Super ’Villian
BEST SPORTS PERSONALITY: CHERI KEMPF
Even with the International Olympic Committee kicking women's softball out of the 2012 Olympics, Cheri Kempf has kept softball's hope alive.
Kempf, the National Pro Fastpitch Commissioner since 2007, is exactly the right woman for persuading folks. For instance, back in her pitching days, when she could throw a softball 75 mph and knock over a clothespin, she asked an umpire to toss her a new ball. But the umpire refused. Kempf then fetched a new ball from the dugout, threw it over the backstop and into the parking lot, then asked the umpire, "Can I have a new one now?"
It's safe to say that any softball-playing girl or young woman in or around Nashville learned most or all of what she knows from Cheri Kempf.
With the NPF league office in Nashville, and with Kempf at the helm, Nashville is now the center of the women's softball universe.
If you see Cheri, don't ask her for a new ball. WALTER JOWERS
BEST DIVORCE PARTY: KAREN ELSON AND JACK WHITE
Inviting friends and family to join them at a party celebrating both their anniversary and their impending divorce by promising a "positive swing bang hum dinger," Karen Elson and Jack White sure did something to the proverbial bar — raised it, lowered it, broke it in half, we're not sure. In addition to attracting national attention, their unlikely fete did one thing exceptionally well: It showed that everything these two do (or decide to stop doing), they do with a flourish. STEVE HARUCH
BEST RAP BY AN ATHLETE: CHRIS JOHNSON, "ACT ON DECK"
Even without the involvement of the Titans' world-beater running back, "Act on Deck" would be notable as the first rap song to rely on a sample of a dial tone as its backbeat. Over the repetitive electronic drone, C.J. offers a glimpse of his personal views: Media Take Out is dishonest, female companionship is best appreciated in expensive foreign cars ... something about the Pro Bowl and the number 30. It's hard to understand. Look, no one expected him to be Jay-Z. After all, Hova's never gone for 2,006 yards in a season, has he? J.R. LIND
BEST NEW USE FOR A BUILDING: MUSICIANS HALL OF FAME AT MUNICIPAL AUDITORIUM
This marriage of music-oriented entities makes sense on multiple levels. The quirky and storied Municipal Auditorium will now be one of the country's few civic entertainment venues of its era and design style to have a major permanent tenant. Similarly, the Musicians Hall of Fame will be able to offer the occasional live music performance. Bonus point: Municipal general manager Bob Skoney and Musicians Hall of Fame founder Joe Chambers are stellar gentlemen. WILLIAM WILLIAMS
BEST UNSUNG HERO (PREDS): JERRED SMITHSON
Jerred Smithson doesn't show up on the score sheet very often. He's a tough penalty killer, he wins face-offs and he shows incredible range, displaying all the emotions from "miffed" to "rage" to "unfortunate facial hair." He's a hard-working glue guy that every team needs. He doesn't make the highlights, but he doesn't make many mistakes either — the perfect third-line forward. But lo, were his praises sung when he scored perhaps the biggest goal in team history, an overtime winner in Game 5 against Anaheim. Suddenly, The Guy You Never Hear About is The Guy You'll Never Forget. J.R. LIND
BEST UNSUNG HERO (TITANS): TIM SHAW
Special-teams work is a thankless job. Basically, you run down field as fast as you can at a group of guys running as fast as they can right at you and hope you don't end up on ESPN haplessly chasing down a returner on his way to the end zone. But when it's done well, it's a lifesaver. Few are better at covering kicks than the Titans' Tim Shaw, a fact recognized by his selection to the Pro Bowl last season, his first with the Titans. Like the best special teamers, Shaw isn't a rah-rah guy — he quietly (and effectively) does his job. And he gets noticed, quite a feat on special teams. He may not get the cheers of, say, Chris Johnson, but his teammates appreciate what he does: Shaw was elected one of the captains for the 2011 season. J.R. LIND
