Jackets eliminated from CWS

Wow. Evidently the Jackets were 45-0 when leading after 7 innings this season. That is, or was, until the college world series, where the Jackets twice dropped late leads. Now the stat reads 45-2. Now the Jackets will watch the rest from home. Ouch. Two of the most difficult losses to watch as a fan, and no easier for the players in the dugout.


All you can do is tip your cap to a team that was literally a walking wounded - a patchwork quilt of limbs and ligaments. Watching every other player round the bases or run down outfield flyballs was painful. Grimaces were the norm. But they held it together and worked their way to Omaha. Yes, it would have been a feelgood story to see them take home the crown, but it wasn't meant to be. Never-the-less, I tip my cap to the diamond Jackets. You did us proud, and proved once again that if you wear the Jacket uni, there is ALWAYS a very good chance of going to Omaha.......... and if you get there, you can break through.


Great season. Gritty season. Gutty season. Disappointing ending, but isn't it mostly disappointing for all but one?


Until next year.............. GO JACKETS!!!!!

Jackets eliminated from CWS | ajc.com

Lady Hoops: Tech Gets Pacific NW Star

Well, the beesball team lost, but the lady hoopsters landed one of the most highly sought after recruits in the nation. Check it out..........


Scout.com: Tech Gets Pacific NW Star

Yellow Jackets Fall In CWS Opener :: Late rally gives Clemson 8-4 victory over Georgia Tech.

A stunning 7 innings, then a stunny collapse. Wow, talk about a meltdown. Well, these things happen......... I guess. Time to suck it up and win a few in a row..........


Yellow Jackets Fall In CWS Opener :: Late rally gives Clemson 8-4 victory over Georgia Tech.

Summer Outlook for Tech Basketball :: Hewitt looks ahead to a promising 2006-07 campaign

Nice preview of things to come in the fall in hoops with Q&A from Coach Hewitt. I don't have time to break it down, but lots of interesting comments............


Summer Outlook for Tech Basketball :: Hewitt looks ahead to a promising 2006-07 campaign

BaseballAmerica.com: College: Rosenblog 2006

First pitch coming up soon.

Sr. RHP Sean Clark (Clemson) vs. Jr. LHP Lee Hyde (Georgia Tech)


These teams have played six times already, splitting six games. Clemson coach Jack Leggett chose Clark, a senior who is 2-0, 1.80 in 30 innings because he's one of the few arms Georgia Tech hasn't seen this season. Clark earned wins in the chamionship of the ACC tournament and the opener of the Clemson Regional before throwing 3 2/3 strong innings of relief against Oral Roberts in the super-regional.


Hyde allowed two runs on seven hits over eight innings in Tech's 3-2 loss to Clemson in the ACC tournament. He also has thrown well in two NCAA tournament starts and gets the call over normal Friday starter Blake Wood because his lefthandedness matches up better against a left-leaning Clemson lineup.

BaseballAmerica.com: College: Rosenblog 2006

Here's a nice story on Mike Trapani and life with Tourette's Syndrome.


Here's another story "Postcards from Omaha" story, with this from Trap on his syndrome:

And my teammates at Tech have always been supportive. They get excited when I throw up during games - that's how we know we're going to win.

Well, ain't that a superstition?


Here's a nice story on Michael Fisher............. Here's a scouting report.................... This on the oddsmakers............... Another mention of Trap.............. Here's a story on Wally Crancer.......... Here's ESPN's Omaha page.....


GO JACKETS!!!!!

Beesball Stat of the Day

Georgia Tech and Clemson played each other 6 times this season. They split 3-3 each. However, check this out.

Day games:
GT 3-0
CU 0-3


Night games:
GT 0-3
CU 3-0


Gametime Friday 2:00........................................

"Royals should watch GT catcher"

Wow - do you think Matt Wieters could actually be the #1 pick in next year's draft? This guy thinks so:

This year’s baseball draft is over, but what about next year’s? Yes, the Royals once again look as if they’re in great shape to nab the No. 1 pick.


It’s anyone’s guess who might be that No. 1 pick next June, but keep an eye on Georgia Tech catcher Matt Wieters.


This kid appears to be the real deal. He’s 6 feet 6, 230 pounds, with good power and a great arm. He also switch-hits. You can watch him at the upcoming College World Series in Omaha.


How good is Wieters? During his first four tournament games, he went 10 for 13 with four homers and eight RBIs.


And here’s the kicker: He has incredible patience at the plate. He already has drawn seven walks in the tourney and drew a team-high 56 walks this
season.


“You have to wait for the one you like,” Wieters said recently. (Hmmm. You listening, Angel Berroa?) Wieters was 20th nationally in drawing walks, averaging 0.83 a game. And Wieters does some damage when he gets his pitch. He’s hitting .355 overall with 20 doubles, 14 homers and 69 RBIs.

One more thing: Wieters also doubles as the team’s closer. He has seven saves this season with a 2.67 ERA. He also only walked six hitters in over 30 innings.


The Royals are on the clock, and Wieters may be waiting.Another name to keep an eye on next season is North Carolina State right-hander Andrew Brackman, who is 6 feet 10 and can hit the upper 90s on the radar gun. His season this year was cut short by a stress fracture in his hip.

Kansas City Star 06/14/2006 Royals should watch Georgia Tech catcher

Hoops Rosters and Pics Posted

RamblinWreck.com has now posted the updated hoops roster along with photos....................


44
Alade Aminu
Forward/Center
6-9
210
SO
Stone Mountain, Ga. (Stephenson)


13
D'Andre Bell
Guard/Forward
6-5
200
SO
Los Angeles, Calif. (Palisades Charter)


0
Lewis Clinch
Guard
6-3
190
SO
Cordele, Ga. (Crisp County)


1
Javaris Crittenton
Guard
6-5
195
FR
Atlanta, Ga. (Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy)


12
Paco Diaw
Guard
6-6
190
SO
Dakar, Senegal (Greater Atlanta Adventist Academy)


4
Ra'Sean Dickey
Forward/Center
6-9
255
JR
Clio, S.C. (Marlboro County)


11
Mouhammad Faye
Forward
6-8
190
RS FR
Dakar, Senegal (SEED Academy)


23
Anthony Morrow
Guard
6-5
205
JR
Charlotte, N.C. (Charlotte Latin)


35
Zach Peacock
Forward
6-7
215
FR
Miami, Fla. (Norland)


34
Brad Sheehan
Forward
6-10
215
FR
Latham, N.Y. (Shaker)


32
Jeremis Smith
Forward
6-6
232
JR
Fort Worth, Texas (Dunbar)


5
Mario West
Guard
6-4
208
RS SR
Douglasville, Ga. (Douglas County)


33
Thaddeus Young
Forward
6-8
215
FR
Memphis, Tenn. (Mitchell)

ESPN.com - NCF - McShay: Preseason wide receiver rankings

ESPN ranks the best wide receives in college. Calvin Johnson clocks in at #4, with a bit of a backhanded slap to his 'mates:

4. Calvin
Johnson, Georgia Tech, JR, 6-4, 226Johnson is rguably the most physically gifted wide receiver in college football today. With a secondary receiver to draw attention and a quarterback capable of completing more than 48 percent of his attempts, Johnson could easily produce Jarrett-like numbers. Unfortunately, Johnson's supporting cast is atrocious.

Ouch..............


ESPN.com - NCF - McShay: Preseason wide receiver rankings

Beesball - NCAA bracket

Here's what the bracket looks like:

Wieters Named First-Team All-America :: Sophomore catcher earns All-America honors by Baseball America.

Wow - nice recognition for this future major leaguer - 1st team All-American by Baseball America magazine. Congrats!!!


Here are Tech's previous 1st teamers:


Kevin Brown (RHP), 1986 Riccardo Ingram (OF), 1987 Ty Griffin (2B), 1988 Andy Bruce (3B), 1991 Jason Varitek (C), 1992, 1993, 1994 Brad Rigby (RHP), 1994 Nomar Garciaparra (SS), 1993, 1994 Jay Payton (OF), 1994 Mark Fischer (OF), 1997 Kris Wilson (RHP), 1997 Chuck Crowder (LHP), 1997 Mark Teixeira (3B), 2000 Tyler Greene (SS), 2005 Matt Wieters (C), 2006


Wieters Named First-Team All-America :: Sophomore catcher earns All-America honors by Baseball America.

GolfDigest.com - New life for David Duval

Golf Digest just came out with about a 9-page article on David Duval. Lot's of interesting stuff, including some pics

GolfDigest.com - New life for David Duval

Ex-Jacket Hamilton on cusp of title | ajc.com

Today's the day for Joe Hamilton - AFL ArenaBowl XX. Make sure to watch today. Unfortunately I'll be on a plane..........

Ex-Jacket Hamilton on cusp of title ajc.com

Here's a great article on Joe, who has evidently become the most recognizable pro athlete in Orlando.......

He also has had opportunities in coaching. This past spring, Hamilton was
offered a job to coach quarterbacks at Maryland. Maryland head coach Ralph
Friedgen was the offensive coordinator for Georgia Tech when Hamilton played for
the Yellow Jackets.


'It was a great opportunity and I thought about it a lot, but in the
end, I wasn't ready to give up playing,' Hamilton said. 'I know I could learn a
lot from coach Friedgen. He's one of the best in the business. I'm not sure I
want to start out coaching at the college level either. I think I might want to
begin in high school and work my way up.'

Omaha Bound !!!!!

