When Marcus Freeman became the second Black head coach at Notre Dame last year, there was a lot of fanfare, praise for the school, and comments that this represented a great step forward for both college football and Black head coaches. But now, with Freeman beginning his second year, the optimism has faded, the doubts have set in, and as ridiculous at it may seem, there have already been a series of columns written speculating that Freeman may well be in trouble despite the fact he was the consensus choice of the players to replace Brian Kelley after he left…
Author: Ron Wynn
By Ron Wynn NASHVILLE, TN — In a genre where lyrical flair and vocal.mastety are usually noticed more than musical splendor, bassist Michael Rhodes was so exceptional his rhythm section contributions were always a highlight and extremely valued, especially by other musicians and artists. Rhodes, who died last week at age 69, played with so many great musicians that it is probably easier to cite those he didn’t work with rather than try to mention all the ones whose bandstand he graced. But a short list would include Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, Dolly Parton. Rosanne Cash Rodney Crowell, Steve Winwood,…
By Ron Wynn NASHILLE, TN — Few players or composers have enjoyed as long or as important a career in both areas as Wayne Shorter. The legendary Shorter, whose lyrical jazz compositions and pioneering saxophone playing sounded through more than half a century of American music, died last Thursday at his Los Angeles home at 89. No cause of death was given. “Visionary composer, saxophonist, visual artist, devout Buddhist, devoted husband, father and grandfather, Wayne Shorter has embarked on a new journey as part of his extraordinary life — departing the earth as we know it in search of an…
By Ron Wynn NASHVILLE, TN — Major changes are happening to the Nashville Predators, both in terms of management and also in relation to the player roster. Over the past few days, major announcements have been made that will reshape the franchise. The biggest was Monday’s announcement that David Poile, the only general manager in Predators history, will be retiring in July. He will be replaced by longtime former Predators head coach Barry Trotz, who is the third winningest coach in NHL history and a past Stanley Cup winner while coaching the Washington Capitals. Trotz spent his first 15 seasons…
By Ron Wynn NASHVILLE, TN — The Vanderbilt Commodores won their fifth game in six tries over the weekend, while also completing a season’s sweep of the Florida Gators. That was the best news coming out of their 88-72 victory in Nashville. But the harsh reality now facing them regarding postseason possibilities is their only shot at an NCAA Tournament berth is winning next week’s SEC title. If they can take their final two games and end up with an 11-7 mark, that would improve their seeding going into the event held at Bridgestone Arena. Even a spit at 10-8…
Last week Howard University became the latest HBCU to break new ground in the sports world. The only HBCU school to have men and women’s swimming and diving teams competing for conference titles saw its men’s team prevail over five days of grueling competition to win the Northeast Coference (NEC) In a dominant manner. They scored 928 points over the five day event. In addition, they had a team member named the most outstanding performer. Senior Miles Simon of Atlanta was named NEC Outstanding Swimmer after a performance that saw him shatter multiple records. For Howard, it was the team’s…
By Ron Wynn NASHVILLE, TN — The second season of the updated version of “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” began last Friday on Peacock. The new versio, simply called “Bel-Air” offers more dramatic components than its predecessor, and not everyone has been thrilled with it, although the ratings were strong enough to merit another season. One thing that its creator Morgan Cooper has never been afraid of is controversy. He’s sure to ignite some with the comments he made prior to the debut episode in which he defended the original show’s man star Will Smith, wo is still under fire…
By Ron Wynn NASHVILLE, TN — Rihanna is following her Super Bowl appearance with another big date. The producers of the upcoming Oscars telecast annouced last week that she will sing “Lift Me Up” from “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.” “Lift Me Up,” with music by Tems, Rihanna, Ryan Coogler and Ludwig Göransson and lyric by Tems and Ryan Coogler, is nominated for original song. It is the Barbadian superstar’s first Oscar nomination. The song, which was also nominated for best song at the Golden Globes, also reached number two on Billboard’s Hot 100. “Wakanda Forever” is up for five Oscars,…
The NFL should be basking in the glow of a Super Bowl that was not only exciting and came down to the final eight seconds, but drew an audience of 113 million people. Not only was it the most watched Super Bowl in six years, but reportedly that game was the single most watched TV show in history. Now whether you believe that or not depends on how much faith you put in Nielsen ratings., but one thing is certain, it garnered a huge global audience for the league and once again showed that the NFL remains America’s most popular…
By Ron Wynn NASHVILLE, TN — One of the more unusual shows about a musical group will soon be ending, and its members are now reflecting on the experience of doing television. RZA, Ashton Sanders and other members of the Hip-Hop ensemble the Wu-Tang Clan are now in the third and final season of their weekly show streamed on Hulu. It’s an occasion that has brought them the opportunity to reflect on both the group’s impact and that of the show. “That’s one of the greatest joys for me as a producer and as a creative artist, is that something…