The Early Word: Tigers in triumph, turmoil; trial over Nichols’ death begins
Good morning, Memphis.
It’s Monday, Sept. 9 and the Shelby County Board of Commissioners will have its first meeting presided over by new chair Michael Whaley. On the agenda: Sheriff Floyd Bonner’s $15.5 million funding request to make “emergency” repairs to the Shelby County Jail at 201 Poplar and a potential resolution supporting the Memphis City Council’s lawsuit against the Shelby County Election Commission about a gun-control referendum the council approved for the Nov. 5 ballot.
In even bigger news today, three officers — Demetrius Haley, Justin Smith and Tadarrius Bean — charged in the death of Tyre Nichols are scheduled to begin their federal criminal trial, with jury selection, and we guide you through what to know about it.
Today should have been the 83rd birthday of the late, great Otis Redding, who was born on this day in 1941. So show some respect to the man who actually wrote “Respect” and show some love to Stax’s original “Love Man.”
The University of Memphis football team moved to 2-0 on Saturday with a big win over visiting Troy and is now ranked in the Coaches Poll for the first time in nearly four years. But a lot of the Tiger sports attention is still on drama in the men’s basketball program amid a bundle of oddly timed coaching staff dismissals and anonymous allegations of rule violations. New university athletic director Ed Scott appeared on the radio Friday with our own Geoff Calkins where he asserted that Penny Hardaway will absolutely be the Tigers’ head basketball coach next season, unless something changes. Ok, so that paraphrase is less generous than the one Calkins offers, but things are still a little messy out there. As for Hardaway, he also spoke over the weekend, though didn’t address specifics on either the coaching changes or allegations. But what about football? Tim Buckley writes that the basketball drama has taken some of attention away from a good football story.
Plus: Memphis murder and homicide rates are meaningfully down so far this year, Ja Morant was behind the camera this weekend and we tell you where to start for Memphis art.
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Chris Herrington
Chris Herrington covers the Memphis Grizzlies and writes about Memphis culture, food, and civic life. He lives in the Vollintine-Evergreen neighborhood of Midtown with his wife, two kids, and two dogs.
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