Culture Surfing

The nation’s top-ranked college football team picked a great time for an off week. The Florida Gators watched Saturday as the world’s most famous virgin quarterback got his clock cleaned.

Tim Tebow lay motionless before finally being helped off the field at Kentucky in a 41-7 win over SEC East foe Kentucky. The senior was later hospitalized and released after being diagnosed with a concussion. We’re not accustomed to watching Tebow receive more punishment than he usually gives out.

He’s part man, part bulldozer – and all nice guy. The former Heisman winner will have two weeks to heal before facing fellow top-10 foe LSU. We’re betting the Tigers won’t be laying off while Tebow takes time to heals.

Here’s hoping Gator coach Urban Meyer allows enough time to pass before letting Jesus in Cleats back onto the field. (Just think of all the children that would go uncircumcised.) Until Tebow is back on his feet, please enjoy the following animated gif. We don’t know how to express our feelings without badly edited images of Rich Brooks and Lane Kiffin.

Continue reading “A Tebow-mas Story: The Tim Tebow animated Gif” »

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Just two quick highlights, for social justice geeks and fans of local music, art, and basketball:

1. I’m curious to hear more about Audacity of Hoops, a public art exhibition in Mechanicsville — a neighborhood far, far away from Atlanta’s mainstream districts for the arts — organized by the Dirty Truth Campaign and artist Lisa Tuttle. Several large-scale color photographs center on themes of urban blight, and provide a social context for pick-up games and other activities, on and off the court.

2. Saturday’s also the night of the MINT Gallery benefit concert at WonderRoot. Acts will include Lindsay Appel, Travel by Train, Jack Carter and Old Soles Company, and Grand Prize Winner from Last Year (yes, that’s their real name). And don’t forget the WonderRoot cops and robbers party on Sunday!

For more local arts events, visit clatl.com/events or, check this week’s visual arts To Do List at BurnAway.org.

(Photo by Kody Wynne/Flickr)

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First the Braves let Smoltzy walk as a free agent in the offseason, and after an injury-prone return home, are bidding farewell to Tom Glavine, the last of the three great hurlers that dominated the National League in the late ’90s and early ’00s for the Bravos.

You’d think they’d keep the guy as a veteran presence in the clubhouse or something, but to outright release the guy? Where’s the loyalty?

From the press release that just landed in the inbox:

ATLANTA, Ga. – The Atlanta Braves announced today that pitcher Tom Glavine has been released. Glavine, 43, underwent left elbow surgery on August 15, 2008 and signed a one-year contract with the Braves on February 20th for the 2009 season.

Following surgery late in the 2008 season, Glavine attempted to rehabilitate his surgically repaired left elbow during the offseason and followed that with four rehabilitation starts in 2009.

“We appreciate and respect everything Tom has done for and brought to the Atlanta Braves organization and our fans,” said Executive Vice President and General Manager Frank Wren. “His accomplishments for our club during his hall of fame career is a measure of his dedication that we will always respect and admire. We wish him nothing but the very best.”

Now git!

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As in mutts and poodles. The Atlanta Braves are giving fans yet another chance to bring their dogs to Turner field on Wednesday, June 10th, for their night game against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Tickets are $25 and are good for you and your pooch, plus a donation to various animal care non-profits. Additional “human” tickets are $12.

Pre-registration is required and can be done through the Braves website. Tickets will not be be available the day of the game.

Full press release after the jump.

Continue reading “Braves host dogs” »

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Hoping to extend an impressive season that saw them win the Colonial Athletic Association tournament, Georgia State University’s baseball team will match up against cross-town rival Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets for tonight’s sold out game 2 of the NCAA Baseball Tournament regionals.

From USA Today:

Georgia State is one of five newcomers in the 64-team field, joining Binghamton, Cal Poly, Kansas State and Xavier. The Panthers (39-20) qualified by winning the Colonial Athletic Association tournament. They are on a school record-tying eight-game winning streak.

“We’re going to baseball heaven now,” [coach Greg] Frady said. “Anytime you break through to a new level it’s a hard push. But we thought this could be the team that could do it.”

Though the Yellow Jackets are the top seed in the Atlanta Regionals, GA State beat them 10-1 on March 24, marking the second time in three seasons that the Panthers have won at Russ Chandler Stadium. Both schools will be joined by Elon University and Southern Miss University to complete the four-team, double-elimination tournament.

The tournament continues all week-end long and concludes on Monday.

GO STATE!

(Photo courtesy Gerogia State University)

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DISC HEADS: Ultimate Frisbee at Georgia Tech

Our 2009 Summer Guide is chock full o’ summertime goodness. We focused on the simple pleasures that make an otherwise blisteringly hot season one of the most enjoyable times of year in Atlanta. Beginning now (!), we’ll feature a simple pleasure weekly on Culture Surfing to help you make the most of the upcoming weeks.

