By Ron Wynn NASHVILLE, TN — Vanderbilt Head Coach Clark Lea did make a QB switch Saturday, and the move led to the Commodores overcoming a 14-point deficit on the road and defeating Northern Illinois 38-28. A. J. Swann, who had looked good in late action during the Wake Forest defeat, led Vanderbilt to 24 unanswered second half points. It’s the first time since 2017 that Vanderbilt has won three of its first four games, two of them as the visiting team. Swann completed 18 of 28 passes for 258 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions. Lea told ESPN. com…
Author: Ron Wynn
The ranks of major college Black head coaches are never swollen, and there remain many Power 5 and predominantly white colleges that have yet to hire their first one. But as the college football season nears the end of its first month, there are two new Black head coaches who are in charge of high profile programs that face major challenges. Both Marcus Freeman at Notre Dame and Mickey Joseph at Nebraska are also first year and first time head coaches as well. Notre Dame’s Freeman was the universal choice of the players to replace Brian Kelly after he left…
By Ron Wynn NASHVILLE, TN — Few musicians in any genre have enjoyed either the success or the relevance and durability of pianist and bandleader Ramsey Lewis, The Chicago pianist, who passed away Sept. 13 at 87, enjoyed a career that spanned six decades. He was not only a long time soloist and recording artist, he was equally important as a broadcaster and advocate for jazz. A brilliant musician, Lewis began on piano as a child, and was equally knowledgeable and formidable in both jazz and classical music. He used his roots in classical and gospel music to create his…
By Ron Wynn NASHVILLE, TN — One of the year’s stronger casts are featured in the film “The Woman King,” The production is based on the real Agojie, the fearless warrior women who acted as the king’s guard and kept Dahomey (now Benin) safe in the 19th century, Longtime producer, writer and director Gina Prince-Bythewood has also made it both a showcase for mighty Black women and an action product. In addition, “The Woman King” represents the culmination of a special project for star Viola Davis, who’s sought to have it made for six years to get the film made.…
By Ron Wynn NASHVILLE, TN — Tennessee State University football begins its second year under the leadership of head coach Eddie George with high expectations and some intriguing possibilities to consider. As they faced Jackson State last Saturday night in their final Southern Heritage Classic showdown (Jackson State will no longer participate in the event after this season), there are interesting questions the Tigers must answer in the years ahead. Indeed, HBCU football in general finds itself at a crossroads. The Power 5 conferences are closing ranks, with both the Big 10 and the SEC expanding, and possible consolidation involving…
NASHVILLE, TN — It’s hard to believe that a quarterback who last week set a school scoring record may now be in jeopardy of losing his starting job, but that could be the case with Vanderbilt in the wake of their first defeat this season. They lost 45-25 to ACC foe Wake Forest in Nashville Saturday, but the issue that emerged is the ineffectiveness of starter Mike Wright and the boost the offense got from number two QB A.J. Swann. He entered the game late in the third quarter and eventually passed for 146 yards and two touchdowns, while also…
Though neither Coco Gauff or Frances Tiafoe were ultimate winners at this year’s U.S. Open, both became the talk of the tournament. They also represent the future for American tennis, and also the potential successors to Serena Williams and Arthur Ashe as both great tennis champions and also pivotal cultural figures as stars in a sport that for years has been largely white and country club. This week Gauff becomes the youngest American to reach the Top 10 in the world rankings since a 17-year-old Serena Williams did so in 1999. At 18 years and 183 days old, she’s enjoying…
By Ron Wynn NASHVILLE, TN — The hit comedy “Abbott Elementary” didn’t get the coveted Emmy Award for Best Comedy series, but its stars Quinta Brunson and Sheryl Lee Ralph were big winners of individual honors in Monday night’s ceremonies which were hosted by “Saturday Night Live’s” Kenan Thompson. It was the first Emmys for both performers. They both also become part of history by winning. Ralph became the second Black winner for supporting actress in a comedy, following Jackée Harry’s win for “227” in 1987. Brunson is not only the creator of “Abbott Elementary,” but a major star and…
Even though this past weekend marked the start of the first really big week of the college football season, the biggest story in sports happened Friday night on a tennis court. There perhaps the greatest career in the sport came to an end, even though there were some suggestive comments made that indicated a return might happen someday. But assuming that comeback doesn’t occur, Serena Williams has ended a career unmatched in her sport and arguably in any other. Williams was defeated by Australia’s Ajla Tomljanovic in a thrilling 7-5, 6-7 (7-4), 6-1 third round match at Arthur Ashe Stadium.…
By Ron Wynn NASHVILLE, TN — The Tennessee State Tigers did a lot of good things in their opening game on the road against 13th ranked Eastern Washington, but their late rally fell just short in a 36-29 loss Saturday. But there are many positive things that Eddie George’s Tigers can take from this one into their next contest. These include an offense that scored 29 points and brought them back from 10-point deficit. TSU had the game tied at 29 late, before Eastern Washington got the game winning score with 2:39 remnaining. A huge plus was the all-round brilliance…