Is alcohol bad for you? Yes.
Do some of us drink too much of it? Also yes.
Is it a good idea to preview this weekend’s sporting events while including drink recommendations based on the matchup and the anticipated stress level? Probably not.
Am I gonna do it anyway? You betcha.
(We’re just goofing around here, please imbibe responsibly.)
Quick links: Braves sign Profar | Raptors 122, Hawks 119 | Shelton done Down Under | Falcons make new hires
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SATURDAY’S SLATE
Credit: Kathryn Skeean/AP
Credit: Kathryn Skeean/AP
Atlanta United at Chattanooga FC (3 p.m.)
Up for a quick jaunt north? The Five Stripes are taking on Chattanooga (a minor league team, basically) in their first preseason friendly.
Might as well go see what things look like under new manager Ronny Deila.
☕️ Let’s not get all worked up. A little Irish coffee feels appropriate.
Georgia men’s basketball at No. 5 Florida (3:30 p.m. on SEC Network)
The Bulldogs popped into the AP Top 25 for the first time in years — then proceeded to drop three straight games, including a disappointing one at Arkansas.
Is Georgia head coach Mike White’s latest trip back to Gainesville a must-win? Maybe not. But it’s a really-would-be-good-to-have-if-you-wanna-make-the-tournament kind of game. And we don’t like the Gators in this house.
🥃 Bourbon on the rocks is the move. Hunker Bourbon from ASW Distillery is solid and supports Georgia’s NIL collective. They’ve got vodka, too.
Raptors at Hawks (7:30 p.m. on FanDuel Sports Southeast)
The Hawks put up a valiant effort in the first half of the season but need every win they can get down the stretch to make the playoffs. Plus, the Raptors won Thursday night’s matchup and hurt Jalen Johnson in the process.
Also: Drake, the rapper, is from Toronto. He’s a dork.
🍺 A lot of local liquor stores have this hazy IPA called “Relax,” which is very good. And made near Los Angeles. Where Kendrick Lamar is from.
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SUNDAY’S SLATE
Credit: Nick Wass/AP
Credit: Nick Wass/AP
No. 14 Duke women’s basketball at No. 18 Georgia Tech (2 p.m. on ACC Network Extra)
The Jackets started 15-0 then dropped three straight before getting back on track. Star Dani Carnegie returned in last night’s victory over Virginia.
Another ranked win can’t hurt — and nobody likes the Dukies.
🍺 Try an “Ale of an Engineer” golden ale from New Realm Brewing Company! But just one. Maybe two. We gotta start slow.
NFC Championship Game (3 p.m. on Fox): Washington Commanders at Philadelphia Eagles
This one’s a low-key doozy for the local folks. The Eagles, of course, have roughly 400 former UGA stars on their defense. Which is fun but also depressing, because the Falcons could’ve drafted most of them and didn’t.
And the Commanders? They’re led by ol’ Captain Catchphrase himself: Dan Quinn. The former Falcons head man helped squander that 28-3 lead in Super Bowl LI … but he’s still a pretty likable guy?
🥃 It’s giving “two pregame shots and a couple Natty Lights” vibes.
AFC Championship Game (6:30 p.m. on CBS): Buffalo Bills at Kansas City Chiefs
My heart tells me the Bills will pull it off this time. But my brain (and the refs) tell me the Chiefs win in the waning seconds. Probably on a crazy Patrick Mahomes throw to set up a field goal from Georgia Tech and DeKalb County’s own Harrison Butker.
🍾 Go ahead and pop some champagne for the inevitable three-time champs.
Then drink some water.
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OK, NOW THE BRAVES
Credit: Mark J. Terrill/AP
Credit: Mark J. Terrill/AP
General manager Alex Anthopoulos finally made a move, inking former Padre Jurickson Profar to a three-year, $42 million deal. The Curaçao native hit .280 and 24 home runs with the Padres last year and represents an instant outfield upgrade for Atlanta — especially until Ronald Acuña Jr. returns from injury.
AJC columnist Michael Cunningham believes Profar’s impressive on-base percentage will be of particular benefit for the Bravos.
🗣 What Anthopoulos had to say: “We had Jurickson as the second-best free-agent bat, just based off the season last year. That’s how good we thought he played and performed.”
He didn’t rule out a prespring training pitching acquisition either.
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PREP NOTES
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PHOTO OF THE DAY
Credit: Jason Getz/AJC
Credit: Jason Getz/AJC
Hawks guard Trae Young briefly levitates after hitting a three against the Raptors on Thursday night.
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QUOTE OF THE DAY
Alcohol is a well-established, preventable cause of cancer responsible for about 100,000 cases of cancer and 20,000 cancer deaths annually in the United States — greater than the 13,500 alcohol-associated traffic crash fatalities per year in the U.S.
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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.
