Monday, August 25, 2008

Format change for the Schmo

Change is inevitable, and its no different here at the Schmo. We have had to change some plans here in The Telegraph sports department, and unfortunately, that means I will no longer be supplying you with Atlanta Falcons coverage, effective immediately. That also means The Pro Schmo is pretty much obsolete at this point.

But plenty of great things can come due to change, and I'm hoping that I've put together an idea that will keep you coming back to this blog and macon.com.

Starting this week, The Pro Schmo will become a place for laughs as I scour the sports scene to find you the stuff that doesn't always make it into headlines. I'll post stories, quotes and video from the lighter side of sports here every day for your enjoyment.

I hope those of you who read the Schmo will continue to visit, and I hope to gain some brand new readers, as this blog becomes "Oddball."

Sunday, August 17, 2008

Falcons wrap

It's 1:15 a.m. and I just got back from the Georgia Dome. There were a lot of positives and negatives in a 16-9 loss for the Falcons vs. the Colts, and I'll be more than happy to go over them tomorrow with you. I'll also be posting quotes, notes and thumbs.

Saturday, August 16, 2008

Roddy White throws tantrum

The personal foul penalty just incurred by the Falcons stemmed from Roddy White throwing a fit after Matt Ryan threw an interception that was returned for a touchdown. I missed the first part of the tantrum, but White came off the field with his helmet missing, which leads me to believe it was thrown or stolen from him. I'm guessing it's the former.

Either way, if White's going to be a veteran the Falcons can turn to, he needs to grow the hell up and not do stupid things like that. Granted, the penalty hurt the Falcons very little, but those of who witnessed last year's visit from Carolina to the Georgia Dome can tell you exactly how much stupid, idiotic penalties can hurt a team. That was just boneheaded on White's part, and one of the assistant coaches gave him an earful for about 30 seconds as he came off the field.

It's halftime now and I'm going to go somewhere to avoid watching the "entertainment."

Cut Adam Jennings now!

Here we go again with Adam Jennings. If you didn't see just a few moments ago, Jennings, who SUCKED last year, just mishandled a punt return and gave the ball back to Indianapolis deep in the Falcons' end. Ramon Guzman just recovered the fumble and would have taken it in for a score if not for a phantom call that I couldn't hear up in the press box.

Look, I understand it's the preseason, I understand these games aren't real and there is some rust on some of these guys. Jennings, however, just stinks. He stunk last year as a returner and a receiver and it looks like that hasn't changed. Last year, I called for him to be benched dozens of times for mishandling punts, running right into defenders on returns or calling for fair catches when he has 20 yards between him and the nearest defender. Atlanta needs a return man a la Allen Rossum from a few years ago. Jennings will never, ever be at that level and he needs to go.

Now that that's done, Michael Boley has sustained a back injury and will not return to the game.

Live from the Georgia Dome

I don't know how many of you out there are paying attention tonight, but I'll do a little blogging from the Georgia Dome for the Atlanta Falcons' second preseason game of the year. The Falcons take on the Indianapolis Colts, although if the NFL allowed JV teams, this would be it for the Colts. Peyton Manning is out as is Bob Sanders, Ryan Diem, Ryan Lilja, Josh Thomas and Dwight Freeney. Former Georgia Tech star and Colts rookie Philip Wheeler is also not playing tonight.

As far as the Falcons go, here's a list of players who did not dress: Chris Houston, David Irons, Isaac Brown, John Abraham, Alex Stepanovich and Martrez Milner.

Starting at quarterback tonight, oddly enough, is Joey Harrington in place of Chris Redman.

On a side note, the Georgia Dome looks awesome. The Dome underwent a massive renovation that included changing the coloring of the paneling outside the Dome as well as changing out all the seats inside the Dome. It looks absolutely amazing, so kudos to those responsible.

Check in later for updates on the game.

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

UFL looking to bail out Vick

Well, not really, but sort of. Apparently, embattled Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick won't have to look too far for a job when he gets out of prison next year. The new United Football League, which starts next year, is ready to put up some big money for Vick to suit up for the league.

