Kobe And The Lakers Take One From Grizzlies

The Memphis Grizzlies couldn’t hold an eight point half time lead and Kobe Bryant scored 36 as the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Grizz tonight 105 – 98. The Grizzlies led most of the game, but didn’t have enough gas to get the win.

The Grizzlies take on the Dallas Mavericks on the road tomorrow night before returning to the FedEx Forum Friday against the Indiana Pacers.

Did anyone notice Bryant's new Nike Zoom Kobe 4 shoes? Sharp looking low tops.

Old Crow Medicine Show at Minglewood Hall

Old Crow Medicine Show will play at Midtown Memphis' newest music venue, Minglewood Hall. Tickets are on sale now for the February 15 show.

Kooky Canuck, Tigers Win Matinee, A Raiford New Year’s Eve

Last week, Big Foot Lodge officially changed its name to Kooky Canuck. No menu changes, same familiar faces and there will still be ice cold 34oz beers.

After losing to Syracuse on Saturday, the Memphis Tigers beat up on the Drexel Dragons at the FedEx Forum this afternoon. The Tigers next take the court on December 29 against rival Cincinnati.

Legendary Memphis entertainer Raiford is hosting a New Year’s Eve party at the Holiday Inn in West Memphis. Looks like he won’t be at the Hollywood Disco party.

Tigers Win, St. Pete Bowl, Kennedy's Rude Homecoming

The Memphis Tigers edged out a 59-51 victory over Arkansas-Little Rock last night. The Tigers appear to have a lack of confidence on the court that needs be corrected quickly. Cal needs to send the team to self-affirmation classes before Saturday's game against Syracuse or it may be a long Saturday afternoon.

The MagicJack St. Petersburg Bowl is also Saturday afternoon/early evening. Should be an interesting matchup between Memphis and South Florida. The Bulls will have the home field advantage should take care of business 31-20.

Mississippi Head Basketball Coach Andy Kennedy was arrested early this morning in Cincinnati for allegedly punching a cab driver in the face while yelling racial slurs. Cincy news outlets are reporting that there is an independent witness who saw the incident. As always, there are two sides to every story and you are innocent until proven guilty, but this doesn't look good. Kennedy is a former Cincinnati assistant coach and interim HBC.

Where’s the ice?, Grizzlies Streak Ends, Tigers Basketball, Jazzfest, A&R Going Downtown

Everyone seemed a little disappointed that the ice didn’t arrive as expected in Memphis. Oh well, there’s always next time.

The Memphis Grizzlies put up a strong fight, but came up a little short against the New Orleans Hornets tonight. The loss snapped the Grizzlies four game winning streak. Memphis will end its five game home stand on Friday against the Charlotte Bobcats.

After a tough loss to Georgetown on Saturday, the Memphis Tigers return to the FedEx Forum tomorrow night for a game with Arkansas-Little Rock. The Tigers will then take on Syracuse on Saturday. Speaking of Syracuse, did everyone see the wild finish of the Syracuse vs Cleveland State game last night?



The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival announced its 40th Anniversary line up today. The 2009 festival will be held on April 24-26 and April 30-May 3 with performances from the Dave Mathews Band, Wilco, Etta James, Buddy Guy and many more. Overall, the lineup is great. Obviously, this isn’t necessarily Memphis related, but New Orleans is a quick drive or train ride away.

It was reported today that A&R Bar-B-Q is opening its 4th Memphis location in the space formerly occupied by Downtown's Roma Pizza. Guess you can never have enough pork shoulder and ribs in Memphis.

Voodoo Room and Ice Storms

Voodoo Room recently opened in the basement of Orleans restaurant on Front Street. This fantastic new bar is exactly what Downtown Memphis needs. Mostly filled with cookie cutter, of the shelf concepts, Voodoo and Bardog provide the neighborhood bar watering holes that have always been lacking in Downtown area. There is a decent beer selection ranging from PBR to Lazy Magnolia. One request, a bar like this needs Miller High Life ponies. Many will recogonize bartender Hoop from previous runs at Hoop's and Dan McGuiness. There is plenty of seating with couches and lounge chairs in addition to standard bar seating and table. After few adult beverages, you can test your skills with a game of beer pong as well. Great call Hoop and Clint.

An ice storm warning has been issued for the Mid-south until noon on Tuesday. Let the games begin.

Grizz Streak Continues and Chizik.

With their win over the Miami Heat on Sunday afternoon, the Memphis Grizzlies have won four straight games. The last time this happened was the 2005-2006 season. The Grizzlies have a chance to extend the winning streak against Chris Paul and the New Orleans Hornets on Tuesday night at the FedEx Forum. Plenty of great seats are still available.

Auburn has hired Gene Chizik as their new football coach. Chizik? Really? Wow! This questionable hire has lead to a wonderful new website dedicated to Jay Jacobs.

Grizzlies Win...Again?

The Grizzlies ruined Derrick Rose's return to Memphis and beat the visiting Chicago Bulls tonight. A season high three game winning streak is the perfect way to start a 5 game homestand. Its safe to say tonight's crowd was the largest of the season.

Let's The Screaming Begin: Dick Vitale Book Signing In Memphis

ESPN analyst Dick Vitale will sign copies of his new book “Dick Vitale’s Fabulous 50 Players & Moments in College Basketball: From the Best Seat in the House During My 30 Years at ESPN” Dec. 19 from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the University of Memphis Bookstore.

I can hear it now. AWESOME BABY! ACC! DIAPER DANDY! DUKE! PTPer! I'll be in line early for this one.

Liberty Bowl and Memphis Tiger Updates

The Liberty Bowl match up will be East Carolina from Conference USA and Kentucky from the SEC. Kentucky is expected to bring a good crowd and ECU should bring a decent amount of people. ECU coach Skip Holtz is expected to take the Syracuse job on Monday, so it will be interesting to see if he makes the trip. Vanderbilt will stay at home and play in the Music City Bowl.

The Memphis Tigers also announced that they will be headed to Florida for the first St. Petersburg Bowl. The Tigers will play Big East representative South Florida, formerly a member of Conference USA.

Memphis Lagniappe's Fabled College Football Playoff Predictions Week Of 12/8/2008 (Final)

Memphis Lagniappe's Fabled College Football Playoff Predictions are published weekly to show a possible college football playoff format. Similar to the NCAA basketball tournament, 11 conference champions receive automatic bids. 5 additional spots are available for at-large bids.

Round 1 games would be hosted by the higher ranked seeds. Rounds 2 - 4 would incorporate the bowl system with host cities/bowls bidding to host the games. The "Big 4" BCS bowls would be permanent playoff hosts on a round-rotating basis (Championship, semi-finals and 1 round 2 game).

For the week of December 8, 2008 (Final):

1. Florida (SEC Champion)
2. Oklahoma (Big 12 Champion)
3. Texas (At Large Big 12)
4. Alabama (At Large SEC)
5. USC (PAC 10 Champion)
6. Texas Tech (At Large Big 12)
7. Penn State (Big 10 Champion)
8. Utah (MWC Champion)
9. Boise State (WAC Champion)
10. Ohio State (At Large Big 10)
11. TCU (At Large MWC)
12. Cincinnati (Big East Champion)
13. Virginia Tech (ACC Champion)
14. East Carolina (CUSA Champion)
15. Buffalo (MAC Champion)
16. Troy (Sunbelt Champion)

Dropped out: Ball State (#12, MAC Champion), Boston College (#14, ACC Champion), Tulsa (#15, CUSA Champion)

Number Of Teams by Conference:
Big 12 (3), Big 10 (2), MWC (2), SEC (2), ACC (1), Big East (1), CUSA (1), MAC (1), Pac 10 (1), Sunbelt (1), WAC (1), Independent (0)

Match ups round by round assuming higher seeds win.

Round 1
(16) Troy at (1) Florida
(9) Boise State at (8) Utah
(12) Cincinnati at (5) USC
(13) Virginia Tech at (4) Alabama
(11) TCU at (6) Texas Tech
(14) East Carolina at (3) Texas
(10) Ohio State at (7) Penn State
(15) Buffalo at (2) Oklahoma

Round 2
(8) Utah vs (1) Florida
(5) USC vs (4) Alabama
(6) Texas Tech vs (3) Texas
(7) Penn State vs (2) Oklahoma

Round 3
(4) Alabama vs (1) Florida
(3) Texas vs (2) Oklahoma

Championship Game
(2) Oklahoma vs (1) Florida

Liberty Bowl, Tigers Bowling and Grizzlies

East Carolina locked up a bid to the Liberty Bowl today by beating Tulsa in the Conference USA Championship game. Most "experts" are predicting the Pirates will be matched up with Vanderbilt.

