In today's mail I received an offer for a free pedometer if I bought or renewed an AARP membership. There was also a coupon offering a special price of $8 for a hamburger combo at a favorite fast food outlet of mine.*
And I just saw a commercial for classes enrolling at Central Michigan University in Memphis.
Seriously. What year is this?
* It was a 1 lb. hamburger, but still!
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Monday, April 28, 2008
What Not To Wear
Last night a good friend told me that I am the worst-dressed person she knows. I laughed and asked if she was serious. She thought for a few seconds and said, "Well, my grandfather's pretty bad, too." Then I laughed much harder - it was very funny to me that she came up with one specific eighty-something that she would put in my class.
Let's be clear about a few things: 1) My friend was not being mean and I don't expect that she's actually thought through everyone she knows and ranked us all.
2) To say that fashion has never been my passion would be a gross understatement*. It is not the least bit important to me to be wearing the newest, hottest, most cutting-edge thing. As a matter of fact, I often think the newest, hottest, most cutting-edge things look insane, stupid, uncomfortable, or some combination thereof. (See Post from Oct. '05) Perhaps I am not imaginative enough to understand fashion trends until they are very mainstream. Maybe I am timid and afraid to be fashionably bold. Maybe I just don't have a good eye for these things.
My goal in dressing myself is (and I have never tried to articulate this before, but I believe this generally covers it) to cover all of the things that need covering with clean clothing articles and look presentable and appropriate for the places I'm going and activities in which I'm engaging. Secondarily (once I believe the aforementioned guidelines have been met), I'd like to look "good." I generally choose clothing items that are somewhat classic in nature so that I can be pretty sure that if I'm covering the primary goals, the secondary should be well-enough taken care of.
I would say I spend about 80% of my time in khaki trousers** and a polo-type collar shirt or button-down dress shirt. Am I wrong about the level of fashion acceptance accorded these items? I think I see a lot of other people wearing them, too.*** Or is it the other 20% of outfits I wear...
(That's me in the red above.) Yes, perhaps it is what I wear when I'm out of my normal uniform. Believe you me, I'll be keeping a close eye on fashion from here on out****.
* When I was younger, I didn't like khaki pants. Bright red were my dress slacks of choice until about age 10. Maybe 12.
** The staff here at ZBR likes the word "trousers."
*** Not that that, alone, would make them okay. If I saw those same people jumping of a bridge...
**** No. That's not true. I don't think I will.
Let's be clear about a few things: 1) My friend was not being mean and I don't expect that she's actually thought through everyone she knows and ranked us all.
2) To say that fashion has never been my passion would be a gross understatement*. It is not the least bit important to me to be wearing the newest, hottest, most cutting-edge thing. As a matter of fact, I often think the newest, hottest, most cutting-edge things look insane, stupid, uncomfortable, or some combination thereof. (See Post from Oct. '05) Perhaps I am not imaginative enough to understand fashion trends until they are very mainstream. Maybe I am timid and afraid to be fashionably bold. Maybe I just don't have a good eye for these things.
My goal in dressing myself is (and I have never tried to articulate this before, but I believe this generally covers it) to cover all of the things that need covering with clean clothing articles and look presentable and appropriate for the places I'm going and activities in which I'm engaging. Secondarily (once I believe the aforementioned guidelines have been met), I'd like to look "good." I generally choose clothing items that are somewhat classic in nature so that I can be pretty sure that if I'm covering the primary goals, the secondary should be well-enough taken care of.
I would say I spend about 80% of my time in khaki trousers** and a polo-type collar shirt or button-down dress shirt. Am I wrong about the level of fashion acceptance accorded these items? I think I see a lot of other people wearing them, too.*** Or is it the other 20% of outfits I wear...
(That's me in the red above.) Yes, perhaps it is what I wear when I'm out of my normal uniform. Believe you me, I'll be keeping a close eye on fashion from here on out****.
* When I was younger, I didn't like khaki pants. Bright red were my dress slacks of choice until about age 10. Maybe 12.
