Meeting Newly Re-Signed Memphis Grizzlie's Guard Tony Allen

Unfortunately, I don't have some interesting story about how I just happened to have had a chance run-in with my favorite Memphis Grizzlies player at the mall or some random restaurant, but I still got the opportunity to meet Tony Allen this past weekend at an autograph signing.

On the weekend leading into free agency, when most impending free agents are in their own little worlds thinking about their next pay days or where they are going to run away to go chase after championships, Allen instead spent his Saturday afternoon on June 29th signing autographs for hundreds of Memphis Grizzlies' fans at the Ashley's Furniture on North Germantown Parkway.

My two friends and I arrived to the event around 1:15 PM, about 45 minutes before the official 2 PM start and we were still behind about 50 or so people in line. By the time Allen walked out, there were already fans wrapped/snaked around the entire inside of the store.

While there was no official number given for the number of fans that showed up for a chance to meet Allen, local ESPN Radio personality Chris Vernon told me there were easily over 450 fans in attendance by 2:30 PM and that the number of fans that showed up dwarfed the turnout for the Zach Randolph signing the same venue had previously hosted.

After about 30 minutes or so, we finally reached the front of the line and got to meet him and get his autograph and a quick word with him. While I can't remember what my two friends said to him, I appreciated him for everything he has done to change the culture of the team and begged him to come back.

At the suggestion of one of my friends, we got him to sign our posters Tony "the Grindfather" Allen, based after a nickname the previously mentioned radio host Chris Vernon had given him. He was also nice enough to take a quick picture with me after he signed my poster:

Tony Allen & Myself



While I have attended several autograph signings with athletes over the years, this was definitely one of my favorites because he was a great guy in person and came off like he was just another regular dude. The four-year, $20 million extension Allen signed with the team was well earned and I am extremely glad to have the father of "Grit and Grind" around Memphis for a long while to come.

Perhaps the fact he spent some of his final hours before hitting free agency meeting and greeting with all of his Grizzlies' faithful was a sign he already knew exactly where he planned to spend the next chapter of his career.