Tag: Sports

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From My Seat Sports

Sportswriter’s “Holiday”

We sportswriters toil in journalism’s toy department. We’re about the last category of professionals you should ache for during a pandemic (just above professional athletes). That said, we have seen our subject matter essentially erased by the novel coronavirus. It’s been a month now since there was a meaningful score to check, performance to measure, or matchup to forecast. The sports tree has indeed fallen in the woods where there’s no one to hear it. And the sound has been deafening silence.

We carry on, of course. You have methods for making a day distinctive during the pandemic, and I have mine. I’ll share a few ways I’ve brightened my days in sports “solitary.”

• Revisit Memphis sports history. Memphis magazine turns 44 this month, so I’ve been counting down the 44 greatest local athletes since 1976, one celebrated each day on my Twitter account. The list began with Albert Pujols (heard of him?), and has included Don Parsons (hockey in the Mid-South!), with the likes of Bo Jackson (#33), and new Hall of Famer Isaac Bruce (#20) in the mix. You can learn about number 16 in the countdown Monday and follow along the next two weeks if you want to join the debate over numero uno. (There will be a debate. It’s one hell of a list.)


• Pick up my reading game. I’ve revisited some classic fiction (The Color Purple, Of Mice and Men) and enjoyed Mick Wall’s voluminous biography of Led Zeppelin (When Giants Walked the Earth). And I’ve turned to one of the few baseball legends I know nothing about: Oscar Charleston. By every measure a member of the Negro Leagues Rushmore (along with Satchel Paige, Josh Gibson, and Cool Papa Bell), Charleston was called “the greatest player I’ve seen” by the late Buck O’Neil, a man who saw a lot of great baseball players, both before and after Jackie Robinson played his first game for the Brooklyn Dodgers. Aside from the smiling faces of my colleagues, I miss nothing like I miss baseball, and author Jeremy Beer has delivered a treasure to fill the hours between vintage games on the MLB Network.

• Watch my table tennis ranking plummet. I’ve spent the better part of 21 years as a father watching my daughters on soccer fields and softball diamonds. With both of them home more than they’ve been since elementary school, I’m now watching them close the gap between their ping-pong skills and my ping-pong experience. It’s funny what happens to people accustomed to venting competitive energy as a member of a team — or even by watching a team of choice compete on TV — when the outlet is denied. After one dispiriting rally — for me — my sweet Sofia smiled and said, “Nothing but net, Dad.” Yes indeed: ping-pong trash talk.


• Find other toys. Peaky Blinders is extraordinary television. Checks so many boxes on the sports-starved testosterone scale: rivalry, ambition, leadership, major upsets, huge victories, and whiskey . . . lots of Irish whiskey. Tommy Shelby is the Mike Trout of 1920s Birmingham, England.

And Led Zeppelin. Lots of the greatest band mankind has produced. I’ve come to consider “How Many More Times” the theme song of this long, painful battle (and recovery). It’s a long song, changes rhythm multiple times, calms down and heats up. But it takes you to the right place(s). Bursting with energy, with life, with a form of determination. I’m likely listening to it as you finish this column. Find your own lockdown tune, and crank it up, loud enough for the neighbors. And I recommend Zeppelin. Robert Plant can safely close six feet more powerfully than any other man to walk the planet.

Categories
Cover Feature News

2020 Vision

There’s no turning back now. The decade’s in the rearview, and our eyes are set on what’s to come in 2020 — in politics, sports, film, music, and more. Happy New Year, Memphis!

CannaBeat

Medical cannabis died in Tennessee in April. Well, a bill that would have allowed it did anyway.

But the sponsor of that bill, Sen. Steve Dickerson (R-Nashville), told The Daily Memphian in June that he intended to bring the bill back to the Tennessee General Assembly in 2020. The strategy to pass it may change, he said. He and House sponsor Rep. Bryan Terry (R-Murfreesboro) plan to reroute the bill through the legislative process, avoiding committees with members unfriendly to medical cannabis.

Terry, chairman of the House Health committee, issued a formal invitation to actor Michael J. Fox in December to appear before the committee during the 2020 session to talk about his foundation’s work to support expanding research on medical cannabis.

A September poll of influential Tennesseans found that many across the state were in favor of loosening cannabis laws. “In Memphis and Nashville, clear majorities favor making it completely legal for both medicinal and recreational use [57 percent and 58 percent respectively],” according to the Power Poll. About 29 percent of those polled in Memphis thought cannabis should be legal for medical purposes. Only 15 percent thought it should not be legalized at all.

There will be one major change for the possibility of cannabis legislation in 2020. In November, the U.S. House Judiciary Committee approved a bill that would legalize marijuana on the federal level. — Toby Sells

Gaydar

When lawmakers return to Nashville in 2020, they’ll also consider a slate of bills against the LGBTQ+ community called the “Slate of Hate” by the Tennessee Equality Project (TEP).

The recurring anti-transgender student bathroom bill would give state legal support to public school districts that experiment with anti-transgender student policies. An adoption discrimination bill would make private adoption/foster care agencies eligible for tax dollars, even if those agencies decide to turn away potential parents because of their sexual orientation, gender identity, or religious views.

A business license bill would prevent local governments from favoring businesses with inclusive policies in their contracting. The so-called “God-Given Marriage Initiative” may emerge here in 2020. It would end marriage licensing and replace it with a man and a woman registering their marriage contract with the state. — TS

A rendering of the MRPP-helmed redesign of Tom Lee Park

Memphis in May/ Tom Lee Park

The sounds of music and the smell of barbecue will again rise from Tom Lee Park in May 2020.

It’s one stipulation of the mediation between the Memphis River Parks Partnership (MRPP) and Memphis in May International Festival (MIM). The mediation ended in December, closing months of talks between the two groups over a redesign of the park proposed by MRPP in February. MIM officials feared the new design would not allow enough space for its festivals in the park.

The festivals will be moved to another location in 2021, however. Tom Lee will close after the festivals in 2020 for the construction of the park’s many new features. — TS

Marc Pegan

Avant-garde jazz ensemble The Dopolarians

Music

Shopping around for a New Year’s resolution? Here’s one that will have a ripple effect: Get out to see more live music. Compared to the late 20th century, this is a veritable Golden Age of venues and performers for Memphis. And the list keeps growing.

Consider New Year’s Eve at what may be both the newest and the oldest club in town, Hernando’s Hide-A-Way. Co-owner Dale Watson and his Lone Stars often hold court there, as they will on the last night of the year, recording a live album to boot. But there are plenty of other national acts already taking advantage of this mid-sized venue, intimate yet spacious, swanky yet country.

Piper Ferguso

Booker T. Jones

If 2019 was the year that Crosstown Theater reached cruising altitude and the Green Room at Crosstown really came into its own, the year to come looks to continue that upswing. At the former space, January 18th will witness a homecoming show of sorts for the great Booker T. Jones. Those who saw him speak at Stax in November got a taste of his new album; now Memphians can hear that album and more, live and in the moment. As a perfect contrast, acclaimed avant-garde jazz ensemble The Dopolarians, boasting two Memphis-associated players and some elder legends of the genre, will play the Green Room on February 7th.

In the classical realm, watch for the remainder of the Iris Orchestra’s season at both GPAC and the Brooks Museum, starting with their performance of “Spoonfuls,” pianist Conrad Tao’s new work in honor of Memphis’ bicentennial, on January 25th. Meanwhile at the Cannon Center, the Memphis Symphony Orchestra will feature Shostakovich, Stravinsky, and a Marimba Concerto by Abe, among other works, as they continue their season from January through April.

The city’s newest club, The Lounge at 3rd & Court, promises to be the jazz viper den that many in the city have longed for, often featuring guitar great Joe Restivo and band. And then there are the unsurpassed standby clubs for rock, country, and jazz, which continue to feature original music: Bar DKDC, Lafayette’s Music Room, Wild Bill’s, B-Side, Hi Tone, Minglewood Hall, Murphy’s, Lamplighter, Blue Monkey, and many others, including the ever-reliable Beale Street. Get out there and keep it alive! — Alex Greene

The Memphis City Council moves into 2020 with six new members

City Council

The Memphis City Council will move into 2020 with six new members. This is the first time five African-American women will sit on the council together. Councilwoman Patrice Robsinson will chair the group in 2020, with Frank Colvett Jr. serving as vice chairman.

Jeff Warren, Rhonda Logan, Chase Carlisle, Edmund Ford Sr., Michalyn Easter-Thomas, and J.B. Smiley Jr. will join the council next year.

“We’re going to make a better Memphis as a team,” Robinson said of the new council.

After approving Memphis Light, Gas and Water (MLGW) rate hikes for water and gas at its last meeting of the year, the council will return to the issue of electric rate hikes in 2020. Beginning in July, MLGW customers’ bills will go up $2.23 if no rate increase is approved for electric.

MLGW proposed increasing electric rates by a total of $9 for the average customer. The council voted this move down, prompting the MLGW board to reconsider their proposal. The council will consider MLGW’s new proposed increase once the utility’s board comes up with the new numbers. — Maya Smith

Bikes

Next year the city is slated to add about 20 miles of new bike facilities, says Nicholas Oyler, the city’s bikeway and pedestrian program manager. One new bike facility will be the completion of the Hampline in early 2020. This is a project nine years in the making that will connect the Shelby Farms Greenline to Overton Park.

In other bike news, the city will get 500 new federally funded bike racks primarily located near existing bus stops to “encourage synergy between using transit and bicycling for the last- and first-mile connections,” Oyler says. — MS

Police Surveillance

Later this year, U.S. District Judge Jon McCalla will decide what to do with the 1978 Kendrick consent decree that prevents police surveillance by the Memphis Police Department (MPD).

McCalla ruled last year that the city and MPD had violated the decree and imposed sanctions. Since then, a court-appointed monitor team has been working with the police department on improving its adherence to the decree and developing policies and procedures related to the decree. At a final evidentiary hearing scheduled for June, the court will decide if the decree should be modified, and, if so, how.

In the meantime, the monitor team and MPD are in the process of finalizing updated social media and training policies for MPD, which are subject to the court’s approval. Additionally, the monitor team will organize focus groups in early 2020 to hear more from the community on the consent decree. — MS

Larry Kuzniewski

Coach Penny Hardaway points the way to Tiger victory

Sports

The new year — new decade — in Memphis sports will be unlike any we’ve seen before. Such is the case every year, of course, as the sports world remains among life’s few truly unscripted delights. Perhaps, even without the recently departed James Wiseman, the Tigers will will make a deep NCAA tournament run. Perhaps Ja Morant returns to full health and dribble-drives his way to the NBA’s Rookie of the Year trophy. Perhaps the University of Memphis football team finds a way to top its 2019 season. Okay, let’s be realistic …

Penny Hardaway’s Tigers will regain center stage with conference play, his program seeking a first American Athletic Conference championship. The nation’s top freshman class — prior to Wiseman’s departure — will find its biggest test come tournament time in March. (Memphis hasn’t reached the NCAA tournament since 2014.)

The Ja and Jaren era is upon us with Grizzlies basketball, Mr. Morant and Mr. Jackson having become the faces of a franchise now climbing back toward playoff relevance in a Western Conference top-heavy with superstars, most notably those playing for the two Los Angeles franchises. Still shy of his 21st birthday, Morant could become only the second Grizzly to earn top-rookie honors (and the first since Pau Gasol raised the hardware in 2002).

Spring could bring one of the top prospects in baseball to AutoZone Park. Outfielder Dylan Carlson earned the St. Louis Cardinals’ Minor League Player of the Year honor for 2019, primarily for his performance at Double-A Springfield. The 21-year-old slugger will compete for a spot on the Cardinals’ major-league roster in March but will more than likely fine-tune his swing in Memphis with the Redbirds before making his big-league debut.

