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Mark Bradley

Heat Check: Braves, Falcons, Hawks, Tech, UGA – all HOT!

8:43 am July 30, 2012, by Mark Bradley

"Our team is red hot! Our team is red hot!" (AP photo by David Tulis)

"Our team is red hot! (Clap, clap.) Our team is red hot!" (AP photo by David Tulis)

Today we offer the (long-deferred if not necessarily long-awaited) return of the Monday Heat Check, in which we take the figurative temperature of our local sporting entities. And, in keeping with climatic conditions, I must note that every team is HOT!HOT!HOT!

BRAVES: They haven’t lost in a week, and the week ahead looks most inviting. They’re home for four games against the Marlins, who have given up, and three against the Astros, who snapped a 12-game losing slide Sunday and are the worst team in baseball by some distance.

And there’s every chance the Braves will make a trade by 4 p.m. Tuesday. Zack Greinke is gone to Anaheim, and the Braves claim to have moved on from their pursuit of reluctant Ryan Dempster, but I’m not convinced that ship has sailed. There’s no reason for the Cubs to keep Dempster — they’re not going to re-sign him — and the Dodgers’ offer hasn’t been convincing. (If it had, he’d be gone by now.) And if his preferred destination isn’t an option, mightn’t Dempster be tempted to say, “I could live out of a hotel in Buckhead for three months if it means pitching in the World Series”?

As noted earlier, the Braves can and should qualify for the playoffs as is. If they get Dempster — who’s the only starting pitcher good enough to make a difference who’s apt to be available at a non-Teixeira price — they’d be good enough to win a postseason series. Heat Index: Hot, with a real opportunity to get hotter still.

FALCONS: They haven’t lost since Jan. 8. They’re in training camp with new coordinators and a new O-line coach, and they’re making all the happy noises teams in training camp, be it with or without new coordinators, make.

The big news so far has been that Lofa Tatupu, imported as insurance at middle linebacker, got hurt and got cut without playing a down. Some have taken this development as cause for hand-wringing. Please. The Falcons’ Plan A was always to give young Akeem Dent every chance to seize the job, and that hasn’t changed. Save your real concern for something that really matters, like left tackle. Heat Index: The belief here is that Hotlanta’s NFL franchise is primed to have its hottest season since 1998.

HAWKS: They haven’t lost since May 10. They’ve excised two of the Core Four. They’re starting anew under general manager Danny Ferry, which isn’t to stay they’re starting over. You can make a little something of a roster that includes Josh Smith, Al Horford, Jeff Teague, Lou Williams, DeShawn Stevenson, Kyle Korver, Devin Harris and John Jenkins. (You mightn’t be able to make the playoffs, but you shouldn’t stink on ice.)

Unless they trade for Dwight Howard, whatever the Hawks do over the next 11 months won’t much matter. Come July 2013, they’ll have money to spend and free agency to explore/exploit. Heat Index: The season ahead mightn’t be warm and fuzzy, but the future of this franchise looks rather toasty.

GEORGIA TECH: The Jackets haven’t lost since Dec. 31. They’re picked to finish second in the ACC Coastal Division. They play Virginia Tech, which is picked to finish first, on Labor Day night. If they win that game, they should take the Coastal. I like this team’s chances. Heat Index: Well, how hot would a division title be?

GEORGIA: The Bulldogs haven’t lost since Jan. 2. They’re picked to win the SEC East. They’ve lost Isaiah Crowell, but they should be able to fill out a backfield this season. Crowell or no Crowell, I like this team’s chances. Heat Index: Well, how hot would a BCS title game berth against the Men of Kiffin be?

