On The May Sweeps (Thursday)

(Photo: Shelby County)

Thursday's winner: WMC: Joe Ford: No Holds Barred.

The words, "No Holds Barred," remind me of a grudge match between two wrestlers in a steel cage but Kontji Anthony v. Joe Ford was no bloody confrontation. In fact, after all these years in public office, Ford seemed tired and just ready to take whatever punches Anthony could throw at him.

Can you pummel a man who asks for it? Anthony wouldn't.

She prodded, gently at times and little harder at other moments. And Ford withstood it, answering questions about John Ford's imprisonment, Ophelia Ford's maladies and Harold Ford Jr.'s political future. His only defense was a humble one--that what the public sees as a dynastic family is really just a bunch of common folks who have problems like everyone else.

And to that end, the interview was confessional. Ford discussed his struggle with alcohol from 1981 to 1991 and, though he has been clean for more than 16 years, he still has the addict's daily struggle.

"I just want to go away gracefully, and then my record will speak for itself," he said.

Again, Anthony didn't have to let that happen but she really showed her skills as an interviewer. Good interviewers are like good pitchers who know how to control the velocity and placement of their pitches. The heat isn't always necessary.

OTHER STORIES
*WREG: Andre Allen Talks. OK, so everything I said about Kontji Anthony and not willing to hit a man who is clearly asking for punishment, neither could Claudia Barr--though, for me, I wish she would have smacked him up side the head and said, "Dre, WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING?!!!!" (Flashback...sorry.)

Yet, perhaps figuring that he suffered enough watching the Tigers lose in the Championship game, she went easy on a fellow BTW alum and reminisced about high school. That's cool, I guess, but what isn't cool is Dre thinking that the Tigers would have won with him on the floor. As much as I love his game, I don't even think that.

*EyeNews: The Mayors' Schedules. The story had potential. I appreciated the public records request and the posting of the information online but Jeni DiPrizio reduced it all to slapstick with her faux interview with an empty chair subbing for Mayor Herenton, who declined to be interviewed. That stunt didn't work for Carol Chumney either. But I digress.

With such details about their schedules, nothing of import stood out beyond the fact that Wharton's schedule looks nice? There are redactions on Herenton's, which was for 2007. Why not connect the dots to some of the notable events from last year?