While the move of arguably the greatest soccer player of all time, Lionel Messi, to Inter Miami has spiked national interest in soccer, American soccer has been growing in popularity even before Messi. In 2022, Major League Soccer (MLS) reported record highs in attendance. The value of MLS franchises has increased by 85% since 2019, and the North American continent is preparing to hold the World Cup.

To capitalize on this wave of attention and grow the game further, the US Soccer Federation announced it is moving its headquarters from Chicago, IL to Atlanta, GA. The governing body of American soccer announced plans for the construction of a $50 million training center. The center will house the corporate headquarters of US Soccer but also holds ramifications for the teams directly under it. All 27 of the US’s national teams — the men’s and women’s national teams, the 16 youth teams and nine extended teams — are slated to train at the center. While the exact location within Atlanta will not be known until January of 2024, US Soccer is officially coming to the heart of the Peach State.

Although expected, this move upends years of precedent. Since the 1990s, the US Soccer Federation has been based in Chicago. Due to the restrictions of Chicago’s climate and area, national soccer players attended camps and games in a myriad of cities across the United States. However, most successful soccer federations for other countries often have a centralized base where players can train and compete in a singular location. Therefore, officials considered Atlanta — amongst many candidates — to fill this role. The final decision came down to Atlanta or Cary, North Carolina.

Three factors likely swayed the decision in Atlanta’s favor: corporate partnerships, convenient location and community interest. Home Depot co-founder Arthur Blank, who also owns Atlanta United, pledged $50 million to finance the training center. Blank also specifically made a commitment to increase accessibility in soccer by funding improved facilities for the Cerebral Palsy, Deaf and Power Soccer, where the players use wheelchairs, National Teams. Furthermore, US Soccer CEO JT Batson announced that Coca-Cola is partnering with the US Soccer Federation. Still, these collaborations are likely the tip of the iceberg. Atlanta is also uniquely suited for the new training center due to its climate and infrastructure. The city’s warm climate would be perfectly suited for the outdoor and indoor practice fields within the training center, whereas cities like Chicago or Kansas City, the site of the Compass Minerals National Performance Center, need to have indoor fields for players’ training. 

Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport is also one of the largest airports in the world, which makes it convenient for players arriving from Europe. In fact, issues over transportation logistics were a big reason why efforts to install headquarters in Los Angeles failed. Over twenty years ago, the US Soccer Federation built an earlier version of the National Training Center in Carson, CA, for its winter camps. However, Los Angeles is too far from Europe for it to be a viable candidate for headquarters. Conversely, Atlanta is a city that many flights from Europe connect through. 

The cultural fit between US Soccer and Atlanta is also worth acknowledging. Across all North and South American clubs, Atlanta United had the second highest average attendance at 47, 116 spectators per match in the 2022 season. This includes clubs in Mexico and Brazil, where soccer is more ingrained into national culture than in the United States. 2022’s numbers are no fluke —the club has led the MLS in attendance for every season since 2017 and is one of the five most valuable MLS franchises. Simply put, Atlanta loves soccer, and there are very few American cities that can claim to love the sport more.

Although the decision was officially approved by US Soccer’s board of governors, the process of moving is still a work in progress. The federation will not decide on a site within Atlanta until early 2024, and construction has not begun yet amidst the discussions.

Still, Atlanta is essentially being named the heart of American soccer. The best players in the nation will likely spend a significant portion of their national team preparation in the city, while the new faces of American soccer are expected to develop in tandem. Even though it is early, the possibilities of the benefits Atlanta could reap from this move are undoubtedly exciting. Given Atlanta’s corporate presence, climate and community, there are very few other candidate cities that fit US Soccer’s criteria to the same degree. It remains to be seen whether the move will play a key role in elevating the United States to a soccer superpower.

Week 1 of the NFL is always an exciting time. Fans are hyping up their favorite rookies, teams are eager to display their off-season adjustments and unheralded players are poised to make a name for themselves. Of course, all this optimism comes with its fair share of chaos and destruction. 

The season opener leaned into the chaos as the upstart Detroit Lions captured a 21-20 win over the defending Super Bowl champions, the Kansas City Chiefs. Lions rookie — and former Tech standout — running back Jahmyr Gibbs averaged six yards per carry in his first game and showed excellent promise for the Lions. Ultimately, the Lions defense was able to hold star quarterback Patrick Mahomes in check amidst struggles from his receivers and injury to his favorite target, tight end Travis Kelce. The Chiefs need Kelce to return quickly as he is critical to their offensive success. Although their defense held up against an explosive Lions offense, this game could have been different if the Chiefs resolved the contract dispute of their star defensive tackle, Chris Jones, who did not suit up for the Week 1 game. 

