Small Biz Support, Rio Azul, Dunkin Donuts

American Express has extended its Small Business Saturday promotion throughout the holiday season. American Express will give $25 back to cardmembers who register and used their AmEx card at any small business through December 31. This is a great promotion encouraging consumers to shop at locally owned shops, restaurants and more. Plus it doesn't hurt to get a $25 credit on your AmEx card.

Over the past few years more and more quality Mexican restaurants have opened in the Memphis area. Rio Azul is another Mexican eatery that fits this description. Located in Cordova near Houston Levee and Macon, Rio Azul has great traditional Mexican food at low prices. The staff is very friendly and the drinks are fantastic. If you are out that way, it's worth a stop.

Dunkin' Donuts' Union Avenue location will open on Wednesday. I may stop by to welcome the new business, but it may be hard to step away from Donald's Donuts. Dunkin' does serve a mean cup of coffee though. Much better that Starbucks.

Dunkin' Donuts is also hosting the 5th annual Holiday Recycled Bicycle Giveaway. All collected bikes will be refurbished and distributed to kids in the Binghampton neighborhood. New and used bikes will be collected at the at the Union Avenue location through the first weekend in December. Anyone who donates a bike will receive a $10 Dunkin’ gift card.

Memphis Lagniappe's Fabled College Football Playoff Predictions Week Of 11/29/10

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 29, 2010:

1. Oregon (PAC 10 Champion)
2. Auburn (SEC Champion)
3. TCU (Mountain West Champion)
4. Wisconsin (Big 10 Champion)
5. Stanford (At Large PAC 10)
6. Ohio State (At Large Big 10)
7. Michigan State (At Large Big 10)
8. Arkansas (At Large SEC)
9. LSU (At Large SEC)
10. Boise State (WAC Champion)
11. Virginia Tech (ACC Champion)
12. Oklahoma (Big 12 Champion)
13. Northern Illinois (MAC Champion)
14. Central Florida (C-USA Champion)
15. Connecticut (Big East Champion)
16. Florida International (Sun Belt Champion)

Dropped out: Oklahoma State (#9, Big 12 Champion),  Alabama (#10, At Large SEC), Pittsburgh (#15, Big East Champion)

Number Of Teams by Conference:
Big 10 (3), SEC (3), PAC 10 (2), ACC (1), Big East (1), Big 12 (1), C-USA (1), MAC (1), Mountain West (1), Sun Belt (1), WAC (1), Independent (0)

Match ups round by round assuming higher seeds win.

Round 1
(16) Florida International at (1) Oregon
(9) LSU at (8) Arkansas
(12) Oklahoma at (5) Stanford
(13) Northern Illinois at (4) Wisconsin
(11) Virginia Tech at (6) Ohio State
(14) Central Florida at (3) TCU
(10) Boise State at (7) Michigan State
(15) Connecticut at (2) Auburn

Round 2
(8) Arkansas vs (1) Oregon
(5) Stanford vs (4) Wisconsin
(6) Ohio State vs (3) TCU
(7) Michigan State vs (2) Auburn

Round 3
(4) Wisconsin vs (1) Oregon
(3) TCU vs (2) Auburn

Championship Game
(2) Auburn vs (1) Oregon

Thanksgiving Wine Line Up

Here's a quick sampling of some of the wines we will be enjoying on Thanksgiving Day. It's safe to say, there are more to come. As always, there will be winners and losers. Look for more details later this weekend.

 J. Lohr Estates Seven Oaks Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 Paso Robles

La Crema Pinot Noir 2007 Sonoma Coast

 Bogle Merlot 2007 California

 Layer Cake Primitivo aka Zinfandel 2007 Puglia, Italy

 Luna Rosa Malbec 2006 Procedencia Mendoza

 Concannon Limited Release Pinot Noir 2007 Central Coast

Substance Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 Washington

Turkey Day, TurBaconEpic, Restaurant Poll

Happy Thanksgiving everyone. Hopefully everyone is able to be with family and friends this holiday weekend. Safe travels to all who are on the road and to those who received an airport pat-down this weekend.

Keeping with the notion of over-indulgence on Thanksgiving day, Here is something that may just clog your arteries.



Don't forget that Memphis Magazine's Restaurant Poll is still running through December 1, 2010. The poll only takes a few minutes and you just might win dinner for two.

