1. Martin Prado, 2B
2. Jason Heyward, RF
3. Chipper Jones, 3B
4. Brian McCann, C
5. Troy Glaus, 1B
6. Eric Hinkse, LF
7. Alex Gonzalez, SS
8. Nate McLouth, CF
9. Kris Medlen, P

Top seed Andy Roddick played another three-set match at the Atlanta Tennis Championships on Friday, besting Xavier Malisse 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 and moving into the semifinal round.

Not only has Roddick defeated Malisse 10 times in a row now, but when Roddick won his first ATP tour event in 2001 in Atlanta, it was Malisse who fell victim to the then 18-year-old Roddick.

Roddick had troubles in the first set. He had little control over his ground strokes and made an unprecedented 17 unforced errors. Instead of changing his game strategy, Roddick worked hard at grinding out the eventual victory.

“I think my legs won me the match,” Roddick said. “In the second set I just ground it back. In the third set I just ran and grinded out a bunch of points and just toughed it out. It wasn’t anything great about my execution tonight. I started serving a lot better. In the third set I got my forehand to come down a little, I wasn’t spraying it as much. I think that’s what turned it for me.”

In the semis on Saturday, Roddick will play Mardy Fish, his best friend on tour. In the video below, Roddick answers questions about the match and speak about how difficult it is to play against a friend.

It took John Isner just 56 minutes to dispatch of Michael Russell in straight sets on Friday at the Atlanta Tennis Championships, 6-1, 6-2.

“The difference between a first round match and a second round match can be huge,” said Isner who was considerable rusty in his first match of the tournament. “That was the case today, I feel like I played a lot better.”

Isner needed three sets on Wednesday to get by qualifier Gilles Muller, who almost matched Isner serve for serve, or rather ace for ace. In taking out Russell on Friday Isner not only still had his potent service game, but he returned well and was sharp with his ground strokes.

“The way I was moving and the way I was seeing the ball — I felt better today and had more looks to get the return back into play and get into more rallies,” Isner said on one of the many differences in his two matches played here in Atlanta.

On Saturday, in the semifinals, Isner will take on Kevin Anderson from South Africa. The 24 year old has a similar game to Isner and they have met on multiple occasions in the past, both as pros and at the collegiate level. Isner’s Georgia Bulldogs defeated Anderson’s Illinios team in 2007 for a National Championship.

The video below features Isner speaking about his quarterfinal match and the upcoming match against Anderson.

By Rachel Bowers
For Sports Page Atlanta

HOOVER, Ala. — It’s that time again. Preseason polls and season predictions are upon us.

And the SEC Media Days Preseason Teams registered an all-time high 177 voters during the three-day zoo at the Wynfrey Hotel.

As anyone with a brain and a slight knowledge of SEC football could predict, Alabama (157) and Florida (153) were voted to win the West and East, respectively, with Arkansas (6) and Georgia (15) no where close in the schools’ second place finishes.

South Carolina, Kentucky, Tennessee and Vanderbilt rounded out the East and Auburn, LSU, Mississippi State and Ole Miss rounded out the West.

Alabama racked up 143 votes to repeat as SEC Championships this season, but the media has made the right preseason prediction only four of the last 18 times.

The Bulldogs had two players make First Team offense with wide receiver A.J. Green and offensive lineman Clint Boling locking up spots. Punter Drew Butler and kicker Blair Walsh were named to First Team special teams.

Georgia had no players voted to First Team defense or Second Team offense, but linebacker Justin Houston and cornerback Brandon Boykin were selected to Second Team defense.

The Crimson Tide led the way with 12 players named to First and Second Team, followed by Florida with 10 and Georgia and Auburn with six players each.