** The staff here at ZBR likes the word "trousers."
*** Not that that, alone, would make them okay. If I saw those same people jumping of a bridge...
**** No. That's not true. I don't think I will.
Sunday, April 20, 2008
What Will We Do With Our Freedom?
Today is the first day of the week-long festival of Passover (Pesach), the Jewish holiday that recalls our deliverance from slavery in the land of Egypt. Last night, Jews all over the world gathered to retell the story, to celebrate, and to connect with generations past and future as we recalled and relived history, and recommitted ourselves to the hope and promise of days to come.
Today is also April 20th (4/20), a day on which those who are committed to pot smoking celebrate their beloved passtime. Why April 20th? I don't know. I've learned before, but I have forgotten. I won't be taking the time to learn again.
We (I'll lump anyone reading this together, for the purpose of this sentence) live our lives with incredible freedom and opportunity. We are free to express ourselves, live where we want, pursue our dreams, worship as we see fit, make most decisions about how we live our lives without interference. We live with incredible freedom, but certainly not in a perfect world. There are battles to be fought and our freedom puts the choices of which battles to pursue - and to what extent and by what means - in our hands.
We can use this day of celebrating justice and freedom to concern ourselves with ensuring that those blessings are bestowed upon every human being. Or we can use this day to glorify illegal drug use and campaign for the freedom smoke pot whenever and wherever we want. Or we can do neither.
ZiggyBackRiders, I beseech you, choose the first option (and if you can't see fit to do that, choose the third). Our freedom is wasted and incomplete if we can't use it to secure the same for others. (And our freedom is most certainly wasted if we use it to get wasted.)
Right now, not so very far from the land of Egypt, where my people were enslaved generations ago, people are experiencing the horrors that man's inhumanity to man makes possible. I don't know as much as I should about the situation in Darfur and I certainly haven't done as much as I should to change it. It is clear, however, that the freedom I celebrate on this Passover and the freedom I celebrate every July 4th and the freedom I celebrate every day that I live free is incomplete and is being wasted by me. Next Passover, I need to be able to say I've used my freedom to help. Not for me, but for my world and for all of the people, human beings just like me, who don't share the blessing of liberty that I enjoy today.
Below, please find a piece written by my friend Laurie, distributed to be shared at seders (traditional Passover meals) all over. I am honored to share it here...
________________________________________
Seder for Sudan
The Passover Seder focuses on recounting the story of our oppression as Jews in Egypt. In even the most basic Hagadot it is clear that this yearly retelling, along with the symbolic foods that represent the bitterness and tears we felt during our journey to freedom, are tools to remind us that we were once oppressed, that we were enslaved, that we were not free because of our ethnicity, and that we have a duty to use our subsequent capacity for empathy to work for the freedom of others.
When reflecting on the oppression we withstood in ancient Egypt, it is natural to reflect on the devastation that Jews faced during the Holocaust. Tonight at our Seder we can turn our attention to a current and ever-intensifying genocide. In Darfur, the southern region of Sudan, more than 400,000 people have been killed based on their race since 2003. More than two and a half million are displaced refugees. The Sudanese government army and a government-sponsored militia attack entire villages of non-Arab Darfuris, usually simultaneously bombing from the air, poisoning water sources, and attacking with guns on the ground. Men defending the villages are tortured and slaughtered, and women and children are routinely and repeatedly raped.
Those who survive a village attack are then left to find their way to some semblance of safety, perhaps at a refugee camp in Chad. That journey, however, takes place across vast spans of desert with no roads, often no water, and the constant threat of being seen and attacked again.
“Lo taamod al dam réakha,” a Biblical commandment, means, “Thou shalt not stand idly by the shedding of the blood of thy fellow man.” It is easy to let the physical distance between our country and Darfur blur the harsh reality of the terror the Darfuri people are facing. It is easy to become immersed in our daily lives and forget that millions of people’s lives are being purposefully destroyed. The message of Passover tells us to reawaken to the pain and needs of others.
