Labor Day 2017 The Morning After

Braves don’t get swept, Falcons practice squad almost complete

By: Billy Lindahl (@1788sports, @billylindahl)

First off.. I know this a Georgia Sports site, but HOLY CRAP did you guys see both college games last night? UCLA down 34 and come back to win against Texas A&M. VT beating WVU in a brawl. So glad college football is back. And with that, back to our regularly scheduled stories.

Braves beat the Cubs 5-1

Max Fried made his first MLB start at Wrigley Field against the defending World Series champs, and honestly, didn’t look phased at all. He pitched 5 innings and only had 4 hits scattered against him including a HR (the only run the Cubs would push across). Rio Ruiz continues to swing a good bat since being called up to fill Brandon Phillips shoes. He goes 2-4 with 3RBI’s. Dansby Swanson adds an RBI himself and is now hitting .400 in his last 19 games. Braves head home after a 2-5 road trip.

Falcons Round out their Practice squad

The Falcons signed 10 of their 11 members to the practice squad a day after making the necessary cuts to get down to the mandated 53-man roster. A couple of the players we thought might have been named to practice squad were actually poached to other teams. Falcons had 3 players they cut Saturday get signed by other squads. (The Patriots had 4 and that was the most in the NFL).

Signed to the practice squad:
RB: Pressley, WR’s: Burton and Hall, TE’s: Perkins and Gray OT: Brunskill
DE: Jones, DT’s Vellano and Tupou, S: Branch

This leaves one player remaining to sign. Notably absent from this group is a QB, but did the QB’s who played this preseason deserve a call for this?

Other notes from 9/3

• Dennis Schroder’s German squad lost finally, but Schroder had another good game scoring 20 with 7asts.
• Marco Belinelli’s Italian team also lost, with Lithuania cracking down on him on defense. He still scored 14pts, but was clearly the target for the Lithuanian defense.

Looking Ahead

Braves are back at Suntrust Park tonight with an interleague matchup on the slate with the Texas Rangers in town. R.A. Dickey toes the rubber for the Braves while Andrew Cashner, fresh off a great performance last time out against the Astros, takes the bump for the Rangers.

Georgia Tech kicks off their season at the 2nd Chick-Fil-A Kickoff game of the year as they clash with the Volunteers. Kickoff is at 8:00 and can be seen locally on ABC/ESPN.

Atlanta United goes back to work prepping for their first home match at Mercedes Benz Stadium next Sunday.

Dan Quinn and Kirby Smart press conferences today. We’ll have it covered for you @1788sports on twitter.

Braves September Call-Ups Preview

By: Tim Childers (@1788sports, @childers1788)

As we head towards the end of another Atlanta Braves season, we get to look back and analyze how they have progressed. While the Braves have been out of contention for quite a while, they will use the last month of the season to prepare for the 2018 season. While players like Freddie Freeman and Ender Inciarte have their positions locked down for the foreseeable future, there are a few positions where there could be some tight competition in the coming months. Here are five young players to look out for during September call ups.

Akeel Morris-RP

While the starting rotation has had some improvement over last year, the relief corps has been extremely unreliable. Aside from a few pitchers, the bullpen has struggled mightily. Akeel Morris is a promising young relief prospect who should become a vital part of the Braves bullpen going forward. Acquired in the Mets trade for Kelly Johnson in 2015, Morris has been very good in his limited time in the majors, and his demotion to AAA Gwinnett was a bit of a head scratcher by Braves management. With how well he's been performing, Morris should have a solid chance of making the 2018 opening day roster.

Luiz Gohara-SP

Gohara was acquired in the Mallex Smith trade before the 2017 season. He is one of the many former top prospects who have excelled in the Braves farm system after stagnating in their former farm system. Gohara has developed rapidly since coming over, rising from High-A Florida to AAA Gwinnett in less than a season. Gohara and Max Fried seem like the logical players to fight for the fifth spot in the braves rotation, so impressing in September will go a long way in deciding Gohara’s future with the Braves.

Max Fried-SP

Max Fried was a highly touted prospect that came over from the Padres in the Justin Upton trade, but has stagnated due to a lot of injury trouble including tommy john in 2015. Fried has been used previously as a reliever but that seems to be just to get him acclimated to the major leagues, as he profiles as a starting pitcher with a lot of potential. If he can stay healthy, he will fight with Gohara for the final spot in the Braves rotation.

