trublue

I attended the ATL Falcons Friday nite under the lights event at Mill Creek High School in Gwinnett last night. Wow, I had never been to this HS field (I thought it was turf, 'til I remembered they don't have turf in Gwinnett) it was really a nice set up. Anyway, the Falcons put on a first class event (free) for the fans. Parachutists, mascot, ATL Falcon cheerleaders performed at half-time, also some canine "frisbee" catching dogs the crowd loved ....and after the scrimmage players signed autographs around the fence.After that a very good fireworks display to top it off. Arthur Blank was there and spoke briefly to the crowd via microphone interview. There was such an intimacy in having this on a high school field. I think the Falcons were truly surprised w/the turnout (over 10,000). The Mill Creek varsity players got to stand on the sidelines during the scrimmage (they had on their jerseys) ....you knew it was really an experience for these kids. They used 4 QB's last night....the first series, Ryan was 3 and out. His next series , first play, the bomb to Roddy. IMO I think D.J. Shockley has the best arm (UGA) (so effortless) in his throws but he could be odd man out when decision time comes for trimming the fat. Saw several Vick shirts in the crowd, and the team warmed up/stretched to "Sandman". I don't know how successful the Falcons will be this year (some have said they won't win a game) but you can feel a different vibe about this team. Following is AJC article about the game: ajc.com > Sports > Falcons NFL TRAINING CAMP REPORT QB Ryan thrown into fire at Falcons scrimmage Rookie hooks up with White on long touchdown By STEVE WYCHE The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Published on: 08/01/08 The things coaches look for in training camp aren't so much the obvious big hit or the slipping of a tackle or the beautiful long ball for a touchdown — such as the 65-yarder Falcons first-round pick Matt Ryan threw to Roddy White midway through an open scrimmage Friday night at Mill Creek High School. They want to see how players, particularly young ones, react in certain situations. So when Ryan first took the field on the third series of the scrimmage against the first team defense, in front of more than 10,000 fans, a pass play was called. He took a deep drop, but before he could get comfortable, blitzing outside linebacker Michael Boley was in his face, flushing him out of the pocket. Ryan evaded trouble but threw the ball well out of bounds. Yellow flags flew. A grounding penalty. "We have a lot of things that we are going to be able to take from this tape, good, bad and indifferent," said coach Mike Smith. "I thought Matt made some plays." Ryan was hardly shaken by the ploy. Though he went three plays and out on his first series, he opened the second half with the long ball to White, who beat cornerback Blue Adams down the left sideline to get wide open. "Roddy made that play," Ryan said. "It was pretty easy for me. He beat the guy off the ball really bad, and when you've got a guy like him to throw, too, especially when he's that open, it's nice." White and Boley were the stars of the scrimmage, which was more of a showcase of the younger players. White scored two touchdowns, the first an 11-yard hitch pass from Joey Harrington that he capped by diving over a pylon into the end zone. Boley opened the scrimmage by intercepting quarterback Chris Redman on a pass to White in the right flat. "I went out to the flat, got under the out route and luckily made a good catch," Boley said. "I think it went pretty well overall. We got a lot of young guys on the team and they got a chance to get out here and do some live tackling. We got into a flow of being put in certain situations." Both sides had their moments as coaches mixed and matched personnel and rotated quarterbacks with different backs and linemen. Quarterbacks were the only players who couldn't be tackled, but if a defender touched them, a sack was called. Defensive end Jamaal Anderson was credited with a sack; something he didn't have happen once in 16 regular-season starts last season. Rookie Kroy Biermann also got a sack, tagging backup quarterback D.J. Shockley. The young cornerbacks were not tested very much, as most of the passes were thrown in the middle of the field. An abundance of drops, especially by the tight ends, stunted drives. The Falcons didn't showcase too much of their offense or defense, but backup tailbacks Thomas Brown and Jason Snelling showed their battle for the No. 3 job could be highly competitive. Brown had several nice runs, often making the first tackle miss, while Snelling ran with power, good vision and excellent open-field speed. First impression Ryan, who played his high school ball in suburban Philadelphia, was taken aback by the high-end facilities at Mill Creek High's stadium as well as the overflow crowd. "I think I got a little taste of what Georgia high school football is like down here," Ryan said. "I can't wait to catch a few games on Friday nights." Technical difficulty The Falcons had hoped to use the sideline-to-player communication device, which is available to defensive players for the first time this season. However, there were technical difficulties so plays had to be run or signaled onto the field. Boley was the designated play caller on defense since regular signal caller Keith Brooking was held out by the coaching staff (rest). "We've worked with it in practice, and it's worked pretty good, but unfortunately we had some problems with it today before we actually started, so we didn't get a chance to use it," Boley said. Once the regular season starts, Boley will be the secondary defender to Brooking to where the defensive communication device. Etc. Defensive end John Abraham returned from a funeral to start for the No. 1 defense at the scrimmage. Abraham missed Thursday's practice session and the morning practice session Friday. ... Brooking (given a day off), WR Joe Horn (hamstring), C Todd McClure (back), OT Todd Weiner (knee), DT Jonathan Babineaux (back) did not participate in either of Friday's practices.

