C.J. Hurt

4 New Grizzlies Songs Every Fan Should Add To Their Playlist

May 24, 2013 by C.J. Hurt Leave a Comment

Photo by Justin Ford

There is a newfound level of energy and excitement in Memphis, Tennessee, and its due in large part to the play of the Grizzlies. After all, the team has the Defensive Player of the Year in Marc Gasol, is in the Western Conference Finals for the first time in franchise history, and is garnering more national media attention than ever before.

Believe Memphis flags are flying all over the city, there are more growl towels than regular towels in the Shelby County limits, and the grit and grind mantra has become a way of life for Memphians and Mid-Southerners all over.

Fan support for the home team is at an all time high, and city pride is at a feverish pitch. Even local musicians are showing their support for the Grizzlies, by coming up with Grizz themed rally songs, that highlight the uniqueness of the Grizzlies and the music scene in Memphis.

Thanks to artists like Al Kapone and Teflon Don, fans can listen to Grizz themed music to get hyped on the way to FedExForum. Even the homeless are rapping about the Grizzlies. Below is a list of new songs every Grizzlies fan should add to their playlist.

No true Grizz fan’s playlist is complete without these songs:

“We Don’t Bluff (Memphis Grizzlies Theme)” by DJ Paul ft Drumma Boy

“Whoop That Trick (Grizz Grindhouse version)” by Al Kapone (Click here to listen)

“Go Grizzlies” by Teflon Don featuring Rick Trotter (Click here to listen)

“Started From Bottom (Grizzlies Remix)” by Freesol (Click here to listen)

CJ Hurt covers NBA basketball for MemphiSport. Follow him @churtj09 for live tweets from games.

10 Artists Who Should Sing The National Anthem At Upcoming Grizzlies Playoff Games

May 17, 2013 by C.J. Hurt 2 Comments

Photo by Justin Ford

For the first time in franchise history, the Memphis Grizzlies have advanced to the Western Conference Finals (Now only four franchises in the NBA have never made it to a Conference Final).

With their victory over the Thunder in Game 5 of the Western Conference Semifinals, the Grizzlies revenge tour is complete. In this year’s playoff run, Memphis has eliminated both of the teams that eliminated them in the past two postseasons.

It is hard to believe Memphis has made it within four wins of the NBA Finals, especially with the questions surrounding the team throughout the year. Like, what should be done to get the franchise under the salary cap? Should Memphis trade Zach Randolph (few things seem funnier than this notion now) or should they trade Rudy Gay (this is one of those things)? Will Mike Conley ever emerge as an elite point guard? What does grit and grind even mean?

These questions, and more, have been answered with the Grizzlies stellar play this postseason. However, one pressing question remains…

With the Grizzlies advancing and getting a chance to host at least two more home playoff games (possibly six if they advance to the Finals), who should the fine people at FedExForum get to perform “The Star Spangled Banner”?

Some famous people who have already sang the national anthem at a Grizzlies playoff game over the past few years include: Al Green, Ruby Wilson, Zach Myers, The Voice’s Patrick Dodd, Grizzlies PA announcer Rick Trotter

After having an interactive discussion on MSL with many Grizzlies fans, a list has been compiled.

Here is a list of possible national anthem singers the Grizzlies should consider:

1. Justin Timberlake (Get Andy Samberg there and have “Grizz in a Box” performed at halftime too)

2. Jerry Lee Lewis

3. Lisa Marie Presley

4. B.B. King (and Lucille)

5. Hologram Elvis

6. Star and Micey (The city’s No. 3 band performing for the Western Conference’s No. 1 team)

7. Amy Lavere

8. Alexis Grace

9. Muck Sticky (He wants to do it)

10. Cybill Shepard

CJ Hurt covers NBA basketball for MemphiSport. Follow him @churtj09 for live tweets from games.

10 Ideas For New Grizzlies Growl Towels

May 5, 2013 by C.J. Hurt 4 Comments

The “We Don’t Bluff” growl towels were a huge hit with fans in the Grindhouse. (Photo by Justin Ford)

With their win over the Clippers in Game 6, the Grizzlies have advanced to the second round of the NBA Playoffs for just the second time in franchise history.

