Great news for the University of Memphis basketball program. An independent review board has completed its investigation into Penny Hardaway, then the head coach at East High, giving James Wiseman’s family more than $10,000 so they could move from Nashville to Memphis and Wiseman could play for Penny at East. The outcome of the investigation:
- Memphis basketball is on probation for 3 years and has to pay a $5000 fine, but
- NO POSTSEASON BAN for the program!!! Time for the Tigers to get their boogie down on the court, because the path to March Madness is wide open!
- PENNY IS NOT SUSPENDED!!! Not even for one game!
Read the university’s response to the IARP’s decision
Reminder: Film crews for Young Rock will be active in the block of Main Street between Monroe and Union today. Maciel’s will be closed today, tomorrow, and Friday for the filming. I’m not sure if other businesses or pedestrian or trolley traffic on that block of Main will be affected.
A friend of mine went to get her car tags renewed yesterday at the Downtown Wanda World AKA county clerk’s office (credit: Bruce V from the Memphis Flyer for “Wanda World”). She texted me “Still here” after she’d been there 2 hours, and she didn’t sound anywhere close to the front of the line. When I owned a car and the clerk’s office was in its pre-Halbert era, it never took me more than 25 minutes to get my tags. Oftentimes I was in and out in under 10 minutes
Taste of the District returns to the Memphis Medical Center District in Health Sciences Park on Tuesday, October 4. Neighborhood restaurant vendors will include
- Sunrise Memphis
- Riko’s Kickin’ Chicken
- Sabot Caribe
- Evelyn & Olive
- Alcenia’s
- Arnold’s BBQ
- Slim & Husky’s
Other vendors at the event will be
- Phillip Ashley Chocolates
- Pop-a-Roos gourmet popcorn
- Sweet Magnolia gelato
- Feast & Graze
- 901 catering
Clean Memphis and Memphis Transformed are organizing days of community cleanups followed by happy hour. First drink is on those organizations if you participate in the cleanups. They’ll give away swag and gift cards to those who pick up the most litter. Dates and locations are
- Thursday, October 13 at Old Dominick – cleanup 3-5 PM, happy hour 5-6 PM
- Saturday, October 22 at High Cotton – cleanup 10 AM-noon, happy hour noon-1 PM
- Thursday, October 27 at Grind City Brewing – cleanup 3-5 PM, happy hour 5-6 PM
- Thursday, November 3 at Downtown Wiseacre – cleanup 3-5 PM, happy hour 5-6 PM
Register for these Sip & Serve events
Clean Memphis will provide all supplies. Participants will need a fully charged cell phone because the event will use Literatti, a litter data tracking app. You’ll need to bring ID to be able to partake of the happy hour beverages.
South Point Grocery wants to be your starting point for Trolley Night this Friday, and they’ll have Bri Marie performing on the front porch beginning at 6 PM. Grab a beer or a sandwich inside then come out to the porch and listen.
Sad news: Grecian Gourmet on South Main will close. Its business never fully recovered from the pandemic. November 23 will be its last day. After that it will morph into Grecian Gourmet Kitchen in East Memphis, focusing on retail and catering.
The DM reports that NBA veteran Danny Green will be a Grizzly this season and he’s not here just to be trade bait. Green is a shooting guard and at 35 will provide lots of valuable experience to a mostly young team.
ABC 24 reports that Downtown sidewalks are lacking in accessibility. Which brings me to this photo I snapped on Monroe yesterday:
Folks, please THINK and BE CONSIDERATE and don’t just park your scooter any damn place you please. Someone in a wheelchair would not be able to get down this sidewalk.
Cat 4 Hurricane Ian will make landfall today in Florida. The expected spot is between Sarasota and Fort Myers, south of Tampa. Tampa could see significant flooding.
Today is National Drink Beer Day. I can hear the PBR at Bardog calling my name…
The Rock recently visited the Walls, MS trailer park where he lived when he was getting his start in the wrestling biz. The Rock is in Memphis working on the Young Rock sitcom. Might we see The Most Electrifying Man in Sports Entertainment on Main Street today?
Local on Main’s new-found regulars have been making good use of the TouchTunes jukebox. As much as I appreciate my “DAWG” John D’s taste in prog-rock, I feel the need for an alternative. So this week I’ve been composing a disco playlist. Here’s what I’m thinking:
- “I Was Made for Dancin'” by Leif Garrett
- “Do You Wanna Funk,” “Dance (Disco Heat),” and “You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)” by Sylvester
- “Love You Inside Out” by The Bee Gees
- “I Just Want to Be Your Everything” by Andy Gibb
- “I Feel Love” by Donna Summer
- “Get Off” by Foxy
- “It’s Raining Men” by The Weather Girls
I’m avoiding songs people might expect to hear on a disco playlist, like “Stayin’ Alive” and anything by the Village People. Purists will complain that “Do You Wanna Funk” is post-disco, but I’m going to let it slide.
And since we’re talking ’70s songs, let’s talk ’70s TV for a minute. Your A/C is out and you’ve gotta call the building super to fix it. Who you gonna call, Dwayne Schneider from One Day at a Time or Nathan (Buffalo Butt) Bookman from Good Times?
It’s a beautiful day. I’m going to go outside and see if The Rock is on Main Street. Back tomorrow with more news.