Month: May 2016

Categories
Letters To The Editor Opinion

What They Said…

About Bruce VanWyngarden’s Letter From the Editor, “Black and White and Read All Over” …

[The Commercial Appeal‘s story] was a good read. Even at the turn of the 20th century, readers were complaining about the violence, murder, and mayhem in the paper. But then this has always been a bawdy, violent river town.

If the CA focused on investigative reporting while balancing its coverage with the good and the bad, it would be a thriving metropolitan daily. I firmly believe that the CA can stabilize and thrive within the Memphis MSA.

J.R. Golden

When I lived in Middle Tennessee, The Tennessean was the standard for anybody who followed Tennessee politics. Broadly, the economic model of print journalism is in decline. It truly is a shame, because there is so much benefit it brings to society.

Papers create a public space. In many ways, local papers are like the town square, where debates of the day on current topics of interest take place. That’s why I think the comment sections of local papers are so important, and why I stopped my CA subscription when they went with their Facebook requirement. The primary value of my local paper to me is as a source for a curated discussion of things that might interest the local citizen. I am willing to pay for that, even if a new form of payment is necessary to keep the papers going. But I absolutely refuse to surrender my personal metadata to the Facebook abomination.

OakTree

The Tennessean is awful. It is nowhere near the entity it once was. The CA is better at this point than The Tennessean. That said, I cancelled my subscription about two weeks ago to the CA. I was a 25-year subscriber, but I got tired of not receiving the paper in the morning and the customer service refusing to have it re-delivered.

Packrat

About the Flyer editorial, “Memphis Zoo Study Provokes Controversy” …

The economic impact of the Memphis Zoo seems to be wildly overstated. The lack of empirical data and the multitude of assumptions leave the results of the study questionable. The tens of millions of tax dollars poured into the zoo have resulted in a shortage of dollars for other projects which would benefit Memphians. The zoo must begin to show a profit. If that is not possible given the current management structure, new managers are required. We must not continue to fund year after year deficits to the detriment of every other park program.

Enrico Dagastino

The zoo makes roughly $17 million in revenue. Suggesting that it has a multiplicative effect as it works through the Memphis economy is pretty standard in economic impact assessments. Questions about the amount of that multiplier we can leave to economists to argue over. Suggesting that it brings in additional business not seen in zoo revenues, since it is Memphis’ No. 1 tourist attraction, should be expected. Are we to believe everyone comes to the zoo, then goes and never does anything else?

DatGuy

The great majority of the out-of-Memphis visitors to the zoo come from West Tennessee, North Mississippi, and Arkansas. They come to the zoo, buy McDonald’s for the kids, leave the wrappers on the Greensward where they park, and return home from the zoo with exhausted children.

The zoo needs to produce its surveys, which are the raw data for this study. Who did they survey? How did they survey? When did they survey? It is high time that the taxpayers of this city stopped subsidizing the zoo to the tune of around $4,000,000 a year. That money would go a long way to funding a fire and police pension and to fixing our city parks for the benefit of our children and our citizens.

Memphis Tigers

About a visit to Memphis …

Last week I had the pleasure of travelling to Memphis from Ottawa, Canada. I went to Graceland, the Bass Pro Pyramid, BBQ festival, and several restaurants.

What my Google search failed to disclose was the polite, kind, and terrific people I would meet along the way. Without exception, everyone in the service industry was fantastic. Memphis police and several others stood out as being well above what I expected.

Great job. I will certainly return.

Paul Gagnon, Ottawa Ontario

Categories
Beyond the Arc Sports

Beyond the Arc Podcast, #53: Fizdale Quick Take

This week on the show, Kevin and Phil talk about:

  • Would David Fizdale be a good hire?
  • How much of a factor is player development if Mike Conley stays with the Grizzlies?
  • Is Fizdale hire a sign that Conley is leaving?
  • Woj breaks the Fizdale news while we are recording
  • Will Mike Brown be on Fizdale’s staff?
  • What does a new coach mean for what the Grizzlies will do next year offensively? Is “Grit & Grind” dead?
  • Does a Fizdale hire mean Chalmers will be back?