There are several reasons to be excited for their upcoming matchup against the Thunder. After all, it is a rematch of the 2011 series (the Grizzlies fell in seven games). The winner advances to the Western Conference Finals, and fans will get at least two more chances to get some of the best towels in professional sports.

Thanks to the uniquely Memphis phrases (and the passion of the people waving them), the growl towels have become as Memphis as Elvis and barbeque.

So far, during these playoffs we have seen towels with “Grit”, “Grind”, and “We don’t bluff.” All of which are great phrases to put on a towel, but are there enough sayings unique to Memphis to make up different towels for the possible 9 home playoff games remaining this season? Absolutely.

After having an interactive discussion on MSL with many Grizzlies fans, a list has been compiled.

Here is the list of possible growl towels the Grizzlies should consider:

1. I’ll beat Yo’ A$$

2. Made in Memphis

3. Grind Forth

4. United We Grind

5. Taking Care of Grizzness

6. Whoop That Trick (On the back it would say GET ‘EM)

7. Rudy Who

8. 901 (with the 0 being the Grizz logo)

9. Welcome To Memphis

10. GnG (Grit and Grind)

CJ Hurt covers NBA basketball for MemphiSport. Follow him @churtj09 for live tweets from games.

What must happen for the Grizzlies to even the series against the Clippers

April 26, 2013 by C.J. Hurt Leave a Comment

A must win Game 3 saw Memphis come out in desperate fashion to ensure that this first round playoff series would not result in a sweep. So far neither team has been able to steal a game on the road, which is a good thing for the Grizzlies going into Game 4 in FedExForum. The Grizzlies are 32-9 at home this season, proving that The Grindhouse is one of the most difficult places for opposing teams to win in the NBA.

A big game from Darrell Arthur off the bench will go a long way in helping Memphis ensure the series will return to the Grindhouse for a pivotal game six. (Photo by Justin Ford)

A big game four from Darrell Arthur, off the bench, will go a long way in helping Memphis ensure the series will return to the Grindhouse for a pivotal game six.
(Photo by Justin Ford)

The last thing Memphis wants to do is go back to Staples Center down 3-1. A Game 4 loss would mean the Grizzlies would have to win twice in L.A. where they are just 2-8 against the Clippers the past two seasons including the playoffs (1-4 against the Clippers on the road in the playoffs).

Game 4 is another must win game for Memphis, and here is a look at 5 Things the Grizzlies must do to even this series up:

1). Contain Chris Paul
This is a feat that is easier said than done. After all, CP3 is a four time All-NBA selection, and capable of taking over a game during pivotal stretches (like he did in Game 2). However, Memphis showed in Game 3 that it is not impossible to slow down the six time All Star. He was averaging 19.2 points and 8.4 assists in five games against the Memphis this year, but he was held to just eight points and four assists in the Grizzlies Game 3 victory. It was the first time this year Memphis held Paul to single digit points, and rendered him ineffective for most of the contest. There were multiple defenders around him all night long, which disrupted the Clippers pick and roll offense (something that they were able to run extremely well in the first two games of the series). If the Grizzlies plan to even the series, slowing down Paul has to be at the top of their to do list.

2). Win the battle in the paint
No surprises here, especially considering Memphis is 0-3 against the Clippers this season when L.A. outscores the Grizzlies in the paint. Memphis is shooting a woeful 28.3 percent from behind the arc, and 43.5 percent from the field in this playoff series, which makes getting good shots from in the lane all the more important. In Game 3, the Grizz did a great job of dominating the paint, outscoring the Clippers by 14 points in that category. They were led by Zach Randolph who finished the game with 27 points and 11 rebounds, for his first double-double of the series.

3). Get quality minutes from the bench
The much maligned Memphis bench got a boost from Quincy Pondexter in Game 3, and they will need to replicate their overall effort to beat L.A. in Game 4. The Clippers have one of the best benches in the league, and outscoring them is not something that happens too often. However, nobody is asking the Grizzlies bench players to do that. The only thing they need to do is give Coach Hollins quality and mistake free minutes, so that the starters can rest and be ready for the inevitable late game push.

4). Continue feeding Zach Randolph
It is simple, he is the All-Star on the team, and the most dangerous scorer on the team, so your best option is to make sure he gets plenty of touches. Z-Bo had 18 field goal attempts in game three after having just 20 combined in games one and two. He has been extremely efficient in the series and is shooting 53 percent from the field, which is all the more reason to get him the ball in scoring position. Randolph has to do his part also and create scoring opportunities for himself in the form of offensive rebounds (He had six Thursday after having four combined in the first two games of the series). Another big game from Randolph would certainly improve the probability this series goes back to L.A. nodded up at two games apiece.

