First of all let me make it clear I am a huge Tiger fan and I believe I have an average or better understanding of the game of basketball, so I'm not pointing fingers at anyone, I'm just curious. When all these TV announcers and coaches (and I have heard it quite a bit over the years) say that "Memphis fans are very knowledgeable about the game of basketball" what do they mean exactly and where are they getting it from? Is it crowd reactions during the game or conversations they have had with certain fans that make them think that? And if it's true could it be something that would keep a coach from wanting to coach here?

The announcers are just being kind...we really don't know jack.

Seriously, I've heard announcers say the same thing about Syracuse fans and Arizona fans and Butler fans...that's just this season. I think it has become a cliche.

We know Big Jack!

I won't disagree that it's become somewhat cliche but I have heard it about us for years and I don't think it's just pandering to the audience.

Not sure about "baketball IQ" but it does reign king here. Did a lot of work travel for years and years and not being a native, it struck me as odd that the most commonly discussed topic between strangers on the bus taking you from the airport to the parking garage (or back) was tiger roundball. This was true even in the middle of the summer.

Memphis basketball fans as a whole do have a great basketball IQ because they have been exposed to a great program for the last 50 years. We have seen the best roll through Memphis and we have played against the best in various conferences, on the road and in the NCAA tournaments over the years.

It's not like we just started playing/watching hoops in the last few years.

Stop. Memphis fans are no better or worse than any other fans across the country. Some just have divided loyalties.

May be cliche but I think it is how quickly the crowd reacts to a call on the court particularly a possible erroneous one.

They have always said this but since the grzz came, they know that most people here are watching bball 5-7 days a week so there is some merit to it imho.

Personally there are a lot of nuances I miss and I keep my mouth shut during NBA games because I don't know the rule differences.

I don't think it would have any impact on a coaches decision unless they were really insecure (nod, nod, wink,wink).

The problem with the refs in college is that they just work too many games.

With the advent of television, all fans are exposed to the game. I don't think Memphis as a city is any smarter about hoops than any other city or fan base. It is a tired cliche.

They're talking specifically about Tigerscane.

(03-03-2015 10:34 AM)Bill83 Wrote:  May be cliche but I think it is how quickly the crowd reacts to a call on the court particularly a possible erroneous one.

They have always said this but since the grzz came, they know that most people here are watching bball 5-7 days a week so there is some merit to it imho.

Personally there are a lot of nuances I miss and I keep my mouth shut during NBA games because I don't know the rule differences.

I don't think it would have any impact on a coaches decision unless they were really insecure (nod, nod, wink,wink).

So possibly the announcers are picking up on crowd responses to calls and or non-calls?

(03-03-2015 11:01 AM)SmokyTiger Wrote:  

(03-03-2015 10:34 AM)Bill83 Wrote:  May be cliche but I think it is how quickly the crowd reacts to a call on the court particularly a possible erroneous one.

They have always said this but since the grzz came, they know that most people here are watching bball 5-7 days a week so there is some merit to it imho.

Personally there are a lot of nuances I miss and I keep my mouth shut during NBA games because I don't know the rule differences.

I don't think it would have any impact on a coaches decision unless they were really insecure (nod, nod, wink,wink).

So possibly the announcers are picking up on crowd responses to calls and or non-calls?

Louisville and Kentucky fans are way worse than we are about this. They gripe at every call. I watched that Ark/UK game and if I had a nickel for every time I heard the crowd yell WALK I could buy out Josh.

I think that perception is fueled largely by that fact that Memphis has never enjoyed success in anything other than hoops, first with the Tigers and now with the Griz, until last seasons football team. It may simply be pandering as well.

(03-03-2015 10:34 AM)Bill83 Wrote:  May be cliche but I think it is how quickly the crowd reacts to a call on the court particularly a possible erroneous one.

They have always said this but since the grzz came, they know that most people here are watching bball 5-7 days a week so there is some merit to it imho.

In St. Louis, they say we're knowledgeable because we clap when someone bunts the guy to second, even though it's statistically a bad call.

In Memphis, they say you're knowledgeable because you can plainly see that the point guard has been left out to dry by bad positioning on the press, and articulate this discovery with great, colorful enthusiasm and alliterative prose.

There is no doubt that the city has had Memphis Tiger basketball and now the Grizzlies as a unifying force no matter what differences we might have concerning politics, religion, race etc we can all agree and or disagree on basketball. We talk about it all the time at work, in church and on the street corner and that I think makes us more educated as a whole.

I absolutely believe that Memphis fans are more knowledgeable as a whole than the average fan base. I live in New Orleans, and the amount of basketball fans that have a deep knowledge about the game (different defenses, recruiting, offensive sets, etc), is a whole lot less than back home. Example, in Memphis, most fans already know who the top sophomores in high school are. That is far from the case here or in other places I have lived. The top senior player in New Orleans is barely known (heck, they barely know who is the top college player is).

TV announcers and other coaches based their opinions of Memphis fans having high basketball IQ by reading MT.org every day.

(03-03-2015 10:54 AM)Strat57 Wrote:  With the advent of television, all fans are exposed to the game. I don't think Memphis as a city is any smarter about hoops than any other city or fan base. It is a tired cliche.

I used to think that before I went to a bunch of away games. The crowd in Memphis knows basketball a lot better than Ole Miss, UTK, Ark St, utk, USM etc. Louisville fans are very knowledgeable. I think it has do do with the level of basketball played and witnessed by fans over years

(03-04-2015 12:03 AM)OneShiningMoment Wrote:  TV announcers and other coaches based their opinions of Memphis fans having high basketball IQ by reading MT.org every day.

Ahead of the curve.

Yes, Memphians have high basketball IQ's.