Each night of Passover, choose a way to speak out for the Darfuri people: Write an email, or even simply send a pre-written one, to your senators and representatives, to the President, or to your newspapers, stating that you want a full peacekeeping mission deployed, that you will not invest in companies or countries that fund the Sudanese government, and that you want to hear our leaders in the international community speaking out more often and with more force about this genocide. To learn more about actions to take, email petitions to sign, and companies and countries to boycott or protest, visit savedarfur.org.
This Passover, we can refresh our resolve and make a covenant with the Darfuri people, that we will stand up for their freedom from fear, from murder, and from torture. Again, please visit savedarfur.org to learn more and take action. Avadim Hayeinu—We once were slaves.
___________________________________________
In words that work for everyone, Jewish tradition tells us, "It is not your duty to complete the work, but neither are you free to ignore it." Riders, the world needs us!
Check back soon for more mundane matters including The New Adventures of Me and My Purple Car: The Georgia Caper.
Today is also April 20th (4/20), a day on which those who are committed to pot smoking celebrate their beloved passtime. Why April 20th? I don't know. I've learned before, but I have forgotten. I won't be taking the time to learn again.
We (I'll lump anyone reading this together, for the purpose of this sentence) live our lives with incredible freedom and opportunity. We are free to express ourselves, live where we want, pursue our dreams, worship as we see fit, make most decisions about how we live our lives without interference. We live with incredible freedom, but certainly not in a perfect world. There are battles to be fought and our freedom puts the choices of which battles to pursue - and to what extent and by what means - in our hands.
We can use this day of celebrating justice and freedom to concern ourselves with ensuring that those blessings are bestowed upon every human being. Or we can use this day to glorify illegal drug use and campaign for the freedom smoke pot whenever and wherever we want. Or we can do neither.
ZiggyBackRiders, I beseech you, choose the first option (and if you can't see fit to do that, choose the third). Our freedom is wasted and incomplete if we can't use it to secure the same for others. (And our freedom is most certainly wasted if we use it to get wasted.)
Right now, not so very far from the land of Egypt, where my people were enslaved generations ago, people are experiencing the horrors that man's inhumanity to man makes possible. I don't know as much as I should about the situation in Darfur and I certainly haven't done as much as I should to change it. It is clear, however, that the freedom I celebrate on this Passover and the freedom I celebrate every July 4th and the freedom I celebrate every day that I live free is incomplete and is being wasted by me. Next Passover, I need to be able to say I've used my freedom to help. Not for me, but for my world and for all of the people, human beings just like me, who don't share the blessing of liberty that I enjoy today.
Below, please find a piece written by my friend Laurie, distributed to be shared at seders (traditional Passover meals) all over. I am honored to share it here...
________________________________________
Seder for Sudan
The Passover Seder focuses on recounting the story of our oppression as Jews in Egypt. In even the most basic Hagadot it is clear that this yearly retelling, along with the symbolic foods that represent the bitterness and tears we felt during our journey to freedom, are tools to remind us that we were once oppressed, that we were enslaved, that we were not free because of our ethnicity, and that we have a duty to use our subsequent capacity for empathy to work for the freedom of others.
When reflecting on the oppression we withstood in ancient Egypt, it is natural to reflect on the devastation that Jews faced during the Holocaust. Tonight at our Seder we can turn our attention to a current and ever-intensifying genocide. In Darfur, the southern region of Sudan, more than 400,000 people have been killed based on their race since 2003. More than two and a half million are displaced refugees. The Sudanese government army and a government-sponsored militia attack entire villages of non-Arab Darfuris, usually simultaneously bombing from the air, poisoning water sources, and attacking with guns on the ground. Men defending the villages are tortured and slaughtered, and women and children are routinely and repeatedly raped.
Those who survive a village attack are then left to find their way to some semblance of safety, perhaps at a refugee camp in Chad. That journey, however, takes place across vast spans of desert with no roads, often no water, and the constant threat of being seen and attacked again.
