Morning, folks. How’re you biding your snow/ice/cold weather time?
I watched “Cool Runnings” with the kids last night. Still a classic. (”Sanka, ya dead?”)
I also found time to watch six grown men pummel a large screen with golf balls.
Quick links: Andruw falls short | Kirby cashing in | Hawks a sleeping giant?
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TAKING A SWING
Credit: Tyler Estep/AJC
Credit: Tyler Estep/AJC
Pro golfer Justin Thomas joined the ESPN broadcast and told Scott Van Pelt he wasn’t sure what to expect.
Then he stepped into a brightly lit mini-arena with Jeezy blaring. A chain-wearing teammate (Billy Horschel) hit the Dirty Bird. And golf balls started flying toward some sort of (virtual) Mesoamerican temple.
So began last night’s inaugural match of the Atlanta Drive — Arthur Blank’s franchise in the new golf league called TGL.
If it sounds weird, it is. But it’s … also kind of a delight?
️⛳️ It’s a thing where teams of golfers get together semi-regularly at an indoor venue in southern Florida. They’re mic’d up, talk to the broadcasters. And for the first nine holes, they alternate taking shots — the first couple at a fancy version of the same type of golf simulator you’ve probably tried.
The subsequent shots of closer than 50 yards to the pin are played on a real life green-area.
Win a hole, get a point. Unless someone uses “the hammer,” which doubles the value.
Credit: Rebecca Blackwell/AP
Credit: Rebecca Blackwell/AP
There’s a shot clock, too, which plays heartbeat noises (think “Tiger Woods PGA Tour” on PlayStation2) when it gets close to zero.
The last six holes are mostly the same deal, but with one-on-one matchups.️
⛳️ From Uncle Arthur himself (via his people): “From what we’ve seen so far in this inaugural season, it is an opportunity to connect with passionate fans in a new way, while also drawing new audiences to the game.”
I can’t speak to “new” audiences, per se, but ratings have been solid: around 1 million viewers for Woods’ debut with Jupiter Links Golf Club last week.
And the vibes are certainly something.
Celebrities roam the sidelines (Atlanta’s “limited partners” include Luke Combs, Chipper Jones, Matt Ryan and Ryan Seacrest).
The banter’s fun, even if Mr. Thomas and everyone else involved are still feeling their way around the edges.
It feels a bit like watching someone else’s buddies muck around at the world’s nicest Top Golf.
But there are worse ways to spend a couple hours.
The Atlanta Drive, which beat New York 4-0 last night, plays again Feb. 17.
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NUMBER OF THE DAY: 66.2
Credit: AJC file photo
Credit: AJC file photo
That’s the percentage of Hall of Fame ballots Braves great Andruw Jones appeared on this year, his eighth of eligibility. About a five-point increase from last year, and positive vibes moving forward, but shy of the necessary 75%.
He’s got two more years to join last night’s inductees (Ichiro Suzuki, CC Sabathia, Billy Wagner) and a whole host of ‘90s and early 2000s Braves in Cooperstown.
⚾️ One of those former teammates, Chipper Jones, had social media thoughts: “ … if Andruw Jones plays for the New York Yankees for 15 years with 10 (Gold Gloves), 400 HRs, 1,300 RBIs … is he a HOFer? Let me answer for you … first ballot!”
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MONEY, MONEY, MONEY
Our pals over on the AJC news side crunched the numbers on Georgia’s highest-paid state employees — and as is usually the case, coaches led the way.
💰UGA football coach Kirby Smart topped the list at $12.2 million in earnings last fiscal year.
💰UGA men’s basketball coach Mike White came in at No. 2 overall, earning about $3.6 million.
💰Georgia Tech football’s Brent Key finished just behind him at $3 million.
Before getting to the highest-earning non-coach, you also have to run through Glenn Schumann, Damon Stoudamire and Mike Bobo.
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HUMP DAY HOOPS
🏀 At 7 p.m. on ESPNU, the struggling Georgia Tech men — just 8-11 in coach Damon Stoudamire’s sophomore season — try to get things rolling at home tonight against Virginia Tech.
“We gotta figure it out,” Stoudamire said. “We’ve been in games, and we’ve had our moments where we gotta win.”
🏀 At 7:30 p.m. on FanDuel Sports South, the suddenly kinda popular Hawks host the Pistons.
Unfortunately, they’ll be without rookie Zaccharie Risacher for at least another week.
🏀 At 9 p.m. on SEC Network, the unranked-again Georgia men hope to take advantage of a break from top 5 action when they visit an underwhelming Arkansas team.
“He’s been there before, he’s going to figure it out,” Bulldog leader Mike White said of Razorbacks coach John Calipari.
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FROM THE PITCH
Atlanta United’s getting ready for a new season under new manager Ronny Deila — who says he’s pleased with the progress so far.
🤔 He declined to comment directly on the potential transfer of old friend Miguel Almiron.
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SNOWY NOSTALGIA
Credit: AP File Photo
Credit: AP File Photo
All this frozen precipitation (and that Eagles-Rams playoff game) got me thinking about the Falcons’ history with cold weather.
Which got me thinking about that snowy 2013 loss to the Packers.
Which got me thinking about the time in 2003 when Mike Vick and Co. became the first team to beat the Packers at Lambeau Field in the playoffs. Ever.
📺 Here’s a fun highlight video, dancing Wade Phillips included.
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ALSO INTERESTING
» Dan Quinn’s new catchphrase: ‘Chin down, keep swinging’
» Falcons’ Chris Lindstrom makes All-NFC team
» Alpharetta football hires former Georgia State assistant
» Cedar Grove hires former longtime Morehouse football coach
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PHOTO OF THE DAY
Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez/AJC
Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez/AJC
Does a photo of snowy rings at Centennial Olympic Park count as sports?
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QUOTE OF THE DAY
“I say this often, and I believe it wholeheartedly: There’s not a city in America that can do that many large-scale sporting events within seven months like Atlanta. There’s not another city that can do that.”
— Dan Corso, president of the Atlanta Sports Council, on the city’s 2025 run of major events.
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Thanks for reading to the very bottom of Sports Daily. Questions, comments, ideas? Contact me at tyler.estep@ajc.com.
Until next time.
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