Don’t blame karma for Grizzlies’ lottery fall
You knew it was coming, right? You knew what we’d be hearing as soon as the Memphis Grizzlies fell to No. 4 in the NBA draft.
Here’s a fan named Patrick Gunnell: “Tanked the season and that’s what they get.”
Here’s a fan named Chase Thweatt: “I love the karma of teams losing out on purpose.”
Here’s a fan named Rusty Ramsey: “A miserable season of trying to lose results in the fourth pick. Is it worth it?”
Answer: Sigh. Do I really have to explain this all again?
The Grizzlies did not try to lose this past season. They tried to extend their playoff streak for an eighth straight year. That’s why they went out and spent money on free agents, one of whom worked out brilliantly (Tyreke Evans), one of whom was a flop (Ben McLemore).
But then Mike Conley got hurt. Chandler Parsons was his usual gimpy self. Marc Gasol clashed with the head coach, who was subsequently fired. The whole thing came off the rails.
Even then, the Grizzlies tried to keep winning. They even (stupidly) hung on to Evans through the trade deadline. Why? Because Grizzlies management didn’t think the team was bad enough to finish at the very bottom of the league anyway. In this, as in too many things of late, Grizzlies management was wrong.
So then, yes, the Grizzlies shifted their emphasis toward building for the future. They played their young guys, to get them experience. They rested Gasol in the second night of back-toback games. In the process, they lost maybe half a dozen games they might otherwise have won.
If they had won those games, would the season have felt any more triumphant (or tolerable) for season-ticket holders?
No. It would have felt like the same miserable slog.
Should Grizzlies have won more?
As a consequence, though, the Griz-
There will also be an elite camp on June 23. Members of the coaching staff will be on hand to challenge and prepare college-bound boys in grades 9-12. The cost is $50 and will take place at the Laurie-Walton Center.
For more information, including how to register, visit www.pennyhardawaybasketball camp.com.
Coaching carousel stops at Westwood
The Westwood football program revived a few of the memories from the school's glory days last season, finishing 9-3 and advancing to the second round of the Class 1A playoffs.
But the Longhorns' program was jarred by the death of coach
who suffered a stroke while working the clock at a Southwind High basketball game in February. Now it's up to to continue the school's upwards trajectory and satisfy the hungry alumni base in South Memphis. "My defensive coordinator
who was at Hillcrest last year, is a Westwood alum and he's instilled that in me," said Copeland. "He's schooled me on what to do and what not to do and I'm starting to be embraced by the alumni.
"We've got some good veterans coming back. I just want to instill some energy and be sound defensively."
The 30-year-old Copeland play high school ball in Florida and also at MTSU. He comes to Westwood from Stratford High in the Nashville area, where he spent the last five seasons as an assistant. In another SCIAA move,
has taken over the East job, which had been vacant since
left his alma mater in January to accept the Cordova job which opened when accepted an assistant's job at the University of Memphis.
Donald coached MAHS in 2014 before spending the last three seasons at struggling Kingsbury, where he compiled a 4-26 mark.
Marion will also have a new coach on the sidelines after naming
who lettered four years at safety for Ole Miss and was a member of the 1999 SEC championship team. He comes to the Patriots from Chisholm Trail High in Fort Worth, where he served as defensive coordinator.
Harris, Fred Copeland Martin, Donald Wimberly Hogue stays hot on Long Drive Tour
When it comes to just gripping it and ripping it, no one is doing it better than
right now. Hogue, who played baseball at Houston High and Austin Peay before changing gears, won the championship at last week's Ak-Chin Smash in the Sun in Maricopa, Calif. It was his second title in three weeks on the World Long Drive Tour and moved him up one spot to No. 3 in the rankings.
The Germantown resident drove 421 yards on his second ball of the final to defeat good friend and roomie
of Wilson, N.C.
Will Hogue Howell Anthony Jones Dwayne Archie Katarii Marcus Keith Houston, Paul
"Obviously we're sharing a room together ... we like each other a little bit," he said in a statement. "So it's great to hit against him in the finals. It's a lot of fun."
Hogue will be back in action on June 5 as the tour moves to New Jersey for the Atlantic City Boardwalk Bash, which will air live on the Golf Channel.
Tigers land former Houston standout Peyton McKnatt,
a two-time winner of the Best of the Preps player of the year award, is one of 13 newcomers set to join the University of Memphis soccer team this fall.
McKnatt, a midfielder, has spent the last two seasons at Northwest Mississippi Community College where he scored 12 goals and assisted on 10 others in 18 games. As a senior in 2015, he led Houston to a 22-2-1 record and the Class AAA state championship and was also named an all-American.
He'll play for Memphis City FC in the Premier Development League this summer.
Elsewhere, the Memphis men's cross country team announced they were adding four local products for next season: Arlington's Whitehaven's and the Bartlett duo of and
Wood. Jessie Boyette, Emmanuel Cullins Brendan Hill Former Tiger track star dies Lynn Fox, Avery
who helped the University of Memphis' 400-relay team set a school record that remained unbroken for 45 years died last week at his home in Asheville, N.C. at the age of 67.
A native of Chattanooga, Fox teamed with and to win the 1973 national championship with a time of 39.6 seconds. The record stood until this
Everett Taylor, Ed Hammonds Maurice Knight Davon DeMoss, Imri Presiado, Kolbeinn Gunnarsson Calvin Austin
past weekend, when the team of
and former Harding Academy star ran 39.59 to finish second at the AAC meet in Cincinnati.
As an individual, Fox won three Missouri Valley Conference titles and was part of the conference-winning 400 relay squad as well.
Redbirds salute local heroes
The Memphis Redbirds and Ford have joined forces to honor our local heroes over the Memorial Day weekend.
"Mid-South Heroes Weekend presented by Ford" will take place during the Redbirds' series against Colorado Springs. Firefighters and EMS personnel will be honored on Friday, military on Saturday and police on Sunday. In addition, there will be fireworks following both the Saturday and Sunday games.
Each day's events will feature equipment, displays and interactive experiences in the Plaza and throughout the stadium.
On Sunday, fans are also invited to attend the annual softball game between the Shelby County Sheriffs Department and the Memphis Police Department, which begins at 4:15 p.m.
"This is shaping up to be one of the marquee weekends of the season at AutoZone Park," said team president and general manager in a statement. "These events are just a small token of the gratitude for these heroes who do so much for each and every one of us."
Sunday Sports Brunch is a weekly look at movers, shakers and newsmakers on the Memphis sports scene, from youth level to the pros. If you have an item of interest, please contact John Varlas at john.varlas@commercialappeal.com.
Craig Unger