Category: Sports Feature

They went to Nashville to say farewell and thanks to their all-time leading rusher, passer, and receiver. But none of those guys were even visible on a field that for most of the night had nothing but West Virginia receivers running around on it. The Mountaineers, of course, were saying their own goodbyes, sending 21-year head coach Don Nehlen out to pasture with a 49-point group-hug.

But to shivering, embarrassed Rebel fans, the 2000 Music City Bowl won’t be remembered as Deuce’s Last Game so much as Eli’s First.

Rebel fans, like any other, are a fickle lot, prone to savior complexes, and a quarterback named Eli Manning (brother of Peyton, son of Archie) is what they’ve all been dreaming of. So among the shivering, embarrassed Ole Miss people in Nashville Thursday night, there must have been more than a few heads filled with ‘what it could have been’ and ‘what it will be.’

‘What it is’ was pretty bad — as bad a bowl-game whipping as you’re ever likely to see. Before Ole Miss got into the end zone for the first time, West Virginia had hit eight of their nine passes for 226 yards, scored six touchdowns on their first seven possessions, hit six plays of 30 yards or more, and run back a kickoff, untouched, 99 yards. It was quite literally as if Ole Miss had missed the bus.

At this point, many of the 17,000 Rebel fans in attendance on a 26-degree night had gone off looking for a heater and a new defensive coordinator. But all of those 17,000, and then some, will one day claim that they stuck it out and saw the beginning of the Eli Era.

With the score 49-16 after three quarters, the much-talked-about freshman, youngest son of Archie and the one ‘they’ say ‘might be’ better than Peyton, trotted onto the field for some cleanup duty. Obviously, the argument could be made that with the game over, such duty is irrelevant. But the Mountaineer defense was still out there, and they knew perfectly well Manning would be throwing on every down. Still, he stood tall in the pocket,

and he rolled out with precision, and he started throwing darts: 23 yards to Jamie Armstrong (a junior), and it’s 49-23. Isn’t that nice, the kid’s first TD pass. Then 18 yards to Omar Rayford, another junior. Hmmm — 49-30.

Then an on side kick, caught on the fly, and a fourth-down, 16-yard pass to Toward Sanford, a sophomore. Then a roll out pass for the two-point conversion. It’s 49-38! The Rebel D makes a stop, and here we go again. Could this be? No. This time, with a man behind the secondary, Manning gets hit as he throws, and it’s picked off. Game over, hats off to Nehlen, see ya’ next year, let’s go get warm.

If there’s a down side to last night’s fourth quarter, it is that the Eli Fever will only get worse. Despite the fact that departing senior Romaro Miller set just about every passing record on the books, a lot of Rebel fans thought Manning should have been playing all along. There will now be a lot of ‘I told you so’s’ on the internet and radio. There will also be a lot of people expecting Manning to do the same thing for the next three years that he did in a game that was over when he entered it.

That’s a lot to hang on a 19-year-old kid, that whole savior thing. But he must have known that’s what he was getting into when he brought that last name to Oxford. And if the Music City Bowl was any indication, he seems to have the skills to deal with it.

So Ole Miss got thrashed on national TV, and Deuce Macallister’s last game before making a billion dollars in the NFL was spent looking at gangs of unblocked defenders. But for the fans, it was a nice thing to hope and dream, which some of them got do, for a while, on an otherwise cold night in Nashville.

We’ll call it, “2001: A Sports Odyssey.” With a chill in the air, Christmas behind us, and Dubya (yikes) on the way, it’s time to think of more jovial fare. I’ve got a list for St. Jock, a few dreams I’d love to see made reality over the next year.

• Hoops harmony. Whatever that entails. I want to see a full, healthy Tiger basketball team, and see just what level such a squad might reach under Coach Cal. The conference schedule will determine how we remember the 2000-01 Tigers. Will the disappointments of Puerto Rico, Marcus Moody’s jumping ship, or player suspensions linger? Or might Memphis reach the big dance against long odds? U of M basketball, not to mention its army of fans, needs the Madness.

• Pete! Come back, Pete! The Kroger St. Jude has gone two years without a top-ten player in the field. To be blunt, The Racquet Club deserves better than Magnus Larsson as champion. Where has Pete Sampras been the last half-decade? He hasn’t so much as warmed up in Memphis since he won here in 1996. Say what you will about the new blood, the players on the rise who will be the faces of the game over the next decade. The most accomplished player in the game’s history has only a few more years to show us how tennis should be played. Here’s hoping we get a lesson in February.

