Local Radio News

We're hearing some interesting things from our sources about what to expect on the local radio scene over the next 6-8 months.

First, we are being told that even though they left 730 ESPN this week, that the Geoff & Gary Show will likely end up staying in the local confines of Memphis. No word on whether or not they are favoring Sports 56 or FoxSports 680, but I'm sure that both stations will be making a pitch for their services as their 6-month no-compete clause comes near an end in December. I, for one, am definitely looking forward to hearing them back on the radio again.

Next, it sounds like G&G leaving will have no effect on Chris Vernon remaining with the station, which is good, because nobody wants to cede all of the local coverage to one station, and Verno is one of the most entertaining sports talk hosts in the entire country, in my humble opinion.

However, we have received word that there are some rumblings about 680 AM purchasing the rights to the ESPN affiliation away from 730 in the future, which could lead to a swap over to FOX Sports or a change in format for 730 altogether. If that were to occur, Verno could obviously land back on a Memphis station (best case for us sports fans) or could go to another affiliate in the region under the Simmons Media Group, LLC umbrella. That would be unfortunate for Grizzlies fans, given that Chris has several regular guests with a lot of insight into the NBA landscape and the Grizzlies organization specifically on his program.

For the record, I'm in favor of us having 3 sports stations in Memphis, because competition leads to higher quality programming for all of us sports fans.

We don't have any truly concrete information on this, but you all know that we don't really deal in rumor spreading, so take it as solid information with a grain of salt. We'll all have to wait and see how it shakes out over the next few months.

Examining the Facts with Eli Savoie

Eli Savoie is the program director for AM 560 WHBQ, more commonly known as Sports 56. He also hosts the midday program with Greg Gaston. We were fortunate enough to have the opportunity to ask him a few questions that he graciously answered for us.

3 Shades of Blue: Your official title with Sports 56 is Program Director, as well as being the midday host along with Greg Gaston.What does a Program Director do on a daily basis?

Eli Savoie: As program director, I am responsible for the day to day on-air operations of the station. I make decisions on what shows, games, etc. we put on and oversee the scheduling of those shows or games. I am in charge of overseeing the on air staff as well as the producers and part-time employees that are involved in the programming on the station making sure all shifts are covered and everyone is doing their job properly. I also work with our sales department on promotions and sales ideas for the station.

3SoB: What led you to get into the radio business?

ES: I knew from a young age that I wanted to get into a sports related field since I was always a sports nut. In high school I decided that the media was the field I wanted to get in to. Once in college, I majored in Mass Communications and minored in History and Journalism and as I took courses in television, radio and print journalism, I realized that radio was where my passion was and I made the decision to pursue a radio career. It also didn't hurt that I had a face made for radio.



3SoB: You've been blogging since February 2005 at elisavoie.com. What do you think about the growth of the blogosphere over the past decade and the effect it has had on the world of sports?

ES: I think it is amazing. You can go on the internet now and find a blog on almost any subject in the world. It's crazy! As far as sports blogs go, they are all over the place. I think the biggest effect they have had is that information is much more accessible at any time of day because people can get on and post something at any time. On a negative side, the fact that anyone can have a blog, you don't really know what information can be trusted. I think a lot of the blogs out there are great and are very credible, but there are a lot of blogs that aren't and it makes it tough to figure out which ones are which.

3SoB: You have been experimenting with live blogging recently. We did some live blogging during the preseason and for the home opener before deciding that it was preventing us from enjoying the game in any respect. From your brief trial run, what are your thoughts on doing it so far?

ES: It does take away a little from the enjoyment of the game. I am still trying to figure out the best way to do it. I got a positive response from people on the first couple I did so I would like to continue to do it at Tigers and Grizzlies games, it’s just going to take some fine tuning.

3SoB: For our post that asked local media members to predict the number of Grizzlies wins, you had this to say:

I expect the Grizzlies to be better this year, but I don't expect the huge improvement in wins that a lot of people are predicting. I am looking for the young guys to get a lot of experience and this team to start working towards being competitive in the playoffs two or three years from now. I think 33-35 wins is a realistic goal for this year as far as wins go, but more important to me is the development of the younger players such as Conley, Lowry, Milicic, Gay and Warrick. Barring any major injuries, I look for the Grizzlies to win around 35 games.

Do you feel that they are still on track to perform as you expected them to or is it better/worse than you thought at this point in the season?

ES: You know I think it's funny because when I talked about his team in the preseason, many people criticized me for being too negative when I said there was no way they could make the playoffs. I just didn't see how people were picking them to win twicw as many games as they won last year, teams just don't double their wins from year to year very often. I did think they would be vastly improved though, and I thought the 35 wins was very attainable. Right now, the fact they can't play defense at all makes me think it will be tough for them to get to 35, so if I had to reassess now, I would say that, without any major moves, I would expect around 30 wins. I do, however, think that they will make a fairly major trade before the deadline. I think either Pau Gasol or Mike Miller or both will be moved this year.

3SoB: You say that either Mike Miller, Pau Gasol or both will probably be moved this season. What do you think that GM Chris Wallace should seek in return, since he has stated that he won't take back only expiring contracts for Miller and doesn't seem sold on what the Bulls have reportedly offered for Gasol? Is there a player (or players) that you think would both be available and fit the future of this team that should be targeted?

