Paul Ryburn's Journal

SMU handed the Memphis Tigers a devastating road loss yesterday, 73-57. The Tigers were competitive until a little of the way into the second half, when it was tied 41-41 – then the bottom absolutely fell out for Memphis. They looked like the “ugly Memphis” team (TV announcer’s description) that lost to Georgia.

If there’s a bit of good news, the DM reports that Joe Lunardi still has Memphis in the field of 68 in his latest Bracketology projection. Memphis is on the Last Four In line. Let’s take a look at the remainder of the season:

• Thursday, February 24 vs. Temple (15-9, 8-5), 6 PM, ESPN2
• Sunday, February 27 vs. Wichita State (13-11, 4-8), 1:30 PM, ESPN2
• Thursday, March 3 at South Florida (7-19, 2-12), 8 PM, ESPNU
• Sunday, March 6 vs. 14 Houston (22-4, 11-2), 11 AM, ESPN

I turned off the NBA All-Star Game at halftime last night. It wasn’t a game, it was a performance. Players just stood around as the other team dunked and shot uncontested threes. It made me realize how much as a Grizzlies fan I’ve been conditioned to appreciate great defense. For those of you who missed Ja’s dunks, here they are:

Team LeBron won 163-160. The Golden State Warriors’ Steph Curry was the MVP with 50 points, 48 of which were threes.

Action News 5 has a look at the All-Star watch party that happened in WynnBET Sports Bar inside FedExForum.

There’s a massage therapist position open at the Gould’s at Big Cypress Lodge, the hotel inside Bass Pro at the Pyramid.

ABC 24 interviewed some South Main business owners on where restaurants stand after COVID. The owners stressed that Congress must replenish the Restaurant Relief Fund (RRF).

What’s going on in Ukraine right now?

• Russia still hasn’t invaded yet
• President Biden has agreed “in principle” to a summit with Putin if Russia does not invade Ukraine
• U.S. intelligence suggests that Russia has a list of Ukrainians to target after the invasion
• U.S. intelligence also suggests Russia may target other cities besides Ukraine’s capital Kyiv in an invasion

I hope you don’t need to go to a bank or the post office today, because it’s Presidents’ Day.

Toilet paper maker Charmin is said to have a big announcement ready to drop tomorrow, 2/22/22, Day of the Deuces. They’ll share the news on their Instagram account.

The MemphisWeather.net forecast for today is warm and windy with a chance of scattered showers, mainly afternoon and evening, high 66, low 62. It’s gonna be a wet week and tomorrow night it will turn cold again.

The Trumpster is expected to launch a new social network, Truth Social, this week. You’ve heard the saying, the Holy Roman Empire was neither holy, nor Roman, nor an empire? I have a feeling there will be a similar saying about Truth Social.

I stayed home, wrote, and read yesterday during the hours when there was no basketball on. Currently reading Ogilvy on Advertising, a classic in its field. The book was published in the mid-1980s, before the dawn of Internet advertising, but the psychology taught in the book is timeless. I’m about halfway through and enjoying it so far.

Later today I’ll get out for a while. Back tomorrow with more news.

Two big games on national TV today… at 2, the Memphis Tigers take on SMU in Dallas. With a win, Memphis likely moves into a 10 seed in the projected NCAA bracket. A loss puts the Tigers back in First Four Out or Next Four Out territory. The game will be broadcast on ESPN.

The NBA All-Star Game, Team Durant featuring Ja Morant vs. Team LeBron, will be on TNT/TBS tonight at 7 PM.

The NCAA tournament committee revealed its top 16 yesterday, and the University of Tennessee was projected as a 3 seed, the 11th team overall. The Vols being the Vols, what did they do? They went right out and lost, taking a beating from Arkansas, 58-48. Bet the Vols won’t appear in next week’s rankings.

I’d like to suggest a team name for Tennessee: Instead of the Vols, why not start calling them the Voles? Voles are small, insignificant burrowing rodents with the look of a mouse and the habits of a mole. They’re sometimes called field mice in North America (the things Little Bunny Foo-Foo picks up and bops on the head). Given Tennessee’s frequent failures on the football field and the basketball court, I think the Voles would be an ideal animal to represent their school.

We should make a Most Overrated trophy just so Tenneessee fans can experience what it’s like to hold a trophy.

Grizzlies guard Desmond Bane was the first contestant in the NBA’s 2022 3-point contest last night. He was a little off his game, scoring only 18 points. Karl-Anthony Towns won the contest, becoming the first center ever to do so.

Flaws in the I-40 bridge that led to its closure last summer, and which could have caused the collapse of the bridge, were detectable as far back as 1982, the Daily Memphian reports.

