Month: December 2020

Categories
News News Blog

Nationwide Poll Finds Tennesseans Unsatisfied with Work From Home

CREDIT: https://improb.com/

A nationwide poll found that Tennesseans were rated among the least happy Americans in a work-from-home (WFH) setting with the average employee rating their happiness at a 6.5/10, slightly below the national average of 6.6/10. South Dakotans took the crown as the happiest working from home, with most rating their happiness at a 9/10. West Virginia was a different story with work-from-home participants rating their happiness at just a 4.9/10 on average.

https://improb.com/

Tennesseans were found to be slightly below the national average while working from home

The poll, which was run by improb.com, polled 3,000 work-from-home employees across varying fields. Those in the education and charity industry were found to be some of the strongest detractors of work from home conditions, with participants reporting an average of 5.4 and 5.8 out of 10 in terms of happiness. Banking and tech were found to be fairly satisfied with working from home, as participants in those fields reported an average happiness of 6.8 and 6.6 out of 10.

Those in the IT field were the least satisfied with WFH conditions, scoring the lowest average happiness at 4.9 out of 10. On the flip side, law was found to be the profession with some of the happiest employees, with an average happiness of 7.1 out of 10.

While happiness is important, a universal phenomenon caused by WFH conditions is an extreme increase in the amount of time spent in and around the home. The survey found that on average workers were spending 3.7 days in a row without leaving home. The survey found that employees were more efficient when working from home, with 55 percent stating that they take fewer breaks than if they were in the office.

A surprising 61 percent of those surveyed said that they put in more hours each day at home than when they were physically working in their office, suggesting that the separation between work hours and off-hours can be harder to differentiate while working from home. 

Categories
Beyond the Arc Sports

Grizzlies Fall to Hawks 122–112, Move to 0–2 to Start the Season

There are no moral victories in the NBA and this game was no exception. Yes, it was exciting to watch two dynamic young point guards face off. But much less so when it’s your team that takes the L. 

Ja Morant

In the battle between Trae Young and Ja Morant, there is no denying who came out on top. Hint: it wasn’t Ja Morant. Say what you will about the officiating (and Morant did, earning him a technical foul late in the 4th quarter) but this was still a winnable game for the Grizzlies and they blew it.


Sloppy defense, careless turnovers, and poor shot selection — once again, these cost the Grizzlies the game.

Morant had this to say postgame regarding contact in the paint: “A lot of contact down there which resulted in me being off-balance when I shoot so I missed the shot. As you see I got a tech. If that’s what I got to do to get calls, then, oh well. It’s my second year. I let a lot of stuff slide, but I’m not going for that no more. Everybody who knows me knows I’m always smiling and laughing, and when somebody gets fed up that’s what happens.”


Morant is everything Memphis needed in a player. But the past two games have clearly demonstrated that while good, he cannot carry this team by himself. And this team cannot wait for the return of Jaren Jackson Jr. to start winning games, not if they want to stay competitive in a deep Western Conference. 

This means that everyone else on the team needs to come with their A game. What we have seen on the court in the past two games was at best a C+, and that is being extremely generous. 

The absence of De’Anthony Melton was surely felt, but that alone should not be enough to derail this team. Brandon Clarke looks like a different player than he was last year. While it is too early yet to panic about Clarke, it is concerning. Even more concerning is the Grizzlies’ bench play. For the second game in a row, the opponent’s bench outscored the Memphis bench by double digits. Nothing good can come from the bench being consistently outscored, much like nothing good can come from jacking up three-point shots five seconds into the shot clock. (Looking at you, Dillon Brooks.)

Here is a brief rundown of the second game of the season:

 

The good:

Kyle Anderson 

All five starters scoring double digits 

Fewer turnovers committed by the Grizzlies 

Grizzlies converting Hawks turnovers into points 

 

The bad:

Foul trouble 

Dillon Brooks shooting 3 of 11 from beyond the arc 

Grizzlies bench play 

Not driving to the basket

Let’s all hope that what this team needs is just to shake off the rust. 

 

Who Got Next?

The Grizzlies will face off against the Brooklyn Nets on Monday, December 28th. 

Categories
News The Fly-By

Fly-By: The Year That Was

JANUARY

University of Memphis increased its minimum wage to $13.

State lawmakers filed bills against refugee resettlement, for chemical castration of some sex offenders, and against transgender student athletes.

The state Senate voted to allow private adoption agencies to discriminate against gay couples. Tennessee Governor Bill Lee later signed the bill into law.

