[bobbybParticipant]

I dont know why everyone is bashing Memphis ownership for not spending money. What money is there to spend. Why not bash the local fans for not going to the games. Every time i look they always have the worst attendance. And it isnt because they dont have big name players because when the sonics dumped their stars people still went to the games.

[butidonthavemoney]

Seattle’s good fans followed the team to Oklahoma City. Anybody remember the Vancouver Grizzlies? Lol

[bballtalksParticipant]

When the Grizzlies were in vancouver they actually had more fans attend there games.. and if they were actually good and didnt draft horrible players and give huge contracts to none worthy players they probably would still be in vancouver (big country reeves, bibby, shareef). As far as it goes with the memphis grizzlies i think they should have to change there name just like OKC did from the sonics to the thunder. I mean do grizzlies even live in memphis? and if the grizzlies were actually a winning and good team im sure more fans would cheer for them.. but the grizzlies ownership r too cheap to make them a good team.

[bobbybParticipant]

If there are no on in the stands then they dont have money to invest in players.

[llperez]

The Memphis Grizz need to win games in order to get fans. If they don’t spend money, the team won’t win. If the team does’nt win, the fans don’t show up.

It’s similar to what has happened here in Sac. The team sold out every game when they were winning a few years ago. Now the arena is empty because they suck, and the Maloofs don’t want to spend money because they wan’t a new arena that is full of fans.

In any case, the Grizz did try and sign Josh Smith to a big contract last offseason, but the Hawks matched, so it’s not like they aren’t trying at all.

[Scott42444Participant]

Didn’t an owner move them to Memphis in the first place?

Or, better yet, who thought that Vancouver couldn’t live without watching Bryant Reeves and Shareef Abdur Raheem 41 times a year? If the fans in Memphis don’t want to watch an NBA game, fine. Then move the team to Seattle, or Las Vegas, or Mexico City for that matter. I think that the Grizz are doing just fine talent wise right now, but I will forever hate them for the Lakers/Gasol fiasco last year. Plus, if you want to have a franchise in Memphis, find out what they want and give it too them.

Plus, Sports Illustrated has this to say about Heisley:
http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2009/may/12/sicom-ranks-grizzlies-owner-michael-heisley-third-/

For the lazy like me, the headline says that he is the 3rd worst owner in the NBA. Without even reading I am guessing that Sterling and Bobcat Bob are considered worse. Let’s find out…

[Scott42444Participant]

What was I thinking. Not Bobcat Bob, it was the Knicks moron James Dolan. He should get the award for worst owner (yes ahead of Sterling) for letting Isaiah Thomas run his basketball team. Isaiah sucked with Toronto and then BANKRUPTED THE CBA! An entire league went under during his watch! During the height of the NBA’s popularity too! God, Isaiah is actually going to make Florida International worse, if that’s even possible.

Back to the Grizz, in all fairness, the current owner did try to sell the team 3 years ago to former NBA player Brian Davis. They agreed on terms but it fell through. So, he has tried to get rid of them and the economy isn’t doing him any favors right now. Just ask the guy trying to “scrounge up” a billion dollars to buy the Cubs.

[montrell_Participant]

this city is so stupid when it comes to the franchise
even when we was winning 40+ games
and making the playoffs there wasnt many butts in the seats

i know cuz i was there some games

i dont understand it
and never will

even with a winning team the city of memphis will not support the grizzlies

but more than likely it was about the races of the star players
i dont understand that
but memphis is ignorant in those ways

now that we have rudy and mayo if we was to make the playoff more people would watch

or could it be the star profile mayo brings
either way its stupid as hell to me

i support my grizz and pray that the owners make good decisions moving foward

NO MORE JACKASS TRADES

[FaintingGoatParticipant]

Nobody wants to see a losing team. A winning team and attendance are proportional. When Memphis went to the playoffs in 04-05 their average attendance was roughly 17,000 fans a game (which was nearly middle of the pack in the NBA) compared to nearly 13,000 this year (2nd to last). In 02-03 (before LeBron saved the franchise) the Cavs were dead last in attendance, this year they averaged the 5th most fans a game. There are many such cases. It’s all proportional to winning. The fact that the Grizz are 2 miles inside the Tennessee border doesn’t help either. I went to 12 home games this year but had to drive 6 hours to get there. They might as well be in Oregon for most Tennesseans. Coach Cal opting for Kentucky will help the Grizz attendance though because the Tigers used to be the team of the town since they consistently won, but their record is sure to decline since the Tigers aren’t buying talent anymore :). This only depends on if Heisley is willing to make the team better by spending money and signing players, or he could just follow the same philosophy he has and continue being a bottom feeder in the league regarding attendance. If we take Rubio, I guarantee more fans will be in the seats considering that’s the buzz around Tennessee

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