The Memphis Tigers will also be bowling this year, most likely in the St. Petersburg Bowl. There is a small chance the Tigers could be in the Armed Forces Bowl in Ft. Worth, the GMAC Bowl in Mobile or even to the Indepence Bowl in Shreveport, but these chances are not likley.

The Grizzlies ended their 7 game slide last night with a victory over the Los Angeles Clippers. There were tons of empty seats. If it weren't for a hyped-up group of high school kids that stood up and cheered all night, you would have been able to hear a pin drop. The economy can be used as an excuse, but there is really only one thing that will improve attedance...winning.

Restaurant Updates: Automatic Slim's, Circa, Blue Monkey, Bigfoot and Mantia's

Lots of restaurant updates/commentary today. So let's get started.

Automatic Slim's
Looks like Automatic Slim's has new ownership. The new owners will keep some menu favorites from the prior regime and spice things up with their own dishes. Look for more live music on Friday and Saturday nights, including Walrus this weekend.

Circa
Revisited Circa a couple of weeks back. Circa continues to have a great wine list and solid happy hour specials. For those on a budget, be sure to try some the small plates (3 items for $5). Go for the carpaccio, pate and the tuna.

Blue Monkey
On a recent visit to the Downtown Blue Monkey, we decided to take advantage of the Tuesday filet special. For $15 you get a 10oz filet cooked to order, a salad and a side. Good food for a great price. I believe the Midtown Monkey has the same special on Wednesday or Thursday evenings.

Bigfoot Lodge
Supporting the St. Jude Marathon, Bigfoot will participate in the Carb & Pasta Dine Around on Friday, December 5. Bigfoot will offer all you can eat spaghetti with your choice of marinara or meat sauce for only $5.99. Sounds like a great deal.

Mantia's
After a long run in East Memphis, Mantia's is closing its doors. We will miss the great food, friendly service and the awesome pickles. Good luck Alice!

Memphis Lagniappe's Fabled College Football Playoff Predictions Week Of 12/1/2008

Memphis Lagniappe's Fabled College Football Playoff Predictions are published weekly to show a possible college football playoff format. Similar to the NCAA basketball tournament, 11 conference champions receive automatic bids. 5 additional spots are available for at-large bids.

Round 1 games would be hosted by the higher ranked seeds. Rounds 2 - 4 would incorporate the bowl system with host cities/bowls bidding to host the games. The "Big 4" BCS bowls would be permanent playoff hosts on a round-rotating basis (Championship, semi-finals and 1 round 2 game).

For the week of December 1, 2008:

1. Alabama (SEC Champion)
2. Florida (At Large SEC)
3. Oklahoma (Big 12 Champion)
4. Texas (At Large Big 12)
5. USC (PAC 10 Champion)
6. Texas Tech (At Large Big 12)
7. Penn State (Big 10 Champion)
8. Utah (MWC Champion)
9. Boise State (WAC Champion)
10. Ohio State(At Large Big 10)
11. TCU (At Large MWC)
12. Ball State (MAC Champion)
13. Cincinnati (Big East Champion)
14. Boston College (ACC Champion)
15. Tulsa (CUSA Champion)
16. Troy (Sunbelt Champion)

Dropped out: Oklahoma State (#10, At Large Big 12), Oregon State (#13, PAC 10 Champion), Houston (#15, CUSA Champion)

Number Of Teams by Conference:
Big 12 (3), Big 10 (2), MWC (2), SEC (2), ACC (1), Big East (1), CUSA (1), MAC (1), Pac 10 (1), Sunbelt (1), WAC (1), Independent (0)

Match ups round by round assuming higher seeds win.

Round 1
(16) Troy at (1) Alabama
(9) Boise State at (8) Utah
(12) Ball State at (5) USC
(13) Cincinnati at (4) Texas
(11) TCU at (6) Texas Tech
(14) Boston College at (3) Oklahoma
(10) Ohio State at (7) Penn State
(15) Tulsa at (2) Florida

Round 2
(8) Utah vs (1) Alabama
(5) USC vs (4) Texas
(6) Texas Tech vs (3) Oklahoma
(7) Penn State vs (2) Florida

Round 3
(4) Texas vs (1) Alabama
(3) Oklahoma vs (2) Florida

Championship Game
(2) Florida vs (1) Alabama

UCP's 3 Course Feast

UCP of the Mid-South's 3 Course Feast (formerly the Great Chef's Tasting) will be held January 25, 2009 at the University of Memphis Holiday Inn. The Feast will be hosted by Circa's John Bragg and will feature other participating chefs including Erling Jensen, Partick Reilly, Rick Farmer and more.

Visit UCPMemphis.org or call 901-767-4277 for more information.

Memphis Lagniappe's Fabled College Football Playoff Predictions Week Of 11/24/2008

Memphis Lagniappe's Fabled College Football Playoff Predictions are published weekly to show a possible college football playoff format. Similar to the NCAA basketball tournament, 11 conference champions receive automatic bids. 5 additional spots are available for at-large bids.

Round 1 games would be hosted by the higher ranked seeds. Rounds 2 - 4 would incorporate the bowl system with host cities/bowls bidding to host the games. The "Big 4" BCS bowls would be permanent playoff hosts on a round-rotating basis (Championship, semi-finals and 1 round 2 game).

For the week of November 24, 2008:

1. Alabama (SEC Champion)
2. Florida (At Large SEC)
3. Oklahoma (Big 12 Champion)
4. Texas (At Large Big 12)
5. USC (At Large PAC 10)
6. Texas Tech (At Large Big 12)
7. Penn State (Big 10 Champion)
8. Utah (MWC Champion)
9. Boise State (WAC Champion)
10. Oklahoma State (At Large Big 12)
11. Ball State (MAC Champion)
12. Cincinnati (Big East Champion)
13. Oregon State (PAC 10 Champion)
14. Boston College (ACC Champion)
15. Houston (CUSA Champion)
16. Troy (Sunbelt Champion)

Dropped out: Ohio State (#11, At Large Big 10), Pittsburgh (#13, Big East Champion), Maryland (#14, ACC Champion), Louisiana-Lafayette (#16, Sunbelt Champion)

Number Of Teams by Conference:
Big 12 (4), Pac 10 (2), SEC (2), ACC (1), Big 10 (1), Big East (1), CUSA (1), MAC (1), MWC (1), Sunbelt (1), WAC (1), Independent (0)

Match ups round by round assuming higher seeds win.

Round 1
(16) Troy at (1) Alabama
(9) Boise State at (8) Utah
(12) Cincinnati at (5) USC
(13) Oregon State at (4) Texas
(11) Ball State at (6) Texas Tech
(14) Boston College at (3) Oklahoma
(10) Oklahoma State at (7) Penn State
(15) Houston at (2) Florida

Round 2
(8) Utah vs (1) Alabama
(5) USC vs (4) Texas
(6) Texas Tech vs (3) Oklahoma
(7) Penn State vs (2) Florida

Round 3
(4) Texas vs (1) Alabama
(3) Oklahoma vs (2) Florida

Championship Game
(2) Florida vs (1) Alabama

Memphis Lagniappe's Fabled College Football Playoff Predictions Week Of 11/17/2008

Memphis Lagniappe's Fabled College Football Playoff Predictions are published weekly to show a possible college football playoff format. Similar to the NCAA basketball tournament, 11 conference champions receive automatic bids. 5 additional spots are available for at-large bids.

Round 1 games would be hosted by the higher ranked seeds. Rounds 2 - 4 would incorporate the bowl system with host cities/bowls bidding to host the games. The "Big 4" BCS bowls would be permanent playoff hosts on a round-rotating basis (Championship, semi-finals and 1 round 2 game).

For the week of November 17, 2008:

1. Texas Tech (Big 12 Champion)
2. Alabama (SEC Champion)
3. Florida (At Large SEC)
4. Texas (At Large Big 12)
5. Oklahoma (At Large Big 12)
6. USC (PAC 10 Champion)
7. Penn State (Big 10 Champion)
8. Utah (MWC Champion)
9. Boise State (WAC Champion)
10. Oklahoma State (At Large Big 12)
11. Ohio State (At Large Big 10)
12. Ball State (MAC Champion)
13. Pittsburgh (Big East Champion)
14. Maryland (ACC Champion)
15. Houston (CUSA Champion)
16. Louisiana-Lafayette (Sunbelt Champion)

Dropped out: North Carolina (#13, ACC Champion), Tulsa (#15, CUSA Champion)

Number Of Teams by Conference:
Big 12 (4), Big 10 (2), SEC (2), ACC (1), Big East (1), CUSA (1), MAC (1), MWC (1), Pac 10 (1), Sunbelt (1), WAC (1), Independent (0)

Match ups round by round assuming higher seeds win.

