Meet Jake Locker: The Anti-Vince Young

It was only 5 years ago that a highly touted QB from Texas was selected by Tennessee with the third pick in the 2006 NFL draft. At the time, the writing was on the wall for starter Steve McNair (RIP). Injuries and age began to curtail one of the toughest QBs ever. The heir apparent to the Titans QB throne was the scintillating Vince Young. Young was coming off an epic MVP performance in the National Championship/Rose Bowl game that saw him grow into a folk legend in Texas. Young just went bonkers on USC going off for 467 total yards including 19 rushes for 200 yards and went 30 of 40 for 267 yards thru the air. His Rose bowl performance was the icing on cake to one of the greatest college careers ever. Young was 2nd to Reggie Bush in the Heisman trophy voting his senior year and had set numerous NCAA records as he jumped early to the NFL. Titans owner Bud Adams with his Texas ties was captivated by the potential he saw and hand selected Young to replace what most would say was the best Titans QB ever.

As a result of his heroic season and career at the University of Texas, Young was seen as a revolutionary at his position of QB. Never before had the NFL seen such a hybrid mix of athleticism and throwing ability. NFL execs questioned his mechanics but a most thought he would eventually develop into an all-pro in the league someday. Young’s rookie season proved his pundits wrong as he would go on to win Rookie of the Year. Young set the NFL record for rushing yards by a QB finishing with 552 yards and would be named to his 1st Pro Bowl.

Young’s career with the Titans from that point would be considered up and down at best. To illustrate Young’s high and lows take a look at the chart below:

• He was benched for the first exhibition game in 2007 by Head Coach Jeff Fisher after he broke one of the team rules.

• Young led the Titans to a 10-6 record in 2007 and to their first playoff appearance since 2004

• In the first game of the 2008 season Young would injury his knee and refuse to go back into the game after being booed by the home crowd at LP field

• The on field incident would lead to a suicidal episode that Young denies but according to his mother was somewhat true.

• Kerry Collins would be named the starter for the remainder of the 2008 season and he led the Titans to a 13-3 record and the AFC divisional round in the playoffs.

• Young would reclaim his starting job in 2009 after the Titans started a dismal 0-6.

• He led a stunning comeback against the defending NFC champion Arizona Cardinals that cemented his status as the starting QB.

• He started the 2010 season with a 103.1 QB rating through 7 games, second only to Michael Vick.

• In week 11 of 2010 Young was booed again against the Washington Redskins for under performing and would injure his thumb on a throw, resulting in a season ending torn flexor tendon. Young became visibly upset with the coaching staff and trainers after they would not allow him to re-enter the game

• Young would respond by: antagonizing the crowd, throwing his helmet and shoulder pads into the stands, walking past reporters and brushing off a teammate who tried to talk to him before he left the stadium.

• Young would also storm out of the locker room during Jeff Fisher’s post-game speech, reportedly saying he was quitting on Fisher.

The last chapter of events effectively ended the Vince Young experience in Tennessee. The franchise has said it will depart with the 3rd pick of the 2006 draft after and it also fired head coach Jeff Fisher. Young and Fisher never were on the same page and it’s a shame because the relationship never reached a level of trust for either. The two were intertwined even if they didn’t like each other and their mistrust and miscommunication led to both being ousted in Tennessee. Young always seemed to lack accountability, consistency, and the leadership skills needed to succeed in the NFL. By the end of his term with Tennessee, most had labeled him a thin-skinned, injury prone, disinterested, and unstable player. What a turnaround in opinions from when Young was first drafted.





Now enter Jake Locker and newly minted head coach Mike Munchak. Just as Fisher and Young will be forever connected, so will Locker and Munchak. The Titans were said to be enamored with former Washington Huskies’ QB and took him with the eighth pick of the 2011 NFL draft. Locker was the projected top pick in 2010 had he skipped his senior season at Washington. Locker was the most polarizing player in the 2011 NFL draft. His draft stock plummeted his senior year due his regression in passing accuracy. His completion percentage dove from 58.2% as a junior to a disappointing 55.4% as a senior. He had a miserable performance on the national stage against the Nebraska Cornhuskers going 4 of 20 in the blowout loss. Locker would recover from the lackluster performance and lead the Huskies to the Holliday Bowl.