901 FC will take the pitch (pardon the pun) at AutoZone Park for its second season in the USL Championship. The Bluff City’s new soccer outfit went 9-18-7 in its first season, making up in fan-base passion what it may have lacked in finishing ability. With the likes of Louisville City FC and Birmingham Legion FC to catch in the standings, regional rivalries are already growing, gas to the fire for the local futbol faithful.

As for football, American style, the Memphis Tigers will have to follow-up on the finest season in program history, one that ended with an American Athletic Conference championship and an appearance in the prestigious Cotton Bowl. A new coach will be on the sideline, Mike Norvell having taken his stellar four-year mark (38-15) to Florida State. Star running back Kenneth Gainwell will return to spark the offense, which suggests winning won’t be a thing of the past at the Liberty Bowl. Since 2014, the Tigers are 35-5 at home.— Frank Murtaugh

Jackson Baker

Bill Lee

Politics

It may well be that, as politics takes its course in 2020, the nation’s currently beleaguered president, Donald J. Trump, will survive a vote of confidence this year, as, locally, Mayor Jim Strickland did at the city polls in 2019 and Governor Bill Lee’s program probably will with the legislature. But advance polling always had Strickland comfortably ahead of his rivals, and a just-concluded Vanderbilt University poll of state voters has given first-termer Lee a 62-percent approval rating. Trump, uniquely, has never been over the 50-percent mark — not even in 2016, when Hillary Clinton actually out-polled him nationally. Trump’s only sure win would seem to be in the GOP-dominated Senate, over the sudden-death matter of impeachment.

And Republican numerical domination, not popular demand nor irresistible logic, will empower the Governor’s prospects in the General Assembly. But not necessarily. It is famously (or infamously) true that Lee’s controversial bill to permit private school vouchers (or “education savings accounts,” in the euphemism of the day) passed by a single vote in the state House and only by means of highly devious wheeling and dealing and overtime arm-twisting on the part of the since-disgraced GOP Speaker Glen Casada, who was later forced into resigning. The new Republican Speaker, Cameron Sexton, is a sworn foe of vouchers and has indicated that, at the very least, he’d like to delay the onset of ESAs, which are due to be imposed (take that, you blue bailiwicks!) only on Shelby and Davidson Counties.

In the long run, Democrats are hoping for a swing of the electoral pendulum that could bring them more of the incremental suburban vote gains that got them close to a couple of major legislative upsets in Shelby County in 2018. The expected large Democratic vote in the presidential election will be helpful in that regard. The timing of vouchers, health care, and the question of freeing up TANF (temporary assistance for needy families) will be on the agenda in Nashville, as will, very likely, the return of the “fetal heartbeat” anti-abortion measure.

A U.S. Senate race will be on the statewide marquee, with primary races in both major parties. The Republican winner will be heavily favored. In city politics, it will be interesting to see if the development community’s hold on the Council will be loosened by the addition of some of the grassroots winners from the October election. In Shelby County politics, Mayor Lee Harris is on again/off again on solidarity with the County Commission. It is universally assumed that he is looking ahead to a future-tense congressional race, but in the meantime he has seemingly (and sensibly) committed himself to some center-left populism focused on wage equity and minority/women-owned business enterprises advances.

Former Shelby County Democratic chairman Corey Strong will meanwhile take a crack at the 9th district Congressional seat now held by long-running Democratic monolith Steve Cohen. — Jackson Baker

Film

No doubt the biggest story in the Memphis film scene for 2020 will be the opening of the new Indie Memphis Cinema. Just before 2019’s annual film festival, Malco Theaters struck a deal with the nonprofit to turn over operation of one of the screens at Studio on the Square in Midtown’s Overton Square.

Malco will be renovating the aging Studio to bring it up to the standards set by Malco Powerhouse (read: new seats and a greatly expanded food and drink program) this winter and spring. Then, Indie Memphis will begin daily showings of the acclaimed films from the festival circuit and repertory offerings that have populated their increasingly popular weekly screenings.

This will be a sea change for film fans in Memphis. The Malco Ridgeway Cinema Grill has built a steady audience with sophisticated, non-blockbuster offerings in East Memphis, but this new arrangement will mark the beginning of a true art house in the Bluff City. The seeds of Indie Memphis were sown in the mid-1990s with an effort to build such a theater in Midtown before morphing into a festival, so this new cinema is the realization of a long-term dream.

2020 will be the year the mainstream industry fully faces Disney’s market dominance. Since the acquisition of 20th Century Fox, the House of Mouse is now set to control almost half of the total global box office. Their slate for 2020 is a mixed bag. In February, Fox Searchlight drops Wendy, a retelling of the Peter Pan story from the heroine’s POV, and 20th will offer an adaption of Call of the Wild with Harrison Ford that looks promising. March begins with Pixar’s urban fantasy Onward and ends with the live-action remake of Mulan, which looks to have slightly more reason to exist than the flaccid Aladdin. In April, Marvel takes a mulligan on the last X-Men film with The New Mutants, then the long-anticipated Black Widow premieres on May Day. Pixar’s second film of the year is Soul in June, a musical by Inside Out director Pete Docter. In the fall, expect Marvel’s The Eternals and Disney Animation’s Raya and the Last Dragon.

Studios not named Disney also have anticipated offerings. Robert Downey Jr. will talk to animals in his first post-Iron Man role as Dr. Doolittle in January, which will go up against Will Smith and Martin Lawrence in the Jerry Bruckheimer-produced Bad Boys for Life. In February, Warner Brothers will again attempt to make a watchable DC comic book movie with the Margo Robbie-led Birds of Prey, and the cringeworthy Sonic the Hedgehog will face a horror adaptation of Fantasy Island from Blumhouse. In March, Paramount will try to replicate a sleeper hit with A Quiet Place Part II. Daniel Craig will strap on the Walther PPK for the last time as James Bond in No Time to Die. June is stacked with the return of Diana Prince in Wonder Woman 1984, Tom Cruise in Top Gun: Maverick, and the Lin-Manuel Miranda-penned musical In the Heights. In July is Ghostbusters: Afterlife, which will reunite the original cast, and the Kristen Wiig road trip comedy Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar.

Speaking of reuniting the original cast, in August, Bill and Ted Face the Music brings back Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter as the Wyld Stallyns. Edgar Winter takes a swing at psychological horror with Last Night in Soho. In October, Kenneth Branagh does Death on the Nile, and Jamie Lee Curtis returns for Halloween Kills. The biggest film weekend of the year looks to be the titanic matchup on December 18th, when Dennis Villeneuve’s science-fiction epic Dune, Steven Spielberg’s remake of West Side Story, Columbia’s adaptation of the Uncharted game franchise, and Memphis’ own Craig Brewer directing Eddie Murphy in Coming 2 America battle for box office supremacy. See you at the movies. — Chris McCoy

P/K/M Architects

Rendering of the proposed new South of Beale

Food

There’s no doubt that big things are going to happen in 2020, and many of us — myself included — may find ourselves stress-eating or self-medicating with food. With that said, Memphis foodies have a lot to look forward to in the year ahead, including more French food, riverfront views, and even a brand-new brewery. Cheers!

Out east, the fine dining establishment Erling Jensen: The Restaurant will undergo an expansion in early 2020, more than doubling the size of its bar menu and dining room. East Memphis will also welcome a new crab restaurant when The Juicy Crab opens a new location in a 7,200-square-foot space in the Eastgate Shopping Center.

In the suburbs, Slim Chickens plans to open a second location in Collierville in late spring at the corner of Poplar and Maynard Way, and Wing Guru is expanding to new locations in Collierville and Hernando, Mississippi. Their current locations can be found on Mt. Moriah in Memphis and on Stage Road in Bartlett.

Downtown, Memphis’ newest brewery, Soul & Spirits Brewery, will open in the Uptown neighborhood at 845 N. Main. Owned and operated by husband-and-wife team Blair Perry and Ryan Allen, the brewery will likely focus on traditional German-style beers “inspired by the diverse music culture of Memphis” (per their Facebook page).

South of Beale, Memphis’ first gastropub, will move to a new location. The new venue, located on the first floor of the old Ambassador building, will open in the spring at 345 S. Main.

Memphis chefs Michael Hudman and Andy Ticer will bring a taste of Europe Downtown when Bishop, in the Central Station Hotel, has its grand opening in January. After a soft launch in December, the French restaurant will be fully open in January serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Also Downtown, One Beale finally broke ground in 2019 and has a projected completion date in 2020. Besides apartments and hotels, the massive development project will include a new riverfront restaurant and a rooftop whiskey bar with indoor and outdoor seating.

As that project comes closer to completion, another project will begin: Construction on Union Row is projected to start in 2020, and the plans include a few new restaurants and a hotel overlooking AutoZone Park.

In keeping with the Downtown hotel boom, Memphis’ first Aloft Hotel will also open at 161 Jefferson in the summer of 2020. The hotel will include a full-service restaurant and the brand’s signature WXYZ bar. — Lorna Field

Categories
From My Seat Sports

Politics = Sports = Politics

CREDIT: diffen.com

diffen.com

Like the Republican Party, college football’s reigning champions have an elephant for a mascot. Like the Democrats, the reigning NFL champs have a donkey — on steroids — for a mascot. As we enjoy (endure?) the national conventions that officially brand this year’s campaign season, consider a few other parallels between the worlds of sports and politics. (Plagiarize this wisdom at your peril.)

• Charisma trumps credentials.
The National Football League’s highest-profile owner is Jerry Jones, whose Dallas Cowboys have been valued at $3.2 billion by Forbes magazine (tops among American sports franchises). The Cowboys — under Jones’s guidance as president and general manager — have not so much as reached a conference championship game in 21 years. (Before Jones’s arrival, the franchise’s longest drought between Super Bowls was 14 years.) Winning football games, you see, simply doesn’t matter when you have a brand like the Cowboys and a salesman like Jerry Jones.

Likewise, experience in public office means squat when you have a brand like Donald Trump and a salesman like Donald Trump. A big smile, a loud voice, and millions of dollars to burn mean value in politics. Reagan over Carter. Kennedy over Nixon. Personality is what we want, damn the record (or standings).

• A family name goes a long way.
The NFL has the Rooneys and Maras. Modern politics has the Clintons and Bushes. If your last name is Kennedy, you’re bound for public glory and, if you manage the right details, public office. (The late Ted Kennedy proved that such details — those behind closed doors — may not actually matter. We’ve learned the same applied to JFK’s rise to the White House.) If your last name is Roosevelt, it doesn’t matter if you’re a Republican (Teddy) or Democrat (FDR). The presidency is yours for the taking.

Likewise, if you’re last name is Manning, you’ll likely play quarterback — and quite well — in the NFL. Three generations of Boones and Bells have played baseball in the major leagues. Ken Griffey played long enough to actually become a teammate of his son, the newest member of baseball’s Hall of Fame. This family-first phenomenon goes all the way back to our founding fathers. Who was president when John Adams died on Independence Day in 1826? Why his son, of course: John Quincy Adams.

• Underdogs win.
The 1968 New York Jets — winners of Super Bowl III in January 1969 — have nothing on Harry Truman in 1948 when it comes to measuring unlikely wins. Bill Clinton was called “the Comeback Kid” before spending two terms in the White House. George W. Bush — this is hard to remember — was better known as a former owner of the hapless Texas Rangers than for any achievements as governor of Texas when he announced his candidacy for president four election cycles ago.

And of course, there’s Barack Obama. One remarkable speech — at the 2004 Democratic convention — proved enough for Obama to become a national figure and, in 2008, defeat an opponent with credentials not only as a senator for 21 years but a Vietnam War hero. An underdog with charisma? Unbeatable. You saw what the Cleveland Cavaliers did last month, right?

