Reporting students at the University of Memphis conducted a press conference with Memphis Tigers women's basketball coach Melissa McFerrin on Feb. 1, 2012. McFerrin discussed expectations for her team and the upcoming Conference USA tournament. The Tigers are the pre-season favorites to win Conference USA and are in first place.
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
CA columnist Wendi Thomas talks about news in Memphis
Wendi Thomas, columnist for the Commercial Appeal, talks about her experiences in commenting on the news in Memphis. She spoke to the staff of the Teen Appeal on July 25, 2011, at the University of Memphis. Among the topics she discussed were her support of the city school system, her criticism of city leaders and her desire to make the Bluff City a better place to live and work.
Click on the arrow to hear what she had to say.
Friday, September 16, 2011
A visit to St. Louis
University of Memphis Journalism Professor Tom Hrach visited St. Louis in August 2011 to attend a journalism educators conference. While he was there, he was able to see views of the St. Louis arch along with the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and the new Busch Stadium. Here is a look at some of the scenes from that trip.
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Women play to win while the men play defense: At soccer’s highest level, the females just play a better game
The USA’s win over Brazil in the Women’s World Cup has settled the debate. It cannot be disputed any longer. The truth is women play soccer at its highest level way better than do the men.
It is not that the women play any more skillfully, any more athletically, or anymore aggressively.
They just play a better game to watch. It is more thrilling. It is more high drama. There’s more scoring, and there’s less whining, complaining and flopping from the players. It is just a better game, and anyone who is not watching the Women’s World Cup from Germany is missing some of the greatest athletic thrills in a generation.
I know that this conclusion may seem a bit of a knee-jerk reaction, seeing how the USA’s win on Sunday is being called the greatest match ever. You cannot ask for much more than having a team playing a man down tie the match at 2-2 in stoppage time of overtime and then win it on penalty kicks.
That may never happen again, but it almost assuredly would not happen in the men’s game. Last year’s World Cup in South Africa, let’s just be honest, was dreadfully boring. None of the matches came even close to the drama that this year’s Women’s World Cup matches have achieved. Can you even remember a memorable moment from South Africa?
Last summer’s final between Spain and the Netherlands could go down as most boring soccer match in history. Was either team even trying to score? In fairness, Spain did score once, and then spent the rest of the match playing defense.
That’s one of the big differences between South Africa last summer and Germany this summer. Scoring. Goals make the game more exciting. The women try to score while the men play defense. Defense may win championships in that other game called football, but it makes for awfully dull soccer matches.
The numbers do not lie. Through the quarter finals of this summer’s Women’s World Cup, the average goals per game is 2.5. In all the matches from last summer in South Africa, it was only 2.25. The women so far have had just one match finish with the dreaded 0-0 draw. The men achieved that ignominious feat seven times.
I am not a big fan of settling a match with penalty kicks. They are like settling a baseball game by conducting a home run hitting contest. But you cannot deny it is an exciting way to end it. Two of this year’s women’s matches so far have been settled that way – USA-Brazil along with England-France. What made it exciting was that in both matches the teams scored real goals before ever making it to the penalty kicks.
In South Africa last year, there were two matches settled with penalty kicks as well. But, as you might have expected, one of those was because Paraguay and Japan ended up in a 0-0 draw.
Then there is just the whole issue of how the players conduct themselves on the field. Despite some questionable refereeing, you rarely see the women with that “what foul” look on their faces. You rarely see a woman screaming at an official after a referee’s decision. You rarely see a woman acting like she was shot with cannon whenever she gets elbowed by another player. The women just get out there and try to score.
That’s not just my sentiment either. Esteemed New York Times Columnist George Vescey is watching the Women’s World Cup from his living room couch and noticed the same thing. He lamented the differences in the men’s and women’s game after the USA’s third match of the opening round saying, “Sweden and the United States just reminded me why women’s soccer stands by itself as a special sport. The women never stop playing. Never mind techniques or tactics. I am talking here about heart.”
Yes, the women play with more heart. The women play to win, and you win by scoring. The men play not to lose, and you do that by playing defense. I will take scoring every time.
It is not that the women play any more skillfully, any more athletically, or anymore aggressively.
They just play a better game to watch. It is more thrilling. It is more high drama. There’s more scoring, and there’s less whining, complaining and flopping from the players. It is just a better game, and anyone who is not watching the Women’s World Cup from Germany is missing some of the greatest athletic thrills in a generation.
