Month: March 2020

The coronavirus pandemic is about to get real real.

The CDC now recommends that gatherings of more than 50 people not happen for the next 8 weeks. Music Fest is 6 1/2 weeks away. Eight weeks from today is Monday of load-in for BBQ Fest. No announcements have been made about Downtown’s two biggest April events, Rajun Cajun Crawfish Fest and Beale Street Wine Race, but they appear doomed.

Bars, restaurants, and wineries have been ordered closed in California, Washington state, Ohio, Illinois, and New York, and mayors have put restrictions on them in Nashville and New Orleans. My guess is, given Memphis’ proximity to those cities, Mayor Strickland will put restrictions on those businesses here by the end of the week.

If, when they do close, if the bars and restaurants have to stay closed for the CDC-mandated eight weeks, many of them are not going to make it. I don’t think pandemic insurance is a thing for service-industry businesses.

I know people who were laid off last week. Probably more will be laid off this week.

My teacher friends find themselves with nothing to do. For those teachers in formal education, they’re salaried so they will still get paid. However, I have teacher friends who get paid by the class. They’re taking a hit financially.

The New York Times coronavirus map reveals that the virus has now been documented in 49 states. The outlier? Good ole West Virginny.

As I sat at the bar at the Blind Bear yesterday afternoon surfing coronavirus news on Twitter, I thought to myself, am I being an irresponsible citizen by being here? It’s really a moral dilemma. The owner of the Blind Bear has been my friend for well over a decade. When I got sick in the fall of 2018, she texted me nearly every day to check on me. She begged me to go to the doctor, even making an appointment for me and offering a ride. As long as her place of business is open, I feel the need to support it. Sometime this week, though, I have a feeling I will be told I shouldn’t go there, either by the government or my own intuition.

Besides, the people who come there are like family. I like hanging out with John D and Otto while they do the crossword. I like discussing whether Wrestlemania will happen (it won’t) with Nappin’ Ass Nate. I like talking BBQ with my teammate Mac, who is well-stocked up with toilet paper (Tennessee Vols gear counts as toilet paper).

Oh, speaking of BBQ… I’m the director of public relations for a Memphis in May BBQ team. How am I supposed to recruit members and sponsors to be part of an event that may not happen?

Some people have speculated that they’ll cancel Music Fest and postpone BBQ Fest. I don’t see how BBQ Fest can be postponed. First of all, work is set to start on Tom Lee Park at the beginning of June. Also, a lot of the pro BBQ teams won’t be able to compete on a different week because they’ll already be signed up for another event on the BBQ circuit.

Friends of mine leave for a six-week trip to Mexico early this week. Except, Mexico might not let them in.

A friend of mine brought up a really scary possibility last week: What if Trump uses the coronavirus panic as an excuse to declare martial law, making himself the dictator he dreams of being?

Many people would be more likely to stay home voluntarily if Trump would sign an executive order legalizing real-money online poker. He’d be reversing an Obama-era regulation, so I bet he would love that.

The City of Memphis website has daily coronavirus updates from Mayor Strickland. Yesterday’s post announced:

• All libraries and community centers will be closed as of Wednesday, March 18
• Parks and golf courses will remain open
• The city will not accept applications for new event permits
• Permits for events scheduled to happen within the next two weeks will be revoked

Earnestine & Hazel’s has voluntarily closed to keep its patrons and employees safe from the coronavirus. Well, I guess someone won’t be able to go in there and play “Boy Named Sue” after a visit to the Farmers Market. Boo hoo. (Too bad it isn’t true that you can catch coronavirus from Corona beer)

Cerrito Trivia and Bingo has suspended all of its events until further notice.

SCS distribution of food to students out of school will not be affected by library closures. So, the library at 531 Vance will still be the closest distribution point to Downtown. Meal pickups are the week of March 23-27 and you must have a student present to pick up the food.

The Daily Memphian reports that Sunrise and the Rendezvous now offer curbside service to pick up to-go food.

There are couples who are going to have to uninvite guests to their March and April weddings to get under the CDC-mandated limit of 50. Man, that’s gonna be an awkward conversation.

Heading in to work here in a bit… the good thing is, we are all well socially distanced at work. My two nearest office neighbors sit about 20 feet away from me, in different rooms.

Back tomorrow with more news about things that are not happening.

It was 11:30 last night when I woke up from my “halftime” nap. I wasn’t in the best of moods for a couple of reasons. For one, I lost my umbrella earlier in the day, and rain was in the forecast. Also, it had turned too cold for the shorts I had on earlier in the day, and I had to put on jeans to go back out. I headed out to the Blind Bear, expecting to have to stand by the server well 30 or 40 minutes before a bar seat opened up.

