Our Journal colleague Bobby Pepper notes that the 2009-2010 NBA schedule is out today. The Memphis Grizzlies, the lesser of that city’s pro basketball teams in recent seasons, opens its regular season on Wednesday, Oct. 28 at home against Detroit. Their road to yet another high lottery pick will end April 14 at Oklahoma City.

Here is the Grizzlies' schedule.

There's only one "real" national TV game is on the Grizz schedule, a Jan. 18 MLK Day afternoon home game with Phoenix that will be seen on TNT.

Here's the Commercial Appeal's quick take on the Grizz schedule.

The big national headline out of the schedule release? Another Kobe-Shaq game for Christmas, with the L.A. Lakers at home against the Cleveland Cavaliers in a 4 p.m. ABC game. Oh yeah, that LeBron guy will be there, too.

Southern Miss players reported for duty on Tuesday and will begin fall camp on Wednesday.

It’s the second season for coach Larry Fedora, who guided the team to a 7-6 record with a New Orleans Bowl victory in 2008.

Here's a report from the Hattiesburg American.

A total of 103 players reported, including 36 freshmen and transfers. Senior running back Damion Fletcher (4,287 career yards), who was barred from spring workouts after pleading guilty to a gun violation in March, is also back in camp.

Receiver DeAndre Brown, who had an outstanding freshman season (67 catches, 1,117 yards, 12 TDs), is continuing to rehab a broken leg he suffered in the bowl.

Practices will be closed; Sunday marks the first day of contact work in full pads, with two-a-days starting on Tuesday.

The Golden Eagles open Sept. 5 at home against Alcorn State.

There have been rumors for some time that the Arena Football League wasn’t coming back after suspending operations in December.

The Associated Press reported on Tuesday that the 22-year-old league is on the brink of bankruptcy and that a shutdown is inevitable.

One of the 15 league teams from last season, the Georgia Force, ceased operations on Tuesday.

Shannon’s Shane Grice, the former ICC and Ole Miss standout, played several seasons for the Force, and was a second-team All-AFL selection in 2008.

Two other regional franchises didn’t make it to the end. The Nashville Kats folded in 2007 and the New Orleans VooDoo vanished last year.

An AFL offshoot, known as af2, is in the midst of its ArenaCup playoffs and expects to return in 2010.

The Associated Press advises that its preseason college football poll will be released on the morning of Saturday, Aug. 22. That means we'll be able to publish the details -- and reaction from the Ole Miss camp, no doubt -- in the Sunday Journal of Aug. 23.

To refresh your memories, here's a look at the final Top 25s from last season. Note that Ole Miss finished a couple of spots behind the team it solidly whipped in the Cotton Bowl, Texas Tech, in both the AP and the coaches' poll.

There was almost immediately some "buyer's remorse" from selected AP poll voters about that. Wonder if some of them might overcorrect by voting the Rebels a couple of spots higher this time around?