Category: Articles
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MikeCheck: Josh Jackson’s path to Grizzlies role will start on assignment with G League’s Memphis Hustle
MEMPHIS – Former NBA lottery pick Josh Jackson’s fresh start in Memphis this season will require earning that opportunity through a stint with the Grizzlies’ G League affiliate, team sources confirmed. Jackson’s representatives and the Grizzlies have mutually agreed to allow the forward to restore his reputation on and off the court through an undisclosed…
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MikeCheck: Picked in preseason to finish last, Arkansas-Pine Bluff now poised to turn SWAC upside down
MEMPHIS – In no way does Cedric Thomas hide from the fact that his program was on the wrong side of college football history this time a year ago. Actually, Thomas embraces it as a necessary part of the University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff’s journey to get here. But back then, barely a month into his…
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Lang’s World: Tennessee is in a bad place, but it’s not time to panic. Yet.
On Saturday morning, I had the rare luxury of having a few hours to myself. My wife was otherwise occupied, and with my son having an early afternoon soccer kickoff, I had the opportunity to do what I wanted, for a change. Shouts to Lil Uzi Vert. So I hopped in the car and hit…
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MikeCheck: Rookie Clarke packs outside-the-box mentality and skillset for Grizzlies’ training camp
After a breakout summer spent putting action behind those draft night words, Clarke will embark on his first NBA training camp on Oct. 1 as arguably the most intriguing player on the Grizzlies’ roster. That’s a lofty projection considering Memphis also drafted dynamic point guard Ja Morant with the No. 2 pick in June’s and…
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MikeCheck: Ten years after Steve McNair’s death, unbreakable brotherly bond brought Alcorn State coach back as Titans retire No. 9 jersey
NASHVILLE – When Fred McNair first learned the Tennessee Titans would be posthumously retiring his younger brother’s No. 9 jersey, he quickly searched for a calendar. The potential conflict lunged off the page like a blitzing linebacker. As head football coach at Alcorn State, Fred McNair’s Braves faced a road game at McNeese State in Louisiana…
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Lang’s World: The Atlanta Falcons may not be perfect, but at least they’re mine
Despite the Falcons playing lights out defense for most of the game against Philly, folding just seems to be what we do best. We can complete, we can make some big plays, we can even win big games from time to time, but time and again, we haven’t been able to seal the deal when…
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MikeCheck: As first training camp looms, Jenkins eager to guide young Grizzlies into bright future
Spend 10 minutes with Taylor Jenkins, and it is easy to come away with multiple vibes. Sensing a man in the midst of an identity crisis is absolutely not among them. Set to open his first training camp as an NBA head coach with the Memphis Grizzlies at the end of the month, Jenkins knows…
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MikeCheck: Southern Heritage Classic a boon for Memphis, an early ‘bowl game’ for Tennessee State-Jackson State rivalry
Welcome to the 30th annual Southern Heritage Classic, where even a relatively pivotal, season-defining football game between two major HBCU programs takes a backseat to a slate of concerts, pageants, community service initiatives, band performances and more that will rock Memphis this weekend.
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Lang’s World: The SEC All-Name Team
What’s in a name? Perhaps we should ask former Auburn running back Chandler Shakespeare, who shared a surname with the Bard, himself. Because when you really think about, there’s a lot in a name. So in the spirit of players from Barkevious Mingo to Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, I combed through all of the SEC rosters…
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MikeCheck: As Grizz teammates advance in FIBA World Cup, Watanabe and Japan build for 2020
MEMPHIS – For a moment, the score didn’t matter. Yuta Watanabe only wanted his teammates on the court for Japan to focus on the vast experience, the global exposure and the growing expectations that lay ahead. Still, the magnitude of the moment wasn’t lost on Watanabe when that capacity crowd in Shanghai roared every time…