19 Days and Counting...

... until kickf-off. The excitement is building. Let's look at some news.

RECEIVER THOMAS EXCELS
Mike Knobler - AJC
Levon Thomas had a nice day yesterday. We are talking 3 catches for 94 yards and 2 TD's. Not a bad day for a guy we don't talk much about. Bottom-line is that the receiving core was a concern for many - certainly by the media - coming into the pre-season. You lose the #1 guy who accounts for over half the offense. But now, it is looking like receiving might be a real strength. Nate Curry on one side, Calvin Johnson on the other, D-Bilbo getting major snaps, Levon Thomas. Man, that doesn't even count Pat Clark, J.Johnson and others. Again, more and more, it seems that it is really going to come down to Ball's ability to deliver.

NOTEBOOK: THOMAS, PASSING GAME SOLID
Macon Telegraph

HIGH EXPECTATIONS DON'T WORRY BALL
Brian Murphy - Macon Telegraph
Speaking of Reggie Ball. It just seems more and more of how far we go will be in large part determined by Ball. Consistency, playmaking will be key. Of course, as the article points out, we cannot expect the guy to be Superman. Coach Nix said it best:

"I don't want him to be Superman. I want him to throw the ball away when he needs to throw it away. Not take sacks, not throw interceptions and just execute our offense," Nix said. "What I expect of him is to lead us to victory."

BALL ALMOST THROUGH MAKING PREDICTIONS
Associated Press
More on Ball and being too cocky.

HERALDED FRESHMAN IMPRESSIVE IN PRE-SEASON
Adam Van Brimmer - Morris News Service
More hype for our talented freshman. Heck, if he does half as well as the hype being laid upon him, then look out. Of course, what has to get you excited is the comments from our own players. Team leaders like James Butler have had impressive things to say about him. Check out what D-Bilbo says:

And when he's not within earshot, those teammates compare him to other recent college stars. Fellow wide receiver Damarius Bilbo said Johnson reminds him of Pittsburgh's Larry Fitzgerald and Texas's Roy Williams.

"That guy is all skill. The sky is the limit for him," Bilbo said. "He's big, strong, physical, powerful, fast - there's not enough adjectives to describe him."

TEAM OVERVIEW
Associated Press

WHERE ARE THEY NOW - GEORGE O'LEARY
Mike Branom - Associated Press
Look, don't blame me for all these "starting over" stories on O'leary. I'm just reporting what I find..... Here's another one on O'Leary.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW - NFL UPDATES
Well, I was going to give you some updates on our players in the NFL, but both buzzkd911 and NaMatterWhat over at the Hive have done it for me.
Update #1
Update #2

Some of the key items:
- Joe Hamilton came in and led the Colts on a 15 play 71 yard drive in the final 2:54, then threw the game-winning TD with 11 seconds, even with zero protection from the O-Line.

- Tony Hollings rushed for 57 yards on 15 carries and had 89 yards of total offense. A Houston paper reported that the coaching staff wants him to touch the ball about 15 times per game. Unfortunately he did fumble twice.
- Daryl Smith has had an impressive camp and probably close to becoming a starter.
- Receivers Dez White, Jonathan Smith and Kelly Campbell are all doing well.