5). Hold the Clippers under 90 points
Memphis had the best defense in the NBA this season, allowing opponents to average just 89.3 points per game. However, L.A. is averaging just under 95 points per game against Memphis this year, which is well over the Grizzlies season average. In fact, the seven times these two teams have met this year, the Grizzlies have allowed the Clippers to score more than 90 points five times. All of these times have resulted in losses for Memphis (subsequently Memphis held the Clippers under 90 points in both of their victories this season). Holding the Clippers under 90 points means that the Grizzlies are controlling the tempo by not turning the ball over, securing rebounds (both offensive and defensive), and not giving up easy buckets in transition.

CJ Hurt covers NBA basketball for MemphiSport. Follow him @churtj09 for live tweets from games.

5 reasons to believe the Grizzlies can beat the Clippers this postseason

April 19, 2013 by C.J. Hurt Leave a Comment

Mike Conley has to play better than he did in game seven against the Clippers last year for Memphis to have a chance to win this year’s series. He was just 2-13 from the field and 0-2 from three in the decisive game seven last year. Photo by Justin Ford

It is hard to believe that the once lowly Los Angeles Clippers are despised villains in any NBA city, but that is what they have become in Memphis. Another loss to them in the NBA playoffs might make some Grizzlies fans consider Grizzicide (the act of switching allegiance from the hometown Grizzlies to another playoff team, basically a bandwagoner).

The teams are basically the same this year as they were last year. Sure the Grizzlies are without Rudy Gay, OJ Mayo and Marreese Speights, but the Clippers are without Kenyon Martin and Reggie Evans (perhaps the most despised Clipper from last year’s series).

With the teams compiled of most of the same players from last year’s playoffs why should anyone expect a different result in this year’s series? Here are five reasons to believe there will be a different result for Memphis in this year’s playoff matchup with the Clippers.

1. No Rudy Gay
Now to pin the entire fact that Memphis lost last season’s first round matchup to the Clipper’s entirely on Gay would be unfair to him, and too easy. After all, OJ Mayo also struggled (averaged nine points in the playoffs, which was well less than his 12.6 points per game during the regular season), Zach Randolph was less than 100 percent, and the bench was outperformed for most of the series. However, shooting 21 percent from three and taking ill-advised shot after ill-advised shot during the series only adds fuel to the arguments of the Gay detractors. While Gay is an adequate offensive option, Coach Hollins relied on him too often to bail the team out as the shot clock expired, and ran too many isolation plays for him during last year’s playoffs. As the focal point of the offense during last year’s series Gay led the team in scoring four times. The Grizzlies record with Gay as the leading scorer was 1-3. Now that there is no Gay the offense will have to flow thru the two bigs for the Grizzlies, which is the best option for them this year, and was the best option last year. In the three Memphis wins last year Gasol and Randolph averaged 35 points per game, while in the four losses they averaged just 24 points.

2. Improved defense
It might be hard to believe, but the Grizzlies defense has improved on their 93 points allowed per game from last season. This year’s squad is allowing a league best 89.3 points per game, and is as tenacious a defense as you will find in the NBA. They are in the top three of the NBA in opponent’s field goal and three point percentage, and fourth in the association in steals. The acquisition of Tayshaun Prince gives Memphis a nice boost on the defensive end as well. Points are already hard to come by in a playoff series, and when you add to this the fact Memphis has one of the stingiest defenses in the NBA, L.A. may find themselves struggling to get points more in this year’s playoff matchup than they did last year.

3. More playoff experience
With this being the Grizzlies third consecutive year in the playoffs, the newness of it all should be gone. Sure Mayo, Gay, and Hamed Haddadi (which random unathletic big will Hollins put in with the game on the line now?) are no longer on the team, but five players who contribute significant minutes are back from last year’s brief run, and four of them (Mike Conley, Tony Allen, Randolph, and Gasol) were also on the team during the Grizzlies epic run two years ago. Adding to the playoff experience is Prince, who was an integral piece to the puzzle during the Detroit Pistons run of the early 2000’s. With all of this experience Memphis should remain poised during the highs and lows of the series. They have experienced enough during their playoff tenures that they should know what to do whether they are up 27 points (as was the case during game one against the Clippers last year) or down 27 (like they were against Oklahoma City during game five two years ago).

