What a long, but very pleasant trip.
First, Malaga is a city located in southern Spain, almost to the point where the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea converge. Its population of almost 600,000 people makes Malaga the sixth largest city in the country.

Video Postcard
There is no one on the Grizzlies’ roster that has more fun at work than Hakim Warrick. The forward has played overseas many times. But he’s never been to Spain, and shares his thoughts about visiting Pau Gasol’s native country.

Sneak preview
This 10,200-capacity arena is not as large as NBA buildings but it’s nice nonetheless. Soon after the Griz arrived at the Palacio de Deportes de Malaga, they took the practice court and began a light workout.

The flight from Memphis to Malaga was rather uneventful but very comfortable. Following a 7 p.m. Memphis departure, the Grizzlies’ non-stop flight landed in Malaga around 11:30 a.m. local time (it was 4:30 a.m. in Memphis).

This wasn’t exactly a brutal trip.

Each seat on the plane was first class — so much so that each one reclined flat to make a bed. An upbeat flight crew served a hot snack, complete dinner and then breakfast about 1 /12 hours before arrival. The other good news is that everyone remembered their passport, unlike in 2003 when veteran guard Wesley Person forgot his during the Grizzlies’ trip to Paris and Barcelona.

The Grizzlies’ arrival was supposed to be hush-hush but it was anything but that. There were at least 10 camera crews and a throng of Pau Gasol/Juan Carlos Navarro fans pushing, shoving and yelling. Even so, there was an onlooker carrying an Allen Iverson jersey. That guy watched the Griz party load two buses and zoom through Malaga with a police escort.

The practice went about two hours – “long enough to break a sweat,” according to coach Marc Iavaroni – but didn’t include contact. Iavaroni said it was important to get the players out of the hotel and used to the new time zone.

Spain is seven hours ahead of Memphis.

Scrimmage Impressions
Let me start off by thanking the Grizzlies for thinking outside the box again. This franchise is obviously making serious efforts to reconnect with the fans despite never saying that is what they are trying to do. I find it interesting that last season when the disconnect was a hot topic of discussion it seemed that no one was really interested in dealing with the problem outside of Andy Dolich. This year everyone from the GM down to the assistant equipment manager (who was so kind to get Rudy Gay to sign a photograph for my nephew) is interested in letting the fans feel appreciated.

The scrimmage was incredibly well attended for a short lunchtime lightly promoted event. Half of the lower bowl was open for fans and it was packed. Seats were actually hard to find. Read the rest of this entry »

THE BIG STORY
Florida safety Tony Joiner practiced Wednesday, one day after he was charged with felony burglary for allegedly trying to take his girlfriend’s car out of a towing company’s impound lot. But Gators’ coach Urban Meyer stripped Joiner of his captain’s status and said the senior starter has not been cleared to play Saturday at top-ranked LSU.

Meyer said Joiner would not see the field as long as he is charged with a felony. Meyer said sophomore Dorian Munroe would start in place of Joiner against the Tigers.

“I’m dealing with the facts that I know and that’s he was out at the ridiculous time of the day and that’s not what I expect out of a captain,” Meyer said. “So as of now, he’s not a captain at the University of Florida. Any further disciplinary action is going to be a result of what I find out on the legal side of it.”

Although the felony charge could be reduced to misdemeanor trespassing, Joiner’s case could take several days or maybe even a couple of weeks to work its way through the state attorney’s office.

A look at the league: Read the rest of this entry »

For those wondering where former Tiger football coach Rip Scherer landed several years ago, the answer is: on his feet.

Scherer, who directed the Tigers from 1995 to 2000, led the U of M to its historic win over Tennessee, but enjoyed little other success.

After leaving Memphis and spending time as an assistant at Kansas and Southern Miss, Scherer is in his third year in the NFL as quarterback coach at Cleveland. It seems to be a perfect fit.

Here’s what Pat Kirwan from NFL.com wrote about Scherer when mentioning the league’s top under-the-radar coaches.

5. RIP SCHERER
Quarterbacks coach, Cleveland Browns: Scherer is starting his third season in the NFL after a long college career. His work with Derek Anderson has not gone unnoticed. Keep in mind Anderson did not win the opening-day QB job but instead came off the bench when Charlie Frye was sacked four times in the first quarter of the opening game. Anderson is now 2-1 as the starter and has been sacked only two times in 116 pass attempts. Anderson has led the Browns to 102 points in three starts, and Scherer has done a masterful job of preparing him.

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