NOVEMBER 19-25, 2010 CHECK US OUT AT SCOrEaTl 6

November 19-25, 2010Score Atlanta 5Atlanta sports scene never fails to entertain; KSU athletics gaining prominenceOne of the great things about sports inAtlanta is that there never is a dull moment. This past week featured a major upseton the college basketball scene, a big timetrade for the Braves and the Falcons getting a win that caught the eye of the rest ofthe nation. Sounds like a good week to me.Here’s a closer look at some of the topicsthat are hot in Atlanta.OWL NATION team that will get better and better under headcoach Tony Ingle. And for those who don’tknow, KSU did win a Division II nationalchampionship in 2004, so if Ingle continuesto get the players he wants, the team will be aforce in the Atlantic Sun conference and willmake it to the big dance in March.With Uggla now a Brave, several questions have to be answered before the 2011 season begins. First, where will Martin Prado playand who is going to be your No. 1 bench playersince Infante is gone? Prado will likely playin left field but that is only if Chipper Jones isready to go. If Jones isn’t ready, Prado will be atthird and outfield will still be in question exceptfor right field with Jason Heywardholding that spot down. As far asInfante goes, if the Braves can holdon to reserves Eric Hinskie andMatt Diaz, they should be fine. Iknow Wren and Uggla are happyabout the trade, but manager FrediGonzalez was so happy he wasworking in the 2011 lineup as soonas the trade was finalized on Tuesday. Hey, spring training is threemonths away so Gonzalez is making sure he is ready to go.As a graduate of KennesawState, it’s good to see the schoolgaining more attention whenit comes to athletics. First, thestudents of KSU voted yes to afootball fee of 100 per semesterso the school can field a footballteam by 2014. This is a goodmove for everyone involved because it will cost the university 5 million to 6 million a year toBEST IN NFC field a football team. While thatWith the Falcons defeatingmay seem a bit steep for somethe Baltimore Ravens in front ofstudents, trust me when I say ita national audience last Thursday,will be worth it.Just look at Georgia State. BIG UGGLA: The Braves traded Mike Dunn and Omar Infante to Florida for power-hitting many think this team is one of theThe Panthers finish their 2010 sea- second baseman Dan Uggla Tuesday. Despite playing most of his career in the infield, Uggla best in the NFC and could play forson with a winning record and the may play left field now that he is in Atlanta. Hopefully, he hits a little better for the Braves than the NFL title. With a 7-2 record andwinners of their last three games,fan support was great throughout McLouth or Lee. Photo courtesy Florida Marlins/Denis Bancroft.they are looking like a team that is getting betterout the season. That’s what I want to see out ofas the season rolls along. They have been playKSU. It’s been too long for this school not to A NEW BRAVE When the season ended for the Braves ing at a high level for a number of reasons.have a football team and if the university wantsFirst has to be the play of Roddy White,to take that next step, it will do whatever it takes last month, general manager Fran Wren knewhe had to find a big bat to bolster the offense. who leads the NFL in receptions and secondto get the football team ready to go in 2014.One team from KSU that seems to be tak- Wren hit a home run with his latest move, trad- in the NFL in yards. He has made big playsing that next step is the men’s basketball team, ing Omar Infante and Michael Dunn to Florida for this team and there have been rumblings heas they smashed Georgia Tech 80-63 at KSU’s for second baseman Dan Uggla. This is what could get some MVP votes if he continues hisConvocation Center. It was the first time the the Braves have been waiting for because Uggla hot streak. The guy that is throwing the ball toschool hosted a team from the big six confer- is a guy who can average 30 homers 95 RBIs White, Matt Ryan, is not having a bad seasonences and to say this was the biggest win in per season. This past season, Uggla had his either. Though nine games, Ryan has thrownschool history would be valid. While most fans best year as a major leaguer, hitting .287 with for 2,265 yards and 16 touchdowns with fiveand media members focused on what Tech did 33 home runs and 105 runs batted in, and as re- interceptions. He is coming of a game wherewrong in the game, credit has to go KSU be- sult of his efforts, Uggla was awarded the Silver he threw for a season-high 316 yards againstcause they dominated Tech and seemed like a Slugger award, which was the first of his career. an aggressive Baltimore defensive front.A lw ay s at s c o r e at l . c o mOUT FRONTKSU men’s basketball coach TonyIngle guided his team to a programdefining win over visiting GeorgiaTech Monday. The following day,the school announced the resultsof a student vote which allowed anincrease of student fees to help payfor the development of a footballprogram. See page 9 for our coverstory on KSU athletics. Photos courtesy KSU Sports Information.Also, the Falcons are ranked first in penalties committed (35) and sixth in the NFL andtakeaways (19). That is an indication the Falcons are playing smarter football than their opponents and it pays dividends when games aredecided by a touchdown or field goal.Are they the best in the conference?They are certainly a team that is a NFC titlecontender, but they have to keep winning.They have a tough task coming up as theyplay four road games the next five weeks. Butif they want to be the best in the NFC, theseare the games that they have to win. And bythe way the Falcons have been playing, thereis no reason they can’t find a way to do it.Jonescanbereachedatbjones@scoreatl.com.