I don't kid myself.....w/Tebow at the helm the Gators are gonna be tuff. He's probably the epitome of a "pure" (his style of play) football player, if there is or was ever such a thing. A true "throwback" that ANY fan loves to watch. I'll be pulling for him to win the Heisman again, even if he is a Gator.

Just received a flyer from our HOA.... they're planning a big Tailgate Gala down at our clubhouse/pavillion for the Dawgs/Gators backyard brawl w/the game to be shown on a projected big screen. There'll be seperate areas for each fan/supporters and grills available. If I go down, I'll wear my VT shirt but, I'll cheer for the Dawgs....no, Gator luv from this fan...lol.

[ QUOTE ] Allison's just off of Exit 14 on Lee HWY (just up from the Chevy dealer on the left if you are headed towards Bristol) in Abingdon is another good place..try the Apple Smoked Pork Chops and sweet potato fries...you won't be sorry...lol. [/ QUOTE ] When I'm in VA. and in Abingdon, I always say I'm going to stop there and eat....never have....but I'm certainly going to do that now. Last time was in, we ate lunch at the little deli/restaurant there on Main St. in Abingdon (former pharmacy) but don't remember the name. Pretty good eats.

[ QUOTE ] [ QUOTE ] We have reubens down at good ol' Bellacinos. Not trying to promote the store or anything...just saying. [/ QUOTE ] They have reubens at Arby's too...I've had both...neither are that good, both are overpriced, but Arby's is better. The best reuben I've ever had was at some little restaurant in Union, WV... [/ QUOTE ] I had a reuben at Aqua Terra in Buford, GA yesterday for lunch. It was pretty decent....but had some "killer" homemade potato salad as the side item.

[ QUOTE ] i made a diving catch in a little league all star game once..it was pretty sweet haha [/ QUOTE ] Pure excitement, pure enjoyment for the kids, parents and FANS... when a kid makes an outstanding play. Sorry, we couldn't see your "moment" in time but you've got your memory of it for the rest of your life.

sorry....short commercial before it loads. http://video.msn.com/video.aspx?mkt=en-US&vid=6318da8d-29e1-47d8-b362-eaccdf7380c6

In the article on Tazewell in the BDT, (quoting Coach Wyatt) there is a good possibility that T.J. could return to the team sometime this year. I know many ppl in Richlands and I'm sure many throughout the area will be praying for that to happen for this deserving young man. We're pulling for ya T.J....

It just became a domino effect....Smoltz, Glavine, Diaz, now Huddy probably for the year. When they lost those 2 recent games with HUGE leads....(then Chipper and Huddy going on the DL)....that sealed the deal for Tex to leave town. (He is building a home here (he's a GT guy) and his wife is from the ATL area.) Blfd. Rules is right.....they were not going to be able to afford Tex after the season and I'm beginning to agree that MLB does need a salary cap. I'll just "cry in my sweet tea" and remember "the way it used to be." I'll continue to watch them.....terrible, struggling, "looking like the bad news bears".....they'll still be part of the TV viewing in this household w/a few disclaimers thrown in every now and then.

My FAV-O-RIGHT color.....

[ QUOTE ] [ QUOTE ] [ QUOTE ] Yeah, because Atlanta would be a great place to raise children. [/ QUOTE ] Just b/c ATL has traffic, crime, tremendous heat and humidity, a "keeping up w/the Joneses" mentality, and you don't know your neighbors on the next block (however, gossip is kept to a minimum b/c of this) and last but not least, no water, b/c you have those "gators" as a neighboring state.....(and they're wanting to take all of our drinking water for their mussels downstream)....otherwise, ATL is a great place to live. I'm glad I've lived on "both sides of the street"...the rural and the urban. There's benefits to both as well as downsides for both....every area has its undesirables w/ATL being no exception. [/ QUOTE ] I wansnt trying to put down ATL. I love the city. But it would seem to me that it would be much easier to raise children in an area such as this, rather than a large city like Atlanta. Besides, I doubt the kid made the choice to move to Richlands. Im sure it was his parents that made the decision. He didnt move here to win a state championship....he moved here because his parents moved here. [/ QUOTE ] ....just a "tongue-in-cheek" response. I took no offense...