More Italian In Midtown, Turkey Tip Off, Super T, Football

It looks like a new Italian restaurant will be opening in Midtown Memphis. Cortana will open in the space formerly occupied by Dish on the corner of Cooper and Young. It is expected to open in early 2011.

Don't forget that Kooky Canuck's Turkey Tip Off starts Wednesday at 11am and runs through 2:30am on Thanksgiving morning. In addition to traditional Turkey Day lunch and dinner specials, there will also be 99 cent Bud Light draft all day.

What's Thanksgiving night in Memphis without spending time with Super T at Newby's? The Tyrone Smith Revue returns again Thursday night for his annual Thanksgiving night party. It's good to see that Super T is still working his magic after all these years. They have been using this same promo picture for years. Wonder what Super Tyrone looks like now.

Tyrone Smith Revue, aka Super T

The Memphis Tigers football season will mercifully come to an end on Saturday. It has been a long campaign for first-year coach Larry Porter. Lack of depth, young players and little support have doomed the Tigers this year. A win over Central Florida is a long shot at best, so it's fairly safe to say that Memphis will finish the year with a 1-11 record. Some are calling for Porter to be fired.  Changes will most likely happen, but Porter will still be the coach next year. Look for changes at position coach and possibly the coordinator levels. Thank goodness it's basketball season.

Here's the picks for this week.

Last Week: 5-1
Season: 49-23 (68%)

Dallas Cowboy over New Orleans Saints
Alabama over Auburn
Central Florida over Memphis
Arkansas over LSU
Oklahoma State over Oklahoma
Tennessee Titans over Houston Texans

Weekly Liberty Bowl Projection: Central Florida vs Tennessee-Knoxville

There is a possibility that Liberty Bowl officials will not select the Conference USA Champion, instead the SEC may force bowl officials to take a Big East team. This scenario only comes into play if all of the SEC bowl slots are not filled.


What I'm reading: Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us

Memphis Lagniappe's Fabled College Football Playoff Predictions Week Of 11/22/10

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 22, 2010:

1. Oregon (PAC 10 Champion)
2. Auburn (SEC Champion)
3. Boise State (WAC Champion)
4. TCU (Mountain West Champion)
5. Wisconsin (Big 10 Champion)
6. Stanford (At Large PAC 10)
7. LSU (At Large SEC)
8. Ohio State (At Large Big 10)
9. Oklahoma State (Big 12 Champion)
10. Alabama (At Large SEC)
11. Michigan State (At Large Big 12)
12. Virginia Tech (ACC Champion)
13. Northern Illinois (MAC Champion)
14. Central Florida (C-USA Champion)
15. Pittsburgh (Big East Champion)
16. Florida International (Sun Belt Champion)

Dropped out: Nebraska (#7, Big 12 Champion)

Number Of Teams by Conference:
SEC (3), Big 10 (3), PAC 10 (2), ACC (1), Big East (1), Big 12 (1), C-USA (1), MAC (1), Mountain West (1), Sun Belt (1), WAC (1), Independent (0)

Match ups round by round assuming higher seeds win.

Round 1
(16) Florida International at (1) Oregon
(9) Oklahoma State at (8) Ohio State
(12) Virginia Tech at (5) Wisconsin
(13) Northern Illinois at (4) TCU
(11) Michigan State at (6) Stanford
(14) Central Florida at (3) Boise State
(10) Alabama at (7) LSU
(15) Pittsburgh at (2) Auburn

Round 2
(8) Ohio State vs (1) Oregon
(5) Wisconsin vs (4) TCU
(6) Stanford vs (3) Boise State
(7) LSU vs (2) Auburn

Round 3
(4) TCU vs (1) Oregon
(3) Boise State vs (2) Auburn

Championship Game
(2) Auburn vs (1) Oregon

Basketball: Huge Win For Grizzlies,Tigers Battle

Wow! What a huge win for the Memphis Grizzlies tonight! Rudy Gay nailed a buzzer-beater to lead the Grizzlies to a 97-95 victory over the Miami Heat. Yep, I were wrong in predicting a Memphis loss, but the Heat were without superstar Dwayne Wade. The win could be the start of good things for the Grizzlies, but if things should stay mediocre, then Hollins should go.

