Let's talk Memphis

[tennrich1]

No different then any other large metropolitan area. Ever been to New Orleans?

I know this very well. I live about two miles from Beale. My kids play in the front yard. I haven't ever had any trouble. You don't like it fine.

I have lived and worked in Memphis for 40 years. Please don't try to convince people we are as safe as anywhere. It just ain't true. IT IS DANGEROUS HERE. My profession is in the area of crime prevention. We are out of control sadly!

 

[Roustabout]

UT needs to stay away from there. I'd say there is all kinds of nasty crap getting ready to spill. Pimphis is corrupt. The school system is corrupt. It's a mess. UT is geographically closer to Cinnci, Atlanta, Charlotte, Indy, Columbia and Birmingham.
Memphis may be within the state lines, but it is another state in terms of culture.

 

[95 Vol Alum]

Why does geography matter with Memphis but not the entire state of Florida where we routinely recruit? Good players are good players.....go get them.

 

[HuntlandVolinColo]

Sure Memphis is important but SC, GA, FL are where TN typically gets their best players from. TX, CA, LA, MS would also be nice places to have a good recruiting footprint and don't forget about New Hampshire, lol.

 

[knucklehead_vol]

I have lived and worked in Memphis for 40 years. Please don't try to convince people we are as safe as anywhere. It just ain't true. IT IS DANGEROUS HERE. My profession is in the area of crime prevention. We are out of control sadly!

This was from a friend of mine describing Memphis' stereotype.

Really, there is more to every city than what is perceived by the outside. Memphians have to deal with the perception that everywhere is crime-filled and run-down like Nashville has to deal with the perception that everyone likes Country music and wears cowboy boots...and Orlando is nothing more than sprawl surrounding Disney World...and Northern New Jersey is nothing but a bunch of shallow Jersey Shore guidos.

Memphis gets picked on because it's easy. It's not quite like anywhere else in Tennessee (not that it's a bad thing). Every city has it's own problems, so sometimes people like to deflect and shift focus to somewhere else. In the case of Tennesseans, Memphis is usually the scapegoat. I don't think it's right, but we all know it happens.

"Hey, I heard there is a lot of crime in Tennessee. Is that true?" Yeah, we do have a problem with crime here, but it's nothing like Memphis. They really skew the statistics in the state.

"What's up with the political corruption in Tennessee?" Well, there's definitely some corruption here, but the biggest problem is in Memphis. (hopefully this stereotype will fade with the absence of Herenton and John Ford)

"How are schools in the area?" Well, some of the rural districts aren't too good, but in most of the cities they are fine. Nashville is bad, but Memphis is awful.



I would challenge you to show where it is that Memphis is as bad a you say. Are there some bad areas. Oh yea, but most people stay away from them and is concentrated. Maybe your familiar with the Crosstown area of Memphis? That's where I live. I have $45,000 truck that sits out front on the street everyday, never had issues with it. I have 2 and 5 yr old. They play outside with all the other kids, we don't have bars on our windows nor an alarm system. Never had a problem. So I'll tell people the truth. Memphis is fine.

 

[KoachKletus]

This was from a friend of mine describing Memphis' stereotype.

Really, there is more to every city than what is perceived by the outside. Memphians have to deal with the perception that everywhere is crime-filled and run-down like Nashville has to deal with the perception that everyone likes Country music and wears cowboy boots...and Orlando is nothing more than sprawl surrounding Disney World...and Northern New Jersey is nothing but a bunch of shallow Jersey Shore guidos.

Memphis gets picked on because it's easy. It's not quite like anywhere else in Tennessee (not that it's a bad thing). Every city has it's own problems, so sometimes people like to deflect and shift focus to somewhere else. In the case of Tennesseans, Memphis is usually the scapegoat. I don't think it's right, but we all know it happens.

"Hey, I heard there is a lot of crime in Tennessee. Is that true?" Yeah, we do have a problem with crime here, but it's nothing like Memphis. They really skew the statistics in the state.

"What's up with the political corruption in Tennessee?" Well, there's definitely some corruption here, but the biggest problem is in Memphis. (hopefully this stereotype will fade with the absence of Herenton and John Ford)

"How are schools in the area?" Well, some of the rural districts aren't too good, but in most of the cities they are fine. Nashville is bad, but Memphis is awful.



I would challenge you to show where it is that Memphis is as bad a you say. Are there some bad areas. Oh yea, but most people stay away from them and is concentrated. Maybe your familiar with the Crosstown area of Memphis? That's where I live. I have $45,000 truck that sits out front on the street everyday, never had issues with it. I have 2 and 5 yr old. They play outside with all the other kids, we don't have bars on our windows nor an alarm system. Never had a problem. So I'll tell people the truth. Memphis is fine.

