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I worked on it for 3 hours and it had 18 news items. But when I tried to reload it in the editor, the title read Auto Draft and the body was empty.

I am so frustrated.

Sorry everyone.

I met my friends Randy & Theresa at Bardog right around midday yesterday to pregame for The Price Is Right Live at the Orpheum at 7. We were going to meet up with about 10 other Bardog employees and regulars with whom we all had seats together. Around 3:00 Allie Cat, the daytime bartender on the weekdays, showed up with the matching T-shirts we had printed. They were lime green with the Price Is Right font and images of the pricing games.

“Prizes, cars, trips, boats… Let me see that PLINKO though”

I was a bit puzzled. A friend of mine had registered as a contestant when The Price Is Right Live came to the Orpheum in 2019. He had told me it was a 5-hour ordeal, that they had to show up at 5 PM (two hours before showtime) and audition. Yet, when I filled out the contestant registration form online last week, it didn’t say anything about having to show up early. So we all hung out at Bardog until 5:45.

There were an enormous amount of people in the lobby, many in custom-made shirts similar to ours. (I thought ours were the best, though.) We weren’t allowed to go to our seats until 6:30, probably because the theater’s management wanted to encourage us to purchase beer, wine, and snacks from the concession area.

You know what I like about The Price Is Right Live? It’s one of the few Orpheum events where it’s totally acceptable to show up in a T-shirt and shorts. I’m not a dressy person at all, but normally I would not think of going in there in a shirt without a collar – just out of respect to the Orpheum, the grand old dame of the Memphis theater scene. But for the Price is Right, you dress the way people dress on the TV show.

We went to the registration table for potential contestants. They found my online registration and made me a “PAUL” name tag. There were no auditions. Contestants were chosen at random.

At 6:30 we got to our seats. I was right in the middle of Row S, with Allie Cat to my left and Randy to my right. It was the first time I’d been to the Orpheum since my legs got bad. “Damn these seats are close together, and close to the row in front of us,” I thought. “If I get called to Contestants’ Row, I don’t know how I’m going to get to the aisle without tripping over people.”

Drew Carey and George Gray were not on the Live tour. The host was a guy named Todd Newton who has extensive game show hosting experience. He made the evening fun for the contestants and the audience.

About 7:20 the show got started and the first item went up for bids. The winner came up to play Cliffhangers, a game where a mountain climber starts at the bottom of a cliff at a spot labeled 0. There are notches labeled 1 to 25 going up the cliff. The contestant guesses the price of three minor prizes (typically in the $15 to $50 range) and for every dollar they’re wrong, the mountain climber ascends a notch up the cliff. If the mountain man goes past 25, he falls off the cliff and the contestant loses whatever big prize he or she is playing for.

The lady who played Cliffhangers got the mountain man to stop on about 18 and won her big prize. I think it was a trip to Dublin, Ireland.

Before putting a second item up for bids to contestants, Todd gave us some Price Is Right history:

• The Price Is Right was originally hosted by Bill Cullen and was on NBC and ABC from 1956 to 1965
• It was revived in 1972 on CBS with Bob Barker as host
• Drew Carey took over hosting duties in 2006
• Bob Barker is still alive and kicking; he’ll turn 100 on December 12

As they started the second round of bidding, I notice a difference between the live version and the TV show. On the live version, they completely replace the contestants on Contestants’ Row each time. On the TV version, once you’re called to Contestants’ Row, you remain there until you come on stage to play a pricing game or until the show ends. I guess they do it differently so more audience members can have the experience of actively participating in the show.

The second contestant on stage played Any Number, which Todd told us was the first game Bob Barker ever played with a contestant, back in 1972. The way it works is there are 3 prizes:

• A large prize with a 4-digit value (I’ll have more to say about this in a moment)
• A medium prize with a 3-digit value
• A piggy bank with a dollars-and-cents value (between $1.02 and $9.87)

You guess prices, using each digit 0 through 9 exactly once. Whichever prize you guess all the digits for first, you win. Obviously you want to pick digits you think are in the large prize’s price while avoiding the piggy bank at all costs.

