March 1, 2021 –
MATT EDGAR
680 THE FAN, ATLANTA – Between another sad season of NBA hoop at State Farm Arena, both the Dawgs & Jackets in the middle of ho hum seasons on the hardwood, and the Falcons having the 4th overall pick in the April Draft and everyone predicting doom & gloom again in the Fall, it’s easy to feel a bit depressed when thinking about Atlanta sports. And I get that, I really do. However, I’m thankful for the two outstanding programs that we do have here in town and I’m juiced at the real possibility that both of them are square in the mix to win a championship…this year!
If you haven’t figured it out yet I’m talking about our Atlanta Braves and Georgia Bulldogs. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that both of these teams can win the whole kit and caboodle! They might not be the favorites….we know that’s the Dodgers & the Crimson Tide….but they are both clearly right behind the chosen ones and in the top five. Last season, the Braves were a few outs away from going to the World Series and the gang is pretty much back together. UGA finally found their elite level QB in the second half of the season and now has an offensive as legit as its defense. As long as the injury bug doesn’t bite and we catch a little luck, which every championship team needs no matter how good they are, there is no reason the Braves & Dawgs won’t be competing for that Championship ring!
I know that all of us want all of our teams to be relevant and of championship quality but that just isn’t realistic. What Tampa Bay sports fans have experienced the past six months is just an anomaly. I did the proverbial “deep dive” and us Atlanta sports fans just don’t realize how dang lucky we are! You should be stoked after you see my breakdown.
I selected a few cities across the sports landscape to see where the A-T-L stacked up. Let’s start North in Philly where the City of Brotherly Love only has one Championship caliber team and that’s the 76ers, currently the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference. The Eagles, Phillies & Flyers are at different points in their progression but none meet our Championship criteria. Throw in Penn State and nothing changes, Philadelphia has one and only one team with true title capabilities.
Next is Chicago. Like Philly, the Windy City has only one team that makes the cut. The White Sox busted on the scene last year after years of rebuilding and have become a darling of the MLB media, and for good reason. That leaves us the Bears, Cubs, Bulls & Blackhawks, Northwestern & Illinois. None of them make this list, agreed?
From the Midwest we head South to Dallas. Big D currently scores a big ZERO when it comes to Championship quality teams. The Cowboys, Mavericks, Rangers, Stars & Longhorns all sit well below the line.
When we pay a visit to South Beach, we find a singular team on our list, with that being the Heat. The Dolphins, Marlins, Panthers & the U, don’t bring anything to our table of Championship teams.
We’ll finish this exercise out West in Lalaland. LA sports fans have ten teams in their circle, more than any other city in America, and land three of those on my list of current Championship quality teams….the Dodgers, Lakers & Clippers. That leaves seven others who don’t make the list….the Angles, Chargers, Rams, Kings, Ducks, USC & UCLA.
I can go on & on. Houston scores a zero, as does St. Louis. The mighty Big Apple sits at 1, and that’s of course the Yankees. You get the picture. I know it often sucks to be an Atlanta sports fan but as you read this take just a few seconds to appreciate what we do have. We’ve got two!!
Next is Chicago. Like Philly, the Windy City has only one team that makes the cut. The White Sox busted on the scene last year after years of rebuilding and have become a darling of the MLB media, and for good reason. That leaves us the Bears, Cubs, Bulls & Blackhawks, Northwestern & Illinois. None of them make this list, agreed?
From the Midwest we head South to Dallas. Big D currently scores a big ZERO when it comes to Championship quality teams. The Cowboys, Mavericks, Rangers, Stars & Longhorns all sit well below the line.
When we pay a visit to South Beach, we find a singular team on our list, with that being the Heat. The Dolphins, Marlins, Panthers & the U, don’t bring anything to our table of Championship teams.
We’ll finish this exercise out West in Lalaland. LA sports fans have ten teams in their circle, more than any other city in America, and land three of those on my list of current Championship quality teams….the Dodgers, Lakers & Clippers. That leaves seven others who don’t make the list….the Angles, Chargers, Rams, Kings, Ducks, USC & UCLA.
I can go on & on. Houston scores a zero, as does St. Louis. The mighty Big Apple sits at 1, and that’s of course the Yankees. You get the picture. I know it often sucks to be an Atlanta sports fan but as you read this take just a few seconds to appreciate what we do have. We’ve got two!!