My expectations were unfounded. Not counting regulars, there were exactly SEVEN people in the Bear when I got there… during prime time on a Saturday night, when the bar is normally full of yahoos from East Memphis. The coronavirus is decimating the bar business. On a selfish level, I loved it. No one reaching over me for drink orders, great music by the Rusty Pieces, plenty of room to “socially distance” as I am supposed to be doing. But I also realized, this is my friend’s business. This sucks for her. This sucks for all business owners Downtown, and in Memphis, and all over the world.

The small turnout didn’t stop the night from being a shitshow. Some dude made out with a random girl at the bar (not that I’m judging, done that myself a couple of times) and then tried to pick a fight with, of all people, the band. That got him ejected.

2:30 came around and, aware that rain was in the area, I looked at the MemphisWeather.net app on my phone. Radar showed heavy rain moving through Downtown, with a brief break about 30 minutes away. So I ordered one more, my window to get home without an umbrella about sixteen ounces of PBR away.

Unfortunately, that window closed. As I walked out the door at 2:59, torrential rain was falling. I stayed under the overhang at the entrance to Pembroke Square for 23 minutes, then made it across the street to Jolly Royal, then made it a block where I sheltered under the awning at Aldo’s Pizza Pies. Then it started pouring again, and I was stuck for what seemed like an eternity. I was worried a cop would drive by and ask why I was loitering, and wished I had one of those I KNOW ALDO TOO T-shirts that the Bardog employees wear. But it was too rainy for even the cops to be out. Finally it let up a bit and I sprinted the remaining 2 blocks home. The clock on the microwave read 3:42 as I walked in. What a night. Life without an umbrella sucks.

Y’all, please get out and support your local businesses. No, I do not mean go get a Bloomin’ Onion at Outback; they will be just fine. Go out and support businesses who are owned by Memphians, who need to see your face (and your dollars) during these uncertain times.

I’ll give you an example… City Tasting Tours has announced that they have made the tough decision to cancel all their tours for the month of March. However, you can still go online and buy gift certificates for future tours. A gift certificate would look great in a birthday card or an Easter basket. Cristina who runs the tours is an amazing person and an amazing entrepreneur who does a lot to spread the good news about Memphis. Let’s make sure her tours are still around when the coronavirus is nothing more than a few paragraphs in a history book.

Speaking of Aldo’s Pizza Pies, vlogger Mimosas with Moose recently stopped by Aldo’s for brunch.

Bardog has announced its specials for St. Patrick’s Day on Tuesday:

• $6 Jameson
• $7 Irish car bombs
• $8 frozen Irish coffee, made with Jameson cold brew

The consistently excellent Edible Memphis website has an article on what you can do to support local businesses during this weird time.

The Woodruff-Fontaine Museum out in Victorian Village is canceling all sponsored events during the month of March. Ticket holders will be contacted via email or phone to arrange a refund. The museum will be open normal hours and will offer self-guided tours 12 noon-3:30. They ask that tour groups be limited to no more than 8 people.

Tin Roof has a Lucky Sunday Fun Day today with green beer. Outdoor DJs include String Bean at 4 and Epic at 8. Inside, the Jerry Patton Trio will perform at noon, Semi-Average Joe at 4, and Rodelle McCord at 8.

There will be Trap Bingo at 492 S. Second this afternoon at 4.

I’ve seen speculation on sports sites that the NBA may cancel the rest of the regular season and go straight to the playoffs, on schedule. If that turns out to be the case, the Grizzlies are in as the 8th seed in the West, and would play the number-one seed L.A. Lakers. Having LeBron here for at least 2 games would provide a much-needed boost to the Downtown Memphis economy.

Soul Jazz Trio with Joe Restivo play The Lounge in 3rd & Court diner this evening at 7. This is a free show.

Mexico is considering closing the U.S. border to prevent the spread of coronavirus. So that was Trump’s plan, to unleash a pandemic to get Mexico to pay for his wall.

Time to hit Publish and get out. I’m going to do brunch at the Blind Bear today. May get down to the south side for a visit to Max’s later. Back tomorrow or Tuesday with more news.

My MLGW bill has been diggin’ this weather lately. I’ve had my HVAC unit turned off for nearly two weeks now. It hasn’t been cold enough long enough to turn the heat on, and it hasn’t been warm enough long enough to require air conditioning. Looking at the forecast, it looks like the HVAC unit will get one more week of vacation, at least.

The Daily Memphian reports that Grizzlies game-night employees will be compensated for games canceled due to the coronavirus. They will pay employees for March games, then see what happens in April but will pay for those games as well if they are not played. Cheers to majority owner Robert Pera for doing the right thing.