Here I noticed another discrepancy in the live and TV versions. On TV, the large prize is usually a new car and they give you the first digit of the car’s price, leaving you the last four to guess. In the live version, the large prize was a trip to New York City, and only for 3 nights – typically on TV, trips last 6 nights.

The lady won her NYC trip, valued at something like $2356. This would be a trend that would repeat throughout the evening – prize values were MUCH smaller than on TV.

Between rounds we learned a few more facts:

• The Showcase Showdown wheel was introduced in 1975
• Cliffhangers was introduced in 1976
• PLINKO was introduced in 1983

The fact that they mentioned PLINKO gave me hope that it would be one of the pricing games.

Next they called 3 people to the stage to spin the wheel for Showcase Showdown. They were new people, not winners of previous pricing games as is the case on TV. High amount (whether from 1 spin or 2) would go on to the Showcase. If you spun exactly $1.00, you got $100 and a bonus spin. Landing on the 5 or 15 on the bonus spin got you an extra $1000; landing on $1.00 got you an extra $2500. All those bonus amounts were one-tenth of what they are on TV.

The third contestant to get on stage played The Clock Game. The contestant is shown a prize and makes an initial guess as to its price and the host says “higher” or “lower.” The contestant then guesses again until they either hit the exact price or the 30-second clock runs out. If there’s still time left, they play again for a second prize.

Then it was time for intermission, lasting 15 minutes. A lot of people were unhappy that the bar had closed before intermission.

The fourth contestant to reach the stage played PLINKO!!! Again, though, the prize values were much less. As with TV, if your chip landed in the center slot, you won the most; but on the live version that amount was $500. On TV it’s $10,000.

One cool thing did happen, though. The PLINKO contestant had been sitting right in front of me in the audience. Todd asked who she was there with and she said her granny. Granny got invited up on stage to play along.

That was it for pricing games. Only 4 of them as opposed to 6 on the TV show.

Three new people spun the wheel for the second Showcase Showdown. Two of them got $1.00 and won $100. Each was awarded a bonus spin, which also served as a spin-off to see who would move on to the Showcase.

They both got $1.00 on the spin-off, earning an additional $2500 each! I bet that total $5200 Showcase Showdown payoff busted the live show’s budget. They spun off again and this time there was a clear winner and nobody landed on a bonus amount.

Next came the Showcase, which differed drastically from what you see on TV. There was only one Showcase, rather than one Showcase per player. So both Showcase players bid on the same Showcase. It consisted of

• A small prize, likely valued in the hundreds of dollars (can’t remember what)
• A trip – again, only 3 nights
• A NEW CAR! A Nissan.

First off, let’s talk about that new car. When they give away Nissan sedans on the TV show, they’re usually Altimas. Altimas are roomy mid-sized cars that are among the most popular cars in the U.S. On The Price is Right Live’s Nissan was the entry-level, subcompact Versa, two notches below the Altima in the pecking order (the compact Sentra is in between them).

Most people weren’t gonna be driving that Versa home, though, even if they had the closest Showcase bid without going over.

You see, if you do that on TV, you get ALL the prizes in your Showcase. In the live version, though, you only win the small prize for being closest without going over. To win all the prizes in your Showcase in the live version, you have to guess the total amount within $100 – again, without going over.

That was it. We were done about 9:40. Randy & Theresa walked me home and got to see the madness that is the Fat Tuesday patio first-hand.

CONCLUSION: If you want to have the experience of playing some of the most popular Price Is Right games, by all means go, it’s a lot of fun. Just don’t expect the way the games operate to be authentic to the TV version. Also, don’t expect to walk out of there with tens of thousands of dollars in prizes.

I’ll try to be back tomorrow with more news, but more likely it’ll be Tuesday.

Due to the severe weather that moved through yesterday, the sneak preview of Birdie’s virtual golf bar at 493 S. Main has been moved to today.

Sad for the people in my hometown of Little Rock. A tornado did catastrophic damage to the northwest part of the city, which is where I’m originally from. A shopping center at Rodney Parham Rd. and I-430 suffered heavy damage. About 500 were said to have been injured.

I monitored the weather on WREG yesterday. Shout-out to Tim Sampson and Jim Jaggers for a stellar job.