Debate began for the possible removal of a bust of Nathan Bedford Forrest from the State Capitol Building.

Southland Casino Racing opened its book for sports betting.

FEBRUARY

The Shelby County Health Department debunked a rumor that someone at 201 Poplar had coronavirus.

A Tennessee house committee reviewed a bill that would have labeled CNN and The Washington Post as “fake news.”

Gov. Bill Lee pushed to make Tennessee a constitutional gun carry state.

No COVID-19 cases were confirmed in Shelby County, but health officials monitored 20 people who recently returned from China.

MARCH

The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) planned to remove toxic coal ash from the Allen Fossil Plant.

The first Shelby County resident tested positive for coronavirus; 70 were quarantined.

Alisa Haushalter, director of the health department, said there was no immediate risk to the general public from COVID-19.

Governor Lee declared a state of emergency Thursday, March 12th.

A second case of coronavirus was confirmed here.

Memphis Light, Gas and Water (MLGW) suspended service cutoffs.

Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland ordered libraries and community centers closed and stopped issuing event permits.

State lawmakers cut short the 2020 legislative session.

A third case of COVID-19 was confirmed here.

A fourth case was reported.

Ten cases of COVID-19 were reported.

A drive-through testing site was established at Tiger Lane.

Strickland issued a state of emergency and ordered restaurant dining rooms to be closed.

Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris issued a state of emergency.

Memphis in May (MIM) halted 2020 events.

COVID-19 cases rose to 84.

Strickland issued the Safer at Home Initiative.

Shelby County and each of the county’s seven municipalities issued Stay at Home orders.

COVID-19 cases rose to 1,432.

APRIL

The Memphis Area Transit Authority (MATA) reduced service to slow the spread of COVID-19.

The Tennessee Supreme Court directed judges to reduce jail populations.

Shelby County District Attorney General Amy Weirich released some incarcerated at the Shelby County Jail and dismissed hundreds of cases.

Memphis in May announced new fall dates for the 2020 festival.

Memphis nonprofit funding was down $32 million on COVID-19 concerns.

A federal district court blocked Governor Lee’s attempt to ban abortion because of the coronavirus.

COVID-19 cases totaled 1,807. Deaths totaled 38.

MAY

Phase I of the Back to Business plan began.

Salons, barbershops, and gyms were allowed to reopen.

Beale Street reopened.

Southland Casino Gaming and Horseshoe Tunica reopened.

Graceland reopened.

Phase II of the Back to Business plan began.

The final concept for Tom Lee Park’s new design was unveiled.

COVID-19 cases totaled 3,877. Deaths totaled 88.

JUNE

A protest in response to the recent deaths of Black people in America closed Union Avenue.

Gov. Lee authorized the Tennessee National Guard to respond to protests.

A nightly curfew in Memphis began to calm protests related to the police killing of George Floyd.

The nightly curfew was lifted.

A move to Phase III of the Back to Business plan was paused.

An all-white House committee voted to keep the bust of slave trader Nathan Bedford Forrest in the Tennessee State Capitol.

Strickland said he was opposed to defunding the police department.

Memphis in May was canceled.

A video of Germantown businessman Lloyd Crawford went viral as the man was filmed telling a man holding a Black Lives Matter poster he was not welcome in the city.

COVID-19 cases rose to 6,119. Deaths totaled 133.

JULY

Officials announced a new radio station, WYXR 91.7, would air in the fall.

Bars were ordered closed. Restaurants were ordered closed by 10 p.m.

The State Capitol Commission voted to move the bust of Nathan Bedford Forrest from the Tennessee State Capitol building.

The Cooper-Young Festival was canceled.

The city council renamed a stretch of Poplar Avenue to Black Lives Matter Avenue.

Shelby County Schools announced fall classes would be all virtual.

COVID-19 cases rose to 20,797. Deaths totaled 275.

AUGUST

Operation LeGend brought 40 federal agents to Memphis to reduce the city’s violent crime rate.

State lawmakers passed bills to crack down on protesters.

The $200-million project to transform the Mid-South Fairgrounds into a youth sports destination was branded as Liberty Park.

COVID-19 cases rose to 26,903. Deaths totaled 370.

SEPTEMBER

Five businesses were temporarily closed on COVID-19 violations.

A new report said Memphis needed 2,800 police officers, about 700 more than it had at the time.

The “Father of Identity Theft” was sentenced for identity theft.

Memphis in May reported it lost $1.8 million in 2020, the worst financial year in the festival’s 44 years.