• Maniax mayhem. I’m not a pro wrestling fan. I’m cynical about upstart “minor” leagues, regardless of the sport. But I’d love nothing more than for a national audience to see how rabid Memphis football fans can be. When NBC broadcasts our ‘Ax across the country later this winter, let’s hope the hype and cleavage-driven interests of the WWF don’t overshadow this city’s latest efforts to prove to someone, anyone, that Memphis is a football town. And don’t complain about the cold. You could live in Green Bay.

• Encore, encore! How on earth do the Memphis Redbirds follow up their championship season of 2000? Better stadium? Can’t be done. More competitive? Come on . . . they won their division by 13 games. Exciting players? If Lou Lucca and Stubby Clapp are back, well, who else do we need? Here’s how the Redbirds can “improve”: continue to be the heart of the renaissance for not only downtown Memphis, but for an entire city’s sports community. Memphis needs AutoZone Park like the Beatles needed John.

• Tigerrrrrrrrr! No sports body in town does a better job than the folks at the FedEx St. Jude Classic. Tournament director Phil Cannon is a class act, and he rubs off on his event. Like it or not, though, there are two professional golf tours these days: the Tiger Woods tour, and the no-Tiger tour. The FESJC needs to hire whoever the Texas Rangers did in their negotiations with Alex Rodriguez. Send this person to Tiger’s house in Florida and convince this phenom that more good can come out of his playing Memphis Ñ just once Ñ than could be attained even with an appearance from Arnie or the Golden Bear. As the unofficial capital of the Mid-South, Tiger’s presence in Memphis would reach a legion of kids who, quite simply, need to be reached.

It was a quiet week for the University of Memphis basketball team (3-6), but they accomplished two things: finishing final semester exams and ending a three-game losing streak. The only game of the week was by far the best game the team has played thus far, beating Arkansas State 83-60.

The Indians had beaten the Tigers last year at Jonesboro, but the game was significant for reasons other than revenge. For the first time since John Calipari became the head coach, the team seemed to play with an understanding of what the coach wants. They hustled and played hard on both ends of the floor, but they had done that in most of the previous games, even the six losses. What was different this time was the unselfish play on offense and the way the players seemed to understand their individual roles.

For once the offense did not have to rely entirely on Kelly Wise. Junior Paris London scored 15 points off the bench and freshman center Modibo Diarra contributed 12 points and 9 rebounds. The Tigers had five players in double figures — freshman guard Scooter McFadgon scored a career-high 12 points, Wise added 13 and senior guard Marcus Moody scored 11 points in his second game back after briefly quitting the team. Memphis had 18 assists and only 13 turnovers.

There were, however, still some lingering problems. The guards seem to insist on shooting threes, despite the fact that they rarely hit them. The Tigers were 2-for-10 in three-point attempts, with guards Shyron Chatman, Moody, and McFadgon going 1 for 9. Several times during the game Calipari yelled “Penetrate! Penetrate!” to his guards but they usually paid him no heed. Once the coach threw himself on the bench in disgust as another errant trey left a guard’s hand.

One of the problems the Tigers face in almost every game is their lack of quickness on the perimeter. Even Arkansas State’s guard tried to take the Memphis backcourt off the dribble. Many coaches might try to combat this lack of quickness by playing a zone defense, but not Calipari. He says he won’t play a zone until his players master the art of man-to-man.

“If we play a zone, I want it to be part of a strategy, not because our players cannot play man-to-man defense,” the coach said. –If you give them a choice, they will take the easy way out. That’s human nature.”

Memphis hosts Christian Brothers University, a Division II school, on Monday, then travel to Miami to play the Hurricanes on Thursday. That might present the team with a chance for a breakout victory on the road. What better Christmas gift for the coach who has everything?

Kippy Brown, coach-elect of the XFL Memphis Maniax visited Memphis on a break from his current team, the Green Bay Packers, where he is serving out the season as running-backs coach. The Memphis Flyer had a chance to sit down for a Q&A at a press-meeting at Don Pablos on Rivendale.

Flyer:How is the camp this week going to be different from an NFL Camp?