The Sterick Building at Madison and B.B. King, vacant and blighted since the 1980s, has been bought by developer Stuart Harris. Harris is backed by a group of local and national investors. For nearly 30 years the Sterick was the tallest building in the South.

Memphis 901 FC hits the road today for a 6 PM match at Miami FC. You can watch it locally on Bounce, channel 5.2 on rabbit ears.

Congrats to Kenneth Lofton Jr. of the Memphis Hustle on being named NBA G-League Rookie of the Year.

The Hustle play Rio Grande Valley at FedExForum Friday at 11 in the G-League Western Conference Semifinals – consisting of one game, not a series.

What happened to the Grizzly Bear Blues site? Anyone know?

Jaren Jackson Jr. is one of two odds-on favorites to win the NBA Defensive Player of the Year award.

With their win over the L.A. Clippers last night, the Grizzlies have moved to within 2 games back of West first-place Denver Nuggets. Gonna be tough to get to first though – the Grizzlies have 5 games left and only one of them (April 4 vs. Portland) is a home game.

Chris Herrington’s Grizzlies podcast for the DM ranks Memphis’ potential playoff opponents.

Cheers to Tiger basketball head coach Penny Hardaway on National One Cent Day.

The big day is here – it’s The Price Is Right Live at the Orpheum. Show me that PLINKO!!! 7 PM start time.

Singer-songwriter Van Duren plays the Halloran Centre tonight at 7:30.

Memphis Symphony Orchestra presents Modern Broadway with Loren Allred and Telly Leung tonight at the Cannon Center.

FEEL GOOD featuring Funk Night Nashville DJs comes to Central Station tonight 9-1.

That’s it. Off to Bardog I go for a little game show pre-gaming.

First off, a personal note to my friends – you won’t see me out today and that is as I intended. I want to stay home (good day to do so, given the weather forecast) and again start writing in places other than this blog.

I used to collect my thoughts daily in a journal notebook, but I haven’t done that since October. So I bought a 70-page notebook and some Pilot gel pens and I’m gonna catch up on the past 5 months Hopefully that will inspire some topics for professional articles I can write.

Don’t worry, though, I’ll be out and about tomorrow for The Price is Right Live. Probably I’ll pre-game at Bardog since most of our group that is going has a connection to the place.

A few of our group won’t be able to make it to the Orpheum, and for a very good reason. Beloved Downtowner Michael Osf – better known as “Polar Bear” – passed away a couple of weeks ago. There’s going to be a celebration of his life and memory tomorrow (Saturday) from 7 to 9 PM at the Starlight Event Center, 895 N. White Station.

His friends are selling an “eisbar der art” (“Polar Bear the Kind”) hoodie custom-designed by an artist who knew him. Part of the proceeds from sales will go toward the cost of his memorial. There’s also a GoFundMe where you can contribute to memorial costs.

The Grizzlies host the L.A. Clippers tonight at 7 and there’s a promotional giveaway: The first 5000 fans get a Desmond Bane cooler pack. It’s also mascot Grizz’s birthday.

In other Grizzlies news, my TV producer friend Shrek asked me to remind my readers that Sunday’s Grizzlies game vs. Chicago has an unusual 2:30 PM start time. Tune into Bally Sports at 2:00 for the pre-show with Brevin, Pete, and Fish.

There’s a Women’s History Month pop-up at Stock & Belle, 387 S. Main, tonight.

Breakfast-flavored Ramen noodles are a thing now.

Cocozza posted the specials it offers for Apertivo Hour, 4-6 PM Monday-Friday, at the bar or patio only:

• $8 Scarpetta wines
• $8 Spritz Special
• $4 Peronis
• $3 bar snacks or 4 for $10

From the DM: The new Brooka Museum hopes to be a “living room” for Downtown

Severe storms are expected to move through the Memphis metro between 5 and 11 tonight. WInds could gust to 40 MPH.

The Trumpster has been indicted by a Manhattan grand jury on more than 30 counts of business fraud. The charges are not yet known because the indictment is sealed. Trump will appear in court Tuesday. He’s the first former president to face criminal charges.

That’s it for today. Time to get started on my project. Back tomorrow with more news.

