Poll time: Which Atlanta team is closest to a title?
Who is more likely to win a title this year: Matt Ryan or Chipper Jones? (Curtis Compton/AJC)
The NBA championship will be decided tonight between the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics. This comes a day after the New Orleans Saints received their $30,000 Super Bowl rings Wednesday and a week after the Chicago Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup.
Feeling a little left out of title celebration nirvana?
Loading ...I do this every once in a while — seemingly every time somebody wins a championship — but here we go again. If you had to pick the next Atlanta pro sports team to win a title, who would it be? (I could’ve thrown college teams into this debate, but I figured we have plenty of time to have every blog devolve into a you stink/no you stink drunk argument between drunk frat boys from Georgia and Tech, and I mean disrespect to drunk frat boys, especially the ones on game days who offer me a beer when I walk by their house.)
Anyway, we’re in baseball season now and there has been this general feel-good atmosphere around the Braves in the past six weeks. It would be one of the greatest stories in Atlanta sports history if the Braves could somehow win their second World Series in probably the final season for both Chipper Jones and manager Bobby Cox.
But if I’m ranking the four teams right now, the Braves’ title chances are No. 2. Here goes:
♦ 1.) Falcons: They’re coming off a season during which almost everything went wrong, including injuries, and they still won nine games. They’ve improved their defense this offseason (signed cornerback Dunta Robinson; drafted linebacker Sean Weatherspoon) and bounce back seasons are expected for quarterback Matt Ryan and running back Michael Turner. One NFL expert already has picked them to win the NFC South, ahead of the Saints. Ryan obviously is the biggest key.
♦ 2.) Braves: They’ve managed to take over and hang onto first place in the National League East despite slow starts from several key players. Starting pitching (on non-Kenshin Kawakami nights) will keep them in the race this season, regardless of how the offense goes. If improbable success stories like Troy Glaus and Eric Hinske keep hitting like this, they could win the division. If Jones, Yunel Escobar and Brian McCann come around, they have a real chance to win it all. But I still see the Philadelphia Phillies as the best team in the league, notwithstanding their problems over the past month.
♦ 3.) Hawks: They’ve made the playoffs the last three years, which puts them ahead of the other three franchises. But there are too many uncertainties right now: Joe Johnson’s impending free agency; the development of point guard Jeff Teague; the lack of a legitimate NBA center; and the transition of new head coach Larry Drew.
♦ 4.) Thrashers: General manager Rick Dudley still hasn’t hired a head coach, the roster needs proven scorers and ownership is expected to provide him with a Walmart budget to work with (again). Dudley’s eye for personnel will help, but there are limits to what the team can do in the short term.
So, what do you think? Agree with the rankings, or do you think the Braves (or another team) are closer than the Falcons?
♦
Follow me on Twitter @JeffSchultzAJC and Facebook.com/JeffSchultzAJC
♦
Recent posts:
♦ Rankings that matter: Falcons are better than Saints
♦ LIVE blog: More bad history for Kawakami (0-9), but Chipper homers
♦ Chipper Jones has more pride than to sit back, collect checks
♦ Tuesday Countdown: Vuvuzelas, USC’s arrogance, Hugo’s a ‘dogos; fan
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298 comments Add your comment
Alejandro Alejandro
June 17th, 2010
11:36 am
This is the “who’s the tallest midget” debate…
I'm Legal
June 17th, 2010
11:38 am
You win Alejandro!!!!!!!U are the tallest midget.
I'm Legal
June 17th, 2010
11:41 am
Boots..U funny!
Matt "Choke" Ryan
June 17th, 2010
11:42 am
GT Alum
June 17th, 2010
11:33 am
I offer the following reading for all the Matt Ryan haters. Enjoy!
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/columns/story?columnist=clayton_john&id=5292216
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Does that include this:
http://www.ridgefantasysports.com/cardinals-beat-falcons
UGA frat guy
June 17th, 2010
11:44 am
Welcome back Matt “Choke” Ryan you clown! Ive missed your stupidity and ignorance.
MitchC
June 17th, 2010
11:45 am
Jeff, I dont follow football and basketball, but, the unfortunate thing is, of the teams you posted, the Hawks probably were, personnel wise, the closest of either the Braves and Hawks to a title. Now, I’m not so sure.
As for the Braves, I still keep waiting for the Phillies to find themselves, and overtake us. The Mets have played well, but I’m not sold on their success yet.
My feeling is, realistically, is that the Phillies will find themselves at some point, and probably win the NL East, but, the Braves definitely should have a good shot at the wild card, at least.
The Troof
June 17th, 2010
11:49 am
“The Braves will never win a championship with Bobby Cox.”
They’ve already won one under Bobby Cox.