Congrats!!!!! The Jackets are headed to Omaha after drubbing College of Charleston 12-3. Bigtime congrats go out to the team and coaching staff !!! Long-balls from Whit Robbins and yet again from Jeff Kindel paced the team along with an outstanding pitching performance from Lee Hyde, who went 8 innings and only gave up 2 earned runs............

Listen to the Game

Links for today's game:

Baseballvs College of CharlestonJune 101:00 PMAtlanta, Ga.

Gametracker
Listen

The Good Word :: Issue No. 3, June 9, 2006

D-Rad's latest epistle:

The Good Word
Issue No. 3, June 9, 2006


June 9, 2006


TO: Fans, Friends, and Supporters of Georgia Tech Athletics


FROM: Dan Radakovich, Georgia Tech Director of Athletics


What a great weekend for our baseball team! This was my first "big" Georgia Tech athletic event, and I hope all of you enjoyed it as much as I did. I'd like to thank everyone at Tech who helped put on a first-class event, and more importantly, I'd like to thank all of our fans who cheered us on to victory. I know that Danny Hall and his players really appreciate the enthusiastic crowds.


I want to personally encourage all Tech fans to support our team this weekend as we host the College of Charleston for the right to go the College World Series. The young men in our program have worked extremely hard and overcome several key injuries to put themselves in position to host a regional and super regional, and we need to reward them with the
best possible home field advantage.


Secondly, this event requires a significant financial commitment to the NCAA, and we need to sell out Russ Chandler Stadium in order to be able to host regionals and super regionals year-in and year-out. We certainly realize that a 12 noon game on Friday is not ideal for many fans, but please understand that we have no control over the game times; the NCAA and ESPN set all times.


Baseball is not the only spring sport to enjoy a very successful season. Bryan Shelton's women's tennis team has had a remarkable two-year run, winning another ACC title this year and reaching the NCAA Sweet 16. Accolades continue to roll in for super sophomore Kristi Miller, both for her outstanding play and for her equally superior performance in the classroom - the No. 1-ranked singles player in the nation is also a 4.0 student!


Kenny Thorne's men's tennis team also reached the NCAAs for the sixth straight year, and our men's and women's track programs have individuals competing at the NCAA Championships this weekend. Bruce Heppler's golf team did not fare as they would have hoped at the NCAA Championships, but congratulations to his squad for reaching the NCAAs in what could have been a rebuilding year, with two freshmen in the starting five. Rookie Cameron Tringale showed this spring that he could be the next star in Tech's incredible line of great golfers.


Most importantly, our student-athletes had a very successful spring semester in the classroom. An all-time high 51.4 percent of our student-athletes in all sports achieved a grade point average of 3.0 or better for the spring semester, highlighted by 27 Yellow Jackets who posted perfect 4.0 GPAs. The average GPA for all student-athletes for the semester was 2.85.


The golf team led the way with a 3.47 team GPA, including three team members with perfect 4.0's, while the women's tennis team sported a 3.26 GPA. Seven of Tech's eight women's sports posted team grade point averages above 3.05.


Regarding ticket sales, our marketing initiatives for football continue to grow and reap rewards. Two and a half months before the season, we are ahead of our total season ticket sales for all of last year by nearly 1,000. I'm also happy to report that the Bobby Dodd Stadium club seats are more than 86 percent sold for the season. We will continue to aggressively market and promote ticket sales throughout the summer.


As you know, this month season ticket holders have an exclusive window to purchase three-game flex packs. On the first day alone, season ticket holders purchased more 4,000 flex packs. I encourage you to take advantage of this unique opportunity. We want to ensure that Bobby Dodd Stadium at Historic Grant Field is filled with Georgia Tech fans on Sept. 2!


Last week, I attended a meeting of the Georgia Tech Foundation Board. During that meeting, Dr. Clough outlined some exciting prospects for the future of Georgia Tech. Be assured that athletics has a major role to play in the future success of the Institute. We are looking forward to being great partners and providing tremendous benefits, like our nationally televised opener with Notre Dame.


Again, thank you for your positive response to "The Good Word." While I cannot guarantee a personal response to every email that we receive, please know that they will all be read, so I do encourage your continued participation in this process. Some of your questions could become topics for future issues of The Good Word.


I also encourage you to share this letter with any Tech fan who may not have access to the Internet. Our goal is to inform and engage as many Yellow Jacket supporters as we possibly can.


I want to personally thank you for your continued support of Georgia Tech Athletics as we move forward with our vision for excellence.


Go Jackets!

The Good Word :: Issue No. 3, June 9, 2006

Georgia Tech pitching shuts out Charleston

Outstanding start to the superregional as Georgia Tech shuts out C of C by getting a masterful picthing performance from Blake Wood and timely hitting from Jeff Kindel and Matt Wieters. Outstanding. One more win is #50. One more win and it's college world series here we come. Let's get it done today..........


Macon Telegraph | 06/10/2006 | Georgia Tech pitching shuts out Charleston: "opener "

Harper now a Yellow Jacket

Looks like the Jackets inked another beesball high schooler this week - Matt Harper. Not sure if Torre Langley's open 'ship had anything to do with it. Langley, the stud catcher, was drafted in the 3rd round and has announced his intentions on signing to play minor league ball.....


Valdosta Daily Times - Harper now a Yellow Jacket

Hamilton Leads Predators to Arena Bowl :: Former Tech all-America earned all-league honors

Former Georgia Tech all-America quarterback Joe Hamilton leads the Orlando Predators against the Chicago Rush in ArenaBowl XX on Sunday, June 11, in Las Vegas, Nev. Kickoff is set for 3 p.m. ET, and the game will be televised live on NBC.


Hamilton and the Predators (10-6, 2-0) defeated the Dallas Desperados, 45-28 last Sunday, earning an AFL record seventh berth in the Arena Football League's Championship Game.


Hamilton, the second-team all-league quarterback, enjoyed a standout campaign during the regular season, going 298 of 445 for 3,677 yards and 64 touchdowns. He also rushed 40 times for 134 yards and eight touchdowns. He has been equally as impressive in two postseason games, going 32 of 49 for 387 yards and eight touchdowns.


The 1999 Heisman Trophy runnerup, Hamilton looks to win his first ArenaBowl Championship Sunday.


Hamilton Leads Predators to Arena Bowl :: Former Tech all-America earned all-league honors

Where are they now - David Duval

This may be the most in-depth interview I've ever read with David Duval. Lot's of very interesting comments on a variety of topics, including this about his time at Georgia Tech:

Some of the stories about you at Georgia Tech were not particularly flattering. A New York Times story quoted you as saying your college teammates were a "bunch of hacks."


I don't recall some of the stories about me when I was younger, which doesn't mean they didn't happen. My coach there, Puggy Blackmon, told it like it was and how it was going to be. We got into it a lot, toe to toe. Let me also say that you're talking about a different person then and now in me. I don't know many people who haven't done or said something stupid at age 18. Not many, I don't think. We all make mistakes.


Tiger has really gotten hammered for little things. He's allowed to get excited and pumped up like a kid on the golf course, where he's an entertainer. But when he makes a mistake off the course, he gets nailed. He tells a dirty joke, it shows up in a magazine, and he gets nailed. Not that telling a dirty joke is necessarily a mistake. I mean, how many of us haven't done that? How many of us are perfect? Are the critics perfect?


Back to college, though. I'm glad I stayed there. You can't compare golf with basketball or football, where you can leave early and be drafted and make a bunch of money. I'm glad I got an education, but I can't sit here and preach about it, because I didn't graduate. I'm short a little more than a quarter. I'd like to go back and get a degree. But will I? Probably not.

GolfDigest.com

Six Players Selected in Day One of the MLB Draft

The Jackets had a decent day in the MLB draft. Congrats to the following guys:

Georgia Tech Players in the Draft
Player Class Pos. Round/Pick Team
Wes Hodges Jr. 3B 2nd/69 Indians
Blake Wood Jr. RHP 3rd/77 Royals
Whit Robbins Jr. 1B 4th/119 Twins
Lee Hyde Jr. LHP 4th/130 Braves
Tim Gustafson Jr. RHP 9th/280 Braves
Jeff Kindel Sr. OF 14th/408 Rockies


Georgia Tech Signees in the Draft
Player Pos. Round/Pick Team
Torre Langley C 3rd/90 Marlins


Six Players Selected in Day One of the MLB Draft :: Wes Hodges, Blake Wood, Whit Robbins, Lee Hyde, Tim Gustafson and Jeff Kindel taken in the first 14 rounds.

Gailey Featured Tonight on Turner South :: Half-Hour Special Airs at 10:30 p.m.

Could it be "must see tv". Watch and find out. I'll try to record it and provide a recap here if I have time..............


Gailey Featured Tonight on Turner South :: Half-Hour Special Airs at 10:30 p.m.

Calling all Tailgaters !!

Ok folks, the group over at www.mapgameday.com need your help. Here's an email I received from them:

I came across your website while preparing information about Georgia Tech, and have added a link to it on our website, MapGameDay.com. I enjoyed your GT regional baseball coverage. MapGameDay.com is a mapping site, where fans can identify important places (tailgate spots, hotel, parking, seats, etc) for their trips to campus on game day. The maps can then be shared with other fans. We are working on a campus recap of all of the schools, and will be focusing on Georgia Tech on June 9th.

Any advice or recommendations that you might have about pregame tailgate areas, or favorite bbq spots would be really appreciated. We will attribute you and your site as the source. If you would prefer that we not link to your site, please let me know, and I will remove the link. Thank You for your consideration.