ES: I have always said that the three things the Grizzlies have to get in return are young talent, draft picks and/or expiring contracts. Young talent is the hardest to acquire obviously because teams aren’t as willing to part with it. I still think Pau’s best fit is in Chicago because of their style and need for a low post offensive threat. I wish the deal could have gotten done last year because I think you could have gotten more, but I still think you might be able to pry Ben Gordon from them, but he’s up for a contract so you have to sign him. I also like to Andres Nocioni and Tyrus Thomas. I definitely think the Grizzlies could get a deal done with the Bulls that makes sense for both teams. As for Miller, I have always said Denver is a perfect fit for him. The problem is their lack of quality young players so unless they are willing to give up Marcus Camby, it could be tough to get a deal done there.

3SoB: With Damon Stoudamire's agent demanding a trade following his move to the inactive list, the fan base has been abuzz with what should be done. Do you think that the Grizzlies or Aaron Goodwin handled the situation correctly? What should be done with Damon and what will be done with Damon (if you don't think they are the same thing)? (Ed note: This was asked prior to the rumors of a buyout being discussed surfaced.)

ES: The Grizzlies did what they had to do with Damon. In my opinion they even waited too long to do it. This team isn’t going anywhere with Damon as the point guard so they have to get Mike Conley on the floor as much as possible. For Aaron Goodwin to say it was disrespectful is just dead wrong. He knows that it’s just the nature of the business and this is what happens in the NBA. I understand that he and Damon would like him to get out of Memphis, but his comments were out of line. I think in the end though, I don’t think the Grizzlies will find a taker in the trade market, so they will work out a contract buyout and Damon will move on, which is best for everybody.

3SoB: Who do you think the Grizzlies should focus on in the upcoming draft? (Feel free to base it on them being in the Top 5, 5-10, with a procured 2nd round pick, etc.)

ES: This question is a little difficult to answer without knowing what, if any, moves will be made before the trade deadline or before the draft in the offseason, but I will do my best. If the Grizzlies get lucky in the draft lottery this year then I think either Michael Beasley or Eric Gordon would be a great pick. Gordon is a great shooter and I think with him alongside Mike Conley and Rudy Gay you have some explosive scoring ability in the back court. I actually like Gordon a little more than Beasley, but Beasley would certainly fill a need up front, especially if Pau gets moved. From 5-10 I think the Grizzlies would have to consider Roy Hibbert. I'm not a huge fan of him because of his lack of offensive game, but he does provide size and a defensive presence. I would also look at OJ Mayo in this range, while he's not the shooter that Gordon is, he does provide another explosive scorer and athleticism. As far as the second round goes, depending on what way you go in round 1, I would certianly take a look at a guy like Joey Dorsey if he's available. Overall, the Grizzlies biggest needs continue to be athleticism and defense and strength up front, I think they have a chance to address at least one of those in this draft.

3SoB: What do you foresee regarding the future of the Grizzlies in Memphis? Will they be here for years to come in your opinion?

ES: I know there is a lot of concern about the team possibly moving, but I just don’t see it happening. David Stern does not like having teams move and he likes the Memphis market for the league so it will be tough for anyone to move this team. The attendance is way down, but if they start winning again and getting to the playoffs, the fans will come and the franchise will be fine. In my opinion, they aren’t going anywhere.

You can listen to Eli Savoie with Greg Gaston on AM 560 every weekday from 11 AM to 1 PM.

Geoff Calkins Spreads His Wings

Geoff Calkins has been a strong voice for the city of Memphis and the sports community in general for many years. His honest and well written columns have been known to both infuriate and inform people depending on their pre-conceived views fo the subject but one thing is uncertain. Calkins gets people to think about the subject. The guys at 3 Shades of Blue were fortunate enough to ask Geoff a few questions and here is what he had to say.

3SoB: My first question has to do with your new radio show and your old one. First, what niche do you feel you and Gary can fill in your show that isn't being filled now and how did you get involved with radio in the first place?
GC: Gary Parrish -- the rare guy who is very funny and actually knows stuff, too -- would want me to say that we're going to fill the awesome niche. Because we're going to be awesome. Go ahead, ask Gary. He'll tell you this.

I am less confident that we'll be awesome, but I do think we'll have fun. And I hope the show will be smart. Smart and fun. That's the essential mission statement, right there. I'll probably laugh more than I did on the other show but I don't want to preside over two hours of silliness. We'll have great guests including Sam Smith (Chicago Tribune) and Gordon Edes (Boston Globe), who are coming over with me. Dan Wetzel, the national columnist for Yahoo Sports, will also be a regular guest. We're still figuring some other things out.

As for how I got involved in radio in the first place, that was all George. Three years ago, he asked me to be his co-host. It's been a lot of fun. But George is cutting back to an hour and I wanted to do my own thing. So rather than stay and do the hour with George and then another two hours on my own -- that's what 560 was offering -- I decided to jump and do the show with Gary, who happens to be a very good friend.

3SoB: You and Ron Tillery seemed to have an almost antagonistic relationship on the radio. How much of that was done to promote listeners and how much was real?
GC: Some people don't believe this, but I don't ever say or write things just to bring in an audience. I mean, I hope people like my column and my radio show. But I don't ever think to myself, gee, let's make this outrageous argument, or let's pick this fight, because it might perk up circulation or ratings. I don't think that's how the world works, for one thing. I think people respond to authenticity.

As for me and Tillery, we disagree about some fundamental things. He thinks Heisley is a fabulous owner. I think Heisley was a fabulous owner who has made some serious mistakes the last few years. He thinks the split between Heisley and the local owners is a non-issue; I think it's a huge, continuing issue. Stuff like that.

