Good morning. This is LEADOFF, the early buzz in Atlanta sports.
An NBC Sports documentary will air Saturday afternoon about Ted Turner's victory in the 1977 America's Cup. At a preview event for the film in New York, SportsBusiness Journal caught up with Turner for a Q&A published Monday about his big sailing victory of 40 years ago, the changes in the media business and the Braves' move to Cobb County.
Regarding the latter, the CNN founder and former Braves owner made it clear how he feels.
Here’s that portion of the interview, which is consistent with Turner’s previous statements that he wouldn’t have moved the Braves to Cobb if he still owned the team:
SBJ: "… Have you been to SunTrust Park?"
Turner: "No."
SBJ: "Do you have plans to go soon?"
Turner: "No."
SBJ: "What do you think of the team moving from downtown to Cobb County?"
Turner: "To me, they'll always be the Atlanta Braves, not the Marietta Braves."
SBJ: "Do you watch the team now?"
Turner: "A little bit, on TV, but not much. But we were really successful with the Braves. We drew well, and we set a record for the most consecutive division championships. They moved to Marietta strictly because they could get money (for the ballpark)."
The one-hour documentary, "Courageous," will air at 2:30 p.m. Saturday on NBC. "I think it's an interesting story," Turner, 78, says on an NBC video promoting the show. "I know because I lived it."
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DON’T MISS …
The Braves selected Vanderbilt right-handed pitcher Kyle Wright with their first-round pick, No. 5 overall, in the MLB draft Monday night. See Matt Winkeljohn's story here.
Michael Vick and Roddy White were honored as retired former Falcons on Monday. See D. Orlando Ledbetter's story here.
The 10 most significant developments in Georgia Tech athletics this school year? Check out Ken Sugiura's list here.
Just imagine Aaron Judge's bat in the heart of the Braves' lineup. Could have been there – if they had made a different call with the 31st pick of the 2013 MLB draft. See story here.
