AJC > Sports > Columnists > Archives > 2007 > September > 05
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
Spurrier sounds more human
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Mark Bradley
A confession: I never really thought Steve Spurrier was evil. I just thought my goofy little tag — Evil Genius — sort of fit Georgia fans’ perception of their nemesis: A really smart guy plotting world domination and chortling all the while.
Like Lex Luthor. Like Simon Bar Sinister. Like Doctor Doom.
Another confession: I’ve actually warmed to Spurrier in recent years. I considered him a graceless egomaniac when he was winning all the time at Florida, but now that he has been humbled a bit — first in D.C., now at South Carolina — I find him almost likable. He still says what he thinks, but he no longer thinks he and his teams are unbeatable. He doesn’t have fun at other people’s expense nearly so often. I actually enjoy listening to him now.
I was in Columbia for Spurrier’s press briefing Tuesday, and I laughed out loud two or three times. Once was when he said of his offensive line’s performance in the season opener: “They played OK sometimes. They got smashed sometimes. We got knocked on our butt by Louisiana-Lafayette.” He started out trying to give a compliment but couldn’t quite bring himself to follow through. Classic Spurrier.
I don’t think South Carolina will win Saturday night in Athens, nor do I think the Gamecocks will win the SEC anytime soon. (Regarding that topic, I’ve written a little something for Saturday’s paper. Consider yourselves warned.) But I have to admit: When Spurrier said, “This isn’t the last year I’m going to be coaching here,” I was actually glad. I never realized how much I’d missed the ol’ E.G.
Permalink | Comments (69) | Categories: Mark Bradley, Quick Hit, UGA / SEC
‘07 turmoil not that bad to Cox
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Terence Moore
The frequent losses are strange enough for any team among the post-1990 Braves. If you add all of that to those rare moments of turmoil in a Bobby Cox clubhouse, you get the feeling the venerable manager is stumbling through uncharted territory.
Thus the Braves’ free fall in the National League standings.
Thus you would be wrong, according to Cox, sitting inside his little bunker Wednesday near the home dugout at Turner Field. This was before the Braves dramatically interrupted their implosion with three runs in the bottom of the ninth to shock the Philadelphia Phillies 9-8 amid much leaping and shouting from the field to the stands.
But back to those moments of turmoil for the Braves, with Cox shrugging and saying, “No difference at all this year compared to past seasons. Honest. I’m being very candid with you. Nah. It’s been absolutely no difference.”
Well, maybe. Even when life was dandy for the Braves along the way to 14 consecutive division titles, five pennants and a world championship, Cox dealt with mess. It was just hidden mess. “Remember the Otis Nixon thing?” said Cox, referring to the loss of his leadoff hitter and center fielder for the 1991 World Series after Nixon’s cocaine-related suspension from baseball. So you just know that Cox was forced to handle other issues back then involving Nixon and whatever else, but Cox did so behind the scenes.
There also were those Deion Sanders things. They ranged from his dousing of announcer Tim McCarver in anger with buckets of water after winning a pennant to his shuffling between the Braves and the Falcons in the middle of a season to the dismay of some teammates. Cox quietly defused the situations. He did the same after John Rocker played amateur sociologist for Sports Illustrated with his observations from a New York subway train.
But this?
This is different.
In contrast to those occasional messes that still led to the playoffs, we have these constant messes that are pushing the Braves toward nothing good. For starters, utility player Willy Aybar reported late to spring training and vanished into the night near the start of the regular season due to issues with drinking and drugs. “You know, you can sniff things out when you’re around people long enough, and that one totally shocked everybody,” Cox said of Aybar, who has yet to play this season after entering a rehabilitation center for substance abuse.
Then there was closer Bob Wickman, sliced from the roster last month by popular demand. He ranks among the leading candidates in Braves history for the all-time Most Despised Teammate Award. When he wasn’t infuriating Braves players and coaches with his selfish attitude, he was blowing saves.
Oh, and after Atlanta native Kyle Davies was shipped to Kansas City this summer, he said he preferred the atmosphere surrounding the lowly Royals to that of the “uptight” Braves. Cox grimaced, before responding, “I don’t feel like our clubhouse is like that at all. Guys are laughing, having fun, and I try to make it that way. I mean, there was a lot of pressure on him personally to perform, so maybe that’s it.”
Probably, because Davies ranks as the only player ever to rip a Bobby Cox clubhouse in public.
In addition to all that, you also had that highly publicized spat between Braves leaders Chipper Jones and John Smoltz. It led to a conference in the manager’s office with batting coach Terry Pendleton serving as referee, bailiff or something. “Ah, that was absolutely nothing,” said Cox, shaking his head while easing into the biggest smile.
So does this mean the 66-year-old Cox plans to stick around when his contract expires at the end of the 2008 season? He paused, saying, “Well.” Then he paused some more, before adding, “I’m good through next year. Let’s put it that way.”
Let’s put it another way: If the Braves discover ways to win consistently again, those moments of turmoil will slide back into the shadows, and Cox likely will stay even longer.
Permalink | Comments (58) | Categories: Braves / MLB, Terence Moore
Pro sports run by spin doctors
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Terence Moore
Let’s see. Commissioner Roger Goodell just told ESPN that illegal dogfighting isn’t rampant among NFL players. Said Goodell, “This is an isolated case to Michael Vick from all the information we have.”
Then there is NBA commissioner David Stern’s insistence that Tim Donaghy was a “rogue” official involved in gambling on league games and providing inside information to high-stakes gamblers on the sport.
Oh, and what’s this ridiculous talk about a massive steroid problem in baseball?
Despite ongoing news of players getting busted for the use of performance-enhancing drugs, commissioner Bud Selig says it only proves that the game’s testing program is working.
Hmmm. Goodell, Stern and Selig also want us to believe that Lee Harvey Oswald really was the lone gunman in Dealey Plaza.
Permalink | Comments (8) | Categories: Quick Hit, Terence Moore
