Sorry, Indysportsfan, but the Grizz beat the Pacers 105-75 last night.  It was so... what's the word... satisfying.  To have a really good blow-out victory.  It was great.

The Tigers are gearing up for Bradley tomorrow.  I am reading a lot around the internet that people are picking Bradley.  I say, go ahead, put your money on the underdog.  Good luck to you.  But don't say I didn't warn you.  Memphis is gonna cruise through another round.

So, the Memphis Tigers are about to tip off against #### Roberts (no that's not an illicit act you have to pay extra for, its a school, supposedly).  In all the local media here in Memphis they keep going on and on about how everyone is against the Tigers, hating on the Tigers, picking the Tigers to be the first #1 seed beat by a #16. 

My problem is, I am not seeing any haters out there.  I just keep seeing the Tigers being picked as not quite going to the final four, but still making a little noise.  Where are all these haters I keep hearing about?

I know that the boys want to make themselves out as a Cinderella story, winning against all odds, but really, how much adversity is there for a #1 seed? 

In other news, the Grizzlies play the Nuggets tonight at FedEx forum tonight.  This could very well be a preview of our playoff series.  I have been in a constant state of prayer all day. 

"Lord, please be with Carney, D-Wash, Williams and the boys.  Please help them fly like eagles and dunk like beasts.  And Lord, please give the Grizz strength.  Enough strength to make Melo look like the spoiled adolescent he is.  And please let Marcus Camby sprain his pinky finger during shoot-around and need 3 months recovery time.  (That boy kills us every time.)  Amen."

I wanted to write a piece about the Knicks... they inspire me to put my thoughts on paper.  The thing is, I already wrote about the Knicks last December when Ron Artest stated publicly that he would like to play in New York.

When Isiah Thomas didn't snap up Artest immediately, I was a little confused.  But in hindsight I can see clearly that the MENSA candidate in charge of personnel was just waiting for a better deal.  Why exchange your only valuable trade commodities for a solid all-around player with a personality disorder, when you can trade for a player of lesser ability with an equally puzzling inflated ego??????

Clearly, Isiah Thomas is trying to shoot the moon here.  For those of you that aren't into card games, I am refering to a phenomenon in some games where you can actually win by accumulating the worst possible hand and and then avoid doing anything of value over the course of the hand.  Isiah Thomas is shooting the moon, and he is going out in a $125 million blaze of glory.  Problem is, in the NBA, there are no playoff spots up for grabs for the team that fails the most thoroughly with the highest salaries . Sorry.

Here is a reprint of my previous post on the Knicks.  I believe it stands as a classic, a timeless truth about the sad state of affairs in New York.

Yes, Ron Artest, go play for Larry Brown! Dec 11, 2005 It has often been said that the worst thing that could happen to Larry Brown was winning a championship.  This is a man who loves the struggle.  If he ever won it all, he'd have nothing left to complain about. Well, kudos to Coach Brown.  He left a winning situation where mature, dedicated athletes bought into his system of defense and teamwork (obviously, who would want all that?), and went to coach the Knicks.  Oh, yes...the Knicks. Thanks to Isiah Thomas, this New York team has one of the most baffling, dysfunctional, and overpaid rosters in sports.  There's the best (shoot-first, loud-mouthed, moderately-effective) point guard in the league.  Then they have Anfernee "didn't-he-retire-a-few-years-back?" Hardaway.  And don't forget poor, poor Quentin Richardson who went from a team where he was an integral piece and where his team made him look better than he really is, to a team where he just doesn't fit in.  Just in the last few months, we have seen some even more brilliant moves. Jerome James, whom I affectionately refer to as "the train wreck", was one of the most ill-advised free agent signings of this year. I can't get over how Coach Brown has benched James in favor o####uy with a potentially fatal heart condition.  That's gotta sting. The most recent signee is Qyntel Woods.  A complete nut job.  He is the personification of the spoiled, demanding, entitlement minded athlete completely out of touch with reality.  His rap sheet includes charges for drugs, fighting and animal abuse (among other things.)  Woods and Brown are PERFECT for each other.  With all this drama, what else could Coach Brown ask for? "I think I cause a lot of problems here," said Ron Artest on Saturday about Indiana.  "They probably could win more games without me." Did anyone else just hear Larry Brown's heart skip a beat? I'll bet Isiah Thomas is already on the phone.  There's always room in New York for more trouble-makers that can help a team lose games.

As you probably already know, the Grizzlies starting point guard, Damon Stoudamire, is out for the rest of the season because of a knee injury, and the Grizz have acquired Chucky Atkins as the new point guard.

I know very little about Chucky Atkins.  Next to nothing.  So I was hoping yall could help me out.  What do yall know about this dude?  Anything I should know about his game?  His attitude?  Him in general?

Every year the Grizzlies marketing people come up with a catchy slogan for the year.  This year it's, "Every season has a story."  And clearly, the story of this season is free throws.