[ QUOTE ] Yeah, because Atlanta would be a great place to raise children. [/ QUOTE ] Just b/c ATL has traffic, crime, tremendous heat and humidity, a "keeping up w/the Joneses" mentality, and you don't know your neighbors on the next block (however, gossip is kept to a minimum b/c of this) and last but not least, no water, b/c you have those "gators" as a neighboring state.....(and they're wanting to take all of our drinking water for their mussels downstream)....otherwise, ATL is a great place to live. I'm glad I've lived on "both sides of the street"...the rural and the urban. There's benefits to both as well as downsides for both....every area has its undesirables w/ATL being no exception.

[ QUOTE ] [ QUOTE ] [ QUOTE ] [ QUOTE ] Yes there is a transfer from Atlanta, Georgia. It is now officially confirmed. He is a sophomore. He is talented but he is young. [/ QUOTE ] why would anyone move from Atlanta to anywhere close to richlands...poor kid. [/ QUOTE ]. His exact response 2 that ? Is "to win a championship." [/ QUOTE ] also...that's a bunch-o-crap...GA is pretty high up on the list of great football programs in high school...I'd put them right up there with TX and FL as far as popularity of the sport at a HS level...so that's just bull that you would leave the Atlanta area "to win a championship"...at the AA level none the less...when you could stay at home and Valdosta is right in your back yard? Right. Looks like a few in the Blue Zone are full of themselves if they think that. If the kid has family here then great...I still feel bad for anyone who leaves an area like Atlanta to move to Richlands or anywhere close. [/ QUOTE ] Most of the schools are so large in the metro and surrounding ATL area that many kids that don't/wouldn't get to see much playing time possibly would/could be starters in smaller areas. Having watched some games here in ATL, unless, you're an exceptional player you may not get any/or minimal playing time( esp. at the skilled positions) until you're a senior. Now, I don't know if this is the case for this young man ....just throwing out my personal opinion. Considering his mother is from the Richlands area, she maybe wanted to be closer to her family.

RICHT RESPONDS TO MR. GATOR.... Richt: UGA win, not penalty, renewed Fla. rivalry Bulldogs' coach responds to Meyer's comments about 'bad deal' celebration By CHIP TOWERS The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Published on: 07/24/08 Hoover, Ala. — Georgia won't play Florida for another 99 days. But Bulldogs coach Mark Richt found himself talking an awful lot about the Gators during his time on the podium for SEC Football Media Days on Thursday. That's because Florida coach Urban Meyer recently resurrected the controversy about Georgia's now infamous touchdown celebration at the beginning of the their game last year. The Bulldogs were assessed two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties when the entire team left the bench and rushed to the end zone to celebrate Georgia's opening score in the 42-30 victory at Alltell Stadium. "I don't think there's any doubt it's intensified the rivalry," Richt said Thursday. "But what intensified the rivalry is that we won. OK? I mean, that's the reality." After the game in Jacksonville, Richt confessed that he had instructed his team to get a celebration penalty as a motivational tactic "to create energy and enthusiasm." In a new book that will be released in September, "Urban's Way," Meyer calls the move "a bad deal" that he will "never forget" and threatens retribution this year. Meyer stood behind those remarks when he addressed the media here on Wednesday. As a result, the 12th question Richt fielded from reporters here Thursday morning was about the celebration. The discussion remained on the topic for several minutes. Richt recounted in great detail the reasoning that led to his decision to conjure the celebration, which was essentially to create the energy and enthusiasm he felt was missing in previous games against Tennessee and Vanderbilt. "Now, I'm thinking in my mind, my little pea brain, 11 guys in the game, score a touchdown, 11 guys jump up and down and celebrate until the official throws the flag," Richt said Thursday. "That was my intention." Richt said he did not stop to consider the dangers of such a tactic and expressed the same regrets as he did in a letter to SEC Commissioner the week after the game last fall. He also reminded reporters that he called Meyer the day after the game, explained his reasoning and apologized. "In hindsight, I asked the team to do an unsportsmanlike act," Richt said Thursday. "It's called unsportsmanlike conduct, excessive celebration. In hindsight, I shouldn't have done it. I won't do anything like that again. It could have easily turned into a big stupid brawl and everything else. That's as truthful as I can tell you what happened." Richt did not, however, express any concern for how the ploy may motivate the Gators for this year's Nov. 1 matchup in Jacksonville. The Bulldogs lead the 104-year-old series 47-37-2 but Florida fans tend to cite the last 18 games of which the Gators have won 15. "You know, people want to talk about streaks in that game. The way I see it, we won last year. We won two out of the last four," Richt said. "And if you want to start going back in history, you might as well go back to the beginning of the history of the series and see where Georgia is there. I don't know why everybody wants to go just 15 games back. I mean, if you want to go back, go back to the beginning. If you want to talk about recent history, let's talk about last year, the last few games, you know."