I know that this conclusion may seem a bit of a knee-jerk reaction, seeing how the USA’s win on Sunday is being called the greatest match ever. You cannot ask for much more than having a team playing a man down tie the match at 2-2 in stoppage time of overtime and then win it on penalty kicks.
That may never happen again, but it almost assuredly would not happen in the men’s game. Last year’s World Cup in South Africa, let’s just be honest, was dreadfully boring. None of the matches came even close to the drama that this year’s Women’s World Cup matches have achieved. Can you even remember a memorable moment from South Africa?
Last summer’s final between Spain and the Netherlands could go down as most boring soccer match in history. Was either team even trying to score? In fairness, Spain did score once, and then spent the rest of the match playing defense.
That’s one of the big differences between South Africa last summer and Germany this summer. Scoring. Goals make the game more exciting. The women try to score while the men play defense. Defense may win championships in that other game called football, but it makes for awfully dull soccer matches.
The numbers do not lie. Through the quarter finals of this summer’s Women’s World Cup, the average goals per game is 2.5. In all the matches from last summer in South Africa, it was only 2.25. The women so far have had just one match finish with the dreaded 0-0 draw. The men achieved that ignominious feat seven times.
I am not a big fan of settling a match with penalty kicks. They are like settling a baseball game by conducting a home run hitting contest. But you cannot deny it is an exciting way to end it. Two of this year’s women’s matches so far have been settled that way – USA-Brazil along with England-France. What made it exciting was that in both matches the teams scored real goals before ever making it to the penalty kicks.
In South Africa last year, there were two matches settled with penalty kicks as well. But, as you might have expected, one of those was because Paraguay and Japan ended up in a 0-0 draw.
Then there is just the whole issue of how the players conduct themselves on the field. Despite some questionable refereeing, you rarely see the women with that “what foul” look on their faces. You rarely see a woman screaming at an official after a referee’s decision. You rarely see a woman acting like she was shot with cannon whenever she gets elbowed by another player. The women just get out there and try to score.
That’s not just my sentiment either. Esteemed New York Times Columnist George Vescey is watching the Women’s World Cup from his living room couch and noticed the same thing. He lamented the differences in the men’s and women’s game after the USA’s third match of the opening round saying, “Sweden and the United States just reminded me why women’s soccer stands by itself as a special sport. The women never stop playing. Never mind techniques or tactics. I am talking here about heart.”
Yes, the women play with more heart. The women play to win, and you win by scoring. The men play not to lose, and you do that by playing defense. I will take scoring every time.
Friday, August 27, 2010
Memphis restaurant inspections scores more difficult to digest now that they are no longer online
Walk into any restaurant in town, and you will see hanging somewhere near the front entrance a yellow piece of paper with a big black number scrawled across the front.
That yellow piece of paper has no bearing on whether you order the ribs wet or dry, the eggs poached or scrambled or even whether you choose the egg foo young or the pepper steak. But it does have a bearing on whether you leave the restaurant feeling you got a good meal or whether you leave a bit queasy.
Those yellow pieces of paper are the restaurant inspection reports, which for the past two months got a lot more difficult for the public to digest. That is because the Tennessee Department of Health has not had the reports available online for the public to view.
Sure, those reports are hanging in every restaurant. But try to read one of those hanging behind the cash register and you will see it is not so easy.
At Bob’s Barksdale Restaurant in Midtown, the report is hanging right next to the Auburn Tigers pennant behind the counter, but it is partially obscured by the lost and found hook filled with hats and key chains. Admittedly, the large “85” is clearly visible in the bottom right corner.
At Central BBQ nearby, the report is hanging behind the counter too - right next to the Memphis in May poster that says “Peace, Love and Pork.” But you would have to have laser vision to make out anything other than the large black “91” written across the front.
Online made it easier
Prior to July 1, those inspection reports had been available online. The service was extremely useful and easy to use. If a restaurant was inspected one week, the report was available online within a week. Every food service establishment is required to have an inspection every six months.
Yet those are not available online right now due to a change in a state contract with a new a new computer company, said Lori LeMaster, Environmental Health Program Manager with the Tennessee Department of Health. There is no definite date for getting them posted again, but she said the goal is as soon as possible.
“I have had several calls from folks who have wondered where they are. They are required to be posted in the restaurants, but I agree that online is the easiest way to look for the inspections,” LeMaster said.
Is it a bit hard to believe someone would consider the restaurant inspection report before deciding whether to get barbecue or Chinese?
“I would say once or twice a week someone asks to see it. But we have it posted right here where anyone can see the score without even asking. I have never had anyone ask to take it off the wall to look at very closely though,” said Bob Henry, owner of Barksdale.. “But they do see the score even if they never say anything.”