If the Chiefs cannot right the ship, the rest of the AFC will take advantage. In their own AFC West, they will need to fend off the Los Angeles Chargers. Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert is one of the few quarterbacks capable of battling Mahomes and looked the part against the Dolphins in Week 1, but he was let down by his defense and kicker as the Chargers lost 36-34. The rest of the division poses no threat to Kansas City; the Denver Broncos made a high profile trade to get legendary coach Sean Payton from the Saints to fix their $200 million investment in quarterback Russell Wilson, but lost 17-16 against a lackluster Raiders team. Still, the Raiders actually have a great pass rusher in Maxx Crosby and a game-breaking wide receiver in Davante Adams. 

The AFC North is perhaps the deepest division in football. Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson and Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow are both MVP candidates and surrounded by talent. Burrow’s wide receiver duo of All-Pro weapon Ja’Marr Chase and deep-ball savant Tee Higgins is complemented by a defense starring edge rusher Trey Hendrickson and defensive tackle DJ Reader. However, both the Bengals offense and defense looked absent against the Browns, who handled the Bengals easily by an emphatic score of 24-3. 

Cleveland’s defensive duo of All-Pro edge Myles Garrett and lockdown cornerback Denzel Ward were excellent against their Ohio rivals while the Ravens beat the Houston Texans 25-9. Baltimore added Boston College receiver Zay Flowers from the ACC to pair with superstar tight end Mark Andrews and a healthy Odell Beckham Jr. Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett improved towards the end of last season, but looked off in a blowout 30-7 loss against a lockdown San Francisco 49ers defense. Pickett will need to be better in order to support a solid Steelers defense led by former Defensive Player of the Year linebacker TJ Watt and stellar coverage safety Minkah Fitzpatrick. 

The AFC East is another tough division with all four teams vying for playoff spots. The New York Jets had the splash of the offseason when they traded for disgruntled Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, but the team’s defense, starring dominant defensive tackle Quinnen Williams and reigning Defensive Rookie of the Year cornerback Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner, is the real story. They clawed out a 19-16 win against the Bills on Monday Night Football on a walk-off kickoff touchdown, but unfortunately lost Rodgers to a season-ending Achilles injury in the process. The Bills once again showed that their offense runs because of quarterback Josh Allen, who struggled on Monday. His connection with All-Pro receiver Stefon Diggs is critical to their offense. Flaws in Buffalo’s defense could make them susceptible to the team they beat in last year’s playoffs: the Miami Dolphins. The Dolphins made a big trade of their own to land star cornerback Jalen Ramsey from the Rams, but the real question is the health of quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who suffered multiple concussions last year. When he’s healthy and has protection, he can get the ball to the lightning-quick receiver duo of Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. It would be unwise not to mention the Patriots as their defense is very underrated. First-round cornerback Christian Gonzalez solidifies a strong Patriots secondary that can take advantage of the mistakes created by Pro Bowl pass rusher Matthew Judon and defensive tackle Christian Barmore. 

The AFC South is the division of youth — the Colts and Texans both have rookie quarterbacks in CJ Stroud and Anthony Richardson and similarly young rosters. The Titans are an offensive line and quarterback away from a deep postseason run, but the combination of Mike Vrabel’s coaching, running back Derrick Henry and an underrated defensive line make them a tough opponent. The Jaguars stand at the top despite a suspect defense, thanks to exciting young quarterback Trevor Lawrence. Lawrence will have a new weapon for 2023 in former Falcons receiver Calvin Ridley and the two looked great in Week 1, beating the Colts 31-21. 

Switching over to the NFC, the top three is clear, but questions surround everyone else. The Philadelphia Eagles just suffered a close loss to the Chiefs in the Super Bowl, but the reigning NFC champions should still be impressive. Quarterback Jalen Hurts is an MVP candidate and dual threat for defenses while throwing to one of the best 1-2 receiver duos in football in AJ Brown and DeVonta Smith. The Eagles defense lost a big interior presence in defensive tackle Javon Hargrave, but replaced him with former Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter and retained a solid secondary. They looked a bit disorganized against the Patriots, but won 25-20. Their biggest rivals, the Dallas Cowboys, aren’t going to let up. Their ferocious defense, led by versatile linebacker Micah Parsons and a lockdown corner duo of Trevon Diggs and Stephon Gilmore, shut out the New York Giants on Sunday Night Football. However, the Cowboys’ season likely comes down to what quarterback Dak Prescott can do in a new offensive roster makeup. 