“Lo taamod al dam réakha,” a Biblical commandment, means, “Thou shalt not stand idly by the shedding of the blood of thy fellow man.” It is easy to let the physical distance between our country and Darfur blur the harsh reality of the terror the Darfuri people are facing. It is easy to become immersed in our daily lives and forget that millions of people’s lives are being purposefully destroyed. The message of Passover tells us to reawaken to the pain and needs of others.
Each night of Passover, choose a way to speak out for the Darfuri people: Write an email, or even simply send a pre-written one, to your senators and representatives, to the President, or to your newspapers, stating that you want a full peacekeeping mission deployed, that you will not invest in companies or countries that fund the Sudanese government, and that you want to hear our leaders in the international community speaking out more often and with more force about this genocide. To learn more about actions to take, email petitions to sign, and companies and countries to boycott or protest, visit savedarfur.org.
This Passover, we can refresh our resolve and make a covenant with the Darfuri people, that we will stand up for their freedom from fear, from murder, and from torture. Again, please visit savedarfur.org to learn more and take action. Avadim Hayeinu—We once were slaves.
___________________________________________
In words that work for everyone, Jewish tradition tells us, "It is not your duty to complete the work, but neither are you free to ignore it." Riders, the world needs us!
Check back soon for more mundane matters including The New Adventures of Me and My Purple Car: The Georgia Caper.
Tuesday, April 08, 2008
The Mourning After
Most of the city is in a daze. I am busy with work, but every 7-8 minutes it hits me again and I groan aloud, "Ohhh mmmyyy Goddd." People around me ask what's wrong. All I have to say is, "the game," and they understand.
If you've read this blog recently or live in Memphis, you know exactly what I'm talking about. I won't recount the details because anyone who is in any way connected to any level of interest in college basketball knows what happened. All I can say is... we hurt.
We hurt for our city who has been so delighted and excited over the past weeks and months with the success of our Tigers. We hurt for every fan who has waited and wished for a championship for so long. And we hurt especially for the Memphis players because we know how badly they wanted to show their fans the championship trophy when they stepped off the plane today and we know how excruciatingly close they came to doing just that. We hurt for them because they have thrilled us, entertained us, united us, represented us, and, in some ways, grew up before our very eyes - as individuals and as a team.
From a sports perspective, it was one of the most brutal defeats I can recall, and not just because it was my team. It was as cruel a way to lose a game, a champioship, a goal, and a place in history as I can really imagine. Being blown out would have been easier because we (players and fans) would never have to live with knowing we could have done it. Even more than "could have" - we did it and lost it. It was an absolutely perfect storm. There are probably 10 things - shots, plays, moments - that all had to happen just as they did for things to go the way they did. I can't help but keep reading and listening to the terrible story as it is recounted today. As awful as it was, it's an amazing story.
If there are positives (and while I always tend to find them, I'm not completely sure here), they might include: 1) The team lost as a team - the same way they won 38 games. It wasn't one big mistake by one poor guy. The responsibility can be shared completely. I can name something every player and the coach did in those horrifying two minutes that contributed to the loss. 2) They had the chance to prove themselves again, and this time as people rather than just players, during the post-game. They were classy, they took responsibility, they dealt with it as well as anyone ever could. 3) It's easy for fans to show support when a team is winning. I saw a lot of Memphis shirts around town today, even after the... thing. I saw cars with windows painted with blue and white statements of support, saying things like "Cal 4 Mayor." Still. Commitment is commitment. People here have it for guys who've earned it. Unwavering support of those we love is something good for all of us to practice.
We hurt, but we're proud, and with good reason. It was a fantastic season and long after the pain is gone (or at least reduced by time) we will remember how excited we were and how much we loved this team.
I realize that this is all very dramatic for a reaction to a basketball game, but these feelings are real and it's great how passionate we can be about people and goals and journeys. It is a fantastic illustration of why so many people love sports so much. It's not life and death, but "it's just a game" just doesn't cover it.