Here’s a link to James Aycock’s COVID Week-in-Review. The numbers are generally trending well, but James notes the last 6 weeks have been the deadliest of the vaccine era in Shelby County. He points out that the city is said to be in a “homicide crisis,” but there have been more deaths due to COVID than homicides in the past 6 weeks.

Today is Hoodie Hoo Day in the Northern Hemisphere. To celebrate, go outside at noon and shout “Hoodie Hoo,” to drive winter away prematurely and to usher in spring.

More than 1000 dead rodents were found at a Family Dollar distribution center in West Memphis. I wonder if that center was responsible for shipping the Downtown Memphis Family Dollar its many, many rodents over the years before it closed?

Action News 5 reports that 404 Family Dollar stores supplied by the distribution center were closed Saturday. I wonder if people who planned to do their grocery shopping yesterday and found their local store closed thought to themselves, “Rats!”

There’s an Elmwood Cemetery tour of African-American history this afternoon at 2. Admission is $20 and masks are required when indoors.

Former DNA president Jerred Price brings his tribute show Almost Elton John and the Rocketmen to the Hard Rock Cafe this coming Saturday.

The Krackerjacks, “the party band of the Mid-South,” play the Peabody’s Grand Ballroom from 9 PM to 1 AM Saturday. The event is to celebrate the Mid-South Farm & Gin Show but all are welcome. There will be a cash bar.

My friends in the service industry look forward to the farm & gin show week every year. They tell me the farmers and ginners are not only fantastic tippers, but very nice people as well.

Old Dominick will host a Mardi Gras party 3-6 PM Saturday. When that’s done, why not keep your beads on and walk a few blocks north to the Blind Bear, which will have its Mardi Gras party that night beginning at 8.

Toot, toot, Tootsie, goodbye… toot, toot, Tootsie, don’t cry… today is the last day for Tootsie at the Orpheum.

It’s going to be a rainy week.

The Beijing Winter Olympics’ closing ceremony just concluded. It’s widely believed that Russian dictator Vladimir B. Putin had held off invading Ukraine until the Olympics were over to avoid offending host country China. President Biden told world leaders that U.S. intelligence suggests Russia will begin an invasion that will culminate in encircling Kyiv, Ukraine’s capital. British PM Boris Johnson believes Russia is planning “the biggest war in Europe since 1945.”

Queen, queen. COVID-19.

I’m going to trade a Sunday for a Monday – stay home and work today, and go out tomorrow. I want to write at least one professional article and I want to buy and read a copywriting book a fellow writer recommended. Back tomorrow with more news.

At 1:43 AM I heard what sounded like about 30 gunshots several blocks to the south of me – about the same loudness and direction as the shots fired at Main and Peabody Place on a Tuesday morning several weeks ago, so I’m guessing that same general area. The final shots sounded closer than the first ones, suggesting the shooter may have been traveling in a vehicle.

I did not see any reports of the shots to the police, nor have I seen a report on Nextdoor. Not sure if that means I heard something else and mistook it for gunshots, or if hearing gunshots has become so normalized down here that no one bothers to call them in anymore.

The Memphis Grizzlies’ Desmond Bane scored the game-winning free throw for Team Isiah to beat Team Worthy, 50-49, in an NBA Rising Stars semifinals game last night. However, Team Isiah lost to Team Barry in the finals, 25-20. The Clorox Clutch Challenge was held between the semifinals and the finals. In the Challenge, teams of two players competed to see who could make five iconic shots from NBA playoff history. Desmond Bane and partner Tyrese Halliburton won in 0:39.1.

One of the men accused in the shooting death of Memphis Chamber president Phil Trenary has been judged competent to stand trial. Trenary was shot in an apparent robbery attempt as he was walking home from a fundraiser at Loflin Yard. There were questions about whether defendant McKinney Wright understood the charges against him and his Miranda rights because he has an IQ of only 63. His attorney claims Wright was put up to the robbery by the other defendant, and the gun went off accidentally.

A zero-tolerance crackdown called Enough is Enough will occur on the city’s roads this weekend. If you drive, obey all traffic laws to make sure you don’t get ensnared in this multi-agency project. And stay off your phone when you’re driving!

The Memphis Tigers have made it to the Last Four In in Joe Lunardi’s Bracketology. Tomorrow’s game against SMU will determine whether Memphis falls completely on the right or the wrong side of the NCAA tournament bubble. SMU (18-6) is on the First Four Out line of the bubble, so they’ll be fighting for their lives too – and they will have home-court advantage.

