A chilly Heat Check: Bad losses, bad behavior, bad times
We offer visual verification that happy days aren't here again. (AJC photo by Curtis Compton)
We begin our weekly Heat Check by noting that the Falcons are 5-0 for the first time in franchise annals and that the Hawks opened their exhibition season by beating the reigning NBA champs, and then we turn to more dire matters. Which is to say, everything else in local sports.
GEORGIA: Played its biggest game of the season and lost by 28 points, and that only after what even the head coach conceded was a “consolation” touchdown. Linebacker Christian Robinson took to Twitter to report that the house he shares with quarterback Aaron Murray had been “egged and rolled.” Chill Factor: There have been more depressing weekends in the long history of Georgia football, but not many.
BRAVES: Played its biggest game of the postseason and made three errors that generated four unearned runs, thereby ensuring that this would be their only game of the postseason. Also messed up a strange safety squeeze. Also were victims of one of the worst calls in postseason history, prompting a televised outpouring of bottle-flinging. Also said goodbye to the best Atlanta Brave of the past 35 years. Chill Factor: There have been more depressing nights in the long history of Braves baseball, but not many.
GEORGIA TECH: Lost by 16 points after leading in the fourth quarter. One week after yielding 510 yards and 49 points to Middle Tennessee and two weeks after yielding 609 yards and 42 points to Miami, the Jackets yielded 601 yards and 47 points to Clemson. When last the Jackets started a season worse than 2-4, the head coach — the year was 1994 — was gone after eight games. Chill Factor: There have been more depressing half-seasons in the long history of Tech football, but not many.
DREAM: Were eliminated from the WNBA playoffs after squandering a 1-0 lead. Failed to reach the league finals for the first time in three seasons. Fired its coach-since-inception in midseason because she couldn’t get along with the team’s best player, whereupon the new coach suspended (briefly) the team’s best player. Chill Factor: There have been more depressing seasons in the history of Dream basketball, but not many.
GEORGIA STATE: Lost to New Hampshire to fall to 0-6. Has been outscored 226-71 on the season. The closest loss has been 21 points. If the Panthers don’t beat Rhode Island (0-5) on Saturday, they’re staring an 0-fer season in its ugly face. Chill Factor: There have been more depressing seasons in the history of Georgia State football … well, actually there haven’t.
By Mark Bradley
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259 comments Add your comment
FALCON'S ROCK
October 8th, 2012
12:00 pm
THANK YOU, FALCON’S. For keeping us sane.Mike Smith, and the Falcon’s keep up the GREAT PLAYING. You are our ONLY HOPE.
GT1975
October 8th, 2012
12:00 pm
Hate to say it, but David Braine(sp?) was correct when he told the Tech alumni that we could expect
8-4, 7-5 seasons to be normal with an occasional 10-2 or 11-1 season. We fired him for telling the
truth.
P Rose
October 8th, 2012
12:05 pm
The Braves game was their third worst ever, after the Jim Leyritz and Eric Gregg debacles. Chipper was a part of all three.
To say that Chipper was the greatest Brave of the last 35 years explains the futility. The guy was phenomenal in the regular season, but Reggie “Mr. October” Jackson, he wasn’t.
He carried the Braves all season long, until the final game — THE must-win of his career. His team had a lead, with the historically hottest pitcher in 100 years on the mound, and the historically hottest closer ever in the bullpen. He got a routine grounder hit right at him. An easy double-play would have preserved the lead — but he threw it away, literally and figuratively.
In other words, he choked. Again. Just as he lost the ball in the lights last year, in what would have been the final, game-winning out, in another must-win game — they only needed ONE WIN in the final week of the season to make the playoffs — the great leader failed, and cost his team the game — and the season.
He gladly accepted the mantle of team-leader, but he never led the team with class or dignity, on the field or off. Whether the microphones were on or off, he talked too much, and made hypocritical statements.
And his personal affairs were questionable. Does that matter? When you are the leader of a franchise, yes. Mike Vick and Eugene Robinson come to mind.
Was he a great hitter? Yes, he was — in the regular season, until the must-win pressure was applied. But when it came time to win-or-go-home, he always went home.
STATEment
October 8th, 2012
12:06 pm
Do we think bricks will start flying through Coach Curry’s windows again?
NotreDameIrish
October 8th, 2012
12:08 pm
UGA schedulers, for next year please replace SC game with Buffalo Atlantic, Idaho State or Georgia State. Thats why they are paying you big bucks, right?
