SportsMarch 25-April 1, 2016 The Mid-South Tribune Page 1 Sports

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MEMPHIS, TN – MemphisGrizzlies guard Tony Allen willhost his fan-favorite “TonyAllen Karaoke Night” at theEsplanade in Cordova onTuesday, March 29 from 6-8p.m. to benefit the JuvenileIntervention and Faith-BasedFollow-Up (JIFF). Doors willopen at 5:30 p.m.

Allen will be on-hand to meetand greet fans and sing karaokefor a good cause. Admission tothe fundraiser is $20 for adultsand $10 for kids ages 5-12.Tickets can be purchased bycalling 901-522-8502, visitingthe JIFF offices at 254 S.Lauderdale Street or at the dooron event night. Admission is freefor kids under five. Appetizerswill be included in the price ofadmission. All proceeds benefitJIFF, Inc.Chris Vernon of 92.9 FM ESPN

Radio and TV Analyst for

MEMPHIS, TN – The NextStep begins for Tigers football.

The University of Memphisfootball team opened its 2016spring drills Tuesday, and sincehe was hired Dec. 4, 2015, first-year head coach Mike Norvellhas been pounding the pavementabout the Tigers taking that“next step.” For Norvell, that“next step” process starts thisspring.

LOS ANGELES, CA - OWN:Oprah Winfrey Network willpremiere “Mrs. & Mr. Smith” onSaturday, March 26 at 10 p.m.ET/PT immediately following“For Peete’s Sake” in the net-work’s popular Saturday nightlineup. Check your cable net-work for channel designation.

Tigers football opens practice andFriday Night Stripes at Liberty Bowl

“We’re ready to get after it,”said Norvell, who comes toMemphis from his deputy headcoach/offensive coordinatorposition at Arizona State.“We’ve been looking forward tothis since we got back here inJanuary. We got through recruit-ing, and we’ve had the opportu-nity to be around the guysthrough their morning workouts.But, we haven’t had helmets, we

haven’t had footballs. Now, weget to put it all together, andwe’re excited about getting outthere and working with eachother.”

The Tigers return 15 starters (7offense/8 defense) from the2015 squad that posted a 9-4overall record and a 5-3American Athletic Conferencemark. The 2015 Tigers earned a

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Tony Allen to host ‘TonyAllen Karaoke Night’ tobenefit faith-based JIFF

Grizzlies LIVE! will serve as aspecial guest judge and GrizzliesPlay-By-Play Announcer PetePranica will help to emcee theevent alongside representativesfrom JIFF, Inc.

Fans can sign up to sing oncethey arrive at the Esplanade. Thehighest-scoring contestant willget to perform with Allen to con-clude the event.

Fans who want to support theMemphis Grizzlies and purchasetickets to any of the Grizzlies’remaining contests of the 2015-16 season or guarantee their2016 NBA Playoff tickets with2016-17 Season Tickets can doso by calling (901) 888-HOOPor going online to grizzlies.com.For more information on theGrizzlies, visit grizzlies.com,‘like’ Memphis Grizzlies onFacebook or follow on Twitter(@memgrizz).

‘Mr. & Mrs. Smith’ to debut onOWN: Oprah Winfrey Network

(a.k.a. Emmitt Smith and Pat Smith)

Legendary NFL star Emmitt Smith will star with wife PatSmith in “Mrs. & Mr. Smith” (Photo Credit/Courtesy ofGittings Photography and OWN)

The one-hour special will followthe lives of NFL legend EmmittSmith and wife Pat Smith and isproduced by Pilgrim MediaGroup.Pat Smith, wife of NFL legend

Emmitt Smith, has been the rockto her family for 15 years. Beingmarried to NFL legend Emmitt

Smith comes with countlesscommitments, demands andexcitement. Pat has been keep-ing up with their fast-paced lifeas a dedicated wife and mother.It may be challenging to main-tain their traditional family rolesat times, but the couple mustembrace and adjust to change.While Emmitt loves his wife andwhat she does for their family,he doesn’t always recognize thatshe sometimes feels second best.Pat's ready for a new challenge

and to kick her life into a highergear. With their five kids up andoff to school each day, Pat findsherself ready to step out ofEmmitt’s shadow. Now it’s timefor her step away from the side-lines and pursue her own pas-sions and career. But will tradi-tional Emmitt follow his wife asshe pursues her dreams?Pat Smith was the first African-

American woman to win theMiss Virginia USA title and firstrunner-up of the 1994 Miss USAPageant. She has dedicated hercareer to raising awarenessabout issues affecting womenand children and currentlyserves as the CEO of Pat SmithEnterprises. She is also Founderand CEO of Treasure You™ andCo-Founder of Pat and EmmittSmith Charities.Emmitt Smith is a professional

football icon after playing 15

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