BEST PLACE TO POTENTIALLY CLIP A PEDESTRIAN: EIGHTH AND DEMONBREUN
Construction around the new convention center has turned Eighth and Demonbreun into a real-life platform gamer, complete with pits, pipes — and pedestrians. Your mission? Dodge those who still need to cross the street, usually in large groups on their way to Bridgestone. Since sidewalks are only occasional, they'll be right next to you — until they dart in front of you. Your reward? The satisfaction of knowing you didn't send anyone to the hospital. This time. ASHLEY SPURGEON
BEST USE OF THE LOCKOUT: ALTERRAUN VERNER
This summer, locked-out Titans cornerback Alterraun Verner did what a lot of people do when they are unemployed: He went back to school. Of course, most unemployed people don't have a four-year, $2.1 million contract waiting for them when they go back to work. But then, most pro athletes don't graduate with honors from UCLA with a bachelor's in math and applied science. Verner went whole hog in his last semester in Westwood — living in a four-man dorm room, shooting hoops at the gym and according to ESPN, playing a lot of Xbox. A fairly standard college existence, except Verner played with a virtual version of himself in Madden — and he can probably explain all the technical bits of video-game coding, too. J.R. LIND
BEST PAINT JOB: TIM CORBIN MAKES THE MURAL
Since 1992, the coaches of Vanderbilt's football and basketball teams have smiled out from the side of what most folks still call U Greek Me Greek. (It's a cell phone store now.) Meanwhile, as Commodore football languishes and the hoopsters underwhelm, Tim Corbin's turned the baseball team into title contenders. Mural master Michael Cooper added Corbin's mug just before the 'Dores left for Omaha and the team's first-ever College World Series. Vandy fans hope he used 20-year paint. J.R. LIND
BEST SPORTS MOMENT: DAVID LEGWAND'S EMPTY NETTER, GAME 6 VS. ANAHEIM
David Legwand, the Predators' breathing institutional memory, takes a bunch of (mostly undeserved) crap — for his contract, for never quite totally living up to that No. 2 draft pick potential, for his propensity to turn into Maurice Richard only when the net is empty. In the waning moments of the first-round series-clinching win in Game 6 against Anaheim, Legwand got loose down the boards and fired a laser at the empty Ducks goal, securing the team's first ever playoff series win. TSN reported tears of joy from grown men at the couldn't-have-scripted-it-better moment: The original Predator locking up history, pumping his fists at the blue line. And for once, we all stood with him. J.R. LIND
BEST CASUAL TECH GEEK GATHERING: CENTRESOURCE MIXERS
Nashville's sizable tech community has plenty of options when it comes to geek-minded social events, but they all pale in comparison to CentreSource's bimonthly mixers. What sets the "interactive web and mobile marketing" firm apart from its compadres in the scene like NashCocktail — aside from the free beers — is a casual vibe that doesn't feel cliquey or like a networking meat market. Did I mention the free beer? Because there's free beer. LANCE CONZETT
BEST NEW BUILDING REHAB: C.B. RAGLAND BUILDING
The long overlooked Ragland Building, originally constructed in 1930 and located at 300 Second Ave. S. in SoBro, now commands attention, as Manuel Zeitlin Architects tastefully retrofitted the structure with various glass and brick elements. They also have their sights on garnering LEED gold certification. Much credit goes to Michael Hayes, the C.B. Ragland Co. official who understands the subtleties of improving Nashville's built environment. WILLIAM WILLIAMS
BEST HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS CONTROVERSY: MBA OUSTS McGUGIN
