By Ron Wynn It wasn’t the postseason MVP award he truly wanted, but Tennessee Titans tight end Delanie Walker capped off another sterling season Sunday by being named Offensive Most Valuable Player in the AFC/NFC Pro Bowl. Walker scored two touchdowns, including the game-tying reception with less than two minutes remaining. His second TD catch helped the AFC overcome a 20-3 deficit and win 24-23 at Camping World Stadium in Orlando. Walker led the Titans in receiving yards during the season with 807: but was originally a Pro Bowl alternate. But injuries to other receivers resulted in Walker being added…
Author: Ron Wynn
Sports View by Ron Wynn The recent hirings of Allen Greene and Carla Williams haven’t gotten nearly as much attention that they deserve, despite their historical significance. But their ascension to their new roles are critical events in the quest for more fairness and equity in hiring, especially at the college level. Greene was named Athletic Director at Auburn University two weeks ago, while Williams was named to that same position at the University of Virginia in October. There has been so little progress when it comes to upper management in college sports that it often looks like none has…
The hiring last week of Houston Texans defensive coordinator Mike Vrabel as the new head coach of the Tennessee Titans is indicative of many things, but the most important reflects the role of General Manager Jon Robinson. Unlike some teams, particularly the Patriots where Robinson worked with Vrabel for seven years, where the head coach has the final word in regards to on the field affairs, it is now clear that Robinson’s position with the Titans carries far more weight than just making the selections for the draft and doing an occasional trade or free agent pickup. Indeed, Robinson picked…
By Ron Wynn The Tennessee Titans knew it would take a flawless effort to upset the New England Patriots at home Saturday night, and they came up with something far less than that, getting blasted 35-14 by the Patriots in an AFC divisional playoff game. The win put Patriots into their seventh straight AFC championship game. The loss ended the Titans season at 10-8, and it was a symbol of just how wide a gap exists between the Patriots and an emerging team like the Titans. After scoring an early touchdown on an impressive 95-yard march, the Titans didn’t score…
Nothing better illustrates the volatile environment in today’s NFL than what happened this week to now former Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Mularkey. He went from being hailed as a savior for spearheading an 18-point comeback and first Titans playoff win in 15 years to being on the unemployment line after defending Super Bowl champions the New England Patriots ended the Titans season last Saturday 35-14. Prior to the Patriots game Titans management had denied reports that Mularkey was in trouble. Principal owner Amy Adams Strunk had even issued a statement of support, saying he was definitely returning as coach.…
By Ron Wynn The Tennessee Titans made a remarkable second half comeback Sunday, erasing an 18-point halftime deficit on the way to a 22-21 first round road victory over the Kansas City Chiefs in the first game of the 2018 NFL playoffs. Marcus Mariota had two touchdown passes and one touchdown catch of a deflection, passing for 205 yards and sparking an incredible rally for a team that looked totally defeated and confused through the first 30 minutes. Derrick Henry also had a career-high 156 yards rushing and a critical touchdown run, while the defense that was scorched for 18…
Even as most of the sports world was gathering in Atlanta this week to watch SEC titans Georgia and Alabama go head-to-head for the College Football Playoff National Championship, there was another team laying claim to being the best among major colleges. The University of Central Florida (UCF) completed the only 13-0 season for any FCS team this season with a victory over Auburn in the Peach Bowl. However UCF finished 12th in the CFP final rankings, and didn’t make the top four contenders who met in the playoff semifinals. The problem with this is that UCF is the only…
By most accounts, 2017 was a rough year for the National Football League. It was marred in controversies, the biggest being the phony one manufactured by President Donald Trump with his claim that protesting players were disrespecting the American flag and veterans. But the fallout eventually led to the creation of a players council and the NFL agreeing subsequently to donate millions of dollars to designated player charities. Sadly, the players council also had its own internal problems, with some members eventually opting to quit because they felt there were ethical issues involved with certain players’ participation. But whatever the…
By Ron Wynn Any doubts that the Predators are legitimate Stanley Cup contenders were erased in Saturday’s 2-0 victory over the Calgary Flames. The Predators completed a three game sweep of Western Canada in decisive fashion. They romped over Vancouver, Edmonton and Calgary, winning all three games in regulation and posting two shutouts in the process. Their overall record improved to 21-7-4, and they begin the week leading the Western Conference. They got another stellar game from Pekka Rinne. It was also an old school style, ultra defensive battle. Neither team scored in either the first or third periods. The…
Two more Black head coaches were hired last week by major colleges, bringing the total all the way up to 14. That’s FOURTEEN Black head coaches in FBS out of 130 schools. Not quite 10 percent, but it’s even lower for women or other nonwhites. According to November NCAA statistics, nearly 90 percent of major college presidents (89.2) are white, 83.1 percent of athletic directors and 86.9 percent of head football coaches. Of course the playing ranks are a lot more diverse, with Blacks accounting for nearly 60 percent of players at many major colleges (70 in some cases). But…