SPORTS & REC by Glenn LaFollette

Sports and recreation is the soul of summer’s simple pleasures. The great weather and the great outdoors go together like peanut butter and jelly, Spencer and Heidi, Varsity hot dogs and heartburn. Well, you get the idea. It’s the smell of freshly cut grass at Turner Field on a Saturday afternoon, working up a sweat playing Frisbee at Piedmont Park, or making fun of Bill in Marketing for his inability to dribble a basketball in your company hoops league.

Summer fun involves being active. That may be as simple as cheering on your favorite ball club in its pursuit of another pennant. (Or failure to even sniff first place in the division despite major offseason moves.) It could also mean finding a new hobby, recreational league, or place to earn your first sunburn of the season.

BRAVES BASEBALL The summer seems to be the best time to catch Atlanta’s professional baseball franchise since the prospects of playing deep into October appear to be slim to none. Nonetheless, the Braves are the original way to blow an afternoon. Between May and August, the Braves host 53 home games for your viewing pleasure at Turner Field. Highlights include visits from American League superpowers the Yankees June 23-25 and the Boston Red Sox June 26-28. braves.com.

Continue reading “Summer sports & rec guide” »

(Photo by Joeff Davis)

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After a brief period of silence, veteran AJC critics Cathy Fox and Pierre Ruhe have resurfaced to form a new blog called artscriticATL. So far, the duo has already covered a range of topics, including Matt Haffner’s exhibition at MOCA GA, the Museum of Design Atlanta, and several articles covering the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra.

And they’re not alone. For example, check out the goodies on this blog, Ink-Drained Kvetch, by former AJC sports writer Wendy Parker. It isn’t exactly a sports blog — since she writes sports coverage like a madwoman elsewhere on numerous other blogs. No, Ink-Drained Kvetch is actually devoted to the monumental task of “reinventing a journalism career in the digital age.” (See also her autobiographical post titled “Or, how I learned to stop worrying and love the blog!”)

Of course, the A-Team wouldn’t be complete without Jerry Cullum, who’s been “writing rogue” for some time now, on not one, but two literature/visual arts blogs for several years. If you can make it through Cullum’s dense, meandering prose, the amount of knowledge there is disturbing ….

Who else is blogging out there, out of buyout pseudo-retirement?

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Atlanta Dream vs. Connecticut Sun Atlanta’s WNBA team begins its second season on June 6, but plays this preseason game to help warm up the new roster. With only four wins in its inaugural season, the Dream can only get better this year. And this exhibition bout against one of the league’s most dominant teams will give us some idea of what to expect from Atlanta once the regular season begins next month.

Wed., May 27. 7:30 p.m. $10. Philips Arena, 1 Philips Drive. 404-604-2626, www.atlantadream.net.

(Photo courtesy Atlanta Dream)

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Friday Night Drags If you’ve ever dreamed of racing on the same track as NASCAR drivers, this weekly spring/summer series is your chance to do just that. This non-points preview allows anyone with a valid driver’s license to take to the eighth-mile stretch of pit road for fast-paced drag racing. Also included in the event is the Show-N-Shine car show.

Fri., May 22. Practice begins at 6:20 p.m.; Show-N-Shine parade begins at 8:15 p.m.; racing begins at 9:09 p.m. $7 for spectators (free for children ages 5 and younger); $20-$30 to participate. Atlanta Motor Speedway, 1500 Highway 19/41, Hampton. 770-946-4211, www.atlantamotorspeedway.com.

Buford Majic vs. Memphis Tornadoes With the Hawks finishing their most successful season in a decade with a playoff berth, men’s basketball is still a hot topic. The World Basketball Association begins its season this weekend as the Majic, one of the league’s newest teams and one of many in the Atlanta area, takes on the Tornadoes in home play. Buford will be looking to start the season off with a win before taking on the defending WBA champion Decatur Court Kings in a couple of weeks.

Sat., May 23. 7 p.m. $6-$10 (free for children ages 6 and younger). Flowery Branch High School, 4450 Hog Mountain Road, Flowery Branch. 770-904-5081. www.bufordmajic.com

(Photo courtesy Atlanta Motor Speedway)

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Seeing-eye single at the Ted

Finding a mate with similar interests can be crucial to any budding relationship. But if you like baseball, Singles Night at Turner Field could just be the ticket to romance.

Guys and gals on the prowl will have the Golden Moon Casino Pavilion section of the stadium all to themselves, where a pre-game party will give them time to get to know each other before the on-field action becomes a distraction. A DJ will spin on the Top of the Chop patio, where each ticket holder will be allowed to redeem two free drink tickets included with the price of admission. There will also be prizes and other festivities intended to break the ice and bring people together.

For those who are lucky enough to hit it off with someone before the game, there will be at least nine innings to get to know each other even better as the Braves take on the Colorado Rockies. But even if you don’t make a love connection, you can at least get some satisfaction in the fact that tickets to this section are normally $28 and do not include drink tickets or other festivities. So even if you go home single, you not only saved $3 but you also got your buzz on in the process.

Metromix Singles’ Night. Thurs., May 21. Pre-game party begins at 5 p.m.; game begins at 7 p.m. $25. Turner Field, 755 Hank Aaron Drive. 404-577-9100. www.braves.com/singles.