A new, 30- to 45-story tower was proposed for the Pinch District in a $180 million project that would re-shape the city’s skyline.

COVID-19 cases totaled 31,771. Deaths totaled 475.

OCTOBER

Veteran television journalist Mike Matthews announced his retirement.

The health department did not cancel Halloween events but did not recommend them.

The U.S. Department of Justice issued $2 million in grants to combat violent crime in Memphis.

Jennifer Oswalt announced she was leaving the Downtown Memphis Commission as president.

COVID-19 cases totaled 37,480. Deaths totaled 571.

NOVEMBER

Tennessee voters turned out in record numbers (more than 3 million) to cast ballots in the 2020 presidential election.

A federal judge sided with Tennessee in an ongoing water-rights case from Mississippi.

A council member filed an ethics complaint against another member for profane insults hurled during a meeting.

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital researchers announced they may have figured out how the pandemic virus kills and how to stop it.

COVID-19 cases totaled 49,263. Deaths totaled 672.

DECEMBER

Thanksgiving traffic at Memphis International Airport was cut in half.

City officials halted curbside recycling services as a quarter of the city’s solid waste crews either had COVID-19 or were in quarantine.

Nine restaurants were closed on COVID-19 violations.

Ground was broken on the $60-million Tom Lee Park project.

Tennessee Attorney General Herbert Slatery signed onto a Texas lawsuit to throw out millions of swing-state votes in the 2020 presidential election.

Only 15 ICU beds were available as hospitals strained under surging COVID-19 numbers.

COVID-19 cases totaled 59,387. Deaths totaled 727 (as of December 18th).

Visit the News Blog at memphisflyer.com for fuller versions of these stories and more local news.

Categories
Politics Politics Feature

Politics 2020: COVID-19 and a Shaggy-Dog Presidential Election

Politics so often is a matter of timing and deadlines. Such-and-such a date for announcing a candidacy. Such-and-such a date for filing. There’s a withdrawal deadline. A schedule of fundraisers, campaign kickoffs, and headquarters openings. The start of early voting, election day itself. And if all goes well, a time and date for one’s inauguration and/or public swearing-in.

All that regularity and the established calendar of publicly shared functions were skewed big-time in the shaggy-dog story of 2020 — a year in which pestilence stalked the land and drove everyone apart from one another, and the biggest race of all, that for the presidency, was made anti-climactic by the refusal of the loser to admit to the plain and obvious results.

Still and all, some things got accomplished — the most significant of which was the American voters’ decisive rejection of the Trump presidency, a reality-TV show characterized by its total denial of reality, never more so than in an unending election aftermath in which the unfrocked leader, naked as a jaybird, cried foul and continued to clamor for the cloak of high office long after it made any sense to do so.

Indeed, one of the unresolved mysteries at year’s end was the question of whether on January 20th of the new year, Donald Trump will voluntarily take his leave or have to be frog-marched out of  the White House. In any case, Democrat Joe Biden will be inaugurated, and with him, hopefully, an era of comparative sense and empathy.

Another matter yet to be resolved was that of which party would control the U.S. Senate, a question that won’t be answered until January 5th via the outcome of two runoff elections in the state of Georgia, a state that went blue in the presidential election and seems destined to become the kind of political bellwether that Tennessee itself used to be when the tide of power would shift back and forth between Republicans and Democrats.

The Volunteer State itself has become so predictably right-wing and Republican that not only could no ranking Democrat be found to oppose Trump’s hand-picked Senate candidate, former Ambassador and state official Bill Hagerty, but the exemplars of GOP-dominated state government — legislative, executive, and, in the case of the state Attorney General, quasi-judicial — all willingly followed the Trump line, even to the extent of blessing his rebellion against the outcome of a Constitutional election.

Once again, despite spirited challenges by Democrats in legislative races, several of them right here in Shelby County, the Republicans held onto their super-majority in the General Assembly. At the congressional level, both local U.S. Representatives, Democrat Steve Cohen in the 9th District and Republican David Kustoff in the 8th, held serve against what were basically nominal challenges. Cohen and his congressional counterpart in Nashville, Jim Cooper, were the only Democrats to maintain a position of political prominence statewide.