Dustin Peterson-LF

Dustin Peterson was another part of the Upton trade. The power hitting outfield prospect from Gilbert, Arizona had a solid 2016 season, where he had a .282 BA with 12 homers and 88 RBI’s at AA Mississippi. He was looking to build on the solid season in AAA Gwinnett but was derailed by a hand injury suffered in spring training. Peterson has had a down year following his recovery but could serve as a serviceable bench option as a 4th outfielder. His presence would also provide the Braves with the ability to give Matt Kemp some rest, who still is clearly not back to full health. Peterson would be the most obvious choice to fill Kemp’s spot if and when the Braves can trade him.

Ronald Acuna-RF

The most tantalizing potential call up also happens to be the least likely. Acuna is in the running to be the top prospect in all of baseball after a video game-esque season split between High-A Florida, AA Mississippi, and AAA Gwinnett. The 19 year old from La Guaira, Venezuela has only hit .324 with a .891 ops, 20 home runs and 44 stolen bases. He has only continued to improve as he has moved up the Braves farm system, but dont expect to see him up unless Kemp or Markakis gets injured. Acuna is set to headline the set of Braves players in the Arizona Fall League, so expect the Braves to try and move one of the corner outfielders before the start of next season.

All Statistics via Baseball-Reference.com

The Morning After 9/3/17

Georgia wins, but lose Eason. Braves lose…again. Falcons make cuts.

Photo Cred @Radinabulsi on twitter

By Andrew Ellis (@1788sports, @andrew_ellis35)

Bulldogs beat Appalachian St. 31-10

The Dawgs opened up their season with a 31-10 victory over Appalachian State. The main concern of the game is the injury to star quarterback Jacob Eason. Kirby Smart has ruled Eason out with a “knee sprain” and there is no time table for the severity or his return. With that being said, the Fromm era for the Dawgs started much earlier than expected. Jake Fromm, a true freshman, looked anything but in his first performance leading the team to their win. The offense struggled to start the game and failed to get any push or movement up front. Once Fromm checked in, he picked up the pace going 10/15 with 143 yards and 1 TD. Nick Chubb: 15 carries, 96 yards, 2 TD’s and Sony Michel: 16 carries, 87 yards, 1 TD led the team with carries out of the back field and helped relieve some of the pressure placed on Fromm. Bulldog nation will anxiously await for the results on the severity of Jacob Eason, but Fromm’s play has made for a big decision on who should be the starting quarterback going forward.

Notes: WR Javon Wims 3 Rec, 81 yards, 1 TD

           TE Issac Nauta 2 REC, 24 yards

Braves lose to Cubs again.

The Braves found themselves on the wrong side of a slugfest Saturday in Chicago falling 14-12 to the 2016 defending World Series Champions. A great day for the offense was belittled by a horrendous day for the pitching staff. Lucas Sims falls to 2-5 with a 5.73 ERA after giving up 7 ER in 3 IP, including a Grand Slam to Javy Baez. The bullpen did not give the lineup any help by giving up 7 ER in 5 IP. The takeaways from the game are the continued development of Ozzie Albies and Dansby Swanson. Albies and Swanson both had 3 hits a piece and gives Braves fans a glimpse to the possible production of the middle infield for years to come. Rookie 3B Rio Ruiz also joined in on the fun with his 3rd professional home run off of Jon Lester and 19th home run overall on the season. The Braves look to avoid the sweep in a 2:20 start Sunday afternoon with Max Fried getting his first big league start.

Other Notes from 9/2

• Falcons make the necessary cuts and get down to their 53 man roster. With the official announcement from the Falcons here
• Notable from that announcement is Ra’Shede Hageman has been placed on the Commissioner’s Exempt List stemming from a March 2016 domestic violence arrest.
• Dennis Schroder continues to have a good international tournament pumping out 23pts, 3reb and 2stl. Marco Belinelli also had a good game scoring 26pts including six 3’s.
• Per David O’Brien of the AJC, expect Braves to call up LH pitching prospect Luis Gohara Tuesday to fill the remaining spot of the 40 man roster.
• Braves 1B Freddie Freeman said after game on Saturday that his wrist has been bothering him and it feels like at the plate he’s swinging a “wet newspaper”

Looking Ahead

The Braves look to avoid the sweep in a 2:20 start Sunday afternoon with Max Fried getting his first big league start.