The Daily Memphian also reports that Shelby County Schools will distribute meals to students while school is closed March 23-27. The closest location to Downtown is the Crenshaw Branch Library at 531 Vance.

In addition, the DM reports that Old Dominick Distillery is suspending tours.

The DM also reports that the Memphis Symphony Orchestra’s March 21 Masterworks performance at the Cannon Center has been canceled.

The four items above were in the Daily Memphian’s coronavirus blog. The DM has made its coronavirus coverage free to non-subscribers, in the interest of public health.

The Orpheum has canceled the following shows:

• Farewell Angelina, March 14, Halloran Centre (postponed)
• America, March 15, Orpheum
• Ballet 5:8 Presents The Space in Between, March 21, Halloran Centre
• Black Violin, March 21, Orpheum (postponed)
• 2020-2021 Broadway Season Reveal, March 23, Orpheum
• Dinner on Stage, March 23, Orpheum
• Memphis Songwriters Series hosted by Mark Edgar Stuart, March 26-April 23, Halloran Centre (postponed)
• The Golden Girls Show! A Puppet Parody, March 28, Halloran Centre (postponed)
• PSS PSS, April 11, Halloran Centre
• Memphis Songwriter Association Songwriter Showdown, April 23, Halloran Centre (postponed)
• Baby Shark Live, April 24, Orpheum (postponed)
• Momma An Em Comedy Show, May 29, Orpheum (postponed)

In FedExForum news, Cher’s Here We Go Again tour has been rescheduled for September 16. Tickets Current ticket holders need take no action if they plan to keep their seats for the September show.

Sports writer and radio host Gary Parrish has a column: Although canceling the NCAA tournament sucks, it was absolutely the right thing to do.

WWE Smackdown, scheduled to broadcast from Detroit last night, had to be moved to the WWE Performance Center in Florida due to coronavirus threat. The video clip below shows Smackdown’s highlights, as well as an intro from WWE Executive Vice President Triple H showing viewers the state-of-the-art center where people train to become sports entertainers.

Really weird to watch Sasha Banks and Bayley cut a promo with absolutely no one in the stands to hear it. It’s reported that Monday Night RAW will be broadcast from the Performance Center as well.

Okay, folks, we are really in bizarro world here. I just walked to Walgreens (approximately 8:10 AM) and there were no people standing outside CeCe’s Liquors waiting for it to open. That may be the first time I’ve seen that in my 17 years living down the street from the liquor store and Walgreens.

By the way, I checked – Walgreens has some small 4-packs of toilet paper but the larger packs are gone. Best advice is, don’t wait until you get down to the last roll to go get more. The bleach shelves are mostly empty but I did see a few bottles of Clorox on the bottom shelf.

The World Health Organization recommends that people over 50 take extra precautions to avoid catching COVID-19, because that group has a greater risk of dying from the virus or subsequent bacterial infections. I wonder if that will lead to the cancellation of DTO? I mean, the emcee is practically knocking on the door of sixty and several of the other organizers fall on the wrong side of the WHO’s age line. DTO has several events where multiple people handle the same object, and it would not be easy to sanitize between exchanges. Also, it’s moving to a smaller space this year which will make social distancing among spectators challenging. Perhaps the civic-minded organizers will want to do their part to flatten the curve.

I saw a fabulous suggestion yesterday. If you plan on eating at home for the next few weeks in order to distance yourself from others, why not go to your favorite restaurant and buy gift cards to be used when you do get back out? That will bring revenue into the restaurant during these uncertain times, helping to ensure that the restaurant will still be around when the virus threat passes.

From The Takeout: COVID-19 could decimate the restaurant industry. What can be done about it?

Don’t forget our low-income and vulnerable Memphians who will be among those spending more time at home until the threat passes. The Mid-South Food Bank is putting together boxes, each containing about 30 pounds of prepackaged foods, to help the needy get through 14 days or more sheltering at home. They are in need of food donations (canned and non-perishable foods) as well as volunteers to pack the boxes.

From WMC Action News 5: Organizers say it is unlikely Memphis in May will be canceled. Only a mandate from government would shut it down, organizers say. But if it is canceled, ticket fees, BBQ team fees, and race fees will be refunded, Fox 13 reports.

Reminds me: A few days ago I told you I was monitoring an unnamed out-of-town event that attracts an older crowd, because I saw that event as a good measuring stick of whether events should or should not be canceled. It was the national bridge tournament in Columbus, Ohio, scheduled for March 19-29. Thursday evening the bridge league announced that they had no choice but to cancel the tournament, due to the governor of Ohio temporarily banning gatherings of 100 or more people. This will be the first year since the creation of the Vanderbilt Cup in 1928 that it will not be awarded.

