Due to the Fourth of July holiday, this week’s Flyer will hit the stands on Thursday instead of Wednesday.
Happy Fourth, and be sure and check this site for daily content.
Categories
Month: July 2007
Categories
John Daly Hangs with Kid Rock
While the competing at the Buick Open in Grand Blanc, Michigan, golfer John Daly shacked up with Kid Rock. The pair cemented their special bond after Daly purchased $4,000 worth of Kid Rock merchandise at one of the performer’s concerts.
Daly finished the tournament at a season-best 16th and was a fan favorite.
Kid Rock attended the final round on Sunday. “I’ve never seen him play. He hits balls off Coors Light cans at my pool. I’ve seen that — that’s fun. He’s the only real pro out here, when it comes down to it: a star.”
Read more here.
BY
FRANK MURTAUGH | JULY 2, 2007
With the
baseball season halfway behind us, the 2007 St. Louis Cardinals —
the reigning world champions, remember — have taught their legion of fans
some valuable lessons. For a brief and honest review, read on.
hot.” But no development has impacted the Cardinals’ title defense like the
defection of sixty percent of last year’s rotation (Jeff Suppan, Jason
Marquis, and Jeff Weaver). Forced to move three relief pitchers — Braden
Looper, Brad Thompson, and Todd Wellemeyer — into his rotation, manager Tony
LaRussa has not only been crossing his fingers for merely five innings from
his starters, but he’s had to lean on a bullpen heavy on imports (i.e.,
Russ Springer and Ryan Franklin) that has, to its credit, managed to keep St.
Louis within shouting distance of the National League Central Division lead.
Suppan (now with Milwaukee), Marquis (Cubs), and Weaver (Seattle) won’t make
you forget Bob Gibson, but they’re inning-eaters, the 21st-century version
of a baseball team’s backbone. When you add the prolonged absence of
surgically repaired ace Chris Carpenter and number-two starter Mark Mulder,
the Cards are fortunate to have any feathers left on their wings.
together six consecutive seasons with a .300 batting average, 30 home runs,
100 runs, and 100 RBIs: Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig (heard of them?), and Albert
Pujols. El Hombre is going to have difficulty extending his streak as his
batting average (.307 through Sunday) and runs (47) are on track for career
lows. That said, he remains the best hitter on the Cardinal team. But Pujols
hasn’t won many games by himself, a lesson for those who build the lineup
around him. Which brings us to . . .
that sent Dan Haren (an American League All-Star and a leading candidate for
the AL Cy Young Award) to Oakland for Mulder before the 2005 season. The
much-celebrated Cardinal general manager made two “big” moves over the last
offseason, and they have turned into certifiable busts: pitcher Kip Wells
(3-11, 6.30 ERA) and second baseman Adam Kennedy (.209). Carpenter’s injury
and Wells’ struggles have forced Adam Wainwright into the role of “ace” in
only his second big-league season. A hero as the Cardinals’ closer last
October, Wainwright would be a fine number-three or -four starter at this
stage of his career. As for Kennedy, the former Memphis Redbird star has
been outplayed by Aaron Miles, a career utility infielder. And with two
years remaining on his contract — Wells was signed to a one-year deal —
Kennedy may prove to be the bigger thorn in Jocketty’s side.
in 67 games can be found on the bargain rack in the free agency market.
Scott Rolen has become a dragging weight on the Good Ship Cardinal — one
with more than $30 million owed him over the next three seasons — so if
there’s a team out there who might consider the former(?) slugger an asset,
Jocketty should spring at the deal. On the buyer’s side of the ledger, Mark
Buehrle has long expressed an interest in pitching for St. Louis, the club
he cheered as a boy in St. Charles, Missouri. And that was while he was
winning a World Series, churning out six straight 200-inning seasons, and
throwing a no-hitter for the White Sox. With the South Siders out of
contention in the American League Central and Buehrle a free agent at year’s
end, this big lefty will be ripe for the picking.
non-pitching prospect the Cardinals have seen since Pujols stormed through
the system in 2000. Still at Double-A Springfield, Rasmus seems to be
targeted for Memphis in 2008 and St. Louis in 2009. Why the delay? With
Rasmus turning 21 next month — and knocking Double-A pitching around — why
not let him cut his Triple-A teeth this season? Jim Edmonds is under
contract for one more season — 2009 — which would seem to present a perfect
passing-of-the-torch scenario for the Cardinals. Unable to play 150 games
anymore, Edmonds could show a rookie Rasmus what it takes to patrol center
at Busch Stadium. It’s time we see Rasmus in a Memphis uniform.
