Grocery Store Commit At Overton Square & ManRam

It appears that Overton Square finally has a grocery store commitment. AWG has signed a agreement to acquire the southern portion of the square. It will be interesting to see which concept AWG brings to the Square. Most of AWG-owned concepts are low-cost retailers. Let's hope they bring in Sun Fresh, a premium brand focused on fresh items similar to Fresh Market.

Not Memphis related, but what the hell was Manny Ramirez thinking? A growth hormone for women? Nice. Seeing that he will be a distraction for the remainder of the season, the Dodgers should void his contract and focus on a kid from Slidell, LA - Xavier Paul.

Ladies and Gentlemen, King Curtis & The Kingpins.

Lots Of Stuff This Weekend & Farewell Captain Chaos

Looks like the rain has finally stopped for a day. Looks like another wet weekend is on the way.

Lots of good music options this weekend.

The 30th Blues Music Awards are tonight. For ticket info, visit the Blues Foundation. This should be a good time.

The best bet of the weekend will be Walrus at Automatic Slim's on Friday night. 80's indy rock will be plentiful and they usually bring a nice crowd.

Let's not forget the Memphis Greek Festival at the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church. $15 admission allows you to see all of the Greek festivities and includes a full Greek meal.

The Memphis Flyer has a great article this week about some of the secrets of the city. Looks like a fun day of sites and activities that would basically be free.

On a shaky note, it looks like New Kids on the Block is coming to Mud Island this summer. Umm...why? Shouldn't these guys be sent to the casino circuit?

On a sad note, Dom DeLuise passed away earlier this week. Here are some funny outtakes from Cannonball Run.

Cinco de Mayo, Fiddler on the Roof

Happy Cinco De Mayo!!! Cafe Ole, Los Compadres and the rest of the usual Mexican hot spots will have drink specials and good people watching. Another option that you may not have thought about is the Kooky Canuck. You can't go wrong with $2 34oz Margaritas.

Fiddler on the roof is opening tonight at the Orpheum. Fiddler fans will enjoy Topol's return as Tevye. Sci-fi and comic book fans may remember Topol best as Dr. Zarkov in Flash Gordon.



Ladies and gentlemen, a random mariachi band.

Orange Peels, Another Bangkok Alley, Drought Problems? Call Music Fest

Happy National Candied Orange Peel Day!!! Not sure how to celebrate this day? You are not alone.

It has to be better than celebrating Star Wars Day. May the 4th be with you...are you serious? That's almost as bad as playing golf with Vader.




Bangkok Alley is adding another Memphis-area location, taking over the former Sawaddii Thai Cuisine space in Downtown Memphis. Bangkok management has indicated the new location will take on more of a lounge area. One manager said, “We want more of a bar atmosphere, but not to take away from our food.” Bangkok Alley also has locations in Collierville, Cordova and Southaven.

Should the Beale Street Music Festival change its name to the Memphis Rain Festival? Is there anyone who can recall the last time this festival wasn't blessed by rain? Memphis Lagniappe is claiming dibs on official music fest rain gear. Future investors will be guaranteed a huge ROI.

Ladies and Gentleman, Mr. Charlie Pride

Oyster & Wine Dinner At The Grove

The Grove Grill will be preparing a 5 course menu featuring fresh Louisiana oysters. Each course will include a wine pairing. This special dinner will be on May 7 at 7pm. Cost is $65.00 plus tax and gratuity. Please call for reservations, 901-818-9951.


