Here's an idea. Let's tear down the McWherter Library and build a brand spanking new stadium in its place.
This is a University. We don't care about books and trivial things of that nature.
The Princeton Review thinks The U of M is no good academically, anyway. They ranked East Tennessee State and Tennessee Tech ahead of us when considering top colleges in the Southeast.
So what? We would kill those lame schools in basketball. That's all that matters. The only rankings I care about are the AP and ESPN/USA Today polls. Princeton can kiss my ....
Seriously, there is no room for an on-campus stadium.
That was probably the only intelligent thing Memphis Mayor Willie Herenton said during his proposal of "Project Nexus" to City Council last week.
Instead, he wants to redevelop the Fairgrounds and build a new $160-185 million stadium in place of Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium.
Tell your parents not to worry. King Willie isn't going to raise property taxes to pay for the endeavor. He said hot dog sales and naming rights should cover the expenses.
As far as The U of M football team is concerned, a new stadium is not the answer. Herenton said he doesn't want to invest in the Liberty Bowl because it is over 40 years old.
What about Park Avenue Campus, where most of the Tiger athletic programs practice? The complex, located on Getwell Avenue, was a hospital during World War II. It should have been blown up following the Allied victory.
I've been over there many times to get interviews. It is so bad that I feel embarrassed for the athletes. It's like when you go to a friend's apartment for the first time, and you see how bad it is. You won't say anything, but you'll make sure the next time you hang out at your own apartment.
The Liberty Bowl isn't so bad. The new FieldTurf looks great. There isn't a bad seat in the place in my opinion. The city should just spend the money that has been allotted to renovate the stadium and fix it up to meet the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Park Avenue Campus, on the other hand, is something I don't even want to look at.
Pretend you were a highly touted football recruit from Memphis, and you were willing to leave town if necessary. You'd take your visits to schools offering you scholarships. Upon visiting The U of M, what would turn you off more, The Liberty Bowl or Park Avenue Campus, a place you'd spend most of your time practicing? I would say without question Park Avenue Campus would have you skipping off to Ole Miss or Tennessee.
If this University wants to build up its athletic programs, the administration needs to work on improving practice facilities first.
The baseball Tigers really get the shaft. They have to play their home games at Nat Burning Stadium located on Park Avenue Campus. Coach Schoenrock is actively pursuing funding to improve the site because he knows it will mean a lot towards recruiting. Too bad he can't work out a deal where the Tigers could play the majority of their home games at AutoZone Park. What high school prospect wouldn't want to play college ball in that stadium?
The basketball team is successful because no one on that team has ever had to step foot on Park Avenue Campus. The Finch Center, the basketball team's practice facility, is a world-class $3.2 million center. It features $50,000 worth of state-of-the-art weight and cardiovascular equipment, big screen televisions, ping-pong tables and a partridge in a pear tree. I've been there. I'd rather spend Spring Break in the Finch Center than Cancun, Mexico.
So I would urge the city and University administration to work together and get their priorities in order. We don't need to replace the Liberty Bowl right now. We need to drastically improve Park Avenue Campus by any means necessary.
