Dec. 27, 2007

Other than that, how was the play Mrs. Lincoln?

I had planned to write more extensively about my Memphis experience, but I don't feel much need to pile on with laments about free throws and rebounding for a nationally televised game played before Christmas in the most hostile gym I can ever recall visiting. So instead I will focus on the non-game stuff, or why Memphis is not such a bad place.

Friday afternoon in Memphis was really nice. The aforementioned warmer weather turned mostly sunny, Redheaded Hoya largely ignored her prior commitment to working through the afternoon, and my old friend and Memphis native Jamie proved to be a wonderful host. We stopped at Central BBQ in Midtown for some great ribs and good natured teasing about our Hoya attire from the owner. Despite his loud protests I did manage to sneak some money into the tip jar for our beers, but otherwise the southern hospitality was almost as outstanding as the BBQ, which was everything it has been made out to be.

We also made it to the "M" Bridge to cross into Arkansas (knocking off another state for me), saw the famous duck parade at the Peabody, had a few drinks at a nice but empty lounge over BB King's Blues Club on Beale St., got more BBQ for dinner at Interstate BBQ (Named 2^nd Best BBQ In America- Time Magazine 1989), and tried to take in the scene in downtown Memphis the night before the big game. Unfortunately, the city was almost completely dead; the fun folks must have been down in New Orleans for Tigers bowl game. I did catch up with fellow blogger Drew McGowan for a beer and spotted old friend Rich Chvotkin briefly, but it ended up a fairly early night in preparation for a big day on Saturday.

Gameday had us up early and hopeful for a win, and we arrived at the arena a full 40 minutes prior to tip. Walking into FedEx Forum along Beale St. all we could see was Memphis blue. The touts were out buying and selling, but the market did not seem quite as dry as the local media and Coach Cal would have you believe. In any case, our tickets were waiting for us at will call and I was lamenting the decision not to partake of a few $1.00 drafts on Beale Street prior to entry when we realized that the numbers on our tickets did not correspond to any actual seats in the building.

So after some negotiations with a few FedEx Forum ushers, we ended up back at Georgetown will call where we discovered the good folks at Memphis had misprinted our tickets. Steve Alleva and Blanton Jones from GU get serious credit for their quick work that got us into excellent seats by tip off, but it was a tense few moments as I contemplated the possibility of having flown 2600 miles roundtrip to watch the game on TV at a bar.

The game itself was fun for a while, particularly when the Hoyas were using the Princetown offense to perfection against the Tigers aggressive man to man, but things fell apart at the end of the fist half and never really got back on track in the second. The fans around us were loud and passionate, and for the first time I can remember there was no way to even start a cheer for Georgetown, so outnumbered and spread out were our few fans.

After the game we encountered a few dozen Hoya faithful, most of whom were now looking for a way out of town. The original plan was to hit Rendezvous for BBQ Round 3, but my stomach was rebelling and the staff there was ill prepared for our arrival, so we spent the rest of the afternoon watching the other games of the day at a bar downtown. It was tough to come so far for such a disappointing game, but I was in good company and managed to have some fun along the way.

I took a little heat from the Memphis fans I met that afternoon and I even got some grief from a Vanderbilt fan- something about a travel in the Sweet 16 last year? I could not remember. But for the most part they were good-natured and respectful, appreciated the quality of the opponent and looked forward to a rematch in the spring. I agreed wholeheartedly and suggested that things might be different on a neutral floor and with our respective conference schedules behind us.

We dined that evening at an oyster bar called Pearl's where I was introduced to the southern culinary delights of chargrilled oysters, shrimp and grits, and deep fried pickles. Yet another good meal to remember Memphis by. We took Redheaded Hoya to the airport and had a few drinks and shot some pool in a neighborhood bar, but once again our energy was flagging after such an early start.

My flight out was Sunday evening, which left us time to do a bit more touring. As a just slightly above novice music fan I was more than happy to tour Sun and Stax Studios, two of the more successful and influential independent labels in popular music history. Sun is where Elvis cut his first record and has also recorded the likes of Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Ike Turner. The tour is short and sweet and worth your $10. Stax is the home of southern soul and R&B, a grittier answer to Motown that gave us Otis Redding, Isaac Hayes, Booker T & the MGs, Sam & Dave and countless other acts. Their studio is a true museum to the soul genre, and made me wish I had more than an hour or so to take it all in.

So I left for the airport Sunday afternoon, arriving a bit early to give myself time to find a sports bar to watch the late NFL games while Jamie left for a family vacation in Arkansas. The basketball game was disappointing but I am still happy to have made the trip, if only to have seen old friends, made a few new ones, and enjoyed a slice of culture we do not have much of in the still snowbound (but slightly warmer) northeast. I am already thinking about how I can get back to Memphis, especially if this series continues.

And even though these events will sometimes end in disappointment, I think of all that I would have missed out on in the past had I not taken similar risks, and I look forward to casting my lot with them in the near future. The Hoyas we saw in Memphis were not as good as they will be this year, and that is all the hope I need.

I hope everyone is enjoying the Holiday Season and wish you all the best for 2008.

Hoya Saxa

John Nagle C'00 L'07