It’s that time of year! Yesterday I took a walk down Peabody Place and saw workers assembling the Downtown Christmas tree.
The Memphis Tigers put away Saint Louis 90-74 last night at FedExForum. Next up is a home game against Western Kentucky on Friday. After that, the Tigers travel to Brooklyn for the NIT Season Tip-Off and a chance to get a pair of wins that could impress the tournament selection committee in March.
The Flyer reports that the food hall at 409 S. Main has taken on a new life, now occupied by a catering company. They will eventually open a restaurant as well. Chef de cuisine Meredith Gardner Clinton is a former sous chef at Erling Jensen.
The Pancho’s Cheese Dip brand has been sold to Minnesota food company Sabrosura Foods.
FedExForum is hiring Guest Services Hosts (part-time). They’ll hold open interviews for the positions 4-7 PM today. More information
New Orleans has announced it will extend its vaccine mandate through at least Mardi Gras 2022. If you want to get into the bars down there, you will have to show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test less than 72 hours old.
Let’s have a look at this weekend’s college football games of interest to folks in the Mid-South. All games are played Saturday unless otherwise noted.
- Memphis at 24 Houston, 8:00 PM Friday, ESPN2
- 7 Michigan State at 4 Ohio State, 11:00 AM, ABC
- Arkansas State at Georgia State, 1:00 PM, ESPN3
- 21 Arkansas at 2 Alabama, 2:30 PM, CBS
- SMU at 5 Cincinnati, 2:30 PM, ESPN
- 3 Oregon at 23 Utah, 6:30 PM, ABC
- Vanderbilt at 12 Ole Miss, 6:30 PM, SEC Network
- South Alabama at Tennessee, 6:30 PM, ESPNU
Those who want to see Cincinnati in the playoff will call the Hogs and root for the Utes on Saturday. I don’t think the Michigan State-Ohio State game matters in that respect – if the Spartans win, I bet the committee jumps them over Cincinnati into 4th place.
CBS Sports has updated its college football bowl projections and the teams for the Liberty Bowl have changed. They now have good ole West Virginny and Florida slotted to play in Memphis on December 28.
I’d love to have West Virginia here again. I met some of their fans at Bardog the Saturday and Sunday before the 2014 game, and they were the nicest, most down-to-earth folks ever. I can’t say I’m that excited about Florida coming here, because their football program sucks this year and they really don’t deserve to be in a bowl game.
That’s it for today. Back tomorrow with more news.