Brown: I don’t think it’s going to be different. It will be run almost exactly like an NFL camp. Our schedules have come from schedules we had in Miami and Green Bay and we’re going to get done what we need to get done. One difference is that we are in the evaluation stages. Usually when you go into an NFL camp, you have the bases of your team already in place and you only have rookies and a few free-agents to evaluate. Here, we’re evaluating everybody. We’re starting from scratch. That’s the big difference.

We think we had a tremendous draft and we are very happy with it. Now it’s a matter of seeing how they fit with what we want to get done … not only player wise — but personality wise. That’s very important. This football team, I want it to be a positive influence on the Memphis community. I’ve talked to the players about this, I want us to be a positive force in the community, that’s important to me. How we are perceived in the community is important to me. If we are going to win this community over, we are going to have to do things right, both on and off the football field.

When you get in the situation when things go on off the football field, you have distractions and distractions hurt any football team and we just can’t have that, so we’re evaluating how the guys fit athletically, but personality-wise also.

MF: What will you be looking for, specifically this week? Are you looking for conditioning, or worried about the condition the athletes are in?

Brown: That will be evaluated. You can’t wait for [the Las Vegas] camp to be in shape. For the most part I think we’ll be in shape. I think we will be close to where we need to be. We have a heck of a quarterback crew to evaluate, in my opinion. [Marcus Crandell, Jim Druckenmiller, Beau Morgan, and Craig Whelihan will compete for two spots on the active roster.] There’s a lot of variety there. There’s some guys with mobility, some big strong-arm guys who can hang in the pocket and get the ball thrown. How productive are they? How accurate are they? Those things are being evaluated. How well do [the lineman] learn? Can they pick up on our system? Can they pass-rush? When you get in a one-on-one pass-rush situation, what kind of beat do they have? Can [the wide-receivers] make plays when they are given the opportunity? Are [the runningbacks] just runners or can they be receivers out of the back-field. Can they do things that Marshal Faulk does?

Flyer:I would guess that for any new team or new league, the offensive line would be the most difficult place to build spots. Is that true?

Brown: I don’t think that’s necessarily the case. I think there are a lot of good linemen out there in all sizes. You think you have to be this huge guy to play on the offensive line, that’s not necessarily the case. Look at what Denver does with their running game, they have small athletic guys who can get after your tail.

Flyer:How will you implement the things you picked up along the way in all your years of being an assistant coach?

Brown: I have been very fortunate. I’ve worked with some excellent head coaches and assistant coaches and you take a little bit from each guy you’ve been associated with, something good. I feel very comfortable with my position. I am just going to go out and create an atmosphere that is conducive for players to be successful.

I’m going to limit distractions. It’s hard to win at professional football and distractions hurt you so we need to limit those as much as we can. We need to give coaches the opportunity to teach as much as they can and we need to put players in the frame of mind to want to learn and get better. That’s my job as head coach, to make sure we have the right players and to make sure that I create an atmosphere to get better.

Flyer:As a coach from afar, maybe the first e-mail coach ever, you’ve been really dependent on your assistant coaches. Has that been paying off for you?

Brown: Oh yeah. These are guys that I know well. [laughs] One’s my brother. I’ve worked with Rick McGeorge [assistant. head coach/ offensive coordinator] for four years in Miami. He was my offensive line coach. We’ve been through the wars together. He knows what I expect and I couldn’t be more pleased in what he has done to prepare this team for the mini-camp. Some of the local guys I hired, Stanley Morgan [wide receivers coach] and Fred Barnett [tight ends coach] have been there every day busting their tails and they’re ready to go. I appreciate what Kim Helton [team administrator] has done with our personnel. He’s actually going to help with our quarterbacks during this camp, until I get here. Everybody has pitched in. Steve Ortmayer [VP of football operations] has done a heck of a job with personnel and got us players who we think are going to help us whis this XFL championship. We’re ready to go. I have the utmost confidence in our coaching staff.

Flyer:Las Vegas is coming up, it’s a pre-season of sorts. Are you going in to get the job done? Are you going in to make a statement? Are you going into avoid injuries? What’s the mindset?

Brown: We’re going in to prepare for Birmingham. I want our players, our coaches, and our fans to know that the only game that matters right now is our first game in Birmingham. We’ve got to win that thing. Though this camp is for evaluation, when we get to Las Vegas, we’ll find out who really wants to play because we’ll have our pads on and that’s when it’s going to really start. The thing I am going to be focused on and getting the players and coaches focused on is our first ball-game because that’s the only game that matters.

