There comes a time in every blogger's life...

For years I've written (with varying degrees of consistency) at my old blog

Today, I hang it up and move on like a hermit crab who has outgrown its shell.

SPADream was meant to be a forum for me to vent about sports, politics, and the pursuit of the American Dream.

I guess I felt pigeonholed by the title, and eventually quit writing.

Maybe I've realized the American Dream, so I ran out of things to say.

Either way, this will be a much more diverse forum.

Because I'm a pack-rat, I've imported my old postings to this blog. Some habits die hard.

You can still expect to be subjected to my rants about the Grizzlies, Braves, Crimson Tide, Titans, Memphis Tigers, etc.

Likewise I'm sure I'll still have plenty to say about the state of American Politics.

As for what else may appear? Like always, you'll have to...

Stay tuned.

John Calipari: My Take

I have waited to say something until things settled down.

Much like our President, I like to know what I'm talking about before I speak.

Does it hurt that Calipari left?

Like hell.

Am I disappointed that the dream season we expected next year has vanished?

Unspeakably.

Do I blame him for taking the Kentucky job?

Not in the least.

Am I angry at Calipari?

I'm not.

Do I hope he fails at Kentucky?

That depends.

It depends on what he does with the Memphis roster. If he takes players (Witherspoon, Sallie, Garcia) and recruits (anyone NOT named John Wall, Demarcus Cousins and Xavier Henry) then I'll be rooting against that team next year. That would re-ignite the anger I felt last night.

If, on the other hand, he tells the current Memphis players that they cannot follow him to Kentucky and tells the recruits (again, other than the Top 3 in the country) that they don't have to stay committed to Memphis, but they can't play for him then I won't root against UK and I won't be angry.

Why do I exclude those three recruits? I'm a realist. The top 3 players in the country want to play for Calipari, and if you are going to take your dream job it is reasonable to expect that you take those guys if they want to follow you. He's not going to Kentucky to lose, we know that much.

But at the end of the day my sadness is not about wins and losses. Its about what the Memphis Tigers mean to the City of Memphis. The city has had legendary support for this program for decades, long before Calipari. I trust that they will support the Tigers A.C. (after Calipari) as well. But in this economy, there are a lot of people who were planning to pony up a lot of money to see a top 5 team play next year that suddenly need to ask themselves if they can afford to spend that kind of money to watch a team that may lose 10 or 15 or 20 games.

At the end of the day, my feelings will be cemented when I see who we hire next. If we hire Tony Barbee, we're in for a long Tic Price-esque period of mediocrity. If we go out and hire someone like Tim Floyd (USC) or Sean Miller (Xavier) or Bruce Pearl (UT) or Avery Johnson (Formerly of the Dallas Mavericks) then we may be okay. We won't be as good as we were last year. Or the year before that. Or as we would have been next year. But we will be okay.

Its worth noting that, as an Alabama fan I've seen a LOT of coaching changes. Never, ever have I seen a coach accept a position, get introduced, and still feel so strongly about the city he left that he came back that day to address them. I remember Dennis Francione and his midnight departure to Texas A&M just days after he told his players to "hold the rope" during NCAA sanctions. That is classless. What Calipari is doing is as close to class as one can show when they leave.

He said it himself, he would have made more money to stay at Memphis. This was about his dreams. No one can fault him for chasing them. He's been here for 9 seasons, but before that he spent his life aspiring to basketball greatness. Kentucky is basketball greatness.

Now my anxiety is focused on our coaching search. It has been well documented that we have (1) a lot of money to pay a coach, (2) the facilities necessary to be successful, (3) a commitment by our Athletic Dept and Boosters to the Basketball program, (4) a program that is attractive to recruits and (5) the ability to be a #1 or #2 seed in the NCAA tournament despite being in C-USA. That has to be attractive to a lot of coaches. We have to wonder whether they are hesitant to follow Calipari and the expectations he's left behind.

The reality is that high-school players do not care about what conference we play in. The only initials that matter are N-B-A. In Memphis they get to play in an NBA arena. They get to play pickup basketball with NBA players in the summer. They are exposed to NBA scouts. On top of that, Memphis is an urban area that is attractive to many of the top prospects.

So the watch begins as an era ends. Thank you coach Cal, for all that you did for Memphis and the Tigers over the last nine years - but don't expect us to be cheering for you. And don't pillage our roster on your way out of town.

Go Tigers Go!!

Stay Tuned...

Memphis Light Rail System

I sent the following letter to Congressman Steve Cohen on February 25, 2009. As always, Congressman Cohen has been very responsive, and agreed to meet with me later this month to further discuss this matter. This is the kind of response citizens of every district ought to receive, and I'm grateful for Congressman Cohen's dedication to serving the TN-9th.

