Heat Check: Hot Braves, cold Honey Badger, a final #NBCfail
The Honey Badger will not be playing in the Dome on Dec. 1. (AJC photo by Johnny Crawford)
Our weekly Heat Check begins with baseball’s hottest team, and no, I don’t mean the Mets.
BRAVES: On July 5, the day the season’s second half officially began, manager Fredi Gonzalez assessed his team’s first half as “just OK.” They’re 24-9 since. They went 4-2 last week but managed to slide 4 1/2 games behind Washington, which went 6-1. Which leads us to say: No big deal.
There are two wild cards this season. Even if there were only one, the Braves are two games ahead of Pittsburgh, and the Pirates probably won’t hold up much longer. Baseball Prospectus gives the Braves only a 17.1 percent chance of winning the National League East but a 91.1 percent chance of making the playoffs.
The rest of August will be intriguing. Over the next 2 1/2 weeks, the Braves will play three games in Washington, three here against the Dodgers, four against the Giants and seven (four here, three there) against the Padres. Only San Diego is under .500, and the Padres are 17-12 since the All-Star break. Heat Index: After Aug. 26, the Braves’ schedule could not be more inviting. They’ll have only six remaining games against plus-.500 opposition.
FALCONS: Looked good in taking a 14-0 lead against the Ravens in the exhibition opener. Looked bad in getting outscored 31-3 thereafter. But it would have been a lot more worrisome had it been the other way around. Let’s face it — once the real season begins, nobody who played in the second half of that game is apt to see significant time.
Fans are a-dither about Akeem Dent’s concussion, suffered while playing on punt coverage. But a non-third-down linebacker will often have to do duty on special teams. This isn’t college, where you’ve got 85 scholarships. Heat Index: OK, middle linebacker is becoming an issue, but all teams have issues. And the rest of the team is shaping up nicely.
HAWKS: They didn’t trade for Dwight Howard. Good for them. The quickest way to oblivion would have been to lose Al Hoford in trade and then see Howard leave next summer as a free agent, with his buddy Josh Smith possibly in tow. Heat Index: Have I mentioned lately that Howard is also overrated?
GEORGIA BULLDOGS: They were leading the SEC championship game 10-0, whereupon the Honey Badger seized the game. LSU announced Friday that Tyrann Mathieu had been booted off the squad. Given that the Honey Badger played defense and returned kicks, and given that LSU wound up routing Georgia (and not just Georgia) essentially by playing defense and returning kicks, this would seem a major blow to a major contender in both Georgia’s conference and the whole U.S. of A. Heat Index: Have I mentioned lately that I think Georgia will again play LSU for the SEC title?
GEORGIA TECH YELLOW JACKETS: From reading esteemed colleague Ken Sugiura’s report on the Saturday scrimmage, I note that Tech coaches were pleased with the offense and pleased with the defense. I also note that Tech missed its only field-goal try. Heat Index: So much for special-teams coordinators, huh? (Kidding! I’m kidding!)
NBC: After being ripped for its Olympics coverage for 16 days, the Peacock apparently said, “You think what we’ve done so far is terrible? Try this!” And then it cut away from the end of the closing ceremonies to air a commercial-free version of “Animal Practice,” a new show that apparently stars both humans and, er, animals. Yes, NBC did air The Who’s performance in its late-night slot, but still … Heat Check: I’m officially joining the chorus. #NBCfail.
By Mark Bradley
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109 comments Add your comment
Columbus Dawg
August 13th, 2012
11:45 am
The Bama faithful are going to be so disappointed this season. “Greatest of all time”, “Not ever an OL like Bama’s”, “No one wants to play the Tide”, “Every team in nation afraid of Alabama”.
I HAVE NEWS FOR YOU, MORON THE DAWGS ARE NOT AT ALL SCARED OF YOUR CHEATING B.S. PROGRAM OR YOUR SAWED OFF LITTLE COACH.
cpsman_atlanta
August 13th, 2012
11:47 am
Hawks flame out, no matter what, as long as the money-sucking morons of Atlanta Spirit Group are in control. BOYCOTT ATLANTA SPIRIT GROUP!!! LONG LIVE THE THRASHERS!!!
ARdawg
August 13th, 2012
11:48 am
“As for this year’s seccg its clear it will be Bama vs probably S. Carolina or Florida. Bama’s massive O-line will go down as possibly the greatest O-line ever assembled.”
Those two sentences provide all the evidence need that Tide Trolling is a delusional troll and a homer
urban redneck
August 13th, 2012
11:49 am
please, no kudos for first. it’s like paying attention to the class clown. you’ll just encourage them.
honey badger don’t give a shirt.
