In case you missed it, yesterday the Shelby County COVID-19 task force strongly implied that limited-service restaurants might be allowed to reopen, albeit with restrictions, next week. Keep scrolling past the end of this post for my task force press conference recap.
Raymond James laid off about 4% of its employees yesterday. The company has 930 employees here in Memphis, mostly at its headquarters Downtown on Front Street although they are all working remotely. It is not yet clear how many in Memphis were laid off.
Memphis 901 FC has dismissed head coach Tim Mulqueen. Assistant coach Ben Pirmann will take over his duties for the remainder of the season. The Memphis team gave up a two-goal lead for the fourth time this season and has a 2-4-6 record.
Shelby County Schools have postponed all sports for the fall because COVID RUINS EVERYTHING. Students and parents plan a peaceful protest at 10 this morning. Denied the opportunity for scouts to come to watch their games, some local high school seniors could miss out on athletic scholarships next year.
The Memphis hospitality industry set up an empty event in Tom Lee Park to highlight the financial suffering that sector of the job market is experiencing during the pandemic.
Jerk Chicken and Festival returns to Evelyn & Olive restaurant in The Edge today from 4 to 8. That is not a typo. “Get you a flavorful leg quarter with festival for only $4,” the Facebook event listing reads. I have never heard “festival” as a side dish before. It’s a Caribbean thing I guess?
… Wikipedia to the rescue. It’s a Jamaican fried dumpling that is slightly sweet.
The Orpheum will show 2002 film Bend it Like Beckham on the big screen Friday night at 7. The daughter of orthodox Sikhs rebels against her parents’ traditionalism and joins a soccer team. Rated PG-13. There will be social distancing and all that crap.
The Rusty Pieces will live stream on their Twitch channel tomorrow, Thursday, September 17, from 7 to 10.
Job news: The Memphis Flyer is looking for a news reporter.
You have until 5 PM today to vote in the Memphis Flyer’s 2020 Best of Memphis poll.
The NBA named its All-Rookie first team yesterday, and not surprisingly, Ja Morant and Brandon Clarke made the list. It’s the first time the Grizzlies have had two players named to the squad since 2002 (Pau Gasol, Shane Battier), and the first time the Grizzlies have had All-Rookie first teamers back-to-back (2019: Jaren Jackson Jr.).
Couple of pieces of Blind Bear news: Now that they’ve gone non-smoking, they’re all ages 7 AM to 3 PM, so bring the kids in for breakfast or lunch. They’ll start previewing the new menu Friday and fully roll it out next week.
Holly reports in the I Love Memphis Blog that Cocozza, the Italian ghost restaurant operating in the Majestic Grille, will start brunch service for patio dining only starting this weekend. Takeout brunch will be added soon.
For my readers not into pro wrestling, you’re dismissed, and if the COVID-19 task force press conference recap from yesterday is of interest, keep scrolling. Back tomorrow with more news.
Okay. Couple of comments about WWE Monday Night Raw.
First of all, did anyone else get the feeling that Mickie James may have been under the influence during her match with Asuka? Several times in the match, her legs looked wobbly, and it seemed like she didn’t know where she was. It reminded me of the 2011 Jeff Hardy-Sting match a good bit.
Second – at the end of Raw, Retribution came out and attacked Drew McIntyre and Keith Lee during their match. The Hurt Business came out and starting fighting Retribution outside the ring. McIntyre and Lee came flying over the top rope and took out everyone. The show closed with McIntyre and Lee standing there over the fallen, looking at each other like a couple of idiots.
WHY DIDN’T MCINTYRE AND LEE UNMASK RETRIBUTION????
Just a gaping storyline hole in my opinion.
Also, if The Hurt Business keeps kicking ass, they are going to have to be turned face out of necessity. See the Road Warriors ’85-’86 and “Stone Cold” Steve Austin ’96-’97 for the precedent. It’ll be another six to eight months, but it’ll have to happen.
That’ll do it. Back tomorrow.