Yahoo! Sports has more info here.

Saturday, August 9, 2008

Thumbs up, thumbs down


Here are some general thoughts on Saturday night's preseason game against Jacksonville:

THUMBS UP: Matt Ryan. The rookie faced a barrage of defenders to start out with, but he remained cool and calm, finishing the night 9-for-15 with 113 yards and a touchdown to Roddy White. Not bad for his NFL debut.

THUMBS DOWN: Have to give a thumbs down to the cameramen shooting the game for NBC affiliates. It was like they had never actually seen a football game. Shots were all over the place and some plays were missed because they simply didn't know where the ball was. I don't expect much, but I do expect TV to be better than radio.

THUMBS UP: Running backs. Michael Turner, Jason Snelling, Jerious Norwood and Thomas Brown all did tremendous on the ground. Brown looked a little hesitant, but that will fade with experience. After watching Turner, I'm excited to see what he can do the rest of the season. Snelling had my vote for play of the night with his rumbling 47-yard reception on a screen pass to set up a Joey Harrington touchdown.

THUMBS DOWN: To the offensive line in front of DJ Shockley. In the preseason, I agree with the call to try to win late in the game instead of going for a tie. The offensive line should have been jacked up with a chance to win. Instead, the pocket collapsed on the Falcons' final play and Shockley tossed an interception to end Atlanta's chances of pulling out a win.

THUMBS UP: Jamaal Anderson. He finally recorded an NFL sack. It's about time, but it certainly has to relieve some pressure. Now, let's see if he can do it when it counts in a few weeks.

THUMBS DOWN: Third-down efficiency. The Falcons finished with a paltry 33 percent on third downs, converting on just 5-of-15. Yeah, it's the preseason, but that has to get better. Punting is no fun for anyone.

THUMBS UP: The offense and play-calling. Both were pretty good -- and a lot better than last year, which is all that's important at this point. I liked Mike Mularkey's play-calling throughout the game. The Falcons seem to have a good grasp of the system, and they tallied up 343 yards because of it. Atlanta also had chances to score, which was nice to see.

THUMBS DOWN: Fumbles. The Falcons recovered three fumbles during the game and turned it into three points. While the offense as a whole played well, there were times when it just couldn't get things done, like on third downs and when the Jags turned the ball over. Atlanta has to take advantage of those things.

Image: The Associated Press (running back Jason Snelling)

20 Questions: No. 17 - Game night

The 20 Questions series will run every few days leading up to the end of training camp and the start of the NFL season.

No. 17: What should I expect to see out of the Falcons in tonight's preseason game against Jacksonville?

Hopefully, a different team from last year. A lot of football fans don't care a whole lot about the preseason because they say it doesn't mean anything. I beg to differ. While the season is certainly a whole lot more exciting than the four games that make up the preseason for each team, these mean-nothing games can tell you a lot about how a team is going to perform once games start counting.

That said, you need to watch preseason games differently than you watch regular season games. During the preseason, it doesn't matter how many touchdowns Peyton Manning throws. You already know he's aces, so what he does isn't important. What is important, however, is what the younger, lesser experienced players do during the preseason.

Tonight, I'm going to really keep a close eye on Matt Ryan. Chris Redman has been announced as this week's starter, but head coach Mike Smith said all the quarterbacks are going to get equal time. This will be Ryan's first taste of what an NFL field is really like, and how he performs tonight will tell you all you need to know about his preparation and ability to this point.

I'm also going to pay close attention to DJ Shockley. The boat is awfully full at quarterback for the Falcons with Ryan, Redman and Joey Harrington, which means Shockley is fighting for his career tonight. I'm rooting for him because I think he brings something to the field Harrington doesn't (OK, he brings a lot of things to the field that Harrington doesn't), but he has to know that tonight will go a long way in determining his future with the Falcons, or possibly any other NFL team.

Watch for the first team offensive line and see how it does against Jacksonville's front four. Watch for the Falcons' receivers and who plays where. Watch for rookie linebacker Curtis Lofton and see if he really has what it takes to start during his first year.

