This mailbag is full of questions on trades that have and haven’t happened and how exactly the Memphis Grizzlies are positioned entering the offseason.

“The person that invites me to a posture of praise is likely not the same person that brings other people to that place, which is why writers and musicians and artists and creators need to keep doing their thing.”

“People struggled, marched, bled and died so Black people could exercise the right to vote. They did not die for us to have the right to vote Democrat. They died for us to have the right to choose.”

“Opposing such blatant gerrymandering isn’t a Republican or Democratic issue. It’s a democracy issue.”

“Ireland being honored in Memphis as part of Memphis in May looks like the usual cultural exchange on the surface. But beneath that is something more interesting: two vastly different places that recognize structure in each other.”

At the age of 60, Joe Ford started pole vaulting. And started passing his wisdom along. He’s now retiring as a volunteer coach at the age of 75. But you can bet he’ll still be around. 

“To hear many Tennessee Democrats tell it, partisan redistricting is some unprecedented assault on democracy itself — a historic political crisis unlike anything the state has ever experienced.”

Back in 2010, John Isner and Sam Querrey met each other in a memorable ATP final at The Racquet Club. On July 25, they’ll be back in Memphis for an exhibition to help celebrate the return of professional tennis to the city. 

Memphis coach Charles Huff said Memphis plans to join a Power 4 conference in 2028. Was it a guarantee? Not exactly. “I think you’ve got to speak things into existence,” he said. 

Brittnye Ostrom-Robinson — a former dancer for the Memphis Grizzlies and U of M Pom — is stuck in the hospital with a difficult diagnosis. So how did friends and family lift her spirits? With a dancing flash mob, of course. 

Who looked good at the Draft Combine and who could be pulling out of the draft? Who’s moving on in the playoffs and what former Grizzlies have bowed out?

“Memphis has never been defined by the people who pass through it or pass judgment on it.”

“There is room for disagreement on just and unjust wars, but framing the Iran war as a ‘modern crusade’ with divine sanction is a betrayal of both Jesus’ peaceful teachings and the ultimate aim of the Torah itself: shalom, peace in the world, elusive though it may be.”

After a disastrous 2025-26 season, Penny Hardaway has to lead the Tigers back to the NCAA Tournament. Has he put together a roster that’s capable of doing that? Let’s take a look.

“The speed and confidence with which the legislature acted on redistricting does not guarantee the map’s durability. This time, state courts – not federal courts – may have the final word.”

“I remember us being chased by the Klan in Moscow, Tennessee,” Dekater Horton said, “because you are driving in a car with a white woman. It was in the middle of the day. We got on a dirt road, and they couldn’t catch us. It was normal, honestly.”

“If Memphis cuts ties with the state, where does anyone think we’re going? I can assure you Mississippi doesn’t want a Democratic stronghold on its northern border.”

“Studying history yields a dividend: It brings us to a clearer understanding of who we are, what we believe, and what we do when the promise of our national creed does not measure up to the reality of our lives.”

There is a single spot in Memphis where you can stand in all three congressional districts. It’s an absurdity, yes. And a cause for rage.

“The musicians among us will be familiar with the concept of ‘tonic chord.’ It’s that set of notes in a musical score that leaves the ear — and therefore the mind and even the body — feeling settled, complete, finished, at rest.”

“I don’t need to sing. I don’t need to dance. I don’t need to be the best writer. In short, I don’t need to chase who and what I’m not; it’s enough to be thankful for what I am and work to be the best I’m capable of being.”

A 2025 study by the Richmond Federal Reserve Bank found that BNPL borrowers are typically female, younger, renters, and less educated; but, surprisingly, have higher household incomes.

They’re a married couple — and two of the very best students graduating from the University of Memphis Saturday. But the best part of their story is the way they’ve embraced the city they now call home.

It will not shock you to read that the Memphis Grizzlies have not historically had great luck in the NBA Draft Lottery.

“What we gain instead is something far more valuable: purpose, friendships and the knowledge that we are making a difference.”