http://www.ajc.com The latest headlines from AJC en-us Copyright 2009, Cox Newspapers Inc., AJC Thu, 9 Jul 2009 20:57:16 EDT Newspapers COXnet RSS Generator v1.0 http://img.coxnewsweb.com/C/08/17/52/image_1352178.jpg http://www.ajc.com 5 http://www.ajc.com/services/content/sports/braves/stories/2009/07/09/vazquez_injured.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=21 http://www.ajc.com/services/content/sports/braves/stories/2009/07/09/vazquez_injured.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=21 Thu, 9 Jul 2009 20:37:06 EDT Denver — Even if Braves pitcher Javier Vazquez had been named to the All-Star team, a strained lower-abdominal muscle would have prevented him from playing in the game. The Atlanta right-hander was diagnosed with the injury after flying home from Chicago on Wednesday for an MRI. He's been scratched from a scheduled start Sunday against Colorado in the last game before the All-Star break, but the Braves think he might avoid a stint on the disabled list. "The MRI was very helpful to give us an indication that it's not a serious thing," general manager Frank Wren said before Thursday night's series opener against the Rockies in Denver. http://www.ajc.com/services/content/sports/uga/stories/2009/07/08/college_football_polls.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=21 http://www.ajc.com/services/content/sports/uga/stories/2009/07/08/college_football_polls.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=21 Thu, 9 Jul 2009 10:19:56 EDT If preseason polls are to be believed, Georgia Tech will be the second-best football team in the ACC in 2009 and Georgia will be fifth among SEC teams. Yet the Bulldogs will finish ahead of the Yellow Jackets in the final polls. That's the consensus of opinion when considering the predictions of five of the most recognized preseason college football forecast publications — Athlon, ESPN.com, Lindy's, Phil Steele and The Sporting News. All of them like Florida to repeat as national champions as each of them put the Gators No. 1. Texas, Oklahoma, Southern Cal and Virginia Tech round out the top five when averaging the ranking among the five predictions. http://www.ajc.com/services/content/sports/hawks/stories/2009/07/08/hawks_pachulia_deal.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=21 http://www.ajc.com/services/content/sports/hawks/stories/2009/07/08/hawks_pachulia_deal.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=21 Wed, 8 Jul 2009 21:29:58 EDT Four years ago, Zaza Pachulia said he planned to make himself comfortable in Atlanta. A 21-year-old free agent at the time and barely knee-deep into his NBA career, Pachulia sounded a bit presumptuous at the time. But it turns out he was right. The free-agent center agreed to terms with the Hawks on a new four-year deal worth an estimated $19 million, according to two people familiar with the situation. http://www.ajc.com/services/content/sports/stories/2009/07/08/mcnair_murder_divorce.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=21 http://www.ajc.com/services/content/sports/stories/2009/07/08/mcnair_murder_divorce.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=21 Wed, 8 Jul 2009 11:54:57 EDT Steve McNair's home in Nashville was on the market because he and his wife were looking for another one and not because they were divorcing, according to a longtime friend of the slain former NFL quarterback. Robert Gaddy, a friend of McNair's for 20 years, said the former Tennessee Titans star and his wife, Mechelle, were looking for a home for some time. "That's one thing that I can get straightened out," Gaddy told the Tennessean in an interview published Tuesday. "Steve and Mechelle both put that house up for sale. He was getting ready to sell that house, and they were going to buy another house.'' http://www.ajc.com/services/content/sports/uga/stories/2009/07/08/bcs_hatch_investigation.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=21 http://www.ajc.com/services/content/sports/uga/stories/2009/07/08/bcs_hatch_investigation.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=21 Wed, 8 Jul 2009 04:52:46 EDT Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch urged the Justice Department on Tuesday to investigate college football's Bowl Championship Series for what he views as violations of antitrust laws. Hatch made the comment after conducting a standing-room-only hearing in the Senate subcommittee with antitrust oversight, where he serves as the top Republican. "Frankly, there's an arrogance about the BCS that just drives me nuts," he told reporters. "Hopefully this hearing will open the door to have some people reconsider their positions. And if nothing else, the Justice Department ought to be looking at this." He said that it's clear to him that the BCS is in violation of antitrust laws. http://www.ajc.com/services/content/sports/stories/2009/07/07/dream_uconn.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=21 http://www.ajc.com/services/content/sports/stories/2009/07/07/dream_uconn.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=21 Wed, 8 Jul 2009 04:40:13 EDT This one should have been easy. The Dream jumped out to a 7-0 lead, led by as many as 19 points, but then held on for a 72-67 WNBA victory over the Connecticut Sun Tuesday night. The Dream (6-7) held a 19-point halftime lead but the Sun closed the gap to 69-67 with 9.7 seconds left on Asjha Jones' layup. http://www.ajc.com/services/content/sports/braves/stories/2009/07/07/vazquez_braves_cubs.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=21 http://www.ajc.com/services/content/sports/braves/stories/2009/07/07/vazquez_braves_cubs.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=21 Wed, 8 Jul 2009 00:03:16 EDT CHICAGO — After the Braves scored two runs in the first three innings Tuesday night, Javier Vazquez had to know there was a good chance they wouldn't score again. So this time, the Braves right-hander made sure it was enough. Vazquez (6-7) pitched seven crisp innings, and Brian McCann drove in a pair of runs as the Braves snapped a three-game skid with a 2-1 win against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. http://www.ajc.com/services/content/sports/braves/stories/2009/07/07/jeff_francoeur_news.