By Mark Bradley

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183 comments Add your comment

Reality checked

July 30th, 2012
10:06 pm

Better check your reality again, Since 1980 Ga-Bama are 5-5 with georgia having won more SEC titles outright. Georgia has also vacated 21 less wins, forfeited less games not had 1 single time of being banned from post season play. Great to have a resurgent Bamaa, but from 2000 -2009 bama was 8th in sec winning %.Congrats on the last 3 years Sabans a great coach, but don;t act all high and mighty the 60-70’s brought bama most of its glory.Bama proved last year its easier to win the National title than win its own division or conference title, Mulligan U.Florida and LSU have been by far the best programs in the sec the past 20 years. louisana monroe in tuscaloosa .

bubba4dawgs

July 30th, 2012
10:29 pm

It would be wishful thinking for the DAWGS to play USC in any game regardless if it is championship or not. The DAWGS last meeting with Kiffin was in Knoxville when the Vols laced the DAWGS pretty good. Kiffin made a prediction in the locker room afterwards that the Vols would NEVER lose to the DAWGS again! Of course, the DAWGS have already proven that statement to be wrong. I’d just like the DAWGS to put Kiffin’s proverbial foot in his mouth!

MARK RICHT CANNOT BEAT THE TOP TEAMS

July 31st, 2012
2:45 am

Who cares you predict 11-1 when it’s a 14-game season and we’ve not beat a single team who made the top 10 after Auburn # 9 in 2006 ? Oh, you look at our schedule of no Alabama, Arkansas even or LSU and predict we will win 11 games. Excuse me, we play 11 opponents who average 4.8 wins and 1 opponent who has beat us 2 years in row, while we finished # 5 of just SEC teams in every single poll.

Mark Richt’s goal as he states all week this week, including yesterday, is that we will return to The SEC Championship Game and play better this time. 10-42.

We haven’t beat an SEC team who made a winning SEC record starting with the Kentucky game in 2007. 2007 was 6 seasons ago now this 2012 season.

We better go 13-1.

MARK RICHT CANNOT BEAT THE TOP TEAMS

July 31st, 2012
3:00 am

Louisiana Monroe at Tuscaloosa ? (1) You brag about us beating Alabama that very same season (2) Louisiana Monroe in Nick Saban’s 1st season at Alabama won a lot of games against far better teams than Vandie did in Mark Richt’s 6th season here when Vandie beat us at our house. Vandie in 2006 beat only 2 teams all season, 0-12 Duke and 1-11 Temple but they beat us.

Did you just brag we beat another Alabama team who ended the season a 4-win team ? Answer yes.

We are on a long-losing streak to the top teams. Oh, we beat Alabama when they won but 4 games all season long. I mean wow. That really addresses the issue.

According to you reality, Okie State who lost to a lousy Iowa State 6-7 team, is a better loss than Alabama’s loss to # 2 consensus LSU 13-1. You make no sense.

BCS National Championship Game, indeed. You and Jeff Schultz, combined write about 1 article every 2 months on UGA football. What do you know about it ? Jeff Schultz apparently only knows about Atlanta Braves, whatever that is about the 15th best baseball team.

__________________________________________________________________
When are we going to beat a team making Top 10 when we don’t play 1 all season
__________________________________________________________________

MARK RICHT CANNOT BEAT THE TOP TEAMS

July 31st, 2012
3:09 am

Well, you will not have anyone around here bragging about Wait Until Next Year when we face Alabama instead and do so without any of our Defense, all of whom are gone after this season. If Mark Richt’s extension had come up after 2013, he would have been doomed. As it is, after his extension, he has put up nothing but bad press. Can’t wait to beat all 11 of these “opponents” especially the home games for my seasons’ tickets who combined all season long have 53 wins to their collective names for 11 “opponents.” Be a lot of chest-thumping around here for that, eh ?

MARK RICHT CANNOT BEAT THE TOP TEAMS

July 31st, 2012
4:50 am

Instead of bragging about 11 wins 2012, why not write an article about the actual facts about our football program ?

