Is Kirby Smart the right coach for this National Championship game? – BY JOHN PETRINI

The National Championship game is finally here, and Kirby Smart will have to prove that he’s the man for the job. The last two times Georgia has played in this game they’ve lost, but can Coach Smart turn things around?

FILE – Georgia head coach Kirby Smart reacts during the second half of the Orange Bowl NCAA College Football Playoff semifinal game against Michigan, Friday, Dec. 31, 2021, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

When Georgia plays Alabama on tonight, it’s going to be a tough game. The quarterback question (and there is no question at this point) aside, Georgia has the defense and running-backs needed for this kind of game, although they were truly tested in the SEC Championship Game, and ultimately lost. For Georgia to win it’s first National Championship in 41 years, Kirby will need to prove that he can outsmart Nick Saban. It’ll all come down to how Kirby Smart coaches.

So, does Kirby Smart have what it takes to finally bring home the National Championship? We’ll just have to wait and see. In the meantime, be sure to tune in all day for wall to wall coverage, leading up to the game at 8pm on 680 The Fan. #TeamKirbySmart #GoDawgs #DawgsOnTop #NationalChampionship

The Braves celebrate the 50th anniversary of Hank Aaron’s record-breaking 715th home run

Score this limited-edition Hank Aaron Bobblehead commemorating Hank’s 715th home run!

ATLANTA – April 8, 2024 marks 50 years since Henry Louis Aaron hit his 715th historic, record-breaking home run. On April 8th the Braves will celebrate the 50th anniversary of Hank Aaron’s 715th home run with a special night honoring not only one of the most iconic moments in Braves history but in all of baseball!

Make sure to arrive early for the following activations throughout the evening:

  • Exclusive access to view the bat and ball from Hank’s 715th home run in Monument Garden
  • See his Baseball Hall of Fame plaque that will be here from Cooperstown for the special night
  • Pregame ceremony on the field featuring Hank’s family, baseball luminaries and Atlanta civil rights icons
  • The first 15,000 fans through the gates will get to commemorate the night with a Hank Aaron Bobblehead Giveaway, together with Truist.
  • Every fan in attendance will receive a commemorative poster as they leave the ballpark

Kirby Smart on Trevor Etienne, Recruiting Strategies, and the New Additions to His Coaching Staff


Florida running back Trevor Etienne (7) looks for running room against Georgia during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Oct. 28, 2023, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)

TREVOR ETIENNE SITUATION: 
Sometimes kids don’t make the best decisions. The older you get, sometimes the tougher the consequences are for your mistakes. He’s not gonna let this mistake define him. He’s embarrassed. He’s upset, he’s know he’s made a mistake. It’s a teaching moment and we hope he gets better from it. You know, in addition to our university discipline process, we’ve got all the stuff we deal with inside house. And he’ll, you know, be with those same details. He’ll be under the same rules that we have in house as well as the university discipline. So disappointed in his decision making, but he is a good kid.

KIRBY’S RECRUITING STRATEGY:
Me personally, I just got one of the toughest Rd. schedules in the country. I’d like to see it flipped where I got the opportunity for our fan base to have probably the best home schedule ever in Georgia history. You start changing this…the model. I don’t get the flip of the model. They presented us multitude of opportunities. The most continuity is in doing this for two. Let’s see what it’s like. Let’s see how things play out. Let’s see what the CFP becomes, how many teams are going to be in the playoffs. Does that designate us to go to 9? Does television have something to do with that? There’s a lot of unanswered questions.

RECRUITING PLAYERS WHO HAVE COMMITTED ELSEWHERE:
As far as KJ’s recruitment. I don’t see kids as committed to other places. I mean, they’re not, they’re not signed. We recruit good football players, we evaluate every player the same whether they’re committed or not. If there’s interest from them and there’s conversation from them and there’s visits or they come to your campus, then you just be very consistent. And we were very consistent with KJ the…the recruitment never stopped. And I told him that from the day he committed to the day that he came to us, we were not going to stop recruiting because. We think he’s a great kid from a great family and are really, really good football player.

NEW COACHES TAVARIS ROBINSON AND DONTE WILLIAMS:
They both had great energy. They got great relationships with their players. They’re really good recruiters, but they’re passionate and they have good energy on the field. Everything that we heard about them and the things we wanted them to come into our program for, they’re here for and I’m really proud of of both those guys and how they’ve transitioned thus far.

