COLUMN: New Orleans good choice for Grizzlies
A natural rivalry is about to come forth among the fans of the NBA.
The Vancouver Grizzlies are looking for a new home, and what better place to relocate than New Orleans?
Anaheim, Louisville and Memphis have also been courting the franchise. But if NBA commissioner David Stern wakes up and sees what a boom a move to New Orleans would mean to the league, all other teams trying to land the Grizzlies would be, well, difenistrated (thrown out the window).
What would be better than the old New Orleans franchise playing the new New Orleans franchise? Competition would be at its peak.
The potential new team and old team already have one connection: Henry Bibby, father of current Vancouver guard Mike Bibby, who played for the New Orleans Jazz in the early days.
The rivalry would be healthy for a league plagued with lower attendance and the brand of solely “a showman’s league.” Recent articles in ESPN Magazine say rivalry is alive and well in Major League Baseball (do the Atlanta Braves and New York Mets come to mind?). Why shouldn’t the NBA be any different? The rivalry could awaken new interest in the lower-than-usual-attendance-suffering, small-market Jazz.
The rivalry would be especially heated if the two teams were in the same division, like they should be.
New Orleans will make sense for the NBA’s division alignments. The Midwest Division has seven teams and the Central Division already has eight squads. By moving the Grizzlies to Memphis or Louisville, the NBA would be forced to pull off a less-than-brilliant division realignment – like the NFL’s placing of the Arizona Cardinals in the NFC’s Eastern Division. What sense would there be in doing something like that to the Central Division?
The move would give the Jazz a reason to change nicknames. Jazz brass can give back the nickname to New Orleans where it belongs. The current Jazz logo looks good, but it clashes. Let’s face it – the tops of the mountains and the word Jazz aren’t exactly like bread and butter. Letting New Orleans take over the name again will allow the music note to once again be incorporated into the logo and will make sense geographically. The only thing Jazzy about Utah is the Snowbird Jazz and Blues Festival held once a year.
A new nickname for the Jazz would go along with Utah’s current trend of ZZless nicknames. The Salt Lake Buzz are no more, renamed the Stingers. The Jazz could do the same with a decidedly Utah nickname. How about the Utah Brines? Salt Lake would have to be incorporated in the team name. Doesn’t Salt Lake Brines sound better?
An article on ESPN.com, Memphis was reported as the NBA’s top choice for the Grizzlies relocation. Why? The Grizzlies “are looking for the city that has the least amount of competition,” said Reggie Barnes, chairman of the Memphis and Shelby County Sports Authority.
Less competition is what you want, eh? Sure, Memphis doesn’t have any other pro sports teams, but doesn’t it really feel like New Orleans has one? The NFL’s Saints are the 20th century’s definition of sports futility. Competition rules out Anaheim. If the Grizzlies moved to Southern California, they would be competing for the interests of fans trying to decide between three NBA teams, one of which – the Clippers – is No. 2 on the futility list. Why would the soon-to-be-former Vancouver franchise want to be right next to No. 2 when it is already No. 3? The Grizzlies have clawed their way to a 96-340 all-time record.
The final argument for the Grizzlies to move to New Orleans is the need for a rebirth. A new location, especially in Mardi Gras-land, would definitely put some new life into the hapless squad. New Orleans never sleeps. Can we say the same for Vancouver?
Attendance would skyrocket after the team arrived in New Orleans. They enjoy good fights there. And with the “bad boy” image the Utah Jazz are receiving this season, fights could be more plentiful and add even more fuel to the rivalry.
Reuben Wadsworth is the assistant sports editor of the Statesman. He welcomes comments at
reubwads@cc.usu.edu