“He has no other managing skills as his 1-14 record in the last game (a series deciding game, that is) of the postseason exemplifies.”
His record isn’t anywhere near 1-14 in series-deciding games. Did you make that up?
rob
June 17th, 2010
11:53 am
Yes, THRASHERS!!!
In giving Dudley the GM spot and clearing the team of it’s coaching staff and Kovalchuk, the Thrashers are wide open to actually sitting down and finding an identity for the first time in 10 years. next season will be fun to watch as the boys in blue field what will most likely be a young energetic team. If they can gel together quickly I see them making a good run into the playoffs the next year, and as Philly showed, once you get there, anything is possible.
Hawks have too much turmoil, even though they made it 3 years in a row, they didn’t have what it took to play to that next level needed in the playoffs.
Braves are perennial should have beens, and need a fresh identity to help shed that title.
Falcons have brought back excitement for the NFL to the city, but can they make the next step…..depends on if Ryan can continue to develop into the QB they want him to be.
Reid Adair
June 17th, 2010
11:54 am
Jeff, I would have them in the same order that you do, but I consider the gap between the Falcons at No. 1 and the Braves at No. 2 wide. Extremely wide.
Its not Frank, its Bobby!!
June 17th, 2010
11:59 am
Until Mike Smith shows he can’t win in the playoffs, (playoff losses with rookie QB’s on the road don’t count) I’ll go with the Falcons. I’d love to think Bobby will get his head out of his nether regions if we get in the playoffs but he has proved time and again he has no feel for how to manage in a 7 game series. For instance, you can count on Bobby playing subs in a game 5 with the series tied 2-2, because of Lefty vs. Righty rules. Or more likely bringing in Moylan instead of Venters in a tight late game situation for the same reason. One thing in the Braves favor this year is we FINALLY have 2 power pitchers ( if JJ comes back healthy) and a resurgent Hudson, that can go late into games with dominant stuff. Nobody should be able to run out more dominant pitching against us every night.
Matt "Choke" Ryan
June 17th, 2010
11:59 am
UGA frat guy
June 17th, 2010
11:44 am
Welcome back Matt “Choke” Ryan you clown! Ive missed your stupidity and ignorance.
————————————
I would have thought your reflection in the mirror would be plenty stupid…………
HA HA HA
GT Alum
June 17th, 2010
12:07 pm
Nice one, Choke. That doesn’t even make any sense. Are you the guy who wouldn’t stop smoking crack while he was arrested?
ASHCAN.
June 17th, 2010
12:08 pm
Our womans wnba team will be the first and thats sad because i can’t even remember there name???
GT Alum
June 17th, 2010
12:13 pm
Choke, yeah, the Falcons lost one playoff game with Ryan at QB. And to the team that ended up going to the Super Bowl. It’s not like Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Mike Vick, Peyton Manning, Brett Farve and whoever else you decide to bring up have never lost a playoff game.
hiramsaint
June 17th, 2010
12:16 pm
GT educations are obviously not worth the money spent … sort of like matty slush!
Matt "Choke" Ryan
June 17th, 2010
12:22 pm
My early Ravens vs Falcons prediction (MARK IT DOWN)
Ravens 45
Falcons 9
Flacco 20-27 375 yards, 3 tds 0 picks
CHOKE 14-30 117 yards 0 tds 4 picks
GT Alum
June 17th, 2010
12:23 pm
hiramsaint, I make more in one month at my job than I spent on a semester’s tuition, so, yeah, I’d say it’s worth the money spent.
gdawginkalamazoo
June 17th, 2010
12:23 pm
Georgia State Football.
K-Dub
June 17th, 2010
12:23 pm
I definitely say the Falcons..It takes LESS games to make it to the promised land..No 7 game series..Just win about 3 playoff games and that’s it..
John
June 17th, 2010
12:24 pm
The Falcons
Matt "Choke" Ryan
June 17th, 2010
12:24 pm
GT Alum
June 17th, 2010
12:13 pm
Choke, yeah, the Falcons lost one playoff game with Ryan at QB. And to the team that ended up going to the Super Bowl. It’s not like Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Mike Vick, Peyton Manning, Brett Farve and whoever else you decide to bring up have never lost a playoff game.
————————————————-
Yet all of them have playoff wins and pro bowl selections.
Next excuse!
Illegal in Arizona
June 17th, 2010
12:24 pm
If the Braves add one more bat they jump over the Falcons. That said these are my teams and my teams except for the Thrashers because hockey isn’t a sport. My teams never win. I am 35 years old and in my life I have witnessed 1 lone championship. The 95 Braves. There was the 80 Bulldogs and the 90 Yellow Jackets football teams but nothing beats winning a World Championship.