In the last 11 seconds, desite shooting a silly 50% from the free throw line, the Grizz were up 79 to 78 against San Antonio.  Then Manu lobbed a pass to Duncan, standing near the basket.  Guess what happened next?  That's right, TD put the ball in the basket and the the Spurs took the game in the final seconds. 

When you lose to the Spurs by 1 point, after going for 10 of 20 from the free throw line, well, that's a hard pill to ####.  Making matters worse is that this is the umpteenth time already this season that this has happened.

The Spurs come to town on Monday night to give us a chance to make amends.  Let's hope the boys have learned something.

Final Score: Grizzlies 99  Kings 85

In order to realize how important this win was to me personally, you have to know 3 things:

1.) My parents, for Christmas, gave me and my girl Anita great seats to this game .  I can't think of a better gift than that.

2.) My birthday is on Thursday.  I will be a luscious 28 years old.  (I'm one of those people that takes their birthday very seriously.  It's my favorite day of the year.) So this was not only a Christmas gift, but a birthday treat, and a gift from the Grizzlies to their #1 fan.

3.) I have a hopeless, insane crush on Bonzi Wells ever since he got traded to the Grizzlies over 2 years ago.  When he was traded to Scaramento for Bobby Jackson in the off-season, I was devastated (but at the same time, I realize that Jerry knows best, so I accepted it.)

So, all in all, it was a great game for me.  The Grizzlies won in a decisive victory, and, while Bonzi didn't play tonight due to injury, I did get to see him on the bench in his little suit looking fine with his egg-shaped head and adorable smile that I love so much. 

This game started out bad, really bad.  By the end of the first quarter, we were down 30-18.  But in a dominant 2nd quarter performance, the Grizz pulled themselves up by their bootstraps and managed to take the lead at the end of the first half.  From then on, it was smooth sailing. 

Mike Miller had his first career triple double.  He was all over the place, playing the point at times, taking threes, grabbing rebounds.  He did it all tonight.

Pau also had a great game with 20 first half points and 27 overall.

It was a great game.  And to my boys, if yall can hear me: thanks for such a beautiful birthday present!  I loved every minute of it!

Final Score: Grizzlies  87  Jazz 65

Wow! The Grizz had a great defensive night tonight, putting an end to the Jazz's win streak and allowing the Jazz no more than 19 points in any one quarter.  Memphis has been outstanding in January the last few years.  Based on these last two wins against Golden State and Utah suggest that this is going to be another big January.

Charley Rosen wrote a piece today about the Grizzlies.  Given my undying love for my hometown team, I was prepared to cringe (and cry a little) while reading what I assumed would be his usual diatribe of biting criticism.

Imagine my shock (and glee) when I read this rave review of the Memphis Grizzlies on FoxSports.com tonight.

I have never said these words before: Charley Rosen got this one right.  

The Memphis Grizzlies, although not a dream team yet, are a team built on teamwork, defense, and an unselfish, balanced offense.  Now that Charley Rosen has figured that out, let’s see if we can get the rest of the national media on board!

It's the fourth quarter. The Grizzlies are up by one point. The Suns have the ball and are making their way down the court at breakneck speed with one minute to go in the quarter.  The score board is flashing "On your feet!" to a frenzied crowd obediently standing and chanting "DEFENSE-DEFENSE." 

Everyone except for the gentleman sitting behind me.  He sat sullenly while all the fans around him went nuts.  Then, with one minute to go in the game, he tapped me on the back.  "Excuse me, kid.  Sit down, would ya?  I paid good money for these tickets and I can't see a thing."

I was stunned.  Shocked.  Baffled.  The signs clearly instructed me to stand.  18,000 other people were standing with me.  Yet I was being  made to feel like an unruly child by the grumpy guy behind me.

Now, I was taught to be respectful to my elders, so with all the respect I could muster I said, "Hell no I ain't sitting.  You wanna sit?  Go watch the game from your couch at home.  Now stand up and support your team."  Okay, I'm still working on the respect thing. 

Everyone has a story like this.  My dad told me today about one time at a summer afternoon Mariners game, when the guy behind him made a big deal about my Dad's Indiana Jones style fedora, which not only shaded his face from the hot summer sun, but also is lucky and makes him look ruggedly handsome.  How could he take off that hat just so a grumpy guy behind him could slouch in his seat without missing a minute of the game? 

I honestly don't know where the line is.  Was I right? Was the grouch right?  Mr. Grumpy pants at the Grizzlies game was very rude to me, inspiring me to remain standing.  If he had been nicer, I probably would have remained standing all the same, but I wouldn't have made that quip about his couch at home.  Is there ever an appropriate way to get a fellow fan to fall in line?

Football seems to have it right as far as spectator etiquette goes.  At a football game, you are allowed to wear hats, mascot heads, or go body-paint only.  You can sit , stand, or dance.  Cheer, scream, or cry.  Football fans are all about spectator self-expression. 

It gets more complicated with basketball and baseball.  What are the spectator etiquette rules?  How do we as spectators know when to suck it up and when to tap the guy in front of us on the shoulder?

What's the worst breach of spectator etiquette you have ever suffered?