Round 1
(16) Louisiana-Lafayette at (1) Texas Tech
(9) Boise State at (8) Utah
(12) Ball State at (5) Oklahoma
(13) Pittsburgh at (4) Texas
(11) Ohio State at (6) USC
(14) Maryland at (3) Florida
(10) Oklahoma State at (7) Penn State
(15) Houston at (2) Alabama

Round 2
(8) Utah vs (1) Texas Tech
(5) Oklahoma vs (4) Texas
(6) USC vs (3) Florida
(7) Penn State vs (2) Alabama

Round 3
(4) Texas vs (1) Texas Tech
(3) Florida vs (2) Alabama

Championship Game
(2) Alabama vs (1) Texas Tech

Memphis Lagniappe's Fabled College Football Playoff Predictions Week Of 11/10/2008

Memphis Lagniappe's Fabled College Football Playoff Predictions are published weekly to show a possible college football playoff format. Similar to the NCAA basketball tournament, 11 conference champions receive automatic bids. 5 additional spots are available for at-large bids.

Round 1 games would be hosted by the higher ranked seeds. Rounds 2 - 4 would incorporate the bowl system with host cities/bowls bidding to host the games. The "Big 4" BCS bowls would be permanent playoff hosts on a round-rotating basis (Championship, semi-finals and 1 round 2 game).

For the week of November 10, 2008:

1. Texas Tech (Big 12 Champion)
2. Alabama (SEC Champion)
3. Florida (At Large SEC)
4. Texas (At Large Big 12)
5. Oklahoma (At Large Big 12)
6. USC (PAC 10 Champion)
7. Penn State (Big 10 Champion)
8. Utah (MWC Champion)
9. Boise State (WAC Champion)
10. Oklahoma State (At Large Big 12)
11. Ohio State (At Large Big 10)
12. Ball State (MAC Champion)
13. North Carolina (ACC Champion)
14. Pittsburgh (Big East Champion)
15. Tulsa (CUSA Champion)
16. Louisiana-Lafayette (Sunbelt Champion)

Dropped out: TCU(#11, At Large MWC), Georgia Tech (#13, ACC Champion), West Virginia (#14, Big East Champion)

Number Of Teams by Conference:
Big 12 (4), Big 10 (2), SEC (2), ACC (1), Big East (1), CUSA (1), MAC (1), MWC (1), Pac 10 (1), Sunbelt (1), WAC (1), Independent (0)

Match ups round by round assuming higher seeds win.

Round 1
(16) Louisiana-Lafayette at (1) Texas Tech
(9) Boise State at (8) Utah
(12) Ball State at (5) Oklahoma
(13) North Carolina at (4) Texas
(11) Ohio State at (6) USC
(14) Pittsburgh at (3) Florida
(10) Oklahoma State at (7) Penn State
(15) Tulsa at (2) Alabama

Round 2
(8) Utah vs (1) Texas Tech
(5) Oklahoma vs (4) Texas
(6) USC vs (3) Florida
(7) Penn State vs (2) Alabama

Round 3
(4) Texas vs (1) Texas Tech
(3) Florida vs (2) Alabama

Championship Game
(2) Alabama vs (1) Texas Tech

Memphis Lagniappe's Fabled College Football Playoff Predictions Week Of 11/3/2008

Memphis Lagniappe's Fabled College Football Playoff Predictions are published weekly to show a possible college football playoff format. Similar to the NCAA basketball tournament, 11 conference champions receive automatic bids. 5 additional spots are available for at-large bids.

Round 1 games would be hosted by the higher ranked seeds. Rounds 2 - 4 would incorporate the bowl system with host cities/bowls bidding to host the games. The "Big 4" BCS bowls would be permanent playoff hosts on a round-rotating basis (Championship, semi-finals and 1 round 2 game).

For the week of November 3, 2008:

1. Alabama (SEC Champion)
2. Texas Tech (Big 12 Champion)
3. Penn State (Big 10 Champion)
4. Florida (At Large SEC)
5. Texas (At Large Big 12)
6. Oklahoma (At Large Big 12)
7. USC (PAC 10 Champion)
8. Oklahoma State (At Large Big 12)
9. Utah (MWC Champion)
10. Boise State (WAC Champion)
11. TCU (At Large MWC)
12. Ball State (MAC Champion)
13. Georgia Tech (ACC Champion)
14. West Virginia (Big East Champion)
15. Tulsa (CUSA Champion)
16. Louisiana-Lafayette (Sunbelt Champion)

Dropped out: Georgia (#8, At Large SEC), Florida State (#14, ACC Champion), Troy (#16, Sunbelt Champion)

Number Of Teams by Conference:
Big 12 (4), MWC (2), SEC (2), ACC (1), Big 10 (1), Big East (1), CUSA (1), MAC (1), Pac 10 (1), Sunbelt (1), WAC (1), Independent (0)

Match ups round by round assuming higher seeds win.

Round 1
(16) Louisiana-Lafayette at (1) Alabama
(9) Utah at (8) Oklahoma State
(12) Ball State at (5) Texas
(13) Georgia Tech at (4) Florida
(11) TCU at (6) Oklahoma
(14) West Virginia at (3) Penn State
(10) Boise State at (7) USC
(15) Tulsa at (2) Texas Tech

Round 2
(8) Oklahoma State vs (1) Alabama
(5) Texas vs (4) Florida
(6) Oklahoma vs (3) Penn State
(7) USC vs (2) Texas Tech

Round 3
(4) Florida vs (1) Alabama
(3) Penn State vs (2) Texas Tech

Championship Game
(2) Texas Tech vs (1) Alabama

Memphis Lagniappe's Fabled College Football Playoff Predictions Week Of 10/27/2008

Memphis Lagniappe's Fabled College Football Playoff Predictions are published weekly to show a possible college football playoff format. Similar to the NCAA basketball tournament, 11 conference champions receive automatic bids. 5 additional spots are available for at-large bids.

Round 1 games would be hosted by the higher ranked seeds. Rounds 2 - 4 would incorporate the bowl system with host cities/bowls bidding to host the games. The "Big 4" BCS bowls would be permanent playoff hosts on a round-rotating basis (Championship, semi-finals and 1 round 2 game).

For the week of October 27, 2008:

1. Texas (Big 12 Champion)
2. Alabama (SEC Champion)
3. Penn State (Big 10 Champion)
4. Oklahoma (At Large Big 12)
5. Texas Tech (At Large Big 12)
6. Florida (At Large SEC)
7. USC (PAC 10 Champion)
8. Georgia (At Large SEC)
9. Utah (MWC Champion)
10. Boise State (WAC Champion)
11. Oklahoma State (At Large Big 12)
12. Ball State (MAC Champion)
13. Tulsa (CUSA Champion)
14. Florida State (ACC Champion)
15. West Virginia (Big East Champion)
16. Troy (Sunbelt Champion)

Dropped out: South Florida (#12, Big East Champion), Georgia Tech (#15, ACC Champion)

Number Of Teams by Conference:
Big 12 (4), SEC (3), ACC (1), Big 10 (1), Big East (1), CUSA (1), MAC (1), MWC (1), Pac 10 (1), Sunbelt (1), WAC (1), Independent (0)

Match ups round by round assuming higher seeds win.

Round 1
(16) Troy at (1) Texas
(9) Utah at (8) Georgia
(12) Ball State at (5) Texas Tech
(13) Tulsa at (4) Oklahoma
(11) Oklahoma State at (6) Florida
(14) Florida State at (3) Penn State
(10) Boise State at (7) USC
(15) West Virginia at (2) Alabama

Round 2
(8) Georgia vs (1) Texas
(5) Texas Tech vs (4) Oklahoma
(6) Florida vs (3) Penn State
(7) USC vs (2) Alabama

Round 3
(4) Oklahoma vs (1) Texas
(3) Penn State vs (2) Alabama

Championship Game
(2) Alabama vs (1) Texas

Whole Foods Official Memphis Grand Opening

As many of you know, Wild Oats was purchased by Whole Foods several months back. On Tuesday, October 27, Whole Foods will celebrate its offical grand re-opening. As an added bonus, Whole Foods will donate a percentage of re-opening day sales to ArtsMemphis. This will be a great day to check out Whole Foods for yourself and support a good cause at the same time.

