I slept at the Georgia Dome over the weekend (the turf was tough on my neck), attending the state high school football championships on Saturday before catching some of the Falcons game on Sunday. I walked away watching some great football but, more importantly, with the feeling that the Falcons are in really good hands with head coach Mike Smith and general manager Thomas Dimitroff.
I spent time with each at a coaches’ luncheon the team had Saturday for high school coaches at the World Congress Center. The Falcons awarded one head coach in each of the classifications and gave a lifetime achievement award to former Mary Persons High head coach Dan Pitts.
Sitting next to Georgia Public Broadcasting general manager and good friend Bob Houghton, we were blown away with Smith’s passion for high school football. Following owner Arthur Blank—who, by the way, was a pretty good high school football player and told some very interesting stories about his childhood—Smith had everyone in the room wrapped up in his stories about his former high school coach and past days on the prep gridiron. It was a riveting and good representation of the team’s aggressive push into high school football in the state.
Afterwards, I spent time with Dimitroff, who has to be one of the most approachable general managers in all of sports. Dimitroff’s young, almost ESPN X-Games-type personality, is a breath of fresh air to this franchise, and his penchant for picking talent is quickly showing on the field.
Speaking of on the field, the Falcons again proved Sunday how quickly they have matured, winning a game they tried on several occasions to give away. Matt Ryan may have finally looked human but when the team needed it the most, the rookie quarterback, with a lot of help from Michael Turner, led the team down the field in overtime to kick the game-winning field goal.
For me, if Turner runs for 100 or more yards in the final two games, he should be the league’s MVP while Ryan deserves to go to the Pro Bowl and possibly start for the NFC.
While the Falcons need some help to get into the playoffs, I believe they win their last two, which includes a road contest with Minnesota (9-5) and a final game here against St. Louis (2-12) on Dec. 28. The pivotal game to watch for the team will be next week’s Dallas game against Baltimore (9-5). The Cowboys (9-5), which may have found themselves Sunday night in a win over the Giants, will find themselves in a battle with the Ravens before ending the season in Philadelphia against an average-at-best Eagles team.
Tampa Bay, the other team that is 9-5, faces San Diego (6-8) at home on Sunday and then ends the season in Oakland (3-11). I think they win both.
So, Falcons fans need to get on the Baltimore bandwagon. But whether this team gets into the playoffs or not, it will have been a really good season, one to build on, one to give us all hope that as soon as next year we may be looking at a true Super Bowl contender for many years to come.
THE PASSING OF A FRIEND AND FORMER CO-WORKER
I wanted to mention the passing of long-time WSB-AM newsman Mike Kavanagh, a class act who I worked with for a few years when I did Braves reports for the station. Kavanagh was a financial advisor full time but put a lot of time in on the radio, which included a weekend “How to invest your money” show for many years. I taught Kavanagh something about baseball and he taught me about money. He will be missed.
THIS AND THAT AND MORE
I was 4-1 in my picks on the state championship games, including the upset Wesleyan had over Emanuel County Institute. The Wolves proved that coaching and heart can beat a team with a lot more talent. I missed on the Class 5A game, taking Peachtree Ridge over Camden County. Ridge led early and even managed a 14-7 lead but, in the end, Camden’s offense was too much. Make sure to check out our final state rankings on page 21. … I know I am one that will miss the Georgia Force and the Arena Football League, which announced Monday that it has officially postponed the
2009 season. Force owner Arthur Blank and the Force staff did a great job with the team both on and off the field and I hope somehow, someway, the AFL will return to the field in 2010. But in this economy, it appears that leagues and events are falling almost every day. You really have to wonder when it is going to hit the major pro leagues. … I feel the same way former Auburn basketball star Charles Barkley feels about the hiring of new football coach Gene Chizik. Let’s see: you get rid of Tommy Tuberville and pick up Chizik, who comes to Auburn from Iowa State where he had a 5-19 record. Barkley ripped it, though if you are Alabama head coach Nick Saban right now, you have to have a big smile on your face. Looks like it is going back to the days of Bear Bryant and Doug Barfield. … I think the Braves are going to have to be realistic about their pitching situation. Most of the talent is at the lower levels of the minors and it appears there isn’t much left in the free-agent market. My suggestion is sign John Smoltz, go with what you have and continue developing for the future. There is no reason to throw a pot of money out there at someone just to get an arm. The Braves haven’t been to the postseason in three years and it might be another two before they get back, but that’s OK if a solid plan is in place that will bring this city a similar situation as the one in which the team captured 14 straight division titles.
I.J. can be heard on 790 The Zone during Falcons games and will be on this Sunday from 5-7 p.m., right after the Atlanta Hawks-Detroit Pistons basketball game which starts at 2 p.m. on The Zone. Also, Score continues to look for interns for reporting, writing, graphics, sales and marketing. To apply, send an email to Rosenberg at ijrosenberg@scoreatl.com or managing editor Tad Arapoglou at tarapoglou@scoreatl.com. You can also call the Score office at 404-256-1572.
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