So let's help them out. Key questions


1. Where are the best tailgate spots?
2. What are the best hotels?
3. Where are the best parking spots?
4. Best seats, etc


Just comment here and the map group will check back and read your thoughts as the days go by.

Where are they now - Joe Hamilton

Little Joe Hamilton is headed to the Arena Bowl - continuing to prove that size doesn't matter and that he's a winner - pure and simple..........


WFTV.com - Sports - Orlando Predators Win, Advance To ArenaBowl XX

Avoiding Deja Vu All Over AGain

The Jackets wrapped up the ATL regional with a nice 8-4 win over Vandy. Now they're back in a familiar place - hosting a super-regional, this time against College of Charleston. The star of the series was clearly Matt Wieters. They guy stepped up to the plate 15 times in the regionals and got on base 14 times. Are you kidding me? That includes a pair of key HR blasts in the championship game. This from Vandy's head coach:

"He's like a pro hitter," Vanderbilt coach Tim Corbin said. "He is not going to chase and when he gets his pitch, he is going to do something with it. ... That kid is a Major Leaguer."

So, will the Jackets come through and head to Omaha? Will they break super-regional jinx? Well, they're in position to do it, and that's step #1.


LET'S GO JACKETS!!!!!

Macon Telegraph 06/05/2006 Yellow Jackets march on

Beesball - Story links

Thanks to GT Zealot at the Hive for these links to yesterday's action:

Tech leans on heavy hitters
Down a man, Jackets' outfield continues to produce
Tech feeling Super
Fisher's bat takes over for Tech
VU - Power missing at plate
Georgia Tech wrecks Vandy run
Georgia Tech 7 Vanderbilt 3
'Noles dump Dogs into losers bracket
FSU cripples Dogs' title hopes
Georgia one from done
'Noles get by Georgia
Husker baseball season comes to surprising early end

No. 4 Georgia Tech Advances to NCAA Atlanta Regional Title Game :: The Yellow Jackets defeated Vanderbilt 7-3 on Saturday night.

Nice work by the Jackets, as they will play for the regional title and the chance to move on to the Super Regional.


The ACC in general has had a good weekend, going 12-2 after Saturday's games:


GT 2-0
Clemson 2-0
UNC 2-0
Miami 2-0
FSU 2-0
UVA 1-1
NC St. 1-1


The SEC is 11-5.

No. 4 Georgia Tech Advances to NCAA Atlanta Regional Title Game :: The Yellow Jackets defeated Vanderbilt 7-3 on Saturday night.

David Glenn's ACC Journal: ACC Academic Progress Rates (APR)

David Glenn has some good some on APR and the ACC....

David Glenn's ACC Journal: ACC Academic Progress Rates (APR)

JS Online:Notes: Levens retires as Packer

Very nice gesture on the part of the Green Bay Packers for Dorsey Levens, as he officially retires as a Packer:

In a symbolic move, the Green Bay Packers on Thursday signed former Pro Bowl running back Dorsey Levens so he can officially retire today as a member of the team with which he began his National Football League career.


The transaction was confirmed by general manager Ted Thompson Thursday afternoon through a team spokesman.


Levens, 36, was drafted in the fifth round out of Georgia Tech in 1994 by then-general manager Ron Wolf. He went on to play eight seasons with the Packers and made the Pro Bowl in 1997 after rushing 329 times for 1,435 yards and seven touchdowns and catching 53 passes for 370 yards and five touchdowns.


His 1,435-yard season ranks as the third-best in Packers history, and he also ranks fifth all-time in rushing yards with 3,937 in 1,006 attempts.


Levens signed with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2002 and the New York Giants in 2003 and returned to the Eagles for a final season in 2004. In 11 seasons he rushed 1,242 times for 4,955 yards and 36 touchdowns and caught 304 passes for 2,334 yards and 17 touchdowns.

JS Online:Notes: Levens retires as Packer

NBA Draft Rumors

There are NBA Draft rumors circulating that the Toronto Raptors might trade their upcoming #1 pick to the Portland Trailblazers in a package deal that could send Jarrett Jack to reunite with his buddy to Toronto. Why? Toronto is evidently very interested in drafting Andrea Barganani but think they might be able to trade down and still get him, and pick up a nice point guard along the way. Certainly an interesting thought, having Jack and Bosh back together again, although I'm sure the odds are fairly low of this actually happening..........


On a separate note, evidently Chris Bosh is an artist - this is something he did for a charity event with other "Canadian" sports figures:



In addition, Bosh did a stint during the playoffs with NBAtv as a correspondant. Not bad:


"You REALLY sure Eva is with you?".

NCAA Division I Mens Basketball - CBS SportsLine.com

Interesting article on hoopsters who head to the diamond to play beesball instead, with this mention of Austin Jackson:

Time will tell if Austin Jackson made the right choice. Georgia Tech coach Paul Hewitt thought Jackson -- needed Jackson -- to be his starting point guard this past season. And Jackson expected to become just that, putting the word out to baseball scouts that he planned to play college basketball. That's why Jackson, an outfielder considered one of the 25 best high school prospects in the 2006 draft pool, slipped to the eighth round before being picked by the New York Yankees.


You know the Yankees -- they threw money at Jackson, and the skilled glove man that he is, Jackson caught it. He got a signing bonus of $800,000, a record for an eighth-rounder, and hit .304 in 2005 rookie ball. He's now in Single A Charleston, leading the South Atlantic League in runs scored. The Jackets were forced to play a mediocre shooting guard named Zam Fredrick at the point. The Jackets went 11-17.

NCAA Division I Mens Basketball - CBS SportsLine.com

Tar Heels, Buckeyes top team recruiting rankings

Georgia Tech comes strong with the final Rivals.com team recruiting hoops rankings for the class of 2006.

JacketsOnline.com - Tar Heels, Buckeyes top team recruiting rankings

Tech freshman steps out of brother's shadow

It's obvious that the current Tech team has some good chemisty, as this article shows. The team seems to razz Luke Murton a bit - all in good fun.

"He hits a home run about every other swing in batting practice, but only had two all season," Kindel said. "Then he hit three against Clemson and never shuts up about it."

I had to laugh at that one.


Macon Telegraph | 06/01/2006 | Tech freshman steps out of brother's shadow

Beesball - Rockies Rookie left fielder and GT ties

Colorado Rockies' rookie left fielder Matt Holliday happens to be the brother of Georgia Tech hitting coach Josh Holliday:

Is there someone you turn to in your family if you are in a slump?
My brother. I talk to my brother [Georgia Tech hitting coach Josh Holliday] a lot. He knows a lot about hitting and my swing. He's someone I talk to about hitting quite a bit.


Anything in particular you like to discuss with him?
We talk about baseball a lot -- nothing in particular. We talk about his team and our team

Colorado Rockies : News : Colorado Rockies News

Beesball Jackets lose Payne to injury

Not good news heading into the NCAA tourney, but the team will just have to make the best of it.


Macon Telegraph | 06/01/2006 | Tech notebook: Jackets lose Payne to injury

Tech Finds Itself Last at NCAA Golf :: Wayward drives lead to high scores in opening round

Well, not exactly a banner day 1 for the golf team, which pretty much assures them they will not win the thing. However, they can still finish in the top 10 with some strong finishing play. Guess we'll just have to settle for the ACC Championship.


Tech Finds Itself Last at NCAA Golf :: Wayward drives lead to high scores in opening round

Saying all the right things

Our new AD sure does "get it". So he's saying the right things. Now we'll just have to find wait and see if he does the right things too. How about these for quotes:


On winning, quite a different take from Dave Braine:

"I expect to win every game," he said during an interview, relaxing in the office that is still a work in progress. "I don't think we can ask a student-athlete to compete on the court or on the field without expecting to be successful. We want our coaches to play within the rules, graduate their student-athletes and compete at the highest level every week. If they do those three things, we're going to be successful."

On Dave Braine's comment that Tech is one of the toughest jobs in the nation:

"I don't think that next to the service academies we're one of the tougher jobs in the country," he said. "Do we have the resources? Yes. Do we have the population base? Yes. Do we have a supportive, affluent alumni base? Yeah, we've got that. I can tick off plenty of schools that don't have that."

On beating UGA:

"I want to beat Georgia as much as the next guy -- and more," Radakovich said. "But I really want to win championships. We can't win championships just by beating Georgia. That's real important."

And on Tech's success vs UGAg:

"We've won a national championship in football more recently than Georgia. We've been to the Final Four in men's basketball more recently than Georgia," Radakovich said. "I like to look at the glass as half full rather than half empty."

Ledger-Enquirer | 05/30/2006 | Tech's new athletic director moving slowly

Football coaches can challenge calls | ajc.com

Two key rule changes - one in football and one in hoops. Football coaches now have a challenge flag, a la the NFL. In hoops, in an effort to shut up Dick Vitale, players can no longer call a timeout while airborne and headed out of bounds. Good move if you ask me. For me, next should be to get rid of the possesion arrow and go back to good old jump balls.


Football coaches can challenge calls | ajc.com

Georgia Tech Volleyball Recruiting Class Ranked No. 21 by Prepvolleyball.com :: Yellow Jackets have 3 players joining the team in 2006

Another top 25 recruiting class for the volley gals and the top class in the ACC...........


Georgia Tech Volleyball Recruiting Class Ranked No. 21 by Prepvolleyball.com :: Yellow Jackets have 3 players joining the team in 2006

Blackwood Named Academic All-America :: Senior biology major leads Jackets into NCAA Regional

Congrats to our boy Steven Blackwood for making the Academic All-American Team (by ESPN). Look up the definition of student-athlete in the dictionary, and you just might find his picture there. Congrats!!!