:) We have ducked playing the top teams while we enter 2012 as the # 6 team of just SEC teams in Won / Lost Records nationally after 2005

:) We have 68 scholarship recruits for Fall Practice, after our recruiting class 2012 showed up, plus one transfer-in

:) We have not beat an SEC team who put up a winning SEC record starting with Kentucky game in 2007

:) We have not beat any team any conference who made any even top 25 poll during Aaron Murray’s entire career

:) We have not beat any team any conference who made any Top 100 poll after # 9 Auburn in 2006.

:) We lose the entire defense after this season

:) We have 11 opponents 2012 who average 4.8 wins, none of whom made any top 25 poll at all

:) We have a head coach who lies, covers-up, fails to call Police according to the Police Chief in Athens for 3 players who stole over $ 500 cash and other valuables and were kicked off the team for it, one of the 3 of whom has now also been kicked off the team he transferred to.

:) We have another player, also highly-rated OL, whom the NCAA has categorically denied allowing his status to even take a snap here, whom Mark Richt sounds resigned to the fact that again 2012, he is counted in the 68 scholarship recruits we have to play this 14-game season, while all Penn State gets is a 10 scholarship reduction for next season, allowing Penn State to have 75 on scholarship next season, while we have only really 67 plus the 1 transfer-in. 68 if you count a guy who hasn’t taken a snap and whom no one has stated is eligible to play 2012.

:) 2012 is our best chance. We have a seriously gratuitous favorable schedule.

:) Supposedly, we have our best defense with 10 returning starters, 40 % of whom are SUSPENDED. Some solidarity by the Defense.

:) We watched as every Strength and Conditioning coach on Joe Tereshinski II’s entire staff, all every man, quit this off-season.

:) We call that revamped S&C

:) We stood pat on Offensive Coaching Staff, who are in over their heads

:) We reduced that nobody Offensive Coaching Staff by no one, none of whom ever played football at the position which they are coaching for Mark Richt, so that we could hire an Analyst even for our Special Teams.

:) We still have no Special Teams’ Coach

:) We have a stubborn want to be friends soft buddy-buddy coach who forgives everything he can get away with, and now has resorted most recently with covering up and hiding what should have been arrests (3) kicked-off the team, and what most assuredly are Suspensions for 3 others not named yet, and maybe 4.

:) We cannot beat our way out of a wet-paper bag.

:) We have a fanbase who thinks we are great, beating no one and getting nothing but bad press.

:) We start the season # 6 and should go 13-1.

:) We won’t.

MARK RICHT CANNOT BEAT THE TOP TEAMS

July 31st, 2012
4:51 am

Instead of bragging about 11 wins 2012, why not write an article about the actual facts about our football program ?

:) We have ducked playing the top teams while we enter 2012 as the # 6 team of just SEC teams in Won / Lost Records nationally after 2005

:) We have 68 scholarship recruits for Fall Practice, after our recruiting class 2012 showed up, plus one transfer-in

:) We have not beat an SEC team who put up a winning SEC record starting with Kentucky game in 2007

:) We have not beat any team any conference who made any even top 25 poll during Aaron Murray’s entire career

:) We have not beat any team any conference who made any Top 100 poll after # 9 Auburn in 2006.

:) We lose the entire defense after this season

:) We have 11 opponents 2012 who average 4.8 wins, none of whom made any top 25 poll at all

:) We have a head coach who lies, covers-up, fails to call Police according to the Police Chief in Athens for 3 players who stole over $ 500 cash and other valuables and were kicked off the team for it, one of the 3 of whom has now also been kicked off the team he transferred to.

:) We have another player, also highly-rated OL, whom the NCAA has categorically denied allowing his status to even take a snap here, whom Mark Richt sounds resigned to the fact that again 2012, he is counted in the 68 scholarship recruits we have to play this 14-game season, while all Penn State gets is a 10 scholarship reduction for next season, allowing Penn State to have 75 on scholarship next season, while we have only really 67 plus the 1 transfer-in. 68 if you count a guy who hasn’t taken a snap and whom no one has stated is eligible to play 2012.

MARK RICHT CANNOT BEAT THE TOP TEAMS

July 31st, 2012
4:52 am

:) 2012 is our best chance. We have a seriously gratuitous favorable schedule.