Out west, the San Francisco 49ers signed Javon Hargrave away from Philadelphia and added him to a pass-rushing group of Arik Armstead and Nick Bosa. The group looked dominant against the Steelers, blowing them out 30-7. On offense, the former Mr. Irrelevant — the last pick of the 2022 draft — Brock Purdy looked comfortable throwing to receivers Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk, as well as All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey. 

Beyond San Francisco, Philly and Dallas, the NFC’s possible playoff teams are a lot murkier. The hometown Atlanta Falcons ran all over the rebuilding Carolina Panthers in a divisional showdown, but it remains to be seen how their defense and quarterback Desmond Ridder perform against better competition. Fortunately for Atlanta, their first round, 8th overall pick Bijan Robinson looked electric in all of his carries as he scored his first touchdown  for the Falcons by juking the defender out of his shoes. 

The Detroit Lions just came off their biggest win in years over the Chiefs, but there are still questions about their defense and quarterback Jared Goff. The Green Bay Packers made the change from a franchise legend in Aaron Rodgers to unknown quarterback Jordan Love, who ripped the division rival Chicago Bears’ secondary up on Sunday as the Packers won 38-20. The Minnesota Vikings’ 2022 record in one-score games will regress, but they still should be considered a playoffs candidate despite losing 20-17 to a surprisingly tough Tampa Bay Buccaneers team. Both the New York Giants and Seattle Seahawks defied expectations last year by making the 2022 playoffs but came out flat against their division rivals Dallas Cowboys and Los Angeles Rams respectively. Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith and Giants quarterback Daniel Jones both received new contracts in the off-season; they will have to live up to these contractual expectations in order for their teams to succeed. 

At the bottom of the conference, the Carolina Panthers, New Orleans Saints, Arizona Cardinals and Washington Commanders all face long odds to make the postseason. Even though Washington beat Arizona 20-16 and the Saints eked out a narrow 16-15 win over Tennessee, all of these teams are either rebuilding or have severe roster questions. Still, the exciting thing about Week 1 is that anything is possible. Another exciting NFL season is on the horizon and it will be fascinating for fans  to watch teams race to the post-season or, unfortunately, the top of next year’s draft order. 

Rock’Em Socks is no stranger to big partnerships. They produce custom socks and underwear featuring over 250 colleges, as well as Star Wars characters and scenes. However, as of Aug. 30, they signed an unprecedented deal with Oklahoma Sooners quarterback General Booty. While the exact terms were undisclosed, Booty will profit from the sales of socks and underwear that feature his unique last name, as well as his face and image. He is now a brand ambassador for his own clothing line — despite not even being listed on the official Oklahoma quarterback depth chart. 

Booty’s deal perfectly describes name, image and likeness rights (NIL), which is where collegiate athletes can receive compensation for partnerships involving their name, image and likeness regardless of how their professional careers turn out. The profitability of these brand partnerships might just be the tip of the iceberg, considering that NIL deals have only existed since June 2021. 

Three years ago, the Supreme Court’s landmark bipartisan ruling in NCAA vs. Alston paved the way for college students to legally profit off their name, image and likeness. For years, cases like Reggie Bush’s 2005 Heisman controversy and Ed O’Bannon’s 2014 lawsuit have led to accusations of the NCAA exploiting athletes who drive massive profits for their  university in sports like football and basketball. Bush received a suspension and lost his Heisman trophy after he allegedly accepted money and a rent-free home for his family, while O’Bannon sued the NCAA for the usage of his likeness in the 2009 video game, “NCAA Basketball 09”, effectively ending the game’s production.

When the ruling was initially made, many people within college sports viewed it as one with messy consequences. This is because the NCAA passed a rule to let individual schools dictate their compensation rules if they are not bound by state statutes. For example, Texas prevents athletes from making deals with gambling, alcohol and drug companies. Those restrictions could curtail the earning power of athletes, who may decide to commit or transfer to schools where NIL laws are more relaxed. Recognizing this, states like Mississippi started acquiescing to NIL pressure. Initially, recruits committed to Mississippi universities could not sign NIL deals, but lawmakers scrapped the restriction by Aug. 2022. 

