Archive for April, 2009

PINE ISLE, LAKE LANIER – Yeah, I’m getting this blog up because I’m officially shamming today. Playing in coach Mike Smith’s Hacks vs. Jacks golf tournament. Doing what they call in the journalism game: networking.

However, I talked to Big George “Duke” Robinson, the Washington High kid, who went on to star at

Duke Robinson, a former star at Washington High, is fired up about his workout with the Falcons. (Courtesy of the University of Oklahoma)

Oklahoma. He’s working out for the Falcons on Thursday.

What a cool kid. I’d talked to him before in a mass media setting at the NFL scouting combine, but our little chat on Tuesday was very nice.

He seems to have a real good head on his shoulders. I wanted to know why he went all the way out to Oklahoma. (Full disclosure: I like the Sooners. My first cousin, the great Weldon Ledbetter played fullback there for coach Barry Switzer 1979 to ‘83. He was a 7th round draft pick by Tampa Bay and went on to block for Herschel Walker with the …

Continue reading OU’s Robinson ready to come home »

The NFL is set to release the week-by-week schedule for the 2009 season at 7 p.m. tomorrow

Who is going to bring the popcorn when Terrell Owens and the Buffalo Bills come to the Georgia Dome in 2009?

The Falcons already know their opponents.

Home games include: Tampa Bay, New Orleans, Carolina, Philadelphia, Washington, Buffalo, Miami and Chicago.

Away games include: Tampa Bay, New Orleans, Carolina, Dallas, New York Giants, New England, New York Jets and San Francisco.

The Falcons should get at least one Monday night game and possibly a Sunday night game. The away game at New England with Matt Ryan returning to the Boston area should get prime time consideration.

The Falcons will get a chance to see some of the players who left during free agency. Keith Brooking will get a shot at his old team when the Falcons go to Dallas. Linebacker Michael Boley is now with the New York Giants and will host the Falcons in Giants Stadium.

This offseason’s bad boy, Jay Culter, will lead the …

Continue reading Are the Falcons ready for Prime Time again? »

Ran into the Caped Crusader at Six Flags. While waiting almost two hours to ride the Goliath, I wondered where would Batman go if he was this week's Mock Draft? Is he a tight end or a defensive end?

Gotham City — Not really sure where Batman would go in this week’s Mock Draft.

You see, there is a major problem. Batman doesn’t have any super powers. He has good hands, great agility, strength, but doesn’t have a top shelf 40-yard dash time. He’s what they call a long strider.

Ahmad "Batman" Carroll (4) played for the New York Jets last season after a stint in the Arena Football League. Photo by Jason Getz / AJC

Also, his cape is a clear violation of the NFL’s uniform policy and Commissioner Roger Godell certainly wouldn’t let him play with his utility belt. That’s where he hides all of his really cool gadgets.

You see, the last time Batman was in the draft, he went pretty high. Arkansas’ Ahmad “Batman” Carroll, of Douglass High, went to the Packers with the 25th pick in 2004.

Continue reading Mock Draft 4.0: Sintim the Superhero »

Falcons owner Arthur Blank. (By Curtis Compton/AJC)

Dana Point, Calif. – Upon conclusion of the recent NFL owners’ meeting, Falcons owner Arthur Blank addressed the league’s labor situation, the new $4 billion television deal, selling out the Georgia Dome and the league’s plan to grant more access to the media with.

Q: How was the update on the league’s labor situation?
A: Certainly, we are optimistic that the owners and players will do the right thing in terms of being able to come to an agreement. Obviously, we want to do the right thing for the fans. I think we’re working hard on that. We are led by the commissioner, our labor committee and staff. The NFLPA has a new executive director, who apparently is a very competent guy. He’s had an initial very good meeting with the commissioner. So we hope that it’s the first step in the process that will continue with labor peace for all of us.

Q: How will getting a new Collective Bargaining Agreement done help the Falcons?
A: I …

Continue reading Blank backs longer season, likes DirectTV »

The Falcons are looking for defensive players who are fierce like Pam Grier's cousin, the great Rosey Grier. He played for the Rams' Fearsome Foursome line with Deacon Jones, Merlin Olsen and Lamar Lundy in the 1960s. Pam, this week's honorary blog guest, was pretty tough in the 1974 movie Foxy Brown.

Just 22 days to the draft and two more mock drafts before the really big Mock Draft, the one that counts. The one that runs in the paper on Saturday morning of April 25th.

But for now, we’ll do the best we can as situations around the league are fluid.

However, University of Southern California linebacker Rey Maualuga visit with the Falcons on Saturday means one of two things.

Virginia linebacker Clint Sintim could add some pop to the Falcons defense. (AP Photo/Andrew Shurtleff).

He’s slipping in the draft and is going to be around when they pick 24th overall. Or the Falcons plan on trading up to get in the mix for the All-American attack missile from USC.

But he’s a middle …

Continue reading Updated Mock draft: Virginia LB Sintim to ATL »