Matt "Choke" Ryan
June 17th, 2010
12:31 pm
Ozzie Newsome vs Thomas Dimitroff
John Harbaugh vs Mike Smith
Joe Flacco vs Matt “CHOKE” Ryan
There is no comparison which regime has been more successful since 2008.
Ozzie Smith drafts winners and pro bowl talent.
Thomas Dimitroff drafts busts, injury prone, zero pro bowl talent.
John Harbaugh builds top 3 defenses while Smitty defenses regresses.
Joe Flacco doesn’t lose playoff games while CHOKE – well CHOKES.
The bottomline, the Ravens call success playoff wins and superbowls, while the Falcons call success: back-to-back non playoff seasons.
Class vs Classless.
hiramsaint
June 17th, 2010
12:31 pm
and yet here you are gracing the peasants with your knowledge and wit. better hope van and buffy at the club don’t find out or you may be blackballed. usually if one speaks of their wealth on a blog then in reality they don’t have it. now hurry along GT, that load of manure needs to be in conyers before 5
rekingball
June 17th, 2010
12:41 pm
You said earlier that you are required to sit in front of the screen and wait for something to happen.
What are you waiting for?
tyler
June 17th, 2010
12:46 pm
THE DREAM YOU DOUCHE
tyler
June 17th, 2010
12:47 pm
THE DREAM WILL WIN THE WNBA THI SYEAR
JSS
June 17th, 2010
12:47 pm
@ Hiram Saint…
How did you come through the weather last night? I’m retired from ripping Falcons fans, I let delude themselves. Until I see a Lombardi Trophy on City Hall step, they are in a show me state with me…
We disagree on a lot of things, but I’ll give it to you on the Saints… They won it on the field and has that N.O. DB still stopped running yet from picking off Golden Boy Peyton yet?
What does John Clayton know, he still Jay Cutler is going to an elite QB!
Its not Frank, its Bobby!!
June 17th, 2010
12:48 pm
“Choke”, I know racists are stupid but do you even “think” about being objective? Countering the Clayton piece with somebodies Basement Fantasy Football blog page is like trying to compare The New Orleans Saints to the Sandy Springs Youth Football Saints….they both play football but ones a little more professional.
Sure Ryan was a big reason we lost that game to the Cardinals but he also was the one bringing us back late in the game. Its not like he got a lot of support from the defense you know. If Brooking doesn’t get deeked out of his jock by another white guy (so we know it wasn’t due to race) we get the ball back with a chance to win. Same thing happened all season last year, we had a lot more problems with the Falcons besides Ryans sophomore slump. The defense and Michael Turners health to be exact. Throw in two losses because of Jason Elam missed FG’s and its very unfair to blame Ryan for the Falcons not making the playoffs.
Also Matt has been to the Pro Bowl. You might want to check that before you run your mouth. But then again you serve as a good reminder to everyone that racism is ugly…and stupid
hiramsaint
June 17th, 2010
12:49 pm
i know it sounds 007ish but it really isn’t but due to cretain contracts i can’t talk about it. the reason i’m on here so much today is because i’m required to be in the office 3 days a month doing various admin. things- ie-this. the rest of my time is out in the city and surrounding areas
hiramsaint
June 17th, 2010
12:53 pm
@ jss — i barely got drizzeled on last night but got it pretty good the night before. when peyton was a little boy growing up in n.o. i’ll bet he dreamed of throwing the winning td pass for the saints in the superbowl. well , his dream came true!
Navigator
June 17th, 2010
12:55 pm
Unless the Braves can compete financially, they will always be short. The are the Hawks, enough said. The Falcons are so close now, you wonder if the planets align, another trip to the super bowl could be in their future. You can tell a lot about the teams quality, but how far they drop after they achieve a high level, and the Falcons dropped less than the other two. Injuries have as much to do with these scenarios as anything. The Hawks will always be cursed by drafting Paul Gasol and immediately trading him for who knows what. It may not be the Bambino trade, but the effect is the same.
Trolling the Troll
June 17th, 2010
12:56 pm
Hey Choke, I know another area the Ravens are ahead of the Falcons.
Murder Charges for players:
Ravens – 1
Falcons – 0
hiramsaint
June 17th, 2010
12:58 pm
@ frank bobby ? out of 16 qb’s that started 30 or more games in the last 2 seasons your matty slush ranked #15
#1 GT fan
June 17th, 2010
12:58 pm
What about the Dream? They are closer then anyone…………
But if I had to pick……. it would be the Falcons.
(oh and by the way, Georgia/Georgia Tech have a better chance of winning it all then the ATL hockey team. Whats there names again?
