FedEx Forum

Official Review by Leroy Watson, Stadium Journey Correspondent

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FedEx Forum, located at 191 Beale Street in downtown Memphis, Tennessee, is home to the NBA's Memphis Grizzlies and the University of Memphis men's basketball team. Opened for business in September 2004, the building replaced the visually stunning but functionally awful Pyramid Arena.

The 18,440 seat facility cost $250 million to erect, paid for entirely with public bonds, and is owned by the City of Memphis. FedEx purchased naming rights for a cool $92 million, choosing the “Forum” moniker in homage to the fabled Great Western Forum in Los Angeles that housed so many NBA champions from 1967-'99.

The Grizzlies manage and operate the facility year round.

Though the outside of the FEF is not as unique and striking as its predecessor, it is a huge upgrade all around on the inside. The acoustics are amazing, sight lines are uncluttered, and there literally is not a bad seat in the house.

The FEF was the birthplace of some very intriguing innovations.

The thermoplastic polyolefin (TPO) single-ply roofing membrane system, of itself, is nothing new. The inlaid “FedEx Forum” lettering, in the official company colors, was groundbreaking. General Contractor M. A. Mortenson Company brought in A. D Willis Company from Texas to install the highly efficient heat-reflective system, and charged them with figuring out how to get the FedEx colors right on the domed roof.

Willis officials later admitted that they had never been asked to do anything like it, but they gamely gave it a go. Mission accomplished.

The Forum also was the first NBA arena to trot out the see-through shot clocks on top of the backboards. After a fan of the New Jersey Nets e-mailed NBA Commissioner David Stern requesting changes to the units to make his viewing experience more pleasant, Daktronics obliged by first installing the technology at FedExForum during 2004. Seven other NBA venues have since followed suit.

Now, on to the review:

Food & Beverage   4/5

The potential was there for a perfect mark, but the food at the concession stands is, well, average at best. But with some 20 other dining establishments in the facility, the options are far better than most arenas.

Levy Restaurants runs some outstanding eateries at the FEF. There's the Jack Daniel's Old No. 7 Sports Bar on the Plaza (Lower) Level, where you can get cocktails, custom-mixed drinks, wine, or straight shots of alcohol.

Courtside, you will find the Lexus Lounge. The restaurant gives a great view of the hallway leading from the locker rooms to the arena floor.

At the First Tennessee Club Level is Opus, the FEF's fine dining venue with a spectacular chef's table and a magnificent view of the court. It is actually a great place to watch all or part of the game. But be warned: prices are not for the faint of heart. The prime rib, for example, will cost you about $150.

What's that old saying? If you have to ask the price you can't afford it? It holds true at Opus!

Additionally, Food Network star Pat Neely sells barbecue at the FEF. Neely's Bar-B-Que actually operates concessions at various locations of the facility. Though it is not as good as the food at the restaurant, the 'cue is far better than typical arena fare.

The problem with food choices at the arena, though, is this: most fans are not interested in looking for one of the finer dining experiences. They want the typical hot dog/burger/fries/popcorn/pretzels/drinks that you can find in the concourses. And of course they want beer.

A hamburger or cheeseburger with fries will cost $8.75. Beers cost $7.00 and a 32 oz. Bottomless Souvenir Cup with soda is also $7.00 (with free refills).

If that's what you want, you can find it in abundance at the FEF, but don't expect to be wowed by it. The prices are average, and so is the food. Service is routinely swift. It might not ruin your outing, but it surely won't leave you raving for more, either.

Try the chicken tenders, and get both the ranch dressing and hot sauce on the side. For about $14, it's not bad, as the portions of tenders and fries are generous. New for 2010 were the deep-fried Oreos™, Twinkies™, and Snickers™. I haven't tried them but they seem to be good sellers.

Atmosphere   3/5

Just nothing really special about the atmosphere. The pre-game festivities are okay. The pyrotechnics are decent. The public announcer position is in a state of flux. Longtime Grizz PA man Rick Trotter, who won the job in open auditions back in 2006, was bigger than life—both behind the microphone and in, well, his considerable girth. Best wishes to him as he deals with an undisclosed personal issue.

With him missing the rest of the 2010 campaign, the team brought in radio pre-game and halftime host, Ken Kincaid, to pinch hit. Having gotten used to the U of M's Chuck Roberts, it is amazing to me how much of a difference the public announcer makes to the game experience.

Neighborhood   5/5

World-famous Beale Street. Just a short walk to scintillating views of the Mississippi River. Nearly 100 eating establishments within reasonable walking distance. Downtown trolley lines for convenience.

The Forum is in the nexus of all that is good about Downtown Memphis. The Hard Rock Cafe chain has a restaurant mere paces North from the building, at 315 Beale Street. If you head west down Beale, you can sample the excellent food at Silky O' Sullivan's (183 Beale) and indulge in their legendary Divers—alcohol by the bucket. It advertises that it's like St. Patrick's day year round, and the food isn't bad, either.

Continuing the adult theme—in all honesty, just about every place on Beale is adult-oriented—there is a Coyote Ugly Saloon with the provocative, attractive employees who get just as wild as the movie portrayed, at 326 Beale, to the east of the arena; the New Daisy Theatre, 330 Beale, where you can catch live music or a rousing professional boxing card, and sometimes mixed martial arts; the Double Deuce, 340 Beale, which is actually a country bar in the heart of Bluesville, complete with a mechanical bull and a wait staff that might make the Coyote Ugly crew blush; and People's Billiards, 323 Beale, a raucous pool hall and sports bar.

