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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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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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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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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VROOM VROOM, THE PARTY STARTER: The Mitty

Three years ago, the Atlanta Braves gave new meaning to taking the dog for a walk in the park when they hosted the first Bark in the Park. The event allows fans and their furry friends to enjoy a home game with special amenities not offered to the rest of the spectators. It’s become so popular that there are two each year — the first one of the season this weekend.

As the Braves take on the Houston Astros in the last of a three-game series, dogs whose owners pre-registered will get to sit in a designated section at Turner Field where Wag-A-Lot doggie daycare will provide doggie pools, water misters, veterinary services and other pet pampering.

Bark in the Park tickets get admission for one human and one canine, as long as the dog is up to date on its vaccinations, with proceeds going to the Atlanta Braves Foundation. Up to six additional human tickets can be purchased with each combo ticket. Bark in the Park ticket holders get their own special entrance to the park.

Bark in the Park. Sun., May 3. 1:30 p.m. $12-$25 (registration ends April 30). Turner Field, 755 Hank Aaron Drive. 404-577-9100. www.braves.com/bark.

Continue reading “Bench Press: Weekend sports roundup” »

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A horse is a horse…

Tracing its roots back to the 1700s, when Irish fox hunters raced from one steeple to the next, the Atlanta Steeplechase has become a Southern springtime tradition. The daylong event not only features equestrian racing and hurdling, but also includes pony rides, pig races, an air show/skydive demonstration and the Dog Disc Southern Nationals, where eager dogs (and their owners) leap their ways through Frisbee competitions.

The festivities also include an opening ceremony bagpipe march, followed by an annual favorite, the Hat Parade and Contest at 12:45 p.m., where Southern belles wear their gaudiest and most creative headpieces in hopes of winning prizes. Horses and jockeys competing in various tests of speed and agility dominate the rest of the afternoon.

Other activities include a tailgating contest, hay rides, infield shopping, raffles, a tent party contest and the parade of Bear Creek Hounds.

Atlanta Steeplechase. Sat., April 25. 9 a.m.-6:30 p.m. $30. Kingston Downs, US 41 to Gore Spring Road, Rome. 404-237-7436. www.atlantasteeplechase.org.

Continue reading “Bench Press: Weekend sports roundup” »

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Mixed martial arts (MMA) has quickly become one of the most popular sports in the country, giving fans of boxing, wrestling and jujitsu the best of all worlds. Locally, Wild Bill’s Fight Nights have become the place to see some of the best up-and-coming amateur fighters make names for themselves alongside more established professional grapplers.

This primal display of aggression returns this week with one of its most eclectic cards yet. Scheduled fights include a heavyweight bout between Jon Ivey and Kevin Jordan and a main event pitting Diego Saraiva against Arman Loktev. Also on the card is Georgia’s first pro women’s fight with Lizzy Miller and Tanya Reyes (both undefeated) doing battle.

World Extreme Cagefighting Lightweight Champion Jamie Varner will not only be on hand for the fights, but will also host a training seminar at Knuckle Up Fitness in Sandy Springs for those who want to get a little bit closer to the action.

Wild Bill’s Fight Night. Fri., April 17, 8 p.m. (doors open at 7 p.m.). $25-$800. Wild Bill’s, 2075 Market St., Duluth. 404-626-2126. www.undisputedproductions.com.

Jamie Varner training seminar. Sat., April 18. 2-5 p.m. $40-$60. KnuckleUp Fitness, 5956 Roswell Road, Sandy Springs. 404-943-0609. www.knuckleupfitness.com.

Continue reading “Bench Press: Weekend sports roundup” »

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After a sold-out doubleheader last month, the Atlanta Rollergirls bring their girl-on-girl roller derby action back to the Shrine Center this Saturday for Blood, Sweat and Fishnet, the season’s second dual bout. The first round features the Denim Demons, a team that owes its entire existence to the punk-tinged thrash of the humorously homoerotic Norwegian band known as Turbonegro. The Demons take on the Japanese-themed Sake Tuyas. Thisis the first bout of the season the Atlanta teams, both of which will also be debuting new skaters.

Following an intermission, the second bout pits the Atlanta Rumble Bs (the league’s b-team, which is sort of a junior varsity version of Atlanta’s Dirty South Derby Girls all-star team) against the New Jax City Rollers from Jacksonville, Fla. Jacksonville’s derby girls have a reputation for their hardcore roughness, but the Rumble Bs are some of Atlanta’s best skaters who can take a hit as well as they can give one.

Ticket holders who wear a Clap Your Hands Say Yeah shirt will be eligible to win one of 10 pairs of tickets to an exclusive performance by the band at the Loft on April 20. And if you care to keep the party going after the bouts are over, you can join the Rollergirls at their afterparty at Graveyard Tavern in East Atlanta.

Sat. March 28, 5 and 7 p.m. $12-$20. Yaarab Shrine Center, 400 Ponce de Leon Ave. 404-872-5818. www.atlantarollergirls.com.

(Photo courtesy Atlanta Rollergirls)

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