Month: February 2020

Categories
Sports Tiger Blue

USF 75, Tigers 73

CREDIT: Larry Kuzniewski

The Tigers’ climb toward an NCAA tournament berth grew considerably steeper Saturday afternoon with a loss to the USF Bulls at FedExForum. Down a pair of forwards for most of the game (one for the entire game), Memphis surrendered 41 rebounds (15 at the offensive end) while pulling down only 29, a factor significant enough for USF to earn its third straight win and improve to 11-12 for the season (4-6 in the American Athletic Conference). The loss ends a three-game winning streak for the Tigers and drops them to 17-6 (6-4).

Larry Kuzniewski

Boogie Ellis

“You gotta tip your hat to South Florida,” said Tiger coach Penny Hardaway. “They came into our building and got a tough win. I had an eerie feeling before the game. They were just hungry to do whatever it takes. We got into foul trouble in the first half, and that started our downfall. We never got into a rhythm. Guys not being able to play aggressively. A total embarrassment today.”

The Tigers erased a nine-point deficit over a two-minute span late in the game, with a pair of three pointers by Alex Lomax and a four-point play by Boogie Ellis. But Bulls forward David Collins made a layup in traffic then followed with a short bank shot to give USF a four-point advantage (72-68) with less than 30 seconds left on the clock. Xavier Castaneda made three free throws inside the game’s final ten seconds to secure the upset. Collins and Laquincy Rideau each scored a game-high 21 points for the Bulls.

“It’s Memphis and they’re a national brand,” said Bulls coach Brian Gregory. “Our kids are competitive. We’ve lost some of these games, not being able to finish. But I think we’ve learned from that.”

“That’s a team that makes tough shots at the right time,” said Lomax. “They don’t have a good record, but that’s a good team.”

Tiger forward Precious Achiuwa scored six points in the game’s first three minutes only to sit for the final 12 minutes of the first half with two fouls. With freshman center Malcolm Dandridge sidelined by what a team official described as a minor knee injury, Hardaway found himself going “small ball” early. The Tigers scrapped their way to a 34-31 halftime lead courtesy of a Tyler Harris three-pointer just before the break.

Achiuwa struggled to make an impact in the second half (missing all four of his shots from the field), then missed the game’s final few minutes after a hard fall under the USF basket. Likewise, Lance Thomas had to leave the game with an injury. (Hardaway was unable to provide updates on either player during his postgame press conference.)

“Our Achilles heel is one-on-one defense,” acknowledged Hardaway. “At the end of the game, we weren’t able to get any stops. They got two one-on-one buckets. That’s where you have to grow.”

Harris led Memphis in the scoring column with 17 points (he hit five of seven shots from three-point range). Lomax scored 14 off the bench and Ellis hit five of seven shots for 14 points himself.

“Everything happens for a reason,” said Hardaway. “I don’t know why these injuries are happening now, or why we’re losing games we’re not supposed to lose. I’m always going to have faith; I’ll never let that waiver. But for Precious and Lance to both get hurt . . . that took our size away.”

The Tigers must now play four of their next six games on the road with virtually no margin for error. What kind of message will Hardaway send his young — and yes, injured — team? “Stay positive and stay together,” he emphasized. “We’re going to keep fighting. That’s what our culture is. We’re a family. That’s all we can do. Right now, it’s tough. But it’s not impossible.”

The Tigers travel to Cincinnati for their next game Thursday night and will face UConn on the road next Sunday. They return to FedExForum to host East Carolina on February 19th.

Categories
Music Music Blog

Blues Going Global: The International Blues Challenge Brings It All Home

CREDIT: Tom Davis

Tom Davis

Hector Anchondo, double-winner at this year’s International Blues Challenge

It’s been a heady time for Memphis and the blues lately. The city and the music are nearly synonymous, not only due to our storied past but for the ongoing love we collectively show the art form. Naturally, Memphis is home to The Blues Foundation, and aside from every spring’s Blues Music Awards (scheduled for May 7th), the nonprofit’s shining (and most music-filled) moment is the International Blues Challenge (IBC).