If you've read this blog recently or live in Memphis, you know exactly what I'm talking about. I won't recount the details because anyone who is in any way connected to any level of interest in college basketball knows what happened. All I can say is... we hurt.
We hurt for our city who has been so delighted and excited over the past weeks and months with the success of our Tigers. We hurt for every fan who has waited and wished for a championship for so long. And we hurt especially for the Memphis players because we know how badly they wanted to show their fans the championship trophy when they stepped off the plane today and we know how excruciatingly close they came to doing just that. We hurt for them because they have thrilled us, entertained us, united us, represented us, and, in some ways, grew up before our very eyes - as individuals and as a team.
From a sports perspective, it was one of the most brutal defeats I can recall, and not just because it was my team. It was as cruel a way to lose a game, a champioship, a goal, and a place in history as I can really imagine. Being blown out would have been easier because we (players and fans) would never have to live with knowing we could have done it. Even more than "could have" - we did it and lost it. It was an absolutely perfect storm. There are probably 10 things - shots, plays, moments - that all had to happen just as they did for things to go the way they did. I can't help but keep reading and listening to the terrible story as it is recounted today. As awful as it was, it's an amazing story.
If there are positives (and while I always tend to find them, I'm not completely sure here), they might include: 1) The team lost as a team - the same way they won 38 games. It wasn't one big mistake by one poor guy. The responsibility can be shared completely. I can name something every player and the coach did in those horrifying two minutes that contributed to the loss. 2) They had the chance to prove themselves again, and this time as people rather than just players, during the post-game. They were classy, they took responsibility, they dealt with it as well as anyone ever could. 3) It's easy for fans to show support when a team is winning. I saw a lot of Memphis shirts around town today, even after the... thing. I saw cars with windows painted with blue and white statements of support, saying things like "Cal 4 Mayor." Still. Commitment is commitment. People here have it for guys who've earned it. Unwavering support of those we love is something good for all of us to practice.
We hurt, but we're proud, and with good reason. It was a fantastic season and long after the pain is gone (or at least reduced by time) we will remember how excited we were and how much we loved this team.
I realize that this is all very dramatic for a reaction to a basketball game, but these feelings are real and it's great how passionate we can be about people and goals and journeys. It is a fantastic illustration of why so many people love sports so much. It's not life and death, but "it's just a game" just doesn't cover it.
Monday, April 07, 2008
Ghosttown, Tennessee, USA
My breathing has grown shallow. My pulse is racing. It's almost game time!
The streets of Memphis are growing quiet already, just under an hour and a half until tip-off of the NCAA National Basketball Championship game. I imagine it will be rather quiet around the city this evening. I hope it remains that way.
Campuses (campi?) and cities that have had teams reach this level in the past have done some rioting - some in victory and some in defeat - and, unfortunately, I can't necessarily put dumb behavior beyond the people of my beloved hometown (see posts from Sept. 9th and Oct. 4th of 2007. Also, see this entire blog, written by a citizen of the community in question).
In all seriousness, this is really special. People all over the city have something great to be excited about and talk to one another about. This team that so many of us have followed and cheered and grown to love has had the chance to win the hearts of so many others. They have shown their talent and they have reaped the benefit of their incredibly hard work. Boise State and Hawaii and George Mason and Davidson and every other school that's not in one of the major college conferences has to be rooting for the Tigers to get over the hump tonight. If Memphis can win a major national championship, why not any other school, regardless of tradition or history. Win or lose, the fact that Memphis is in this game should be a beacon of hope for "non-BCS" schools everywhere.
I'm off to soak in the whole experience. I want to watch and listen to as much pre-game commentary as I can. I want to see it all and enjoy it all because I know how rare this is. Hopefully, I won't have to wait another 32* years, but if I do, I'll have memories of this incredible day.
GO TIGERS!!!
* It has been 32.5 years, but since we're at the date of the championship for this year already, the time until our next visit there will have to be counted in full years. It would either be 32 or 33. Unless there are big changes in the scheduling of the sport, it won't be 32.5. Hopefully, it'll be 1! Got all that? Am I babbling? Can you tell I'm nervous?
