The following, a weekly feature of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, allows our reporters to open their notebooks and provide even more information from our local teams that we cover daily. We think you’ll find it informative, insightful and fun.
Door appears to remain open for Calais Campbell
Falcons coach Raheem Morris has kept the door open for a possible return of defensive end Calais Campbell, who tied Bud Dupree for the team lead in sacks last season.
“I talked to him Calais, and I’ll let Calais tell you his thoughts,” Morris said. “When I talked to him and told him what my vision was, talked to him a little bit about that and where it could potentially go. I’ll keep that, with no disrespect, I’ll keep that conversation between me and him private.”
Campbell, who’ll turn 38 in December, hadn’t made a decision when interviewed at the Super Bowl at the NFLPA function.
“I’ll let him tell (everyone) what he’s going to do,” Morris said. “I don’t know if he’s made a formal announcement, a public announcement or anything like that. That’s always sensitive when you are talking about vets like that.”
Campbell said that general manager Terry Fontenot wanted him to return. Morris wants to get a chance to make a face-to-face pitch.
“But I look forward to get a chance to sit in front of him because he’s certainly impressive as it gets when he comes to football character,” Morris said. “He’s had an impressive of a career that you can have. He... can still bring to the game for us moving forward. I’m looking (forward) to discussing that in farther detail with him at a later date.”
Additional details for Georgia Tech spring game
Additional details have been set for Georgia Tech’s spring game, which is scheduled for 1 p.m. April 13 at Bobby Dodd Stadium. Admission and parking is free.
The event also will feature a “yard sale” from 9 a.m.-noon at McCamish Pavilion, with apparel for all Tech athletic programs available for purchase. The sale will be cashless with payment accepted via credit and/or debit card only.
Because of construction at Bobby Dodd Stadium, gates 8 and 9, located on the east side of the stadium, will open at noon for the Yellow Jackets’ scrimmage. On Techwood Drive, inflatables, games, activations from Dunkin’ and Coca-Cola, and 680/93.7 The Fan’s “College Football Today” will be on hand for pregame.
General admission seating will be available on the north and east sides of the stadium (sections 119-131) and concessions will be available to purchase at the concession stands located at sections 121, 123 and 128.
The 2023 Gasparilla Bowl trophy will be on display near the inside the Bobby Dodd Stadium Club Lounge, which will be open to all fans in attendance.
The game also will be televised live on ACC Network Extra, and the radio call of the game will be carried locally 680/93.7 The Fan and on the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets app.
Five Yellow Jackets make opening-day rosters
Georgia Tech had five former players make opening-day rosters for MLB clubs last week in Joey Bart (San Francisco Giants), Charlie Blackmon (Colorado Rockies), Xzavion Curry (Cleveland Guardians), Buck Farmer (Cincinnati Reds) and Kyle McCann (Oakland Athletics). Bart since was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Bart appeared in 30 games last season for San Francisco, hitting only .207 in 87 at-bats. Blackmon and is hitting .296 with 215 home runs and an .840 OPS for his career. Curry made 41 appearances for a 4.07 ERA in 2023. In 71 appearances last season, Farmer posted a 4-5 record with a 4.20 ERA and three saves.
McCann makes the Athletics’ opening-day roster after a terrific spring, when he hit two home runs and had five RBIs, with an OPS of .875. He made his MLB debut Saturday and had two walks, an RBI and a run scored.
What is too much coffee?
Atlanta United manager Gonzalo Pineda rarely talks to the media without a cup of coffee in his hands.
It’s become somewhat of a running joke between him and those who cover the team.
Last week, Pineda was asked how many cups of coffee he drinks during a day.
“14,” he said, as if the total were normal.
The journalists around him responded with various expressions of shock.
After Sunday’s win against Chicago, Pineda came to the podium without a cup of coffee.
“No coffee?” he was asked.
“I need it,” he said, smiling. “It’s coming.”
Sure enough, a few minutes into his interview a cup of freshly brewed coffee was put on the podium for Pineda to drink.
Perhaps it was No. 12.
For the record, when Pineda’s mother found out about his 14-cup habit he was told it was “too many.”
Shaffer over Salyer
In 2022, the Falcons apparently took the wrong offensive linemen from Georgia.
With Justin Shaffer, who played at Cedar Grove High, and Jamaree Salyer, of Pace Academy, on the board, the Falcons took Shaffer with the 190th pick.
Salyer went five picks later (195th) to the Chargers. Salyer started 14 of 17 games as a rookie and all 17 games last season.
Shaffer never got on the field with the Falcons in a regular-season game and was released March 28.
Shaffer was the first player from Georgia drafted by the Falcons since Akeem Dent in 2011 (third round).
A former All-SEC second-team player, Shaffer couldn’t crack the Falcons’ interior offensive line rotation. He was surpassed by Ryan Neuzil, an undrafted free agent from Appalachian State, free agent Kyle Hinton and Jovaughn Gwyn, who was drafted in the seventh round out of South Carolina in the 2023 draft.
Also, when they needed someone to step forward at left guard, the Falcons drafted Matthew Bergeron in the second round of the 2023 draft out of Syracuse.
Bergeron started all 17 games last season. Neuzil served as the backup guard and center. Also, Hinton started one game at right guard for Chris Lindstrom last season.
Salyer went in at left tackle for Chargers after Rashawn Slater suffered an injury in Week 4 of the 2022 season and he has stayed in the lineup. He moved to right guard in 2023 when Slater returned from injury.
No. 5 Georgia softball clashes with No. 4 Tennessee
Georgia’s baseball team is not the only one exceling on the diamond this year. Heading into the midpoint of the season, the Bulldogs’ softball team is considered one of the favorites to make it to Oklahoma City and the Women’s College World Series this year.
Georgia had a chance to validate that distinction this weekend. The No. 3-ranked Bulldogs (30-6, 6-3 SEC) traveled to Tennessee on Friday for a three-game series against the No. 4-ranked Volunteers (28-5, 8-1). Bitter rivals in softball, as they are most sports, the teams’ final game of the set will be played at 11 a.m. Sunday and will be broadcast to a national audience on ESPN2.
Both teams were entering the series seeking to regain some momentum. Georgia surprisingly lost two of three to No. 20 Arkansas last weekend in Athens. Meanwhile, the Vols lost the last game of their three-game set at Auburn, which snapped an incredible 20-game win streak.
It looks to be a classic matchup of great pitching versus great hitting. The Vols are led by a pair of hurlers in Karlyn Pickens and Peyton Gottshall, who are 14-3 (0.77 ERA) and 12-2 (1.25), respectively. The Bulldogs’ prolific offense is led by outfielder Jayda Kearney (.391-14 HRs) and infielder Sara Mosley (.350-10), who is second in the SEC and sixth national with 46 RBIs.
-Staff writers Doug Roberson, D. Orlando Ledbetter, Chip Towers and Chad Bishop contributed to this report.