The importance — and global reach — of the IBC couldn’t have been underscored more with the Memphis-based Southern Avenue still riding high from their Grammy nomination. Although Gary Clark, Jr., ultimately won the title of Best Contemporary Blues Album, the nomination alone was yet another notch in the belt of a band whose story has gone hand in hand with the IBC.

Guitarist Ori Naftaly first came here from his native Israel for the IBC in 2013, and getting to the semi-finals that year was enough to convince him to stay. Two years later, he founded Southern Avenue, and by 2016 they’d made it to the IBC finals. It wasn’t long before they were signed to the newly revived Stax Records and were the toast of the town. The Grammy nomination for their second album, Keep On, only furthers that trajectory.

This past Saturday’s final competition and award cermony served as a capstone to IBC events sprinkled through the preceding week. At the Keeping the Blues Alive Awards ceremony, Peter Astrup, Rob Bowman, Janice Johnston, and Kathleen Lawton were recognized, as were the Cali Blues and Folk Festival in Colombia, the Jimiway Blues Festival in Poland, Hal & Mal’s Restaurant, the Jus’ Blues Music Foundation and the Kentuckiana Blues Society.

Other events included a screening of the classic documentary, Deep Blues: A Musical Pilgrimage to the Crossroads, a keynote panel on “Blues Women: Creators, Conductors, and Catalysts,” and the workshop, “Leading Your Own Career with Bobby Rush.” Additionally, the Blues Hall of Fame opened its new Women of the Blues exhibit along with hosting a Janiva Magness book signing and a panel discussion addressing “Music Across Borders.”
Tom Davis

HOROJO Trio

The cumulative event, of course, was the International Blues Challenge finals, which took place at the Orpheum Theatre. The HOROJO Trio, representing the Ottawa Blues Society, left Memphis with a first-place finish in the Band Division. JW Jones (the “Jo” in HOROJO) took home the Gibson Guitar Award for Best Band Guitarist. Hector Anchondo, from the Blues Society of Omaha, triumphed in the Solo/Duo Division as well as earning the Memphis Cigar Box Award as the Best Solo/Duo Guitarist.

Felix Slim picked up the Lee Oskar Harmonica Award for the Best Harmonica Player, while finishing second to Anchondo in the Solo/Duo category. Anchondo and Slim are both former finalists who now have won an IBC award.  Rick Nation

Felix Slim

This year’s winners also underscore the international aspect of the IBC. Slim, after becoming one of Spain’s leading blues men, spent several years living in Greece being influenced by its music before moving to New York City. And placing second to the Canada-based HOROJO Trio was the Jose Ramirez Band, which is led by Ramirez who was a major blues star in his native Costa Rica before relocating to America.

Meanwhile, Anchondo’s Latino background makes for a cross-cultural blues sound. While Latino contributions to the blues reach back to what Jelly Roll Morton called the “Spanish tinge” in pre-war New Orleans jazz, or old records like 1949’s “Muy Sabroso Blues” by Lalo Guerrero, Anchondo’s double-win was a strong affirmation of a cultural side of the blues that many sleep on. And, of course, it was a strong showing from Nebraska’s thriving blues scene. 

Categories
Film/TV Film/TV/Etc. Blog

Roll Camera! Memphis Film Prize Kicks Off Fifth Year With Party at The Cove

The Memphis Film Prize’s annual kickoff toast.

The traditional signal that it’s time to make a movie for the Memphis Film Prize is a bracing shot of tequila. For five years, the national organization has offered $10,000 for the best made-in-Memphis short film of the year. To qualify for the prize, you first have to register your project—and that’s what the party at the Cove tonight at 6 p.m. is about. “We can’t wait to kick off our fifth year in Memphis!” says Memphis Film Prize local coordinator David Merrill. “We invite all filmmakers, cast, crew, film enthusiasts, and the Film Prize fans in the community to celebrate this new year of Film Prize with us.”

