Diary of a Happy Grizz Fan: Part Deux

First off, big ups to Chip and Josh for arranging the wonderful tables at the Tip-Off Luncheon yesterday. It was a good time had by all, as well as a notable day for charitable organizations. It is always fun to rub elbows with the players, as well as the coaches and staff. Thanks again, Chip.

To begin, this is the 2nd part of a series that proves to be the anti-thesis of Zac's ever-so-popular blog series. Zac is doing a GREAT job so far, and the feedback I am receiving further cements this claim.

Anyhow, after the Grizzlies luncheon yesterday, I met up with a few friends at the local TGI Friday's in Southaven to have a few adult beverages, and talk about Grizzlies basketball.

After a few cocktails and mind-elevating concoctions I began to peruse the surrounding tables for a viable target to test my theories upon.

Bingo. At a corner table diagonal from the bar, I found two gentleman around the same age as me, both wearing none other than Ole Miss hats/shirts, my alma mater. Target acquired, time to proceed.

I left my friends alone for the time being, and casually made my way to said gentleman's table, drink in hand. After the initial casual greeting, and awkward comment about the misfortunes of the Ole Miss football team, I finally found my opening.

I said "Did you guys happen to go to the Tip-Off Luncheon today?". Of course, I knew the answer was no, but it was my avenue to begin discussion.

The two guys, named Brett and David (thanks guys), asked how the luncheon was, and if I managed to get any valuable autographs (which I did).

Both guys are native Southavenians (is that a word?), but attend the University of Mississippi, Oxford. This of course, limits the amount of time they are able to attend Grizzlies games.

I asked them both what they thought about the Grizzlies past draft, and their answers surprised me. I will quote the gentleman verbatim, from the best of my knowledge.

Brett: I was happy overall with the draft, and the direction of the team as well, but I feel as if we gave up on Mike Miller, and marooned him into a far worse situation in the process.

David: I was ecstatic when we traded "Color me Bad" frontman Kevin Love for O.J. Mayo, and I was more than willing to part with Mike to do so, because you always have to give in order to receive.

Brett: I agree, David, but this team could definitely use Mike Miller's leadership, not to mention his hefty statline and outside shooting this year to help weather the growing pains this team will undoubtedly face.

David: True points on all fronts, but irregardless, you sometimes have to part with fan favorties, lockerroom favorites, and good talent to help build the core of your team. In all honesty, I would love Mike to still be here, but by the time we get where we are going, he will be of little or no use, and past his prime contribution stage.

Me: Great, great points on all fronts. I have to admit I was torn on the issue of trading Mike in the big draft night swap, but I do feel as if it was the best decision long term for this team. It was the right decision, in the same mold ala the Rudy Gay-Battier swap. In my humble opinion, one is paying off now, but both will pay off ten-fold in the future.

Brett and David: Yea man, one thing is for sure..... The Grizz definitely have hope for the future. As long as we make sound financial decisions, and hopefully a draft or two falls in our favor, we will be sitting pretty long term. Then we can quit hearing about the team leaving.

Me: Amen brothers. How 'bout a round on me?

So there ya have it folks. They are sneaky ones, but there are die-hard Grizz fans in and around the surrounding areas in the same mold as you and I.

Until next time, check out my homeboy Zac's upcoming installments, and hopefully I can bring some more good news as well.

Until then, Grizzly Growl my friends.

Diary Of A Mad Grizz Fan Part Three.

By Zac

AUTHORS NOTE: Kirk, I find it encouraging that you were able to have that experience at a sports bar. I think you along with my readers will definitely be encouraged by my findings this go-around.

For those catching up here are Part One and Part Two of this blog.

I continued my off day-slash-experiment by trekking into East Memphis to do some shopping. I couldn't wait to discuss the Grizzlies with people here. These were the people who would go to the games just for the social aspect and to see and be seen...The people who have the season tickets and whos companies have the season tickets and skyboxes. Surely there are the most passionate of passionate Grizz fans to be found here!

Errr....Not really. I found one. The other 3 people I talked to weren't that big on the team. One even wished we had a football team instead.

The first person I met was in Macys at Oak Court. I needed some shoes, so I wanted to find a pair of Lacoste tennis shoes. Dude hooked me up with an all-white pair...nice. He started askin me if I played a sport and I said "Nah, these are just for jogging and s*** like that." You're welcome for the censoring, kids.

I told him I couldnt play basketball worth a lick but I enjoy watching it, and that I was a big Grizz fan. This apparently makes people stop in their tracks and ask you why.

"They suck bro...I wouldnt go if they paid me."

I go...and I pay them.

"Well why not man? Basketball is basketball...ya know?"

"Yea, but I like good basketball."

"Mayo and Rudy are pretty good man...you oughta give em a chance."

"Eh, they just gonna leave in a few years cuz noone goes to see em."

Well, with that attitude, yeah. But that someone who doesnt go to see them is you! Cmon man...

I thanked him for the shoes and went about my business. I headed over to Laurelwood and did "Good Man Duty" for the Mrs. and found her christmas present at Joseph. Ladies, respect my prowess. I love my woman AND I can put up with stuck-up snobbery to get my lady what she wants.

Oddly enough, the salesperson ASKED me if I was going to the game against Houston because Joey Dorsey was coming back to town. Since when was Dorsey a marquee player?

I told her that no, I wasn't going to the game but that I was a huge fan of the Grizz so I'd be seeing Dorsey during the regular season when I had tix and time.

She goes on to say that she's not a Grizz fan per say, but she couldn't wait to see Dorsey tonight.

:(

Great. Another "fan" not wearing blue and yellow and white in the Forum. Oh well.

