Saturday update: Watch the Memphis Hustle on Facebook Live

Memphis Grizzlies G-League affiliate the Memphis Hustle have announced their promotional activities for tonight’s 7 PM game and tomorrow’s 5 PM game, both at the Landers Center. Although there will be no TV coverage, all Hustle games will be broadcast on Facebook Live, with commentary by Jon Roser (ROSER!!!) and Eli Savoie. Follow Memphis Hustle on Facebook for broadcast games.

As for the promotions, attendees of both the Saturday and Sunday games will get Hustle pom-poms as they enter the arena, and on Saturday, the pom-poms will be passed out by the Grizz Girls. Behind the south basket there will be a Kid Zone with balloon artists, inflatables and face painters. Behind the north basket there will be the Budweiser Backcourt Lounge with yard games and DJ J-Mack.

For Saturday’s game, Local 24’s Chelsea Chandler will sing the National Anthem. The Grizzline and Blue Bunch will be there, with the Beale Street Flippers performing at halftime.

Sunday will be Country Music Night at the Hustle, leading up to next week’s Country Music Awards. There will be live entertainment by country artists. The Grizzlies Grannies and Grandpas will also perform. Ben McLemore of the Grizzlies, on assignment to the Hustle, will make his debut.

Drink shitty beer and win tickets to see the Titans! Tomorrow, Sunday, November 5 at Max’s Sports Bar, purchase any Miller/Coors product and you will receive a raffle ticket. The winner of the raffle gets a set of tickets to the November 12 Titans game and a VIP tailgate party.

From High Ground News: Students at Downtown school Grizzlies Prep are getting ahead because of quality educational programming and a strong network of adult mentors. Grizzlies Foundation programs at Grizz Prep include the TEAM Mentor Program, GrizzFit Kids Bootcamp, CodeCrew, Lunch Buddies, and the Memphis Grizzlies Scholars Program. The program has been expanded this year to serve 5th graders as well as 6th-8th graders.

Off to Bardog for a meeting with BBQ team president John D. After that I’ll head over to Blind Bear for D-RANKS with B-RAD. Happy Saturday everyone. Back tomorrow with more news.

Friday update: Tree lighting and lots more

The annual holiday tree lighting will happen at the corner of Main and Peabody Place on Saturday, November 18 (my birthday!) from 5 to 7 PM. There will be appearances by Fabled Santa, hot cocoa and S’mores, carols by Soulsville Charter Schools, holiday arts & crafts, and a station where kids can write and mail letters to Santa. Holiday ornaments and magic light wands will be for sale, with the light wand sales benefiting St. Jude.

The Memphis Tigers beat Lemoyne-Owne 101-78 last night. The Tigers logo looks pretty snazzy on the new FedExForum video board.

Hoops for Troops gear has arrived in the Grizzlies Store.

India Fest is tomorrow at the Agricenter. Normally I don’t recommend events in Cordova but this one is worth it. Indian cuisine, Bollywood dance shows, clothing, jewelry, and vendors. $5 adults, kids 5-12 $1, kids under 5 free. Supports the Mid-South Food Bank.

Lansky 126 at the Peabody Hotel now has Happy Socks featuring Yellow Submarine. Perfect gift if you have a Beatles fan in your life.

New Memphis is looking to hire an Outreach Leader.

Don’t forget that Ghost River has a lot going on tomorrow to celebrate its taproom’s one-year anniversary.

That’s just weeks before the Royal Rumble, the second most important WWE pay-per-view of the year. The Memphis RAW show should help clarify what can be expected from the red brand at the Rumble.

Great article and great recommendations from Southern Living: Memphis gets its groove back

The Trumpster is off to Asia for a 12-day trip. His daughter Kremlin Barbie flew out a day earlier for the annual World Assembly of Women. Wonder if Mueller will release any more indictments while Mr. Tangerine Man is busy on the other side of the world?

Plans for tonight: With the Tigers having a football game vs. Tulsa, nationally televised on ESPN2, I have my sights set on Max’s Sports Bar after work! Been a while since I watched a Tigers game there. It’s Fireball Friday with $3 shots until 7, and maybe I’ll try something from Max’s new hot dog menu. If I do, I’ll be sure to get a picture. It’s nice to be able to post photos of your dinner on Facebook without crazy people “liking” them and commenting on them. That’s the benefit of a well-curated friends list. :mrgreen: Anyway, I’m outta here for now, back tomorrow with more news.