Louisiana Oyster Dinner

First Course

Baked Oysters Sampler: BBQ-Bleu Cheese, Rockefeller and Tchoupitoulas

Wine Pairing: Emmolo Sryah Rose, Napa, California

Second Course

Fried Oyster and Roasted Mississippi Mushroom Salad with fennel remoulade

Wine Pairing: Loimer "Lois" Gruener Veltiner, Kamptal, Austria

Third Course

Roast Quail, with Oyster-Andouille sausage stuffing on gumbo sauce and pickled Spring vegetables

Wine Pairing: Kris Pinot Noir, Trentino Alto Adige, Italy

Fourth Course

Drunken Beef Tenderloin with smoked oysters, fingerling potato hash, Allan Benton's smoked bacon and hot-sweet tomato coulis

Wine Pairing: Don Miguel Gascon Malbec, Mendoza, Argentina

Fifth Course

Strawberry-Pound Cake Torte with Chambord cream

Wine Pairing: Villa Giada Moscato D'Asti, Piedmont, Italy

---------

A little music from Louisiana courtesy of Bonerama.

Talladega Craziness, Arthur Dies

None of this is Memphis related...no problem.

NASCAR's annual spring visit to Talladega was as exciting as it gets. Great races with incredible finishes. The amazing thing about the clips below is that the drivers came out unscratched. Unfortunately, there were a few fan injuries as a result of the Edwards flip (not talking about his trademarked victory back flip).

Saturday Talladega Excitement


Sunday's Incredible Finish


Bea Arthur passed away yesterday at the age of 86. Most will remember her from her roles as Maude and as one of the Golden Girls. This is one of our favorite clips of Arthur in action.

This Weekend: Southaven Springfest

The Southaven Springfest kicks off on April 23 at Snowden Grove Amphitheater. The festival includes a championship bbq competition, a carnival midway and live music from local and national acts including Rodney Atkins, Gin Blossoms and Tonic.




A little goodie from Tonic and a Wayans brother.

Live At The Garden & Leavitt Shell Lineups Announced

The Memphis Botanic Garden and Leavitt Shell have announced their spring/summer concert lineups.

Live at the Garden

General admission lawn tickets cost $39 each. Season lawn passes are $150 and are on sale now until June 5.

June 5: Train

June 18: Doobie Brothers

July 18: Joe Cocker

August 15: Heart

September 4: Moody Blues


Spring 2009 Levitt Shell at Overton Park Schedule

The free concerts begin at 7 p.m., except Saturdays, when the children's show starts at 5 p.m. followed by the evening bill at 7:30 p.m. For more information, go to levittshell.org.

May 28: Cowboy Jack Clement, Jimmie Davis

May 29: Brown Singers

May 30 (children's show): Carabali

May 30: New Ballet

May 31: Occidental Brothers Dance Band Intl. (tentative)

June 4: Hoots and Hellmouth

June 5: Big Sam's Funky Nation

June 6 (children's show): Dent May and his Magnificent Ukulele

June 6: Del Castillo

June 7: Chic Gamine

June 11: David Troy Francis

June 12: Betty Harris and the Believers

June 13 (children's show): Roger Day and the Mosquito Burrito Brothers

June 13: Alex Cuba

June 14: WhuDost

June 18: Todd Snider

June 19: Reba Russell Band, with Susan Marshall

June 20 (children's show): Conductor Jack and the Zing Hoppers

June 20: Los Cantadores

June 21: Andes Manta

June 25: Shannon McNally

June 26: Juke Joint Duo featuring Cedric Burnside and Lightnin' Malcolm

June 27 (children's show): Watoto de Afrika Presents: The Funsies

June 27: Cordero

June 28: Freeworld (tentative)

To get you in the mood, a little Doobie Brothers.

Cooper Young Restaurant Closing...Will Others Follow?

Cooper-Young's Sweet Bistro has become the latest victim of the economy. Known for its tasty desserts and trendy adult beverages, Sweet closed its doors on Sunday. The bistro has been open since 2007.

Many people are saying that other Cooper-Young restaurants are thriving, but there are rumors floating that Blue Fish could be closing in the near future.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Gary Wright and a little cowbell...

