Mar-Tans at IMax

If you're looking for a great place to spend a Friday evening out, I highly recommend the Fernbank I-Max Museum. Local blues band, the Mar-Tans will be performing from 6:30- 11:00 PM. The talented musicians are led by the soulful sounds of Matt Wauchope on vocals/piano, Melvin Zachary's legendary basslines, and the charismatic Terrence Prather on congos. Regardless of your taste in music, you'll be hooked on the Mar-Tans, as soon as the notes start flyin' off the page. There is a small cover charge of $7, but it is definitely money well spent. Hope to see you there.

For more details, please go to www.fernbankmuseum.org/experience-imax/martinis-and-imax/

Otis Nixon

What is the first thought that comes to your mind, when you hear the name Otis Nixon? For many, it has always been "The Catch." Well, Sunday morning, myself and the rest of the congregation at Milford Baptist Church were blessed with the opportunity to hear the former Atlanta Brave share his testimony. He spoke about his baseball career and his relationship with Jesus Christ.

In 1991, Braves general manager, John Schuerholz acquired Nixon in a trade with Montreal. Looking back, Nixon had some regrets about joining his new team. "On April Fools day, I got traded to the Atlanta Braves. You guys probably don't remember, but I do very well. It was the worst team in America. You guys had the worst team in America... How in the world did I go from here (Montreal Expos) to there and get traded to the worst team in baseball?" At the time, Nixon's concerns were legitimate. Atlanta would struggle into the All Star break and stand 9.5 games behind the division leading Los Angeles Dodgers. But, this was a team destined for a miraculous second half. And, Otis Nixon knew the key to turning the season around. "What happened is, we started believing inside, what nobody else would believe and we started to win... The only thing I could do, was to think we're in the worst spot in the world, we're in last place, we got the worst team, we can only go up."

And, eventually, they did. During a game on June 16, 1991, in which he stole an MLB record 6 bases against the franchise that sent him to Atlanta, Nixon started to voice some of his concerns. "That particular game, I went up to Bobby Cox (and said) Right now, I'm doing everything. We're supposed to have eight other guys out there and I'm the one scoring all the runs. I scored four runs, stole all the bases, made some catches out there. If I could get some help from Ron Gant, Terry Pendleton, Mark Lemke. I was calling out everybody and they busted out laughing. But don't you know, we went on to win 13 straight games?"

In a disappointing end to his season, the North Carolina native tested positive for cocaine in September of 1991 and was suspended for 60 games. "I did not play in the first World Series....I had went out with some friends one day and I had a couple drinks and there was a doctor. I won't call his name, but man I wanted to get him to this day. And he had something back there, cocaine. He said, I love you, man. We're gonna do this in front of you. I said no, no man, I don't wanna do this. And he kept pressuring me, and pressuring me. I went back there and I said one line. Okay, I'm gonna do it. That was a trick of the devil. One line and a couple drinks and went home. I got into the car and I said, why in the world did I just do one line? And, don't you know, when we got ready for the World Series, I thought about it for a minute and said, what if they test me? I couldn't sleep all night, not worried about who's pitching and how many hits and everything. I'm worried about if they're gonna test me. A guy comes in with a white coat on, randomly decides who to test. He says, (pointing) let me have you, let me have you, let me have you, and let me have...okay that's it. My heart was beating like an instrument and I said, Thank God. And he came out to see me and said, I forgot somebody. Mr. Nixon, can you come with me? My heart came out my chest, rolled down, fell on the floor and I felt like I had died, man. He said, You alright? I said, yeah I'm just thinking about the game, you know? So, what happened is, I went in there and tested positive.... So, I went into rehab. I hurt a lot of people, hurt myself. I didn't know exactly what was going on, but I knew every time I looked at the drink, I felt different. Every time I tried to do drugs, I felt different....That addiction was so powerful, that you can't break it just by saying no, don't do this. I believe you need a little Jesus to break that power over you. I realized something, I can't do it unless I have the power of God in my life."