JoeFan
October 8th, 2012
12:09 pm
The best thing going for Paul Johnson is that apathy has sunk in on the Flats. How long DRad can stomach this situation is anybody’s guess. But to say Tech can’t recruit is wrong. Recruiting is dependent on the head coach and his staff and with the right combination Tech can get quality players, Gailey, O’Leary and Ross in restrospect are proof of that. So lets see if DRad is capable of making a better decision on a new head coach and how long it takes him to see that status quo needs changing.
Pancho Villa, III
October 8th, 2012
12:10 pm
sí a Diaz Sr. Fox
Atentamente,
PV3
Bad Dawg, Yeck
October 8th, 2012
12:12 pm
Paul Johnson should be fired for the following 0-4 in bowl games, 1-5 versus VT and The U and soon to be 1-5 against underperforming Dawgs. The program has moved backwards. Stop whinning about academics. Northwestern and Stanford are winning. Richt should be fired after 11 years he produces less with more. Not to mention the character of the players he recruits and then dismisses or suspends disgraces the UGA and the State of Georgia.
Clay-GA-Southern
October 8th, 2012
12:14 pm
Georgia Southern was the ONLY DIVISION I program in the state of Georgia to win a game on Saturday!
W.T. Sherman
October 8th, 2012
12:14 pm
The results of this past weekend remind me of my old days in Georgia. Could not have done a better job myself.
UGA cannot beat the good teams
October 8th, 2012
12:16 pm
It is sad people “egging and rolling” UGA QB’s house after a big loss, but not really surprising. Always some nutty fans.Team did play like they were shell-shocked, and not just Aaron Murray. Once got behind, had no come back in them. Really goes back to the coaching. In a big game, once again, Richt and staff come up short.
ChinUp
October 8th, 2012
12:16 pm
Georgia Southern continue to win, so I am happy! Falcons win! I am happy. TOTALLY disappointed in the Bulldogs. Ga. Tech, well you come to expect it. Sad to say, the Braves included in expecting a loss.
Clay-GA-Southern
October 8th, 2012
12:16 pm
South Georgia Football > football above Macon
Ted M
October 8th, 2012
12:17 pm
It will cost GT 12 million dollars to buy PJ contract and another 3 million to hire a new HC and to replace some of the assistant coaches.
Were stuck with PJ.
Ted M
October 8th, 2012
12:19 pm
Notre Dame is too. GT could and should recruit way better then they are now.
azdawg
October 8th, 2012
12:19 pm
Wasn’t Murray’s play that cost GA the SC game. GA got out coached by a better group of coaches and their players were better then GA’s, and better prepared. GA’s defense has been suspect ever since being exposed by opening game vs Buffalo. GA has a few stars on D but the rest are way over rated by the medias. The irony of it all is those players probably will do well in the pros once they get proper coaching, not what they have in Athens.
Hanging is too good for the common scuzz balls that defaced Murray’s and Robinson’s house. Idiots.
Hoping Murray’s dad will receive good news w/test results.
Sonny Clusters
October 8th, 2012
12:20 pm
P Rose, you mean he wasn’t a “class act” after all? We was told about revisionist history when we was in school but we never experienced it until we started hearing how Chipper “brought it” every game. Well, if he brought it, what did he do with it? He certainly didn’t do anything with it in post season and he surely didn’t “bring it” when he chose to sit out a game against the Nats when the Braves were just a few games back. He sure could hit in regular season but he did not bring – ever – anything to the table that would help the Braves move to another level in the post season. Of course, neither did Sheffield or any number of other “star” players in post season. Give us Lemke and the great Series he played that won him an Indian for his den. Seeing Chipper go is bittersweet because we saw him his whole career (and the front office merchandised him like Air Jordans) but fans will forget if they can replace him with somebody that can bring a runner in from third in a post-season game.
Ted M
October 8th, 2012
12:22 pm
Mark – I think this is true but I’d like confirmation. Could the Umps have huddle up right after the infield fly rule and reversed the call?
Reply was not need to reverse that call.
Dum-Bass
October 8th, 2012
12:23 pm
One small disagreement with MB on the safety squeeze. Not only does the runner at third wait to see where the bunt is going, but also goes about a third of the way down and takes off if the fielder goes to first with it. Still not enough blame placed on the inept manager for calling this. No, I don’t believe FG was covering for Simmons. He would not have done this after messing up earlier in the season. Trust me, it came from the “managerial wizard”. That play was as big as any during the game. He is in way over his head, like that guy in Washington(No, not Davey Johnson either). BTW, why did the AJC writers not press FG more about whether or not he actually did call it?