Blackwood Named Academic All-America :: Senior biology major leads Jackets into NCAA Regional

Road To Omaha: GT receives #8 Overall seed, hosts Stetson in Atlanta Friday 7PM ET

For the fourth year in a row, the Georgia Tech baseball team has a National seed. This means that hopefully the road to Omaha will have to go through Atlanta. The Jackets will face Stetson in Game 1 on Friday in Atlanta starting at 7pm. The Jackets, who finished 45-16 will face Stetson who finished the season at 38-22. Also in the Atlanta Bracket will be Michigan, and Vanderbilt. If Tech makes it through the bracket, they will face either Kentucky, Ball State, Notre Dame, or the College Of Charleston in the Super Regionals. Tech will play in Atlanta as it continues to advance all the way to Omaha.
Tech Director of Athletics Dan Radakovich was ecstatic about the efforts of the team, and encourages all of the fans in Atlanta to come out and support the boys.

We're really thrilled to be hosting a regional at Russ Chandler Stadium for the fifth straight year," said Tech Director of Athletics Dan Radakovich. "Danny Hall's team has played very well despite some key injuries, and they should be very proud of earning a national seed and the home field advantage that comes with it.

"I encourage all Georgia Tech fans to come out and support the Yellow Jackets in what will be a great weekend of college baseball. We're fortunate to be one of only two schools in the nation to host a regional the last five years, and we want to be able to continue to host year in and year out. Our crowds have been very good all year, and we need to fill up Russ Chandler Stadium, starting Friday."

Buy your tournament book tickets here (Click)

Georgia Tech vs Stetson Gametracker (Friday 7pm ET)

Here is the breakdown of the National seeds.

1. Clemson
2. Rice
3. Texas
4. Alabama
5. Cal State Fullerton
6. Nebraska
7. Georgia Mutts
8. Georgia Tech

Full Field Brackets of The Road to Omaha

Georgia Tech hosts Stetson Friday at 7pm ET (Story)

Tech to Host NCAA Baseball Regional :: Entire field will be announced Monday

Good news, as expected GaTech will host a beesball regional.........


Tech to Host NCAA Baseball Regional :: Entire field will be announced Monday

Sunday Notebook: Dirk Nowitzki

I know this is off subject with GT sports, but i wanted to share this with you guys. It's a feel good story about what athletes probably go through. You need to watch the whole video with Dallas Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki. How many athletes are as courteous as this guy? How many athletes can you think of that would have handled this so professionally? Barry Bonds? uhhh, dont think so. Watch, and i think you'll like Dirk. What a guy Go Jackets!

BEESBALL: CLEMSON SCORES 10 IN THE 9TH TO OUTLAST JACKETS 16-11 IN ACC TOURNEY

Did Clemson really just score 10 runs in the 9th inning? The game was tied at 6 as Tech scored 2 in the bottom of the eighth to tie it. It was almost a replay of the earlier game where Tech rallied, but this time fell short. Well, the Jackets didnt go down without a fight, they came back with 5 runs of their own in the bottom of the ninth. Nice rally by Tech, showed alot of heart. It's not easy to take 2 from the hottest team in the nation in Clemson. I really believe all in all, GT is ready to take a shot at Omaha this year. Good Luck guys!

Beesball - Jackets take down Clemson 8-7

The Jackets score two in the bottom of the 9th to send the game to extra innings, then they won in extras 8-7 versus Clemson. What does that get them? The right to play Clemson again tonight. Stay tuned.............

BEESBALL: GT Advances over Miami in ACC TOurney

The Jackets took care of Miami tonight in the ACC elimination game winning 7-4. Man, if we havent just owned Miami the past week! I'll have more on this later, but GT has to beat Clemson twice tommorrow in order to get to the championship game. The game starts at 1pm and will be televised on CSTV. Go Jackets!

VIDEO: Thaddeus Young

The original video cut and put online by Nathan over at Golden Tornado

Golden Tornado link......

Highlights from the Jordan Classic

More Thaddeus Young Video (Mitchell vs Bolivar)

Golden Tornado link

Tech Baseball Falls to Clemson in ACC Tournament, 3-2

Well, the diamond Jackets made us proud last night. Yes, they lost 3-2, but they forced the hottest team in the country to beat us in the bottom of the 9th with a walk-off hit. Another strong pitching performance, which really bodes well for the potentially sweeter rewards that lie ahead after the ACC Tourney. Jackets face Miami again tonight.


Tech Baseball Falls to Clemson in ACC Tournament, 3-2 :: Yellow Jackets face Miami on Friday at 7 p.m.

Ladies Hoops: Sign Two to More Letters of Intent

Some recruiting news from the lady hoops program


Jackets Sign Two to Letters of Intent :: Brings total to five newcomers in 2006-07

Record Number of Tech Student-Athletes Earn 3.0 GPA :: Twenty-Seven Yellow Jackets Achieve Perfect 4.0

Wow - very impressive for sure........


Record Number of Tech Student-Athletes Earn 3.0 GPA :: Twenty-Seven Yellow Jackets Achieve Perfect 4.0

Beesball - ESPN: Jackets Struggle to stay healthy

Article on Jackets struggles with injuries. By the way UNC and Wake Forest are officially out of the ACC tourney as of now. If Tech beats Clemson tonight, I like our chances of winning this thing.


ESPN.com - NCAA - BA: Yellow Jackets struggle to stay healthy

Trapani's Home Run Lifts Georgia Tech Over Miami in ACC Tournament, 2-1

Jackets win their first outing in the ACC tourney, taking down Miami 2-1 in a pitcher's dual - nice work by Blake Wood!!!


Trapani's Home Run Lifts Georgia Tech Over Miami in ACC Tournament, 2-1 :: Blake Wood pitches 8.1 innings in the win.

The Good Word with Dan Radakovich :: Issue No. 2

Issue #2 from D-Rad. I have to say he's off to a great start as AD, at least from a PR standpoint.

The Good Word with Dan Radakovich
Issue No. 2


May 24, 2006


TO: Fans, Friends, and Supporters of Georgia Tech Athletics


FROM: Dan Radakovich, Georgia Tech Director of Athletics


To start things off, I would like to thank everyone who took the time to respond to the first edition of "The Good Word." We had nearly 100 responses within the first few days, and I want to assure everyone that I personally read each one. As will be the pattern after each edition, I will read all the responses, and in some cases, I or another GTAA staff member will respond to answer specific concerns or questions. The best thing about the feedback is that I will utilize some of the suggestions as "discussion starters" with key members of the staff. Your feedback is very helpful so that we do not take our eyes off the ball in relating to issues that are important to you. We will have several work sessions during the summer where I will reference ideas or suggestions that have been brought to my attention via your responses.


I'm happy to share with you some information regarding football ticket sales for the upcoming season. Sales and marketing initiatives have progressed very well, and with 100 days until the opener against Notre Dame, we have already exceeded our season ticket sales for all of last season. My thanks to all of you who have purchased tickets this season. Additionally, our club seats are nearly 85 percent sold. That is nearly double the total from this time last year. Rest assured our job is not yet complete, and good seats still remain, so please contact our ticket office if you wish to purchase season tickets for what promises to be an exciting season.


Last week I attended my first Atlantic Coast Conference spring meetings, which were held near Jacksonville, Fla. These annual sessions are an opportunity for athletics directors, faculty representatives, head coaches and administrators to meet with each other and with ACC Commissioner John Swofford as well as with key constituents such as bowl representatives and television partners.


One of the issues discussed was the ACC's bowl selection procedure. We are seeking the best formula to ensure that the selection process will reflect and reward what our student-athletes accomplish on the field while still maintaining some needed flexibility for our bowl partners.


As you may have read last week, we voted on future sites for the ACC men's and women's basketball and baseball tournaments. The exciting news for Georgia Tech fans is that the ACC Men's Basketball Tournament was awarded to the Georgia Dome for 2012; the event is already scheduled for Atlanta in 2009.


In addition, Greg Shaheen of the NCAA staff met with the league's men's basketball coaches, who were able to discuss their concerns about the NCAA Tournament selection process.


We had extensive discussions with our television partners: ABC/ESPN, which are the ACC's primary football partners along with Lincoln Financial Services (formerly Jefferson-Pilot); FOX, which airs the highly successful ACC Sunday Night Hoops and takes over the BCS rights; and CBS, which continues to air the NCAA basketball tournament. These conversations also touched on new media methods that are exciting and will continue to place the ACC at the forefront of technology and fan friendliness.


Lastly, regarding the announcement last week by the NCAA Infractions Appeals Committee, while the ruling was not exactly what we had hoped for, we are all ready to put this behind us and move forward.


We're confident that the Institute and the Athletic Association now have the structures, procedures and personnel in place to effectively manage this process. In particular, the addition of experienced staff members in the positions of Director of Compliance (Paul Parker) and Associate Director of Athletics for Academic Services (Phyllis LaBaw) have fortified our operations. Georgia Tech has a tradition of integrity and academic excellence that we are committed to upholding and enhancing.


While I cannot guarantee a personal response to every email that we receive, please know that they will all be read, so I do encourage your participation in this process. Some of your questions could become topics for future issues of The Good Word.


I also encourage you to share this letter with any Tech fan who may not have access to the Internet. Our goal is to inform and engage as many Yellow Jacket supporters as we possibly can.


I want to personally thank you for your continued support of Georgia Tech Athletics as we move forward with our vision for excellence.


Go Jackets!

