By Ron Wynn Though it was one of her worse defeats ever in a final, in many ways Serena Williams was still a big winner Saturday in the 2018 Wimbledon final. She had entered the event ranked just 183, but gotten a special seeding. Williams battled all the way to the finals, but Germany’s Angelique Kerber just had too much for her on this occasion. Kerber won in straight sets, 6-3, 6-3. Prior to this match Williams had only lost one set in the entire tournament. But Kerber played a near perfect match. She had only four unforced errors to…
Author: Ron Wynn
For decades there have been two general impressions of Ty Cobb. The one held by baseball fans in general is that of a fierce competitor, a hitting and base stealing phenomenon and a legendary figure rightly among the earliest players inducted into the Baseball Hall Of Fame. But among a large sector of Black baseball fans, those accolades weren’t what they remembered most. Instead they recalled hearing stories of his virulent racism, and his supposed public stances that demonstrated either in words or actions his intense hatred of Blacks. Though he competed against Black players in barnstorming competitions, stories abound…
By Ron Wynn Serena Williams finally dropped a set at Wimbledon Wednesday, but then reasserted her dominance and reached the Wimbledon semifinals with a 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory over Italy’s Camila Giorgi. Williams came into the event ranked 163 in the world due to her absence from the tour on maternity leave. But she had moved through the opening four rounds without dropping a set, and with seeded players falling left and right, definitely seems the favorite for an eighth Wimbledon crown. But she began slowly in Wednesday’s quarterfinal, her powerful serve erratic, and Giorgi’s counter-attack philosophy seeming to work.…
Diversity in hiring among coaches at the college level has historically proven even more a problem on campuses than among professionals. Despite the large numbers of Black athletes involved in Division I sports, that identical level of involvement and participation has NOT spread into the coaching ranks. The most recent NCAA stats show that only 19 percent of all Division I head football coaches were members of minority groups. When the breakdown focuses on Power Five Conferences, the numbers are even worse. Despite 61 percent of the players on those Division 1 schools being members of minority groups, the percentage…
By Ron Wynn NASHVILLE, TN — The Nashville Predators made more transactions last week as their busy off- season continued. They named a new coach for their minor league affiliate in the American Hockey League and signed three new players to two-way contracts that allow them to either have them on the roster or gaining more experience in the minors. They announced that Karl Taylor would be the new head coach of the Milwaukee Admirals. Taylor, 47, has been an assistant coach with the Texas Stars of the AHL the last four seasons. During three of them the Stars made…
It has become one of the big events of the summer, right there next to the World Cup, various Grand Slam tennis tournaments, and the ongoing MLB season. It’s the Tiger Woods watch, as both hardcore golf fans and just casual observers wait to see if he’ll finally end a victory drought dating back to 2013. Last week it seemed about to happen as Woods was playing at the Quicken Loans National against what was the weakest field he’ll probably face in any tournament the rest of the season. However it didn’t really matter because Francesco Molinari, one of the…
Though he didn’t win his second Norris Trophy last week as the NHL’s best defenseman, the Nashville Predators’ P.K. Subban still made news and history. EA Sports announced that Subban would be the cover athlete for the newest version of their video game. NHL 19 will make its debut September 14 for both Playstation and Xbox One. Though they don’t mention it anywhere in the advance publicity that they sent out regarding the game, it’s also highly likely that Subban is the first Black player who has ever been a cover athlete for any EA hockey video game. Last season…
By Ron Wynn NASHVILLE, TN — Some of the top Black films from the ‘70s, labeled “blaxploitation” movies in some circles, will be coming to Nashville next month as part of the Belcourt Theatre’s Music City Monday series. Five classic productions, plus a special seminar discussing the era’s impact and influence, will be spotlighted throughout July. The series begins July 2 with “Shaft,” a powerhouse chronicle about a Black private detective that starred Richard Roundtree and Moses Gunn, and also had a spectacular score from Isaac Hayes that ultimately won an Oscar. There’s a double play set for July 9. Melvin Van Peebles’…
By Ron Wynn They haven’t played a game yet, but there is already considerably more anticipation and excitement around the University of Memphis basketball program than in the last couple of years. Since the hiring of former Tiger and NBA star Penny Hardaway in March, the mood has shifted from gloom to high expectations, something reflected in a major increase in season ticket sales according to University of Memphis officials. “It’s vastly different than last year,” Assistant Athletic Director Adam Walker told the Memphis Commercial Appeal. “You can see the difference. It’s impressive what we’ve sold in a few months.”…
By Ron Wynn Tennessee State University head coach Brian “Penny” Collins isn’t just thinking about this coming season, but looking ahead to the future beyond it. Last week he announced that former Stewarts Creek High School (Smyrna) star Jy’lan Washington will be transferring to Nashville from Louisiana Tech. Washington at six feet, nine inches, will bring some needed size to the Big Blue frontline, although he won’t be eligible for this year due to NCAA transfer rules. He’ll be available for the 2019-20 season. He’s been a valuable reserve over the past three years for Louisiana Tech, a team that’s…