The Pick Awards party, recognizing outstanding contributions in the Memphis hospitality industry, will happen Monday, March 7 from 4 to 6 PM at the Renasant Convention Center. There will be live music by the Nick Black Band, food, signature cocktails, a photo booth, and a scavenger hunt. Free parking in the convention center garage. Award winners and runners-up will be announced in

• Restaurants
• Attractions
• Hotels
• Hosts

The event is free to attend, but they’re asking that you RSVP so they can get a headcount.

The WWE has a pay-per-view premium live event on Peacock starting this morning at 11. Elimination Chamber will feature six-way chamber matches for the WWE World and Raw Women’s titles, while WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns will defend against Goldberg. The broadcast is so early because it will be live from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The Saudi government pays WWE mega $$$$$ to do two shows a year in the country.

Fox 13 has a look at Chef Tam’s Underground Cafe.

ABC 24 looks at why it’s taking so long to get new license plates in Shelby County. I have a friend who was driving around with expired tags for 3 weeks because he was waiting on his new plate to arrive in the mail.

Oh God this is bad news for Downtown Memphis… the Trumpster will be here Tuesday to present a Unity Award to Dr. Alveda King for the We Love Christian Music Awards at Visible Music College on Madison. Why on EARTH would anyone think it is a good idea for that pussy-grabbing, narcissistic enemy of democracy to present a CHRISTIAN music award?

Today is National Chocolate Mint Day.

I just got back from my morning caffeine run to Downtown Walgreens. I just noticed that they have 10-packs of disposable hand warmers in the clearance rack, which you see right as you walk in (right now they have Valentine’s candy on the rack too). I’ve been told our homeless friends find them very useful. If you buy a pack and hand them out, I’m sure they will be appreciated.

Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias has a show at FedExForum tonight. Iglesias is the star and executive producer of Netflix original series Mr. Iglesias.

There’s a Pagan and Witches Meetup at the Broom Closet on South Main 2-4 today. Rev. Omma will give an overview of Norse mythology, teachings, and practice.

Broke Tall Folk play The Vault tonight at 7.

That’s it for now. Back tomorrow.

Last night I decided to partake of the “steak” part of Steak, Whiskey & Poker Night, the new Thursday night special at the Blind Bear. For $19.99 you get a steak, a baked potato with butter, and a salad. The cut of steak changes weekly. Yesterday it was a Creekstone 6 oz. sirloin.

Whoever thought up Steak, Whiskey & Poker Night deserves a Nobel Prize. This is one of the best ideas ever. The steak was perfectly cooked to my specification of medium rare. You have the option of adding cheese, sour cream, and chives to your potato for 99 cents, but I like to taste the butter on my potato so I declined.

Speaking of the Bear, the photos from their February 12 St. Valentine’s Day Massacre party are now online.

The NBA All-Star weekend kicks off tonight with the Rising Stars tournament. 4 teams will compete in games that will not have a game clock. The semifinals will be a race to be the first team to score 50, and the finals will be first team to score 25. Grizzlies star Desmond Bane will play on Team Isiah, coached by Isiah Thomas.

Collage Dance Collective presents RISE at the Cannon Center this weekend. The performance will be the collective’s return to the stage after 2 years and will be in conjunction with the Dance Theatre of Harlem. All audience members, including children, must wear medical-grade face masks. Cloth masks must be accepted. Audience members must show proof of vaccination or a recent negative COVID test, and those 17 and up must show photo ID.

Speaking of masks, the CDC is set to relax its guidance on mask-wearing in the coming weeks.

Alton Brown Live: Beyond the Eats comes to the Orpheum Wednesday, March 16. Comedy, dangerous science, cooking demos.

Twin Soul plays the Tin Roof tonight at 6:30.

Jimbo Mathus and Them Durty Crooks play South Main Sounds tomorrow at 7.

Developer Henry Turley is unhappy that Uptown residents are being temporarily relocated while renovations take place to their public housing units. Turley says there is nothing wrong with the houses, which are only about 20 years old.

The 2022 Memphis Tigers football schedule has been released. Nonconference opponents include Mississippi State (the season opener on September 3), Arkansas State, North Texas, and North Alabama.

It’s the final weekend of the Beijing Winter Olympics. Random fact I learned from the Morning Brew newsletter: Olympic gold medals are at least 92.5% silver.

Today is National Drink Wine Day.

That’s it. Back tomorrow.

Beer lovers now have a new reason to get to the airport early when flying out of Memphis… the Memphis airport’s Concourse B has reopened and it includes a Memphis Made taproom! Enjoy a Fireside or a Junt while waiting for your scheduled boarding time.