3SoB: Gearing things back toward the Grizzlies, you made a prediction during the pre-season that attendance would a major issue with the Grizzlies this year. So far that has been very accurate. What do you think, if anything, the Grizzlies need to do to win back fans?
GC: I don't think it's going to be as easy as lowering the price of bottled water. Once fans stop caring about a franchise, what gets them to start caring again? Usually, it takes a signature event. In Cleveland, that meant getting LeBron James. In Miami, it meant getting Shaq. In Boston, it meant getting Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett. And so on and so forth.

The Grizzlies need something fabulous to happen for the franchise. Simply being five or ten games better than last year isn't going to do it. They have to win a playoff series, develop a star. Something along those lines. The other two happenings that could create some momentum for the franchise would be:

* Trading Pau Gasol. I just wonder if Memphis fans are ever going to rally around a team that's led by Pau. How can you love a team if you don't love the team's best player? And while I think Pau is one of the true good guys in the game, it's pretty clear to me he's not ever going to be loved in Memphis.
* Selling the team to the local owners. Don't get me wrong, I don't think a sale would result in 2,000 more fans a game. But a lot of wealthier Memphians have bailed on this team because they've bailed on Heisley. Some of them might come back. And I think the locals would have a better shot of persuading Memphians this to be engaged in the franchise.

3SoB: You have brought up Michael Heisley twice already in our conversation. It appears that you believe a large part of Memphis' problems stem from the absentee landlord syndrome but Heisley has been aggressive in getting quality people to run the team (Jerry West and Chris Wallace), has appealed to local support by hiring Gene Bartow and hired the most sought after coach this summer. He allowed the team to acquire the players they wanted with a few exceptions as well. This is the same method he has used with his successful turnarounds in the past (hire smart people and give them the resources they need to succeed). What exactly do you feel he has done wrong?

GC: I should be clear on Heisley. I like the guy. He's remarkably engaging and down-to-earth. He answers his own phone. I don't know that I've met many billionaires, but there can't be many who are more friendly and accessible than Heisley has always been.

I also think Heisley - and his right-hand man, Stan Meadows - don't get nearly enough credit for the job they did developing FedExForum. Just look around this city at all the corruption and the wasted money and the projects coming in way over the expected price. FedExForum was built for $250 million, exactly as promised. Ownership has to get much of the credit for that. They didn't waver, didn't give in to those who wanted to enrich themselves over the project, and produced a building that might be better than the city deserves.

Having said all that, the same stubborn, bull-in-a-china-shop philosophy that worked with FedExForum doesn't necessarily work in running a basketball team. Heisley finds good people and pays them well. But he also blows up at people, manages through fear, and doesn't care who he offends. Take FedEx, for example. Why would Heisley and Meadows risk alienating FedEx? The company could practically fill the building with employees. FedEx may be the team's most important resource. But by the time Meadows was done negotiating the naming rights deal, certain FedEx executives never wanted to speak to the guy again. The same goes for the local owners. If you're Heisley, wouldn't you want to have them on your side? Wouldn't that be good for business, in fact? Wouldn't that help you get the price you want for your team?

Heisley deserves a world of credit for bringing the team to Memphis. He deserves a world of credit for making the FedExForum project work. But the recent stuff? Not so much.

3SoB:To follow up on the Gasol comment about fans not supporting a team led by him Rudy Gay has seemed to take over for Pau as the primary scorer and face of the team. Do you believe that the animosity to Gasol will retard fans acceptance of Rudy? Do you think fans can accept Gasol as the #2 man in Memphis with his contract?
GC: I think fans would love to have Pau as the No. 2 man. Could you bring in Kobe as No. 1? I don't think anyone is reluctant to "accept" Pau. I just don't think people love him. They loved Shane. They don't love Pau. But none of that has anything to do with what they think of Rudy or anyone else.

3SoB: If Michael Conley is as good as we have been led to believe then next year the Grizzlies will have 28 yr old Pau, 29 yr old Mike Miller, 23 yr old Rudy, a 24 yr old Darko and 21 yr old Michael as the starting 5. Is this a team the fans could build around or are we still going to need another new face?
GC: That lineup just isn't good enough. There's not a legitimate, annual all-star in the group. The Celtics have three of those guys. The Grizzlies don't have any. I have moments -- an increasing number of them -- when I think Chris Wallace and Iavaroni made a mistake thinking they could build a winning team around Pau and Miller. It's not because Pau is impeding the progress of Rudy, it's because you need stars -- big, compelling stars -- to win and draw fans. Rudy might turn into one, but I'm certainly not sure of that. Mike Conley has promise but hasn't proven anything yet. So, absolutely, the Grizzlies have to add a new face and maybe more than one.

3SoB: Finally what is the starting date for your show and when do I need to get in line to be the first caller?
GC: Jan 2. From 7-9 in the morning on 730 AM. Heck, you may be the only caller, for all I know.

Mega-Links: Injury News, Mike Miller and his monkey, TK in a giving mood, Sign the "Kobe Stopper"?, Team Value, Rudy Gay, Hak on the block?

Ron Tillery is reporting on the Memphis Edge that Pau Gasol is questionable for Friday night's game against the Los Angeles Clippers after jamming the big toe on his right foot in practice. That's the bad news. The good news is that Michael Conley has been participating in non-contact drills since Monday and hopes to be cleared for full contact drills by next Tuesday. I would have liked to have known about that a few days ago, but I guess Tillery was busy finding "his stories" in other locations. Oh Ron-Ron...and here we were trying to be nice to you for a change. Don't make me regret that decision.

