Behind the counter at the Horseshoe Casino’s sportsbook in Tunica, employees wearing black-and-white striped shirts are taking wagers. The ghost of disgraced NBA referee Tim Donaghy apparently is not even a memory, bad karma having been cast out on these winds of change.

Truck racing. Mixed martial arts. College lacrosse. Rodeo. College hockey. Bull riding. And pro bowling.

The first FedEx St. Jude Invitational, a World Golf Championships event, is still almost 10 months away. But at TPC Southwind near the tournament office, a backhoe stands on a hill ready to be put to work.

The final dance contestant was Yuta Watanabe.

Memphis fell to the Tulane Green Wave 40-24 Friday night in a game where the Tigers were favored by two touchdowns. Head coach Mike Norvell said the performance didn’t look like the product he has gotten used to the Tigers putting on the football field. 

CBHS got a much tougher game from Briarcrest this season. But the end result was just the same.

The Kickoff: The Memphis Tigers offense completely lacked any spark Friday night, Sept. 28, in a 40-24 loss to the Tulane Green Wave in New Orleans. 

Three-star inside linebacker Ja’Len Sims committed to Memphis on Friday afternoon, Sept. 28 – the second Tigers commitment in a week. 

When shooting guard Ryan Boyce asked out of his signed National Letter of Intent to UAB he was 100 percent sure he was making the right move by decommitting from the Blazers.

John Gibbons knew he would not be returning to Toronto as the Blue Jays manager and it didn’t take long for him to go to work on endorsing a successor.

Editor’s Note: This is the second of a five-part series previewing the Grizzlies roster.

It took a ferocious second-half comeback for Freedom Prep to remain the only unbeaten team in Region 8-1A.

Let’s see if we have the list.

Last week: 1

Memphis point guard Jeremiah Martin stepped onto the floor over the summer and immediately knew the talent Penny Hardaway put together plus what was returning would be better than the Tigers projected No. 8 finish in the American Athletic Conference. 

Marc Gasol in the kitchen. Mike Conley making Christmas mischief. Jaren Jackson Jr. in motion. A title around your waist.

The Memphis Tigers’ defensive line has shown improvement so far this season with defensive end Joseph Dorceus and defensive tackle O’Bryan Goodson leading the way. The group had an inconsistent performance in the 52-35 win over the South Alabama Jaguars last week and are looking to bounce back Friday against Tulane.

Here are this week's high school football statistical leaders. For corrections and omissions, please e-mail jvarlas@dailymemphian.com.

The effectiveness of run-blocking by the Memphis tight ends has played a significant role in the Tigers new-found running game, providing a more balanced offensive attack this season.

The best moment of your rookie season and the worst? This is the question before the Grizzlies’ Dillon Brooks and he goes straight to his personal tire fire.

Here's the Daily Memphian high school honor roll, which salutes the top fall sport performers for the past week.

Here is the Memphis-area high school football schedule for Week 7. All games are at 7 p.m. unless noted.

Brady Bramlett has already accomplished some terrific things in his 25 years on this planet. 

Editor's Note: This is the first in a series of five Grizzlies roster previews. Other stories will appear in the coming days.

When the University of Memphis plays at Tulane Friday night, the Tigers will face a team with a 1-3 record coming off a 49-6 drubbing by Ohio State. And that lone victory? Over Southland Conference member Nicholls.