At all levels of government in 2020, the specter of COVID-19 made its presence felt, accounting for bursts of financial largesse and sporadic action. Governor Bill Lee monitored the pandemic but proved loath to establish much beyond minimal voluntary safety mandates. The legislature responded to the emergency with a lengthy recess of several months (one which set aside resolution of several controversial matters) and resumed in mid-summer to convert a $200 million infrastructure allotment into a COVID emergency fund. Memphis and Shelby County both profited but had to fight for their share. Both governments also benefited from the federal CARES act and established a joint task force. County government in particular weighed in on anti-COVID efforts via consistent Health Department directives, and at year’s end, amid a new spike in cases, county Mayor Lee Harris and Bartlett Mayor Keith McDonald were leading the drive for a statewide mask mandate.

Efforts to upgrade local election machinery foundered during 2020 due to fundamental disagreements between activists seeking the transparency of paper-ballot voting systems and county election administrator Linda Phillips, who, backed by an Election Commission majority, preferred ballot-marking devices. Meanwhile, vigorous legal efforts by local plaintiffs had broadened the availability of mail-in balloting, providing a way station of sorts toward change in voting procedures.

Categories
Film/TV Film/TV/Etc. Blog

WTF WW? Wonder Woman 1984 Crashes the Invisible Jet

Gal Gadot takes out the garbage in Wonder Woman 1984.

Mark Cousins’ Women Make Film provided some much-needed solace when it aired this autumn on Turner Classic Movies. The 14-hour documentary series traced the overlooked contributions of female directors from Alice Guy Blaché to Greta Gerwig. Using the frame of a virtual film school, Cousins narrated clips from literally hundreds of films, demonstrating how the directors achieved effects like controlling the flow of time, or how to use sex scenes to advance the story.

For the action section, Cousins presented one of the most iconic moments the superhero genre ever produced: Wonder Woman’s charge across No Man’s Land from Patty Jenkins’ 2017 film. It is the perfect encapsulation of the character’s appeal. The men are hunkered down in their trenches, insisting the problem can’t be solved. They’ve tried nothing, and they’re all out of ideas! Wonder Woman quickly assesses the situation, straps on her armor, and gets it done, exposing the men’s macho posturing as mere vanity.

WTF WW? Wonder Woman 1984 Crashes the Invisible Jet (2)

In the context of a highlight reel from legends like Ida Lupino and Agnès Varda, the scene more than holds its own. Jenkins starts out intimate, with Gal Gadot as Diana Prince doffing a drab cloak to reveal her colorful armor, then expands steadily to reveal the sweep of the battlefield, and the strength of the forces opposing our hero. The hail of bullets Diana deflects with her shield stand in for every cruel and cutting remark offered by a sneering man to every woman who knew what they doing but couldn’t get anyone to listen to her.

Where the hell was that Patty Jenkins for Wonder Woman 1984? The much-anticipated sequel comes after a horrible, superhero-less year. We could use a little uplift right now, at the end of four years of Trump’s macho misrule, and who better to deliver it than the symbol of female competence and virtue?

Gal Gadot was up for the challenge. The genetically superior super-being is a quintessential movie star, able to hold the screen by just being there. Her first turn at Wonder Woman proved that, while she may not be Meryl Streep, she’s got the chops to deliver some light comedy and pathos along with the Amazonian gravitas. After an opening flashback in which young Diana competes in a kind of Themysciran ultra-quidditch, Gadot makes her entrance in full super-mode. Some crooks in the employ of Trumpian TV rich guy Maxwell Lord (Pedro Pascal) are busting up a jewelry store which acts as a front for international antiquities smuggling. Since we’re in 1984, the action takes place in a mall. Wonder Woman intervenes to throw out quips and tie up bad guys while preserving Reagan-era shopping enjoyment.

Emotionally balanced career woman Diana Prince enjoys a relaxing day at the mall in Wonder Woman 1984.

We last saw Wonder Woman in 1918, but since she’s a demigoddess, she hasn’t aged a day. Being an emotionally balanced career woman rather than entitled basket case like Batman, Diana’s got a day job as an anthropologist for the Smithsonian. It’s rewarding, but she faces the classic problem of an immortal living among mortals: loneliness. Her true love Steve Trevor (Chris Pine) sacrificed himself for the greater good at the end of the last movie, so despite Diana literally being the perfect woman, she sips her pinot alone.

Diana makes a new work friend in frazzled archeologist Barbara Minerva (Kristen Wiig), and the two are called on to find the provenance of a mysterious artifact rescued from the mall robber’s haul. It’s a crystal bound with a metal band, inscribed with Latin that claims to grant wishes. Diana finds the artifact has real power when she inadvertently uses it to bring Steve back to life. When Barbara wishes she could be “more like Diana,” she is shocked to gain not only the ability to walk gracefully in heels, but also super strength and nigh-invulnerability.

