ATL AM: Atlanta Sports News 5/25

Jan 23, 2013; San Antonio, TX, USA; San Antonio Spurs assistant coach Mike Budenholzer watches from the sideline during the second half against the New Orleans Hornets at the AT

Hey everyone, welcome to another edition of ATL AM, hope you guys have some awesome things planned for your weekend (watching some Braves baseball maybe?). Let’s jump right in:

MLB–Mark Bowman shows us what life was like at one point in New York City for Evan Gattis. It’s crazy what this guy has been through, and what he is doing now:

"Gattis remembers being either 19 or 20 years old when he traveled alone from Dallas to New York to visit a spiritual advisor. He stayed at the Big Apple Hostel, a Manhattan establishment that can be described as being a little different from the five-star hotel the Braves are staying in this week. When Gattis attempted to get money from an ATM machine to buy a hot dog on the fourth day of that five-day trip, he learned he was penniless. His account showed a negative $17, and he was not scheduled to fly back home out of John F. Kennedy International Airport until the next night.“I was like, ‘What am I going to do?'” Gattis said. “I just lost it. I was so beaten. I was bawling, crying. I was trying to sell clothes. I was like, ‘You want a bag of clothes so I can get on a train to get to JFK?'”A cop allowed Gattis to take the subway toward JFK, and another woman provided him entry to another train after he flashed a smile that she requested. When he arrived at the airport, he befriended a security guard who bought him some food out of a vending machine."

SoaringDownSouth–Brandon Barnes writes that current Indiana Pacers assistant coach, Brian Shaw, could be a fit for the Hawks head coaching job next year:

"An option in the Hawks’ head coaching search lies with Brian Shaw, a current assistant coach for the Indiana Pacers (or to Hawks fans, the enemies). Odds are high that Danny Ferry will drag on the interview process until after the Pacers are eliminated from the playoffs (Go get ‘em Heat!)."

AJC–J. Scott Trubey writes about the latest development in the Falcons pursuit of a new stadium. It looks like things are moving along nicely:

"The Georgia Department of Economic Development board approved $15 million in financing to be used for land acquisition for the $1 billion stadium project. The new stadium is expected to open in time for the 2017 NFL season. This week, NFL owners approved $200 million in league funding toward the project."

PeachTreeHoops–Kris Willis discusses a report that says Spurs assistant coach, Mike Budenholzer, is the favorite to land the head coaching job with the Hawks. Remember, current GM Danny Ferry was brought in from San Antonio:

"Budenholzer is a strong candidate but the problem may be trying to pry him from the Spurs where he is the likely successor to Gregg Popovich. Ferry is trying to remake the Hawks into his own image and the Spurs blueprint will be a heavy influence. Perhaps that will be enough to peak Budenholzer’s interest."