Last year’s winner was “Night Out,” co-directed by Abby Myers and Kevin Brooks. But this year, it could be your film. The key, says Gregory Kallenberg, executive director of the Prize Foundation, is building a network of collaborators to bring your vision to life. “We are helping build a homegrown, independent film scene in Memphis. A film scene not just of talented filmmakers, screenwriters, production artists, and actors, but one that involves the entire Memphis community.”

Once you’re registered, you’d better get filming. The deadline to turn in your rough cut is June 9, 2020.

Categories
Food & Drink Hungry Memphis

Dinstuhl’s Opens Downtown Location

CREDIT: Shara Clark

Shara Clark

Dinstuhl’s new Downtown location at 147 S. Main

Dinstuhl’s, Memphis’ oldest candy shop, opened a new location in Downtown Memphis on February 6th. The 1,600-square-foot space is at 147 S. Main, next door to The Majestic Grille, near the corner of Peabody Place and S. Main.

Today, the shop is stocked for Valentine’s Day, with heart-shaped boxes of Dinstuhl’s famous handmade chocolates, chocolate heart lollipops, and more. Some of the store’s most popular candies, including Cashew Crunch, pecan brittle, and divinity, are also available.

Dinstuhl’s original location, opened in 1902, was located on Main Street — 197 ½ Main, according to Dinstuhl’s president Rebecca Dinstuhl: “It was not named North or South [Main] at the time … In today’s world it would be Main and Adams. Those [original] buildings are no longer there.”

Per the return to Downtown, Dinstuhl says, “The Downtown Memphis Commission [DMC] approached us to see if we would have an interest in opening a store on Main Street through their incentive program called Open on Main. It assists retailers who want to test the water, to get into the Downtown area, and bring retail back to Main Street.

“The more we investigated it, we realized this was a golden opportunity for Dinstuhl’s to see if Downtown’s a viable retail market for us today. We’ve been away from Downtown for about 40 years from our last storefront there. We then were at Second and Madison, and we closed that store in 1974.”

Working with the DMC and Belz Enterprises, Dinstuhl’s secured the space on S. Main. “We feel like it is the right location for our products, and we’re very excited to return. We’ve already been welcomed with open arms by the local community and the business community, and we’re just so thrilled to be back.”

Through the Open on Main program, Dinstuhl’s has signed a one-year lease to “test the waters,” says Dinstuhl. “We believe very strongly that it is going to be successful, so we do have a five-year option through Belz Enterprises to continue that location.

“We’re celebrating our 118th year, so we thought this was a great time to come back.”

The shop will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

Categories
Food & Wine Food & Drink

Bingo! Chickens, Whiskey, and Music at Hernando’s Hide-A-Way

CREDIT: Justin Fox Burks

I’ve been excited for World Famous Hernando’s Hide-A-Way to reopen ever since I read the news that Dale Watson, honky-tonk hero and purveyor of Ameripolitan music, was not only setting up residence in Memphis, but purchasing the club that sits just blocks from Graceland.

The building has been standing since the early 1900s but has been shuttered with its secrets for well over a decade. Beautifully restored to its former glory, it sits at 3210 Hernando, just off Brooks, taunting us Memphians to darken its saloon doors once again.

Are you familiar with Watson? If not, it’s time to acquaint yourself with the man who moved out of Austin because it got too full of dickbags, tech dudes, and Californians selling tacos out of trucks (my words, not his). Memphians will delight in his epic shunning of Nashville as a potential new hometown. Don’t believe me? Check the lyrics of his song “Nashville Rash” to read the series of sick burns yourself, issued from one of country’s last strongholds to the pop-country artists who now infest Music City.

Justin Fox Burks

“It’s called Hernando’s Hide-A-Way.”

And while I could talk Dale Watson all day, I’m here to talk about drinkin’ and dancin’. Hernando’s Hide-A-Way is what a lot of bars wish they were and only a small handful pull off. It’s dark as hell, save for lights behind the bar and up on stage. There are no windows on the first floor. There’s a dance floor laid out in front of the stage, a welcome sight for those who are into the Hide-A-Way brand of Western swing and outlaw country. Each Sunday night, Watson or one of his friends hosts Chicken Shit Bingo (it’s listed as Chicken S#!+ Bingo on the website, but this is the Flyer, not a church program).