Reports good for the public
It is a truism that sunlight is the greatest disinfectant, especially in the restaurant business. Even for people who never look at the yellow piece of paper or who never go online to see the report benefit from the fact that it is online. It keeps restaurateurs on their toes, and protects the public.
“People will drop by and see if it is hanging there,” said Kenny Burnett, kitchen manager at Central BBQ. “Sure, people care. No one wants to eat a nasty restaurant. If you get a bad score like a 70, you can’t hide that.”
As for whether anyone goes online before deciding on the pork plate or the beef brisket, Burnett said he has no way of knowing that.
It also brings up another interesting thing about the scoring. Contrary to what the public and the restaurant owners believe, there is no failing score according to LeMaster.. There are critical violations that can force a place to close, but there is no magic number that has to be reached.
Yet everyone has been to school so everyone knows a 90 or higher is an A, and anything less than 70 is a D or an F.
LeMaster said the average score is actually in the low 80s – a B- by most people’s standards.
“Again,.people make their own decisions on where they want to eat and what score you want your restaurant to be at,” LeMaster said. “Being in the restaurant you can tell by the way things look. Take that all into account and look into the score as well.”
Even people in the restaurant business acknowledge that having the report available online is valuable.
“If I walked into a place and score was below a 70 or a 72, I do not think I would walk out. But I would be looking around to see what’s going on,” Henry said. “You have to remember that anyone can have a bad day in this business, …A low score does not always mean it is not safe, but if you see a low score keep your eyes open. I would tell you that most people are at a bigger risk in their own kitchen than they are in a restaurant that gets inspected at least twice a year.”
Good advice.
That yellow piece of paper has no bearing on whether you order the ribs wet or dry, the eggs poached or scrambled or even whether you choose the egg foo young or the pepper steak. But it does have a bearing on whether you leave the restaurant feeling you got a good meal or whether you leave a bit queasy.
Those yellow pieces of paper are the restaurant inspection reports, which for the past two months got a lot more difficult for the public to digest. That is because the Tennessee Department of Health has not had the reports available online for the public to view.
Sure, those reports are hanging in every restaurant. But try to read one of those hanging behind the cash register and you will see it is not so easy.
At Bob’s Barksdale Restaurant in Midtown, the report is hanging right next to the Auburn Tigers pennant behind the counter, but it is partially obscured by the lost and found hook filled with hats and key chains. Admittedly, the large “85” is clearly visible in the bottom right corner.
At Central BBQ nearby, the report is hanging behind the counter too - right next to the Memphis in May poster that says “Peace, Love and Pork.” But you would have to have laser vision to make out anything other than the large black “91” written across the front.
Online made it easier
Prior to July 1, those inspection reports had been available online. The service was extremely useful and easy to use. If a restaurant was inspected one week, the report was available online within a week. Every food service establishment is required to have an inspection every six months.
Yet those are not available online right now due to a change in a state contract with a new a new computer company, said Lori LeMaster, Environmental Health Program Manager with the Tennessee Department of Health. There is no definite date for getting them posted again, but she said the goal is as soon as possible.
“I have had several calls from folks who have wondered where they are. They are required to be posted in the restaurants, but I agree that online is the easiest way to look for the inspections,” LeMaster said.
Is it a bit hard to believe someone would consider the restaurant inspection report before deciding whether to get barbecue or Chinese?
“I would say once or twice a week someone asks to see it. But we have it posted right here where anyone can see the score without even asking. I have never had anyone ask to take it off the wall to look at very closely though,” said Bob Henry, owner of Barksdale.. “But they do see the score even if they never say anything.”
Reports good for the public
It is a truism that sunlight is the greatest disinfectant, especially in the restaurant business. Even for people who never look at the yellow piece of paper or who never go online to see the report benefit from the fact that it is online. It keeps restaurateurs on their toes, and protects the public.
“People will drop by and see if it is hanging there,” said Kenny Burnett, kitchen manager at Central BBQ. “Sure, people care. No one wants to eat a nasty restaurant. If you get a bad score like a 70, you can’t hide that.”
As for whether anyone goes online before deciding on the pork plate or the beef brisket, Burnett said he has no way of knowing that.
It also brings up another interesting thing about the scoring. Contrary to what the public and the restaurant owners believe, there is no failing score according to LeMaster.. There are critical violations that can force a place to close, but there is no magic number that has to be reached.
Yet everyone has been to school so everyone knows a 90 or higher is an A, and anything less than 70 is a D or an F.