Lived in Memphis for two tears. Loved every minute of it. Two of our warehouses were a few blocks off Interstate BBQ. Rough area. Never did I feel threatened or worried about my safety. FWIW, my job has had us allowed us to work in Chicago, Portland, Nashville, Memphis, and Abilene (of all places). Abilene and Portland (O) I refuse to go back. Memphis, hell yes. Beale St. on a hot Saturday afternoon is a blast.

 

[Oskie Volum]

Dooley did act like a prick when he was here. Never understood the attitude, but now I hear about how he really was, it all makes sense. Kiffin was actually liked and he related to a lot of the guys. I think Kiffin would have opened the pipeline.

Was Dooley a prick or perceived as one by the shady folks there that he didn't want to deal with?? After hearing how Kiffin really is it makes sense the same folks liked him and they related to each other or better said "understood" each other. I'd take the pipeline to ATL that Dooley was trying to build over Memphis.

Memphis needs to be treated with kids gloves. 1-3 kids out of there a yr should be enough and solid. We're closer to many hot beds to worry about getting the Memphis stench trapped in the car for the ride back. I understand the importance of having more of a presence there but until the city (people) better itself its just not worth it.

Just IMO that's all...

 

[Nocleats]

Yes there are coaches in Memphis who are not above selling, bidding, tampering with their players recruiting, thats been proven in court. Memphis is not alone, lots of bigger cities with a high number of inner city youth have this problem.
To me the bigger problem is the "handlers" who are in charge of the players recruitment as well as the recruiting services who help finding scholarships are just as dirty and maybe worse. Also particularly in BBall is the Big Shoe companies and the alignment of Colleges with them and them with the atheletes. Its no coincidence that Kentuckys recruits all went to NIKE camps and Ky uses Nike products.....

 

[knucklehead_vol]

Was Dooley a prick or perceived as one by the shady folks there that he didn't want to deal with?? After hearing how Kiffin really is it makes sense the same folks liked him and they related to each other or better said "understood" each other. I'd take the pipeline to ATL that Dooley was trying to build over Memphis.

Memphis needs to be treated with kids gloves. 1-3 kids out of there a yr should be enough and solid. We're closer to many hot beds to worry about getting the Memphis stench trapped in the car for the ride back. I understand the importance of having more of a presence there but until the city (people) better itself its just not worth it.

Just IMO that's all...

Your opinion, in my opinion is completely wrong. But I am not sure if its just be naive or just ignorant. But in either case it is wrong.

Also, I do not associate with shady people. You can pick them out a mile away.



Someone posted this in the Gruden thread. Yea, that pipleline Dooley created is great. And I guess the 'stench' of Dooley was just in Memphis.

Tri-state area teams ignored by Dooley staff | timesfreepress.com


"To be honest, a lot of high school coaches in the state felt like Derek came across as arrogant," Fitzgerald added. "We talked about that at coaches' meetings around the state for several years, actually. It wasn't just in the Chattanooga area; it was coaches all over the state. Derek is highly intelligent, but it just came off as him proving how smart he is when he talks. He just has no people skills."

"And Revis was a kid who bled orange. Even if he wasn't a starter, he was going to bust his butt to help that program any way he could because he loved it. My problem with those two situations was just how the kids were treated. It was disrespectful."

As of now, four of the state's top 25 prospects, as ranked by Rivals.com, have committed to Tennessee, while 14, including the top two, have committed to other programs. Memphis has by far the most talent on that list, with 16 of the top 25 in-state players, but UT has a commitment from just one of those.

"I never heard anything from Tennessee," Phillips said. "To be honest, it was very disappointing. That's my home-state school, so I had dreamed of going there. For them to never even send a representative or call to talk, it rubbed me the wrong way."

It didn't sit well with Eagles coach Bill Price, either.

"I didn't like that staff, to be honest," Price said. "I grew up in this state and I would go to the games about every week and wanted to support them. I'm a Tennessee fan, but we never heard anything from them. Not even a visit just to introduce who was recruiting our area or a call or anything. It was like they didn't care whether they had any relationship with us at all, so how would we ever feel good about sending a kid there once we had one they wanted?

"I've been coaching a long time and dealt with a lot of coaches at every level, and those guys were the worst as far as feeling like they wanted to work with you or have any relationship at all with the high school coaches."

But you gather your own opinion,

 

[knucklehead_vol]

Lived in Memphis for two tears. Loved every minute of it. Two of our warehouses were a few blocks off Interstate BBQ. Rough area. Never did I feel threatened or worried about my safety. FWIW, my job has had us allowed us to work in Chicago, Portland, Nashville, Memphis, and Abilene (of all places). Abilene and Portland (O) I refuse to go back. Memphis, hell yes. Beale St. on a hot Saturday afternoon is a blast.

Cool. What part did you live in?

Unfortunately many people do not realize how Memphis reports crime. It gets a bad rap for it, but it is what it is.
This is an old article but it's story is still good.

Memphis a victim of crime reports » The Commercial Appeal