Tom Glavine released from the Braves – another sad day for young fans

June 4, 9:58 AMAtlanta Northside Family & Parenting ExaminerJackie Kass

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A sad farewell to an Atlanta sports legend

First young Atlanta sports fans had to deal with the fall of their Falcons hero Michael Vick. Now they must cheer for the Braves without icon and pitching legend Tom Glavine. For young sports fans in Atlanta, it’s definitely been a tough two years.

My older son has been a huge Tommy Glavine fan for years. I personally remember the Braves’ glory days when Glavine clinched the Braves' only World Series championship. I was right there on Peachtree Street throwing bags of confetti as the Braves heroes paraded by on their victory float. Maddox, Glavine, Smoltz and Avery – the Four Aces were right there, everyone was chopping, and the feeling in the city was electric. I also had the opportunity to personally work with Tom when I was the Creative Director at HiFi Buys. Do you remember those awesome TV commercials featuring Tom? He was a true southern gentleman and a hardworking professional.

To this day, my 14-year-old still cherishes his autographed baseball card of Tom Glavine, and it sits in a place of honor in his room. When he expressed his disappointment today, I listened, and then told him to hold his head high as a longtime Glavine fan. Tom has given much to the city of Atlanta, and has nothing to be ashamed of. Yes, he moved to the Mets in 2002, but true fans still loved and followed him, and of course, we were ecstatic when the legend returned home to the Braves.

I’m sure the reasons for his release will be debated for days to come in local and national media, but for a young Braves fan, the public backlash does not matter. What really matters is the memories created by an Atlanta sports legend. My son and I would like to say to Tom, “Thank you for a great ride. You're a class act, and Braves fans will miss you greatly.”

Related sports articles that you may find of interest:

How to talk to your kids about Michael Vick’s release from prison

Michael Vick is out of prison – are kids happy or sad?

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