Sports Daily: High school upheaval

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BREAKING THE MOLD

Credit: Jamie Spaar for the AJC

Credit: Jamie Spaar for the AJC

Don’t freak out — but there’s another potentially game-changing idea for Georgia high school sports standing … right … behind you.

Well, technically it’s in an email. Sent to athletic directors across the state today. For an initial vibe check of sorts.

But Todd Holcomb, a longtime AJC contributor and the brains behind GeorgiaHighSchoolFootballDaily.com, has the scoop on the proposal — which he says would represent “an unprecedented and radical way of doing things.”

Namely, cutting the number of state classes by as much as half. Yes, the classes. The things with different numbers of A’s in them.

Basically, we’re talking about limiting the number of classifications and creating regions with more teams, potentially leading to less travel and stronger local rivalries.

🏈 Sprayberry hires new coach, ‘on verge of greatness’

🏈 Evans coach no longer employed by district

The same number of state titles would remain up for grabs, with power rankings used to seed and separate playoff teams.

The latter in and of itself would be a pretty wild departure from business as usual.

“If power rankings are in play, that gives us the flexibility,” said Monroe Area athletic director Eli Connell, who made the pitch. “We owe it to our member schools to think outside the box.”

Such thinking’s already at play in another much-discussed reclassification proposal, too.

That one would effectively do away with school enrollment size as a factor (except as a starting point) — and install a sort of European soccer-style process of promotion and relegation.

There are pros and cons and complications, of course. But columnist Ken Sugiura says changing the 80-something-year-old formula is worth the potential headaches.

GHSA executive director Tim Scott seems to agree, as do I.

The current system is one where, for instance, a handful of schools in DeKalb County opt to eschew any playoff eligibility and play a nonregion schedule because they can’t compete with schools their size.

Which is a bummer for a lot of reasons.

And proof that sometimes you gotta shake things up.

What do you think about all this? Shoot me an email and sound off!

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WEEKEND SAMPLER

Credit: Butch Dill/AP

Credit: Butch Dill/AP

A relatively tame local sports weekend ahead, but there’s still some pretty good action! A few options:

🏐 Today at 7:30 p.m.: Professional volleyball! Really! LOVB Atlanta, a brand-new franchise in a brand-new league, takes on Salt Lake at Gateway Center Arena in College Park. There’s another match at 4:30 p.m. Saturday, too.

Buy tickets here or watch on LOVB.com.

🏈 Saturday at 2:30 p.m.: The Senior Bowl kicks off over in Mobile, Alabama. Five former Georgia players and one from Tech will suit up. The Falcons, who enjoy drafting people from the Senior Bowl, are keeping an eye on pass rush prospects.

Watch on NFL Network and stick with @DOrlandoAJC for on-the-scene updates.

🏀 Saturday at 4 p.m.: UGA men’s basketball hopes to rebound from recent struggles against top-tier teams when it visits No. 4 Alabama. A win could help them scoot back into the AP Top 25 as well.

Tune to ESPN2 to give it a watch.

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ICED OUT

Credit: Rob Gray/AP

Credit: Rob Gray/AP

Hawks guard Trae Young is the NBA’s assist leader and scores nearly 23 points a game. Yet he was not among the All-Star reserves announced last night.

Which, to borrow a phrase from a 20-year-old Miller Lite commercial, is a complete traveshamockery. The folks on social media aren’t having it either.

🗣 And Young was a tad salty, too: “The All-Star game (expletive), I’m used to it now. That type of stuff don’t fuel me. I’ve been there. I was All-Star before tonight and I’ll be an All-Star the rest of my life, regardless of if I’m an All-Star today.”

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READY TO STRIKE?

Fresh off the signing of old friend Miguel Almiron, Atlanta United is close to bringing in striker Emmanuel Latte Lath — for an MLS record-breaking fee of $22 million. The deal would be completed in the next few days.

📱 For some … expert analysis, I checked in with my boss’ United fan group text, where a guy named Gio is excited, deeming the move a pretty good bet even if it is a lot of money.

“I’d also like to go on the record that haters like (fellow group texter) Rolando should be more grateful that this team is at least trying to be ambitious,” he added.

Typical Rolando.

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SPEAKING OF SIGNINGS …

The Dream are evidently set to follow their Brittney Griner acquisition by bringing in three-time All-Star Brionna Jones, a forward who spent her first eight WNBA seasons with the Connecticut Sun.

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PAINFUL MEMORIES, PART II

Credit: AJC File Photo

Credit: AJC File Photo

Yesterday I wrote about physically and emotionally painful injuries in Atlanta sports history — and asked y’all to submit any I didn’t include. You had thoughts!

😭 Reader Michael pointed out that running back Jamal Anderson’s knee injury early in the 1999 season killed any chance the Falcons had of building on the previous year’s Super Bowl momentum.

😖 Reader John rightfully suggested I should’ve included United’s Josef Martinez tearing his ACL in the first match of 2020.

😦 Reader Lew appreciates oddness and submitted the Braves’ Terry Harper, who in 1982 dislocated his shoulder while waving a teammate home from the on-deck circle.

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ALSO OF NOTE

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PHOTO OF THE DAY

Credit: Miguel Martinez/AJC

Credit: Miguel Martinez/AJC

Y’all take MARTA to get to games and other stuff downtown, right? Well, your favorite transit agency just unveiled its fancy new train cars.

They’re pretty cool, but won’t be in service until late this year. So maybe you can hop on for next January’s Peach Bowl. Or next summer’s World Cup matches — which begin exactly 500 days from now.

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QUOTE OF THE DAY

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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.