Photo courtesy of zimbio.com. Rudy Gay (pictured above) is the main guy in Memphis these days. After suffering a heartbreaking loss on Sunday, the Grizzlies will rely heavily on Gay to help get Memphis back into the series.
By Josh Kramer
Today is a special day for “TheSportsKraze.” Back when I started this blog in September of 2009, I never could have imagined all that I would learn from this experience. Writing daily on this forum has truly been a blessing and helped me grow as both a writer and as a person. When my roommate convinced me to start “TheSportsKraze,” I figured it would be a nice little hobby that may get some looks from ten to twenty of my closest family and friends a day. These days, “TheSportsKraze” has become a major part of my daily routine and is read by hundreds of people from across the globe every day. Well today, we have hit the 900th post. Please take it in and enjoy.
Sleeping in Memphis?
All NBA fans had the Clippers/Grizzlies series circled as the one that would provide some fireworks in the opening round. Well the series opener did not disappoint by any means. I turned the game off after the third quarter. It was already kind of late, and the Grizzlies were absolutely making a mockery out of “Lob City.” Shame on me for not watching the full 48 minutes. The beauty of sports is no game is ever over until the final horn sounds or the final out is made. I learned this as a young child when Reggie Miller ripped the hearts out of the New York Knicks by scoring eight points in nine seconds on May 7, 1995.
I have been high on the Grizzlies all season. There is a reason why I picked them way back in December to play deep into the postseason. The Grizzlies shocked the Spurs last year. And this off-season, they only appeared to get better. Through three quarters on Sunday, they looked the part as a major contender in the West. Then the fourth quarter from hell struck.
Now history is against the Grizzlies. 78% of NBA Playoff series have been won by the team that comes out victorious in Game 1. Now there are a couple of major questions to ponder. Did “Lob City” just grow up before our eyes? Or did the Memphis Grizzlies just fall asleep at the wheel? Either way, you better believe that this series is going the distance. Luckily for Memphis, three teams have previously taken leads of 18 or more into a fourth quarter, blown those leads, and found a way to make it all the way to the NBA Finals. Two of those three teams actually ended up winning the title.
The Grizzlies are an extremely deep team that has thrived on their defensive prowess all year long. They have fantastic team chemistry and saw the grind of the playoffs first hand last Spring. So they were sleeping in Memphis on Sunday. It happens. I still expect these guys to defy the odds, and win this one in seven.
Quick Thoughts:
See Ya Silas
7 and 59. A .106 win percentage. Kudos to Paul Silas though. I am not sure anybody in America could kept their job as long as he was able to despite abysmal performance. Coaches should reach out to Silas for advice on how to stave off termination despite doing a horrific job.
Harper Wagon
If you haven’t jumped on the Bryce Harper wagon yet, you probably should. Harper demonstrated to the world this weekend why he appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated as a mere 16-year-old. No baseball player has ever been surrounded by the hype and expectations that Harper has during my lifetime. It brings up memories of the fanfare LeBron dealt with coming out of high school. James has dealt with the expectations. Other than his lack of jewelry of course.
Has-Been Day
Johnny Damon. Hideki Matsui. Two great baseball players that will forever be associated with winning. Yesterday, both of these declining players currently experiencing the twilight of their careers were signed. Damon is now an Indian, while Matsui is a Tampa Bay Ray. I guess a “Has-Been” is better than a Never-Was” right?
Heartbreak City
April 28, 2012 and March 9, 2000. Two seemingly meaningless dates with one commonality. Heartbreak. The reigning MVP Derrick Rose went down on Saturday with a torn ACL all but ending the Bulls chances of capturing their first title since 1998. When Rose went down, the hearts of an entire city were broken. Immediately, when I saw the reigning MVP go down, I thought of March 9, 2000. This of course was the date when College Basketball’s National Player of the Year Kenyon Martin broke his leg in the Conference USA Tournament taking the air out of the entire city of Cincinnati. Two dates of heartbreak for entire cities.
Just some “Food for Thought.”
Let me hear your thoughts though. Please comment below with any questions or insights that you may have or shoot me an email at contact@thesportskraze.com.
Stay tuned for the next edition of TheSportsKraze.
TheSportsKraze 
Happy 900th man!