Calkins: Will Grizzlies be a casualty of gun referendum fight?
Fans arrive at FedExForum for Game 4 of an opening-round NBA basketball playoff series between the Memphis Grizzlies and the Oklahoma City Thunder on Saturday, April 26, 2014, in Memphis. Will the future of the NBA team be a casualty of the gun referendum fight? (Mark Humphrey/AP Photo file)
Geoff Calkins
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.
“I have no doubt the Grizzlies will get what they need.”
— Memphis City Council Chairman JB Smiley Jr.
You know the problem with the statement?
It almost feels like a dare.
Maybe Smiley is right.
Maybe Tennessee House Speaker Cameron Sexton and the state legislature will not punish the city for the gun control referendum by withholding funding that is needed to keep the Grizzlies around for the long haul.
Maybe they aren’t that petty and vindictive.
But they might be!
And Smiley publicly declaring that the Grizzlies won’t pay the price doesn’t seem likely to help the cause.
Topics
Memphis Grizzlies gun referendum JB Smiley Cameron Sexton Subscriber Only2025 is almost over. Now is the time to support your trusted local news source.
Will you help us reach more Memphians with quality, in-depth local news? Make a fully tax-deductible donation or other contribution to The Daily Memphian, a 501(c)3 nonprofit news organization, today.
Thank you for keeping up with what’s happening in Memphis. Thank you for investing in our community’s trusted local news source.
Geoff Calkins on demand
Never miss an article. Sign up to receive Geoff Calkins' stories as they’re published.
Enter your e-mail address
Related stories
Does Memphis win the battle but lose the war with gun-control referendum?
The gun referendum has stoked partisan enthusiasm on both sides of the aisle. JB Smiley Jr. and Jerri Green said the council won’t back down. Conservative talk radio has called the body’s moves a “gun grab.”
Memphis gun-control questions can go on the ballot. For now.
Allan Wade, the council’s attorney, successfully argued that the constitutionality of the ballot measure did not matter until the people voted on it.
Conaway: We haven’t done anything about guns, and the Legislature is scared we might
“Can a city stand against laws that disproportionately and negatively affect their entire population, daily threatening their safety, their livelihoods and their very lives?”
Comments
Want to comment on our stories or respond to others? Join the conversation by subscribing now. Only paid subscribers can add their thoughts or upvote/downvote comments. Our commenting policy can be viewed here.