• Team loyalty can be tested.
This is known in some parts as the Cruz Clause. Jerry Seinfeld famously equated cheering team sports with “rooting for laundry,” as players come and go, coaches are fired . . . yet we still pull for the boys in red (or blue, or green, or teal). But what happens when a Dallas Cowboys fan of 30 years finds himself cheering a team mismanaged one season after another? What about a millennial raised in a Washington Redskins family who realizes the flag outside his house features a racial epithet?

And what happens when a national party is forced — by the people, for the people — to stand behind a man prepared to sell a wall (literally) to Mexico and screen any and all Muslims before they enter the Land of the Free? Last week, two living former presidents chose not to attend the Republican convention, a staggering statement considering these two former presidents were Republicans themselves. It was like Roger Staubach and Emmitt Smith refusing to attend a Super Bowl featuring the Dallas Cowboys.

Laundry can be soiled, it turns out, in politics as well as sports.

Categories
Cover Feature News

Best of Memphis 2013

Welcome to The Memphis Flyer’s Best of Memphis 2013; stay tuned for our Best of Memphis 2014 issue,
which will hit the streets on Wednesday morning, October 1st, 2014!

Memphis makes plenty of lists. We’re among the fattest, most affordable, whatever. But if any of these folks bothered to measure the city’s sexier side, we’d be off the charts in Hot to Trot.

Memphis is a city of lovers. There’s a ton to do and see and eat here, and everybody’s got an opinion. And we here at the Flyer couldn’t appreciate it more. For the annual Best of Memphis issue, we counted on you and we counted your votes. Flyer readers weighed in on 124 categories, ranging from Best Pick-Up Joint to Best Florist.

Two dozen-plus of those businesses and people earned a “BOM,” meaning they took that category by an overwhelming majority. That is love. (Categories designated “Readers’ Choice” means the vote was too close to call.)

We thank our readers for their continued support, and our advertisers deserve a nod as well for their part in keeping the Flyer free and on the streets.

The Best Of issue was written by Greg Akers, Shara Clark, Anna Cox, Chris Davis, Susan Ellis, Michael Finger, Louis Goggans, Chris Herrington, Bianca Phillips, Alexandra Pusateri, Chris Shaw, and Bruce VanWyngarden. Design is by Carrie Beasley, images by Justin Fox Burks, and illustration by Mike McCarthy.

Congrats to all the winners.

Best New Restaurant
1. Hog & Hominy
2. Aldo’s Pizza Pies
3. Chiwawa

Well, of course, it’s Hog & Hominy. Seldom has a new eatery burst upon the Memphis dining scene with more good press — and good word of mouth. Michael Hudman and Andrew Ticer’s pork-centric restaurant has everybody going hog-wild.

Best Lunch
Readers’ Choice 

Central BBQ
The Elegant Farmer
Fino’s From the Hill
Huey’s
Trolley Stop Market

Judging from the broad enthusiasm for a number of lunch options and the lack of a definitive winner, Memphis is a mighty good town for lunch, whether it’s Midtown, downtown, or East Memphis.

Best Breakfast
1. Brother Juniper’s
2. Bryant’s Breakfast
3. Blue Plate Café

Brother Juniper’s hearty home-style cooking and extraordinary breads kept the University of Memphis-area staple on top for another year. That line out the door on weekend mornings is there for a reason.

Best Brunch
1. Owen Brennan’s Restaurant
2. Majestic Grille
3. Beauty Shop

Owen Brennan’s New Orleans-style cuisine takes the top brunch prize again this year. This place’s omelets, waffles, Cajun seafood dishes, and Bananas Foster will cure whatever ails you on Sunday morning.

BEST NEW AMERICAN CUISINE: Local Gastropub

Best New American Cuisine
1. Local Gastropub
2. Sweet Grass
3. The Elegant Farmer — tie — Majestic Grille

Local Gastropub has expanded from its original downtown restaurant to a large and snazzy new place in Overton Square. Flyer readers love both places, obviously. And even if they’re not quite sure what “New American” cuisine is, they know it tastes good. Real good.

Best Wine List
1. Flight Restaurant and Wine Bar
2. Le Chardonnay
3. Bari Ristorante e Enoteca

Flight’s innovative presentations, featuring three dishes and three two-ounce samples of wines, wins over Flyer readers again this year. The elegant two-level downtown eatery has an expansive and well-considered wine list, with something for all tastes and budgets.

Best Steak
1. Folk’s Folly Prime Steak House
2. Ruth’s Chris Steak House
3. The Butcher Shop

It’s folly, pure folly, to imagine that any other restaurant in Memphis will beat out the venerable Folk’s Folly for Best Steak. The formula for success is simple: Pair well-prepared side-dish staples with thick, juicy, and tender prime beef. The dark and intimate atmosphere is another plus.

Best Burger
BOM 1. Huey’s
2. Earnestine & Hazel’s
3. Alex’s Tavern — tie — Tops Bar-B-Q

The lights dim. A drumroll. The envelope, please. A hush falls over the crowd as, GASP, Huey’s wins Best Burger in Memphis this year, proving once again, when it comes to hamburgers, you can’t beat Huey’s. Literally.

Best Service
1. Huey’s
2. Restaurant Iris
3. Folk’s Folly Prime Steak House

Not only can you get the best burger in town at Huey’s, they’ll be real nice about making you feel welcome, bringing you water, taking your order, and giving you extra toothpicks so you can blow ’em at the ceiling. They won’t even complain when one lands in their hair. They’re that nice.

Best Kid-Friendly Restaurant
1. Huey’s
2. Memphis Pizza Café
3. Central BBQ — tie — Mellow Mushroom

Wait. Didn’t we just write nice things about Huey’s? Yes. Yes, we did. Well, it turns out that in addition to having good service and a great burger, those darn kids love Huey’s. Having that built-in toothpick-filled ceiling for target practice doesn’t hurt, but the menu is also filled with good, kid-friendly fare.

Best Late-Night Dining
1. Huey’s
2. Alex’s Tavern
3. Earnestine & Hazel’s

We’re noticing a pattern here … Yep, Huey’s wins again, this time topping the Best Late-Night Dining category. The comfortable atmosphere, great service, and outstanding eats make Huey’s an ideal spot to wind down after a night out.

Best Fried Chicken
BOM 1. Gus’s Fried Chicken
2. Jack Pirtle’s Chicken
3. Uncle Lou’s Fried Chicken

Gus’s Fried Chicken is a Memphis institution, and it’s named the home of the best-tasting fowl in these parts, year after year. Not convinced? Just check out the line of folks standing outside the downtown eatery’s front door around lunchtime. Gus’s isn’t fancy, but it’s the best around.

Best Cajun/Creole
1. Bayou Bar & Grill
2. Owen Brennan’s Restaurant
3. DeJaVu

This Overton Square institution moved from one side of Madison Avenue to the other a few years back, but it hasn’t lost a step. Memphians love the Cajun cuisine, the beer, the pool table, and that cool, little see-and-be-seen patio with the spritzers that kick on when the heat kicks up.

BEST MEDITERRANEAN: Casablanca

Best Mediterranean
1. Casablanca
2. Petra Café
3. Kwik Chek

Casablanca features Middle Eastern and Moroccan food, including kibbeh, baba ghanoush, falafel, hummus, shawarma, and other traditional foods of the region. Take a magic carpet ride to the exotic lands of Casablanca. Flyer readers do.

Best Dessert

1. Muddy’s Bake Shop
2. Cheesecake Corner
3. YoLo Frozen Yogurt

Best Bakery
1. Muddy’s Bake Shop
2. La Baguette
3. Gigi’s Cupcakes

Muddy’s has taken the (cup)cake again in both the dessert and bakery categories. Using only the good stuff — organic milk and eggs from cage-free hens — and leaving out the bad stuff (no preservatives!) help rank their sweet treats among Memphis’ favorites. What’s more: They don’t accept tips; instead, all the money dropped in their “refill our community with positive change” jar goes to a different local nonprofit each month.

Best Frozen Dessert
1. YoLo Frozen Yogurt
2. Jerry’s Sno Cone
3. La Michoacana

As if the assortment of delicious flavors of yogurt and handmade gelato weren’t enough to make our mouths water, YoLo has more toppings than a person could dream of to pile on top, including a variety of locally sourced treats like Makeda’s cookies, Delta Pecan Orchard pecans, and Jones Orchard fruits.

Best Italian
1. Andrew Michael Italian Kitchen — tie — Pete & Sam’s
2. Bari Ristorante e Enoteca
3. Ciao Bella

Mamma mia! Flyer readers came to a draw this year in choosing the restaurant that’s offering the best Italian fare. First-time winner Andrew Michael Italian Kitchen has been making its mark with traditional and family recipes like Maw Maw’s Ravioli since 2008. The family-owned institution, Pete & Sam’s, has been serving up Italian favorites for more than 60 years. The two share the title of “best” in 2013.

Best Mexican
1. Las Delicias Mexican Bar & Grill
2. Las Tortugas Deli Mexicana
3. Molly’s La Casita

Serving quite possibly the best chunky, spicy, citrusy guacamole in the world, in addition to authentic tacos and house-made tortilla chips, it’s no wonder Las Delicias has stolen the hearts of Mexican-food-loving Memphians. Their chips and dips are available in several local grocery stores, and they’ve even been spotted at the farmer’s market. Muy bueno!

Best Chinese
1. Wang’s Mandarin House
2. A-Tan
3. Mulan Asian Bistro

Wang’s offers an extensive menu of traditional and contemporary Chinese staples, including go-to’s, like fried rice and egg rolls, and chef specialties, like the Triple Harvest (shrimp, chicken, and beef sautéed with baby corn, broccoli, and carrots in Wang’s gourmet hot pepper sauce).

Best Thai
1. Bhan Thai
2. Bangkok Alley
3. Jasmine Thai & Vegetarian

Since 2002, Bhan Thai has served Memphians authentic Thai cuisine in a cozy atmosphere. You can enjoy one of their spicy curries or a big plate of pad thai inside or on their spacious, shaded patio, complete with an outside bar.

Best Vietnamese
1. Pho Saigon
2. Saigon Le
3. Pho Binh

Serving classic noodle bowls and soups, Pho Saigon has been satisfying hungry tummies in Memphis for years. From Banh Xeo (Vietnamese pancakes) to Nem Nuong (skewered pork) and all the noodle soups a person could dream of, they’re sure to cure a craving for authentic Vietnamese cuisine with their extensive menu and fresh ingredients.

Best Japanese
1. Sekisui
2. Bluefin — tie — Osaka
3. Sakura Japanese Restaurant — tie —
Sekisui Pacific Rim

With several Memphis-area locations, Sekisui has been voted a Flyer reader favorite once again. They offer classic options, like shumai, udon, teriyaki, and sashimi and sushi rolls. Several Memphis-themed rolls can be found on the menu, such as the Redbirds roll (crunchy crab with mayo and sweet chili sauce, topped with shrimp).

Best Indian
1. India Palace
2. Golden India
3. Bombay House

The exotic smell wafting from India Palace makes Memphians’ mouths water before they even reach the door. The lunch buffet, filled with creamy, spicy sauces and authentic entrées, is made complete with endless baskets of fresh, hot naan. Finish off the meal with a serving of delectable basmati rice pudding or sweet, juicy balls of Gulab Jamun.

Best Home Cooking/Soul Food
1. Soul Fish
2. Cupboard
3. Blue Plate Café

Soul Fish boasts a bona fide Southern menu, complete with their famous catfish — served fried or blackened, in nuggets or whole, on a po’ boy or in a basket. Pair it with one of their delicious sides, like hushpuppies, pickled green tomatoes, or Cajun cabbage, and you’ve got yourself a home-cooked plate with a dash of heart and soul.