As Locker prepared for the draft, opinions on his NFL potential varied from extremely good to extremely bad. He spent most of pre-draft process working with ex-NFL QB Ken O’Brien on his mechanics and throwing motion. Many questioned his physical reckless abandon style of play as many of his highlights were him running over DBs instead throwing touchdown passes to receivers. Locker was often injured because of his style of play but it also gave him the label of being tough, a word that never associated with Young. And as much as critics criticized Locker’s mechanics and accuracy, most marveled at the intangibles he brought to his team. The one thing that can not be measured at the combine is what makes a player tick on the inside. Former coaches and teammates all raved at the leadership and resiliency that Locker played with. Again these are two things that were never associated with Young. Locker mental make-up seems to be what GM Mike Reinfeldt and Coach Mike Munchak liked best about him.

Furthermore, it seems Tennessee wanted to distance itself away from the Vince Young era as much as possible. The franchise wants to do it so bad that they drafted the exact opposite person in terms of mental construction. Locker in many ways is the anti-Young .He symbolizes everything that Young wasn’t as a tough, hardworking, and leader of men. Young is a great athlete there is no denying that but as it has been proven in the NFL, it takes more than that to cut it as a QB. Young was a celebrated star at Texas who compiled a record of 30-2 and won a national championship. Locker went through a 0-12 season and his teams never contended for the Pac-10 title much less a national title. The more you compare the two, the more you see differences in each other. Locker did not have the success of Young in college but that isn’t such a bad thing all things considered. It might actually turn out to be good that Locker had to face adversity as he will surely face plenty of it in the NFL.

One thing is clear here, the Titans needed a clean slate to start off a new era of Tennessee football. They needed to get someone who was in no shape, form, or fashion what they were trying to get away from. For everything that Young was, Locker appears not to be. Both men are supremely talented athletes but that seems to be the only things they have in common. The Titans took a gamble on guy that they trust to lead the franchise for the future. They may have reached in taking Locker at eight in the draft but they have set the course for a change in philosophy and culture within the locker room. No more VY or Jeff Fisher to blame as the scapegoat. This will be a different team that will hopefully reflect its tenacious former offensive linemen coach Munchak and the toughness and assiduous of its new QB in Locker.

In closing, I believe the Titans selected Locker with the reason of him being the exact antithetical person Young was. The Titans now have a person of strong character that won’t t be distracted every time he is booed or needs to go on suicidal watch after a bad game. Young and Locker’s physical attributes are similar but mentally these two couldn’t be further opposite from one another and that’s exactly what the Titans front-office had in mind. To all Titans fans, meet your future starting QB Jake Locker, the anti-Vince Young.

The Weekend Run-down May 16, 2011

The NBA and NHL playoffs took center stage this weekend as both leagues are now in the conference finals. In the NBA, one of the most anticipated match-ups of the playoffs turned into a laugher as Chicago behind its stifling defense and a couple of monster dunks by Taj Gibson of all people took game 1 from Miami and its big 3 of James, Wade, and Bosh. Memphis tried its best but finally lost their Cinderella slipper as OKC eliminated them in game 7 of the Western semi-finals. The “Believe Memphis’ campaign comes to a bittersweet end as the Grizzlies enjoyed their best season ever and look to have a bright future ahead of them.

In the NHL, Vancouver rallied late to push past the San Jose Sharks, to take the first game of their series. San Jose’s penchant for blowing leads was never more evident then in this game, but more of that later. The Boston Red Sox demise has been greatly exaggerated as they swept the New York Yankess and finally get back to .500. On top of getting swept, the Yankees are dealing with Jorge Posada’s refusal to go into the game after being placed at the 9 spot in Joe Giradi’s lineup card. A circus has ensued as the ageing Posada and his wife took to social media (which never makes anything better) to vent their frustration. Just another day in Yankee land right?