Back on the west end, you've got to check out the Rum Boogie Cafe, 182 Beale, with the best array of rum drinks in the city, as well as amazing local live blues or rock 'n' roll acts; Wet Willie's at 209 Beale, with the most potent mixed drinks in town (though they offer virgin editions of many); Alfred's, 197 Beale, with two outdoor patios and round-the-clock live music and an underrated food menu; Club 152, at 152 Beale, with three stories of dancing and partying (the action gets more bawdry as you go up, take my word on that!); and B. B. King's world-famous Blues Club, 143 Beale. The King of Blues himself shows up at least once a year.

If you have kids, swing by Dyer's Burgers at 205 Beale Street, and get one of their signature burgers, fried in grease that's almost 100 years old. Yes, you read that right! The original Dyer's opened in Midtown Memphis in 1912, and though they have transported the grease and added to it, they have never thrown it out.

You might find the live sketch artist who will draw an exquisite caricature of you and a friend (or friends) for about $25. The man's work is simply amazing, and it only takes him a few minutes to complete it.

If you feel like taking a short drive, there is yet another world-famous landmark: Charlie Vergos' Rendezvous. I know plenty of people (both visitors to and natives of Memphis) who swear by Rendezvous. It's located off an alley (General Washburn Alley, across from the equally world-famous Peabody Hotel) just off Madison Avenue, though the actual address is 52 S. Second Street.

A short trip right down Third Street, the western boundary of the FEF, will take you to yet another world-renowned rib establishment: Jim Neely's Interstate Barbecue, 2265 S. Third Street. The pulled pork sandwiches, their ridiculously huge half-slab of ribs, the cole slaw (and I'm not even a fan of cole slaw!), the potato salad, the beef ribs. . .all are top shelf. They also feature home made desserts, which change depending on the day of the week, but they specialize in whole pecan pies. I consider Interstate to be the Mecca of barbecue in Memphis.

I've simply got to mention Alcenia's Southern Style Cuisine, located at 317 N. Main Street. The proprietor, Betty Joyce "B. J." Chester-Tamayo, named the establishment after her mother, and uses recipes from her mother and grandmother to make orgasmic jellies and desserts. She makes a breakfast menu that would put the late Julia Child to shame, and everything is reasonably priced. Guy Fiore featured Alcenia's on an episode of Food Networks “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.”

I would be remiss not to mention Memphis' most famous (infamous?) night club, the original Hollywood Disco (formerly known as Raiford's, 115 Vance Avenue), reputed to have “the best dance floor in Memphis”; and Gus's World Famous Hot & Spicy Chicken, 310 S. Front Street, which has the absolute best fried chicken in Memphis and possibly the Mid-South. Many say it's the best in the world. The place is always packed.

Fans   3/5

Grizz fans do precisely what you would expect: yell like crazy when the home team does something spectacular, and give the team a bit of a boost if the opponent goes on a run. If an opposing baller does something questionable, he will be booed mercilessly for a while. Nothing very unique here.

Access   4/5

There is plenty of parking nearby, if you are willing to pay from $5 to $10. If you are willing to walk a little way, you can find ample free parking, too.

However, if you are from out of town, I strongly recommend that you either park anywhere on the North end of the arena, perhaps on Peabody Place, or at any of the pay-to-park sites immediately surrounding the arena.

If you try to drive either east, west, or south of the Forum, looking for a free parking space, you might stumble into dicey territory.

The arena has an abundance of clean, modern bathrooms. Waits for a stall are minimal, even for the ladies, which is rather unusual in an arena of this size.

Return on Investment   5/5

The Grizz are in the lower third of the NBA in attendance, even though the team has a young, talented core with tons of upside and an ultra-exciting style of play.

Not only does the team routinely offer $5 upper rim seats, but there is a dizzying array of specialized seat packages that make it easy to take in a pro basketball game for around $20 or so. I have watched a game from a club seat for $25, complete with an attendant to help make things easier for myself and my guests as well as a video monitor.

Add in the inexpensive parking plus a myriad of entertainment options, and the Grizzlies offer easily one of the best values in all of professional sports.

Extras   4/5

Having the National Civl Rights Museum (450 Mulberry Street, at the Lorraine Motel, where Martin Luther King was assassinated) within just minutes is a huge plus. You could tour the museum in the afternoon, then the Gibson Guitar Factory (146 Lt. George W. Lee Avenue), and still take in the Grizzlies that night. Stroll down Beale Street till the wee small hours of the morning (yes, I stole that line from Frank Sinatra) after the game, and if you're a visitor who was fortunate enough to get a hotel room at the Westin, 170 Lt. George W. Lee Avenue, directly across the street from the Forum, you can stagger back to your room after one of the most spectacular days of your life.

Final Thoughts

FedEx Forum is one of the newer arenas in the NBA, and it is a home run. There is a ridiculous array of entertainment to choose from, both before and (especially) after the game. The Grizz have put an exciting product on the floor, and the FEF staff is courteous and helpful. The game itself has enough energy and excitement to satisfy a basketball fan; the other attractions make a trip to Memphis for an NBA game an absolute must. Make it a three-day weekend and treat yourself to a pleasant surprise.

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