Geoff Calkins
Calkins: Why Emoni Bates and Landers Nolley could be ‘crazy’ fun
Emoni Bates and Landers Nolley II looked sensational as they made their season debuts. This ‘crazy duo’ could be the key to the year for Memphis basketball.
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 983 articles by Geoff Calkins :
Emoni Bates and Landers Nolley II looked sensational as they made their season debuts. This ‘crazy duo’ could be the key to the year for Memphis basketball.
Saturday’s upset win over No. 23 SMU may not have been the biggest win of Ryan Silverfield’s tenure at Memphis. But never has the coach needed a win more.
Josie Fellers and Chloe Wells are teammates on Memphis Pom who share a hometown, a birthday — and a fierce determination to not let cancer ruin their dreams.
It was almost exactly 20 years ago that the Grizzlies played their first home game in Memphis. So as fans stream back into FedExForum for Wednesday’s opener, happy anniversary to us!
An updated column marking the momentous occasion. Related story The day Memphis football defeated Tennessee, as told by those who lived it
The ball went up. A new season started. And within five minutes, the Memphis Tigers had unleashed the kind of overwhelming talent that could make this a very special year.Related story:
Memphis fans have high hopes this Tigers team will make history. The T-shirts already have.
Was Ryan Silverfield wrong to go for the two-point conversion Saturday? Maybe. But that’s not what Tigers football fans should be concerned about.
The Grizzlies put an emphatic end to their losing streak by routing the Rockets Monday. It may or may not mean the Grizzlies are back on track. But it was a happy birthday for Ja Morant’s dad!
Tyler Harris may have taken his shooting stroke to Iowa State — but he left his heart in Memphis. Now both are back where they belong.
After beating Virginia Tech, Memphis is 5-0 for the first time in more than a decade. But it wasn’t the kids who carried them in this one. It was the dogs.
The Memphis Tigers and Memphis Grizzlies lost two games and a superstar Friday night. But this particular Black Friday could have been a whole lot worse.
The Memphis Tigers didn’t have the season they wanted. But Saturday night they got the win they needed to keep their eight-year bowl streak alive.
It’s a strange time for fans of Memphis football and basketball. For both programs, there are excellent reasons to believe — and excellent reasons to doubt.
Penny Hardaway is trying to fix what ails his team by installing the Lion offense. Hey, it seemed to work last year. But was it really the new offense that helped the Tigers get better in 2020-21? The numbers point to something else.
Penny Hardaway eviscerated his players after a crushing loss to Georgia. But isn’t he as much to blame?
Penny Hardaway blames a schism in the locker room for the Tigers’ third straight loss. But is that the result of how he is coaching the team?
When Minnie Miñoso was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame on Sunday, nobody was happier than Rep. Steve Cohen. A story of baseball, kindness — and an extraordinary life.
After three straight demoralizing losses, Penny Hardaway and the Memphis Tigers must beat Murray State.Related story:
Penny Hardaway said Memphis lost to Murray State because of “bad coaching.” But there is no evidence he intends to fix it.
The Grizzlies staged a number retirement ceremony unlike any other. It was both raucous and joyous. It was as Memphis as Zach.
When Tyler Harris hit a 3-pointer to put the Memphis Tigers up by 19 on No. 6 Alabama, FedExForum erupted in air-shaking joy. It was a win that saved a season. And felt just like old times.
The Memphis-Tennessee series ended in dismal fashion when Saturday’s game at Bridgestone Arena was canceled because of COVID-19. It’s an ending nobody wanted. But that won’t stop fans from both sides from arguing about it until the end of time.
‘The Memphis-Tennessee game was canceled because too many Tigers players were unvaccinated. That’s an indictment of Penny Hardaway’s leadership.’ Tyler Harris, Landers Nolley tested positive, leading to Tigers’ cancellationRelated articles:
The Grizzlies may be closing in on an agreement with the city and county that would dramatically reduce the chance the team relocates under the “early termination” clause of the arena lease.