Categories
Justin Timberlake Doesn’t Give a Spit!
Actually, the pop singer turned giant a-hole does give a spit about his fans, literally. While in Denmark recently, Timberlake (with, ahem, traveling companion Jessica Biel) apparently checked his Southern hospitality at the border, treating fans to tirades and even spitting on a group of onlookers from his hotel’s rooftop
One poor Swedish child is probably scarred for life after Timberlake allegedly screamed at her “YOU WANT ME TO JUGGLE TOO?” when the girl asked politely if she could have her picture taken with him. Read more about his foreign relations here.
We can’t wait to see how JT acts when he’s in Memphis for his August 6th concert. He’ll probably end up screaming “EFF YOU REDNECKS!” and stabbing fans with ribs from the Rendezvous. With all that class, he should consider reconciliation with Britney, also showing how classy she is these days.. Awww, reunion!
Categories
A Rose, By Any Other Jersey…
Haven’t had your fill of NBA draft debate, now that Mike Conley Jr. is packing his bags for the Bluff City? The folks at nbadraft.net have drawn up a mock draft for 2008. The number one pick — by the Memphis Grizzlies — happens to be a player you’ll see in a Memphis Tiger uniform come November.
Categories
David Porter in MBQ
If the heat’s got you down, chill out with the summer issue of MBQ, out on newsstands now. The newest Memphis Business Quarterly — a sister publication to the Flyer — features on its cover Memphis music mainstay David Porter. Writer John Branston interviews the soul man, finding out how he parlayed his songwriting earnings into numerous business opportunities — inside and out the recording studio.
Also in the issue, writer Jane Schneider investigates what Memphis businesses are breaking down the Great Wall and staking their own claim to the Chinese economic revolution. And a new feature, The MBQ Players — a showcase of top professionals in the industries that really matter to Memphis — is introduced. This issue, The MBQ Players profiles the power brokers in the Mid-South commercial real estate business.
MBQ is available at Bookstar, Borders, David-Kidd Booksellers, and Barnes and Noble at Wolfchase and Carriage Crossing in Collierville.
Beginning Monday in West Memphis and continuing through July, the Crittenden Arts Council will display “Memphis Rhythms…a photo exhibit of Memphis/Mid-South musicians from The Archives of the Center for Southern Folklore.”
Following is complete information on the event:
Memphis Rhythms
at the Crittenden Arts CouncilNAME OF EVENT:
Memphis RhythmsA Musical Photographic Retrospective
from the Center for Southern Folklore
PLACE OF
EVENT: Lois Wallin Rich Center for the ArtsCrittenden Arts Council
#14 C Holiday
Plaza Mall
1800 N. Missouri Street
West Memphis, AR 72301DATE/TIME: Premieres Monday, July 2 and runs
weekdays throughout July (except July 4th)9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Special Showing: Saturday, July 14 from 4:00 to 6:00
p.m.ADMISSION:
FreeCONTACT:
Crittenden Arts Council @ 870-732-6260 orCenter for Southern Folklore @ 901-525-3655
WEBSITE:
www.crittendenarts.org or
www.southernfolklore.comThe Crittenden
Arts Council of West Memphis hosts Memphis Rhythms, a photo
exhibit of Memphis/Mid-South musicians from The Archives of the Center for
Southern Folklore throughout the month of July. This exhibit includes rare
photographs of musical performances from the 1940s to the present. Many of
these photos have only recently been restored and made available to the
public.Pictures of
classic Memphis performers such as Mose Vinson, Rufus Thomas, B. B. King,
Charlie Musselwhite, Laura Dukes, and Furry Lewis will be among the
photographs being displayed. This exhibit premieres Monday, July 2 and
continues weekdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. except the 4th of July.In addition,
there will be a special showing on Saturday, July 14 from 4:00 p.m. to 6 p.m.
prior to the Blues in the Park performance at Worthington Park featuring the
classic gospel sounds of the Spirit of Memphis and veteran bluesmen Blind
Mississippi Morris and Brad Webb.Admission to the
exhibit and the concert is free.