Make it happen Braves
OK, it's time to get serious.
The Atlanta Braves have no business losing to the Kansas City Royals when you get six impressive innings from your starter and four runs.
Sure, 14 runs would be better and when the Braves were averaging 7-plus runs a night from mid-May to the end of June, glossing over the a statistically satisfactory bullpen that is practically untrustworthy and unacceptable.
And the small-market/bad TV deal/trust the process discussion no longer carry the merit they once did.
Attendance at SunTrust is impressive - and the Braves owners got a sweetheart deal on a new park in Smyrna - and the Braves revenues are up, according to Dave O'Brien of The Athletic.
The process of rebuilding is ahead of or right on schedule and the Braves have a 5-1/2 game lead in the NL East and the second-best record in the NL.
But with a week left before the MLB trading deadline - and remember kids, this year, the July 31 deadline is it; August waiver-clearance deals are no longer acceptable - the Braves have to make a move.
Not should. Not need to. Have to.
This team is an arm or two from being right there with the Dodgers as the favorites to get to the World Series.
Yes, that seems like big-game hunting considering a) the Braves have not won a postseason series in 17 years (yes, 17 - I double-checked it because it sounds preposterous) and b) a Dodgers team that is loaded.
The Braves spent $13 million on Dallas Keuchel, who fanned 12 in six innings last night and allowed two earned but did not figure in the decision because of the leaky bullpen, but even with that, the payroll ranks in the mid-teens among the 30 teams in the MLB.
Braves chairman Terry McGuirk told O'Brien - as I normally do, here's the link to the story, but it is a pay site; not that you need it but I get my money's worth from my subscription to The Athletic - that the organization is looking everyday to make the team better.
"The biggest issue is," McGuirk said to O'Brien, "everybody wants our kids."
Good. Make it happen.
That said, the M.O. of this team - during the rebuild and now during the tenure of GM Alex Anthopoulos - has been to place extreme value on youth, potential and contractual control.
Anthopoulos has not dealt a prospect ranked among the top 10 in the Braves system since he took the job in November 2017. That stat will have to change if the team is going to add a pitcher that the support, the standings and the situation demands.
Again. Make it happen.
Zion cashes in
Zion Williamson agreed to be part of the Jordan Brand.
That's not surprising, since Nike - which is the parent company of the Jordan 'Air' logo - had, Had, HAD to make sure that after Zion blew out his shoe in February that he was going to wear the Swoosh in the NBA.
The numbers have not been reported, but it is safe to say that Zion now has more money than I do. And you do. (Unless Bill Gates is reading the 5-at-10, of course.)
As it should be. Zion is a powerful young thing and is cashing in on his value.
Without the details of the deal there are as many questions as answers. Such as:
> Do you think this is a $100 million deal? I would think so considering the value to Nike of Zion - who will be as popular as any North American team sport athlete anywhere in three years - and the value of not having the next wave of Adidas commercials being Zion blowing out his Nike at Duke and opening a different box once he's an NBA-er.
> Do you think that part of this decision had anything to do with the stories that Jordan Brand was not even in the original conversations with the folks Zion is in a nine-figure lawsuit about his marketing decisions? If Zion picked Jordan - a company apparently his previous representation did not have a relationship with - then he can continue to distance himself from his previous representatives.
> Do you think Nike will give him a special logo, a Power Z maybe, on apparel and even possibly the shoes?
> Do you think Zion will be an All-NBA player - not just an All-Star, which is voted on fans for the most part - in 3 years? In 5 years?
Discuss.
Camp stories, part III
Half the league - 16 teams for the math-challenged - either report to or start up camp today.
Ah, the NFL. (Somewhere Ron Jaworski is fighting the urge to blurt, "THE National Football League.")
We giggled earlier this week at the absurd Bleacher Report click-bait QB ratings. That was an all-time list and it was absurd.
Well, this list - again from The Athletic and again, a pay site - is based on strong ground.
This list is Mike Sando's annual QB Tiers based on interviews with 55 former NFL coaches and executives. (Sando has done similar lists the previous five years for ESPN before migrating to The Athletic, like a slew of the bigger names covering a slew of big beats for the site.)
As to expected, no one will agree on this list, but the voters put QBs in, you guessed it, tiers. Tier 1 is described as "QB can carry his team each week; the team wins because of him; he expertly handles pure passing situations."
Tier 1, in order, was Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Patrick Mahomes, Andrew Luck, Philip Rivers, Ben Roethlisberger, and Russell Wilson.
OK, with five tiers and 32 teams - the Dolphins had two QBs get votes; the Cardinals had none - having eight tier 1 dudes seems off. (Never mind having Rivers and Roethlisberger in their current forms in that tier.)