Memphis Lagniappe's Fabled College Football Playoff Predictions Week Of 10/20/2008

Memphis Lagniappe's Fabled College Football Playoff Predictions are published weekly to show a possible college football playoff format. Similar to the NCAA basketball tournament, 11 conference champions receive automatic bids. 5 additional spots are available for at-large bids.

Round 1 games would be hosted by the higher ranked seeds. Rounds 2 - 4 would incorporate the bowl system with host cities/bowls bidding to host the games. The "Big 4" BCS bowls would be permanent playoff hosts on a round-rotating basis (Championship, semi-finals and 1 round 2 game).

For the week of October 20, 2008:

1. Texas (Big 12 Champion)
2. Alabama (SEC Champion)
3. Penn State (Big 10 Champion)
4. Oklahoma (At Large Big 12)
5. USC (Pac 10 Champion)
6. Texas Tech (At Large Big 12)
7. Florida (At Large SEC)
8. Oklahoma State (At Large Big 12)
9. Georgia (At Large SEC)
10. Utah (MWC Champion)
11. Boise State (WAC Champion)
12. South Florida (Big East Champion)
13. Ball State (MAC Champion)
14. Tulsa (CUSA Champion)
15. Georgia Tech (ACC Champion)
16. Troy(Sunbelt Champion)

Dropped out: BYU (#8, MWC Champion), Virginia Tech (#12, ACC Champion)

Number Of Teams by Conference:
Big 12 (4), SEC (3), ACC (1), Big 10 (1), Big East (1), CUSA (1), MAC (1), MWC (1), Pac 10 (1), Sunbelt (1), WAC (1), Independent (0)

Match ups round by round assuming higher seeds win.

Round 1
(16) Troy at (1) Texas
(9) Georgia at (8) Oklahoma State
(12) South Florida at (5) USC
(13) Ball State at (4) Oklahoma
(11) Boise State at (6) Texas Tech
(14) Tulsa at (3) Penn State
(10) Utah at (7) Florida
(15) Georgia Tech at (2) Alabama

Round 2
(8) Oklahoma State vs (1) Texas
(5) USC vs (4) Oklahoma
(6) Texas Tech vs (3) Penn State
(7) Florida vs (2) Alabama

Round 3
(4) Oklahoma vs (1) Texas
(3) Penn State vs (2) Alabama

Championship Game
(2) Alabama vs (1) Texas

Memphis Concert Announcement: AC/DC Coming To FedEx Forum

Memphis has been added to the latest AC/DC tour. The show will be January 30 at the FedEx Forum. It should be an interesting show. Tickets going on sale October 18.

Beer...The Wise Investment?

If you had purchased $1,000 of shares in Delta Airlines one year ago, you will have $49.00 today. If you had purchased $1,000 of shares in AIG one year ago, you will have $33.00 today. If you had purchased $1,000 of shares in Lehman Brothers one year ago, you will have $0.00 today. But, if you had purchased $1,000 worth of beer one year ago, drank all the beer, then turned in the aluminum cans for recycling refund, you will have received $214.00. Based on the above, the best current investment plan is to drink heavily & recycle. It is called the 401-Keg. A recent study found that the average American walks about 900 miles a year. Another study found that Americans drink, on average, 22 gallons of alcohol a year. That means that, on average, Americans get about 41 miles to the gallon! Makes you proud to be an American!

Memphis Lagniappe's Fabled College Football Playoff Predictions Week Of 10/13/2008

Memphis Lagniappe's Fabled College Football Playoff Predictions are published weekly to show a possible college football playoff format. Similar to the NCAA basketball tournament, 11 conference champions receive automatic bids. 5 additional spots are available for at-large bids.

Round 1 games would be hosted by the higher ranked seeds. Rounds 2 - 4 would incorporate the bowl system with host cities/bowls bidding to host the games. The "Big 4" BCS bowls would be permanent playoff hosts on a round-rotating basis (Championship, semi-finals and 1 round 2 game).

For the week of October 13, 2008:

1. Texas (Big 12 Champion)
2. Alabama (SEC Champion)
3. Penn State (Big 10 Champion)
4. Oklahoma (At Large Big 12)
5. Texas Tech (At Large Big 12)
6. USC (Pac 10 Champion)
7. BYU (MWC Champion)
8. Florida (At Large SEC)
9. Georgia (At Large SEC)
10. Oklahoma State (At Large Big 12)
11. Boise State (WAC Champion)
12. Virginia Tech (ACC Champion)
13. South Florida (Big East Champion)
14. Tulsa (CUSA Champion)
15. Ball State (MAC Champion)
16. Troy(Sunbelt Champion)

Dropped out: Missouri (#3, At Large Big 12), LSU (#4, At Large SEC), Ohio State (#10, At Large Big 10)

Number Of Teams by Conference:
Big 12 (4), SEC (3), ACC (1), Big 10 (1), Big East (1), CUSA (1), MAC (1), MWC (1), Pac 10 (1), Sunbelt (1), WAC (1), Independent (0)

Match ups round by round assuming higher seeds win.

Round 1
(16) Troy at (1) Texas
(9) Georgia at (8) Florida
(12) Virginia Tech at (5) Texas Tech
(13) South Florida at (4) Oklahoma
(11) Boise State at (6) USC
(14) Tulsa at (3) Penn State
(10) Oklahoma State at (7) BYU
(15) Ball State at (2) Alabama

Round 2
(8) Florida vs (1) Texas
(5) Texas Tech vs (4) Oklahoma
(6) USC vs (3) Penn State
(7) BYU vs (2) Alabama

Round 3
(4) Oklahoma vs (1) Texas
(3) Penn State vs (2) Alabama

Championship Game
(2) Alabama vs (1) Texas

Memphis Lagniappe's Fabled College Football Playoff Predictions Week Of 10/6/2008

Memphis Lagniappe's Fabled College Football Playoff Predictions are published weekly to show a possible college football playoff format. Similar to the NCAA basketball tournament, 11 conference champions receive automatic bids. 5 additional spots are available for at-large bids.

Round 1 games would be hosted by the higher ranked seeds. Rounds 2 - 4 would incorporate the bowl system with host cities/bowls bidding to host the games. The "Big 4" BCS bowls would be permanent playoff hosts on a round-rotating basis (Championship, semi-finals and 1 round 2 game).

For the week of October 6, 2008:

1. Oklahoma (Big 12 Champion)
2. Alabama (SEC Champion)
3. Missouri (At Large Big 12)
4. LSU (At Large SEC)
5. Texas (At Large Big 12)
6. Penn State (Big 10 Champion)
7. BYU (MWC Champion)
8. USC (Pac 10 Champion)
9. Texas Tech (At Large Big 12)
10. Ohio State (At Large Big 10)
11. Boise State (WAC Champion)
12. Virginia Tech (ACC Champion)
13. South Florida (Big East Champion)
14. Tulsa (CUSA Champion)
15. Ball State (MAC Champion)
16. Troy(Sunbelt Champion)

Dropped out: Auburn (#8, At Large SEC), Wake Forest (#13, ACC Champion), Arkansas State (#16, Sunbelt Champion)

Number Of Teams by Conference:
Big 12 (4), Big 10 (2), SEC (2), ACC (1), Big East (1), CUSA (1), MAC (1), MWC (1), Pac 10 (1), Sunbelt (1), WAC (1), Independent (0)

Match ups round by round assuming higher seeds win.

Round 1
(16) Troy at (1) Oklahoma
(9) Texas Tech at (8) USC
(12) Virginia Tech at (5) Texas
(13) South Florida at (4) LSU
(11) Boise State at (6) Penn State
(14) Tulsa at (3) Missouri
(10) Ohio State at (7) BYU
(15) Ball State at (2) Alabama

Round 2
(8) USC vs (1) Oklahoma
(5) Texas vs (4) LSU
(6) Penn State vs (3) Missouri
(7) BYU vs (2) Alabama

Round 3
(4) LSU vs (1) Oklahoma
(3) Missouri vs (2) Alabama

Championship Game
(2) Alabama vs (1) Oklahoma

Memphis Film Festival, Bari Revisited, Tigers Finally Beat UAB and Football Picks

The Indie Memphis Film Festival kicks off October 9 at Studio On the Square. There are several great films on the list this year, with Song Sung Blue and Neshoba being highly recommended.

The other night, I managed to stop by Bari for a quick drink and snack. This was my first visit to Bari in almost a year. It was good to see some familiar faces at the bar and the service was fantastic. I guess I should stop by more often.