Programs that can also facilitate deals for their athletes will be more valued as destinations. Across all sports, the 2022 transfer portal saw a 20 percent uptick in entrants. A record 1,800 basketball players decided to transfer prior to the 2023 season, and football alone saw a 15 percent increase in 2022 transfers after only one year of NIL. Not all of that can be attributed to NIL, but it is clear that NIL opportunities heavily factor. 

Many schools now partner with NIL collectives to help form deals with their student-athletes. Collectives are not officially part of the school, but they source funds from boosters and businesses to create NIL opportunities for the school’s athletes. Immediately following the NIL wave, three main types — marketplaces, donor-driven and dual — formed to occupy slightly different roles in the nascent NIL landscape. Marketplace collectives bring athletes and businesses together to discuss opportunities, donor-driven collectives give the money straight to players and dual collectives merge the two approaches. Offshoots have already formed from those three, like the player-driven collectives partnering with Auburn, Texas and Minnesota and selling exclusive access to the team in return for a 75/25 split of profits between the collective and the players. 

While the NIL conversation is largely dominated by its impact on football and basketball, it affects athletes in other sports as well. Per NIL evaluator On3, LSU gymnast Olivia Dunne is the second-most valuable athlete in college sports; she is the highest-paid female college athlete and has made over $500,000 from a single Instagram post. She has partnerships with Motorola, EA Sports and Body Armor and collectively earns around $3.5 million from them all. For some perspective, if Dunne were to win the gold medal for the United States in an Olympic gymnastics event, she would only make $37,500. Using her NIL funds, she even founded a smaller collective of her own — the Livvy Fund — which focuses on securing marketing opportunities for LSU athletes. 

Legally, these collectives are mostly unregulated, which can lead to major problems. Former four-star quarterback Jaden Rashada is the current poster child for NIL deals gone wrong. Ranked as the sixth-best quarterback in his class, he initially committed to Miami before an unexpected change to the Florida Gators, prompted by a reported $13 million NIL offer from the Florida-affiliated Gator Collective. However, the collective did not actually have the financial backing to support their hefty offer. As a result, the binding agreement was terminated and he requested to be released from his national letter of intent. He is now the starting quarterback for the Arizona State Sun Devils as a true freshman while the Gator Collective collapsed into a new operation directly under Florida purview. Stories like Rashada’s serve as a reminder that nobody wins when an NIL deal goes wrong. He lost out on potential millions in exposure, the Gators lost an exciting quarterback talent and the program’s reputation took a severe hit. 

Athletes can also enter NIL deals without really understanding what they are signing. Chicago Bears defensive tackle Gervon Dexter recently filed a lawsuit against Big League Advance Fund, who gave him $436,000 for his NIL services and 15% of his pre-tax NFL earnings for 25 years. Under Florida law, an intercollegiate athlete may not enter into any agreements that conflict with a term of the athlete’s professional contract. While Dexter certainly has a case for his agreement to be voided, it creates an unnecessary legal situation when the fine print is not carefully analyzed. 

Given the profits they generate for their schools, student-athletes undoubtedly should receive compensation for their performance. However, it is fair to express concerns about the rapid growth of unregulated collectives and their effects on the outlook of collegiate sports. The burden is now on intercollegiate athletes to operate their college careers like professional ones; they need to select their schools carefully, understand their worth and surround themselves with the right people.

In the most recent FIFA world rankings published on Aug. 25, the top spot changed for the first time in six years. Instead of the United States, Sweden ranked at the top, followed by Spain. The United States stood at third.

 The drop directly results from an unexpected round-of-16 exit against Sweden in the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup. Rather than winning their third straight title, the United States’ uneven performances in the pre-Cup group stages foretold an early exit for a 2023 team that lacked the dominance of prior years.

The pre-tournament projections for the team can not be understated. Players with championship pedigree from the 2019 title — striker Alex Morgan, wing Megan Rapinoe, midfielder Rose Lavelle, team captain Lindsey Horan, wingback/wing Crystal Dunn and midfielder Julie Ertz — all returned in 2023. Exciting newcomers like aggressive forward Trinity Rodman, the backline defensive duo of Alana Cook and Naomi Girma and goalscoring machine Sophia Smith added a fresh infusion of talent. Some concern stemmed from the injuries Rapinoe and Lavelle were recovering from, as well as notable injury losses in the talented, young forward duo of Catarina Macarino and Mallory Swanson. Veteran playmaking midfielder Sam Mewis also missed her chance to repeat from 2019 due to a serious knee injury.

