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

May 17, 2013 by 2 Comments
Photo by Justin Ford

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.

SEE ALSO:

 

Filed Under: Basketball, Grizzlies, NBA, The Big Features, Web Exclusives Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Joseph Gordon-Levitt and other celebs react to the Grizzlies moving on to the Western Conference Finals

May 16, 2013 by Leave a Comment

 

Photo by Justin Ford

Photo by Justin Ford

Here are what some famous people had to say on Twitter after the Memphis Grizzlies made history and advanced to the Western Conference Finals:

(For photos of Lil Wayne at Game 3,  click here.)

(For photos of celebrities at Game 4, click here)

Email: kevin@memphisport.com
Twitter: @cerrito

SEE ALSO:

 

Filed Under: Grizzlies, The Big Features, Web Exclusives Tagged With: , , , , ,

VIDEO: Justin Timberlake reps the Tigers and Grizzlies on SNL

March 10, 2013 by 1 Comment

Watch Justin Timberlake show love for his hometown by wearing a Memphis Tigers shirt and a Memphis Grizzlies hat during the closing moments of his 5th time hosting Saturday Night Live :

Email: kevin@memphisport.com
Twitter: @cerrito

SEE ALSO:

Filed Under: Other News, The Big Features, Video Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Five Sports Owners Who Should Host Saturday Night Live

March 9, 2013 by Leave a Comment

justin timberlake SNLJustin 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 13th 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.

SEE ALSO:

 

Filed Under: The Big Features, Uncategorized, Web Exclusives Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Will home court advantage help Jay-Z even the score against Justin Timberlake?

February 24, 2013 by Leave a Comment
JT and Jay-Z watching the first "Suit and Tie" Classic together

JT and Jay-Z tweet out a picture of them watching the first “Suit and Tie” Classic together

Brooklyn’s Barclays Center will be the setting for the second ever clash between celebrity owners Justin Timberlake (Grizzlies) and Jay-Z (Nets). The game played twice a year between the Eastern and Western Conference teams has been nicknamed the “Suit and Tie” Classic.

The Grizzlies defeated the Nets, 101 – 77 at the NBA’s first “Suit and Tie” Classic at FedExForum in Memphis on January 26, 2013.

The February 24 game was recently moved to national TV (ESPN) and is the first “Suit and Tie” Classic since Jay-Z and JT announced they would be going on tour together this summer.

Can Jay-Z get his first win over Justin Timberlake in Brooklyn’s first ‘Suit and Tie’ Classic?

Read CJ Hurt’s breakdown of Justin Timberlake vs. Jay-Z

UPDATE: The Grizzlies defeated the Nets, 76– 72  at the “Suit and Tie” Classic Vol 2 at Timberlake is now 2-0 against Jay-Z in the NBA.

Filed Under: Grizzlies, The Big Features Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,

‘Suit and Tie’ Battle: Justin Timberlake vs. Jay-Z

January 25, 2013 by 3 Comments
Suit and Tie

The full length “Suit and Tie” lyric video debuted Jan. 24, 2013.

Friday’s game between the Memphis Grizzlies and the Brooklyn Nets features two teams trying to solidify themselves as NBA Championship contenders.  It also marks the first time that Justin Timberlake and Jay-Z go head to head as minority owners of NBA teams.  This comes just weeks after the release of the single “Suit and Tie” off Timberlake’s new album “The 20/20 Experience”, which features Jay-Z.

Their two NBA teams have a lot of things in common this season, their records are almost identical, they both play terrific defense (Nets are fifth in points allowed while the Grizzlies are second in that category), and both teams have two of the most well known celebrity owners in the NBA.  Jay-Z has been a minority owner of Brooklyn (formerly New Jersey)for a few years, while J.T. is a minority owner for the first time this season.  They both have it all including millions of dollars, adoring fans, and gorgeous wives, but who would win a matchup between the two giants of entertainment?