Stumbling Santa 2017 and Friday news

The 13th annual Stumbling Santa pub crawl has been announced for Saturday, December 2, beginning at 7 PM at the Downtown Flying Saucer. Dress up as Santa, Mrs. Claus, a reindeer, or whatever and stumble with other Santas to bars around Downtown. And I mean, a LOT of Santas… last year there were over 1200 and it was so big that had to close off Peabody Place and put up a canopy for all the participants (wonder what they will do now that Peabody Place has tables and bike lanes and stuff?) There is no cost to attend this event, but they ask that you bring a new toy as a donation to Porter-Leath. They need to raise 6000 toys to make sure all Memphis-area families are covered. Don’t have a Santa suit? You have a month to get one!

For those new to Downtown Memphis, by the way, the first Saturday of December is a BIG day down here. It starts off with the St. Jude Marathon in the morning. Then there’s a Tigers men’s basketball home game at 4. The bars will fill up with people wanting to watch the SEC championship game, which will almost certainly be Alabama vs. Georgia. Then at 7 the Santas stumble. There’s so much to celebrate that weekend that I’m taking Monday the 4th and Tuesday the 5th off!

The riverfront trails are going to be rebranded as RiverLine, the MBJ reports. Yellow spheres will be placed every 1/8 mile along the 4.75 mile trail connecting the Harahan Bridge river crossing to the Wolf River Greenway.

I will say it once again, University of Memphis president Dr. M. David Rudd is a cool guy.

Dr. Rudd is not going to win any ugly sweater contests with his recent discount purchase, though. To do that he’d have to put on a Tennessee Vols sweater.

Do the Hustle! The final roster for the Grizzlies’ G-league team the Memphis Hustle has been revealed, and former Memphis Tigers teammates Austin Nichols and Trahson Burrell both made it. Also, keep an eye on Dusty Hannahs this season – he was a lot of fun to watch when he played for the Arkansas Razorbacks. I Love Memphis contributor Austin Crowder has a guide to the Hustle that is an excellent read for those unfamiliar with the team. Agreed, the Hustle will be to the Grizzlies as the Redbirds are to the Cardinals, and I also agree that the Hustle will be a way to transition college basketball fans into fans of professional basketball.

Preview of the Brass Door’s new menu. They’ll be back open soon.

Off to work. Probably back at lunchtime with a second Friday post.

Thursday update

The first annual Christmas Onesie party at Tin Roof is set for Friday, December 8. This will be on the Green Room side and free to attend, with Glow Co. performing. $5 Jameson shots and $3 domestics until 11 PM that night. Don’t own a onesie? You have plenty of time to go find one! You can even wear matching onesies to the party with your BFF like my friends Rahul and Tony do!

LUNCHBOXeats is now accepting Thanksgiving orders through November 16 to be picked up Tuesday or Wednesday of Thanksgiving week (Thursday for an additional fee). You can get a full dinner that serves 6 to 8. They have a deluxe package for $170 and a traditional package for $125. You can also order entrees, sides, desserts and beverages on an individual basis. Sides feed 6-8 and in some cases the size can be increased or decreased.

A company in Japan is giving nonsmokers an extra 6 paid days off a year to compensate them for time not spent on smoke breaks. This is an excellent idea.

The Majestic Grille’s famous chili is back on Wednesdays.

The Memphis Tigers host the LeMoyne-Owen Magicians in a pre-season game tonight at FedExForum at 7.

Interesting article: Author and former FBI agent Joe Navarro describes how investigators might have convinced George Papadopoulos to flip.

Short post today. I’ve been dealing with getting a headlight replaced this morning so I haven’t been paying much attention. Back tomorrow with more.

Wednesday update

Save the date: On Saturday, November 11, Memphis Made Brewing Co. celebrates its fourth birthday with a big party called MALTED at its taproom from 1 to 10 PM.

