Uncle Mercy!

Well, either the Childress Money Making Foundation are the best actors in the world (not a high bar set there in Hollywood, by the way) or the family of Josh Childress may be making more international calls over the next three years.

I have to say---it's stunning---and they have things serious enough to where even I, one of the most cynical, suspicious minds there might be, am starting to believe that Josh Childress may indeed take off for Greece instead of chasing down the NBA dream.

Hey, Rick Sund, how do you like the new job?

If you believe every item in Sekou Smith's latest ajc.com blog (part of our Bird Feeds on the sidelines there), then you have to think that the Hawks tried to play it dirty and now risk losing their top 2004 pick for just about nothing.

We have seen, in the last 24 hours, everything the HHB told you was coming. Spin from both sides, escalating threats, and now an apparent checkmate.

Smith says that the Hawks risk losing credibility if they cave to Childress, but I am not sure about that. This situation is unique, though not that unique that other won't definately try it.

Sidebar: It will be interesting to see the NBA reaction to such a move, though the Commish is likely to chalk it up to the Hawks simply "being the Hawks".

If the Hawks decide to stare down the young 6th man, it could mean a decision as early as today. Hawks fans would have to hope for no news, which could mean that the team is hustling to make things right.

One of the interesting things about this development is that it was the free agency of Josh Smith who grabbed all the headlines, but that has been completely eclipsed by this circus. Of course, we here at the HHB saw the Childress FA as the most interesting, but certainly not this interesting, if you can call your stomach wrenching interesting.

On the issue on whether Childress is worth the money that it might likely take to bring him back, consider that this signing is likely not in a vacuum, meaning that if the team fails to bring in Childress, it could have a domino effect on the psyche of the rest of the team, and their current and impending free agency.

It is especially critical if the team played it as dirty as Sekou reports, pulling a more lucrative deal off the table because he didn't jump when they laid it down. Um, I don't know too many employees that like that tactic (myself very much included).

If that part of the negotiation is true, that's bogus. You can't put the toothpaste back in the tube, everybody. Once you put a deal on the table and then pull it back, no matter what phony deadlines you put on the offer, you are telling your guy that now you have to take a lesser or deal or take it elsewhere.

Elsewhere = Greece.