Now for the rundown:

NBA:

Eastern Conference Finals Game 1: Chicago 103 Miami 82 – The Bulls came out and made this one a street fight. Chicago doesn’t have the glitz and glamour of three of the games superstars but they proved that they will be a tough match for Miami. MVP Derrick Rose scored 28 points and Luol Deng chipped in 21 as for Chicago. The Bulls vaunted Tom Thibodeau defense held Lebron James and Dwayne Wade to just 33 points combined. The Bulls just outhustled Miami all over the floor as they dove for loose balls and boxed out Miami on multiple occasions. The isolation plays Miami ran with so much precision and efficiency against Boston were met with double teams as Joakim Noah packed the paint and didn’t allow James and Wade to attack the basket. This is the blueprint for Chicago. Miami may have the stars but Chicago has the depth and will look to wear down the Heat. So far so good as they take game 1 and look to carry their momentum into game 2 Wednesday.

Western Conference Semi-Finals Game 7: OKC 105 Memphis 90 – Kevin Durant was mad at himself for letting his team down in game 6 and came out took it to the Grizzlies in game 7. Durant scored 39 as he saved his best game of the series for the most important one. Durant’s Dr.Jerkyll-Mr.Hyde sidekick Russell Westbrook also turned in his best performance as he notched his first postseason triple double with 14 points 10 rebounds and a season high 14 assists. You never know what you will get from Westbrook but when he plays under control like this, he makes the Thunder as good as any team in the league. The Grizzlies battled but an 18 for 23 stretch that extended from the first quarter to the second quarter all but doomed their chances. Mike Conley scored 18 to lead Memphis and would cut the Thunder’s lead to 52-49 on a 3-pointer in the third. That would be as close as Memphis got as Durant got hot again as he scored eight points in a 14-2 run for OKC that all but sealed it up for the Thunder. Oklahoma City now will face Dallas in the Western Conference Finals. Memphis fades off into the sunset but they had their most successful season ever. They return 20 point a game scorer Rudy Gay and now have fan support that hasn’t been there for years in Memphis. Things are looking up and as long as they can sustain their success, things will only get better for the Grizzlies. Congrats on a great season Memphis.

NHL:

Western Conference Finals Game 1: Vancouver 3 San Jose 2 – When your making your first conference finals appearance in 17 years, your not going to let a little 2-1 deficit hold you back right? The Canucks scored two goals in the third to take game 1 of the Western Finals. This continues an ugly trend for San Jose. They have blown three leads in these playoffs when leading in the third period of the game. Vancouver capitalized in the final period as Henrik Sedin set up Kevin Bieksa’s tying goal and Bieska would score the winning goal as well. San Jose looked a bit sluggish at times which was understandable after their emotional game 7 win over Detroit. Anitti Niemi kept San Jose in the game as he stopped 35 of 38 shots but it wasn’t enough. Game 2 is Wednesday in Vancouver and I’m sure San Jose will respond with more rest under their belts.

MLB:

Boston Sweeps New York – The Boston Red Sox were suppose to win over 100 games this year, run roughshod over the American league and meet the Philadelphia Phillies in the World Series. Armed with the acquisitions of Carl Crawford and Adrian Gonzalez this is what you were told to believe coming into this season. However things started out rough, as a matter of fact very rough for the Sox. After starting out a major league worst 3-10 after, the Sox have slowly crept back up the standings.

They completed their sweep of the hated Yankees last night as Jon Lester pitched 6 innings and struck out 7. New York now is the team struggling as they have lost 5 in a row and have a drama developing in the club house with Jorge Posada. Posada went out of his way to apologize but the damage has already been done to his reputation. He refused to go into the game after being dropped to 9th in the lineup but what can you expect after hitting just .165? New York’s defense has also abandoned them as they now have made 13 errors in 10 games. A-Rod allowed a ball roll to through five hole in the seventh and it stretch the Red Sox lead to 6-4. Jonathon Papelbon came in and got the save the in the ninth to preserve the sweep.

The Sportaholic Show Online Radio by Sportaholic

The Sportaholic show Online Radio by Sportaholic Blog Talk Radio

The Sportaholic show Online Radio by Sportaholic Blog Talk Radio
Updated May 13, 2011: Tomorrow is the first show, make sure you tune in. This weeks's show includes NBA playoff matchups Chicago vs. Miami and new Tennessee QB Jake Locker is he the anti-Vince Young?

