Recap of Hawks draft night

Here's a blog I wrote for Score Atlanta on the Hawks draft picks. Make sure to pick up your copy of Score Atlanta at any QuickTrip location in the metro Atlanta area and check out scoreatl.com for the latest on Atlanta sports.


Another draft is in the books for the Atlanta Hawks and some would say they really had a solid night. They picked at No. 24 in the first round and selected Damion James ─ a forward from Texas ─ but he was not a Hawk for long, as he was traded to the New Jersey Nets. The Hawks received in the deal the second of their first-round picks (No. 27) and their second-round pick (No. 31). The Nets then selected guard Jordan Crawford from Xavier at No. 27 and at pick No. 31 they selected center Tibor Pleiss from Germany, who the Hawks sold to the Oklahoma City Thunder for $3 million. For the Hawks, they selected Pape Sy a forward from Senegal for their second-round pick.

I have to say I agree with the pundits because the Hawks end up with a one of the best scoring guards that were not in the lottery and he is a guy that is not afraid to make the tough shot. Crawford is also an explosive jumper that can attack the rim (LeBron James can second that notion).

Crawford only spent one year at Xavier, but made an instant impact, leading the team and the Atlantic 10 Conference in scoring with 20.5 points per game. He led Xavier to a NCAA tournament appearance and averaged 29 points in three games. As a result, he was named to the All-West Region team.

Crawford coming to Atlanta is no doubt a great move, but two questions have to be addressed. The first is with Crawford selected, is Joe Johnson on the way out? I think that still remains to be seen because I think Johnson could end up signing with the Hawks if he likes the direction this team is headed. On the other hand, he may feel with the selection of Crawford could mean the Hawks are moving on, which would give Johnson the opportunity to look at other teams.
The other question is if the Hawks were so high on Crawford, why did they not originally pick him when he was on the board? Well, in this case it’s all about money. By singing the 27th pick instead of the 24th the Hawks will save $90,000 a year in salary. And if the Hawks are going to make any other moves this off season, they need as much money saved as possible.

As far as the Hawks’ second-round choice, Sy, he played professional basketball over in France and the Hawks’ scouts in Europe really like his potential. He came to Atlanta for a workout recently and head coach Larry Drew like his game so much and he was nervous that other teams would catch on to what Drew had seen. But like Crawford, Sy fell into the Hawks laps.

So overall, it was a good night for the Hawks. They grabbed an athletic wingman that can score, a Frenchman with tremendous upside and $3 million. Even if the team doesn’t sign Johnson, they still have plenty of talent and could be one of the top teams one again in the Eastern Conference if the veterans continue to improve and if Crawford plays like he did at Xavier.

MMA expert Alexia Krause previews upcoming Strikeforce event

Now, I'm not a MMA expert, but I am a fan and try to keep up with it as much as I can. It's exciting, violent and intense. In fact, I will make it my duty to watch UFC 116, as the main event will be Brock Lesnar against Shane Carwin for the undisputed heavyweight championship. But before that, Strikeforce will have their event on June 26 and it includes a great main event match between Fedor Emelianenko and Fabricio Werdum in a heavyweight showdown. For more on this match and the rest of the card here's MMA expert Alexia Krause who is making her debut on the Atlanta Sports Guy blog.



The Strikeforce event on June 26th is bound to be one for the books as Strikeforce mixed martial arts joins up with M-1 Global to bring some of the toughest fighters in the world together within one caged ring. This is an extra special event because it combines Strikeforce MMA with M-1 Global, which allows it to be a complete world showcase of some of the world's best fighters. This showcase has a huge title card as Fedor Emelianenko (who is actually a co-owner of M-1 Global) takes on Fabricio Werdum in a heavyweight bout that promises to entertain.

Fedor Emelianenko- also known as "The Last Emperor"- holds a record of 31-1. His only recorded loss comes from the fact that his fight with Tsuyoshi Kohsaka was stopped when Emelianenko suffered a gash in the opening seconds of the fight. Even though he has a loss to tarnish his undefeated streak, "The Last Emperor" understands that numbers don't mean anything when you're inside the cage.

Fedor has been at the top as the best heavyweight in the world for the better part of the last decade. He has taken down Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipović, Mark Coleman, and Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira on his way there. On June 26th, he goes up against Fabricio Werdum (the number 9 heavyweight in the world) for a showdown that's bound to define the two fighters and the event.

Even though Emelianenko is among the top heavyweights in the world, he will have a lot on his hands going up against the jiu-jitsu technician, Fabricio Werdum. Werdum is known as "Vai Cavalo" or "Leading Horse" which speaks to his wild and free nature in the ring. It looks like Emelianenko will be tasked with taming Werdum if he wants that victory.

Despite this exciting main card, the June 26th Strikeforce will feature much more heated action. In fact, many more people are looking forward to the top woman in the world, Cris "Cyborg" Santos taking on Jan Finney. Most feel that Cyborg will take out Finney pretty easily and glide on to an effortless victory (even more so considering that Finney's nickname is "Cuddles"), but Finney has been known to be scrappy making the fight a good one to watch.

Plus, seeing Cris Cyborg in action is always an event in itself:



With some of the best male heavyweight and female featherweight fighters clashing on the same night, the June 26th Strikeforce event is destined to be an exciting evening for MMA fans.

Alexia is a lifelong fan of sports and fitness. Recently, she's been obsessed with MMA. As a result, she has joined forces with MMA Industries- purveyors of widely popular MMA training gloves and shirts. Alexia has been writing about the latest developments in MMA equipment for the past few years, and continues to bring you the latest news in the mixed martial arts world.