BEST VEGETARIAN: Trolley Stop Market

Best Vegetarian
1. Trolley Stop Market
2. The Elegant Farmer
3. Café Eclectic

Trolley Stop Market, a new winner in this category, has a special “Veggie & Vegan Yums” section on its menu that includes a hummus wrap, a garden burger made with local veggies, quesadillas, and more. They also have a variety of vegetarian pizzas — including the Margherita and the Garden Delight, both topped with locally sourced, seasonal vegetables. Don’t feel like leaving the house? They deliver to Harbor Town, downtown, and Midtown.

BEST BARBECUE, RIBS, HOT WINGS: Central BBQ

Best Barbecue
BOM 1. Central BBQ
2. Germantown Commissary
3. The Bar-B-Q Shop

Best Ribs
1. Central BBQ
2. Charles Vergos’ Rendezvous
3. Corky’s

Best Hot Wings
1. Central BBQ
2. Ching’s Hot Wings
3. D’Bo’s Wings n’ More

Once an upstart and now a stalwart, Central BBQ has expanded their local smoked-meat empire both in terms of geography — adding a spacious downtown location to go with their Central and Summer shops — and variety, claiming the Best Ribs title this year to go with their stronghold on Best Barbecue and Best Hot Wings. Sandwiches and ribs are the ‘cue classics, but, oh my, those dry-rub wings …

BEST SEAFOOD: Half Shell

Best Seafood
1. Half Shell
2. Bonefish Grill
3. Tsunami

This cozy, festive local institution has been serving all varieties of seafood for decades, providing a little oasis of the coastal South — with grilled oysters and Cajun fish tacos among the highlights.

Best Pizza
1. Memphis Pizza Café
2. Aldo’s Pizza Pies
3. Rock ‘n’ Dough Pizza Co.

The pizza scene in Memphis is getting increasingly crowded, but with five locations and favorites such as the sauce-free Alternative and the Cajun Chicken Supreme, Memphis Pizza Café remains our readers’ favorite.

Best Sandwiches
1. Young Avenue Deli
2. Fino’s From the Hill
3. Lenny’s Sub Shop

This Cooper-Young anchor offers something for everyone. Here you don’t just order a turkey sandwich. You want it curried? Marinated in hot sauce? In Reuben form? Vegetarian? You’re covered: California Pita, Cosmic Cucumber, Deathrow Pimento Cheese. Whatever you order, be sure to top it off with the Deli’s beloved hand-cut fries.

Best Place for People-Watching
1. Flying Saucer (Downtown)
2. Peabody Lobby Bar
3. Young Avenue Deli

Not only can it get crowded and lively inside this downtown beer emporium, especially after Grizzlies and Tiger basketball games, but the big open windows also allow patrons to keep an eye on the downtown street scene. (Just a guess, but were some of our readers thinking about the Saucer’s attractive young staff in terms of “people-watching”?)

BEST PATIO: Chiwawa

Best Patio
1. Chiwawa
2. Boscos Squared
3. Celtic Crossing

Food and drink best consumed outside? Tacos, hot dogs, agua frescas, and cold adult beverages: Check. Quality people-watching? The doorstep of a revived Overton Square: Check. Low-key entertainment? A soul/hip-hop late-night DJ, film screenings, and television-watch parties: Check. A comfortable and interesting space? A handsome two-level deck under a wrought-iron “Midtown is Memphis” sign: Check. Is it any wonder Chiwawa immediately became the favorite restaurant patio of our readers?

BEST FOOD TRUCK: Fuel Cafe

Best Food Truck
1. Fuel Café
2. Central BBQ
3. Rock ‘n’ Dough Pizza Co.

How to rise to the top of the growing ranks of Memphis food trucks? Gourmet tacos and grilled cheeses and fresh-brewed hibiscus iced tea is a darn good start. Also helpful: Fuel Café’s ubiquitous presence at some of the city’s most popular outdoor gathering spots, such as the downtown Memphis Farmers Market and shows at the Levitt Shell.

Best Delivery
1. Garibaldi’s Pizza
2. Trolley Stop Market
3. Young Avenue Deli

With its signature University of Memphis location, Garibaldi’s fuels students with pizzas, pastas, sandwiches, and salads that have been local faves for years. And with two locations out East, these good eats are only a dial away for most of Memphis.

Best Donut Shop
BOM 1. Gibson’s Donuts
2. Howard’s Donuts
3. Krispy Kreme Doughnuts

This East Memphis gathering spot serves a dazzling array of donuts and pastries early in the morning and deep into the night. They’ve got your glazed, frosted, and sprinkled basics covered, but look out for specialties like red velvet, maple bacon, and buttermilk drops.

Best Coffeehouse
1. Otherlands — tie —
Republic Coffee
2. Café Eclectic
3. Poplar Perk’n

It’s a Midtown vs. East Memphis battle on the coffeehouse front, and this year Otherlands on Cooper and Republic Coffee on Walnut Grove share the title. Both serve a great cup of joe, good eats, and free Wi-Fi in a comfortable atmosphere.

BEST CHEF: Kelly English, Restaurant Iris

Best Chef
1. Kelly English, Restaurant Iris
2. Michael Hudman and Andrew Ticer, Andrew Michael Italian Kitchen/Hog & Hominy
3. Patrick Reilly, Majestic Grille

Best Server
1. Jeff Frisby, Restaurant Iris
2. Jean Pruett, Aldo’s Pizza Pies/Bardog Tavern/Slider Inn
3. Matt Cantrell, Newby’s — tie — Skye “Walker” White, Celtic Crossing

Best Restaurant
BOM 1. Restaurant Iris
2. Flight Restaurant and Wine Bar
3. Hog & Hominy

Best Romantic Restaurant
1. Restaurant Iris
2. Flight Restaurant and Wine Bar
3. Folk’s Folly Prime Steak House

If the city’s Best Chef — according to our readers — is setting the menu and running the kitchen and the city’s Best Server is making the dining room run smoothly, then why wouldn’t Restaurant Iris also be tapped as the city’s Best Restaurant? Add in an elegant, intimate atmosphere in a converted house just off Overton Square, and it’s perfect for a romantic night out as well. Kelly English is justly famous for his opulent “surf and turf,” his lobster Knuckle Sandwich, and other trademark creations. But with so much going well, why not try Iris’ five-course “degustation” and put yourself in their hands for the night?

BEST PLACE TO SEE LIVE MUSIC: Levitt Shell

Best Place To See Live Music
1. Levitt Shell
2. Minglewood Hall
3. B.B. King’s

The Levitt Shell remains at the top of the Best Place To See Live Music category. That comes as no surprise after a summer concert series that featured regional greats like the Memphis Dawls and the North Mississippi Allstars, plus an unforgettable surprise performance in August by Grammy winner Norah Jones.

Best Local Band
1. North Mississippi Allstars
2. Lucero
3. Star & Micey

The North Mississippi Allstars were recently dubbed “Americana music luminaries” by National Public Radio, something that their dedicated fans have known for years. The Dickinson brothers have just begun touring in support of their seventh studio album, World Boogie Is Coming, taking their brand of Mid-South roots rock all over the United States and Europe.

BEST SINGER: Amy Lavere

Best Local Singer
1. Amy LaVere
2. Patrick Dodd
3. Grace Askew

Amy LaVere seems to have a new record coming out every time we turn around. Earlier this month she released the excellent debut from Motel Mirrors, a collaboration with local guitar genius John Paul Keith. LaVere also just announced an EP titled Chasing the Ghost featuring the songs she wrote with Wandering band member Shannon McNally, to be released on Archer Records next month.

Best Karaoke
1. Windjammer Restaurant & Lounge
2. P&H Café
3. Blue Monkey

Karaoke and cold beer seem to go hand-in-hand, and the Windjammer in East Memphis has been serving up both for years. As any karaoke enthusiast knows, you haven’t really spent the weekend right until you’ve heard Meatloaf’s “Paradise by the Dashboard Light” drunkenly sung into a karaoke mic.

Best College Hangout
1. Newby’s
2. RP Tracks
3. Celtic Crossing

Newby’s has been THE college bar for years, and with its prime location on the Highland Strip, it’s easy to see why. An incredible atmosphere makes this college bar the go-to place for undergrads looking to unwind after class.

Best Bartender
1. Brian “Skinny” McCabe, Newby’s — tie — Allan Creasy, Celtic Crossing
2. Evan Potts, The Cove
3. Brad Pitts, Bari Ristorante e Enoteca

After landing first and second place, respectively, in last year’s Best Of, McCabe and Creasy now officially share the honor of being the city’s Best Bartender. Whether it’s a college bar or an Irish pub that you’re looking for, these two can guarantee a memorable time sitting at the bar.

Best After-Hours Club
1. Paula & Raiford’s Disco
2. Earnestine & Hazel’s
3. Alex’s Tavern

Best Dance Club
1. Paula & Raiford’s Disco
2. Club 152 Beale
3. Rumba Room

The night doesn’t ever have to end at Paula & Raiford’s, and at this disco, no one really knows what time it is anyway. Famous for big beers, great funk music, and a light-up dance floor, it’s easy to see why the party never stops.

Best Pick-Up Joint
1. Peabody Rooftop
2. Paula & Raiford’s Disco
3. Flying Saucer

The view at the Peabody Rooftop isn’t limited to the downtown landscape, as some of the city’s most eligible can often be found mingling at the downtown hotel rooftop.

Best Beer Selection
BOM 1. Flying Saucer
2. Boscos Squared
3. Young Avenue Deli

While more and more restaurants are offering a plethora of draft beers of the high- and low-gravity variety, the Flying Saucer still holds the crown for the most brews in one place. With over 240 beers and specials like the amazing $3 Monday night pint night, the Saucer continues to fly high above the competition.

BEST MARTINI: Alchemy

Best Martini
1. Alchemy
2. Peabody Lobby Bar
3. Side Street Grill

Alchemy has quickly become the place for an expertly made martini and continues to set the standard for custom cocktails in Memphis.

Best Margarita
1. Molly’s La Casita
2. Happy Mexican
3. Café Ole

There’s something about the sweet and tangy margaritas at Molly’s that cures all that ails you. Maybe it’s the perfect amount of chunky salt across the rim of your glass, or maybe it’s the blend of tart sweet-and-sour mix and top-shelf tequila. Maybe it’s the extra-special sangria swirl available by request in frozen margaritas. Whatever it is, our readers agree that a margarita from Molly’s is exceptional.

Best Happy Hour
1. Bardog Tavern
2. Flying Saucer
3. Local Gastropub

Every day from 5 to 7 p.m., it’s happy hour at Bardog. And that means discounts on draft beers, wine, well drinks, and even sliders. The Famous Original Memphis Slider (ground chuck with ketchup and mayo on a white bun) is available for only $1.50. And that makes it even easier to eat your fill of tiny burgers.

Best JukeBox
1. Earnestine & Hazel’s
2. Alex’s Tavern
3. Young Avenue Deli

Best Hole in the Wall
1. Earnestine & Hazel’s
2. Alex’s Tavern
3. The Cove

From the old-time piano bar upstairs to the haunted jukebox, there’s no place quite like Earnestine & Hazel’s. Locals and tourists alike find comfort at the Memphis institution, where cheap bottled beer and the famous Soul Burger reign supreme. Let’s raise one to the late owner Russell George who created such a singular spot.

BEST PLACE TO SHOOT POOL: Fox & Hound English Bar & Grill

Best Place To
Shoot Pool
1. Fox & Hound English Bar & Grill
2. Young Avenue Deli
3. RP Billiards

Best Sports Bar
1. Fox & Hound English Bar & Grill
2. Buffalo Wild Wings
3. Jack Magoo’s Sports Bar & Grill

Whether you’re into basketball, football, baseball, or shooting pool, the Fox & Hound is the place to go. Games are broadcast on big-screen TVs all over the bar, and they screen pay-per-view UFC fights on occasion. As for pool, patrons can play by the hour on professional billiard tables.

