Home › Columns
Strange: The series that almost wasn't
Please download the latest version of Adobe Flash Player, or enable JavaScript for your browser to view the video player.
Memphis Tigers
STORY TOOLS
RELATED STORIES
- UT, Memphis feels the need for speed
- Adams: No. 1 vs. 2: UT dream come true
- Vols all business
- Volunteer or Tiger: Are you a divided household?
More Columns
- Adams: Tony P's is SEC of West
- Strange: UT 0-3 in SEC by mid-October?
- Adams: Hangover from UCLA loss will linger
Share and Enjoy [?]
MEMPHIS - You'd think Bruce Pearl would rather play this game tonight anywhere but the FedEx Forum, where Tennessee will incur the full wrath of the Memphis Tigers' homecourt advantage.
You'd think John Calipari would be ecstatic he's got the Vols in his house tonight.
You'd be wrong on both counts.
It's the biggest regular-season college basketball game ever in the state of Tennessee. And it almost did not get played over a dispute about where to play.
In the fall of 2003, long before Pearl came to Knoxville to resurrect the Vols from mediocrity, the future of any athletic endeavors between UT and Memphis was at an impasse.
Calipari didn't especially want to play Tennessee - whom he dismissed as a "regional power" - and absolutely not on a home-and-home basis.
UT's first-year athletic director Mike Hamilton had to dangle football as leverage to get the Tigers to extend the basketball series that would lead to the monster game that will be played here tonight between the top two teams in America.
That November, Hamilton said the remaining four UT-Memphis football games under contract were off. No basketball? OK, no football.
A peace committee of former president Jimmy Carter, the Rev. Jesse Jackson and Dick Vitale brought the two schools to the table and coaxed a new agreement to continue both sports.
Just kidding about that part. But it was a hard-ball negotiation.
In December 2003, UT agreed to play Memphis in football five times in a nine-year period. The Tigers agreed to an eight-year home-and-home basketball contract that renewed in 2005-06.
Tonight will be the third game in that series.
"Continuing the basketball series was something we felt like was important to us," Hamilton said recently.
Especially continuing it in Memphis. And there's the rub.
Tennessee feels it has much to gain by showing up in Memphis, even if only every other year.
Calipari, meanwhile, champions a UT-Memphis annual showdown in Nashville called the Governor's Cup.
Two basketball powers. Two agendas.
Pearl heartily endorses the importance of playing in Memphis to bolster recruiting.
"It's a known fact the best high school basketball is played in West Tennessee," he said. "Did (playing in Memphis) help us recruit Wayne Chism? No question.
"Without Wayne Chism I think our program would not be anywhere near where it is."
Besides, UT is the state's flagship university. Pearl wants to connect with fans outside Knox County. That's why he plays in Chattanooga and Nashville as well as Memphis.
"Part of it is the way the state is shaped," he said. "We need to take the show on the road."
They need to make a show at home, too. UT has a 21,000-seat arena to fill.
"We have to sell tickets," Pearl said. "If you're Texas and want to play Tennessee, we go home-and-home. Even the Atlantic 10 teams like Xavier and Temple, we go home and home."
For Calipari's part, the Tigers have little following in East Tennessee and don't recruit there. Why go to Knoxville?
"How about if (tonight's game) was a neutral site?" Calipari said. "And they had half the tickets and we had half the tickets and it becomes the event of events and it takes the state of Tennessee absolutely to another level?
"I'm a big-picture guy. ... Now some people will fight it for selfish reasons but it's bigger than all that."
His neutral site is Nashville. Calipari feels Memphis gets short shrift from the legislature. He wants to showcase his program in front of those who control the purse strings.
"The University of Memphis," said Hamilton, "has the opportunity to schedule games in Nashville. It doesn't have to be Tennessee."
Tonight is a showcase. It happens to be in Memphis, but would be no less of a showcase in Knoxville or Nashville.
Two basketball powers, two agendas.
I don't much care where they play, just as long as they play.
Mike Strange may be reached at 865-342-6276 or strange2@knews.com.
- UT report card for UCLA
- Game film makes Fulmer madder
- Crompton suffered concussion in fourth quarter against UCLA
- It's a Hollywood disaster, but Fulmer says it's 'fixable'
- Craft ready to go 'all-out' for Pearl, Tennessee
- UT to play UConn in football (not women's basketball)
- Call into the Vol frustration line
- Next Bradshaw? UT gets commitment from combo guard Craft
- Strange: UT 0-3 in SEC by mid-October?
- Adams: Tony P's is SEC of West
Please download the latest version of Adobe Flash Player, or enable JavaScript for your browser to view the video player.
Posted by devault1 on February 22, 2008 at 10:19 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Nice column, Mike.
