Yeah, I’ve got a huge crush on this Griz cub… he looked so good last night, despite the loss.

Stayed until the bitter end, three overtimes… it coulda been so sweet. Anyway, back to the real reason I went to the Memphis Grizzlies season opener last night: to check out the chow.

The biggest news is that Neely’s has stepped in to take charge of its BBQ, no longer outsourcing it to the group that runs the concessions. The sandwiches I tried were a definite improvement over last year, which were a oversteamed, mushy mess. Let’s put all that behind us!

The staff at the plaza level stand I got the sandwiches seemed to know what end was up… the chicken sandwich was great, though the pulled pork could have used a little more sauce. It was dry even with the slaw (served on the side).

And the prices… ouch. I know there’s considerable overhead… but $8.50 for a BBQ? At the Neely’s on Jefferson, a regular BBQ sandwich is $5.12 with tax. I guess it’s not that much of a stretch. And, you do get a bag of Brim’s chips at the FedExForum.

Took a stroll around the plaza to check out what else is new… the sushi’s gone. Some kind of funky doughnut holes seem to have taken its place… And most of the menus are very straightforward (BORING!) concessions: hot dogs, pizza, chili cheese fries. Heard grumblings about the small size of the fries… looks about 8 ounces worth! For $3.75.

Also bought a $3 bottle of water and a $3.50 chocolate chip cookie…

One thing that was missing from last night’s game — aside from the ability to make those free throws: bend your knees, guys!! — ELVIS HAS LEFT THE BUILDING! No sign of the King, doing the slam-dunking thing during breaks… The horn guy was mildly amusing, but let’s not turn our back on E!! And, how about playing all Memphis music?? Did so love the junior Griz dance team, though… more of them, please.

Which member of this year’s team would you like to sit down with for a meal??