I was too busy yesterday afternoon to see this post on TrueHoop about Mike Miller and his former pet, a monkey named Sonny. Apparently when Henry Abbott worked for HOOP Magazine, he interviewed Miller and they had a lengthy conversation about Sonny at that time. Well, it got brought up again because of the current issue (January/February 2008) of HOOP Magazine that includes a new interview with #33 in which Sonny's story is revisited. It's unique, it's bizarre, it's a must-read.

Over on CSTV.com is the report that Tarence Kinsey is giving back to his alma mater, the University of South Carolina.

Former Gamecocks basketball player Tarence Kinsey will donate his Memphis Grizzlies game-worn uniform to be auctioned on the official South Carolina Auctions page on GamecocksOnline.com with the proceeds benefiting the Carolina Remembrance Fund.
The uniform includes an autographed jersey, game shorts and autographed shoes.
The university established the Carolina Remembrance Fund in honor and memory of the six Carolina students who died in the Ocean Isle fire Sunday, Oct. 28, 2007.
Proceeds from the fund will honor these students through their sorority, Delta Delta Delta, or fraternity, Sigma Alpha Epsilon.

Nice to see yet another Grizzlies player taking the time to be charitable and help others.

Over on the Grizzlies Message Board, there is an outcry to sign the recently waived Ruben "Kobe Stopper" Patterson to shore up the team's defensive deficiencies and supply a little attitude. Ehh--what could it hurt? If he can crack the rotation ahead of Casey Jacobsen and Brian Cardinal (a daunting task, I know), then give him a shot.

Finally, we have Forbes anual Team Valuation Rankings, in which the Grizzlies come in at #23 with a value of $304 million. I could have sworn that I had posted this already, but a search through the archives didn't turn up anything, so there you go.

Late Updates via the venerable ODK on the Message Boards:

Rudy Gay, A Chat On The Raptors Tonight On The RealGM Hoops Show
Tonight on the RealGM Hoops Show, Brendon, Sacha and Aaron will talk to Memphis Grizzlies forward Rudy Gay about his breakout season. They will also chat with RealGM's Tyler Sherkin about the Toronto Raptors and will be joined by former NBA star Jerome Williams live from the Philippines. Feel free to call the show between 9:00 and 10:00 PM Eastern at 1-888-942-7326.

Hakim Warrick made ESPN's list of the 10 most likely to be traded:
4. Hakim Warrick, Grizzlies

After a five-game stretch in which he played very little, the Grizzlies have been showcasing him to a degree in their past two games as word has circulated around the league that the third-year forward does not fit into the Grizzlies' long-term plans.There are still plenty of teams willing to take a shot on Warrick's upside, which means Memphis can get true value in return.

Website/Blog of the Day: The Blowtorch

Links: Darko vs. Detroit, Rudy as "The Clean-Up Hitter", Tarence Sighting

There are a few good articles out there on the intarweb today regarding the Memphis Grizzlies.

First up is the requisite "Darko faces former team" piece by the Commercial Appeal's Ron Tillery. However, rather than taking the standard "revenge" stance, Ron dug a little deeper and found that Darko holds no grudges about his time in the Motor City and his former teammates all wish him the best of luck. Good job Ron!

"Stuff happened to me (in Detroit) that never happened before," said Milicic, who will face the Pistons tonight for the first time in a Grizzlies uniform. "I can't say it's anybody's fault. If anything, it was me. I went there, and it was tough on me. I lost the feeling for the game.
"But they're all good guys. ... (team president) Joe Dumars is a great guy. When he traded me, he wished me well, and he said I'll be a good player."

Then we have a great spotlight feature on Rudy Gay by SI.com's Ian Thomsen who seems to be following the Grizzlies closely this year as this is only one of many articles focusing on the Boys from Beale Street. There are some great quotes from Rudy who is looking to prove that his critics were wrong when they labeled him "passive" and said that he "lacked heart".

Six months before the draft, Gay was widely projected as the No. 1 pick. He has no difficulty remembering the anonymous criticisms from NBA scouts that caused him to plunge.
"How could I forget it: He's inconsistent, he's soft, things like that,'' said Gay, now 21. "I think that's what kept me going. That's one thing that motivates me during the summer. These guys say I can't do this, so why not work on it?''
The most damning criticism was that Gay played because he had a talent for it, and not because he loved it.
"I wouldn't be here if I didn't love the game,'' he said. "People like that get exposed. I want to be here night in, night out. After the draft, I was in the local gym shooting. I love this game, and hopefully more people understand that.''

"He's a guy who wants the ball in his hands and he's going to make a play, he's going to make something happen,'' said Iavaroni, who emphasizes that he didn't design the offense to make Gay the leading scorer. Instead, Gay has seized the opportunity

That's the kind of stuff that you want to hear from the guy that many project to be the Superstar-level talent for the Grizzlies going forward.

Our final news of note is that Tarence Kinsey posted on his blog yesterday after a month-long hiatus and seems to be dealing with his limited playing time very well so far. He respects the coaching staff and their decisions to this point and hopes that he can earn some PT as the season progresses. Keep your chin up TK.

Website/Blog of the Day: Give Me the Rock

I'm Mad as Hell, and I'm Not Going to Take It Anymore!

I am mad as hell.

Earlier I wrote a blog about the national media titled 'Nobody Loves Us and Why That is Good.' So what if the national media doesn't pay attention to the Grizzlies. We can use that to our advantage after all. I never expected it to become a local issue as well!

Sports 56 WHBQ, the radio station with the slogan 'The Voice of the Fan', has cancelled the post game Grizzlies call in show. It is a sad day when the top rated local sports radio station is unable to find sponsors to pay for a late night call in show. Especially when it is one that so obviously fits the stations demographics. What is more representative of a station wanting to be the 'voice of the fans' than a call-in show right after a game when people are at their emotional zenith? Don't you think the boards would have been flooded with calls after the Spurs game on Opening Night?