My friends with whom I’m going to The Price Is Right Live Saturday have informed me they’re making me a T-shirt to wear. As I understand it, the shirt will say

“Planes, trains, cars, and boats,
Show me that PLINKO though”

Speaking of the Orpheum, there’s an event there tonight. Comedian Druski brings his Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda Tour to town, with an opening set by Navv Greene.

Former Memphis Grizzly Pau Gasol has been elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame’s class of 2023. The Grizzlies drafted Pau as they relocated here in 2001 and he was the star of the team for 7 years. Other notables in this year’s class include Dwayne Wade, Dirk Nowitzski, and San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich.

Ready for a preview of Birdie’s, the new virtual golf bar coming to South Main? You can get one this Friday night from 6 to 9 as part of the first South Main Trolley Night of the year.

Unfortunately the weather doesn’t look like it’s going to cooperate for Trolley Night. Afternoon and evening storms are expected tomorrow; some may be severe. In better weather news, Memphis will break out of its recent cold snap today, with clear skies, a high of 72, and a low of 60.

Journey comes to FedExForum Saturday night with special guest Toto.

The Grizzlies took a 141-132 home loss to the L.A. Clippers last night. Memphis remains in second place in the West, 3.5 games behind Denver and 2 games ahead of Sacramento.

Moon Taxi, Eric Benet, and Azmyl and the Truly Asia have been added to Music Fest.

Last night I got to hang out with the butt sluts at karaoke night at the Blind Bear, although none of us sang. Butt Slut #2 ordered a sandwich with fries. Butt Slut #1 had on a rather low-cut dress. Butt Slut #2 started throwing fries at Butt Slut #1’s cleavage and, after a couple of attempts, successfully lodged a fry between Butt Slut #1’s boobs. For the first time in my life, I was jealous of a French fry.

Think I’ll start my day with breakfast at Bardog when they open at 8. Back tomorrow with more news.

Action News 5 reports that Tom Lee Park is set to reopen to the public Labor Day weekend.

The Memphis Flyer has a behind-the-scenes look at Calvary Waffle Shop.

The HOPPED beer festival returns to Memphis Made Saturday, April 22, from noon to 10 PM. Limited-edition hoppy ales will be released all day long. The Turnstyles and The Late Greats will supply the live music. The Gourmade and Dim Sum food trucks will be on site. Local game room Board to Beers will have a pop-up at the festival with board and table games.

Momma’s, the trucker bar at Crump and Kentucky that is part of the Aldo family of restaurants, will reopen soon. They’re hiring for all positions. To apply and be interviewed, come by Slider Inn Downtown between 3 and 6 PM Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday. Benefits include competitive pay, training, health insurance, and shift meals. Email your resume to hello@packedhouse.com.

Terrace at the River Inn has shifted to its spring hours and is now open 5-9 PM Tuesday through Sunday.

The Memphis Medical District has announced the following spring events in Health Sciences Park:

• Yoga, Wednesdays at 5:30 PM in April and May
• Zumba, Saturdays at 10 AM – April 8 and 22, May 13 and 20
• Food Truck Fridays, every Friday 11:30 AM-1:00 PM

From the Memphis Flyer: Does Penny Hardaway belong in the Basketball Hall of Fame?

Menopause the Musical comes to the Orpheum tonight. Tickets are $33-$63.

The Grizzlies have announced that first-round game 1 and game 2 tickets will go on sale Friday, April 7 at 10 AM. The Grizzlies will throw a lunchtime Plaza Party that day with a DJ, kids’ activities, and food trucks. The Grizzlies will have home court advantage in the series, but the opponent is not yet known.

Assuming the Grizzlies finish the season as the 2 seed in the West, they would play the team that wins the 7 vs. 8 game in the play-in series. If the season ended today, that would be the winner of the Minnesota Timberwolves vs. the New Orleans Pelicans. A lot of teams are in the hunt for those slots, though.

The Grizzlies set a team record last night with their win over Orlando – most home wins in a single season. The Grizz are 33-5 on the home court.

Today is National Mom and Pop Business Owners Day, a good day to go see Pam and Bill at River Time Deli on Court Square.

Woolly mammoths have been extinct for about 3700 years, yet woolly mammoth meatballs are a thing now.

Want to learn something new? Check out this list of free educational resources.