UGA cannot beat the good teams
October 8th, 2012
12:24 pm
UGA sad shape. Good team, but cannot win the big ones… Once got behind S.Carolina, Dawgs played like shell-shocked. No comeback in them. Really goes back to the coaching staff. Did not have team prepared, and did not know how to handle the stress, when fell behind.
Ted M
October 8th, 2012
12:26 pm
You know how Fredi started Ross to put his best team on the field to give the Braves the best chance to win.
Imagine if he did that all year.
ACE
October 8th, 2012
12:29 pm
DOB would never ask Fredi a tough question. The ajc should look into the fact that DOB goes on off season Harley rides with Fredi and therefore can’t risk offending him. Pathetic.
Chipper jogging out his last at bat was a good example of how he played the entire game.
Bilbo
October 8th, 2012
12:30 pm
How ironic, Bill Curry’s coaching career will likely begin and end with zero win seasons. Kind of like deja vu all over again isn’t it ?
JB
October 8th, 2012
12:31 pm
The problems in Athens getting bigger as it looks like two of the last MAJOR assit. coach hires are bust. Will Friend of the OL and Grantham as DC. The Carolina DC was coaching the Newnan High defense recently. They have talent. We have talent. Looks like they have coaching.
Gman
October 8th, 2012
12:32 pm
No matter what they do the rest of the season, the dogs won’t get this stain off of them for the rest of the year and seeing as how next year looks like a rebuilding year year-this loss will be as haunting as the Bama loss.
It took a long time and a great benefit of the doubt for most supporters to believe that CMR had UGA back on the right track. It is obvious now that despite all of the NFL-caliber talent and wins accumulated over lesser teams, we will always be outcoached in the big games.
There is absolutely no guarantee that UGA would reach its potential under a new coaching regime but it is increasingly worth taking the chance because the ceiling under CMR is underachievement.
I think most fans could’ve accepted a hard-fought loss to USCjr on Saturday but another big-game humiliation by a completely unprepared team is the last straw for many.
General Custer had a better gameplan than Richt
Ted M
October 8th, 2012
12:32 pm
DOB likes to insult his bloggers. Maybe that creates web hits and paid do that instead.
Ted M
October 8th, 2012
12:33 pm
You are confusing Bill Lewis with Bill Curry.
Damon-ghost
October 8th, 2012
12:35 pm
GT is one of the top engineering schools in the country and must teach it students to be competent and current on the rapid changing technology. YET!!, your football coach is running a 70’s offense.
WhoCares?
October 8th, 2012
12:36 pm
Clusters, you’re welcome to your somewhat fuzzy opinions, of course, but comments about Chipper are just a tad off base. post-season average was .287, bot great, but he did indeed carry the Braves in several series. Understand you’re annoyed at what happened in his final game, but stuff happens. Chill out a wee bit please.
Bob LaBlah
October 8th, 2012
12:38 pm
UGA does have class! Thye rarely resist arrest. They usually just go ahead and put their hands behind their back. They KNOW how to finish that drill.
Harry Reid
October 8th, 2012
12:40 pm
Sad that most of tthese people who are venting…aren’t real fans at all!
News 2 Me
October 8th, 2012
12:41 pm
Gman: Agree 100%.
Damon-ghost
October 8th, 2012
12:41 pm
Concerning the safety squeeze, Freeman is slooooooooooooooow as molasses, he needs to loose about 15 or 20lbs during the off season.
Ted M
October 8th, 2012
12:42 pm
“The Braves will have money to spend, but Wren indicated they wouldn’t spend the bulk of it on one player.”
Well that defiantly means the Braves won’t make a play for Josh Hamilton. Darn, could be wise though.
J
October 8th, 2012
12:42 pm
bradley, forgot about the Hawks winning … might have been just pre-season, but it was still a win against the former NBA Champs. Last time i checked, they were an Atlanta team.
J
October 8th, 2012
12:45 pm
and i wasn’t going to say Ga Southern won, since they aren’t in Atlanta … wait, neither is UGA … great sports writing! Who qualifies as Atlanta teams? Does Atlanta reach out to Athens???
J
October 8th, 2012
12:46 pm
AND i get a penalty flag for not reading the opening line … you did mention the Hawks. I admit i am partially an idiot here.