I would like to invite all my viewers to join me in the conversation as I launch the Sportaholic Radio Show. Sports is one thing in life that can be fun for all. Each day we go through the motions of life and try to keep sane while facing our everyday challanges.Sports is the one constant many of us have in our lives. In the inaugural Sportaholic radio show, I would like to address the effect sports has one's life. Most people who played team sports at one time or another in their life, know the benefits they've received of being part of a team with one united goal. This along with the NBA Playoffs, NFL Lockout and local sports topics will all be chronicled on the debut show of Sportaholic radio. Be sure also check me out at http://www.sportaholic2112.blogspot.com and http://www.noomizo.com/sports. The initial show date will be held on Saturday, May 14th at 11:30 A.M. All opioions are welcomed, so get ready for a good laugh or two and an even better time. If you would like to call in and let your voice be heard on the weeks hottest sports topics, the number is 714-464-5225. Thanks Nashville for all your continued support.

Nashville Predators lose series to Vancouver but best is yet to come

The most successful season in Nashville Predators history came to a close last night. The Vancouver Canucks capitalized on early mistakes from the Preds and defeated them 2-1 in front of a sold out Bridgestone Arena.




This game will be remembered for the missed opportunities Nashville had. The Predators allowed two early goals by Mason Raymond and Daniel Sedin ten minutes into the game, as the highly energized and frenzied pace seemed to work against the home team. This lost marks the third time Vancouver has beaten the Preds at home in this series. Nashville was able to get back into the game thanks to improbable goal by David Legwand. The veteran forward scored on a banking shot that hit off of Canucks goalie Roberto Luongo’s leg.



But Nashville wouldn’t be able to get any closer. The Predators couldn’t exploit its power play opportunities as they were just 1-21 in the series while having the man advantage. Nashville had an 18 shotson goal compared to Vancouver’s 9 but the Canucks were able to put 2 of those shots in net.



“I thought we played the first two periods as well as we’ve played all in the playoffs,” coach Barry Trotz said. “The first period was a little disturbing because according to our [calculations] and what we track … we were outchancing them 11-2 and we were losing 2-0.



Vancouver’s Ryan Kesler continued to be the thorn inside of Nashville’s side as he recored assists on both goals for the Canucks. The first would come off a Ryan Suter turnover that happened to be near the net. Kesler zipped a pass to Raymond for a backhanded shot past Pekka Rinne.



This was a disappointing end to an otherwise great season for Nashville. The Predators won their first playoff series in defeating the Anaheim Mighty Ducks, recorded their first playoff victory in overtime, their first playoff road victory, the teams first win in an elimination game (Saturday night in Vancouver, forcing Monday’s game six), and set the single season attendance record averaging 15,562 655 a game at Bridgestone Arena



The Predators ownership is hoping that this season’s momentum rolls over as they now turn their attention to key off-season moves. This includes re-signing their top restricted and unrestricted players. The first player on that list has to be Shea Weber (who had the best beard in the world by the way), earned $4.5 million this season. He could command as much as $7 million and any team (and there will be many) that is willing to make that offer could possibly take him away from the Predators. Goalie Pekka Rinne is locked up for next season but the Preds would be smart to lock up the Vezina trophy finalist up long term. Steve Sullivan is a fan favorite for all of years of fighting injury but with his contract up and his health down as he only played a limited amount of games this year; his time may be up in Nashville. Joel Ward had a breakthrough in the playoffs and his $1.5 million salary will surely increase in the open market as he is an unrestricted free agent. He may have played himself out of Nashville’s price range. The list goes on as Nashville would probably like to lock up Defensemen Ryan Suter up long-term as well.



The challenge the Predators face now is sustaining the success that they have achieved this year. This is a team on the rise as long as their core stays intact with Weber, Suter and Rinne. They have the playoff experience needed to advance in future playoffs. They also have a number of possible impact players in the minors including local favorite Blake Geoffrion, Defensemen Jonathon Blum, and left-winger Taylor Beck. If the Preds can find a way to add some scoring punch to the lineup, that would take this team to a new level. As Ryan Kesler of the Canucks proved, a dynamic scoring wing can pay big dividends in the playoffs. Hopefully the Preds can sign a talented offensive wing to add to an already tenacious defense, but that may be hard to due considering the players that are already in line for new contracts. The salary cap also isn’t Nashville’s friend as they have one of the lower payrolls in the league.