Flyer:How can you focus on Birmingham? They have 70 players trying-out like you do, you don’t know if they are going to be on the team or not. What kind of scouting are you doing?

Brown: Well, you know the coaching staff. And if you know the coaching staff, you have a little diary. You’ve known what coaches have done and what their systems have been in the past and you go on that.

Flyer:This thing is from the being built from the ground up. Is this a coaching dream job or a coaching nightmare?

Brown: This situation? This is a dream. I’ve coached in college for a long time, I’ve had my stint there. I’ve had my stint in the NFL. You never know what’s going to happen down the road. When this opportunity came about, I thought it was right for me, at this point in my career. This was the right thing for Kippy Brown to do. I’m excited about it, my family is excited about it. I just can’t wait to get back down here to get started.

A friend who doesn’t closely follow college basketball asked, while watching Arkansas beat the University of Memphis, “Will they fire Calipari if he doesn’t win the first season?”

She was serious, and who can blame her really. Firing coaches has become rather routine at the U of M. During the last four years, Larry Finch, Rip Scherer, Tic Price, and baseball coach Jeff Hopkins have all been dismissed. Of course none of those coaches were hired with the hoopla of John Calipari. Neither were any of them paid as much money. But the answer to my friend’s question is, “No.” Even if he loses all of his remaining games. Cal will be back.

Like Calipari, I thought that the record after the first eight games would be better than 2-6. Four-and-four seemed about right. I certainly didn’t expect the Tigers to have their worst start in 48 years. Even with the tough schedule, that is embarrassing.. The incompetent Moe Iba never had a season start as badly as this one has.

But as frustrated as some Tiger fans are, they’ve got nothing on the coach. After the loss to Ole Miss, Calipari was as down as the Memphis press had ever seen him. After the win over UT-Martin, he was angry. After Ole Miss he was depressed.

Tony Barbee tells Calipari he’s mellowed since the days Barbee played at UMass. The coach himself admits that he has not been as tough on this team because they are such a fragile bunch. The players have had to adjust to Calipari’s hand-on style of coaching after going through a season with the more laid back style of interim coach Johnny Jones, which followed a season in which their coach was more interested in an illicit affair with a coed than in making them better.

On his radio show, Calipari pointed out that this team did not make a run last season until it was too late, after the season was lost and the pressure was off, the Tigers went on a winning streak. The players on this team do not know how to respond to pressure, whether it is the full-court defense of Arkansas or the rantings of their new coach.

Calipari has a team that does not have any perimeter game on offense or defense. It also lacks leadership and plays with very little emotion. Good shooting might make up for the lack of leadership and emotion, but poor shooting just makes the negatives more glaring. Calipari says this is the worst shooting team he has ever seen.

Like the disclaimer in a mutual fund prospectus, past performance is not necessarily an indicator of future success. Calipari did not come with a money-back guarantee. There have been plenty of coaches who only went to the final four once.

But I still think Calipari will win at Memphis. Before the season, I thought the Tigers had a legitimate chance to make the NCAA tournament. Today that looks unlikely.

The coach has not given up. “We’re going to get it done, I just hope that it’s sooner rather than later,” Calipari says. “This has been hard.”

It wasn’t a good week for John Calipari and he showed it Saturday night after his 2-6 Memphis Tigers lost to Ole Miss, 64-56.

On Friday, Calipari suspended starting point guard Courtney Trask and substitute John Grice for undisclosed violation of team rules. Also on Friday forward Shamel Jones broke his hand in practice. Jones will be out of action two-to-four weeks.

Calipari seemed drained after the Ole Miss loss, the Tigers’ third consecutive set back. “I probably thought that I could get it done quicker than we are,” Calipari said. “I didn’t think we’d be 6-2, but I didn’t think we’d be 2-6. I thought we’d be somewhere in the middle.”

The first year coach bemoaned the lack of individual skills. “It’s been harder than I thought, and part of it is that guys have been one way for so long that they’ll try and then they just revert,” he said. “When the heat is on they revert to what they know and what they’ve been doing their whole life.”

Ole Miss forced the Tigers out of their offense with a suffocating man-to-man defense and Calipari was particularly displeased with his players’ inability to get open on the perimeter.

