Friends, we are staring down the barrel at Super Bowl Sunday.
And we have a super-wide array of things to get to this morning. So, we'll move with the idea that each section is five paragraphs or fewer. Deal? Deal.
As for the Super Bowl, well, enjoy, and let these facts carry you into your Super celebrations:
* There will be almost $7 billion wagered on the Super Bowl, and beyond teams or points or coin tosses, there are some crazy things to bet on out there. Like, how many outfits J-Lo will wear during the halftime performance (over/under 2.5); whether a player will leave the game for concussion-related issues; whether the price of Bitcoin will go up or down during the Super Bowl (going up is a minus-135 favorite); over or under 92.5 for the number of commercials; or which will be greater Sunday, missed extra points in the Super Bowl or holes-in-one at No. 16 at the Phoenix Open.
* That's the gambling greed, so let's look at the gluttony. Americans are expected to plow through 1.4 billion chicken wings Sunday (that's like four wings for every man, woman and child in our country), and we will spend more than $17 billion on food, beverages, merchandise and party supplies for our Super Bowl festivities.
Calendar details
Gang, we have frequently mentioned in this space that Twitter, howling at the moon and breaking your remote when CNN (or Fox) pushes your outrage button are ultimately useless.
Know what's the opposite of useless? Voting.
And if you want to vote in the presidential primaries in Tennessee on Super Tuesday, you must be registered by Monday. Yes, this Monday. You can register at GoVoteTn.com.
So get registered, because no matter how much you shout on social media, your vote is your loudest voice.
Hey, to each their own
So, here's the tagline for a business downtown: "(A)n axe throwing bar where you can come in, grab a beer, throw an axe, and feel like a legend. Come throw some axes with us today."
Where do we sign up, right? Axes. Beer. Legends. Did we mention axes?
Well, the venue is called Valkyrie and I have to tell you that a) I am intrigued, because what could ever go wrong with beer and ax throwing, right, and b) you have to give their marketing department some kudos for clever.
Valkyrie's pitchman on the commercial I heard on 92.7 FM? None other than renowned radio talk show host and hatchet honcho Jeff Styles. Seriously.
Yeah, but ...
Man, the head-scratching headlines are all around us these days.
To start, the national hand-wringing about Lamar Alexander doing what his constituents want is laughable. And predictable.
Next, while I hope no one gets Coronavirus, I'm more concerned about the flu.
(Side note: I'm no doctor, but somehow I think the Coronavirus sounds like it's a bit better with a twist of lime and likely more frequent on Saturday or Sunday mornings across the Gulf Coast.)
Obit observation
Death was a big part of the biggest story of the week with the helicopter crash that killed nine, including former NBA star Kobe Bryant.
Today in this corner of Tennessee, we remember Terrill Pendergraft, former U.S. Army veteran who dropped out of high school to join the U.S. Army and fight in the Korean War.
He had seven siblings in his family. He is survived by his wife of 65 years, Emma Lou. They had four children, five grandkids and six great-grandkids, to whom he left a legacy of toughness and self-reliance that is so rare these days.
Terrill, who was awarded an honorary diploma from Lafayette High in 2006 and walked with the class of '06, was a master carpenter and built his current home with his own hands in 2003 at the tender age of 70.
That's a life well constructed - in every way.
Jay GreesonContact Jay Greeson at jgreeson@timesfreepress.com.