The Good Word with Dan Radakovich :: Issue No. 2

Hoops - Maryland Guard backs out of commitment

Top 40 Guard Jeff Jones (class of 2007) has decommitted from Maryland's hoops program and is back on the market, citing relationship issues since the departure of assistant coach Rob Moxley (to Charlotte). Prior to his committment to Gary Williams, he was considering Georgia Tech, UVA, UNC, NCST and some Big East teams.


So Georgia Tech recruitniks are asking - is GT in the running? Are they interested? Not sure I have the answer, but here are some thoughts:


1. Tech is looking to fill only one more slot for the class of 2007 to go with Gani Lawall and Lance Storrs


2. They were looking for a Point Guard to fill that slot as the heir apparent to Javaris Crittenton, particularly if he leaves after one season. Ideally, JC stays at least 2 seasons, and the next guy in line gets groomed for at least one season without having to run the team as a starter.


3. If Jones is considered by the staff to be a pure Scoring Guard, then I doubt they make a run at him. With Storrs on board, they have a solid 4-year "glue guy" who does a lot of little things. Jones is considered more of an impact player, but Storrs is the proverbial "bird in the hand" right now. He's on board and we're on board with him. If Jones is a pure SG, my guess is - he snoozed, he loses.


4. If Jones is considered by the staff to be a legitimate Point Guard option, then I see them taking a serious run for a committment. He would basically be vying with guys like Mo Miller, Tyrel Reed, Chris Wright and Jamelle McMillan.


5. One interesting note - Thaddeus Young, Javaris Crittenton AND Jeff Jones will be playing together at the Junior World Championship in Douai, France June 8-11 - link here... Nike Team USA will include TY / JC (GT), Marcus Williams (AZ), Brook / Robin Lopez (Stanford 7 foot twins), Nic Wise (FL), Chase Budinger (AZ), Samardo Samuels (high school), Vernon Macklin (Georgetown). I know the website does not list Jones, but the team has added Jones and Nick Calathes (FL) to increase perimeter depth and flexibility. I'm not sure exactly what that will mean in this, but it's interesting for sure...... Here's another link with the updated roster...


6. Many Maryland fans seem to think that GT is the front-runner for Jones, for whatever that is worth - probably not much.


7. Lastly, there is a lot of chatter on the 'net about his father's involvement in his recruiting and pulling the strings in the process. Who knows if it's similar to a Zam situation, but just thought I would point this out. Of course this is nothing but speculation, so now you can disregard it.


H.S. guard reneges on commitment to Maryland - baltimoresun.com

Hoops - Zach Peacock Mention

A nice blurb on hoops incoming recruit Zach Peacock:

VIKINGS' VICTORY: A year after Miami High was the county's basketball capitol, the scene shifted to Norland where the Vikings' girls -- led by UM-bound Eboni Sadler -- finished as the state runner-up and the boys' -- led by Zachery Peacock, Dade's 6A-4A Male Athlete of the Year -- won it all.

Peacock, a Georgia Tech signee, proved he was Dade's best basketball player went it counted most. With Norland and district rival Krop in the midst of a season-long battle, Peacock swung the momentum in the regional finals -- and the teams' fifth meeting. Then at state, the 6-8 forward put the defensive-minded Vikings on his back and upset top-ranked Winter Park in the state final en route to MVP honors.

MiamiHerald.com 05/23/2006 A dozen to remember

ESPN.com - NCF - Maisel: The rites of spring coaching visits

Someone over at the Hive found this article - a cool read with some GT ties................


ESPN.com - NCF - Maisel: The rites of spring coaching visits

Lunch Bunch Report - Wes Durham 5/22/06 - www.scout.com

Great report on Wes Durham's appearance at the Lunch Bunch. Note key marketing changes to help with recruiting - including a change in format for the TV show and running it at midnight on Friday's (after high school games are over), the change in the radio show, etc. ............

Lunch Bunch Report - Wes Durham 5/22/06 - www.scout.com

Payne, Hodges, Kindel and Wieters Earn All-ACC Honors :: Tech places four or more on the all-ACC team for the 12th straight year.

All ACC honors are in for the diamond Jackets.


Payne, Hodges, Kindel and Wieters Earn All-ACC Honors :: Tech places four or more on the all-ACC team for the 12th straight year.

Tech Baseball Earns No. 4 Seed at ACC Tournament :: Yellow Jackets face #5 seed Miami on Wednesday aqt 4 p.m.

Details on the ACC Tourney....................


Tech Baseball Earns No. 4 Seed at ACC Tournament :: Yellow Jackets face #5 seed Miami on Wednesday aqt 4 p.m.

Gailey gets trip back to past

Very nice article about Gailey at the Macon Touchdown Club meeting. Note that in attendence was Georgia Tech recruit Correy Earls, and check out the wink-and-nod to Earls when discussing Calvin Johnson:

Wide receiver Calvin Johnson is a hot topic, whether you're a Jacket, Jackets fan, opponent, or cornerback, let alone message boards and upper-deck offensive coordinators. Yes, Gailey knows - contrary to what some Jackets faithful think - getting the ball to him is good.

'Like I don't realize that he's the best player in the whole Southeast,' Gailey said. 'I'm trying to get the ball just as hard ... to him, I can promise you that.'
But between protection, coverage, double and triple teams, and proper offensive reads, it's not as easy as just throwing it to him. And Johnson isn't the type to use too much on reverses.

'He's not a reverse runner,' Gailey explained. 'He's not a guy you can put in the backfield or get the ball in his hands in other ways, like maybe another person in this room. You can do that with him, whoever that might be.'

And he nodded with a smile at Earls, sitting with Central head coach Anthony Hines and Chargers assistants and a couple teammates.

Gailey gets trip back to past

2006 Preseason Heisman 100 - Reggie Ball #81

From CFN on their top 100 Heisman candidates:

81. QB Reggie Ball, Georgia Tech – Hey, stranger things have happened. Ball’s been one of the nation’s least consistent quarterbacks the last three years, throwing too many picks and giving up too many sacks, but strides were made, and as long as Calvin Johnson is healthy, the potential is there for solid senior year.

2006 Preseason Heisman 100

Football Recruit Wins State ShotPut Title

One of the top performances in the meet came in throws with Greenbrier Christian Academy senior Trevor Bray throwing for a personal best mark of 56 feet to win the shot put competition by a dominant margin of nearly five feet.

MileStat.com

BASKETBALL: 2008 CLASS: Jarvis Jones

Jarvis Jones, who played with Thaddeus Young at Mitchell High School in Memphis has added Georgia Tech to his list of 4 schools that he will choose from. Memphis is starting to become a GT hotbed with Paul Hewitt. Jones played last week in the Wallace Prather Memorial Classic at Georgia Tech. Jones poured in 42 points in one game which included 11 three-pointers (WOW!). He has already visited Georgia Tech with Thaddeus Young last season, and he loves Atlanta. Jones said Georgia Tech is "HIGH" on his list.

"When nobody else was recruiting me, they were," Jones said. "They got in first. I want a good education and good surroundings."

Jones lists his four schools as Georgia Tech, Illinois, Florida, and Tennessee

2007 Class News: The following players are considering GT
Commited: Gani Lawal and Lance Storrs

OJ Mayo - No.1 ranked Senior to be in the country will choose from Kansas State, Cincinnati, Connecticut, Duke, Florida A&M, Georgia Tech, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisville, Michigan State, North Carolina, Ohio State, Texas, West Virginia

Chris Wright PG Washington D.C - Moving up everyone's list quickly will choose from Clemson, Georgetown, Georgia Tech, North Carolina State, Villanova, Wake Forest, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Connecticut, Illinois, Maryland, Miami (Fl)

Julian Vaughan 6-9 240 Reston, Va - Top 30 prospect will choose from North Carolina, Georgetown, Maryland, North Carolina State, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest, Duke, Georgia Tech, Georgia

James Harden 6-4 185 Lakewood, Calif - Top 30 prospect narrowed it to Connecticut, Georgia Tech, Texas, UCLA, USC, Washington State

Corey Stokes (St. Benedict Prep) Newark, NJ 6-5/185 Top 35
Connecticut, Villanova, Duke, Florida, Georgetown, Georgia Tech, Kansas, Louisville, Marquette, North Carolina, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, Seton Hall, St. John's, Syracuse, Wake Forest

More names on Tech's radar for 2007:
Top 50
Darquavis Tucker (Arthur Hill HS) Saginaw, MI 6-5/180
Anthony McClain (National Christian Academy) Fort Washington, MD 7-0/220

Jai Lucas - Houston, TX
Tyrell Reed - Burlington, KS

Just a list of names guys, alot of guys considering GT. If we can just get 2 of these guys, we'll be great.

Football - GT - MTSU to play 3 game series

It's not finalized yet, but appears that MTSU will play Georgia Tech in ATL in 2010 and 2012, while we will go on the road to play them in 2011. Funny how these scheduling things typically work - it's ties and relationships. Who knows who. In this case our new AD worked with the MTSU AD while they were collegues at South Carolina. Dig deep enough and you'll always find some personal tie, and usually you don't have to go too far.


The Daily News Journal - www.dnj.com -

Beesball - Wes Hodges on All-ACC Access

Thanks again to GTbuzz2005 for posting these online:

Beesball - Stephen Blackwood Interview

Thanks to GTbuzz2005 for posting this interview online:

NCAA: Good news, bad news for GT Football

The NCAA announced today that the Georgia Tech football team would not have to forfeit games from a six year span, as originally thought. The bad news, is that GT still will not be able to recoup the scholarships that were lost as a result. All in all Wayne Clough was pleased with the result.

