Beat LA Wrasslin' Style

Memphis often gets a bad rap. First it was Andy Kaufman. Then Ralph Lawler and TJ Simers. They saw that we're dumb and we smell bad. But Memphis, unlike Hollywood and LA, has heart and soul. And what's more Memphis than Dave Brown and Jerry "The King" Lawler? Because I fully believe that these two inspired the Memphis Grizzlies to win Game 2 of their opening round playoff series against the Clippers. I remember going to the Mid-South Coliseum a couple times as a kid to see The King at Monday Night Wrestling. And I spent many Saturday mornings in front of the TV watching Saturday Morning Wrestling on Channel 5 with Dave Brown hosting and Jerry Lawler creating havoc.

The Grizzlies didn't play particularly well in the first quarter last night. They trailed by three at the end of the quarter. Prior to the second quarter beginning the Grizzlies tried to honor and recognize Dave Brown for his service to Channel 5 for 50 years! Well, right in the middle of the presentation an obnoxious Clippers fan came on the court and interrupted with some snide comments about "Memphis, Tennessee." Suddenly, the crowd got quiet, then began to boo, and then began to cheer as the music began playing. Out comes Jerry "The King" Lawler talking about what he did the last time someone spoke bad about Memphis. Then he picks up the Clippers fan and piledrives him right onto the hardwood. The paramedics had to come out to cart him off, likely taking him right to the ICU. You can see Dave Brown below, then Jerry Lawler in his crown as he is confronting the Clippers fan.

Well, that was all it took. The Grizzlies, especially OJ Mayo(no doubt a Saturday morning and Monday night wrestling fan), dominated the second quarter. They never really looked back either, beating the Clippers to even the series at 1-1. The game was awesome. The crowd still seemed a little tense from the debacle Sunday night and it wasn't quite like last year, but still incredibly fun. We got our white t-shirts and our yellow Growl Towels to wave. Brad and I had a late night Wednesday and a rough day Thursday, but it was all worth it. We might need to bring the Moondogs back for Game 5!