The Early Word: Rhea was a ‘light in a dark room,’ and Huffs have art and sole
Happy Friday, Tiger Nation. It’s Nov. 8, and the football team plays Rice tonight at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium. If you’re going to the game, wear black. But if you’re more of an inside person, there’s a Memphis Grizzlies game against the Washington Wizards at FedExForum, too.
On Saturday, yours truly will be running the Mamba 50K (that’s about 31 miles) at Shelby Farms Park. But I’ll be wishing I was just down the road at Meddlesome Brewing running the annual 0.5K (that’s .31 miles) charity run for the Humane Society of Memphis and Shelby County. Also on Saturday, you can sample your way around India’s diverse food culture at IndiaFest. (Pro tip: Look for pani puri.) Or, you can meet Banjo Boy from “Deliverance” at the inaugural Memphis Monster Con at the Pipkin.
Back to sports, the Memphis Tigers men’s basketball team will play their second game of the season on Saturday against UNLV in Las Vegas. And on Sunday, the women’s basketball team plays Samford at home. The Grizzlies will be in Portland on Sunday to play the Trail Blazers.
For more weekend ideas, our To-Do List has your back.
Local musician Blake Rhea, 48, was killed outside Louis Connelly’s Bar for Fun Times and Friendship in Midtown early Wednesday morning after an argument that started inside the bar. Edward Wurl, 51, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder in the death. According to police, Wurl followed Rhea to his car and cut him with a knife before shooting him. Rhea played bass in the band Southern Avenue and many other local bands and had taught at the School of Rock. On Thursday, friends of Rhea recalled his “ sly grin” and “really fun approach to living.” “Blake really was a light in a dark room,” said one friend.
If you’ve looked closely at a Memphis Grizzlies game, you might have noticed center Jay Huff’s colorful sneakers. The swoosh on his black Nike sneakers looks like a heat map in Vancouver throwback jersey colors, and they were handpainted — by Huff’s wife. Lindsay Huff has long been a talented artist (just check out these birds she drew in high school), but in recent years, she’s taken to painting sneakers for pro ballers.
Plus, another Tops catches fire, Mellow Mushroom makes way for a chicken chain and a Bartlett pharmacy says goodbye.
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Bianca Phillips
Bianca Phillips is a Northeast Arkansas native and longtime Memphian who’s worked in local journalism and PR for more than 20 years. She’s a diehard morning person who spends her free time running marathons and ultras. She’s the author of “Cookin Crunk: Eatin’ Vegan in the Dirty South.”
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