Trolling the Troll
June 17th, 2010
1:02 pm
hiramsaint
June 17th, 2010
12:58 pm
@ frank bobby ? out of 16 qb’s that started 30 or more games in the last 2 seasons your matty slush ranked #15
__________________________________________
Ranked 15th in what category? Random numbers you can pull from your butt?
ATL Sports Fan
June 17th, 2010
1:03 pm
Who’s the Atlanta Dream?
rob
June 17th, 2010
1:07 pm
#1,
a chance of winning what exactly? one of the token bowls they give to every college that doesn’t play for #1, and if they do win #1, it isn’t a playoff format anyway…….so go back to yelling at your UGA counterparts about who can get drunker at the tailgate party it’ll be OK
Matt "Choke" Ryan
June 17th, 2010
1:09 pm
Its not Frank, its Bobby!!
June 17th, 2010
12:48 pm
“Choke”, I know racists are stupid but do you even “think” about being objective? Countering the Clayton piece with somebodies Basement Fantasy Football blog page is like trying to compare The New Orleans Saints to the Sandy Springs Youth Football Saints….they both play football but ones a little more professional.
—————————————————-
When did CHOKE go to the pro bowl?
You need to put that crack pot down – pro bowls are for the elite………….ha ha ha.
The only way CHOKE goes to the pro bowl is if he purchases a ticket
Maybe you are getting him confused with the previous Franchise Quarterback, because he had 3 in 4 seasons.
hiramsaint
June 17th, 2010
1:10 pm
completion percentage and whats with your fascination with other mens butts?
Overweight hillbilly Gladiators fan
June 17th, 2010
1:13 pm
WHAT ABOUT THE GLADS? WE R GONNA TURN THE HEET UP NEXT YEAR!
hiramsaint
June 17th, 2010
1:14 pm
@ CHOKE– sometimes i feel sorry for these guys that try and sucker you in then get blasted. but then i think ‘they bring it on themselves by supporting the hapless falcons’
Trolling the Troll
June 17th, 2010
1:16 pm
hiramsaint
June 17th, 2010
1:10 pm
completion percentage and whats with your fascination with other mens butts?
_____________________________
Ahh, and do you have any proof of this? It seems you talk a lot of crap without backing any of it up.
Trolling the Troll
June 17th, 2010
1:18 pm
hiramsaint
June 17th, 2010
1:14 pm
@ CHOKE– sometimes i feel sorry for these guys that try and sucker you in then get blasted. but then i think ‘they bring it on themselves by supporting the hapless falcons’
_____________________________
Choke at least sometimes backs his stuff up with stats. Though sometimes he’s just an idiot and claims a QB is better because he came to a team that already had the #6 rated defense.
hiramsaint
June 17th, 2010
1:19 pm
try the espn profile on matt ryan — theres more GOOD stuff in there for you
Ben
June 17th, 2010
1:19 pm
Enter your comments here
Trolling the Troll
June 17th, 2010
1:21 pm
hiramsaint
June 17th, 2010
1:19 pm
try the espn profile on matt ryan — theres more GOOD stuff in there for you
_____________________________
Ahh, just confirming you’re a tool. Got it.
hiramsaint
June 17th, 2010
1:22 pm
the falcons would have a better D if ryan would quit throwing picks and int.’s. they are worn out being on the field so much by the 2nd qtr. that they become ineffective and their ranking drops. pretty simple is it not . did you read the espn profile yet?????????????
Matt "Choke" Ryan
June 17th, 2010
1:24 pm
hiramsaint
June 17th, 2010
1:14 pm
@ CHOKE– sometimes i feel sorry for these guys that try and sucker you in then get blasted. but then i think ‘they bring it on themselves by supporting the hapless falcons’
—————————————————
I think it is hilarious actually. They think just because a player says the right thing behind the microphone and looks the part, that he is legit.
Even Chad Henne has more promise than the CHOKE. Another clue that Dimitroff can’t draft or analyze talent.
Not one draft pick has made a pro bowl, while Baker, Moore and Jerry and damaged goods and he should have known what he was getting if he had done his home work.
Another clue is, if you are a 5 year college player, and in your 5th season you throw 22 PICKS, chances are that trend will carry over to the NFL and you just don’t have the arm strength to zip the ball more than 20 yards.
There is a reason that the Patriots let him go so easily.
Then there is the Tony Gonzalez disaster. They gave up a 2nd draft pick for a soon to retire player, who didn’t even help CHOKE make the playoffs, so that’s a potential hall of famer that they gave away.
Now we have Robinson, who has had recent injury problems and if he was such a regarded shutdown corner, he would not have been so available, here comes the sucker Falcons to the rescue…..ha ha.
hiramsaint
June 17th, 2010
1:24 pm
ooooooh you called me a tool. did that change the stats on matty slush ? no, i didn’t think so