The shock of losing out on two Atlanta sports franchises had not eased Tuesday in the temporary offices of McDavid Sports Holdings on Dallas Parkway.

In recent weeks, phone calls had been answered "McDavid Sports Holdings." Tuesday, calls were greeted a number of different ways, including "DMD," and "McDavid Holdings."

An Atlanta Hawks jersey still hung on a wall near a jersey of the Atlanta Thrashers. "They were going to be in a new office that would have been the offices for the operations of the Hawks, Thrashers and Philips Arena," McDavid executive Steve Dieb said.

He was left to contemplate some new interior decorating Tuesday afternoon as AOL Time Warner was holding a news conference in Atlanta to introduce the ownership group that will be taking over the teams.

David McDavid, the Texas millionaire who thought he'd be introduced Tuesday as the new franchise-holder, was still unavailable for comment. And Dieb, McDavid's brother-in-law, conceded the reasons were as much emotional as legal.

McDavid's year-long pursuit of the Atlanta teams and operating rights to Philips fell apart Monday when AOL Time Warner surprised him by announcing it was selling to another group.

"We're not over the shock yet," Dieb said. "To work on the deal since last October only to get it pulled out from under you, it's hard to take. I can't say that I've ever been treated that way. I don't think you treat anybody that way."

He wanted to cry foul. "We worked on this deal only to have them sell it to the inside people [current partners in the teams]. That ain't right," Dieb said. "We negotiate the deal, and then they hand it to this other group. We really couldn't believe it."