Weekend Wake Up: Hawks, Broncos Soaring; Ireland Will Stay Sore

Flying High. The best team in the NBA right now nests in Atlanta. The 11-2 Hawks have wins over the Blazers, Nuggets, and Celtics, and their Friday night win was maybe the most dramatic of the season, coming on the above Josh Smith putback and against the scrappy Rockets. Their Eastern Conference competition is still dealing with flaws (Boston’s offensive woes, Orlando’s rhythm and the spotty Vince Carter, and Cleveland’s lack of support for LeBron), and the Hawks have plenty of games against weaker Eastern foes in December to build a lead in the conference. For a team that is still viewed as a “young” team missing some parts, that’s an accomplishment.

Boise’s Great. Utah State looked like it had a chance. The Aggies were tied with Boise State on their home turf in the second quarter. Then Doug Martin scored two of his four touchdowns within 43 seconds, putting the game in the Broncos’ viselike grasp. They won 52-21. They’re 11-0. Maybe Utah State didn’t really have that chance.

Irish (Black) Eyes. So, what does Thierry Henry vouching for a replay in the case of the stolen World Cup berth merit? Nothing for Ireland: FIFA won’t permit a replay, and the magnitude of a lack of replay in this situation -- instant, within the game, or literal replay of the game -- makes it clear that FIFA is even worse than the SEC on this front.

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