Saturday, October 06, 2007
Sports
The Buzz
What’s movin’ and shakin’ in the world of sports
What might have been:
Dany Heatley was supposed to be entering his sixth season with the Thrashers this year. As it is, Heatley signed a six-year contract extension worth a reported $45 million last week, beginning his third season with the defending conference champion Ottawa Senators, who visit Philips Arena on Oct. 10. Growing into one of the game’s best as a Thrasher, Heatley needed healing away from Atlanta after pleading guilty to vehicular homicide to the 2003 car accident that resulted in the death of Thrashers teammate Dan Snyder. Atlanta fans have not forgotten, and will welcome back an old friend with open hearts and possible thoughts of “what if.”
Twenty-five and counting: No, that’s not how many seasons have passed since the Atlanta Hawks last advanced as far as the conference finals. (That would be 36.) Twenty-five is how old Salim Stoudamire, one of five point guards vying for playing time with the Hawks, turns this week. Happy birthday, Salim, as you battle Speedy Claxton, Tyronn Lue, Anthony Johnson and hotshot rookie Acie Law IV to be the man at the team’s quagmire of a point guard position. Just as interesting to witness will be whether former No. 2 pick Marvin Williams blossoms in his third year, or flops like another former top Hawks pick from North Carolina—Al Wood. Here’s hoping for the former as the Hawks’ eight-game preseason begins this week in Orlando and includes home dates against Charlotte on Stoudamire’s birthday (Oct. 11) and Portland (Oct. 14).
October hardball fashion: For the second straight year, the Braves are watching postseason action on the tube, and like us, they’re catching TBS roving reporter Craig Sager’s repertoire of crazy threads. Sager’s style is certainly unique, and we at SP salute his chutzpah for going on TV in those getups. Sager makes Chris Berman look likes he punches the clock at Boomershine Pontiac. Here’s a great little nugget from Wikipedia: “Sager enjoys the occasional adult beverage, with his favorite being the Jager-bombs, which naturally he refers to as ‘Sager-bombs!’” Anyway, what was this about? Oh yeah, the Braves didn’t make the playoffs, Andruw’s gone, Cox would love to get Glavine back, and surely we’ll see Leo Mazzone over at Stooges during the offseason.