Looks like Memphis finally snapped their losing streak against UAB. Good for the Tigers. While watching the game, I noticed that Tigers and Blazers were playing for a bronze-rib trophy. Once again, Memphis is the bbq champion.

Football picks for the weekend.

Tennessee over Northern Illinois

Mississippi over South Carolina

Vanderbilt over Auburn

Southern Miss over UTEP

New Orleans Saints over the Minnesota Vikings

Memphis Lagniappe's Fabled College Football Playoff Predictions Week Of 9/29/2008

Memphis Lagniappe's Fabled College Football Playoff Predictions are published weekly to show a possible college football playoff format. Similar to the NCAA basketball tournament, 11 conference champions receive automatic bids. 5 additional spots are available for at-large bids.

Round 1 games would be hosted by the higher ranked seeds. Rounds 2 - 4 would incorporate the bowl system with host cities/bowls bidding to host the games. The "Big 4" BCS bowls would be permanent playoff hosts on a round-rotating basis (Championship, semi-finals and 1 round 2 game).

For the week of September 29, 2008:

1. Oklahoma (Big 12 Champion)
2. Alabama (SEC Champion)
3. LSU (At Large SEC)
4. Missouri (At Large Big 12)
5. Texas (At Large Big 12)
6. BYU (MWC Champion)
7. Penn State (Big 10 Champion)
8. Auburn (At Large SEC)
9. Texas Tech (At Large Big 12)
10. USC (Pac 10 Champion)
11. South Florida (Big East Champion)
12. Boise State (WAC Champion)
13. Wake Forest (ACC Champion)
14. Tulsa (CUSA Champion)
15. Ball State (MAC Champion)
16. Arkansas State (Sunbelt Champion)

Dropped out: Georgia (#3, SEC Champion), Florida (#4, At Large SEC), Wisconsin (#8, Big 10 Champion), East Carolina (#14, CUSA Champion)

Number Of Teams by Conference:
Big 12 (4), SEC (3), ACC (1), Big 10 (1), Big East (1), CUSA (1), MAC (1), MWC (1), Pac 10 (1), Sunbelt (1), WAC (1), Independent (0)

Match ups round by round assuming higher seeds win.

Round 1
(16) Arkansas State at (1) Oklahoma
(9) Texas Tech at (8) Auburn
(12) Boise State at (5) Texas
(13) Wake Forest at (4) Missouri
(11) South Florida at (6) BYU
(14) Tulsa at (3) LSU
(10) USC at (7) Penn State
(15) Ball State at (2) Alabama

Round 2
(8) Auburn vs (1) Oklahoma
(5) Texas vs (4) Missouri
(6) BYU vs (3) LSU
(7) Penn State vs (2) Alabama

Round 3
(4) Missouri vs (1) Oklahoma
(3) LSU vs (2) Alabama

Championship Game
(2) Alabama vs (1) Oklahoma

Memphis Lagniappe's Fabled College Football Playoff Predictions Week Of 9/22/2008

Memphis Lagniappe's Fabled College Football Playoff Predictions are published weekly to show a possible college football playoff format. Similar to the NCAA basketball tournament, 11 conference champions receive automatic bids. 5 additional spots are available for at-large bids.

Round 1 games would be hosted by the higher ranked seeds. Rounds 2 - 4 would incorporate the bowl system with host cities/bowls bidding to host the games. The "Big 4" BCS bowls would be permanent playoff hosts on a round-rotating basis (Championship, semi-finals and 1 round 2 game).

For the week of September 22, 2008:

1. USC (PAC 10 Champion)
2. Oklahoma (Big 12 Champion)
3. Georgia (SEC Champion)
4. Florida (At Large SEC)
5. LSU (At Large SEC)
6. Missouri (At Large Big 12)
7. Texas (At Large Big 12)
8. Wisconsin (Big 10 Champion)
9. Alabama (At Large SEC)
10. BYU (MWC Champion)
11. Wake Forest (ACC Champion)
12. South Florida (Big East Champion)
13. Boise State (WAC Champion)
14. East Carolina (CUSA Champion)
15. Ball State (MAC Champion)
16. Arkansas State (Sunbelt Champion)

Dropped out: Auburn (#7, At Large SEC), Ohio State (#10, Big 10 Champion), Florida Atlantic (#16, Sunbelt Champion)

Number Of Teams by Conference:
SEC (4), Big 12 (3), ACC (1), Big 10 (1), Big East (1), CUSA (1), MAC (1), MWC (1), Pac 10 (1), Sunbelt (1), WAC (1), Independent (0)

Match ups round by round assuming higher seeds win.

Round 1
(16) Arkansas State at (1) USC
(9) Alabama at (8) Wisconsin
(12) South Florida at (5) LSU
(13) Boise State at (4) Florida
(11) Wake Forest at (6) Missouri
(14) East Carolina at (3) Georgia
(10) BYU at (7) Texas
(15) Ball State at (2) Oklahoma

Round 2
(8) Wisconsin vs (1) USC
(5) LSU vs (4) Florida
(6) Missouri vs (3) Georgia
(7) Texas vs (2) Oklahoma

Round 3
(4) Florida vs (1) USC
(3) Georgia vs (2) Oklahoma

Championship Game
(2) Oklahoma vs (1) USC

Bye Bye Civil Rights Game & Big Football Weekend

I guess I was wrong in thinking the pending sale of the Redbirds to the St. Louis Cardinals would bring better teams to Memphis' Civil Rights baseball game. Major League Baseball announced yesterday that they are moving the game to Cincinnati for the next two years and that the match up will now be a regular season contest. Bottom line...the lack of support that Memphians gives to events like this can almost guarantee that future events will skip over the Bluff City. Who's out next...the Grizzlies?

In addition to all of the “Fire Tommy” chatter in Memphis this week, the talk of the town has been the Tennessee-Florida game. The Vols are still looking to find the chemistry needed to win the game and my hunch is that they will not find it this weekend. Tim Tebow and the Gators will win the game in Knoxville 24–13.

In other football action:

Memphis will earn its first win of the season over Nicholls State 34-17

Mississippi should edge Vandy 27–17

LSU over Auburn in a nail biter 14-13

Southern Miss over Marshall 38-20

Arizona State upsets Georgia 23-20

Denver Broncos over the injury plagued New Orleans Saints 35-24

Memphis Sports Update: New Owners For The Redbirds & Tigers 2008-2009 Basketball Schedule

The Commercial Appeal and Memphis Business Journal are both reporting that the Triple-A Memphis Redbirds are in the process of being sold to the St. Louis Cardinals, their parent club. The change in ownership should be relatively transparent for Redbirds ticket holders and fans. I’m hoping this will lead to more quality exhibition games in addition to the annual Civil Rights game.

A good overall schedule for the Memphis Tigers basketball team. There will be 18 home games this season, including out of conference games with UMASS, Syracuse and Cincinnati . Tickets will be tough to come by, but you can always get them here.

Memphis Lagniappe's Fabled College Football Playoff Predictions Week Of 9/15/2008

Memphis Lagniappe's Fabled College Football Playoff Predictions are published weekly to show a possible college football playoff format. Similar to the NCAA basketball tournament, 11 conference champions receive automatic bids. 5 additional spots are available for at-large bids.

Round 1 games would be hosted by the higher ranked seeds. Rounds 2 - 4 would incorporate the bowl system with host cities/bowls bidding to host the games. The "Big 4" BCS bowls would be permanent playoff hosts on a round-rotating basis (Championship, semi-finals and 1 round 2 game).

For the week of September 15, 2008:

1. USC (PAC 10 Champion)
2. Oklahoma (Big 12 Champion)
3. Georgia (SEC Champion)
4. Florida (At Large SEC)
5. Missouri (At Large Big 12)
6. LSU (At Large SEC)
7. Auburn (At Large SEC)
8. Texas (At Large Big 12)
9. BYU (MWC Champion)
10. Ohio State (Big 10 Champion)
11. Wake Forest (ACC Champion)
12. East Carolina (CUSA Champion)
13. South Florida (Big East Champion)
14. Boise State (WAC Champion)
15. Ball State (MAC Champion)
16. Florida Atlantic (Sunbelt Champion)

Dropped out: Bowling Green (#16, MAC Champion)

Number Of Teams by Conference:
SEC (4), Big 12 (3), ACC (1), Big 10 (1), Big East (1), CUSA (1), MAC (1), MWC (1), Pac 10 (1), Sunbelt (1), WAC (1), Independent (0)

Match ups round by round assuming higher seeds win.