The Memphis basketball Tigers hit the road tomorrow to play LSU in Tupelo. LSU isn't playing good basketball right now and that Josh Pastner's club should win with ease. The game will be televised on CBS College Sports at 4pm.

Wrigley Football Changes, Grizzlies Lose, Carl's Commentary

It appears that the earlier mentioned dangers at the Illinois vs Northwestern game at Wrigley Field have been addressed. The new rules for this game are a little confusing, but it safety should come first. Just feel bad for the fans that bought bleacher seats at Wrigley. With or without the rule changes, you know there is going to be a big party outside of the stadium.

The Grizzlies lost tonight on the road against the Washington Wizards. The loss is the fifth in the row for the Lionel Hollins' club. Is it too soon to be exploring a coaching change for the Grizzlies? The schedule doesn't get easier for the Grizzlies. Lebron James, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosch will be at FedEx Forum Saturday night with the rest of the the Miami Heat. A Memphis win would be nice, but it's more likely that the Heat will be win BIG.

Speaking of the Heat, Chris Bosch may be the key to their success. If he continues to play well, Miami will be unstoppable.

And now some commentary from Carl Brutananadilewski.

Zoo Open For Skating

The grand opening for the Memphis Zoo on Ice is tomorrow (November 19) during the introduction of SunTrust Zoo Lights. Ice skating will be available daily from November 20 - January 30, 2011. Daily ice skating hours will be from 9:30am to 4:30pm. The rink will also be open on select nights through out the season. Admission will be $6, including skate rental and one hour of skate time. If you have your own skates, admission is only $5.

More On Broad, Boa Ball, Creme Fraiche

WMC ran a segment about the Broad Avenue activities going on this weekend. This is a great idea that will hopefully make Broad a destination spot for Memphians.

The Red Cross Boa Ball is Saturday night at the Central Station on South Main. It looks like there will be auctions, food and drinks and live music courtesy of The Bouffants. Tickets are $75 per person, $130 for couples and $500 for an eight person table. Proceeds will go to Mid-South Red Cross. The good times start at 7pm. You can purchase tickets by visiting www.midsouthredcross.org.

Great episode of South Park last night. Here's a clip from the episode.

Creme Fraiche
Tags: SOUTH
PARKRandy Marsh,Sharon Marsh,more...

New Face for an Old Broad, Memphian Honored By Jack Daniel's, Football

Just a reminder that the Broad Avenue face lift is scheduled for this weekend (November 19th & 20th). The goal is to showcase Broad Avenue's long-term vision as an arts district and connector between the Greenline and Overton Park. There will be mural painting, bike lane striping, live music and temporary retail and restaurant vendors in currently vacated buildings.

Luchessi's Bottle

A long-time Memphis alcohol salesman, the first for Jack Daniel's,  is being honored by Jack Daniel Distillery with commemorative birthday bottle. Congratulations Mr. Luchessi!

This is much classier look than the John Calipari Maker's Mark  bottle issued last year. I wonder what it would take to have a special edition bottle in my honor. One of these days I'll might have my name etched on a bottle of Ketel One or Macallan. To be honest, I would be just as honored on a bottle of Taaka or Old Smuggler.

Yankees Stadium

 Two Major League Baseball stadiums will host college football games. Yankees Stadium will host Army and Notre Dame and Chicago's Wrigley Field will host Illinois and Northwestern. Yankees Stadium will also host the Pinstripe Bowl later this year featuring teams from Big East and Big 12.

Wrigley Field

The football layout in New York looks comfortable, but squeezing the college field into the ivy at Wrigley looks dangerous. How professional football games were played there decades ago is beyond comprehension. If you take a close look at the Wrigley set up, you will notice that the goal post is mounted on the outfield wall and there is limited space between the end zone and the brick wall. The right field corner isn't much better. God bless any receiver running a post or corner route. It almost looks like arena football. Regardless of the safety issues, its nice to see athletic directors thinking of out of the box and working with promoters to bring games to non-traditional stadiums. Let's hope there aren't any serious injuries for Wildcats and Illini players.