[ QUOTE ] Hyman's Seafood and Restaurant in Charleston, SC [/ QUOTE ] Good it is.....and the ambiance is a bonus.

[ QUOTE ] And don't be surprised to see Mr. TJ out playing for the DAWGS this year... [/ QUOTE ] That would be SUPER.

[ QUOTE ] [ QUOTE ] [ QUOTE ] [ QUOTE ] I would imagine that a ruptured achilles hurts like hell. Hope I never have to find out. [/ QUOTE ] If you want to simulate the pain stick a 12-inch needle in the bottom of your heel and up the back of your leg along the calf. [/ QUOTE ] So you have torn your before? Ouch! [/ QUOTE ] Oh yeah, I've had an experience with the achilles. The doctor at Bowman-Gray in Winston Salem told me that the injury was more painful than any break or fracture including compounds. I've never had a break, knock on wood, but I can't imagine one being anymore painful. [/ QUOTE ] Just wondering....were you taking antibiotics (Cipro) when this happened? The FDA just came out with a warning about some antibiotics causing tendon tears (black box warning). All athletes should be extra cautious when taking these antibiotics. http://www.wftv.com/health/16822221/detail.html

The article was a true masterpiece....it touched every emotion that a high school football fan has for the sport. Who hasn't witnessed much of what he described at games....thank you Matt for such an excellent piece. Sounds like he had a great family foundation in his formative years and the SWVA roots are just icing on the cake ....couldn't get much better.

GREAT....GREAT read. I posted it under SWVA football...even though it is a generic article. http://virginiapreps.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=450156

http://www.gwinnettdailypost.com/main.asp?SectionID=7&SubSectionID=7&ArticleID=17140

[ QUOTE ] So...do you guys have any favorite "franchise" type places to eat that we don't have in this area? I've been wanting Whitecastle for a while now...lol. A few of my favs are: -Whitecastle -Whataburger -In and Out Burger -Jack in the Box -Skyline Chilli [/ QUOTE ] None of these are in GA that I know about. I know there is Jack/Box in SC...have tried it a couple times passing thru. I've heard of White Castle but not the rest. GA does have Five Guys (popping up everywhere in metro ATL), a few McAllister's....love their chicken salad. My favorite burger place is Culver's in WI ( only in the midwest, I believe). My favorite in ATL is Steak and Shake. Most of the Hardee's are disappearing around ATL....but, they weren't my favorite...not even in the running. Of course, for G-Man, I like the "ole stand by" McDonalds cheeseburger for a $1.00 and can't beat their iced coffee (for GA summers) for the money.

[ QUOTE ] How's it going BigD..nice to see you around. [/ QUOTE ] I echo that Big D.....hope you visit again. Also, the return of Observer was nice to see and read. I even miss (can't remember exactly what his name was)....Mountaineer/Schmidtt???? He kept getting banned and would just return under another name, but some of his "stuff" was not that bad. He just wanted to post. Also, enjoyed Mavs Rock (?) posts about his team ....and others that haven't been posting as much lately. Even enjoyed the Grundy kids on here....they believe in themselves even though they've had dwindling numbers. Where's the Beaver kids w/it getting so close to the start of the season. What kind team are you gonna have? I'm hoping the kids from Graham and other SWD teams will start their bantering (in a friendly (non-offensive )competitive way)soon. Enjoy seeing Zack post about Salem and the teams from that area. Hope the upcoming football season (high school and college) gets everyone back to posting. You especially learn more about the high school teams (behind the scenes, etc.) in a venue as this.

Huckabee was at a large local church for a pre July 4 patriotism service honoring the different military branches. Very touching when the ones that served/serving stood to be honored. Huckabee was the featured guest speaker and I'm sitting there thinking .....America doesn't know what they're missing in the upcoming election. As he said, not being under the constraints as a presidential candidate, he was free to "opine"....(not his word...mine and Mr. O'Reilly's). He was just "right on" with his assessment of America and the world. Oh, what could have been......

Article from today's BHC mentions several of the area players: http://www.tricities.com/tri/sports/high...ds_mance/11351/

Here's how another young man is handling football/life on the West Coast. (This is a higher profile college but football is the lure for both) Good luck Shaun.... http://www.ajc.com/sports/content/sports/highschool/stories/2008/07/04/butler_0705.html