The final, perhaps most important, thing to watch for tonight will be coaching. We all remember last year's debacle when it came to play-calling. Offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey's system will be on display tonight, although hardly in full effect. Even so, pay attention to the types of plays he runs in different situations. I'm sure you'll notice a vast difference from last year right away.

Thursday, August 7, 2008

Datish back again

After a brief stint with the Indianapolis Colts (two weeks to be exact), Doug Datish is back with the Falcons. Datish was a sixth-round selection by the Falcons in 2006 and spent all of last season on injured reserve with a bum wrist.

He was waived by the Falcons a little more than a month ago, which was when he hooked on with the Colts.

Also, the Falcons waived kicker Kevin Lovell. No surprise here with Jason Elam on the roster. Lovell was pretty much just signed to hold for field goals and carry Elam's pads around during camp.

One quick note I want to make here:
The other day on this blog, I reported that Robert James had been waived by the Falcons. That was untrue. A news release sent by the Falcons had confusing wording that made it sound like James was off the team. Rather, the fifth-round draft choice from this year was placed on injured reserve. My apologies for the screw up.

Next installment of 20 Questions coming later tonight.

Favre traded to Jets


It's late into the evening, but the gears in New York have been grinding out a trade. The Jets have reportedly traded to acquire Brett Favre from the Green Bay Packers. ESPN has been giving this non-stop coverage tonight since word broke and they're interviewing everyone under the sun. In fact, I'm slated to go on in 30 minutes. Kidding.

But it looks like the battle with Green Bay is over and maybe we can get on with our lives. Now that Favre is with the team he will play for this year, let's break it down simply.

This move is good news for:
- The Atlanta Falcons. Rumors swirled that Tampa Bay was interested in the future hall of famer, and an early report Wednesday even stated that a deal was done to send Favre to the Bucs. That didn't happen, and the Falcons now don't have to deal with playing him twice in a season.
- Chansi Stuckey. The former Northside standout will spend the second season of his NFL career catching passes from Brett Favre. Very cool.

This move is bad news for:
- Me. I'm a Bills fan.

Tuesday, August 5, 2008

James waived/Tuesday links

My apologies for not getting back here since Sunday. I spent Monday in Athens helping David Hale cover Georgia practice.

And now, your links:

Blogging Dirty puts some thought into the Falcons' 2008 schedule.

Great story from The Sun Chronicle on former Falcons cornerback Lewis Sanders and how closely 9/11 affected him.

11Alive says linebacker Tony Taylor will get his first start in the NFL on Saturday against Jacksonville.

From the AJC, the Falcons are undecided on the QB rotation and Steve Wyche says there are some questions at tight end.

Animal Planet will kick off a new series by detailing the fiasco involving Michael Vick and dogfighting.

Sunday, August 3, 2008

For your weekend entertainment

Rookie cornerback Chevis Jackson is keeping a video diary of his first training camp at atlantafalcons.com.

ESPN.com actually does a good job here with a transcription of Derek Thomas' introduction and Falcons assistant head coach Emmitt Thomas' induction speech. Great stuff.

The Gainesville Times details the Falcons' all-access fan weekend, including Saturday's Roam the Dome event.

The Ledger of Central Florida discusses the reasons former running back Warrick Dunn has been so durable.

And finally, here are your reasons the Atlanta Falcons could win this year's Super Bowl.

Friday, August 1, 2008

Friday afternoon reading

Enjoy!

Blogging Dirty
has your top 10 reasons fantasy football is so great.

According to ajc.com, D.J. Shockley is nipping at the heels of the other quarterbacks.

From J. Michael Moore of AtlantaFalcons.com, the Falcons spent Thursday being coached up on some new rules.

USA Today
says wide receiver Roddy White stays in touch with former quarterback Michael Vick in prison.

FOXSports.com says the Falcons have a clean slate and a bright future ahead of them.

The Falcoholic weighs in on what is turning out to be a righteous quarterback battle.