Gal Gadot and Chris Pine answer the question, ‘Are they really going to bring the Invisible Jet into this movie?’

It’s about here, as we enter hour two of a film that is two minutes shorter than Apocalypse Now, that the writers of Wonder Woman 1984 discover what Dungeon Masters have known for years: If you introduce an artifact that grants wishes, you have to use it sparingly, or your narrative will quickly fly off the rails. While Diana enjoys some well-deserved (and, to be fair, well-acted) canoodling with Stevie-boy, Maxwell Lord charms the still-naive Barbara into giving up the wish crystal. He then wishes to actually become the wish crystal.

Pedro Pascal as Maxwell Lord, about to confess he has no idea what he’s doing.

I’m not sure why the standard “I wish for unlimited wishes” gambit wouldn’t have worked, but I’m just here to observe and report. Lord’s poor wishmanship leads to a situation where he can’t wish things for himself, but must force others to wish things to him. It turns out that the wish-granting magic balances the universe by taking away something of equal value from the wisher. Ain’t that always the way? Lord’s play is to use that “take things away” power as leverage over the wishers. This leads to a shockingly ill-conceived scene where Lord cons an Arab leader out of his oil by restoring his ancestral caliphate. It really is 1984, Iranian hostage crisis xenophobia and all!

Meanwhile, Barbara has lost the humor and humanity that made her Diana’s only friend as she becomes Wonder Woman’s arch enemy Cheetah. Wiig is, of course, an incredibly gifted comic actor. She and Jenkins seems to be going for something similar to Michelle Pfeiffer’s transformation from Serena Kyle to Catwoman in Batman Returns, but it never gels. It doesn’t help that Cheetah’s final costume makes her look like a stray from Cats.

Kristin Wiig as Jellicle supervillain Cheetah.

From there, Wonder Woman 1984 steadily loses coherence as it slogs towards an uninspired climax. Jenkins’ intention seemed to have been to resurrect the positive spirit of the Richard Donner Superman films, a worthy goal to counteract the hopelessness of 2020. Indeed, there are shades of Superman II. The price Diana pays for bringing back her lost love is the loss of her invulnerability. Like Superman, she must chose between human love and the super powers she will need to save the world. But Donner’s great gift was for the clarity he needed to tell the elemental story of Superman and Lois Lane — aided in no small part by Mario Puzo’s screenplay.

Somewhere along the line, Jenkins lost the plot. Wonder Woman never loses all of her power, never has to taste to taste human vulnerability and solve problems only with her wits. Jenkins can still conjure up a good set piece, such as the Fury Road-inspired riff where Diana and Steve drive a taxi to take on a column of armored vehicles. But it lacks emotional resonance because the movie can’t find the courage to commit to the bit. Wonder Woman fans deserve better.

WTF WW? Wonder Woman 1984 Crashes the Invisible Jet

Categories
Film/TV Film/TV/Etc. Blog

Pixar’s Soul Shows Us an Animated Life Worth Living


A Matter of Life and Death is a beloved 1946 film by Michel Powell and Emeric Pressburger, who also made such classics as The Red Shoes and Black Narcissus. Known in the states as Stairway to Heaven, it stars David Niven as an RAF pilot who crashes just short of the English coast, but escapes death due to a celestial clerical error. When the supernatural bureaucracy comes to collect him to the afterlife, he appeals for more time in front of a heavenly court comprised of historical figures. Niven, who was immensely popular in England due to his service as a commando during the war and his starring role as a test pilot in the propaganda film The First of the Few, eventually wins a new lease on life because his post-crash romance with Kim Hunter sways a jury of his dead peers. The film touched a nerve in postwar Britain, where so many were grieving lost loved ones, and is remembered for its mixture of color and black and white and the iconic image of Niven climbing an infinitely long staircase stretching into heaven’s clouds.

Soul, the latest film from Pixar animation, uses a similar image as a jumping off point. Joe Gardner (voiced by Jamie Fox) is a middle school band teacher who hasn’t given up his dream of playing jazz piano. He finally gets tenure at his New York public school, which is a relief to his demanding mother (Phylicia Rashad). But just as he has resigned himself to his fate (which is, to be fair, reasonably comfortable and rewarding), his friend Curley (Questlove) calls him with an opportunity. The famous jazz saxophonist Dorothea Williams (Angela Bassett) needs keys, and if Joe gets down to the club right now, Curley can get him an audition.