Well, Otis Nixon clearly has the power of God behind him and has put the struggles in his past to rest. And, what makes his testimony so compelling, is the fact that he's been there. He's been through adversity and battled his way back to solid ground. And now, he's in position to reach out his hand and lift others up. Today, the former Atlanta Brave is doing much greater things than stealing 620 bases and batting .270 during a 17 year career in Major League Baseball. Through On Track Ministries, the Otis Nixon Foundation is making a tremendous impact in our communities by helping others change their lives in a positive direction...One man, one woman, and one child at time. "I believe that when Jesus Christ comes back and I'm sitting in line...and He says, Otis why should I let you into my kingdom? (Otis responds) Well, I caught that ball and made it to the World Series, (Jesus answers) Not good enough. (Otis replies) I stole six bases and those other guys didn't even help...(Jesus answers) Ain't good enough...(Otis responds) I said, Lord I believe in you. I believe that you died on the cross. I believe...hold on, can I do something? Can I ask my guys that I've helped, one man at a time to stand up, so they can know you? And, I believe He's gonna say, Otis, welcome. Good job, faithful servant. Come on in."

If you or anybody you know has been incarcerated because of substance abuse, please contact the Otis Nixon Foundation at www.otisnixonfoundation.org.

Football Free Beaches?

Sam Farmer of the LA Times just opened my eyes to one of the dumbest rulings I've ever read. Apparently, the city of Los Angeles just approved a law that prohibits citizens from "casting, rolling, or tossing" anything other than volleyballs or beach balls on its beaches. What does that mean? According to CBS report, your football or frisbee could cost you up to $1,000 if you dare to fling it on California sand.

As someone who loves the outdoors, I ain't mad at L.A. But, I won't vacation there, either. Maybe I'll take my dastardly football and frisbee routine down south. They've been begging me for a trip to Florida anyway.

For more details, you can click on the title of this post to read the CBS report. Thanks to them, Sam Farmer, and the LA Times for the info.

Hawks vs Pacers

At 16-9, the Atlanta Hawks have gotten off to a very good start, regardless of the fact they've been Al Horford-less for most of the season. But, 15's absence is starting to cause deficiencies on the glass. Recently, Atlanta has lost 3 straight games and has fallen 7 spots from 10th to 17th in the league in rebounds over the last 10 contests. That ain't good.

In just a few minutes, the Hawks will tip off against a 17-7 Pacers squad that ranks third in the NBA in rebounds (44.6 a game) and 5th in points allowed. Led by the tandem of Danny Granger and Roy Hibbert, Indiana has quickly become a contender in the East.

Atlanta will win...if Ivan Johnson and Zaza Pachulia put forth great efforts in the paint and Marvin Williams re-discovers his 3 point shooting ability.

First Place Hawks

Fifteen games into the regular season, the Atlanta Hawks are doing a great job of proving me wrong. I expected the loss of Jamal Crawford to set this franchise back quite a bit. But so far...I stand corrected.

Fueled by Joe Johnson's 18.9 points per game, Atlanta is currently in first place in the Southeast standings, following a 92-89 victory over Crawford and the Trailblazers on Wednesday night. Jeff Teague has played well at the point, averaging 5.8 assists and 2.1 steals per game. Starting center, Al Horford, has been lost for the season, which could catch up to this team at some point.

But, the Hawks will continue to succeed, if they stick to the formula that's gotten them off to an 11-4 start...great defense and rebounding (ATL is 6th in NBA by allowing just 90.8 ppg, 10th in rebounds with 43.5 per game), along with a balanced scoring attack. Joe Johnson is the team's leading scorer, but role players Vlad Radmanovic, Willie Green, and Janero Pargo have filled in nicely off the bench.

On Friday night, the team will be in Philadelphia, as they take on Lithonia, GA's Lou Williams and the 76ers. The 25 year old point guard leads his team with 15.7 points per game. Click on the title of this post to watch the multi-talented Williams in his music video titled Imma Boss.

Martans at Fernbank IMax

Blues fans, you don't want to miss the opportunity to hear the Martans perform tonight at the Fernbank IMax. This group of local musicians, including Matt Wauchope and Melvin Zachary, is very talented. Tickets are just $7 to hear the band and $13 to hear them perform and see the IMax movie. I've seen these guys on stage and can say it is definitely money well spent. Hope to see you there.