:) Supposedly, we have our best defense with 10 returning starters, 40 % of whom are SUSPENDED. Some solidarity by the Defense.

:) We watched as every Strength and Conditioning coach on Joe Tereshinski II’s entire staff, all every man, quit this off-season.

:) We call that revamped S&C

:) We stood pat on Offensive Coaching Staff, who are in over their heads

:) We reduced that nobody Offensive Coaching Staff by no one, none of whom ever played football at the position which they are coaching for Mark Richt, so that we could hire an Analyst even for our Special Teams.

:) We still have no Special Teams’ Coach

:) We have a stubborn want to be friends soft buddy-buddy coach who forgives everything he can get away with, and now has resorted most recently with covering up and hiding what should have been arrests (3) kicked-off the team, and what most assuredly are Suspensions for 3 others not named yet, and maybe 4.

:) We cannot beat our way out of a wet-paper bag.

:) We have a fanbase who thinks we are great, beating no one and getting nothing but bad press.

:) We start the season # 6 and should go 13-1.

:) We won’t.

MARK RICHT CANNOT BEAT THE TOP TEAMS

July 31st, 2012
4:53 am

:) 2012 is our best chance. We have a seriously gratuitous favorable schedule.

:) Supposedly, we have our best defense with 10 returning starters, 40 % of whom are SUSPENDED. Some solidarity by the Defense.

:) We watched as every Strength and Conditioning coach on Joe Tereshinski II’s entire staff, all every man, quit this off-season.

:) We call that revamped S&C

MARK RICHT CANNOT BEAT THE TOP TEAMS

July 31st, 2012
4:55 am

:) We stood pat on Offensive Coaching Staff, who are in over their heads

:) We reduced that nobody Offensive Coaching Staff by no one, none of whom ever played football at the position which they are coaching for Mark Richt, so that we could hire an Analyst even for our Special Teams.

:) We still have no Special Teams’ Coach

:) We have a burned-out Recruiting Coordinator who cannot come close to counting to 85, nor bothers to even offer the top recruits in our own state.

:) We have a stubborn want to be friends soft buddy-buddy coach who forgives everything he can get away with, and now has resorted most recently with covering up and hiding what should have been arrests (3) kicked-off the team, and what most assuredly are Suspensions for 3 others not named yet, and maybe 4.

:) We have a fanbase who thinks we are great, beating no one and getting nothing but bad press.

:) We start the season # 6 and should go 13-1.

:) We won’t.

MARK RICHT CANNOT BEAT THE TOP TEAMS

July 31st, 2012
4:56 am

:) We stood pat on Offensive Coaching Staff, who are in over their heads

:) We reduced that nobody Offensive Coaching Staff by no one, none of whom ever played football at the position which they are coaching for Mark Richt, so that we could hire an Analyst even for our Special Teams.

:) We still have no Special Teams’ Coach

:) We have a burned-out Recruiting Coordinator who cannot come close to counting to 85, nor bothers to even offer the top recruits in our own state.

MARK RICHT CANNOT BEAT THE TOP TEAMS

July 31st, 2012
4:56 am

:) We cannot beat our way out of a wet-paper bag.

:) We have a fanbase who thinks we are great, beating no one and getting nothing but bad press.

:) We start the season # 6 and should go 13-1.

:) We won’t.

MARK RICHT CANNOT BEAT THE TOP TEAMS

July 31st, 2012
4:57 am

:) We have a stubborn want to be friends soft buddy-buddy coach who forgives everything he can get away with, and now has resorted most recently with covering up and hiding what should have been arrests (3) kicked-off the team, and what most assuredly are Suspensions for 3 others not named yet, and maybe 4.

:) We cannot beat our way out of a wet-paper bag.

