Month: December 2003

In a blistering critique, Mayor Willie Herenton all but gave MLGW President Herman Morris and five board members their walking papers Tuesday.

The surprise announcement, coupled with an admission that a property tax hike is likely within the next two years, came at an executive committee meeting of the City Council, which is weighing MLGW’s request for a seven-percent rate hike.

Conceding that he does not know the utility’s fiscal situation as well as he knows city finances, Herenton said MLGW needs its first rate increase in eight years.

“I fully support MLGW’s request for additional revenue,” he said.

He suggested, however, that it be phased in over two years, with the increase in gas rates postponed until October of 2004. And he said the question of utility rates was secondary to the city’s overall financial needs and to MLGW’s performance.

He then proceeded to rip MLGW for “costly mistakes in technology,” wasteful construction of a facility on Whitten Road, low morale, bloated salaries and benefits, “self-aggrandizing” advertising, top-heavy executive ranks, and “a number of employees who have bad attitudes” particularly in customer service.

Herenton appointed Morris, an attorney formerly with the NAACP, and the five board members, including his pastor the Rev. James Netters. Their terms have expired but it is not uncommon for board members to continue to serve.

Herenton said his management style is to give subordinates freedom to do their jobs until they mess up.

“I’m into MLGW’s business because there have been some bad decisions,” he said, speaking firmly but without anger or sarcasm to a packed committee room. “We’ve allowed MLGW to operate as an island unto itself.”

He said, in all apparent seriousness, that he intends to nominate “private citizen Willie Herenton” to the boar, triggering a predictable round of “King Willie” outrage on local talk radio stations. He did not mention Morris or any board members by name. Morris was in the committee room and listened carefully but declined to comment afterwards.

Herenton has had a testy relationship with MLGW since he made an aborted proposal to sell it in 1998. Two events apparently set off his critique. First came the devastating wind storm last July and MLGW’s response to it. Herenton said service complaints spilled over into the mayor’s citizen’s service center because callers could not get through to MLGW. More recently there was an MLGW non-response to a letter that Herenton took as something of a snub. The mayor said he informed MLGW officials of his thinking two weeks ago and “they made no attempt to meet with me.”

“I guarantee you in the future MLGW will have management that will not hesitate to meet with the mayor,” he said.

Herenton said council members should consider the proposed utility rate hike in the context of a a sewer fee hike he said is vital and the strong probability of a property tax hike of 25 to 35 cents by 2006.

Council members will decide on the rate hike while Herenton gets to make the calls at MLGW’s board and presidency. The mayor had sharp words for councilman Joe Brown as he got up to leave the room. He reminded councilmen that he had worked with 12 (out of 13) of them as chairman. Brown’s turn is coming next.

“You’ve got one vote, Joe, one vote,” he said. Then, for good measure, “you don’t run nothin’” as he strode out of the room.

SELLING SUCCESS

The 2003 University of Memphis football team just wrapped up its finest regular season in 30 years. The campaign was highlighted by a quarterback who will be among the favorites for the 2004 Davey O’Brien Award and a tailback who should — must! — be on the short list for next year’s Heisman Trophy. Best of all, the Tigers will play in their first postseason contest since 1971. But guess what: Now the hard part begins. And it has nothing to do with a bowl game.

The next year or two will be the most critical transition period in the history of Memphis football. No exaggeration, no hyperbole. There is a seismic leap in college football between the definitions for “great team” and “great program.” Head coach Tommy West and his staff will be facing a challenge no Memphis football coach has confronted in years: building upon a winner. Just as importantly, Bob Winn and his crew in the U of M athletic media relations department will be exploring new territory themselves: selling a winner. And the selling starts now.

