It’s a classic 1-2 matchup at FedExForum tonight at 7. The Denver Nuggets, in first place in the Western Conference, come to town to take on the second-place Memphis Grizzlies. Grizzly Bear Blues has a preview. TV: Bally Sports South
Oddly, our main adversary in this game is not even in town. The Grizzlies are 6 games back of Denver for first in the West. A win would only incrementally help Memphis catch the Nuggs in the standings. The real problem is that the third-place Sacramento Kings are hot on the Grizz’ heels at 7.5 games back of first. So the most important reason Memphis needs to win is to keep distance between themselves and the Kings.
Sacramento defeated the L.A. Clippers last night 176-175 in 2OT. It’s said to be the second-highest combined score ever in an NBA game.
Tonight is Varsity Spirit Night at FedExForum. The first 5000 through the gate receive a Grizz Girls poster.
191 Collabs will be at the arena selling hyper-local Grizz garments tonight.
Just what the world needed: McBroken, a website that tells you the status of the ice cream machine at every McDonald’s in real time. It can prevent you from leaving your local McD’s disappointed because you didn’t get soft-serve ice cream.
Anyone else getting swamped with Instagram notifications on their phone? Even in the case of my best friends, I don’t care who added to their story. I don’t care who posted for the first time in a while. I don’t care who Instagram thinks I may know.
Three schools are the leading contenders to land Bronny James, LeBron’s son: USC, Ohio State, and Oregon. Coach Penny offered Bronny a scholarship to Memphis but it’s unlikely he’ll accept.
NPR has the true story of why many Christians eat fish on Friday. It’s not what you might think. Henry VIII, an Englsih king who had no qualms about meddling in religious affairs, was involved.
Patio Porkers, formerly a part of Memphis in May BBQ Fest, is moving to Beale Street this year. 30 teams will compete to determine who has the best backyard BBQ. The competition meat turned in must be ribs. Saturday, May 20 will be the date and it’s open to the public. The winning team gets $1000 and a trophy. More info
The coffee shop in Young Rock season 3, episode 10 is actually the carriage house of the Woodruff-Fontaine mansion.
Vintage heart-shaped cakes have been the #1 request at Primas Bakery + Boutique on South Main lately. In response, they’ve added a vintage cakes section to their online menu. Online pre-orders require 48 hours’ notice.
The Tennessee Vols’ baseball coach has been suspended as possible NCAA violations are being investigated. That school is such a laughingstock.
Interesting post from the Blind Bear last night:
“You do not want to miss this Friday’s Burlesque show! This Friday will be the last Burlesque show! Come see our modern twist on a classic burlesque show with 3 beautiful ladies performing throughout the audience accompanied by live music from James and the Ultrasounds.”
(emphasis mine in the paragraph above)
People are already asking me, “Paul, why is the Bear ending burlesque?” I don’t have any official word from management, but I’ll venture a guess based on what I’ve heard from the bartenders.
Several years ago on the TV show Bar Rescue, Jon Taffer and his team of experts rescued a gay bar that I believe was in Las Vegas. Like many gay bars, it had a drag show, and this one was fabulous. The performers were dressed to the nines and played their roles perfectly.
So, what was the problem, then?
The drag show was too good. People were paying attention to the show and not their drinks. Also, people didn’t want to step in the queens’ way to get to the bar to order. So sales went down during the shows. So did bartenders’ tips.
Again, this is just speculation on my part, but I suspect Bear burlesque may have had a similar issue.
Action News 5 employee and Downtown Memphis resident Matt Infield had his car stolen this week. Not surprisingly, it was a Hyundai.
The DM’s Jennifer Biggs has the recipe for Calvary Waffle Shop’s fish pudding. Biggs points out that the dish is unfortunately named and it’s actually more of a casserole.
Something you don’t see often: Snow swirling around the HOLLYWOOD sign
Southbound traffic from the I-55 bridge will be reduced to one lane until fall.
Tonight is Open that Bottle Night.
City Council members questioned Memphis in May officials about how they’re going to keep Tom Lee Park from being damaged during Music Fest and BBQ Fest. The number of BBQ teams in the park will be reduced from 232 to 150.
That’s it for today. I’ll lead off at Blind Bear at 11, then over to Bardog at 1 for brunch with my friends Randy & Theresa. Back tomorrow with more news.