Get In The Game!6 Score AtlantaScore crunching theList NUMBERS12345BY BRIAN JONESBRAVES WELCOME UGGLA: TheBraves found the big bat they werelooking for when they acquired DanUggla from the Florida Marlins inexchange for Omar Infante and MikeDunn. Uggla is coming off his bestseason as a pro, hitting .287 with 33home runs and 105 RBIs. It’s the bigbat the Braves desperately need, butInfante and Dunn will be missed.FALCONS ON FIRE: After the Falcons earned a huge win against the Baltimore Ravens last Thursday, they have a7-2 record which is tied for the best in theleague. They won their last three gamesand are 5-0 at the Georgia Dome. However, they have a tough road contest Sunday against the St. Louis Rams who aremuch improved from last season. Canthe Falcons keep the good times rolling?ANOTHER TOUGH LOSS: UGAwas able to play with the No. 2 Auburn Tigers through three quarters,but Cam Newton was able to lead theTigers on a second half scoring frenzyto take down the Bulldogs. UGA isnow 5-6 for the year and are off thisweek before they face Georgia Tech.The Dawgs need a win over their archrivals for a bevy of reasons.FALLING AT THE FLATS: Speakingof Tech, the Jackets couldn’t get anything going against Miami on Saturday,losing 35-10. The Jackets were ablegain over 400 yards of total offense,but they could never finish off driveswhile Miami was able to that and more.They looked to get back on track asthey face Duke Saturday in their finalconference game of the year.READY FOR ROUND 2: The firstround of the state playoffs had its shareof excitement, so there’s no reasonthe second round should disappoint.One game to watch is Valdosta taking on McEachern. Valdosta is lookingto win their first title in 12 years whileMcEachern is looking to go 2-0 againstteams from Valdosta as they alreadydefeated Lowndes earlier in the year.TRIVIAQUESTIONWhen was thelast time a Bravesoutfielder hit 30more home runsin a season?Answer on Page 14BY BRIAN JONES31932Home runs Dan Ugglaaveraged in the lastfive seasons1996The last time a Georgiafootball team lost sixgames in a season2-0Record of Georgia’sbasketball team, itsbest start since 2007316Yards Matt Ryan threwfor in the game againstBaltimore, a season highThumbs up togood storiesThumbs down tounderachievingRBIs Uggla averaged inlast five seasonsAll-star appearancesUggla has made in hiscareer3519Penalties committed bythe Falcons this year, aleague low20Receptions Roddy Whitehas on third down, bestin the NFLTakeaways created bythe Falcons, sixth-bestin the NFLKennesaw StateTech BasketballAtlanta FalconsGeorgia FootballWe love the Owls. The oft overlookedKSU athletics program is finally getting attention after beating Tech inhoops and adding football. It lookslike the school from Cobb County isheading in the right direction when itcomes to sports.After taking down the Ravens last Thursday,the Falcons are looking like a team that canmake a deep playoff run. They now have a7-2 record, which is just the third time in franchise history the team has sported that recordthrough nine games.Atlanta BravesWe like what the Braves did Monday by tradingthe Marlins for power-hitting Dan Uggla. This isthe power hitter the Braves needed because Uggla has averaged 30 homers and 93 RBIs in fiveseasons with Florida.my two centsCongratulations to the Fighting Owls ontheir recent athletic success. I was fortunate enough to be at their win overGeorgia Tech and the crowd wasunbelievable. It had to be the biggest and most energetic crowdin school history. I was happyto see KSU students get behindCoach Ingle and the Owls. When did Athens turn into apolice state? Upon a recent tripto watch the Georgia men’sbasketball team, I was shockedat the overwhelming amount ofpolice officers that were on duty inand around Stegeman Coliseum. Despite a crowd of more than 6,000 fans atthe game, there were probably more copswalking around than there were fans. Nowonder Georgia football players get arrested for such minor violations- thecops have nothing better to do! The Falcons have the NFC’s bestrecord but they still seem to beunder the radar. I’m kind of upset that they aren’t getting morelove from the national media,but I am thinking it is betterto be overlooked at this point.The Falcons will get “their’s”if they continue this consistentsuccess. And, by the way, I wouldlove to see a rematch with Phillydown the road Managing Editor Stephen Black canbe reached at sblack@scoreatl.com.A lw ay s at s c o r e at l . c o mJust when things couldn’t get anyworse for the Jackets, the basketball team fell to Kennesaw State toput them at 1-1 for the season asof Tuesday. Tech has a lot of issuesand it looks as if it’s going to be along season.It’s been a tough year for the Bulldogs andthings did not get any easier on Saturday asthey lost to Auburn to put them at 5-6 for theyear. With the loss, Georgia will not win eightgames in a season for the first time since 1996.Tech FootballDon’t feel too bad Georgia fans, because Tech isnot having a great season either, losing to Miamion the Flats last Saturday to put them at 5-5 forthe year. With the way things are turning out,Georgia Tech may play in a bowl game, but itwill be in San Francisco.SANITYat last“I’ve read the [Internet]message boards; that wasprobably the first thing I didon the bus. A lot of fans alreadyseem to have jumped off the bus.I read where they’ve saidwe’ve hit rock bottom.”- Tech F Brian Oliver on the fansafter the loss to Kennesaw State