Round 1
(16) Florida Atlantic at (1) USC
(9) BYU at (8) Texas
(12) East Carolina at (5) Missouri
(13) South Florida at (4) Florida
(11) Wake Forest at (6) LSU
(14) Boise State at (3) Georgia
(10) Ohio State at (7) Auburn
(15) Ball State at (2) Oklahoma

Round 2
(8) Texas vs (1) USC
(5) Missouri vs (4) Florida
(6) LSU vs (3) Georgia
(7) Auburn vs (2) Oklahoma

Round 3
(4) Florida vs (1) USC
(3) Georgia vs (2) Oklahoma

Championship Game
(2) Oklahoma vs (1) USC

Fun stuff today: Cooper-Young, Southern Heritage, Gas Lines and More Football

Lots of fun stuff in Memphis today.

The 21st Cooper-Young Festival gets rocking today from 9a - 7p. This is usually a fun time, with live music, art, food and the eclectic patrons/residents of the Cooper-Young area.

Later this evening, the 19th Southern Heritage Classic will be held at the Liberty Bowl. The game should be interesting, but the half time show featuring the Tennessee State and Jackson State bands will be the highlight. Its hard for me to pick against the Sonic Boom. JSU wins by 11.

Apparently the unplanned thing to do today is wait in line to fill up your car with gas. In Tennessee, price increases ranging from $.20 to $.50 per gallon yesterday have consumers panicking that there will be a shortage on fuel. After Hurricane Katrina, prices only increased $.14 to $.16 per gallon. Local and state officials need to take a closer look at this and make sure consumers aren't getting gouged.

Quick football picks for the weekend:

Mississippi over Samford
Marshall over Memphis
Tennessee over UAB
Arkansas State over Southern Miss
New Orleans Saints over Washington Redskins
Southern Cal over Ohio State

Memphis Lagniappe's Fabled College Football Playoff Predictions Week Of 9/8/2008

Memphis Lagniappe's Fabled College Football Playoff Predictions are published weekly to show a possible college football playoff format. Similar to the NCAA basketball tournament, 11 conference champions receive automatic bids. 5 additional spots are available for at-large bids.

Round 1 games would be hosted by the higher ranked seeds. Rounds 2 - 4 would incorporate the bowl system with host cities/bowls bidding to host the games. The "Big 4" BCS bowls would be permanent playoff hosts on a round-rotating basis (Championship, semi-finals and 1 round 2 game).

For the week of September 8, 2008:

1. Oklahoma (Big 12 Champion)
2. Ohio State (Big 10 Champion)
3. Georgia (SEC Champion)
4. USC (PAC 10 Champion)
5. Florida (At Large SEC)
6. Missouri (At Large Big 12)
7. LSU (At Large SEC)
8. Auburn (At Large SEC)
9. Texas (At Large Big 12)
10. BYU (MWC Champion)
11. Wake Forest (ACC Champion)
12. East Carolina (CUSA Champion)
13. South Florida (Big East Champion)
14. Boise State (WAC Champion)
15. Florida Atlantic (Sunbelt Champion)
16. Bowling Green (MAC Champion)

Dropped out: West Virginia (#7, Big East Champion), Central Michigan (#15, MAC Champion)

Number Of Teams by Conference:
SEC (4), Big 12 (3), ACC (1), Big 10 (1), Big East (1), CUSA (1), MAC (1), MWC (1), Pac 10 (1), Sunbelt (1), WAC (1), Independent (0)

Match ups round by round assuming higher seeds win.

Round 1
(16) Bowling Green at (1) Oklahoma
(9) Texas at (8) Auburn
(12) East Carolina at (5) Florida
(13) South Florida at (4) USC
(11) Wake Forest at (6) Missouri
(14) Boise State at (3) Georgia
(10) BYU at (7) LSU
(15) Florida Atlantic at (2) Ohio State

Round 2
(8) Auburn vs (1) Oklahoma
(5) Florida vs (4) USC
(6) Missouri vs (3) Georgia
(7) LSU vs (2) Ohio State

Round 3
(4) USC vs (1) Oklahoma
(3) Georgia vs (2) Ohio State

Championship Game
(2) Ohio State vs (1) Oklahoma

Memphis Lagniappe's Fabled College Football Playoff Predictions Week Of 9/1/2008

Memphis Lagniappe's Fabled College Football Playoff Predictions are published weekly to show a possible college football playoff format. Similar to the NCAA basketball tournament, 11 conference champions receive automatic bids. 5 additional spots are available for at-large bids.

Round 1 games would be hosted by the higher ranked seeds. Rounds 2 - 4 would incorporate the bowl system with host cities/bowls bidding to host the games. The "Big 4" BCS bowls would be permanent playoff hosts on a round-rotating basis (Championship, semi-finals and 1 round 2 game).

For the week of September 1, 2008:

1. Ohio State (Big 10 Champion)
2. Georgia (SEC Champion)
3. Oklahoma (Big 12 Champion)
4. USC (PAC 10 Champion)
5. Missouri (At Large Big 12)
6. Florida (At Large SEC)
7. West Virginia (Big East Champion)
8. LSU (At Large, SEC)
9. Texas (At Large Big 12)
10. Auburn (At Large SEC)
11. BYU (MWC Champion)
12. Wake Forest (ACC Champion)
13. East Carolina (CUSA Champion)
14. Boise State (WAC Champion)
15. Central Michigan (MAC Champion)
16. Florida Atlantic (Sunbelt Champion)

Dropped out: Clemson (#7, ACC Champion), Tulsa (#14, CUSA Champion)

Number Of Teams by Conference:
SEC (4), Big 12 (3), ACC (1), Big 10 (1), Big East (1), CUSA (1), MAC (1), MWC (1), Pac 10 (1), Sunbelt (1), WAC (1), Independent (0)

Match ups round by round assuming higher seeds win.

Round 1
(16) Florida Atlantic at (1) Ohio State
(9) Texas at (8) LSU
(12) Wake Forest at (5) Missouri
(13) East Carolina at (4) USC
(11) BYU at (6) Florida
(14) Boise State at (3) Oklahoma
(10) Auburn at (7) West Virginia
(15) Central Michigan at (2) Georgia

Round 2
(8) LSU vs (1) Ohio State
(5) Missouri vs (4) USC
(6) Florida vs (3) Oklahoma
(7) West Virginia vs (2) Georgia

Round 3
(4) USC vs (1) Ohio State
(3) Oklahoma vs (2) Georgia

Championship Game
(2) Georgia vs (1) Ohio State

Wine Down At The Dixon

Looking for a good way to blow off some steam after work on Friday or maybe a way to get the weekend off to a great start? The Dixon may have what you are looking for. The Dixon will host Wine Down on Friday, August 22from 5:30 to 7:30pm. This wine tasting includes live music and light hors d'oeuvres. Tickets are $20 for members and and $25 for non-members.

Memphis Lagniappe's Fabled College Football Pre-Season Playoff Predictions

Memphis Lagniappe's Fabled College Football Playoff Predictions will return for another college football season. Now it’s third published season, click here to see last season's final mock playoff field.

Memphis Lagniappe's Fabled College Football Playoff Predictions are published weekly on Monday afternoons to show a possible college football playoff format. Similar to the NCAA basketball tournament, 11 conference champions receive automatic bids. 5 additional spots are available for at-large bids.

Round 1 games would be hosted by the higher ranked seeds. Rounds 2 - 4 would incorporate the bowl system with host cities/bowls bidding to host the games. The "Big 4" BCS bowls would be permanent playoff hosts on a round-rotating basis (Championship, semi-finals and 1 round 2 game).

The pre-season playoff field for the 2008 season is:

1. Ohio State (Big 10 Champion)
2. USC (PAC 10 Champion)
3. Oklahoma (Big 12 Champion)
4. Georgia (SEC Champion)
5. Florida (At Large SEC)
6. Missouri (At Large Big 12)
7. Clemson (ACC Champion)
8. West Virginia (Big East Champion)
9. LSU (At Large SEC)
10. Texas (At Large Big 12)
11. Auburn (At Large SEC)
12. BYU (MWC Champion)
13. Boise State (WAC Champion)
14. Tulsa (CUSA Champion)
15. Central Michigan (MAC Champion)
16. Florida Atlantic (Sunbelt Champion)

Number Of Teams by Conference:
SEC (4), Big 12 (3), ACC (1), Big 10 (1), Big East (1), CUSA (1), MAC (1), MWC (1), Pac 10 (1), Sunbelt (1), WAC (1), Independent (0)

Match ups round by round assuming higher seeds win.