Keith

July 31st, 2012
10:15 am

HA! we never have any losers in late July…….but WE DO HAVE in October…….December……..January……..April……. Braves flop as usual…..Tech is Tech as usual….Falcons are the pro version of UGA (Champions in the pre-season- losers in the end), Hawks make Tech look good and UGA is likely 9-3 with Murray giving 2 away with pic 6’s (possibly 10-2 if defense can somehow overcome offense/special teams giving points away)

MARK RICHT CANNOT BEAT THE TOP TEAMS

July 31st, 2012
10:19 am

If we could overcome the points given away by UGA’s offense against every top team…

Joe

July 31st, 2012
10:24 am

:) Chipper closes out another Braves season with a rendition of “Cry me a River”
:) Falcons are giddy until they actually play
:) Tech opens and closes the season being embarrassed on national TV
:) Hawks are even more of a joke than the Nerds
:) UGA (Murray) finds a way to blow a schedule made in heaven and ends up 9-3 but are thankful that the future is bright (Murray could leave early)

MARK RICHT CANNOT BEAT THE TOP TEAMS

July 31st, 2012
10:26 am

Keith, the only problem with that on offense or special teams, is that we’ve done nothing different to fix any of it – except recruit Keith Marshall, who like Matthew Stafford will be buried on the Depth Chart 3 deep to guys we’ve already seen fumble the football, or run straight ahead like that works on sprint draws on 2nd down and 12 to go after either a sack or a bomb in-complete on 1st down, instead of trying to move the chains against every team of quality.

Why don’t we pick on Alabama again all day today, like we did yesterday on this blog all day, which somehow explains away them beating 2 teams who made the AP Poll Top 10 and LSU beating 3 teams who made the AP Poll Top 10 just last year, alone, while we’ve not beat any team making the AP Poll Top 10 in 7 seasons, all the way back to # 9 Auburn in 2006.

Mark Richt, sir, Greg McGarity said to ask you and you only why you do not announce all the Suspensions NOW instead of waiting until kick-off to give us all the bad press at kick-off time when we are supposed to be so hyped-up about our home game schedule of not 1 game all season.

MARK RICHT CANNOT BEAT THE TOP TEAMS

July 31st, 2012
10:29 am

Joe, AM ain’t leaving early anywhere. Did you see what the NFL scouts said about him ? Good heavens. He will NEVER get a single snap in the NFL, ever. I am not even convinced he is our best quarterback on our team. And, I absolutely know the OTHER quarterback 11 times was way better than he on the field, head-to-head, to-date.

MARK RICHT CANNOT BEAT THE TOP TEAMS

July 31st, 2012
10:30 am

Joe, and how can the future be bright for Mark Richt with the entire defense gone after this season, us facing Alabama next year ?

Keith

July 31st, 2012
10:35 am

Dawgs at their own 30…1st and 10.
Murray throws a 70 yard pass down the sideline…..incomplete. 2nd down 10
Murray hands off to Samual who runs up the middle- gain of 1 3rd down 9
Murray back to pass ….being chased……….sacked……4th down 24

UGA punts……long….taken at the 16……keystone cops (UGA special teams) back again this year……returns it 84 yards for a TD

Columbus Dawg

July 31st, 2012
10:36 am

Macon Mike, are you waiting for someone to ask who the Dawg is, and where exactly you getting the info?

Joe

July 31st, 2012
10:37 am

I was being sarcastic…….at UGA our future always looks bright….it’s the actual season that’s been our downfall

Joe

July 31st, 2012
10:38 am

I was being sarcastic…..at UGA our future always looks bright. It’s the actual season that has been our downfall

Keith

July 31st, 2012
10:43 am

Dawgs trail 7-0……..starting at their own 25….1st and 10
Murray back…throws a 70 yard pass down the sideline……incomplete 2nd down
Murray hands off to samual…..up the middle for no gain….3rd down
Murray back to pass…being pressured…..throws on the run…INTERCEPTED…….runs untouched into the end zone…….13-0 with point after coming

Joe

July 31st, 2012
10:51 am

Our season depends on two things……Murray and special teams……I dont hold out much hope!

realitycheck

July 31st, 2012
10:51 am

Reality checked………That was a pitifully weak argument. 14 NC’s to 1. You sound like a public defender!

