Georgia
Football, protests, and the emergence of New Georgia
As Georgia rallied against government overreach earlier this year, and then cheered its footballers at Euro 2024, a new country began to emerge—determined, united, and fiercely European in spirit.
In recent months, two major news stories about Georgia have made international headlines—the protests against the Kremlin-style foreign agents law and the unlikely success of the Georgia national football team at UEFA Euro 2024.
The protests and football both impacted and reflected the profound mental shift taking place in Georgia, and for that reason, the two are deeply intertwined.
Moments after Georgia qualified for Euro 2024 with the last penalty of a shootout against Greece on March 26, the commentator remarked: “The dream has been achieved, the mission has been accomplished—Georgia in Europe, Georgia’s team at the European championship.”
On June 30, at the beginning of the Georgia-Spain round of 16 match, the commentator stated: “This is the most important match since we are us and not a part of an empire.” Issues of European identity and struggle for liberation can be easily noticed in these remarks. And that is what the protests have been about as well.
The foreign agents law, which the government first attempted to pass in 2023 but withdrew following mass protests, was resurrected in April only a week after Georgia’s footballers had qualified for the Euros, and while the nation was still celebrating the breakthrough wildly.
For many, the qualification was a sudden resurgence of a sense of national pride and victory against the backdrop of a government that, in the opinion of many, has subtly but consciously sowed pessimism and defeatism among Georgians throughout its 12 years in power.
People were openly furious that their sense of long-desired national unity and celebration was cut short by the government’s audacious re-introduction of the foreign agents law. Adding special intensity to the emotions is the fact that Georgian football had previously been treated by broad masses as something irredeemably hopeless, and while post-Euros most people seem to know all players by their names, only real and consistent fans were familiar with the team before the March qualification.
The foreign agents law has proven to be the most galvanising factor and the most effective rallying call for civic resistance in the entire 12-year history of Georgian Dream government precisely because it is the most tangible proof of the government’s conscious distancing from the European Union and its alignment with Russia in both geopolitics and domestic political essence.
‘Forgotten’ Europeans
Democracy, civic liberties, and the European idea go hand-in-hand in Georgia just like the revolutions of 1989. Support for integration consistently polls at around 85 per cent in Georgia, and the European idea itself is deeply ingrained in Georgia’s collective identity.
For centuries, Georgians (or at the very least, the Georgian political, intellectual, and religious elites) saw themselves as forgotten Europeans, cut off from their civilisational brothers by the tragedy of geography and conquests.
Late Prime Minister Zurab Zhvania’s words as Georgia was admitted to the Council of Europe, “I am Georgian and therefore I am European”, still remain the most quoted formulation of Georgia’s collective aspirations since 1999.
The protests against the foreign agents law in April and May were undeniably grassroots, self-organised, youth-centred, but encompassing all social layers. They endured for a month and a half without losing their momentum—all without any visible leaders. This persistence, and sprit of collective self-help proved particularly surprising for Georgians themselves.
The street protests only withered as the focus shifted towards the October 26 parliamentary elections in a desperate hope that maybe Georgia’s liberation from Russia’s grasp might yet have a velvet outcome through a mix of internal and external pressure on the ruling party.
Determination, endurance, commitment, and passion
In March, as the Georgia team qualified for the Euros, many football experts underlined that “the boys” had overcome the “traditional characteristics” of Georgians such as putting in half efforts and counting on luck, and had embraced true discipline and determined hard work.
The determination, the will to fight until the very end, the passion, and the commitment of the Georgia team have been named as the key reasons why they won the hearts of millions during Euro 2024. Just like the team, the people of Georgia have demonstrated precisely those qualities—determination, endurance, commitment, and passion—something that the Kremlin playbook did not expect based on its understanding of Georgians as headless without leaders.
There are more visible interconnections between football and the national resistance too. A popular pop song by Merab Sepashvili with a chorus, The fairy tale has a happy end, was first adopted as a de facto football song by fans and later became part of the soundtrack of the fight against the Russian-style autocratic regime.
The official football anthem I am Georgia, which aims to stress individual responsibility in collective success deserves particular emphasis. The football anthem, although modern and with a great beat, incorporates half a minute of the famous medieval church chant Thou art a Vineyard, written by King Demetrius I, the son of the greatest Georgian ruler David IV the Builder.
History, modernity, and football
As such, history, modernity, and football have all become intertwined with the protests by the adoption of these two songs as the main anthems of the Georgians protesting for their European future and civic liberties.
On July 2, the national football team received a heroes’ welcome home from the public. Their sudden visible success seems to have cracked the defeatist mentality and pessimism about the future sowed by Georgian Dream for more than a decade.
This is seen as the visualisation of a new, victorious Georgia. The way the prime minister Irakli Kobakhidze was booed intensely at the celebration while the president, Salome Zourabichvili—the only public figure representing Georgia’s European aspirations on an institutional level—was cheered with wild applause spoke volumes and has even been dubbed as an early exit poll by some Facebook users.