The Beyond the Arc podcast is available on iTunes, so you can subscribe there! It’d be great if you could rate and review the show while you’re there. You can also find and listen to the show on Stitcher and on PlayerFM.

You can call our Google Voice number and leave us a voicemail, and we might talk about your question on the next show: 234-738-3394

You can download the show here or listen below:


Categories
News News Blog

Traveling Vietnam Memorial Visits Fitz Casino for Memorial Day Weekend

A traveling replica of the Vietnam Memorial Wall will make its way to the grounds of the Fitz Casino & Hotel, Tunica in time for Memorial Day Weekend. This is its first visit to Tunica, Mississippi.

The memorial is 80% the size of the Vietnam Memorial Wall in Washington, D.C. It stands six feet tall at the center and covers nearly 300 feet from end to end. The wall will arrive at the Tunica Casino Factory Outlet Shoppes on Wednesday, May 25, and from there, it will be escorted by motorcade to the Fitz. . The motorcade will be greeted at the Fitz by the Tunica County Color Guard, the Rosa Fort High School Color Guard, and members of the school’s Air Force ROTC. Volunteers will be on hand to assist in assembling the wall, beginning at 11:00 a.m. The wall will be decorated on Thursday, May 26.

On Friday, May 27, the wall will open to visitors at 10:00 a.m. Admission is free, and the wall will be accessible around the clock. Candlelight vigils will be held each night at 9:00 p.m.

On Memorial Day, Monday, May 30, the closing ceremonies will begin at 2pm, though the wall will remain open until 10:00 p.m. Dignitaries scheduled to speak at the event will include Tunica Mayor Chuck Cariker, Sherriff K.C. Hamp, and representatives from the military.

Categories
Intermission Impossible Theater

Celebrating Arthur Miller’s Centennial With Colorful New Editions

Had he lived, Death of a Salesman playwright Arthur Miller would have turned 100 in 2015. Penguin Plays is celebrating the milestone into 2016 with a pair of new beautifully designed acting editions of Miller’s first Broadway play, The Man Who Had All the Luck, (which flopped badly) and All My Sons (which did not.)

All My Sons is a subtle mystery telling the story of two businessmen who supplied the US Government with faulty airplane engines during WWII. One goes to prison after planes go down and young men die.  The other one lives the American Dream, building a nice house in the suburbs.

It’s a not so subtle critique of capitalist America’s values, and with AMS  Miller laid a solid foundation for future dramas exploring father/son legacies, conflicting public/private moralities etc. He also asks if success is a measure of merit, good fortune, or something darker. Embedded in all of this is a love story built on lies and soaked in blood.

It rings too true for a play almost 70-years old. And the cover art is terrific. 

The Man Who Had All the Luck explores many of the same themes as All My Sons, but is  focused on an even more contemporary concern: Is success merit based?

The man in question starts life as a mechanic whose winning streak is so unbroken he starts to believe failure is just around the corner. After all, he knows so many other deserving people who’ve watched their dreams evaporate. And yet, good things keep coming his way. Surely, he must deserve it after all. 

The Man..., is Miller in the raw. It’s flawed but ambitious, and way ahead of its time.

A real treat for  fans. 

Categories
Beyond the Arc Sports

Reports: David Fizdale hired as Grizzlies head coach

CREDIT: NBA.com

NBA.com

David Fizdale

Adrian Wojarowski of The Vertical is reporting that Miami Heat assistant (and director of player development) David Fizdale has agreed to a four-year deal to become the next head coach of the Grizzlies.

Fizdale comes highly touted (as discussed by Chris Herrington earlier this morning) as a good communicator, a well-liked “player’s coach”, and he has a reputation as being a good coach for player development—something with which the Grizzlies have struggled for the past several seasons.