4. Healthy Zach Randolph
It is no secret that Z-Bo was significantly less than 100 percent during last year’s playoffs. His knee injury seriously limited his effectiveness which was evident by his 13.6 points and 9.9 rebounds per game during last season’s playoffs. While he almost averaged a double-double last year in the playoffs, his numbers pale in comparison to his 2011 playoff run, which saw Mr. Don’t Bluff average 22.2 points and 10.8 rebounds. This year Randolph is not only at 100 percent, but he looks like he is in the best shape of his career and ready to do some serious damage in the playoffs. He averaged 14.8 points and 12 rebounds in four regular season games against the Clippers this year, but you can expect him to turn it up a notch and resemble 2011 Z-Bo during this playoff series.

5. Possible home game six on Music Fest Friday
Some of you may be wondering why this matters, and honestly when I found out about it I wondered the same thing. For those of you who are thinking it is just another game in the series, you could not be more wrong. This year’s possible game six will be on the same day, at the same place as game six in 2011, which saw Memphis close out the Spurs and win the franchise’s first ever playoff series. Fate could be on the Grizzlies side this season. Let’s hope so, because Chris Paul and the Clippers will not be.

CJ Hurt covers NBA basketball for MemphiSport. Follow him @churtj09 for live tweets from games.

Grizzlies look to remain unbeaten on Tour de Grizz night

April 12, 2013 by C.J. Hurt Leave a Comment

Can the Memphis Grizzlies continue one of the NBA’s most unique winning streaks?

This Saturday will mark the fifth year of the Tour de Grizz, a bike ride for Grizzlies fans from the Memphis Zoo to FedExForum. In the four year history of Tour de Grizz, the Grizzlies have won every game.

“We are bringing a clean 4-0 record into this year’s fifth installment of Tour de Grizz,” said Jason Potter, the Director of Promotions and Events for the Grizzlies. “I can’t imagine a more important regular season game to test the streak against than the one we’ll see this Saturday against the Clippers.”

The event is a part of the NBA’s Green Week. A week dedicated to raising awareness about our ecological impact on the world around us. All 30 NBA franchises participate by hosting different activities like recycle drives and neighborhood clean-ups.

“I think the Tour de Grizz is the most unique event of the season,” said Potter. “We came up with the event to teach fans about adopting healthy and environmentally friendly practices in their life, in this case riding a bike… I think the fans like it because it’s a hands-on way to be a part of NBA’s Green Week.”

Supporting alternative forms of transportation, like bike riding, instead of taking cars is one way to cut down on the emission of greenhouse gases (like carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide) into the atmosphere.

In addition to cutting down on greenhouse gases, the trek is a nice way for fans to enjoy the Memphis scenery.

“When you ride your bike through the neighborhoods of our city, you get a feel for it in a different way than you do in a car,” Potter professed. “Add to that the fact that you are riding in a group of several hundred Grizzlies fans, and all of a sudden you have this giant rolling pep rally full of positive Memphis and Grizzlies energy.”

That “positive Memphis and Grizzlies energy” may be the secret to the Grizzlies perfect 4-0 mark on the Saturday of the bike ride. The team will attempt to keep this streak alive when the hated Clippers come to town.

Everyone remembers the Clippers eliminated Memphis in an excruciating game seven at FedExForum last season, and now the two teams are neck and neck for home court advantage in the first round of the NBA Playoffs.

The Grizzlies will need all the positive energy they can get on Saturday, as they are two games behind the Nuggets for the third seed in the West (a game back in the win/loss column, but Denver owns the tie-breaker), and just a game ahead of the Los Angeles Clippers for home court advantage in the first round of the NBA playoffs.

As if going to a Grizzlies game with so much at stake was not enough, fans can also go into the zoo before the bike ride, and see the actual grizzly bears located at Teton Trek. “I think Memphis’s other grizzlies (the actual bears) are best viewed at Teton Trek at the Memphis Zoo,” Potter replied when asked if there was a chance that the grizzly bears would accompany riders to Th Grindhouse.

