Photo Credit: Randy Schafer

Welcome to Athens Power Rankings. In the spirit of sports rating systems, through painstaking analysis, we rank the top movers and shakers in the Classic City each week. Who's hot? Who's not? Find out below.

1. Karin Fischer and Eric Hoover

They wrote the Chronicle of Higher Education article about drinking in Athens that got everyone talking last week. In unrelated but relevant news, the Athens Downtown Development Authority is considering limiting the number of bars downtown.

2. Nancy Stangle

Twenty years ago this month, Stangle co-founded the Athens Land Trust, an organization that has worked wonders providing affordable housing for working-class families, as well as protecting farmland and greenspace in Athens and all over the state. Be on the lookout for a profile of Stangle, who's retiring, in this week's issue.

3. Athens for Everyone

Now mall shoppers know that #blacklivesmatter.

4. Morgan Edwards

Known as "Santa Pops," Edwards is the man behind the beard for Christmas at The Classic Center. He's the subject of a profile in this week's Flagpole, too.

5. Mike Slive

Slive, the top dawg at the SEC, paired up Georgia with Louisville in the Belk Bowl. The what bowl? The Belk Bowl. And who gives a crap about Louisville? You should—don't waste an opportunity to root against Bobby Petrino and Todd Grantham.