Last night’s Grizzlies loss to Milwaukee was disappointing but expected. Playing on the road against one of the best teams in the league happens now and then, and when it does, the odds are not in Memphis’ favor. Let’s have a look at the updated standings:
- The Grizzlies (31-16) are in 3rd place in the Western Conference
- They’re 2.5 games back of 2nd-place Golden State (32-12)
- They’re 1 game ahead of 4th-place Utah (29-16)
- They’re avoiding play-in scenarios by 8 games
Next up: The Grizzlies play on the road at Denver at 8 PM Friday. If you go out to a bar to watch the game, make sure you choose a bar that won’t cut off the TVs midway through it.
The Memphis Tigers get a shot at a team that is likely to make the NCAA tournament tonight. SMU comes to FedExForum to play a 6 PM game televised on ESPN2.
In other Memphis Tigers news, Rasheed Wallace is no longer an assistant coach for the team. He has been reduced to a consulting role where he can work from home, and health & safety protocols are said to be the reason.
A team headed by Billy Orgel and Kevin Woods has been selected to redevelop 100 N. Main, the tallest building in the city and one that has been blighted for most of the past decade. Orgel has previously redeveloped the Tennessee Brewery and Uptown’s Snuff District. The redevelopment will include the entire block bordered by Main, Adams, Second, and Jefferson, and will include office space, apartments, a hotel, and retail and restaurant space.
A word of advice from someone who’s out a lot: If you go to the Downtown bars and pay with a credit card, do not let that card out of your sight until a bartender or server takes it. The second it comes back, put it in your wallet or purse. Do not leave your card unattended on the bar where someone can steal it. Sadly, I am not talking about the actions of some random thief. I am talking about a regular.
From Slate: The NBA’s electrifying new superhero. Ja Morant’s fearless, astonishing play has made the Memphis Grizzlies must-see TV.
Memphis Police Department will hold a hiring expo Saturday, January 29 from 11 AM to 3 PM at the 17u N. Main building. There will be free parking at the Mud Island parking garage, corner of Front and Poplar. If interested, bring your ID and fill out an application onsite. Wear athletic clothing for a basic agilities test. There’s a $15,000 signing bonus and up to $10,000 is available to assist with relocation.
The annual Saint Valentine’s Day Massacre party returns to the Blind Bear Saturday, February 12 beginning at 8 PM. Dress up like a gangster or flapper and let’s party like it’s 1929! FreeWorld – yes, the entire band, not a subset – will be back for a night. Jamie Harmon will take “mug shots” and pics for the dining room wall. The Amurica photo booth will be parked outside. They’ll have a special dinner menu that includes a bottle of champagne for $45/individual or $90/couple. Not familiar with the real, February 14, 1929 St. Valentine’s Day Massacre? Wikipedia to the rescue.
Jon Taffer will announce a new show today. Jon is the star of Bar Rescue, in which he fixes and upgrades bars that have gotten themselves in financial and operational trouble. Jon says that Bar Rescue will be back for another season, but his announcement today will be a new concept. In 2017 Jon and his team of experts rescued several bars in the Memphis area, including Downtown cigar bar Robusto by Havana Mix.
Today is National Cheese Lovers’ Day.
The rolling 7-day average of new COVID cases continues to drop by 50 to 200 a day. Today it’s down to 1699, more than 800 down from the rolling average’s high. The Omicron variant is slowly burning itself out in the community. The county will hold its weekly COVID task force press conference today at noon.
That’ll do it for this post. Back tomorrow with more news.