The streets of Memphis are growing quiet already, just under an hour and a half until tip-off of the NCAA National Basketball Championship game. I imagine it will be rather quiet around the city this evening. I hope it remains that way.
Campuses (campi?) and cities that have had teams reach this level in the past have done some rioting - some in victory and some in defeat - and, unfortunately, I can't necessarily put dumb behavior beyond the people of my beloved hometown (see posts from Sept. 9th and Oct. 4th of 2007. Also, see this entire blog, written by a citizen of the community in question).
In all seriousness, this is really special. People all over the city have something great to be excited about and talk to one another about. This team that so many of us have followed and cheered and grown to love has had the chance to win the hearts of so many others. They have shown their talent and they have reaped the benefit of their incredibly hard work. Boise State and Hawaii and George Mason and Davidson and every other school that's not in one of the major college conferences has to be rooting for the Tigers to get over the hump tonight. If Memphis can win a major national championship, why not any other school, regardless of tradition or history. Win or lose, the fact that Memphis is in this game should be a beacon of hope for "non-BCS" schools everywhere.
I'm off to soak in the whole experience. I want to watch and listen to as much pre-game commentary as I can. I want to see it all and enjoy it all because I know how rare this is. Hopefully, I won't have to wait another 32* years, but if I do, I'll have memories of this incredible day.
GO TIGERS!!!
* It has been 32.5 years, but since we're at the date of the championship for this year already, the time until our next visit there will have to be counted in full years. It would either be 32 or 33. Unless there are big changes in the scheduling of the sport, it won't be 32.5. Hopefully, it'll be 1! Got all that? Am I babbling? Can you tell I'm nervous?
Saturday, April 05, 2008
New Frontier
For this first time in college basketball history, a team has won more than 37 games in a single season. Today, the Memphis Tigers have set a record, surpassing a couple of Duke teams and a UNLV team that had finished their seasons at 37. Today was 38. Monday, the Tigers will be playing to extend that record with a 39th that will make them champions.*
For the first time in my lifetime one of the two teams of which I am a fan for life is in the NCAA basketball championship game.** Memphis got to the Final Four in 1985 and lost in the semi-finals and Texas did the same in 2003 (I was at that one), but we are over that hump. Hopefully there is one more hurdle left in the legs of these high-flying Tigers.
As far as I can remember, this is the first time that one of the CBS commentators served as the arena announcer for the starting line-up. Good job, Jim Nantz, but what's the deal with that?
*None of those previous 37-game-winners won the national championship so this guarantees nothing for Memphis other than the milestone, itself. Of course, if Memphis had stopped at 37 like those teams did, that would have guaranteed a non-championship. At 38, there's a chance!
** Michigan is not one of my "fan for life" teams, but in 1989 - before I went to Texas or was a Longhorn fan - they won a surprising national championship with both of my older brothers enrolled, so they were certainly one of two family squads. In short, this isn't completely new to me so hopefully I won't be overwhelmed by the pressure and excitement of the first Monday in April.
For the first time in my lifetime one of the two teams of which I am a fan for life is in the NCAA basketball championship game.** Memphis got to the Final Four in 1985 and lost in the semi-finals and Texas did the same in 2003 (I was at that one), but we are over that hump. Hopefully there is one more hurdle left in the legs of these high-flying Tigers.
As far as I can remember, this is the first time that one of the CBS commentators served as the arena announcer for the starting line-up. Good job, Jim Nantz, but what's the deal with that?
*None of those previous 37-game-winners won the national championship so this guarantees nothing for Memphis other than the milestone, itself. Of course, if Memphis had stopped at 37 like those teams did, that would have guaranteed a non-championship. At 38, there's a chance!
** Michigan is not one of my "fan for life" teams, but in 1989 - before I went to Texas or was a Longhorn fan - they won a surprising national championship with both of my older brothers enrolled, so they were certainly one of two family squads. In short, this isn't completely new to me so hopefully I won't be overwhelmed by the pressure and excitement of the first Monday in April.