First 50 people get a MALTED glass. They’ll have a bunch of fall and malty beer releases including Rye Felicia! and Orange Drewlius. Live music by Harlan T. Bobo at 3, James & The Ultrasounds at 4:30, and River CityTanlines at 6. Goner DJs Andrew McCalla and Zac Ives will be spinning. Food trucks Yippie Trippie & the Porkstars and MEMPopS will be on site.

Explore Bike Share is looking for a permanent headquarters. They want the HQ to have at least 6000 square feet and be in one of the communities they will serve starting next year: Binghampton, Orange Mound, Midtown, Downtown, Uptown, or South Memphis. Ideally they’d like the location to be central to the entire territory served.

The Commercial Appeal’s Recipe Finder this week has a recipe for banana cream pie from McEwen’s.

The Mid-South Jewelry and Accessories Fair will be at the Cook Convention Center tomorrow through Sunday. 350 booths are expected.

Remember 2009, when stores referred to their sales as a “stimulus,” a play on words on government economic stimulus packages that were passed around that time? Well, the word of 2017 is “leaks.”

Bonus points if the goods being sold were made in Russia.

Memphis’ first bike counter, counting the number of bike rides on the street per day, has been installed on Florida Street north of Virginia Avenue in Downtown’s South End neighborhood.

Ghost River is offering $1 off pints to customers who come to the taproom in Memphis Tigers gear to watch the Tigers vs. Tulsa football game.

SEC rumor: A buyout settlement has been reached for failed Tennessee football coach Butch Jones, and Jones’ agent Jimmy Sexton has been floating his name for four weeks looking for a landing spot. What football program in their right mind would want Butch Jones? A bottom-feeding Conference USA program, maybe?

Free Doritos Locos Tacos at Taco Bell 2-6 today as a result of its Steal a Base, Steal a Taco ad campaign during the World Series.

That’s it for now. Back tomorrow with more.

It’s Mueller Time! + Monday news

Usually on this blog, I have a policy of putting anything political at the end of posts, so that readers who don’t care about political stuff can skip it without missing any Downtown news. I’m amending that policy – anytime an indictment is handed down or there are other developments of similar or greater magnitude, I’m not waiting until the end. Keep reading, because I do have a lot of news today. But first…

PAULIE WALNUTS IS GOING TO PRISON!!!!!

Late last week, President Trump announced the release of many of the JFK files. As soon as he did that, I knew something big was about to go down. The release of the files was a classic Trump strategy to divert the attention of the media. This morning former campaign chairman Paul Manafort, along with his longtime assistant Rick Gates, was taken into custody. The indictment was unsealed (read it here), revealing at least 12 charges related to activity in the period 2006-2016, including conspiracy against the United States, conspiracy to launder money, failure to report foreign bank accounts, failure to register as foreign agents, and giving false and misleading statements when they did register.

Of course, Manafort and Gates are innocent until proven guilty, but an investigator at Muller’s level would not convene a grand jury without firm belief that guilt beyond a reasonable doubt could be proved.

Also today, it was revealed that former campaign foreign policy adviser George Papadopoulos has plead guilty to lying to the FBI in an investigation into Trump campaign/Russia ties back in January. Although Manafort is the bigger fish, Papadopoulos may turn out to be more relevant going farther, because his indictment involves collusion with Russia.

On to the news… There are several job openings at the Memphis Airport, including a newly-posted Customer Relations Program Manager position.

The South Main Association will have its November meeting on Tuesday, November 14, on the ground floor of the new ServiceMaster headquarters. Farmers Market vendor The Grecian Gourmet, soon to open a restaurant on South Main, will provide appetizers. This will also be SMA board member election night. 6:00 social, 6:30 presentation. Free for SMA members, $10 for non-members.

YOGA! Your Inner Yogi at 10 N. Second will offer a Teacher Training program February 10-May 27 of next year. No matter what style of yoga you practice, this teacher training will provide you with the skills to introduce others to your passion. The course also looks at the philosophy behind the poses and is therefore good for anyone who wants to delve deeper into their practice, whether or not they choose to become a teacher.

Mayor Strickland invites the public to follow the MPD Training Academy on Facebook for an insider’s look at what happens there.