Dennis Schroder’s Germany squad takes on Israel at 2:30et.
Marco Belinelli’s Italy team meets Lithuania at 11:30

Should Fromm Remain the Starting QB for Georgia?

Photo Cred Dawgnation.com

By: Donny Karr (@1788Sports, @donnykarr)

After a convincing 31-10 Georgia victory, one glaring question remains for the Dawgs coaching staff: Should freshman quarterback Jake Fromm remain in the driver’s seat for the Bulldogs offense?

Sophomore signal caller Jacob Eason went down very early in the game with a knee injury, and did not return. Kirby Smart described the injury at halftime as “a little bit of a knee sprain.”

We still don’t know the extent of Eason’s injury, and certainly hope he will be healthy after an abysmal showing by third-string QB Brice Ramsey who threw a pair of interceptions late in the game.

Fromm ended the game with 10 completions on 15 attempts and one touchdown. While the numbers from his performance are not overly impressive, Fromm’s poise raised eyebrows in Athens.

The Georgia offense was very different with Fromm. Eason showed the same inconsistencies that often plagued the quarterback last year: inaccurate throws, poor decision making, and an overall lack of poise and leadership of his offense.

Fromm, on the other hand, looked right at home in the pocket for the Dawgs. He led receivers and made accurate throws, didn’t seem overly nervous, and wasn’t afraid to take control of the offensive unit. The offense seemed to operate more efficiently with Fromm.

A running game that was stuffed for the first few series with Eason in command quickly came alive after Fromm entered the game. The Bulldogs’ overall offensive tempo was more controlling as well, leaving Mountaineer defenders guessing between Fromm throwing strikes and a Chubb-Michel combo pounding the ball up the middle and off tackle.

At the very least, Georgia fans should be happy that their team has a bright future should Eason resume responsibilities under center.

In other news on the Dawgs offense, there’s a storm brewing in Athens. Teammates have dubbed Chubb and Michel with the title of “Thunder and Lightning” respectively.

Michel chewed up yards by outrunning a speedy Mountaineer defense, clearly living up to “Lightning” namesake. He ended the game with 87 yards on 16 carries with 1 score.

Chubb also smashed through the Appalachian State front on multiple occasions to provide the “Thunder.” The senior star running back almost broke the 100 yard mark, rushing for 96 yards on 15 carries and 2 touchdowns.

Georgia’s stingy defense made some crucial 3rd down stops, helping to disrupt App State’s rhythm and kill scoring drives. The Mountaineers 10 points came late in the game against some of the Dawgs backup defenders.

Georgia has a much tougher test next week in a road game against Notre Dame.

Stay tuned to 1788 Sports for more updates on Georgia Bulldogs Football and what to expect in the Dawgs’ matchup against the Fighting Irish.

The Morning After 9/2/17

Braves Blanked, Birds Bolstered.

Photo cred: Atlanta Falcons Twitter

Braves Blanked

Cubies blanked the Braves in the second game of the series. Despite a strong outing by Mike Foltynewicz, 6.1 ip, 2 K’s & 2 ER’s, the Braves couldn’t muster any run support for him. Jon Lackey threw 7 innings of shutout ball which was finished off by a trio of relievers including Wade Davis who picked up his 28th save.

Birds Bolstered

The Atlanta Falcons have added some quality depth on the offensive line. The Falcons dealt a 2018 5th Rd pick to the Broncos for tackle Ty Sambrailo. Ty, who’s in his 3rd season out of Colorado State, was ranked the best LT in the NFL for pre-season weeks 1 and 3 by Pro Football Focus. This move adds depth to an OL that needed at least one more player to ease the coaching staff’s minds.

US in Danger of Missing World Cup

USA’s dismal effort against Costa Rica has put them in danger of missing the World Cup. Friday night’s game in New York saw the US lose 2-0 in a game that could end up being one that slipped away. USA is now only a point clear of 4th place, which is a playoff spot. With only 3 games left in qualifying, we can’t afford another slip up.