There aren't many legendary last names in Nashville football, but McGugin would top most any list. The original Dan McGugin came from Michigan to lead Vanderbilt football for the better part of 30 years before World War II and still stands as the Commodores' winningest coach by leaps and bounds. So it's fitting his great-grandson Daniel led the football team for MBA, long seen as Vandy's feeder prep school. But a strange pay-for-play story emerged from West End in the spring, and on April 15, MBA's headmaster issued a statement saying the coach had been dismissed. But that came as news to McGugin, who said he was still the coach. Huh? The TSSAA is still investigating the pay-for-play angle — and McGugin isn't coaching the Big Red. Meanwhile, whispers in the monied halls of MBA say this story isn't over. J.R. LIND
BEST NEW DEVELOPMENT: ELLISTON 23
Ever since Father Ryan bolted for south Nashville, its former home on Elliston has sat vacant, a grassy block of blah between the Rock Block and West End. A Murfreesboro dry cleaner bought the land from the diocese, sold part to Hampton Inn and waited for decades for the right deal for the rest. Finally, it came. Development powerhouse Southern Land bought the tract and will build Elliston 23, a 331-unit apartment complex with 15,000 square feet of ground floor retail (including new restaurants). Renderings indicate homage to the area's brick-heavy architecture and another need for the neighborhood: nice wide sidewalks. J.R. LIND
BEST PRO SPORTS TEAM: NASHVILLE PREDATORS
With the Titans' moribund season, the Predators could have won this award by simply showing any signs of life, but they did plenty to win it on their own merits. A first-ever playoff series win. The emergence of Shea Weber, Ryan Suter and Pekka Rinne as genuine NHL stars. Sixteen sold-out games and little-bit-country-little-bit-rock-'n'-roll crowds during the playoffs so rollicking even naysaying Canadians took notice. Gold-colored fang fever infected Nashville in the spring of 2011 like a fast-spreading flu as the lunch-pail little-team-that-could finally became the team that did. J.R. LIND
BEST KARAOKE (NOVICE): MISS KELLY'S
In a town like ours, it's tough to find a karaoke spot where you won't be sung under the table and made a complete fool of. Everybody's a karaoke star. So what about those of us who just want to have a drink or two and laugh our way through a barely passable rendition of "Sweet Caroline"? That's what a joint like Miss Kelly's in Printers Alley is for. On top of good people watching, cheap drinks and an easy atmosphere, Kelly's typically hosts a clientele who won't make you feel like an utter failure just for not having perfect pitch. D. PATRICK RODGERS
BEST KARAOKE (ADVANCED): BLUE GENE'S
Lovely as a place like Miss Kelly's is for some lighthearted, greenhorn karaoke stylings, sometimes it is in fact enjoyable to see a gaggle of talented crooners showing off their chops. And at least at Blue Gene's, you have the luxury of an incredibly sweet staff, a relatively intimate room and the sort of folks who won't rub it in your face when you prove to have the weakest voice in the joint. And seriously? Some of these cats have the biggest voices you're liable to hear on any stage. Well, Blue Gene's doesn't exactly have a stage, per se, but you get me. D. PATRICK RODGERS
BEST CHANCE AT A CHAMPIONSHIP: VANDERBILT BASKETBALL
Is this finally the year? Is now the time where the 'Dores finally beat a state school from the flyover or twee liberal arts college in the first round of the tournament and make a legitimate run in March? If there ever were a time, it's now. Barring Andre Walker — who transferred to Xavier — every key piece of last year's team is back. If Jeff Taylor realizes he can take over a game, if John Jenkins keeps shooting like Rooster Cogburn, if Festus Ezeli can somehow become the country's most improved player (again), if the heralded blue-chip recruits can make significant contributions — this could finally be the year we stop bemoaning Same Old Vandy. J.R. LIND
BEST DO-GOODER: JEAN HARRISON
Jean Harrison, besides being an angel and a straight-shooting brainiac, runs Big Fluffy Dog Rescue. Jean and her helpers do exactly what their name says: They rescue big, fluffy dogs. Says Jean, "I started the rescue operation because Tennessee is chock full of big fluffy dogs that no one wants. We've rescued more than 6,000 dogs, we have branches in 14 states, and more than 125 regular volunteers. I work a full-time job as a lawyer and another 40 hours on dog-related things every week. I do this so I can even out the black karma of being a lawyer." WALTER JOWERS