I don't want to make this sound like I am ignoring the call-in show on Soul Classics 103.5 FM but that station is known for Soul not sports. Nothing personal but you have to know what you do best and stick to it. I love that Soul Classics 103.5 FM broadcasts the games because the sound quality is superior but I want the static-laden, horse-sounding half drunk comments after the game coming over AM56 not FM103.5 (or ESPN 730AM or FoxSports 680AM, I am not limiting this to AM56).

According to Eli Savoy, WHBQ's offical position is:

We had a couple sponsors who pulled out so we are working on new sponsors right now and we may still do it this year, but for now we will not be doing the show.

What the Grizzlies fans need to do is start a campaign to bring back the voice of the fans to AM56 WHBQ. Demand their sales staff to find the needed sponsors. Talk to those businesses (we all know who they were after all) about renewing their commitment to the community and the team.

You've got to say, 'I'm a HUMAN BEING! My life has VALUE!' I want to talk about the Grizzlies after the game on sports talk radio!

So listen, I want you to get up. I want all of you to get up out of your chairs. I want you to get up right now and go to the window. Open it, and stick your head out, and yell, 'I'M AS MAD AS HELL, AND I'M NOT GOING TO TAKE THIS ANYMORE!'

We have to let the community and the businesses and the radio stations know that this callous indifference is not to be tolerated! 'I'M AS MAD AS HELL, AND I'M NOT GOING TO TAKE THIS ANYMORE!

Okay, maybe that is a bit extreme but you get the point.

We are the consumers. The businesses need to cater to our wants and desires. If we let the radios and the businesses know that we are willing to listen to their ads if they just let us talk about the game then everyone benefits. It is a win-win situation. The businesses get to pitch their services to the consumers, the radio station gets listeners and the people get to rant about the game in the proper format.

Write WHBQ an email and ask them to find the sponsors and put the show back on the air. Leave voice messages to the guys saying we want to have local sports talk on the air and not some national generic mile toast show. Call into the shows and ask the guys to spread the word.

Will it make a difference? Maybe. It can't hurt. I do know one thing. If you don't let the stations know what you want, don't complain when you don't get it. So make an effort to be heard and maybe, just maybe we can have our time to talk about the Grizzlies again.

Links: Game Previews, Predictions, CA Coverage

Chris Herrington has his usual high-quality game preview up on Beyond the Arc.

If you feel like you still need an additional game preview -- although I think that Chip, Zack and guest star San Antonio Spurs blog Pounding the Rock have already covered everything -- then check out the preview from Philadelphia TV station 6abc.com.

Mississippi based Speck's Sports Blog also has a preview of tonight's home opener.

The Sports Guy, Bill Simmons, has his season predictions up on ESPN.com now and is surprisingly pro-Memphis, given his less-than-flattering comments in the past about the Grizzlies. He likes us to win 35+ games, make the playoffs and has nice things to say about Pau Gasol and Kyle Lowry. Is this Bizarro World or something? Or has all the Halloween candy affected him already?

Finally, there are a ton of new articles on the Commercial Appeal today....guess they were saving them up or something, since we had 8 today after one per day all through preseason. Click here for the direct link to the Grizzlies section.

If you live in the area, make sure you get out there and support the home team tonight as they take on the defending NBA champions.

Gasol Tries to Repair Image, No Comment from Ron-Ron

I know, people came here expecting to read about how the Grizzlies did in Houston yesterday. Maybe read a little about Kyle Lowry's great game and what that means for the point guard battle. Maybe a little comment about how good Rudy looked compared to Shane Battier and a plug for tonights game.

It's all here somewhere if you look around. Instead I am going to talk about someone who didn't play last night.

Memphis has a great player on the team. He is recognized around the world as a superstar. He is one of the most popular athletes in his country as well ranking up with Rafael Nadal in popularity. The only all-star ever in his NBA franchise's history but feels unloved in his adopted home town.

Pau Gasol can't get a break in this town.

Last night the Canadian Press released a story about Pau talking about his attempts this summer to repair that image. Pau went to Chris Wallace and asked what he could do to help the team.

Granted he has some repairing to do after last season's trade demand but as Spartacus pointed out earlier in Go Ahead, Request a Trade Pau did it with class and some sense of respect to his team and the franchise. He still caught a lot of grief from people but we have since seen from Kobe Bryant, Andrei Kirilenko and others how using the media makes the situation much worse. Pau didn't drag the franchise threw the mud in his attempt to be traded. He talked in private to the owner.

Either way, he wasn't traded. He put up with the boos and the criticisms despite posting career numbers on a bad team. He kept working even when it seemed everyone hated him.

What irriates me however is that it took a Canadian Press story for Memphis to discover how hard Gasol is working to repair his image. Just like it took our blog (Chris Wallace, Class in Session) to force the CA to write a story about how Chris Wallace was reaching out to the community. Just like it took our Mark Price blog for the CA to report that Mark Price was hired as a shooting consultant. When will our paid Grizzlies Beat Writer start breaking news instead of just recovering what other people write?

Maybe Gasol needs to do more but the CA needs to do a lot more. This is Memphis' only major league sports franchise. Show the team some love. Report on good stories and stop with the fresh off the Grizzlies press release stuff.

And Pau, those who love the team know you are doing it right. Don't stop trying to repair the image but the city hates to lose. It isn't personal. When you asked out when we were down it hurts but it isn't irreparable. Keep working and maybe Ron Tillery will finally write about it.