An #EmptyNeyland movement has started among Tennessee fans who are fed up with their incredibly embarrassing and mediocre football program. They are threatening to boycott the Vols’ home game on Saturday, the homecoming game against Southern Miss, if current head coach Butch Jones is not fired. Sounds like a great idea to me. How far the mighty Vols have fallen since winning the Life Championship last year.

Just got a call from a 901-875-xxxx number. As always, I never answer calls from numbers not in my contacts. Instead, I Google the number. Gotta be a Memphis number, right? Nope… Jammu and Kashmir, India. These scammers are getting more and more sophisticated.

The 5-1 Western Conference leaders the Memphis Grizzlies host Charlotte tonight at FedExForum at 7 PM.

I’m going to hit happy hour at the Silly Goose after work, where Brittani will ask me “Where are my ribs?” Because, you see, if you’re a member of a BBQ team you can magically produce 16-hour slow-smoked ribs at any time, even if it’s October and BBQ Fest is in May. Go Grizzlies, and go Hustle, because they have their lone preseason game tonight. Back tomorrow with more news.

Quick post

Yesterday was Halloween party Saturday and I dressed up as my little troll figurine who stands on the bar next to my phone and my PBR. I had a green troll wig, green makeup for my nose, and my “Parental Advisory: I’m a Troll” shirt.

I started off at Bardog and then went over to the Blind Bear. Late afternoon I started to get hungry, and I realized I hadn’t had a steak at the Majestic Grille in a while. I got the Gorgonzola-encrusted 8 oz. filet, medium rare, with garlic mashed potatoes and a side of sauteed mushrooms. Steaks at the Majestic are really, really good.

The only thing I’m a bit mad at myself about is, I paid full price for my dinner! Every December, the Majestic has a half-price gift card sale. You can pay $25 and get a $50 gift card, and you can get as many as you want. There are some restrictions – you can’t purchase alcohol with them, and you can’t use them until the new year. Still, though, the gift card sale is one of the best deals going Downtown. Right around the time of last year’s gift card sale, I paid cash for a car, nearly emptying my bank account. So I didn’t buy any gift cards. Not repeating that mistake this year! I’ve got a friend who is working from home that day so he can go to the gift card sale, which is always on a Wednesday. I’m going to give him $125 which will get turned into $250 of Majestic dining. That’ll get me some steak days in 2018!

The Hail Mary that was a metaphor for the University of Tennessee athletic program, its coach, and its fans:

My prediction is that Butch “He Means Well, But…” Jones will survive one more week, then after the Vols lose to Southern Miss it’ll be time to pull the plug.

John Paul Keith plays Loflin Yard’s Front Porch Series today at 3.

Tonight is the annual Kooky Canuck Halloween party. This is one of the best Halloween parties Downtown. 10 PM start time.

Off to Sunday brunch at the Blind Bear. Back tomorrow with more news.

Saturday update

Got a few more Halloween parties to tell you about, and of course don’t forget that the biggest party of them all, Sinners for Saints, is tonight.

Twerk or Treat happens at Earnestine & Hazel’s today. Blues Express and Evan Farris will play E&H, and Blake and Brandy and DJ Decepticon will play 5 Spot. $10 cover after 10 PM.

Oshi Asian Kitchen will have a Halloween party tonight starting at 9. Free to get in. $4 wells, $2.50 drafts, and $6 large sake.

Alice in Daisyland: Halloween with The Crystal Method happens at the New Daisy toinght. DJ Tree, Scotty B, and Defcon Engaged will also perform.

YOGA! And bicycles! On Sunday, November 12, Revolutions Bicycle CoOp, Downtown Yoga and the Silly Goose are teaming up for Bicycles and Yoga. Meet at Downtown Yoga at 2 PM that day with your bike, helmet, and yoga mat. There will be a ride over the Harahan Bridge and around Downtown at an easy pace that allows for chatting. The ride will end at the Silly Goose where Amy from Downtown Yoga will lead a free 30-minute all-levels yoga class. After the class, participants are invited to stay at the Goose for drinks. This event is weather-dependent.

Well, Deyonta Davis and Ivan Rabb weren’t with the Memphis Hustle for long. The Grizzlies recalled them. They were just down there for the day yesterday to participate in the Hustle training camp scrimmage.

