A Fan's Notes, Memphis Flyer

Jimmy Connors Was a Memphis Favorite

John Branston — Wed, 15 May 2013 14:55:00 -0500

Jimmy Connors was grit and grind before grit and grind was cool in Memphis.

"For me there is only one way to play tennis," Connors says in his new memoir "The Outsider."…

Get College Basketball Out of Football Stadiums

John Branston — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 10:02:00 -0500

Talk about taking the crowd out of the game.

Did you see the empty seats at those NCAA Regional games over the weekend?…

New Entry on The Sports "Amazing Meter"

John Branston — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 08:20:46 -0600

If you have ever played or watched racquet sports, this clip is worth 30 seconds of your time, even if it comes from the obscure sport of squash which, unlike wildly popular rhythmic gymnastics, is not in the Olympics. I include it on this blog only because I saw it with my own eyes from about ten feet away.…

Tennis Pros Shortchanged Memphis Fans

John Branston — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 11:02:15 -0600

There is no denying it. Memphis tennis fans were shortchanged last week by the ATP pros who bailed out with questionable injuries, and the tournament at the Racquet Club is in trouble due to high costs and fading interest.…

No-Shows and Early Exits Plague U.S. National Indoor Tennis Championships

John Branston — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 16:07:31 -0600

It's gotten predictable year after year: The players will hit harder, the serves will be faster, and several big names in the program either won't show up or will make an early exit, pleading injury.

John Isner, Tommy Haas, Mardy Fish, and Fernando Verdasco are among the missing this weekend.…