For many, all this feels like the emergence of a new Georgia. I see people who are rapidly transforming into a fundamentally free, hard-working, European society. Football and civil society have been mutually reinforcing and influential in Georgia’s mental shift and national liberation. The only thing needed now is to unseat the made-in-Russia oligarch who has captured the state.
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Don’t sleep on the Yellow Jackets heading into the 2026 season.
They have several big games in conference play against some of the conference’s elite. As they have shown us before, they are no stranger to pulling off big-time victories and shocking the college football world, especially as an underdog. Let’s talk about three reasons why the Yellow Jackets can beat the ACC elite this upcoming season.
1. They’ve Done It Before
Georgia Tech is no stranger to beating top ACC teams in the Brent Key era. They have done it consistently, multiple times. There are a myriad of examples to point to. You can go to the North Carolina game back in 2023, played in primetime on the Flats.
The Yellow Jackets defeated top pick and now New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye in a 46-42 victory. You can go back to the 2024 season in Ireland when the Yellow Jackets upset then No.10 Florida State 24-21. In that same year, Georgia Tech knocked off future No.1 overall pick Cam Ward and the No.4 Miami Hurricanes, handing them their first loss of the season in a 28-23.
There are many other examples I can point to illustrate this point, but you can see the Yellow Jackets never back down and come to play when it matters most against the elite teams in the conference. They have done it with a good offense and an opportunistic defense. With Louisville, Clemson, and Virginia Tech on the schedule, they should be primed to do it again in 2026.
2. Georgia Tech Has An Identity
It is pretty simple: under head coach Brent Key, this Yellow Jackets team has an identity and a culture that sets it apart. They want to play physical, smash-mouth football and dominate you in the trenches on both sides of the ball. Coach Key has meant what he said this offseason about getting more size and girth, but also having offensive linemen who can move. It was one of the reasons why they were aggressive in the portal and one of the reasons why they are having success with the 2027 cycle.
When you look at Georgia Tech, they are going to run the football and play good defense. That makes the job easier for a first-time starter in Alberto Mendoza, who has a lighter load with the moves made this offseason. When you play in those major matchups, you have to lean on something to come out on top, and what better way than the true identity of your team?
3. The Defense Will Be Much Better
From top to bottom, the Yellow Jackets are poised to be much better defensively. When you look at the depth of the roster, the new defensive scheme, the talent level, and the hunger, you have a team that should be one of the better units in the conference. In order to beat the conference elite, you have to have a good defense that can travel and make plays late in games to seal it for you.
While Georgia Tech showed glimpses of that a season ago, the consistency in November just wasn’t there. With Jason Semore becoming the new defensive coordinator and a more attack-style, aggressive man-to-man defense, Georgia Tech should be equipped to force more turnovers and make a difference by getting the ball back to the offense.
The spring gave us a good glimpse of what the defense could look like despite so many injuries and players out. The defense flat-out shut down the Yellow Jackets, creating constant pressure and causing havoc for an offense trying to find its footing in the spring game. While some will say to take it with a grain of salt, it is clear that the Yellow Jackets will be a much better unit in 2026.
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Pennsbury Baseball Zuckerman District One Championship PIAA
Pennsbury junior Brendan Zuckerman smacks an RBI single to left in the Falcons’ 7-run first inning of District One 6A championship victory
Ryan Zuckerman is last on the alphabetical list of the 335 college and high school baseball players attending the June 22-27 MLB Draft Combine in Phoenix.
What the 2023 Pennsbury graduate did in his lone season at Georgia Tech has garnered him plenty of attention from MLB scouts regardless of where his name is on a list that includes Holy Ghost Prep grad Aiden Robbins, a Texas outfield standout who is expected to go as early as late in the first round, fellow Pennsbury graduate Joe Tiroly, an infielder from Virginia, and Pennsbury senior right-handed pitcher Keller Bradley.
MVP of the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament for the conference champion Yellow Jackets, second-team All-American by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association and leader in home runs (23) and RBIs (79, tied for eighth in the country) for the high-powered Georgia Tech offense are just a few of Zuckerman’s notable accomplishments heading into the July 11-13 draft. He is projected to go toward the middle of the 20 rounds.
“It’s pretty surreal for sure,” said Zuckerman, 21. “It’s something I dreamed of my whole life.”
In a season filled with memorable moments, perhaps most impressive was Zuckerman being named ACC Tournament MVP after hitting three home runs with six RBIs and batting .571 (8 for 14), culminating in a 13-6 championship game win over North Carolina in Charlotte. He also was a first-team All-ACC selection at third base.