Joe nails the audition and gets the job of his dreams, but as he’s walking home, the worst happens. Director Pete Docter stages Joe’s unexpected death as a escalating series of gags, perfectly demonstrating the multiple tonal tightropes this strange, wonderful film walks.

When Joe realizes he’s on that stairway to the Great Beyond, he rebels. It’s not fair that he died just hours before the big break he’s waited and worked for all his life. But instead of making it back to Earth, he ends up in the waiting room for unborn spirits known as the Great Before. There, he becomes a mentor to 22 (Tina Fey), a soul who has never passed the test that would allow it to transmogrify into a body, and frankly, is not very interested in doing so. With Fox and Fay providing stellar voice performances, Soul becomes an odd couple comedy between a soul who wants to return to life and one who must be convinced life is worth living.

Docter, who shares director credit with One Night in Miami writer Kemp Powers, was behind Pixar’s best film of the decade, Inside Out. Soul is a very different animal from Inside Out, but the two films share central, existential concerns. Visually, this is another Pixar masterpiece. It veers between a vibrant vision of New York City life and the Cubist spirit world.

Former Pixar head John Lasseter said all Pixar films are rooted in the story of the company itself: A character ventures out into a new world and, thanks to the help of his friends and family, learns to appreciate themselves and their world. Joe is the first Black Pixar character to go on that journey, and he ultimately learns that no life spent in pursuit of art is wasted. It is a beautiful and much-needed message to round out a year in which loss and change have left so many questioning their lives.

Pixar’s Soul Shows Us an Animated Life Worth Living

Categories
Music Music Blog

The Flow: Live-Streamed Music Events This Week, December 24-30

CREDIT: Ebet Roberts

If you don’t have a fireplace, or forgot to order your 12-hour fireplace Blu-ray disc, never fear! The Memphis music scene has plenty in store to help these wintry nights pass merrily. Break out the nog and settle into listening mode, safely at home. In between Zoom reunions and toasting those in your safety pod, there’s plenty to keep you entertained!

Ebet Roberts

The KLiTZ: Gail Elise Clifton, Marcia Clifton Faulhaber, Lesa Aldridge (Elizabeth Hoehn), Amy Gassner Starks

REMINDER: The Memphis Flyer supports social distancing in these uncertain times. Please live-stream responsibly. We remind all players that even a small gathering could recklessly spread the coronavirus and endanger others. If you must gather as a band, please keep all players six feet apart, preferably outside, and remind viewers to do the same.

ALL TIMES CDT
Thursday, December 24
3 p.m. and 5 p.m.
Christmas Eve Service – Bellevue Baptist Church
Facebook

7 p.m.
Christmas Eve Concert – Union Grove M.B. Church
Facebook

Friday, December 25
No scheduled live-streamed events

Saturday, December 26
10 a.m.
Richard Wilson
Facebook

5 p.m.
Turnt & The KLiTZ Sisters – at B-Side
Facebook

7 p.m.
Led Zep’n – at Lafayette’s Music Room
Facebook

Sunday, December 27
3 p.m.
Dale Watson – Chicken $#!+ Bingo
YouTube

4 p.m.
Bill Shipper – For Kids (every Sunday)
Facebook

Monday, December 28
5:30 p.m.
Amy LaVere & Will Sexton
Facebook

8 p.m.
John Paul Keith (every Monday)
YouTube

Tuesday, December 29
7 p.m.
Bill Shipper (every Tuesday)
Facebook

8 p.m.
Mario Monterosso (every Tuesday)
Facebook

Wednesday, December 30
6 p.m.
Richard Wilson (every Wednesday)
Facebook

8 p.m.
Dale Watson – Hernando’s Hide-a-way
YouTube

Categories
Beyond the Arc Sports

Morant’s Career Night Not Enough to Stop Spurs

The San Antonio Spurs won the Grizzlies’ season-opener (131–119) Wednesday, but the game belonged to Ja Morant, who had a career night. 

Morant scored 34 of his career-high 44 points (18-of-27) in the second half. The reigning NBA rookie of the year imposed his will by attacking the basket, and the Spurs had no answer for him. Morant also finished with nine assists and two steals. 

The stats didn’t mean anything to Morant. “I’m not happy at all,” Morant said after the loss. “Obviously, I wanted to win that game. We came up short  —  learning from this game and preparing for the next. For my play, I did alright.”

The 21-year-old was aggressive and kept his team in the game. “That’s just my mindset for the season,” said Morant. “I got tired of my teammates and coaches saying I have to be aggressive at all times last year, so that’s my mindset now. Just be aggressive and try to get something good out of each possession.”