The full lineup for the 2022 Beale Street Music Fest, to be held at the fairgrounds from April 29-May 1, has been released. Enjoy scenic views of the Liberty Bowl and asphalt parking lots while your favorite band performs.

Cerrito Trivia will host ’90s Pop Culture Trivia tonight at Old Dominick. The fun kicks off at 7 PM.

DJ Superman plays a free show at Downtown Wiseacre 6-10 PM Saturday.

Cafe Keough has a full-time barista position open. If you want to work in the Downtown core and have your afternoons, evenings, Sundays, and Mondays free, this could be the gig for you.

MemphisWeather.net reports that there is a threat of severe weather this afternoon including possible damaging wind and tornadoes. Noon to 4 is the most likely time for severe stuff and wind gusts could reach 35-45 MPH.

Congratulations to the Memphis Tigers’ Landers Nolley II, the latest Memphis athlete to sign an NIL deal. He’ll represent Boosted Biz, an e-commerce and monetization site where customers can build their brands.

The Grizzlies lost to the Portland Trail Blazers last night, 123-119. Good news: Golden State lost its most recent game, too, so Memphis remains only 1.5 games from catching them for second in the West.

Ja Morant All-Star jerseys have arrived in the Grizzlies’ store.

The @JaMorant @NBAAllStar jerseys are here ⭐️

Hit the Grizz Den to cop one or hit the link below ⭐️

⭐️: https://t.co/GB6f2hRyuZ pic.twitter.com/QUrrnjz83B

— Memphis Grizzlies (@memgrizz) February 16, 2022

There will be a couple of street closures next week for the Mid-South Farm & Gin Show. Exchange Avenue will be closed between Main and Second, and Main will be closed between Exchange and Winchester.

Holly has a post about the Turkish coffee at Qahwa in the I Love Memphis Blog. Qahwa is on the ground floor of the Claridge House at N. Main and Adams.

Delta Joe Sanders, Yubu Kazungu, and Amber Rae Dunn perform tonight in the Memphis Songwriters Series hosted by Mark Edgar Stuart at the Halloran Centre. Admission is $5.

Don’t forget, tonight is Steak, Whiskey, and Poker Night at the Blind Bear. Steak with salad and baked potato $19.99, Old Dominick whiskey specials, and Texas Hold’em with Charles, free to play.

Back tomorrow with more news.

The Memphis Union Mission serves approximately 175 men per night, providing them with a change of clothes, 3 hot meals, a shower, and hygiene products. Currently, though, they are out of razors. Here is an Amazon link to inexpensive razors that work well. If you can help out, please have them sent to

Memphis Union Mission
Attn: Dr. Randy Daniels
383 Poplar Ave.
Memphis, TN 38105

A Wordle-esque game for people who love geography: Globle. You type in the name of a country, and it highlights that country in a shade of red on a globe. The darker the shade of red, the closer you are to the country of the day which you’re trying to guess. It’s a fun way to learn the names and locations of the countries of the world.

Starting Thursday, February 17, the Blind Bear will start doing Steak, Whiskey, and Poker on Thursday nights. On the sites where I write professionally, I write a lot of listicles (articles that are lists). Allow me to present a mini-listicle here:

7 Reasons I Like Steak, Whiskey, and Poker Thursdays at the Blind Bear

1. It’s not a drag show
2. From 5 to 10 PM (or while supplies last) every Thursday evening, you can get a steak for $19.99 at the Bear. It comes with a salad and a buttered baked potato. Load the potato with cheese, sour cream, and chives for 99 cents more. The steak variety will change weekly. This week it will be a Creekstone 6 oz. sirloin.
3. It’s not a drag show
4. Support local with Memphis-distilled Old Dominick Whiskey specials!
5. It’s not a drag show
6. Texas Hold’em Poker hosted by Charles at 7:30. It’s free to play, and the top finishers receive Blind Bear gift cards. How cool is that? You sit down to play poker, you end up with all the chips, and you have enough Bear Bucks to pay for next week’s steak!
7. It’s not a drag show

Crawfish is back at Max’s Sports Bar this Saturday. The doors open at 11 and the first batch of the mudbugs come off at 12. They come with all the fixins – corn, taters, and sausage cooked in the boil. The price will be $12.50 for 1 pound or $21 for 2 pounds. They’ll also have boiled shrimp for $16 per pound. Sides do not count toward the weight of the box, but are included in the price.

@glazescrawfish will once again be doing the boils. I have had Glaze’s crawfish on numerous occasions and they are BETTER than any crawfish festival’s in Memphis. If you have never made it down to Max’s for some of Glaze’s ‘bugs, treat yo’self this Saturday.