Zuckerman and Georgia Tech went into the NCAA Atlanta regional as the nation’s No. 2 seed. Though the 50-11 Yellow Jackets ended up being eliminated by losing twice to Oklahoma, including 8-7 in 10 innings for the regional title, Zuckerman can only rave about his experience at Georgia Tech.
“If you would have told me that’s how the season for me and each of us on the team would’ve gone, I would’ve been extremely happy,” Zuckerman said. “It was probably the best decision I ever made in my life.”
After a solid sophomore season at Pitt in which he hit .295 with 16 doubles, 13 home runs, 48 RBIs and 48 runs scored, Zuckerman believed transferring would help him develop into a more pro-ready player and allow him to win more games. And Georgia Tech checked all the boxes
In addition to his career-best home run and RBI numbers, Zuckerman led Georgia Tech in 2026 with 24 multi-RBI games while establishing career-highs in batting average (.345), runs (71), hits (80), walks (37), slugging percentage (.720) and on-base percentage (.438). He batted fifth in the order.
The 6-foot-4, 230-pound Zuckerman, who always had a strong arm, also worked hard to improve his defense at third base, resulting in 15.99 defensive runs saved for the season, which was the 13th-highest total in college baseball.
“I like to say I’m arguably the best third baseman in the country,” he said.
As a senior playing third at Pennsbury, Zuckerman hit .465 with an on-base percentage of .563, plus six doubles, six home runs, 23 RBIs and scored 26 runs.
“In high school, he was incredible for us,” said Pennsbury head coach Joe Pesci. “(A year ago), he decided to go from a mid- to low ACC team to the best team in the ACC. Surrounding himself with amazing players at Georgia Tech, he’s kind of elevated his game.”
Since the conclusion of the collegiate season, Zuckerman has been working out in preparation for the MLB Draft Combine and, ultimately, the draft. He’s been splitting his time between Yardley and Atlanta.
MLB teams have indicated Zuckerman’s power bat and defense are two of his strengths, while he’s focusing on improving his swing selection and making more contact at the plate.
Zuckerman is looking forward to hearing his name called by one of the 30 major league clubs. Whether a team views him as a third baseman, first baseman, corner outfielder or even second baseman doesn’t really matter to him.
“I think right now I’m in a great position to go and play professional baseball and start my journey up to the big leagues,” Zuckerman said. “The goal is not to get drafted – it’s to play MLB.”
Tom Moore: tmoore@couriertimes.com; @TomMoorePhilly is a sports columnist for PhillyBurbs.com. Support our journalism with a subscription.
Georgia
Georgia pair charged with murder after bartender’s dismembered remains found in lake outside Atlanta
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A Georgia pair have been charged with murder after allegedly slaughtering a bartender and dumping his dismembered remains in a lake, according to authorities.
Mario Andre Barber, 46, and Brittany Amber Baker, 42, were arrested on Monday for allegedly murdering Jamal Rashad Parker, 37, in a home outside of Atlanta, the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office said in a press release.
Investigators discovered Parker’s remains in May in the Dog River Reservoir, located about 30 miles outside Atlanta.
Parker’s identity was confirmed using DNA comparison technology after his father contacted authorities to report that the victim’s tattoos matched his son’s ink, local station WSB-TV reported.
MINNESOTA MAN ACCUSED OF DISMEMBERING GIRLFRIENDS, HIDING BODIES IN STORAGE UNITS ENTERS PLEA
Mario Andre Barber, 46, and Brittany Amber Baker, 42, are charged with murder. (Douglas County Sheriff’s Office)
Investigators believe the two suspects killed Parker inside a home in Douglasville where Baker lived.
Late last month, investigators were observed leaving the home with a reciprocating saw and cleaning supplies, according to WSB-TV.
Police have not disclosed if Parker knew his alleged killers. However, a GoFundMe created by a family member described the pair as “people he knew and trusted.”
SUZANNE SIMPSON’S DNA FOUND ON MURDER SUSPECT HUSBAND’S SAW THAT CAN CUT METAL
A family member described Jamal Rashad Parker as a bartender, musician and artist with “a beautiful soul and spirit.” (GoFundMe)
The suspects pleaded not guilty in court on Tuesday and are being held without bond. Both have lengthy criminal records, according to reports.
“I want them to be punished. And I don’t even think a life sentence is good enough,” Parker’s dad, Charles Parker, told WSB-TV outside the courthouse.
“It’s the kind of stuff you see on TV, but I mean … they had no remorse,” he added.
In addition to bartending at Ms. Icey’s Kitchen & Bar in Atlanta, the victim was a musician and artist with “a beautiful soul and spirit,” according to the GoFundMe page created to cover burial costs.
Investigators believe the two suspects killed the victim inside a home in Douglasville. (Douglas County Sheriff’s Office)
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“He loved life and the people he met along his journey in life. He was a musical artist, visual artist, and a professional bartender who enjoyed creating new drinks. This has totally devastated our family and friends and has left us heartbroken,” the fundraiser reads.
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