Sit Back And Enjoy The Action This February February is the first month of a three month stretch for our networks when every one of our professional and college team partners are in action and on our networks. The NBA featuring the Charlotte Bobcats, Memphis Grizzlies and Atlanta Hawks head into the mid-season All Star Break. The return of the NHL in mid-January has the Carolina Hurricanes and Nashville Predators playing condensed 48 game season schedules in Jeff Genthner which every game counts in their sprint for a post season berth. Coverage of Senior Vice President, nationally-ranked ACC, SEC and Conference USA men’s and women’s basketball fills our General Manager schedule along with an expansive line up of many outstanding Olympic sports. And it’s that time of year when pitchers and catchers report to the Atlanta Braves spring training camp in Orlando...with position players not far behind. Can you believe the spring training schedule begins on February 22!
Kyle Korver Atlanta Hawks
So for the next three months...everyone’s favorite local professional teams and college conferences across the southeast....from the Mississippi River to the Atlantic Ocean...can be seen on the FOX Sports regional networks with expanded coverage and insight on foxsportssouth.com. So put a fresh set of AA batteries in the TV remote control, fire up laptop and enjoy the action. Fredi Gonzalez Braves Manager
Every Game Counts For NHL Teams The 2012-13 NHL season is underway and with only 48 games, every game counts! FOX Sports South, FOX Sports Carolinas, FOX Sports Tennessee and SportSouth has hockey fans covered with all 48 Carolina Hurricanes games on air and 46 of the Nashville Predators games. Fans in the Atlanta market will receive 44 total games (23 Hurricanes and 21 Predators).
Predators On FOX Sports
Tue, 2/5 @ Blues 8:00 p.m. ET Thur, 2/7 vs. Kings 8:00 p.m. ET Sat, 2/9 @ Wild 8:00 p.m. ET Did You Know? Sun, 2/10 vs. Blackhawks 8:00 p.m. ET vs. Sharks 8:00 p.m. ET The Predators will host the Tue, 2/12 Thur, 2/14 vs. Coyotes 8:00 p.m. ET reigning Stanley Cup Sat, 2/16 vs. Ducks (SPSO) 8:00 p.m. ET Champion LA Kings on Mon, 2/18 @ Avalanche 3:00 p.m. ET Thursday, Feb. 7, while the vs. Red Wings 8:00 p.m. ET Carolina Hurricanes will travel Tue, 2/19 vs. Canucks 8:00 p.m. ET to 2012 runner-up NJ Devils on Fri, 2/22 Sat, 2/23 @ Red Wings 7:00 p.m. ET Tuesday, Feb. 7. Wed, 2/27 @ Ducks ( SPSO) 10:00 p.m. ET
Hurricanes On FOX Sports
Thur, 2/7 Sat, 2/9 Mon, 2/11 Tue, 2/12 Thur, 2/14 Mon, 2/18 Thur, 2/21 Sat, 2/23 Sun, 2/24 Tue, 2/26 Thur, 2/28
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@ Senators @ Flyers @ Islanders @ Devils vs. Maple Leafs @ Canadiens vs. Jets vs. Lightning @ Islanders @ Capitals vs. Penguins
7:30 p.m. ET 1:00 p.m. ET 7:00 p.m. ET 7:00 p.m. ET 7:00 p.m. ET 7:30 p.m. ET 7:00 p.m. ET 7:00 p.m. ET 7:00 p.m. ET 7:00 p.m. ET 7:00 p.m. ET
Announcers On Twitter Carolina Hurricanes @JohnForslund - John Forslund @TrippTracy - Tripp Tracy @CanesChantel - Chantel McCabe Nashville Predators @PeteWeberSports - Pete Weber @MHowardZone - Mark Howard
2012-13 NBA Season Moving Towards Half-Way Point
Atlanta Hawks Sit In Sixth Place in Eastern Conference
Randolph Earns All-Star Reserve Spot for Grizzlies
Walker, Kidd-Gilchrist To Play In Rising Stars Challenge
The Atlanta Hawks closed out February winning four of its final final five games and sitting in sixth-place overall in the Eastern Conference. Forward Josh Smith continues to lead the team with 16.8 points and 8.4 rebounds a game. Center Al Horford has been just as good, recording 16 points and 9.8 boards a contest. The team did lose Lou Williams to a season-ending knee injury. Williams was having a stellar season, averaging 14.1 points off the bench.
Behind an impressive first half, forward Zach Randolph has earned a spot on the 2012-13 Western Conference All-Star team. Randolph is averaging 15.8 points and 11.6 rebounds this season. The Grizzlies ended the month of January announcing a big trade, sending forward Rudy Gay to Toronto for Tayshaun Prince, Austin Daye and Ed Davis. The team is in fourth-place overall in the West.