The Memphis Tigers improved to 15-8 with a road win over Cincinnati, 81-74, last night. Joe Lunardi had Memphis as “first team out” in his updated Bracketology yesterday morning. The win last night may have been enough to get the Tigers on the right side of the bubble – but Penny and his team can’t stop to celebrate now. The Tigers are 1 game back of conference leader SMU – and they play on the road Sunday at SMU in a nationally televised game. A win in Dallas would almost surely put the Tigers into the projected field of 68.

Neither 2019 NBA #1 draft pick Zion Williamson nor 2020 Rookie of the Year/#1 pick in everyone’s 2019 do-over draft Ja Morant played in last night’s Memphis Grizzlies vs. New Orleans Pelicans game. Tyus Jones dropped 27 and JJJ added 23 as the Grizzlies rolled to a 121-109 win.

The Grizzlies are now only 1.5 games back from catching the Golden State Warriors for second place in the West. That’s important because the 2 seed is guaranteed to have home-court advantage in both the first round of the playoffs and the Western Conference semifinals.

The Grizzlies host Portland at FedExForum tonight at 7 in their final game before the All-Star break. Locally, the game will be televised on Bally Sports Southeast.

Cordelia’s Market will start doing Taco Tuesdays next Tuesday. $3.50 each, crunchy or soft, chicken or ground beef. Chef Muffin fries the crispy taco shells herself, in-house. The tacos will be made to order rather than sitting in the cafe’s hot box.

Soul & Spirits, the brewery on North Main, has released Mo’ Joe Workin’, an Imperial Coffee Stout that is a tribute to “Got my Mojo Workin'” by Muddy Waters. It’s brewed with local coffeemaker Dr. Bean’s Ethiopia coffee beans. 9.4% ABV, so you want to go easy on this one. It’ll only be available on draft in the brewery’s taproom.

The Daily Memphian uncovered that all the MLGW board members are serving on expired terms.

From Sports Teller: The top 5 Memphis Grizzlies concessions at FedExForum

That’s it for this post. Walking over to Rachel’s Salon this morning for a haircut – my first in 8 months and 8 days. Back tomorrow with more news.

This is gonna be a fairly quick one.

From CNBC: Every commercial that played during the Super Bowl

From the NFL’s YouTube: Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige & Kendrick Lamar FULL Pepsi Super Bowl LVI Halftime Show

Two Saturday Night Live legends come to the Orpheum Saturday, September 24. Steve Martin and Martin Short will stop in Memphis as part of their You Won’t Believe What They Look Like Today tour. Get ready to shell out some money if you want to see them; tickets start at $95.

The Memphis Tigers play a road game at Cincinnati tonight at 6. TV coverage will be ESPN+.

That’s it. Back tomorrow.

About 9 PM last night, I became a BIG WINNER.

No, I didn’t have a bet through an online sportsbook. No, I didn’t hit my numbers on Super Bowl Squares.

I became a big winner because now I don’t have to watch a league I don’t care about on TV for six months.

If you want to celebrate today for some other reason than it’s a totally contrived holiday designed to sell flowers, candy, and fancy restaurant dinners, try celebrating National Poop Day or National Football Hangover Day. It’s Library Lovers Day but I won’t celebrate that until the Cossitt Library schedules an opening date less vague than “soon.” If the library near where YOU live is open, today would be a good day to go there and read the works of Frederick Douglass, because today is his day. (Here’s a library guide of Douglass’ works)

If you’re a Daily Memphian subscriber, don’t miss this article about Wendy McCrory, who opened the first Memphis franchise for Gus’s on South Front Street. She now owns all but two of the 36 franchises.

From the Washington Post: BUBBLE WATCH: Memphis rounding into form at the right time

Blind Bear has announced a Mardi Gras Masquerade Ball for Saturday, February 26. Guests are invited to wear masks and beads, although of course you don’t have to. The Mario Monterosso Band will perform. Jamie Harmon will take pics and mug shots for the wall and the Amurica photo booth will be parked outside. Drinks and specials will be announced as we get closer to the date of the party.

Play Some SKYNYRD, A Lynyrd Skynyrd cover band, plays the Hard Rock Saturday night. Hmmm… An alternate Facebook event listing suggests the name may be Play More SKYNYRD. Anyway, you get the idea.

That’s it. Short post as expected today. Back tomorrow if there’s any news to report.

It’s 8 PM on February 13, and you’re driving home from Galentine’s Day with a smile on your face. You’ve spent the evening showing the girls photos of the sexy red dress and heels you plan to wear tomorrow night when your boyfriend takes you to Porch & Parlor for dinner. You love ya girls but you gotta admit also loved it when you saw a twinge of envy in their eyes. Tomorrow night is going to be perfect.

