The Early Word: Grizzlies need us to believe, and Redbirds just need money
Get ready to wave those growl towels, Memphis. It’s Thursday, April 24, and the Memphis Grizzlies are finally back at home for game three of the playoff series against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The home game starts extra-late at 8:30 p.m., so you should also have time to catch a talk by Shelly Lowe, the Trump-ousted chair of the National Endowment for the Humanities, at Rhodes College.
Remember when we used to believe? Our growl towels said so during the 2011 playoffs when the Memphis Grizzlies were playing none other than the Oklahoma City Thunder. These days, it seems some Grizzlies fans have stopped believing after last Sunday’s 51-point loss. And some even gave up before that. The Grizzlies have certainly come back in game three from a poor playoff start before. So, maybe we need an attitude adjustment. As our own Geoff Calkins says, it’s time “take a stand in favor of hope.”
AutoZone Park isn’t in great shape. It’s so bad, in fact, that the Memphis Redbirds have warned that minor league baseball’s future in Memphis is not assured. But that still wasn’t enough to get money for AutoZone Park updates into the city’s capital improvement budget this year. Memphis Mayor Paul Young says there’s a plan though, and it involves using leftover money.
Plus, some MSCS board members could have their terms cut in half, a new jail may cost big bucks and MAS is bouncing back.
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Bianca Phillips
Bianca Phillips is a Northeast Arkansas native and longtime Memphian who’s worked in local journalism and PR for more than 20 years. In her days as a reporter, she covered everything from local government and crime to LGBTQ issues and the arts. She’s the author of “Cookin Crunk: Eatin’ Vegan in the Dirty South,” a cookbook of vegan Southern recipes.
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