Sports Daily: Ode to an injured fan

Quick links: Braves remain winless | Blazers 127, Hawks 113 | Falcons all-in on Penix

GOOD EFFORT, SIR

Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC

Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC

Oh, James.

I’m so sorry this happened.

I was happy for you (and Daz, too!) when you were selected for the Tic-Tac-Toe challenge at last night’s Hawks game. Make a couple layups, earn some pieces, get three in a row and boom — free tickets to HOT 107.9’s Birthday Bash concert?

Sign me up. I love GloRilla.

And I would’ve gone all out, just like you.

Do you regret it?

The confident sprint to the basket, the spring in your step? You’ve clearly played ball before; do you think a more cautious approach might’ve spared you the slip, the fall, the knee-grabbing pain?

All in front of thousands of people, I must add. Including the basketball stars you undoubtedly adore.

But perhaps Trae Young was tying his shoes! Teammates Zaccharie Risacher (potential Rookie of the Year) and Dyson Daniels (likely Defensive Player of the Year), too.

Then again … the game was paused while paramedics pushed you out on a stretcher. So maybe not.

Nevertheless: I hope you and your knee are OK, for a lot of reasons. As one social media user quipped: “Pray for James. His friends will be sending that video to him for the rest of his life.”

Which is true.

But you know what James? You’re the man.

The Every Man.

Plenty of guys our age (a couple years on either side of 40, I’m guessing?) joke about how minor athletic feats — things we used to do all the time — would leave us limping these days. My wife doesn’t let me jump at the trampoline park with my kids.

But you, James?

You went out and did it anyway. You took a shot (exactly one, as it turns out).

And I’m proud of you.

Do you know James? Send him my way and we’ll tell more of his heroic story. Let him know tonight’s Hawks game in Dallas is an 8:30 p.m. tip on FanDuel Sports Southeast, too.

THE REAL FINAL FOUR

Credit: Cayce Dunn/AJC

Credit: Cayce Dunn/AJC

The Final Four is here, friends.

After a couple weeks full of voting, nostalgizing (it’s a word, I think!) and un-repressing memories, we’ve made it to the penultimate moment of truth in our Sadness vs. Gladness Atlanta sports bracket.

💔 Y’all overwhelmingly chose the Falcons’ Super Bowl LI debacle over Michael Vick’s prison trip, sending it to the Sadness Region final.

💖 Sid Bream’s NLCS-clinching slide performed well, but the 1995 Braves got about 52% of the vote to seal a bid to the Gladness Region final.

Today we’re deciding if those winners will go on to fight in the ultimate battle for Atlanta’s sports soul — or if one of their emotional counterparts gets the call.

Read on and vote here!

Credit: Curtis Compton/AJC

Credit: Curtis Compton/AJC

THE MISERY MATCHUP: 28-3 vs. Jim Leyritz

So. The Falcons build a 28-3 lead in the Super Bowl, squander it and become a national laughingstock. Again. And possibly forever.

The Yankees’ backup catcher hits a game-tying home run in the 1996 World Series — and thus starts an avalanche of unfortunate that ultimately dooms the Braves’ bid for back-to-back titles.

Both deeply, deeply unsatisfying. But only one can move on …

Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC

Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC

THE FOND MEMORY FACEOFF: The ′95 Braves vs. the ′21 Braves

Well, well, well. Another all-Braves showdown — and this one pitting the franchise’s only two championship-winning Atlanta squads against each other.

Are you riding with Justice, Glavine and the ‘95 squad that brought our city its first major pro sports title? Or the motley 2021 crew that shocked us all?

Go vote, vote, vote — then check back Friday for our championship matchup.

SPEAKING OF MISERY …

The Braves continue mucking around in a big ol’ mountain of it.

Now just 1-for-34 with runners in scoring position on the season, their only run in last night’s loss came thanks to a throwing error by the Dodgers’ Mookie Betts. Later on, Betts’ two-run homer ended Chris Sale’s shutout bid and proved too much for Atlanta to overcome.

🫢 At 0-6, the Braves are the only winless team left in the league.

And it gets even better!

🫢 Sidelined starter Reynaldo Lopez is due for an arthroscopic procedure next week.

That’ll assess the damage to his inflamed right shoulder — and, as columnist Michael Cunningham points out, manager Brian Snitker said the team is “hoping” Lopez will pitch again this season.

Which isn’t particularly encouraging.

Bryce Elder will start in Lopez’s place in tonight’s series finale against the Dodgers (8:38 p.m. on FanDuel Sports South). Ace Blake Snell takes the mound for LA.

QUICK HITS

💵 Georgia coach Kirby Smart is not looking forward to the chaos that could ensue from the looming settlement in House vs. NCAA: “College sports has been around a long time and given many an opportunity. And by all means, I want these kids to make money. But what’s going on right now is not good for anybody.”

🏈 The Falcons are all in on Michael Penix Jr. as their starting quarterback — and still seeking a solution to the Kirk Cousins problem.

📝 NFL owners approved changes to overtime and kickoff rules, too. No “tush push” vote yet.

⚽ Atlanta United has “yet to concede a goal from a piece of brilliant play,” as beat writer Doug Roberson puts it. Which is nice! But also means the Five Stripes are making plenty of little errors to help opponents score.

PHOTO OF THE DAY

Credit: Kevork Djansezian/AP

Credit: Kevork Djansezian/AP

The Dodgers are undefeated and carefree these days. The Braves, not so much.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

Thanks for reading to the very bottom of Sports Daily. Questions, comments, ideas? Contact me at tyler.estep@ajc.com.

Until next time.