Above all the uncertainty about the Predators, we can all agree that this was a watershed moment type of season for them. They have gained respect from non-believers who never thought a hockey team could survive here and gained numerous new fans with their tough grind it out style. Even though this wasn’t the ending we wanted in Smashville it’s only the beginning of bigger and better things for Hockeytonk.



Congratulations to the Nashville Predators for a great season and we look forward to an even better one next year.

The Weekend Run-down: Mother's Day Edition

Mother’s Day weekend is usually one of the better sporting weekends on the calendar and this year was no different. A stunning sweep and meltdown by the two-time defending champs in LA, the run for the roses in Louisville and those pesky Predators highlight a power packed weekend.




NBA: L.A. goes down swinging, but not in the good way – The Lakers came into the NBA in full anticipation of championship number 16 and giving there hall of fame coach Phil Jackson a proper send off. None of that will come to fruition now after being dismantled by Dallas in a four game sweep. The Mavericks controlled in every conceivable way. Sunday’s 122-86 defeat was the most shocking defeat of all. The pride and glory that champions are suppose to play with never showed for L.A. The game was basically over by halftime as Dallas torched the Lakers defense for a playoff record with 20 3-pointers, shooting 63 percent from behind the arc and 60 percent from the field (44 of 73) overall. I personally was waiting on a vintage Kobe performance but he finished with just 17 points on 7 of 18 shooting and was merely a spectator to the end of the Lakers dynasty. The game got chippy at the end as both Lamar Odom and Andrew Bynum lost their cool and were ejected for physical plays. Bynum will surely hear from the Commish for his clothesline take down of J.J Barea. This couldn’t have been the way Phil Jackson envisioned his last game playing out but he seemed gracious in defeat. Said Jackson "In all my hopes and aspirations, this is the final game that I'll coach," he said. "It's been a wonderful run."



Memphis take 2-1 lead over Oklahoma City: The underdog Grizzlies scratch and clawed their way back from a 16-point deficit to comeback and defeat the Oklahoma City Thunder. Zach Randolph led the way for Memphis as he scored 21 points and snagged 21 rebounds. The game looked like a lost cause for the Grizzlies as they uncharacteristically out of sync on offense and couldn’t stop Russell Westbrook on defense. Point Guard Mike Conley realized the danger zone that Memphis was falling into. “I think once we looked up at the clock and saw how many points we were down, a little bit of desperation hit,” Conley said. He and the rest of Grizzlies finally got their act together in the 4th quarter as they went a 13-2 run and outscored Oklahoma City 23-10 in the fourth quarter. O.J. Mayo had 18 points off the bench. Conley also scored 18, Marc Gasol had 16 and Tony Allen had 10. The game would go into overtime as neither team was able to connect on shots before regulation expired. It was all Memphis in overtime as they built a 92-86 lead and never looked back as they finished off the Thunder from the free throw line from there. This was an overall great victory for the Grizzlies as they now pull within two victories of making their first ever appearance in the Western conference finals. Good luck Grizzlies.



NHL: Predators won’t go down without fight – The Nashville Predator faced their first elimination game and came away with the 4-3 victory of top-seeded Vancouver Canucks. Joel Ward and David Legwand were the stars of the game as they both scored two goals. Ward, who especially has come in strong in these playoffs, scored his goals less than five minutes apart early in the third period as the Preds were able to extend the series and give the Smashville faithful at least one more home game. Pekka Rinne had 31 saves and to go along with the heroics of Ward, who also has six points in three games, has already set franchise records with seven goals and 12 points in the playoffs. Ryan Kessler of Vancouver continued his hot play as he scored twice after having his tooth knocked out and had to receive stitches to his face after he was struck by a deflected puck. The Canucks are just 1-4 in potential series clinching games this year. Head Coach Barry Trotz was in no mood to concede anything as he stated “We’re a resilient group. One of the themes we’ve had since Day One in Nashville is let’s not make any excuses for anything, and we don’t.” Game 6 will be played today at the Bridgestone arena. Make sure to come out and support the Preds for what could be possibly the last home game of the year. A boisterous home crowd could definitely swing the game in Preds direction.