Here are five categories to decide who has it best, Justin Timberlake or Jay-Z…

Twitter
Jay-Z: Hov lays claim to just over two million followers on the social website, which is quite an impressive feat for someone who has just 36 total tweets.  Jigga’s last tweet was in late November, stating that “The city is under new management”, after the Nets beat the Knicks.Justin

Timberlake: Timberlake’s twitter account is far more active, and he uses it as a way to connect more to his fans.  He makes announcements (like when his new song “Suit and Tie” featuring Jay-Z was available on iTunes), retweets fans, and is an all around entertaining person to follow.  This is why he has almost 16 million followers, and wins the battle for twitter.

Winner: Justin Timberlake

Music career
Jay-Z: With 14 platinum albums (11 solo and three collaborative), Jay-Z has solidified himself as one of the greatest artists ever.  Also, half of his albums earned the honor of multiplatinum status.  No wonder he is called the “Best Rapper Alive”.

Justin Timberlake:  While he may not have the 14 platinum albums Jay-Z has, Timberlake is no slouch.  He saw success as a part of the group N’Sync and as a solo artist also.  N’Sync is one of the best boy bands of all time, with their best album, No Strings Attached, earning a Diamond Certification selling more than 11 million copies in the U.S. alone.  However, The Prince of Pop just does not have enough to beat Hov.  J.T. only has two solo albums since N’Sync broke up, and while both of them went multiplatinum, they are five less than the seven multiplatinum albums Jay-Z has.

Winner: Jay-Z

Money in the bank
Jay-Z: There are not many entertainers that can compete with the amount of money Jay-Z has, and comparing the hip hop mogul to anybody else is unfair.  Jay-Z is a hustler in every sense of the word, and thanks to that he has become one of the wealthiest entertainers in the business.  His primary source of income started off as music, but now he has his hands on several multimillion dollar ventures.  Thanks to Rocawear, the 40/40 Club, Def Jam and most recently his help with NBA2K13 (among other fiscal avenues) his estimated net worth is close to $500 million.

Justin Timberlake:  With a net worth of $70 million, Timberlake is only $430 million away from Jay-Z.  Now $70 million is not bad, and Timberlake owns his fair share of businesses including his restaurant Southern Hospitality and his clothing line William Rast.  However, Timberlake is not near the fiscal mogul Jay-Z is.

Winner: Jay-Z

Movie career
Jay-Z:  Jay-Z has only been in five movies, and the highest grossing film made about $10 million (State Property).  Two of the five films were documentaries, good ones (Backstage made me attempt to launch my own rapping career at the ripe age of 13), but not high grossing ones.

Justin Timberlake: It is not even a close one as the “Prince of Pop” crushes Jigga when it comes to their movie careers.  Timberlake has been in 15 movies, with his highest grossing film (Shrek the Third) making just under $800 million.  In fact, six of his last nine movies have grossed over $100 million dollars a piece.  Sorry Jay-Z, but this category belongs to Justin hands down.

Winner: Justin Timberlake

This year’s NBA teams
Jay-Z:  The Nets are now in Brooklyn and have one of the most exciting teams in the East.  Deron Williams and Joe Johnson make up a dangerous back court, that is capable of putting up big numbers in a heartbeat.  While Brook Lopez looks like a future All Star center with every game he plays.

Justin Timberlake: Memphis on the other hand, has one of the best front courts in the league.  Led by All Star Zach Randolph, Marc Gasol and Rudy Gay form a one, two, three punch that is difficult for any opponent to stop.  So who is the minority owner with the best NBA franchise?  We will find out tonight when the two teams face off in the first annual “Suit and Tie Classic”.

Winner: TBD

UPDATE: The Grizzlies defeated the Nets, 101 – 77 at the first “Suit and Tie” Classic at FedExForum on January 26, 2013. Timberlake is now 1-0 against Jay-Z in the NBA.

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


SEE ALSO:

Filed Under: Basketball, Grizzlies, The Big Features, Web Exclusives Tagged With: , , ,

Justin Timberlake’s FedExForum debut as Grizzlies owner causes brouhaha

November 24, 2012 by 1 Comment

Use #GrizzNation or #gotigersgo on all your Grizzlies and Tigers tweets and instagrams to increase your odds of being included in our social media stories at MemphiSport.com.