Round 1
(16) Florida Atlantic at (1) Ohio State
(9) LSU at (8) West Virginia
(12) BYU at (5) Florida
(13) Boise State at (4) Georgia
(11) Auburn at (6) Missouri
(14) Tulsa at (3) Oklahoma
(10) Texas at (7) Clemson
(15) Central Michigan at (2) USC

Round 2
(8) West Virginia vs (1) Ohio State
(5) Florida vs (4) Georgia
(6) Missouri vs (3) Oklahoma
(7) Clemson vs (2) USC

Round 3
(4) Georgia vs (1) Ohio State
(3) Oklahoma vs (2) USC

Championship Game
(2) USC vs (1) Ohio State

Restaurant Quick Hits: Do, Petra, Folk's Folly, Young Ave Deli

Do
First visit in over a year. The food was just as I remembered...very good. One thing that is lacking in the wine list. I would prefer to see a little more variety. Recommendations: Crunchy Spicy Crawfish Roll and sea weed salad is worth a try.

Petra
A nice little Greek/Mediterranean-inspired restaurant in East Memphis. It is located a couple of doors down from Swanky's near Poplar and Kirby. The Petra Gyro was very tasty and all options are reasonably priced.

Folk's Folly
I've had two visits at this Memphis favorite over the past few weeks. As expected the steaks are consistently excellent and the cheesecake may be the best in Memphis. Keeping up with my wine griping, the Folk's Folly has a tremendous wine line, but it seems to be a bit over priced. Several "wineys" that joined me at dinner last night agreed. My friends made a smart choice by bringing two cases of wine to the restaurant and paying the corkage fees. And yes, we did go through two cases of wine/champagne.

Young Avenue Deli
Had the burger for the first time. Give smoked gouda and bacon a try as your toppings next you have Young Ave's burger. Can't help but like the smoke-free environment.

Dave & Willie, Elvis Week and Kid Rock

Just a reminder about some upcoming Memphis concerts and Elvis Week. Dave Mathews and Willie Nelson are playing at Autozone Park on Saturday, August 2. Kid Rock will bring his act to Mud Island on Sunday, August 17. It's not too late to get tickets to both shows.

For all of you Elvis freaks, I mean fans, Elvis Week kicks off on August 9 and goes through August 17. This week guarantees endless people watching, especially at the annual candle light vigil that will be held on Friday, August 15.

Memphis Chain Restaurants: Hello Panera, Adios Steak & Ale?

I'm not a fan of chain restaurants, but I thought I would share some local news regarding this industry. First, Panera Bread has finally arrived in the Mid-South. The first Memphis area location will be in Cordova in the Trinity Common's strip mall. It was also announced today that Chick-fil-a will be opening a location on Union in Midtown.

On a not so positive note, it is rumored that East Memphis' Steak & Ale will be shutting its doors as a result of its parent company's bankruptcy filing.

Beating The Heat, Starbucks and Iris

Umm...if you haven't noticed, its a tad bit hot in Memphis today. Does 101 qualify as toasty? A good way to stay cool may be to go to the Flying Saucer for Pint Night.

On Friday, Starbucks announced that some of its Memphis area stores would be closing. The closings are just a handful of the 600 planned store closures nationwide. Check out the official list for more details.

I've been hearing nothing but good things about Restaurant Iris. The Commerical Appeal review of the fairly new Midtown restaurant only peaked my interest. The CA gave Iris 4 stars. Only the 6th restaurant to achieve this status. It looks like you can't go wrong with a John Besh influenced restaurant. I definitely need to check this place out.

Old Timers, Dark Knight, Blues on the Bluff, and Top 25 list

ESPN is surely playing a joke...right? As of this morning, the Shark was leading The Open. I honestly didn't realize he was still a professional golfer. What's next, a surprise Sunday rally by the legendary Chi-Chi Rodriquez? The feel good story is great, but the young guns need to man up and show that there is still talent on the PGA Tour without Tiger Woods.

For those that don't now, Greg Norman has been doing well lately with his wineries. I highly recommend Greg Norman Estates Chardonnay and Limestone Cabernet-Shiraz.

Side note...is Heath Ledger this generation's James Dean? Discuss among yourselves.

Onto Memphis fun. WEVL's Blues on the Bluff is this Staturday. This looks like fun. For information, visit WEVL.com.

WEVL is looking for volunteer djs/show hosts. Can I bring my ipod and hit shuffle? If so, count me in.

CNN/Money magazine released their top 25 cities for single people. Unfortunately, Memphis did not make the list. Memphis needs to start making more top 25 lists beyond college basketball polls and crime lists.

Snowden Grove Music & Bike Rally And A Dixie-Fried Top 10 List

Ticket’s go on sale on Friday, July 18 for Snowden Grove Amphitheater’s Music and Bike Rally. This three day rally host a variety of musical acts including Kanas, Saliva, Charlie Daniels and local favorite Aquanet. Don’t forget, motorcycles get free parking.





College football is right around the corner. To get you pumped up about the upcoming season, Dixie Fried Sports has an interesting take on some of the over and underrated traditions in southern college football.

And The Randomness Continues

Another One Bites The Dust

Per the Memphis Business Journal, Midtown’s French Quarter Inn is closing. This continues a trend of Overton Square area businesses either relocating or shutting their doors. There is still no word on plans for new tenants or redeveloping of Overton Square. One has to wonder what is next for French Quarter Inn…condos?


Return Of The Mack

John Calipari confirmed that the Memphis Tigers will allow Doneal Mack to return the basketball team. Mack had initially announced that he was transferring to New Orleans . UNO was counting on Mack to help the Privateers return the Sunbelt dominance that the Privateers had in the Earvin Johnson era.

Lost In The Clutter - Local Elections

With so much focus on the upcoming presidential election, some may have failed to remember that state and federal elections will be held on August 7. Don’t forget to register to vote and show up at the polls. It looks like the ballot will have several races.

Weekend Fun

Legendary musical act Earth Wind and Fire will entertain Memphians on Saturday, July 19 at the Memphis Botanic Gardens. Tickets are still available. The venue is perfect for spreading out on the lawn and bringing your own food and beverages.


There Goes The Diet

After a recent horrendous round of golf, we stopped at BW3's near Highland for snacks and adult beverages. We decided to try the new Cheeseburger Bites appetizer. If you were hoping for sliders, you would have been dissappointed. Instead, these tastey bites are bite-sized balls of ground beef, cheese and onions that are battered and deep fried. Far from healthy, but oh so good. A friend compared them to bite sized Krystal hamburgers.

S.O.S. Now

Let your elected officials know that change is necessary to help reduce rising fuel and energy costs. Visit Stop Oil Speculation Now to see how you can help.

More Random Stuff

As many of you know, Muvico’s last day of operation at Downtown Memphis’ Peabody Place was this past Sunday. Over the past year or so, several leases were not renewed, paving the way for the expansion of the Peabody Hotel. It appears that Encore, Texas de Brazil, Jillian’s and a few retail stores will remain open in Peabody Place.

Per MSN.com, the bourbon business is booming. Apparently there is an increased demand for bourbon from over seas and just in time for National Bourbon Heritage Month (September). Remember to load up for football season. Speaking of bourbon, next time you are at a local bar ask for a Bogalusa . This is a simple shot of Wild Turkey chased with a shot of pickle juice. It sounds strange, but it is very tasty.

Concert Reminder: Robert Plant and Alison Krauss

Robert Plant and Alison Krauss are playing at the Mud Island Amphitheatre on Tuesday, July 8. This sounds like an interesting combination for a concert. Reviews at shows in other cities have been nothing but positive. Its not too late to get tickets.

New Season Of The First 48 Kicks Off Tonight

The new season of The First 48 kicks off tonight. The Commerical Appeal did confirm that the Lester Street massacre will be included in the new season and will be aired in a special 1-hour episode on July 16 at 8pm central time. The CA also reported that MPD is open to renewing its contract with A&E if the opportunity should arise.

Correction: It appears that the Real Vice Cops Uncut show will feature the Shelby County Vice Squad, not the MPD.

Memphis Vice Squad To Be Featured In New TV Series

The Memphis Business Journal is reporting that the Memphis Police Department's Vice Squad will be featured on Spike TV's new series "Real Vice Cops Uncut." The new series starts August 6.

This will be the second tv series featuring Memphis' finest. A&E's "The First 48" follows MPD's Homicide Unit to various crime scenes throughout Memphis. This will be MPD's last season on the A&E series. New episodes begin tomorrow.

