Tag: Atlanta

Matt Ryan thanks those who have donated to his Atlanta fundraiser

Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan started a GoFundMe last week to help advance the lives of Atlanta’s black community.

Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan started a GoFundMe last week to help advance the lives of Atlanta’s black community. In just a few days, the fundraiser has already brought in over $1.1 million.

Ryan’s goal is to reach $2 million in donations, and that looks to be within reach after just a few days. The outpouring of support has been overwhelming to Ryan, who posted a heartfelt thank you on social media.

Check out his full statement below:

https://www.facebook.com/MRyan02/photos/a.1002066726565534/2649283008510556/?type=3&theater

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Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 at Atlanta odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Sunday’s Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway sports betting odds and lines, with NASCAR analysis, picks and tips.

The NASCAR Cup Series heads to Atlanta Motor Speedway for the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500. The green flag drops Sunday at 3 p.m. ET on FOX. Below, we analyze the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 odds and betting lines, with NASCAR picks and tips with odds from BetMGM sportsbook.

Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500: What you need to know

Odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Friday, June 5 at 6:05 p.m. ET.

Penske Racing’s Brad Keselowski (+800) is the defending winner of this race, and he picked up checkers last season after starting from the 19th position.

  • The past three winners of the NASCAR Cup Series race in Atlanta have been in a Ford, with the three previous winners in a Chevrolet. A Toyota hasn’t been to Victory Lane in Atlanta since the AdvoCare 500 in 2013 when Kyle Busch (+650) raced to the win.
  • Hendrick Motorsports driver Chase Elliott (+600) has drawn the pole position, as starting spots 1-12 were a random draw from charter teams in those positions in team owner points.
  • The pole sitter hasn’t won in Atlanta in 18 Cup races dating back to Kasey Kahne (now retired) when he won the Golden Corral 500 in his Dodge March 20, 2006.
  • Four of the past six winners in Atlanta have started in position No. 10 or lower in the starting grid.
  • Stewart-Haas Racing driver Kevin Harvick (+450) leads all active drivers with 1,197 laps led in Atlanta. The next closest competitor is Ganassi’s Kurt Busch (+1600) with 802.

Who is going to win the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500?

While a pole sitter hasn’t hoisted the trophy in Atlanta since 2006, ELLIOTT (+600) is always a good choice. He has been running very consistently since the restart of the season and has been in contention for every race since the return.

Elliott leads all active drivers with a 10.5 Average-Finish Position (AFP) in four starts in Atlanta, posting a top-5 run and three top-10 finishes. He has never ended up lower than 19th at the track.

KURT BUSCH (+1600) has three wins under his belt in Atlanta, while turning in seven top-5 showings and 14 top-10 runs in 28 career starts. Plus, he has a strong 14.9 AFP along with those 802 laps led. Father Time isn’t catching up with the veteran – he turns 42 in August – especially as far as Atlanta in concerned, as he leads all drivers with a 6.9 AFP across the past 10 starts at the track. That includes finishes of fourth, seventh, eighth and third over the past four runs.

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KESELOWSKI (+800) is running with a lot of confidence, and is the defending champ of this race. He also won last week at Bristol for his second victory in the past three races. And remember, Ford has been to Victory Lane in each of the past three Atlanta runs, so …

Atlanta Motor Speedway prop bets

KURT BUSCH (-125) is almost a near certainty to finish INSIDE THE TOP 10, so play that. In addition, take the elder BUSCH (-115) over Jimmie Johnson in a head-to-head, best finishing position prop.

Another strong head-to-head play is ARIC ALMIROLA (-115) over Matt DiBenedetto. Almirola hasn’t exactly lit the track afire, but DiBenedetto just has never been able to figure the place out. In four Cup starts, DiBenedetto is 29th, 28th, 31st and 26th.

Atlanta Motor Speedway long-shot bets

Ol’ wily veteran MATT KENSETH (+6000) of Ganassi Racing is worth a roll of the dice here. He has never won in 29 tries in Atlanta, but has turned in 11 top 5s, 17 top 10s and he has led 363 laps in his career. He has an 11.93 AFP, best among all active drivers with at least five starts at the venerable, bumpy track.

If you’re looking for a REAL long shot to bet on, try DANIEL SUAREZ (+50000). He has three Cup starts under his belt in Atlanta, finishing 21st in his debut in 2017, 15th in 2018 and 10th in 2019. Of course, he is now in a more inferior machine, racing for Gaunt Brothers Racing in the No. 96 Toyota rather than his previous years with JGR and one season with SHR, thus the extremely long odds. But hey, it’s worth a $1 bet.

