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    Mike Check

    FILE - In this Thursday, July 16, 2020, file photo, a worker sprays the dugout rail to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus, before the Miami Marlins' baseball practice at Marlins Park in Miami. The Marlins, one of the most under-the-radar teams in sports, have making news lately, all of it bad. Overtaken by a coronavirus outbreak, the team must scramble for roster replacements as they try salvage a season barely underway. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee, File)
    Mike Check Blog
    NBA thrives in ‘bubble’ as COVID-19 strikes MLB
    Atlanta Braves' Kyle Wright pitches to the Tampa Bay Rays during the first inning of a baseball game Tuesday, July 28, 2020, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
    Mike Check Blog
    Perilous plan for young Braves pitchers: ‘Let them figure it out’
    Falcons coach Dan Quinn
    Mike Check Blog
    COVID-19 makes Dan Quinn’s critical Falcons season harder
    More from Michael Cunningham
    Dan Quinn is entering his sixth season as the Falcons' head coach.
    Mike Check Blog
    Five questions for Falcons in advance of training camp
    072120 Atlanta: Atlanta Braves Matt Adams is congratulated by teammates hitting a walk off home run for a 10-9 victory over the Miami Marlins during the ninth inning in an exhibition game on Tuesday, July 21, 2020 in Atlanta. Curtis Compton ccompton@ajc.com
    Mike Check Blog
    COVID-19 may clog Braves’ good chemistry, but they’ll win the East
    Braves pitcher Touki Toussaint adjusts his face mask while taking the field before an intrasquad baseball game. Toussaint rejoined the team after testing positive for COVID-19. (Curtis Compton/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP)
    Mike Check Blog
    There are signs that sports can safely coexist with COVID-19
    Julio Jones is the NFL's best wide receiver, according to ESPN's poll of executives, scouts, coaches and players. (ALYSSA POINTER/ALYSSA.POINTER@AJC.COM)
    Mike Check Blog
    ESPN poll confirms what we see: Falcons short on elite players
    Kyle Wright delivers a pitch during the first inning of an intrasquad game on Thursday, July 16, 2020 in Atlanta. Curtis Compton ccompton@ajc.com
    Mike Check Blog
    Need to see pitching depth Braves keep talking about
    Juan Soto of the Washington Nationals hits an RBI single against the Houston Astros during the eighth inning in Game Seven of the 2019 World Series at Minute Maid Park on October 30, 2019 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
    Mike Check Blog
    Braves aren’t only NL East contender dealing with COVID-19 attrition
    The Braves' Truist Park.
    Mike Check Blog
    Our sports return soon, but will they be as good and fun as usual?
    (Gabe Burns / AJC)
    Mike Check Blog
    I’m not buying projection of less-than even playoff odds for Braves
    LSU’s Tiger Stadium. At least 30 LSU players have been isolated because of COVID-19.
    Mike Check Blog
    Colleges already showing they ‘aren’t up to the task’ of keeping safe...
    Duke forward Zion Williamson.
    Mike Check Blog
    New league to pay college players, provide alternative to NCAA’s...
    9 things you may not know about Freddie Freeman
    Mike Check Blog
    If MLB plays it will be a wild, random season
    Oklahoma State football coach Mike Gundy
    Mike Check Blog
    Empowered by racial-justice movement, black college athletes stand up...
    The Braves selected Wake Forest's Jared Shuster in the draft. (AP Photo/Ben McKeown, File)
    Mike Check Blog
    This year, most of Braves’ farm restocking comes after draft
    Hawks forward Cam Reddish shoots over Hornets guard Devonte' Graham. (AP Photo/John Amis)
    Mike Check Blog
    To back up playoff talk, Hawks need a lot more from their wings
    Ex-Braves catcher Evan Gattis was selected in the  23rd round of the 2010 draft.
    Mike Check Blog
    MLB draft cost cuts will create shallower talent pool of prospects
    Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (Photo by Chris Elise/NBAE via Getty Images)
    Mike Check Blog
    NBA’s restart plan will create great finish for strange season
    Hawks head coach Lloyd Pierce holds his daughter Maya Joy Pierce. HYOSUB SHIN / HSHIN@AJC.COM
    Mike Check Blog
    Hawks coach Lloyd Pierce couldn’t stay silent: ‘Black lives do matter’
    Rams’ Robert Quinn tackles Falcons’ Matt Ryan in 2018. Curtis Compton/ccompton@ajc.com
    Mike Check Blog
    Falcons committed to pocket passer Matt Ryan in dual-threat era
    MLB commissioner Rob Manfred takes questions during his news conference at Braves spring training in February. (Curtis Compton/ccompton@ajc.com)
    Mike Check Blog
    MLB’s labor offer threatens damage to its best product: star players
    Trae Young and John Collins of the Hawks celebrate during a 123-110 victory against the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday, January 14, 2020, in Atlanta. Curtis Compton ccompton@ajc.com
    Mike Check Blog
    Hawks ‘want to come back’ for NBA restart, but may not get chance
    Falcons head coach Dan Quinn walks past the Brotherhood slogan in 2019.
    Mike Check Blog
    Falcons use virtual ‘point of attack’ plan for player development
    March 31, 2020 Atlanta: The third base gate to the Atlanta Braves Truist Park is chained shut while the stadium sits empty on Tuesday, March 31, 2020, in Atlanta.