High Cotton put a post on Instagram yesterday asking that customers not bring in outside food or beverages anymore, in hopes that people will order from the place next door instead. Well, I guess my days of heating up a Banquet salisbury steak dinner in the microwave and then walking to The Edge are over. It paired so well with the Scottish Ale too.

Learn about the witches of South Main at The Broom Closet in this week’s Memphis Flyer cover story.

Well, well, well! Interesting news coming out of Washington: The grand jury has approved the first charges in Special Counsel Mueller’s probe of the Trump/Russia campaign. Those charged could be taken into custody as early as Monday. Flynn? Manafort? Carter Page? I don’t think they’ve gotten to Trump or the junior Trumps yet. By the way, the reason the Trumpster ordered the release of the JFK files is because he knew this was coming and wanted to distract the media, not because he has any interest in justice.

It’s a rare day when I don’t know my plans for the day. Normally Bardog is my 11 AM stop but it gets super busy on race days. I will walk down there and if I see 10 people hovering outside waiting for them to unlock the door, I will continue south to Blind Bear for D-RANKS with B-RAD. If I don’t, Bardog it is. Probably holding off on RiverArtsFest until tomorrow because I will have my Halloween costume on today and it’s one that would cause a lot of kids to want their picture taken with me. Back tomorrow with more news.

Friday update

If you’re planning on dressing up in an elaborate Halloween costume tomorrow night, I have some inside info from one of the organizers of the Sinners for Saints Halloween Ball tomorrow night at Madison and Danny Thomas (Stop 345/Brinson’s/Tad Pierson’s indoor trailer park). She said that she had seen first-hand over THREE THOUSAND dollars worth of prizes to be split among the winners of the costume contests. That is the highest prize purse I have ever heard of for a Downtown Halloween event!

Not surprised they raised that much. I am friends with most of the people who organize Sinners for Saints and they are very well-connected down here, knowing many restaurant, bar, and business owners who are all happy to donate to this event which is a fundraiser for the Church Health Center. Whoever wins those contests is going to have some SWEET gift cards coming their way. 7 bands on 3 stages including Aquanet and Charvey Mac, karaoke in Brinson’s, food from some great restaurants, beer, punches, craft Jello shots, spiked gummi worms. If you want to be at the biggest Halloween party Downtown, this is the place. $60 at the door but as of this morning you can still buy tickets for $50 online. Party starts at 9 PM tomorrow.

I’ve learned that two bars Downtown are being re-done by Jon Taffer and his staff with the Bar Rescue TV show: Havana Mix, the cigar lounge on Peabody Place, and People’s, the pool hall on Beale. Taf and his folks were at another bar yesterday afternoon (not one being rescued) teaching the Havana Mix staff how to make cocktails.

Tonight is both South Main Trolley Night and the free night of RiverArtsFest, with live music on the G.E. Patterson stage. South Main Book Juggler will host a signing for Libertyland: Images of Modern America. Here’s a book description:

“Images of Modern America: Libertyland is a chronological look at the theme park’s life, from blueprints to its razing and beyond. Photographs were gathered from former park employees, guests, historians, Memphis-area libraries, and the Shelby County Archives. Born and raised in Memphis, author John R. Stevenson V rode his first roller coaster at Libertyland and considers his childhood days spent at the park unforgettable. This book is not only a tribute to Libertyland’s legacy, but also a history lesson for generations of Memphians to come.”

South Main Sounds Songwriter Night #70 is tonight at 550 S. Main from 6:30 to 8:30. They moved the time back a little to accommodate RiverArtsFest. Kentucky country artist Camille Rae will join Paul Crum, Sydney Carty and JB Whalen.

Check out these tips for jub hunting using LinkedIn, including one from my friend @CopelandCoach. If you’re job hunting in Memphis, she can help you.

The movie Trolls will be shown on the lawn tonight at Highpoint Church, 6 PM.

The 2017 Memphis Music Hall of Fame induction is tonight at the Cannon Center, honoring Roy Orbison, The Memphis Horns, Maurice White, Irvin Salky, Frank Stokes, Cassietta George and Cowboy Jack Clement. The induction this year is being held in conjunction with the International Music Cities Convention being held in Memphis this week.