It’s the same question each time: “What the hell is Chicken Shit Bingo?” Pal, here’s the deal. You head to the bar any Sunday from 3 to 7 p.m., order some drinks, and take in a crazy-good rockabilly band. Buy a couple of numbered tickets and hang until one of the Hide-A-Way’s two chickens is brought into the bar, where we wait for it to shit on a numbered mat. Did she christen your ticket’s number? Congrats, you’re a winner.

On the Sundays that Watson himself hosts bingo, winners are invited to the stage to play “Let’s Make a Dale,” where the winner can either keep the winnings or give them up for whatever amount of cash might be in one of Watson’s pockets. The good news? It could be more than the bingo earnings. The bad news? It could be some loose change and your total humiliation onstage in front of your friends.

But bingo, while the most outside-of-the-box reason to visit the bar, is just one in the Hide-A-Way’s bag of tricks. Each week, they host Honky-Tonk Wednesdays, typically with Watson and his band. Monthly, they feature Goner Records Night. Monday through Friday, happy hour lasts from 4 to 7 p.m. with burger and drink specials. When Watson isn’t touring, he’s there himself, even occasionally living in the upstairs part of the bar when his nearby Airbnb is rented out.

The menu is mostly burgers, hot dogs, and chicken sandwiches, and while I haven’t tried much of it, my friend declared the burger “phenomenal!” There’s also a menu item called My Girlfriend Isn’t Hungry, featuring a couple of wings and some fries. On bingo nights, plain hot dogs are complimentary.

The Hide-A-Way has a full bar, which I have explored at length from ordering wine to whiskey to beer. There are a handful of special cocktails, and everything is reasonably priced. As always, I report on the frontline of Jameson procurement, and here it is only $5.

Watson’s World Famous Hernando’s Hide-A-Way has a packed schedule in the coming weeks. Watson is hosting a kickoff party for his Ameripolitan Awards on February 21st, and the next night he’ll be onstage with special guests to host what I imagine will be a very raucous Chicken Shit Bingo. Let’s make a Dale: I’ll be there if you are.

Categories
Art Art Feature

The CLTV’s “The Audacity” Explores Black Representation

Orange Mound-based black arts organization The CLTV (Collective) opened a new exhibition last month called “The Audacity: Addressing Our Representation in Popular Culture,” featuring the works of 12 artists, all black illustrators, comic and manga artists, and toymakers, whose hopes are to represent themselves through characters set in fictional worlds and stories.

Guest curator Ed Williams sought to build upon the popular hashtag #RepresentationMatters, which is about providing narratives about people of color or of different orientations, genders, backgrounds, and abilities.

Darius Williams, DBW Photography

Ed Williams, guest curator and founder of Mayke Entertainment LLC

“Some of us dream of being superheroes,” he says. “Some of us just want to see ourselves. So the core of this show is definitely about representation. You know, black people, we just want to see ourselves as superheroes, flying, saving the day, in space. We just want to be visible outside of slavery movies and things like that.”

Williams’ comic book line, developed under his company Mayke Entertainment LLC, is featured at the exhibit to show the “characters, stories, and mythologies from the color palette that represents the world.”

“My motivation for working with comic book characters started when I was a kid,” he says. “I always loved superheroes. But I started noticing that none of the superheroes that I love actually looked like me. And it was a very hard thing to digest. Because when I went looking for black superheroes, I found sidekicks and I found villains. And I was just like, wow, is that what I’m limited to?”

His installation features character cutouts, posters, comics, and lookbook pages of four of Mayke’s characters: Tremor, John Henry, Braxton, and Bolt. Tremor, who was conceptualized in 2009, two years before Mayke was founded, was based on Williams himself.