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=21 http://www.ajc.com/services/content/sports/braves/stories/2009/07/07/jeff_francoeur_news.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=21 Tue, 7 Jul 2009 22:08:51 EDT CHICAGO — Right fielder Jeff Francoeur was back in the Braves' lineup Tuesday, after being benched for three consecutive starts in favor of hot-hitting Matt Diaz. Francoeur, who had a pinch-hit single Monday, was 14-for-63 (.222) with one homer and four RBIs in his past 19 games before Tuesday, and had a .229 average, two homers and a .265 on-base percentage in his past 57 games. Diaz was 0-for-4 with two strikeouts Monday, snapping his string of five consecutive multi-hit games. http://www.ajc.com/services/content/sports/stories/2009/07/07/dream_attendance.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=21 http://www.ajc.com/services/content/sports/stories/2009/07/07/dream_attendance.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=21 Tue, 7 Jul 2009 21:41:48 EDT A team that fell flat in its infancy last summer is learning to crawl. Progress for the Dream may be slow, recalling that this franchise won just four games last season. But there are positive signs in Year Two. The team's record is already better. Attendance figures are up in certain areas. Heck, even ticket requests from opposing teams have become a lot to handle. http://www.ajc.com/services/content/sports/braves/stories/2009/07/07/chipper_jones_injury.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=21 http://www.ajc.com/services/content/sports/braves/stories/2009/07/07/chipper_jones_injury.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=21 Tue, 7 Jul 2009 21:11:23 EDT CHICAGO — Stop us if you've heard this one before: Chipper Jones was out of the Braves' lineup Tuesday with a sore right groin. The 37-year-old third baseman cautiously predicted he would not be out long. "A day or two," he said. "Hopefully." http://www.ajc.com/services/content/sports/stories/2009/07/07/alabama_virginia_tech.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=21 http://www.ajc.com/services/content/sports/stories/2009/07/07/alabama_virginia_tech.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=21 Tue, 7 Jul 2009 19:29:24 EDT ATLANTA (AP) — There will be no public ticket sale for the Sept. 5 Alabama-Virginia Tech game in the Georgia Dome. Fans of the two schools already have purchased all the tickets. The Chick-fil-A Bowl committee, which organizes the annual season kickoff game at the Georgia Dome, announced Tuesday each school has sold its full share of 31,200 tickets. http://www.ajc.com/services/content/sports/hawks/stories/2009/07/07/bibby_hawks.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=21 http://www.ajc.com/services/content/sports/hawks/stories/2009/07/07/bibby_hawks.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=21 Tue, 7 Jul 2009 19:06:35 EDT One of the Hawks' biggest weaknesses from the past few seasons is quickly becoming a strength. Now that they've come to an agreement with veteran point guard Mike Bibby on a three-year deal for an estimated $18 million, according to two people familiar with the situation. Bibby's Washington-based agent David Falk told the Associated Press on Tuesday that "we've reached an agreement in principle that hopefully will be announced very soon." Today is the first day free agents, such as Bibby, are allowed to sign contracts. http://www.ajc.com/services/content/sports/uga/stories/2009/07/07/uga_florida_game_time.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=21 http://www.ajc.com/services/content/sports/uga/stories/2009/07/07/uga_florida_game_time.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=21 Tue, 7 Jul 2009 13:11:18 EDT This year's Georgia-Florida game will kick off at 3:30 p.m. and be nationally televised by CBS, the Florida Athletic Association announced Tuesday. The annual rivalry, formerly known as the World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party, will be played Oct. 31 at Jacksonville Municipal Stadium. The Bulldogs' opener, against Oklahoma State in Stillwater, Okla., also will kick off at 3:30. It will be nationally televised by ABC. http://www.ajc.com/services/content/sports/braves/stories/2009/07/06/braves_jurrjens_cubs.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=21 http://www.ajc.com/services/content/sports/braves/stories/2009/07/06/braves_jurrjens_cubs.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=21 Mon, 6 Jul 2009 23:31:01 EDT Jair Jurrjens would've pitched at Wrigley Field in June 2008 but the Braves rookie fell down steps leading from the clubhouse the night before and missed his start with a sprained ankle. When he finally made his Wrigley debut Monday night, the first couple of innings brought another pratfall for Jurrjens and the Braves. Derrek Lee hit a two-run homer in the first inning and the Chicago Cubs added two runs in the second, cruising to a 4-2 series-opening win that extended the Braves' losing skid to three games. http://www.ajc.com/services/content/sports/braves/stories/2009/07/06/smoltz_bad_start.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=21 http://www.ajc.com/services/content/sports/braves/stories/2009/07/06/smoltz_bad_start.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=21 Mon, 6 Jul 2009 22:20:14 EDT Boston — Rookie Brett Anderson threw Oakland's first complete game since last July 8 and outpitched 21-year veteran John Smoltz to lead the Athletics to a 6-0 victory over the Boston Red Sox on Monday night. Former Boston star Nomar Garciaparra tipped his helmet and tapped his chest as he received a one-minute standing ovation before his first at-bat as an opponent at Fenway Park, then singled twice and drove in the first run. Anderson, who was 82 days old when Smoltz made his major league debut on April 23, 1988, struck out a career-high nine, allowed two singles and two walks and ended Oakland's 151-game stretch without a complete game.