Sports

Sports Daily: Trigger warning

Plus: Kirk Cousins, Trae Young and high school stars
June 6, 2025

Hey y’all. It’s Friday.

If you want to get your weekend started with more Braves misery, you’re in luck. We’ve got all the angles covered.

If you don’t … I get it. Protect your peace — and keep on scrolling until you see the “Cousins Conundrum” headline.

Quick links: Dealing with Kirk | Catching up with Trae | High school athletes of the year


AFTERMATH OF AN IMPLOSION

Braves second baseman Ozzie Albies wasn't stoked about Eugenio Suarez' go-ahead ninth-inning double.

Credit: Mike Stewart/AP

Braves second baseman Ozzie Albies wasn't stoked about Eugenio Suarez' go-ahead ninth-inning double.

Wondering how Braves fans are feeling after yesterday’s unimaginable meltdown?

Here’s the beginning of one message that arrived in my inbox: “At age 84, I have few days to waste. Today was such a waste that I almost feel guilty of having sat down to watch the Braves game.”

A dramatic example, sure. But blowing a six-run ninth-inning lead — and falling seven games under .500 — will do that to a person.

You’d be forgiven for wanting to forget it happened. Even I’m a tad spent after writing yesterday’s postgame edition of the Braves Report.

But let’s take a quick look at everything anyway.

🗣️ Time to opine: AJC columnists Michael Cunningham and Ken Sugiura have thoughts.

📉 Numerical unpleasantries: Just how bad is it? Reporter Gabe Burns rounded up five unsavory statistics.

My “favorite” is the fact that the Rockies, Pirates and Marlins are the only National League teams with worse records than the Braves.

↔️ Bullpen moves: After Thursday’s implosion, the Braves designated Scott Blewett for assignment. Daysbel Hernandez hit the injured list.

And, for the first time, Snitker suggested Raisel Iglesias may not remain the closer: “There’s a thousand things going through my mind, and that’s an option. That’s definitely an option.”

🤞 Wish-casting: Here’s a little ammo for the more optimistic crowd — or folks looking for any reason at all to join ‘em.

Last year’s squad had a more reliable bullpen, of course. But, you know … you never know.

🫣 If you dare watch: Spencer Schwellenbach gets the start in tonight’s game from San Francisco, which begins at 10:15 p.m. EDT. Saturday and Sunday both bring 4:05 p.m. affairs.

All games are on FanDuel Sports.


THE COUSINS CONUNDRUM

Kirk Cousins (left) was the Falcons quarterback when he participated in 2024 training camp, and Michael Penix Jr. (center) was backup. Now, their roles are reversed. (Jason Getz/ AJC)

Credit: Jason Getz/AJC

Kirk Cousins (left) was the Falcons quarterback when he participated in 2024 training camp, and Michael Penix Jr. (center) was backup. Now, their roles are reversed. (Jason Getz/ AJC)

Quarterback and psychedelic drug enthusiast Aaron Rodgers finally told the Pittsburgh Steelers he intends to sign with them.

Why does this matter to you (beyond the eternal allure of train wreck observation)? Well, that was the last plausible landing spot for Kirk Cousins, if the Falcons were to try and trade him this offseason.

🤔 With mandatory minicamp set for next week, beat writer D. Orlando Ledbetter offers up a look at the options Atlanta still has for dealing with its very expensive backup quarterback.

Notably: Cutting him now would produce a $40 million cap hit, and the team would owe a $10 million bonus next year.


FINALS ENVY

Hawks beat writer Lauren Williams, meanwhile, went out to Oklahoma City to track down Trae Young.

He’s watching his hometown Thunder (which lost in the last second of Game 1 of the NBA Finals) with envy, saying he wants to win a title “even worse now.”

🏆 Young’s bullish on his own team, too: “We had the No. 1 pick last year that made strides and almost won rookie of the year, got second. We have a lot of young, young, really good players. We have a great coach. We have a lot of stuff, and we have a big summer ahead, for sure.”

Here’s hoping that last part is a bit of foreshadowing.


THE WONDER KIDS

Did you ever think to yourself, “Man, I sure do love all the Georgia high school sports, I wonder who the best player is in each one?”?

That’s oddly specific! But it’s your lucky day.

🏅 The AJC’s high school athletes of the year just dropped, and there’s one for all 27 sports — from baseball to wrestling.

🏅 More interested in school-level dominance? We’ve got your Georgia Athletic Directors Association Director’s Cup winners, too. (Hint: Marist is … pretty good at most things.)


HAPPENING THIS WEEKEND

🏀 The Atlanta Dream and previously injured guard Jordin Canada get back to action tonight in Connecticut, taking on a Sun team they’ve already shellacked once this season. Tipoff: 7:30 p.m. on Ion.

🎾 Coco Gauff, the former Atlantan and second-ranked tennis player in the world, takes on No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in Saturday’s French Open final. That’s at 9 a.m. on TNT.


PHOTO OF THE DAY

Artem Korchagin suits up on the offensive line for Thomas County Central.

Credit: Courtesy photo

Artem Korchagin suits up on the offensive line for Thomas County Central.

Artem Korchagin moved from Russia (the country) to Georgia (the state) as a 14-year-old. He didn’t speak English and had never played football.

Now he’s committed to play at Cal-Berkeley.


QUOTE OF THE DAY

It was hard, really hard, because I've never played anything like that. It's so confusing, to the point where you don't know the purpose of the game. Like, what's your goal as a player?

- Korchagin, on his early impressions of football

Thanks for reading to the very bottom of Sports Daily. Questions, comments, ideas? Contact me at tyler.estep@ajc.com.

Until next time.

About the Author

Before taking over the AJC's Sports Daily newsletter, Tyler Estep spent two years writing the A.M. ATL newsletter. A Gwinnett County native and University of Georgia graduate, he has been with the AJC since 2015 and previously worked as a reporter on the breaking news, hyperlocal and local government teams.

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