Best Crawfish In Memphis

The best crawfish in Memphis couldn't be found at yesterday's Rajun Cajun Crawfish Festival, but they were nearby. If you are looking for spicy mudbugs, potatoes, corn and mushrooms, checkout Orleans on Front. Clint and his team have crawfish boils on Sunday afternoons and the best place to eat them at Orleans' basement bar, Voodoo. Don't forget to grab some $2 PBR while you are there.

Ahhh...the power of crawfish.

Memphis Hires New Coach, Raiford Is Back, Rhodes Welcomes Wallace

The University of Memphis has reached an agreement with assistant Josh Pastner to be the next men's basketball coach for the Tigers. This is not the splash everyone was expecting from a coaching standpoint, but Pastner does bring solid recruiting background. He will have to hire very good assistants to make up for his lack of head coaching experience.

Paula Raiford's new Downtown club opened over the weekend. Early reports indicate that the fog machine is working triple-time and everyone had a great time. The new club also brings new closing times. The new Raiford's will close at 6am on Friday and Saturday nights.

Chris Wallace, host of “FOX News Sunday,” will discuss “Obama’s First 100 Days” on April 20 at Rhodes College. The event is free and open to the public. It will begin at 7 p.m. in Hardie Auditorium on Rhodes campus.

For your viewing enjoyment...Chuck Mangione

Coaching Search Continues, More Free Denny's, Cardinals In Town This Weekend

The Memphis Tigers are continuing their search to replace John Calipari. Memphis administrators and boosters are looking to make a "splash" with a big name, but have not had luck as of yet. The hot name on the list now is Bruce Pearl. It will be fun to see how Memphis fans treat Pearl if he gets the job. Not a big name, but a long shot...East Tennessee's Murray Bartow.

Coming off of their successful free Grandslam promotion, Denny's will once again be giving away free food. On Wednesday, April 8 from 6am to 2pm, participating Denny's locations will be giving away free Grandslamwiches with the purchase of a Grandslam breakfast.

A hidden gem that has been lost in the coaching change media frenzy is the St. Louis Cardinals exhibition games against the Memphis Redbirds this season. Tickets are still available for both games. First pitch is 7:05pm on Friday and 1:05pm on Saturday. Side note - the weather looks great for both games.

To get you in the spirit...John Fogerty with Keith Urban.

And The Memphis Coaching Search Begins

John Calipari confirmed today that he is taking the basketball position at Kentucky. He did a great job while he was here and while no one wants to see him go, we should all wish him the best at his next stop.

The ripple effect associated with his departure has already begun. It appears that he is taking his entire staff with him to Lexington and Tyreke Evans has told several media outlets that he is going pro. The next announcements will most likely be player transfers and de-commitments from key recruits.

So, what's next? Memphis needs to quickly find a top-notch coach that can stop the bleeding. Missouri has re-signed Mike Anderson, so he is out. Who does that leave? Early lists include USC's Tim Floyd, Mississippi's Andy Kennedy and possibly UTEP's Tony Barbee. This may be R.C. Johnson's most important hire at Memphis. It will be interesting to see who gets the job.

Ladies and gentlemen, Matthew Wilder

Memphis Coaching Change?

As expected, John Calipari's has become the leading candidate for the Kentucky basketball job. Most national and some local media outlets are reporting that Cal will accept the job with the Wildcats.

So that leaves a big question - who will be the next Memphis basketball coach? A popular name that keeps coming up is Missouri's Mike Anderson. Anderson has a good thing going in Columbia, so he will most likely stay his Tigers. Memphis does have the cash to steal Anderson, so this will be interesting to watch.

Another good fit would be UTEP's Tony Barbee. Before heading to El Paso, Barbee was an assistant under Calipari and he is very familiar with Memphis, its boosters, players and fans. Barbee hiring may also prevent key players from leaving the program.

One also has to think that the longer that Calipari draws this out, the chance that he leaves for Lexington will decrease.

To keep your mind off of the looming decision, the Soul Train dancers.