PLAYERS AND NIL:
About the NIL, you know we’ve done studies and look, we have more kids with vehicles now than we probably ever have. I can’t really say to, you know, the style of vehicles you could probably make an easy assumption that with more money they have an opportunity to have nicer cars, but just the number of players with vehicles is higher, but that’s not any excuse for the ability to speed. Just means we have more opportunities to have traffic citations, which we don’t want.

HOW TO HANDLE OFF FIELD EVENTS: As everybody in the country shares ideas. We talked about it at SC meetings. We talk about it all the time across the country. When I meet with other staff, you know, what do you do in special teams? What do you do in offense and defense? What do you do? What do you do off the field? I think that’s one of the areas that we’ve really tried to target. I think we do it better than anybody in the country. I can only speak for my university.

ADOPTING XFL KICKOFF RULES:
We meet with the NFL personnel. It was around 80% of their kickoffs were touch backs and a lot of the NFL, people and personnel felt that special teams were becoming irrelevant in their game. Because the punters are elite hang time and distance, kickers are elite kicking off. If that’s not part of the game, then why are we doing it? OK and how do we do it? Make it part of the game, but yet also make it safer. It’s slowly getting taken out of our game. If you want to develop your roster, you need to have special teams to develop it. We feel the same way I developed my roster through special teams. The guys last year that started on all the units, we’ll probably start at a position this year. So you need those plays to be part of it, but you need them to be safe.

Atlanta Braves Unveil New Seating Offering, Lexus Premium Boxes, to Open for the 2024 Season

PHOTO: Atlanta Braves

Lexus named Official Luxury Vehicle of the Atlanta Braves, with naming rights to the new Lexus Premium Boxes and Terrace (200) Level

ATLANTA (March 25, 2024) – Today, the Atlanta Braves unveiled the Lexus Premium Boxes, a new seating offering that will be available for the 2024 season. The Lexus Premium Box is a first-class season lease and hospitality concept that will offer unparalleled amenities for groups of 8 to 14 guests. The new spaces are part of the previously announced multiphase Truist Park renovations by the Braves and represent a multimillion-dollar investment.

The naming rights to the new Lexus Premium Boxes as well as the Lexus Level, previously known as the Terrace (200) Level, are part of a new partnership, in which Lexus has been named the Official Luxury Vehicle of the Atlanta Braves.

“We have seen incredible demand for season leases and daily rentals of well-appointed, comfortable spaces for groups to enjoy games and events at Truist Park,” said Jim Allen, Senior Vice President of Corporate and Premium Partnerships, Atlanta Braves. “All premium spaces inside the ballpark sold out during the 2023 Braves season. The new Lexus Premium Boxes will help meet this demand while providing a one-of-a-kind experience for partners and groups.”

“Lexus is thrilled to be the Official Luxury Vehicle of the Atlanta Braves,” said Sam Wintermyer, general manager, Lexus Southern Area. “The Braves have been a pillar in the community for decades, and we continually strive to align our brand with partners that share our values of creating memorable experiences.”

The Braves will open 19 Lexus Premium Boxes, located in sections 214, 216, 217, 235, 237, 239, 240, 241 and 242. Each Lexus Premium Box will feature complimentary premium parking, a private entrance, luxuriously flexible seating options including contemporary cushioned seats and high-top seating with moveable bar stools, and unlimited access to the Xfinity Club. Guests will have the opportunity to select exclusive menu and beverage packages to be delivered to their Lexus Premium Box throughout the game, adding to the one-of-a-kind experience.

Season leases for the Lexus Premium Boxes are sold out. There is limited availability for daily rentals. To secure a daily rental, call 404-577-9100 opt. 3, visit braves.com/groups or email [email protected].

Lexus Premium Boxes were developed in partnership with ROSSETTI, with Impact Development Management as an advisor on the project.

Renderings of the Lexus Premium Boxes, courtesy of Atlanta Braves, are available HERE.

Atlanta Braves to Stop in Macon as Part of Their Braves Country Road Trip on Saturday, March 23

ATLANTA – The Atlanta Braves are taking the Truist Park experience on the road with the Braves Country Road Trip this spring and summer. The Braves Country Road Trip will travel through Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, South Carolina, and North Carolina from March to September.

Fans can step into a replica of Truist Park and pose for their very own customizable baseball card! Fans will receive a printout of their card on-site and will receive it digitally to share with family and friends. Fans can also enjoy some exciting free giveaways like hats, stickers and koozies to rep the Braves all season long!

