Fresh Loaf

CL staffer Glenn Lafollette likes GIFs. He’s prolific at making them, actually. He says he’ll soon graduate to flash video. I, for one, hope he doesn’t abandon the wonderful aesthetic and convenient medium of the GIF. Every one is a treasure worth discovering.

Anyway, upon hearing the news that one Bobby Cox would retire, Glenn decided to conceptualize the importance of this announcement in the form of an animated GIF.

This is the result.

As far as Cox’ legacy beyond the animated GIF, ie, baseball? ESPN’s Rob Neyer’s post puts it in good perspective:

Really, the only thing missing from Cox’s resumè is World Championships (plural). He’s won just one of them, fewer than non-Hall of Famers Danny Murtaugh, Billy Martin, Tom Kelly, Ralph Houk, and Cito Gaston.

Which won’t keep Cox out of the Hall of Fame. It’s a lot harder to win the World Series than it used to be, and winning just one World Series certainly didn’t keep Earl Weaver out of the Coop.

(Photomontage awesomeness by Glenn Lafollette. Cross-posted from UmpBump.com)

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Mexico Citys Club America defeated AC Milan 2 -1 at the Georgia Dome

Soccer fans in Atlanta should burn more candles to the fútbol gods as last night’s game between Mexico City’s Club America and AC Milan proved to be an exceptional match and who knows when the city will get to witness quality soccer again.

The “Aguilas” edged their Italian counterparts 2-1 before an estimated crowd of over 50,000 fans.

Club America came out strong on attack all first half, while AC Milan played a more passive game, but both teams went to the locker rooms at half-time with a nil-nil draw.

The Mexican team took the lead in the 55th minute off a brilliant finish by Enrique Estrada, beating American defender Oguchi Onyewu on the run. Onyewu was making his debut with AC Milan.

On the 65th minute, Filippo Inzaghi equalized capitalizing on a long pass into the goal area.

Daniel Marquez’s header at the 84th minute sealed the victory for Club America.

(Photo by Alejandro A. Leal)

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Brock Lesnar and Frank Mir at UFC 81.

The sport of Mixed Martial Arts reaches in a landmark  on a number of levels this Saturday in Las Vegas with the pay-per-view broadcast of UFC 100. In many ways the hoopla surrounding the UFC’s one hundredth televised event is one of both a birthday party celebration and in many ways even a vindication of sorts. Not only has the sport survived years of struggle but it has grown feverishly while securing respectable and lucrative sponsorships from corporations including Harley Davidson Motorcycles and Budweiser beer for starts.

UFC 100 finds the once struggling combat sport of MMA (previously categorized as “human cockfighting” by mainstream sports media and politicians alike) and its number one brand name in that of the UFC suddenly in a position of monumental hype. And the hype is working well. It’s growing increasingly difficult all these years later to find even non-fans who have not at least heard of some the heavily marketed names within the sport. (more…)

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Speaking Wednesday at a workshop for past offenders seeking jobs, the former Indianapolis Colts coach told the AP that disgraced former Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick wants a second chance:

From WUSA9.com in Virginia:

Dungy met with Vick last week at the federal penitentiary in Leavenworth, Kan., where Vick is serving a 23-month sentence for bankrolling a dogfighting conspiracy.

[...]

Dungy didn’t discuss details of his visit with Vick, but told The Associated Press that the former Atlanta Falcons quarterback made a mistake.

As anyone that’s seen the “report dog fighting” billboard on I-85 South would attest to, Vick’s arrest and incarceration helped push animal cruelty front and center. Some would question whether the punishment fit the crime. But I think a more important question is, after Vick pays his debt to society, whose responsibility is it to give him a second chance? The NFL? The Falcons? The Fans? Anyone?

