Spectator Sports

Auto Racing -- At the multi-track Memphis Motorsports Park, 5500 Victory Lane, Millington (tel. 866/407-7333 or 901/358-7223; www.memphismotorsportspark.com), there is everything from drag racing to NASCAR series action. The season runs from early spring to autumn. Call for ticket and schedule information.

Baseball -- The Memphis Redbirds Baseball Club, 175 Toyota Plaza, Suite 300 (tel. 901/721-6050; www.memphisredbirds.com), a Triple-A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals, plays at AutoZone Park, located 2 blocks east of The Peabody Memphis hotel on Union Avenue.

Basketball -- The Memphis Grizzlies (tel. 901/205-1234; www.nba.com/grizzlies) are the city's first NBA team, having relocated from Vancouver, British Columbia, in 2001. Since 2004, they have played at their new downtown arena, the FedEx Forum.

The University of Memphis Tigers (tel. 888/867-UOFM or 901/678-2331; www.gotigersgo.com) regularly pack in crowds of 20,000 or more people when they play the FedEx Forum. The Tigers often put up a good showing against nationally ranked NCAA teams, which makes for some exciting basketball. Call for ticket and schedule information.

Football -- The Liberty Bowl Football Classic (tel. 901/729-4344) is the biggest football event of the year in Memphis and pits two of the country's top college teams in a December postseason game. As with other postseason college bowl games, the Liberty Bowl is extremely popular and tickets go fast. This game is held at the Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium (www.libertybowl.org) on the Mid-South Fairgrounds at the corner of East Parkway South and Central Avenue.

Golf Tournaments -- The Standford St. Jude Golf Classic (tel. 901/748-0534), a PGA charity tournament, is held each year in late spring at the Tournament Players Club at Southwind.

Greyhound Racing -- Across the river in Arkansas, greyhounds race at the Southland Greyhound Park, 1550 N. Ingram Blvd., West Memphis, Arkansas (tel. 800/467-6182 or 870/735-3670). Matinee post time is at 1pm; evening races start at 7:30pm.

Horse Shows -- Horse shows are popular in Memphis, and the biggest of the year is the Germantown Charity Horse Show (tel. 901/754-0009; www.gchs.org), held each June at the Germantown Horse Show Arena, which is just off Poplar Pike at Melanie Smith Lane in Germantown.

Tennis -- The Regions Morgan Keegan Championships (tel. 901/765-4401 or 901/685-ACES), a part of the ATP Tour, is held each year in February at the Racquet Club of Memphis. Call for ticket and schedule information.