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 in informative, insightful and fun.
Falcons’ Smith on the Jeffersons: ‘He’s smarter and better looking, too’
Falcons coach Arthur Smith and Panthers wide receivers coach Shawn Jefferson worked together with the Titans from 2013-15.
So, when the Falcons acquired Van Jefferson, Shawn’s son, Smith had to get off a joke.
“I know this, he’s faster than his dad,” Smith said. “He’s smarter and better looking, too. Thanks to his mother.”
The fact that Smith already knew the Jeffersons helped with the deal to bring him from the Rams.
“You feel good because you know what he’s about and the tape matches it, too,” Smith said. “It’s not just the personal relationship, but can you bring him in our locker room?”
The Falcons didn’t get stuck on how Jefferson’s playing time with the Rams decreased over the past two seasons.
“Circumstances change year to year in the (NFL),” Smith said. “Sometimes you get guys at different places, and hopefully it works out and you get a win-win. It helps the Rams out, helps us and ultimately helps Van and this team. So, like I said, I knew him. Watched him as a young player.”
Smith was not sure how fast the Falcons can get Jefferson ready to play.
“Just depends on the scheme and what you want to ask the player to do,” Smith said. “I mean, I’ve been on a short week before. You sign a guy on Monday and you’ve got to play him Thursday night, 45 snaps. I’ve done it with tight ends, done it with backup quarterbacks.
“That’s just the way it goes sometimes. Depends on what you want to ask them to do. Again, if you’re fitting a puzzle together, how effective can somebody be with what you need on special teams, packages you may carry on defense. There’s a lot that goes into it before you make that decision on Saturday.”
Repaving project pays dividends
Atlanta Motor Speedway got two key race dates with the announcement of the 2024 NASCAR schedule last week.
Those prime dates were a direct result of the repaving project completed last year and the race results following the work.
AMS will host the second race of the season, immediately following the season-opening Daytona 500 in February. The track also will post the first race of the playoffs in September.
The Quaker State 400 will be run at 3 p.m. Sept. 8. It will be the first time AMS has hosted the opening race of the Cup Series playoffs. The Ambetter Health 400 will be run at 3 p.m. Feb. 25.
Ben Kennedy, NASCAR’s senior vice president of racing and development, cited two reasons for AMS getting the key races.
First, he said NASCAR looks at fan-satisfaction data following a race, including a fan council where post-race input is considered.
Second, he said NASCAR looks at several racing metrics, including green-flag passes.
“Those are really big metrics that we look at,” Edwards said. “I would say, on top of that, making sure that the racing product is of high quality and we don’t have a ton of wrecks or big concerns that we have around the race.”
AMS surely scored high to be entrusted with two prime dates.
Bye week equals pancakes
How will Georgia Tech coach Brent Key spend the bye week?
Well, as the leader of a program still in his infancy under his leadership, Key still had three practices to run this week, staff and player meetings to conduct and all the other tasks that come with being a head coach to complete. On Friday, Key said he’ll attend three high school football games as part of his recruiting duties.
But come Saturday morning, Key finally will have a few hours to treat himself.
“I look forward to having some pancakes at the house and watching some college football,” he said.
Tech hosts Boston College at noon the following Saturday.
Bringing in some need height
The biggest difference in Georgia’s basketball team from last season is – quite literally – Russel Tchewa. At 7-foot, 285 pounds, he’s the largest post player the Bulldogs have had since the great Charles Claxton was manning the middle in the 1990s.
The Bulldogs are hoping Tchewa’s presence, along with that of four other players 6-8 or taller, will help them get over the hump and back into postseason tournament contention this season. Georgia was 16-16 last season, its first under coach Mike White.
“He’s a guy who has rebounded and defended at a high level in a league that’s pretty comparable,” White said earlier this summer of Tchewa, a graduate transfer from South Florida in the American Athletic Conference. “I think the SEC is the best league in the country right now, but he’s done it at a pretty high level. The way he moves is pretty impressive for a guy his size, and he’s a developing offensive player. He’s only going to get better.”
The Bulldogs are only three weeks from opening the season, and they’ll do it in a challenging fashion. Their first game is Nov. 6 against Oregon in the Naismith Hall of Fame Series, then they play host to Wake Forest at renovated Stegeman Coliseum four days later. They aim to be ready.
“I’m coming; we’re coming,” Tchewa said before a practice this past week.
Last season, Tchewa averaged 11.1 points and 8.6 rebounds in 31.4 minutes of play per game. He made 60.6% of his shots. The Bulldogs expect even more.
Initially, the toughest hurdle is Tchewa mastering White’s system. He said it is markedly different than what he has played in the past three seasons.
But there is no substitute for size, and Tchewa brings that.
“I’ve been told I’m the biggest guy in the SEC; I’m not sure yet,” Tchewa said. “So, I’m going to see. But I’ll be ready for anything.”
Growing the game of golf
One of the reasons Falcons and Atlanta United owner Arthur Blank got involved in the TGL golf league is to grow the game.
Dick Sullivan, CEO of PGA Tour Superstore who will oversee operations of AMBSE’s entry in TGL, said off-course golf, such as simulators, already is doing so.
“In the last few years, more people are actually playing off course than are playing on green-grass courses, through places like Top Golf or Five Iron or Drive Shack or just pure simulators like inside our (PGA Tour Superstores),” Sullivan said. “About a month ago, they’ve actually proven it. About 10% of those who play off course are so interested now they’ve taken up the game on course.”
Introducing a golden doodle to Piedmont Park
Veteran guard Patty Mills hasn’t been in Atlanta long, but he already knows that it has absolute vibes everywhere he goes.
“That’s something that I feel like I feed off a lot of when there’s that good energy and great juice, you know, vibes all around. I think I kind of pride myself on being able to provide good vibes all the time and in any environment,” Mills said. “So, when I walk down the street, you know, and I see vibes everywhere, then I feel like I’m in a great place for me.”
Mills, who was born and raised in Canberra, Australia, has had the pleasure of living in some unique cities over the course of his NBA career. He spent two years in Portland with the Trail Blazers before he signed with the Spurs in 2012. Mills spent the past two years in Brooklyn with the Nets before the Hawks acquired him via the Thunder this summer.
Now the 15-year veteran looks forward to getting out and exploring what Atlanta has offer. Plus, he’s ready to take his 10-year-old golden doodle along as he immerses himself in the community.
“I’m excited to introduce him to Piedmont Park and let him run around and chase some other dogs,” Mills said.
-Staff writers D. Orlando Ledbetter, Chad Bishop, Lauren Williams, Chip Towers and Chris Vivlamore contributed to this report.