(via former CL-er @LadyMissHeather)

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ATLANTANS LOVE THE CRACK: Of baseball bats in the spring

With all the buzz over Darren Aronofsky’s The Wrestler and Mickey Rourke’s bleak portrayal of an aging fighter grappling with a lot more than in-ring opponents, professional wrestling’s enjoying some newfound popularity. The World Wrestling Entertainment universe is still reeling from WrestleMania’s 25th anniversary last Sunday, where Rourke decked Chris Jericho after Jericho’s tasteless victory over some real-life aging wrestlers. The spotlight comes to Atlanta Mon., April 13 when Raw broadcasts live from Philips Arena.

This special three-hour edition of Raw will feature superstars from all three WWE shows (Raw, ECW and SmackDown) — everyone from champions to announcers is eligible for that night’s WWE Draft. The draft always creates new feuds and rivalries, keeping things fresh in the testosterone-fueled drama. But regardless of who ends up where, the real treat for fans is the potential to see pay-per-view quality matches between combatants who might not normally cross paths.

Mon., April 13, 7 p.m. $20-$70. Philips Arena, 1 Philips Drive. 404-878-3000. www.wwe.com.

Atlanta Braves vs. Washington Nationals After a successful spring training, the Braves won their season opener against the Philadelphia Phillies last Sunday. Atlanta takes on National League East rival Washington for its home opener this Friday to start a three-game series. Opening day festivities include post-game fireworks and free magnetic schedules for the first 45,000 fans.

Fri., April 10, 7:30 p.m. $6-$80. Turner Field, 755 Hank Aaron Drive. 404-577-9100. www.braves.com.

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Sigh. Until last night I was totally planning to drive to Chapel Hill today to be part of the madness for tonight’s game. Then the cold, hard reality of 12 hours of driving, a small child, and this stupid thing I have called a job hit, and I realized I’d be watching the game from Atlanta. So we did some research into which venues will be hosting viewing parties and came up with this list. Not sure which party I’ll be hitting yet, but if you see a crazed UNC fan with a bored and sleepy looking little boy at her side, it might be me.

Cheyenne Grill, Peachtree Battle Shopping Center, 2391 Peachtree Road, 404-842-1010, www.cheyennegrill.com. Open until 2 a.m. tonight. UNC-centric crowd expected.

Dantanna’s, 340 Around Lenox Dr., Suite 304, 404-760-8873. www.dantannas.com. Open until 2:30 a.m. tonight.

Engine 11 Firehouse Tavern, 30 North Ave. 404-873-3473. www.engine11atl.com. Open until 3 a.m. tonight.

STATS, 300 Marietta St., 404-885-1472, www.statsatl.com. Open until midnight tonight. 790 the Zone’s Mike Bell and David Pollack will be there from 4-7 p.m. Just FYI, I called STATS last night to see what the chances were of getting a table, and they said it was out of the question. The place is going to be a madhouse, and is where a lot of the UNC alum are planning on going. But if you’re just looking for a sea of baby blue solidarity, this might be the spot.

Taco Mac:
Decatur: 240 Ponce de Leon Ave., 404-378-4140, www.taco-mac.com, open until 2 a.m.
Lindberg City Center: 573 Main St., 404-574-5813, www.taco-mac.com open until 2 a.m.

(Photo by Joeff Davis)

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So, you’ve been punishing yourself with NIT basketball for the past four days. You’re hungry. You’re ready for meaningful matchups. Well, here you go. We’re down to the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16.

If you’re like me, your bracket has gone to sh*t because you decided to pick upsets. And your office pool is being led by Katie in marketing who decided to pick the favorites and “cutest head coach” in every game. And wouldn’t you know, the favorites have won almost every game. That and Villanova’s Jay Wright is the Don Draper of NCAA skippers.

We have no chance to win our pool, unless the Lord our God steps down from his mighty cloud and heals Ty Lawson’s toe. Needless to say, we’re rooting for the Tar Heels.
(more…)

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As I sit here at my desk inadvertently watching the UNC/Radford game on my cell phone (nice job on that ACC record Hansbrough! Wish I’d seen it last week though), I came across this article on Slate discussing loss of workplace productivity during the NCAA tournament.