However, the on-paper roster talent did not smoothly transition to the pitch. The U.S. drew Vietnam first in the group stage and handled their less-talented opponent with relative ease. Smith scored two goals in the first half, while the team put consistent pressure on Vietnam’s defense. The U.S. team won an easy 3-0 game in spite of inspired play from Vietnam goalie Tran Thi Kim Tranh and a missed penalty kick from Alex Morgan. 

Against the Netherlands, problems arose. The team struggled in the first half and could not capitalize on any of their close chances. Defensive issues persisted throughout the game; fortunately, the team stayed aggressive and forced a 1-1 draw, largely through the forward trio of Smith, Morgan and Rodman and a timely, second-half goal from Horan off a great corner kick from Lavelle. Although they did not lose, the uneven performance prompted midfielder Andi Sullivan’s candid admission that the team was out of sync. The players appeared puzzled on how to work off each other, and Lavelle’s minutes limitations led to extreme offensive inconsistency. 

Things failed to improve against Portugal. For ninety-one minutes, the USA’s chances of advancing to the World Cup looked grim against a team they had beaten in 10 straight games. They failed to finish their shots, turned the ball over carelessly and looked sloppy despite Lavelle starting for the first time. Attempting 17 shots with four on-goal is not a winning recipe, and previous concerns over the team’s lackluster offense only grew louder. The American defense remained excellent, but if not for Portugal forward Ana Capeta’s shot harmlessly hitting the post, the United States very well could have missed the World Cup entirely. 

Their struggles came to a head in the knockout round against Sweden. Team manager Vlatko Andonovski made a formation change from a 4-3-3 to a 4-2-3-1 formation that promotes spaced defensive play, a variety of passing lanes and controlled time of possession on offense. The forward play remained excellent, and the team looked more fluid and cohesive in comparison to the other two games. However, their finishing struggles ultimately lost them the game. Similar to the Portugal game, they attempted 22 shots and 11 on goal, but failed to get anything past Swedish goalkeeper Zecira Musovic. The hard-fought match came down to a tense penalty shootout that went back and forth. Ultimately, three straight misses from the talented trio of Rapinoe, Smith and substitute Kelly O’Hara set up the game-winner from Sweden’s Lina Hurtig. The shot deflected off the hands of U.S. goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher and inched past the goalline as she hit it upwards. 

This World Cup is the last for legends like Megan Rapinoe and Julie Ertz, who ended a decorated international career in an unexpected fashion. While Alex Morgan dismissed retirement concerns immediately following the loss, it is fair to question her return in 2027 given she will be 40 years old at the tournament. Andonovski stepped down after the tournament, so the U.S. will have a new voice overseeing the team’s direction. That new voice could pair well with a roster in transition to more of a youthful movement. Rodman, Smith, Macarino and Girma are all future pieces that could be pivotal in an improved performance in 2027. 

Ultimately, the U.S. national team must change its philosophy and unlock the strengths of its roster. Currently, the team features aggressive scoring threats, but lacks the connective pieces to set those scorers up for finishing. Creators like Lavelle are desperately needed, and it is up to U.S. soccer to develop and identify those talents. Otherwise, the rapid improvements of the international talent pool will catch up to the team. Their dominance is no longer assured — it is time for them to rest, retool and prepare to rewrite the narrative in four years. 

On Aug. 12th, the Atlanta Braves started Allan Winans, a part-time substitute teacher, against the New York Mets. He tossed seven scoreless innings, and the Braves won by a score of 21-3.

The Braves currently lead the MLB with a record of 78-42, but their game against the Mets is a mere example of how that record might not even do them justice. In 2023, the Braves can seemingly do no wrong. “Good” is too trivial of a word to describe this lineup; they are putting up numbers not seen in nearly fifty years.

Their team OPS, a metric that measures effectiveness of getting on base and hitting for extra bases, of 129 is tied with the 1976 Cincinnati Reds, one of the most prolific offenses in baseball history. The Braves rank first in home runs, runs-batted-in (RBIs), batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage.