Best Gay Bar
1. The Pumping Station
2. Spectrum
3. Dru’s Place

Once known as the city’s only leather bar, the Pumping Station has branched out to serve a larger LGBT clientele. Everyone is welcome (with or without ass-less chaps). The Pump, as it’s affectionately dubbed, boasts a full bar, a spacious patio, and a treehouse out back.

Best Bar
Readers’ Choice
Alchemy
Bardog Tavern
Celtic Crossing
The Cove
Local Gastropub

Downtown and Midtown both have happening bar scenes, and our readers couldn’t narrow it down to a favorite. But the best bars do have at least one thing in common: They all serve not only a wide selection of cocktails and high-end craft brews, but each has an impressive menu to boot.

BEST NEW BAR: Bar Louie

Best New Bar
1. Bar Louie
2. Hog & Hominy
3. Aldo’s Pizza Pie

Chicago-based franchise Bar Louie moved into the long-vacant corner building in Overton Square earlier this spring, another step forward toward an increasingly vibrant area. The spot is perfectly sited for some prime people-watching, and the Effen Good Martini (Effen Cucumber vodka, mint leaves, lime juice, fresh-cut cucumber, and agave nectar) is not to be missed.

BEST MUSEUM: Pink Palace

Best Museum
1. Memphis Pink Palace Museum
2. Memphis Brooks Museum of Art
3. Children’s Museum of Memphis

Where else can you find a shrunken head, an exhibit of African-American history, dioramas depicting health-care methods in the 1800s, and a mini version of the country’s first grocery store, Piggly Wiggly?

Best Gallery
1. David Lusk Gallery
2. Crosstown Arts
3. Gallery Fifty Six

David Lusk displays and sells work created by artists from across the country with plenty of pieces by Memphis and regional artists. The gallery has monthly shows and openings, including the annual and hugely popular “Price Is Right” show where the art is priced at less than $1,000.

Best College Gallery
1. Main Gallery,
Memphis College of Art
2. Art Museum at the University of Memphis
3. Hyde Gallery, Memphis College of Art Nesin Graduate School

It makes sense that the Best College Gallery belongs to the only higher-learning institution in Memphis dedicated solely to the visual arts. See the work of Memphis College of Art students in the main gallery located inside the school at Overton Park.

Best Live Theater
1. The Orpheum
2. Playhouse on the Square
3. Theatre Memphis

The Great White Way may be miles away, but Memphians can catch a glimpse of Broadway with the stellar seasons at the Orpheum. Touring shows, ranging from classic musicals like Les Misérables to campier, modern shows such as Flashdance, stop by for up to a week at a time.

Best Movie Theater
1. Paradiso
2. Studio on the Square
3. Ridgeway Cinema Grill

Who doesn’t like watching the latest movies in plush, stadium-style seats while enjoying a slice of pizza or some buttered popcorn? The Paradiso is the perfect venue for doing just that. For the “grown folks,” you can even have a glass of wine or bottle of beer to sip while viewing your film. Cheers!

BEST CASINO: Horseshoe Casino

Best Casino
1. Horseshoe Casino
2. Harrah’s Tunica
3. Gold Strike Casino Resort

When people get in the mood for a little poker or slot machine fun, they travel down to Horseshoe Casino in Tunica. The best place to gamble, watch one-of-a-kind entertainment, and fill your tummy with delicious grub, it’s a no-brainer why Horseshoe is nominated as the area’s best casino.

Best Golf Course
1. Mirimichi
2. The Links at Galloway
3. TPC Southwind

The award-winning, eco-friendly golf course co-owned by Justin Timberlake beats out its competitors another year as the best place to play a game of 18 holes. The beautiful view, outside patio, and dining area are additional pleasures at the facility. Grab a golf club and enjoy!

Best Family Entertainment
BOM 1. Memphis Zoo
2. Concerts at Levitt Shell
3. Memphis Redbirds Game

The 70-acre zoo is home to more than 3,000 animals and a variety of cool exhibits that will surely leave the entire family in awe.

Best Sports Team
BOM 1. Memphis Grizzlies
2. Memphis Tigers Men’s Basketball
3. Memphis Redbirds

The Grizzlies had a heart-pounding season. Superstar power forward Rudy Gay was traded. NBA championship winner Tayshaun Prince was acquired. And the team made it to the Western Conference Finals for the first time in franchise history. The Grizzlies displayed great resilience and sportsmanship through it all. Why else would they be selected as the city’s 2013 Best Sports Team? Go, Griz!

BEST LOCAL ATHLETE, GRIZZLIES PLAYER: Marc Gasol

Best Grizzlies Player
1. Marc Gasol
2. Zach Randolph
3. Tony Allen

Best Local Athlete
1. Marc Gasol, Memphis Grizzlies
2. Tony Allen, Memphis Grizzlies
3. Zach Randolph, Memphis Grizzlies

Since 2008, Marc Gasol’s been making his presence felt on the basketball court as the Grizzlies’ standout center. His sweet mid-range jumper, smooth assists, defensive blocks and steals, and desire to be a team player all contribute to him being named the Best Grizzlies Player and Best Local Athlete for 2013.

Best FM Station
1. WEVL-FM 89.9 Volunteer Supported Radio
2. WMFS-FM 92.9 ESPN
3. WXMX-FM 98.1 The Max

For decades, WEVL-FM 89.9 has been providing Memphians with an earful of everything from blues to bluegrass and rock to rap. From the time you’re heading to work until you’re ready to call it a day, turn the dial to WEVL-FM 89.9 to hear great tunes played by station volunteers.

Best AM Station
1. WHBQ-AM Sports 56
2. WREC-AM 600 News Radio
3. ESPN 680 AM

How many radio stations can say they were the first to spin an Elvis Presley record? Only one and that happens to be WHBQ-AM. Now focused on sports talk, the station is known for its in-depth local sports coverage and programming and that gets them the vote for Best AM Station.

Best Drive-Time Show
1. Drake & Zeke in the Morning, 98.1 The Max
2. The Gary Parrish Show with Geoff Calkins, 680 AM/92.9 ESPN
3. Q Morning Show with CJ, Liz, and Alexis, Q107.5

Best Radio Talk Show
1. Drake & Zeke in the Morning, 98.1 The Max
2. The Chris Vernon Show, 680 AM/92.9 ESPN
3. The Gary Parrish Show with Geoff Calkins, 680 AM/92.9 ESPN

Drake & Zeke continue to be the best selection for Memphians to listen to while they’re making their way through rush-hour traffic. The duo’s entertaining conversations about everything from sports to entertainment, cool on-air interviews, and rock-and-roll playlist separate them from the bunch and make Drake & Zeke the top-rated morning show in Memphis.

Best Radio Personality
1. Drake Hall, 98.1 The Max
2. Chris Vernon, 680 AM/92.9 ESPN
3. Ron Olson, FM 100

Drake Hall is a valuable asset to Memphis radio — equipped with humor, knowledge, and a one-of-a-kind personality.

Best Sports Radio Show
1. The Chris Vernon Show, 680 AM/92.9 ESPN
2. The Gary Parrish Show with Geoff Calkins, 680 AM/92.9 ESPN
3. Sportstime with George Lapides and Dave Woloshin, 560 AM Sports

Looking for the latest on the Memphis Tigers or the Grizzlies? Look no further than The Chris Vernon Show. Airing every day of the week from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Vernon does an excellent job of dishing out the latest sports-related info.

Best Newspaper Columnist
BOM 1. Geoff Calkins, The Commercial Appeal
2. Chris Herrington, The Memphis Flyer
3. Michael Donahue, The Commercial Appeal

The Commercial Appeal‘s award-winning columnist remains among the elite when it comes to producing well-written articles with valuable insight. Whether it’s sports or other topics, Calkins outshines the rest no matter what topic he decides to tackle.

BEST TV ANCHOR: Joe Birch; BEST SPORTSCASTER: Jarvis Greer; BEST TV WEATHERPERSON: Dave Brown, WMC-TV Channel 5

Best TV Weatherperson
BOM 1. Dave Brown, WMC-TV Channel 5
2. Ron Childers, WMC-TV Channel 5
3. Joey Sulipeck, WHBQ-TV Fox 13

A weathercaster since the ’70s, Dave Brown has earned our trust when it comes to weather-related matters. The fact that he was known as “Dave Brown the Weather Clown” during his days as a Memphis Wrestling announcer only endears him to us more.

Best TV Sportscaster
BOM 1. Jarvis Greer, WMC-TV Channel 5
2. Glenn Carver, WREG-TV Channel 3
3. Carrie Anderson, WMC-TV Channel 5

Jarvis Greer, or “Jarvo,” as he’s more popularly known, is a leg of the triumvirate of Channel 5 broadcast folk heroes, which include BOM winner Dave Brown (above) and Joe Birch (below). Jarvo holds aloft the local sports flag. He doesn’t need a megaphone to be heard.

Best TV Anchor
BOM 1. Joe Birch, WMC-TV Channel 5
2. Claudia Barr, WREC-TV Channel 3
3. Andrew Douglas, WMC-TV Channel 5

Joe Birch’s Channel 5 bio runs more than 1,300 words long. It’s not that it’s padded with the kind of resume-fillers we mere mortals have to include. Nope, Birch’s accomplishments are just that profound. It starts with his 35 years at WMC-TV and has its last-but-not-least info that MIFA, for whom he’s delivered meals since 1997, introduced the Joe Birch Media Award in his honor. Swoon.

BEST WEBSITE: MemphisFlyer.com

Best Website
1. memphisflyer.com
2. commercialappeal.com/gomemphis.com
3. downtownmemphis.com

Word.

BEST BLOG: I Love Memphis

Best Blog
BOM 1. I Love Memphis Blog, ilovememphisblog.com
2. Eat Local Memphis, eatlocalmemphis.org
3. Dining with Monkeys, diningwithmonkeys.blogspot.com

When Kerry Crawford, aka I Love Memphis, recently announced her “retirement,” the news was met with incredulity and, in some instances, weeping. And while I Love Memphis will continue with a new author, it’s a testament to Crawford’s personality as the local cheerleader extraordinaire that a blogger of all things could have such an impact on the community.

Best Twitter
1. I Love Memphis, @ilovememphis — tie — Tony Allen, @aa000G9
2. The Memphis Flyer, @MemphisFlyer
3. The Chris Vernon Show, @ChrisVernonShow

I Love Memphis gets props in our previous category, so let’s focus on Tony Allen, the Memphis Grizzlies guard who is our city’s collective spirit animal. It says a lot about Allen’s chops with a mobile device that he might be as good a Twitter-er as he is a defensive stopper on the court.

BEST FARMERS MARKET: Memphis Farmers Market

Best Farmers Market
1. Memphis Farmers Market
2. Agricenter Farmers Market
3. Cooper-Young Community Farmers Market

The rise in the prominence of locally sourced foods on Memphis tables has been one of the biggest trends in the last decade. At the fore is the Memphis Farmers Market, downtown at Central Station. It’s a great venue, an ideal place to hunt for the perfect fruit, vegetable, bouquet of flowers, cut of meat, loaf of bread, and/or handmade apron.

Best Grocery Store
1. Kroger
2. Fresh Market
3. Whole Foods Market

Some sociologist should study what it is about Memphis and Kroger that compels people to give nicknames to the different local stores in the grocery chain. Whatever it is, it implies nothing so much as how dominant Kroger has become as a food giant in the Memphis consumer consciousness. Let’s go Krogering!

