AJC > Sports > Braves > Blog > Archives > 2006 > June > 27
Tuesday, June 27, 2006
The swagger’s gone
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The great Dorothy Parker used to hold court with other poets and writers at the famed “Algonquin Round Table” at the Algonquin Hotel in New York.
It was Dorothy _ not William Shakespeare, as some believe _ who uttered the line, “What fresh hell is this?”
She could have been talking about this Braves season, as the once-proud jewel of NL franchises goes from town to town, getting hammered and reading reports in every city of how the mighty have fallen.
It’s interesting to see it from this perspective. The adoring crowds (or E-bay autograph seekers) still form a gauntlet outside the Braves bus when it arrives at hotels and ballparks, and there are still hundreds, if not thousands, of Braves cap and T-shirt wearing fans in every road park. But it’s not the same. When you’re 4-20 in a month, the swagger can’t be the same, and it’s not with this team.
It feels a little _ just a little _ like it does watching my favorite NBA team, the Boston Celtics, when they come to Atlanta. The once-proud C’s are a joke to many younger fans who are only vaguely aware they were once the premier franchise in hoops, if not all of sports.
Now, I’m not AT ALL SUGGESTING THIS IS GOING TO HAPPEN TO THE BRAVES, so don’t start with me on that. Don’t write a post saying I’m suggesting it. If you do, well, it has no relation to what I’m saying. All I’m saying is that right now, this month, the Braves are a bit sad to watch. That’s all. You want to take it farther, feel free, but I’m not. Personally, I think they’ll be a contender for the NL East again next year. Not the favorite, though, not unless the Mets don’t keep Glavine and don’t have him and Pedro healthy atop their rotation. The lineup will be lethal again, that’s a given.
Anyway, I’m not going to get into a bunch of stats or try to break down the team’s flaws or needs today. Too many of you chiming in with “what’s the point of going over this” and “this blog is dead” comments in recent days for me to spend a lot of time trying to come up with a bunch of numbers or suggestions on what needs to be done. Feel free to do so yourselves, as always.
On a brighter note, the Atlanta concert scene never has a year as bad as the Braves are having. Not until you live or travel to other cities and try to find good bands to see and good shows to attend do you realize just how good we music fans have it in Atlanta. OUTSTANDING music city, especially if you include the hip Athens scene in the picture.
Ryan Adams in July and Flaming Lips in September, just two more recent additions to a concert lineup that sure blows away what the Braves are running out there lately.
Oh, by the way: Remind me to let you know if I find out how last night’s postgame night on the town went for Chipper and Frenchy, who went out with “The Captain” _ aka King of New York _ Derek Jeter on his 32nd birthday last night. Now that’s living large.
Later
