By Jacqueline Bartelmo. The day before the Atlanta Thrashers made their first pick of 2001, a young Russian player declared his career goal “to be the greatest Russian hockey player ever.” Ilya Kovalchuk’s remark showed a great deal of confidence in himself. This assertiveness is what got the attention of the Atlanta Thrashers. Kovy, as he is known to Thrasher fans, is ranked 10th in the entire NHL; so far this season he has scored 15 goals and 10 assists in only 18 games. His average so far this season is 23.1%, meaning he scores nearly one of every four shots. The Thrashers’ captain is clearly proving himself as a key component to the team’s success.

By Jake Emen. Tony Gonzalez Falcons jerseys have been extremely popular over the last few months. When the Atlanta Falcons announced that they traded for the Pro Bowl and future Hall of Fame tight end, the fans could not have been anymore excited. Everyone started rushing out to buy their own Atlanta Falcons Tony Gonzalez jersey, and everybody is pumped to see what the offense is going to look like now.

By Ryan Wiseman. The Atlanta Braves return for Spring Training at 9,500-seat Champion Stadium in Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex in February 2009 to once again compete in the “Grapefruit League” against the likes of the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, New York Mets and World Series champion Philadelphia Phillies. Disney World has been the home of Atlanta Braves Spring Training since 1997. Last year, the Braves drew 138,811 spectators during the 16 games, a total that ranked second only to the New York Yankees among the 18 Major League Baseball teams that train in Florida as part of the Grapefruit League.