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WATCH: Mayor of Atlanta gives message to Falcons players

Falcons coach Dan Quinn hosted a special guest speaker earlier this week when the Mayor of Atlanta, Keisha Bottoms, joined him for a video chat with the team.

Good NFL coaches find ways to make their playbooks and concepts simple enough for young players to understand. During the 2020 offseason quarantine, coaches have had to work even harder to keep the team engaged.

Falcons coach Dan Quinn hosted a special guest speaker earlier this week when the Mayor of Atlanta, Keisha Bottoms, joined him for a video chat with the team.

She talked about what the players could do to help with everything that’s going on in the Atlanta community. Watch below, courtesy of the Falcons’ Twitter account.

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Recruiting: Notre Dame Defensive Back Target Chooses Rival

Notre Dame star Kyle Hamilton was Josh Moore’s teammate at Marist School (HS). Now the two will get the chance to play against each other.

Notre Dame recently offered a scholarship to 2021 safety target Josh Moore of Marist School in Atlanta.  If Marist School sounds familiar that’s because it’s the same school that produced current Notre Dame star safety Kyle Hamilton.

Moore was offered by Notre Dame on May 6 and trimmed his list of potential colleges down to six just last week, the same day that he received an offer from Stanford.

Moore has made up his mind already and announced his decision late Tuesday morning, choosing the Stanford Cardinal.

Moore is graded as a three-star prospect on 247Sports and becomes the third player to commit to Stanford’s 2021 class joining quarterback Ari Patu and corner Jimmy Wyrick.

Notre Dame currently has ten commitments in the 2021 recruiting class with a pair of defensive backs in corner Philip Riley and safety Justin Walters.

2023 cornerback from Georgia picks up an offer from Texas

UT has offered 2023 CB Avieon Terrell from Atlanta. UT the first Big 12 school to offer him, while SEC schools have begun recruiting him. 

Texas has offered 2023 cornerback Avieon Terrell from Atlanta, Georgia. The Longhorns are the first Big 12 school to offer Terrell, while SEC schools have already begun recruiting him.

Continue reading “2023 cornerback from Georgia picks up an offer from Texas”

Notre Dame Makes Top Six for Star Georgia Safety

Moore attends the same high school that produced current star Notre Dame safety Kyle Hamilton as well as the man who played more games as a Chicago Bear than anyone in history, Patrick Mannelly.

Notre Dame currently has 10 commitments to it’s 2021 recruiting class that most outlets have in the nation’s top ten overall.  They’ve received commitments from a pair of defensive backs but are still looking for more.

Good news came on that front Tuesday as Georgia star safety Josh Moore announced his top six schools and Notre Dame made the cut.

Moore is ranked a three-star recruit on 247Sports and the 42nd best safety in the 2021 class in those same rankings.

Joining Notre Dame were a few other schools very much known for great academics:  Northwestern, Boston College, Stanford, Syracuse and Duke.

Moore attends the same high school that produced current star Notre Dame safety Kyle Hamilton as well as the man who played more games as a Chicago Bear than anyone in history, Patrick Mannelly.

If you’d like to see or know more about Moore you can check out his junior year highlight video here.

Former Todd Gurley running mate Keith Marshall loves the Falcons signing

Former Georgia football teammate Todd Gurley and Keith Marshall have stayed close. Marshall took to Twitter after TG signed with the Falcons

Keith Marshall and Todd Gurley played together at Georgia from 2012-14.

Both signed with the Bulldogs as elite members of the 2012 recruiting class, where Marshall was the 13th ranked player in the class (No. 1 RB) and Gurley ranked 73rd (No. 6 RB). Both hailed from North Carolina.

Their freshman year in Athens, the two, dubbed as Gurshall, were unstoppable. Marshall hit you with his blazing speed while Gurley was, well, Gurley.

They combined for 2,144 rushing yards and 27 total touchdowns.

Gurley left Georgia in 2014 and was taken with tenth overall pick by the Rams in the 2015 NFL Draft.

Marshall stayed an extra year, but sadly was never the same after suffering a season ending injury his sophomore season.

But together, along with Aaron Murray, the two running backs gave Georgia a 2012 that we will never forget.

Unfortunately for Marshall, his NFL career did not last long. After running the fastest 40-yard dash at the 2016 NFL Combine with a time of 4.31 seconds, he was taken by the Washington Redskins in the seventh round of the 2016 draft. A torn patellar tendon in his right knee would eventually end his NFL career in July of 2018.

But the bond between the two has stayed tight, and you can often see them together vacationing or hanging out across the country. Marshall has been quick to take to Twitter following a great Gurley run over the past few seasons.