Posted by yemmusdarb on February 22, 2008 at 10:26 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I second that, nice column.
Posted by coach75 on February 22, 2008 at 10:28 p.m. (Suggest removal)
calipari was the typical kid who did not get his way and took his ball and went home to pout.
Posted by jevolball7 on February 22, 2008 at 10:40 p.m. (Suggest removal)
CaliMari is scared to death of us. All the pressure is on them. We are 5 point dogs,and have NOTHING to lose. I expect Bruce will turn us LOOSE,as in,have fun playground type ball. They say they can out run us???? Let's all hope they try! We have much more QUALITY depth,so I wouldn't be surprised if we pull the "hack a Shaq" philosophy on them. They shoot about 58% from the line,and we will get them in foul trouble. Anyone else see it this way?
Posted by nicksjuzunk on February 22, 2008 at 10:51 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Calipari is about as slippery as a frozen watermelon covered with baby oil being carried by a slug!
Posted by EDis4UT on February 22, 2008 at 11:10 p.m. (Suggest removal)
"Calipari feels Memphis gets short shrift from the legislature. He wants to showcase his program in front of those who control the purse strings."
What?
Is this idiot serious? So by playing a basketball in Nashville once a year in front of the whole State Legislature he thinks they will give more money to a city university to equal the state's university budget.
Yeah...I guess Louisville should start playing a couple of games in Frankfort so they can receive the same money allotted a year to UK.
This is the main reason I would love to drop the series with Memphis. Then Calamari will be finally happy. BTW, that includes football. Try selling out the Liberty Bowl with C USA and Div. 2 teams year in and year out. U of M benefits greatly finanacially when they play us in football and basketball home and home.
Calamari is such a pompous jerk.
Posted by surfmaster on February 22, 2008 at 11:19 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Coach Calamari's comments about the vols only being a "regional" team and not wanting to play at home only show his ignorance and the yellow side of his underbelly. A real man would stand up and fight and say not in my house!
Fact: UT represents the State of Tennessee, which, last time I checked was bigger than the city of Memphis (East Arkansas I call it), which TigerHigh represents.
Fact: Coach Kalahari and Coach Pearl are both in their 16th year of coaching. Coach Castafari's winning percentage: 74.9% Coach Pearl's wp: 78.7%
Fact: In head to head matchups UT leads Memphis all time 11-7 in basketball. Not bad for a regional basketball school, huh? Now, you wanna talk about some football?
Posted by murrayvol on February 22, 2008 at 11:20 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Good read Mike. I would absolutely love to clean the clock of Memphis tomorrow night. But I would rather beat Vandy next week because that game will help the Vols end a 41 year quest for an outright SEC title. I was a junior at UT when Widby & Co. closed that deal and I'd rather not die before it happens again.
Posted by cdldoc on February 22, 2008 at 11:44 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Surfmaster, outstanding, dude!
Posted by stevefrommemphis on February 23, 2008 at 12:13 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Amen, murrayvol. Outright SEC Championship is #1 priority. I was a 7 year old 2nd grader in 1967, and one of my earliest Vol memories is listening to that triple overtime victory at Mississippi State.
Memphis sports editor Geoff Caulkins basically called Pearl a liar for saying that the SEC championship is the #1 priority. The game is Memphis' #1 priority, because it is something exciting for the city, and something exciting happens in Memphis about as often as an eclipse of the sun. Just because it is their #1 priority doesn't mean it has to be Tennessee's #1 priority.
Remaining games I want Tennessee to win, in order of importance:
1. Kentucky
2. Vanderbilt
3. Florida
4. Memphis
5. South Carolina (assuming UT wins #1, 2, and 3, Vols could lose this one and still win SEC outright.)
Posted by Colliervol on February 23, 2008 at 10:40 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Agreed murray, it would be nice to beat Memphis and put ourselves in front for a #1 seed. (And especially sweet for a Shelby County Vol fan.) But the SEC title is more important to me and always will be. Even if we lose tonight and if we win the SEC outright and the tournament, I think we still have a shot at a #1 seed. And even if we beat Memphis, we could lose a few of the upcoming games or not do well in the tournament and not get a #1 seed. So, in the grand scheme of things, I think it's more important what happens the rest of the conference season than what happens tonight.
Posted by jzt on February 23, 2008 at 11:16 a.m. (Suggest removal)
That shows the way Tiger high operates. Instead of giving your fans and program a game against an instate rival, they would rather take the game to Nashville. Yes Pearl will get a few players from Memphis, as does everyone else Duke (Williams), Ga Tech (Young). The season ticket holders at Memphis are the ones that shuold be angered. Would you buy season tickets to watch Rice, SMU, Marshall ? What would UT fans say if Hamilton proposed moving the Kentucky or Florida game to Nashville ? This is why they will always be Tiger high and second fiddle to UT and SEC schools.
