Pete's Perspective: Thunderbirds are Go!

On the basketball court, the Grizzlies’ middle pick and roll with Marc Gasol and Mike Conley is the epitome of power, speed and precision. Gasol sets the solid screen, Conley darts around it and ends up with two high-percentage offensive options: his deadly floater in the lane or a slick dish to Gasol for a layup.

In another milieu, far removed from hoops and backboards, the US Air Force has its own version of power, speed and precision in their demonstration flight team, the fabled Thunderbirds.

I had the rare opportunity to mount up with one of the Thunderbirds earlier this month and carve the sky above Tennessee and Mississippi. Because everyone asks, no I didn’t black out, nor did I…