You pull into the garage, walk into the house, and are immediately hit with the overpowering stench of deviled eggs, Ro-Tel dip, and Busch Light. It’s the middle of the third quarter and your boyfriend is on number 11 of the 12-pack he bought for the game. You walk over to the couch, noticing that your feet make a crunching sound due to all the spilled beer on the floor.

You sit next to your boyfriend and start to tell him about the delightful evening you had with the gals, but he cuts you off. “Hold on,” he says. “The Bengals have the ball, first and goal at the 7. I took the over at 37½ and if they score, I win.” Then he lets out a fart that registers 4.3 on the Richter scale. The Bengals take it to the end zone. Satisfied, he passes out on the couch. He’s too heavy to move, so after spending an hour cleaning up the mess, you leave him there. The sun rises on Valentine’s morning without the man you love snuggled up next to you.

He barely makes it to work. You’re not surprised when he texts you at 3 PM saying he’s fallen asleep at his desk twice. Then he drops the bomb. “Honey, I canceled our reservations at Porch & Parlor,” he said. “I’m so hung over that I just don’t feel like being out in public and eating all that rich food. I hope you understand. Let’s do a rain check for next week.”

Dinner is a 10-pack of Taco Bell Doritos Locos Tacos at the kitchen counter. As he crunches into his 4th taco, he lets out a fart that registers 4.8 on the RIchter scale. You know ya girls are surfing Instagram, waiting to see pics of you at P&P enjoying a sumptuous dinner in that hot red dress. Should you upload a photo of a crumpled taco wrapper?

Dejected, you fall asleep that night wondering if your boyfriend loves football more than he loves you.

Scheduling the Super Bowl the second week of February is going to increase the divorce rate. I guarantee it.

How ’bout those Memphis Tigers!!! Max’s Sports Bar was packed yesterday as we saw them hand Houston a 69-59 loss, the Cougars’ first loss at home in 38 games. It’s the Tigers’ first true road win against a Top 10 team in 17 years.

One stat said it all: The Tigers are plus-18 this season when DeAndre Williams is on the floor and minus-13 when he’s not. Penny took the hint and kept Williams on the floor.

And they made their free throws! 18 of 19. That is how you win games.

The win improves the Tigers to 14-8 overall, 8-4 in conference. They are now only 1.5 games back from conference leaders SMU and Houston.

There is still work to do. Memphis’ win caused bracketologist Joe Lunardi to move them onto the bubble, but they’re projected as “next four out.” So the Tigers need to move past another 5 to 8 NCAA teams to be projected in the field of 68. Next up for the Tigers:

• at Cincinnati, 6 PM Tuesday. TV: ESPN+
• at SMU, 2 PM next Sunday. TV: ESPN

Both games are must-win, but the SMU game is particularly important. SMU is seen as a team that’s not quite good enough to make the NCAA tournament, so Memphis doesn’t want to be losing to that kind of team. Also, a win would move Memphis closer to a 1 seed in the conference tournament.

Memphis Made is running a special at its taproom 1-5 today for game day: Buy one six-pack, get a second at half price.

South Main Sushi has adjusted its hours for this week only to accommodate the Super Bowl and Valentine’s Day.

• Sunday: 12:30-6:00 PM
• Monday: 5:00-9:30 PM
• Tuesday: Closed

I confirmed with the bartender at Max’s that the first Saturday it’s projected to be 60 or above, the sports bar will do a crawfish boil.

Fellas, don’t forget that February 15 is Side Piece Day. Memphis hotels with a listed address on Lamar Avenue see a 41.2% increase in room bookings that day, so don’t delay – make a reservation for you and your side piece now.

At the beginning of the season, who’da thunk the Grizzlies would hit 40 wins BEFORE the All-Star break? They did exactly that last night, beating Charlotte on the road, 125-118.

The last time I stuck around for the Friday night burlesque show at the Blind Bear, they turned off the TVs during the performance. I wonder if they’re going to turn off Desmond Bane in the NBA Rising Stars game?

Nextdoor reports that there’s a hurt possum at the corner of Island Place and Island Drive.

The Kent, a meeting and event space, will be the first part of the Snuff District redevelopment to open, hosting Soup Sunday next week.

Here’s a link to James Aycock’s COVID Week-in-Review.

POLITICO Playbook is reporting that Wednesday the 16th may be the day Russia invades Ukraine, possibly preceded by missile attacks and cyberattacks. Secretary of State Blinken has promised a coordinated transatlantic response in that event. WWIII?

