Perhaps the good news for Falcons fans is that the AJC’s Mark Bradley’s latest column on the team was full of cynicism. He asked: “In Mike Smith’s ball-control scheme, will Michael Turner get enough carries to gain 1,500 yards? Or will the absence of holes force him to run for 1,500 yards just to reach the line of scrimmage? Is Jerious Norwood going to get the ball this year, or is he destined to end his career as the most-discussed decoy since O.J. Simpson was a rookie?”
Bradley, a friend, former co-worker and a heck of a writer, has only one weakness: predictions. So, while he didn’t go as far as saying this team will not win a game, his words didn’t leave you with much optimism.
On the other hand, I’ve always been one, at least since leaving the AJC, to look at the glass – or maybe in this case, the football – as being half-full.
No, I’m not predicting a worst-to-first type scenario (like the one I went through with the Braves in 1991), but I think the Falcons will be much better than they were last season.
Here are my reasons:
• Matt Ryan may not start the first game but I think he’s going to get a chance early to prove he is worthy of being the No. 3 overall pick. The more I hear about Ryan, the more I feel he is going to be something special. Also, under new offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey, the Falcons are going to play a ball-control game. That will take some pressure off veteran Chris Redman, Ryan or whomever is playing quarterback.
• New running back Michael Turner is the real deal. Not only does he have the body to run between the tackles 20 times a game, he has a strong mental makeup. He will prove to be one of the top free-agent pickups of the offseason and is going to open the door for both fullback Ovie Mughelli and Jerious Norwood to be productive with the ball in their hands.
• The offensive line is not as bad as everyone seems to think. First-round pick Sam Baker will come in and produce right away at left tackle, Todd Weiner (knee) is close to being healthy and is an excellent run blocker, and center Todd McClure is one of the most underrated offensive linemen in the league. Are there holes? Yes. But there is hope here.
• In veteran Jason Elam, the Falcons finally have a field-goal kicker that can consistently make a kick from over 40 yards. He also brings two Super Bowl rings to the team from Denver and many forget he holds the record for the longest field goal in NFL history at 63 yards.
• Linebacker Michael Boley is a beast and truly has a chance to become one of the league’s big impact players on the defense. All-Pro defensive end John Abraham stayed healthy last season and, like Boley, can dominate. Word is, Abraham is taking a strong leadership role, which will be needed with so much youth and so many new faces on the defensive side of the ball.
• I think new head coach Mike Smith will play a huge role in getting the attitude of this team turned in a positive direction. Everyone I talk to at Flowery Branch expects a very spirited and intense camp beginning Saturday. I like this new coach and, unlike last year when the head coach (Bobby Petrino) had a problem dealing with the players, I think the players respect and will play hard for Smith.
• Finally, and perhaps most importantly, the Michael Vick situation is now behind this organization. That alone will make this team much better.
Look at it this way: New players, new coaches, a potentially great running back and a new young quarterback to get excited about.
Hey Mark, and for everyone else following this team, there’s no reason not to be optimistic. Especially when we’re talking the NFL, a league that, year after year, proves anything can happen.
LANDING A PLAY-BY-PLAY JOB
Congratulations to Score contributor Tony Schiavone, a household radio name in Atlanta who will be the new voice of the Triple-A Gwinnett Braves on WDUN Newstalk 550 AM radio, which features heavy coverage of Gwinnett County and the Northeast metro area. Schiavone will handle all 144 regular-season games when the team opens play in 2009. For all home games, he will be joined in the booth by Judd Hickinbotham. Schiavone is the WSB radio sports director and you will start seeing his column on our new Web site at ScoreAtl.com. He continues to be a folk hero on the internet and YouTube, as he was the voice of Ted Turner’s now-defunct wrestling organization, the WCW. That experience alone should make for one good play-by-play man.
SPEAKING OF THE WEB SITE
Score has come a long way in three-plus years, going from a weekly sports paper to a full-service sports marketing company. We are excited to announce that our new Web site is now live, as we move to become your best choice in cyberspace for sports in Atlanta. As the weeks go on, we will continue to add different tools to the site, including a flash scoreboard on the front page that will have all the local pro and college scores in all sports as well as a specific concentration on high schools. Beginning with the Kell Powerade Classic (four prep football games) at the Georgia Dome on Aug. 23, we will be keeping live scores for all Georgia high school football games; in short, on Friday night, beginning at 7 p.m., you will be able to see how your team is doing while the game is being played. We will be adding columnists, beat writers, bloggers and team pages, podcasts, video and so much more. If you have any questions about our Web site, please email Alex Ewalt at aewalt@scoreatl.com. So when it comes to local sports seven days a week, 24 hours a day, make sure to bookmark ScoreAtl.com.
Score Atlanta is looking for ad executives to sell for our publications, Web, video and webcasting and marketing activations. If you are interested, email sales/marketing manager John Duke at jduke@scoreatl.com or call him at 256-1572 (ext. 2037). Rosenberg can be reached at ijrosenberg@scoreatl.com and 404-256-1572 (ext. 2030).
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