Heat Check: Division-winning Falcons are in cold storage
Carolina coach Ron Rivera is apparently peeved, while Mike Smith is perplexed. (AP photo)
Our weekly Heat Check arrives, perhaps inappropriately, on a chilly morning.
FALCONS: The good news — well, to some ears — is that they’re getting a new stadium. The bad news is that they stunk out Bank of America Stadium on Sunday, losing by 10 points to the last-place Carolina Panthers. Atmospheric reading: The Falcons are in a really weird place, and by this we don’t mean Flowery Branch or the doomed Georgia Dome. They clinched the NFC South with a month to spare, which essentially thrusts them into another preseason. They know they’re going to the playoffs and they know they’ll need to play well once there, but the reality is that these final regular-season games mean next to nothing.
HAWKS: Had a chance to nose ahead of the Miami Heat in the NBA Southeast. Didn’t do it, losing by nine after a pretty stout first half. This came two days after an eye-opening road victory at Memphis. Atmospheric reading: This team is actually quite good, and not in the way we (or at least I) would have thought. Check the HoopData numbers, and you’ll find that the Hawks are actually better at defending than scoring. How’d that happen?
GEORGIA: Is preparing to play Nebraska in the Capital One Bowl. Nebraska just yielded 70 points to Wisconsin, which prompted the Badgers’ coach to up and leave for Arkansas. Atmospheric reading: Usually it takes a Monday night loss to the Saints for a football coach to bolt to the Ozarks. (See Petrino, Bobby.)
GEORGIA TECH: Is preparing to play USC in the Sun Bowl. On talent, this is the biggest mismatch of this bowl season. Atmospheric reading: On coaching, this is a massive mismatch the other way. If the underachieving Trojans don’t pay attention — and if they were all that good at paying attention, they wouldn’t have underachieved — Tech could shock that small corner of the world that will actually pay attention to the Sun Bowl.
GEORGIA STATE: When I saw the release that was headlined, “Panthers hire Miles,” I was pretty impressed. Les Miles is an odd fellow, but he does have a national championship under his capacious hat. Then I read that the hire in question is Trent Miles of Indiana State, which is Larry Bird’s alma mater, which is a rather different sport. Atmospheric reading: Not to put too fine a point on it, but when you inherit a 1-10 team you don’t exactly have the toughest of acts to follow.
BRAVES: Re-upped Reed Johnson, who doesn’t fit many people’s notion of an everyday left fielder. And maybe that’s good. Atmospheric reading: Because I’m one of those few folks who’d rather see Martin Prado stay in left field and let Juan Francisco take a shot at third base. In case you missed it, Prado has become a terrific outfielder.
GEORGIA TECH HOOPS: Beat Georgia handily, which might have meant a bit more if Georgia were any good. Atmospheric reading: ESPN Insider calculates Tech’s RPI as 59th-best in the land, which ain’t bad. In fact, it’s 20 spots ahead of Kentucky’s.
GEORGIA HOOPS: The same ESPN Insider shows Georgia’s RPI as 238th-best among Division I programs, which is 87 spots below Georgia State’s. Atmospheric reading: Of the 14 SEC teams, only one has already suffered six losses. That’d be Georgia.
JOHNNY FOOTBALL: He’s the first freshman to win the Heisman Trophy. (Though some guy from Wrightsville deserved it back in 1980.) Atmospheric reading: There’s good luck, and then there’s SEC luck — the world’s best football conference adds Texas A&M just in time for an Aggie to claim the famous prize. We know all about the six consecutive BCS titles, but the SEC has also taken four of the past six Heismans.
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94 comments Add your comment
Braves #17 Fan
December 11th, 2012
5:08 pm
Too early to coast for the Falcons. They need to treat this Sunday’s game versus the Giants like a playoff game… a must-win.
Barkin' Dog
December 11th, 2012
5:21 pm
DONNAN OF A NEW ERA
December 11th, 2012 12:06 pm
Just read that Saban is going to leave Bama for the Browns. It truly must be a slow news day if people have to write about that. No way is Saban leaving Bama for Cleveland.