Eastern Division (First Place Votes)
1. Florida (153) 1030
2. Georgia (15) 791
3. South Carolina (8) 790
4. Kentucky 462
5. Tennessee 450
6. Vanderbilt (1) 194

Western Division (First Place Votes)
1. Alabama (157) 1034
2. Arkansas (6) 726
3. Auburn (10) 691
4. LSU (1) 653
5. Mississippi State 320

SEC Champion — Alabama (143), Florida (17), Auburn (7), Arkansas (3), Ole Miss (2), Georgia (2), LSU (1), South Carolina (1), Kentucky (1)

By Rachel Bowers
For Sports Page Atlanta

HOOVER, Ala. — As the final day of SEC Media Days is now upon us, here’s This and That — a roundup of SEC Media Days thus far:

Vanderbilt’s interim head coach Robbie Caldwell put on a show Thursday morning with his refreshing charm behind the podium. With his strong southern accent and laid back demeanor he let his tales of working on a turkey farm, growing up in Pageland, S.C. and becoming a head coach fly in front of more than 150 reporters. Here are his top three quotes from Thursday:

“All I know how to do is work. I’ve been a worker all my life. I grew up in it. My wife said, ‘You can’t talk about anything but football.’ I can. I can talk about pouring concrete, farming, being a pipefitter, all those things. Working on a turkey farm. But nobody wants to hear that. Those are the things that I did prior to getting into football. That’s the God’s truth.”

“You had to like watermelon, No. 1, because it was the watermelon capital of the word — we proclaimed anyway. You had to like hunting and fishing. Frog gigging. I was scared to death of girls, so that didn’t interest me. And I played ball. We played all sports to get out of work. That was the policy. If you played a sport, you didn’t have to work during a practice time. That’s why I played basketball. I was probably the worst there’s ever been, but I played it so I wouldn’t have to go pour concrete … My first hourly paying job was on the turkey farm. I don’t know if I could tell you what my job was, but I was on the inseminating crew. That’s a fact.”

“Here I am, I go from lining the field to I’m head coach in the SEC. I’m telling you — what a thrill. It’s a dream. I can still walk in places and nobody knows me. Last night I was opening the door for people and they gave me a tip. I thought, ‘Hey that’s great. How can you get it better than that?’”

*Caldwell subtly compared Commodore running back Warren Norman to Herschel Walker, saying the sophomore is bursting at the seams with potential.

“We could talk about him all day. He’s down here. I hope you get a chance to interview him. A tremendous young man. Never says a word,” Caldwell said. “Warren, we look to take him to another level. He’s excited about it. He’s working in the weight room to get ready, to prepare his body. You’re going to take a pounding in this league.”

*South Carolina head coach Steve Spurrier is proud of his bookworms. His Gamecock freshmen “led the SEC, over 3.0 grade point average.”

The head ball coach also mentioned his football players have kept their noses clean in what seems to be a time period in the SEC of chock full of arrests and stints behind bars.

“I don’t think we’ve had but one player arrested in about two years, and those charges were dropped,” Spurrier said. “That’s pretty good nowadays, as you know.”

But he also brought up his record with the Gamecocks, saying the squad has won seven games for five straight years but recognized he hasn’t taken the program to the caliber he wants.

“Our attitude around there has not changed. It’s not changed to where we hope to be someday. We hope to be a team that can compete for the SEC year in and year out. That’s what you hope to be,” Spurrier said. “We haven’t gotten there yet.”

*Rogers Redding, SEC Coordinator of Football Officials, announced the NCAA implemented a rule making three-man wedges on kickoffs illegal.

“If (the players are) more than two yards apart, that’s OK,” Redding said. “If they’re within two yards, shoulder-to-shoulder, three players aligned along a straight line, that’s a foul for formation.”

But Redding said officials won’t “overanalyze it. If it presents itself to us as a foul, we will (call it).”

Redding also said if a player is injured, he must leave the game for at least one down and must see the medical staff before coming back onto the field “in a recognize-and-refer stance.”

*Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett plans to try out for the 2012 U.S. swimming team after spending so much time conditioning in the pool due to his foot injury.