Ghost River Brewing Co. is in the spotlight in Action News 5’s latest 5 Star Story.

From WREG on YouTube: Reckless driving across Memphis sparks concern

That’s it for this post. Looks like we’re gonna have a beautiful spring day outside. Back tomorrow.

WREG has details about the shootout that occurred at Peabody Place and Main around 8:30 Saturday night. One car was found abandoned, riddled with bullet holes, and drugs and several phones were found inside. The sidewalks were packed and it’s a miracle an innocent bystander didn’t get shot.

Grab a jacket if you go out this evening. Lows are expected to dip down into the upper 30s.

The Grizzlies have a back-to-back at home today and tomorrow:

• vs. Orlando Magic, tonight at 7
• vs. L.A. Clippers, Wednesday at 7

Both games will be broadcast on Bally Sports Southeast. Wednesday’s game is Wrestling Night and there’s a promotional giveaway – the first 3000 fans get a free Steven Adams Hawaiian shirt.

The Orpheum announced its 2023-2024 Broadway season yesterday:

• Funny Girl October 10-15
• Beetlejuice October 31-November 5
• Six November 21-26
• Company January 2-7
• Les Miserables February 6-11
• Mrs. Doubtfire March 12-17
• Wicked April 3-21
• Mamma Mia! July 16-21

Memphis Tigers basketball players Kendric Davis and DeAndre Williams have accepted invitations to the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament, where they will be watched by pro teams’ scouts. It’s an opportunity for players who might otherwise be passed over in the NBA draft to showcase themselves.

Today is National Something on a Stick Day.

Another slow news day. I’m out. Back tomorrow.

It’s that time of year again. This Saturday, the Memphis Farmers Market returns. When I was a child back in the ’70s, my mom would take me to a farmers’ market in Little Rock, set up on a parking lot downtown on 3rd St., not far from the Arkansas Gazette building where she worked. It was nothing special, just a bunch of farmers standing around selling excess produce out of bushel baskets.

Don’t get me wrong – the Memphis Farmers Market has that too. It’s the centerpiece of the entire operation, the main event. But it’s hardly all that happens there.

At MFM you’ll also find (based on what I’ve seen in past years)

• Live acoustic music
• Food trucks serving breakfast and lunch
• Fresh flowers
• Herbs in season
• Cheeses
• Breads
• Reheat & go meals
• Frozen pops
• Bird houses
• Pottery
• Hot sauce
• Bloody Mary mix
• MFM T-shirts
• Dog treats
• Chips & dips
• Fresh meat & seafood
• Jellies & jams (if you don’t know the difference, I know someone who can explain it to you)
• Mushroom-growing starter kits (no not the magic kind)
• Pastries

The Memphis Farmers Market happens every Saturday, rain or shine, from the beginning of April to the end of October. It’s located under the pavilion at S. Front St. and G.E. Patterson Ave., behind the Malco Powerhouse movie theater.

Wow. What a Final Four.

• 4 UConn
• 5 San Diego State
• 5 Miami
• 9 Florida Atlantic

Has there ever been a Final Four where a 4 seed is the high seed left standing? Has there ever been a Final Four where the average seed is 5.75?

34 out of the 35 people in our Bardog employee/regular bracket league picked a national champion who has been eliminated by this point.

FiveThirtyEight probabilities of each team winning the title:

• UConn: 43%
• San Diego State: 25%
• Miami: 20%
• Florida Atlantic: 12%

The Grizzlies picked up a 123-119 win over Atlanta yesterday. They’ll be back home to face Orlando on Tuesday.

The DM has a look at the vegan brunch that happened at the Renasant Convention Center yesterday.

Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Uranus will align in an arc under the moon Tuesday evening.

Major League Baseball’s Opening Day is Thursday.

Not a very newsy day. Back tomorrrow.

Last night I got home to bed early because I wasn’t feeling that great. But I got woken up four times by revving engines and squealing tires. Especially from 10:30 to midnight, the noise was nearly constant. I guess the season for Stupid Car Tricks has begun.

