Geoff Calkins
Calkins: As Tigers aim for the tournament, DeAndre Williams shows them the way
DeAndre Williams is determined to lead the Tigers through this critical stretch because making the NCAA Tournament never gets old.
Geoff Calkins
Columnist
Geoff Calkins has been chronicling Memphis and Memphis sports for more than two decades. 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.
There are 1103 articles by Geoff Calkins :
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February 2023
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Geoff CalkinsCalkins: Sure, they hear the laughter. But Grizz can still be fine in the West.
Who won the trade deadline? OK, not the Grizzlies. And Ja Morant became the punchline of a viral tweet. But do not be too discouraged, my fellow Memphians. The Grizz will be fine (in the West).
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Geoff CalkinsCalkins: Boos! Hate! Grizzlies end a wild day with a win.
Ja Morant dug in, Dillon Brooks got booed and the Grizzlies fell behind yet again. Which is when head coach Taylor Jenkins urged his team to “embrace the adversity.” It turned out to be winning advice.
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Geoff CalkinsCalkins: Maybe there was no gun. There’s still a lesson for Morant.
Ja Morant would be better off if he asked his friends and family to let him flourish in the spotlight he has earned.
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Memphis Tigers BasketballCalkins: It could have been a great day at FedExForum. It was a crusher, instead.
Memphis fans thronged to FedExForum to celebrate Lorenzen Wright, Larry Finch and the Memphis Tigers. Then the game happened. For reasons that are becoming all too familiar, it did not go well.
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Memphis GrizzliesCalkins: As trade deadline looms, Grizzlies need help
It’s exactly one week until the NBA trade deadline. And the Grizzlies need help!
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January 2023
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Geoff CalkinsCalkins: Along with their city, the Grizzlies grieve
Yes, we made it through the weekend peacefully. But now what? The Grizzlies got a win Sunday, and that’s great. Then they shared that they’re struggling with grief and anger, just like the rest of us.
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Geoff CalkinsCalkins: Why Penny will never meet insane expectations — but is still the perfect guy for the job
Has Penny Hardaway met the lofty expectations he set for himself? No. Can he ever accomplish what he set out to accomplish? Probably not, but is he the man to coach Memphis basketball? Absolutely, he is.
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Memphis Tigers BasketballCalkins: Penny Hardaway gets win 100!* (Just don’t tell the IARP)
Kendric Davis and DeAndre Williams were magnificent in leading the Memphis Tigers to their 100th win under Penny Hardaway. OK, the official record will say this was win No. 99. Either way, it was sweet.
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GolfCalkins: LIV golfers have everything money can buy. Except Memphis.
Remember when it was a struggle to get the best golfers in the world to come to Memphis? Now it requires a federal judge to keep them out of here.
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Memphis Tigers BasketballCalkins: The Tigers give away another. But why?
Kendric Davis scored 42 points against Central Florida Wednesday, which was great. But if the Memphis Tigers had done what they should have done before the game lurched into two overtimes, they’d have something much sweeter: A win.
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Geoff CalkinsCalkins: There will never be another DeAngelo Williams
DeAngelo Williams became the first Memphis football player elected to the College Football Hall of Fame. He’s the best Tiger player in the history of the school. But looking back, you know the stat that really stands out? He stayed at Memphis for four spectacular years.
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Geoff CalkinsCalkins: The lesson of Damar Hamlin, and why it matters here
Where were you when Mike Conley nearly beat the Golden State Warriors with a broken face? When Chris Douglas-Roberts threw down that dunk on Kevin Love? The best moments of sports connect us to the places and people we love, as the Buffalo Bills reminded us this week.
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Geoff CalkinsCalkins: How’d Alex Lomax save the game? He did it the Memphis way.
Memphis was careening toward a bad loss against East Carolina Saturday. What happened? Alex Lomax happened. He stole the ball and saved the day.
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Geoff CalkinsCalkins: Lindenwood minister has a podcast dedicated to ... TCU football?
They say that college football is a religion in the South. Does that mean that ministers are its podcasters? Meet Geoff Mitchell, the senior minister at Lindenwood Christian Church, who also hosts a popular podcast about TCU football.
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Memphis GrizzliesCalkins: Ja Morant got into a fight at a pickup basketball game. Should we even care?
A 22-year-old got into a fight with a 17-year-old at a pickup basketball game. Why does TMZ care? Because the 22-year-old was Ja Morant.
Related story:
DA’s office not pursuing criminal charges in alleged Ja Morant assault
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Geoff Calkins Calkins: Would we be ready if a local high school athlete suffered cardiac arrest?
Houston High student Eden Johnson, 17, is behind a remarkable effort to teach emergency cardiac response that began at Houston but has already reached well beyond that school.
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Geoff CalkinsCalkins: The sad and sweet story of the last greyhound race at Southland
Greyhounds have been racing at Southland since 1956. But Saturday was the last race. The day was a celebration of the end of an era — and for many, the end of a way of life.
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December 2022
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Geoff CalkinsCalkins: Tyler Harris returned to Memphis. And everybody won.
Tyler Harris made one last trip to FedExForum Thursday. He may not have gotten the revenge he wanted — but he and the Memphis Tigers got what they needed from the night.
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Geoff CalkinsCalkins: Farewell, Jarvis! Thanks for more than 43 years of joy.
After more than 43 years, Jarvis Greer will finish his career at WMC-TV this Friday. It may be impossible to match the man’s enthusiasm. But maybe the rest of us should try.
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Memphis Tigers BasketballCalkins: Tigers had a real shot to beat Bama. (They missed.)
The Memphis Tigers have guts, guile and a genuine star in Kendric Davis. Now they just need someone else who can shoot.
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Geoff CalkinsCalkins: Laird Veatch on Tiger football, the Liberty Bowl, and more
Why did Memphis retain Ryan Silverfield? What’s the progress on Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium? Has the university given up on conference realignment? We asked the athletic director these questions and more.
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Geoff CalkinsCalkins: The most important things Laird Veatch said about the future of Memphis sports
The Tigers’ athletic director shared some revealing things about the outlook for Memphis athletics. Here’s what every fan should know.
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Spirit of MemphisCalkins: A ‘legendary’ night for Alex Lomax and Memphis
Alex Lomax called it a “legendary” night. It was, at the very least, emphatic. Exactly 364 days after losing to Ole Miss in chaotic fashion, the Memphis Tigers exacted their revenge, 68-57.
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Spirit of MemphisCalkins: The perfect way to retire No. 59 — with a 59-0 win
“On Danton Barto’s day, the final scoreboard blazed with his number.” It was a fine way to retire the jersey of the all-time great Memphis linebacker, who died in 2021 at age 50.
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