Folk All Y’all: An Evening with Sarah Potenza at the Green Room at Crosstown Concourse has been canceled.

You can drink like a leprechaun all day today at the Flying Saucer. Dress up like a leprechaun and your first beer is on them. There will be special stouts, car bombs, beer specials, and live bagpipers. My neighbor texted me and asked, “Do they really have live bagpipers?” Yes. A local bagpipers’ club has been performing at the Saucer for St. Pat’s (or the Saturday before) for years.

Max’s Sports Bar will have $7 chocolate mint slushes all day today. From 4:30-6:30 PM they will have Car Bomb Madness. Doors open at 11 AM. I wonder what they’ll show on their TVs, considering there are no sports right now? Damn… I just realized, March Madness would normally be three of Max’s busiest weeks of the year. I need to get down there this weekend and support. I mean, my three PBRs at $2.75 apiece probably won’t pay the mortgage there, but at least it will be moral support. If for no other reason, I need to support Max just because he keeps his PBR drafts at a reasonable price point while other bars choose to charge more.

Continuing to watch the video clip of WWE Smackdown as I write this post… and I’m realizing, the wrestling on FOX is a lot more real than the news is.

Not sure this is still happening, but Tin Roof is having St. Practice Day all day today with outdoor DJs and bands on the live side.

Comma, Comma, Comma, Comma, Comma Comedians return to Memphis Made Brewing Co. tonight.

I subscribed to a really excellent e-newsletter this week: POLITICO Playbook. It tells you all about current events and their effect on what the government is doing. If you don’t have time to watch the national news on TV, this is a great way to stay informed. It’s written in a very digestible, conversational style.

Chris Johnson plays The Vault at 4 today.

Catch DJ Ben Murray on the 1s and 2s at Slider Inn Downtown tonight 9 PM-1 AM.

If you’re a fan of B-RAD who is the Sunday brunch bartender at the Silly Goose, he is interviewed on this week’s episode of the Rahul and Tony podcast.

Whoa, the WWE signed Rob Gronkowski! He’ll be on Smackdown next Friday.

We’re still a couple of weeks out but I am going to say this far in advance: It is NOT COOL to post April Fool’s jokes about the coronavirus on social media. People are panicking. Please make that topic off-limits on April 1.

Well crap. I use Evernote to save links I want to talk about in the next blog post, and the service has been down about 30 minutes now. I had about 7 more things in my “Saturday links” note and now I can’t access it.  So I guess this post is done. Back tomorrow with more news.

Welcome to my blog, where I tell you what’s happening Downtown and in Memphis and around the world of interest to Memphians. Except, much of today’s post will be spent telling you what’s not happening.

Yesterday morning, we learned that Penny’s Tigers had lost the chance to dance. The American Athletic Conference tournament, offering an automatic bid to March Madness, was canceled along with all other major conference basketball tournaments.

Then in the afternoon, we learned that everybody had lost their chance to dance. The NCAA canceled all tournaments for winter and spring sports. So, no March Madness, no national collegiate basketball champions, no bracket challenges.

Among the spring NCAA sports is baseball, so no regionals, no super regionals, no College World Series in June.

We won’t get the Grizzlies back until at least April 10. NBA commissioner Adam Silver announced that the suspension of the NBA season will be at least 30 days and it’s possible the season is over. One possible silver lining for Memphis here: Zion Williamson won’t have time to put in a large enough body of work to steal the Rookie of the Year award from Ja Morant.

The USL has suspended play for at least 30 days as well, so no Memphis 901 FC games for a while. The soccer club has a statement in support of the league’s decision on their website.

Minor League Baseball will delay the start of its season as well, so no Redbirds games until at least mid- to late April. The Redbirds have a statement in support of MiLB’s decision on their website.

I wonder what bars will show on their TVs since practically all sporting events for the next month are canceled? Maybe Max can show The Weather Channel on all 12 TVs and rebrand the place Max’s Weather Bar temporarily.

Bend over and cough!

Many Memphis restaurants are adopting strict cleanliness/health policies and posting them to social media, letting their customers know they are doing everything possible to minimize the risk of infection. Some of these practices include

• Wiping down menus after each customer visit
• Removing condiment bottles from each table, and instead offering single-serving packets of condiments upon request
• Enforcing rigorous hand-washing procedures for employees
• Requiring the use of gloves, as shown above
• Wiping down surfaces with disinfectants frequently
• Not allowing anyone who is sick to work

I have a suggestion for restaurant and bar managers: Have your employees check each public restroom once an hour to make sure there is hand soap. Not being able to wash with soap has been mildly irritating in the past. Now, it could be deadly.