Basketball; Regional Update

Memphis did great job hosting the South Regional. Visiting teams brought lots of fans, especially North Carolina. The city beefed up security throughout Downtown as well as Beale Street. Overall, local clubs and restaurants hosts and everyone seemed to have fun.

Only one disappointment on the weekend. One establishment named after a legendary blues guitarist marked up their cover charge by 100%. Sure, they had a lot of people, but several people (locals and tourists) walked away when they heard the charge. Other clubs on Beale that kept normal cover charges in place had larger crowds and probably made more cash.

With the Memphis loss on Thursday night, many locals have completely tuned out of basketball for the remainder of the season. This could be the perfect time to focus on baseball. The Memphis Redbirds will bring exhibition play to Autozone Field this weekend against the St. Louis Cardinals and tickets are still available. Opening day for the Redbirds in April 9.

Grizzlies All-You-Can-Eat Extravaganza, Redbirds Like Fans, Waste Of An Hourd

For those of you that forgot that Memphis has a NBA team (based on attendance numbers, there is an awful lot of you), the Grizzlies are trying to lure in fans with new promotions. Per an email that was blasted out today, on Friday, April 3, you can satisfy your craving for great b-ball and great food--for one low price! For only $30 through this online-only promotion, get a Terrace Level ticket and unlimited hot dogs, nachos, popcorn, and 16 oz. Pepsi fountain drinks! If they would add all you can drink beer for another $10-15 a ticket, the game would be a guaranteed sell out.

The Memphis Redbirds will kick off the 2009 Season with a free Fan Appreciation Lunch, Wednesday March 25th from 11:30 to 1pm at AutoZone Park. This your chance to get some of your favorite ballpark snacks...free hotdogs, nachos and Coca-Cola products. This will also be a chance to hang with Rockey and, more importantly, the RedHots, win Redbirds prizes, and choose your seats for the upcoming Cardinals exhibition games and Redbirds regular season.

Many Americans tuned in to watch the President's prime time presser. What a waste of time. This will act as a formal request to ask Congress to create a stimulus package to get this hour back for all Americans. For future reference, if you are going to take time from the busy network schedules and our lives, be sure to have something important to say, be more prepared and do not dodge questions from big publications like the New York Times, Wall Street Journal and Washington Post. Are there Vegas odds on when the United States will be a truly socialist nation?

Random Stuff: Basketball and Crawfish

The first two rounds of the NCAA tournament are complete and the Memphis Tigers have made it to the Sweet 16. The Tigers will travel to Arizona play Mizzou on Thursday night.

Tickets are still available for the South region final being held in Memphis. This region lucked out with the top four seeds surviving the first two rounds. The matchups include UNC-Chapel Hill vs Gonzaga and Syracuse vs Oklahoma with the winners of each game meeting later in the weekend. Be sure to be nice to the visiting media and fans.

Speaking of visiting media, what are the odds that Gus Johnson starts another bar room brawl on Beale Street? In the spirit of Bill Rafferty....MAN TO MAN.

Crawfish season is fully underway in Memphis. Several establishments, including Newby's and Orleans on Front are having crawfish boils. This also means that two of the better festivals in Memphis are coming soon. The Overton Square crawfish festival (not sure of the official name) will be held on Saturday, April 11. It has been rumored that the location has been moved to the Bayou's new parking lot on the other side of Madison.

The Rajun Cajun Crawfish Festival will be held the following weekend (Sunday, April 19) and its usual Donwtown location. Can someone start a petition to move this festival to Saturday? It's always a great time, but it would be even better if it was held on a Saturday or all weekend.

Baseball, Primetime Sports, Free Arby's

Baseball season has finally arrived. If you are looking for some local action before the Redbirds start in April, check out one the local college teams. They all have competitive teams and the games are usually entertaining.

The World Baseball Classic kicked off this week. The U.S. beat Canada today in a play-off type game. Hopefully, the U.S. can step up and win some of these international tournaments. Memphis baseball fans will be excited to see that Stubby Clapp is on the Canadian roster. Is he still doing back flips?

