Tigers' 2009 Non-Conference Schedule

Nov. 3 – LeMoyne-Owen (exhibition)

Nov. 9 – Christian Brothers (exhibition)

Nov. 13 – Jackson State

Nov. 17 – vs. Kansas (St. Louis, Mo.; Hall of Fame Showcase)

Nov. 20 – Tennessee Tech (Hall of Fame Showcase)

Nov. 24 – Central Arkansas (Hall of Fame Showcase)

Nov. 30 – Oakland (Hall of Fame Showcase)

Dec. 5 – Arkansas State

Dec. 9 – Montana State

Dec. 12 – vs. Arkansas-Little Rock (North Little Rock, Ark.)

Dec. 19 – vs. UMass (Boston, Mass.)

Dec. 22 – Southeast Missouri State

Dec. 28 – IUPUI

Dec. 31 – Tennessee

Jan. 3 – Houston Baptist

Jan. 6 – at Syracuse

Feb. 6 – Gonzaga

Mar. 10-13 – Conference USA Tournament (Tulsa, Okla.)

We'll get to see some fan-favorite games with Tennessee and Gonzaga.

It's fun to see Kansas on the schedule. We'll see how fun it will be to play them. I know a lot of folks who were amped for this game. Unfortunately, it will be played during the week, so many a road trip were canceled.

The Tigers will be ready for redemption against Syracuse. Definitely a winnable game.

From this schedule, there's only one game of which I'm not very optimistic. UT, Cuse and the Zags are within reach. There are plenty of questions about this squad though, so we could see anywhere from 1 (Kansas) to 5 (UALR and UMass might surprise some folks) nonconference losses.

Wolken gives the OOC schedule a D+. There are a lot of RPI bottom dwellers on this year's line up. Wolken gives a pretty good explanation as to why that is the case. I'm glad to hear UNC, Texas and UK are potential foes for future seasons.

Regardless... Can't wait to see the Tigers play! Now go out and support the football team in a couple weeks!

The Great Hater

After an 18-year, nearly tyrannical reign as the Memphis mayor, Willie Herenton has resigned on his own terms, on his own schizophrenic timetable, exiting to the uncomfortably poignant tune "My Way".

There are plenty of stories in circulation about Herenton's politics of hate, his penchant for weaving his personal life with his political connections, his bizarre disappearances, his ever-expanding political posse, and so on. In fact, it's much more difficult to find a recent story detailing Herenton's accomplishments without the dark shadow of his irrational behavior looming. The absence of real progress in Herenton's tenure is truly pathetic given that he has held the position of Memphis mayor longer than anyone else... ever.

But enough about Herenton's indiscretions. Everyone knows about his poor oversight and shady political tactics. In his resignation speech yesterday, Willie gave his shout-outs, talked about his accomplishments, listed some "critical imperatives" that he wants his replacement to handle (Hey Willie. Let it go, man.), and offered his regular self-congratulations on being a man and being a good superintendent and fighting white racists, yada yada yada. However, during his speech, he made a statement that typified his entire mindset as mayor. Rather than praising the people of Memphis for finding any unity at all, Herenton went out of his way to address the idea that Memphis basketball could be a unifier for the city of Memphis by saying it "makes him sick."

I'm sorry? A city historically regarded as racially charged finds common ground in a basketball team and it makes the mayor "sick"? Has Herenton ever attended a University of Memphis basketball game? It's not like the mayor's office. Tiger fans don't fight each other to see who the best fan will be. Tiger fans don't kick out the person sitting next to them so they can squeeze a few more friends onto their row. Tigar fans don't disappear for vast periods of time, then show back up acting like nothing ever happened (although we've seen that before and those fans suck, thus supporting the example).

What you see from a statement as inane as Herenton's is a man who is so narcissistic and insecure that he cannot support a good thing in his own city unless it can be credited to himself. Rather than rally behind the team like the rest of the city, Herenton sees the Tigers as a competitor for the seat of Memphis' darling and his ego will simply not tolerate it. Is this perspective surprising? From a man who insulted the democratic process with campaign slogans such as "Shake Them Haters Off", we should have expected his response to be defensive and derogatory.