Any discussion of the offense’s success starts with the tandem of outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. and first baseman Matt Olson. After tearing his ACL in 2021 and a down season in 2022, Acuña is better than ever. He is on pace to be the first player in MLB history to score 35 home runs and steal 75 bases but also ranks second in hits and batting average while leading the league in on-base percentage at .418. These stats are a big part of why he is statistically the most valuable offensive player in baseball, with an offensive wins-above-replacement (WAR) of 6.2. It is easy to see why he is the favorite for the National League MVP.

The Braves’ other National League MVP candidate, Olson, has been a resounding success since Braves General Manager Alex Anthopoulos acquired him from the Oakland A’s in 2022 as a replacement for fan-favorite superstar first baseman Freddie Freeman. Olson and his 43 home runs are in a tight race with Angels’ superstar pitcher and  designated hitter Shohei Ohtani for the MLB home run crown. Olson’s ability to score his teammates — he leads the league in RBIs — is key to the Braves’ huge offensive innings. Other than Ohtani, he has been the best power hitter in baseball with a slugging percentage of .605. While Acuna makes contact and wreaks havoc on the basepaths, Olson’s big bat sends him to home plate.

Even if opposing pitchers can limit Acuna and Olson, they still contend with star third baseman Austin Riley and 2022’s rookie sensation outfielder Michael Harris II. Both started the season slowly but have rounded into form during the summer. In June and July, Harris had a staggering .374 batting average, .398 on-base percentage and .638 slugging percentage, while Riley racked up 14 home runs and 21 RBIs on a .287 batting average and .638 slugging percentage. Replacing longtime shortstop Dansby Swanson, 2023 All-Star shortstop Orlando Arcia has the second-highest OPS among National League shortstops. As the best catcher duo in baseball, Sean Murphy and Travis d’Arnaud provide offensive production and good framing for Atlanta’s pitchers. They lead the league in weighted runs-created (wRC+), a measure of offensive production considering external factors like ballpark size and league trends. Murphy has hit 22 home runs, the 3rd most among catchers. Furthermore, up-and-down designated hitter Marcell Ozuna has had a bounce-back campaign with a .251 batting average and 24 home runs. 2021 postseason hero Eddie Rosario is experiencing a scorching-hot August, especially in a series-clinching four-hit performance recently against the San Francisco Giants. Bottom line — big performances can come from anywhere in the Braves lineup.

It is unfair to have a lineup of this caliber in combination with the Braves’ pitching core. Although not historically dominant like the offense, the starters and bullpen are chock-full of talent. Both their starting rotation and bullpen rank in the top-five for earned-run-average (ERA), strikeouts per nine batters and WAR.

A one-two combo of Max Fried and Spencer Strider ranks among the best in baseball. Strider leads the MLB in strikeouts on the back of his dangerous fastball-slider combo. Fried has posted a good 3.38 ERA since returning from a forearm strain, but his 2.48 ERA in 2022 and lethal curveball suggest he could return to his elite form soon. In his 17th season, the 39 year-old Charlie Morton has struggled with walks but still sports an effective curveball and solid ERA of 3.54 across his 22 starts. His recent series against the Yankees showed the devastating pitching he still has, handling reigning American League MVP Aaron Judge on just three curveballs. Bryce Elder has broken out as an All-Star this season with a 3.46 ERA, although he hasn’t been quite as sharp since the All-Star break. That is before mentioning the return of 2021 World Series hero Kyle Wright, who adds even more depth to the rotation.

In the bullpen, Joe Jimenez, AJ Minter, Kirby Yates and Raisel Iglesias are all quality relievers although not individually elite. Iglesias has been excellent as the team closer with 24 saves on the season, while Yates has been hot in the second half with a 1.98 ERA, albeit some recent struggles. Minter is not at his 2022 form amidst injury struggles and inconsistency but can still turn in good performances in the eighth inning to set up Iglesias. Jimenez has been a strikeout machine, recording 54 strikeouts against 13 walks.

There is still a whole month of the season before playoff baseball in October, so it is fair to question whether the Braves can continue firing on all cylinders. Decline from Morton and Elder, bullpen struggles and a slump from Rosario or Ozuna are very possible and could prove problematic. 

The Braves have too much talent for any of those events to derail their season. Slight drop-off in September should be expected, but the offense should remain elite and the pitching stable. Atlanta has no competition for the division title, so they will not have to play from behind like they did in 2022. Make no mistake, this Braves team will be judged in October. They are entirely capable of making a World Series run; anything less is a
disappointment.

