Lackluster loss, but I'm not worried about it...

You know why? Every team is not perfect. It's something teams strive for but is often just a lofty goal and not a reality. Coach Hollins breaks the season up into five game chunks, and he sure doesn't expect perfection even in the 5 game stints. Yes, the loss last night at home to the Rockets was a bit disheartening, but I'm not worried about it. We've been playing strong basketball and will continue to do so. This year's team has already exceeded expectations, not to mention last year's win total, and we're not even to the All-Star break yet.

As a student in Nashville, I do not get to watch my Grizz play in person, but rather I'm subject to the blackout as NBA League Pass doesn't always allow me to watch my team play. ESPN Gamecast doesn't do the game justice, but it sometimes is all I'm left with.

What is the cause of my optimism, you may be wondering? Well other than the youngest, cohesive unit in the league playing with a little fire in their bellies; a veteran, All-Star leader in Z-Bo averaging a double-double; and the younger Gasol usurping his brother's claim as the better Gasol the other night in the victory over the Lake show...Grizz Nation is growing.

It's growing for real this time, some may argue it's growling too. As my fellow blogger Mr. Griesbeck mentioned in an earlier post, "We're relevant." Sure when Kobe scores 44 to surpass West as the all-time scoring leader in Lakers history, he will be the focus of the highlight, although his 44 were not enough to top the Grizzlies.

In the past two days walking around Nashville, I have on two separate occasions seen a man (two different men I might add) wearing jeans, a sport coat and what??!?! yes that is...A GRIZZLIES HAT! I thought to myself, no that can't be. The Titans have navy hats, with a roundish logo too, but as I walked closer, my original suspicion proved true. I felt like I was living in one of those University of Florida commercials that always ran during the 2009 BCS National Championship game showing strangers walking by each other, only exchanging the words "Go Gators". Well I went for it, "Go Grizzlies!" I exclaimed to the man seated outside a coffee shop. He looked up from his newspaper, "Go Grizzlies!" he responded.

It's growing...