The Football Expert tabs Stafford No. 1. And here, from Russ Lande of Sporting News, is a breakdown of Stafford’s strengths and weaknesses. (Lande confesses he didn’t want to like Stafford as much he does, which would seem a compliment.)
If you’ll check ESPN’s draft home page, you’ll note that Scouts Inc. lists Stafford as only its No. 7 prospect and Moreno as No. 18. You’ll also note that Scouts Inc. doesn’t have Tech defensive end Michael Johnson in its top 32. Most of the mocks have Johnson, who was once considered a top 10 possibility, going in the middle of Round 1, and the consensus on Moreno seems to place him in the second half — from the 17th pick on — of Round 1.
One final note: McShay credits Stafford for making do without a great supporting cast around him at Georgia. My question: Moreno, A.J. Green and Mohamed Massaquoi are mediocrities? (I know, I know. McShay probably was referring to the offensive line. But that’s not what he wrote.)
The hated Gators again?
Under no circumstances should Georgia fans click on this link from NationalChamps.net. If they do, they’ll find all three teams that beat the Bulldogs in 2008 are rated ahead of Georgia in this early-bird Top 25 for 2009. The good news, sort of: Georgia is only one spot behind Tech.
This just in: The Falcons lost to Arizona
I tried to be a good sport about it last week, but I’m getting tired of being wrong. And I’m especially disgruntled at being wrong about the Falcons and the Cardinals. That seemed a no-brainer, although I’m starting to think I have no brain.
Toward that end, I checked the predictions from those mavens at ESPN, at CBSsports.com and at SI.com. And I was cheered, if only slightly, to find that 18 of 24 had picked Atlanta.
So I wasn’t flying Han Solo on this one. But, in light of my continuing run of misdiagnoses, I’m declaring a moratorium: I will make no predictions of any kind until the Final Four Fiasco, which is more than two months away.
Dan the Man says he still can
According to the New York Post, Dan Reeves said on Sirius XM Radio that he has hired an agent and wants to coach again in the NFL. Me, I’m not sure what he has left to prove — when you take the Falcons to the Super Bowl, you’ve pretty much done it all — but more power to him.
For the record, Reeves will turn 65 this month.
Good news for the consumer! Really!
Going highbrow here, I’m offering a link to a story by Darren Rovell in The New Republic, in which the author declares that 2009 will be a great year for the sports fan. Why? Because with corporate finances dwindling, teams cannot cater to businesses anymore. (Meaning: The luxury box as tax write-off.) They’ll have to attract the average fan, which can mean only one thing: Lower ticket prices.
(Found an interesting link? Send it to mbra14@gmail.com. Much gratitude and an online shout-out could be yours.)
Permalink | Comments (128) | Post your comment | Categories: Bradley's Buzz
Could Dogs be preseason No. 1 again?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I think Matthew Stafford and Knowshon Moreno will leave. Were they planning to stay, wouldn’t they have said so in the flush of emotion, such as it was, that followed the Capital One Bowl victory? And now they’re away from their teammates and surely huddling with family and friends, and any decisions won’t be made in the heat of a moment but in the colder light of economic reality.
So I’m betting they leave, both of them. But I have, as the world knows, been wrong a time or two. What if I’m wrong this time? What if they stay? Would the team that didn’t know how to handle being preseason No. 1 be preseason No. 1 again?
In a word, no. Too many better teams from 2008 should be strong again. Florida, Oklahoma, Texas and Southern Cal all have starting quarterbacks with eligibility remaining, although expectations are that the Sooners’ Sam Bradford will leave, and it wouldn’t be a shock if Tim Tebow did.
Alabama loses John Parker Wilson and surely Andre Smith but looks to have just gotten started. Ohio State could lose Beanie Wells but might have the 2009 Heisman winner in Terrelle Pryor. And don’t forget the North Avenue Trade School.
You could again make the argument that nobody would have a better quarterback/tailback tandem than Stafford/Moreno — and that this time they’d be working behind a more seasoned line — but that contention wouldn’t have the same oomph. We genius prognosticators don’t care to get burned by the same team twice.
Remember Auburn in 2003? Preseason No. 1 according to the Sporting News? Those Tigers wound up 8-5 and were a dud of megaton proportions. The next summer preseason, with Cadillac Williams and Ronnie Brown and Jason Campbell all returning, Auburn was only No. 17 in the preseason Associated Press poll. (This became a massive issue when those Tigers wound up undefeated but were barred from the BCS title game.)
Some back-of-the-envelope estimates: With Stafford and Moreno, Georgia would be preseason No. 5. With Stafford but without Moreno, they’d be No. 7. With Moreno but without Stafford, they’d be No. 13. Without both, they’d be No. 21.
Which would put them 12 spots behind those new lords of the ring, the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.
Permalink | Comments (294) | Post your comment | Categories: UGA/SEC
Latest comments
My point: The Braves should be thinking about moving forward but keep acting otherwise. Maybe losing Smoltz and Furcal will shock them to their senses.... read the full comment by Mark Bradley | Comment on Time for the Braves to look forward, not back Read Time for the Braves to look forward, not back
Last year Smoltz earned 15.5 million dollars in five starts. This year the Braves offered 3.5 million with incentives to reach 10 million; Boston offered 5.5 million with incentives to reach 10 million as well. When Smoltz signs with Boston, I... read the full comment by Mike Dell | Comment on Time for the Braves to look forward, not back Read Time for the Braves to look forward, not back
I have been a Braves fan for a long time and unfortunately, I am having a lot of trouble maintaining my interest in the organization. Not only is this now a bad team, it is an organization that cares only about dollars and cents. I know baseball is a business... read the full comment by Kyle | Comment on Time for the Braves to look forward, not back Read Time for the Braves to look forward, not back
As a Braves fan from the first day they moved to Atlanta and brought major league baseball too the south, this rates in my opinion as one of the many Braves stupid failures. They dumped Hank Aaron near the end. They dumped Eddie Matthews near the end.... read the full comment by Bye John | Comment on Time for the Braves to look forward, not back Read Time for the Braves to look forward, not back