A few previous stories need updating it would seem.
…First, yesterday’s fantasy of Devin Harris in a Hawks uniform is now out the window, because he was shockingly sent to Utah today (along with Derrick Favors) in exchange for Deron Williams. The Hawks still need a point guard though, and as Michael Mark Bradley writes, the decision to pass on Chris Paul (and Williams) in the 2005 draft still haunts the team. Can’t wait for Bradley’s next column, in which we’ll learn why Kennedy’s trip to Dallas was a bad idea.
(Edit- not sure why I initially called Mark Bradley “Michael.” I’d like to blame it on something, maybe that I was reading a Michael Cunningham article at the same time, or maybe I was perusing the injury list for my 2010 fantasy football team, but really I just screwed up.)
…Oh yeah, the Hawks played a game last night. I would like to provide some insight, but it’d require more effort than the team has displayed of late? We can talk about lineups and personnel all we want, but the central issue is that the team just isn’t playing hard. They’ve dropped four of their last six games, three of which by 15 or more points. Something has to change and soon. As Al Horford tweeted, the team has “some soul searching to do.”
…A couple weeks back, the Falcons desire for a new stadium was just a talking point, but with the re-worked financing agreement between the team and the Georgia World Congress Center, the new crib could become a reality by as early as 2017. When I wrote about the possibility of a new stadium, I was mainly concerned with financing (I wanted the team to pay for all of it) and location (I wanted the team to stay in the city limits). One out of two ain’t bad. The new proposal will call for the city to kick in about half of the funds, with the rest of the bill being covered by the team.
The good news, however, is the new stadium will remain near downtown, adjacent to the Dome. And if you have grown attached to the jagged-roofed, (formerly) teal and mauve palace, fear not. The Dome will remain in tact to will continue to host college athletics such like the Chick-fil-A Bowl and ACC/SEC championship events.
… And lastly, it flew under the radar a bit, but the Braves announced a two-year contract extension for general manager Frank Wren earlier this week. I’ve come full circle on Wren, and am absolutely thrilled to have him as my favorite team’s GM. I take it most other fans who were once critical share that sentiment. He’s made more good moves than bad in his tenure, he’s rebuilt the pitching depth both at the major league level and in the farm system, and he made a huge splash this offseason in trading two minor assets for Dan Uggla. The present day Braves are looking pretty good, and the future looks even better. The extension was well deserved.