The Beale Street St. Patrick’s Day parade, scheduled for this Saturday, has been rescheduled for Saturday, April 11 at 2 PM due to the coronavirus threat. That’s the day before Easter. Maybe they’ll have a bunny?

Cher has postponed her Here We Go Again Tour due to the coronavirus. So Monday’s show at FedExForum is off. That was discussed at Silly Goose happy hour yesterday and people asked, “Who’s Sonny?”

Memphis Brewfest has been postponed until Saturday, July 18. It will still be at the Liberty Bowl. To compensate attendees for the change, they will offer a 7 oz. sampling cup instead of the usual 5 oz. They’ll bring in five additional breweries. Attendees will receive a discount code to an additional future event of their choice. The VIP section will be in the Memphis Tigers football team locker room.

Calvary Episcopal Church announced yesterday that they are closing their Calvary Waffle Shop and Lenten Preaching Series for the season due to the coronavirus threat. The shop and series was expected to run until March 3.

Cordelia’s Market has announced the temporary suspension of their sampling program to keep everyone safe. Also, temporarily at their hot bar, employees will serve the food instead of letting customers serve themselves. The hot bar will be open 11 AM-2 PM, with hot-and-ready pre-packaged meals cooked from scratch in their rotisserie warmer during normal dinner hours.

The Metal Museum will continue to be open normal hours but has canceled the following events:

• March 15: Reception and Gallery Talk for Tributaries: Sophie Glenn (postponed)
• March 19: Stephen Saracino visiting artist lecture
• March 20-22: Stephen Saracino master class
• March 29: Reception and Gallery Talk for Tradition of Excellence (postponed)
• April 1-5: Forging on the River conference 2020

All other Metal Museum talks, classes, and events will proceed as scheduled.

A second local case of coronavirus has been identified. The Daily Memphian reports that both local cases traveled to New Orleans together for Mardi Gras.

A lot of people are hearing about the cancellation of their favorite events, and they’re getting on social media and saying, “Man, this is bullshit. People are overreacting. Let life go on as normal, and if a few people die, maybe it was their time.” I have to admit, at the beginning of this week, when the first rumors of cancellations came in, I thought “overreaction” as well. However, my opinion as of today can be summed up in one sentence: We must listen to the experts. If a doctor says an event should not be held, we should listen. If a doctor advises precautions, we should take them.

Geez. I’m 20 paragraphs into today’s post and I have not yet told you about one thing that’s actually happening.

Here’s a pic of the vegan southwestern chili River Time Market & Deli on Court Square is now offering:

South Main Sounds at 550 S. Main hosts Season 6, Episode 4 of their Songwriter Night this evening. Sandee Lollis, Richard Wilson, and Mallory Everett will perform. A fourth songwriter, Ashlee K. Thomas, was scheduled to perform but is sick and had to cancel. If you like what you hear from Mallory Everett, she’ll be at The Vault nearby later in the evening.

The Downtown Memphis Commission has put together a couple of good guides to things to do down here. The first is a Late Lunch Eaters Guide. Most places consider 11 to 2 the lunch hour. Where to go when you can’t get out to lunch until 2 PM or later?

The DMC also has 20 ways for you to stay fit in Downtown Memphis, with everything from ballroom dancing to spin classes to yoga and much more.

The monthly Downtown Neighborhood Association will happen Tuesday, March 24 at Dinstuhl’s at 147 S. Main. The chocolate and candy store, a Memphis icon for more than 100 years, returned to Downtown Memphis for the first time since the 1970s. Meeting will be 6:00-7:30 PM. The location is in between Lenny’s and the Majestic Grille near the intersection of Main and Peabody Place.

Viking River Cruises will start docking at Beale Street Landing in 2022. That is, if the coronavirus doesn’t completely kill off the cruise industry before then.

The Memphis airport has an Airfield Maintenance Electrician position open.

Tour de Toast Memphis, an event celebrating bubbles, will come to Fourth Bluff, 22 N. Front, Saturday, June 13 from 3 to 8 PM. This thoroughly-curated event will pair champagnes with a menu by specialty food trucks on site. There will be libations, live music, and art. Note that this event has a “Spring Chic” dress code, and if you don’t adhere to it you get no admission and no refund. Tickets

Well, I screwed up in my role as Director of Public Relations this week for the BBQ team. I sent out an email, bolding words here and there to highlight important topics. What I didn’t realize is, that made my email look like a marketing email to spam filters, some of which flagged it. If you got two emails from me this week, sorry. I had no choice but to un-bold and re-send.

We will see what today’s news brings. There’s not much left to cancel, so there should be less to talk about than the past two days. Back tomorrow with more.

What a day yesterday was.

It started off with the World Health Organization officially recognizing coronavirus COVID-19 as a pandemic.