I leave, wondering if I was going to ever meet a professional sports fan in this city....and I did.

Trouble was, he was a Titans fan, lamenting the fact that Nashville got them and we didn't get to keep them. I guess he was one of the hundreds sitting in the Liberty Bowl watching the Tennessee Oilers. What was the reason for them not going to those games? Oh yeah, they're just going to leave anyway. That's right.

He launches into why professional basketball would never work in this city, and why Nashville should have gotten the NBA franchise and we should have the NFL. It's more expensive per game, he said, but there are less games.

Less games for people to go to when they werent winning, or when the team had one commercial per year perhaps.

Basketball wouldnt work in this city? Tell that to the Tigers.

This experiment wasn't working out as I had hoped, but it was going all according to what I thought it would be. This city just doesn't seem to care.

Alas, a glimmer of hope....

A guy about my age comes up to me at The Grove and sits down and has a beer. ESPN is on. Gotta love bars and bar areas. Always a good sports crowd. They were talking about Elton Brand's potential impact on the 76ers and I said "Let me guess, youre not a basketball fan either."

"Nah, not really."

I knew it.

"I do like the Grizz though. I think they could get me into this stuff."

Hooray! I found one. This guy lamented the fact that noone seemed to care, and was going to be at the preseason game not to watch Dorsey, but the GRIZZ! I told the guy what I had done today and I said "I know its a bit strange, but I just wanted to see if anyone cared that there was a team here."

His answer was great. Just brilliant. Later this week, I'll tell you his answer, why he must be a 3SoB reader ;) and upon demand from readers that I keep this up, update my Diary of a Mad Grizz Fan series with trips into Bartlett, Collierville, Southaven (hopefully I'll run into the couple that my Grizzlamic brother Kirk ran into) and South Memphis.


Until then, spread the word and fill that Forum.

Diary Of A Mad Grizz Fan Part Two.

By Zac

For those catching up: Part One

I head to Midtown to do some shopping in Cooper-Young and have a cup of coffee. You've gotta love Cooper-Young. Skaters wearing socks on their arms, and all the counterculture you could ask for. George Carlin would be proud. Talking sports here would surely be fun. I hadn't had any real lunch yet, just a few brews so I stop at Celtic Crossing to have this gouda cheeseburger. Try it, you'll love it.

That was my George Lapides shameless promotion moment.

The servers at Celtic are the friendliest around, so it is easy to get a conversation started up with them. I turned the conversation to sports and we began talking about how my Cowboys picked up Roy Williams and what that would do for our offense. I then said "Well I'm actually a basketball man myself, and I can't wait for the season to start. I love my Mavs, but Im a Grizz fan first."

Dude laughed. LAUGHED.

Then silence.

Like I had just told a big Jesus joke in Bethlehem.

He thought he had hurt my feelings so he was like "Uh, I don't really think theyre going to be that good this year, but man good for you if you can support a team that doesnt win a lot."

Thanks.

I just smiled and said "Well thats what being a fan is all about...Hell, I was a Mavs fan back in the days of Ced Ceballos and Reunion Arena, so I can tolerate grisly Grizzlies."

I asked him if he had ever been to a game and he said he had not. "They'd just lose," he said. "It'd be a waste of money."

Yikes. Why do so many in the city feel this way? A sporting event is a sporting event! It's fun to cheer and get into the game, and if you lose, so what?? You screamed, you drank some beer, you high-fived when they tried to make a comeback, you had fun! A waste of money, no sir.

We alternated the conversation back and forth from basketball to football, to music. Now there is something I can talk about for hours.

I inhaled my cheeseburger and decided to head to East Memphis. Ah, the "elite" of Memphis. The people who buy the season tickets and would at least go to the game for the social aspect, right? We shall see...in a few days time.

Diary Of A Mad Grizz Fan Part One.

By Zac

I became so intrigued by my own writings about the subject on noone caring that the Grizzlies were here, I decided to conduct an experiment.

I'm a pretty sociable guy, I talk to everyone I come into contact with without crossing the line into invasion of privacy, so I decided that on my lunch break and shopping excursion out in Memphis I was going to eek the Grizzlies into my conversations with people, just to see what they thought about the subject.

Jesus H, what a long sentence.

I knew that my experiment could not be biased, so I planned my day to be in several parts of town. I would have lunch downtown, since I like being downtown on my off days/no class days, I would shop Cooper-Young and East Memphis (two very different demographics) and then I would head out and pick up the fiance for dinner that night, picking over what I had learned.

With the plan set in motion, I was off to lunch. I parked in the garage and set off to South Philly. (Quick pet peeve though: Why in the hell do we use tokens to pay for parking now? Seriously, can't I just give you my money?) I stop in there and decide I don't want a sandwich, so I just had a beer instead. ESPN was on the plasma screen and there was a man probably in his 30s craning his neck to watch the screen. I sit at the table next to him so I could see the television. A few minutes and a new beer later, I said "I wish they'd talk about some preseason, I want to see what they are saying about Mayo." His response: "Yeah, that Mayo kid's something good. Who's he playin for?"

Wha??

I said "Memphis, man! He plays for us! We traded Miller, drafted Love and traded em both with Cardinal to get him, and Jaric...and Walker..." I trailed off. He legitimately didnt know. To the right of this man in South Philly is a Hello Mayo poster. I told him how Mayo fired off 26 points the other night in preseason, and how Rudy looks good this year, and by the end of the conversation he said he might try to make it to a game. I felt good. I drank the last of my second beer and headed off to Midtown.

My attempt to convert lost Midtowners to the way of the Grizz will be posted in a few days. Until then, spread the good word. Fill the Forum.