sports: July 2009 Archives

Where's Roddy? White wants mo' dough, skips camp

By Mike Tierney on July 31, 2009 10:10 PM | No Comments

Roddy White got lost on his way to Falcons training camp.

Not really. He's a holdout, something with which Falcon Nation is unfamiliar because only players on successful teams hold out.

Not to worry. Players play this game because in the NFL, where the owners hold all the cards, it's their only choice. By opening day on Sept. 13, he'll be back.

Continue reading Where's Roddy? White wants mo' dough, skips camp.

LaRoche in, Kotchman out at first for Braves

By Mike Tierney on July 31, 2009 8:51 PM | No Comments

Frank Wren is the Charley Hustle of baseball general managers. When the Red Sox on Friday acquired first baseman Victor Martinez for the Indians, Wren sensed that Adam LaRoche was expendable.

So, in a spontaneous deal that just beat the MLB non-waiver trade deadline, Wren swapped one first baseman (Kotchman) for another (LaRoche).

Continue reading LaRoche in, Kotchman out at first for Braves.

No deals for Braves; no NL East title likely

By Mike Tierney on July 31, 2009 9:45 AM | No Comments

This weekend's biggest baseball headlines likely won't make mention of Braves' dealings, neither the team dealing for current players or former players dealing in drugs.

Continue reading No deals for Braves; no NL East title likely.

Erin Andrews haunted further by videotape incident

By Mike Tierney on July 30, 2009 2:13 PM | 1 Comment

It's no fun being Erin Andrews anymore. One or more criminals committed a home invasion of sorts by surreptitiously taping the Atlanta resident in a hotel room. Now she has, in her own term, "paparazzi" hanging in the driveway of her Dunwoody home.

"I'm the girl that was videotaped -- without knowing -- without her clothes on in the hotel," she says in a 911 call to DeKalb County. "And I've got two assholes sitting outside my house."

The 911 operator was sympathetic while telling Andrews she was unfamiliar with the case. (Where has this person been hibernating the past few weeks?)

Andrews, apparently with her mother, is calm during most of the call but toward the end says, "I did nothing wrong and I'm being treated like f-----g Britney Spears." Sounding choked up, she adds to the operator, I'm sorry."

I wonder if the videotaping creeps realized the impact their illegal act would have on the sportscaster's life. Here's hoping the culprit gets caught and, as part of the punishment, is subjected to a TV interview -- with Andrews.

Smoltz justifies Braves' decision not to re-sign him

By Mike Tierney on July 27, 2009 6:00 PM | No Comments

What'cha have to say now, fans of John Smoltz,

who tore the Braves a new one for not allowing him a swan song in Atlanta?

Continue reading Smoltz justifies Braves' decision not to re-sign him.

NFL sacks Vicks for five regular season games

By Mike Tierney on July 27, 2009 5:12 PM | No Comments

Quarterback for hire. Good won-loss record. Not-so-good police record.

Roger Goodell, the high priest of pro football, has announced Michael Vick's penance for dog-fighting, as well as lying to him and the NFL.

Continue reading NFL sacks Vicks for five regular season games.

Shot to death, boxer Vernon Forrest will be missed

By Mike Tierney on July 26, 2009 2:30 PM | No Comments

Vernon Forrest, who was shot and killed in the latest of a wave of Atlanta street crimes, was not your typical boxer. And not just because he was tall for his weight and a relatively passive boxer.

Continue reading Shot to death, boxer Vernon Forrest will be missed.

Count on it: Braves in playoff race for the long haul

By Mike Tierney on July 23, 2009 10:06 PM | No Comments

The Atlanta Braves are back in the playoff chase. Actually, they were never out of it -- only in the minds of those who extrapolate a losing streak into a season-crushing catastrophe.

Continue reading Count on it: Braves in playoff race for the long haul.

Non-stop Vick news: strip clubs, suspension, meeting . . .

By Mike Tierney on July 23, 2009 8:28 PM | 1 Comment

Enough. The Michael Vick around-the-clock news coverage is driving me nuts. He gets his ankle monitoring device removed (True). He talks to the U.S. Football League (Maybe). He meets with NFL commish Roger Goodell (Apparently). He hits up a strip club (LIkely false.) He goes to the bathroom (Likely true). He will get suspended four games (Who knows?).

Continue reading Non-stop Vick news: strip clubs, suspension, meeting . . . .

Free man Michael Vick likely back in NFL, but when?

By Mike Tierney on July 21, 2009 11:21 AM | 1 Comment

Michael Vick's electronic monitoring device has been removed, so the dog-fighting felon can work on his 40-yard sprint times again. The disgraced quarterback can now leave his home after confinement, so he can practice passes longer than 30 yards -- the length of his backyard.

What next? Here are the scenarios, going most most to least likely:

Continue reading Free man Michael Vick likely back in NFL, but when? .

Braves show why they traded Jeff Francoeur

By Mike Tierney on July 19, 2009 11:32 PM | No Comments

With the radio turned to the Braves-Mets game late Saturday afternoon, I pulled into my driveway and heard David Wright was being walked intentionally in front of Jeff Francoeur. For the second time. In the fifth inning of a scoreless tie.