Other notes from 9/1

• Max Fried named likely starter for Sunday's game @ the Cubs.
• The Braves have reinstated relievers Luke Jackson and Ian Krol from the 10-day DL.
• UGA’s John Isner loses in straight sets to Mischa Zverev in US Open
• Falcons cut roster to 73, 20 more to go by Saturday at 4pm

Looking Ahead

UGA looks to make a statement win against App State, at 6:15pm, as the march towards an SEC championship starts. Our Donny Karr gave us 5 keys to victory for tomorrow’s game here

Braves look to bounce back against the Cubs at 2:20pm after inept start.

Falcons to announce full 53 man roster. 4pm

5 Keys to a Georgia Victory Over App State

Photo Credit Georgia.247sports.com

By: Donny Karr (@1788sports, @donnykarr)

Georgia fans nervously await the opening game of the 2017 season against last year’s Sun Belt Conference Co-Champs, the Appalachian State Mountaineers. Will Dawg fans see the same characteristics that have tormented the program in recent years, or will Kirby Smart introduce a new-and-improved Georgia Bulldog unit?

There has been lots of focus on Appalachian State’s near-upset of Tennessee in last year’s opener, but let’s be clear, this is not the same matchup.

The No. 15 ranked Dawgs kick off their season at 6:15 p.m. on Saturday between the hedges, but first, let’s look at 5 keys to a Georgia victory over App State.

1. Offensive Production

They say defense wins championships, but Georgia will need to perform better offensively than it did in a dismal 2016 season to beat the Mountaineers.

According to Vegas betting odds, the Bulldogs are favored to win by 14.5 points. If that proves to be the case, it will be the first time Georgia has beat an opponent by more than 14 points since November 7, 2015.

The Dawgs averaged 39 points during the 2013 and 2014 seasons and many fans still called for the head of then Offensive Coordinator Mike Bobo. Since that time, Georgia has struggled in offensive production, and some in Dawg nation are regretting the amount of criticism hurled at Bobo.

Georgia’s offense has a prime opportunity to change the recent trend and light up the scoreboard in 2017. Jacob Eason returns for his second season with more knowledge of the Bulldog’s offensive system. The Dawgs have what is billed as the best running back duo in college football in senior running backs Nick Chubb and Sony Michel.

If Georgia’s front can open some holes for its backs, and if Eason can connect with his receivers, Georgia might be able to cover that 14.5 point-spread after all. If not, Offensive Coordinator Jim Chaney may need to start touching up his resume.

2. Improved RedZone Defense

Georgia all but let opponents walk into the endzone from 20 yards out last year, ranking 103rd nationally in redzone defense.

The Dawgs will need to contain Mountaineer running back and 2016 Sun Belt Conference Offensive Player of the Year Jalin Moore. Smart expects big things out of Georgia’s front 7, and Appalachian State’s ground attack will be an early test for the Dawgs.

3. The Return of Nick Chubb…For Real This Time.

After rebounding from a gruesome knee injury in 2015, Nick Chubb wasn’t quite the same in 2016. Doctors said he would need more than a year to fully recover from the incident, and Kirby Smart says he is starting to see the old Chubb—the one who pulverized would-be tacklers, and cut through defenses like a hot knife through butter.

Smart recently told reporters that Chubb looks to be fully healed from his injury and ready to lead a much-improved rushing attack for the Dawgs. With more than enough backs to help carry the load, Chubb should have opportunities to rest throughout the game.

The Bulldogs’ star running back claimed he returned for his senior year because he had unfinished business. Let’s hope his business in running over defenses…and that business is good.

4. Dominate the Line of Scrimmage

Georgia couldn’t muster an effective blocking performance in 2016. Kirby Smart’s blockers were young and under a new coaching staff. This year, the Dawgs should show a big improvement—literally.

The Bulldogs have some massive linemen on the roster, but their size needs to equal their effectiveness this season. App State’s defensive front is small, but it is scrappy.

Averaging just over 250 pounds apiece, the Mountaineer defenseive line managed to stifle Tennessee’s rushing efforts in 2016.

Smart recently praised senior tackle Isaiah Wynn for emerging as a leader among an improved blocking unit.

“I’m pleased with Isaiah’s leadership,” said Smart. “He’s the one guy who’s not afraid to be in command. He has been a great leader and we expect him to play that way.”

