Columnist
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.
There are 974 articles by Geoff Calkins :
After the Grizzlies beat the Warriors in January, Ja Morant stared down a kid in a Golden State jersey. The kid is Maddox Hehn, 8, from Nashville. He was back at FedExForum Monday night. But he sure looked different this time around.
As Memphis waits to learn its punishment, North Carolina and Kansas will play for the national championship. In the past decade, both schools have been accused of cheating on a grand scale.
The Grizzlies were missing four starters, all their point guards and (by halftime) their head coach. But they beat the best team in the NBA anyway. How did they do it? The same way they’ve won so many games this season. With irrepressible (and irresistible!) joy.
Two years ago, Andre Iguodala declined to report to the Memphis Grizzlies after a trade. Now they have essentially clinched the No. 2 seed in the West. So what did Dillon Brooks have to say to him after the Grizzlies smashed the Warriors? Calkins: Remember the kid Ja stared down? The one in the Warriors jersey? He’s a Grizzlies fan now.Related story:
The IARP alleges that Penny Hardaway and Memphis basketball committed multiple Level 1 violations. The university is fighting back. Could this be the beginning of the end for Hardaway? The battle has been joined.
ESPN came to Memphis to cover Ja Morant. They got a whole team of swaggering Grizzlies instead.
ESPN is spending the entire day in Memphis. Which is great, sure. But how are we going to keep that chip on our shoulder now?
You will remember this one forever, won’t you? The Tigers’ season may have ended with Saturday’s loss to Gonzaga. But the game delivered an emphatic message to the country. Memphis basketball is back.
Nearly four years to the day since he accepted the Memphis job, Penny Hardaway will lead the Memphis Tigers as they take on No. 1 Gonzaga. It’s been a long journey to get to this moment. But the Tigers are back where they belong.
For Penny Hardaway and Alex Lomax, the Tigers’ win over Boise State wasn’t just a first-round NCAA Tournament victory. It was why they signed on four years ago. And it was exactly what they dreamed. Lomax’s gritty performance leads Memphis past Boise State Why highs, lows against Boise State show Memphis can go far in NCAA TournamentRelated stories:
It’s not enough that the Tigers will play in their first NCAA Tournament in eight years. Now there’s the chance Penny Hardaway may bring back Emoni Bates. Either way, Thursday will be a compelling day for Memphis basketball.
It’s a shame the Tigers didn’t get a chance to celebrate their NCAA Tournament invitation the way they planned. But make no mistake — this is a defining moment for the program.
“The Memphis Tigers will play for the AAC Tournament title Sunday, and then they’ll get an NCAA Tournament bid. It has all been well and truly earned.”
Admit it, you were nervous. Until Jalen Duren and Alex Lomax restored order. And reminded everyone that the Memphis Tigers didn’t come to the American Athletic Conference Tournament to lose.
Never mind all the talk about bubbles and brackets. Just win the conference tournament, and get the banner y’all deserve.
Penny Hardaway wasn’t named AAC Coach of the Year Wednesday. But no coach in the country has done more in the past two months.
Memphis smashed Houston in front of a delirious crowd Sunday. Four years after accepting the head coaching job, Penny Hardaway will be taking the Tigers to the NCAA Tournament.
Memphis defeated South Florida on Thursday, setting up Sunday’s game against Houston. It’s the biggest Tigers home game in years.
On a mesmerizing night at FedExForum, Ja Morant became the first Grizzlies player to score 50 points in a game. He wound up with 52. And then Morant celebrated the feat with his teammates. And the whole city, too.
Julie Barrett went to her very first game at FedExForum Thursday. But you’d have to travel a long way (1,000 miles, anyway) to find a more devoted Memphis Tigers fan.
There’s just two weeks left until Selection Sunday. Judging by the way the Tigers blasted Wichita State, they don’t appear to be leaving their invitation to chance.
Left in a house without power, Orange Mound residents Jake and Vennie McIntosh — ages 92 and 91 — died together in the recent ice storm.
With time running out in the first half, the Memphis Tigers were in dire straits. Which is when Penny Hardaway did something he rarely does. It was a brilliant stroke. Duren’s career night helps Tigers prevail over scrappy Temple Why Jalen Duren’s emergence as Tigers' best player bodes well for postseason runRelated stories:
‘Don’t lose heart, Memphis fans. The Tigers may have been blown out by SMU, but they can still make the NCAA Tournament. As long as they never play like that again.’
It was a memorable weekend for Ja Morant and the Memphis Grizzlies at the NBA All-Star festivities. And that was before Morant threw down his eye-popping dunk.