Andy in Huntsville
August 13th, 2012
12:00 pm
Tide Roll; Tide Rising;
The papers here in Alabama are reporting that your vaunted offensive line has no credible backups! As much as you love to yack about UGA’s–UA is in no better shape. I’d be concerned about LSU’s and UGA’s front 7 if I were you.
realitycheck
August 13th, 2012
12:04 pm
Columbus Dawg………….What’s with all the bitterness? Maybe an anger management course is something you might need to look into. Bama 14 NC’s…..UGA 1 NC……..What a fair fight that is! BTW, Columbus is a total dump and that’s something Bama, Auburn, and UGA fans all agree on. Which tattoo parlor do you own? LMAO!!!!!!!!!!!
BasketballTopFan
August 13th, 2012
12:11 pm
CO N G R A T U L A T I O N S to the United States of America women and men basketball team for winning the Olympic Gold Medals.
Basketball fans worldwide enjoyed watching them play.
BasketballTopFan@Yahoo.com
WTF
August 13th, 2012
12:11 pm
Anyone who would watch anything on NBC or their sisters-in-crime is insane. In fact, watching network TV is akin to doing brain-killing drugs – every day. If it’s sports, they screw it up. It it’s prme time, they badger you to death with PC crud and social engineering – non-stop. If it’s news, well, ‘news’ to them is just an excuse to shove more PC and leftist crud into your brain. And ‘politics’. Well, they are so far in the tank for the DNC and especially the Anointed One their cranial/rectal displacement doesn’t even show a shoe.
Just say NO to NBC.
ARdawg
August 13th, 2012
12:14 pm
Gorilla Biscuit
The triple option is a gimmicky offense. Very effective early on until the opposing defense has played against it a few times. Of course I am not but, if I were a Tech fan I’d be screaming from the roof tops for Moobs to diversify. The offense never changes, only the players running the same tired script. I’m not a Tech “hater” per se’, I just don’t like you guys and I don’t say this from your rival standpoint but, I think you guys are in for a dismal season.
Billyho55
August 13th, 2012
12:15 pm
YREKALBREPORTEDLY, TYRANN IS TRYING TO CONVINCE LSU TO ALLOW HIM TO SIT OUT THIS YEAR AND BEGIN PLAYING AGAIN NEXT YEAR! HE STILL HAS A REDSHIRT YEAR AVAILABLE TO HIM!!
Billyho55
August 13th, 2012
12:15 pm
REPORTEDLY, TYRANN IS TRYING TO CONVINCE LSU TO ALLOW HIM TO SIT OUT THIS YEAR AND BEGIN PLAYING AGAIN NEXT YEAR! HE STILL HAS A REDSHIRT YEAR AVAILABLE TO HIM!!
realitycheck
August 13th, 2012
12:16 pm
Columbus Dawg……….Have you considered an anger management course yet? They probably offer one somewhere near those countless tattoo parlors there. Just another meaningless 10 win season ahead in Athens……..and that;s the best case scenario. All the other SEC schools are tickled to death that Richt got that extension. Thank you so much UGA!………..Signed, The rest of the SEC.
Mister Frisky
August 13th, 2012
12:20 pm
Mark I’m in total agreement on the HORIBLE coverage of London 2012.It was more painful than watching the Braves last September.From that D- Bag Seacrest,to that fossil Brokaw and his Hitler Channel I mean History Channel Battle of Britain B.S. documentary.Not enough of the hotties on the Brazialian Womens VB team,too much of everything else.Also, WTF was that BMX S%#T?I thought the X Games were over.To think these TOOLS will ruin Rio in 4 years is making me puke right now.Have a nice day.
7576DAWG
August 13th, 2012
12:26 pm
Quincy Carter ruined his NFL career because he couldn’t kick his drug addiction. I know some players at Georgia when he was up there and they confirmed that he smoked pot daily. WHAT A WASTE OF TALENT.
Honey Badger or let’s say Tyrann Mathieu is too short for the NFL but will be a high draft choice and he will get a good 3 year contract if he can straighten up and kick his addiction. He probably will only be a return specialist and play a little safety but he is so good at what he does he can make a difference. It would be ashamed if he goes the same route as Quincy Carter. The difference will be he want even make it to the front door in Pro ball today. They have been burned too many times to take a chance if he is still addicted when he enters the draft.
Mister Frisky
August 13th, 2012
12:27 pm
Enter your comments here
DP
August 13th, 2012
12:32 pm
Andy in Huntsville, no credible backups on Alabama’s offensive line? They have a bunch of redshirt freshmen and sophomores who were highly recruited but have been stuck behind Barrett Jones, D.J. Fluker, Chance Warmack, etc. I’ll be real surprised if they’re not credible players when called upon.