137th Kentucky Derby – In what was called the most open Derby field possibly ever, a 30-1 long shot proved it to be true as Animal Kingdom took the annual run for the roses at Churchill downs. Animal Kingdom pulled off the stunner as he pulled past Nehro at the 1/8th pole to cross the finish line 2 3/4 lengths ahead. Animal Kingdom made history as he became the first ever derby winner to never have raced on dirt before the Kentucky Derby. The morning favorite Dialed in never was much of a factor as he finished eighth. I’m surprised,” Irwin said immediately after the win. “I know a lot of history and I just didn’t see it happening. When it did, it was surprising and overwhelming, really.”, said winning jockey Barry Irwin. The next leg in the Triple Crown is the Preakness held May 21 at Pimlico race course in Baltimore.

The Sportaholic show Online Radio by Sportaholic | Blog Talk Radio

                     

The Sportaholic show Online Radio by Sportaholic Blog Talk Radio

Upadated May 13, 2011

I would like to invite all my viewers to join me in the conversation as I launch the Sportaholic Radio Show. Sports is one thing in life that can be fun for all. Each day we go through the motions of life and try to keep sane while facing our everyday challanges.Sports is the one constant many of us have in our lives. In the inaugural Sportaholic radio show, I would like to address the effect sports has one's life. Most people who played team sports at one time or another in their life, know the benefits they've received of being part of a team with one united goal. This along with the NBA Playoffs, NFL Lockout and local sports topics will all be chronicled on the debut show of Sportaholic radio. Be sure also check me out at http://www.sportaholic2112.blogspot.com and http://www.noomizo.com/sports. The initial show date will be held on Saturday, May 14th at 11:30 A.M. All opioions are welcomed, so get ready for a good laugh or two and an even better time. If you would like to call in and let your voice be heard on the weeks hottest sports topics, the number is 714-464-5225. Thanks Nashville for all your continued support.

The Memphis Grizzlies and the Nashville Predators give Tennessee a taste of post-season success:

A couple of weeks ago I assessed the post-season success or should I say unsuccessfulness of Tennessee’s professional sports franchises. (See: http://www.noomizo.com/index.php/the-tennessee-sports-fan-conundrum-why-cant-tennessees-professional-sports-teams-acheive-post-season-success/) and as always it seems my foot has now been placed firmly in my mouth. The Memphis Grizzlies at the time had never even won a playoff game, and were given the tall task of facing the number one seed of the NBA’s western conference in the San Antonio Spurs. The Nashville Predators hadn’t won a playoff series and were facing arguably the hottest NHL team coming into the playoffs in the Anaheim Mighty Ducks. As much as I credit myself for knowing a thing or two about our local pro teams, little did I and for the most part the state of Tennessee anticipate that we would be treated to a pair of fast-paced and exciting NHL and NBA playoff series victories for both teams.

The Predators got things started as they battled Anaheim in a highly entertaining back and forth battle of up-tempo teams. The series featured everything you want in an NHL series with brutal hits (Martin Erat had four teeth knocked out by Jarkko Ruutu in game 4), spectacular goals (You won’t find a better one than Bobby Ryan’s amazing goal in game 5), suspensions (Ryan for stomping Jonanthon Blum’s foot) and a dramatic come from behind victory overtime thriller in game 5.

The Preds fought for every inch of ice and resembled the hard nosed blue collar team they always have been under Barry Trotz. Shea Weber, Ryan Suter, Pekka Rinne, and Mike Fisher all showed at various points why they are so valuable to the team. But it was also the unsung heroes in Jered Smithson with his game-winning shot in OT of game 5 as well as Nick Spaling scoring two goals in the game 6 clincher, detailing the entire team effort. They also stole the hearts of Nashville in the process as the sold out Bridgestone arena was rocking in every game. “Hockeytonk” showed to be alive and well in “Smashville” as fans came out in droves to see their Predators. The local and national media have finally caught on as the media presence at Predator games has nearly tripled. They have given us locals something else to talk about other than the Titans and the NFL lockout labor strife. They have made us proud and proved that hockey can survive in this non-traditional southern market.

