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Winning always trumps losing, and maybe you heard: The Hawks used incredible energy to rip the Miami Heat on Sunday night at Philips Arena during the opener of a first-round playoff series.

Yeah, well.

Flukes happen.

To prove that Game 1 wasn’t just the figment of everybody’s imagination, when the Hawks won by 26 points and made the mighty Dwyane Wade meek, they must realize something.

They must show it, too. They must realize and show they understand that to prosper in the NBA’s postseason, you have to keep hustling at a wild and crazy pace until the other guy drops.

Take it from Hawks point guard Mike Bibby, who told us Tuesday after practice, “We’ve had second halves when we’ve had [a lot of energy]. There have been times when we’ve done it at the beginning of games. But there also have been times when we’ve missed shots, and then we’ve given up easy baskets. We don’t want it to be like that. You know what I mean?”

Yep. It’s called a lack of focus, which leads to less than …

Continue reading Hawks must remain hotter than Heat in the belly »

He gets it. He really does. So, with Lewis Clinch just one, two, three more dandy performances away from becoming Mark Price, Brian Oliver and James Forrest for Georgia Tech in an ACC tournament, the Yellow Jackets are closer to dribbling into March Madness than you think.

They really are. That’s because Clinch was the 21st century version of Price, Oliver and Forrest on Thursday at the Georgia Dome, where his mostly clutch 32 points shocked Clemson 86-81 in the first round.

He gets it, all right. “We’ve actually watched tapes of those guys, knocking down big shots and playing consistently throughout the whole ACC tournament, and it was fun to see, because we know that anything is possible,” said Clinch, recalling 1985, for instance. It featured the first of Tech’s three ACC titles, when Price had 50 points in three games.

Five years later, an inspired Oliver carried that Lethal Weapon bunch from an ACC championship game victory to the Final Four. Then came the James Forrest …

Continue reading Tech hoops could Clinch old magic in ACC tournament »

I’ve got a question for you, but first consider this . . .

A fishing trip involving four buddies. High seas causing their boat to flip. One survivor found more than two days later. The Coast Guard eventually calling off the search for the other three.

It’s already a sad story. This makes it worse: Sports figures are involved.

Is it fair that all tragedies aren’t created equal? No. Still, rightfully or wrongfully, that’s just the way it is, and that’s the way it always will be.

Whether it’s Knute Rockne’s plane crashing in a Kansas cornfield, or Lou Gehrig succumbing to a strange disease, or Len Bias overdosing from cocaine, or Reggie White’s death out of nowhere on the day after Christmas, the intensity of these tragedies is greater given the athletic involvement of the victims.

As a result, the news from the Gulf of Mexico since last weekend has captivated the entire world.

You’ve seen the shocking yet inspiring sight of former South Florida football player Nick Schuyler …

Continue reading Sports tragedies hurt greatly, but why? Your thoughts »

Judy Garland used to sing about “The man that got away.”

The Braves can relate.

They need a bunch of things to end a three-year skid out of the playoffs. Instead, the list of those coming to the Braves this season before going (or staying) elsewhere is long and ridiculous.

In reverse order of significance, here is that list.

Andruw Jones (7): The Braves are young throughout the outfield. By going back to the future, they would have acquired a veteran backup in Jones. His Gold Gloves haven’t suffered much with time. His Louisville Sluggers? Ouch. He eventually signed with the Texas Rangers, and they’ve spent the spring watching Jones threaten to obliterate the Grapefruit League record for striking out.

Mike Hampton (6): You can’t get enough pitching. That said, you can get enough of Mike Hampton’s aches and pains. With the Braves, his injuries ranged from his chest to his forearm to his elbow. He decided to skip a return to the Braves to sign with the Houston Astros.

Ken …

Continue reading Braves somewhere under the rainbow »

Upon further review, Billy Knight wasn’t that bad. He actually was pretty good. The Hawks are using several of those “long and athletic” players that he acquired as general manager to soar higher than they have in more than a decade.

It sounds like somebody deserves an apology. Either that, or a hug and maybe a whispered, “Thank you.”

Knight paused over the phone from his Atlanta-area home before saying, “Well, I’m not really getting into talking about the team and things of that nature. You guys can write it however you want to, but I’m not commenting on the team or the players I put in place or anything like that.”

Then Knight said after a longer pause, “I’m just choosing not to say anything at all about it.”

So I will. Knight was better than we thought during his five years with the Hawks, but with an asterisk.

There was his aversion for the longest time to gifted point guards (Did he really pass on Chris Paul and Deron Williams in the draft?). He also urged Hawks ownership …

Continue reading Silent Knight on Hawks progress »

When Asher Allen announced he was skipping his senior season at Georgia with thoughts of becoming a top pick at defensive back in the April NFL draft, folks rolled their eyes. He spent much of last season playing with a broken hand. His junior season was inferior to his previous one, including zero interceptions.

Then along came Allen’s time on Tuesday in Indianapolis during the 40-yard dash at the NFL combine.

Not good. “I ran a 4.47. That’s the time the NFL Network gave me, and, wow. That’s the slowest I’ve ever run in my life” said Allen, a former Tucker High School star, who nevertheless is on the verge of something good. He also knows as much, which is why he added, “After seeing myself [at the combine] with these other guys, I feel a tad bit better, actually, with my decision to make this jump.”

In other words, this strikingly bright owner of charisma and politeness isn’t exactly agonizing over missing another crack at Florida next season. Trust me. Better yet, trust the …

Continue reading Allen prefers pros to Dogs »

  Well, I just finished reading this story by our Ken Sugiura on how those involved with the men’s swimming team at Georgia Tech have become the latest to make their sport an absolute joke these days.

  Have you heard? It’s not about the swimmer anymore. It’s about the suits they wear . . . or don’t wear.

  It’s about the Speedo LZR Racer suit that carried Michael Phelps to his Olympic fame this summer in Beijing. According to Ken’s story, 79 of the 108 world records broken in 2008 were reportedly set by swimmers wearing these suits.

  Hello! Two things here: High-tech suits such as the LZR Racer should be banned by the NCAA, especially since only a few schools can afford them in this tough economy at $550 a pop. Second, schools should do the right thing in the meantime and refuse to wear them.

  So much for daydreaming. According to Ken’s reporting, those involved with the Tech men’s team are so obsessed with wearing these suits/trying to win an ACC championship …

Continue reading Fancy (and expensive) swimwear? Disgusting »

It’s bad, and it’s getting worse for Georgia Tech basketball coach Paul Hewitt. Still, there is light in this darkness, and that light isn’t just named Derrick Favors. Much of that light involves the consistency of Hewitt, which is to say he hasn’t gone from skillful to numbskull when it comes to X’s and O’s and everything else.

We’ll start by getting the bleak stuff out of the way, but cover your eyes if you’re allergic to sloppiness.

With Hewitt’s Yellow Jackets dropping to 10-16 overall and 1-12 in the ACC on Sunday at home, you’d have thought there were orange paws along 10th Street leading to Alexander Memorial Coliseum. Nearly a third of the 8,339 in attendance were Clemson fans. They even did the unthinkable by infiltrating the Tech student sections with loud voices.

In the end, when Clemson surged to an 81-73 victory, the only thing missing was the Tech pep band playing “Tiger Rag.”

“You had to notice [all the Clemson fans], but it’s …

Continue reading Jackets still have hope with Hewitt »