It appears that Primetime Sports has opened its Downtown location in the space formerly used by Jillian's. For a while now, Calhoun's has been the only true sports bar in the Downtown area. Primetime may give them a run for the money, being closer to other Downtown attractions and having a much larger location.

Arby's is giving away free Roast Burger sandwiches. Use this coupon to get your free sandwich with a soft drink purchase.

Tigers Rolling, Downtown Flight, Donuts...

The Memphis Tigers continue to impress poll voters. This week they are ranked 3 and 5 in the big polls. If they keep this up, along with key losses by the rest of the top 5, the Tigers may sneak in to the big dance as a #1 seed. As we get deeper into March Madness, its going to be interesting to see which teams make it Memphis for the South regional.

A new restaurant will open in the space formerly occupied by Stella this April. Flight will focus on flights of wine, liquor and cuisines from across the U.S. and the world. This is another great addition to Downtown Memphis.

Dunkin’ Donuts will open its first Memphis location next week. Their doors will open at 5am on March 11 at the 1674 Whitten Road location. Sure, the donuts are good, but DD has very good and affordable coffee. There are 17 planned locations for the Memphis area, including a Downtown location at the Radio Center Flats building on the corner of Main and Union.

Lots of Stuff: Restaurant Updates, Tigers Moving Up, Silly Goose Revisited, the New Corner Bar, Minglewood Hall and Tennis

Benihana has reopened their East Memphis location almost a year after the restaurant was destroyed by a fire. No longer will you find the older “tea room” style, instead the new building features a modern style only found at a few Benihana locations.

The Kitchen will open in East Memphis in April. This new European-style restaurant will be in the space formerly occupied by Caspian.

The Memphis Tigers are ranked as high as #5 in the latest college basketball polls. Early bracket predictions have the Tigers as a #2 seed, playing their first round games in Minneapolis. Even with the success of the Tigers, Conference USA Tournament tickets are moving at a slow pace. The economy probably has a lot to do with it, but the initial lack of excitement for the team could also be a contributor. If the Tigers keep winning, tickets will sell.

After another visit to the Silly Goose, it is looking like that it may turn into a hotspot. The bar was packed over the weekend and the long list of liquor options is something that Downtown has needed for a long time.

Another stop over the weekend was the Corner Bar at the Peabody Hotel. They have revamped their menu and adjusted their drink prices in an effort to attract more people. It was good to see a steep reduction in price on some of the beverages. One request to the management…live music.

Minglewood Hall has finally opened its doors. This new Midtown music venue has a nice selection of bands scheduled in the upcoming weeks. Its good to have another venue like this in Memphis, especially in Midtown.

The Regions Morgan Keegan Championships and Cellular South Cup are being held this week at The Racquet Club of Memphis. There are a few big name players in town including Pete Sampras, who made an appearance in an exhibition match on Monday night, Andy Roddick and James Blake. Unfortunately, none of the popular “hot” female players are part of the draw. Then again, there may be some hidden gems in this year’s field.

Cheaps Suds Downtown This Weekend

On Sunday February 15th, Kooky Canuck will be serving $2 Coors Light all day long from 11am until 2:30am. This can be good for post-Valentine's Day recovery or to celebrate a three day weekend.

Amy LaVere On Conan & A Free Grand Slam

Memphis-based Amy LaVere will perform on The Late Show With Conan O'Brien tonight. You can check it out on Channel 5 at 11:30pm.

For those of you looking for a free breakfast, participating Denny's locations will be giving away free Grand Slams on Tuesday, Feb 3 from 6a-2pm. The Downtown Memphis Denny's location on Union should be festive.

Great Super Bowl, Horrible Ads

Wow, what a great game. Even though the Cardinals lost, the game was fun to watch with a fantastic finish. Congrats Steelers!