For the record, my editor did try to take my phone away from me when she realized I had the ability to watch games on it. “I’m gonna blog about it!” I protested.

“Whatever,” she said.

(Photo by Joeff Davis)

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Last year, watching Duke play during the regular season, I became so annoyed with their propensity for three pointers I started yelling “ONE TRICK PONY!!!” at the television with every play. “It’s so lame!” I said to my husband. “They’re such a one trick pony.”

“Yeah,” he responded, “but that’s a pretty good trick.”

I’d like to say that three pointers was the only thing that won the ACC title for Duke today, but it was that along with everything else (although the 21 points from beyond the perimeter in the first half alone certainly helped). FSU looked shaky from the start, and Duke was playing fast and hard. (more…)

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OK, that’s a mean headline, but this is a true story: as the reporters filed into the press conference room after UNC fell to Florida State this afternoon, you could feel the disappointment in the air. UNC have a reputation for being media darlings, and I’m here to tell you it’s true. When FSU coach Leonard Hamilton stepped up to the stage to answer questions about his win, one reporter beside me lent in to his friend and said under his breath, “Hey coach, do you think you ruined the tournament?” (more…)

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WHEN I WAS A LAD, WE PLAYED…WAIT…WHERE AM I?: Wake Forest's Demon Deacon

I think I’ve figured out Wake Forest’s problem. The reason why they tend to lose steam as the season goes on. Why they never end up as good as they promise to be. It’s their mascot. Who wants an old man for a mascot? When he gets up and kind of half-heartedly flails his arms around, trying to rile up the crowd, he just looks like some cheerleader’s demented grandpa who’s wandered onto the court by accident. If I played for a team with that mascot I’d lose my drive as well.

Poor Wake. They really kind of sucked tonight. It was never even close.

The Duke/Boston College game was much more exciting, not least of which because half the crowd were Tar Heels fans who had to be scorned by the announcer (the first time I’ve heard it mentioned this tournament) to behave and cheer “in a positive manner” after the Dome filled with boos when Duke arrived, and also as their starting line up was announced. Duke fans tried to cheer the team louder, but UNC + BC fans had the numbers and lung power.

But also, this game was intense from start to finish. What an end to the first half with Rice’s three pointer! After that BC was on fire for a while. When Singler got a steal for Duke 8 minutes into the second half and ran the court alone to dunk, it kind of knocked the wind out of BC though. They did end up getting it back, but a little too late. I was hoping the last play, with 5 seconds left, would go BC’s way, but no such luck. Rice is such an amazing player, he carried that entire team, and I would have liked to see him get that win. The second very close, very exciting game of the day.

I’m kind of hoping for a UNC Duke final, but I’m also scared of that if Lawson is still out with an injury and Duke is still playing the way they were tonight.

(Photo from Wikimedia Commons)

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IT GOES IN THAT THERE HOOPY THING: Georgia Tech coach paul Hewitt

Georgia Tech was up by one point with 9.9 seconds left, but after Florida State came back with a 2 and drew the foul, Tech just couldn’t get back and get the shot in time to pull off the upset against FSU this afternoon.

Until the last 10 minutes or so, this game looked like FSU’s all along. Tech’s second half effort was huge. I really thought for a second in there that they were going to win. Alas…

The Florida State band is quite…ugh…funky? They have a bass player who kind of leads the band. I thought it was a little cheeky of them , in the midst of the game, to play T.I.’s “Whatever You Like,” seeing as if anyone can claim that song it should be the Atlanta team. It was pretty cool though, and totally outdid the G-Tech band’s so-six-years ago rendition of Beyonce’s “Crazy In Love.”

Speaking of bands…
From my seat on the press desks, I’m directly in front of one of the school bands. Which meant I spent the first part of today watching Virginia Tech’s piccolo player scream and pull his hair over the referee decisions that ultimately secured UNC’s win over Virginia Tech. In the neck and neck game, UNC was ahead by one point with 7 seconds left when what looked very much like Tyler Hansbrough fouling A.D. Vassallo was called as a held ball and the possession went to UNC, pretty much guaranteeing them the win. (more…)

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Man, that was an upset I would have liked to see. In the first half of the NC State/Maryland game, it looked as though State might win by double digits. But no such luck.

