Armored combat: Where mettle meets metal
Wearing medieval warrior gear and wielding longswords, members of Memphis Armored Fight Club thrash and clash with panache.
Buckley: The Tigers aren’t in the AP Top 25. Come Monday, they should be.
Victories this week against Michigan and No. 20 Arkansas could vault Memphis into the Associated Press basketball poll. If, that is, voters can overlook an ugly loss to Villanova.
Strickland talks pandemic, reviews two terms as mayor
In the second part of his end-of-term interview on “Behind The Headlines,” Mayor Jim Strickland also talked about the upcoming transition to Mayor-elect Paul Young and why he is fond of asphalt.
Love it, Like it or Hate it: Reviewing Memphis’ blowout loss to Villanova
“We needed something like this,” said Memphis guard Jahvon Quinerly, who called the Tigers’ 16-point loss in the Battle 4 Atlantis final a wake-up call.
Martin: A bitter end, but this was a successful week for the Tigers
“Even though the last day of the trip to Nassau was a real bummer, this week was a net success for Penny Hardaway and his program.”
Memphis falls to Villanova in lopsided Battle 4 Atlantis final
The Tigers were amped up, but less than 15 minutes into the game it was apparent coach Penny Hardaway’s team would not be heading back to the 901 with any sort of hardware. Love it, Like it or Hate it: Reviewing Memphis’ blowout loss to VillanovaRelated stories:
Memphis Food Files: Another Whataburger
Memphis will get an eighth location of the popular fast-food chain. Plus, Margarita’s is coming to Lakeland Commons, and Marco’s Pizza is also planning an Arlington site.
Buckley: Offense can’t always carry the Tigers. What must change on defense?
Memphis allowed 3-9 Temple 465 yards and some really big plays, but the Tigers still have a chance for a 10-win season.
Houston blanks Brentwood to advance to first BlueCross Bowl
The Houston High Mustangs advanced to their first BlueCross Bowl Class 6A state title game after Friday’s win in Brentwood, Tennessee. But Southwind and Fairley fell in their respective semifinal games.
Grizzlies now 0-7 at home after losing to Suns
After falling to 3-12 with their loss to the Suns, the Grizzlies’ hope of keeping their three-year postseason streak alive may be in grave danger by Thanksgiving weekend.Related story:
Groovy Gratitude juice-and-smoothie bar set for Uptown
The bar at 605 N. Second St. will also serve smoothie bowls, freshly pressed juices, salads and wraps, as well as offering a grab-and-go section.
An insider’s look at Raised By Sound Fest
WYXR’s Raised By Sound Fest — a festival and fundraiser combining free shows and a ticketed show and after party — is Dec. 2 from 1 p.m. to 11 p.m. at Crosstown.
Sound Bites: Thanksgiving food hot takes
In this Sound Bites, Chris Herrington and Holly Whitfield break down the epic battles that happen on the Thanksgiving table. Is turkey actually good? Do we like dressing or stuffing? Canned cranberry sauce or fresh?
Metro
New U of M institute knows the importance of flower power
The university’s new unit, headed by a global expert in sunflowers, focuses on how to boost agriculture specifically in the Mississippi Delta.
Spirit of Memphis On Christmas Day, everybody eats at Brother Juniper’s
Business
Memphis wrap star, former St. Jude patient meet on reality show
After filming on “The Ultimate Gift Wrapping Challenge” wrapped in Pennsylvania, Vanessa West and Adrienne Myers met again — this time back home in Memphis over lunch at La Baguette.
Transportation & Logistics American Airlines briefly grounded flights on Christmas Eve
Sports
Net gains: Santi Aldama’s play once was ‘trash.’ Now the Grizzlies love it.
With inspiration from a book about tennis, sports psychology and more, Memphis Grizzlies forward Santi Aldama’s game has taken a huge step forward.
Premium Memphis Grizzlies Herrington: No Grizzlies for Christmas? The NBA’s loss.
Food
Table Talk: Holiday traditions, with food and family at the table
The holidays are about gathering with friends and family, with good meals as a centerpiece.
Suburbs
Public documents on Harvest plane crash released, final report imminent
Hundreds of pages of investigative reports on the 2023 plane crash that killed four members of Harvest Church in Germantown are now public, including official interviews, expert accounts on the aircraft and wreckage and more.
Arts & Culture
Memphis Movies This Week: ‘A Complete Unknown,’ ‘Babygirl,’ more
A quartet of very different, but quite notable, new movies open in Memphis on Christmas Day.
Opinion
Opinion: A call for solutions and community empowerment
“While I agree that our police department can and should improve, the real question for me is this: Will a Federal Government consent decree yield the true results our community is seeking — will it make Memphis better?”
Podcasts
Memphis mayor plans task force to address police reform
Paul Young offered more detail in a Behind The Headlines interview on what’s next for MPD after a scathing federal report into the department’s policies and practices.