The Braves will start the trip on March 23 with a visit to the International Cherry Blossom Festival in Macon, GA. 

WHERE: International Cherry Blossom Festival – 794 Cherry Street, Macon, GA 31201
DIRECTIONS
WHEN: Saturday, March 23, 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.

Marcus Wiedower, Georgia House Representative from District 119, discusses the benefits of bringing sports betting to Georgia

GA House Rep. District 119

ATLANTA – Marcus Wiedower, Georgia House of Representative District 119, joined Cellini & Dimino to discuss the latest on bringing sports betting to Georgia. It starts with passing bill SB 386 through the Senate with bipartisan support, determining the amount of revenue Georgia could make or lose, how it affects the HOPE Scholarship, how you can help and MORE!

The Business of Sports Minute is presented by Southern Company

Kirby Smart Reports on the Progress of the Bulldogs this Spring

FILE – Georgia head coach Kirby Smart reacts during the second half of the Orange Bowl NCAA College Football Playoff semifinal game against Michigan, Friday, Dec. 31, 2021, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

EARLY IMPRESSIONS: 
Young, I mean, that’s the first impression is a lot of youth there. Raylan and CJ are way ahead in terms of play time. This this is their second spring with the guys behind them are even younger than them. The guy that’s had a good spring so far has been Bowls. He’s done a good job. He’s picking things up. He’s going to help with special teams wise. He’s learning the defense. And then the other three guys that are here mid-year. Providing good depth and…and they’re learning.  
 
TREVOR ETIENNE AT UGA: 
I think running back is one of the positions that you can pick up really quick. You know there’s some similarities between our offense and there’s a lot of the same runs. A lot of the same words, in some cases. He’s not struggled to transition that part. I think getting comfortable in the offense, there’s nuances. I’ve met with him about it, differences in the way we do things, and they did things offensively that he’s picking up on. He’s very bright not going to be a problem for. For him, there’s been some, you know, mistakes and things, but nothing that can’t be corrected. 

Oscar Delp celebrates scoring a touchdown. (PHOTO: AP Sports)

OSCAR DELP LEADS IN TIGHT END ROOM: 
Oscar’s really physical. You know, he does things his way. He’s…he’s not Brock. He doesn’t try to be Brock. He’s a quiet leader, similar to Brock, but he’s really physical. He’s tough. He knows the work ethic it requires, I mean the guys taking a lot of reps since being here, he’s been durable, he’s doing a good job leading in that room as well as Lucky, he is and…and the two young kids. 
 
WHAT “GET BETTER” MEANS THIS SPRING: 
Just being detailed in what we’re attacking each day don’t go out there without a purpose. I try to have the coaches each day go in and give, you know, a few points of emphasis because if we’re not careful, right now there’s so many things to correct, that you can’t see the forest for the trees and it can be overwhelming to a young player. So we…we try to narrow their focus on small things and you know we got 15 opportunities to get better and so far we’ve done that in the…the first three and I have full expectation that they’ll come out there today with the intentions of…of growing and getting better.  

FILE – Georgia quarterback Carson Beck (15) warms up before an NCAA college football game against Tennessee Martin Saturday, Sept. 2, 2023, in Athens, Ga. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)


THE BIGGEST CHANGE FOR CARSON BECK: 
I think one of the big challenges for him is being comfortable and trusting the receivers around him. He’s had the fortune and misfortune of Brock and Lad and Marcus Roseme being in the lineup. And you ask any good quarterback they like, wide receivers. They trust, they know. They have intuitive ability to think the same way and. There’s a lot of change in that room right now, showing confidence in himself and showing confidence in those players to do their job and trust them. It’s a big part of it. That trust is not given, it’s earned and they’re earning his trust and it’s…it goes both ways.  
 
ON COACHES CURRENTLY UNHAPPY WITH CFB: 
I think the leaders are going to do a great job positioning us for the future in terms of what they do, the choice of each college coach is obviously up to the college coaches, I mean, there’s certainly higher stakes and higher pay than there’s ever been for college coaches across the board. There’s, you know, the guys making money and making livings that coordinators can retire now they don’t have to go get a head job. You look back even 10 years ago, how much has changed for coaches? There’s no crying out there from my end. I don’t have a lot of coaches complaining saying they want to get out of the profession. They enjoy the profession, they want the profession to be about relationships, developing talent and rewarding positive performance both on and off the field. 
 