    Mike Check Blog
    All-in for big changes to MLB’s schedule, for now and the future
    Tiger Woods celebrates winning the Masters during the final round Sunday, April 14, 2019, at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta. (JASON GETZ/SPECIAL TO THE AJC)
    Mike Check Blog
    5 career moments: Tiger, 28-3, Bud Selig’s Milwaukee nightmare
    Braves slugger Freddie Freeman and his wife, Chelsea, donated to the Atlanta Community Food Bank, the Giving Kitchen and The Salvation Army.
    Mike Check Blog
    Local athletes are lending a hand through these tough times
    Atlanta Falcons' 2020 game-by-game schedule
    Mike Check Blog
    Tough early stretch will test young Falcons players
    The Braves' Truist Park. Curtis Compton ccompton@ajc.com
    Mike Check Blog
    Some plans for return of sports more realistic than others
    Hawks guard Trae Yound reacts to hitting a three pointer in the final minutes of a 103-99 victory over the Orlando Magic in the home opener Saturday, Oct. 26, 2019, in Atlanta.
    Mike Check Blog
    ESPN poll confirms Trae Young’s superstar potential and one big weakness
    AP Photo/Keith Srakocic, File
    Mike Check Blog
    NCAA ‘guardrails’ mean athletes won’t have full name and image rights
    UGA football: A look at Kirby Smart's four seasons in Athens
    Mike Check Blog
    There’s another chance for Kirby Smart to prove he can produce top NFL...
    Falcons coach Dan Quinn and Saints head coach Sean Payton. Curtis Compton / ccompton@ajc.com
    Mike Check Blog
    NFC South rivals continue chasing Saints in draft
    5 things to know about A.J. Terrell
    Mike Check Blog
    We’ll see if Terrell is good pick for Falcons, but they were right to...
    The NFL logo on the main stage during the second round of the NFL football draft, Friday, April 26, 2019, in Nashville.
    Mike Check Blog
    Virtual draft makes NFL teams potential targets for hackers
    Atlanta Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff (right) and head football coach Dan Quinn have maintained constant communications ahead of the 2020 NFL Draft.
    Mike Check Blog
    Will short-term goals lead Falcons to make draft trade mistake?
    Sanford Stadium on April 2, 2020.  Curtis Compton / ccompton@ajc.com
    Mike Check Blog
    College football shouldn’t be played if players are at risk of COVID-19
    Georgia head coach Kirby Smart and Georgia Tech head coach Geoff Collins shake hands during an NCAA college football game at Bobby Dodd Stadium on Saturday, November 30, 2019. Georgia won 52-7 over the Georgia Tech. (Hyosub Shin / Hyosub.Shin@ajc.com)
    Mike Check Blog
    New rankings show recruiting progress for Georgia, Georgia Tech
    Prolific Prep's Jalen Green shoots a free throw against La Lumiere during a high school basketball game at the Hoophall Classic, Sunday, Jan. 19, 2020, in Springfield, Mass.
    Mike Check Blog
    Two top prospects skip college for G League and hopefully weaken hand...
    December 8, 2019 Atlanta - Carolina Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey (22) is brought down by Atlanta Falcons defensive end Vic Beasley (44) during the first half in a NFL football game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Sunday, December 8, 2019. (Hyosub Shin / Hyosub.Shin@ajc.com)
    Mike Check Blog
    Falcons benefit from Carolina’s half-hearted rebuild
    ajc.com
    Mike Check Blog
    Twitter trashes new Falcons unis, but I (mostly) like them
    Atlanta Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff speaks during a press conference Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2020, at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.
    Mike Check Blog
    Falcons hit Dimitroff’s free-agency goals, but have less talent than...
    Sanford Stadium is empty waiting and hoping for football season on Thursday, April 2, 2020, in Athens, where a mandatory shelter in place has been in effect long before many metro Atlanta towns took similar steps. Curtis Compton ccompton@ajc.com
    Mike Check Blog
    Can’t see sports returning with later ‘waves’ of COVID-19 possible
    FLE - In this Dec. 1, 2019, file photo, Los Angeles Rams defensive end Dante Fowler (56) plays against the Arizona Cardinals during the first half of an NFL football game, in Glendale, Ariz.
    Mike Check Blog
    Is Falcons pass-rusher Dante Fowler a one-year wonder like Vic Beasley?
    NCAA President Mark Emmert answers questions at a news conference at the Final Four Thursday, April 4, 2019, in Minneapolis.
    Mike Check Blog
    No mandate for scholarship money in NCAA’s weak extra-eligibility ruling
    In this March 5, 2019, file photo, a statue of Zenyatta stands in the paddock gardens area at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)
    Mike Check Blog
    Miss live sports? Try horse racing
    5 things you may not know about Cristian Pache
    Mike Check Blog
    Braves’ bountiful farm system could be at its peak
    2020 Falcons rosters moves
    Mike Check Blog
    After free agency’s first wave, Falcons lag Saints and Bucs in NFC South
    Atlanta Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff speaks during a press conference Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2020, at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.
    Mike Check Blog
    New NFL labor deal gives Falcons more options to create cap space
    Braves Austin Riley (left) and Johan Camargo are competing for the third base spot in spring training.
    Mike Check Blog
    Spring showings by these Braves might carry over to season
    Tosh Lupoi’s improvement plan for Takk McKinley
    Mike Check Blog
    Tosh Lupoi is latest to try to help weak Falcons pass rush
    Braves right-hander Bryse Wilson.
    Mike Check Blog
    Braves prospect Bryse Wilson’s rapid rise stalls
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