When news broke that Gurley has signed with the Falcons, Marshall again took to Twitter to express his excitement.

The Gurshall duo may be North Carolinians, but they’re both Damn Good Dawgs for life.

Georgia football’s Andrew Thomas a first round lock

Georgia football’s Andrew Thomas is a first round NFL lock

Georgia football has not seen another guy like Andrew Thomas.

Nov 30, 2019; Atlanta, GA, USA; Georgia Bulldogs offensive lineman Andrew Thomas (71) prior to the game against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Bobby Dodd Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

As a true freshman out of Atlanta’s private Pace Academy, Thomas was thrust into the starting lineup early. He started for the Dawgs for three years, and has been a dynamic left tackle for the last two SECCG runs. As a true freshman, he started in the Rose Bowl and national championship game.

After his junior year, Thomas declared for the draft, because he was so widely considered to be pro-ready. Mock drafts have him going in the first round of the NFL draft, as high as top five.

He accompanies offensive classmates D’Andre Swift, Jake Fromm, Isaiah Wilson and Solomon Kindley, as they depart UGA early for the league. They are five of the 10 Georgia players at this year’s NFL combine.

With the losses of Thomas, Wilson, Kindley and transfer Cade Mays to the so-called Great Wall of Georgia, and the departure of great line coach Sam Pittman to be the head coach at Arkansas, new line coach Matt Luke has his hands full in Athens.

The quality talent is there on hand to compete, but losing four starters, and even more so a guy like Andrew Thomas, is a big blow.

Many consider Thomas the best offensive tackle in UGA history.

Former Georgia football QB Jacob Eason may surge in draft

Former Georgia QB Jacob Eason could surge up NFL draft boards.

Former University of Georgia football starting quarterback Jacob Eason declared for the NFL draft after one year starting for the University of Washington Huskies, back in his home state. Indications are that his measurable qualities may push him up some teams’ draft boards.

In a feature article, Mike Silver, a columnist for NFL.com, ruminated on Eason’s interesting path through college football to the combine, ultimately lumping him in the second-tier of current NFL draftees, “…that includes Utah State’s Jordan Love and, yes, Georgia’s Fromm.”

Oct 7, 2017; Nashville, TN, USA; Georgia Bulldogs quarterback Jake Fromm (11) and quarterback Jacob Eason (10) high five as Eason enters the game during the second half against the Vanderbilt Commodores at Vanderbilt Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

Joe Burrow, Tua Tagoviloa and Justin Herbert are fairly consensus 1-2-3 as far as quarterbacks at the top. I personally projected Fromm fourth with Eason fifth, in an earlier piece for UGA Wire.

At the time of the switch at UGA from coach Mark Richt to Kirby Smart, retaining top recruit Eason in Athens was considered the biggest “get” of the first recruiting class Smart had as a head coach. Eason had flirted with the Florida Gators and made a late visit to Gainesville, Fla., before honoring his earlier verbal commitment to UGA.

In the opening contest of the season versus UNC in Atlanta, Eason came off the bench in replacement of incumbent starter Greyson Lambert, who was struggling to get passes off. Eason won the game, which saw Nick Chubb run for 222 yards in his first game back from injury. Eason never yielded the position that year, going just 8-5 as a starter at UGA.

Georgia running back Nick Chubb (27) is hoisted in the air by offensive lineman Isaiah Wynn scoring a touchdown for a 31-0 lead against Appalachian State on Saturday, Sept. 2, 2017, at Sanford Stadium in Athens, Ga. Georgia won, 31-10. (Photo by Curtis Compton/Atlanta Journal-Constitution/TNS/Sipa USA)

That mark as starter includes the first game of the next season, when Eason was injured and replaced by Fromm, who went on to lead Georgia to seasonal win totals of: 13, 11, 12, before declaring for the NFL.

An unnamed NFC head coach is quoted in the article as saying of Eason, “He partied hard early, but he has matured.”

I actually ran into him out the night before the 11 a.m.-kick Liberty Bowl in Memphis. His cocky attitude on display, long flowing hair, tight Euro suit and reputation for being out late struck me as potentially problematic for a young team leader, of a then-struggling program.

He can fling it. Eason has that tall stature of a classic pocket passer and a very strong arm, throws a tight spiral and can drop balls in at times. NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah said, “With Eason, teams are literally all over the map.”

My primary concern with him is his low winning percentage. Georgia won 10 three years in a row before he got the nod, as a true freshman. Washington was coming off winning 12, 10 and 10 in three years.

He went just 8-5, and then he skipped a would-be senior season.