Thursday, January 17, 2013

Memphis, Tennessee Pro Sports Guide

Memphis, Tennessee must be one of the largest U.S. cities represented by the smallest percentage of major sports leagues. Just the NBA's Memphis Grizzlies are from the 'big four'. For one season, 1997, the city housed the NFL's Tennessee Oilers at the Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium. The team moved to Nashville the following season and became the present-day Tennessee Titans. However, there are other pro sports options if you find yourself in Memphis.

Memphis Grizzlies - NBA (National Basketball Association)

The Grizzlies began life as the Vancouver Grizzlies for the 1995-96 season. The franchise moved to Memphis for the 2001-02 season, retaining the Grizzlies nickname. The team plays their home games at the 18,119 seat FedEx Forum, a relatively new venue completed in 2004. The Grizzlies have gone without a championship in their NBA history. In fact, the only victorious playoff series came in 2010-11 when they beat the San Antonio Spurs in six games.

Memphis RedBirds - PCL (Pacific Coast League - AAA Baseball)

The RedBirds are the AAA affiliate of the National League's St. Louis Cardinals. The team has operated since 1998. Home games are played at the 14,320 seat AutoZone Park. The RedBirds have won two league championships to date, in 2000 and 2009.

Mississippi RiverKings - SPHL (Southern Professional Hockey League)

Formerly known as the Memphis RiverKings, the franchise was originally a charter member of the new Central Hockey League, starting play in 1992-93. The team won two championships in the CHL, 2001-02 and 2002-03, thus awarded the Ray Miron's President's Cup. The RiverKings switched to the SPHL for the 2011-12 season. Mississippi plays out of Lander's Centre, an 8,400 seat venue in the suburb of Southaven.

No comments:

Post a Comment