“Do I have to go back and teach that sixth grade stuff?” he asked. “Getting open on the wing? You know what that is? Effort. That’s what it is. Its effort. You mean to tell me that a division I major college athlete does not know how to get open on a wing?”

The coach was also disappointed with the five-foot shots the Tigers missed against Ole Miss. “We’re not a good shooting team, so we’ve got to create better shots for each other.

“Its sad right now,” Calipari continued. “I am trying everything I can to get these guys to understand that they’re good enough to win. But I don’t believe they think so. So when they play a good team this is what they get.”

The Rebels extended their record to 7-0 and beat Memphis on the road for only the second time in the series. Ole Miss shot 53 percent for the game. That was the difference. The Tigers could manage only 31 percent against an aggressive and physical Rebel team. Rebounds in the game were even at 32. Memphis forced 21 Ole Miss turnovers, nine on steals.

As he did last year in Oxford, Rahim Lockhart dominated the game. He had 15 points, 14 rebounds, and blocked five shots. Jason Flanigan added 14 points for the Rebels, who placed four players in double figures.

Paris London led the Tigers with 15 points and 8 rebounds in 26 minutes. Kelly Wise was the only other Memphis player in double figures with 13 points. But Wise had only four rebounds, no blocks, and three turnovers. Moody was 2-12 in his first action since quitting the team last weekend. Starting guard Scooter McFadgon shot 0 for 7 and finished with one point.

“We are not a very good team right now. That’s the bottom line,” Calipari said softly. “When you talk about the top 30-40 teams, we’re not as good as any of those teams, we’re just not. And we show it. And we also show that we don’t have the mental savvy when games get close.”

After losing three consecutive games against SEC teams, the Tigers take a break for final exams then face Arkansas State Thursday at The Pyramid. Calipari wishes his team could go into the break on a more positive note.

“I feel bad for them. I wish we were better. I wish they were better. I wish I was doing things to make it easier for them,” he said. “We’re trying everything we can, but collectively — including our coaching staff — we are not getting it done with these guys.”

If I see nothing else from the University of Memphis basketball team when they take on Ole Miss Saturday night, I want to see a fist pumped. Or a chest beaten. Or the floor slapped. Say what you will about the disappointing record, the Marcus Moody fiasco, or the blown second-half leads. What seems to be missing most from this squad of Tigers is an element that, over the decades, has been the lifeblood of Tiger hoops: emotion.

As the Tigers struggle (1) to learn a new system under a renowned coach and (2) to climb an early-season mountain of a schedule, it appears the players are so intent on doing what’s right — or learning what’s right — that they’re forgetting why they play the game in the first place. If there is any one distinguishing trait that separates college basketball from other American spectator sports, it’s the emotional connection between player and fan. Combine the proximity of fans to the court (even in The Pyramid), the lack of headgear (which can hide a player’s expression), and a bombastic pep band. The result is an atmosphere that can literally make arenas tremble. But it has to start on the court, with the players.

Remember the screams of Lorenzen Wright after one of his rafter-shaking dunks? What about the gleam of Billy Smith’s smile after dropping yet another trey? Socks Perry played with his heart dangling out of his jersey. And it doesn’t require a star to inject this critical emotion into a team’s chemistry. Remember Justin Wimmer?

The irony with the 2000-01 Memphis Tigers is that they have a head coach who is about as emotive as they come. John Calipari can be as histrionic as a Palm Beach County granny, though, and it won’t transfer to the crowd as it would through a player.

The Tennessee game Tuesday night was telling in many ways. The Tigers played a superior team absolutely even after a dreadful start that saw them fall behind 10-0. When they pulled within three in the second half, what was it that kicked the Vols back into gear? Ron Slay’s crowd-pleasing shimmying may be a little over the top, but you could hear the roar, couldn’t you? And it wasn’t even close to a sellout in Knoxville. If displaced football fans can get excited by some basketball emotion, imagine what might happen if rabid Tiger fans sense the same kind of energy?

Personality, of course, plays a large role in finding this emotional leader. Kelly Wise, Courtney Trask, Paris London . . . the Tiger roster is filled with the “strong, silent type.” And that’s okay. Again, this doesn’t have to come from a star. Where might we find it? What about Marcus Moody? If Moody stands any chance of reclaiming his rightful position among this team’s leaders, wouldn’t some fire and brimstone from the senior sharpshooter be a good starting point?