On the other hand the ads were horrible. There were a few good moments, but overall clients and ad agencies need to look deep inside themselves and wonder why they wasted so much money on these spots.

This year's top 3:

1. Careerbuilder
2. Cash4Gold.com
3. Coke Zero

Honorable mention: Miller High Life

AC/DC=Ringing Ears, Tigers Win, Grizzlies Winning?, Death Cab Tix

AC/DC performed in front of packed house last night at the FedEx Forum. They played all of their classics as well as a few songs off of their new album. My ears are still ringing, but I'm not complaining.

As expected, the Tigers managed to get a win over Houston today. Lets see if there can be two wins for Memphis teams in the Forum today. It may happen, the Grizzlies are winning at halftime over the Lakers.

Tickets went on sale Friday for Death Cab For Cutie's April 11 show at the Orpheum. Death Cab is a great live show and one of their opening acts (Cold War Kids) is also worth seeing.

Fun Stuff This Weekend: AC/DC, Basketball Saturday and the Super Bowl

There's a good bit of things going on this weekend in Memphis. Here are just a few of the highlights.

Legendary rock band AC/DC is playing at the FedEx Forum tonight. Reports from other cities indicate that these guys still put on a great show. There should be a nice crowd out Downtown after the show.

For basketball fans, there are two games at the Forum tomorrow. The first is a Conference USA contest between Memphis and Houston. Houston is a decent team that should be a tough contest for the Tigers. After looking at the Cougars performance against Arizona, Memphis may want to consider wearing helmets for this one.




Later in the day, the hapless Grizzlies will host Kobe Bryant, the other Gasol and the rest of the Lakers. This should be an easy win for the Lakers.

As everyone knows, the Super Bowl is Sunday evening. The Steelers are taking on the the Arizona Cardinals. There hasn't been much chatter about the game this week, but this should be a great game. Cardinals win by 4. For those watching the game, remember to pick up some 3D glasses for some of the commercials.

Another Downtown Restaurant Says Good Bye, MPACT Outlet, Lingerie Bowl

The Blues City Pastry shop has shut its doors. Located on the corner of Main Street and Peabody, the restaurant had been open since 2007.

MPACT Memphis will host MPACT Outlet on Thursday evening at the Red Rooster. This will be an opportunity for professionals to network and learn more about opportunities in the Memphis non-profit community. Festivities start at 6pm.

The Lingerie Bowl has announced that they have cancelled this weekend's event. Unlike the Playboy big game party, the economy is not the culprit. Instead, the event venue was demanding less clothing. What can you expect from an nudist camp?

Quick Hits: Tigers Win, Rio Loco, So Long Stella? and a Walrus Update

Coach Cal and the Memphis Tigers edged out a victory against UT-Knoxville over the weekend. There's nothing more satisfying than seeing Bruce Pearl lose.

I went to Downtown's Rio Loco for the first time over the weekend. The service and food were both great. The food portions were very large and the prices were very reasonable. Definitely recommended for anyone looking for a good meal.

There were rumors floating around Saturday night that Stella had shut its doors. The MBJ confirmed that story today. Hopefully they can find a new location in Midtown or East Memphis.

Local band Walrus is having a "working rehearsal" at Alex's Tavern on Thursday night. They will be practicing for their much anticipated 80's Prom Party on Valentine's Day night. Audience participation will be encouraged and expected.

As mentioned above, Walrus will be playing at an 80's Prom Party on Valentine's Day night at The Vine in Midtown. More details to come.

Saturday Fun: Tigers-Vols, Chicks On Skates, Charlie Mars...

Here are some recommendations for those looking to enjoy another cold day in Memphis.

Coach Cal and his Tigers take on UT-Knoxville today in men's basketball action. The game is on the road, so local watering holes should be crowded with fans from both schools for the 2:30 tipoff. Tigers by 5 in a competitive contest.

The ladies from Memphis Roller Derby will kick off another season tonight at the Mid-South Fairgrounds. Tickets are reasonably priced and festivities start at 7pm.

