The Fresno Bee and Fresno Grizzlies partner once again to present "Fresno Famous" Tournament
FRESNO, Calif. - The brackets are out, and "March Madness" is about to get underway - wait, it's still basketball season? - we're talking about the 2016 edition of the "Fresno Famous" tournament of course!
The Fresno Grizzlies and The Fresno Bee have partnered again to present the tournament. A season ago, it was for the honor of being immortalized in bobblehead form, with NBA veteran center and San Joaquin Memorial High School alum Robin Lopez taking the title.
This season, the Fresno Famous Champion will have a specialty game-worn jersey designed in their honor as a tribute. The Grizzlies, who have set social media ablaze the last four weeks with a litany of creative theme-night jerseys will also seek significant input from the winning celebrity in the design of their jersey. The team will then wear them on the field Friday, May 27 against the Colorado Springs Sky Sox. Fans will have the opportunity to bid on the game-worn threads in a silent auction during the game. Proceeds from the auction will benefit the winner'. Fans voting in the contest will also be entered to win two tickets to the game on May 27.
Fan voting will determine the winners of each match-up in the bracket. (See below for bracket, and voting dates for each round.) Voting will begin Monday, March 14 at Noon, and last until April 7, as the names are whittled down from 64 to a "Sweet 16, Elite Eight and Final Four," just as it goes in another, fairly popular sporting event. The voting will take place at GrizzPoll.com, links to vote can also be found at FresnoGrizzlies.com and fresnobee.com.
"I think we've definitely established that special theme night game-worn jerseys are our niche in Minor League Baseball," remarked Fresno Grizzlies Marketing Director Sam Hansen. "We're proud to be the industry leader in that category, and we love that people expect the Grizzlies to produce jerseys that get a ton love not only in Fresno, but nationwide as well, such as the Fresno Tacos," Hansen said. "Shifting Fresno Famous to a special on-field jersey fits exactly with what we do best; celebrating what makes the Central Valley special, and fun jerseys. We're thrilled to be working with The Fresno Bee again on Fresno Famous."
As you'll see on the bracket (see below) the names of Central Valley natives and those with connections to The Valley stretch from former Fresno State Bulldogs, other sports stars, broadcasters and journalists and pop culture icons. Will current A-list athletes Derek Carr and Paul George emerge as early favorites? How about Cher? Or will Brook Lopez be in contention for a repeat Lopez title? Have fun voting and keeping track of the bracket!
"We are thrilled to be partnering once again with the Fresno Grizzlies in the Fresno Famous tournament," said Fresno Bee Executive Editor Jim Boren. "This is one more indication that the Grizzlies experience is about having fun, and the Fresno Famous tournament celebrates our region in a very creative way."
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ABOUT THE FRESNO GRIZZLIES
The 2015 National Champion Fresno Grizzlies, Triple-A affiliate of the Houston Astros, are a member of the 16-team Pacific Coast League and are one of 30 teams in the world playing the highest level of Minor League Baseball. The 2015 season was one of historic proportions for the team and City of Fresno, as the Grizzlies secured their first-ever Pacific Coast League and Triple-A National Championships. Learn about 2016 ticket plans by calling the front office at 559.320.TIXS between the hours of 9:00 AM and 5:00 PM Monday through Friday.
