Memphis Grizzlies

Thank you Grizzlies for an exciting season. WE STILL BELIEVE! Great family friendly arena at the forum.

Do you root for the underdog? The Grizzlies are the team for you. They have no superstars. They have no pretty boys in car/​shoe/​deodorant commercials. The Grizz focus on playing basketball, and they do a damn fine job of it. The players and staff are down to earth, nice people, who just happen to shut down the Lakers and Heat while they’re at it.
Going to a Grizzlies game is like inadvertently walking behind a jet plane about to take off. Everything is subdued and normal, and then OH MY GOD WHAT’S HAPPENING THIS IS AWESOME. The Grizzlies are kind of like magicians. The way they play looks like just a solid, team effort, but somehow, it gets the job done every time. Also, like magicians, they struggle for awhile (usually 3^rd-​4^th quarter) then usually come to their senses and get the W. Voila!
Have you ever eaten crappy food at a sporting event? You lucky sucker, you’re in for a treat. Memphis venues serve pork barbecue nachos and big-​ass beers. Your taste buds should be exploding right now at the thought of that. The announcer, Rick Trotter, is incredible. He will make your biceps bulge, your beard grow out, and your testosterone count skyrocket. He makes the Old Spice guy look like Urkel. When he gets on the mic, your heart beats faster and your colon clenches.
Like some neighborhoods in Memphis, they’re really good at stealing. The Grizzlies defense is amazing. If you don’t pay attention, Tony Allen will steal your girlfriend while you’re sitting next to her. He’s THAT good.
Plus, look at Z-​Bo. If you don’t just want to pinch his cheeks when he smiles, there’s something wrong with you.
As if all that wasn’t enough, the Grizzlies have the best monikers/​slogan/​Twitter accounts ever. Grit. Grind. Grizzness Time. Oh My Grizzness. Believe Memphis. Make your own luck. Once you go to a game, you’ll understand the lingo. It’s like learning a new secret language. And that language is awesome.

Not only do they steal a team from Vancouver and not bother to change the nickname but the only decent player (Pau Gasol) they’ve ever had gets traded for a bucket of basketballs to the Lakers where he wins a championship with Kobe.
Back in the ABA days this team may have drawn flies but it had cool nicknames – the Pros, Tams (Tennessee, Arkansas, Missouri – get it?) and Sounds. They even had Charlie O. Finley as owner for a short time.
Now, how can as cool a city with a rich history of the blues and BBQ have such a bland NBA team?