Final Score Pistons 106 Grizzlies 104

Dadgumit!!!!!!! 106-104. Pistons take it. Chauncey friggin Billups shot an impossible jumper with .3 seconds left.  Oooh, I hate that Chauncey Billups with his enormous, toothpaste commercial teeth and his soft touch. 

I was very excited about this game.  Detroit's offense has never looked very good against the Grizzlies defense.  This year, with Detroit's new and improved offense, and Memphis' new and improved defense, I was sure this game would be great.

When the Pistons ended the first quarter with a 10 point lead, my faith was shaken.  But the Grizzlies came out roaring in the 2nd quarter, and the 3rd quarter.  Then they really clamped down in the 4th, limiting Detroit to just 3 shots and forcing the game into overtime.

Pau had a monster game.  He was absolutely ridonculous.  He played a staggering 56 minutes and 13 seconds out of a total 58 minutes.  32 points, 13 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 blocked shots.  It was a beautiful thing.

Another bright spot... once again the Grizz had 6 players in score in double figures. 

Despite the loss, this was a great game.  Against any other team in the league, playing like they did last night, the Grizzlies win, no question.

Against the Pistons, The Grizz are one Chauncey friggin Billups jumper away from a victory. 

Final Score Grizzlies 91 Suns 87

Well, it turns out that I was, in fact, responsible for the Grizzlies' stretch of bad luck.  My pre-game posts were clearly at fault for the recent losses.  So from now on, I will do a recap, but not a preview.  Can't risk another losing streak just so I can try and sound smart about basketball.

On a brighter note, the Grizzlies made me very proud tonight. 

Pau came out strong for the first time in quite a while. He scored the first basket of the game and kept up the momentum through the first half.   After such a work-out, obviously he was exhausted.  He didn't manage to score at all after half-time and finished the game with 14 first-half points.  Technically, it was only half o####reat game, but after the last three games of Pau going MIA, I'll take what I can get. 

I have to give props to Phoenix.  It is staggering that the Suns played as well as they did considering that they only played 7 guys.  I took an instant dislike to Eddie House, partly for wardrobe reasons.  The beard, headband and high socks look like he's trying to be the next Rasheed Wallace. (But there is only one 'Sheed.)  The look, plus the fact that he scored 21 points including five three-pointers... those two factors combined to leave a very bad impression on me. 

I also got to see the much hyped Boris Diaw for the first time.  He does have a lot of game, but I'm convinced that it is mostly the system in which he plays, not the player, that makes the Suns' small forward seem so good.  (See the story of poor, poor Quentin Richardson as an example.)

Memphis led a very balanced attack with six players scoring in double figures and five players pulling down at least five rebounds.  Good to see.

I can't wait to see how the guys handle the Pistons on Monday.

The 05-06 Memphis Grizzlies had not lost three games in a row until I began blogging about them.  I have put a considerable amount of thought into the possible causes.  There are lots of fancy basketball-related reasons for their current slide.  However, my theory, and the only thing that really makes sense, is that  I jinxed them.

Now, my best friend Anita would probably say to that, "Who do you think you are?  Who gave you some special power over wins and losses?  You are NOT all that."

She is misinformed.  The slightest change in pre-game routine by even a single fan can drastically alter the outcome o####ame.  Ask any die-hard.  Or consult any one of the many studies on the subject.  It's the truth.

Therefore, I will not share any of my thoughts on tonight's matchup with you, the reader.  

If this works, if the Grizz win against the Suns on Saturday night, I very well might never do a pre-game post again.  If the Grizz lose, I might have to resort to more drastic measures, like recreating the exact outfit I was wearing during their last win, in addition, naturally, to drinking the same game-time cocktails and eating the same game-time snacks.   Whatever it takes to secure a win... I'm willing to do it.

Final Score Lakers 94 Grizzlies 79

Don't let the final score fool you.  It wasn't that close.

Let me try and explain to you how bad the Grizzlies looked out there...

They were so bad that they made Kwame Brown look like a serious inside threat.

They were so bad that at one point I actually said, "Wow, look at that great ball movement by the Lakers!"

They were so bad that the only part of the game that wasn't excruciating to watch was garbage time in the fourth.  (You know, when you're down by 21 and all hope is lost, those rookies really loosen up and play a good game.)

For a moment, I thought I might have jinxed the team.  It was like they read my blog, took all of my pre-game points, and did exactly the opposite.   I suggested that they needed to beat LA on the defensive boards.  They beat us 33 to 28 on defensive rebounding and 48 to 38 overall.  I mentioned that Shane needed to contain Kobe, but Shane didn't play because of a sprained finger, and no one else seemed very interested in containing Kobe.  Finally, I wanted Pau to get his agression back, and he absolutely, completely did not.

The Grizzlies' strength is an inside-out game that makes defenders pick their poison.  The problem is that Memphis' inside presence seems to be suffering from low self-esteem.  I don't know if Pau does affirmations or beats up on rookies or what he does to get his confidence back.  However, I do know he needs to find his #### quick, cause the Suns are coming to town on Saturday.