Rhodes College completed their 2010 football campaign last week with a home victory over Sewanee. The Lynx finished the season with a disappointing 4-6 overall record, including a 3-3 record in conference play. Rhodes finished in a two-way tie for third place in the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference standings. Following the season, head coach Joe White tendered his resignation ending his 14 years with the program.

Here's the picks for this week.

Last Week: 4-2
Season: 44-22 (66%)

UAB over Memphis
LSU over Mississippi
Illinois over Northwestern
Arkansas over Mississippi State
Tennessee Titans over Washington Redskins
New Orleans Saints over Seattle Seahawks

Weekly Liberty Bowl Projection: Central Florida vs Georgia

There is a possibility that Liberty Bowl officials will not select the Conference USA Champion, instead the SEC may force bowl officials to take a Big East team. This scenario only comes into play if all of the SEC bowl slots are not filled.

Vehicle Inspection, Motorsports Auction, Carmouche

Things were different today at the Memphis vehicle inspection station on White Station. It may have been the rainy weather, but the lines were relatively short and inspectors were friendly and efficient in getting cars checked and back on the road. For those that have a car made from 1996 to the present, be prepared for a new process.

Have you ever wanted to own your own race track or drag racing strip? Now there's a chance to own both. Memphis Motorsports Park will be sold to the highest bidder at a December 14 auction at the facility. Many Memphis area residents may not be fans of NASCAR or NHRA racing, but it was nice to have tourists in town the three or four weekends a year when the larger racing events were in town.

Carmouche
(courtesy of gotigersgo.com)

How can you not be a fan of Charles Carmouche? In last night's game against Miami, he was a scrappy player, physical on defense, had five steals and made key free throws down the stretch. He may be overshadowed by bigger name players like local product Joe Jackson, but if he continues this kind of play he may be the fan favorite by the end of the season.

Carmouche has been earning frequent traveler miles since 2005, when his family was forced to move to Houston after Hurricane Katrina. After playing a year for a Houston high school, he returned to New Orleans and eventually signed with the University of New Orleans. Earlier this year, UNO announced it was moving from Division 1 to Division 3 in all sports. Carmouche knew he was too talented to play at that level, so he transferred to Memphis. It's pretty safe to say that Josh Pastner and Tigers basketball fans are happy that he picked the Bluff City for his latest stop and would like to see him stay for a couple of years.

Carmouche and the rest of Tigers return to action tomorrow night against the Demons of Northwestern State. Tip off is set for 7pm at FedEx Forum.

Mug Club Sells Out, Cake Coming To Minglewood

Boscos staffers weren't kidding when they said that the available mugs would go fast. Close to 50 mugs were available this morning at 11am and they were gone in less than 30 minutes.

Tickets go on sale Friday for Cake's live show at Minglewood Hall on Friday, January 21. Did anyone realize that Cake was still together or touring? Glad to hear that Memphis will be on the next tour. It's safe to say that Cake will be promoting their new album Showroom Of Compassionwhich is set to be released in January of 2011.

Here are a few of their hits.






 

Restaurant Week, Mug Club

Just a reminder that Downtown Dining Week kicks off tonight and runs through Sunday. Most of the participating restaurants are offering three courses for $20.10. After checking out the menu's, McEwan's On Monroe, Felicia Suzanne's and the Majestic will be on the top of my list. Based on last year's DDW, reservations are highly recommended.

The Boscos Mug Club renewal period ended last night at midnight. Any available mugs will be available on a first-come, first-served basis starting today at 11am. Get there early, because they will not last.

Memphis Lagniappe's Fabled College Football Playoff Predictions Week Of 11/15/10

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 15, 2010:

1. Oregon (PAC 10 Champion)
2. Auburn (SEC Champion)
3. Boise State (WAC Champion)
4. TCU (Mountain West Champion)
5. Wisconsin (Big 10 Champion)
6. LSU (At Large SEC)
7. Nebraska (Big 12 Champion
8. Stanford (At Large PAC 10)
9. Ohio State (At Large Big 10)
10. Oklahoma State (At Large Big 12)
11. Alabama (At Large SEC)
12. Virginia Tech (ACC Champion)
13. Northern Illinois (MAC Champion)
14. Central Florida (C-USA Champion) 
15. Pittsburgh (Big East Champion)
16. Florida International (Sun Belt Champion)

Dropped out: Michigan State (#11, Big 10 Champion), Troy (#16, Sun Belt Champion)

Number Of Teams by Conference:
SEC (3), Big 10 (2), Big 12 (2), PAC 10 (2), ACC (1), Big East (1), C-USA (1), MAC (1), Mountain West (1), Sun Belt (1), WAC (1), Independent (0)

Match ups round by round assuming higher seeds win.