BEST MASCOT NAME CHANGE: TSU
Tennessee State's Tiger mascot went decades without a name, and with the 100th anniversary of the school coming up in 2012, they decided to give him one. A contest — whose rules included "Not Tony" — settled on TSUNami. And then, just a few weeks later, an actual tsunami devastated Japan. Time for a re-rebrand. Another contest — now with "Not TSUNami" added alongside the "Not Tony" proviso — was held, and "AristoKat" emerged victorious, a far more sensitive choice and one that nods to TSU's world-famous high-stepping Aristocrat of Bands. J.R. LIND
BEST-KEPT-SECRET PARK: HAMILTON CREEK
Down an undeveloped stretch of Bell Road, tucked along a turn in Percy Priest Lake, is a park full of grown men on bikes, grinning like friendly fools. Some are riding those bikes, some are just sitting on them waiting for their pals to arrive. And they smile at you because, even if they don't know you, you must be cool or you wouldn't even know to be here. If you want to mountain bike, this is the place to do it. If you want to watch people take great joy in their passions, this is also that place. BETSY PHILLIPS
BEST CONTRACT BATTLE: SHEA WEBER
Predators general manager David Poile has (probably) never been described as "gangsta," but it took a remarkable amount of swagger for him to make a case to an NHL arbitrator that all-everything defenseman Shea Weber was worth a mere $4.5 million. Both sides insisted all along the goal was a long-term contract keeping Weber in Nashville, but June turned to July and eventually to August, and the unthinkable was suddenly the inevitable. Not once, though, was there public sniping or ill-advised tweeting. (Looking at you, Chris Johnson.) Ultimately, Weber was awarded a staggering one-year, $7.5 million arbitration decision, ending what was a hand-wringing summer between the Preds and their captain. J.R. LIND
BEST PRO WRESTLING CARD: TRIBUTE TO THE FAIRGROUNDS 3
These "Last show EVER at the Fairgrounds!" wrestling shows became a little bit like those furniture stores that are forever going out of business. But of the lot, No. 3 was the best. Young whippersnappers probably got fired up by the tag team main event featuring Rikishi and Brian Christopher, aka Grand Master Sexay (née Brian Lawler, son of Jerry). But the old-time rasslin' fans knew the real draw: the Memphis Legends Steel Cage Match (thrilling enough just by the title) featuring "Superstar" Bill Dundee and "Dirty" Dutch Mantel, slobber-knocking throwbacks to a time when pro wrestling was real, broadcast in black-and-white from some dingy National Guard armory in a bad part of Memphis. Mantel dropping a Tennessee chainsaw, Dundee delivering the ol' Bombs-Away. Sure, the two guys are pushing 70 — but the fairgrounds is no spring chicken either. It was just like old times. And it was perfect. J.R. LIND
BEST COLLISION OF FASHION AND MUSIC: SNEAKERS & SPEAKERS
We weren't exactly sure what we were getting ourselves into when we showed up at Phatkaps for Sneakers & Speakers, the city's first event for the burgeoning kick-collector scene. Was this going to be another awkward fashion show, some warped, shoe-centric version of a swap meet or something else altogether? Ends up, it was something else altogether: a celebration of fly footwear and great music with a fun, unpretentious vibe that has us hankering for next year. SEAN L. MALONEY
BEST PLACE TO TAKE OUT-OF-TOWNERS: ROBERT'S WESTERN WORLD
It happens every time. You have a guest visiting from out of town, and they want the full Nashville experience, which is exhausting. But there's a bright spot when you finally drag them down to their hotly anticipated night of honky-tonkin': Robert's Western World gets the job done without being as overtly tourist-y and cloying as other downtown bars are wont to do. Quick Robert's protip: Head upstairs and watch the action from the balcony. ASHLEY SPURGEON
