Sportsfrog.com

…f*ck with Memphis restaurant managers. Johnson, who was in Memphis to call the C-USA Final last Saturday, was, according to the Big Lead (who has unearthed the police report), handcuffed and detained in the back of a squad car after an alleged incident at Blues City Cafe between he and the manager. Go Big Lead:

According to a police report obtained through the Memphis police public information officer, an employee of the restaurant flagged down cops who were nearby and told them a customer was being belligerent and had refused to leave. Sources say Johnson had become increasingly surly during his dining experience, and complained vociferously about the service and his food.

When cops arrived, officers questioned Daniel Reed of Memphis – a manager at the restaurant, according to a source – while Johnson was detained. The police report states that Augustus (Gus) Johnson and Reed got into a verbal altercation, and police determined neither party had suffered any injuries. Reed declined to prosecute or press charges, and Johnson was released. He was not taken to the police station. The case remains open.

A few notes from this Memphis resident:

1. The Blues City Cafe is supposed to be famous for its ribs, steaks, and tamales. Frankly, it is overpriced and underwhelming fare. And the service flat sucks. Whatever it was that ticked off Johnson, I believe it. He is not the first, nor the last, to become surly while there. It’s a tourist trap, more or less. Next time, Gus, ask a local where to eat downtown late. Blues City won’t make the top ten such options. While we are here, it IS indeed a bitch move to contact the cops when your customer is unhappy, however vociferously, with the service, but, hey, it’s about what I would expect from that particular restaurant.

2. That said, the last part of Big Lead’s notation is important. Johnson was NOT taken a few blocks over to 201 Poplar. That is the city jail. And while they have cleaned it up to some extent (I am an attorney, but on the civil side, not so much the criminal side of the street), it is still no place a self-respecting adult male wants to be taken at 1:00 am on a Saturday morning. And Johnson looks a little too close to the potential spoon zone for his own comfort. For anyone ever thinking of coming to Memphis and raising hell, I implore you to read the linked story from December 2001 in the Memphis Flyer. And, on the likely chance that you do not follow that link, at least know this from that article:

This is the crux: The officers should see and prevent behavior such as Thunderdome or a man getting sodomized with a spoon.

Like I said, it has supposedly gotten better over there. Supposedly. Mind you, I have lived in Memphis 11 years now, and make it a waking goal every single day to make certain that I do nothing that would bring me remotely within sight of the wrong side of the bars at 201 Poplar. So, next time, Gus, I strongly recommend you simply pay your bill and move on with your life. Stiff the waiter if need be. Tell people to never go to the restaurant. But, whatever you do, don’t take it to a point where you put yourself in danger of the spoon.