Heat Check: Was cutting Ray Edwards a message sent?
"So, former colleague Brian VanGorder, how's this Auburn gig working out?" (AJC photo by Brant Sanderlin)
Our weekly Heat Check appears a day late but, one hopes, not quite a dollar short.
FALCONS: Lost for the first time this season against the rival that has become an abject nemesis and, in losing, saw their biggest weaknesses – can’t run the ball, can’t stop the run — exposed. And what were the two things Mike Smith, after taking this job in January 2008, said a good team had to do? Run the ball and stop the run. Barometric reading: Barely 24 hours later, the Falcons cut defensive end Ray Edwards, who had little to do with Sunday’s loss but who did little after signing as a big-ticket free agent. Students of Falcons history will note that, after the first loss of the 1998 season, Dan Reeves cut cornerback Juran Bolden for messing up a coverage in San Francisco. Those Falcons would go 14-2 and make the Super Bowl.
(Please see my video chat with Brian Clark of CineSport, included below, for more on Edwards.)
GEORGIA: Beat Auburn the way a good team should beat Auburn. Will play Alabama — presuming Alabama beats Auburn — for the SEC title. Barometric reading: A week ago, almost nobody thought Georgia would have a chance against the Tide. That tide, so to speak, is turning. Brad Edwards of ESPN now projects Georgia over Alabama, and Mr. Edwards isn’t known for flights of fancy. And there’s still a real chance the SEC champ will play for the BCS title.
GEORGIA TECH: Played in Chapel Hill. Gave up 50 points. Won by 18. That’s Georgia Tech football. Barometric reading: The Jackets could well play for the ACC championship. When was the last time Georgia and Tech won divisions in the same year? Why, never.
HAWKS: They’re 3-3. Given that they’re in major flux and that they’ve had a frightful early schedule, that’s quite good. Barometric reading: Because this team was so structurally different from its predecessors, it was hard to know if it would fall into the lottery or make the playoffs. We’ve seen enough already to know that this is a playoff-caliber team.
GEORGIA STATE: Lost Bill Curry’s final game by 44 points to finish 1-10. Barometric reading: The next coach, whoever he is, won’t exactly have a tough act to follow.
GEORGIA TECH HOOPS: Opened the new McCamish Pavilion and won big. Barometric reading: The Jackets seem to have twice as many real players as they did last season, and they’re set to get one more when Stacey Poole, a Kentucky transfer, becomes eligible next month.
GEORGIA HOOPS: Scored three first-half baskets in losing to Youngstown State, which is known mostly for its nickname (Penguins) and being the place Jim Tressel coached before he landed at Ohio State. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope scored 27 of the Bulldogs’ 56 points, which means his teammates managed 29. Barometric pressure: A program working in its fourth year under a demonstrably skilled coach shouldn’t be losing anywhere to Youngstown State, let alone at home.
GEORGIA STATE HOOPS: Lost its opener at Duke. Big upset there, huh? Barometric reading: In his first collegiate game, freshman R.J. Hunter scored 14 points and took 10 rebounds. Ron Hunter, who coaches the Panthers, has always said his son could really play.
KENNESAW STATE HOOPS: Markeith Cummings hit with 0.8 seconds left in overtime to lift the Owls past South Carolina State last night. This marked KSU’s first victory of calendar 2012. The Owls had last won by beating Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Dec. 23, 2011. They’d since lost 20 in row. Barometric reading: KSU isn’t apt to go 3-28 again. Its competitive opening loss at Tennessee was a good sign, and winning three nights later on the road is an even better one.
BRAVES: Lost backup catcher David Ross to the Boston Red Sox, who can, as we know, outspend anyone save the Yankees. Barometric reading: Given that he’s the best No. 2 catcher in the game, and given that the Braves aren’t sure when the surgically repaired Brian McCann will be ready, Ross is a major loss.
By Mark Bradley
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210 comments Add your comment
Hurst
November 13th, 2012
11:19 pm
Well Mark, regarding outspending in baseball, seeing what the Dodgers, the Angels, and now the Blue Jays have done regarding buying talent, once again you’ve been proven conclusively wrong.
And Brad Edwards projects UGA winning. Whoop dee doo. Unless you’re Nate Silver, spare me the “projections.”
Will F.
November 13th, 2012
11:20 pm
That’s me! Sic em.
O'Ventbrel
November 14th, 2012
1:03 am
Wait a tick. I saw that UGA lost to Youngstown State by 12 and was admittedly surprised, even though the basketball team is only good once every 5 years or so. But 6 points in an entire half of play? That’s just pathetic. I know UGA basketball takes a backseat to many other sports on campus, but give me a break.
clay
November 14th, 2012
4:30 am
It’s so funny that Tech fans are making fun of our schedule, but yet we should be where we are at now record wise. Tech plays in the ACC and who in the hell have you beaten exactly? Presbytrian(who is that?) Virgina(next) Boston College(hahahahaha) Maryland(when was the last time they were actually relevant?) UNC(wow, you gave up 50 points) lets not forget that little loss to Middle Tenn. St. either. A blowout actually. Sooooooo how can you get all over UGA about their schedule when they have beaten who they were suppose to beat, and we haven’t lost at home either so far vs. the 3 that tech has……enough said
cdog
November 14th, 2012
12:31 pm
i think coach fox is a good coach but sometimes he”s too structured.he needs to turn his players loose. run a motion offense and let them run and gun.he will see a different team which will win more games and be excituing.he”s too handson with the team.they spend their time thinking where to be in the offense instead of playing.
Skeptic
November 14th, 2012
5:56 pm
Last
tom
November 14th, 2012
6:22 pm
The hawks have had the opportunity to win every single game they’ve been in this year. Great signs.
bmartin73
November 15th, 2012
12:16 pm
@BOY THAT DAWG IS UGLY …..to your comment all i have is 3 words……MIDDLE TENNESSEE STATE! YAWN!!!
Ronald Millsaps
November 15th, 2012
11:57 pm
Nice picture of Michael Turner, but again, the Falcons didn’t get critical yards at a critical juncture. The lines need to step up. Turner could also use a fullback from time to time.
Frank Wren, SIGN MICHAEL BOURN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AT LEAST TRY TO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I read about the Braves’ possibly signing Cody Ross and then read that he was a great clubhouse leader. The supporting example, however, was that he was quite the prankster———-as if pulling pranks makes for leadership. Give me the Christian man that is Bourn on my roster any day; he’s just the kind of person you need on a team/in a locker room. Not surprised at all that his demeanor is always one of focus, business, and professionalism.
Reacquire Rafael Soriano.
Reacquire Bourn, and make a move for Ross, B.J. Upton, or Nick Swisher. Do NOT pass on trying to re-sign our CF incumbent. Unlike another incumbent, we need to re-elect this man.
Georgia is better than many realize; they are as good as anyone in the country.
Manti Te’o deserves the Heisman, and an ESPN commentator’s saying otherwise “because” he doesn’t catch passes or score touchdowns is absolutely one of the dumbest comments I’ve ever heard, in sports or anywhere else. The way football, especially pro, has become incredibly biased for offenses is amazing. The premise states that five is greater in absolute value than negative five. Some guys on CSS (SportsNite) once tried to justify this reality, saying that no one buys tickets to see defensive players. Even if that statement were true, it would justify nothing.
Bad Dawg
November 16th, 2012
3:03 pm
I knew when Mark Fox was hired that UGA could do better, but I kept my mouth shut because I thought they couldn’t do any worse than the previous coach.
I was wrong.