Atlanta Rollergirls Spirit Night Want to know how to impress a rollergirl? Buying her a beer is usually a good start. But when you’re buying said beer (or any other food or beverage item) on the Brewhouse’s monthly Spirit Night, she’ll be even more impressed since a percentage of that sale goes directly to the Atlanta Rollergirls. You can also watch some of the season’s earlier bouts on the big screens all night.

Thurs., May 21. 5p.m.- 11 p.m. Free. Brewhouse Cafe, 401 Moreland Ave. 404-525-7799. www.atlantarollergirls.com.

(Photo courtesy Atlanta Braves)

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I can’t say this was unexpected, but I can’t say that it sits well either. The Hawks were not on anyone’s radar (at least, nationally), until they beat out Miami in the opening round of the NBA playoffs. Would they be able to put up a fight against Lebron James, his MVP trophy, and his cast of supporting Cavaliers? It was a fair question, asked in earnest, that earned a prompt and merciless response in the form of a four-game sweep in which every game was lost by double digits.

Should the fans ask questions as to what went wrong? James at the Atlanta Metblog doesn’t think so, he just wants to say thanks:

there will be plenty of time in the off-season to chew over what moves the hawks should make; do they get a big-name coach? do they trade josh smith? resign bibby? all of these questions will be out there.

but today, this fan just wants to say thank you. thanks to coach woodson, and joe, and josh and mike and al and marvin and zaza and flip and mo, even acie and mario and solo and the others that came off of the bench.

it was a great ride. i became a hawks fan two seasons ago because i wanted a hometown team to root for and i loved the idea of following some scrappy young underdogs. i became a fan last season, this season i fell in love.

And hawksdawgs at Peachtree Hoops echoes the appreciation, even if it’s shaded blue:

Continue reading “Lebron James and Co. end Hawks’ season” »

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The silver lining of Saturday’s game 3 of these Eastern Conference semis was the superior effort put up by the Hawks during the first half. Too bad half-game efforts don’t win you championships, or playoff series, much else games. And thus, the question is, can the Hawks win one game against Lebron “any doubt I’m the MVP?” James?

Peachtree Hoops thinks so:

I think the Hawks are going to win tonight.

Don’t take it as a rallying cry or anything. If I am correct, I can confidently predict the Cavs will win game five as well. But as I reflect on tonight’s game, I am struggling to find where the Cavs will be motivated for tonight’s game. They are looking at another extended layoff if they win. They could have the pleasure of closing out at home if they lose. They have little reason to take the Hawks seriously at this point. It all adds up.

Perhaps it does, perhaps it doesn’t. The Cavs blogosphere sees blood in the water, and are rightly claiming vindication for a Cavaliers team that may have been underestimated.

If anything, the Hawks will have full house support from their fans. I kinda want them to win tonight, though – for dignity’s sake.

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Yes he’s the league MVP, yes he has a chip on his shoulder for getting to the doorstep of an NBA championship and not making it through; yes he’s wearing His Airness‘ sacred # 23 (it should be retired league-wide, yea I said it), but these Atlanta Hawks should not be deterred when Lebron James and his Cleveland Cavaliers welcome them to the second round of the NBA playoffs tonight for the first time in a decade.

While everyone else was focused on that other first-round series, the Hawks dismantled Dwyane Wade and the Miami Heat in a tit-for-tat seven-game series. Now King James is their date for the Eastern Conference Semifinals, and if we were to guess, the Hawks are not the favorites.

That’s OK, says Hawks AJC beat writer Sekou Smith, if it ever was a good time to be the underdog, now’s the time:

Not only have the Cavaliers rolled to the best record in the league, boast the NBA Coach of the Year in Mike Brown and the league’s probably MVP in James, they’ve also had nine days to rest and load up for the Hawks on their way to what all of the basketball-loving world assumes is a table for two in the NBA Finals with Kobe Bryant’s Los Angeles Lakers.

I can’t think of a better time to be the Hawks.

No one thinks you have a chance. No one is expecting you to be anything more than a speed bump on the Cav’s road to the NBA Finals.

Remember kids, it was merely a year ago that this Hawks team took the eventual champion Boston Celtics to a game seven, so who’s to say they can’t go a bit further this year and upset King James and his men?

(Photo by bittermelon/Flickr)

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Beam Me Up, Frenchy

Last night the Braves reigned victorious after an unfortunate rain delay, gaining a decisive win against the Astros 7-2. The mood was bittersweet as fans booed former Braves pitcher, the perpetually injured Mike Hampton during his two at bats. An outfield sign read “Hampton’s Have Nots: Thanks for Nothing,” a reminder of Hampton’s unproductive run with the club.

On a lighter note, one lucky row of fans won promotional foam hands fashioned to emulate the traditional Vulcan sign, in honor of the upcoming Star Trek movie, a sentiment that will hopefully propel the Braves to boldly go where no team has ever gone before … or something to that effect.

Continue reading “Fans signal Braves to ‘Live Long and Prosper’” »

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