“This is my favorite of the Green Week activities,” Potter said, “I feel like Tour de Grizz is an educational platform that’s a lot of fun at the same time. It’s very special, and something that I think everyone who loves the Grizzlies, bikes, and our city should experience.”

Here is hoping that the support from the city leads to another Tour de Grizz Saturday win. After all, home court and (more importantly) the Tour de Grizz win streak depend on it.

CJ Hurt covers NBA basketball for MemphiSport. Follow him @churtj09 for live tweets from games.

Round of 32 is about respect for America 12

March 22, 2013 by C.J. Hurt Leave a Comment

(Photo by Justin Ford)

When the “Catholic 7” decided to leave the sinking ship that was the Big East, and ironically take the name with them, they left the former Big East schools out in the cold.

With the traditional basketball powers like Notre Dame, Georgetown, and Villanova (all losing in the Round of 64) leaving to form a new Big East while and Louisville, Pittsburgh, and Syracuse commit to the ACC, we are left wondering if the former Big East schools will be able to compete with the larger conferences on the basketball court.

This year there are three teams from the America 12 (the front runner for new names for the new conference that will contain the members of the former Big East) in the tournament.

Memphis, Cincinnati, and Temple are carrying the torch for their new conference in this year’s tournament, and so far the three teams are representing the conference well. They are 2-1 (Cincinnati lost to Creighton in the Round of 64), and when Connecticut gets off of NCAA suspension next year, the conference formerly known as the Big East should be a formidable basketball conference.

Memphis hung on to beat Saint Mary’s, while Temple won a close game against North Carolina State. Both of the teams, destined to join the A-12 (or whatever the new name will be), will face steep competition in the Round of 32 from Big Ten schools, with Memphis taking on Michigan State, and Temple facing off with Indiana.

These two games are about more than a Sweet 16 appearance, they are about getting respect for the Tigers and the Owls new conference.

Since the beef of the former Big East is no more, many analysts think that the curtains have closed on the old Big East in terms of basketball relevance.

UConn will be given a level of respect that will rival that of the schools in the larger conferences, but if nobody else in the conference can hold their own against other elite schools in the nation, the conference might only get one team into the big dance.

Memphis and Temple have the chance to help shape the perception of their new conference with wins over two of the top ten teams in the nation, but it will not be easy.

Wins against two of the best teams in the Big Ten will be tough, but if they can pull it off, both programs will draw national attention for a conference in need of a helping hand.

Although the America 12 will not be an automatic qualifying BCS conference, it can become a conference on par with the Atlantic Ten or Mountain West from a basketball perspective. Both the A-10 and MWC have more teams in the tournament than the Pac-12 (4), ACC (4), and SEC (3).

That is what the “third round” is about for Memphis and Temple. The Round of 32 is bigger than the pride of the schools, the Sweet 16, and keeping the dreams of a possible National Championship alive. It is about shaping the perception of their new conference.

Perception is reality in college sports. If a conference gets labeled as weak, they will not receive as many at-large bids and lose out on millions in revenue dollars.

Wins for Memphis and Temple would go a long way in helping their new conference gain respect in basketball.

On the other hand, losses, especially in blow out fashion, could do the opposite.

CJ Hurt covers college basketball for MemphiSport. Follow him @churtj09 for live tweets from games.

Tennessee-Vanderbilt rivalry continues to heat up

March 15, 2013 by C.J. Hurt Leave a Comment

Do we have a legit interstate rivalry beginning to brew here in the great state of Tennessee? It certainly looks that way, and it is about time.

Vanderbilt and Tennessee have played 107 times, and there is not a more lopsided “rivalry” in all of college football. Tennessee dominates the rivalry, holding the advantage 73-29-5.

Yet, thanks to Coach James Franklin, the culture at Vanderbilt is changing. After more than a century of football futility, Vanderbilt has finally grown a backbone, and is no longer going to take the back seat to any SEC team, especially in state rival Tennessee.

If you need an example of this new found courage from Vandy, look no further than Coach Franklin’s tweets from late Wednesday night:

Ironically they came just hours before five star recruit Jalen Hurd, out of Hendersonville’s Beech High School, announced his commitment to Tennessee for the 2014 season.