“You’ll see me all throughout there in how he looks, his size and things like that,” he says. “That was inspired by the fact that there were no heavy-set superheroes that people could take seriously. They were always like the punch line, and I hated that.”

Adjacent to Ed Williams’ Mayke display is that of local artist Quinn McGowan’s comic book company, Legends Press Comics, showcasing comic books Elsewhere and Project: Wildfire, a map of Shelby City (inspired by Memphis), an action figure, and drawings of his characters mingling with characters from pop culture. In one piece, entitled Bad Cousin, the main hero, Wildfire, is seen attending a party with Erik Killmonger from Black Panther.

“Black Panther was sort of universal in its connectivity to black audiences,” says McGowan. “And Erik Killmonger being the primary African-American character, he resonates on a pretty high level, even if you don’t agree with him completely morally. So when a character or person from our community makes it, we all jokingly say he’s our cousin.”

McGowan says Wildfire is inspired by his grandfather.

“My grandfather and I used to watch wrestling when I was little on Saturdays, and then after that, Ultraman would come on, and he would fight monsters,” he says. “One of his favorite wrestlers was a wrestler from the Memphis circuit called Wildfire, Tommy Rich. So everything is a piecemeal letter to my grandpa, who’s pictured in the center of all of those images.”

McGowan and his friend Kennedy Moore are currently developing a 16-bit video game that mimics a television cartoon with gameplay during the “commercial breaks.”

“It would be a representation of if we were represented more in media,” says McGowan. “That could have been what I experienced when I got home from school at three o’clock in the afternoon.”

Other artists featured in “The Audacity” include Parker-Nia Gordon, Toonky Berry, Mia Saine, Kenneth Alexander, Dezmond Gipson, Sarai, David Yancy III, Amber Williams, Grant Butler, and Therrious Davis. The exhibition is on display through March 12th at The CLTV CMPLX (2234 Lamar).

Categories
Memphis Gaydar News

Companies Say Anti-LGBTQ Laws Threaten Business

CREDIT: OUTMemphis

OUTMemphis

Hilton, the Tennessee Titans, the Nashville Predators, IKEA, Nike, Amazon, CMT, Postmates, and Warby Parker.

These are but some of 36 corporations doing business in Tennessee that believe the state’s recently passed bill to discriminate against the LGBTQ community in adoptions will hurt business.

Those corporations and 109 small businesses issued a letter Wednesday saying “policies that signal that the state is not welcoming to everyone put our collective economic success at risk.”

“As we seek to maintain and grow our world-class workforce, we often face questions about whether our state is welcoming to the LGBTQ community and beyond,” reads the letter. “It is both a business imperative and core to our corporate values that our customers, our employees and their families, and our potential employees feel fully included in the prosperity of our state.”

The letter was organized by the Nashville LGBT Chamber of Commerce, Freedom for All Americans, GLAAD, and the Human Rights Council. As such, most of the letter’s signers are in Middle Tennessee.

The Nashville Predators said the city has seen enormous fan turnout for the NHL All-Star Weekend, the NHL Stanley Cup Final, and SEC men’s and women’s basketball tournaments.

“Passing discriminatory legislation would limit revenue for the city of Nashville and the state of Tennessee by inhibiting our ability to secure events like those and future events such as league marquee events, NCAA Games, award shows, and countless potential concerts,” the Predators said in the letter. “We strongly encourage our elected officials to keep us on an inclusive path that protects the rights of all Tennessee citizens.”

Memphis Pride Fest

Postmates, the tech-forward delivery service, said it “continues to be alarmed by the Lee Administration’s anti-LGBTQ agenda, particularly as we consider expanding our presence in the Volunteer State.”

“State leaders cannot and will not be able to expect companies like ours to power its economic engines while supporting legislation that undermines our ability to feel welcome in this state unless they commit to a new pathway to include all families and all workers,” the company said in the letter. “HB 386 undermines businesses’ ability to recruit top talent and grow in the state by policies that say not all are welcome — and it’s just plain wrong.
[pullquote-1] “To our Postmates fleet, our customers, our small business owners, our entire community: we stand with you no matter who you love or who you are, and we will not accept this kind of flagrant hatred.”