As for Mark Bradley’s predictions about the SEC championship game or anything else, who cares? Based on his track record you’re more likely to be right flipping a coin or drawing teams out of a hat. His latest howler was that if the 2010 Falcons hadn’t gotten crushed 48-21 by the Packers in the first playoff game (after a bye) they would have won the Super Bowl. Never mind that they lost their first playoff game the next year to the Giants 24-2, they were just that close to winning a Super Bowl.
Joe Bob Thibodaux
August 13th, 2012
12:48 pm
Hello Mark, It is getting close to the opening kickoff. It is a shame about the Honey Badger. He won’t get much of a chance for the Heisman this year at Nichols State. I heard from unofficial sources, like me, that the Badger was into pain pills and not hemp (whatever), and that he was having a negative influence on team mates. Thus, he had to go. Honey Badger was fun to watch last season, and his latest foul up probably will cost him $20 Million over the next 10 years. He can probably still get a chance as a kick off return man in the NFL, but he needs to mature as a man.
LSU FOREVER,
JBT
Columbus Dawg
August 13th, 2012
12:57 pm
DP, same can be said of numerous predictions from idiot Bama posters predicting “Tide will never lose another game”,” Bama has best football team in history of the world”, ect.
The Factor
August 13th, 2012
1:00 pm
@Tide Rising,
Please, put your teeth back in….Oh, you bama boys are so easy.
pb
August 13th, 2012
1:09 pm
WTF,
I dare say NBC knows more about running a sports network than you give them credit for. They did a pretty fair job with the Olympics overall. I agree they do throw in the left leaning political commentary too much. but so do all the other big 3 networks. They cannot please everyone with their coverage. And the time delay problem really could not be avoided.
Realtycheck
August 13th, 2012
1:13 pm
Not only Costas and Berman need to go. Have you ever actually met a person who likes Joe Buck? His daddy must have had J Edgar files on everyone at the network.
Chad Johnson is an IDIOT
August 13th, 2012
1:17 pm
Chad Johnson is an idiot…..he needs to be run out of the NFL permanently. Hope he can’t get on with any other teams.
Sundrop Kid
August 13th, 2012
1:19 pm
“Realtycheck”, agree 110%, the guy gets on my nerves in less than 1 minute, especially when he’s teamed with McCarver. If not for his dad, he would be a “nobody” today.
HUH?????????????
August 13th, 2012
1:22 pm
2008 Preseason national champions.
Wake me up when UGA actually does something big.
shankit
August 13th, 2012
1:22 pm
Tide Roll, Tide Rising — Only a couple of hours til your
Paul Finebaum show comes on. Bet you can’t hardly
wait to talk smack about “The Barn”.
HUH?????????????
August 13th, 2012
1:23 pm
“The papers here in Alabama are reporting that your vaunted offensive line has no credible backups!”
Nick Saban could take a high school team and beat UGA.
Oh, and I hate Bama but I’m not dumb like UGA fans.
HUH?????????????
August 13th, 2012
1:24 pm
“Bet you can’t hardly
wait to talk smack about “The Barn”.”
I always laugh when Bama/UGAG fans talk about AU as being “the barn.” Auburn has one of the best vet schools in the country.
Do you clowns hate animals?
HUH?????????????
August 13th, 2012
1:25 pm
“I HAVE NEWS FOR YOU, MORON THE DAWGS ARE NOT AT ALL SCARED OF YOUR CHEATING B.S. PROGRAM OR YOUR SAWED OFF LITTLE COACH.”
Of course not. That MUST explain why UGAG doesn’t play but one ranked team all season.
Wake me up when UGA can beat a team in a bowl game.
Larry
August 13th, 2012
1:25 pm
“Baseball Prospectus gives the Braves only a 17.1 percent chance of winning the National League East but a 91.1 percent chance of making the playoffs.”
Mark, what were out odds on September 1, 2011?
With this blockhead for manager, no lead is safe!
JB
August 13th, 2012
1:25 pm
Dawgs will play LSU in the dome, and may be 12-0. This #7 leaving only helps. Kinda cool if the SECCG has #1 vs #2 in the country.
HUH?????????????
August 13th, 2012
1:26 pm
“Dawgs will play LSU in the dome, and may be 12-0. This #7 leaving only helps. Kinda cool if the SECCG has #1 vs #2 in the country.”
Yeah, and the Falcons will win the Super Bowl.
UGA wins the title every year before a game is played.
Auburn and Bama may hate each other but heck, they can win national titles. UGA, not so much.
HUH?????????????
August 13th, 2012
1:28 pm
Larry
Had the playoff system from this year been in play last year, the Braves would have been in the playoffs..and sent home early.
The Braves have gotten hot at the wrong time and will most likely cool off by September. I hope I’m wrong, but I don’t see them doing anything in the playoffs IF they get there.