In his first formal introduction to the rest of the ACC, Brent Key made it abundantly clear: he is focused on consistency and is uninterested in expectations.

At ACC Media Day in Charlotte, reporters wanted to understand Key’s perspective on the team’s 4-4 record under his tenure to close out the 2022 season. 

When asked about how the team achieved such a turnaround despite a 1-3 start and coaching change, the first-year head coach bluntly stated, “we stopped expecting something bad to happen and started expecting to win.”

Key also cited player ownership as a key factor, which he has defined as taking responsibility for poor execution rather than pointing fingers at others. 

If the ownership the players showcased last year translates into 2023, that can only help them improve. 

However, Key also indicated it is going to require more than a mindset shift for real improvement to occur. 

When asked about the key areas of improvement, he cited the need for the team to “focus on the details” both on and off the field. 

While part of said focus refers to cutting down on penalties and mental mistakes, it also refers to all of the strength and conditioning work that all of the players are putting in. Through succeeding in the details, Key and the coaching staff expecting to create a more consistent football team. 

The new director of football strength and conditioning, A.J. Artis, will be critical in ensuring that the team is physically capable of performing to their ability, and in Key’s opinion, the early results in summer have looked promising.

Last season’s wins against ranked ACC rivals like UNC and Pittsburgh have created a lot of optimism around this year’s team — optimism breeds external expectations. 

Key could have confidently predicted competing for the ACC title and generated a lot of fan buzz; however, he remained measured in his answers to several questions about the expectations he and his staff have for several impact positions on the roster.

“The expectation is that they play collectively,” Key said.

“We expect them to go out every day and do everything that they can. My expectations aren’t defined by wins, losses or stat predictions,” said Key. 

For this staff, the main priority appears to be growing from being the ACC’s second-worst offense and third-worst defense in all conceivable ways. 

To that end, Key rarely spoke about the competition or status of specific positions. It is an interesting choice, considering the ongoing three-way competition between Haynes King, Zach Gibson and Zach Pyron at the
team’s quarterback spot. His only specific reference to a position group came in his discussion of the wide receivers, which Key highlighted as being unknown. Transfers such as Chase Lane, Dominick Blaylock and Christian Leary profile as helpful additions to a room led by Malik Rutherford and complemented by D.J. Moore and Avery Boyd. 

While he assessed the group as “young and inexperienced,” Key considers the position important in new offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner’s elaborate scheme, telling reporters that “the easiest way to explosion is through the receiving game.” 

From a philosophical standpoint, this aligns nicely with Faulkner’s skills as a former offensive quality coach who helped devise a potent passing game at UGA. 

Tech fans should watch this receiving core throughout the season, as their progression is directly tied to the team’s offensive success.  

Key also appeared on ACC Huddle to further delve into his approach to coaching and
evaluation of the team. 

He provided more specifics on his view on the roster’s areas for improvement, noting that the team needs to be more consistent in running and throwing the ball while also putting an emphasis on getting the ball in the
hands of the playmakers. 

He also grouped the linebackers alongside the receivers as a group that needs to develop, which makes sense given that both groups lost established starters and gained multiple new additions through the transfer portal and are relatively unsettled. 

Key is aware of the work that needs to be done this year, and it is reassuring that he sees specific areas for improvement.

Tech fans should also be excited by his response to a question about the difference between his interim and current position. 

He stated, “I really felt I was able to take more ownership of the situation and pass that down to the kids. Giving the kids the ownership of the team is a priority for me.”

In a sport that is becoming more dominated by politics and personalities, it is refreshing to see that Key’s focus remains on doing everything he can to support a team and staff that remains proud and accountable for their results. 

While there are bound to be growing pains in the season and moments where outside opinions of the team may turn critical, Key’s comments throughout his ACC media tour indicate he expects the team to build consistent habits in 2023 that will drive success for years to come.

Both men’s and women’s tennis made noise at the NCAA Championships, but in different ways.

After closing out the season with a 13-14 record and a 4-8 record within the ACC, the men’s tennis team clinched the 9th seed in the ACC championships, squaring off against eighth ranked Miami. Unfortunately, the Jackets could not get the job done in the last two matches where they were down 2-3.