State senators passed the bill in its first major move since the 111th Tennessee General Assembly reconvened in January. Lee signed the bill into law last month. It allows adoption agencies to discriminate against the LGBTQ community.

The bill shelters faith-based adoption agencies from lawsuits by any group claiming discrimination. It prohibits faith-based groups from participating “in any child placement for foster care or adoption that would violate the agency’s written religious or moral convictions.”

[pullquote-2]
Some senators warned passing the bill could hinder business in the state, with companies and conventions passing over Tennessee for more gay-friendly states.

But the bill’s Senate sponsor, Sen. Paul Rose (R-Tipton and part of Shelby County), said the bill “was about the right to choose.”

“If you believe in freedom, you’ll put aside the issues thrown at you from the business community and look to the roots of this nation,” Rose said.

Categories
News News Blog

Lawmakers Want to Better Accommodate Pregnant Workers

CREDIT: Pexels.com/Leah Kelley

Pexels.com/Leah Kelley

Tennessee lawmakers want to ensure pregnant workers get reasonable accommodations.


A bill reintroduced by Tennessee lawmakers Wednesday — one that would provide clarity for employers as it relates to pregnant workers and allow those workers to receive reasonable accommodations — is already gathering support from the business community across the state.

The Tennessee Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (HB 2708/SB 2520) is sponsored by Rep. Jim Coley (R-Bartlett) and Sen. Becky Duncan Massey (R-Knoxville), respectively.

“It is important that we meet the needs of our working women who are pregnant without causing undue burdens to our businesses,” Massey said.

The bill, which contains similar language to the federal Pregnant Workers Fairness Act bill introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives in the spring, would make it unlawful for employers to refuse to provide “reasonable accommodations for medical needs arising from pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions” of an applicant or current employee.

However, if the employer believes that providing those accommodations would “impose undue hardship” on the business, then they are not required to allow those accommodations.

[pullquote-1]

The legislation also prohibits employers from requiring a pregnant employee to take leave if there are other reasonable accommodations that can be offered instead. Finally, the Act would make it unlawful for employers to take “adverse action against an employee” for requesting a reasonable accommodation.

Under the law, employees who have been “adversely affected” by an employer’s violation of these terms may bring civil action in court. That could prompt the court to issue back pay, compensatory damages, and other related financial relief.

The legislation has garnered support from several businesses across the state, as well as from the Chambers of Commerce for Memphis, Nashville, Knoxville, and Chattanooga. Two dozen businesses in the state, including Cafe Eclectic in Memphis, along with the four chambers sent a joint letter to the Tennessee General Assembly Thursday supporting the bill.

The current “patchwork of laws creates confusion and uncertainty,” the group wrote. The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act would establish “one clear standard, allowing us to address accommodation requests quickly and informally.”

In Tennessee, there is currently no law providing further protections for pregnant workers other than what is mandated by the federal Pregnancy Discrimination Act, which makes it illegal for an employer with 15 or more employees to treat pregnant workers unfairly. Currently, 27 states and four cities have passed their own form of legislation guaranteeing protection and accommodations for pregnant workers.

A Better Balance

States and cities that require accommodations for pregnant workers


“As concerned Tennessee business leaders, we urge you to help boost our state’s economy by passing the Tennessee Pregnant Workers Fairness Act,” the letter reads in part. “This important legislation will provide much-needed clarity to employers and help pregnant women who need reasonable accommodations, like a stool to sit on or extra bathroom breaks, to remain healthy and safe on the job, unless it would create an undue hardship for the business.”

The bill, which promotes healthier pregnancies and babies, will lead to lower health-care costs for employers and the state, the letter continues.

“Providing reasonable accommodations also keeps our valuable employees working and reduces turnover and training costs,” the letter said. “These types of accommodations are temporary and can typically be provided for a very low cost or no cost at all.”