Gorilla Biscuit
August 13th, 2012
1:36 pm
ARdawg, whatever it was that gave you the idea I am a tech fan, I apologize for it.
Gary
August 13th, 2012
1:36 pm
Glad to see other LSU has standards. Kid must have killed someone. Pretty sure that is the only team rule that will keep you off the field at LSU. I can see Les explaining it to him again. “I told you, the one thing you can’t do is kill someone. It is not the one thing you CAN do.” I imagine they just dropped a little in Vegas.
I hope that show on NBC gets cancelled in two episodes. I woke up Sunday and said ok I will watch some of the games. 2 HOURS OF WOMENS SPEED WALKING!!!! NBC is awful.
just the truth
August 13th, 2012
1:41 pm
Gorilla, it was 1’s against 1’s and 2’s against 2’s . Not 1’s against 2’s !
Maxwell the chihuahua hunter
August 13th, 2012
2:17 pm
Dawg fans my Mom is making say I’m sorry for saying those hurtful words to you.
So I’m very sorry and it won’t happen again!
dawgfan
August 13th, 2012
2:21 pm
“ARdawg, whatever it was that gave you the idea I am a tech fan, I apologize for it.”
I think you should strongly consider suing him for slander. I would.
Gwinnett Fred
August 13th, 2012
2:25 pm
Georgia might be playing in the SEC Championship, but it won’t be against LSU.
Special teams are no longer so special. Pass defense is now suspect and they still don’t have a “veteran” quarterback. That’s NOT the stuff SEC West Champions are made of in these days and times!
Taxi Smith
August 13th, 2012
2:39 pm
I tried to listen to the Olympics closing ceremony last night, but all I heard was the constant drone of Bob Costas and Al Michaels. And Al, stick to the NFL.
DawgDad
August 13th, 2012
2:53 pm
“Which leads us to say: No big deal.”
Conceding that the Braves are essentially playing for an all-but assured wild card slot is a HUGE big deal, especially under the new format. Comfortably coasting home in September has recently proven to NOT be very effective (ask the Phillies, too), and good luck in that one-game “playoff”.
Over the past two seasons the Falcons roster has burped up three Pro-Bowl players: Harvey Dahl, Curtis Lofton, and Ovie Mughelli. I understand economics, but it’s hard to see how this makes the team “better”.
DawgDad
August 13th, 2012
2:59 pm
And, the only thing I can say about the Olympic closing ceremony is there was a Braves game on and some pretty good Ginger Rogers movies, too.
Sopwith Camel
August 13th, 2012
3:02 pm
I’m just glad I don’t have to listen to that commentator that called the boxing events any more. He sounded like a Sylvestor Stallone with that brain-dead accent!!
John Waynesworld
August 13th, 2012
3:06 pm
“But a non-third-down linebacker will often have to do duty on special teams.”
Another tall tale absorbed by the believing media and passed along like so much gas. Gee, Mark, I didn’t see the article where Coach Smith said that Dent will only be a 2-down linebacker despite the fact that he was the main back up to the only other 3rd down option we had in the recently-departed Lofa. So we are supposed to believe that the 36-year-old Peterson was signed off of his living room couch to handle all our 3rd down MLB situations in the upcoming season? Really?
Can UGA afford another big-ticket player with their salary cap?
August 13th, 2012
3:07 pm
There are an awful lot of rumors that Honey Badger has been spotted clubbing in Athens. It looks like CMR may be recruiting the guy, as most of us suspected.
Ted M
August 13th, 2012
3:10 pm
“Our number two is likely to be Hanson because that’s how stupid our manager is.”
Space Monkey
Ha…I worry about that too…but I’ll take the wild card any day.
Buzz2011
August 13th, 2012
3:28 pm
Bradley…I wouldn’t be overly concerned about field goal misses.
We will again be one of the top running teams in the country and won’t be
depending on 3 pointers. Hope that helps you..Who’s kicking for your Dogs?
AAAAA Athens Bail Bonds R Us
August 13th, 2012
3:31 pm
Any more dawgs arrested today?
Stinger 2
August 13th, 2012
3:40 pm
The most irritating comments on AJC blogs are those that refer to UGA players getting arrested. I am a GT fan but enough is enough. The comments are sure not funny anymore and anyone with nothing better to say should just read the posts by others and say nothing.
Terry
August 13th, 2012
4:02 pm
NBC is awful at covering sports and has been for a long time. They refuse to give the viewers what they want…live sports shown in their entirety. This Olympics is just another in a long line of Olympic games that they’ve absolutely butchered. Just sickening.
I hear a lot...
August 13th, 2012
4:07 pm
about Bama’s 2nd game against LSU. How did that 1st one play out? Yep, you lit HB up to the tune of how many points?