Kid Rock Coming Back To Memphis

Kid Rock with special guest Rev Run of RUN DMC will return to Memphis on Sunday, August 17th. Tickets for this Mud Island Amphitheatre event go on sale on Saturday, June 28 at 10am.

Big Fun In Memphis This Weekend

In addition to the Canada Day celebration at Big Foot Lodge on Sunday, there are a few other fun things to do this weekend in the Memphis area. If you like free events, then you will be happy that it’s the last Friday of the month. The South Main Association will host their monthly Art Trolley Tour. South Main merchants and galleries typically open their doors and offer free snacks and adult beverages. This event is also good for people watching.

If you are up for some great 80’s college/indie music, then the Midtown Blue Monkey may be the place for you. Local band Walrus will take the stage Friday night. The guys from Walrus always put on a great show and they usually have a great crowd.

Local auto racing fans will have an opportunity to see the NASCAR Truck Series at the Memphis Motor Sports Park in Millington. The green flag will drop at the O’Rielly 200 at 8pm.

Random Stuff

Dan McGuiness has closed its Downtown Memphis location. Rumors have been floating around for over a year that the owner is trying to open a similar concept in the Midtown spot that used to be the home of Melo’s. It would be a great addition, but I think there would be a struggle to obtain the necessary permits to operate the business. The big issue will be parking. The Blue Monkey, Molly’s and Umai already struggle to satisfy the parking needs of their patrons. An additional bar/restaurant will make things a little tight in the area.

Next week, both the United States (July 4) and Canada (July 1) will celebrate Independence Day. Local Canadian-themed eatery Big Foot Lodge will help kick-off “Independence Week” on Sunday with $3 – 34 ounce Molson draught beer and $3 Canadian whiskey beverages.

The 2008 NBA Draft is this week. I don't claim to be a pro basketball expert, but the Grizzlies should try and trade the #5 selection packaged with Brian Cardinal (and his outrageous salary) to the highest bidder, but I’m sure this won’t happen. Barring any trades, the Grizzlies are expected to take UCLA’s Kevin Love with the 5th overall pick. They should probably take a guard with the 28Th pick, but I’m thinking they will take JJ Hickson from North Carolina State. Look for 3 former Memphis Tigers to be selected as well. A few mock draft sites are predicting that Derrick Rose will go to Chicago with the first overall pick, CDR #27 to New Orleans and Joey Dorsey in the second round to Sacramento.

Speaking of Tiger basketball, I was reading a Sports Illustrated article today about recruiting. It mentioned that John Calipari has set up a paid internship program with FedEx and that 25 Memphis Tiger basketball players have taken advantage of this opportunity. Is this open to all Memphis students? If so, wonderful. If not, it seems like this would be an NCAA violation. Athletes are not supposed to receive benefits that the average college student is unable to receive. Probably nothing to worry about, but you never know.

For those that care, I’m thinking the Bulldogs take the College World Series in 3 games. Go Fresno State!

Downtown Memphis Condo Auction – Saturday, June 21

The River Tower Condominium development will hold an inventory close-out auction of 44 condos. 10 are guaranteed to sell at the auction. Opening bids kick off Saturday, June 21 at 11am. River Town is a gated community near Downtown attractions like Beale Street and FedEx Forum. This might be a good time to pick up a great condo at a decent price. For more information about the auction, visit JPKing.com.

Belly Up And Join The Fun, Pub Olympics Less Than 2 Weeks Away

For those of you that don't know, Pub Olympics 2008 will be held on Sunday, June 22 at Hoops Bar located off of Beale Street in Downtown Memphis. Several beer drinking competitions will be held, including beer pong, quarters, tricycle racing, one man chug and team chug. I wonder if they will have DAS BOOT.

I've noticed a shortage of funnels at the hardware store and Blockbuster never has Revenge of the Nerds or Beerfest in stock, so I'm fairly confident that there have been teams training for this much anticipated event. For some, the skills necessary to win it all will just come naturally.

To enter a team or learn more about Pub Olympics 2008 visit Hoops Bar or call 901-827-1351.

Weekend Recommendations

Here are a few quick recommendations for this weekend in Memphis.

Friday Night

It’s the last Friday of the month, so the South Main Association will have their monthly Trolley Tour. The weather should be perfect for gallery hopping, people watching and adult beverages. As always, this event is free.

Memphis Italian Festival is always a good time. Like bbq fest, you have to know someone on a team to get into a team’s booth/tent. You can still have a good time if you don’t have team connections. The festival offers other activities, including live music. Visit their website for more info. Tickets are $10 and are available at the gate.

Saturday
Italian Festival continues. If you had enough pasta and mozzarella to last you for few weeks, you should check out Aquanet at the Downtown Flying Saucer. Aquanet is one of the best 80’s rock cover bands around. If you are a fan of this style of music, you will not be disappointed.

2008 Memphis Memorial Day Weekend Recommendations

If you don't have plans for the weekend, ML recommends a couple of fun options.

On Saturday night, head down to Tom Lee Park for Memphis In May's Sunset Symphony. The Four Tops will join the Memphis Symphony Orchestra for an evening of fun on the river. There is also an air show before the music kicks off and fireworks usually follow the symphony. Gates open at 2pm. Remember that you can bring your own food and drink to this event, so be sure to load up the cooler with your favorite beverages and snacks.

If you didn't get enough of Downtown Memphis on Saturday, then you should stick around and go the Redbirds game on Sunday evening. Gametime is 6:05 with a special fireworks celebration after the game. If you don't want to pay ballpark prices for beer, stop by Bigfoot Lodge for $2 34oz Coors Light draught beer before the game. This special runs all day on Sunday.

With the first pick, the Memphis Grizzlies select...

For those who forgot that Memphis has a NBA team, the professional league held its draft lottery tonight. Because of their not so great record, the Grizzlies has had a 27.9% chance to get the first or second overall pick. Was lady luck on their on side in the quest to acquire Derrick Rose or Michael Beasley? Not tonight. The Grizzlies will have the 5th overall pick in the 2008 draft.

And the quest for Derrick Rose goes to:

Here's how we see the Top 5 picks of the 2008 NBA draft going down:

1 - Chicago Bulls - Derrick Rose
2 - Miami Heat - Michael Beasley
3 - Minnesota Timberwolves - Brook Lopez
4 - Seattle Sonics - OJ Mayo
5 - Memphis Grizzlies - Jerryd Bayless

The Grizzlies also have an additional selection late in the first round.

Get Out Your Slingblade, Billy Bob's Coming To Memphis

I was goofing around today and found out that Billy Bob Thornton & the Box Master's will be playing at the Hi-Tone on August 6th. I haven't heard any thing about his band, but I'm sure this will be an interesting time.

A Bravo Memphis Art Exhibit Sneak Peek and Wine Tasting

Join Bravo Memphis at the David Lusk Gallery for a preview of Crowded, a collection of work from four emerging male artists under 40 - Mike Force, Marcus Kenney, Shawn Mathews, and Cordy Ryman. The evening will feature conversation with an artist showcased in the exhibit, a sampling of white wines, plenty of hearty appetizers and a silent auction for the ultimate experiences for date night or group outings.

Thursday, June 5, 2008, 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.

Tickets $45 for couple and $25 for singles.
Contact Pat Mitchell Worley at pworley@artsmemphis.org to get your tickets today.

Random Updates

- The Bayou Bar & Grill has moved to its new location and will re-open on May 21. They are moving from their longtime location next to Le Chardonnay to a new location across the street on Madison near Paulette's and Studio on the Square. Le Chardonnay is also moving to the same building on Madison that was fomerly occupied by Squared Foods.

- Rumors are floating around that the Downtown Blue Monkey will re-open this week.

- Morgan Freeman's Ground Zero has opened Downtown. Their official "grand opening" will be on May 25. In addition to live blues music Thursday - Saturday, Ground Zero will also be open for lunch and dinner.

Random Stuff: Super Bowl and Grizzlies Changes

Congrats to the New York football Giants on their victory over the Patriots in the Super Bowl. It was one the best games in recent memory. I'm also happy because I won the 2 quarters of the office football pool.

Memphis Lagniappe's Favorite Super Bowl Ad:



Looks like the Grizzlies are finally shaking things up before trade deadline. Last week they unloaded Gasol and today they shipped Stromile Swift to New Jersey for Jason Collins. Lets hope they can find some cap room and sign a few strong free agents in before next season.

British Television Advertising Awards

This year's British Television Advertising Awards brings a new batch of original, daring and hilarious commercials to The Memphis Brooks Museum. The exhibit kicks off on January 24 and runs through January 27. For more information visit the Brooks Museum or call 901-544-6200.