The letter also points to Tennessee as ranking 41st in the nation for the number of women participating in the labor force.

“Given our historically low unemployment rate and tight labor market, it is important to ensure that everyone who is willing and able to work can do so,” the letter reads. “In order for our businesses and economy to continue to grow and prosper, we must make it easier for women to join and remain in the workforce.”

Categories
Beyond the Arc Sports

Oh, What a Night! Grizzlies Win — On the Court and Off

CREDIT: Larry Kuzniewski

What a Wednesday night for the Memphis Grizzlies! The team was in Dallas to face the Mavericks when a pending trade was announced and Jae Crowder and Solomon Hill were pulled from the lineup. 

The Grizzlies have traded Andre Iguodala to the Miami Heat, according to ESPN Adrian Wojnarowski. And Justice Winslow is part of the trade package that has yet to be officially announced, as other teams are reportedly trying to finish a deal with the Grizzlies and the Heat. The trade deadline expires today at 2 p.m. CST. 

Meanwhile, on the court, a short-handed Grizzlies team went up against the Mavericks, who were without their star player, Luka Doncic. The Grizzlies pulled off the victory, 121–107. 

Larry Kuzniewski

Tyus Jones

The Grizzlies bench outscored the Dallas second unit 54–26, led by point guard Tyus Jones, who finished with a career-high 19 points, including 13 in the third quarter. Jones ended with a perfect night, going 8-of-8 from the field along with 3-of-3 from beyond the arc. The former Duke product became the second player in franchise history to shoot 100 percent from the field (min. 8 FGA) and make at least three three-pointers since Vince Carter did it on March 13, 2017. 

Also contributing off the bench were Brandon Clarke ended with 18 points, six assists, and three rebounds in 24 minutes of play, and De’Anthony Melton, who added 10 points, nine rebounds, and five assists. 

Starter Ja Morant put up a team-high 21 points off of 10-of-12 shooting, with three assists, while Jaren Jackson Jr. finished with 19 points, going 7-of-15 from the field and 4-of-8 from the 3-point line. The win improved the Grizzlies to 26–25, putting the team over .500 for the first time this season. 

For Dallas, Kristaps Porzingis had a game-high 32 points (10–20 FG, 5–11 3P), 12 rebounds, and two assists. Jalen Brunson chipped in 20 points, six assists, and two rebounds on 6-of-14 shooting. Tim Hardaway Jr. totaled 14 points and six rebounds. Former Grizzlies Courtney Lee added eight points, going 3-of-4 from the field. 


Larry Kuzniewski

Dillon Brooks

Dillon Brooks’ contract extension
The Grizzlies also announced last night that the team has signed guard/forward Dillon Brooks to a multi-year contract extension. Reportedly, the deal is worth $35 million dollars over three years. 

In his third NBA season, the 2017 Pac-12 Player of the Year is averaging 16.1 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 2.1 assists in 28.4 minutes through 51 games and is the only Grizzlies player to play and start in every game this season. Brooks has earned his way to being a part of the future of the franchise, alongside Morant and Jackson, Jr. 

His teammates took to Twitter to congratulate him on the his new deal. 

Quotes from Jaren Jackson Jr.

On going 13–3 over the past 16 games:

“Honestly, we usually forget these kinds of things, but it’s cool to hear it. It’s one of those things where you just have to take the good and the bad but keep understanding that there’s always more to be done. We don’t really dwell on anything too much but it’s nice to hear these things.”

On not having their veteran players on the court:
“It was tough. I experienced it last year. It was the same kind of thing. Everybody got moved right before the OKC game last year and that was tough. You kind of get a feel for what may happen, but you’re never really ready for it. I’m just glad we won.”

On growing from adversity:
“We just tell everybody in the locker room that it’s time to be a pro. We have to show why we’re here. It’s not just about playing hard. At the end of the day, this is our job. We signed up for a lot more than just a game itself, and sometimes that brings emotions. You don’t have to forget about your emotions. You just have to channel them the right way. Channel them to winning and doing good things. That’s what they would’ve wanted us to do anyway.” 

