Hey, folks.
You heard the headline.
Suit up.
YOU’RE IN CHARGE NOW
Credit: Hilary Scheinuk/The Advocate via
Credit: Hilary Scheinuk/The Advocate via
The SEC, Big Ten and Sun Belt all adopted new rules banning woulda-been pro football players from returning to play in their conferences. The ACC, Big 12 and others should follow suit shortly.
Recent history shows us, of course, that this will all play out perfectly from here: clear, universal guidelines established. Immediate acceptance. No odd detours or litigation required.
So I say why stop?
Many other things also deserve the conference-level kibosh. Things like these.
Noon kickoffs: The Big Ten can have its big games at lunchtime, but does that mean the rest of us have to witness Georgia-Western Kentucky at 12:45 p.m.? No! Move those sleepy sons-a-guns to 9 a.m. so we can watch in our jammies and get on with our lives.
15-yard pass interference: Spot. Of. The. Foul.
Visors: Can’t afford a hat without a hole in it, coach?
Boring sponsors: Jersey patches and on-field logos are A-OK. But we gotta dream bigger than banks and insurance companies (you could stand to dream a little smaller, Big 12).
- I wrote this item, and a couple hours later Georgia Tech AD Ryan Alpert made a semiserious(?) pitch for a NASA patch on Jacket jerseys. Which would be totally sick, as people who say “as the kids say” probably say.
Lane Kiffin: Just spitballing.
Political ads: If my precious beer and gambling commercials are interrupted by Rick Jackson saying “worthless little bastard” one more time …
In-stadium alcohol sales: Kidding.
Chest passes: The Dr Pepper Challenge (you know: get the football in the big soda can, win some tuition cash) is an American institution. Unfortunately, it’s been jeopardized by a lack of oversight and shameless participants’ willingness to exploit gray areas and loopholes to gain a competitive edge.
Sound familiar?
📬 Please submit your own proposals for sweeping changes to collegiate athletics. And then check out why coach Kirby Smart wasn’t feeling the NFL thing anyway.
POLL: DO YOU TRUST BRYCE ELDER?
Credit: AP Photo/Erik S. Lesser
Credit: AP Photo/Erik S. Lesser
For nearly five full years now, Braves fans have wrestled with a bearded man from Texas.
Metaphorically.
His name’s Bryce Elder, and no one can seem to decide: Is he an above-average major league starter worthy of our adoration … or the worst thing Alex Anthopoulos has ever inflicted upon Atlanta?
- The correct answer to the second part is actually Ha-Seong Kim, a signing I personally advocated for. But I digress.
The debate’s understandable. Elder doesn’t throw hard (average fastball velocity: 91.7 mph) and isn’t a strikeout guy. He relies on missing batters’ barrels, not their bats … and when things get sideways, they really get sideways.
His only career playoff start, in 2023, lasted 2⅔ innings and yielded six Phillies runs.
Counterpoint: Elder sported a 2.66 ERA before a really rough run at the end of June (three starts, 19 earned runs). Since then? One truly bad start, six pretty good ones.
He held the Dodgers’ MVP triumvirate — Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman and Shohei Ohtani — hitless on Tuesday.
“It feels good,” Elder said afterward. “Like I said the other day right after the deadline, we’re in no control of (trades). We had plans to do what we’re doing, regardless of who we picked up or who we got rid of, whatever it may be.”
That quote’s from Ken Sugiura’s latest column. You should read it.
In the meantime, tell me:
As a general practice, do you trust Bryce Elder?
A. Absolutely.
B. Mostly.
C. I wish I didn’t have to?
D. Not really.
E. My stomach hurts.
✅ You know the drill: Vote via fancy form or shoot me an email.
THINGS I WOULD’VE WRITTEN MORE ABOUT …
… if I had more time and space and this back-to-school bug I picked up from my kids wasn’t limiting my brain’s oxygen supply.
⚡ Your official AJC primer for the Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club. TV coverage starts at 1 p.m. Thursday.
⚡ Former Georgia Tech receiver Isiah Canion, on transferring to UGA: “Everybody from Georgia watches Georgia football. So I grew up watching it. My family are Georgia fans.”
⚡ A list of Georgia counties with the most 3-, 4- or 5-star football recruits, per capita, since 2001. It’s the “per capita” that makes it fun.
⚡ Breel Embolo, Atlanta United’s new $18 million striker, met the press … and seems genuinely excited to be here?
⚡ Following Monday’s discussion of the “Honey Hammer,” reader Mike from Maryville, Tennessee, provided the recipe for his own “power sandwich”: White bread, mayo, peanut butter, sliced bananas and raisins. (Respectfully: No.)
FALCONS QUARTERBACK WATCH (NO, NOT THAT ONE)
Credit: AP Photo/Brynn Anderson
Credit: AP Photo/Brynn Anderson
The Falcons’ final training camp practice arrives Wednesday afternoon. Their exhibition finale comes Friday night in Miami. But the answer everyone’s waiting for may not come until 6 p.m. Sunday.
I’m talking, of course, about whether or not Jack Strand makes the 53-man roster — and if he’ll get a better nickname if he does.
- With Tua Tagovailoa struggling and Michael Penix Jr. mostly absent, Strand emerged as a preseason quarterback folk hero.
- The undrafted free agent from Minnesota State-Moorhead completed 12 of his 17 passes over the weekend in Indianapolis, throwing for one touchdown and rushing for another.
- Offensive coordinator Tommy Rees: “Great head on his shoulders. Pretty unflappable in terms of just his ability to handle information, stay calm, stay poised.”
All good attributes, as are his … impressively thick legs. I still think we can find a better nickname than “Treetrunks.”
🔗 Bonus linkage: Here’s the latest on the primary quarterback battle. Stay tuned later this week for beat writer Daniel Flick’s pre-cut roster predictions.
POP QUIZ: FALCONS QUARTERBACK EDITION
Tagovailoa would be the sixth different quarterback to start a game for the Falcons since Matt Ryan’s unpleasant departure following the 2021 season.
Can you name the other five?
Not super difficult … but scroll to the bottom (it’s not far!) to find out who you blanked on.
HAVE A WEEK, ANGEL REESE
Credit: AP Photo/Brynn Anderson
Credit: AP Photo/Brynn Anderson
Almost wrote about Enes Kanter here. Then I remembered this is the Win Column.
Angel Reese is winning.
The Atlanta Dream star’s accomplishments of the last week or so:
- One Eastern Conference Player of the Week award.
- A perfect shooting night.
- A career-high 31 points.
- A 26-rebound game, passing the previous WNBA record of 24.
- Her 452nd rebound of the season, breaking the record held by four-time MVP A’ja Wilson.
Reese now sits at 458 rebounds … with six games left.
She just keeps getting better.
🎟️ Playoff tickets go on sale Tuesday. Sign up here for the presale.
POP QUIZ: THE ANSWERS
Your post-Matt Ryan Falcons quarterbacks are Marcus Mariota, Desmond Ridder, Taylor Heinicke, Kirk Cousins and, of course, Penix.
I chuckled when I realized Cousins (12-10) is the only one with a winning record.
I cried when I remembered Penix has still only started 13 games.
Thanks for reading to the very bottom of the Win Column. Questions, comments, ideas? Contact me at tyler.estep@ajc.com.
Until next time.
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