Month: January 2007

Categories
News

A British Take on Tunica and Gambling American-Style

The British government is about to license that nation’s first “supercasino.” To commemorate the occasion, UK newspaper The Independent sent a reporter to Tunica, Mississippi to see how gambling “has transformed ‘America’s Ethiopia’ in just 15 years.”

An excerpt: “Driving down Highway 61 from Memphis, Tennessee, to Tunica, Mississippi, the fields are flat, with occasional bursts of swampland, and cotton balls blowing on the tar. As you edge south, the billboards grow more insistent, offering endless variations on the notion of chance: ‘Best cash back!’, ‘Best dealers’, ‘$10k Fridays’.

“Follow your luck, and you end up riding towards Mississippi’s tallest building, the Gold Strike, and into the parking lot in front of the old Vegas frontage of the Horseshoe. A vintage car is marooned between red ropes and the foyer echoes to the sound of ’96 Tears’. …”

Despite the “occasional bursts of swampland” and the mythical “cotton balls blowing on the tar,” it’s a pretty good read. Get the rest of the Independent story here.

Categories
News

A “Wild Party” in Memphis

Flyer theater critic Chris Davis has been known to call ’em as he sees ’em when it comes to local theatrical productions. And when it comes to Circuit Theatre’s production of The Wild Party, Davis isn’t holding back:

“Circuit Playhouse’s wild production of The Wild Party surpasses even the wildest of expectations. With a hot, jazz-inspired score, Andrew Lippa’s pop opera, inspired by a racy 1928 poem of the same name, overflows with eroticism, and bathtub gin. Carla McDonald’s magnificent physical and vocal performance as Queenie, a libidinous Vaudeville singer whose relationship with a famously abusive comedian is headed south, is eye-popping, jaw-dropping, and wild, wild, wild.”

You can read Davis’ complete review in next week’s Flyer. Until then, you can visit Circuit’s Website to check out The Wild Party.

Categories
Sports Sports Feature

Live-Blogging the Grizzlies!

As always, we appreciate The Commercial Appeal‘s laser-like focus on the major issues of the day — like whether or not to boo Pau Gasol at tonight’s Grizzlies game.

In the Saturday paper, we got a front-page tease, a full-frontal sports section treatment from Geoff Calkins (complete with pics of everybody from Santa Claus to Pavarotti to Britney Spears), a concern about the issue in Ron Tillery’s column, a mention of the issue again in the pregame box, and, to top it off, an editorial!

Geez. We here at the Flyer are overwhelmed. How do we fight back against such thorough team coverage? Well, here’s how, Buckaroos: We’re sending our intrepid Grizzlies writer Chris Herrington into tonight’s fray armed with only a laptop and his razor wit. That’s right — Herrington will be live-blogging the game! Turn off your radios and televisions and let Chris paint a magical word-picture using just his fingers and his imagination. What better way to enjoy the wonder that is this year’s Grizzlies? Check out Beyond the Arc for details.

Categories
News

Black Snake Moan: It’s Hard Out Here For a Nymph

Memphis director Craig Brewers’ Black Snake Moan is getting mixed reviews from those who’ve seen it at the Sundance Film Festival.

But one thing is sure: Brewer knows how to write a movie tagline and he knows how to come up with the best schwag evah! Check out the hat.

Categories
Sports Sports Feature

Grizzlies Lose To Trailblazers in Double OT, 135-132

Zach Randolph scored 42 points to lead the Portland Trailblazers over Memphis Saturday night. Pau Gasol had 24 points and 14 rebounds to lead the Grizzlies, but missed two free throws at the end of the first overtime with the scored tied. Mike Miller had 28; Chucky Atkins, 23.

See Chris Herrington’s live Griz Blog for entertaining commentary on the game. Get a recap and box score here.

Categories
Politics Politics Feature

Marrero’s Easy Win Gives Her a Cushion for March 13

State Representative Beverly Marrero will soon be state Senator Beverly Marrero after a bigger-than-expected win last Thursday in the special Democratic Primary election for District 30 — where, if she defeats Republican Larry Parrish in March, she will succeed (from left)former District 30 senator (now congressman) Steve Cohen and current interim senator Shea Flinn

Marrero had 2,810 votes to 925 for former city attorney Spence, winning 73 percent to 24 percent. Spence, a highly touted candidate for the Memphis school board in 2004, has now suffered two successive electoral defeats.

The ease of Marrero’s victory seemed all the more impressive, given Spence’s extensive use of advertising media, including bus-stop signs and billboards.

A significant force for Marrero was the Get-Out-the-Vote effort organized for her by longtime Democratic activist David Upton.

Though some residue of bitterness remains in party ranks after the primary, the mathematics of the outcome would seem to give Marrero a healthy cushion and to minimize the chances of an upset by the GOP’s Parrish in the general election of March 13.

Categories
Politics Politics Feature

GOP State Senator Seeks to Rename Lottery Scholarship Program for Cohen

Steve Cohen, the 9th District’s new congressman, not one to hide his light under a bushel, has been getting ample attention, week by week, from the national media.

Now we learn that the former longtime state senator, though long gone from the state capital, continues to make a name for himself in Nashville, as well.

State Sen. Sen. Tim Burchett (R-Knoxville) has introduced a bill to rename Tennessee’s Hope Scholarship Program the
Cohen Hope Scholarship Program in honor of Cohen’s 16-year effort to create the program.

Categories
Sports Sports Feature

Memphis Squeaks By Southern Miss, 67-64

Jeremy Hunt and Chris Douglas-Roberts led a late-game comeback, as the Tigers squeezed out a home victory over the Golden Eagles.

Though leading much of the game, the Tigers could never stretch their lead much beyond six points. Southern Miss made a run and took a six-point lead over the Tigers in the last eight minutes.

Hunt and Douglas-Roberts scored critical buckets and the Tigers’ defense stiffened to give Memphis its 25th straight home victory. Joey Dorsey had 16 rebounds and seven points for the Tigers.

Guard Jeremy Wise led Southern Miss with 28 points. Recap and box score.

Categories
Music Music Features

B.B. King Hospitalized in Texas

From the Galveston Daily News: Legendary blues musician Riley “B.B.” King took ill Thursday evening — possibly from some sort of infection or flu bug — prompting promoters to postpone concerts at Galveston’s Grand 1894 Opera House until he recovers.

His son and manager, Willie King, said Friday the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston would keep his father overnight for observation.

The elder King is expected to be released on Saturday, but he is gaining his strength back quickly, his son said.

“He has an infection the doctors are concerned about,” Willie King said. “It might also be a bug, but he also is diabetic and has high blood pressure and they are not comfortable releasing him right now.

“But he’s really his old self, joking around. We should have the medical test results today.”

Read the full report.

Categories
Sports Sports Feature

Spurs Bounce Pau-Less Griz, 112-96

Tim Duncan had 26 points, 13 rebounds and a career-best nine blocked shots, leading the San Antonio Spurs to a 112-96 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday night.

Tony Parker added 18 points and Manu Ginobili 17 for the Spurs, who won for the eighth time in 11 games. Michael Finley had 15 points and Brent Barry 13.

Hakim Warrick scored 27 points to pace the Grizzlies, who played without center Pau Gasol (strained left hamstring) and dropped to 11-33 — the worst record in the NBA. Eddie Jones had 17 points, Mike Miller 13 and Chucky Atkins 11.

Recap and boxscore. Local Griz dish and analysis.