The Win Column: Would you eat this sandwich?

It’s another big week around here: Braves-Dodgers. Michael Penix Jr. practicing for real. The TOUR Championship at East Lake.

Let’s start with a sandwich invented by a high school offensive lineman instead.

SERIOUSLY … WANT A BITE?

The "Honey Hammer," curated by Effingham County offensive linemen, has gone viral this week as a new twist on the classic PB+J sandwich. (Courtesy of Ross Garner/Effingham County High School)

At the right angle, with the jelly seeping out just so, it looks a bit like a post-Thanksgiving offering. A sandwich made with a very thick slab of turkey that’s maybe marinated in its Tupperware a little too long.

Take a bite, though, and there’s no mistaking it: That’s a PB&J with a twist … and the twist ain’t turkey.

It is, in fact, a Hostess honey bun.

“It’s a good way to gain weight,” Effingham County offensive lineman Jordan Dillon told our illustrious AJC Varsity friend Jack Leo. “I don’t need to gain anymore weight, but it’s really good.”

Dillon’s teammate, Ashton Nelms, invented the so-called “Honey Hammer” in order to put on weight ahead of the season. Effingham strength coach posted a photo to social media last week — and it’s now sitting at 3.5 million views and counting.

But “really good”?

I made one at home and it was surprisingly OK (our compadres at DawgNation were spot on when they subbed honey buns in for the sandwich bread).

Let’s not, though, pretend the thing went viral over some sort of universal appeal.

It went viral because it’s big guy food. And we love it when big guys talk about their food.

“Why not? Might as well try it,” Georgia Tech tight end Spencer Mermans (a 6-foot-6 behemoth) told the AJC’s Fletcher Page re: the Honey Hammer.

“I mean, I’m on a seafood diet. If I see the food I eat it.”

See? Delightful.

More from Tech tight ends coach Nathan Brock, who played O-line at Ohio State: “When I was playing there was a pizza spot by the dorm. I would order a calzone late at night, my buddies would give me a hard time. I’d order a calzone about 11:30 at night and crush that before bed so that way I could make weight the next morning.

“I never did the honey bun in the peanut butter and jelly. That’s a little bit outlandish.”

📬 So … would you try it? And what’s the weirdest thing you eat (or did eat)? Please send recipes to tyler.estep@ajc.com.

WHAT’S HAPPENING THIS WEEK?

🏈 Falcons: The Dirty Birds return to training camp today through Wednesday (no more open-to-the-public practices, sorry). More to come on what to expect from Michael Penix Jr.

• Last preseason game: Friday night, Dolphins in Miami.

🏒 Hockey(?) bureaucracy: The Alpharetta City Council is slated to vote tonight on the redevelopment plan that would (theoretically) bring an NHL-enticing hockey arena to a reimagined North Point Mall.

🏀 Dream: Your local WNBA squad 1) just clinched a playoff spot and 2) continues its road warrior ways with tonight’s return trip to Los Angeles (10 p.m., Atlanta News First). Atlanta beat the Sparks by 36 just a few days ago.

Next home game: Friday night against the Portland Fire.

⚾ Braves: Another big series on tap, with the Dodgers coming to town Tuesday through Thursday. All eyes on the struggling Atlanta offense, but here are your probable starters:

• Bryce Elder (8-7, 3.92 ERA) vs. Tyler Glasnow (3-0, 2.72)
• AJ Smith-Shawver (0-0, 6.23) vs. Roki Sasaki (5-5, 4.42)
• Chris Sale (12-9, 2.20) vs. Yoshinobu Yamamoto (12-7, 2.61)

⛳ TOUR Championship: The 30 best golfers in the world descend upon East Lake Golf Club with a title and a big ol’ check on the line (keep scrolling for a quick look at the favorites). First round arrives Thursday.

A NOT-SO-BOLD FALCONS PREDICTION

Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. (right) works out fellow QB Jack Strand in Flowery Branch. (Mike Stewart/AP)

The Falcons return to Flowery Branch in a slightly better mood following a preseason dismantling of the Colts.

More importantly: Michael Penix Jr. is ready to roll.

The quarterback’s doctor finally cleared him for full 11-on-11 practices, and we’ll see it in action this afternoon (follow @ByDanielFlick for live updates).

