The Daily Helmsman published a story toward the end of last semester about Memphis Grizzlies games not being broadcast to the campus community. Nothing has changed since.
The University of Memphis, as the largest university in this metropolitan area, should present opportunities for its students to see the city’s largest and most popular professional sports team on television.
Yes, there are opportunities to stream the games online, but the video buffers most of the duration of the game, I don’t know my freaking cable service provider account information, and not everyone even has a cable provider.
During the NBA regular season, students are out of luck if they want to watch Grizzlies games on television. They have to hope their Internet connection is satisfactory.
Now that NBA Playoffs have begun, campus cable can get the games on national television outlets.
However, as an avid Grizzlies fan, I know firsthand that national announcers know nothing about Grizzlies basketball.
I want to listen to Pete Pranica, Brevin Knight and Rob Fischer announce our games. It is not the same with someone else employed by TNT, who generally knows squat about players not named Marc Gasol, Mike Conley or Vince Carter.
 This is why I propose a campus watch party, possibly in the University Center and for the remainder of the Grizzlies’ playoff run, where Memphis students can experience the elation and heartbreak of NBA Playoff season with other Grizzlies fans and listen to the Fox Sports coverage they are used to hearing.
Because we missed out on watching regular season games on campus, just having the ability to watch the playoffs with other fans would allow students to connect more with fellow students and may make the last few days before exams slightly more bearable.
