Formerly known as Gamecock’s Ode to Leonard’s Losers

DeVine Law Gamecock’s first rooster crowings from the Stone Mountain of Georgia upon our return to Atlanta last week addressed mostly politics. We will weigh in on legal matters later this week.

But for this first column as Atlanta Law and Politics Examiner, after two years of such examinations from North Carolina’s Queen City, we want to reincarnate our annual sports weekly that runs during College Football season.

Leonard Postosties

This column has always been dedicated to the late Athens, Georgia native, Leonard “Postosties” Postero, pigskin prognosticator extraordinaire, whose “Leonard’s Losers” radio show was a must listen all during our childhood and until his death in 2001.

As we await the opening Kickoff of the College Football season tomorrow, when the USC Fighting Gamecocks will un-pack NC State in Raleigh on their way to an undefeated season and BCS National Championship, we first want to survey America’s Past Time and explain the re-naming of this column.

I am Gamecock. Born one, raised as one and matriculated as one at the Law School.

Braves Nation, America’s Team

But my love for the Atlanta Braves pre-dates my love of the rooster and runs even deeper. I loved them in 1969 when they won the West, only to fall to the Miracle Mets. Loved them in 1974 when Hank passed the Babe. Loved them during the late 70s and early 80s when they regularly threatened to lose 100 games.

Did I mention that unprecedented in all of sports, 14-year division winning streak? How about the 1995 World Series?

Loved them then, and love them now as Brian McCann (NL MVP favorite by far and see biopic here) leads the team to the Wild Card, NL Championship and eventual second Atlanta world championship and fourth overall for the Braves franchise. That is the view from atop The Stone Mountain of Georgia.

Broken Bats

The only possible way the Braves could be denied the crown would be if broken bats impale them. I remember several early 20th Century legal cases we studied in Law School that determined that spectators at baseball games “assumed the risk” of injury from thrown and batted baseballs into the stands and even out on street. Ticket stubs’ fine print document this legal principle.

Impalings akin to those administered by the Huns were not contemplated. Bat handles used to be larger than a pinky finger. We hope MLB will take action soon to prevent a great tragedy. They started the conversation a year ago. Its time to act.

This column will be updated with our official college football losers before the first kickoffs on Saturday. We will be consulting Leonard’s Smart Pill Machine in the meantime…

Mike DeVine’s Charlotte Observer, Examiner.com and Minority Report columns

“One man with courage makes a majority.” – Andrew Jackson

Originally published @ Examiner.com, where all verification links may be accessed.