Grizzlies' Zach Randolph, fans appreciate each other

[La Bomba]

More than 250 people were already in line when Zach Randolph found his way to the FedExForum Grand Lobby this morning. Dressed in a black winter coat and red sweatpants, Randolph smiled when the crowd began to chant: “Z-Bo! Z-Bo!”

 

Much of the season has been about the love affair between Randolph and Grizzlies fans, who appreciate what this blue-collar forward has done to lift a franchise from the depths of the Western Conference to the playoff race. On Sunday, he will make his NBA All-Star Game debut, and he decided to reward some of the folks who have supported him by giving away 500 tickets for tonight’s game against the Atlanta Hawks — first come, first served.

 

They were gone within 20 minutes.

 

“This is a great thing,” Randolph said. “Man, it’s the most love I’ve felt anywhere since I’ve been in the league.”

 

The Grizzlies plan to capitalize on Z-Bo’s time in Dallas this weekend. John Pugliese, the Grizzlies’ senior director of marketing and communications, said the team will run local ads during TNT’s broadcast of the game that will be geared towards upcoming home games against Phoenix (Feb. 16), Miami (Feb. 19) and the Los Angeles Lakers (Feb. 23).

 

Ads also will run during Saturday’s Rookie Challenge, which will feature O.J. Mayo and Marc Gasol.

 

“Because there’s a Grizzlies presence in the game, we know our market will be watching it,” Pugliese said. “We’re taking advantage of the national exposure to try to reach a broader Mid-South audience.”

 

As for this morning’s giveaway, Randolph bought all the tickets — lower- to middle-tier and ranging in face value from $47-$99 — from the Grizzlies. Fans arrived hours in advance, though a handful had ulterior motives; Grizzlies officials removed several well-known scalpers from the building.

 

http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2010/feb/09/nothing-net-grizzlies-zach-randolph-fans-appreciat/