Franklin can deny his tweets were meant for any one player or college institution, but it certainly looks like he is taking a subtle shot at Tennessee, and he has every right to do so. He has turned a perennial SEC cellar dweller into a program with expectations of making a bowl game every year.

In Frankiln’s two year tenure at Vandy, he has lead the Commodores to a bowl game in both seasons. Vanderbilt has only been to six bowl games ever, and Franklin accounts for two of them. On top of that, the nine wins Vandy had this past season was their first nine win season since 1915.

Last year, Franklin also led the Commodores to their first five win conference record since 1935, and a thorough beat down of the Vols at Vanderbilt Stadium (first time Vanderbilt beat Tennessee at home since 1982). As if the 41-18 victory was not enough, Franklin rubbed it in the Vols faces, taking a timeout after a penalty with 43 seconds left in the game, and Derrick Dooley was fired soon after.

That game might not have been the straw that broke the camel’s back for UT coach Derek Dooley, but at the very least it was the dirt that was kicked in the camel’s face after it went down.

Vanderbilt’s rise could not come at a better time, as the Vols have been on the decline the past five years. Tennessee still holds the advantage in tradition, with the Vols owning 16 conference championships and six national titles (that is 16 more conference titles and six national titles more than Vanderbilt).

However, despite all the history that Rocky Top has, the Vols, not the Commodores, are the ones currently looking to turn things around.

Butch Jones has taken over for the Vols, and has a stellar 2014 recruiting class, with two of the state’s top six prospects already committed to Tennessee. Will Jones be able to slow down the momentum that Franklin has built at Vanderbilt?

CJ Hurt covers the NBA for MemphiSport. Follow him @churtj09 for live tweets from games.

Five Sports Owners Who Should Host Saturday Night Live

March 9, 2013 by C.J. Hurt Leave a Comment

Justin Timberlake has been a busy man recently with his marriage to Jessica Biel, the release of his first album in nearly seven years, and his purchase of a minority stake in the NBA’s Memphis Grizzlies. You can add Saturday Night Live host to this list too, as Timberlake will host SNL for the fifth time. He becomes the 13^th member of the “Five-Timers Club”, a prestigious club for people who have been host/musical guest on SNL at least five times.

More importantly, he is just the second person to host SNL as an active owner or part owner of a professional sports franchise. The late George Steinbrenner was the first owner to host SNL way back in 1990.

It has been just under 23 years since the last sports franchise owner has hosted SNL. Hopefully, it will not be 20 plus years before another one gets a chance to shine live from New York on a Saturday night.

Here is a list of owners (full, majority, or part) that should get the opportunity to host SNL.

Mark Cuban:
In the realm of professional sports, few owners have the personality and charisma that Cuban has. He has an opinion on everything, is an investor on the hit ABC television show Shark Tank, and his actions have resulted in him being one of the most fined owners in the NBA. Cuban has amassed well over a million dollars in fines since he became the owner of the Dallas Mavericks in 2000 (at least he matches each fine with a donation to charity). Cuban’s willingness to make a spectacle of himself is not a good thing for a franchise, but it is a great characteristic for a host of Saturday Night Live. As far as owners go, Cuban has the type of personality that SNL looks for in a host.

Jay-Z:
While there are questions about how much of the Brooklyn Nets he really owns, it is a surprise that the other owner in the “Suit and Tie Classic”, Jay-Z, has yet to host SNL. Now in the defense of Saturday Night Live, Jay-Z has been a musical guest and has some cameo appearances. Yet, he has never hosted the late night sketch comedy show. Jay-Z has some serious star power, and will certainly attract viewers, so the bigwigs at SNL need to make this happen quickly. He is going on tour with Timberlake on July 17, and hopefully Timberlake will be able to convince him to find some time to host SNL.

Jerry Jones:
Seeing Jerry Jones on SNL would be funnier than watching the Dallas Cowboys choke away another game. The larger than life owner is one of the best candidates (as far as owners go) to host SNL because of his country twang and I am the boss mentality. Jones’ micromanaging approach to running the Cowboys has garnered him his fair share of criticism, but that does not stop him from calling the shots. He routinely writes checks with his mouth that the Cowboys cannot cash (the only checks of his that cannot be cashed), and as a result he has become an almost comical figure in the world of sports. Who knows, he might get on the set of SNL and start trying to run the show like he does in Dallas, bringing in Tony Romo from the audience to fumble lines like he fumbled this snap.

