Calkins: A last-minute election thought, what to think about the perils of gambling from an expert on the subject and how great are these Grizz?
People vote at Second Baptist Church on Aug. 6. (Brad Vest/Special to The Daily Memphian)
Geoff Calkins
Geoff Calkins has been chronicling Memphis and Memphis sports for more than two decades. 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.
A wild array of questions today on “The Geoff Calkins Podcast,” including:
Why would any Memphian vote for candidates who went out of their way to diminish the influence of the city?
Was the Grizzlies’ victory against Ja Morant and the Portland Trail Blazers the franchise’s most important win in years?
How good are these Grizzlies anyway?
How in the world did Mike Norvell fail at Florida State?
What is the fallout from the rise of sports gambling across the country?
How did the University of Memphis become a leader in the study of gambling addiction and treatment?
And what does FedEx have in common with The Cheesecake Factory?
Florida State head coach Mike Norvell claps as his players warm up for the Orange Bowl NCAA college football game against Georgia on Dec. 30, 2023, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (Rebecca Blackwell/AP file)
Those are among the topics I take up with my guests on the podcast. John Martin joins me to talk about the Grizzlies and Norvell. Charles Fishman has news on FedEx, The Cheesecake Factory and the biggest heist in the history of the world. And I talk to Jim Whelan, the executive director of the Tennessee Institute for Gambling Education and Research, about what he and his team have learned about gambling addiction now that sports gambling is pushed during every sporting event and is available on every phone.
The Daily Memphian welcomes a diverse range of views from guest columnists about topics of local interest and impact. Columns are subject to editorial review and editing for length and clarity. If you’re interested in having a guest column considered by The Daily Memphian, email Eric Barnes.
But first, a thought on the election. I understand people will disagree about candidates. But how could anyone who purports to care about this city vote for any of the people who supported the decision to carve the city’s congressional voting districts into three parts?
I’m referring to U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn and state Sen. Brent Taylor, specifically. Blackburn was an enthusiastic driver of the effort. Taylor voted for it. And while we can argue about whether the decision was fueled by racism or simple politics, what is inarguable is the entire goal of the enterprise was to dilute the influence of Memphians.
That’s why the Republicans did it. That was the entire goal. By spreading Memphis voters across three districts, the perspective and priorities of a majority of Memphians could be diluted and ignored.
A person leaves the Tennessee Capitol after a special session of the state Legislature to redraw U.S. congressional voting maps May 7. (George Walker IV/AP file)
Maybe that is popular in the hinterlands. Maybe it will carry the day. But how could any Memphian vote for people who wanted to make Memphis matter less?
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