Golden Ticket 5: Grandpa Joe or Grandma Josephine
30 minutes until tip-off. The Final Four.
I will write this post because I promised it before the Elite 8, though I'm rather certain that anyone who cares has known for days which of my teams will going to the Final Four (thus, using the "Golden Ticket" that I "found" when Memphis and Texas both made it to the Elite 8, assuring me a beloved squad in the Final Four). Texas will have to stay in bed with Grandpa George and Grandma Georgina for at least another year. There endeth the metaphor.
Memphis plays UCLA today - in a rematch of the 1973 NCAA Championship game - for the right to advance to this year's final game. It should be a great game and a great Final Four. I'm wearing blue, I'm cranking up the band*, and I'm already sweaty. This is going to be hard work!
Outside of the Men's Final Four, there is much to report from the past week. The Lady Rabs lost a heartbreaking defensive battle by a score of 9-8 this week. We're inching ever closer to victory. Stay tuned. Also from the world of women's basketball, I'm pretty sure I have a big crush** on Candace Parker, star of the Tennessee Lady Vols. Not only is she beautiful, talented, and seemingly intelligent and team-oriented, she is tough! During the Lady Vols' regional final game, she dislocated her left shoulder - TWICE - and returned to the game, helping her team reach the Final Four. Again. I don't follow women's basketball that closely, and I wouldn't necessarily normally feel any need to root for "goliath," which Tennessee clearly represents in the women's game, but you have to be a fan of extraordinary performers that make goliath goliath. Go Vols!
Non-basketball-wise, yesterday was the 40th anniversary of the death of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. here in Memphis***. I have some comments on that that I will focus on sometime after the upcoming game. Check back as the Ride and the dream continue soon! GO TIGERS!!!
* The Mighty Sound of the South, the University of Memphis Band
** The "crush" and the "beautiful" aren't really basketball-related, I realize. I guess that's one of the differences between watching men's and women's basketball!
*** It was the anniversary everywhere. The death happened in Memphis. Just wanted to be clear.
I will write this post because I promised it before the Elite 8, though I'm rather certain that anyone who cares has known for days which of my teams will going to the Final Four (thus, using the "Golden Ticket" that I "found" when Memphis and Texas both made it to the Elite 8, assuring me a beloved squad in the Final Four). Texas will have to stay in bed with Grandpa George and Grandma Georgina for at least another year. There endeth the metaphor.
Memphis plays UCLA today - in a rematch of the 1973 NCAA Championship game - for the right to advance to this year's final game. It should be a great game and a great Final Four. I'm wearing blue, I'm cranking up the band*, and I'm already sweaty. This is going to be hard work!
Outside of the Men's Final Four, there is much to report from the past week. The Lady Rabs lost a heartbreaking defensive battle by a score of 9-8 this week. We're inching ever closer to victory. Stay tuned. Also from the world of women's basketball, I'm pretty sure I have a big crush** on Candace Parker, star of the Tennessee Lady Vols. Not only is she beautiful, talented, and seemingly intelligent and team-oriented, she is tough! During the Lady Vols' regional final game, she dislocated her left shoulder - TWICE - and returned to the game, helping her team reach the Final Four. Again. I don't follow women's basketball that closely, and I wouldn't necessarily normally feel any need to root for "goliath," which Tennessee clearly represents in the women's game, but you have to be a fan of extraordinary performers that make goliath goliath. Go Vols!
Non-basketball-wise, yesterday was the 40th anniversary of the death of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. here in Memphis***. I have some comments on that that I will focus on sometime after the upcoming game. Check back as the Ride and the dream continue soon! GO TIGERS!!!
* The Mighty Sound of the South, the University of Memphis Band
** The "crush" and the "beautiful" aren't really basketball-related, I realize. I guess that's one of the differences between watching men's and women's basketball!
*** It was the anniversary everywhere. The death happened in Memphis. Just wanted to be clear.
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