Continue reading Braves show why they traded Jeff Francoeur.

Phils try to phix pitching staff, hold off Braves

By Mike Tierney on July 16, 2009 12:30 PM | No Comments

The spread between the Phils and Braves is six games, with the amazin' Marlins in between. Not too much to make up, especially with nine head-to-heads left on the schedule.

But the Brotherly Lovers, plagued by ailing pitchers, are getting serious about hogging their Series title.

Continue reading Phils try to phix pitching staff, hold off Braves.

Jeff Francoeur back in right field but for wrong team

By Mike Tierney on July 16, 2009 11:09 AM | 1 Comment

He's back. Already.

Jeff Franceour returns to right field this long weekend at Turner Field, but in Mets orange and blue. For Braves fans, those colors are like red to a bull, green to a polluter, white to Johnny Cash.

How will Atlanta fans welcome him back Jeff? Will they vocally plant a French kiss on Frenchy? Or will they tell the former No. 7 to go to the opposite-of-heaven?

Continue reading Jeff Francoeur back in right field but for wrong team.

It's still Greek to Josh Childress as Hawks say goodbye

By Mike Tierney on July 14, 2009 4:57 PM | No Comments

Looks like Greece is still the word for Josh Childress. Especially after the Atlanta Hawks gave him the word that he could fahgetabout a roster spot next season.

Continue reading It's still Greek to Josh Childress as Hawks say goodbye.

Frenchy's fall from grace: Braves send Francoeur to Mets

By Mike Tierney on July 10, 2009 8:56 PM | No Comments

Frenchy, we hardly knew ye.

You, Jeff Francoeur, stormed onto the Atlanta sports scene as a Brave with a welcome football attitude, honed from your high school gridiron exploits that resulted in college scholarship offers. You brought a ready smile along with an endearing personality, and many of the town's eligible bachelorettes were disappointed when you were wed.

Continue reading Frenchy's fall from grace: Braves send Francoeur to Mets.

Hawks ga-ga over Zaza: Pachulia re-signed

By Mike Tierney on July 8, 2009 4:59 PM | 1 Comment

Of course Zaza Pachulia is staying. He's a Georgia boy.

Checking the fine print, that's Georgia, as in the former Soviet republic. But the Atlanta Hawks enforcer must have cottoned to his newer Georgia, having agreed to a fresh contract.

Continue reading Hawks ga-ga over Zaza: Pachulia re-signed.

Hawks still like (cheaper) Mike: Bibby returning

By Mike Tierney on July 7, 2009 1:44 PM | No Comments

Mike Bibby ranks 46th on a list of the 50 most highly compensated U.S. athletes.

Not for long, though. The Hawks point guard will experience a salary plunge beginning next season that will place him among the rank-and-file of jock multi-millionaires.

Continue reading Hawks still like (cheaper) Mike: Bibby returning.

Braves: win some, lose some, but still in NL East chase

By Mike Tierney on July 6, 2009 12:30 PM | No Comments

This will sound weird, with the Braves coming off two defeats to the lousiest team in baseball, but your boys in blue and red could very well keep pitching and swinging (and missing a lot) into October.

The Braves, even at 39-42 at the midway point of the season, are a playa in the NL East race and will remain so because no team in this motley bunch is capable of pulling away.

So, for the next three months, they will tease you like a stripper or torture you like a waterboarder, depending on how serious you treat these things.

Continue reading Braves: win some, lose some, but still in NL East chase.

No Braves pitchers on NL All-Star team? No way

By Mike Tierney on July 5, 2009 6:39 PM | No Comments

Did you hear Sunday's announcement of major league baseball's All-Snub team?

Co-headlining the roster: Jair Jurrjens, with the sixth-lowest earned run average in the National League at 2.73, and Javier Vazquez, eighth at 3.05, along with a second-best 130 strikeouts.

Coming out of the bullpen: Mike Gonzalez, limiting hitters to a .159 average.

Continue reading No Braves pitchers on NL All-Star team? No way.

Is UF president a party-pooper with Georgia-Florida game?

By Mike Tierney on July 5, 2009 5:03 PM | 1 Comment

The fate of the Georgia-Florida football game in Jacksonville has taken on a new twist -- with a splash of lime.

University of Florida president J. Bernard Machen is urging the city to curb excessive imbibing by shutting down easy access to liquor.

Getting rid of the "World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party" tag attached to the game has proved as frustrating as scrubbing off a tattoo. The universities, especially Florida, would like to lower the party level without shushing it entirely so attendees can get a buzz if they choose and stop short of wretching on the next guy's shoes.

Continue reading Is UF president a party-pooper with Georgia-Florida game?.

NBA free agency begins with Atlanta Hawks as big players

By Mike Tierney on July 1, 2009 10:09 PM | No Comments

Lots of names on the NBA free agents list. Especially Hawks.

More than half of the roster could depart, though Atlanta Hawks management is wrestling with only four of them. Let's start with the biggie.

Mike Bibby made the third highest salary -- a few five-star meals shy of $15 million -- among NBA point guards last season. He is nowhere close to the third best point guard.

Continue reading NBA free agency begins with Atlanta Hawks as big players.

July 2009 Archives