Juniors Andres Martin and Keshav Chopra continued their unbeaten  streak to five straight in a dominating 6-2 win, but Miami took the doubles play advantage with two wins of their own. In the singles, Martin and fellow junior Marcus McDaniel mounted comebacks in their respective matches. McDaniel came back from a 4-0 deficit in the first set to take the set at 7-5 and followed it up with a 6-3 clinching victory in the second set. Martin lost a close one, 4-6, in his first set but dominated in his next two, triumphing 6-0 and 6-3 respectively. 

Unfortunately, these efforts weren’t  enough to get the singles advantage, and Tech’s run ended on a final set between Chopra and Miami’s Martin Katz. Chopra took the first set 6-3, but couldn’t get the second set in a 6-1 defeat. Still, the match was within reach until Katz took the third set – and the Miami win – in a 6-4 battle.

Although  a close loss against a comparable opponent hurts, the team sent the All-American and All-ACC duo of Martin and McDaniel to Orlando,FL in hopes of capturing a NCAA singles or doubles championship. Martin qualified for the singles tournament as the #6 seed while the duo garnered a #30 spot in the doubles tournament. Still, as their win earlier in the year against #1-ranked South Carolina showed, this doubles team wouldn’t be an easy out.

Martin and McDaniel proved they belonged – and more – with wins over No. 19 Vanderbilt,  No. 10 Michigan State and No. 7 Michigan. While they couldn’t take down the reigning national champion Texas doubles squad, a run to the semi-finals from the No. 30 seed is impressive and capped off a great season for the dynamic junior duo.

On the women’s side, the team came into the ACC tournament as the No. 7 seed due to their 13-8 record and 7-6 showing in ACC play. They drew a first-round matchup with a Syracuse team they handled easily in the regular season to the tune of a singles sweep. After taking care of business with another sweep, they moved on to face a formidable 6th ranked Duke team.

Tech took the doubles advantage against Duke due to standout performances from sophomore Alejandra Cruz and junior Kylie Bilchev in a 6-0 decision. The experienced duo of junior Carol Lee and graduating senior Rosie Garcia Gross captured the doubles victory with a hard fought 6-4 battle. Lee, Cruz and Bilchev continued their strong showings on the singles side. First, Lee captured 6-1 and 6-4 victories to put Tech up 2-1 against the Blue Devils. Then, Cruz worked Tech out of a 3-2 deficit with two clutch set victories, winning 6-4 in both. However, Bilchev delivered the masterstroke with a close 7-5 opening set victory that she capitalized on to deliver a second set victory – and the Tech win – to the tune of 6-3.

The Jackets drew No. 5 NC State in the semi-finals, but fell to the Wolfpack. Tech lost the advantage early in both singles and doubles play. This time, NC State did the catching up and eliminated a 4-2 lead against the Gross-Lee doubles pairing to win the doubles point, 6-4. Tech was swept in singles play, 5-0, behind dominating NC State wins on the first and third courts.

Fortunately, the season didn’t end there – the Jackets slotted into the NCAA Tournament as the No. 17 seed and drew a first-round matchup against No. 37 UCF. Although UCF captured the doubles point, Tech dominated the singles side. Gross, Lee, Cruz and Bilchev collected impressive wins, with the only close set being a 4-3 battle against Cruz and UCF’s Sophia Biolay. Even though the next round ended in a loss to No. 16 Florida, Lee and Bilchev came back to compete in the NCAA singles tournament. While Bilchev forced a three-set match against Auburn’s Ariana Arsenault, it wasn’t enough to advance past the first round.

However, Lee took the first two sets, 6-4, against UCF’s Marie Mattel to advance to the round of 32. There, she dominated the first set against No. 21 Elza Tomase from Tennessee. The second set proved to be a much tougher fight, hovering at a 2-2 tie early in the second set. Fortunately, Lee went up 4-2 due to a timely break and held on in the final two games to advance to the round of 16, the first Jacket to do so since 2018. Her magical run continued against No. 23 Carolyn Ansari of Auburn, who took the first set, 6-3. Lee didn’t relent, breaking Ansari to go up 5-3 and then taking the next two games for a decisive third set. She put on a clinic in the set, sweeping  Ansari in all six games to advance to the quarterfinals in a historic effort.

While she lost in two sets to NC State’s Amelia Rajecki, it is hard to overstate the impressive nature of Lee’s tournament run and season. She became the first Tech female tennis player to reach the quarterfinals since Irina Falcone in 2010, went 29-12 in singles, won the ITA Southeast Regional doubles title and earned her second All-American nod.

Both men’s and women’s teams will return in September.