Ja Morant has a sister, a junior in high school, who is training to follow in his footsteps of basketball stardom.

Eight & Sand hosts Puppy Hour, an event benefiting ALIVE! Rescue Memphis, this afternoon from 3 to 6. There will be food, cocktails, merchandise, and a kissing booth. Tickets are $25.

Tootsie has a six-day run at the Orpheum Tuesday through Sunday. The Wednesday, February 16 performance will include a Beyond the Stage experience after the show at no additional cost, featuring a Q&A with the cast and crew.

Pro wrestling fans, current Impact Knockouts champion and 2022 WWE Royal Rumble entrant Mickie James will make an appearance in Memphis today for Championship Wrestling sponsored by Pro Shingle.

Ginuwine will perform at 645 E. Georgia, formerly the Paradise Entertainment Center, this Friday.

Moxy Memphis on N. Front Street hosts Brushes, Bottles & Bae Monday night from 7 to 9. Whether with your sweetheart or a group of friends, come join this paint & sip class by crew member Moxy Matt. Ticket includes a canvas, paint, two glasses of red wine, and entry into a raffle to take home a bottle of champagne. $35 singles/$50 couples

That’ll do it for this post. I could not care less about either the Super Bowl or Valentine’s Day, so I’m staying home today and tomorrow to get some writing done. Back tomorrow if there’s any news to post.

Let’s talk for a minute about the Memphis Tigers’ chances of receiving an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament; meaning, they get in even if they don’t win the AAC tournament in March.

Coming into today’s showdown at Houston, the Tigers’ record is 13-8. Teams have gotten at-large bids into the tournament with records as bad as 18-14 in recent years. But, those 18-14 teams

• Had top-5 strength of schedules
• Had quality wins against highly ranked teams
• Did not have any “bad” losses to lousy teams

The Tigers’ strength of schedule is not great and they have several bad losses. If they finish the season with 14 losses, they can forget the NCAA tournament and probably won’t even make the NIT. Realistically, they need to limit their losses to 10 if they want an NCAA at-large bid. That means they can eat a loss in the AAC tournament plus one other.

And it can’t be today’s game at Houston. This is Memphis’ chance to get a road win against a team that is likely a top-four seed in the Big Dance. The committee won’t be able to deny that’s a quality win. Bracketology-wise, the Tigers will move from “not even in the conversation” to “on the bubble” with a win today. Probably Penny’s team would land on the “first four out” line with a win, and then they’d have the rest of the season to do work to move to the right side of the bubble.

I may have been critical of Penny at times this season – particularly, his negligence educating his team on the benefits of getting vaccinated – but I am one hundred percent Team Penny today. I want a Memphis win. I want a blowout Memphis win. I want to watch the Tyler Harris Show. I want Duren to be a monster at the rim. I want DeAndre Williams to be the baddest version of himself.

Oooh… it’s National Lost Penny Day though… hope that’s not a bad omen for the Tigers.

You can catch the Tigers vs. the Cougars on ABC at 2:30 this afternoon.

Hmmm… with my Bardog brunch buddies in New York for a Billy Joel concert, today would be an ideal day to do something different. I haven’t watched a Tigers basketball game at Max’s Sports Bar yet this season. Maybe today should be the day.

By the way – I heard from a part-time employee that Max’s Sports Bar is gearing up to do crawfish on Saturdays – not today, but soon.

There was a report of a man armed with a gun at Huey’s in the 10:00 hour last night.

Today is the Saint Valentine’s Day Massacre party at the Blind Bear, starting at 8. 93 years ago this weekend, the Chicago Outfit headed by Al Capone murdered 7 members of Bugs Moran’s North Side gang in an attempt to solidify control of Chicago’s illicit liquor business. The Bear will celebrate with

• Prizes for best gangster and flapper outfits
• Photographer Jamie Harmon will be there to take your pic to hang in the dining room and your mug shot to hang near the front door

My mug shot

• The Amurica photo booth will be parked outside so you can climb in and take fun pictures (tips appreciated)
• FreeWorld will return to the Bear – the FULL BAND, not a Kaleido subset of the band
• Set dinner menu that includes a bottle of champagne – $45 for 1 person or $90 for 2 people

The Grizzlies are on the road at Charlotte tonight for a 6:00 game. Local TV coverage on Bally Sports Southeast.