Charlie Mars is playing at the Hi-Tone tonight. Many may remember Mr. Mars from their college days in the mid-to-late 90's. His shows are usually pretty good.

The Grizzlies lost their first game with new coach Lionel Hollins...not a surprise. The CA is also reporting that Heisley made the call to hire Hollins...of course.

Saliva Playing In Memphis

Memphis-based band Saliva will play live at Minglewood Hall on Saturday February, 21. Pop Evil and Aranda will be the opening acts. Tickets are on sale now.

Changes At The Grizzlies

Various media outlets are reporting that the Memphis Grizzlies have fired head coach Marc Iavaroni. Not a big surprise with the team record standing at 11-30. In Iavaroni's defense, the Grizzlies are a young team that lacks ownership/management support to bring in high caliber free agents. A new owner that is willing to invest in the team would be nice.

An interim coach will announced for tomorrow night's game.

Tigers, Grizzlies, a Silly Goose and a Kooky Canuck?

What the heck is this? A zoo?

In the sports world, its the usual update...Tigers win. Grizzlies lose.

Downtown's Silly Goose opened last night. Tonight, the bar had an "electic" crowd. They have several beers on tap, a well stocked bar and an okay menu that features flatbreads. Oh yeah, they also have several hot waitresses. Overall, its seems like a nice place. Give it a few weeks to see what kind of crowd hangs out there on a regular basis.

FM100 is featuring 2 for 1 dining certificates for Kooky Canuck. Certificates go on sale Thursday morning starting at 7am. Cash in on this special deal here.

New Prez, Another Bayou in Midtown, Downtown Changes, Grizz Lose...Again

The United States welcomed a new president today. It was impossible to miss coverage of the historical event.

Highlights:

1. Cheney in a wheel chair. Sure, he injured his back, but he looked plain creepy.
2. Presidential rhetoric. Obama's speech was short and simple and sounded very similar to many speeches given by prior administrations. He is quickly learning he is going to have a difficult time fulfilling all of his promises.
3. The rhyming speaker near the end of the ceremony. Classic.

In Memphis news...

Don't be confused, but there is another "bayou" restaurant coming to Midtown. The new eatery is not associated with the orginal Bayou near Overton Square. The Bluff City Bayou will move into the space formerly occupied by the One More bar on Peabody.

Jillian's has announced that they have closed their Peabody Place location. Preston Lamm will move into the space and open a sports bar and a dance club. Hopefully these concepts are more original than his other establishments and will be peek the interests of locals along with Memphis tourists.

The Silly Goose opened tonight its Downtown location. They are located in retail space (formerly Swig) near the Flying Saucer. Not a fan of the name, but a visit is in order.

The Grizz lost again on MLK Day and have now lost 14 of the last 16. Have the Grizzlies ever won the MLK game?

Random Stuff: Alyce, Tigers, Lebron, Cheech

First post in a while, let the randomness begin.

The Commerical Appeal has reported that Alyce Mantia will start working with Luchessi's to improve the deli and bring her knowlege of fine cheeses to the East Memphis Italain eatery. Glad to see Alyce back in the biz.

Cal and his Tigers edged out another win last night. Tulsa is a tough place to play, but the game should not have been that close. Two, maybe three conference loses could be a realistic possibility this season. My guess - UTEP and Houston.

The Grizzlies are continuing to struggle. It was obvious last night that the crowd was there to see the baby powder followed by highlight show known as Lebron James. After after a slow first half, Lebron finished with a triple double that included several dunks, a huge block and a circus shot. The bright spot for the Grizz - Darius Miles.

It appears that Cheech and Chong are touring together again and they will visit the Midsouth in early February. Should be an interesting show.

Lucinda Williams Coming Back To Memphis

Lucinda Williams will return to Memphis on February 24 for a one night show at Minglewood Hall. Tickets go on sale Friday, January 16.

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.