If anything, Herenton could have learned from the Tiger basketball team. Find a cause that benefits the people and stirs up passion among them, rally the troops behind that cause and push forward to achieve the greatest things possible. That sentiment is what made the championship run so special. That's why people of all colors showed up at the airport to support the team. That's why most people were furious and felt betrayed when Benedict Calipari abandoned ship. That's the same reason why years from now, people will cheer the day that the reign of King Willie ended.

-JB

This is why we love her...

Tomb of Doom crush (and Fox13 sports reporter) Kristen Tallent wrote a very good, very passionate blog post about the Antonio Burks situation. Check it.

Tough Week for Tiger Nation

A day after learning a beloved former Tiger basketball player had been critically shot, Tiger Nation takes another hit. It appears certain, per superstar Dan Wolken's twitter, the CA, and Rivals, that five-star recruit Latavious "Mo' Money" Williams has decided to forsake his commitment to the University of Memphis and go play professionally in... China? Can we say culture shock for the 18 y/o? This was a very rapidly developing story and appears to already be over, but we'll keep you updated on any new developments, including Wolken's speculation of a Matt Simpkins return. The weather matches the news today.

-Pistolier

Antonio Burks in Critical Condition

Former Tiger great Antonio Burks was shot earlier this evening during a robbery outside a south Memphis house. Burks sustained a gunshot wound to either the torso or leg (news reports are contradicting) and was taken to The Med where he underwent surgery. He is currently listed in critical condition. We will keep you updated as more information becomes available. The prayers of all the Tomb staff go out to Antonio and his family.

The suspects were seen fleeing in a blue or purple GMC Equinox or Envoy. If you have any information related to the shooting, please call CrimeStoppers at 528-CASH.

**UPDATE 7.21**

Antonio Burks remains in critical condition at The Med after undergoing a second surgery last night to stop some internal bleeding. Consensus (Fox13, WMC, CA, ESPN) is he was shot in the stomach although Channel 3, as of their noon newscast, is still reporting he was shot in the leg and even goes as far to say he underwent a third surgery this morning.

**UPDATE 7.22**

Burks remains in critical condition at The Med although several reports say that he is now stable (meaning vital signs such as blood pressure, pulse, and breathing are consistent, but not necessarily at a normal rate). Most reports continue to say he was shot in the lower torso although Channel 3's report of him being shot in the leg may not be that far off base as an artery was severed and likely retreated back into his leg. When a major blood vessel is severed, your body's natural reaction is to constrict each end of the vessel back into a muscle group in order to act as a tourniquet and prevent a large amount of blood loss. Several mentions of a full recovery have been made, although he is not out of the woods yet.

**UPDATE 7.27**

Burks was upgraded to Serious condition after a fourth surgery over the weekend. Also, Memphis Police have arrested a 16 year old and have charged him with accessory after the fact.

Pastner Story Tonight on Fox13

Fox13 News, the most Tiger sports friendly news station in Memphis and also home of Tomb crush Kristin Tallent, will air a pretty interesting story on Coach P on their 9:00 broadcast tonight. I only saw the end of a promo for it, but I say interesting because it showed him pushing a car... I think its talking about his workout regimen... tune in to find out.

-Pistolier

And the Winner is...

Josh Pastner! Memphis Sport has posted the latest issue online. The winners of the M Awards are presented in this issue and Josh Pastner won the Favorite Coach category as a write-in!

Meanwhile, the top Memphis blog went to Chris Vernon, I imagine because most voters know who he is. The only real Memphis news blog in the top 3 was Dan Wolken-CA Crew lovechild Memphis Edge, who run a really nice, frequently updated Memphis blog with solid information.

Vernon was actually pushing people to vote for Chris Herrington's Grizz site, which I assumed was a site petitioning the NBA for a professional team to come to Memphis, but turns out to be a site for another local team.

So, basically, the Memphis blog scene is just a big love fest... except for Kristen Tallent, who is glaringly absent in the polls and pictures of this month's issue. Ho hum.