And no this isn't written simply because Ron Tillery refused to reply to my request for the Media Bias blog.

Well maybe a little about that...

Update (Spartacus): Click here for the Calkins' column that Keith referred to in the comments.

Media Bias? Not from these guys...

Over the years there has been a consistent accusation leveled against the coverage of the Memphis Grizzlies from their fans. It has been hard to determine if there was a negative bias as no one really ever tracked what the media personalities thought of the team to start.

In a strange attempt to give our readers a baseline to work off of I did a completely non-binding and non-scientific survey of the major sports media personalities in the area to gauge their opinions heading into the season. Most were surprisingly open and helpful in this endeavor. Some were rather slow in their responses but eventually did acquiesce to my request. Some flat out refused to even respond to my request with a comment. If you want to ask Ron Tillery, Jeff Weinberger and Rob Fisher why they refused to even reply to my email request on the air I am sure they will be most honest in their replies. (HINT!)

I must admit the overall tone of the local media who did respond were quite positive. The most obvious positive tone dealt mostly with the front office changes more than the on the court product. No one is expecting a return to the Fiasco at the Forum that last season was but also no one is expecting a Miracle in Memphis this season to use the media vernacular. What almost to a man these people did want is to be more connected with the team and everyone thinks Chris Wallace is doing a wonderful job of that. The general consensus is that Wallace has made it far easier to want to love the Grizzlies than Jerry West did and that will hopefully come across in their reporting.

So who is expecting what? Here is a quick rundown of our local media experts impression of the upcoming season. I promised each person who responded that I wouldn't hold them to this prediction (i.e. if the facts change they want the right to change their opinions) but heading into the season this is what they think.

Chris Herrington: (Film/Music Editor and Grizzlies Blogger for the Memphis Flyer and first responder by the way)

I EXPECT a 10-15 game improvement over last season, which would put the team at the 32-37 win level. But I PREDICT the Griz will be a little better than that, pushing into 38-40 win territory and landing 9th or 10th in the West

Gotta love a man with shameless optimism there. A little gutless on the expectation but in his heart he knows the team will be better. No one can accuse him of being biased against the team. Cautious yes but biased no. If you want to read his entire comment then you can see his Beyond the Arc blog.

Peter Edmiston (Ron Tillery's partner on the WHBQ radio show Morning Rush:

Overall, I'll say the Grizzlies will win just under 40 games and will be in outside contention for a playoff spot all the way through the month of March. Eventually, they'll fade, but I think there will be a lot of room for optimism by the end of the season as people get accustomed to seeing the new Grizzlies play.

While I truly appreciate Peter's fast response (he was second by less than one hour and his kind words about our blog, I wonder why he responded and Tillery didn't? Maybe it is a CA thing (or maybe Ron actually read the Memphis Grizzlies Webpage where I gave him such a hard time in the past and doesn't want to talk to me!).

George Lapides (Memphis Originator of Sports Talk Radio and current WHBQ host of Sportstime):

As for the team, I think it may be somewhat better than most people think -- remember I said somewhat better, not a whole lot better. My hunch is that we're looking at a team that could win something in the range of 32 to 38 games . . . 38 would be really good.

For those interested George also mentioned he renewed his tickets. He didn't mention where he was sitting but you have to love a man standing up for his integrity and paying his own way instead of taking the media pass (in other words I will gladly take George's pass if it isn't going to use!).

Gary Robinson (Sports Editor at the Commercial Appeal and the man who asked me to also blog on the Memphis Edge site):

Of course, we're still weeks away from the first tipoff and that's when we'll truly find out, but I think the team will be fun to watch and enthusiastic about improving under Iavaroni. The division is tough. The conference is tough. And while I'm not predicting a return to the playoffs just yet, nobody was predicting it following a 28-win season four years ago. Who knows?

Typical editor stuff here. Uses a lot of words but notice he doesn't actually say anything. Sorry Gary but I had to point that out. I hope you won't close me down on the Edge for doing that.

Chris Vernon (Memphis Flyer's Favorite Radio Personality and ESPN Radio Talk Show Host):

I expect the Grizzlies to be a surprise team and make the playoffs this year. They have upgraded the roster significantly and a structured fast style of play will account for more wins over the course of an 82 game season where teams do not show up for every game (esp. against perceived "bad teams"). Mike Miller will be the leading scorer on the team and have a chance at being an all-star. Kyle Lowry will be the fan favorite. Navarro will be surprisingly good in his first season. Iavaroni will get incredibly frustrated with Gasol's defense. Conley will struggle this year and people will wonder if it was the best pick the Grizzlies could have made. Rudy Gay will be labeled as a breakout player in the league and will fill out stat sheets. I will put the record at 44-38.

This actually is a radical change from earlier comments from Verno when he said "just put me down as saying the opposite of whatever Chris Herrington wrote!" You knew I wasn't going to let that slide didn't you Chris?

Gary Parrish (CBS Sportsline College Basketball Reporter and occasional sidekick to Chris Vernon...okay frequent sidekick):

Number of wins: 36.

Why: They're just not very good.

Gary wasn't asked to provide an explanation for his prediction, but I think the few words he did type tell the whole story.

Geoff Calkins (CA award winning editorial writer):

The Grizzlies will win between 35-40 games. The team will be better than last year – on the fringe of the playoff hunt -- because Lowry and Pau are healthy, because Navarro will be a spark and because the basketball side is no longer a mess. Having said that, we’ll still wonder if there’s enough high-end talent. And we’ll still wonder if the Grizzlies should have traded Miller and/or Pau. Speaking of which, Stoudamire will be traded by the end of the year.

