Month: April 2002

MOODY BLUES (AND GRAYS)

That most celebrated of Memphis months is almost upon us. May happens to be among my favorite sports months of the year, as baseball season hits its stride while the NBA and NHL playoffs separate the contenders from the pretenders. A fun time to read the sports page. But try as I might, I can’t shake the blues over the University of Memphis basketball program. To take the next logical step in this colorized analogy, you might say skies over The Pyramid have grown considerably gray.

When Dajuan Wagner announced on April 17th that he would take his skills to the pros, declaring his eligibility for the NBA draft after a single year of college ball, no one should have been surprised. The surprise may well have been that he didn’t announce such a decision a year ago. Tiger fans have to feel that one year with Juanny was better than none. No way do the Tigers win the NIT title without Wagner’s scoring punch. And hey, he established a new single-season scoring record at the U of M. Disappointing as it may be that Tiger Nation can’t enjoy Wagner another season (or three), his time here won’t be forgotten.

But what of that fateful date’s second roundball announcement, that sophomore Scooter McFadgon was leaving as well, a transfer to — say it ain’t so! — the University of Tennessee? While Wagner was a longshot to ever wear blue and gray, McFadgon might as well be a poster boy for future U of M varsity candidates. Born and raised here, a prep star at Raleigh-Egypt, a sweet-shooting, versatile player with plenty to offer at both ends of the floor. McFadgon had two solid if not spectacular seasons under his belt, having averaged just under 10 points a game and hitting several clutch shots, particularly during his freshman year of 2000-01. Transferring to Tennessee? Something doesn’t compute here.

Since Wagner first stepped on campus, head coach John Calipari has all but endorsed the precocious star’s leap into NBA life, even when Dajuan seemed to be actually leaning toward another year in Memphis. One is Left to assume Coach Cal was covering bases here, making what might be considered bad news appear to be part of a plan, a necessary step back for the program Calipari aims to take several steps forward. Dajuan Wagner, if nothing else, was an investment in the program’s Q rating.

But then what of Scooter? By all appearances, McFadgon was — simply put — a good kid. He wasn’t flashy on the court, which means he didn’t showboat when things went well and didn’t visibly drag when fortunes turned sour. He has stated publicly that his decision to leave Memphis is not related to basketball, that he needs a change of scenery. And one would have to believe him on this matter. If he had a problem being a second or third option behind Wagner and/or Kelly Wise . . . well, that problem’s gone. McFadgon would likely have been the first option with a game on the line next season. So what could be so miserable for him to choose to transfer, meaning he won’t play another Division I game until November 2003?

The answer to that question may have more to do with the long-term success of Tiger basketball — and the future of John Calipari — than any Wagner fallout. Did Scooter simply run out of time on Cal’s watch of player development? Was there a personality conflict?

The guess here is that, whether either party will admit it, Scooter McFadgon — originally recruited by Tic Price, remember — is not a John Calipari-style basketball player. Similar to fellow transfers Courtney Trask and Paris London, McFadgon’s demeanor leans toward reserved. He’s not animated, in body or spirit. And while he’ll contribute to winning basketball in several areas, he’s not capable of taking over stretches, as Wise and Wagner so often did.

The 2002-03 Tiger basketball team is going to be hard to recognize and a longshot, at best, for the NCAA tournament. With four of seven rotation players gone — forward Chris Massie announced he was leaving on April 22nd — Calipari’s task will be essentially the same as it was two years ago: building a team from the ground up. Hopefully the addition of Vanderbilt transfer Billy Richmond will alleviate some of the pressure on returnees Earl Barron, Antonio Burks, and Anthony Rice. Maybe Wagner’s old running mate, Arthur Barclay, can contribute some muscle and effort. But as the roster continues to take on the personality of its helmsman, continues to become the team John Calipari wants to coach and likes to coach, another question is dangling out there. Is it a team Tiger fans will want to watch?

Hazel Morgan sleeps a little bit easier these days. Last week, her

17-year-old daughter, Erica Morgan-Shoemake,

returned home. Morgan now reports that Erica is

receiving counseling and that the two are in the

process of putting their lives back together.

“I’m still a little confused,” says Morgan.

“She hasn’t opened up and said where she was

staying, but I’m just glad to see that she’s okay.”

The Flyer reported on March 15th that

Erica, a Central High School student, had

disappeared on November 20th without leaving any

indication where she had gone. After talking with

several of Erica’s friends, Morgan learned that

Erica had been dating an older man and might be

staying with him and several other adults in a

Tipton County home. Morgan reported Erica to the

police department for vagrancy and told officers

that she might be staying in the Tipton County

home. Police were dispatched to the home several

times but were unable to find Erica.

“The police have not dropped the case,

but they can’t do anything unless Erica tells them

who she was with,” says Morgan. “Right now,

they haven’t talked with Erica about anything.”

n

Since getting a $650,000 grant from Le Bonheur Health Services, Inc., the Early Childhood Collaborative Alliance (ECCA) is on its way to attacking the root causes that affect the well being of young children.

Phase I, or the assessment phase, of the program has developed a Web-based Shelby County health directory, identified best-practice intervention models, and encouraged the interest of the local community in an early-intervention collaborative.

According to ECCA executive director Barbara Holden, those goals have been reached.

“The directory will be posted on the Le Bonheur Web site in the next few weeks,” she says, “listing daycares and other services for parents.”

ECCA also reviewed the national best practices for children prenatal through 5 years of age. Programs like visitations by health-care workers to new mothers were researched to determine their effectiveness. To reach communities, focus groups were formed, headed by representatives from area organizations, including the University of Memphis, Girls Club, Inc., and the UT Health Science Center.