"We take certification of athletic eligibility seriously and have strengthened the system to help ensure that we are fully compliant in the future," Clough said in a statement released by the school.

"Additionally, we are particularly appreciative that the committee determined that the football team's records should stand. I am personally pleased that we are now able to close this issue and put it behind us."

The NCAA accepted Tech's self-imposed reductions of 3.90 scholarships in men's track and field and two scholarships in women's track and field for the 2005-06 and 2006-07 academic years.

A violation also was found in the women's swimming program, but the swimmer involved was not on scholarship, so that program was not penalized with a scholarship reduction.
Also, GT's 1998 ACC Championship stands, so they can keep the rings.
There were no TV or bowl restrictions placed on the football program. Like Wayne said we should be happy it's all behind us now, and we can still play football.

Ish Muhammad to sign with the ABA's Knoxville Noise; Tarver as well?

Looks like the Ish will sign a contract for the 2006-2007 ABA season with the Knoxville Noise of the ABA. It also looks like Gavin Raiteri, CEO and co-owner of the team is pretty excited about signing Muhammad.

"We're thrilled to have a player of his caliber coming to this city and this team. He's going to bring an exciting above-the-rim style of basketball to the city. It's going to be something the fans will not want to miss."

And look who else is going to Join Muhammad on the team

Coming to Noise tryouts along with Isma'il will be his former Yellow Jacket teammate, Theodis Tarver, as well as his older brother Aleem Muhammad. Tarver is a 6'9" center who will bring some size and power to the Knoxville Noise. He is an outstanding shot blocker and an excellent post defender. He was a member of the 2003-2004 Georgia Tech squad that reached the Final Four in the NCAA tournament.

If you read the article, the nice thing about all of this is that two members of the Knoxville Noise family, team President Ashley Raiteri and his father Mark Raiteri are former Yellow Jackets themselves. They are pretty excited about bringing Muhammad and Tarver along.

"I'm so excited to have these talented players possibly playing for the Noise. I've been following Georgia Tech basketball for years and knowing that they might be coming to play for my team is just amazing."

Muhammad to sign with the ABA's Noise, Tarver too?

3 and Done: ED Nelson cut by Rams

This just out from the AP. 3 days of minicamp, and the Rams said "Goodbye Ed" I have to laugh at this one a little bit, but oh well. Good luck Mr. Nelson.

Former UConn basketball player Ed Nelson's experiment with NFL football is over, at least for now.

Nelson, who signed a free-agent contract with the Saint Louis Rams, was cut yesterday after a three-day minicamp.

The 6-foot-8, 265-pound Nelson had not played football since his freshman year of high school.

Hoops Recruiting: Al-Farouq Aminu narrows it down to final six schools

Al-Farouq Aminu , one of the best players in the state of Georgia has announced his final 6 schools from which he will choose from. The great news here is that Georgia, who was one of the schools that Aminu was high on, apparently has been eliminated. Aminu's final six schools are Clemson, Tenn, UCONN, Georgia Tech, Florida, and Wake Forest. Some more good news is that Aminu is great friends with Tech signee Gani Lawal. If you had to ask me what way the younger Aminu is leaning with the top six, well just read what he had to say. Still 2 years away, but good news anyway.

"I see them everyday(GT). I like how they play and the way get up and down," Aminu said. "It might give them an edge over some other schools. I might know more about (Georgia Tech) than other ones. But I want to get out and see the other schools too."

Maurice Miller should announce his college decision soon as well. Looks like Tech will have Gani Lawal, Lance Storrs, and is a strong contender for "Mo" Miller to round out the class of 2007. Houston's Deandre Jordan a 6-11 center also had listed GT high on his list. The problem with Jordan though, is that he may not fit in academically. Correction: Aminu is in the Class of 2008.

Entertainment Interlude

If you're a fan of the Simpsons, check this out.

Football - Pre-Seaon All-ACC

Sporting News announces their football pre-season All-ACC team. Here you go:

FIRST TEAM OFFENSE
Pos. Name, School Ht. Wt. Cl.
QB Kyle Wright,
Miami 6-4 220 Jr.
RB Micah
Andrews, Wake Forest 5-10 215 Jr.
RB James Davis, Clemson 5-11 210
So.
WR Calvin Johnson, Georgia Tech 6-4 235 Jr.
WR Greg Carr, Florida
State 6-6 200 So.
TE Greg Olsen, Miami 6-5 252 Jr.
C Leroy Harris, N.C.
State 6-3 300 Sr.
G Josh Beekman, Boston College 6-2 325 Sr.
G Roman Fry,
Clemson 6-4 295 Sr.
T Jared Gaither, Maryland 6-9 330 So.
T Steve
Vallos, Wake Forest 6-3 290 Sr.


FIRST TEAM DEFENSE
DE Gaines Adams, Clemson 6-5 265 Sr.
DE Baraka
Atkins, Miami 6-4 264 Sr.
DT Andre Fluellen, Florida State 6-4 286 Jr.
LB
Buster Davis, Florida State 5-10 240 Sr.
LB KaMichael Hall, Georgia Tech 6-0
225 Sr.
LB Vince Hall, Virginia Tech 6-0 236 Jr.
LB Anthony Waters,
Clemson 6-3 240 Sr.
CB Kenny Scott, Georgia Tech 6-2 185 Sr.
CB John
Talley, Duke 5-11 180 Sr.
S Brandon Meriweather, Miami 6-0 188 Sr.
S Aaron
Rouse, Virginia Tech 6-4 221 Sr.


FIRST TEAM SPECIALISTS
K Jad Dean, Clemson 5-11 205 Sr.
P Adam
Podlesh, Maryland 6-0 192 Sr.
KR Darrell Blackman, N.C. State 5-10 209
Jr.


PLAYERS OF THE YEAR
Offense: Calvin Johnson, WR, Georgia
Tech
Defense: Brandon Meriweather, S, Miami


SECOND TEAM OFFENSE
Pos. Name, School Ht. Wt. Cl.
QB Drew
Weatherford, Florida State 6-3 220 So.
RB Andre Brown, N.C. State 6-0 232
So.
RB Branden Ore, Virginia Tech 5-11 204 So.
WR Ryan Moore, Miami 6-3
215 Sr.
WR Chansi Stuckey, Clemson 6-0 185 Sr.
TE Tom Santi, Virginia 6-5
238 Jr.
C Dustin Fry, Clemson 6-3 315 Sr.
G James Marten, Boston College
6-8 315 Sr.
G Derrick Morse, Miami 6-4 295 Jr.
T Andrew Gardner, Georgia
Tech 6-6 290 So.
T Mario Henderson, Florida State 6-7 304 Sr.


SECOND TEAM DEFENSE
DE Chris Ellis, Virginia Tech 6-5 250 Jr.
DE
Chris Long, Virginia 6-4 278 Jr.
DT Conrad Bolston, Maryland 6-3 285
Sr.
LB Jon
Abbate, Wake Forest 5-11 245 Jr.
LB Xavier Adibi, Virginia Tech 6-2 224
Jr.
LB Jon Beason, Miami 6-0 225 Jr.
LB Brian Toal, Boston College 6-1 238
Jr.
CB Josh Wilson, Maryland 5-10 182 Sr.
CB Marcus Hamilton, Virginia
5-11 187 Sr.
S Josh
Gattis, Wake Forest 6-1 212 Sr.
S Kenny Phillips, Miami 6-2 200
So.


SECOND TEAM SPECIALISTS
K Brandon Pace, Virginia Tech 5-10 196 Sr.
P
Nic Schmitt, Virginia Tech 6-2 273 Sr.
KR Brandon Tate, North Carolina 6-1
193 So.


NEWCOMERS OF THE YEAR
Offense: Sergio Render, G, Virginia
Tech
Defense: Myron Rolle, SS, Florida State

Certainly some GTech love there with C.Johnson, K.Scott and K-Mike on 1st team, CJ Offensive POY, Andrew Gardner 2nd team. Seems to me that the biggest absense might be Philip Wheeler.

Sporting News Lists Andrews, Vallos As First Team Preseason All-ACC :: Abbate, Gattis selected to publication's second team

Prime Time, Prime Time, Prime Time

We reported it unofficially a number of weeks back. Now it's official, only better. Not only will Georgia Tech be playing Notre Dame in primetime on a national television audience in Atlanta on the opening weekend of the 2006 college football season - the game will be televised by ABC and ESPN's college gameday crew will be setup on campus all day.


So let's review


- Opening weekend of college football season - Sept 2
- Georgia Tech vs Notre Dame
- in Atlanta
- 8:00 pm game
- national television audience
- ABC Primetime
- ESPN College Game day crew on campus all day


ESPN.com - NCF - ABC to broadcast 12 prime-time Saturday games


RamblinWreck story


ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL ????!!!!!!

Where are they now - Gerris Wilkinson

Sad but well done article on Gerris Wilkinson on his first Mother's Day since the passing of his mom.

"We never really knew how serious it was," said Wilkinson, who spent his final season working on a second degree, in International Affairs. "She came to my first game in mid-September, and then she went back to California. And that's when she really started to go down."


The sad phone call came as a surprise, but Wilkinson played, anyway. He made six tackles and helped hold the Hurricanes to 30 yards rushing, 237 total yards, and a 1-for-14 third-down conversion rate.


The game, he said, was actually the easiest part of the week. He blocked everything out and just played football.


"People always say that's what she would have wanted me to do. And my family gave me their blessing to do it," Wilkinson said.


"It wasn't hard. It was kind of an inspiration. And it just let me go out there and get my mind off it, too."