Who Got Next?
The Grizzlies will continue their road tour on Friday, February 7 to face the Philadelphia 76ers at 6 p.m.

Categories
Letter From The Editor Opinion

We’re All in Kansas Now

I was struck last weekend by a Twitter thread from GOP presidential candidate Joe Walsh. Yes, there is a Republican seeking to challenge President Trump for his party’s nomination, but he’s tilting at windmills, since the GOP establishment has already eliminated primaries in many states in order to protect Trump’s incumbency.

Walsh reported that he walked a line of Trump supporters outside the president’s Iowa rally last week, trying to convince them to consider his candidacy. Here’s what he wrote:

“Plenty of Trump supporters were angry at me and many got in my face. But here’s what made me sad: I asked about 40 folks a very simple question: Has Donald Trump ever lied to the American people? Every single person said ‘No.’ Trump has never lied. Every single person gave me that answer. But that wasn’t all. A few people told me that Trump, unlike Obama, has never golfed. Nobody in line knew that Trump was increasing the debt way faster than Obama. Nobody knew that under Trump our deficit was now greater than $1 trillion. Nobody I asked could think of one single thing that Trump has done that has disappointed them. Nobody thought Trump did anything wrong with Ukraine.

“Almost everyone thought that China was paying for Trump’s tariffs. Nobody cared that Russia screwed with our 2016 election. On and on it went. I left sad and frustrated because all of these folks in line were being fed a sea of lies by Trump, Fox News, and the rest of Trump’s media sycophants. … They didn’t believe basic truths.”

Anyone so far down in the Foxhole that they don’t think Trump ever golfs is pretty much beyond saving. Facts truly don’t matter to them. Trump is perfect, godlike. It was Obama who golfed, not our magnificent president!

After the president’s much-mocked tweet congratulating “the Great State of Kansas” for the Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl victory, the usual Fox pundits lined up to rally the troops. Maybe the snooty liberal coastal elites don’t realize there is a Kansas City, Kansas, they snickered. There are Chiefs fans in Kansas, too, they snorted. Silly snowflakes! Remember when Obama said there were 57 states?

Seriously, is it really that hard to just say the president goofed? Must he be utterly without fault, a flawless golden Superman? This level of intentional ignorance — and the amplifying of said ignorance by right-wing media — is terrifying.

If it makes you feel any better, none of this is new. There is a thread of know-nothing-ness that has woven itself through American history, usually driven by xenophobia and politicians who seek to exploit it. There was even a major political party that surfaced around the time of the Civil War that called itself the “Know Nothings.” I went down that Google wormhole so you wouldn’t have to:

“The Know Nothing party, formally known as the Native American Party and the American Party, was a far-right nativist political party and movement that operated nationwide in the mid-1850s. It was primarily an anti-Catholic, anti-immigration, and xenophobic movement, originally starting as a secret society. Adherents to the movement were to simply reply ‘I know nothing’ when asked about its specifics by outsiders.”

Shorter version: The Know Nothing party was anti-Catholic, anti-immigration, and sought to keep America white and protestant. Sound familiar? Same as it ever was.

But if you really want to get your mind blown, see if you can guess the author of the following:

“I am not a Know Nothing — that is certain. How could I be? How can anyone who abhors the oppression of negroes be in favor of degrading classes of white people? Our progress in degeneracy appears to me to be pretty rapid. As a nation, we began by declaring that ‘all men are created equal.’ We now practically read it as ‘all men are created equal, except negroes.’ When the Know Nothings get control, it will read ‘all men are created equal, except negroes and foreigners and Catholics.’ When it comes to that, I should prefer emigrating to some country where they make no pretense of loving liberty — to Russia, for instance, where despotism can be taken pure, and without the base alloy of hypocrisy.”

That was soon-to-be President Abraham Lincoln writing to a friend in 1855. Does history repeat itself? Nearly 165 years later, it would appear so. Let’s hope America survives this latest round of Know Nothings.