24 hours (Continued)

24 hours of GrizzLife

Pessimism be Damned

As a fan of the Grizzlies, Cubs, and Vanderbilt Commodores, I have had very little reason in my life to be optimistic about anything related to sports. In their best year, the Cubs could get to the NLCS, but I always knew there would be a Bartman. Vanderbilt could have one of the best quarterbacks in the country, but they weren't going to a bowl. They could make it to the Sweet 16, but Georgetown would be given three-steps to end the game instead of the customarily allowed two. The Grizzlies could make the playoffs, but couldn't win a game. They could have good odds in the lottery, but not have the winning combination. Even in the best years, I knew that my teams, mired in losing traditions with peaks in mediocrity, could never break through and become true winners.

This past summer, my good friends and fellow Grizzlife contributors Jumpstop Montague, Jordan Griesbeck, and Paul Billings sat around Griesbeck's living room and predicted wins for the season, how long Hollins would last as head-coach, next Grizzlies playoff appearance, and other various Grizzly-related statistics. The list of our expectations, based on pure conjecture as well as the assumption that AI would play for more than three games, is currently stored in Jordan's dormitory, so I do not have access to the exact numbers that I foresaw; however, I do remember that, looking at the future through the lense of my teams' past failures, I projected 20 wins, Hollins being fired early in the season, and the next Grizzly playoff appearance occurring in the 20-teens as the Las Vegas Grizzlies, while Memphians rued the name of Heisley and wondered what to do with their second under-used downtown entertainment venue.

The season began, and, as I expected, fielding a team with three scorers, no good passers, and a disgruntled ex-All-Star on the bench led to selfish-play, poor defense, less chemistry than a blind date between an Asbergian physicist and an inbred UK basketball fan, and losses. Lots and lots of losses. Never a gracious winner, I took the opportunity to remind my friends who were more optimistic than I that I am never wrong, ever. Not happy with the results, but right, I saw the wheels come off of the very small Grizz bandwagon as Allen Iverson "retired," and felt further vindicated with my pre-season projections that were said to be excessively pessimistic, even for me.

However, a strange thing happened once Iverson left: Memphis won. Z-Bo wasn't a cancer. Rudy played a little bit of defense. OJ didn't look depressed out on the court. Gasol became Lausanne's most successful alumnus and better liked in the community than his whiny brother ever was, and Conley wasn't awful. My friends took that opportunity to let me know that, no matter how often I may say that I am never wrong, I am always completely full of it.

Stranger still was that I began to secretly expect that Memphis would win. Despite his never actually positively contribute to the team in any way, shape, or form, Iverson's departure followed by wins seemed somewhat similar to Bill Simmon's Ewing Theory, where the loss of a star leads to success for the star's former team, and as a sports disciple of Simmons despite his consistent derisive writing about both the Grizz and Jay Cutler, I am a strong believer in the Ewing Theory.

Following the Portland road victory over Thanksgiving break, I have become a full-blown optimist, and I must say that believing in Memphis basketball, the clutchness of Mayo, the flummoxing abilities of Randolph to score and rebound despite his inability to leave the floor, the athleticism of Rudy, and Conley's court-vision has been the most satisfying sports experience in my life. Good things will happen for this team, as was further evidenced by the burst-pipe miracle of tonight's win over the Clips. The ball will bounce straight into the hands of the Ga-Z-Bo, Sam Young's random drives to the basket will result in points, OJ will kill more teams with clutch shooting than the other OJ killed people, and the Grizzlies will stay at or above .500 and make the playoffs, where we will win at least one game. These are my expectations, my new predictions, my almost mid-season projections, and they are not tainted by 19 years of pulling for terrible teams; instead they are based on the play a team of destiny, a whole which is greater than its parts, and players that are young and hungry in a city that is hungry for hope and change.

To echo the student section of my beloved alma mater, Memphis University School(that's for Jordan), I believe that we will win!

Grizz Nation in Charlotte

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.

Season Turning Point

The way I see it, tonight's game versus the Utah Jazz is a huge turning point in the season for the Grizz. It's momentus for the team to come home after an impressive 3-1 road trip but to have to face the team you just lost to by 23 hurts. The Commercial Appeal featured a great article about the crowds and support at the Forum increasing (http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2010/jan/08/grizzlies-got-game----and-fans/), and it's about time people start showing up. With all the schools in the city being closed today and therefore no high school sports tonight, I expect to see one of our largest crowds of the season out to see our new Grizz. If Memphis does our part, all I ask of the team is that they show up and compete and convince the city that they are for real and are a play-off contender. Every person reading this blog believes in the Grizz, but it's the other 1.1 million people in this city that need convincing. There is no better night to do it than tonight.

So do whatever it takes to get downtown tonight. If you have to bum tickets off your old man or call up some rich ex-girlfriend or just scalp them down there, do it. Let's show our Grizz pride and get people back in the Forum.

I believe in the Grizz life and love it

- LJ