You can see that Harvard educated mind at work in this prediction. All comments quantified with factual statements. Gotta love the style of Calkins. Memphis is lucky to have him.

Eli Savoie (Late addition but he was kind enough to respond so I added him in):

I expect the Grizzlies to be better this year, but I don't expect the huge improvement in wins that a lot of people are predicting. I am looking for the young guys to get a lot of experience and this team to start working towards being competitive in the playoffs two or three years from now. I think 33-35 wins is a realistic goal for this year as far as wins go, but more important to me is the development of the younger players such as Conley, Lowry, Milicic, Gay and Warrick. Barring any major injuries, I look for the Grizzlies to win around 35 games.

Eli comes in late and low but that is still great that he responded at all.

And yes that is another sucker punch at Ron Tillery, Jeff Weinberger and Rob Fisher.

Most of the responses actually went a bit beyond what the scope of my blog was about. I edited some of them down so this wouldn't be as long as the roundtable discussion. However, there were some very interesting comments made that I feel should be pointed out.

From Chris Herrington:

If you judge a team’s personnel moves relative to the available opportunities, which seems fair, then I think this is the best, most thoughtful, most forward-thinking offseason the team has had during its Memphis tenure.

He went on to talk about how Mike Conley and Darko were excellent moves. You are on record now Chris. Don't start questioning Chris Wallace in Mid-Season about them!

Until I get more exposure to him in an NBA setting, I’m more skeptical about Juan Carlos Navarro’s potential impact, largely because recent history suggests international guards making the move to the NBA in mid-career tend to struggle with that adjustment. But, because expense (a future pick that can never be Top 10) is minimal and because of the probable benefit in terms of smoothing the team’s relationship with Pau Gasol, I’m on board with this move as well.

I just put this here because this is an example of predictions that may be changed later. JCN has looked great in Spain since Herrington wrote this but he hasn't played a regular season game in this country yet.
From Geoff Calkins:

Ticket sales will be a crisis.

I sure hope that is wrong but if it isn't wrong and everything else Calkins says is correct and attendance is still a problem how will that reflect on the city? Would poor attendance with an exciting team look worse than poor attendance with a terrible team?
From Gary Robinson:

I think the Grizzlies fly under the national radar -- and even did so when they were winning 50 games -- so I don't pay much attention to what the national media thinks about the local club.

While very true it does make you wonder what effect national media has on the perception locally of the team and how that plays into attendance.

There was a lot more said but I think the basic information is there to be seen. Vernon is the most optimistic but most media types peg the Grizzlies between 30 and 40 wins with a small chance to reach the playoffs. Time will tell if they know anything more than the rest of us Grizzlies fans except of course for the Harvard educated Calkins.

Candid Damon Stoudamire Interview

Grizzlies Media Day was Friday. I'm going to share a very candid interview that Damon Stoudamire gave to the local media that I thought was worth posting. In the interview, Damon discusses his leadership ability last year, his thoughts on his role on the team, and what he did after hearing Mike Conley's name called during the draft.

Wes Pounds at 730ESPN has the audio for the interview. He also has more audio from Media Day. Clink the link and go listen.

I'm transcribing all the following from the audio on 730ESPN. I apologize for any mistakes. I may leave out some of the filler words, such as, "um, "like", "and", etc. And I'm also trying not to change any double negatives or incorrect grammar. Caveat Emptor.

Damon begins...

The thing that I don't think people really understand, is that I'm not the future of this team. You know? Two, three years from now is not about Damon Staudamire. I think that I understood that, so it really wasn't a thing with them drafting Mike, or even with Kyle here. I understand that today is today, and today is when Damon Staudamire can help this team.

Next, Damon talks about draft day and what happened after he found out the Grizzlies selected Mike Conley...

To be honest with you, and you can ask him, when they drafted Mike Conley, the first person I called was Kyle Lowry and I asked him, was he alright. The reason I did that was, that I've been in this league for 13 years, this will be my 13th year, and I asked him was he alright from the standpoint that he was the 1st round pick the year before and then they bring in a point guard. Now in hindsight that would hurt my feelings. You know what I mean? If I was in the same position. So I picked up the phone and I just thought about how I would've felt in a similar situation. I asked him, was he alright? He said he was alright. He just wanted to battle and let it fall the way it may. I was cool with that.

Damon continues...

This right now, this situation that I'm in right now, is really a win-win situation for everyone involved. I'm not the future, but maybe I can be the present. You know? To help these guys out.

Do you think the Grizzlies are young this year? Ya...so does Damon...

It's so crazy. Because I've talked to alot of my friends in the league, guys I've played with in Portland. I've never been in a situation like this. I'm looking around here, and all of these guys are babies to me. None of them have really been through what I've been through. None of them have won a playoff game. None of them have really been in what is called a war. So to speak. It's crazy.

Damon then talks about himself being a teacher this year...

This year, I just look at it as an opportunity. Help alot of these guys out. In certain ways that maybe they haven't been helped out before. With Iavaroni and his coaching staff, and the conversations that we've had, they'll allow me do that.

Next is a very insightful look on Damon's thoughts on his leadership last year...

The biggest thing, to be honest with you, is that I feel 100%. It's like I tell people. Last year, I couldn't say nothing in the locker room. You can't say nothing when you're not playing. You can't say nothing when you're not 100%. Players want to see, what's going on, on the floor. But if you're out on the floor and you have the credentials that I have, to go along with the plan, it speaks for itself. The way I feel right now, I feel like now I can go to these guys and tell them the things I might have seen. I seen alot of things last year, but I couldn't really say it the way I wanted to, because hell, I wasn't playing. I was playing here, might play this game, sit out this game.

