Tag: Atlanta Braves

Georgia's contentious race for governor and a hurricane that ruined cotton, pecans, and other crops were among the state's top stories of 2018. A state law requiring motorists to drive hands-free and a cyberattack on Atlanta's computer network were also among the Top 10 stories in Georgia for the year. After a grueling and contentious race for Georgia governor, Republican Brian Kemp emerged victorious over challenger Stacey Abrams, a Democrat. Hurricane Michael slammed southwest Georgia as a powerful Category 3 hurricane after crossing the Florida Panhandle, still packing more than enough force to shred homes and ruin valuable cash crops in a destructive march toward the Carolinas. Proponents of the legislation said that distracted driving had led to a recent spike in fatal crashes. Authorities say the suspects demanded a ransom payment. The victory gave the city its first major league title since the Atlanta Braves won the 1995 World Series. The University of Georgia made it to the Southeastern Conference championship game, but lost to the University of Alabama 35-28. The airmen belonged to the 156th Airlift Wing in Muniz Air Base from Puerto Rico. An Air Force investigation blamed human error , saying the crew failed to follow standard procedures to deal with an engine problem in the air.

And if you found yourself outraged this week about how Major League Baseball could possibly have donated money to the Senate campaign of a white candidate who had just made flippant remarks about public hangings in the Deep South, it’s the answer to why it happened, how the backlash caught the league off-guard, and what to expect in the future. The league has actually donated $10,000 to her campaign this year, despite the fact that she represents a state with no major-league franchise. MLB teams’ public-facing presentations are, increasingly, reflective of the diverse urban environments in which most of them play more and more these days. The Nationals have hosted a Night Out for the entire 14 years the team has been in D.C., which has grown into the largest LGBTQ event in sports, drawing 3,500 people this year. Many have Hispanic Heritage Nights, or Jewish Heritage Nights, or any number of other celebrations of the diversity that lives in their backyard. But they are a heavily customer-dependent business, and a public-facing representation of the cities and states in which they play, most often content to take public money so long as it serves them. For an example of this in practice, look no further than the backlash to Washington’s decision to sign Reuben Foster this week. That’s the problem with taking an approach toward your business doings in the way that industries that look nothing like baseball and have few of any of its fan-based considerations have done business in Washington for years. It was a clear signal something was changing in the way the league intended to do business. MLB’s lobbying worked for one bill.

The Atlanta Braves franchise is wading into the race for Georgia governor by hosting a high-dollar fundraiser this month for Republican Brian Kemp, though the team said it expects to also chip into Democrat Stacey Abrams’ campaign. The event cost donors $13,200 to host and $1,000 to attend. Braves spokeswoman Beth Marshall said the franchise often donates to candidates from both parties, and noted it gave $1,000 to Abrams in 2015 and 2016 during her state House runs. She said the team’s donation does not amount to “taking a political stance for either gubernatorial candidate.” Marshall added: “As of today, we have yet to be contacted to support Abrams’ campaign, but are expecting to do so.” The Atlanta Braves are one of the better politically-connected businesses in Georgia, and the team regularly hosts powerful politicians, including a recent event held by the Republican Governors Association. It donated $2,500 to Gov. The team did not appear to give to either Democratic candidate in those contests. The franchise was also an early supporter of Lt. Gov. It gave four separate donations to Cagle over the last year totaling $11,000. The Braves were far from alone in that respect. Other hosts of the event include former U.S. Rep. Bob Barr, outgoing state Rep. Earl Ehrhart, Cobb District Attorney Vic Reynolds and other Cobb County GOP movers and shakers.