“We conducted clinics at 40 locations to determine what services community residents were receiving and what services they would like to see,” says Pamela Coleman, a focus-group facilitator and associate executive director of Porter Leath Children’s Center. “Interestingly, results of the clinics were the same wherever we were. People reported that they wanted and needed the same services.”

From the findings, a preliminary recommendation for a community institute for early childhood was proposed. The institute would facilitate efforts for children through their preschool years. Its board would include representatives from hospitals, county and city governments, and school systems.

The collaborative’s next step is coordinating efforts with the Smart Start Initiative in North Carolina and working with local community and religious leaders to communicate its efforts.

NIGHT MOVES

Listen:

Ever since high school, my “back-up” has been this guy named David. You know, we pledged that if we weren’t linked eternally with someone by the time we were 40, we’d go ahead and tie the knot. I can’t remember who came up with the plan or if it was something that sprung from a night of hard drinking or what, but I’ve always thought it fairly certain that my first marriage would be at 40 with David.

I truly can’t see myself ending up with anyone else. David’s nice; he’s funny; we get along great. I’ve been in love with him from the first moment I met him, so even though I’ve dated lots of guys, I’ve always taken the attitude that this is just temporary …. until David realizes he loves me, too, or we turn 40, whichever comes first.

Two weeks ago, David and I were out for drinks when he ordered a bottle of champagne. Over the flutes, he looked soulfully into my eyes and told me he was in love. I was about to tell him I’d make all his dreams come true when he turned and introduced me to Dan, his new boyfriend.

I never knew he was gay! I always just thought he was shy with girls. I was so embarrassed I ran out of the bar. How can I ever speak to him again?

Signed,

Could I be Grace?

Okay:

Please excuse the indelicacy, but this situation is exactly why the expression “Shit or get off the pot” was invented. If you had just gone to him however many umpteen years ago you met each other and told him you were hot for him, he probably would have said something about his sexual proclivities. And that would have been that. No imagining yourself at 40, pregnant with his babies; no saving yourself for him; none of that.

But what’s done is done and I’m sure this situation wasn’t entirely of your making. You might not have wanted to realize what was in front of your face, but he didn’t seem to be in any hurry to tell you, either (you haven’t met any of his boyfriends before, have you? Maybe under the mantle of “friend” or “this guy I’m seeing”?) Well, no matter. This is easily solved. You can just call him up and admit to him you didn’t know he was gay. And then laugh at yourself for being so silly. You don’t have to tell him that you were madly in love with him or anything ego-bruising like that. You could just say it surprised you so much you needed some air and then you went home.

Or you can just never call him again. But I would advise against this one. In terms of ego, this option makes you look much, much worse; like a lovesick student mooning over her studly English teacher. What I’m saying is, it can never be, so you might as well just face the facts and try to save some face by being strong about it. Oh, and look into finding a new “back-up,” if not a new “real” boyfriend — it’s no thing to settle, but you don’t want to be a beard.

Listen:

Please tell me if I’m in over my head. My wife is a lovely, wonderful woman, but we’ve been married for two years and the magic is slowly waning. We have this friend — Janey — from our church who we both get along with really well. The three of us have dinner every Thursday night and then watch E.R. Sometimes Janey will bring someone, most often she won’t.

After E.R. my wife always goes to bed and leaves Janey and me up talking. Usually, Janey will tell me all about the men in her life. It’s always someone new and they’re always married.

The last few times we’ve talked, Janey has made certain overtures; like the other night, she described her latest crush and I’m pretty sure she was talking about me. It’s no secret she’s fine with being the other woman. I only wonder if she’s fine with being the other woman for me. This sounds awful, and I’m not a bad guy, but I hope so. Should I go for it?

Signed,

Happily Married?

Okay,

Is monogamy coded into our DNA? No (well, that’s something people say; I’m not sure if it’s true or not). But does that mean you should give up on it altogether? Hell, no. Especially since you made that pesky little promise to stay with one woman until “death do you part.” That is the way the vows still go, isn’t it? (It’s been a long time since I’ve been to a wedding.)

At any rate, I have a strong suspicion that if you were going to cheat on your wife, you wouldn’t have to ask me. You’d just do it and hope there wasn’t any evidence (certainly not a letter asking for adultery advice) to bust you. So maybe you’re looking for me to talk you out of it. I’m not sure I can do that, but I’ll try my best.

Here’s one thing I will say. It’s true, Janey might have a thing for you. And she might be sending you signals to that effect. At the same time, that doesn’t mean you should jump the first train to Janeytown. It sounds like the three of you are fairly close; what Janey might be attracted to is your bond with your wife (sound wacky, but it could be true). I hate to get into gender-typing, but most women want to be married. It’s what I call the wedding ring phenomena: single women see a wedding band and get all lusty. Because what’s a bigger turn-on than a man who can commit?

Plus, I haven’t witnessed Janey’s moves, so I can’t say you’re reading her signals right. She might not be describing you when she talks about her latest crush; and again, ya’ll are close. She might have seen these great qualities in you, decided she liked them, and then set out to find someone else with the same great qualities. It sounds like you might be confusing friendship with animal attraction.

Having said all that, you’ve only been married for two years. Til death do you part — God willing — is probably a long way away. You might want to figure out what will make both of you happy. Because if you don’t, it might not be Janey, but it’ll probably be somebody.

(Gotta problem? Wanna make it my business? Write cashiola@memphisflyer.com.)