Filed Under: Grizzlies, The Big Features Tagged With: , , , , , ,

New Grizzlies minority owner Justin Timberlake makes surprise appearance at team’s shoot around

November 23, 2012 by 1 Comment

Renowned singer, actor, and businessman Justin Timberlake recently joined new Grizzlies majority owner Robert Pera’s minority owner group. Timberlake, a Memphis native, made a surprise appearance at the Grizzlies’ shoot around Friday morning as they prepared to host the Lakers.

Memphis Grizzlies reserve shooting guard Wayne Ellington is accustomed to hearing trash talk while out on the court.

Just not from his boss.

Such was the case Friday morning during the team’s shoot around in FedExForum. As the Grizzlies (8-2) were wrapping up their one-hour light practice in preparation for Friday night’s Western Conference showdown versus the Los Angeles Lakers (6-6), Ellington and fellow teammates Quincy Pondexter and Josh Selby had the luxury of working out briefly with renown singer and actor Justin Timberlake.

Timberlake, 31, a Memphis native, in September agreed to join new Grizzlies billionaire majority owner Robert Pera’s ownership group, joining rapper Jay-Z (Brooklyn Nets) and actor Will Smith (Philadelphia 76ers) as the NBA’s only famous minority owners.

During the Grizzlies’ shoot around Friday, Timberlake strolled out on the court wearing sweat pants, a T-shirt, and winter hat, then immediately went after a loose ball and began talking jump shots just inside of the free throw line.

For a while, Ellington sensed his famous boss was sending hints that he was up for a game of H-O-R-S-E.

“He was talking a little trash,” Ellington jokingly said of Timberlake, who headed toward the Grizzlies’ locker room after his brief impromptu workout. “He was asking us can we shoot and did we have a little money with us.”

Timberlake, who did not speak to reporters Friday, has built a good reputation as a businessman in recent years, something that, along with his strong ties to the area, were appealing to Pera. Pera, a former Apple engineer, left the company in 2005 to start Ubiquiti Networks, a San Jose, Calif.-based communications technology company that makes WiFi networking equipment. He agreed in June to purchase the Grizzlies from ex-owner Michael Heisley in June for a reported $350 million.

(Click here to read ‘Does Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel’s marriage move the Grizzlies to the top of celebrity owned sports franchises?‘)

That Timberlake has become a minority owner for the Grizzlies has added more star power to a franchise whose ownership team also includes current Denver Broncos quarterback and Super Bowl 41 MVP Peyton Manning and former four-time NBA All-Star and fellow Memphian Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway.

Timberlake’s brief appearance Friday at the Grizzlies’ shoot around even prompted players such as Rudy Gay, Mike Conley, and Marc Gasol to return to the arena after the team’s walk-through to get a glimpse of arguably the most prominent personality within the Grizzlies organization.

“I think he’s pretty cool,” Ellington said of Timberlake. “That was my first time meeting him. For me to see him in movies and stuff like that then out on the court as one of our owners, that’s pretty cool. It’s great for our team. It’s great for our organization. It’s great for our city.”

Andre Johnson covers the Grizzlies for MemphiSport. To reach Johnson, email him at andre@memphisport.net. Also, follow him on Twitter @AJ_Journalist.

Filed Under: Grizzlies, The Big Features Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Does Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel’s marriage move the Grizzlies to the top of celebrity owned sports franchises?

October 19, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel tied the knot in Italy this week. The wedding officially added another big-time celebrity to the list of soon-to-be owners of the Memphis Grizzlies.

The Grizzlies will be under new ownership for the first time since Michael Heisley relocated the Vancouver based franchise to Memphis.  Robert Pera is in the final stages of purchasing the team, and if everything goes as planned he will be the new majority owner any day now.  One of the things that have so many fans excited about the change in ownership is the fact that Pera is gathering local business owners and celebrities to own a portion of the team as well.  He has done a great job adding stars from all sectors of entertainment including a former congressman, a Grammy Award winner, a NFL MVP, and a NBA legend.  However, how does this star studded minority ownership group stack up against some of the others in professional sports?

Here are the Top 5 celebrity owned franchises in professional sports:

5.  Brooklyn Nets
The Nets have one of the most famous owners in all of sports.  Jay-Z has 14 platinum albums and half of those are multiplatinum!  He is one of the most influential people in the music industry today, worth over $460 million. However, the fact that Jigga and his wife Beyonce are the only superstars in the Brooklyn Nets owner’s box prevents the Nets from ranking any higher on this list.