For the Dawgs to pull out a convincing win, they will need to bulldoze the Mountaineer defenders and allow Chubb and company to gash them for big plays early and often.

5. A New Bulldogs Culture

Much can be said of Mark Richt as a coach, and as a leader. He is an outstanding role model who sought to instill wholesome, Christian values in his players. Richt was ousted because he made it a habit of falling short—especially to inferior talent.

Georgia fans should be very concerned that their team could still be stuck in the rut of underachieving and playing down to inferior talent. For the past decade, Georgia has been notorious for minimizing top talent, and maximizing mistakes.

No matter what transpired during the game, Mark Richt stood with the same nonchalant expression on his face, arms often crossed as if he cared nothing about winning or losing.

Smart comes from a Saban coaching culture that has zero tolerance for mistakes. One miniscule mistake—even when his opponent is being steamrolled—would send Saban into a cataclysmic meltdown.

A college coach’s influence has a huge impact on how his players perform. If Georgia is going to be victorious against Appalachian State, it must not fall victim to the program’s old ways. The Dawgs have to get ahead early, and continue to build its lead as the game progresses.

Final Prediction

Although Georgia looks great on paper against a seemingly inferior opponent, this game will be much closer than fans might think.

Georgia 24

App State 14

The game will be televised on ESPN.  

Catch the matchup on local radio station in Macon -- 106.3 FM; Columbus -- 1460 AM/100.1 FM; Athens -- 960 AM/106.1 FM; Atlanta -- 750 AM/95.5 FM.

Sirius XM 134/192

Weather: Sunny with temperatures in the mid-eighties during the day, falling into the upper sixties after sunset.

The First Ever "The Morning After"

Photo Cred: Atlanta Braves Twitter

By: Billy Lindahl (@1788sports, @billylindahl)

Welcome friends to the first ever “The Morning After”. From now on we will be bringing you this article daily, letting you know what happened the previous night and let you know what to look forward to for the night ahead. So let's begin with last night.

Falcons Lose Preseason Finale

The Falcons lose their preseason finale and fall to 0-4 in the preseason losing to Jacksonville 13-7. On a night where most of the key players didn't play, sloppiness ensued. Tons of penalties from a bunch of relatively inexperienced players who ultimately are fighting for a job with cuts being made Saturday at 4pm. Jacksonville seemed to be doing a lot right on offense, but 3 1st-half interceptions held them from putting up more points on the board.

Bottom line from this game guys: Falcons enter the regular season HEALTHY. They set their sights on Chicago on Sept. 10th. We’ll have you covered on all the Falcons roster cuts, and season preview in the next few days.

Braves lose series opener in Chicago

Braves began a 4-game series in Chicago Thursday night with a loss 6-2. Sean Newcomb had a bit of a shaky start giving up 2 runs in the first but calmed down and only gave up a run in the remaining 4 innings. He gave it up to the bullpen who gave up another 3 more runs. An Albies RBI single and a Lane Adams PH homerun is the only offense the Braves can muster.

Brandon Phillips Traded to Angels

Prior to Thursday night’s first pitch, the rumors began to swirl as Brandon Phillips was scratched from the lineup. Multiple sources finally confirmed that the Braves were speaking to the Angels. After the game Braves GM John Coppolella let us in on what went down. “The Angels called us today about Brandon. We didn't call them. We felt obligated to share this with Brandon because it means a chance to go to the playoffs and a trade assignment bonus.  Brandon did a tremendous job for us." He was also quoted as saying the Braves will strongly consider re-signing Brandon this off-season. Braves received minor league C Tony Sanchez in the trade with the Halos.  The Braves will likely use Rio Ruiz and Johan Camargo at 3B the remainder of the year.

As Braves fans here at the site, I think I speak for everyone when I say: THANK YOU DATDUDEBP! You were an incredible Brave!

Other Notes from 8/31

• Hawks G Dennis Schroder leads Germany over Ukraine in a big way. Scoring 32 pts, 7ast, 5reb.
• Kent Bazemore receives Phoenix Award from the Mayor for his work in community service.
• Josef Martinez played with Venezuela in World Cup qualifying action. He played well, hitting the post at one point.

Looking Ahead

• Braves continue 4-game series with Cubs. Mike Foltynewicz on the mound for the good guys, John Lackey will toe the rubber for the Cubs.