Blue Memphis
Peyton Manning was there. So was Priscilla Presley. And Justin Timberlake.
Peyton was orange. Priscilla and JT were blue.
So was most of Memphis. Especially their basketball team.
Saturday night was one of the biggest games in college basketball: #1 University of Memphis vs. #2 University of Tennessee, and in-state rivals to boot. Add to the fact that Tennessee’s historically average to poor men’s basketball program is ranked in the top 5 for the first time EVER.
They say people were lining up at five o’clock in the morning to get into a game that started at nine at night. And tickets were going for as high as $15,000.
Unlike most “Big” games, it lived up to the hype. The two teams were well matched and both, for the most part, played good strong basketball. The score was close all night. I think the biggest gap was seven points.
It was played in Memphis, (so the attorney and I watched it from his sofa) and I’d say 90% (or more) of those in attendance were Memphis fans. Very little orange. But a whole lot of blue.
It was the bluest crowd I ever saw in my life.
Especially at the end when Tennessee beat the (until then) undefeated Memphis Tigers 66-62. Oh, so blue.
“I’ll have a blue Memphis…”
And now Tennessee is #1.
Tennessee’s men’s basketball program has historically (until a couple of years ago) been average to poor. Football has always been the marquee sport of the Vols and that program seems to be unravelling before our eyes. It scares me a little. I’m not sure if I’ve entered a bizarro universe or if this is one of the signs of the apocalypse.
Whichever it is, I’m gonna enjoy it while I can.
After all, what’s the opposite of blue?
Orange.
February 25th, 2008 at 2:29 am
Tony I was there and rooting for the Tigers. Needless to say I currently wonder if I should have taken the $3000 that I was offered for my lower level seat? I will say that it was great basketball, the entire time they were up and down the court with intense speed, it was like watching a good NBA game. The free throw percentage by both teams was embarrasing but in a sense I am somewhat glad that they loss because winning 40+ games with no losses is something that would have been extremely difficult to go into the finals with in March. Maybe we will meet again next month, until then GO TIGERS!!!!
February 25th, 2008 at 9:19 am
I thought of you when I saw that Tennessee won. So, who is number one again?
February 25th, 2008 at 11:12 am
For many years the state just north of you had 2 basketball powers. Now Kentucky and Louisville have to make way for teams in Tennessee.Before Kentucky there was Indiana. Is power basketball moving south? Will next years game be in Knoxville? Kudos to the Vols!
February 25th, 2008 at 11:57 am
What’s all of this jibberish to which you are forcing me? I don’t even know what you’re talking about.
February 25th, 2008 at 7:55 pm
Like Sue, I thought of you immediately when I saw that the Vols were number one. Now if we could just do something about Georgetown and Maryland on my side of the Appalachians!
February 25th, 2008 at 8:28 pm
Congrats to the Vols!
February 26th, 2008 at 12:29 am
Tony, I too was watching the game and I swear there were times my testicles jumped to my throat. That was one helluva ball game with two incredible teams participating. I am so very proud to say “It’s great to be a Tennessee Vol!”. But I am equally as proud of having the two biggest “powerhouse teams” be in our state’s borders. I also thought of you and wondered if you and Mr. Attorney were watching history unfold. Let’s just make easy work of the Commadores tomorrow night.
February 26th, 2008 at 5:41 am
Go Celtics!
February 26th, 2008 at 11:32 pm
And that was Bruce Pearl who used to work up here in my part of the country(Evansville, IN) who coached them to victory.