I hope you’re around, eating crow, when Bama crushes Notre Dame and his challenges are long gone, and he joins his good friend, Bellichek (sp), as HC in the same conference. It gets pretty boring when you win 3 outta 4 of the past NCs. Time to reach for the SuperBowl… again. Bye-bye, Saban… and good riddance
Barkin' Dog
December 11th, 2012
5:24 pm
I see the Falcons COMPLETELY FOCUSED for this week’s game… where they can prove they are better than the team that lost to NYGs last post-season. One thing I haven’t heard anyone say is, “The Falcons played the CLASSIC SANDWICH GAME last week… after the revenge win against the Saints and before the revenge game vs the Giants. This is the week to show the football world the birds are for real. If they don’t win THIS GAME, they won’t win a playoff game.
DONNAN OF A NEW ERA
December 11th, 2012
5:40 pm
“I hope you’re around, eating crow, when Bama crushes Notre Dame and his challenges are long gone, and he joins his good friend, Bellichek (sp), as HC in the same conference.”
No way Saban leaves to go to the NFL. He couldn’t make it the first go around. His goal is to surpass Bear with titles at Bama. Bellichek is a better NFL coach by 100 miles.
Skeezix
December 11th, 2012
5:45 pm
Re: AJC Sportswriters–I have lived all over the country and overall, day in and day out, these sportswriters are pretty darn good.
Sonny Clusters
December 11th, 2012
5:48 pm
We was watching Psycho. a movie at the Bates Motel, and the shower scene nearly scared us to death. We was wondering if that’s the kind of shower movie Chipper’s new girlfriend is famous for? If it is, that’s probably where she learned to gut a deer.
PantherDawg
December 11th, 2012
6:24 pm
Here is what MSNBC Power Rankings has to say about the Birds!
Week 14 power rankings: Posted by Mike Florio on December 11, 2012, 10:38 AM EST
#4. Falcons: “The worst 11-2 team in NFL history” is still 11-2.
Who Me?
December 11th, 2012
7:30 pm
Falcons offense has gone stale, and the defense couldn’t stop a running back with 8 in the box. Here’s hoping we see the focused falcons, not that loser team that went to Carolina last weekend. Mike Smith better get them all Prozac this week.
Martin Prado has earned the right to have first pick at any position. He’s played his a** off wherever Dumbass Gonzalez has put him and never – never – complains. Frank, get off your butt and find a Left Fielder that can hit with power and sign him. Period.
And the Hawks are actually fun to watch this year. Kudos to Danny Ferry for being smart about this team’s makeup this year and putting some key players in their “normal” positions. Smart move.
Who Me?
December 11th, 2012
7:33 pm
Oh – Georgia basketball –
Look, i’m a UGA Bulldog and have been for 45 years. But I have to tell I am severely disappointed in Mark Fox and his team this year. Why can we not recruit 5-star players to this program? What happened to “coaching the kids up”? Don’t see any of that in the pathetic mess this years squad is. I’m wondering about now how McGarrity feels watching them get waxed by teams like USF. Again, not to put to fine a point on it, but this program is once again pathetic.
Of course, league play hasn’t started yet and the team hasn’t really played a ton of games, but my guess is we’re SEC cellar dwellers this year.
Hillbilly D
December 11th, 2012
7:51 pm
C’mon now MB, what’s the story behind the picture of Rivera and Smith?
blackandwhitestripes
December 11th, 2012
8:21 pm
Falcons lose in the first round of the playoffs, ugag can play the band and beat the Corn Cobs, Tech will upset the condoms.
ernisTbass
December 11th, 2012
8:44 pm
you sure that Carolina coach ain’t telling Matt Ryan to get the F off his field??? And it looks like he means it, Smitty’s thinking well, is it OK if I bring some of the other guys next time coach???
Getaway
December 11th, 2012
8:59 pm
Well, PantherDawg, when the Falcons when the SuperBowl he’ll probably say they are the worst champions ever, but I’ll be okay with that as well.
Getaway
December 11th, 2012
9:00 pm
*win the Super Bowl
Gaffold
December 11th, 2012
9:05 pm
georgia will keep sucking in basketball until they tear down that dump they play in and build a state of the art arena. then, they can hire a big name coach who can recruit. Until then—more of the same.