LeMaster said the average score is actually in the low 80s – a B- by most people’s standards.
“Again,.people make their own decisions on where they want to eat and what score you want your restaurant to be at,” LeMaster said. “Being in the restaurant you can tell by the way things look. Take that all into account and look into the score as well.”
Even people in the restaurant business acknowledge that having the report available online is valuable.
“If I walked into a place and score was below a 70 or a 72, I do not think I would walk out. But I would be looking around to see what’s going on,” Henry said. “You have to remember that anyone can have a bad day in this business, …A low score does not always mean it is not safe, but if you see a low score keep your eyes open. I would tell you that most people are at a bigger risk in their own kitchen than they are in a restaurant that gets inspected at least twice a year.”
Good advice.
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Environmentally friendly house in Memphis' uptown neighborhood is one of a kind
A project designed by University of Memphis architecture students recently received a Platinum rating from the United States Green Building Council. That project known as the TERRA House was completed earlier this year, and now it is a functioning home in Memphis’s uptown neighborhood.
The Platinum designation makes the house the first in West Tennessee to receive the rating. The house was designed to use significantly less electricity and less gas than a standard Memphis home of the same size. The house also uses less water, and it has many other features that make it energy efficient and earth friendly.
Derek Phillips, 28, who lives in the house with his father Monte Phillips, recently offered a tour of the house, which is located at the corner of North Main Street and Greenlaw Avenue.
“Everyone who drives by is gawking. It really is unique. They see the solar panels on top, and they know it is something really different,” Derek Phillips said. “It has a whole different look. … I like it here. It’s really a great place to be.”
The house was completed earlier this year, and it was purchased by Monte Phillips. TERRA stands for Technology and Environmentally Responsible Architecture. Here’s a look inside the TERRA House.
The Platinum designation makes the house the first in West Tennessee to receive the rating. The house was designed to use significantly less electricity and less gas than a standard Memphis home of the same size. The house also uses less water, and it has many other features that make it energy efficient and earth friendly.
Derek Phillips, 28, who lives in the house with his father Monte Phillips, recently offered a tour of the house, which is located at the corner of North Main Street and Greenlaw Avenue.
“Everyone who drives by is gawking. It really is unique. They see the solar panels on top, and they know it is something really different,” Derek Phillips said. “It has a whole different look. … I like it here. It’s really a great place to be.”
The house was completed earlier this year, and it was purchased by Monte Phillips. TERRA stands for Technology and Environmentally Responsible Architecture. Here’s a look inside the TERRA House.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Save the BCS: It's best for everyone no matter how many schools are in each conference
Let me get this straight. There will be 12 schools in the Big Ten and 10 schools in the Big 12?
No wonder things are so mixed up in big time college football these days. And there’s nothing more mixed up than the debate about whether there should be a national championship playoff in major college football.
I want to be the first person this season who offers a salvo in that great debate. Here it is. No playoffs. I love the current system. I love the Bowl Championship Series. Don’t change a thing.
In the heart of the Southeast Conference, that is probably blasphemy. I mean if there were a playoff, it would mean more games for the powers like Florida and Alabama. Incidentally, I would like to thank the Southeast Conference for never putting a number in its name, which means schools can be added or taken away without confusion.
And here in Memphis, where our local university is salivating at getting out of Conference USA and into a big time conference, the issue is especially relevant. That is assuming Coach Larry Porter is able to revive the football program and get to the point where the Tigers would even be considered a national championship contender.
Incidentally, I would like to thank Conference USA for not only keeping numbers out of its name but keeping out compass directions as well. If Maine or Hawaii want in, no confusion.
Up in Arms?
It is true that nothing gets America’s sports fans and their radio talk-show brethren more up in arms than discussing the BCS. That’s the system that decides which college football teams play in the biggest payday bowl games.
It is unfair. It is un-American. The championship should be settled on the field. It even violates the law, according to U.S. Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah who conducted a Congressional hearing into the whole thing. America is screaming for a playoff system in big time college football.
Be careful what you wish for.
The BCS has been the best thing for college football since Knute Rockne started using the forward pass. If American sports fans kill the BCS, it will be like killing the goose that laid the golden egg.
The truth is that college football is thriving and growing in popularity every season. Television ratings for big time college football are through the roof. Even schools not in the BCS like Memphis are benefiting simply from the nationwide discussion and interest about whether they are good enough to be in one of the top conferences.