Losing Crawford will cost Atlanta

As a fan of the Atlanta Hawks, I am greatly disappointed, discouraged, and disgusted by Rick Sund's inability to retain Jamal Crawford. Atlanta's GM was unwilling to pay the luxury tax in order to keep the purest scorer this city has seen since Dominique Wilkins put fear inside of NBA rims.

During his 2 year Hawks career, Jamal Crawford was the most prolific scorer on Atlanta's roster. And, he was consistently capable of hitting game altering shots, regardless of any deterrents in his path. In his role as 6th man, the former Wolverine routinely ignited an offense that stagnantly revolved around Joe Johnson.

The Hawks will miss Jamal Crawford more than I do. Without his efforts, they'll digress to such a level that the playoffs are merely an unfathomable dream. As for the dinero Atlanta would have ponied up toward the NBA's luxury tax? It would have been recouped at the gates preceding and during the playoffs. Instead, this team will resemble its ownership...

For video evidence of how much Atlanta will miss Jamal Crawford, click on the title of this post.

Remembering Larry Munson

Although I never met the man, it saddens me greatly to know that Larry Munson has passed away. As a play by play announcer for the Georgia Bulldogs, he was able to paint pictures with more than his words. Listening to Larry call a game, one could feel the momentum change tides, along with the inflection in his voice. The love he had for the University of Georgia was more than a sound you heard. It was as if you could feel Munson's emotions climb right through the radio.

Most fans recount his calls of Herschel Walker running over people or Belue to Lindsay Scott. But, what I loved most was hearing him Munsonize such a simple phrase as, "And we intercept it!" Larry Munson was the greatest announcer of all time. And as Georgia fans, we were blessed to hear him speak.

Brandon Harton 101 Yards

A couple weeks ago, I had an opportunity to be in the Sanford Stadium stands as Georgia trounced New Mexico State 63-16. Knowing I'd see no Isaiah Crowell or Carl Thomas, I quickly became a fan of Brandon Harton. What captivated my eyes the most, was the Thomas Brown like swagger, in which this former walk on toted the rock. There may have been an early issue with ball security, but overall, Harton excellently rushed toward a 98 yard effort.

I thought about that today, as Isaiah Crowell nursed a first quarter injury against Kentucky. His absence gave Tattnall County's version of Darren Sproles another opportunity to showcase his talents. And, Brandon Harton proved himself to be a capable option at running back. Given 20+ carries, the 5'6" phenom posted 101 yards for the first time in his collegiate career.

And in case ya'll missed it, this former walk on is in the process of proving that opportunity + preparedness = success. On this day in UGA history, Brandon Harton helped carry his Dawgs toward an SEC title game in Atlanta. He may not seem flashy, but #20 has proven himself to be an invaluable asset for the eastern division champs. Game ball goes to Brandon Harton and Georgia's defense. Go Dawgs!

It's great to be...Wrong

Today, I've decided to make a painful admission. After the first week of football, I did not believe in this group of men called Bulldogs. What bothered me the most, was that I thought I saw the same unfixed problems from 2010 continue to plague Georgia on the field. Mainly, I was concerned about the defense and the team continuing to get yellow hankies tossed their way at inopportune times. What I failed to understand, is that these Dawgs just needed some time to improve.

Since then, the Georgia Bulldogs have proven themselves to be a LOT tougher and more resilient team than I had given them credit for. Before they even teed it up vs South Carolina, I was knocking Georgia's chances of competing in the SEC, regardless of their LSU and Bama-less schedule. I was wrong for that, as well. A little over two months later, this team currently sits in the drivers seat in the east. With a win over the unpredictable Auburn Tigers, Mark Richt's squad could take a giant leap towards returning to the SEC Championship Game in Atlanta.

Writing these words makes me feel like a fan that had gone astray. My take on the Georgia Bulldogs was unsound and a little bit left of center. But, I've also learned that sometimes it's great to be wrong.