Monday, June 17, 2013

Major League Sports in Memphis

By Wilbur Mercer


Major league sports in Memphis have a long convention. While the city is home to just one team in the four major sports leagues, it has got a number of smaller minor league farm teams. The River City had one of the earliest professional baseball organizations formed back in 1902 and continues to host pro groups many times over the past century. Soccer in Memphis is a popular sport, but there are presently no professional league or semi-pro soccer teams in the River City. As soccer gains popularity in America, soccer in Memphis may soon get its chance.

Memphis Grizzlies

The only top line professional league team left in Memphis, the NBA team came into being in 1995 when the NBA expanded it muster to Canada. It was in Vancouver until 1991, when it relocated to Memphis. The team now plays in the new FedEx Center in downtown Memphis and while the team have not a meeting title, it is still popular with fans. In 2011, the Grizzlies went to the seventh game of the meeting playoffs before losing out to Oklahoma City.

Memphis Redbirds

Baseball in Memphis has a long history. Memphis had one of the country's earliest professional baseball teams. The Memphis Chicks were formed in 1902 and played until 1960. The Memphis Redbirds are part of the Pacific Coast League and have played in Memphis since 1998. They are a Triple A farm team for the St. Louis Cardinals playing at the new baseball-only AutoZone field in central Memphis. Baseball in Memphis remains a long and favored tradition.

Memphis Football

Memphis does not currently have a professional soccer team, although is has hosted a number of teams in previous years. The pro soccer team, the Memphis Tigers, played in the 1920s and 1930s. The Memphis Showmen were a fleeting team in the World Soccer League, which played in the 1974-1975 season. The Memphis Mad Dogs were an expansion team of the Canadian Soccer league and called Memphis home in 1995. The city of Memphis also hosted the NFL team the Tennessee Titans in 1997, before the Titans moved to Nashville.

Mississippi River Kings

The Memphis River Kings are a hockey team that called Memphis home for their first 15 seasons. The team played at the Mid-South Coliseum in Memphis. The Memphis River Kings were a minor league team with an association with the Southern Pro Hockey League. In 2007, the River Kings moved to Mississippi and became the Mississippi River Kings. As the Memphis River Kings, the team won 2 Ray Miron President's Cup trophies and they were affiliated with the Toronto Maple Leafs.




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