Two possible Falcons signees

Free agency period is here and the Falcons have said that they won't be major players in free agency. Now that's not saying that they won't pick up any players, but don't look for any big-name players (like Albert Haynesworth) coming to Flowery Branch anytime soon. But if I had a say in the players that the Falcons should sign, here's two players that I would like to see in a Falcons uniform.

Jermaine Phillips- He had some great years with the Tampa Bay Bucs and he is the safety the Falcons are looking for. He is aggressive at the point of attack and can grab interceptions with 11 in his seven-year career. The only problem is that he is injury-prone as he missed five games last season due to two broken arms. But it would make sense for the Falcons to sign him because he's from Roswell, Ga and played at UGA. So Phillips would love to come back to the ATL especially with the future bright for the Falcons.

Angelo Crowell- I would put Channing Crowder here but he signed a multi-year deal to stay with the Miami Dolphins. Not a name Falcons fans will know right off the bat, but hadsome good year with the Buffalo Bills and can contribute right away and the Falcons are going to need that because Keith Brooking and Michael Boley will not be with the team next year.

It should be an interesting first couple of days and I'm looking forward to who the Falcons sign if they sign anybody.

Falcons Report- Brooking could come back and Haynesworth not in Falcons 2009 plans

Last week, the hot topic at Flowery Branch was Falcons GM Thomas Dimitroff telling atlantafalcons.com that he is looking to trade the rights to quarterback Michael Vick. This week, free agency is drawing closer and Dimitroff and company are talking to guys such as Keith Brooking, Michael Boley Dominique Foxworth and Lawyer Miloy as they become free agents on the 27th.

If you were to ask me what's going to happen, as to who stays and who goes, I think that when it's all said and done, Brooking stays and Boley will be playing elsewhere in 2009. I think the reason that Brooking will be back is the fact that he is one of the leaders of the defense. Sure, he is not as fast as he once was and he blew an assignment late in the wild card playoff game against Arizona, but he doesn't make mental mistakes and it will help Curtis Lofton if Brooking is patrolling the weakside linebacker position. As for Boley, he did not have the breakout year that most fans expected, so he will probably shop around to test the waters.

Miloy will stay because he is the locker room leader for the birds and Foxworth proved that he can be a nickel corner. But don't expect Albert Hayenesworth anchoring the defensive line for the Falcons because Dimitroff said that they won't be major players when it comes to signing big free agents. This is good because they are sticking to their philosophy which is building through the draft and get quality veterans through free agency. That's how the New England Patriots did it and that's why they won titles in 2001, 2003 and 2004.

In one of my blogs next week I will predict the free agent the Falcons will try to sign. As mentioned earlier, they won't be big names, but I have some players in mind that can help the Falcons go deeper in the playoffs this season and for years to come.

Podcast 02-19-09

In this podcast, I talk about Ken Griffey Jr. and Michael Vick. Both have Atlanta ties but both won't play for any teams from Atlanta anytime soon. Click on the link above to take a listen.

Hawks Midseason Report

The second half of the 2008-09 NBA season is about to get underway and the Hawks are coming in with a 31-21 record, their best since 1997. So what do they need to do in order to keep up the intensity and try top catch up with the Orlando Magic and earn the No. 3 spot in the Eastern Conference? Well, here's what I think the Hawks need to do in order to have a successful end to their season.

1. Stay Healthy- The break helps because it gives players a time to rest their bodies. Josh Smith Joe Johnson, Marvin Williams, Mike Bibby and Al Horford have missed time due to injuries and those are the starting five for the Hawks.

2. Protect Philips- This goes for any NBA team trying to make the playoffs and the Hawks have done a good job winning at home with a 19-6 record which is the fourth best in the conference. They only have one more home game this month as they take on the Miami Heat on the 27th, but after that, they have 12 home games in March including a nationally televised game again the Cavs on March 1 and on the 29th they go up againt Kobe and the Lakers. So the Hawks have an opportunity to gain so ground.

3. MAKE FREE THROWS- Any time I watch a Hawks game, it seems like they struggle to make shots from the charity stripe and lose games because of it. They are 29th in the league in free throws shooting 73.9%. But guess who is ranked 30th? It's none other that the Orlando Magic shooting 72%. I think the reason for this is both teams have high 3pt percentage with the Hawks in 11th place and the Magic are atop the league making 40 percent of their shots beyond the arc.

I think if the Hawks can do these three things, they can make some noise at the end of the season and lock up at least the No. 4 spot. Johnson and Bibby will keep doing what the have been doing so Smith, Horford and Williams just need to get better. Regardless of what happens, the city of Atlanta should get excited because the Hawks have a chance to do something special this spring.

