Calkins: How do you celebrate turning 50? If you’re Memphis Pom, you dance.
Cheri Ganong (middle), a former University of Memphis Pom Squad member and coach, rehearses on Thursday, March 6, 2025. (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian)
Geoff Calkins
Geoff Calkins has been chronicling Memphis and Memphis sports for more than two decades. He is host of "The Geoff Calkins Show" from 9-11 a.m. M-F on 92.9 FM. Calkins has been named the best sports columnist in the country five times by the Associated Press sports editors, but still figures his best columns are about the people who make Memphis what it is.
Cheri Ganong watched the man enter through the side door of the Mid-South Coliseum and walk up into the stands.
It was 1979. Ganong, the coach of Memphis Pom, was feeling a little nervous about the upcoming game against Louisville.
“We had always worn traditional cheerleader uniforms: a skirt and a sweater,” she said. “But we had decided to wear these unitards. We had never worn anything as risqué as that.”
This is an excerpt of this story. To read more, please click here and subscribe.
Topics
Memphis Pom Cheri Ganong Memphis Tigers Al Maguire Subscriber OnlyAre you enjoying your subscription?
Your subscription gives you unlimited access to all of The Daily Memphian’s news, written by nearly 40 local journalists and more than 20 regular freelancers. We work around the clock to cover the issues that impact your life and our community.
You can help us reach more Memphians.
As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, we provide free news access at K-12 schools, public libraries and many community organizations. We also reach tens of thousands of people through our podcasts, and through our radio and television partnerships – all completely free to everyone who cares about Memphis.
When you subscribe, you get full access to our news. But when you donate, you help us reach all Memphians.
Pay it forward. Make a fully tax-deductible donation to The Daily Memphian today.
Thank you for reading the local news. Thank you for investing in our community.
Geoff Calkins on demand
Never miss an article. Sign up to receive Geoff Calkins' stories as they’re published.
Enter your e-mail address
Want to comment on our stories or respond to others? Join the conversation by subscribing now. Only paid subscribers can add their thoughts or upvote/downvote comments. Our commenting policy can be viewed here.