(more…)

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HEY TIGER!: Your girl's outfits are hurting my head

Journalism is a good gig. Don’t let anyone tell you differently. I’m sitting here 20 feet from the court at end of the first game of the ACC Tournament, and wondering how I got so lucky. As if reviewing restaurants for a living wasn’t cool enough.

Virginia Tech has just beat Miami by almost 20 points. Georgia Tech is about to take on Clemson. I hope Tech can defy expectations. I doubt it. So far, Miami and Clemson win the award for ugliest cheerleading outfits.

When I found out the tournament was happening in Atlanta this year, I thought about getting tickets. My husband was thrilled with the idea. “Only $400 each for the whole tournament!” he said. Ugh … right. Journalism is great, but it doesn’t pay well enough to make $800 fun possible.

Then, during discussions about the launch of our new website, it was decided we’d have a new section on the homepage devoted to sports, something we’ve done a fairly awful job of covering in the past (in my opinion). Hmm … I began plotting. When my media credentials were approved, my husband began pouting. He hasn’t stopped yet.

Yesterday I stopped by to check out Georgia Tech practice and was giddy at being so close to the action, at getting my own spot so near these large boys. I sometimes don’t know how I became so attached to this sweaty boy spectacle. No, that’s a lie. I do know. I lived in North Carolina. (more…)

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Courtside seats for blogging ease

For the first time in eight years the ACC Tournament is in Atlanta, and for the first time since 1966, tickets were available to the public. In a departure from my usual gig as restaurant critic, I decided to join the action and morph into a sports reporter for a few days. I’ll be blogging live, courtside throughout the tournament.
As of this minute, the GA Dome is sparsely sat, I’m surrounded by a sea of old-school sports writer types who are eying me suspiciously, and Virginia Tech is kicking Miami’s ass.

Check out updates on Fresh Loaf, or go to clatl.com/sports.

(Photo by Joeff Davis)

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There’s criticism flying around in some circles that Atlanta’s first UFC event is a bit lackluster. I have witnessed some say that the card is merely a collection of former champions tossed out into the economy as nothing more than an event to keep fans occupied until the return of Randy Couture at UFC 91. Couture’s return to the cage may have threatened to steal the wind from the sails of UFC 88, but nothing could be further from the truth. Especially from a local perspective.

UFC 88 is a stacked card built of one of mixed-martial-arts most famous stars in that of Chuck Liddell.  Not to mention that massive popularity of fighters such as Dan Henderson and Rich Franklin. But in Atlanta, there’s the long history of civil rights movement and African-American fame. Especially in the sports arena. And it is this idea that paints in my mind a fact that not many seem to be acknowledging currently.

Continue reading at the Full Contact Talk site.

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Full Contact Talk caught up with Chuck Liddell and Rashad Evans as they both prepare for the headline fight this Saturday at UFC 88. Rashad says he’ll take The Iceman down at least once and that he’s not afraid of the former champion’s punching power. Meanwhile, Chuck Liddell says it will be a lot of work for Rashad to take him down and keep him there if he does so. Liddell also gives a brief response on Randy Couture’s return to the octagon, a potential future fight against Forrest Griffin and Brock Lesnar’s current state in the UFC.

Download all episodes at the Full Contact Talk site.

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Full Contact Talk MMA Discussion Segment One featuring Rory Singer, Brian Bowles, Douglas Lima, Chris Stolzman, David Oblas and Frank Bishop is now available for download. This is the first in four 30-minute segments featuring MMA discussion with Georgia-based MMA professionals that will be available over the next few days. In this segment the mixed-martial-arts panelists discuss the history of MMA as well as current fighters who may potentially make a run for contention in a special feature known as “The Darkhorse Special.” There is also local music included from The Carbonas and The El Caminos. Stay tuned for segments two through four.