Dum-Bass
October 8th, 2012
12:47 pm
Just can’t wait until a similar play like happened to the Braves Fri. night happens again, hopefully in these playoffs this year. Wonder what would have been done had that been the Yankees rather than the Braves? I have a feeling Joe Torre would have had the umpires get together and reverse it. When these things happen it is usually all about who you are, and the connections you have. That celebration last Wed. night turned out to be somewhat premature did it not? What were they celebrating again?
Renee
October 8th, 2012
12:47 pm
Once again another well known University in Georgia is excluded from being recognized. GEORGIA SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY!!!! Let’s give credit where it is due. The Ga. Southern Eagles are currently 4-1. They won their game Saturday! Stop sleeping on the EAGLES! I would like to see AJC give them more coverage or at least recognize their wins when the other schools lose!
Silver Lining in the State!
October 8th, 2012
12:51 pm
Mark, Mark, Mark. Why does the AJC never recognize Ga. Southern? Ever!? We won our ballgame quite handily over the weekend the last time I checked. Do you realize how many Southern alums are living, working, and are from the Atlanta metro area? I’m not saying there are millions of us but the true blue crowd that reads your newspaper and follows your articles would like to be counted on AND recognized just once in a while. I guess our day only comes when we happen to play Georgia or come up to play Tech in baseball (the Jackets don’t want to take us on in football). We’re doing just fine down in the ‘boro – and we’ll keep winning – whether you paper people decide to notice or not. GO EAGLES!!!!
Pancho Villa, III
October 8th, 2012
12:51 pm
“Perder” es la de no ganar; “suelto” es lo opuesto a la mano… inglés sencillo, aparentemente no se enseña en Georgia…
Atentamente,
PV3
Jo
October 8th, 2012
12:54 pm
Lets face it, and lets be honest about Tech, thier Offense is awesome! … … ….oh yea, and they need to remove the 5 year old girls from the defense because usually in football you need a defense as well. No disrespect to 5 Year old girls, some of who may be tougher than the current GT defense.
Erk's gone andso is our defense
October 8th, 2012
12:54 pm
Do we really want SC to lose two and we will them all and then go and get the crap kicked out of us by Bama, sorry but that is what would happen, but we are not winning out any way Fla. beats us.
Ted M
October 8th, 2012
12:54 pm
This is from Richard Durrett, ESPN Dallas
“So if they decide to at least discuss parameters with Hamilton and make some sort of offer, what makes sense? I really think this comes down to the term of the contract, not the dollar amount. I could argue that the last two weeks have hurt Hamilton’s overall value, but he’s still in the $25 million range, isn’t he? It could be more or less depending on those guaranteed years. But how many do you give Hamilton, who has had an injury history and is now 31 years old? I think three guaranteed years is all I’d go. Maybe there’s a vesting option for a fourth year based on whether he stays healthy. But you don’t want to get into a situation where you’re paying a player that kind of money and not getting a return on the investment.”
just wishful thinking I know the Braves are not gonna get Hamilton …but 75 mil for 3 years…hmmm
Sonny Clusters
October 8th, 2012
12:55 pm
WhoCares? They played a lot of post-season games because we can count the signs out in the outfield. Do you remember some “carrying the Braves” in post season we don’t? Do you remember some pennants we don’t? Maybe we’re fuzzy and maybe we’re not.
EagleDawg
October 8th, 2012
12:56 pm
GSU continues to represent the state well as we were the only D-1 college team to win on Saturday. GO EAGLES!
Casey
October 8th, 2012
12:57 pm
White trash fans everywhere…especially the Braves game Friday night. It’s just a game. Get a life.
Dum-Bass
October 8th, 2012
12:59 pm
If the AJC is going to allow posting in Spanish on its blogs, then it also must allow posts in other languages as well. It would be discriminatory not to. I would suggest English only, so as not to be confusing to the MAJORITY! After all, they could be using profanity or obscenities, even calling other posters vulgar names, and most would not even know it. Might should put a stop to this before it gets out of control.
Dolly Parton's Package
October 8th, 2012
1:01 pm
Hey, there looked like there was still some beer left in some of those cans!!!! People, if you plan on wasting 8 dollar beer, please at least consult with me first…. We could had used another round……
Silver Lining in the State!
October 8th, 2012
1:02 pm
How come there’s no mention of Ga. Southern this weekend? Last time I checked we won our game over the weekend AND we are a large university in this great state. Our teams are always competitive and there is a large amount of Southern alums that hail from the metro Atlanta area. Why do you choose not report our scores or our victorys? I think your readers would appreciate it.
GO EAGLES!!!!!