Liberty Bowl Sets New Records

According to the Tuesday, January 29, 2008, Commercial Appeal, the 2007 Liberty Bowl set a new attendance record. 63,816 people attended the game between Central Florida and Mississippi State. That was a hard sell out. Those folks filled our hotels, ate and drank at our restaurants and had a blast on Beale Street.

Perhaps more importantly, the game drew fantastic television ratings. The game drew a 4.14 rating which was better than all but three of the non-BCS bowls. Only the Holiday, Peach and Citrus bowls had better TV ratings among the non-BCS group. The Liberty beat such long standing bowls as the Cotton, Sun, Outback and Gator. Fifteen to twenty million people watched the game. That's fantastic exposure to Memphis for 15 to 20 million people.

Great job Liberty Bowl! Thanks for all that you do.

Foo Fighter Show Rocked!

The Foo Fighters rocked the Fed Ex Forum last Friday night. It was a great show. Some friends had drinks and dinner at the Westin across from the Forum. They said that the bar there was packed and that the beautiful people were out in full force. The show was great. Having been a college student in the early 1990s and a big fan of Nirvana, it was not a stretch to really like the Foo Fighters as well. The attendance was great. The after parties were a blast as well. The Beale Street bars were packed. The Flying Saucer was packed and Earnestine & Hazel's was hopping unusually early. All in all, it was a great night in Memphis.

The Grizzlies Civil Rights Game is a Treasure

As they have done for several years now, the Grizzlies held a game on Martin Luther King Day. The game is preceded by all kinds of forums, symposiums and events designed to remind us how far we've come in the struggle for civil rights and just how far we have to go. This year's honorees were Kareem Abdul-Jabar and Bob Lanier. Just seeing those guys here and hearing their stories was amazing. Memphians may not fully appreciate the National Civil Rights Museum which is here but we should. Because of it, we have an amazing educational tool to raise awareness. Because of it, we have holy ground in the struggle for human rights. Perhaps much less importantly, we have events like the civil rights game. Of course, huge thanks also goes to the Grizzlies for doing such a great job with this celebration each and every year.

The Tigers are Number 1

A quick disclaimer, I am an avid Tennessee fan. I will root for all things Univerisyt of Tennessee over all things University of Memphis. BUT, I also love my city and thus root for the University of Memphis as long as they don't play my Vols. All that being said . . .

THE TIGERS ARE NUMBER ONE!

For the first time since they lost at Virginia Tech twenty years ago, the Tigers are now ranked number one. They are a fun team to watch. They play in your shorts defense and run and gun like the "Showtime" Laker years. Coach Cal is a big time personality and a constant promoter for his program, his school and our city.

Fed Ex Forum is a great place to watch a game whether it's for the Grizzlies or the Tigers. It's especially electric for Tiger games. Beale Street is packed with people both before and after games. It's just a great thing for our city and for the University of Memphis.

Congrats to the Tigers at being the best team in the land -- at least until Feb. 23 ;)

Memphis High School Grad Rates Rise and Equal Nashville's

According to the Wednesday, January 16, 2008 edition of The Commerial Appeal, Memphis city school high school graduation rates rose by 2.4 percent in the 2006-07 school year. The graduation rate rose to 69.9 percent. While that rate needs to be higher, it is great news that the graduation rate is higher. Some perspective is also important. Nashville's high school graduation rate for the same year was 70 percent. Thus, Memphis and Nashville public schools are graduating seniors at almost the exact same rate. Public education here isn't what it can be but it isn't as bad as some would make it appear. The city school system still has high performing schools such as Grahamwood Elementary, White Station Optional and Central High School. There are also great optional programs at a number of other city schools. The good news is that we're getting better and when put in perspective with our peer cities we're doing just fine.