Greetings Grizzly Bears!
This is my first post on grizzlife.com, your favorite unofficial Grizzly blog on the interwebs. It's a great pleasure to be a voice for our great franchise. As a lifelong Memphian, I have grown up with the Grizz. In my childhood I remember asking my mom to read me a chapter from Tales from the Memphis Grizzlies by Ron Higgins before bed every night. I've loved this franchise for a while, but I've never been more excited about the Grizzlies than I am now. This season has renewed hope (see .500 record, young talent, Gazebo), for many within Grizz nation myself included.
This renewed hope has caused many Grizz fans to resort to, some would say, radical (non-radical?) measures to support the Grizz. This could mean bi-weekly Grizz watch parties, large investments in the FedEx Forum team store ("wear the bear"), or supporting the Grizz on the road. What was that last one? Yes, I do mean driving long distances to support the Grizz.
First, let's just get something out of the way. Opposing team's fans, I'm willing to guess, don't usually circle a home game against the Memphis Grizzlies as one they just can't miss. Rarely do the Memphis Grizzlies make it into a "power pack." As a result, the Memphis Grizzlies have historically played in front of smaller than normal crowds, and not just at FedEx Forum.
Grizz Nation is working to change this. How? By going on the road. 10 hours? Do-able. A Southwest plane-ticket to Phoenix? No obstacle is too great.
This past Saturday night, Grizz nation went to Charlotte. For a purist, it took my breath away to see my Grizzlies wear that shade of blue that I had never seen in person before. I was almost brought to tears when, after OJ's late three-pointer, I heard from above cheers of "OJ" coming from the mouths of my brothers and sisters in Grizz. Now, the game hurt. It was a really tough loss. But there was a consolation- we lost this one together. I felt the sting that comes with a tough road-loss like I never had before. It only left me and my brothers in Grizz hungrier to experience a road win. Many Grizz fans left Bobcats arena echoing Jack Shepherd, "We've got to go back."
"I've got to go back" to see that shade of blue in person again. Whether it's in Charlotte, Atlanta, Toronto, it doesn't matter for me. I hope it doesn't matter for you, either.
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