We are on from 11a-2p CST on 92.9 ESPN Memphis or @ 929ESPN.COM - and on SiriusXM's Mad Dog Radio other times
The Mic Check segment on CW30 runs on Wednesday nights in the 9:45 block. This week the segment was about a Memphis run for the national championship.
Vandy knocked off Tennessee at Memorial Gym tonight. I don't think anyone is really surprised that they dropped this game. Vandy has won 18 in a row and 31 of 32 at home, and I think they said on the broadcast that the Dores have knocked off the last three number 1 teams that have come into their building. The man in the picture was THE MAN for Vandy, Shan Foster. He was fantastic for Vandy and I think he became their all-time leading scorer in this game (it did not say in the first game story, but I think that is right). Tennessee will probably drop one or two more games before the tourney and it is very difficult for any team in a big conference to win every game from this point forward. I would expect that Memphis will again be at the number 1 spot and when they get there, they probably will end the regular season in that slot. What is hilarious is the emails that I have already gotten that are of the ha-ha variety from Memphis fans as if I really care, or that this proves something. I am sorry I picked against your team and I was dead on in my prediction. Hopefully Vandy made you feel better about losing to Tennessee. Congrats to Shan Foster and Vandy on a big time win. This is the best state in the nation for college basketball this year.
Who else in the Memphis media told you that the Vols were going to win that game? I am expecting 3 straight hours of apologies on Monday. The number is 525-ESPN. Go ahead and program that into your phone and set an alert... "remember to apologize to Chris Vernon and admit he is smarter than me." I go on TV and say it, I go on radio and say it, and took all of the punishment that goes with being the only one willing to tell you the truth. Tennessee is one of three teams that I would pick to beat Memphis, and they did. I wanted to see an undefeated season, but I have to keep it real instead of pandering to the masses. I only take satisfaction in knowing that so many of you that called, emailed, and texted the show immediately had the realization that my brain cannot be denied. I am Mental Hercules. The apology line will be open.
The last coach to take Memphis to the Final Four was Dana Kirk. Dana talked about his '85 team, managing the egos, win streaks, and what the time period was like in Memphis. He also told us who would win if his '85 team played against the current Tiger team, and who will win the game on Saturday. He was fantastic on the show.
Grizzlies GM Chris Wallace was in studio right after the deadline for the entire first hour and took a bunch of calls from the fans. I give the guy massive credit for taking the calls and engaging with the fans. It is truly unprecedented. Here are the segments if you missed them...
- there were not many Memphis media members there. There was the radio team, Fox had a few guys down there, Wolken from the CA, and me. I think that was it.
- the trip is way easier since they opened up the highways that take you to Bham.
- Robert Vaden is absolutely awesome. He lived up to expectations.
Terrible last shot, but other than that, the kid proved he is a player. He will be a pro.
- I have no idea how Douglas-Roberts hits the shots he hits. He was spectacular.
- Antonio Anderson played the best game I have ever seen him play. He was having to chase Vaden around on one end, and dropping off shots on the other end. He was better last night than he was in the Cincy game a few years back.
- UAB had an incredible game plan and executed it about as well as they could have. Memphis players were looking for calls and getting frustrated. They always had a body on a body on the defensive glass. Memphis kills teams on the boards and with second chance points typically. They took Dorsey completely out of the game by bullying the bully.
- I will talk at length about the aftermath of the game on the show, but quickly... I was taken out of my media seat under the goal so that the fans could rush the court, and so I was actually on the court in the corner at the end of the game. Upon winning the game Pierre Niles was right in front of me getting in peoples faces and just being completely ridiculous. I know what it looks like when a guy is looking for trouble, and there was about to be a riot on the court right in front of me with some UAB football players because Pierre is out there poppin his jersey, cussin, and bowin' up on anyone around (nevermind that he was on the end of the bench the whole game). When you see the team coming to that end of the court on the video, it is because Pierre is out there jawing at everyone. The UAB fans were completely out of line for throwing crap at the team, but the team should have gone to the locker room. If you are gonna yell at fans, and pop your jersey, and get in faces as you are walking to the tunnel good things will typically not come from that. You have nothing to gain by being in the tunnel arguing with a fan, and you might get hurt in the process. You gotta just keep on walking. I will bet anything Coach Cal is telling them the same thing. You gotta just keep on walking.
You can help us with the screening process (the listener portion) in the final episode on Wednesday at 4:20.
The TV gig begins tonight. ABC 24/ UPN 30 came to me and asked me to be a part of their local sports coverage and bring the radio show to tv for a segment once a week. It will be a part of the news broadcast that begins at 9 oclock on UPN 30, and my bit "Mic Check" will be on in the 9:45 to 10 pm block. They even break it up on Tivo as 9:45-10pm where it is listed as a different program.. "Eyewitness Sports". Make it a point to tune in and check it out if you will. Thank you to all of you that listen to the show. Again, good things keep happening because of you. Tonight, 9:45, UPN 30, the tv gig begins.
In publications all across this land, intelligent people looking for an explanation for the Grizzlies-Lakers trade hit on the same explanation: Salary dump.
The article goes on to say, much like the other article in the paper, that this explanation is false. False because some people have said it is false.
So let me get this right... all of the facts of the recent past will lead you to believe that this was another move to help cut costs, intelligent people all over the nation can see this, but Heisley and some other source said that it was not a fire sale. Hmmmmm. Honestly, anyone with a brain can see the truth. If you believe this crap, you are simply naive.
With that being said, the outcome of this trade is not that bad. The by-product of cutting costs could help the Grizzlies build a significantly better team in the future. In the end, this team has to get lucky and be better in the draft than they have been.
The trade is what it is, but I cannot help but laugh at the people killing it. It could not be more obvious that much of the national media has rarely seen Pau play. This was clearly more of a business deal than a basketball deal, but allow me to quickly address it from the basketball angle. WHY WAS THE TEAM ALWAYS AS GOOD WITH PAU AS THEY WERE WITHOUT HIM RECORD-WISE? WHY? Over the course of the last few years the Grizzlies have won 28% of their games with Pau, and 27% without him. How is that possible if the guy is so great? I defy anyone to give me a good reason. The suck with him, and now they will suck without him, but at least they will have some flexibility to improve (if they care).
The toughest part to swallow for me is that I was screaming from the rooftops a few years ago that this team should not be making Pau a max player. If that is what you had to pay, you had to let him walk. This franchise should have never given the guy the deal, and now we all pay for it.
