| Court of Dreams |
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| Written by Chip Crain |
| Tuesday, 09 March 2010 09:17 |
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If you build it, they will come. If I can't get people to come to the games I can't pay anybody. Am I upset? No. I've always said we have to make people want to come. With this team, if we can't make them want to come I don't know what I can do. Ray Kinsella had far less of a fan base when he began plowing his cornfield under to build a baseball field. Of course he did risk losing his home and farm but in the end he built it and the people did come and he was saved. Maybe Michael Heisley needs to watch that movie. People come after it is build not before. People didn't come to the Iowa fields to watch a few good ghosts throwing the ball around. They waited until the team was together and ready to play a real game. Then they came and they came in droves. Cars as far as a person could see drove to Iowa to see them play. That could happen in Memphis with the Grizzlies. After all the Tigers didn't become a sellout over night. If we remember the Grizzlies outdrew the Tigers in attendance the first season the Tigers reached the elite 8. That's right. The Grizzlies outdrew the Tigers the year the Tigers went to the elite 8. Now the next season, with the addition of Derrick Rose the Tigers regained top billing and have held it ever since. Not because the city won't support two winning teams however. They got the lion's share of business because the Grizzlies were terrible back then. Now the Grizzlies are coming on and the Tigers are slipping. Attendance is turning up. Sure it's a slow process but attendance is coming the Grizzlies way and that's because the people of Memphis see the Grizzlies making the moves to build a winner. Now is not the time to take the foot off the gas. Now is the time to put the peddle to metal and bring the team up into the elite status. Imagine what would have happened to the Tiger program if the administration at the University of Memphis hadn't supported the Tigers continuing recruiting efforts after the disappointing Elite 8 season's attendance? What if R. C. Johnson had decided to not pursue Derrick Rose since the people weren't coming to the games anyway. Then the city wouldn't have had that glorious final four season and the Tigers wouldn't be having sellouts this year despite a terrible schedule and a weak team. So is Heisley going to remember the lesson we learned from the Tigers? Is he going to spend the money needed to re-sign Rudy Gay and Ronnie Brewer? He said in the article he plans on signing Rudy Gay and I believe him. But is he going to pursue the final pieces needed to put this team over the top as well or is he instead going to fold up tent and save as much money as possible? The people of Memphis aren't expecting Heisley to go out and offer some monumental contract to LeBron James or Dwayne Wade after all. They just want to keep the people here who are helping this team win right now and add the pieces to the bench needed to give the starting five a breather every night. Consistently getting better is what the fans of Memphis want to see. So far they have seen one year of improvement with a lot of question marks about the future and a ton of mistakes in the past. Is it any wonder the fans are being somewhat hesitant to jump in with both feet? Heisley promised the city a three year plan to return to the playoffs. Well next year is the third year and if he fails to hold the team together now not only will that ruin the chance the Grizzlies had to make this team a winning franchise but he will destroy what little respect he had left in the city. Not only will the people who don't currently come out not come but those who have supported the team will stop coming. Mr. Heisley, you haven't built it yet. Before you give up at least complete the project you started two years ago. If you continue to build it they will come. |
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