My guess is that some crowd- and team-inspiring energy from the outcast Moody might just capture the eye of the man this entire team seems so desperate to please. And now wouldn’t that be worth shouting for?

Dan Severn’s got nothing on me.

On a beautiful, sunny, late fall day I threw Royce Gracie to the mat. Three times.

Martial arts and no-holds barred fighting fans will be familiar with the Gracie name, but many of you have probably never heard of Royce (pronounced “Hoyce”). Usually called by his first name since his 20 brothers are also internationally accomplished fighters, Royce is the best known of the Gracie clan due to his multiple Ultimate Fighting Championship wins.

In UFC IV, Severn saw months of training squeezed into oblivion by the slender, unassuming, Brazilian. Royce Gracie, the man who got the better of Severn, weighed about 100 pounds less than the master wrestler yet still managed to wrap his legs around Severn’s thick neck and shoulders and squeeze the big man into a tap out.

Likewise, in UFC V, Ken Shamrock felt the same relentless power. For over 30 minutes he and Gracie lay entwined on the mat, an occasional shift in positioning the only sign that they were both still in the fight. As boring as it was to watch (I got up twice during the Pay-Per-View match to make popcorn for my friends.) I couldn’t help but stare in amazement as Shamrock’s, who outweighed Gracie by at least 50 pounds, strength diminished, the muscular behemoth surrendering to skinny Royce’s boa constrictor-like hold. Finally, the referee and judges broke up the match and declared it to be a tie, knowing that it could go on for hours if left unchecked. After that the UFC instituted time limits — the reason why Royce says he will not fight in the UFC again.

This modern day martial arts legend was in Memphis on that fabled fall day for a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu workshop and a training session with the West Memphis police department. His visit was arranged by Chad Chilcutt, the head instructor at Memphis Karate Institute and the workshop was held at the Institute’s Wimbleton Sportsplex location.

On the day of the workshop the eager students arrived at 9 a.m. mostly gi-clad and bleary eyed. They laughed and stretched out, awaiting the day’s lesson. When it looked like everyone was there, Royce raised his fingers to his lips and wheezed two short, loud, whistles. Like Pavlov’s dogs, the students hurriedly gathered in the center of a room that had grown as quiet as a church.

Royce pulled one high-ranking student into the middle of the crowd to help demonstrate the first technique. They went over the move several times and then everyone paired off and began attempting it. Royce walked around the room, eying each of the approximately 50 students, offering suggestions and demonstrating again when necessary. Predictably, his moves were fluid and effortless, his legs would lock on his opponents and trap them in much the same way he trapped Severn and Shamrock. Conversely, the students’ moves were fumbling, their legs would shoot up into the air and then jut into position, as graceful as jackhammers. This was the pattern the four and a half hour workshop would follow, with about 45 minutes added at the end for the students to spar each other.

Many of the workshop participants had driven long distances for the chance to learn from a master and several appeared to have strong-armed their loved ones into coming with them. Though only two women were on the mat in their gi’s learning the holds, several more sat on the sidelines, reading books or magazines, obvious casualties of a significant others’ desire to learn from a Gracie.

To put Royce’s accomplishments and abilities on a pedestrian level, if you put Royce in a ring with Tyson, Royce would win. If you put him in a ring with Ali, Royce would win. If you put him in a ring one on one with Bruce Lee, Don the Dragon, Van Damme, Steven Seagal, The Rock, Stone Cold – any of the well known brawlers- Royce would win each match, get up, and stroll out, without even looking tired. Perhaps this explains my giddiness at feeling this man’s weight being propelled to the ground by my own.

Granted, he let me throw him, if fact he showed me how to do it. Nevertheless, it felt good to see someone who has left hulks of men quivering and whimpering in the Octagon, go sailing over your shoulder. Three times.

Granted, I had to ask him to let me do it. Actually, I asked if he would demonstrate a technique on me and he suggested that I demonstrate one on him. A martial artist myself, this would be akin to Eric Clapton asking the lead guitarist in a high school garage band to show him some riffs. I was hardly up to the challenge. By the way, in addition to being a master of his craft, he’s really hot and has an adorable Brazilian accent. So I stuck my arm out and followed his instructions, not sure if said arm was trembling out of respect for this man, or out of attraction to him. But by the third throw my shakes had slightly subsided and I was about to start kicking my own ass for not bringing a camera.