Posted by NatiVol on February 23, 2008 at 11:47 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I can understand John not wanting to play UT in Knoxville. He is right it doesn't do for his program what playing in Memphis does for the Vols. But once again, UT is in the SEC and UT is the state school. He should be glad to play them. But then again, it is easier to play only CUSA and MAC schools. Memphis has chose not to do that playing Georgetown and others. And they need UT for football, so in some ways it is a win win.
Posted by EDis4UT on February 23, 2008 at 12:01 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Cal said:
"I'm a big-picture guy. ... Now some people will fight it for selfish reasons but it's bigger than all that."
Oh I wonder who Cal is referring to when he says "some people"?
So tell me Mr. "Big-picture guy", how can you get any bigger than today's game? You us at #2 in the country playing you on your home court.
No wonder that most coaches can't stand to breathe the same air in the room that you breathe.
Posted by EDis4UT on February 23, 2008 at 12:11 p.m. (Suggest removal)
<<You HAVE us at #2 in the country>>
Sorry for the typo.
Posted by mparker on February 23, 2008 at 12:15 p.m. (Suggest removal)
what I don't understand from this:
why doesn't UT play Ole Miss or Miss State in Memphis?? They both like to recruit Memphis players as well.
Seems like we used to do that in some years. I do't think the fedex forum would turn us down.
And, as Hamilton said, Memphis can play in Nashville by using the Gaylord facility, or by scheduling Vanderbilt.
I gotta say this: Calamari has it farily easy recruiting in a hot-bed area like the Memphis triangle. Bruce has it tougher, though he can pull some nuggets out of the rest of tennesse (just as florida who featured Lee Humphrey and what's-his-face, both from Tennessee).
Posted by EDis4UT on February 23, 2008 at 12:49 p.m. (Suggest removal)
mparker:
That will be good idea a few years ago. You want recruits to see the team play on their home court. Besides, Ole Miss or Miss.St. already play a game in Southaven, MS. I
don't know if that is even a sell out. Just like in football, you want the recruits on campus.
UT plays Vandy in Nashville every year - if they want to move that game to the Sommet Centre that would be find by me. I doubt that Vandy would ever agree to do that.
If Calamari wants to show off his team to the State Legislatures let him schedule Vandy, Austin Peay, MTSU, Belmont...whoever. The memphis vs. UT game should always be played home and home. If he doesn't like that, fine. We will cancel playing memphis in football and basketball.
Posted by Colliervol on February 23, 2008 at 1:11 p.m. (Suggest removal)
ED/mparker, I think approaching Ole Miss to play our game every year in Memphis or the Desoto Center would be a great idea. (I doubt Miss. State would do it because they don't really make a big push in Memphis for recruits and they usually have good crowds for basketball in Starkville.) I guarantee Pearl can get the game on TV and both teams benefit from the exposure without having to schedule Memphis and listen to all that whining about neutral courts and their "national" program. And it would be exposure EVERY year and not just every two years. Let Cal play Tennessee State in Nashville every year if he wants exposure up there.
Personally ED, I like your last sentence best of all. That would suit me just fine.
Posted by EDis4UT on February 23, 2008 at 1:41 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Colliervol:
Yeah, that is only about 30 minutes from your house(LOL). I don't see how Ole Miss recruits anybody with that rinky-dinky dump in Oxford. But that is a different topic for a different day. How many does the Desoto Centre hold? It has to be more than the Tad Pad.
Posted by DCVolFan on February 23, 2008 at 9:48 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Great column, Mike.
Having lived in Memphis for years, they think that they are the best athletic prgram in the state, when in fact, they aren't always the best in teh 901 area code.
Go Vols!
Posted by DenmarkVol_aka_Mbumburu on February 24, 2008 at 12:01 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I live in Europe. Reading about Calipari from over here throughout the years, occasionally catching the odd snippet of his wisdom in broadcasts I catch on the web, I size him up thus:
He's a Pat Riley wannabe -- with about 10 percent of the wins and about 5 five percent of the class.
We will see this win pay off with recruits, no doubt about it.
I truly hope we see Memphis again in the national championship.
Posted by Colliervol on February 24, 2008 at 1:39 a.m. (Suggest removal)
ED, I believe it seats around 10,000 for basketball. Thought I read that somewhere. Actually, I'd bet they could find a night at the FEDEX Forum when Memphis and the Grizzlies aren't playing but Memphis might have some sort of veto power on that.
(Requires free registration.)
Comments are the sole responsibility of the person posting them. You agree not to post comments that are off topic, defamatory, obscene, abusive, threatening or an invasion of privacy. Violators may be banned. Click here for our full user agreement.