“Yeah, I feel like I’m going to try out for the Olympics … I’m going to give it a shot,” Mallett joked Thursday morning at his news conference. “I’ve been doing a lot of swimming to stay in condition. I haven’t been able to run to this point, so I’ve been swimming a lot, doing a lot of weight room stuff with upper body, a lot of single-leg stuff. It’s really helped me out. I’ll be ready to go in two weeks when we start.”

*Parties in South Beach are wreaking havoc on players, coaches and teams this offseason. Note to SEC football players: don’t book any flights to Miami. For a long, long time.

*Alabama head coach Nick Saban still hates greedy pimps, err, agents.

By Rachel Bowers
For Sports Page Atlanta

HOOVER, Ala. — A.J.Green is hungry.

The wide receiver said his teammates are too.

They haven’t missed any all you can eat buffets, but they’ve missed championship games and the glory that comes with such success.

And this season, the Bulldogs want to taste plate after plate of what their SEC counterparts have tasted the last several season.

“I’m going to tell you, we’re hungry,” Green said in his Thursday morning news conference during day two of the SEC Media Days. “A lot of people, like I said, are counting us out … I believe that, like I said, we’re going to open a lot of eyes coming into September, going towards the end of the season.”

The 6-foot-5 junior is the premier name on a Georgia offense that is returning 10 starters.

The 11th man, Georgia’s redshirt freshman quarterback Aaron Murray, has yet to take a game snap for the Bulldogs. He remains untested and has no game experience. He is the second youngest player on the Georgia offense, leading a group of veterans into what some call a make-or-break season for head coach Mark Richt.

But it seems as though Murray has won over his teammates as well as Richt. Green has seen his quarterback put in the hours a starter should put in from the beginning when Murray arrived in Athens more than a year ago.

“From day one, I saw it in Aaron,” Green said. “He was preparing like he was the starter. Whenever that time was approaching, he was going to have the best opportunity to compete, put us in the place to win a lot of games.”

Murray has stayed in contact with his teammates this summer, pushing Green to play their version of catch outside of practice to become more acquainted with one another on the gridiron.

“He always texts me, ‘Come out and let’s throw,’ get that chemistry down, work on some routes that I have trouble running or he has throwing,” Green said.

Though Green is aware of his quarterback’s youth, the two-time All-SEC receiver still refers to Murray as “a leader” and he looks up to his leader “the way he carries his-self on and off the field.”

Murray enters his second season in Richt’s system after completing two springs with the squad as an early enrollee. He has logged hours upon hours waste-deep in the offense’s playbook and knows what to do in any given situation, according to Richt.

“You can get him in the meeting room, get him on the board, ask him anything. He’ll tell you the answer — get it right,” Richt said. “And that could be exciting as a coach.”

But Richt realizes the difference between memorizing and reciting the entire playbook and actually executing on the field each and every Saturday. That will come in time for the Tampa, Fla., native, Richt said.

“We got to be careful … not to get enamored with (Murray’s knowledge of the playbook) and expect him to be able to answer the question quite so well as he’s on the field getting chased by a bunch of 300-pound defensive linemen,” Richt said. “He’s got to live the experience of being that quarterback.”

Despite Green calling him a leader and Richt acknowledging his extensive familiarity with the Georgia playbook, Murray is a rookie in arguably the toughest conference in college football.

In order for the Bulldogs to feed themselves, Murray cannot “be a hero.” And since Georgia is returning numerous veterans for the 2010 season, the wins and loses hinge on Murray’s ability to utilize the weapons around him.

“We have to manage him. We have to help him understand that he does have a very strong core of people around him and he does not have to make a spectacular play every time the ball is snapped,” Richt said. “He needs to do his job. He needs to put the ball on the money.”

With a strong tandem of running backs in Washuan Ealey and Caleb King, returning tight end Orson Charles and Green at flanker, Murray has options and teammates to rely on behind his experienced offensive line.

“I believe I can instill that confidence level that he needs to throw the ball and just to know that he has that primary receiver out there,” Green said. “Whenever he’s in trouble, he can just throw it. It don’t have to be a great ball. It can be whatever, and I can make a play on it.”

