Hey y’all. Your boy is back … just in time for one of those Fridays that feels like it’s both “already” and “finally” here.
Let’s celebrate with something silly.
Quick links: Torpy on the Battery | Pressure’s on, coach | Shaq, TV pitchman
LORD STANLEY DOES ATLANTA
Credit: Brandon Amato/Johnny's HIdeaway
Credit: Brandon Amato/Johnny's HIdeaway
Mike Huff used to work for Georgia Tech football. Now he’s an executive with the NHL’s Florida Panthers, who just won the Stanley Cup.
So what’s a guy to do?
Hook up with an old friend in Atlanta and take that bad boy on a tour of the South’s finest city, that’s what.
According to intrepid AJC reporter Henri Hollis, Huff and Lord Stanley stopped at Delta Air Lines, which flies the Panthers around, first. Then they hit a few hoity-toity places.
And then … Johnny’s Hideaway.
- If you’re not familiar, this is a Buckhead bar that, on most nights, presents as a multigenerational slopfest with a dance floor (connotation: positive).
- It’s the type of place that CEO who got caught cheating at a Coldplay show would take his girlfriend and say “isn’t this a trip?”
- The owner saying he “had to find a tablecloth” on which to put the priceless trophy also paints a pretty clear picture of the ambience.
After paying respects to that paragon of partying, the Cup evidently ended its night at Waffle House.
On the Atlanta celebration scale of one to “United taking the MLS Cup Trophy to Magic City,” we’ll give that outing a solid seven.
But here’s the important question: Your team wins a title. You have 24 hours to throw down with the trophy. Where are you headed?
My personal itinerary would probably include stops at a wing spot and the Clermont Lounge (you have to, right?), plus an aquatic adventure on Lake Lanier.
Just to make everyone a little uncomfortable.
Shoot me an email with your own (theoretical) party plans. Maybe I’ll round some up in a future edition of Sports Daily.
WEEKEND WATCH PARTY
Credit: abbey.cutrer@ajc.com
Credit: abbey.cutrer@ajc.com
OK, now for actual sports stuff. Including a (mostly) chronological look at what the weekend has in store.
⚾ The Braves start their second half surge (wink wink) tonight, when the Yankees come to town to start a three-game series at Truist Park. Spencer Strider delivers the first pitch at 7:15 p.m. on FanDuel Sports and Peachtree TV.
🏀 The Dream’s Allisha Gray helps kick off Indianapolis’ WNBA All-Star festivities in tonight’s 3-point contest (8 p.m., ESPN). Gray and Brionna Jones — a late but worthy addition — will play on opposing teams during Saturday’s All-Star Game (8:30 p.m., ABC).
⚽ Atlanta United, feeling pretty good about its extra time efforts but still searching for a win, hosts Charlotte on Saturday (7:30 p.m., Apple TV). The boys from N.C. are 10-2-11 on the season but have won two straight. United manager Ronny Deila, meanwhile, says his guys are soft — on set pieces, at least.
⛳ Oh, and the golf: Weekend TV coverage of the British Open/Open Championship/whatever you want to call it lives on USA in the early morning and NBC after that. After completing his first two rounds, former Georgia Bulldog Brian Harman had the lead at 8-under.
RAINING ON THE PARADE
By all accounts, Atlanta and the Braves knocked the All-Star Game out of the park (I know I had a blast). The Battery is the fiscal envy of the baseball world, too.
But lovably cranky news columnist Bill Torpy can’t pass up a chance to point out the taxpayer cash used to keep it all afloat — and the fact that the area surrounding the Braves’ former home is doing just fine by itself, thank you.
HERE’S THE KICKER
Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez/AJC
Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez/AJC
True story: The other night I had a dream. I don’t really remember the premise, but I was sitting around my grandparents’ former home talking to other family members.
In the background? A TV showing a Falcons game in which Younghoe Koo had already missed four field goals.
That’ll give you a pretty good idea how concerned I am about Atlanta’s special teams (and Koo, who missed nine kicks last season). But here’s what our friend D. Led had to say, in the eighth and final installment of his pre-camp roster breakdown.
🔗 Also worth a read: Columnist Michael Cunningham says everything is riding on head coach Raheem Morris having Michael Penix Jr. ready to play.
ALSO INTERESTING
😬 The Steelers signed linebacker TJ Watt to a new (and very lucrative) contract on Thursday. Which reminded me of one of my favorite stats: In 2021, Watt recorded 22.5 sacks. The Falcons had 18. As a team.
🤨 The Hawks’ NBA Summer League squad is now 4-0 but probably won’t make the “playoffs” because of point differential tiebreaker stuff. A travesty!
😯 Georgia football recently posted this clip of James Brown, Augusta’s own Godfather of Soul, interviewing then-Coach Vince Dooley after a game. A real time capsule of a video, that one.
PHOTO OF THE DAY
Credit: Ad screenshots
Credit: Ad screenshots
Hey! That’s Shaq! AJC entertainment reporter Rodney Ho recently touched base with Atlanta’s biggest — and most ubiquitous — TV pitch man to see what makes him tick, on that front.
You’ll be shocked to learn he enjoys making people laugh.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
As the ad agency, they're the point guards. I read the copy, Shaq-ify it and, as the center, I deliver. It's totally a team effort.
Thanks for reading to the very bottom of Sports Daily. Questions, comments, ideas? Contact me at tyler.estep@ajc.com.
Until next time.
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