Just like the 1990s

It's NBA Playoffs time, usually one of my favorite parts of the sports year. Watching games that have a higher meaning in a seven-game do or die series is what I live for. I could go the whole season without seeing a basketball game and still be interested come playoff time.
In 2011, I am particularly interested. That's because the Chicago Bulls, a team many experts thought was a year or two away from competing for a title, have the league's best record and have looked pretty unstoppable for the last two months of the season.
Still, as it is with most Chicago teams except for the Cubs, the Bulls aren't getting national recognition. Most of the country still figures the NBA Finals will come down to the Los Angeles Lakers and the Miami Heat.
But the Bulls have a certain MVP, the most likeable player in the NBA - Derrick Rose. He makes the Bulls the most likeable and classiest team in my opinion. Teams like the Heat and Celtics are the bad guys in this story.
I can't wait to see the Bulls advance past Indiana and take on some of those other teams with more playoff experience. I think they will take the challenge head on.

Memphis: BBQ, Blues and Beale Street

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - My first trip to Memphis, at long last. The weather really could not have been better at any point on this three day trip to the home of Barbeque, Blues music and Beale Street.
From April 1 to April 3 this year was one of my favorite weekends away from home.

The first memorable experience from the weekend came as soon as I left the hotel when my friend Ramon and I went on to search for Grizzlies tickets at the FedEx Forum.

Apparently we went on the "bad" side of the Stadium and ran in to three or four suspicious characters that looked like they may have been trying to pull something. Fortunately, most of them left quickly but one stayed and talked to us about Memphis, the NBA, etc... just stalling us. He looked like a much older Kevin Garnett. We walked toward Beale Street and the busier side of the FedEx Forum where it appeared we were safer.

After purchasing $5 tickets for the next night's Grizzlies game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, I had the chance to eat at the World Famous Gus' Chicken on Front Street. The chicken was good, but less than spectacular. The water was the worst I had ever tased making the experience a little less easy to enjoy, but enjoy it I did.

I spent much of the first night on Beale Street, mostly at BB King's Blues Club, which was another good experience.

The second day featured much of the history that Memphis is known for, including a morning visit to Elvis' home in Graceland, taking a tour of the mansion before signing my name on the wall. After a brief drive down to Mississippi (my first time in the state), we went to the National Civil Rights Museum and the Lorraine Motel exactly 43 years after Martin Luther King Jr. had been assasinated there.

Lunch at Rendezvous Charles Vergos was better than the last night's dinner at Gus. The ribs there wewre delicious, although very expensive.

I liked the experience at the Grizzlies game, but there wasn't much of a crowd and security wouldn't let anyone with 500 level seats on the first level at all. The Grizzlies won, but I was disappointed because I was unable to see Kevin Love play for the T-Wolves or Rudy Gay suit up for Memphis.

The last day was mainly a tiring drive home, but I did see 'Victorian Village' in Memphis and stopped at Lambert's Cafe in Sikeston, Missouri, a place that reminded me of New Buffalo's Redamak's with the waiters throwing the roll at customers.

Great place, with the best food. Better than any food I tasted the entire weekend in Memphis. Who knew?

Overall Memphis was great and an underrated place to visit. I'm glad I finally found my way there. It's a place all American travelers should put on their to-do list.