That performance became a big reason the Giants drafted him in the third round.

Giants' rookie has a heavy heart

Where are they now - Jarrett Jack

...back in the ATL getting his degree - that's where. It is incredibly rewarding to read articles like the one below. For me having high character kids should be goal #1 - then the talent. In Jarrett, we were able to enjoy 3 years of both and now he's making good on year 4 so he can walk the walk and tell people he's a graduate of the Georgia Institute of Technology. Jarrett - you da man!!!!


Mom's gift is making Jack a class act

Tech's Joseph gets new 3-year contract | ajc.com

Dan Radakovich makes one of the most important decisions an AD can make - hiring head coaches. He has elected to extend our ladies hoops' coach MaChelle Joseph's contract for another 3 years. Congrats MJ!!! Now it time to turn those recruiting successess off the court into stronger success on the court. We're with you.

Tech's Joseph gets new 3-year contract ajc.com

ACC expansion proves wise | ajc.com

The ACC cronies are celebrating and whooping it up at their spring meeting. The ACC dominated the NFL draft with more selections than any other conference - ever, more 1st round picks than anyone - ever, more defensive picks than anyone - ever. Throw in the fact that the ACC had the highest TV ratings of ANY conference last year according to ESPN, and you have quite a story brewing - at least for football. The hoops coaches didn't have quite the same story to tell, but just wait until this season - the ACC will be back - well, at least where Jacket fans hope it will be.

ACC expansion proves wise ajc.com

Where are they now - Eric Henderson

Nice article on Eric Henderson. There is no doubt that EVERY Jacket fan wishes huge success for this young man. He's dealt with more in his young life than most in a lifetime. EH - all the best. GO JACKETS!!!


Uphill battle for ex-Jacket ajc.com

Coach Charlton Young is no longer a candidate for the men's basketball assistant | Chattanooga Times Free Press

Ok - I get it now Coach Charlton Young - maybe you were playing the "game". Turns out you are not going to interview for the Tennessee job but you did have a conversation with Bruce Pearl and it comes at a time when you are re-negotiating your contract with Jackets. Got it now. It's all clear.

Coach Charlton Young is no longer a candidate for the men's basketball assistant Chattanooga Times Free Press


Now, how do I feel about that? I mean, if it's good enough for Rick Barnes and John Calipari it's good enough for you, right? There are a LONG list of coaches that have used interest from another school to get a salary bump. I guess that's free market economics in the true sense, right? For me I'm not so sure I would go find a suitor ONLY to get a salary bump, although if I was interested in testing the market for my services and that was an outcome, so be it............ So you're out of the doghouse from my perspective. Glad you really are a Jacket. I liked what you brought from day 1 and glad you're still on board. I hope it is a long-term wish to stay with one program for awhile.

Chan Gailey Radio Interview

Right Click here to listen or download the Rivals.com Radio interview with Chan Gailey. Good interview overall. Some notes:

- Patrick Nix taking over playcalling has been in the works for a long time. Just a matter of time and seemed like a great time to do it. Great players returning and great ideas for our offense.
- I have to make a clean break. Can't do it in increments.
- Calvin Johnson is the best size / speed / hand-eye coordination guy he's ever coached - best he's every been around. He stills needs more experience like everyone but that's just time. The sky's the limit for him. The challenge is getting a great WR the ball. It's a lot harder to get a great WR the ball than it is a great RB or a great QB. Rest assured we're doing everything we can do to get him the ball
- on spread offense -
- on defense - challenge is secondary - only one returning starter. Front 7, if healthy, will be as good as we've ever been at Tech. But secondary will require guys to step up and fill some holes.
- on contract extension. You just can't recruit without long term stability. If "I" was a kid I would look at it.

Beesball - Jackets fall

Always a bad night when the Jackets lose to UGAg.


No. 16 Georgia Stops No. 9 Georgia Tech at Turner Field, 5-4 :: Bulldogs win in 11 innings.

Where are they now - Zam Fredrick

Well, it's official - Zam "Buck" Fredrick is going to be a USC Gamecock........... This version has a little insight from Zam Senior:

The elder Fredrick says his son didn't seem a good fit with Georgia Tech. "Instead of fighting through it for four years and not really enjoy yourself, you make a change," he said. "Now, he can seek the peace and happiness he deserves."

If that is truly what Buck wants then I am happy that this worked out for him. I can only hope that the last chapter in this story is a good one for Zam. It's too bad he didn't find his niche at Georgia Tech, but that doesn't make him a bad guy. Zam, all the best - good luck......... until "we" meet again.

Football - Athlon 2006 Season Cover

Here's the regional ACC cover with Calvin Johnson and James Davis:

Message from D-Rad

Well, Georgia Tech's new AD Dan Radakovich has started the first in a series of fireside chats he cleverly calls "The Good Word with Dan Radakovich". Have to give some props for that. Anyhow, here is the full message from D-Rad:

The Good Word with Dan Radakovich
Message from the Director of Athletics
May 9, 2006


TO: Fans, Friends, and Supporters of Georgia Tech Athletics
FROM: Dan Radakovich, Georgia Tech Director of Athletics


I'm excited to launch this series of letters to you, our supporters of Georgia Tech Athletics, to outline our vision for excellence for your athletics program. "The Good Word" will deliver to you regular updates on the issues facing our athletics program as well as provide a forum for feedback and discussion on topics that are important to you.


Our vision is simple but challenging: to position Georgia Tech to be one of the top athletics programs in the nation - year in and year out - for the next quarter of a century.


Let me begin this first letter by telling you a few things that are important for our future.


First, Georgia Tech needs to alter the way business is conducted in the Athletic Association. We must become more transparent in our dealings and more cognizant of the needs of our customers.


Second, we must grow our customer base. Our location in the city of Atlanta provides tremendous marketing opportunities, but we must provide value for the competitive entertainment dollar. We must make each customer feel that no matter the outcome of the contest they have attended, they made a wise choice by attending a Tech event.


Third, we must value our product. College athletics has grown into a very large industry, one that requires a substantial revenue stream each and every year. In subsequent writings, I will detail more about our financial status, both present and future, and how we may need to alter our current business practices to achieve a level of financial stability.


Over my first six weeks on the job, I have met with many Tech alums and supporters. One message has come through loud and clear: There is a deep passion for the Institute and a great sense of philanthropy. We must continue to capitalize on that generosity and grow it to constituents who may reside outside the current Tech family. We need to announce that there is room on the Ramblin' Wreck for everyone.


In the coming months, through this correspondence, I will continue to paint a detailed picture of the state of Georgia Tech Athletics so that you can have a better understanding of our goals and plans.


We have some very important decisions to make in the near future. We want you to play a role in the future success of Tech Athletics, so we welcome your feedback at goodword@athletics.gatech.edu


While I cannot guarantee a personal response to every email that we receive, please know that they will all be read, so I do encourage your participation in this process. Some of your questions could become topics for future issues of the The Good Word.


I also encourage you to share this letter with any Tech fan who may not have access to the Internet. Our goal is to inform and engage as many Yellow Jacket supporters as we possibly can.


I want to personally thank you for your continued support of Georgia Tech Athletics as we move forward with our vision for excellence.


Go Jackets!

Football Recruiting - Jackets land a LB

Coach Gailey and crew land verbal committment #3 with Johnson County High School linebacker Brad Jefferson. He's a 6'2" 205lb standout who also excels at track, starring in the 110m hurdles. He clocked a 4.6 in the 40and benches 355lb. He also had offers from Clemson, Duke, Florida and Maryland - a strong ACC flavor.

Scout Profile - Has Brad at 6-0 210
Rivals Profile- Has Brad at 6-2 205

Scott Kennedy at Scout.com has him in his GA Top 30 and will be a 3-star minimum guy when the rankings coming out, and it seems that he may have been Tech's top LB target for this class.

georgia.scout.com/3/hsgeorgia2007.html

Seems like yet another very good committment and another strong get in the state. A nice combination of strength and speed......... and the staff's renued focus in state seems to be paying off. GO JACKETS!!!!!!!

Hoops - Charlton Young Wants Out???

I'm sorry but this just doesn't feel right to me. It's official that one season after joining the Jackets as an assistant, Charlton Young is interviewing for an assistant position with Tennessee.


KnoxNews: Vol Basketball


Sorry, I don't get it. Only last month, Young had this to say when it was rumored he was in the running:

Georgia Tech assistant Charlton Young, who spent seven years on Cliff Ellis' Auburn staff and was associate head coach at UT-Chattanooga under Jeff Lebo in 2004-05, laughed off the notion that he was interested in the opening.

"I'm not a candidate. That's message-board stuff," Young said, when reached by telephone Monday. "They've got me going everywhere this year. I'm a Georgia Tech guy."

Coach Young, please explain to Jacket fans what has changed. Please explain why you lied last month and said that you're "a Georgia Tech guy" all the way. Please explain to Jacket fans what the motivation is for you to go from an assistant in the top conference in the nation to an assistant in the SEC? If there is some hometown motivation or Bruce Pearl is an old mentor of yours, ok. Just let us know why you are interested in leaving with such an outstanding recruiting class coming in. Why have you bounced around so much during your coaching career and now want to do it again? I'm only saying these things because many fans like what you've brought to the team, both in recruiting and instruction. But ok, if you want out, we wish you the best. We just don't understand. What aren't you finding for yourself here in ATL that you think you're going to get elsewhere. I just hope there's not "more to this story", as Paul Harvey would say........

Hoops - Large Turnaround Coming?

