Some news stories write themselves, and this is one of them.
Memphis Mayor Paul Young was set to announce the improved crime rate in his city, a rare feat for a Democrat these days.
A report just broke, however, that just days before Young was set to make his announcement, he was almost kidnapped.
Stephen A. Smith is an ESPN commentator who has branched out into other forms of media of late, and he is now hosting a show where everything is on the table.
He recently took a shot at Memphis for its crime, saying the city is not attractive to athletes when sports teams are trying to lure them in.
Smith stated, "The people in Memphis, it’s a great sports town -- great fans, great people -- but there’s an element there where cats like Jimmy Butler and others don’t feel like it’s the safest environment."
He went on, "I’m talking to the local authorities in Memphis. You’ve got to clean some of that stuff up because it’s dissuasive to NBA players. They have talked about it. I know. They’ve told me. That’s all I’m saying."
Memphis Grizzlies player Ja Morant took exception to the comments, posting to X, "talkin bout the grizz more than the finals [laughing emoji] wit these [cap emoji] ahh sources."
He went on, "instead of focusing on the performances we seen from jdub/shai, tj/Siakam, how this series is going. We say sumn negative about a city/team on a national level."
Young also commented, "Stephen called us a great sports town -- facts. Best fans in sports? True. People of Memphis? Unmatched."
The mayor added, "But what he is missing is that crime is down significantly in 2024 and 2025. We're not just talking change, we're delivering it. Memphis is rising and we've got the numbers and the heart to prove it."
As it turns out, only days before, a man was apprehended, allegedly attempting to kidnap the mayor!
Memphis PD stated, "We understand the concerns raised by this incident and want to reassure the public that the Memphis Police Department remains fully committed to the safety of all residents, including our city’s elected officials."
The department's statement added, "We take any potential threat seriously and will continue to act swiftly and thoroughly."
As we found out about two years ago, crime numbers, to quote a line from The Wire, can be juked to read whatever city and state officials want them to be. Democrat policies are killing our major cities, as are Soros-backed prosecutors who are more intent on prosecuting police than they are on putting nefarious characters behind bars. Philadelphia, Memphis, Detroit, Los Angeles, New York City... all once great cities, and now they are all overrun with crime.