El Paso Is Winning Memphis Columnist Over During C-USA Tourney
There were some members of the visiting media that didn’t feel that this week’s Conference USA Tournament should be held El Paso, including one columnist from Memphis.
Last May, after El Paso won the right to host the tourney, Memphis Commercial Appeal columnist Geoff Calkins wrote some stinging things about El Paso.
“It’s a ridiculous place to put a tournament,” Calkins told ABC-7. “It’s very convenient, I’m sure, if you have a mars land rover. I’m looking forward to my breakfast burrito!”
Calkins arrived in town earlier this week to cover Memphis, which won its quarterfinal game Thursday against Southern Miss 66-63. And ABC-7 got a chance to show him around, pointing out to him that although Memphis has quite a basketball tradition, so does El Paso and the Miners.
“It’s great to be here!” Calkins said Thursday.
Calkins, who wrote that Pluto was closer than El Paso, was still pretty sarcastic about how far he had to come.
“I’m exhausted from the trip, of course, because it’s thousands and thousands of miles away,” he said. “With the three different stops and the wagon train and everything else, it was very hard getting here but now that i’m here, who knows, i may just move here.”
Calkins has already got the chance to enjoy some of our great mexican food.
“I went to the L and J caf and honestly, I nearly moved there,” Calkins said. “I got steak tacos of some sort and I got the green enchiladas.”
Calkins also had great things to say about the people of El Paso and the tournament set-up.
“That’s a place where I think you all have Memphis beat in your willingness to be gracious to do it right and to prove it wasn’t an accident to put it here,” he said.
Calkins said he’s done beating up El Paso and joked that he just hopes he can get out of town alive.
“Hello to the good people of El Paso and I’m traveling with a mustache and false glasses generally,” Calkins joked. “I only got rid of my disguise for this interview so don’t come looking for me.”