Even though his team fell short of a victory in its opener, Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins had something to be proud of. Jenkins told the media during the post-game Zoom call, “I thought Ja was special tonight. His stat line, obviously, amazing. I thought his aggressive mentality was great.”

Jenkins went on to say, “The Spurs were throwing a lot of physicality on our entire roster, but I thought he [Morant] did a great job of handling it and finding a way to get into the paint, create for others with nine assists and one turnover, got to the foul line a number of times. He led a big charge, and we need to lean on him to keep this game somewhat competitive. Just didn’t get the results tonight. He had a heck of a game.”

Regarding one of the more amazing plays of the night, the Murray State alum described what happened when he threw an alley-oop to himself off the backboard: “I think we got a steal  and  B.C. [Brandon Clarke] was pushing the left-wing,” Morant said. “I was running down the middle of the floor. He kicked it to me, and we were pushing the break together. He was like, ‘I’m running with you.’ I saw DeMar [DeRozan] trying to play both. My mind actually was to throw B.C. an alley, and DeMar played the alley from B.C. and off the glass to myself was the only choice I had, so that’s what I did.”


Here’s the play:

Morant’s Career Night Not Enough to Stop Spurs


Dillon Brooks (16 points, and six assists) fouled out after playing 33 minutes, but he was impressed by his teammate’s performance. “He is getting to his spots, finishing, and finding guys.” 

However, Brooks was not pleased with the team’s performance. “Obviously, we are going to rely on him, but we got to find other guys to step up. I got to knock down some shots and guard the ball a lot better, because I’m going to be guarding the best players on each team.”

Brooks continued, “The Spurs’ starting lineup has three guys that scored 20 points, and the other guys had 16 points (each). That’s unacceptable. We have to guard the ball better and take on the challenge. I feel like they took the challenge to us with their physicality. They were blowing up screens. We have to do that more. That’s what we were taught, and we laid down a little bit, but that’s a good start.”

NOTES:

Memphis fell to 5-21 all-time in regular-season openers and 3-4 in their last seven. The team is now 9-17 in regular-season home openers, despite winning six of its last nine openers in FedExForum.

Morant’s Career Night Not Enough to Stop Spurs (2)

Morant is one of six players in NBA history to score 40+ points in the 1st game of his 2nd season. He joins Elgin Baylor (52 in 1959), Wilt Chamberlain (42 in 1960), Walt Bellamy (43 in 1962), Rick Barry (41 in 1966), and Shaquille O’Neal (42 in 1993).

UP NEXT

The Grizzlies will host the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday, December 26th, in a matinee before heading out on its first road trip of the season.

Categories
News News Blog

AAA: Most Americans Will Stay Home for the Holidays

CREDIT: AAA/Facebook

AAA/Facebook

AAA projects major cuts in holiday travel this year as most Americans will stay home.

The auto club expects as many as 84.5 million Americans will travel this year. But that’s a 29 percent cut from 2019, down by 29 million travelers. AAA expects 2 million Tennesseans will travel this holiday season, a decline of 28.4 percent from last year.

“While Thanksgiving is traditionally spent gathering with friends and family, the year-end holidays are when Americans often venture out for longer, more elaborate vacations,” said AAA spokeswoman Megan Cooper. “That will not be the case this year. Public health concerns, official guidance not to travel, and an overall decline in consumer sentiment have encouraged the vast majority of Americans to stay home for the holidays.”

AAA projected Thanksgiving travel to be down 10 percent (50 million travelers) from 2019. While the final numbers aren’t in yet, the club expects the figure to be down by 15 percent-20 percent.

AAA hedges, too, that many American travelers are taking a wait-and-see approach to their plans this year.

”With COVID‑19 cases steadily increasing this month, the expected continued rise will likely prompt some Americans to make last minute decisions to not follow through with upcoming travel plans, which was the trend during the lead up to Thanksgiving,” the club said.

AAA expects those who do venture out this year, they’ll do it on the road. Road trips will account for 96 percent of holiday travel this year, the club said. Up to 81 million Americans will travel by car, a decline of at least 25 percent compared to last year. Auto travel is expected to replace some trips previously taken by bus, train or airplane, given the flexibility, security and comfort traveling by car provides.

AAA/Facebook

For those who decide to hit the road for the year-end holidays, gas prices remain nearly 50 cents cheaper than this time last year. Recent monthly gas prices are 19 percent below 2019 averages.

