Quarterback Michael Penix Jr. showed off during the Falcons' OTAs in May.
Credit: Jason Getz/AJC
It’s happening, y’all. Falcons players are trickling into Flowery Branch as we speak.
Training camp has begun.
Wanna talk about it?
Open practices: It’s a new era with Michael Penix Jr. under center. And if the demand for training camp tickets is any indication, y’all are pretty pumped.
The Falcons announced that tomorrow’s open practice is sold out — as are Saturday and Sunday. There are plenty more opportunities to drop in and tickets are free. But you have to register in advance.
Additional open practice dates include July 29, July 31, Aug. 4, Aug. 5, Aug. 6 and Aug. 11.
Aug. 12 and Aug. 13 are joint practices with the Tennessee Titans.
Key storylines: Can Penix build on his three-start run at the end of last season? Can the overhauled defense get it together? Can tight end Kyle Pitts finally live up to his billing?
I have my thoughts (yes, maybe, probably not), but make sure to check out beat writer D. Orlando Ledbetter’s more measured look at those questions and others.
Ready for battle: While a reasonable portion of the Falcons’ depth chart is settled, training camp should offer plenty o’ position battles.
Of note: Younghoe Koo vs. Lenny Krieg, a guy they brought in from Europe in case Koo keeps struggling. And pretty much everyone in the secondary not named A.J. Terrell or Jessie Bates.
Neither Michael Harris II nor his shadow caught this ball.
Credit: Mike Stewart/AP
The Braves got blasted by the Giants last night, 9-0. Starter Davis Daniel surrendered five runs in five innings, reliever Wander Suero gave up the rest — and both were sent back to Triple-A Gwinnett afterward.
⚾ Today’s rubber match at Truist Park starts at 12:15 p.m. Spencer Strider vs. Justin Verlander. Plan accordingly.
The Dream led after the first quarter but things unraveled from there in an 87-72 loss at Las Vegas. Allisha Gray scored 24 points.
🏀 They’re right back at it (late) tonight, with a visit to the Phoenix Mercury on tap. Watch at 10 p.m. on Peachtree TV.
The GHSA board expects to officially adopt a new bylaw making high school athletes ineligible if they change schools twice after ninth grade. The goal? Cracking down on kids transferring purely for sports’ sake.
And if, like me, you were wondering: The money from fines goes to the conference’s “Postgraduate Scholarship Fund,” which helps student-athletes pursue master’s degrees.
🎙️ The Georgia Tech contingent takes the ACC Football Kickoff stage at around 2 p.m. Follow @MrChadBishop for all the latest. In the meantime, you should know that offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner got another contract extension.
BULLDOG GRAB BAG
Judging by the chain, former Georgia quarterback Carson Beck has embraced life in Miami.
Credit: Steve Reed/AP
When I say “grab bag,” I mean a truly random assortment of interesting Georgia football stories.
1️⃣ Former UGA quarterback Carson Beck, now a Miami Hurricane, said this about his time in Athens: “At times, I maybe didn’t perform my best or exceed or meet my expectations; I was so concerned with me, me, me, and I can admit to that. You lose sight of what the game is about, playing for your teammates and brothers, and that’s how I was able to pull myself out of it.”
A frustrating thing for the folks in and around Athens to hear? Maybe. But hey … growth is good.
2️⃣ Police in Texas reportedly arrested a four-star recruit committed to Georgia and charged him with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. The gist of the accusations: Chace Calicut brake-checked another car, then pulled up beside it again … before a passenger in Calicut’s car pointed a handgun at the other driver.
That’s the second UGA commit arrested this month. A current player was arrested last week. Not a great look!
3️⃣ Kirby Smart’s house remains on the market — but now it’ll cost you about $700,000 less. The head coach’s home in Athens’ Five Points area is a seven-bed, nine-bath behemoth weighing in north of 7,000 square feet.
Smart and fam already moved to another house. They’re not leaving town anytime soon.
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MEET THE NEW GUY
Atlanta United got a new player. His name’s Enea Mihaj, he’s from Albania, he’s 26 and he plays centerback.
He’s also … excited to be here?
“I think we have a lot of work to do, but we’re in the right path, and I think soon, the work we have done until now will show up in the places,” Mihaj said Tuesday.
Read more here, but Mihaj is expected to play Saturday against Seattle — and hopefully help a defensive front that’s been miserable against set pieces.
PHOTO OF THE DAY
Been a while since we've seen a photo like this.
Credit: Nick Wass/AP
Venus Williams returned to the tennis court Tuesday — and won a match at the Citi Open tournament in Washington. At 45, she became the oldest woman to win a tour-level singles contest since Martina Navratilova in 2004.
Some inspiration for all us Gen Xers and “elder millennials” feeling a little … creaky these days.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
There are no limits for excellence. It’s all about what’s in your head and how much you’re able to put into it. If you put in the work mentally, physically and emotionally, then you can have the result.
-Williams on her win
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Thanks for reading to the very bottom of Sports Daily. Questions, comments, ideas? Contact me at tyler.estep@ajc.com.
Until next time.
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