Guard Kemba Walker, who is in the middle of a career season, and rookie forward Michael KiddGilchrist will represent the Charlotte Bobcats in the 2013 BBVA Rising Stars Challenge during NBA All-Star Weekend. Walker leads the team, averaging 17.8 points and 5.7 assists per game. Kidd-Gilchrist is scoring 9.7 points and grabbing 5.9 rebounds a contest. Ramon Sessions continues to impress, notching 14.8 points a game off the bench for the Bobcats.
Hawks On SportSouth
Tue, 2/5 Wed, 2/6 Fri, 2/8 Mon, 2/11 Wed, 2/13 Wed, 2/20 Fri, 2/22 Sat, 2/23 Mon, 2/25 Wed, 2/27
@ Pacers vs. Grizzlies vs. Hornets @ Mavericks @ Magic vs. Heat vs. Kings @ Bucks @ Pistons @ Jazz
Bobcats On SportSouth
7:00 p.m. ET 7:30 p.m. ET 7:30 p.m. ET 8:30 p.m. ET 7:00 p.m. ET 8:00 p.m. ET 7:30 p.m. ET 8:30 p.m. ET 7:30 p.m. ET 9:00 p.m. ET
Wed., 2/6 Fri, 2/8 Sat, 2/9 Mon, 2/11 Wed, 2/13 Tue, 2/19 Wed, 2/20 Fri, 2/22 Sat, 2/23 Tue, 2/26
@ Cavaliers vs. Lakers @ 76ers vs. Celtics @ Pacers @ Magic vs. Pistons vs. Bulls vs. Nuggets @ Clippers
7:00 p.m. ET 7:00 p.m. ET 8:00 p.m. ET 7:00 p.m. ET 7:00 p.m. ET 7:00 p.m. ET 7:00 p.m. ET 7:00 p.m. ET 7:00 p.m. ET 10:30 p.m. ET
Grizzlies On SportSouth
Tue, 2/5 Wed, 2/6 Fri, 2/8 Sun, 2/10 Tue, 2/12 Tue, 2/19 Wed, 2/20 Fri, 2/22 Wed, 2/27
vs. Suns @ Hawks vs. Warriors vs. Timberwolves vs. Kings @ Pistons @ Raptors vs. Magic vs. Mavericks
8:00 p.m. ET 7:30 p.m. ET 8:00 p.m. ET 6:00 p.m. ET 8:00 p.m. ET 7:30 p.m. ET 7:00 p.m. ET 8:00 p.m. ET 8:00 p.m. ET
New Orleans Hornets to Rename Team Pelicans at End of 2012-13 Season After months of speculation, the New Orleans Hornets owner Tom Benson announced his team’s name will change to the New Orleans Pelicans at the end of the 2012-13 season. The Hornets, whose games can be watched on FOX Sports South in Mississippi and Alabama, went with the Pelicans because of the bird being a symbol of Louisiana since the 1800’s. The state bird is represented on the Louisiana flag and is part of the state coined nickname “The Pelican State.” The Pelicans’ colors will be blue, gold and red. The team’s primary color, blue, was taken from Louisiana’s state flag.
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Ask The Talent
Bob Rathbun Atlanta Hawks Play-by-Play What has been the biggest surprise in the 1st half of the season?
This team’s ability to make three’s. The Hawks are a jump shooting team, and have seven players shooting better than 35% from threepoint land.
What does the team need to do to earn a playoff spot?
Losing Lou Williams to a season-ending knee injury was a cruel blow, but the Hawks will have to dominate at Philips.
Steve Martin Charlotte Bobcats Play-by-Play
Pete Pranica Memphis Grizzlies Play-by-Play
What has been the biggest surprise in the 1st half?
What has been the biggest surprise in the 1st half?
What do the Bobcats need to do to have a successful 2nd half?
What does the team need to do to earn a playoff spot in the 2nd half?
The biggest surprise for the first half of the Bobcats season has been the improved play of Kemba Walker. He’s elevated his shooting percentage and his points per game.
The Bobcats will have to have more help from their centers and forwards to be successful in the 2nd half.
Who will be the biggest impact player in the 2nd half? Who will be the biggest impact player in the 2nd half? Gerald Henderson. He faces restricted free agency at the end of the current sea-
Josh Smith. He has the ability to dominate games in the low post with his passing and scoring.
What do you plan to do during the All-Star break? Work college basketball games.
son.