Everyone remotely connected to Tiger football — with leadership from the Highland Hundred booster club — has to become a recruiter of sorts. Not necessarily a recruiter of talented players . . . leave that to West. But a recruiter of interest, of passion, of promotion, and yes, of fund-raisers. Throw out the Ole Miss game (where the crowd of 51,000 was padded by a migration from Oxford) and Memphis averaged 38,740 in attendance for 2003. This is an impressive figure when compared with years past (over the previous 10 seasons, Memphis averaged 26,713). But for a city the size of Memphis, and in a stadium that seats more than 60,000 . . . it’s simply not acceptable. Tiger football has to achieve the same buzz during the fall our Redbirds enjoy over the summer and the Grizzlies (and basketball Tigers) during the winter. The Tigers will have achieved this when 50,000 fans show up to see the Arkansas State game. Buzz is easy when you’re winning . . . the challenge is making it automatic, and annual.

How to achieve Annual Buzz? You start by selling your assets. In the case of modern Tiger football, that asset is DeAngelo Williams. (All due respect to Danny Wimprine, the greatest quarterback in school history, and certain to be a magnet for NFL scouts himself next fall. This is DeAngelo’s team.) If I were in the shoes of the U of M powers that be, there is NO WAY Williams suits up for the Tiger bowl game later this month. Unless I’m told (by three doctors) this star of star’s left knee is completely healed from his injury in the Cincinnati game, Mr. Williams is a scratch for the bowl game. A simple equation of risk and reward.

This program has never had a talent like Williams. His 1,430 rushing yards broke the program’s single-season mark . . . by 35 percent! And he’s a sophomore, for Pete’s sake. College football relies on hype (read: rankings and polls) more than any other sport known to man. DeAngelo Williams is bursting with hype potential. Winn and his staff must harken back to the All-America campaign they put together for Penny Hardaway a decade ago. Why shouldn’t Williams get the same kind of push for the Heisman? He should be on billboards, posters, TV promos (no need to use his name, Mr. NCAA Violations Hound, we know number 20). For (hopefully) the next two years, DeAngelo Williams should be the bright, smiling face of Memphis football. Recruits will recognize it. National sportswriters will recognize it. And most importantly, ticket-buyers will recognize it. Fans like familiarity. Take DeAngelo, hold him as tightly as he does that pigskin, and run with him.

It’s Us Against the World when it comes to this transition period for the U of M. Conference USA is dissolving around Memphis. The SEC recruiting behemoths are still trying to shove Tiger football to the Mid-South sideline. It’s a time, simply put, for Tiger football to get angry. And aggressive. The 2003 squad will be remembered for generations. And the Legend of Danny and DeAngelo will be central to the future of this program. The only question is whether this will be a story of epic heroes, beyond reach by their successors . . . or a story of pioneers.

Was that a Horned Frog we saw flying over Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium Saturday afternoon? Or merely a hog?

Hats off to Texas Christian University athletic director Eric Hyman for — at least ostensibly — prioritizing academics over TCU’s invitation to the GMAC Bowl in Mobile, Alabama. Hyman argues that the date of the bowl (December 18th) would wreak havoc on the school’s final exam week. A noble stance on the surface, but a typically (for college sports, at least) selfish snub in the final analysis. The ripple effect of TCU’s deliberation has been felt throughout the perplexing bowl bid system, particularly for schools — like the University of Memphis — under the umbrella of Conference USA. With the GMAC slated to feature C-USA’s second-place team (TCU), officials for the New Orleans Bowl — champing at the bit to invite the U of M to its first bowl game in 32 years — were in attendance Saturday for the Tigers’ season finale against South Florida. At the end of the day, thanks to TCU, their bid remained sealed.

This is easy math from the TCU standpoint. Having suffered but a single loss, the Horned Frogs feel slighted by the drop to Mobile’s second-tier postseason affair. If they can’t play on New Year’s Day, they’d prefer the familiar environs of the Fort Worth Bowl, to be played December 23rd . . . exams well behind.

Since when, though, did this tail wag the all-powerful dog of college football’s bowl structure? C-USA (if not the NCAA itself) should step up, applaud TCU for its priorities, and tell them to close their football offices for 2003. Allow bowl officals in Mobile (and New Orleans) to make their choices, and allow the choices to sell their tickets. There are schools that will take any bowl bid, and with a smile. They shouldn’t have to stand in line for their suitors.