Ja Morant was drafted onto Team KD Thursday night for the NBA All-Star game. Here’s a look at the teams:

Team KD

• Starters: Joel Embiid, Ja Morant, Jayson Tatum, Trae Young, Andrew Wiggins (team captain Kevin Durant will not be able to play)
• Reserves: Devin Booker, Karl-Anthony Towns, Zach LaVine, Dejounte Murray, Khris Middleton, LeMelo Ball, Rudy Gobert

Team LeBron

• Starters: LeBron James, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Steph Curry, DeMar DeRozan, Nikola Jokic
• Reserves: Luka Doncic, Darius Garland, Chris Paul, Jimmy Butler, Donovan Mitchell, Fred VanVleet, James Harden.

I’ll be rooting for Ja Morant and Team KD, of course, but it looks like LeBron drafted a much stronger team. Makes me think, ten years from now when these guys’ playing days are over, I’d much rather have LeBron in my front office than Kevin Durant.

Wonder how Team KD will work it with two starting point guards? Make Trae Young the primary ball handler while Ja plays off the ball?

Prediction: Team LeBron 182, Team KD 165 (All-Star Games are rarely defensive masterpieces)

Elite Total Wellness is seeking a Medical Assistant for their office on South Front Street. Must be a team player with a willingness to learn new things. Tina would be an awesome person to work for!

Little Italy Downtown is looking for part-time and full-time help. They need someone who can perform basic tasks like food prep, taking customer orders, and cleaning with little supervision. Experience is a plus, but if you’re willing to learn, they’re willing to train. They’re closed Monday and Tuesday and there are no late nights – they close at 9 (giving you plenty of opportunity to walk across the street to Max’s for a beer). Fill out an application and meet the owner (Ricky) and the manager (Jeff) 2-4 PM Thursday or Friday. Generous pay and daily tips.

The Washington Post has a statistical analysis of Super Bowl squares. Basically, if your square is any combination of 0, 7, and 3, you’re in line to make that money; any other number and you’re screwed. The square with the highest expected value is 0/0; if you have that square it’s time to abandon team loyalty and root for whichever team is playing defense.

I was in the Blind Bear for lunch yesterday and a local author was showing off copies of her new book: Have You Ever Been This Girl by Deon Smith. It’s the story of three women’s ups and downs and is available in paperback or on Kindle.

I mentioned that there’s a onesie bar crawl today, but I can’t recommend it much because it’s organized by out-of-towners. Well, good news: There’s now a Onesie Day by locals, for locals, on the Downtown calendar. It’ll be Sunday, February 20 at Atomic Rose. Start off at 11 with a chef-prepared brunch in your pajamas. At 12:30 Bella DuBalle will host a delightfully diverse drag show, followed at 2 by bingo with Pattie O’ Furniture with great prizes for the winners.

Mayor Jimbo from Mempho sent out his weekly newsletter yesterday and raised the possibility of selling MLGW in order to take power lines underground. Nine days after the ice storm, there are still thousands without power, and this is hardly the first time in recent history such a thing has happened. Jimbo makes it clear he’s not advocating for such a move yet, but the idea at least needs to be explored.

Deion Sanders’ Jackson State team will play the 2022 Southern Heritage Classic after all.

Professional Bull Riders are in Memphis at FedExForum tonight.

As I posted earlier in the week, poker has returned to the Blind Bear Thursday nights at 7:30. One hand I played exemplified everything I love about poker. The blinds were 400/800 and I had about 8000 in my chip stack. Action was folded around to the man to my right, who bet 2000. I looked down and saw

Ace-King

“Big Slick,” the best unpaired starting hand. in Texas Hold’em. I sure as hell was not folding that. But with 3200 already in the pot, I didn’t have enough chips to play the flop, turn, and river properly. In that case, the best move is all-in. I moved in with my 8000 chips, my opponent called, and he flipped his cards over.

His hand: Ace – Queen

“Big Chick,” the second-best unpaired starting hand. His call was a great one – he just happened to run into one of the very few hands that has A-Q dominated.

The flop: 3- Queen – 6

Ouch! One of the three cards in the deck that could have helped him showed up. He took the lead with a pair of Queens.

The turn: King

I improved to a pair of Kings, taking the lead. I’m about a 91%-9% favorite to win the hand.

The river: Queen

My opponent hits his trip Queens and I’m out of the game. But at least I went out in style! That hand was poker at its finest and made me realize how much I missed it. I’m not saying I’m gonna play every Thursday – particularly if the Grizzlies or Tigers are on TV – but that was fun!

Plans for today: Yeah the more I think about it, a trip to Max’s Sports Bar feels like the right move. I’ll have to deal with falling temperatures, north wind, and flying monkeys, but it feels like I’m overdue for a visit. I’ll bring Perjorie T. Roll to bring the Tigers good luck and to ward off evil. Back tomorrow with more news.