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Swampland Sports Six-Pack for the week ending 6/24/07

Swampland’s Sports Six-Pack for the week ending 6/24/07

Your weekly filter for the top sports stories around the South




1) It comes as no surprise that the other SEC basketball coaches are actually glad Billy Donovan came back to Florida and to the league. It says a lot for the college game that a top-notch coach finally realized how good things are at that level. Billy Donovan (and other SEC coaches) will be paid well if they have success, and they are the unquestioned boss of their program. While more money is always tempting, the professional, mercenary world of the NBA can be a rough adjustment for a coach who is used to controlling the destiny of his team. Although they will be bitter rivals with the Gators once the season starts, I believe Southern fans see Donovan’s return as a huge positive for the game they love.

2) Both Bobby Bowden and Nick Saban have been very successful coaching on the college gridiron. Obviously Bowden’s achievements are legendary while Saban is considered one of the top bench bosses in the college game after his impressive stint at LSU. That may be where the similarities end. Ray Melick of the Birmingham News points out that while part of Saban’s mega-deal at Alabama was to limit personal appearances, Coach Bowden is out on his usual tour of speaking to FSU alums as well as fans of the college game. Bowden’s infectious personality has endeared him to the fans of the game as much as his football success. While winning (heavily) at Bama would make him popular with Tide fans, it’s hard to see Saban ever being respected across the South if he doesn’t want to get out and meet the people that provide him the opportunity to be college’s highest paid coach.


3) The possible sale of the Nashville Predators to Canadian billionaire Jim Balsillie may be in jeopardy. Fans of the Predators have been worried about the potential change in ownership which would likely result in an eventual change of address (Canada) if Balsillie has his way. Another interesting factor that could help save the Preds is the development of a group of Nashville investors that would possibly buy the team. As mentioned in a previous Swampland Sports piece about the Predator precarious situation, local ownership would be a huge factor in marketing the ‘non-traditional’ sport of hockey in the Music City. The potential local purchasers would have a much better chance of getting the much-needed corporate support (tickets, suites, etc.) that would make the franchise healthy for the long-term. The team on the ice has been built well, and the environment at the games is top-notch. A local ownership group could make all the difference for a quality hockey team staying at home.



4) In this week’s NBA draft, there is a decent possibility that the Atlanta Hawks will take Al Horford (Florida) at #3 and local point guard Javaris Crittenton (Georgia Tech) with the 11th choice. For a team still hurting from their passing on ‘perfect-fit’ point guard Chris Paul in ’05, the Horford/Crittenton strategy seems fairly solid, and it would definitely help in marketing the team. Fans in the area have seen Horford’s Florida team win both the SEC and NCAA Tournaments in the Georgia Dome this season while Crittenton is a local high school and college product. Atlanta has many NBA fans, but since Dominique Wilkins retired, those fans just haven’t been Hawks’ supporters. While your top priority in drafting is building a better club and not marketing, the Hawks’ selections on Thursday will go a long way in deciding whether Atlanta fans will get behind the team. The Hawks must start to connect with their fan base in order to prevent the all too familiar scenario of fans only filling the arena when other NBA stars come to town.



5) It looks like the NBA is making a solid effort in helping the city of New Orleans. Next February, the Crescent City will be the host for the All-Star weekend. This a good move by the NBA to assist a region that needs economic impact. It will also help bring attention to a newer franchise that needs to build an identity. Fans in New Orleans came out in droves to support the Saints after Katrina, but it will take a huge effort by the organization as well as the NBA to make sure the Hornets will be viable for the long-term. For a league that constantly battles its ‘off court’ reputation, efforts to assist New Orleans and its fans will only strengthen the perception of the NBA.



6) According to the Dallas Morning News’ Evan Grant, the visiting Detroit Tigers provide a model for improving the Rangers organization. Texas must start to develop an identity that their fans can start to believe in over the course of a few years. I think another model for the Rangers would be the Braves. After their amazing run through the ‘90s, Atlanta kept their success and popularity going by building their farm system with local kids (Brian McCann, Jeff Francoeur, Kyle Davies, Chuck James, and Willie Harris) who would be fan favorites as soon as they made the big club .With all of the great talent in Texas high schools and colleges, it’s amazing the Rangers have no players from the state. With all of the great young pitching (Josh Beckett, John Lackey, Scott Kazmir, Huston Street, Homer Bailey) coming out of Texas, it’s a sad commentary that the Rangers haven’t found a way to capitalize on local players to build their club and their fan base.

- Patrick Snow

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