Best Liquor Store
1. Buster’s Liquors
2. Joe’s Wines & Liquors
3. Kirby Wines & Liquors

Overheard once: A little girl sees the grapes on the sign at Buster’s Liquors and asks her parent what that place is. The answer: “They sell Mommy juice.” For more than half a century, Buster’s has been selling Mommies and Daddies all kinds of “juices” and other grown-up what-nots and what-have-yous. Cheers!

Best Department Store
1. Target
2. Macy’s
3. Dillard’s

Does your shopping list include jumper cables, a musical birthday card, dog treats, coffee, a bath rug, and a purple sweater printed with blue unicorns? Then you’re headed to Target.

BEST SHOPPING CENTER: Carriage Crossing

Best Shopping Center
1. Carriage Crossing
2. The Shops at Saddle Creek
3. Wolfchase Galleria

For years, Carriage Crossing, a lovely open-air mall in Collierville, has been a destination-shopping locale. Shops include New York & Co., I.O. Metro, Barnes & Noble, Sephora, and many, many more. Plus, Carriage Crossing hosts a series of family-friendly nights, featuring movie screenings and dance parties, when the weather’s warm.

Best Bank
1. First Tennessee Bank
2. Regions
3. Bank of America — tie — SunTrust

Celebrating its 150th anniversary next year, First Tennessee Bank is a staple in the business community as well as our city’s skyline. Its downtown headquarters is also known for making the holiday season merrier by displaying giant Christmas trees and holiday bells in the windows.

Best Pet Store
1. Hollywood Feed
2. Petco
3. PetSmart

Eat local still applies when it comes to Memphis’ furry friends. Hollywood offers a choice selection of pet food in addition to handy services like vaccinations, training classes, and affordable grooming.

Best Fine Jewelry Store
1. Mednikow
2. Las Savell
3. Robert Irwin Jewelers

Mednikow is a gem of a jewelry store, and it’s been making Memphis sparkle for more than 100 years. A helpful staff and exclusive brands like David Yurman and John Hardy are just a few of the reasons why Flyer readers associate Mednikow with the Bluff City’s blingiest bling.

Best Antiques Store
1. Sheffield Antiques Mall
2. Flashback
3. Toad Hall

From furniture to figurines, Sheffield Antiques Mall has it all. It’s also home to Ronnie Grisanti’s Italian Restaurant.

BEST GIFT SHOP: Maggie’s Pharm

Best Gift Shop
1. Maggie’s Pharm
2. Babcock Gifts
3. More Than Words

Maggie’s Pharm has been an anchor in Overton Square for more than 30 years, a calming influence back in the square’s heyday, a remedy during the lean years, and, once again, an essential oil as boom times have returned.

Best Women’s Clothing
1. Crazy Beautiful
2. Indigo
3. Hoot + Louise

This boutique’s name fits — it’s Crazy Beautiful. Playful patterns and avant-garde designs keep ladies looking fashionable, fresh, and unique.

Best Women’s Shoes
1. Joseph
2. Cook & Love
3. Outdoors Inc.

The premier place to treat your feet to a little glamour, Joseph has been a local favorite for years. Ladies of all ages count down the days to their semi-annual sale to score everything from Stuart Weitzman booties and Tory Burch flats to red-bottomed Louboutins and classic Manolos.

Best Men’s Clothing
1. Oak Hall
2. Outdoors Inc.
3. James Davis

Since 1859, Oak Hall has specialized in bringing outstanding style to the Mid-South. The fine retailer offers the likes of Hugo Boss suits and Ermenegildo Zegna ties to ensure fellas are always dressed to the nines.

Best Men’s Shoes
1. Oak Hall
2. Outdoors Inc.
3. James Davis

Likewise, Oak Hall has got gentlemen covered from head to toe, with fine footwear that has our menfolk putting their best foot forward.

Best Vintage/Used Clothing
1. Goodwill
2. Flashback
3. Hoot + Louise

Memphians prove that you really can look incredible wearing granddad’s clothes by voting Goodwill the best place for vintage finds. So, whether you’ve got 99 cents or $20 in your pocket, you’ll be able to find something stylish.

Best Bookstore (new)
1. The Booksellers at Laurelwood
2. Barnes & Noble Booksellers
3. Burke’s Book Store

Known for its friendly staff, a café with delicious fare, and an enormous selection of books, the Booksellers at Laurelwood is a family-friendly oasis to escape the stress of the hectic day-to-day schedule.

Best Bookstore (used)
BOM 1. Burke’s Book Store
2. Tiger Bookstore
3. Book Traders

An oldie, but a goodie (and clearly a Memphis classic). Burke’s Book Store is a Midtown staple and houses numerous hidden and not-so-hidden treasures. Iconic for many reasons, Burke’s has dominated this category for many years.

Best Hair Salon
1. Gould’s
2. Dabbles
3. Hi Gorgeous

Best Day Spa
BOM 1. Gould’s
2. Germantown Day Spa
3. Serenity Day Spa

Best Place To Get a Facial
BOM 1. Gould’s
2. Germantown Day Spa
3. Serenity Day Spa

Best Manicure/Pedicure
1. Gould’s
2. Nail Bar on the Island
3. Nail & Skin Bar – Midtown

Best Place To Get Waxed
1. Gould’s
2. European Wax Center
3. Hi Gorgeous

With 11 locations in the Memphis area, it’s not surprising Gould’s is a favorite. For those who want to look their best, Gould’s offers a dazzling array of services to keep you well-groomed. Whether you’re looking for a relaxing massage or nail and skin care or you need help taming your hair (on your head and other body parts), you’ll be in good hands at Gould’s.

BEST HEALTH/FITNESS CENTER: Kroc Center

Best Health/Fitness Center
1. Kroc Center of Memphis
2. French Riviera
3. Fogelman YMCA (Downtown)

The Kroc Center in Midtown healthily takes the top spot after being open less than a year. A wonderland of fitness, the Kroc has an array of weights and cardio machines as well as an aquatics center with a two-story slide and an indoor splash park, basketball courts and soccer fields, a Challenge Center with a zip line and rope course, a theater, and a café.

Best Yoga Studio
1. Midtown Yoga
2. Bikram
3. Better Bodies Yoga

Midtown Yoga has been honoring that place in you where the whole universe resides since 2001. With more than 20 experienced instructors, the studio offers classes in a wide variety of styles, with something to suit every skill level and schedule. Namaste.

Best Tattoo Parlor
1. No Regrets Tattoo Emporium
2. Underground Art
3. Trilogy

So you’re not 100 percent sure if you want a tiger on your back or bombs on your biceps, but there’s one thing you certainly don’t want: regrets. Michael, Brent, Joe, Paul, Tony, and Ben, the talented ink-slingers at No Regrets Tattoo Emporium, can help.

Best Tobacco/Smoke Shop
1. Tobacco Corner
2. Wizard’s
3. Whatever

Tobacco Corner is a Memphis institution. The store hasn’t only provided Mid-South smokers with a wide variety of cigars, tobaccos, pipes, and pens since 1969, a community of enthusiasts has grown up around the shop’s famous “Round Table.”

Best Dry Cleaner
1. Bensinger’s Fine Cleaners
2. Dryve Cleaners
3. Happy Day Cleaners

Bensinger’s was founded in 1954 by Alfred Bensinger and quickly became one of Memphis’ most trusted names in cleaning and laundry services. With 10 locations, there’s one near everybody.

Best Florist
1. Pugh’s Flowers
2. Holliday Flowers
3. Garden District

How can you not love a flower shop with a skunk logo? Family-owned since 1976, this full-service florist has three locations and delivers seven days a week. Whether you’re looking for corsages, roses, fancy arrangements, gift baskets, or green plants, no worries, Pugh’s has got this.

Best Garden Center
1. Dan West Garden Center
2. Midtown Nursery
3. Stringer’s Poplar Pointe Garden Center

The text on Dan West’s great old neon sign says it all: “FOR THE BEST … GO WEST.” And it’s not just a garden center. It’s a Christmas store offering a unique selection of wreaths, garlands, nutcrackers, and artificial Christmas trees.

Best Home Furnishings
1. Stash
2. Ashley Furniture HomeStore
3. Pottery Barn Outlet

Is your style bungalow or European manor? What about bohemian abode or trendy studio? Whatever the answer, Stash supplies all your home-furnishing wants and needs. One-of-a-kind pieces help set your living space apart and express your own unique taste.

BEST ATHLETIC-GOODS STORE: Outdoors, Inc.

Best Athletic-Goods Store
1. Outdoors Inc.
2. Breakaway Running
3. Fleet Feet

Flyer readers seem to spend so much time eating, drinking, smoking, shopping, and getting tattooed, we’re not sure how they find time to bike, hike, ski, canoe, climb, or kayak, but they do. But before they go outdoors, they go to Outdoors Inc. to check out the best gear from North Face, Patagonia, Mountain Hardwear, Arc’teryx, and Columbia Sportswear Co.

Best Bicycle Shop
1. Peddler
2. Midtown Bicycle
3. Outdoors Inc.

Between the Greenline, downtown’s pedestrian mall, and bike lanes, bike lanes, bike lanes, there has never been a better time to be a cycling enthusiast in Memphis. And whether you’re an extreme racer, an urban commuter, or just like to ride your cruiser from coffee shop to coffee shop, the Peddler has got the bike, helmet, basket, bell, or lock you’re looking for. It’s been a Memphis favorite since 1971 BS (Before Sharrows).

Best Record Store (new)
1. Spin Street
2. Goner Records
3. Shangri-La Records

Spin Street isn’t just a sprawling old-school record store with new music for sale. It also features an extensive selection of DVDs, pop-culture collectibles, T-shirts, and novelties. It stocks enough previously owned CDs and vinyl to make it a contender for best used record store too.

BEST RECORD STORE (USED): Goner Records

Best Record Store (used)
1. Goner Records
2. Spin Street
3. Shangri-La Records

Tucked into a storefront in Cooper-Young, Goner is both a label and a store, but it’s the record shop that brought home the gold in this category. Looking for the very first release from Australia’s Eddy Current Suppression Ring? How about that They Came From the Sky CD in the “Kraut Rock” category? If that’s not for you, then there’s always something available in the international, new wave, no wave, post punk, proto punk, and — sort of a catch-all — “weird” bins at Goner Records. It’s one of those places where it’s impossible to leave the store empty-handed.

Best Music
Equipment Store
1. Amro Music Stores
2. Guitar Center
3. Gibson Guitar — tie — Memphis Drum Shop

Okay, if you’re the lead guitar in a rock band, then Amro’s probably not for you, for the simple reason that they don’t sell guitars. Just everything else. They’ve got a huge showroom on Poplar lined wall to wall with pianos (Steinways!), organs, saxophones, trombones, violins, and drums, and they’re the leading supplier of band instruments to just about every school and church in the Mid-South. Plus lessons, sheet music, instrument repairs, and a friendly and extremely knowledgeable staff. They’ve been in business since 1921; it’s easy to see (and hear) why.

Best New Car Dealership
Readers’ Choice
AutoNation Honda
Gossett
Jim Keras
Landers
Lexus of Memphis
Wolfchase Honda
Wolfchase Toyota

With the economy in such a funk, it’s nice to know that our readers are so happy with so many new car dealerships. Great selection of models, good prices, and a friendly sales and service staff will make you a winner every time.

Best Used Car Dealership
1. Carmax
2. City Auto
3. Gossett

It’s almost impossible to drive around town without seeing a Carmax sticker on the car ahead of you, and there’s a reason for that. Customers obviously like the almost unlimited online selection and, when it comes to making that purchase, the professional and courteous sales staff.