I'll wrap this up with Damon talking about how much off a crossroads this summer was in his career...

For me, it was a sense of urgency. This summer, for me, was really, Damon, you going to push yourself to the limit. You're going to push this knee to the limit to see exactly where this knee is at. Because if the knee don't respond the way you want it to this summer, then it's time to give it up. That's just how it has to be. The knee responded the way I wanted it to.

Great stuff from Damon. Love his honesty. Even the inflection he throws in while talking would emphasize the honesty of his words. Like the way he said, "I seen alot of things last year, but I couldn't really say it the way I wanted to, because hell, I wasn't playing.

In broader Grizzlies news...

The Grizzlies just had their first practice. I can feel my anticipation and excitement (which was the word of the day during Media Day interviews, everyone said they felt excited) rising. Evidently, the first practice was open to the media for a while. All the nightly newscasts showed video and interviews from the first practice. Noteworthy was the drill where the team had to score 100 points in 2 minutes. They barely missed the mark, but Coach Iavaroni said it was their body language before and during the drill that he was focused on. Iavaroni also mixed it up in the paint during some post drills.

Meet, Greet & Eat

If you want an opportunity to meet and greet your favorite members of the Memphis Grizzlies organization, this is your lucky month.

On Wednesday, October 3, the Grizzlies will hold their first ever Blue-White Scrimmage game from 12:00 - 1:00 pm.

On Saturday, October 13, you can attend the annually held free Open Practice at the FedEx Forum.

On Friday, October 19, the Grizzlies will hold another Block Party, located at Audobon Park in East Memphis, from 4:30-6:30 pm. You can view pictures from previous Block Parties on Grizzlies.com.

On Saturday, Oct. 27, the Grizzlies will be holding another Block Party at Dalstrom Park in Whitehaven from 2 – 4 p.m.

On Monday, October 29 from 11:00 - 1:30 the Forum will be the site of the 7th Annual Tip-Off Luncheon, where you can mingle with the players, coaches and front office personnel, enjoy a nice meal and participate in the silent auction that benefits thd Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Memphis. Entrance to this even is $50 per person unless you procure a 10-seat table, which can be reserved for $400. If you want the ultimate experience, you can have a member of the Grizzlies organization sit at your table for a sponsorship of $2000. We will have a table at the event under the 3 Shades of Blue name, so be sure to stop by and say hello.

That gives you plenty of opportunities to get to know the team, coaches and management for the upcoming season. Kudos to the organization for continuing to make themselves accessible to their fanbase. You can see all the events leading up to Opening Night on Grizzlies.com.

In other Grizz news, there have been some staff changes. Grizzlies.com has an interview with new Assistant GM Kenny Williamson, who was previously with the Charlotte Bobcats. Williamson has been involved in the basketball world for 30 years and has an extensive background in scouting.

The Grizzlies also announced that they have a new Director of Media Relations. Dustin Krugel, most recently with the Phoenix Suns organization, will be taking over the post previously held by Stacey Mitch, who has left to pursue other NBA-related P.R. work according to Chris Herrington.

Gasol Interview and Media Madness

Pau Gasol did a conference call interview with NBA.com about international basketball, training camp, teammate Juan Carlos Navarro and the changes and adjustments he expects to see with the team this year. Here's one of the many questions he answered:

Q: You and Dirk Nowitzki are the best basketball players from Europe. Which areas do you need to improve to become an MVP player like Nowitzki?

A: I guess different areas you can always improve. To become an MVP you have to be one of the top five teams in the league to have that kind of respect and recognition from the media and press and the league. There are always things you can improve. I am continuing to work on every aspect of the game. I’m working on becoming a bigger presence on defense, to block more shots and be more consistent with my rebounding, give more consistency to my team. My offensive game is pretty clean. I’m trying to feel more comfortable to shoot a little more from outside and be more versatile; keep working on my low post game.

Reading the question above, I wonder what Tony Parker thinks about being left off the list of best players from Europe? Guess that didn't fit into the Regular Season MVP line of thinking, did it? He was only a Finals MVP, after all.

It also appears that the Memphis Grizzlies will be all over the local airwaves this season.

GM Chris Wallace has a weekly segment on 730 ESPN Radio with Chris Vernon. We here at Shades of Blue are big Chris Wallace fans, so we highly recommend listening to him go back and forth with Verno.

It was announced today in the Commercial Appeal that head coach Marc Iavaroni will have a regular segment on AM 560 WHBQ every Thursday afternoon from 5:30-6:00 PM during the regular season beginning October 18th. It is reported that he'll be have Grizzlies beat writer Ron Tillery and Sports 56 programming director Eli Savoie as co-hosts, which should prove to be interesting, to say the least. You can also go to their website to listen to interviews that Iavaroni and Wallace did earlier this week.

We bid adieu to sideline reporter Tony Luftman, as he has taken over the duties of studio host for the pre-, halftime and post-game TV reports for the Portland Trailblazers. It has been reported that Rob Fischer will be taking his place. Fischer is a local radio co-host who can be heard on AM 560 WHBQ on The Sports Bar.

Finally, when the team goes to Spain for part of training camp this month, don't despair. After all, you'll be able to watch the games on NBA TV on Oct. 9 & 11. Go to the Europe Live 2007 TV schedule to see other games they'll be carrying.