The Top 10 UGA Commits

If you don't know already, I'm on a radio show every Sunday from 2-5 (you can listen on 790 am or go on their website). I also contribute on another show every Tuesday which focuses on recruiting. So last night I was on the air as I introduced my list of the top 11 UGA commits for the class of 2011. If you missed the show (which is possible considering the show airs from 7-9 at night), here it is without further ado.

11. David Andrews (C, Wesleyan) – Has great technique and has the intelligence that you need in a center. Is not real big, standing at 6-2 and 276 pounds, but will have time to grow when he gets on campus next year.

10. Justin Scott-Wesley (WR, Mitchell Co.) – Wesley is a receiver that can make the tough catch in the middle of the field. Has good speed and plays with no fear. The only area where he needs to improve is route running, but he will make a standout receiver on the next level.

9. Zach Witchett (WR, Washington) – Like Justin Scott-Wesley, Zach Witchett is a downfield threat that is lightning fast. He has great body control and knows where to go to get open. Needs to improve route running, but with another year at the position, he should be able to do just that.

8. Devin Bowman (CB, Ridgeland) – Devin Bowman has played the majority of his high school career as a running back, but has the size and agility to be a cornerback at the next level. One more year at the corner position will help his fundamental skills such as jamming ability and back pedaling, but can be an elite corner when he leaves the college ranks.

7. Armarlo Herrera (LB, North Clayton) – This linebacker from North Clayton can hit and hit you hard. He also knows where to be at all times and has exceptional speed. Pass coverage is something he can improve on, but be a major player as an inside linebacker for the 3-4 defense.

6. Sterling Bailey (DE, East Hall) – Sterling Bailey is an end that just gets after the quarterback. He has quick feet and is extremely athletic. He would like to get stronger at the point of attack, but would fit well in the 3-4 scheme.

5. Chirs Conley (WR, North Paulding) – Standing at 6-2, 185, Chris Conley could be the next A.J. Green if he continues to improve. He has great hands and can snatch balls out of the air. He should continue to improve his footwork this season and if that happens he will play for UGA right away.

4. Christian Lemay (QB, Butler (NC)) – There are not many quarterbacks in the country that are better than Christian LeMay. He is a natural leader that has rocket arm. With him along with Hutston Mason and Aaron Murray, the QB position should be a non-issue for UGA for awhile.

3. Corey Moore (S, Griffin) – Corey Moore made a huge impact at the safety position last year. He hit hard and is a tough as they come. He is raw at the position and will look to improve his coverage skills this upcoming season.

2. Chris Sanders (ATH, Tucker) – Chris Sanders can play a variety of positions, but he is at his best safety. He is tough and can cover the entire field because of his speed. He has all the tools to be a free safety at the college level.

1. Nick Marshall (ATH, Wilcox Co.) – If you haven’t seen Nick Marshall play, then you are missing out because he is just a football player. He has blazing speed, and has great size to play quarterback or safety. UGA is recruiting him to play safety, but don’t be surprised to see him play on the other side of the ball like Branden Smith did for the Dawgs last year.


I have done a hand full of these lists over the last few months, so I will post those over the next few weeks as football season gets closer.

Atlanta: A pro football headquarters or a college football mecca?

I know it’s been awhile since I posted my last blog, but now that’s it’s the summertime and I don’t have as much work to do as I did during the high school sports season, I will try to post more blogs that are focused on football.

A couple of weeks ago I read a blog that college football expert Tony Barnhart wrote about Atlanta being a college football city or a pro football city. He asked which event would you rather see – The Atlanta Falcons taking on the Dallas Cowboys in the NFC title game or No. 1 Alabama taking on No. 2 Florida for the SEC Championship.

Now, I know what you are thinking. Most fans would chose to see the Falcons in the NFC Championship because it’s the hometown team one win away from the Super Bowl. But if Georgia was No. 1 or No. 2 in the polls and were playing the SEC title game, then it would be a different story.

Here’s what I would choose. I love Georgia and I would like for them to win a national championship someday. But I can’t go against the Falcons because I have more of a connection with them than with UGA. But that doesn’t mean that it would be a hard decision.

Here’s my point. Most fans would choose the SEC title game because Barnhart got it right when he said that Atlanta is a college football town. Always has been and probably always will be. But what I would ask him is can’t Atlanta be both a college and pro football town? Why should we have to choose one or the other? Why can’t we appreciate both levels of football the same?

Look, I’ll be honest and say I’m more of a pro football fan than college (only by a slim margin). But I love going to college football games in Athens or on the Flats. In fact, I went the Chick-fil-A College Kickoff game, the SEC Championship and the Chick-fil-A Bowl last year and I had a blast. I especially love watching games on Saturday from noon to 1 a.m. But one thing that you have to understand about me is I love the game of football – high school, college or pro.

Atlanta is a melting pot when it comes to college football fans because there are quite a few fans that root for of alums of schools such as Alabama, Tennessee, Clemson, Florida, Florida State and Auburn. But why not support the Falcons the way that you support your college team. Sure, the Falcons have not won a Super Bowl and they have been inconsistent when it comes to winning seasons. But they are a team on the rise and I think they will reach a Super Bowl in the next two years. You can bank on it.

That’s all I have to say about that topic. I will have more topics concerning football in the next few weeks. I will also have a high school, college and pro football preview in the next month and rank some of the top players at each level.