4.  Philadelphia 76ers
Jason Levien is a name that you may not recognize, but he is an agent that has represented Luol Deng, Kevin Martin, and Udonis Haslem.  He is also a minority owner of the 76ers, but not the reason they make the list.  The biggest stars in this owner’s box are none other than Hollywood power couple Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith.  We all know that Smith is from West Philadelphia (born and raised), so it makes sense for him to own a piece of the team that he cheered for as a kid.  And when you add Mrs. Smith who is known for her role in the TNT series Hawthorne, you have a team with some serious star power in the owner’s box.

3.  LA Dodgers
The Dodgers were in desperate need of an owner after former owner Frank McCourt was ousted by the MLB.  Enter the Guggenheim Partners whose star studded group is trying to return the Dodgers to MLB relevance.  Magic Johnson is without a doubt the most recognizable member of the group.  After all, he is a five time NBA champion, three-time NBA MVP, and a nine-time All-NBA First Team selection.  Yet, there are some other notable names in the group too.  Stan Kasten is a member of the Guggenheim Partners and is best known as the former Atlanta Hawks General Manager and the former President of the Atlanta Braves, Atlanta Thrashers, and Washington Nationals.  This group also includes one of the most famous producers in Hollywood, Peter Guber.  Some of his more popular movies include Rain Man, Batman, Midnight Express, and The Color Purple.

2.  Memphis Grizzlies
Robert Pera’s ability to get celebrities interested in purchasing shares of the Memphis Grizzlies has been great so far. Memphis makes the list because of the diverse group of new minority owners. Justin Timberlake who after spending several years in one of the best boy bands ever, had an impressive solo career, is a six time Grammy Award winner, and he recently married one of the sexiest women in Hollywood, Jessica Biel.  The two should “bring sexy back” to the Grizzlies franchise, and who knows, we might even see Timbaland in the stands for some home games this season. Also in the minority owner group is former Congressman Harold Ford, Jr.  and local basketball legend and 1996 Olympic Gold Medalist Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway.  Perhaps, the most intriguing minority owners are Peyton and Ashley Manning.  Peyton is a five time NFL All-Pro, a four time NFL MVP and a Super Bowl Champion, while the Memphis-native Ashley is married to a five time NFL All-Pro, a four time NFL MVP and a Super Bowl Champion.  Few teams can say they have this type of star power in their owner’s box.

1.  Miami Dolphins
If star power in the ownership box accounted for wins on the football field, the Dolphins might be the favorites to win the Super Bowl.  Stephen Ross is the majority owner, but few people know what he looks like.  However, everybody knows at least one of the celebrities who hold claim to being minority owners for the Dolphins franchise.  Jennifer Lopez and ex-husband Marc Anthony are a part of an ownership group that includes seven-time Grammy Award winner and “Queen of Latin Pop” Gloria Estefan, Jimmy Buffett, Black Eyed Peas member Fergie, and tennis stars Venus and Serena Williams.

CJ Hurt covers the Grizzlies for MemphiSport.  Follow him @churtj09 for live tweets from FedExForum.

Other Grizzlies articles:

Filed Under: Basketball, Grizzlies, The Big Features, Web Exclusives Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

MSL’s Talking Football with a Celebrity: Chris Wallace

September 8, 2012 by Leave a Comment

GM Chris Wallace joined Kevin Cerrito and Ben Hogan on MSL for the debut edition “Talking Football with a Celebrity” and to discuss Justin Timberlake buying a minority stake in the Memphis Grizzlies.

AUDIO:

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Kevin Cerrito and Marcus Hunter host MemphiSport Live (MSL) on Sports 56 & 87.7 FM every Saturday from 11:00 am – 1:00 pm. MSL was voted 3rd Best Sports Radio Show in the 2010 & 2011 Memphis Flyer Best of Memphis poll.

Follow the MSL hosts on Twitter @cerrito & @marcus_hunter

Filed Under: Interviews, The Big Features Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,
«Older Posts