The Braves Open Up. A Mistake?
The Reason for The Bogie Explosion. The Falcons' Undrafted Free Agents.
It was silly watching fans at the turnstile going into Truist Park wearing masks. Many, as soon as they got to the concourse, or their seats, took the masks off. I didn’t see one usher cautioning fans to wear a mask last week. I can’t recall one fan wearing a mask while sitting down, even when they weren’t eating a dog.
On my way into the ballpark, through an elevator lobby, it was shoulder to shoulder for people waiting to get a ride up or down an hour before the game. It was bustling and no thought of social distancing and that was at 33 percent capacity of the ballpark.
The Braves are opening Truist to 100 percent capacity on Friday, which is 41,084 fans. Toss in workers and staff and maybe we are at 43,000 inside the park. The virus and its variants are out there, but the Braves and the Rangers—in Texas, of course—are insisting it is safe enough to open the throttle and pour fans into a venue.
I’m not going Friday.
One reason I’m not going is Georgia has one of the lowest vaccination rates in the U.S. Two, the variants coming out of India and Brazil are nasty. The U.S. just made it harder for people to get in the country from India, which should tell you something about the threat.
This from the CDC.
Fully vaccinated people can participate in many outdoor activities without a mask at low risk to themselves or to others. While generally safe for vaccinated people to be outdoors without a mask, CDC continues to recommend requiring masking in crowded settings and venues where there is a decreased ability to maintain physical distance until widespread vaccination coverage is achieved.
Many of us have been vaccinated, but perhaps you’ve heard the vaccines are not foolproof and the jabs have not yet been through the herd. It’s best to show a little more caution this summer.
But here we go…
“We have had great success welcoming our fans back safely to Truist Park,” Derek Schiller, the president and chief executive of the team, said in a statement issued by the team. “Our outdoor environment, the demand from our season ticket holders and fans to watch us play in person plus safety measures which are in place make it feel that now is the right time to get back to full capacity at Truist Park.”
How do the Braves know they have been successful keeping fans safe? How do they know there have not been clusters of sick fans after attending a game?
The Braves do not take questions on controversial issues any more. They make a statement and then go silent. They understand the fragility of their positions on issues like the virus and the vote and the Chop and they duck and stay mum.
The Braves are in Cobb County safely tucked in with their fan base, the men and women, who declare we should be fully open as a society. These same people lambasted the liberal media for creating a scare about the coronavirus, yet raced out to get a vaccine first chance they got. Believe me, I have been all through the Truist Park crowds for three years and I know the politics of at least 60 percent of the fans.
The team will mandate that fans wear masks, but it is unenforceable, especially with this particular fan base. It is funny that as a member of the media I have to have a temperature check to get into the ballpark, but fans do not. We are breathing the same air, I think.
But, money has been lost. According to public filings by owner Liberty Media, the Braves had a revenue drop from a record $476 million in 2019 to $178 million in 2020.
Is the team suffering on the field because of it? Maybe, a little. They chose not to keep veteran relievers Shane Greene, Darren O’Day, and Mark Melancon and there have been some breakdowns in the bullpen, though, I really trusted the arms in the pen April 1.
The Braves’ malaise this season has more to do with injuries, than lack of funds. And if there was gobs of money we might have been deprived of the wondrous pitcher Huscar Ynoa (3-1, 2.36) who has emerged as the ace and stopper…and slugger (a grand slam last night, two home runs this season, 5 hits in 13 at bats).
He is just 22 years old.
The Braves want to get back to making money while the majority of MLB teams are being cautious because there are two bedrock principles about the Braves. Mr. Malone of Liberty Media, the owner, has helped make the culture of this franchise all about the money. Second, the Braves’ fan base drives decisions. They don’t want the Chop gone and it is not gone. They want life back to normal because the liberals have made the Pandemic bigger than it is, so the gates will open Friday.
I’ll skip this series…and maybe the one after that.
Bogie Time
Bogdan Bogdanovic is on a tear for the Hawks—shooting 45 percent from the 3-point line in his last 11 games. Why?
He is dribbling the ball.
Watch him. He is not spaced to the corner, he is not standing on the wing, he is taking the rock and moving inside the defense. Once the 6-foot-6 Bogie established himself as a threat to drive, pull up and shoot, the open 3s came…and came and came.
Bogdanovic signed for three seasons at $18 million each season and he has the option for the fourth season. His production is why the Hawks should sink or swim the next two season with him, Trae Young, Clint Capela, John Collins, and DeAndre Hunter. This is your starting five in 2022, the group that the Hawks will try and win a title with.
I know, I have maintained forever than an NBA contender must have two superstars to contend. But what about a superstar and four near All-Stars and a deep bench?
Collins is a near All-Star, but the left hand—he doesn’t have one—is keeping him from a max contract. That’s what I’m thinking. Maybe the club is thinking the same thing. But the man’s makeup and hustle and expanded range make it so the Hawks cannot let him get away after this season.
A bench of Kevin Huerter, Cam Reddish, Onyeka Okongwu, and Nathan Knight in 2022 would be pretty solid.
HEY, WHAT THE HECK…first things first.
How about 2021 postseason?
The Hawks have six games remaining, which includes tonight’s game with Phoenix, a championship favorite. How illuminating is this game with the Suns going to be? It’s at home. The Hawks are 36-30. They could win five of six—the Wizards are hungry so watch out—and 41-31 gets them out of the play-in.
Miami has the tougher schedule down the stretch, which means my bet is the Hawks playing the Knicks in the first round.
Ledford Pays Off Early
I wrote last week that the most important man in the Falcons’ organization is the offensive line coach Dwayne Ledford. After the Birds passed on drafting Oregon tackle Penei Sewell, it is now more imperative for Ledford to shape up a unit that has given up 91 sacks the last two seasons.
Ledford, who coached at Louisville in 2020, has already contributed to the march forward. Plenty of teams were interested in undrafted running back Javian Hawkins of Louisville, a 5-foot-8 dynamo. He could help the lack of quality depth behind starting running back Mike Davis.
You have to believe Ledford helped lure Hawkins to Atlanta as an undrafted free agent because he had options.
The other undrafted free agent to watch among the 20 the Falcons signed is cornerback Marcus Murphy of Mississippi State. He’s big for a corner, 6-foot-1. He played well at times in the Southeastern Conference. The Falcons need to find a top-shelf corner. Murphy wouldn’t be a starter necessarily, but injuries happen and the club will need depth.
And he has a great back story.
Murphy's three-year-old son, Mason, was born with a genetic abnormality. Murphy constantly shows his devotion to the boy and if you want a reason for him to scrap and fight for a roster spot, there is no better incentive than a child’s health.
Over and over this offseason, Fontenot and Smith have declared that there is no hierarchy worth preserving for a 4-12 team and hungry players like Murphy will get a full look. There will be competition for the helmets to be handed out Sunday at 1 p.m., Smith said.