The Early Word: Memphis is having a sports moment, and Arrow calls it quits
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Also today, the Memphis City Council will vote on funding for a new Memphis Police Department Downtown Command Center. And the Memphis Grizzlies, fresh off six straight wins, will play the Dallas Mavericks.
For the first time since late January of last season, the Memphis Tigers men’s basketball team is ranked in the Associated Press Top 25 poll. That came after an impressive showing at the Maui Invitational, where the Tigers beat UConn and Michigan State. Coach Penny Hardaway said part of the team’s recent success can be attributed to some growing up that he had to do after last season’s team fell apart. While we’re on rankings, the football team is also ranked in their Associated Press Top 25 — for the first time since 2020.
Fun fact: It’s the first time since 2019 that both the Tigers basketball and football teams have been ranked at the same time. And the Grizzlies’ six-game winning streak is the cherry on top. Our own Geoff Calkins reminds us to stop and “smell the victories.”
Arts nonprofit Arrow Creative will close its Cooper-Young storefront and artist studios after its Holiday Bazaar market closes on Dec. 22. And the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art will absorb its adult art classes, summer camp and retail offerings. Arrow co-founder Abby Phillips said in an email Monday that the organization has faced “many unexpected obstacles” and that “moving Arrow forward in a different direction is best for the artists we serve and the artistic community in Memphis.”
Plus, Memphis-Shelby County Schools is bringing virtual teachers back, the city may sue Hyundai and Germantown is looking for a new school board member.
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Bianca Phillips
Bianca Phillips is a Northeast Arkansas native and longtime Memphian who’s worked in local journalism and PR for more than 20 years. She’s a diehard morning person who spends her free time running marathons and ultras. She’s the author of “Cookin Crunk: Eatin’ Vegan in the Dirty South.”
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