Grizzlies players Deyonta Davis and Ivan Rabb have been assigned to G-league affiliate the Memphis Hustle.

Weekend is a few hours away! Back tomorrow with more news.

Thur update: Burger Fest news, Halloween events Downtown, and more

Seth from Best Memphis Burger Fest posted an announcement today: With attendance declining and the donation to Memphis Paws getting smaller each year, Seth feels Burger Fest needs a reboot. Given all the time the festival has already taken from his duties as a husband and a father, Seth has decided he is not in a position to make that reboot happen. So for now Burger Fest is a thing of the past, although if someone wants to step in and take it over he will happily make his resources available.

Seth, THANK YOU for all you have given the community for the past six years. A lot of Memphians have discovered that great burgers go far beyond just Huey’s because of you. It has been an honor to compete at Burger Fest and raise money for Memphis Paws. This last festival especially really brought my team closer together. I wish you well in whatever your future brings.

With the rise of craft brewing in Memphis, we’ve seen a lot of interesting beer pairings the past few years… and on Saturday, November 18, we’re going to see a new one. Donuts and Fancy Beer will happen that day from 11:30 AM – 1 PM at Wiseacre. They’ll have their usual brewery tour, but there will be a lot more beer… and Gibson’s Donuts… and BEER! They will be releasing Charlemayne, a Belgian Stout which, in collaboration with Phillip Ashley, has been aged in Cognac barrels with chocolate. Yum!

Got news on three more Halloween parties Downtown. The Dirty Crow Inn will become the Scary Crow Inn this Saturday the 28th, with BooBerry shots and a costume contest paying out prizes to the top three places. Defective Agency will be spinning 9 AM to 1 PM.

Also on Saturday night, Paula & Raiford’s becomes the Haunted Disco.

The View atop the Residence Inn will be doing a Spooktacular weekend today through Saturday, 4-9 PM. Pumpkinilla cocktails, candy corn shots, chili and chili dogs.

The Downtown Memphis Commission is serious about getting the building housing Murray’s/Jerry’s on the Main Street Mall sold and occupied… and they’re putting their money where their mouth is. The building is listed on commercial real estate sites at $799,000, but so far the fish aren’t biting. The DMC purchased an option to buy the building for $710,000. They currently have a Request for Proposals out, looking for someone willing to renovate the building and make it a thriving part of Downtown. If the DMC finds someone who can meet their requirements, they will exercise their option and buy the building for $710,000, then immediately turn around and sell it to the renovator for $500,000. Savvy move by the DMC. If they can’t find a developer, they just let their option expire without taking on the risk of actually buying the building. If they do find a developer, he/she will immediately have more than $200,000 equity. Read more at the MBJ

The Grizzlies have announced their local and regional Official Watch Party schedule for away games. There will be one Watch Party Downtown. It will be Monday, February 26 vs. the Boston Celtics at The Vault, 124 G.E. Patterson. 6 PM tip.

The final Memphis Farmers Market of the 2017 regular season happens this Saturday, 7 AM to 1 PM under the pavilion at Front and G.E. Patterson. The Market thanks everyone who stuck with them in 2017 through construction, mud, and dirt. After Saturday, they will be off until April, except for a special Holiday Market December 9.

Tennessee Vols running back John Kelly is suspended from the Kentucky game for being arrested along with another player for possession of marijuana. Kelly leads the Vols in total rushing yardage and is second on the team in receiving yardage. With players who can’t stay out of trouble and the most embarrassing coach in D-I, UT is going to be lucky if they can win three more games and get bowl-eligible.

“YEAH BUT BOYYYY I TELL YOU WHUT. NEXT YEARRRR… THAT’S GONNN BEEE ARRRRR YEARRRRR!”

Pro tip for criminals: If you’re wanted for carjacking, don’t stop for lunch across the street from 201. Geez.

Legendary wrestling announcer Jim Ross is currently doing a tour in support of his book Slobberknocker: My Life in Wrestling. When asked if he’d consider a stop in Memphis, this was his reply.

That’s it for now. Gonna get through an afternoon at work followed by happy hour at Silly Goose. Back tomorrow with more.