Download at the new FCT podcast site.

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It would require possibly 10 separate blog posts to fully explain the long and complex history of Mixed Martial Arts. But consider this a crash course for the curious interested in learning about the sport’s past in a quick, convenient summary.

For those not in the know, MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) is an acronym for a rapidly growing combat sport that found its beginnings in 1993 when a family of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu specialists, known as the Gracies, hosted North America’s inaugural Mixed Martial Arts pay-per-view television event. Coined “The Ultimate Fighting Championship,” it was more or less an open challenge to martial artists of all styles from around the globe to attempt to defeat a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu specialist for a $50,000 grand prize.

Brawlers of all walks — from Sumo wrestlers to Karate experts — heeded the call, but in the end, the Gracie family dominated the event by way of one of its youngest family members at the time, Royce Gracie. Many longtime MMA fans and analysts often refer to the debut UFC event as an infomercial for Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. And the event and the success of the BJJ style of fighting set the mark for future competition and laid the foundation for what we know today as professional Mixed Martial Arts.

The phenomenon America witnessed by way of Royce Gracie in Denver at the McNichols Sports Arena on Nov. 12, 1993, was a complex and historically twisted form of physical combat born from an even more confusing and international genesis. Ancient Greece, Japan, Thailand and Russia are but four of the many cultures that contributed to what MMA has evolved to in 2008. And it was originally a friendship between Scottish and Japanese immigrants in Brazil during the late 1800s that bridged the ancient Japanese fighting style of Jiu-Jitsu with the Western world, and laid the foundation for what the Gracie family unleashed on the international martial arts community in the early ’90s.

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Mixed-Martial-Arts is a sport. Yeah, you read it right. It’s a sport. Heck, it’s even a vastly popular sport. And it’s coming to Atlanta via Phillips Arena on September 6th by way of UFC 88 — which will be one of the organizations major pay per view events this year. For a large number of people, mixed-martial-arts is the primal definition of sportsmanship.

An evolved yet ancient form of hand-to-hand combat where two men of equal attributes battle one another until one falls and the other basks in the glory of cheer and admiration. And it’s every bit as much a chess match as it is a clash of fists. Often constructed from more physical intricacies than a typical team of men tossing rubber balls around, mixed-martial-arts still struggles somewhat to break through to a higher level of mainstream success where the sport is recognized by media and humanity alike as much more than just some gladiatorial blood spectacle or some sort of violent pornography.

Over the next few weeks, I will blog about the coming UFC event and serve (for lack of better words) as a local ambassador for those Fresh Loaf readers who possibly dislike or misunderstand the sport of mixed-martial-arts. Or even those curious few still sitting on the metaphorical fence. In the coming weeks leading up to the event, I hope to at least achieve the goal of transforming the often negative cliche of mixed-martial-arts and its fan base.
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According to Bethlehem Shoals at the Sporting News’ the Sporting Blog, Atlanta may be about to lose its second Josh in less than three weeks. Following Josh Childress’ evacuation to Greece last month, Hawks forward Josh Smith has signed a $58 million contract offer with the Memphis Grizzlies.

Sayeth Bethlehem:

As for the Hawks, yeah, they could match, and still might. But what an utterly defeated organization. Losing Josh Childress really punked them, and the lack of enthusiasm for re-signing Smith makes it seem like they’ve been totally demoralized. How a team could not want to build on that playoff performance is beyond me, especially when they’ve been wandering the wilderness for so long. Now I guess we all get why Childress was so content to make history rather than stick around.

Atlanta has seven days to match the offer, but this still makes us wonder if things would have been different this summer without Mike Woodson at the helm, since both Joshes reportedly have had beefs with the coach.

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There’s the great story where Ted Turner, not long after he purchased the Atlanta Braves, told Skip Caray to lay off criticizing the team from the television booth. Skip’s response to Turner was something like, “Have you looked at the standings lately?” To which Turner said, “Good point.” And he never tried to temper Skip again.