Dear Congressman Cohen,

...

In light of our recent financial crisis, and the stimulus bill that was passed by the Congress this month, I believe that now is the time to move forward on the development of an efficient, area-wide mass transit light-rail system in Memphis and Shelby County. The potential benefits of this system are obvious: jobs will be created (to build the line), money will be infused into the city (to local developers, contractors, construction firms and supply companies), and the city can look forward with optimism because we're taking a step into the next century.

Inspiteof the negativity surrounding our current state of affairs, Memphis's leaders need to stand up and call upon its citizens to embrace the advancement of our city. While the short sighted among us will be concerned about the interference associated with construction, our children will thank us for providing them with a meaningful and efficient method of public transportation. If properly executed the system will not only bring more people and businesses to Memphis, but keep our businesses here. It will also provide a mechanism by which Memphis's very distinct and diverse populations can begin to interact and appreciate what each culture offers this city.

While people may feel that Memphis is not able to compete with Dallas, Atlanta or Denver today, taking proactive steps can position us to be a city on the rise in 2020. Last night President Obama presented a vision of our country that is ambitious and bold, despite our financial situation. I believe that it is these most challenging times when we must take our biggest steps forward. With significant Federal Stimulus money being marked for Transportation and Infrastructure, now is the time to act. While the project may not be quite "shovel ready", MATA has been studying the plan for over a decade and a vast majority of the preparatory work is complete. With your voice as a leader of the Memphis community, and your presence on the House Transportation and Infrastructure committee, we can take action to move Memphis forward.

I am available to meet at your Memphis office at any time. I understand that you are back-and-forth from D.C. and have hundreds of people back in the 9th who would like to get your ear for a few moments. I hope you will find a moment to discuss this matter with me. Our city has everything to gain, and as President Obama said last night, "someday years from now our children can tell their children that this was the time when we performed."

Thank you for taking the time to read this letter, I hope it finds you well.

Jonathan Louis May

I hope that my fellow Memphians will join me in my "call to arms" on this issue - now is the time for action!

Stay Tuned...

An Open Letter to Chris Wallace (GM - Memphis Grizzlies):

Mr. Chris Wallace,

I just want to put my two cents in. I know you are getting bombarded with fan's who "know best" when it comes to whether or not to part with significant assets for Amare. I won't pretend to know enough basketball to tell you what to do. I just have one nagging thought - unless Amare is willing to sign an extension as part of the deal, I can't help but feel that when the season opens in the fall of 2010, we will have taken a huge step backwards.

We will have lost Amare and Rudy/Conley/Picks/Cap Space/etc and be left with OJ (thank god) and either Rudy or Conley and Gasol, and probably get shut out of the big-named free-agent players in 2010. Right now you have a promising young core in Rudy/OJ/Conley/Gasol and all the picks and cap space we could dream of. In a year, that could materialize into something special, and something stable (perhaps more important).

If you sell out the future just to make a run at the playoffs next year (because it wont happen this year) you'll find yourself right back where you started. Sure, the city will be abuzz about Amare coming to town, and we might even make the playoffs next year. But after that…we’ll be back to square one, talking about three-year plans and new coaches. Our previous GM, Mr. West, made the mistake of thinking that 3 straight trips to the playoffs would make this city attach itself to the team. It will take more than that, because its not about the playoff trips - its about how miserable the other 5 seasons have been.

Please don't trade out our chances at being a good, middle of the pack team that is always one draft pick or one well-timed free-agent signing (or trade) away from being a contender. I'd rather win 45 games a year and miss the playoffs more than we make them than mortgage the future for one full season with Amare. This trade – while worthy of headlines and gossip, is not a long-term solution to our teams needs.

You have subjected the fans to talk of patience and cap space. Of waiting till the time was right, of looking to the future and not forsaking it for “instant gratification” even when all we wanted was for our owner to spend enough money to prove that he cares. This trade will send the wrong message, that Mr. Heisley thinks the city can be tricked into caring about the team, in spite of the obvious long term negative impact this trade would have.

I grew up here in Memphis and you won't find a bigger supporter of this team. I preach it to my friends and family, as well as my co-workers. I just got out of law school, and the first purchase I made when I moved back to Memphis was a 22-game pack in the cheap seats for my fiancé and I. We can't wait until we can afford good seats, but we will always remember where we came from - the rafters, where the real fans sit. I hope this email finds you well, and I hope you make the right decision, even if its not the decision I would make.

If, by chance, you can get Amare without giving up Gay/Conley/Mayo/Gasol, I’d like to go on the record with my full support.

GO Grizz!
Jonathan L. May

Stay Tuned...