Best Motorcycle Dealership
BOM 1. Bumpus Harley-Davidson
2. Honda-Yamaha of Memphis
3. Southern Thunder

Not too many years ago, the general notion was that a motorcycle dealership — especially one selling Harleys — was staffed by guys who made the stars of Sons of Anarchy look like choir boys. That’s changed, thanks to clean and modern establishments like Bumpus, which has so much stuff on display that it seems like you’ve entered a Wonders exhibit on motorcycling. Bikes are just part of it. They’ve got shirts, caps, jackets, helmets, boots, belts, decals, patches — even a collar for your dog! — all emblazoned with the H-D logo. Pick yourself out a new Sportster on your next visit.

Categories
Sports

Is Memphis a Fitness Friendly City?

Audubon_Park_Memphis_TN_06.jpg

Surveys of America’s fittest and fattest and park-friendly cities are a dime a dozen, and I see about one a week. Here’s one that came in today from the Trust for Public Land. I don’t read most of them any more. But public sports facilities — that means anyplace you can use for free or by paying a fee — have played a big part in my life and they are part of our lifestyle and our personal and municipal budgets.

Most surveys lie. Fat cities are not fat due to a lack of public facilities. The problem is diet, personal motivation, and access. Ours is a disposable city, and the facilities and the people are not always in the same place. Here’s my Memphis survey. It is personal, subjective, anecdotal, and uninformed in some categories, less so in others. But in most cases I have seen ’em and and used ’em, which is more than most of the surveys can claim.

Public parks: Oversupplied. Shelby Farms is four times bigger than Central Park. Overton Park is getting better year after year. There are riverfront parks from Mud Island to Tom Lee Park to Crump Park near the Ornamental Metals Museum, some of them rarely visited. Mud Island River Park is closed half the year. Greenbelt Park on Mud Island is the best of the lot. Tiger Lane at the Fairgrounds is for the football crowd. Kennedy, Willow Road, Bellevue, and Leftwich/Audubon serve multiple needs. There are probably too many parks for a disposable city to maintain adequately.

Walking trails and running: Adequate. Put your shoes on and take off. True story: a former colleague was so obsessed with training for a marathon that he ran hundreds of laps around his living room when it rained. There are oval tracks at the fairgrounds and many high schools. There is an organized race of some kind nearly every weekend.

Fitness machines and structured programs: Unbalanced. Suburbs oversupplied with clubs and community facilities, inner city Memphis is undersupplied. Kroc Center, Streets Ministries, Memphis Athletic Ministries, and Church Health Center are helping a lot.

Tennis: Oversupplied in both indoor and outdoor courts. High schools and colleges that emphasize tennis build to tournament capacity, which leaves a lot of courts unused at other times. The University of Memphis has moved its tennis operations to the Racquet Club, leaving several perfectly good courts on campus for everyday players. Memphis has more public indoor tennis centers than Chicago. There are unused and deteriorating but still playable courts at Frayser Tennis Center. There is no single public center to compare with the biggest public centers in Little Rock, Mobile, Murfreesboro, and Nashville but overall Memphis is still oversupplied.

Racquetball. Oversupplied. A dying sport that thrived in Memphis 30 years ago, but plenty of courts remain at University of Memphis, Racquet Club, downtown YMCA, and some of the fitness clubs and community centers.

Outdoor basketball: Adequate. The cheapest sport around, requiring only nets, backboards, level rims, and a ball.

Indoor basketball: Adequate. Schools, churches, and community centers meet the need.

Bicycle riding: Oversupplied. If you want to ride a bike, there’s nothing stopping you, assuming you can afford one, and if you can’t there are organizations that will help. The dedicated bike lanes, bike paths, and sharrows are nice but a city-wide grid is unnecessary. Memphis is mostly flat and the weather is more conducive to riding than in the Snow Belt.

Football: Oversupplied. Liberty Bowl Stadium is used nine times a year. Football defined the fairgrounds. Most high schools have a field, and some of them are putting in artificial surfaces.

Baseball and softball: Oversupplied. Baseball is a suburban game, and teams migrate to the suburban baseball fields for tournaments and leagues. An unkempt field and backstop is a typical scene at most Memphis parks and high schools, a relic of another day. Good fields like the ones at Rodney Baber are expensive to light and maintain and lightly used.

Soccer: Equals suburban, although some of the world’s greats came out of poor Third World countries. Adequate to oversupplied, thanks to Mike Rose Fields.

Golf: Adequate. Memphis had to close public courses, which are magnets for wasteful spending and political squabbles on the City Council. Galloway serves the high end, and if you are willing to spend $40 you can play just about anywhere. Overton Park needs real greens.

Swimming: Undersupplied, but expensive, seasonal, and fraught with liability. The Kroc Center will help when it opens next year. Closing the Mason YMCA hurt. High marks for suburbs, downtown YMCA, University of Memphis, and Rhodes College which offers a summer membership.

Others: volleyball, skateboarding, squash, lacrosse, field hockey, rugby, bowling, Ultimate. You want to play it, you can find a place. It may require some effort and practice but that’s the point. And it may require some cash and a car, but if you don’t have those there are less expensive or free alternatives. It comes down to motivation and lifestyle. A new building or a new facility — or a survey — is usually not the answer.

Categories
From My Seat Sports

FROM MY SEAT: In Which A Sports Scribe Predicts the Future

I’m
about as good at predicting sporting events as I am at dunking a basketball.
(You should see me at preschool playgrounds.) So I’m getting this out of the way
nice and early. You need a few things to watch for in 2008? Read on.

• The
New England Patriots will win the Super Bowl, and officially become the New York
Yankees of the National Football League. Okay, I started with an easy one. But
Bill Belichick’s juggernaut has become too good to stomach. Whether or not they
cheated in filming their opponents, they are to pro football what Microsoft is
to the computer industry. Necessary, I suppose, but hard to cheer.

• Dale
Earnhardt Jr. will win the Daytona 500. In joining the Patriots of NASCAR (Hendrick
Motorsports), Junior now has the same resources (read: financial backing) that
2007 Nextel Cup champ Jimmie Johnson and four-time champ Jeff Gordon enjoy. As
popular as stock-car racing has become, it needs its most popular driver to be
in the headlines for stories other than family squabbles. Think there won’t be
some tears in the infield if Junior can win the race where his daddy died seven
years earlier?

• The
Memphis Tigers will return to the Final Four! That’s the good news. The 2007-08
Tigers are too deep, with too much defense and scoring options to fall shy of a
top seed in the NCAA tournament, which will punch their ticket to San Antonio.
Alas, the Tigers will not cut down the nets. Their Achilles heel? You’ve heard
it before: free-throw shooting. Gonna cost them.

• At
least one prominent major-league baseball player — one NOT named in the Mitchell
Report — will be suspended before the 2008 All-Star break. If I’ve learned
anything from observing professional baseball players over the last 30 years,
it’s that they never learn.

• The
Memphis Redbirds will win at least 60 games. This is hardly a stretch, you might
say, considering they play more than 140. But considering our Triple-A outfit
has managed but 58 and 56 victories the last two seasons, five dozen wins would
be a step in the right direction. I get the impression the culture of the St.
Louis Cardinals’ farm system will transform under the watch of new general
manager John Mozeliak.

• Roger
Federer will break through and (finally) win the French Open, thanks to a
pre-final upset of his nemesis, Rafal Nadal. But the mighty Federer will NOT win
his sixth consecutive Wimbledon title. Nadal gains a measure of revenge.

• Pau
Gasol will not be a Memphis Grizzly on Opening Night of the 2008-09 season.
Whether or not Gasol is moved before this season’s trade deadline, I can’t say
(odds: 50-50). But it’s growing clear that our local NBA club is Rudy Gay’s
team. Having not won a playoff game in what will be seven years with Gasol, and
with Gasol still an attractive trade chip for the many teams needing a scoring
touch down low, Grizzlies GM Chris Wallace will make the move so many
disgruntled Grizzlies fans have called for.

• The
football-stadium debate will die with a whimper. The Tigers can’t sell 40,000
tickets unless Ole Miss or Tennessee is in town. The Liberty Bowl contest
thrives in its current home. As does the Southern Heritage Classic. The Pyramid,
folks, is a dust-gathering asset that the city needs to address, and soon.
Comparatively speaking, the old home of the football Tigers simply ain’t broke.
And without community-wide support (read: tax dollars) to support an
improvement, it’s not getting “fixed.”

Happy
New Year everybody.

Categories
News News Feature

Predictions for 2008: a Quiz

CREDIT: image: utoledo.edu

A do-it-yourself quiz for Memphis prognosticators and Flyer readers.

1. The current buzz phrase most likely to be forgotten a year from now will be (a) Aerotropolis (b) political consultant (c) Blue Crush (d) monetize.

2. The next big deal for Memphis that will show tangible progress in 2008 will be (a) Biotech zone on the site of old Baptist Hospital downtown (b) makeover of Sears Crosstown (c) Fairgrounds (d) Shelby Farms.

3. The Memphis sports surprise of 2008 will be (a) highly-rated Tiger basketball team falls short of Final Four once again (b) a new hunting and fishing alliance (c) University of Memphis football team wins eight games (d) the Grizzlies playoff run.

4. The Memphis attraction that will suffer the biggest attendance drop in 2008 will be (a) Graceland (b) Tiger football (c) Memphis Redbirds (d) Grizzlies.

5. The 2007 news headliner most likely to be forgotten one year from today will be (a) indicted former commissioner Bruce Thompson (b) “sex-plot” diva Gwendolyn Smith (c) strip club owner Ralph Lunati (d) indicted former MLGW CEO Joseph Lee.

6. Which of the following people is most likely to have another 15 minutes of fame in 2008? (a) Mary Winkler (b) Rickey Peete (c) Roscoe Dixon (d) John Ford.

7. The share price of FedEx, which hit a 52-week low of $94 in December, will be how much a year from now? (a) $85 or less (b) $95 (c) $105 (d) $115 or more.

8. Local governments will make ends meet by (a) raising property taxes (b) implementing a payroll tax on commuters (c) cutting services (d) layoffs.

9. The downtown big deal that will go away in 2008 will be (a) Beale Street Landing boat dock (b) Gene Carlisle’s high-rise hotel and condos (c) Bass Pro in The Pyramid (d) the COGIC convention.

10. The government-by-referendum idea that will pass in 2008 will be (a) term limits for city politicians (b) no property-tax increase without a referendum (c) both (d) neither one.

11. The next superintendent and top leadership of the Memphis City Schools will have a background in (a) education and Teach For America (b) the military (c) big business (d) Memphis or Tennessee politics and government.

12. Facing public loss of confidence and financial pressure, the Memphis City Schools will close or schedule the closing of how many schools in 2008? (a) none (b) five or less (c) five to ten (d) more than ten.

13. A final decision will be made in 2008 to put the football stadium for the University of Memphis (a) on the main campus (b) on the South Campus (c) build a new stadium at fairgrounds (d) renovate the existing stadium at Fairgrounds.

14. The big news out of the federal building in 2008 will be (a) major new indictments of public figures related to political corruption (b) no major new indictments of public figures related to political corruption (c) a courtroom defeat for prosecutors (d) reversal of Judge Bernice Donald’s desegregation order for county schools.

15. The news with the biggest negative impact on ordinary Memphians in 2008 will be (a) sky-high MLGW bills (b) rising violent-crime rate (c) $4-a-gallon gasoline (d) massive foreclosures and falling housing values.

16. Who is most likely to leave their job in 2008 for whatever reason? (a) Tommy West (b) My Harrison (c) John Calipari (d) Willie Herenton.

My answers: 1, b; 2, a; 3, a; 4, d; 5, b; 6, a; 7, d; 8, d; 9, d; 10, d; 11, a; 12, b; 13, d; 14, a and d; 15, c. 16, b.