Still, the quotes and reviews are intriguing.
If you are wondering, Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan is the top vote getter in the second tier. He got 13 tier 1 votes, 39 tier 2 votes and 3 tier 3 votes.
Cam Newton was the top QB in tier 3 - which put him at 15 in the rankings and behind Jared Goff, Carson Wentz, Matt Stafford, Deshaun Watson and Baker Mayfield, who were in tier 2 with Ryan.
Marcus Mariota was 26th on the list.
This and that
- Speaking of the Braves, and yes, the bullpen blowout last night was a very rare awful stat line from Anthony Swarzak, who had been 100 percent lights out before Tuesday's hiccup. But Wes Parsons threw gas on the fire Swarzak started and anyone trying to convince themselves that Luke Jackson is a reliable closer for the 'er' months has a) not watched the Braves at all this season, or b) not been paying attention.
- Speaking of the Braves - and please know that I have greatly enjoyed this bunch way more than I expected and I love, Love, LOVE watching Ronald Acuna and Ozzie Albies play the game, even though this feels like an avalanche of angst - someone needs to do something to help Austin Riley friends. Dude was white hot in the first month-plus of his rookie season, and yes, he does have 16 homers and 44 RBIs despite not getting to the show until May 15. But, Riley is mired in a drastic tailspin. Since June 17, Riley is 19-for-102 with five homers, 12 RBIs and 43 Ks.
- You know the drill. TFP ace sports columnist and college hoops guru Mark Wiedmer writes about college hoops; we read and posts Weeds on college hoops. It's in the books. I will say this: I continue to give UTC coach Lamont Paris the benefit of the doubt because, in large part, Weeds is so high on the former Wisconsin assistant. But, let's be really clear here: The Mocs are 22-43 in Paris' two seasons and the trip to the Bahamas is quite meaningful because of the turnover - as many new faces as returning players - of the roster. Again.
- Andy Reid, saying what you would expect he would on the issue of the day before the Chiefs camp opened, told reporters "We have the trust in Tyreek." Hill of course is a dirtbag and wiggled out of child abuse charges in the NFL's eyes. Hey coach, how many of the assistants have the 'trust' in Tyreek to have him babysit their kids?
- I actually thought there would be more high schools on the preliminary list of recommended closures that made news ripples Tuesday. Schools that would be closed and students rezoned include Brainerd High School, Barger Academy, Clifton Hills Elementary, Dalewood Middle, Daisy Elementary, Lakeside Elementary, Lookout Mountain Elementary, Rivermont Elementary and Tyner Middle, among other possibilities. I thought for sure Sale Creek High would be there - moved to Soddy-Daisy - and a few others would also make the list. Here's the story from the TFP's education ace Meghan Mangrum.
Today's questions
Which way Wednesday will start this way:
Is it cynical or practical that I expect very little from the Mueller testimony this morning?
Which way will the Braves go between now and the trading deadline: Small addition, major pitching acquisition, or stand pat?
Which quarterback among the top 15 in Mike Sando's QB Tiers - in order, it was Rodgers, Brady, Brees, Mahomes, Luck, Rivers, Big Ben, Russell Wilson, Matt Ryan, Carson Wentz, Matt Stafoord, Deshaun Watson, Jared Goff, Baker Mayfield, or Cam - is the most overrated. Which is the most underrated?
Several intriguing 'days' for July 24. It's national tell an old joke day. (If you are an American when you enter the bathroom and an American when you leave the bathroom, what are you when you're in the bathroom. European. ((Or, You're-a-Peein.)) Thank you very much. You've been great. Remember, the 7:30 show is different from the 9:30 show, and to tip your waitress.)
It's National Cousins Day, which is way better than National Kissing Cousins Day, which may only be recognized in rural parts of Alabama and Arkansas. It's National Drive-Thru Day.
And it's National Tequila Day. Foe. Huge foe. Right there with cole slaw as the biggest foe around. (On a which way Wednesday, which alcohol - because we all have one - makes you wince if you even smell it because you 'THAT' night when you drank too much of it?)
J-Lo is 50 today. Wow. That's an attractive 50 friends. Kudos Jenny from the Block. Kudos.
Kosmo Kramer (aka Micheal Kramer) is 70 today. Wonder Women - the original - Lynda Carter is 68 today.
On this day 37 years ago, Eye of the Tiger hit No. 1. It would stay there for six weeks and get Survivor a Grammy for best rock performance. (Yes, Survivor won a Grammy, something that Queen, Hendrix, Bob Marley, The Doors nor The Who ever did. Something's just not right about that, you know?)
Rushmore of the worst musical acts to ever win a Grammy. Go and remember the mailbag friends.