What do you plan to do during the All-Star break?
Mostly rest but I will be coming off an 8-day run of Bobcats and ACC games starting Feb 4 and ending Feb 12. I will work another ACC game on the 16th of February (Virginia at North Carolina).
The Grizzlies have been able to win on the road in some arenas where they have not had much success.
Most importantly, they need to stay healthy. A return to form by a much-improved Quincy Pondexter is huge.
Who will be the biggest impact player in the 2nd half?
Darrell Arthur will have the biggest impact. He can guard either the 3 or 4, is the Grizzlies’ best pick and roll defender and can step out to hit the mid-range jump shot.
What do you plan to do during the All-Star break?
I’ll actually be doing more basketball! I’m calling the Tulane-SMU Conference USA game for SportSouth.
Catching Up With the FOX Sports South Girls
Brittany and Canicka on the Philips Arena floor showing off the SportSouth sign on the video board.
Canicka and Brittany shooting a special Valentine’s Day photo.
(L-R) Brittany, 2012 Daytona 500 winner Matt Kenseth and Canicka on the concourse at Philips Arena.
Brittany and Canicka taking a break at center court in Philips Arena.
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College Basketball Season Heating Up On FOX Sports South/SportSouth
Miami Hurricanes fans celebrate upset win over No. 1 Duke.
AP Top 25 - As of 2/4/12 1 Indiana (58) 20-2 2 Florida (7) 18-2 3 Michigan 20-2 4 Duke 19-2 5 Kansas 19-2 6 Gonzaga 21-2 7 Arizona 19-2 8 Miami (FL) 17-3 9 Syracuse 18-3 10 Ohio State 17-4 11 Louisville 18-4 12 Michigan State 18-4 13 Kansas State 17-4 14 Butler 18-4 15 New Mexico 19-3 16 Creighton 20-3 17 Cincinnati 18-4 18 Minnesota 17-5 19 Oregon 18-4 20 Georgetown 16-4 21 Missouri 16-5 22 Oklahoma State 15-5 23 Pittsburgh 18-5 24 Marquette 15-5 25 Notre Dame 18-4
Florida guard Mike Rosario and the Gators are one of the hottest teams in the country.
UCLA freshman F/G Shabazz Muhammad led his team to an upset win at No. 6 Arizona.
As we enter the final stretch of the regular season, FOX Sports South and SportSouth continue to provide college basketball fans with non-stop hoops. Viewers enjoy games from the ACC, SEC, Big 12, Pac-12 and Conference USA. As fans look towards March Madness, viewers will enjoy important men’s basketball conference games including Mississippi State @ Florida on February 9, Miami @ Wake Forest on February 23 and UCLA @ USC on February 24. Women’s Basketball fans will not be dissapointed this February either. Some of the most exciting games of the season will air on FOX Sports South and SportSouth. Viewers will see Oklahoma @ Oklahoma State on February 10, Florida State @ Duke on February 22 and more. We continue to produce exclusive college basketball stories and video content daily on our websites: www.FOXSportsSouth.com, www.FOXSportsCarolinas.com and www.FOXSportsTennessee.com. Wake Forest freshman forward Alex Rountree celebrates win over NC State.
NCAA Women’s Basketball Minute with Debbie Antonelli Which team do you think will win the SEC regular season title in 2012-13? One of my picks to go to the Final Four was Kentucky and that was based on them winning the SEC regular season title. I am going to stick with my September pick of UK. Great defensive depth, paint scoring, defending the paint with size and athleticism and a go-to player in A’dia Mathies. The Blue Devils have a tough conference schedule ahead of them. How can SO center Elizabeth Williams help Duke in these ACC match-ups? Elizabeth Williams is a great sophomore but her injuries slowed down her development between her All-American freshman campaign and her sophomore year. She will have to be able to score when she draws only one defender and be able to make a play thru the double teams since there is really good 3 pt shooting on Duke’s team. That could make them dangerous. Who do you think will be Baylor’s biggest threat for the 2012-2013 Championship Title? UCONN is the best team to displace Baylor at the top because they have good perimeter scoring, post depth to defend Griner and will be prepared. They will face each other in a “warm-up” at UCONN in February. UCONN will have to do a better job of getting to the free throw line this season to round out their offensive balance. FOX Sports South Analyst Debbie Antonelli How much of an impact has junior guard Keena Mays had on SMU’s success this year? Keena Mays was a starter at Kansas when she transferred so we know she can play. Not many women’s players can score on a defensive close out and she can. She has SMU sitting at the top of CUSA! As teams such as California, Stanford, and Colorado battle for the Pac-12’s top spot. Which team do you think will finish the season atop the conference standings? Cal and Stanford have already split their regular season meeting winning on each other’s home court. I like Cal and I wonder how long Chiney Oguwmike can continue to make plays late into the season for Stanford to win the league. It’s so hard to pick against the experience of Stanford and I’m sticking with the Cardinal on this one.