CURRENT SYSTEM UNFAIR TO UPPER CLASSMEN: 
I want what’s best for the student athlete. Sometimes I question the system we have now, if it’s best for the student athlete, it’s not necessarily best for the sophomore, junior and senior and maybe best for the freshman. I would love to see a little more fair system for the players in terms of within the players, not necessarily. Where it’s a reverse system of the younger players sometimes get more than the older players.  
 
GET EXCITED FOR JARED WILSON: 
I’m excited for the rest of the world to get to see Jared Wilson. This is the guy that’s number one, I don’t put a lot of high expectations on people and and anoint people. He has a lot to do to be the best player he can be, but when you talk about athleticism at the center position, this guy runs faster than a lot of our defensive backs. Believe it or not, our tight ends, our quarterbacks, I mean his, his numbers, extremely athletic over 300 lbs can get to the second level as quick as anybody, just really athletic. He’s had the great fortune of learning fromCed, unfortunately, that’s not a position that you rotated at a time, so he didn’t get a lot of opportunities to go and play like maybe a a Mims or a DylanFairchild. They got to go in the game and play. He didn’t get an opportunity to do a lot of those things, but he is a really, really good athlete, an even better person. He’s got a younger brother, that’s it’s gonna be a really talented football player as well. And we just enjoyed his leadership and I’m looking forward to, you know, the center being the leader of the group. Like Ced was he’s taking on a new role and kind of doing it his way. 

Atlanta Braves Unveil Taste of Truist Park & The Battery Atlanta Food Tour

ATLANTA (March 19, 2024) – Today, the Atlanta Braves unveiled the Taste of Truist Park & The Battery Atlanta food tours, a guided ballpark and culinary tour for baseball enthusiasts and food lovers.

The tour will lead off with a Terrapin beer and a soft pretzel in the Truist Park Press Box. This will be followed by a trip to the Braves dugout to sample Fox Bros. Bar-B-Q. Continuing into The Battery Atlanta, the tour will feature stops at ASW Distillery, Mac McGee’s Irish Pub, and El Super Pan, ending with a classic Southern treat at River Street Sweets.

Throughout the tour, guests will have the opportunity to learn intriguing food facts about the Braves, Truist Park, and The Battery Atlanta. Each venue’s restaurant team will provide insights into the tour’s menu items, offering a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the unique offerings.

Taste of Truist Park & The Battery Atlanta tours will be offered on Thursdays when the Atlanta Braves are on the road, beginning April 18 at 12:30 p.m. Each tour will last approximately two hours.

Tasting Menu Includes:

Truist Park –

  • Los Bravos Mexican-Style Lager
  • Soft Pretzel with Terrapin Taproom Beer Cheese
  • Fox Bros. Pulled Pork Bar-B-Q

ASW –

  • Pineapple Express
  • Old Fashioned Fiddler

Mac McGee –

  • Fish & Chips
  • Super Mac Sliders
  • Bangers and Mash
  • Wings

El Super Pan –

  • Mofongo Sampler

River Street Sweets –

  • World Famous Pralines

To purchase tickets and for the full tour schedule, please visit www.braves.com/foodtour.

Former Falcons / Texans QB Matt Schaub on the Falcons Offense in 2024

FILE – Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Schaub (8) warms up before the first half of an NFL football game against the New Orleans Saints, Sunday, Dec. 6, 2020, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

The Atlanta Falcons are in for some changes this year on the offensive side of the ball. Besides their new QB Kirk Cousins, Schaub is also expecting big things from WR Drake London and an offense that looks as if it was schemed by Kyle Shannahan.


Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Drake London (5) during the first quarter of an NFL football game against the New York Jets, Sunday, Dec. 3, 2023, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

DRAKE LONDON CAN BE TOP 10: 
Any player you want to look at over the course of history, anyone that wants to talk about him, you’re gonna automatically cause it’s clickbait. Everyone wants to find something that you can’t do and tell you something you’re limited at or what you’re not capable of doing. All I know is from what I’ve seen from Drake London, he can be a top 10 receiver in this league, no doubt about it. Because he has a work ethic, the demeanor, he’s team first he’s willing to do whatever it takes. And when you give him a chance, he makes the play. And you find yourself in a position where you give him more chances. He’s going to make more plays and I just think he the…the sky is the limit for him. He runs good routes for a big target. I’ve been around plenty of bigger guys that if you can come in and out of cuts and you can create separation and you have the catch radius that he has, you know, there’s no reason to not see 1400, 1500 yards out of him and you know, double digit touchdowns year in, year out, the guy is super special that that it just doesn’t hasn’t come out on a consistent basis just with the way the team was built and how things were organized and run offensive. 

