The Memphis Tigers football team may not have won the Cotton Bowl yesterday, but I could not be prouder of them. Let’s look at all they accomplished: First 11th win in a season, first 12th win in a season, first time to have home field advantage in the AAC championship game, first trip to a New Year’s Six bowl. Compare that to 11-12 years ago, when the basketball Tigers were competing for championships and the football program was an afterthought that might get lucky and go 5-7.
Next year the Fiesta and Peach Bowls will be the New Year’s Six bowls without conference tie-ins. Hopefully the Tigers will hoist a trophy in Glendale or Atlanta to further improve their reputation as a football powerhouse.
A lot of people want to do something New Year’s Eve, but want to avoid Amateur Night full of drunk people, high cover charges, and big crowds. Well, here’s something different: The Cossitt Library will host an NYE party in its pop-up location at the Puck Food Hall, 409 S. Main, from 8 PM to 12 AM. There will be a DJ, sparkling water and snacks, board games, and water pong (beer pong’s sober cousin). They’ll be signing people up for library cards and giving away library swag. If you come to the party from outside of Downtown, they recommend you use Peabody/Vance as your access route.
If it were any other year, I would consider going to the Cossitt party, and the lack of booze wouldn’t bother me at all. But when the clock strikes midnight, the Roaring Twenties resume for the first time in 90 years, and I can’t imagine being anywhere but the Blind Bear Speakeasy for their New Year’s Eve celebration. They’re family.
As for other New Year’s Eve events, I’m not going to build a comprehensive list, but I’ll post events as I hear about them. Loflin Yard will have their NYE party beginning at 9:30, with DJ Kaz and drink specials.
Pontotoc Lounge will celebrate NYE with a 3-course dinner and champagne toast at midnight. Menu:
The Majestic Grille will have its standard NYE celebration with the regular menu available along with some specials from Chef Patrick Reilly. I’ve been to this one before and it is a great time.
Random thing I learned yesterday: The Old Fashioned is actually two different drinks. There’s the pre-Prohibition version and the post-Prohibition one.
Soul band Maze featuring Frankie Beverly plays the Orpheum tonight at 7:30. Tickets start at $82.
Hardwood Classic Night Retro Fanny Pack to the first 5000 fans in attendance for the first 5000 fans in attendance for the Grizzlies game against Charlotte tonight at 7 PM. I wonder if Bloom is getting the night shift bartender at Bardog to come in early so she can go score a fanny pack?
I ended up watching the Cotton Bowl at Silly Goose yesterday, after seeing a post from B-RAD that he was working and had opened at 10. My friend Tripp came in and asked, “Where’s The Nose?”
“The Nose?” I replied.
“You know, The Nose,” said Tripp. After about 10 seconds I realized who he was talking about.
She’d been standing on the bar watching the Cotton Bowl with me, but I forget to get her back out of my pocket after using the restroom.
Sam Goff gets it. You don’t have to be pro-choice, anti-gun, pro-big government, pro-welfare, etc. to understand that Donald Trump has abused the office of the presidency.
Time to get out there and enjoy my last day of my 9 days off! Back tomorrow with more news.