A-Rod on roids, Favre retires and Chris Brown beating up Rihanna?

Well, nobody is safe when it comes to baseball players. Earlier this week there were reports that Alex Rodriguez tested positve for steriod use in 2003. At first, he denied it when he was interviewed by Katie Couric. But a couple of days ago, Rodriguez admitted to ESPN that he did use steroids from 2001-2003 when he was with the Texas Rangers. Now, in 2003 he did win the AL MVP award and was the homerun leader.

So here's my question - Is he a Hall-of-Famer? The answer is yes because if he only used steriods from 2001-2003 and he was clean from 2004 to present time, I think the numbers would dictate he would still make it to Cooperstown. He made a mistake and he lied to the public about making the mistake. But it goes to show you that anyone that is accused of using steriods, can you trust a player when they say they didn't do it? And if a player say that they didn't use steroids and they really didn't, will the fans believe the player? Those are a few questions to think about.

Brett Favre announced that he will retire and it looks as if he is really hanging it up this time. I know that a lot of people don't like Favre for various reasons. But I love Favre for what he did on the field. Sure, he wasn't as smart as Tom Brady and as accurate as Peyton Manning, but what he did was played the game like the way it should be played. He gave 100 precent every time he stepped on the field and was a absolute warrior. He threw over 300 interceptions but threw for over 400 touchdowns. He won the most games out of any quarterback and has a Super Bowl ring so he is certainly a first ballot Hall-of-Famer. Congratulations Brett on a great career and good luck on your retirement.

Somebody who I won't congratulate is Chris Brown because there are reports comming out that he physically assaulted his girlfriend Rihanna. Both were scheduled to be at the Grammys and both canceled at the last minute. Brown's songs have been pulled from radio stations and he will no longer do the DoubleMint and Got Milk commercials. If he really did this to Rihanna, I lost a lot of respect for him and he needs get some help before he even thinks about music, TV or film.

Podcast 02-09-09

I wasn't going to do a podcast today, but I wanted to talk about the Jamal Anderson ordeal because it's shocking to say the least. I also get into what's going on with the Falcons and I have an opinion on the Hilary Duff and Faye Dunaway catfight. So click on the title above and download it already.

Top 10 most anticipated movies for 2009

I'm a huge movie fan and I want to use this space to talk about the most anticipated movies for this year. 2008 brought us The Dark Knight which was a classic, Pineapple Express which was funny and Tropic Thunder was just mindless fun. Other than that, it wasn't a great year for movies (just take a look at the nominees for the 2009 Academy Awards). This year should not be the same story as some recognizable characters are coming to the big screen. So here is my list of movies that are worth seeing this year:

10. Race to Witch Mountain

9. Land of the Lost

8. Angels and Demons

7. Star Trek

6. Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li

5. Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

4. Terminator: Salvation

3. Transformers: Revenge

2: X- MEN Origins: Wolverine

1. G.I. Joe: Rise of the Cobra

Wolverine would be No.1 on my list, but after seeing the trailer for G.I. Joe, I have to put it on the top spot. Nonetheless, this should be a better year at the box office and by looking at my list, it should be a great deal of action packed films that should not disappoint.

Podcast 02-05-09

Hey guys. I just posted a new podcast and it talks about Bobby Knight, National Signing Day and the retirement of a Falcons player. So take a listen when you get a chance. Just click on the title above.

Falcons update 2/4/09

Free agency begins at the end of the month and there have been talks that the Falcons are aiming to get defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth from the Tennessee Titans. Haynesworth has not been happy with the ongoing contract negotiations with the Titans and said that he would like to play close to home since he is from Hartsville, SC. So playing for the Carolina Panthers or the Falcons will be a likely fit for the two-time pro bowler. If the Falcons are able to get him signed, it would improve their defensive line a great deal. But I do believe that they should address the outside linebacker and defensive end positions as well because even though Jamaal Anderson had a better year than in 2007, he is still very raw and linebackers Keith Brooking and Michael Boley are now free agents and there is a good chance both of them will not return for the 2009 season.


Other than free agency, there is not much going on right now as far as Falcons news, Roddy White and Michael Turner are now in Hawaii for the Pro Bowl and the coaches got back from the Senior Bowl and will now get ready for the NFL Combine which takes place on Feb. 18. But I will take a close look at the Michael Vick story this summer as he will get out of prison before training camp begins and we’ll see if he is let back into the league or has to wait another year. If he is allowed to play, expect the Falcons trade the rights to him for a key player or a draft pick.