“Typically, cheaper gas prices are an incentive for last-minute trips, especially around the holidays,” said Cooper. “But the lower prices and less traffic aren’t driving decisions to hit the road. Americans are looking to the public health landscape, including COVID-19 case numbers, to make their travel decisions.”

However, many will still travel by air, AAA said. But the 2.9 million expected to fly this year will be 60 percent fewer than those who flew during the holidays last year. Air travelers can likely expect to pay lower airfares this holiday season, as AAA said it has seen double-digit reductions in average flight costs.

Up to 480,000 Americans are expected to travel by other modes, including bus and train this holiday season, a sharp decline of 87 percent as some bus and train trips will be shifted to car travel or canceled.

AAA/Facebook

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has urged Americans not to travel for the holidays this year, warning that travel increases the chance of getting and spreading COVID-19. But here’s what AAA suggest for those who will travel:

What to Know Before You Go

Plan ahead. Check with state and local officials along your route and at your destination to learn about local guidance and any restrictions that may be in place. This includes what is expected of you when you return home. Many localities are requiring COVID-19 testing prior to and after travel.

Follow Public Health Guidance:

The CDC recommends taking a COVID-19 test one to three days before travel and another three to five days after travel, plus reducing nonessential activities for seven days after travel. Travelers should be aware of these and other local and state travel restrictions, including testing requirements, quarantine orders, and additional CDC guidance for before, during, and after their travels.

Consistent use of face masks combined with social distancing (at least 6 feet) and regular hand-washing are the best ways to lower your risk of contracting COVID-19. Be sure to pack face masks, disinfecting wipes, hand sanitizer, and a thermometer to help protect and monitor your health. Also pack water and extra snacks to reduce the need to stop along your trip.

Call Ahead:

Hotels – Prior to any hotel stay, call ahead to ensure your hotel is open and ask what precautions they are taking to protect guests. Ask about social distancing protocols like capacity reductions in common spaces, hotel staff requirements to wear masks at all times and if all amenities are available, like restaurant dining.

Car rentals – If renting a car, ask what has been done to clean the vehicle. Hertz, for example, has introduced Hertz Gold Standard Clean, an enhanced vehicle disinfectant and sanitization process. For extra peace of mind, use disinfecting wipes to wipe down door handles, steering wheels, shifters and control panels.

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Sports Tiger Blue

Montgomery Bowl: Tigers 25, FAU 10

CREDIT: Julie Bennett/Memphis Athletics

The strangest football season in Tiger history came to a close on a happy note Wednesday night as Memphis beat Florida Atlantic to win its first bowl game since 2014. Senior quarterback Brady White threw three touchdown passes — including the 90th of his Tiger career — to help Memphis finish the season 8-3 and end a five-game bowl losing streak. (The Tigers’ last bowl victory had been in the Miami Beach Bowl, over BYU, six years ago.) The Montgomery Bowl replaced the Fenway Bowl this year only, an adjustment made for the ongoing pandemic. Attendance at the Cramton Bowl in Montgomery was limited and social-distance restrictions were in place.
Julie Bennett/Memphis Athletics

Asa Martin

Among the stars for Memphis was senior defensive lineman Joseph Dorceus who entered the game as a fullback late in the second quarter and caught a touchdown pass from White in the front-right corner of the end zone. Asa Martin rushed for 96 yards on 15 carries to lead the Tiger ground attack.

The game was the first rematch in Memphis bowl history, FAU having beaten the Tigers in the 2007 New Orleans Bowl. The Owls finished the season with a record of 5-4.

The Tigers took the lead on a 53-yard field goal by Riley Patterson midway through the first quarter. White found Javon Ivory for a five-yard touchdown to complete the Tigers’ second possession of the game and give Memphis a 10-0 advantage. The Dorceus touchdown and an unconventional two-point conversion made the score 18-0, Memphis, at halftime.

Owls quarterback Nick Tronti threw a three-yard touchdown pass to T.J. Chase to close the Tiger lead to 18-7 five minutes into the third quarter. The Tigers fumbled the ensuing kickoff and FAU took over at the Memphis 24-yard line, but the Owls were held to a field goal. White’s third touchdown pass — to Calvin Austin III — on the Tigers’ next possession completed the game’s scoring.

White finished his 28th win as Tiger quarterback with 284 yards passing. Ivory caught seven passes for 126 yards and Tahj Washington pulled down eight passes for 105.

The Tigers gained a total of 469 yards and held FAU to 290.