November 19-25, 2010Score Atlanta 7A lw ay s at s c o r e at l . c o m

Get In The Game!8 Score AtlantaA lw ay s at s c o r e at l . c o m

November 19-25, 2010Score Atlanta 9Basketball win over Tech and football vote brings KSU much-appreciated notorietyWith the vote completed, the next step the Owls, including 19 in the second half. told the guys tonight before the game . Ihas been a big week for Kennesaw StateThe basketball team hosted Geor- is a vociferous fundraising campaign over the LaDaris Green added 19 points and 12 re- said, ‘You got a dream?’ Then bring it. I wantIgiatathletics.Tech on Monday evening and the Owls next 18 to 30 months. According to KSU’s bounds while Markeith Cummings, who you to dream tonight. Bring your dream.’”of the Atlantic Sun Conference hammered theACC’s Yellow Jackets 80-63. On Tuesday,the school announced that students voted toapprove a fee increase that would help fund afootball program, which could come into existence as early as 2014.For head basketball coach Tony Ingle,this week could not have been better. Notonly did his team pull off a memorable victory, but he also took an important step towardseeing his other favorite sport become a partof Kennesaw State. Ingle, who played bothbasketball and football in high school, wasan assistant hoops coach at Brigham YoungUniversity between 1989 and 1997, crossingpaths with 1990 Heisman Trophy winner TyDetmer. So he knows first-hand what a football craze can do for a university.“I think we’re definitely heading in theright direction,” Ingle said of the KSU athleticsprogram. “I was elated that the students votedto go with football. It’s exciting to know thatit’s coming. I think it’s going to help us cometogether as a university in a lot of ways.”GRIDIRON DREAMS ALIVE The process is still very much in its infantile stages, but Tuesday’s announcement waswithout question a crucial development. In anonline vote conducted between Nov. 8 and 14,Kennesaw State students gave the green lightto a 100-per-semester fee increase in hopesof bringing football to their school soonerrather than later. All those who currently paythe University’s 144-per-semester athleticsfee were eligible to vote, making the numberof potential voters 22,338. Thirty-three percent of them (or 7,358 to be exact) voted, ofwhich 55.5 percent said ‘yes’.“We were nervous, but we were hopeful,” athletic director Scott Whitlock said ofgetting a thumbs-up from the students. “It’s avery exciting announcement. We would loveto add football to our school.”Kennesaw State president Daniel S.Papp, who announced the results in front ofthe student body, stressed the importance ofthe favorable vote. “Student financial supportis critical if KSU is going to have a footballprogram,” Papp told the school website. “Theonly way we can afford to field a footballteam is with the support of student fees.”Football Exploratory Committee, spearheaded by legendary Georgia coach Vince Dooley,the football program will require between 8 and 12 million to get off the ground andcould cost another 5 to 6 million annually.The campaign would need to raise at least 8to 12 million, for football start-up costs aswell as for the necessary expansion of KSUwomen’s sports to meet Title IX requirements. The student fee increase is expected togenerate between 5 and 6 million per year.If the fundraising campaign accomplishes its goals, the university would thensubmit a business plan to the state’s Board ofRegents. Should the plan be approved, KSUcould target the hiring of a head coach andstaff in 2012 followed by player recruitmentin 2013. The additional 100 student feewould take effect no sooner than the fall of2012. If all goes according to an ideal schedule, with fundraising completed in 18 months,football would officially kick off in 2014.“A football program could serve ourmission well,” Papp concluded, “as it mayhelp bring increased national recognition toour institution and highlight the importantwork that is being done here in teaching andresearch. Fielding an intercollegiate footballteam will promote student and alumni attachment, make KSU degrees more valuable, andwill enhance our ability to raise funds and attract more students.”played all 40 minutes, scored 13.“It was by far the biggest on-campus winin the history of the school,” Ingle assured. “Itmeans a lot. We gave our students, our alumni,our boosters, our fans, and our faculty a lot tocheer about. We were playing for everybodywho ever put on a Kennesaw State uniform.”Nobody in a Kennesaw State uniform had awin this big prior to Monday night. The Owlsdid not have much of chance in earlier years,playing in the Division II ranks (they won theNational Championship in 2004). They madethe jump to Division I prior to the 2006-07season as part of the diminutive Atlantic SunConference. On Monday, the Owls suddenlyfound themselves going up against an ACCgiant, one that had played for the NCAAchampionship in 2004.Ingle and company, however, were undaunted. He explained, “IOWLS SPOOK JACKETS While a football program appears to beon the way, Kennesaw State basketball is onthe way up. The Owls scored arguably themost significant win in school history by putting a beatdown on Georgia Tech inside theKSU Convocation Center.In front of a raucous crowd of 4,784, thehome team never gave its favored opponentsa chance. KSU jumped out to a 7-0 advantageand did not trail throughout the entire game.The Owls extended the lead to 10 points lessthan six minutes into the contest, led by asmuch as 20 during the first half, and enjoyeda 41-26 cushion at halftime.Georgia Tech pulled to within five with9:35 remaining, but Kennesaw State held offthe Jackets and finished the game on a 17-7run. Spencer Dixon poured in 27 points forA lw ay s at s c o r e at l . c o mHOOTING WITH PRIDE Dreams are very much alive these dayson the campus of Kennesaw State University.The basketball team is on fire, football talkis heating up, and a new 16.5 million KSUSoccer Stadium was completed in May. KSUvolleyball, currently playing in the conference championships, has won 34 matchesthis season and is 9-1 in ASC action. KarenWeatherington was named Atlantic SunCoach of the Year. “It’s just incredible,” Inglesaid of the athletic frenzy at Kennesaw State.“The kids on campus are just going wild.”If this week’s developments are any indication, KSU students will have plenty to gowild about in the coming years.Photo courtesy of KSU Sports Information. Dimon can be reached atrdimon@scoreatl.com.