Mark Bradley
December 11th, 2012
9:35 pm
As I understand it, Rivera was telling his player Greg Hardy to knock off the trash talk.
Gene
December 11th, 2012
10:17 pm
Sonny, a couple of points on Chipper: each of his former wives gets about half of his fortune. So it has been split down to a third or fourth of the original. His latest chick may be disappointed at the payoff when Chipper turns her in for a younger one. And he’d best pay attention if the takes the Kentucky gal on one of his deer hunts Kentucky gals can be feisty, specially if they’re armed. Chipper might want to check out Ava on Justified before things get too thick.
phil
December 11th, 2012
10:48 pm
Fire Mike Smith!!
phil
December 11th, 2012
10:53 pm
Mark Fox should’ve been canned when he single handedly blew the Bama game in the SEC tourney two years ago. I said it then, i’m saying it again now.
RunninWithTheDawgs
December 11th, 2012
11:11 pm
The Falcons WILL bounce back. It ain’t over ’till the fat lady sings.
Eric C.
December 11th, 2012
11:17 pm
Mark Bradley,
“but the reality is that these final regular-season games mean next to nothing.”
How does this figure? Doesn’t playing for first-round bye and home field mean something?
jo
December 11th, 2012
11:38 pm
Falcons are done as they cant seem to ix what ails them although its apparent to everyone but them. Lets go hawks!
Buckeye
December 12th, 2012
7:17 am
Morning dogs,
You still lost, are ranked #6.
crusted
December 12th, 2012
8:23 am
Can’t wait for uga’s heat check next season with all the departures.
it’ll be another 30 years before they sniff at another nc spot.
DONNAN OF A NEW ERA
December 12th, 2012
8:38 am
“Here is what MSNBC Power Rankings has to say about the Birds!
So Rachel Madcow and Al Sharpton rank NFL teams?
James
December 12th, 2012
8:40 am
Falcons 1 pt fav.
take the gents
Gmen 34
Coons 17
Buckeye
December 12th, 2012
9:13 am
dogs,
Nice basketball program.
SEC! SEC!
P.S. My church league is short a team.
Roy
December 12th, 2012
10:04 am
Seriously who is going to watch sorry Georgia Tech in the Sun Bowl? That’s their usual bowl appearance. They’ve been 2 out of the last 3 years right? Or has it been back to back? LMAO…and yes Mark the Falcons do have a lot to play for. Two things: Home field advantage and the #1 seed, and momentum heading into the playoffs. Go Dawgs! Go Falcons!
The Truth
December 12th, 2012
10:10 am
The Falcons are not a deep team. Mike Smith? Good, not great coach. Situational decision making? Average.
Post season chances? Poor.
I think Smitty probably gets one more season, then he’s done. Mike Turner? Done.
Buckeye
December 12th, 2012
10:19 am
What bowl are we playing in?
Buckeye
December 12th, 2012
10:20 am
Is our HC going to run to the Big East?
Weyman C. Wannamaker Jr. (A Great American)
December 12th, 2012
10:55 am
Mark Bradley: “The bad news is that they stunk out Bank of America Stadium on Sunday”
Hence the need for the retractable roof! That way they can air it out to get the stink out when they do it here.
Skeezix
December 12th, 2012
11:39 am
Re: Who/what Rivera was yelling about—in N.C. it was reported that he was yelling at the Panthers’ Hardy.
Vince
December 12th, 2012
12:20 pm
Just confirmed that Saban is going to coach Texas. Will be announced after the national championship game in Jan.
VD
Ron Rivera's Rage
December 12th, 2012
12:44 pm
Falcons are embarassing. They play 3-9 Panthers and get beat,no points in 1st half. Then I watch Patriots kill 11-1 Texans. How can Arthur Blank allow this team to play so poorly.
Heads should roll.
