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 1013 articles by Geoff Calkins :
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.
So what if the ESPN crew couldn’t actually pronounce the names of Memphis players Tuesday night? If the Tigers keep playing like this, they’ll be headed to (say it with me, ESPN!) the NCAA Tournament.
The Memphis Tigers ended Houston’s 37-game home winning streak. It was a win they desperately needed. And that everyone connected with the program — coaches, players and fans — richly deserved.
Why should Memphis fans believe the Tigers can win two of their next three games against Houston, Cincinnati and SMU? Well, they have Jalen Duren for starters. Ask Tulane how hard it is to stop that guy.
With Zach Randolph watching, the Grizzlies completed a season-sweep of the hated Clippers. “Can’t wait for the playoffs,” Randolph said. And we know how he feels.
The University of Memphis basketball team smashed Central Florida Saturday. Landers Nolley II called it a “party at the crib.” But the best part of this gathering? Everybody came.
Jackson State wronged the Southern Heritage Classic when it backed out of its contractual commitment to play in 2022. But if you think that’s the end of the classic, you don’t know Fred Jones.
Emoni Bates has left Memphis for Michigan under mysterious circumstances. What’s going on? Will he ever be back? What the Bates saga tells us about a season gone badly awry.
Ja Morant celebrated his new All-Star status in the only way he knew how. He put together a 30-point triple-double as the Grizzlies beat Mike Conley and the Utah Jazz.
When Ja Morant was selected to the NBA All-Star Game Thursday, it felt like all of Memphis was celebrating along with him. There’s a very good reason for that.
The Memphis Tigers ended a tumultuous week by beating Tulsa. It was a win the Tigers desperately needed — and richly deserved.
There’s a reason Penny Hardaway still has a good chance to become a successful coach at Memphis. That reason is love.