In the afternoon, the AAC announced that its basketball tournament would take place in an empty arena as a precaution against coronavirus. (Assuming the NCAA does not suspend the season today, you can catch the Tigers vs. East Carolina at 9 on ESPNU.)

Then medical officials got the attention of the referees minutes before the NBA’s Utah Jazz-Oklahoma City Thunder game. The refs canceled the game, and the building was quickly cleared. Later information was released that Jazz center Rudy Gobert had tested positive for coromavirus a couple of days after hanging out with visitors from France.

A couple of hours later it was announced that the NBA had suspended the season. Makes sense, as teams who played against Gobert recently need to be tested. ESPN has an update – what is known and what is not about the season suspension. The Raptors, Pistons, Celtics, Knicks, and Cavs had recent contact with Gobert and will have to be tested. The suspension of the season will last at least 14 days since that is the amount of time people testing positive for the virus are quarantined.

Trump announced a 30 day suspension of travel between the U.S. and Europe yesterday to seal off the country from the pandemic. The UK will not be included in the travel ban.

Rhodes College and UT have suspended in-person classes. The U of M is deliberating on the matter.

More announcements will come today, no doubt. Cher is scheduled to perform at FedExForum Monday night. I wonder if that will be called off?

At least there’s good news for those who want to stand on Beale Street while drinking an $11 beer from King’s Palace Cafe Tap Room: The St. Pat’s parade, set for this Saturday, has not been called off yet.

On to some good news… Precious Achiuwa has been named the American Athletic Conference Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year.

Congratulations to @Memphis_MBB freshman Precious Achiuwa for being named Player of the Year.

Achiuwa averaged 15.8 points & 10.8 rebounds per game. pic.twitter.com/JqBl8xXdAC

— American MBB (@American_MBB) March 11, 2020

That recognition may move him up a few spots in the NBA draft this year.

There’s a Latte Art Competition tonight at Dr. Bean’s Coffee Emporium at Puck Food Hall, 409 S. Main, starting at 7 PM.

Prime Cut Band performs at Wknd Hang Suite, Vance at Mulberry, tonight at 8.

Children’s show Diary of a Wombat comes to the Orpheum this Saturday at 10 AM.

I messed up bad at trivia last night, forgetting to take Perjorie T. Roll out of my pocket and stand her on the bar until the first round bonus question. Without her help, I had fallen too far behind to catch up. I did win best team name, “Support bacteria. It’s the only culture some people have,” which I totally stole from a Facebook meme.

Time to get to work. Back tomorrow with more news.

Half the country is freaking out about the coronavirus, and I’ll have plenty to say about COVID-19 later in this post, but there’s plenty of non-virus related good news, so let’s do that first.

Members of the Memphis Tigers men’s basketball team were honored yesterday:

Congrats to @PreciousAchiuwa, @Effort_les on their @American_MBB honors. Precious named to All-AAC first team, AAC All-Freshman Team. Lester to the AAC All-Freshman Team. @Memphis_MBB vs. ECU Thursday. #GoTigersGo

Release: https://t.co/jYKfPRtZJU pic.twitter.com/hH6JAQfJ5y

— Memphis Basketball (@Memphis_MBB) March 10, 2020

Precious Achiuwa was the only unanimous pick to the all=American Conference team… and remember, he wasn’t a pre-season pick for the all-AAC first team or even the second. He went out and earned his accolade.

Speaking of earning accolades:

The Peabody was named the South’s Best Historic Hotel in the @Southern_Living 2020 South’s Best Awards. See the full list here:https://t.co/JZy9LI0LpA #SouthsBest pic.twitter.com/B4RGFpwTPd

— The Peabody Memphis (@PeabodyMemphis) March 10, 2020

Congratulations to the Peabody!

Memphians have a big reason to come out and support the Big3 tournament when it comes to Memphis June 20: Former Grizzly Zach Randolph has joined Trilogy as its new team captain. Big3 is a 3-on-3 basketball tournament founded by Ice Cube, coming up on its fourth season. The game is played half-court, with a 14-second shot clock. First to 50, leading by two or more, wins. It’ll be exciting to see Z-bo back on the FedExForum hardwood.

A made-for-Netflix film produced in Memphis last year is coming out later this month:

*takes sip*

Hints of oak. A touch of chasing dreams. Notes of Courtney B. Vance, Niecy Nash, and Mamoudou Athie.

