{"id":25496,"date":"2022-01-24T08:56:24","date_gmt":"2022-01-24T14:56:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.paulryburn.com\/blog\/?p=25496"},"modified":"2022-01-24T08:56:24","modified_gmt":"2022-01-24T14:56:24","slug":"monday-update-172","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.paulryburn.com\/blog\/2022\/01\/24\/monday-update-172\/","title":{"rendered":"Monday update"},"content":{"rendered":"

Got an important note for any of my readers who have reason to drive I-22 southeast into Birmingham. (Lamar Avenue which runs through Memphis becomes I-22 in north Mississippi.) There’s a northwest suburb of Birmingham named Brookside that is gaining national attention as a notorious speed trap<\/a>. Cops will sit on I-22, even though, according to Google Maps, I-22 does not run through Brookside. Not only will they aggressively ticket violations, but they will also concoct violations out of thin air.<\/p>\n

This sounds like an area to avoid. You can do so by taking the U.S. 72 exit about a mile before Brookside and taking that highway into Birmingham. It may add a few minutes to your trip, but it could save you fines and the hassle of court appearances.<\/p>\n

There was a trash fire reported on the Main Street Mall this morning around 4 near Margie’s 901 ice cream shop. The fire was quickly put out. Probably a homeless person trying to stay warm.<\/p>\n

This’ll be of interest to NBA fans… the Brooklyn Nets have become the first pro sports team to move into the metaverse to provide fans an immersive game experience. A system of 100 high-res cameras will provide a 3D fan experience from any position on the court. Want to be on the free-throw line when Kevin Durant shoots? You can. Want to be in the corner when James Harden attempts a three? You can. With the proper virtual reality hardware, of course. That hardware isn’t cheap, but neither are Nets tickets. The name of the Nets’ metaverse? The Netaverse<\/a>.<\/p>\n

I wonder if the Grizzlies will have their own VR\/AR metaverse in the near future. Memphis isn’t as wealthy or as technologically advanced a city as New York, so it probably isn’t the immediate priority (a deep run into the playoffs is the immediate priority). Still, I bet we see something like that in Memphis no later than 2025.<\/p>\n

A friend pointed out to me that it looks like the Western Conference semifinals will be going on during BBQ Fest. BBQ teams, you better start figuring out how to get a TV in your booths.<\/p>\n

With one-third of the team out for various reasons, the Grizzlies dropped a road game to Dallas last night, 104-91. If there’s a silver lining, it’s that Utah lost too, so Memphis still holds 3rd place in the West by a game over the Jazz.<\/p>\n

The Memphis Tigers, on the other hand, notched a road W over Tulsa, 83-81. The contest looked out of reach for Memphis in the first half and early second half, then Tyler Harris switched into boss mode and brought us back.<\/p>\n

Next up for the Tigers: Thursday vs. East Carolina, 8 PM at FedExForum. There will be a lot going on for that game:<\/p>\n