I’ll have more on this news tomorrow, but my immediate, gut-level reaction is this: you never know what kind of head coach an assistant is going to be. My personal preference might have been for someone who is more of an “X’s and O’s” guru, someone to be the overall strategist, but communication is important, and player development is absolutely critical to the future success of the Grizzlies, whether Mike Conley returns this summer or not. I think this hire shows that they Grizzlies are thinking strategically about where they are and where they’re going, at least at the coaching level.

As I wrote in my column in this week’s Flyer, this is only one of three big things the Grizzlies need to get right this summer, and each one is important to being a competitive team next year. I think this is a step in the right direction, with the caveat that Fizdale is untested. As for the rest, and for what this hire means for the Grizzlies’ long-term plans… more on that to come.

Categories
News News Blog

Drug and Weapons Violations Up in Memphis

Bill Gibbons

Weapon and drug charges are on the rise in Memphis this year, according to new statistics from the Memphis Shelby Crime Commission.

The two likely go hand in hand with the city’s higher-than-usual homicide rate, which is up about 72 percent over this time last year. 

For the period between January and April 2016, weapons violations were up 17 percent in the city and 16 percent countywide. Drug violations were up 25 percent in Memphis and 21 percent countywide for that same period. The overall major violent crime rate to date is up 9 percent in Memphis and 11 percent countywide. Major violent crimes include murder, rape, aggravated assault, and robbery.

Despite the high numbers, the Crime Commission says major violence crime is still down 11 percent in Memphis and 14 percent countywide when compared to the same time in 2006, the year the commission launched its massive crime-fighting strategy, Operation: Safe Community (OSC). OSC includes the Memphis Police Department’s data-driven policing model Blue CRUSH, efforts to reduce truancy and gang crime, and several other initiatives.

Also, major property crime rate is on the decline. Burglaries, auto thefts, and other theft offenses have dropped by 5 percent in Memphis compared with this time last year and 40 percent compared with the first four months of 2006. The countywide rate dropped 7 percent from last year and 41 percent from 2006.

“The level of violent crime in Memphis and Shelby County is unacceptable. We must continue our commitment to the implementation of Operation: Safe Community, including data-driven deployment of police, vigorous prosecution of convicted felons who persist in toting guns, effective drug treatment and breaking the cycle of domestic violence,” said Tennessee Commissioner of Safety and Homeland Security Bill Gibbons, who will take over as president of the commission on September 1st. “We have planned our work. We need to keep working our plan.”

Categories
Letter From The Editor Opinion

Haslam, Corker, and Trump

The news out of Nashville last week was mostly about Governor Bill Haslam’s unique “leadership” style, in which he furrows his brow and expresses concern about the validity or constitutionality of the cockamamie bills that the legislature sends to his desk, then allows them to pass without his signature. He’s really more of a hall monitor than a governor, at this point. In fact, if Draymond Green kicked Haslam in the groin, odds are good that the governor wouldn’t even notice.

I am, however, hearing from informed sources that Haslam will probably sign into law this week a bill making “the waffle” the official state pastry. Unless someone objects, of course.

In other state news, Senator Bob Corker met with presumptive GOP nominee Donald Trump in Trump Tower to discuss foreign relations or … something. Speculation was that Corker was being vetted as a possible vice presidential candidate, though Corker downplayed that possibility after the meeting. As well he should, if he has any sense at all.

A Trump-Corker ticket would be similar to the John McCain-Sarah Palin ticket of 2008: a respected senator paired with a lunatic, only this time the lunatic will be at the top of the ticket. McCain’s reputation was permanently damaged by his association with Caribou Barbie. He went from being perceived as a relatively reasonable and honorable man to someone who sold his integrity to attract the Tea Party fringe — someone who was willing to put a mentally unstable moron a heartbeat away from the presidency for political expediency. Now, McCain will be hard-pressed to retain his Senate seat, if the latest polling from Arizona is to be believed.

Corker is probably savvy enough to realize that it’s one thing to voice pro forma support for the GOP ticket in the name of party unity, but quite another to become one of the two primary party standard-bearers with a nominee as volatile and flawed as Trump.