Examples to follow
Ever heard of Boise State before that school broke through the BCS barrier and started winning big time bowl games? An obscure state university in one of the most anonymous states is getting its games on national television and selling out stadiums because they play with the moniker that they are not in a BCS conference.
It could happen in Memphis too, but I don’t want to put too much pressure on our new coach.
For a quick refresher, the current system of choosing the national championship college football team is done by using computers and polls to chose the top two schools. The top two schools then play a title game sometime in January, which is scheduled about a month and a half after the Ohio State-Michigan game.
The best part of this system is that there are no playoff games. The schools go straight to the title game without all those preliminaries. It ensures the best teams end up in the big game without a playoff upset along the way to spoil the fun.
The current system is so deliciously interesting that throughout the season some of the most anticipated moments are when the BCS rankings are revealed. Even if a fan slept through the entire week of games, there’s still plenty of interest on the Monday morning rankings.
The best of both worlds
The BCS rankings cleverly combine the best of both worlds – the computer’s brains and the human brain. What better way to rank the schools that with the power of technology and people? Coaches can spend hours just examining those BCS rankings to derive ways to raise their scores.
And the truth is that the rankings just keep up the interest in college football. We love to rank things – from the hottest celebrities to the most miserable cities.
I know this nowhere near settles this great debate, and there will be plenty more talk about this subject as the season progresses But I would like to make one more suggestion. Now that the Pac-10 has added Colorado and Utah, how about re-naming it the 12-Pack.
No wonder things are so mixed up in big time college football these days. And there’s nothing more mixed up than the debate about whether there should be a national championship playoff in major college football.
I want to be the first person this season who offers a salvo in that great debate. Here it is. No playoffs. I love the current system. I love the Bowl Championship Series. Don’t change a thing.
In the heart of the Southeast Conference, that is probably blasphemy. I mean if there were a playoff, it would mean more games for the powers like Florida and Alabama. Incidentally, I would like to thank the Southeast Conference for never putting a number in its name, which means schools can be added or taken away without confusion.
And here in Memphis, where our local university is salivating at getting out of Conference USA and into a big time conference, the issue is especially relevant. That is assuming Coach Larry Porter is able to revive the football program and get to the point where the Tigers would even be considered a national championship contender.
Incidentally, I would like to thank Conference USA for not only keeping numbers out of its name but keeping out compass directions as well. If Maine or Hawaii want in, no confusion.
Up in Arms?
It is true that nothing gets America’s sports fans and their radio talk-show brethren more up in arms than discussing the BCS. That’s the system that decides which college football teams play in the biggest payday bowl games.
It is unfair. It is un-American. The championship should be settled on the field. It even violates the law, according to U.S. Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah who conducted a Congressional hearing into the whole thing. America is screaming for a playoff system in big time college football.
Be careful what you wish for.
The BCS has been the best thing for college football since Knute Rockne started using the forward pass. If American sports fans kill the BCS, it will be like killing the goose that laid the golden egg.
The truth is that college football is thriving and growing in popularity every season. Television ratings for big time college football are through the roof. Even schools not in the BCS like Memphis are benefiting simply from the nationwide discussion and interest about whether they are good enough to be in one of the top conferences.
Examples to follow
Ever heard of Boise State before that school broke through the BCS barrier and started winning big time bowl games? An obscure state university in one of the most anonymous states is getting its games on national television and selling out stadiums because they play with the moniker that they are not in a BCS conference.
It could happen in Memphis too, but I don’t want to put too much pressure on our new coach.
For a quick refresher, the current system of choosing the national championship college football team is done by using computers and polls to chose the top two schools. The top two schools then play a title game sometime in January, which is scheduled about a month and a half after the Ohio State-Michigan game.
The best part of this system is that there are no playoff games. The schools go straight to the title game without all those preliminaries. It ensures the best teams end up in the big game without a playoff upset along the way to spoil the fun.
The current system is so deliciously interesting that throughout the season some of the most anticipated moments are when the BCS rankings are revealed. Even if a fan slept through the entire week of games, there’s still plenty of interest on the Monday morning rankings.
The best of both worlds
The BCS rankings cleverly combine the best of both worlds – the computer’s brains and the human brain. What better way to rank the schools that with the power of technology and people? Coaches can spend hours just examining those BCS rankings to derive ways to raise their scores.
And the truth is that the rankings just keep up the interest in college football. We love to rank things – from the hottest celebrities to the most miserable cities.
I know this nowhere near settles this great debate, and there will be plenty more talk about this subject as the season progresses But I would like to make one more suggestion. Now that the Pac-10 has added Colorado and Utah, how about re-naming it the 12-Pack.
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