Greeson: A select-shot look at sports

Saturday, April 30, 2011

There's too much happening in the world of sports. Everywhere you turn, there's a highlight to watch or a score to catch or a draft pick to check on. So, in the same spirit as the "5-at-10" sports column that appears every weekday morning at www.timesfreepress.com, here's a short take on some of the current and quirky stories of the sports world:

• In honor of royalty: Prince Amukamara was picked in the first round of the NFL draft Thursday by the New York Giants. It was a big moment for the Amukamaras - Prince and his five sisters, Precious, Princess, Peace, Passion and Promise.

While the alliteration is better, another New York-area program added some prime-time names. St. John's added junior college basketball signee God's Gift Achiuwa. Yes, God's Gift, who is the third of Eunice and Donatus Achiuwa's six children. The boys are Promise, God's Gift, God's Will and Precious; the girls are Grace and Peace.

What say you, William and Kate?

• Win-win proposition: There's been much hand-wringing nationally about the five draft picks that the Atlanta Falcons sent to Cleveland to move up Thursday to draft former Alabama receiver Julio Jones. Yes, the Browns get a handful of picks in an effort to rebuild, but to say the Falcons erred is erroneous.

The Falcons pushed their chips in the middle and are now on the short list of teams that could win the Super Bowl. How exactly is that a bad thing?

What exactly is the best defense for an offense that has Roddy White and Jones on the outside to go with tight end Tony Gonzalez, running back Michael Turner and quarterback Matt Ryan? Forget Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff's time in New England and his comparisons to Bill Belichick - this guy is trying to emulate the early-1990s Dallas Cowboys of Jimmy Johnson and Co.

• Heisman tradeout: The Saints moved up to add 2009 Heisman-winning running back Mark Ingram from Alabama late in the first round. It was almost unanimously hailed as a good move for the Saints, who struggled to run the ball last year.

When the move was made, soon-to-be-former Saints running back Reggie Bush tweeted, "It's been fun in New Orleans." Well, if Bush sounds like a fellow on the way out town, he likely will be one of the first first buses out when all the labor kinks have been solved.

Bush, another former Heisman honoree, battled injuries to play in eight games and rush for 150 yards last season. He's also due $12 million from the team in 2012. Buh-bye.

• Heating up in the ATL: Uh, what's going on with your Atlanta Braves? Less than a week after pitching coach Roger McDowell allegedly threatened to knock a Giants fan's teeth out in front of the guy's twin daughters, pitcher Derek Lowe got a DUI on Thursday night and apparently was drag racing.

McDowell has been put on "administrative leave," the team announced Friday, for his offensive remarks before last Saturday's game in San Francisco. Lowe, who was behind the wheel of a 2011 Porsche Panamera (list prices as high as $170,000), was stopped on Peachtree Stree in the Buckhead area of Atlanta.

Somebody get Bobby Cox on the AT&T call to the bullpen, stat. It's time to get a grip on this Fredi Gonzalez, like now.