Whoever signs on to lift hands with The Donald at the convention will be indelibly linked to what will no doubt become the sleaziest, ugliest, and most ignorant presidential campaign in modern U.S. history. The person who agrees to be Trump’s running mate must commit to supporting whatever impulsive and contradictory nonsense comes out of Trump’s mouth — or appears on his Twitter account.

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie may be the leading candidate, having already sold his soul a few weeks back. This week, Trump repaid his puffy sidekick by joking that they would begin denying him tacos. Others on the Trump short bus include Rush Limbaugh, Newt Gingrich, Sarah Palin, Ann Coulter, and Ben Carson. Vice President Gingrich, anyone?

Trump did gain the endorsement of the National Rifle Association this week, so he’s got that going for him. In announcing his organization’s support for Trump, NRA president Wayne LaPierre warned that, if elected, Hillary Clinton would abolish the Second Amendment and take away everybody’s guns. Which is what he said about President Obama in 2008 and 2012. Obama, of course, being the cagey trickster he is, has saved this part of his agenda for the very end of his presidency. (In case you hadn’t heard, the Second Amendment will be officially abolished by executive order on June 1st, and all guns must be turned in to the FBI by June 15th.)

Hillary must be so ticked.

Categories
We Recommend We Recommend

David Leonard signs Tender is the Light.

At 16, David Julian Leonard appeared in The Final Chapter: Walking Tall, a feature film about Buford Pusser, the West Tennessee sheriff famous for driving the State Line Mob out of McNairy County. Leonard played a reckless teen who boosts a car and, with the help of his two best friends, leads the neighboring county’s sheriff on a high-speed chase “through the weeds, through the woods, and through the ditches.” It might not have been the most auspicious way to launch a film career, but it was a start. Leonard would go on to work as a grip and lighting technician for notable directors like Milos Forman and Francis Ford Coppola. He directed the documentary film Why Elvis?, co-directed Big Star Live in Memphis, and served as cinematographer on several projects with Memphis writer and filmmaker Robert Gordon. But for all of the skills Leonard has developed over a lifetime working in the movies, he does his best work with a still camera.

On Friday, May 27th, Leonard is hosting a signing of his aptly named new book Tender Is the Light, a collection of 66 visually arresting photographs.

Leonard’s Light

As a friend and sometimes protege of renowned photographer William Eggleston, Leonard’s developed an eye for extraordinary color and the ability to find exotic beauty in the most mundane locations. His reds are red as revenge; his yellows pop off the page. Leonard takes viewers behind church pulpits and into foggy neighborhoods. His camera turns baby dresses into clouds and introduces viewers to circus performers and children doing the things they do best.

Sometimes you can judge a book by its cover. Tender Is the Light is a handsome collection produced and distributed by German publisher Kehrer Verlag. It’s bound in drab linen that changes color like a sharkskin suit. A picture of three little girls at a pink princess party may not be the most arresting image in the collection, but it prepares viewers for the artist’s playful mix of irony and drama. What lies within might easily be described as a slow-speed joyride all around the world.

Categories
News The Fly-By

Fly on the Wall 1422

Unbe-WEAVE-Able

You know what is UnbeWEAVEable? Spell check, that’s what. This unfortunate promotional image teased the latest in a never-ending series of WMC reports about weaves, weave-related crime, and weaves that might be possessed by demon ghosts from foreign countries where people aren’t Christian. Sadly, we’re not making any of this up. This time, WMC’s senior weave correspondent Felicia Bolton used science — or a microscope anyway — to get to “the root” of the problem and determine whether or not products claiming to be made of 100 percent human hair are made from 100 percent human hair. The very serious two-part series was ultimately inconclusive.