Like any long-time Braves fan of a certain age, I grew up listening to Skip Caray. First, through the crackle of AM radio and then on TBS. Skip was often a curmudgeon in the booth, but he did it with wit and a basic honesty that was endearing. During the Pistol Pete Maravich era, he called the Atlanta Hawks games and was always especially cynical. But, as with the Braves, Skip’s call of the game was often the only reason to stay tuned in.

When I started covering the Braves for Atlanta magazine 10 years ago, I got to see Skip around the press box and in the dugout, where he’d often hold court. He wasn’t the friendliest person to strangers (remember how he’d go off on people who called his pre-game radio show with inane questions), but I did get the chance to talk baseball with him a few times.

One night I was at a game and my father called. He was listening to the game, and Skip had just spent air-time talking about one of my stories and recommending it to his listeners. It wasn’t even a sports story.

I’ll always believe that was the moment I’d “arrived” in my father’s eyes, because Skip Carey had given me his blessing.
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At one point, Ashley Harkleroad — who hails from Rossville in North Georgia — was hyped as the next Anna Kournikova in women’s tennis, except she was supposed to have game. She was the singles runner-up in the juniors division at the 2002 Roland Garros (the French Open) and won the junior doubles at Roland Garros that year.

But she has faltered as a pro, reaching a high of 39 in the world in 2003. Currently, she’s ranked 61.

Now, Harkleroad is going to go Kournikova one better: After taking a 6-2 6-1 drubbing at the hands of Serena Williams at the French Open on Sunday, Harkleroad announced she has posed nude for Playboy and will be featured in the August issue.

It seems unbecoming and desperate for a professional tennis player to make her statement by posing for Playboy instead of on the courts. It also seems symptomatic of a tennis career that never reached its potential.

Harkleroad told reporters in Paris that she’s proud of her body. “I’ll be the first tennis player ever,” she said. “That’s kind of cool.”

It’s kind of sad, actually.

To read Serena Williams’ bemused reaction, click here.

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When Hawks point guard Mike Bibby called the large crowds in Boston “fair-weather fans” early in the first-round playoff series between the Hawks and Celtics, the comment elicited umbrage from Bostonians, as well as an obvious response: “What, as opposed to Hawks fans?”

Atlanta sports fans aren’t exactly renowned for passion or dedication. Braves fans are jaded by the years of restrained success, and Falcons fans are understandably bitter about their team’s fits and starts.

And Hawks fans? For much of the last 20 years, they’ve mostly just stayed home – more no-weather than fair-weather.

But that’s changed during the last seven days. The last three games at Philips Arena, culminating in Friday night’s largest crowd in venue history, have been a coming-out party for a city that’s been wanting to like its basketball team for years. The young Hawks needed a pumped-up crowd to win, and the wary crowd needed an exciting Hawks team to get pumped up about. The stars are currently in alignment.

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Almost lost in the spotlight that’s on Roger Clemens and his alleged steroid use is the news that John Rocker has admitted what the Mitchell report claimed: The former Braves closer took steroids and failed a drug test in 2000, his last full season with the Braves.

Not only that, but Rocker estimated that “between 40 to 50 percent of baseball players are on steroids” and added that “in 2000 Bud Selig knew John Rocker was taking the juice.”

I was around the Atlanta Braves clubhouse a lot during the Rocker era, and will always remember the huge poster of WCW wrestler Bill Goldberg hanging in Rocker’s locker, shirt off and muscles bulging.

And former Braves pitching coach Leo Mazzone told me once that Rocker was so muscular that if pitched past one inning, he’d have to lie down on the floor and have someone stretch his back to make him limber enough to go out for a second inning.

It also goes a long way in explaining the behavior that caused his career to implode. Rocker always seemed “juiced” when he pitched, in a figurative sense. This admission brings new meaning to the word in literal terms.

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