Memphis, TN. With new ownership always comes the possibility of change and this one was to be expected. Tabasco had established themselves as a steady performer in the CBL, but they seemed to be just falling short. The reality was that the organization, from top to bottom, had started to get stale. The management was stagnate and the team had started to accept things as just the way they were. So, yes, it was time for a change.
The new owners felt that the organization needed a new image, one that reflected the historical interests of the management team. However, there was one unexpected issue that came up, the retirement of the long-serving manager. This led to the recent hiring of Jesus Quintero. Even though he is an unproven entity, his passion for the game and his immediate connections with the squad meant he was the best man for the job.
The new manager matches the new intensity of the organizational rebranding. The CBL team will be the Memphis Blues. Newly hired GM, Jesse Stollings, is very open about his love for the Blues and when asked about the new team name and home, he smiled and said, “Who doesn’t love the Blues?” This new energy was evident in the new stadium and clubhouse as well.
The rest of the organization was also relocated and renamed, with the AAA team becoming the Virginia Black Bears; the AA team will be the Ottawa Lynx; the A- team will be the Thunder Bay Thunder; the A+ team will be the Toronto Titans and the Rookie team will be moving to sunny Hawaii and become the Honolulu 7th Army Air Force. The Rookie team is to pay tribute to the brave men who flew in the Pacific theater during World War 2.
One can only hope that the new names and locations bring back the success that the organization craves.