According to Chilcutt, Royce makes it to Memphis about once a year and other instructors from his Gracie Jiu Jitsu Academy in Los Angeles are in town about every few months to teach similar workshops.

Maybe if I start practicing now I can show Royce a thing or two when he comes this way again.

Ten Memphis women are now your Memphis Maniax cheerleader and dance team. More than 225 hopefuls from across the nation tried out for the 10 spots during two dance audtions at Denim & Diamonds on November 18 and December 3. The judges included XFL director of cheerleaders, Fay Howarth, Maniax dance director Clyde Avant, and celebrity guest judges ranging from ROCK 103 on-air personalities to San Diego Padres Catcher Ben Davis.

The team includes the following women: Robin-Ann Betts (Collierville), Tivisay Briceno (Memphis), Hallie Carr (Germantown), Susanne Crain (Memphis), Dawn Hardy (Memphis), Cicely Kelley (Memphis), Mina Knox (Memphis), Ashley Robertson (Cordova), Mariah Tysz (Cordova), and Noelia Warnette).

Less than a month into his first season at the University of Memphis John Calipari has a losing record (2-4) and his first player controversy.

Considering the early schedule (five of the first seven games come against ranked teams) the record was expected. Senior Marcus Moody quitting the team the day before the trip to Arkansas was not.

Memphis lost to Arkansas 74-68 in Fayetville and the team really missed Moody’s outside shooting. The senior had been the most consistent outside threat for the Tigers and was the second leading scorer at 9.2 points per game.

It all boiled down to — what else? — playing time. Moody did not think he was getting enough. Calipari was waiting for him to earn it.

The coach was very specific and very public about what he wanted from the senior guard. “We have had 28 practices, six or seven scrimmages, and two exhibition games. He has yet to dive on the floor for a loose ball,” Calipari said before the opener, a 67-62 home court loss to Temple. “Well, guess what, those are the guys who are playing for me. He has yet to take a charge. Those are the guys who are playing for me. But we need his scoring, need his senior leadership. I like his game, but he’s going to have to take it up a notch. If he is capable of doing that, he’s going to be a starter. If he’s not capable of doing that, he’s going to come off the bench. In either case, he is going to be an effective player for us.”

Meanwhile as his former teammates were returning to Memphis after the Arkansas loss, Moody went on the post-game radio show to give his side of the story. He said Calipari wasn’t fair to him — that the coach pulled him after one miscue, but he would allow the other players four or five mistakes. Moody said his unhappiness was only with Calipari not the team, the university, or the city.

This team needs Moody. Calipari was hoping that the maturity of being a senior would cause Moody to respond to the challenge laid down by the combative coach. But Moody sulked as his playing time grew less and less. Against Tennessee-Martin in the game before he quit, Moody only played 13 minutes, taking a mere three shots. After the game Calipari was visibly shaken as he left the locker room.

“I’m worried about this team,” Calipari said, despite the 32-point victory. “We’re scared to death to play. I want to throw up.” He clearly had Moody in mind as he bemoaned his team’s lack of toughness. And one can only guess the scene in the locker room at halftime and after the game.

The situation is made more complicated because of who Moody is and where he comes from. The nephew of a former Tiger player Kenny Moody who know does TV color commentary for Tiger games on WKNO and the son of an outstanding player at Missouri and professionally in Europe, Marcus Moody chose the U of M at a time when all the local talent was leaving town. But he has had to endure three different coaches and his game has never really developed.

Even so, Moody is a favorite with the hometown fans and Calipari will have to watch his step.

“It isn’t about minutes,” Calipari said before the season began. “If you get four minutes a game, in those four minutes, prove you should be playing more. If you get 8 to 10 minutes, prove you should be playing 15. So it’s not about minutes. It’s about being productive.”

On Sunday Calipari and Moody met and came to an agreement. Moody could come back to the team but would be starting from scratch and would have to earn every minute of playing time. The senior will not be allowed to make the trip to Tennessee to play the 7th-ranked Volunteers, but he will be able to dress for the Ole Miss game at The Pyramid Saturday night.

It will be interesting to see how this plays out. We haven’t heard the last of the feud between Moody and Calipari. More so than Temple, Stanford, Arkansas, or Tennessee, this is John Calipari’s first real test at the University of Memphis.

Stay tuned.

(You can write Dennis Freeland at freeland@memphisflyer.com)