Sports

BASEBALL UPDATE
By Joey Marchant
The baseball update is that as of press time there really is no update. Georgia schools remain closed through March 31st by order of Governor Brian Kemp in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. I do not think anyone believes that schools will or should reopen anytime soon. The GHSA has not given any clue to the public about how it will proceed.
The GHSA Facebook page still refers to the stoppage in play as a postponement. There is a petition at www.change.org urging the GHSA to try to salvage the spring sports season with over 30,200 signatures. However, the reality is that sports are secondary right now. The number of new coronavirus cases continues to rise as more people are tested. Georgians are dying. Businesses are shut down. Government offices are closed to the public. Stocks have plummeted. About the only thing that hasn’t changed in our world is that Republicans and Democrats in Congress cannot agree on anything.
I do have one correction from last week. The run allowed by Landin Crummey in the fourth inning to Bleckley County was unearned as the run was scored by Jack Fernandez whom Crummey had struck out only to have Fernandez reach safely when the ball got away from the catcher. I incorrectly wrote that Stephen Knighton who Crummey had walked scored the run. Knighton was left on base. Crummey’s stat line was five and two-thirds (5 2/3) innings pitched allowing 3 runs (1 earned run) on 5 hits. He struck out 7 batters and walked 3 batters.
Hopefully, we will have an update next week. Also, I am working on an article about a former Dodge County pitcher who once struck out Babe Ruth.






RUSS"S SPORTS REVIEW
By Russ Ragan
The sports world has never been as quiet as it is now, but it has been an eventful and I think productive one for the Falcons. They started the week with the trade that brought them Hayden Hurst from Baltimore. It should be a good one but they didn’t stop there. Let me start by saying the trade is official but everything else is pending physicals. Atlanta came in horrible cap space, so I am not real sure how they got these other deals done. There are reports that Ryan and Matthews both re-structured their contracts to open up more cap space.
The biggest move of the week came when they signed defensive end Dante Fowler from the Rams. He got a three-year 48 million dollar deal. It is pending physical. He had a great 2019 with 11.5 sacks. He was the number one pick of Jacksonville. Things never got going as he blew out the ACL in his knee on the first day of practice. If he can stay healthy he could make a huge impact for Atlanta.
Speaking of the Rams, congratulations to Dodge Counties own Leonard Floyd. He signed a one year ten millions dollar deal with Los Angeles right after the Fowler deal was announced. He will probably play outside linebacker for the Rams.
Perhaps the most popular deal came Friday morning as the birds signed former UGA star Todd Gurley to a one year deal. The one year five million dollar deal is an absolute steal if he is healthy. That is a huge if, but he was better than Devonta Freeman with one good leg. He won’t be a workhorse but he can bring depth to a running back crew that needed it. Of course, he will also sell a bunch of jerseys that I am sure will go on sale as soon as he passes a physical.
Can you believe that they still weren’t enough? I can’t. On Sunday, they signed their third former first round pick of the week as they picked up wide out Laquan Treadwell. He played four years with the Vikings and it didn’t work out. He will probably be the third or fourth receiver for Atlanta. He has piles of upsize and he might work out.
Yes, it was a productive week as they up four former first round picks and they had one other thing in common, they were all former SEC players. Hurst played at South Carolina, Fowler at Florida, and Gurley at Georgia and Treadwell at Ole Miss. These are quite the pickups for a franchise that for some reason doesn’t draft the SEC conference very much. I like the changes that are coming to the offense. I think it’s safe to say this year’s college draft will be strong on defense.
Barring something major WrestleMania 36 will be a big topic of discussion next week. For sports contest players it might be a good idea to watch wrestling this Monday and Friday night.