Round 1
(16) Florida International at (1) Oregon
(9) Ohio State at (8) Stanford
(12) Virginia Tech at (5) Wisconsin
(13) Northern Illinois at (4) TCU
(11) Alabama at (6) LSU
(14) Central Florida at (3) Boise State
(10) Oklahoma State at (7) Nebraska
(15) Pittsburgh at (2) Auburn

Round 2
(8) Stanford vs (1) Oregon
(5) Wisconsin vs (4) TCU
(6) LSU vs (3) Boise State
(7) Nebraska vs (2) Auburn

Round 3
(4) TCU vs (1) Oregon
(3) Boise State vs (2) Auburn

Championship Game
(2) Auburn vs (1) Oregon

Beaujolais Nouveau, New Basketball Court Designs, Football, BTE

The Grove Grill is hosting a Beaujolais Nouveau dinner on Thursday, November at 18th at 7pm. The five course dinner is $55 plus tax and tip. Reservations are recommended. See below for the menu.

1st Course
Duck Pate on Baguette
Blue Cheese Gougeres, (puffs)

BeaujolaisNouveau, Cask, 2010

2nd Course

Riz au Fruit du Mer,
(Seafood Risotto)

Georges Duboeuf Macon Villages Domaine des Chenevieres, 2009

3rd Course

Columbia River Sturgeon Bourguignon
With baby carrots, pearl onions and button mushromms

Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais-Villages Flower Label, 2009

4th Course

Roasted Pekin Duckling
With grilled stone fruit and Kircsh demi glace

Georges Duboeuf Morgon , 2009

5th Course

Millefuille de pomme Caramèlisèes
(Spitzenburg Apple, Almond and Puff Pastry)


The University of Oregon is already known for its unique football uniforms every Saturday, but now the Ducks basketball team is getting into the mix. The basketball program is rolling out its new basketball court this season. According to Wired.com, the wood floor "features a trippy, inverse perspective that makes it appear as if you’re looking up through a grove of fir trees."

What's up with Northwestern schools and their "special" field/court designs? First, there was Boise State's blue football field. Then earlier this year, Eastern Washington's football club rolled out its red turf. And now this gem at the soon to be completed Matthew Knight Arena at Oregon. By the way, the arena is named after Nike founder Phillip Knight's son. Knight and Nike are both huge supporters of Oregon athletics.


Just finished reading  Death to the BCS: The Definitive Case Against the Bowl Championship Series. It's a great book that advocates a 16-team playoff (similar to this blog's weekly playoff predictions) and shows all of the financial sense and hurdles that a postseason playoff is facing. If you think there is a better way than the BCS, then check out this book.

Here's the picks for this week.

Last Week: 4-2
Season: 40-20 (66%)

Mississippi over Tennessee-Knoxville
Ohio State over Penn State
Rhodes over Sewanee
Marshall over Memphis
Auburn over Georgia
Tennessee Titans over Miami Dolphins

Weekly Liberty Bowl Projection: Central Florida vs Georgia

Better Than Ezra is playing at Minglewood Hall on Saturday night. There is no doubt that this will be a great show. Here's a sampling of what you might hear if you check out BTE's show this weekend.



The Memphis Tigers basketball team opens up their regular season tomorrow night against Centenary at FedEx Forum. This should be an easy win for the Tigers.

Porter Heat, High Point Triathlon, Backstreet Closed, Circa On The Move

The local media is probably giving Memphis football coach Larry Porter the most heat of any first coach in the country, maybe ever. Yes, the Tigers are 1-8, but does Porter deserve a little more slack? It's not like Tommy West left the program with a lot of talent. A new system combined with sub par players will result in a losing season. If the Tigers have the same issues and record next year, give Porter the boot.

The High Point Pub's Triathlon is coming up this Saturday from 6:30pm until 11:30pm. This event consists of a two-person team competing in three events - shuffleboard, darts, and a "Mystery" event. To sign up, visit a bartender at the Pub as quickly as possible. The entry fee is $15/person which includes food and beer, while supplies last.