Nolan Ryan:
There are owners, then there are icons, and Ryan is a baseball icon who happens to also own the Texas Rangers. Ryan is a first ballot Baseball Hall of Famer, has owned the Rangers since 2010, holds the MLB record for most no hitters, and holds the record for most strike outs. Saturday Night Live loves getting icons from the realm of music and acting to host the show, and in the realm of sports there are few owners as iconic as Ryan.

Tony Stewart:
One of the best drivers in NASCAR happens to be an owner as well, and judging from some of his commercials, Tony Stewart would be a great host for SNL. He is one of the funnier members of the NASCAR community, which is something Saturday Night Live should love. Stewart also has a little bit of an inappropriateness to him (just watch him grab the butt of Kevin Harvick’s Wife), which should be great for ratings.

CJ Hurt covers the NBA for MemphiSport. Follow him @churtj09 for live tweets from games.

What’s in a Name?: New name ideas for old Big East

February 28, 2013 by C.J. Hurt 1 Comment

With the seven Catholic schools leaving and taking the name “Big East” with them, the no name conference, that will add Houston, Tulane, East Carolina, SMU, Memphis, and UCF for the 2013 season, is in desperate need of a new name.

Perhaps the most confusing thing about all of this conference realignment is what to name these new conferences. The Big 12 has 10 teams, the Big 10 has 12 teams, and the SEC has teams outside of the Southeastern region of the United States. It can be confusing, but if you change the Big 12 to the Big 10 and the Big 10 to the Big 12 life will make sense.

Luckily for the remaining teams in the old Big East, there are some solid options for the new name of the Big East. Here are a few conference name suggestions for the remaining non-Catholic schools in the old Big East:

Conference Formerly Known as the Big East
Think of that picture like the symbol that the artist formerly known as “Prince” uses. Any symbol will work, a dollar sign with a huge slash to symbolize the lack of money the teams formerly in the Big East will make compared to the BCS conference schools, or a frowny face which will show how sad the schools are for not being invited to the Catholic 7′s new “Big East”. Think about it, how many conferences are recognized by just a symbol? None, so being able to add a unique twist to the conference name might actually help make up for some of the revenue that is going to be lost. Just pick a symbol, throw in “the conference formerly known as the Big East”, and let the merchandising of the conference begin.

Conference USA 2.0
Makes sense to me. After all, the Big East certainly likes snatching teams from C-USA. When they first expanded in 2005, the Big East took C-USA football members Louisville, Cincinnati, and South Florida. This time they take Houston, SMU, Tulane, Memphis, Central Florida, and East Carolina of C-USA. With the departure of Louisville to the ACC, this makes eight of the 12 schools (Navy is not scheduled to join until 2015) former members of C-USA.

Please Take Me Next Atlantic Coast Conference Conference
The PTMNACCC is a mouthful, but when you take into account that the ACC pillages the Big East much like the Big East pillages C-USA you can understand the name. With Pitt, Louisville, Notre Dame, and Syracuse leaving to go along with Virginia Tech, Miami, and Boston College from 2005, the Big East is looking like a minor league farm system for the ACC.

Metro Conference
This was the conference Memphis, Cincy, and Tulane belonged to before it folded resulting in the formation of C-USA. Since C-USA and Big East are now taken, and nobody has the name Metro Conference, it also makes sense. Most of the universities in the old Big East are in major metropolitan areas so the name works from that angle as well.

Catholic 7
Since St. John’s, Seton Hall, Marquette, Providence, DePaul, Villanova and Georgetown are taking the Big East name with them, why can’t the old Big East teams take the name those schools have been known by the past few months. Stealing the name of the seven schools that crippled an already struggling conference, seems like the right thing to do to spite them.

CJ Hurt covers college football for MemphiSport. If you think you have a better name for the new look Big East tweet him @churtj09 #newBigEast for his and your amusement. He also live tweets from different college football games throughout the Mid-South.

4 New Grizzlies Songs Every Fan Should Add To Their Playlist

10 Artists Who Should Sing The National Anthem At Upcoming Grizzlies Playoff Games

10 Ideas For New Grizzlies Growl Towels

What must happen for the Grizzlies to even the series against the Clippers

5 reasons to believe the Grizzlies can beat the Clippers this postseason

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