“I know he’s fired up,” rookie receiver Zachariah Branch said, “and we’re fired up as well to go out there and just compete in practice.”

Penix, of course, has been something short of spectacular in what he’s been allowed to do.

• According to the fancy passing chart maintained by Mr. Flick, he’s gone 72-for-112 passing during 7-on-7 drills.
• That’s a 64% completion rate against zero pass rush.

But Tua Tagovailoa hasn’t been much better overall (73-for-118 overall). His lone preseason performance was … uninspiring.

Prepare for Penix to get the starting nod, whether he “earns” it or not.

🤷 P.S.: No, they’re not going to start Jack Strand. And remember: No matter what happens, things could always be worse. We could be dealing with Deshaun Watson right now.

THE TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP RETURNS

Last year's Tour Championship winner Tommy Fleetwood celebrates at East Lake Golf Club. (Miguel Martinez/ AJC)

As mentioned above, the TOUR Championship returns to East Lake Golf Club this week — for the second-to-last time before the tournament starts rotating among several sites.

Here are the leading contenders and their betting odds, per DraftKings.

• Scottie Scheffler: +310
• Rory McIlroy: +830
• Ludvig Aberg: +1375
• Xander Schauffele: +1450
• Wyndham Clark: +1500
• Sam Burns: +1500
• Cameron Young: +1550
• Matt Fitzpatrick: +1650
• Tommy Fleetwood (2025 champ): +1800
• Chris Gotterup: +1900

Clark held off McIlroy to win the BMW Championship over the weekend … while Scheffler played through hand, foot and mouth disease. Gnarly.

🎟️ Anyway: At last check, face value tickets were still available. You’re looking at $96 for Thursday’s round and $121 for Sunday.

RANDOM COLLEGE FOOTBALL-RELATED THINGS

🙏 Godspeed and thank you to former Georgia running back Nick Chubb, who announced his NFL retirement over the weekend (roundup of reactions here). He’s the last member of the Bulldogs’ Chubb-Todd Gurley-Sony Michel era to hang ‘em up.

🤨 One Associated Press voter ranked Georgia Tech No. 23 in the preseason poll. He thinks the Jackets have “a real chance to begin the year 4-0 heading into their bye week.”

• Related: Tennessee, Tech’s Week 2 opponent, just named true freshman Faizon Brandon its starting quarterback. Brandon is a former 5-star recruit from North Carolina.
• Sort of related: Former Jacket Aaron Philo is getting the Week 1 start for Florida.

😳 Georgia Southern, meanwhile, tapped Max Johnson as its starting QB. As one astute reporter pointed out, the 25-year-old has been around so long he started for Ed Orgeron at LSU, Jimbo Fisher at Texas A&M and Mack Brown at North Carolina. Southern coach Clay Helton better watch his back.

😬 Nothing particularly original to say about the whole “Dae’Quan Wright maybe leaving the Browns to go back to college” thing. It’s dumb. But do remember: This is a one-off phenomenon involving court cases brought by guys who started their college careers in 2022 and didn’t get a fifth year.

ATLANTA UNITED: STREAKING AND STRIKING

Something’s gotten into Atlanta United lately … and for once that’s a good thing!

Last night’s home win over Kansas City made three straight victories the Five Stripes, who now sit just three points out of a playoff spot. You can thank much-improved performances from Miguel Almirón and Alexey Miranchuk (AJC columnist Michael Cunningham thinks Almirón in particular is playing more decisively and energetically).

Now a pricey new striker is headed this way.

Atlanta announced over the weekend the signing Breel Embolo. A few thoughts:

• Embolo, a 29-year-old Swiss national born in Cameroon, comes to Atlanta from Rennes, a team in France’s top league. He reportedly warranted an $18 million transfer fee.
• Embolo scored eight goals in 31 matches for Rennes last season.
• You may also remember him from the World Cup, where he recorded two goals and two assists during Switzerland’s four matches.
• He also took a rather unfortunate red card for diving against Argentina, though the folks in charge later said he shouldn’t have.

We won’t belabor things further, but suffice to say: United needed an established goal-scoring threat and landed one. Now we pray it works out better than the Emmanuel Latte Lath experiment.