Ron Rivera's Rage
December 12th, 2012
12:45 pm
Mike Smith’s position must be tenuous ? If Giants beat up Falcons at home sotheing’s gotta give…
Andrae
December 12th, 2012
1:48 pm
the way the falcons play and the way that they win makes every fan uneasy. Yes, i’ll take a win any day but the falcons have only dominating 2 games thats the chiefs and the eagles. when we lose all that uneasiness comes to the surface. we are able to swallow it if we win those close games, but it turns against us when we lose. i LOVE them birds but they dont have me confident at all. as much as i dont want to see it, i think the falcons will lose in the 1st round of the playoffs. Harrison was right no one fears us. if we would be honest a falcons fans biggest fear is being a falcons fan!
GSUEAGLE
December 12th, 2012
2:52 pm
No love for the real GSU? Georgia Southern Eagles are back in the semi-finals after a big win over Old Dominion in the FCS playoffs. Heading to Fargo to battle North Dakota State Friday night!
CDG..
December 13th, 2012
11:33 am
Huge game this Sunday..A must win for the Giants!! The Giants are a desperate team fighting for their playoff lives…
The Falcons and Matt Ryan can quite the show me crowd..
Will they show up or meltdown once again?
LOL at the Aints
December 13th, 2012
10:42 pm
The Playoffs start this Sunday, Go Birds,
KEN COWART
December 15th, 2012
10:54 pm
BRADLEY , YOU ARE AN IDIOT. THESE GAMES WITH THE FALCONS MEAN EVERYTHING. THEY MEAN PEOPLES JOBS. TOO BAD YOUR JOB ISN’T ON THE LINE WITH THE CRAP YOU WRITE.
Paul Lentz
December 16th, 2012
6:54 pm
David O’Brien (DOB Douchebag) has to be the WORST BEAT WRITER in the history of Major League Baseball. Dude’s next original thought, will be his first, EVER!
I would love to see the AJC hire a REAL BEAT WRITER…you know, someone who doesnt write FLUFF pieces that push the kool-aid drinkers on his blog to swallow down believing the BS that Braves management wants them to drink.
$75 mil for BJ Upton? Dude hasnt hit .250 since 2008. His career high in RBIs is 82. Him and Dan Uggla will make for lots of strikeouts, lots of meaningless solo homers…and lots of runners left on base.
Picking up Brian McCann’s (McFatty) $12 mil 2013 team option? What for? Dude will be out AT LEAST ONE MONTH….possibly 2 months (dude’s fat A$$ has always been slow coming back from injury). He’s been a shell of his former self the past two years. He’s regressed defensively. He’ll be a free agent after 2013. If he’s going to get paid..it will be in the American League….which will allow him to stay healthy because he can DH instead of playing catcher full time.
Letting David Ross go in exchange for signing Gerald Laird….just to save $1 mil a year? What was Frank Wren thinking? David Ross is three times the hitter Laird is….AND better defensively. Givent that McFatty will be missing the first part of the season…..why go all cheap and let Ross go?
DOB keeps trying to shove Gattis, Teheran and Delgado down our throats. Gattis is a JOKE. Dude cant play anywhere in the field….he has no future in the National League. NO WAY is Teheran worthy of being a #1 prospect. Dude had an ERA of over 5 in Triple A in 2012. Delgado starting 17 games is the reason why we were a Wild Card in 2012 (the Braves were 5-12 in his starts). If Medlen wasnt stuck in the bullpen until late July…..we’d have won the division.
Yet DOB, on orders from Braves management, is writing on fluff piece after another on Gattis, Teheran and Delgado (as well as that hacking fat slob Juan Francisco)….because they are raking against a bunch of Winter League baseball players who are playing Winter League ball BECAUSE they SUCK at the Major League Level.
Keep writing fluff pieces DOB….I know you dont want to give up access to the team spread.
Paul Lentz
December 16th, 2012
7:54 pm
AH HA! Cowboys WIN! All you Cowboys haters can KISS MY A$$!!!!
cabravesfan, Tom O’Hawke, Lew, nolie, Venice Jim, etc…..SUCK NUTZ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Paul Lentz
December 16th, 2012
7:59 pm
vabravesfan…you SUCK! We face your sorry A$$ Redskins the last game of the season. We will take the division on that day! We got something for gimp-knee sellout Republican RG3!