The Commercial Appeal is reporting that Midtown's Backstreet club has been closed, once again, by law enforcement officials. Since this isn't the first time the club has been in trouble, there is a good chance that city and county officials may prohibit the bar from opening its doors again. 

As expected, Circa has officially begun the moving process from Downtown to East Memphis. Circa is planning to reopen in the Regalia Center in mid-December. In Circa's place will be Bar None, a casual restaurant/bar. Bar None will be open during Downtown's restaurant week (Nov 15-21), but will close until late November for renovations.

Belgian Beer Tasting

Just heard that there will be a Belgian beer tasting at Cafe Society tomorrow night (November 9). There will be five Belgian beers to sample all for $25 per person plus tax and tip. There will also be a $5 small plate menu available during the tasting. Space is limited, so reservations are recommended at 722-2177.

Memphis Lagniappe's Fabled College Football Playoff Predictions Week Of 11/8/10

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 1, 2010:

1. Oregon (PAC 10 Champion)
2. Auburn (SEC Champion)
3. TCU (Mountain West Champion)
4. Boise State (WAC Champion)
5. Wisconsin (At large Big 10)
6. Nebraska (Big 12 Champion)
7. LSU (At Large SEC)
8. Stanford (At Large PAC 10)
9. Ohio State (At Large Big 10)
10. Oklahoma State (At Large Big 12)
11. Michigan State (Big 10 Champion)
12. Virginia Tech (ACC Champion)
13. Central Florida (C-USA Champion)
14. Northern Illinois (MAC Champion) 
15. Pittsburgh (Big East Champion)
16. Troy (Sun Belt Champion)

Dropped out: Alabama (#5, At Large SEC), Utah (#6, At Large Mountain West), Oklahoma (#10, At Large Big 12)

Number Of Teams by Conference:
Big 10 (3), Big 12 (2), PAC 10 (2), SEC (2), ACC (1), Big East (1), C-USA (1), MAC (1), Mountain West (1), Sun Belt (1), WAC (1), Independent (0)

Match ups round by round assuming higher seeds win.

Round 1
(16) Troy at (1) Oregon
(9) Ohio State at (8) Stanford
(12) Virginia Tech at (5) Wisconsin
(13) Central Florida at (4) Boise State
(11) Michigan State at (6) Nebraska
(14) Northern Illinois at (3) TCU
(10) Oklahoma State at (7) LSU
(15) Pittsburgh at (2) Auburn

Round 2
(8) Stanford vs (1) Oregon
(5) Wisconsin vs (4) Boise State
(6) Nebraska vs (3) TCU
(7) LSU vs (2) Auburn

Round 3
(4) Boise State vs (1) Oregon
(3) TCU vs (2) Auburn

Championship Game
(2) Auburn vs (1) Oregon

Jockey Fights & Beer Drinking Horse

Apparently it was just another day the Breeders Cup yesterday. Side note - Calvin Borel is even more of a scary looking guy when he is angry.



So Zenyatta is 19-0 in 19 career starts. What's her secret? Great trainers? High calorie diet like Michael Phelps? Little chocolate donuts? The correct answer might involve happy hour. Zenyatta is a big fan of Guinness beer. Are Irish Carbombs on the menu if she goes 20-0? Maybe the Flying Saucer or Celtic Crossing should bring her in for a drinking contest.

 

And for those of you who didn't get the chocolate donuts reference, enjoy this great clip featuring the late John Belushi.

Harvest Celebration, Carl's Commentary

Just noticed that the 2010 Harvest Celebration is coming up later this late afternoon (4-7) at Central Station on South Main. This is probably the best event of the season for the Memphis Farmers Market. It features tastings from local restaurants, entertainment and a complimentary bar, with all proceeds going to the Memphis Farmers Market. I'm guessing its too late to get advance tickets, so its looking like it will cost you $55 to join in on the fun.

And now some commentary from Carl Brutananadilewski.

Memphis Airport Overpriced, Moss To Titans, Chipotle

Confirming what Memphis travelers have known for a long time, Memphis International Airport was named the fifth priciest airport in country. Everyone is excited about the proposed merger of Air Tran and Southwest Airlines, but will the merger actually reduce prices at MEM? Are Memphis airport fees too high?

