Finally! A writer with a good opinion...

[McCarroll21]

Say goodbye to Braves for 2006 (http://www.independentmail.com/and/viewpoints/article/0,1886,AND_8218_5005795,00.html)

I'll pull out some of the high points, but you need to go read this one.


Braves fans who are fuming about the fact that the string has ended this year should stop and count to 14. That’s the number of consecutive years that the Braves have finished in first place.

Bravo for the Braves. Foremost 14 times in 14 years. Never mind the fact that they won the World Series only once in that span, in 1995. That’s one more than 21 other major league teams have won since 1991.

If injured players mend during the offseason, the future could be bright. Young sluggers such as Brian McCann, Jeff Francouer and Adam LaRoche provide a nucleus around which to rebuild a winner.

We’ll end this by stating the obvious: All good things must come to an end.

And another universal truth: You can’t win ’em all.

[hawki]

Hopefully guys like Hudson and Smoltz step it up in 2007

[vnodnarb]

this will just make our division title in 2007 that much sweeter, it had lost its luster

[Jsh1284]

Touching. The reality is .. the media has been sick of us for YEARS. They like fresh stories. We were great for the first five or six years .. but it seems after that 97' NLCS circuis, the Braves lost their media appeal. ESPN fell in love with the Yankees in 98', and everyone and their mother has been counting on the Mets taking us down since spring training of 1999. Its a new story .. fresh .. like © David taking down Goliath. © (Wright might be their team MVP and we may actually see this printed)

This run deserves enormous respect from the entire league, the media, and sports fans from around the country period. We won't get it though. Because of course.. the generic response to fourteen in a row is '1 for 15.' Sad, really.