Get In The Game!10 Score AtlantaA lw ay s at s c o r e at l . c o m

SCORE MORENovember 19-25, 2010Score Atlanta 11Hawks riding roller coaster thus far NFC-best Falcons take to the roadhe Atlanta Falcons have the best re- to No. 1 overall pick Sam Bradford, ist’s been a season of ups and downs for FINDING CONSISTENCY cord in the NFC and they are tied coming off a hard-fought 23-20 overTIreasonAtlanta thus far. A 6-0 start gave fansAtlanta’s record was 8-4 at press time.with New England and the New York time loss at San Francisco. The Ramsto cheer, but the team promptly But with its four losses all coming againstfell backwards by losing four straightthereafter, with all four losses comingagainst 2009 playoff teams.The Hawks responded from that losing streak by winning two straight, albeitagainst lesser competition once again.The team dominanted down low with 15offensive boards, while Josh Smith andAl Horford combined for 51 points and20 rebounds on the evening en route to a111-105 victory over Minnesota.Smith was heavily involved in theHawks’ victory over Indiana on Nov.16. He led all scorers with 25 points,but also contributed in other categorieswith eight rebounds and seven blocks.Atlanta placed six players in doublefigures and kept the Pacers at bay in a102-92 win.“It was beautiful to watch,” saidhead coach Larry Drew. “When we playand the guys move the ball and pass theball like that, we become hard to beat.”2010 postseason squads, there is still somedoubt regarding the Hawks’ consistency,something they have struggled mightilywith in the past.They’ll have a chance to right someof those wrongs on Saturday when Dallas comes to town. The Mavs think theyare contenders in the Western Conference. Prolific 7-foot scorer Dirk Nowitzki is a tough cover. Smith and Horfordshould draw the assignment.The Boston Celtics are in Atlanta onMonday for a 7 p.m. tip. The Hawks havebeen the C’s bugaboo in past seasons, andthey took all four from the 2008 champslast season. One of th

november 19-25, 2010 ScORE AtlAntA 5 AlwAys At scorea Tl.com atlanta sports scene never fails to entertain; KSU athletics gaining prominence One of the great things about