MARK RICHT CANNOT BEAT THE TOP TEAMS

July 31st, 2012
11:04 am

Yes, every off-season, we ignore all the Suspensions, arrests, thefts from teammates, transfers-out, no special teams’ coach again, same old offensive coordinator we stole from Jacksonville state college where he was the quarterbacks’ coach all of 1 year, all the teams who beat all the teams who made the top 10 again while we once again went un-victorious in those battles, and all the signed recruits who flunked-out before they got here and all those who flunked-out after they got here – and, announce

WE HAVE BETTER TALENT THAN EVERY TEAM ON OUR SCHEDULE

Then, go out, as you say, in the actual season watch again 4 more quarterbacks out-perform our own head-to-head on the field, ending the 14-game season # 27 in won/lost record and # 5 in our own conference, even, in every single poll.

Then, it all starts again.

Eric C.

July 31st, 2012
12:24 pm

Mizzou? They haven’t faced a front 7 like UGA’s in a long time…they will be very lucky to score more than 13 pts.

MARK RICHT CANNOT BEAT THE TOP TEAMS

July 31st, 2012
12:33 pm

Mizzou is 8-5, if they are lucky, every year, and lost 13 starters from last season when they had zero special teams (like we do) and # 60 Defense. They are a running team picked to be # 42 this 2012 season. I see no way they improve upon their 8-5 of last year in the Big XII now in The SEC. They easily have 5 losses.

CFBFan

August 2nd, 2012
5:58 pm

ACC football…. It’s entertaining… in a “watching a middle school play that your kid is *not* in” kind of way.

BILL KING

August 3rd, 2012
5:48 pm

JUST WIN BABY !!!!!!!!!!!

jc_dawgs

August 3rd, 2012
10:09 pm

10-2 for the Dawgs this year. That 2nd loss will likely be the end of any BCS championship potential….even if they upset the western champ in the sec champ game. Dawgs must go 11-1 for the bcs champ game to still be possible. Richt is just too prone to blunders here and there.

Thomas Brown

August 4th, 2012
1:59 am

You think ?

Besides 3 wins out of 16 games vs teams who made AP Poll Top 10 all 11 years

Unable to beat the top teams

Mark Richt has put up :

_____________________________________________________
Mark Richt all 11 years to-date – Losses to not Top 25 opponents :
_____________________________________________________

17-24 Loss Auburn 2001 Unranked**

16-20 Loss Boston College 2001 # 21**

13-20 Loss Crocodiles 2002 Unranked**

33-51 Loss vols 2006 # 25**

22-24 Loss Vandie 4-8 in 2006 Unranked**

20-24 Loss Kentucky 2006 Unranked**

12-16 Loss South Carolina 6-6 in 2007 Unranked**

42-45 Loss Georgia tek 2008 # 22**

10-24 Loss Okie State 2009 Unranked**

19-45 Loss vols 7-6 in 2009 Unranked**

27-34 Loss Kentucky 7-6 in 2009 Unranked**

06-17 Loss South Carolina 2010 # 22**

31-34 Loss Crocodiles 2010 Unranked**

27-29 Loss Colorado 5-7 in 2010 Unranked**

06-10 Loss Central Florida 2010 # 21**

______________________________________________________
**without the win over Mark Richt, opponent doesn’t make Top 25
______________________________________________________

Mark Richt all 11 years to-date :

15 Losses in 11 years to teams who aren’t Top 25, even.

10 who even with their win over Mark Richt, did not make the Top 25, even.

5 More Losses to teams who made # 21 to # 25 with their win over Mark Richt all 5 of whom do not make the Top 25 except that they beat Mark Richt.

15 times Mark Richt in 11 years to-date has Lost to Lousy Football Teams, none with any business beating us; none.

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