Very, very cool story in the Daily Memphian this morning. If you’ve walked or driven along Madison in the Downtown core lately, you’ve noticed a large (several stories high) new mural on the west side of the Exchange Building. It was created by artist Michael “Birdcap” Roy and it is more than just a mural – it’s an NFT (non-fungible token) that was purchased by Sardor Umarov, the building’s owner.
The gravel lot next to the Exchange has been tied up in court proceedings for years – remember the building that caved in and forced part of Madison to be fenced off for over a year? Umarov received a $100,000 grant to beautify the lot, which funded the creation of the mural. Here’s the super-cool part: If you have a cryptocurrency wallet, you can use an RFID on the mural to make a donation to St. Jude.
When I look at this week’s forecast, I’m happier than ever with my decision to not do BBQ Fest this year. Record or near-record highs in the low or mid-90s are expected Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. If you’re on a team this year, make sure you drink lots and lots of water while in Liberty Park. When temperatures are above 90 for BBQ Fest, it is easy to get dehydrated and sick. Fox 13 has a look at what BBQ teams are doing to prepare for the heat.
I got woken up three times last night by people doing stupid car tricks – donuts, drifting, etc. – at Second and Monroe and later at what sounded like Second and Union. One of these days they’re going to crash into a building.
The Grizzlies badly need a win tonight over the Golden State Warriors tonight in San Francisco. If they don’t get it, their backs will be against the wall and they’ll have to win 3 in a row beginning Wednesday. The game doesn’t start until 9:00, so lots of Grizzlies fans will be falling asleep at their desks tomorrow at work. The game will be nationally broadcast on TNT.
Ja Morant is listed as doubtful for tonight’s game, following an injury in Game 3 when Warriors guard Jordan Poole pulled on his knee. If Ja is ruled out, Tyus Jones will start at point guard.
Lots of NBA front offices will still have reason to watch tonight’s game even if Ja Morant doesn’t play. Although Tyus Jones is the backup point guard for the Grizz, a lot of teams would consider him talented enough to be a starting point guard, and his contract expires at the end of the season. He earns $8,376,286 this season (per ESPN) but there are teams that might be willing to pay Tyus $15M or more to start for them next season. Will the Grizzlies be willing to pay that kind of money for a backup point guard, the same year they can offer a max contract extension to Ja Morant (or a supermax extension, if he makes an All-NBA team this year and next) and also an extension to Brandon Clarke?
Still, though, these are high-class problems to have. A few hundred miles south on the Mississippi River, the New Orleans Pelicans have to decide whether to offer Zion Williamson a max extension. His ceiling is unlimited, but he’s injury-prone and overweight (listed at 284 but looks over 300). $30 million a year is a disaster for a player who spends most of the year on the bench, and a bargain for a future league MVP. The Pels have no idea which they’ll be getting.
Charles Barkley recently joined Jessica Benson and Meghan Triplett on Rise & Grind to talk Grizzlies vs. Warriors. Watch here
StyleBlueprint has a chat with the owners of Grind City Grocer in the Washburn building. About 95% of their products are from local or regional vendors.
Uh oh… I see a problem here…
- The first public night of BBQ Fest is Wednesday
- Many teams have TVs in their booths for NBA playoff watching
- Tip-off time for Grizzlies vs. Warriors Game 5 is Wednesday at 8:30
- The park closes to the public at 10:00 PM Wednesday
- Non-overtime NBA games tend to run about 2 ½ hours
It sure would be nice if Memphis in May extended park closing that night to the end of the game.
Got things to do. Back tomorrow with more news.