Game of Fail

It’s that special time of year when The Commercial Appeal asks Mid-Southerners to vote in their Memphis Most poll, a reader survey created to celebrate regional favorites and sell some ads. You know, like the Flyer‘s “Best of” issue, only awkward. And speaking of awkward, what image could be more quintessentially Memphis than a white hand knuckle-clutching a flaming scepter and/or cattle brand? Check the apocalyptic cityscape in this image — just the kind of place everybody wants to live in and open a business. And this King — is it Elvis? Lawler? The Scorpion King?

Categories
Sports Sports Feature

Grizzlies Face Three Big Challenges This Summer

CREDIT: Larry Kuzniewski

The firing of Coach Dave Joerger wasn’t a surprise to anyone who had been paying attention to the Grizzlies’ tumultuous 2015-16 season. That’s not to say that Joerger’s dismissal was entirely about him, or his behavior, but it was clear to all involved — especially by the final media availability of the season — that Joerger and the Grizzlies’ front office were headed toward some sort of divorce.

I won’t get into the specifics of that divorce here — what’s done is done, and Joerger is now comfortably ensconsed (complete with a $4 million salary) as the head coach of the Sacramento Kings. But with the Grizzlies’ coaching search still in full swing at the time of this writing, I think it’s important to talk about the three things the Grizzlies have to get right this summer.

Hire the Right Coach: Mike Conley is a free agent this summer, and hiring a coach for whom he would be comfortable playing is a big step toward retaining his services. In his final media availability, Conley talked about his desire to see a plan from the Grizzlies, given how much uncertainty faced the franchise, and that was before they’d fired Joerger. Hiring a coach Conley is happy with is a must.

By the same token, in basketball, your three best players determine the way you play. After this summer, Marc Gasol, Conley (assuming he re-signs), and Hypothetical Wing Free Agent (see below) will be the Grizzlies’ three best players, and that will require a fairly radical reconsideration of the way the Grizzlies play, and the role of some beloved players — Zach Randolph and Tony Allen — may have to be scrutinized. The right hire is a guy who can get Gasol and Conley to buy in to the direction he’s headed offensively — something Joerger was never able to do, as evidenced by the two player revolts against “the new offense” in 2013-14 and 2015-16. It’s a big task on a team with some (quietly) headstrong personalities. Hiring a coach who can handle it is imperative.

Re-sign Mike Conley: The odds are in the Grizzlies’ favor here. Conley’s never played anywhere else, is very close friends with Gasol (with whom Conley consulted before Gasol signed his $120M deal last summer), and the Grizzlies can offer him a longer contract for more money than any other team. Conley’s injury history and the mileage on his 29-year-old body are of concern at this point, and a five-year max deal is a gamble, but the Grizzlies don’t have many other options if they want to avoid rebuilding the team completely, and Conley will probably have a hard time turning down the extra $35-40 million that the Grizzlies can pay him.

The only way this goes wrong is if the Grizzlies don’t 1) hire a coach Conley approves of and 2) can’t convince him they have a plan for staying competitive while retooling around him and Gasol.

Sign the Right Hypothetical Wing Free Agent: This is the thing the Grizzlies have never done before that they have to do this summer: attract a free agent making more than the mid-level exception salary (that is, around $5 million per season). It’s no secret that the Rudy Gay/Tayshaun Prince/Jeff Green transitions at the starting small forward spot didn’t do much to improve the team, and, if anything, they solidified Conley, Gasol, and Randolph as the team’s three best players and primary scoring options.

This summer, they’ve got to do something, whether it’s bringing in Nic Batum from Charlotte, prying Evan Fournier away from Orlando, throwing a big contract at Kent Bazemore, or trying to create a new wing player from a supercomputer à la Weird Science. As Randolph and Allen age, it becomes less realistic to rely on them to contribute at a high level every night. This summer is the Grizzlies’ chance to reconfigure around a (presumably re-signed) Conley and Gasol core.

Achieving one of these challenges would make for a big summer for the Grizzlies, but they’ve got to do all three — and they’ve got to monitor Gasol’s recovery, make a draft pick, develop their younger players, and fill out the rest of a half-empty roster. It’s a challenge the Grizzlies’ decision makers have to meet if the team is going to remain competitive.