Geoff Calkins
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 :
-
September 2020
-
Geoff Calkins Nearly every weekend, Laura Elliott picks up a collection of rescue dogs that can’t find a home in Memphis and drives them to Illinois, where there are families waiting to adopt. -
Geoff Calkins Calkins: How a sophomore basketball player at BTW wound up dead at a Kroger gas station
A year ago, Cameron Pryor was on a winning team. On Monday, he was killed trying to carjack an SUV. His shooting may have been ruled justified, but the path that took him to that Kroger was a civic tragedy.
-
Premium
Geoff CalkinsCalkins: Elegy for TOM III, the last real Memphis Tiger
The University of Memphis said the tradition of having a live tiger at games “has come to an end.” It seems like the right decision, but it’s still a sad moment for Memphians.
-
Opinion
Geoff CalkinsCalkins: Shelby County athletes have every right to be ticked
Shelby County athletes are right to ask why everyone else can play sports when they cannot. The honest answer to that question reflects badly on us all.
-
Premium
Geoff CalkinsCalkins: When is a party bus not a party bus? And was Ryan Silverfield right to handle this the way he did?
In a blistering statement to the media Monday, the Memphis Tigers coach denied that his players were on such a bus. His anger was understandable. His response was worrisome.
-
Geoff Calkins Calkins: Could pandemic last another year? A handbook for how to cope
Dr. Anthony Fauci said that it may be late 2021 before life begins to feel normal again. So how to we persevere? Here is the wisdom of three people: Kirk Whalum, a character called “TrashMan” and my 95-year-old mom.
-
Premium
Geoff CalkinsCalkins: Shocking news! Memphis and Lausanne show it’s hard to play football during a pandemic!
Two local football programs were put on hold Friday because of COVID-19. But don’t blame the players. Blame us.
-
Geoff Calkins Calkins: Memphis AD hopes for more fans at games later in year
Here's what athletic director Laird Veatch said of the season opener at the Liberty Bowl and what might get tweaked.
-
Premium
Geoff CalkinsCalkins: On a sweet, surreal night at the Liberty Bowl, Memphis opens its pandemic season with a win
The band was masked, the stadium was nearly empty of fans. But the Tigers won a football game at the Liberty Bowl Saturday night. For now, that will have to do.
-
Premium
Geoff CalkinsCalkins: Ja Morant has a message for the low-down coward who didn’t vote for him as Rookie of the Year
One misguided voter kept Ja Morant from being a unanimous selection as Rookie of the Year. Morant has something he wants to say to that guy.
-
Premium
Geoff CalkinsCalkins: Yes, the Memphis band will be playing at Saturday’s game — right through their masks
How can the Mighty Sound of the South be heard during a pandemic? With creativity, determination and spit containers.
-
-
August 2020
-
Premium
Geoff CalkinsCalkins: After an offseason unlike any other, Ryan Silverfield is still living the dream
And there to witness the triumph of reaching game day will be his parents.
-
Premium
Geoff CalkinsCalkins: 2020 just keeps disappointing, as Kenny Gainwell leaves the Memphis football team
Memphis running back Kenny Gainwell decided to opt out of the season six days before the opening game. It's yet another disappointment in a relentlessly disappointing year.
-
Premium
Geoff CalkinsCalkins: Collierville High suspends football games — but this isn’t about Collierville
Two individuals "specific to" the football team have tested positive for COVID-19. But the story is less about this school than the unnecessary risks inherent to high school football.
-
Geoff Calkins Calkins: Leave the TSSAA? Over James Wiseman? Shelby County Schools can’t be serious
Dr. Joris Ray should get credit for his cautious approach to reopening schools and athletics. But his recent threat to take Shelby County Schools out of the TSSAA seems to be driven by old grievances.
-
Geoff Calkins Calkins: What’s so secret about a high school football game? At Collierville High, apparently, everything
By banning media from a high school football game, Collierville High School taught their students a valuable lesson in leadership. The lesson: Don't be as small and as shortsighted as this.
Related story: Collierville checks temps at no-media football game
-
Geoff Calkins Calkins: Le Bonheur cardiologist says concern about heart damage ‘not a reason to cancel sports’
Should parents be worried about their kids who play sports? Dr. Jason Johnson, of Le Bonheur Children's Hospital, tells us what we need to know.
-
Premium
Memphis GrizzliesCalkins: Grizzlies don’t need a lottery miracle — they already got Ja Morant
Elliot Perry will be representing the team in the draft again, just like he did last year. But there's no anxiety this time around.
-
Premium
Geoff CalkinsCalkins: For Ja Morant and the Grizzlies, this is what makes the future magnificent
The season ended with a loss to the Portland Trail Blazers Saturday. But the rookie showed the country why this will be remembered as one of the most important seasons in the history of the franchise.
-
Premium
Memphis GrizzliesCalkins: Grizzlies give a feel-good season the feel-good ending it deserves
Memphis' triumph against the Bucks gave them a spot in the playoff play-in series against the Trail Blazers. It was the ending this unlikely regular season deserved.
-
Geoff Calkins Calkins: The surprising truth about dropping your freshman at college in the age of COVID-19
I dropped off my youngest kid at college this week. The pandemic has changed everything about that experience. Except the stuff that matters most.
-
Premium
Geoff CalkinsCalkins: There’s one last thing for the Grizzlies to do at Disney
After losing to the Boston Celtics, the Grizzlies' trip to Disney appears to be nearing the end. But one more great ride remains.
-
Premium
Geoff CalkinsCalkins: Memphis football is asking for your help
The campaign with season ticket holders is #KeepMemphisRoaring. The hope is that they will.
-
Premium
Geoff CalkinsCalkins: Grizzlies trip to the bubble is just so 2020
No, this isn't what the Grizzlies expected. There have been setbacks in Orlando they didn't foresee. But this year of all years, maybe y'all know how that feels.
-
Sports Calkins: Good news, Grizzlies fans — Ja Morant may be ticked
After losing to the New Orleans Pelicans Monday night, the Grizzlies are now 0-3 in the bubble. But if you're looking for good news, that chip on Ja Morant's shoulder may be getting bigger, still.
-