UNCORKED, from director Prentice Penny. On Netflix 3/27 🍷 pic.twitter.com/t9RNgrAvoD

— Netflix Film (@NetflixFilm) March 9, 2020

The Grizzlies 5K, with the start and finish lines on the FedExForum Plaza, will happen the morning of Saturday, April 4. Race packages are $45 and include a ticket to either the game vs. Dallas April 3 or vs. Oklahoma City April 11. (PRO TIP: Take the Dallas ticket and get there early. First 5000 that night get a Brandon Clarke mini-hoop set.) There’s also a shorter one-mile Fun Run with race packages starting at $35. Group packages are available; contact the box office for more information.

Saturday is National Pi Day, 3/14. To celebrate, the Silly Goose is offering half-off the price of its wood-fired pizzas noon to 5 that day. Pre- or post-game the 2 PM Beale Street parade with a pizza! My favorite is the spicy Cajun Louisiana Saturday Night, but they’re all good.

Local pro fisherman Lawson Tilghman will be at Bass Pro at the Pyramid this weekend, leading seminars as part of their Spring Fishing Classic. Seminars include

• Saturday, March 14, 11 AM: Boat Setup for Efficiency: Benefits of new trolling motor technology, electronics, set, and efficient storage tips for tackle.

• Saturday, March 14, 2 PM: Fishing Rods – How to Pick the Right One: Understanding power and action of the rod and the application.
• Sunday, March 15, 1 PM: Technique and Setup from A to Z, from Cranking to Finesse: Building the right rig, correct line, and the right reel and rod.

Free COB LED Light to the first 25 seminar attendees who are 18 or older. Bass Pro will also have a rod & reel trade-in this weekend.

There’s a free comedy show in the basement of Local Gastropub tonight at 8.

Coachella is postponed to October due to coronavirus concerns. When that was announced yesterday afternoon, people began speculating if other festivals would be canceled or postponed as well – particularly Music Fest, Memphis’ biggest festival of the year. Memphis in May announced yesterday that they plan to go on as scheduled with Music Fest and other programming. To me that sounds like the right move, based on what we know at this time, with only one coronavirus case in Shelby County. Besides, it isn’t a decision they need to make right now, the festival still 7 weeks out.

The Grizzlies, along with all NBA teams, are making adjustments to prevent the coronavirus from affecting their team. There are no plans to play games in empty arenas, but they are restricting access to their locker rooms. Players are also asked to refrain from high-fiving or shaking hands with fans, or giving autographs. I bet the players hate that, but at the same time they understand it is for the good of the organization.

The Memphis Flyer discusses precautionary steps to prevent coronavirus being taken at organizations around town: Shelby County Schools, the zoo, colleges and universities, St. Jude, the airport, MATA.

I will say there’s an event, and it’s not in Memphis, that I am keeping an eye on to gauge whether it’s reasonable to postpone or cancel spring gatherings of people like the Memphis in May events, Beale Street Wine Race, and Rajun Cajun Crawfish Fest. It’s an event that happens later this month at a location in the continental U.S., it’s an event that by its very nature would involve multiple people handling the same objects, and it’s an event that attracts mainly older people. Coronavirus is most deadly in those over 60. Currently the event’s organizers are taking a lot of precautions but the event is planned to proceed on schedule. I am monitoring their website and a message board frequented by attendees of the event daily.

All right. Time to get this day started. Back tomorrow with more news.

The Grizzlies released some good news yesterday. Both Jaren Jackson Jr. and Justise Winslow are expected to be back within the week. The Grizzlies, at 32-32, are in 8th place in the West, with the New Orleans Pelicans and the Sacramento Kings four games back. That cushion and the return of Memphis’ starting forwards may be just enough to get through the remaining 18 games on the regular-season schedule.

One of those games is tonight. The Grizzlies host the Orlando Magic in a 7 PM game with TV coverage on Fox Sports Southeast.

Wiseacre is hosting a Star Wars Night this Saturday night to benefit those who suffered loss in the Middle Tennessee tornadoes. $1 of every pint sold will be donated, and there will be photo opportunities, a silent auction, and Star Wars trivia.

Jerry Lee Lewis Cafe on Beale Street will host open interviews for bartenders, servers, and barbacks tomorrow 7-10 PM.

Don’t forget that tonight is Drag Bingo with Pattie O’ Furniture and Pee Wee at Silly Goose at 8 PM.

That’s it! Coronavirus is so thoroughly dominating the news that there’s not much else to report. Back tomorrow with more.

The first case of coronavirus, or COVID-19, has been confirmed in Memphis. Everyone is going to lose their damn mind anytime someone coughs or sneezes. That sets up perfect conditions for a fake sick day. Let’s go over some tips to set this up properly.

