There are 14 article(s) tagged Ask the Memphian:

• September 2025

  • Ask the Memphian: Why are my lights off but my neighbor’s are on?

    To understand why the lights may be on on one side of a street but not on the other is to gain a window into the intricate, man-made spiderweb that is MLGW’s distribution system. 

    By Samuel Hardiman 20 hours ago

  • Ask the Memphian: Why are there so many Steelers fans in Memphis?

    When the Tennessee Oilers — expected to play in Memphis for two years before relocating to Nashville — held their final home game of the 1997 NFL season, it didn’t feel like much of a home game. Most of the 50,000 fans in attendance were rooting for Pittsburgh. 

    By Frank Bonner II September 08, 2025

• August 2025

  • Ask the Memphian: Where did all those tiger statues come from?

    Done in 2012 as a means to raise funds and awareness of the University of Memphis Alumni Association, the 100 fancifully painted tiger statues spread around the city have become part of our everyday lives.

    By Jody Callahan August 25, 2025

  • Ask the Memphian: Did The Beatles’ show in Memphis lead them to stop touring?

    The Beatles stopped in Memphis during their August 1966 tour amid a backdrop of protest. The supergroup never toured again, and Memphis could have been a factor in the decision.

    By Clay Bailey August 19, 2025

  • Ask the Memphian: Your questions answered

    The Daily Memphian’s “Ask the Memphian” series launched in March 2025 to try to uncover the stories behind some of the city’s myths, legends and downright weirdness.

    By The Daily Memphian Staff August 04, 2025

• May 2025

  • Ask the Memphian: Why is the Memphis NBA team named the Grizzlies? (There’s more to it than you think.)

    You know the Memphis NBA team is named the Grizzlies because they moved from Vancouver. But why did the Vancouver team have that name? 

    By Geoff Calkins May 21, 2025

• April 2025

  • Ask the Memphian: What is that metal menagerie in Downtown Memphis?

    Lions, a tiger and bears, oh my, play into this week’s Ask the Memphian. Because we’re not just horsing around.

    By Jody Callahan April 14, 2025

  • Ask the Memphian: What is pollen, and why is there so much of it here?

    In the latest installment of Ask the Memphian, we take a look at why this city is so bad for allergy sufferers.

    By Jody Callahan April 08, 2025

  • Ask the Memphian: No, the bluffs do not protect us from tornadoes

    The belief that the bluffs in Downtown Memphis somehow protect the city from tornadoes “is not a real thing,” experts say.

    By Jody Callahan April 08, 2025

  • Ask the Memphian: Where’s Tennessee’s western boundary? In Arkansas

    In an odd quirk of geography and politics, parts of West Tennessee are across the Mississippi River in Arkansas, a situation that creates difficult situations for people on both sides.

    By Jody Callahan April 08, 2025

  • The Early Word: Why Midtown is anti-Memphis 3.0; plus, a pollen primer

    The flood waters have parted, pedestrian deaths are on the rise and xAI wants to go nuclear. 

    By Bianca Phillips April 08, 2025

  • Ask the Memphian: Why are there buffalo, er, bison at Shelby Farms?

    For more than 35 years, buffalo have been a part of Shelby Farms. In the latest installment of “Ask the Memphian,” we take a look at their past and future as symbols of the park.

    By Jody Callahan April 02, 2025

• March 2025

  • Ask the Memphian: Yes, Memphis, your city does actually recycle

    Despite what many Memphians believe, the city does in fact recycle. But better efforts from Memphians could help successful recycling, officials said.

    By Jody Callahan March 20, 2025

  • Ask the Memphian: Why did Memphis build a monorail?

    The Mud Island monorail was thought to be a sleek and futuristic attraction when it was first considered and opened in 1982, but it proved to be trouble for those responsible for its maintenance.

    By Jody Callahan March 14, 2025