Murray’s worth ethic has been on display in the locker room since he stepped into the spotlight of being the starting quarterback for the Bulldogs. Richt said the squad has taken notice and wants to silence the hunger pains.

“They respect this kid because he prepares, because he puts the team first, because he has talent,” Richt said. “They know by virtue of the fact that he is the quarterback, he’s in the leadership position, and he has to succeed.”

By Rachel Bowers
For Sports Page Atlanta

As reported on Wednesday, Georgia now joins Florida, Alabama and South Carolina on the guest list for the NCAA’s investigation party.

On the heels of the alleged agent dealings that have unfolded in the SEC the last couple weeks, the NCAA will conduct a probe on the Georgia campus.

Though the NCAA has not made an official announcement as to why it will conduct the “inquiry,” it is being reported the probe concerns wide receiver A.J. Green attending an agent’s party in South Beach over Memorial Day weekend.

And the NCAA asked all coaches, student-athletes and school officials to keep their lips zipped on the matter.

“It’s not my place to comment on it,” Green said at his Thursday news conference. “I don’t feel like I have to.”

Despite the multiple no comment responses dealt out by Richt and his star wideout, a former Georgia wide receiver and teammate of Green’s tweeted about the NCAA examining things on Georgia’s campus.

“Hahaha this talk bout AJ is hilarious..that country boy ain’t never been to Miami!!!” Michael Moore posted on his Twitter page Wednesday morning. “You can put those rumors to rest…”

Before their formal appearances in front of the media, head coach Mark Richt and Green met with a few reporters Thursday morning.

And Green said he had “never” been to South Beach, but did not comment further.

After the hoopla about agents and their runners during Wednesday’s SEC Media Day sessions, the topic continued to smolder at the start day two.

“I’m sure they’re gathering information, but we’ll see what they gather,” Richt told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution Thursday morning. “I’m not going to make any (further) comment about anything having to do with the investigation.”

The final and deciding game of the San Diego series is on Thursday. Here is Atlanta’s lineup:

1. Martin Prado, 2B
2. Jason Heyward, RF
3. Chipper Jones, 3B
4. Troy Glaus, 1B
5. Matt Diaz, LF
6. Alex Gonzalez, SS
7. David Ross, C
8. Melky Cabrera, CF
9. Tim Hudson, P

For the second straight season, SEC Media Days, generally regarded as the unofficial kickoff to the college football season, has been marred by another side story. Only this time, it’s not as playful as Tim Tebow‘s virginity or the search for the Jevan Snead culprit.

Agent-gate has infected the SEC like a bad cold, and it doesn’t look like a cure is in sight.

The inquiry started last week, when allegations surfaced that UNC defensive lineman Marvin Austin attended an agent-related party in Miami, Fla. It was later alleged that South Carolina tight end Weslye Saunders, Alabama defensive end Marcell Dareus and now, an unnamed Georgia player were also present at that party. Florida caught a separate strain of the disease this week, when an anonymous letter from Canada alleging that former Florida center Maurkice Pouncey took $100,000 from an agent.

So should this rash of agent-related activity surprise you? Absolutely not.

This is a sad reality of college football…but it IS the reality. Agents are a necessary part of the professional sports landscape. Most are upstanding professionals who get dragged down bad apples.

So how do punish those bad apples? The NFL Players Association, an organization that doesn’t want to touch this situation with a 10-foot pole, needs to get involved. If players lose collegiate eligibility as a result of the actions of a licensed agent, that agent should have his license suspended for one year on the first infraction. If there’s a second infraction, it should be permanently revoked.

Hit ‘em in the wallet. Is it only a temporary solution? Sure, but it’s the best option. You know what also is a temporary solution? Cold medicine.

I’ve heard some people suggest that the player be punished. While the player does hold an equal level of blame in most cases, since most of these incidents come to light either late or after a player’s college career, that would take further cooperation from the NFLPA. I don’t see that happening. Baby steps.