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SportSouth Welcomes NASCAR drivers Matt Kenseth, Denny Hamlin To Promote 2013 Daytona 500 on FOX 2012 Daytona 500 Champion Matt Kenseth travelled to Atlanta on January 16 and made an appearance on the Atlanta Hawks vs. Brooklyn Nets game on SportSouth, to help build excitement for the upcoming Daytona 500 on FOX. Kenseth also made a guest appearance on the Hawks LIVE pregame show, taped promos in support of the Daytona 500 on FOX and FOX Sports Girls Race to Daytona, posed for photos with the FOX Sports South Girls for their social media channels, and tweeted out a message to his 129,000 followers, telling them to watch for him on SportSouth starting at 7:00 p.m. ET. FOXSportsSouth.com’s Cory McCartney shadowed Kenseth throughout the evening to Matt Kenseth, Denny Hamlin and the rest of the capture exclusive website content with the NASCAR star, and even NASCAR drivers will be competing for the Harley J. Earl trophy at the 2013 Daytona 500, which will air got him on camera sinking a shot from half court. on FOX on February 24.  NASCAR driver and Charlotte Bobcats season ticket holder Denny Hamlin appeared on SportSouth the following week on January 23, on the dual feed of the Hawks-Bobcats game. Hamlin had a busy evening, taping promos for the Daytona 500, and making guest appearances on Hawks LIVE, Bobcats LIVE, and both sides of the telecast to promote the Daytona 500 on FOX. Cory McCartney spoke with Hamlin about hoops, the upcoming Daytona 500, and fatherhood, in an exclusive sit down with the NASCAR star and new father, for FOXSportsSouth.com and FOXSportsCarolinas.com.
Jerome Jurenovich talks with Matt Kenseth on Hawks LIVE!
Matt Kenseth with Bob Rathbun before his in-game appearance on SportSouth during January 16 Atlanta Hawks game vs. Brooklyn Nets.
Bobcats reporter Stephanie Ready sat down with Denny Hamlin prior to Atlanta Hawks @ Charlotte Bobcats game on January 23.
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2013 Braves Country Caravan a Success We are just a few weeks away from pitchers and catchers reporting to Orlando but before the Braves head south, they took time out for the 2013 Braves Country Caravan. FOX Sports South and SportSouth went along for the ride. For two weeks, players, coaches, broadcasters and front office staff traveled nearly 3,000 miles of Braves country to meet and greet fans. The FOX Sports South Girls joined the Braves at Academy Sports + Outdoors stores to challenge fans to trivia and get them excited for the 2013 season. Fans were provided an opportunity to create their own baseball card that will be mailed to them within a few weeks of the event.
Behind The Scenes - DRIVEN: The Kris Medlen Story FOX Sports South sat down with Atlanta Braves pitcher Kris Medlen at his home in December in an exclusive interview to discuss his rise in the Braves organization and where he goes next. DRIVEN: The Kris Medlen Story will debut as the Braves 2013 season gets underway.
New Look Outfield For Braves In 2013 Atlanta Braves General Manager Frank Wren and his staff have made some changes during the offseason, most noticebly in the outfield by acquiring not one Upton but two. The Braves made a splash early in free agency by signing outfielder B.J. Upton to a multi-year contract to roam centerfield. As the offseason continued, their was much speculation the Braves front office was not done and everyone was right. On Monday, January 28, it was officially announced that the team had acquired outfield Justin Upton from the Diamondbacks in a multi-player trade. Braves fans will enter the 2013 season with an outfield that includes Jason Heyward in right, B.J. Upton in center and Justin Upton in left.
Justin Upton has a laugh with brother B.J. Upton at press conference welcoming Justin to the Braves.
Braves president John Schuerholz introducing B.J. Upton to Atlanta media on November 29, 2012.
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FREEZE FRAME
ACC All Access producer John Wilkeson sat down with Duke Men’s Basketball senior forward Mason Plumlee.
DRIVEN producers visiting Hendrick Motor Sports for an upcoming installment of the show.
The nation’s second-ranked football prospect, Rueben Foster, committed live to Alabama on The NEW College Football Show: Next Class.
The FOX Sports South team followed Memphis Grizzlies Tony Allen for an entire day for a future feature on the guard/forward.
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