But you know, there’s no reason why he can’t be that. I mean, speed. Is that great when you see someone in Jim shorts and a and a t-shirt run a four-three. Yeah, it’s great. But how does that translate on the football field? That’s the big thing and… and Drake has plenty of speed when it comes to, you know, between the white lines.
 

ON PLAYING FOOTBALL FOR KYLE SHANAHAN: 
Stressful, you know, it…it was great because you knew he was doing the work to put you in a position to be successful. He was doing the extra time. he was spending long hours. he was watching every cut up from every game the opposing team had played, so he knows the ins and outs and he knows why it’s going to be successful and he sold you on why this place like this is the play and this is why it’s going to work because they do these two things 80% of the time and if we get one of those two, this is where the ball is going. 

We need you receiver to be in this spot or this is how we’re going to block it up front and then it hits for a big gain. Right? So he’s proven himself that way. Now. Why I say it’s stressful is because sometimes those play calls were about 37 words long, and they might have three options on them. So you get to the line of scrimmage with one play. You can go to two different plays based on what the rotation of the safeties or a blitz look or whatever the case may be. 

Now, It’s going to work because you’re going to put yourself in an advantageous situation, but just the gymnastics of having to call the play in the huddle can be a little cumbersome at times. But I mean, at the end of the day, it was great to play for him because you knew that you could trust that he wasn’t just throwing things against the wall and hope it stuck to the play. Well, he was doing the work and there was a reason plays were in the plan. 

KIRK COUSINS RUNNING A KYLE SHANNAHAN STYLE OFFENSE: 
I think they’re gonna. There’s only so many ways you can draw lines on paper, right? And there’s the things are gonna look similar, right? It’s you’re gonna see bootlegs. You’re gonna see play action. You’re gonna see explosives off of that. You’re gonna see a run game. Like a zone run scheme. Similar to the what, you know, Kyle called and similar. LA Ran that too, probably with a little bit of the gaps games and pulling lineman, but that’s the way the offensive line currently is built right now in in Atlantia for the zone scheme, so I don’t see it deviating too much from that, but you’re going to see some big plays from the, the the play action in the boots and things like that getting Kirk out in space and good protection and let the receivers get downfield. And if they’re not open, guess what? You’re dumping it down to Tyler. You’re dumping down to Kyle or you’re dumping it to Bichon and let them go to work underneath to create an explosive gain from a three-yard pass. 
 
And I think it’s going to be fun to watch. You stay on schedule and then you convert in the red zone. I think it’s going to be good, I think. Yeah. Zach’s first time calling plays, but he’s been around the game. He played the position and so he knows how a quarterback thinks and and understands what’s important when you’re going through the week. 

And Raheem, you know I’m excited for him to get another opportunity as a head coach. It’s been a long time coming and you know he deserves it. Rightfully so. And he’s learned a ton, you know, from the time he was a head coach in Tampa to getting this opportunity, you know, he’s been on offense, he’s been on defense. He’s been a D coordinator. He’s been at wide receiver. 

He’s been an assistant head coach, so he has learned so much this in my conversations with him being prepared for this opportunity. 

Southern Company Business of Sports: First Horizon Bank Baseball & Softball Equipment Drive with Commercial Relationship Manager Thomas Hamlin

We really value our partnership with 680 The Fan and you know our partnership through collecting used baseball equipment really, really aligns with our partnership with the communities that we serve and really wanting to give back. So we’re very excited to be able to partake in this. Actually, this to be our second year participating in this program, so we appreciate the partnership we have with 680! 

First Horizon Bank’s Commercial Relationship Manager Thomas Hamlin

ATLANTA – As we head into baseball season, First Horizon Bank and 680 The Fan are teaming up with Double Play Atlanta, an organization that helps get baseball and softball equipment in the hands of kids that need it! Today, First Horizon Bank’s Commercial Relationship Manager Thomas Hamlin discusses the drive and the importance of getting these kids active through playing baseball and softball.

First Horizon Bank and 680 The Fan will be appearing at various youth sports facilities throughout the Atlanta Metro Area gathering your donations of new and gently used equipment. Please help if you are able by visiting one of our collection locations this baseball season. CLICK HERE for the complete list of collection times and dates.

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