Categories
Opinion

Best, Worst Ideas of 2007

I don’t think it’s a good idea for anyone to serve five straight terms as mayor, but 42 percent of the people who voted in October thought otherwise. Underestimating Mayor Willie Herenton’s political base was not a good idea, and neither was relying on polls to tell you to run against him in a three-way.

It was a good idea for seven City Council incumbents to decide not to run again. (Rickey Peete and Edmund Ford had little choice.) Fresh horses and all that, plus the next four years won’t be any picnic if Memphis slides into a recession.

Going to trial against federal prosecutors in public corruption cases was not a good idea. They’re unbeaten. John Ford put up a good fight, but the tapes were devastating and a jury convicted him on one count to get him a 66-month prison sentence, slightly more than the 63 months given to Roscoe Dixon, who also went to trial.

Cooperating with federal prosecutors was a good idea. Second-offender Rickey Peete got 51 months, and Michael Hooks, who held three elected positions in his career, is serving 26 months. Darrell Catron, who kicked off Tennessee Waltz, got probation plus a new house and spending money without, so far, even having to testify in a trial. Ralph Lunati pleaded guilty and got 18 months for running what investigators called the wildest and most wide-open, drug-infested strip clubs in the country.

Building a team for the future was not a good idea. The Grizzlies will be eliminated from playoff contention about the time March Madness begins.

Building a team for the present was a good idea. You can complain about college basketball stars leaving school early for the pros or you can accept the fact and go get them, as Coach John Calipari has done. No one has done a better job than Calipari of making the best of a bad situation — competition, Beale Street clubs, a weak Conference USA schedule, early departures, a resurgent University of Tennessee. Memphis against UT will be the hottest ticket of 2008.

Hanging around until the shit hits the fan was not a good idea. Joseph Lee, a nice guy who got terrible press, would be in a lot less trouble today if he had not stayed so long at MLGW or had never gone over there from City Hall in the first place.

Resigning before the shit hits the fan was a good idea. Andy Dolich, a nice guy who got great press, couldn’t sell out FedExForum for the Grizzlies. Two weeks later, he landed on his feet as chief operating officer for the San Francisco 49ers. And has anyone seen Jerry West or remember why he was the toast of the town? And why didn’t Carol Johnson tell us any of this stuff was going on at the Memphis City Schools before she left for Boston to be superintendent?

More fun downtown, in the form of roller coasters at The Pyramid, is not a good idea. Look at it this way: Nashville has state government and office buildings and corporate headquarters of insurance companies and telecoms, Knoxville has the University of Tennessee, Little Rock has the Capitol and the Clinton library, and the front door of Memphis might be an amusement park in an abandoned landmark?

Less fun and more work downtown is a good idea. If Mud Island is going to be closed more than half the year, then why not let a private developer have a go at it? Closing streets and turning St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and ALSAC into a true campus was another good idea. So was signing a deal to bring the University of Memphis law school downtown to the old Customs House and post office on Front Street.

Monetizing content by selling sponsorships for stories in The Commercial Appeal was not a good idea, unless you’re in the public relations business.

But monetizing content somehow in the Internet age is a good idea, unless you think reporters and editors should work for nothing. And so was the CA‘s decision to admit a mistake and back off before any more damage was done.

Building a new football stadium at the Fairgrounds was a bad idea. The problem is the teams on the field, Conference USA, and the stadium’s shabby surroundings.

Flat screens, high def, and the new no-smoking regs in bars were good ideas. The best seat in the house is at a sports bar or on your couch.

Categories
From My Seat Sports

FROM MY SEAT: 2007 Top 10 (Part 2)

5)
Memphis 1, Sacramento 0 (July 26) — A one-hitter and a game-winning hit with two
outs in the bottom of the ninth. In terms of fan engagement — you know, the
crowd at AutoZone Park actually paying attention to the action on the field, as
opposed to nurturing cellphone relationships — this was the highlight of the
2007 Redbirds season. Starting pitcher Chris Narveson pitched five and
two-thirds hitless innings against the first-place Sacramento River Cats, and
was relieved more than capably by Matt Ginter and Troy Cate. With two outs in
the ninth, Memphis drew three consecutive walks before Nick Stavinoha ripped a
hit into the rightfield corner for a walk-off victory. For a night, at least,
the standings didn’t matter.

4) Jazz
104, Grizzlies 88 (February 28) — In the closest parallel to Jack and Joe Buck
my family is likely to realize, 7-year-old Sofia Murtaugh was part of a media
contingent during a pregame press conference on Kids’ Night at FedExForum. Her
question for Grizzlies coach Tony Barone: “Which NBA player is the toughest to
defend?” (Barone’s answer: Kobe Bryant and Dirk Nowitzki.) Suited up in a mini-Grizz
outfit for the pregame introductions and a dunk contest following the third
quarter, young Murtaugh saw the home team jump out to a 20-4 lead, only to
witness the Northwest Division-leading Jazz chip away and end the Grizzlies’
two-game home winning streak. Pau Gasol’s 28 points and 13 rebounds weren’t
enough to offset Utah’s Carlos Boozer (24 points and 16 boards) and Deron
Williams (14 points, 10 assists). The loss kept Memphis tied with Boston in the
Greg Oden Sweepstakes, with an NBA-worst 15 victories on the season. Ms.
Murtaugh was tucked snuggly in bed by the time Barone opened his postgame
session.

3)
Memphis 25, UAB 9 (November 17) — In terms of probability — or lack thereof —
this was the Game of the Year. The Tiger football team had been handled by the
likes of Arkansas State, Middle Tennessee, UCF, and East Carolina (giving up 56
points to each of the latter two). They had lost a member of the team — reserve
defensive lineman Taylor Bradford — in an on-campus murder not even two months
earlier. They had not beaten the Blazers since 1999, and that was with DeAngelo
Williams carrying the ball four of those years. Yet there in the end zone at
game’s end, hoisting the bronzed rack of ribs that has come to symbolize the
“Battle for the Bones,” was Tiger backup quarterback Will Hudgens. With Joseph
Doss rushing for 168 yards, Duke Calhoun catching four passes for another 159,
and Martin Hankins passing for 298 yards, the U of M earned bowl eligibility for
the fourth time in five seasons. With a win over SMU the following week, Memphis
finished with a conference record of 6-2, its best in 12 years of C-USA play.

2)
Memphis 71, Houston 59 (March 10) — For the second straight year, John
Calipari’s Tigers finished off a sweep of Conference USA’s regular season and
tournament championships with a win at FedExForum. (And for the second straight
year, the victory gave the Tigers 30 wins for the season, on their way to a 33-4
finish.) The Tigers essentially had the Cougars beaten by halftime, up by 11
with a capacity crowd roaring for the national-television audience. Chris
Douglas-Roberts scored 17 points on his way to earning tourney MVP honors.
Fellow sophomore Antonio Anderson matched CDR’s point total and dished out five
assists. This marked the fifth time in Tiger basketball history that Memphis won
both conference titles in the same year.

1)
Dallas 35, St. Louis 7 (September 30) — In the fine tradition of Dean Moriarty
and Sal Paradise, a friend and I packed up the horseless carriage and headed
west, our destination Texas Stadium. Lifelong Cowboy fans, Johnny G and I
counted the RV dealerships and cotton fields over our 450-mile journey, all for
a chance to cast our shadows under that famous hole in the roof where Someone
Else is rumored to keep watch over His favorite football team. We saw the
Cowboys rack up 502 yards (their most in a non-overtime game since 1998) and
improve to 4-0 for the first time in more than a decade. Tom Landry statue
aside, the highlight was seeing Dallas quarterback Tony Romo retrieve a
shotgun-snap over his head, turn upfield, and dodge at least three Ram tacklers
to gain a first down. How ’bout them Cowboys, indeed.

Categories
From My Seat Sports

FROM MY SEAT: 2007 Top 10 (Part 1)

It’s
time for my annual look at the 10 sporting events I attended this year that
brought the biggest smiles.

10) UCF
2, Memphis 1 (October 28) — Final score aside, this was a terrific
double-overtime affair between the top two women’s soccer teams in Conference
USA. It happened to be the only loss the Tigers suffered at the Mike Rose Soccer
Complex all season. Furthermore, it was a preview of the C-USA tournament
championship, which was won by Memphis two weeks later. The U of M made its
first appearance in the NCAA tournament, losing its opening-round game to finish
the season at 17-4-1. It’s a safe bet that coach Brooks Monaghan’s team will
appear on this list again next year.

9)
Memphis 102, UT-Martin 71 (November 5) — “A rare fall bloom.” The Memphis Tiger
basketball program’s marketing metaphor for the arrival of freshman star Derrick
Rose was too easy. And quite perfect. Witnessing Rose for the first time —
playing at a speed unfamiliar to most mortals — was akin to sighting a comet,
particularly with the knowledge that a year later he’ll be wearing an NBA
uniform. Better look now. Rose scored 17 points in his college debut, but had a
game-high of “oohs,” “ahhs,” and bursts of audible disbelief from the crowd of
16,555 at FedExForum. The play I’ll remember was Rose’s second field goal, early
in the first half, when he scorched along the baseline and elevated for a
reverse layup. Somehow, the 19-year-old rookie seemed to move through the air
faster than the other nine men on the court. (Is that possible?) Point guards
aren’t supposed to look so comfortable in the paint, among giants. One of John
Calipari’s challenges will be making sure Rose’s teammates don’t join the ranks
of his admiring spectators.

8)
Memphis 4, Omaha 2 (April 21) — “I grew up a hockey player, and graduated a
baseball player.” On Stubby Clapp Night at AutoZone Park, the Redbirds retired
the number worn between 1999 and 2002 by one backflipping second-sacker, Richard
Clapp III. Made all the more appropriate during the franchise’s 10th season in
Memphis, a spotlight on the bullpen wall beyond centerfield illuminated Stubby’s
number 10 for posterity, just before a fireworks display and right after the
Redbirds ended a four-game losing streak by beating the Royals. Tagg Bozied and
Rico Washington connected for back-to-back homers to lead the Redbirds, and Mike
Sillman was the winning pitcher despite only throwing a single pitch (one that
induced a double play to end the fifth inning). The biggest cheers on this
night, though, were saved for Stubby, who managed one more backflip — in blue
jeans, this time — on his way to the microphone for his postgame speech.

7)
Tucson 3, Memphis 2 (May 30) — While the result was all too common for the 2007
Redbirds, it would be hard to match this Wednesday-afternoon “businessperson’s
special” at AutoZone Park. With the city schools closed for the summer, each of
my two daughters joined me for the kind of ballpark outing normally reserved for
summer Sundays. While there’s little to remember from the pitcher’s duel itself
(Redbirds closer Brian Falkenborg lost the game on a wild pitch), our pregame
family stroll through the team store was one for the scrapbooks, quite
literally. For there, shining atop a table — roped off for crowd control, folks
— was the 2006 World Series trophy. A pair of photo ops where my daughters’
gleam was somehow matched by the hardware, and my smile was that of a boy at
least a quarter-century younger. I can share the pictures with you.

6) St.
Louis 5, Cleveland 1 (March 31) — The inaugural Civil Rights Game at AutoZone
Park was the right game at the right time in the right place. The brainchild of
Redbirds president Dave Chase, the game — presented under the Major League
Baseball umbrella — allowed two tradition-rich teams to play an exhibition in
honor of the pioneers who integrated baseball and made it a game reflective of
American (and now world) society. The Cardinals (a franchise that gave us labor
legend Curt Flood) and the Indians (a franchise that broke the American League’s
color barrier with Larry Doby) played in uniforms styled in the tradition of the
Negro Leagues. Better yet, Vera Clemente (Roberto’s widow), Spike Lee, and the
late Buck O’Neil were honored before the game with the first Beacon Awards.
Throw in an Albert Pujols home run for the reigning world champs and the
afternoon was quite perfect.

Check in
next week for my top five.