The Tennessee Titans have claimed wide receiver Randy Moss off of waivers. Now there might be a good reason to watch the Titans, besides Chris Johnson. Still not sold on Vince Young or Kerry Collins at quarterback, but the addition of Moss should open things up for Johnson's running game.

Chipotle Mexican Grill will finally open in Memphis at the Ridgeway Trace center in the second quarter of 2011. Chipotle is very similar to Moe's and Swanky's. Nothing against Chipotle, but Swanky will continue to be my "go to" taco/burrito shop. Plus, there are tons of authentic Mexican food restaurants that provide more value. Whenever I think of Chipotle, this video always pops in my mind.
 

Dead Celebrities
Tags: SOUTH
PARKmore...

Sip Around The World, College Basketball, Football

Sip Around The World is this Friday night at the Memphis Botanic Garden. This is usually a great event with lots of wine, hors d'oeuvers, music and more. This year event organizers have added a new Champagne Lounge for an additional fee. For ticket information, call 683-6185 or visit the nkfwtn.org.

Memphis Tigers basketball kicks off exhibition play tonight against LeMoyne-Owen at FedEx Forum. The contest shouldn't be competitive in any way, but it will give Tigers fans something to focus on instead of the hapless football team.

Speaking of the football team, Larry Porter's squad will host Tennessee-Knoxville Saturday night at the Liberty Bowl. Both teams will be playing for, what is most likely, their last win of the season. With the Volunteers having a horrific season, this could be one of the best opportunities for the Tigers to earn their second victory over Tennessee-Knoxville. Unfortunately, Memphis doesn't have the weapons to pull it off Saturday night.

This game is usually a sellout when it is played at the Liberty Bowl. With both teams playing so poorly, I wonder how many fans will actually attend the game. 

Here's the picks for this week.

Last Week: 3-3
Season: 36-18 (66%)

Air Force over Army
Birmingham Southern over Rhodes
Alabama over LSU
Utah over TCU
Tennessee-Knoxville over Memphis
New Orleans Saints over Carolina Panthers

Weekly Liberty Bowl Projection: Central Florida vs Kentucky

Memphis Lagniappe's Fabled College Football Playoff Predictions Week Of 11/1/10

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 1, 2010:

1. Oregon (PAC 10 Champion)
2. Auburn (SEC Champion)
3. Boise State (WAC Champion)
4. TCU (Mountain West Champion)
5. Alabama (At Large SEC)
6. Utah (At Large Mountain West)
7. Wisconsin (At Large Big 10)
8. Nebraska (Big 12 Champion)
9. Ohio State (At Large Big 10)
10. Oklahoma (At Large Big 12)
11. Michigan State (Big 10 Champion)
12. Virginia Tech (ACC Champion)
13. Central Florida (C-USA Champion)
14. Northern Illinois (MAC Champion) 
15. Pittsburgh (Big East Champion)
16. Troy (Sun Belt Champion)

Dropped out: Missouri (#6, Big 12 Champion), Stanford (#10, At Large PAC 10), Florida State (#12, ACC Champion), East Carolina (#13, C-USA Champion)

Number Of Teams by Conference:
Big 10 (3), Big 12 (2), Mountain West (2), SEC (2), ACC (1), Big East (1), C-USA (1), MAC (1), PAC 10 (1), Sun Belt (1), WAC (1), Independent (0)

Match ups round by round assuming higher seeds win.

Round 1
(16) Troy at (1) Oregon
(9) Ohio State at (8) Nebraska
(12) Virginia Tech at (5) Alabama
(13) Central Florida at (4) TCU
(11) Michigan State at (6) Utah
(14) Northern Illinois at (3) Boise State
(10) Oklahoma at (7) Wisconsin
(15) Pittsburgh at (2) Auburn

Round 2
(8) Nebraska vs (1) Oregon
(5) Alabama vs (4) TCU
(6) Utah vs (3) Boise State
(7) Wisconsin vs (2) Auburn

Round 3
(4) TCU vs (1) Oregon
(3) Boise State vs (2) Auburn

Championship Game
(2) Auburn vs (1) Oregon