Dear Hans Utz,

You are a gift from the gods of journalism, sir. Just when I thought the story about the Atlanta Braves moving to Cobb County couldn’t get any stranger, you raised the bar.

You used “racially insensitive words,” as the Atlanta Journal Constitution put it, in an email sent from your government account. Even though you are highly educated and make a decent salary as deputy COO, you didn’t hesitate to send off-color communications that were easily obtainable via an open records request.

I know you’re highly educated because you used those “racially insensitive words” in a haiku.

“The Braves might leave us

Becoming the Cobb Crackers

I feel bad for them.”

You also promised, “There’s more where that came from.”

I, for one, can’t wait.  From the bottom of my reporter’s heart, I would like to say, ‘Thank you.’

Sincerely,

This guy

————————————————————————————————

The AJC released its “Braves bombshell” this afternoon.

According to the story, Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed’s administration became so focused on the Falcons stadium deal that it more or less took the Braves for granted.

With Cobb County officials offering to name their sons after the Braves’ owners and promising to let them marry the most beautiful of their daughters, Atlanta’s indifference made the choice a no brainer.

Whether that choice will hold up to further scrutiny is a different subject.

Atlanta Magazine has given us yet another Christmas present. The editors have hired investigative reporter Jim Walls, known for his work over at Atlanta Unfiltered, to take a closer look at the Braves deal.

The team’s owners apparently are seeking even more tax breaks (I mean, why not) and if they’re approved, they could be paying less than half the cost of their new stadium.

Walls has a knack for kicking over rocks and connecting dots. If there’s anything shady going on, you can rest assured he’ll find it and report the hell out of it.

This thing continues to get better and better.

Christmas may arrive on Dec. 25 for everyone else, but for me it’s happening right about now.