This problem is pervasive, and it’s not going away. Hopefully some good can come out of it, and we can prevent this from happening in the near future. Maybe then we can go back to talking about Tim Tebow’s virginity.

By Rachel Bowers
For Sports Page Atlanta

HOOVER, Ala. — The Internet at the Wynfrey Hotel crashed with all members of the media trying to update Twitter accounts, post stories on blogs and websites and check various email accounts during Wednesday’s part of the 2010 SEC Media Days.

“You are again part of one of the largest crowds we’ve ever had,” SEC commissioner Mike Slive said. “There are over a thousand of you here, including print media, electronic media, bloggers, Bowl representatives, corporate sponsors, as well as nearly 30 radio stations broadcasting live from Radio Row downstairs.”

And after a summer full of arrests, scandal and alleged NCAA violations, the head coaches at Alabama, Mississippi State, Kentucky and Florida cycled through room after room to answer question after question from the media zoo.

Talk of implementing policies regarding agent contact with athletes and eligibility being jeopardized came about because of these incidents:

Alabama defensive lineman Marcell Dareus allegedly attended an agent’s party in Miami.

Former Florida offensive lineman Maurkice Pouncey allegedly accepted $100,000 from an agent after last season’s SEC championship game.

Alabama head coach Nick Saban said the hammer needs to come down on those agents who cross the line in contacting players.

“I think if an agent does anything to affect the eligibility of a college football player, his license ought to be suspended for a year,” Saban said. “That’s the only way we’re going to stop what’s happening out there because it’s ridiculous and it’s entrapment of young people at a very difficult time in their life. And it’s very difficult for the institutions and NCAA to control it and it’s very unfair to college football.”

And with two alleged incidents looming over two schools in one conference, Florida head coach Urban Meyer said the practice has gone on for years, though less publicized, and said policing agents would be extremely difficult.

“It’s an epidemic right now,” said Meyer. “I think it’s always been there, from what I understand. I’ve been in coaching 20-plus years … I think we’ve reached the point of the size of college football, the magnitude of college football, is really overwhelming. I think you really have to keep an eye on it. You have guys like Mike Slive, (NFL) Commissioner (Roger) Goodell … that are going to be involved in this. We just have to do the right thing.”

But despite the leadership Meyer referred to, Saban became more and more fired up as he fielded questions on the issue during his news conference, saying “greed” is the driving force behind this “epidemic.”

“I don’t think it’s anything but greed that is creating it right now on behalf of the agents,” Saban said. “Agents that do this, I hate to say this, but how are they any better than a pimp? I have no respect for people who do that to young people, none. I mean, none.”

Both coaches are dealing with a player or former player facing similar allegations.

Meyer said he went straight to Florida’s compliance office when he received wind of the issue, and then confronted Pouncey.

“I went to Marquis. He said that it didn’t happen,” Meyer said. “I have not been that concerned. I don’t like our pictures going across the ticker and everything else. If something happened, he should be punished severely. If it didn’t happen, then that’s nonsense.”

Saban, on the other hand, wouldn’t comment on Dareus’ situation in the head coach’s mile-long opening statement, in which he touched on every single topic but space exploration.

“Our compliance people are looking into it in conjunction with the NCAA,” Saban said. “We’re not really going to make any comments, nor do we have any information that he did anything wrong or he didn’t do anything wrong. But we’re going to find out with the due diligence that we look for.”

Though trouble could be a-brewin’ for Pouncey and Dareus, Saban doesn’t want to deny his players a future in the NFL by completely taking away opportunities to network with agents. He just expressed the “time and place for everything” approach.

“We’re not trying to keep our guys away from agents,” Saban said. “We’re just trying to keep what happens on the street corner from happening. We’re not trying to deny our guys access. We’re proactive in allowing them, the times that they’re allowed to talk to agents, get all the education they need about making a good selection when their season is over.”