The Predators have fought for respect since they arrived in Nashville. They seem to finally be getting there just due as Head Coach Barry Trotz has been nominated for the Jack Adams award for coach of the year, Goalie Pekka Rinne is up for the Vezina trophy for best goalie and defensemen Shea Weber is a finalist for the Norris trophy awarded to the NHL’s best defensemen. As critical as the press has been about Nashville’s hockey team, it seems that things are finally changing for the better. The Predators attendance has steadily increased as the chart below shows. And now with the playoff victory under their belt, the numbers should only get better.

Season Avg. Paid Avg. Comps

2008-09 14,189 852

2009-10 14,155 834

2010-11 15,562 655

The Memphis Grizzlies have come into their own at the right time as they took down perennial playoff power San Antonio Spurs in just six games. The Spurs were the number one seed in the west and Memphis was given little hope of winning a couple of games much less the entire series. The Grizzlies came out in game 1 and showed the Spurs they meant business as they punished San Antonio in the post thanks to Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph. The newly minted “Bruise Brothers” just obliterated the older Spurs team on the inside. San Antonio had no answer for the multi skilled big men as Memphis ran its offense to perfection thru the duo. The Spurs tried everything including small lineups and inserting seldom used rookie Tiago Splitter in favor of undersized and ineffective Dejuan Blair. Memphis also used a stifling perimeter defense featuring perimeter pit-bulls Shane Battier and Tony Allen. One of the surprising and ironic events is how the injury of the Grizzlies most athletic player in Rudy Gay has allowed the paring of Battier and Allen to attack other team’s best wing players. The lethal 3-point shooters of the Spurs were limited to just 29.4% in the series after shooting an NBA best 39.7% during the regular season. Marc Gasol has made the trade of his brother Pau to L.A mentionable in these parts again as he has developed into one of the better center in the league. He averaged 20 points and 16 rebounds against the Spurs

However, maybe the biggest story of the Grizzlies surprising run has to be the emergence of Zack Randolph as their go to clutch performer. Randolph as you remember was the enigmatic head case that made stops in Portland, L.A., and New York before arriving in Memphis. He was a player who reputation had preceded him. He was known for having talent but not the work ethic that was needed to become a consistent star. Randolph is now proving that he has moved past those demons as he carried the Grizzlies past San Antonio averaging 27 points and 11 rebounds for the series. He bullied his way to the hoop and showed a soft leathery jump shot from the outside. He made the game winning 3-pointer in game 3 that stunned the Spurs so much that they never recovered from it (Tim Duncan looked as if his eye-balls were going to pop out).

Credit also has to be given to the Grizzlies coaching and bench play as Head Coach Lionel Hollins has mixed and matched players until he finally settled on a unit featuring hard nosed defenders in Darrell Arthur and Sam Young and balanced it out with skilled offensive players O.J Mayo and Grevis Vasquez. Memphis has taking on the identity of its coach Hollins who was a member of the 1977 and 1978 NBA all-defensive teams. He relishes the opportunity for his team to get out in passing lanes and playing in your face pressure defense. Hollins has been the steady hand that has led Memphis to respectablity. He has taken this team and made it his as he has navigated thru the Allen Iverson debacle and enstilled confidence in Point Guard Mike Conley by giving him the minutes he needed to become a solid leader on the team.

As a result of their attainment both the Grizzlies and the Predators have made this spring much more interesting here in Tennessee. The teams continue their march into history as the Preds now are facing the number one seeded Vancouver Canucks. The Grizzlies are taking on up and coming Oklahoma City, a team featuring one of the best players in the world in Kevin Durant. There are so many similarities in these teams as both face stiff challenges in their quests to bring home championship hardwood that has eluded the volunteer state. They are both hard working blue collar teams that don’t have the name recognition as the big cities teams do. Nashville and Memphis have also proved that they are hungry for more as well, as they have both already taken a victory in their second round series.These two teams have captured the spirit of Tennessee, from the rolling hills and country music of the mid-state to the bar-b-qued filled aroma and fun loving elements of Beale Street of Memphis. These two teams have a chance to go down in Rocky Top lore.