• A $9 investment in a bottle of DayQuil makes a great prop. It needs to be prominently displayed on your desk. You don’t want it to be full – minus 2 doses sounds about right. You want the plastic cup sitting on your desk near the bottle, with residue in the bottom of the cup.
• A thermometer is an excellent prop as well. Most of the time, display it on your desk near the DayQuil, but several times a day put it in your mouth. Be overheard mumbling “one oh one point eight” and ask your co-workers “Is it cold in here or it just me?”
• Always remember there is tremendous power in the phrase “explosive diarrhea.”
• When you go to the doctor for routine visits, take photos of the waiting room, the exam room, the medical building, etc. You can then post those photos to social media when you take your “sick” day.
• Befriend a doctor so you have someone to write notes when you are sick. Although, befriending anyone who works in a doctor’s office and therefore has access to the stationery will do. Just remember if you write your own note that DOCTORS DO NOT WRITE LEGIBLY.
• If you send work emails while you’re out “sick”, prposely misspell words, at raNDOM TIMES TUrn the caps lock key on and off, and leave      six spaces between words now and then. This will make it look like you’re trying the best you can to be productive while sick.

I bet the coronavirus announcement caused a run on the stores yesterday, people buying bread and milk, milk and bread like Ron Childers had predicted 0.05″ of snow to fall overnight.

I hope you’re ready to stay up late this week, because if you’re a Memphis Tigers fan, you’re going to have to. These are the game times in which Memphis will play if Penny’s team wins all the way to the end:

• Thursday, March 12 at 9:30 PM (vs. East Carolina)
• Friday, March 13 at 9 PM (vs. Tulsa)
• Saturday, March 14 at 4:30 PM
• Sunday, March 15 at 2:15 PM

After that, unless the Tigers hoist a trophy on Sunday against all odds, the NIT will probably come a-calling, with a 2 or 3 seed for Memphis.

At least the Tigers will be in the later semifinal Saturday afternoon, if they make it that far. That means people will be able to go watch the Beale Street St. Patrick’s Day parade and still make it to their favorite watch spot for that day’s game.

I wonder if the coronavirus will hurt attendance at the parade? I bet it will. You know how a lot of parents tend to be overprotective of their children.

Insider tip: Go to Blind Bear for lunch today. If Phillip makes the special he told me he had in mind for today, it is going to be awesome. (No Ariel, it isn’t vegetarian.)

All right. Gotta hit Publish and then turn my attention to writing a BBQ team email. Back tomorrow with more news.

Sunset is 7:02 tonight! Part of the reason I stayed up so late last night is I wanted to see the time on my phone change from 1:59 to 3:00. I guess it would have been more exciting to see it change on my Apple Watch but I didn’t think of that.

How many of you have a car whose dashboard clock has the right time for the first time since November?

As your number-one source of news and information about The Edge District, it’s my pleasure to link you to this Memphis Business Journal slideshow spotlighting the new Rise apartments in the former Wonder Bakery space. The apartments are at the corner of Monroe and Lauderdale.

Longshot, the shuffleboard bar in the Arrive Hotel, has announced the following all day, every day specials:

• The Long Shot – shot of bourbon + any domestic – $6
• The Hot Shot – shot of tequila + any domestic – $10
• The Not Shot – shot of fernet branca + any domestic – $10

Texas de Brazil VIP dining cards are back on sale. You pay $64.99 and get 50% off up to 12 dinners. Use this three times and the card pays for itself. The catch is, it’s not good during the popular times, Friday and Saturday nights, or Easter, Mother’s Day, or Father’s Day. But if you live Downtown, does it matter? You can walk down there any old random Wednesday you want. Or Sunday brunch! (I’ll repeat my pro tip: Dip the bacon in the lobster bisque)

Post Malone interrupted his Friday night Memphis performance to let his fans know he’s not on drugs.

This toilet timer will let bathroom hogs know when they’ve been in there too long. Every bar Downtown with a lock on their bathroom door (BARDOG, PONTOTOC) needs one of these.

The Memphis-Houston game will be nationally broadcast on CBS this morning at 11. Max’s Sports Bar is opening early for the game. Considering it’s 10:39 and I haven’t hit Publish yet, I’m not sure how much help this will be.

Loflin Yard invites you to get lucky on St. Patrick’s Day, March 17. Live music at 9, half price Jameson, Jello shots, green beer, and more.

Primas Bakery + Boutique will have Brunch at the Bakery Saturday, March 21. Quiche Lorraine, Nutella donuts, almond raspberry coffee cake, and banana bread macarons will be on the menu. Complimentary punch for those 21 and up.

There’s a macrame wall hanging class at the Memphis Made taproom this afternoon.

Today is the final day of Disney’s Aladdin at the Orpheum. 1:30 and 6:00 performances.

Sen. Kamala Harris has endorsed Joe Biden for president.

Leading off at Bardog today. Back tomorrow with more news.

Sunday post coming but late because I stayed out until 4 last night.