Funny thing about expectations. Last year we all expected a drop-off in results, and that's what we got. However, I don't think anyone anticipated the drop that occurred. Now expectations are going 180 degrees the other direction. The irony - one of the reasons for the positive expectations is the return of mostly the same crew that sent us to the near bottom of the ACC. Yes, everyone recognizes the potential impact of Javaris Crittenton and Thaddeus Young and possibly the savior of the universe - Muha......... However, what it reallys says is that people recognize the existing talent coming back. The key to our success really falls on their development, as they are the foundation of the program - guys like Dickey, Smith, Morrow, Clinch, Bell, Aminu, West, etc.

The expectations bandwagon is rolling - time to get on.......
NCAA Division I Mens Basketball - CBS SportsLine.com

Hoops - Hewitt building the base

Coach Hewitt is doing a great job building a sold recruiting base in the state of GA. That continues as GT will host the 1st Annual Wallace Prather Memorial AAU Classic. Almost every GA AAU team will be there. This from RamblinRed over at theHive:

Both Lawal and Storrs will be there with the GA Stars Under 17 squad. Mo Miller
will be here with Team Memphis. Thompkins and Singleton will be playing on
Celtics under-16 squads. Some other 2008 and 2009 targets that will be on campus
include Xavier Gibson, Derrick Favors, Carter McMasters, Romero Osby, Lance
Stephenson. There will also be other ACC signees here - particularly from the DC
Assualt squad.Here is the schedule http://www.atlantaceltics.com/ced/Tournament%20Schedule.pdf

Wallace Prather Memorial AAU Classic at GT this weekend - www.scout.com

Tech Places Three on All-ACC Golf Team :: Heppler Named Coach of the Year, Tringale Named Freshman of the Year

Awards abound for Tech golfers - 3 guys on the all-ACC team, the Freshman of the year, the coach of the year, it's all good folks!! Only one thing would cap off the year- an NCAA title.....

Tech Places Three on All-ACC Golf Team :: Heppler Named Coach of the Year, Tringale Named Freshman of the Year

Where are they now - hoopsters

Good article on what's happening with former Tech hoops players and their status getting a degree. No word on Jack, Bynum or Bosh in terms of progress towards a degree, but Elder, Schenscher and McHenry are all enrolled for classes this summer. Way to go guys!!


Muhammad, West Have More Basketball Left :: Three other 2005 seniors enrolled for summer school

Football - Booker transferring to GT

JacketsOnline.com - Booker transferring from Auburn; headed to ACC

The rumors were correct - QB Calvin Booker is headed to Georgia Tech. At minimum this gives us another live arm to compete for the job after Reggie Ball's eligibility is done after this season. Welcome aboard Calvin............ GO JACKETS!!!

Football Recuiting: Rating The Raters

All you recruit-niks take note - a Michigan blogger has taken on Rivals.com in determining how well they really did picking the top 100 football recruits of 2002. Their conclusion - they did pretty darn well. They completed the top 50 and the next 50 will be posted later.......... Check it out.


mgoblog: Rating The Raters: 2002 Rivals 100 Part I


Having read that, it just confirms my overall conclusion - the challenge is NOT ranking the top 100, it's the next 300 that are the challenge. What would be REALLY interesting is to see how Rivals.com and Scout.com did after you passed the top 100, because that's where they really should be judged. Everybody follows the top kids, and you can bet a 5-star kid has a pretty good chance of being successful at the D-I level. Take Calvin Johnson - 5-stars - good call. Duhhh. .............. However, start getting into the 2-4 star kids and it's a real crap shoot. That is where college coaches really earn their money - talent evaluation of the kids NOT at the top. Because do you think for a second that Rivals.com and Scout.com can really evaluate 500+ kids fairly with their small staff of people? No way.

Beesball: #10 Jackets finish off sweep of South Florida

The Georgia Tech baseball team sweeps South Florida this weekend. Outside the ACC the Jackets are one tough team. A very good performance against a pretty good South Florida baseball team. The 10th ranked Jackets improve to 36-12 on the season, and should move up in the rankings this week. Go Jackets!

Andy Hawranick drove in two runs and John Goodman went five innings in his first college start to lead Georgia Tech to a 4-3 victory Saturday night and a sweep of a doubleheader with South Florida.

The Yellow Jackets (36-12) won the afternoon opener 7-2 as freshman David Duncan allowed one unearned run in eight innings and Jeff Kindel had three hits, including a home run.

The victories over USF (20-28) improved the Yellow Jackets record to 22-2 against teams outside the Atlantic Coast Conference.

#10 Georgia Tech sweeps South Florida (Story)

Hoops - ACC / Big 10 Challenge Announced

Match-ups have been announced and the Jackets will face Penn St......... The worst news of all this - our game will be televised on ESPN-U, which means virtually nobody will see it. Guess that's what we get for stinking up the court last season.......... No doubt the marquee match-up will be UNC / Ohio State, with both teams bringing in the top 2 recruiting classes in the nation and buckets of talent.


2006 ACC/Big Ten Challenge Schedule (ALL TIMES ET)
Monday, Nov. 27
Michigan at N.C. State- 7 p.m.- ESPN2


Tuesday, Nov. 28
Maryland at Illinois- 7 p.m.- ESPN
Florida State at Wisconsin- 7:30 p.m.- ESPN2
Penn State at Georgia Tech - 8 p.m.- ESPNU
Indiana at Duke-9 p.m.- ESPN
Miami at Northwestern- 9:30 p.m.- ESPN2


Wednesday, Nov. 29
Michigan State at Boston College-7 p.m.-ESPN
Virginia at Purdue-7:30 p.m.-ESPN2
Iowa at Virginia Tech-8 p.m.-ESPNU
Ohio State at North Carolina-9 p.m.-ESPN
Clemson at Minnesota-9:30 p.m.-ESPN2


2006 Challenge highlights:
Challenge Rematch: College basketball tradition-rich programs Duke and Indiana will meet for the second consecutive year Tuesday, Nov. 28 at 9 p.m. on ESPN. The Hoosiers rank third all-time with five national titles, while the Blue Devils rank fifth with three. Duke, the only team to go undefeated in the Challenge at 7-0, won last year's game 75-67.

Where are they now - Zam Fredrick

It's sad to relegate Zam to the "where are they now" segment, but there really are questions about where he might end up. South Carolina just accepted the transfer of PG Devan Downey from Cincy and that raises huge scholarship availability questions for Buck. Looks like he might need to head to a good mid-major program or let dear ole dad pay for his education and let him be a walk-on at USC. Could happen.

Hoops Recruiting

Chris Singleton, one of the top prospects in the state of GA for the class of 2008 has narrowed his list to 4 schools, and Georgia Tech is on that list. Singleton is a 6'8" guy with a wingspan like a condor. The 2008 class out of Georgia will be interesting because there are at least 3 guys all in the 6'7" - 6'9" range (Singleton, Howard Thompkins and Al-Farouq Aminu, Alade's "little" bro) that all have the Jackets high on their list. Thompkins is ranked as the top guy in the state by Rivals, with Singleton at #3 and Aminu #7. Should be interesting......

Hoops - Pre-Season Polls

Rivals.com and their panel of experts has the Jackets tied with UConn at #14 in their pre-season hoops poll. Obviously the addition of JC and TY makes a difference:

14t. Georgia Tech (40) 11-17
Could the Jackets go from one of the worst teams in the ACC to one of the best? The addition of two top-10 recruits, Javaris Crittenton and Thaddeus Young, made believers out of our panel.

Where are they now - PJ Daniels

Sports Illustrated on PJ Daniels and the Ravens' draft:

RAVENS: You bet I like drafts that lead off with two big guys, DT Haloti Ngata 338 pounds, and they say he still has some growing to do (Did I ever tell you why I really like King Kong? Because there's a guy who won't take any guff from the airlines), and Chris Chester, an athletic center who pulls out and leads plays. The sleeper light is flashing -- P.J. Daniels, a gusty little former walk-on RB who you might say would give Jamal Lewis a run for it if you were foolish enough to believe that these competitions are anything close to being fair.

Hoops - Finding that Mid-Major future star coach

Interesting article about NCST's hoops head coaching search as it relates to finding a mid-major guy ready to breakout - a la Paul Hewitt and even Bobby Cremins. Note the backgrounds of the current ACC coaches:

School .............Coach .............Previous school
Boston College .....Al Skinner ........Rhode Island
Clemson Oliver .....Purnell ...........Dayton
Duke ...............Mike Krzyzewski....Army
Florida State ......Leonard Hamilton ..Miami
Georgia Tech .......Paul Hewitt .......Siena
Maryland ...........Gary Williams .....Ohio State
Miami ..............Frank Haith .......Texas (asst.)
North Carolina .....Roy Williams ......Kansas
Virginia ...........Dave Leitao .......DePaul
Virginia Tech ......Seth Greenberg ....South Florida
Wake Forest ........Skip Prosser ......Xavier

What's Buzzin'

Aside from Gerris Wilkinson, Dawan Landry and PJ Daniels getting drafted, four other Jackets signed free agent deals - Chris Reis - Falcons, Damarious Bilbo - Cardinals, Eric Henderson - Bengals, Gavin Tarquinio - Falcons. Congrats to all!!!........... Am I the only one that didn't realize that Danny Payne led the diamond Jackets in batting avg, hits, runs, home runs, total bases, slugging % and stolen bases? ............... Back to football - is this our QB of the future - Josh Nesbitt?................. Back to hoops - evidently the vast majority of Portland Trailblazer fans really like Jarrett Jack and don't want to see him traded.......