While coming up with the idea for a local sports awards program several years ago, the Atlanta Sports Council had one mission: “To honor Atlanta’s best athletes, coaches, teams and outstanding contributors for achieving excellence in their sports.” Now, after the 2008 calendar year comes to an end, the fourth annual Atlanta Sports Awards will allow us to look back and celebrate with some of the local sports scene’s most important figures.
And for the next few weeks, you will have a chance to help decide who goes home with the hardware.
SELECTING THE WINNERS
The fourth annual Atlanta Sports Awards presented by Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill and Bar will be held on Feb. 2, 2009 at the Historic Fox Theatre’s Egyptian Ballroom, but fans currently have the opportunity to help choose which athletes will leave with some of the most prestigious awards. From now through Saturday, Dec. 6, make sure to head to any one of the 36 metro-Atlanta Applebee’s to request a Selection Ballot. From there, Atlantans can submit the name of a candidate for High School Athlete of the Year presented by Russell-Athletic. Additionally, Atlanta residents can visit www.atlantasportsawards.com and offer nominees for the following categories: Amateur Athlete of the Year presented by CSS; Collegiate Athlete of the Year presented by AT&T; Sports Person of the Year presented by Champion Windows; Team of the Year presented by the Home Depot; and of course, Professional Athlete of the Year presented by SunTrust.
Part of what makes the Selection Process so appealing is the fact that no specific sport or gender is specified in these categories, meaning fans can select who they truly feel is most deserving.
I, like many fans, have a special interest in the Professional Athlete of the Year category, thanks to the uniqueness of the award. Rather than simply picking the best athlete in a specific sport—like an NFL MVP, for example—this award instead combines each sport into one element.
“[Selecting the nominees] is a lot of fun,” said Atlanta Sports Council president Gary Stokan. “This year in particular, you’ve got to look at Matt Ryan and the terrific rookie season he is enjoying. Or the impact Chipper Jones had in winning the National League batting title. Those are two examples of many stories. We really are blessed to have some great athletes here.”
The selection process for the Lifetime Achievement Award presented by Coca-Cola is very extensive as well. In the past three years, Hank Aaron, Vince Dooley and Billy Payne were honored with the award, and there is no doubt that fans will be anxiously awaiting the announcement of the fourth winner.
“We do a lot of research on people that have had a huge influence on the city of Atlanta,” Stokan said. “We wanted to take time out of the program and really feature them and thank them for what they’ve done because they truly have had an impact, not only on Atlanta sports but also nationally and internationally.”
Once the voting process is completed, the winner will be unveiled prior to Feb. 2, so attendees will enter the awards ready to celebrate with the recipient. When Aaron won in 2006, he was honored with a phenomenal portrait by Steve Penley.
Awards will also be presented for Female and Male High School Scholar-Athletes of the Year and the Furman Bisher Award for Sports Media Excellence presented by the Atlanta Sports Council.
THE ENVIRONMENT
Attendees aren’t the only ones star-struck by the recipients and nominees, however. Many of our city’s athletes have actually met one another at the Sports Awards, while others are able to reunite after meeting in the past. In addition to those being awarded, past presenters have included Michael Jenkins (Falcons), Josh Smith (Hawks), Paul Johnson (Georgia Tech), Tony Barnhart (Atlanta Journal-Constitution sportswriter) Acie Law IV (Hawks) and Morten Andersen (Falcons), as well as many others.
“What’s great about this is it really is a celebration for all of us involved in sports in Atlanta to just rally around one night to share each other’s stories about what happened in the past year,” Stokan said. “It is always interesting to see the different sports come together.”
And as if being in the same room as many prominent sports figures isn’t enough, attendees are also treated with a great meal and an auction beforehand. The production is always top-notch, giving fans the same treatment they would receive at a major academy award show.
Though the Atlanta Sports Awards won’t take place until February, you have less than three weeks to submit your nomination for the High School Athlete of the Year at Applebee’s as well as for the six other award-winners online. Make sure to cast your vote while there is still time, and for more information regarding the show, visit www.atlantasportsawards.com.
Arapoglou can be reached at tarapoglou@scoreatl.com.
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