9 Florida Atlantic – the team that ousted Memphis from the Big Dance – and 4 UConn advanced to the Final Four yesterday. Today two more teams will advance:

• 6 Creighton vs. 5 San Diego State, 1:20 PM, CBS
• 5 Miami vs. 2 Texas, 4:05 PM, CBS

You’ll notice I didn’t list any picks for today’s games. That’s because the bracket I filled out is TOTALLY busted. I’m in 9th place out of 35 with 50 total points and a possible max of 50. There’s no remaining game that can move me higher in the standings.

Despite that, GO ‘CANES!!! As in, the Hurricanes of Miami.

Why, you ask? Never once in my life have I rooted for that team. A picture is worth 1000 words:

As I mentioned, I have 50 points but no live teams – no opportunity to increase my point total. Butt Slut #1 has 48 points but still has a live team – Texas, who she has going to the championship game.

If Texas wins today, her bracket beats mine.

If Miami wins today, my bracket beats hers.

I don’t ask my readers for much, but today I will: Please send positive “win-today” vibes to the Miami basketball players and coaching staff. Together we can take Butt Slut #1 down.

Weather today: Almost no chance of rain. 76/50. Note that the wind is going to shift around to the north at 13 mph tonight, so take a jacket if you plan on walking home.

The Grizzlies travel to Atlanta to play at 5 today. The game is on NBA TV but I believe it’ll also be on Bally Sports with your friends Brevin, Pete, and Fish.

Today is National Make Up Your Own Holiday Day. Can I make up “$1 PBR Day”?

The line to get daiquiris at Fat Tuesday must have been 20 deep when I walked home yesterday. And that was still early in the evening, probably about 6:00. Whoever is their marketing director is doing a hell of a job.

Former Grizzly Zach Randolph will be inducted into the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame.

There will be free photos with the Easter Bunny Saturday at Bass Pro.

Weekly event Live at the Tracks returns to Central Station this Thursday from 6:30 to 9:30 PM. Shara Layne will perform.

Kansas City band The Country Duo plays South Main Sounds for Trolley Night this Friday.

There will be an Easter egg hunt for kids at the Fire Museum on Adams Saturday from 10 AM to 1 PM. Firefighters will hide 500 candy-filled (chocolate and jelly beans) eggs around the museum. Find an egg of each color and turn them in to the Easter Bunny for a chance to win the Grand Surprise Prize. Tickets are $10 regardless of age.

That’s all for today. Go ‘Canes!

Well. My NCAA bracket is likely dead following UCLA’s loss to Gonzaga last night. I had the Bruins picked to go to the Final Four. I’m in 18th place in the 35-person Bardog regulars/employees bracket pool. Here are my picks for today’s Sweet Sixteen games:

• 1 Alabama over 5 San Diego State, 5:30 PM, TBS
• 1 Houston over 5 Miami, 6:15 PM, CBS
• 6 Creighton over 15 Princeton, 8:00 PM, TBS
• 2 Texas over 3 Xavier, 8:45 PM, CBS

So nice to have 4 live picks in tonight’s 4 games. Yesterday I only had 2 live picks, one of which lost. Today could very well be a day when I move up in my bracket league. I have the highest maximum possible point total (138) of anyone who picked Alabama as champion, so theoretically I still have a path to winning my league, albeit a narrow path.

Mainly, I just want to beat Butt Slut #1. She needs a demonstration that I am better than her in every possible way.

Anyway, let’s get on to the news…

Got a reader tip yesterday… it appears a restaurant named Pretty Taco is going in the old Paramount space near Front and MLK.

Grizzlies developmental affiliate the Memphis Hustle announced that G League Conference Semifinal tickets are now on sale. Home playoff games will be played at FedExForum.

Today is National Cocktail Day.

Tonight is Memphis Grizzlies Scholars Night at FedExForum.

Keep an eye on the weather tonight. Strong to severe storms may move in between 7 and 11 PM. 78/58 with very gusty winds.

Memphis Animal Services is offering $5 puppy adoptions this weekend.

Corncob crust pizza is a thing.

Slider Inn Downtown is hiring for all positions. Come by between 2 and 7 PM Monday or Tuesday of next week. A resume in advance to hello@packedhouse.com is helpful but not required.

In other news, starting at 5 this afternoon, Slider Inn Downtown will give you $1 off drinks (limit 5) when you show your Grizzlies ticket.

That’s all for now. Back tomorrow.