NASHVILLE, TN — The Vanderbilt Commodores evened their SEC mark Sunday with a critical victory over the 22nd ranked Georgia Bulldogs. The 4-0 victory improved their conference mark to 12-12 (31-15 overall). It was another series win for Vanderbilt, trying to both get back into the Top 25 and also get an NCAA Regional game following the SEC Tournament. They got a big boost from starter Carter Holton, who got his sixth win in nine decisions. He pitched six strong innings, allowing four hits and walking only two while striking out five. Reliever Nick Maldonado had two scoreless innings and…
Author: Ron Wynn
At a time when Major League Baseball’s ongoing problems with diversity and inclusion are regularly examined, a great thing happened last week that gave them a much needed boost in that area. Houston Astros manager Dusty Baker became just the 12th manager in league history and the first Black one to reach the coveted 2,000 win mark as the Astros defeated the Seattle Mariners 4-0. Only one of the previous 11 managers to reach that milestone hasn’t been voted into the Hall of Fame, and that’s because Brcce Bochy, who retired in 2019, is still years away from being eligible.…
By Ron Wynn NASHVILLE, TN — No single musician ever did more to popularize and display an instrument’s capabilities and range than Pete Drake did with the steel guitar. The legendary player, producer and label owner was honored last weekend by the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum with official induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame. Drake, Ray Charles, The Judds, and Eddie Bayer all received their official medallions, had their exploits recalled and their songs celebrated. For Drake’s widow Rose, the event was a long time coming and certainly well deserved. But she wants fans to…
By Ron Wynn NASHVILLE, TN — Alex Miller’s first impact on the national scene came when he appeared on “American Idol” last year doing straight, hard-edged country tunes. Despite being eliminated in the Showstopper Round, Miller’s sound and personality made enough of an impression to signal that he was someone with a great future. The next phase in his career has now occurred with the release of his excellent debut album “Miller Time.” It’s a portrait of a vintage style updated and adapted for modern audience sensibilities. Backed by a tremendous corps of musicians, Miller’s rousing, engaging and energetic vocals…
The Tennessee Titans raised eyebrows and also generated an unexpected publicity bonanza when they selected quarterback Malik Willis with the overall number 86 overall pick in the third round. Ordinarily, a third rounder is marginal, a player not quite guaranteed to make the team but with a decent shot to contribute down the line. But with fan disenchantment with incumbent Titans starting QB Ryan Tannehill at an all time high, suddenly the rumors began swirling that Willis was going to Tannehill’s successor sooner rather than later. Willis is a somewhat controversial figure among the draft projectors and scouts.While some consider…
By Ron Wynn NASHVILLE, TN — Civil Rights attorney Ben Crump has been at the center of numerous key social justice cases, most notably George Floyd. Now he will be the subject of an ambitious new documentary series that will be released next month on Netflix. “Civil” is a biographical documentary that is directed by award-winning filmmaker Nadia Hallgren. It is being produced by the prolific Kenya Barrister, whose multiple creations for television and film include the just concluded series”Black-ish.” Hallgren’s most recent production was the Michelle Obama documentary “Becoming.” Others involved with this project include executive producers Erynn Sampson,…
By Ron Wynn NASHVILLE, TN — Eric Roberson is both a fine vocalist and accomplished songwriter. The long list of artists he has worked with include Jill Scott, Musiq Soulchild, DJ Jazzy Jeff, Ouslande, Carl Thomas, Vivian Green, 112, and Will Smith among others. Besides being an energetic and engaging singer, Roberson is a professor at Berklee College of Music in Boston. That background is cleverly referenced on his latest single “Lessons,” and further explored in a new book titled “Lessons: 100 Thoughts On Life & Love.” But these are just the foundation for his latest album, also called “Lessons,”…
NASHVILLE, TN — Nashville SC will finally play before a home crowd this weekend, and they hope the first game in their new stadium will be a momentum starter that helps offset the disappointing end of their road trip. They played the LA Galaxy tough for 86 minutes, then one mistake ended with the only goal in a 1-0 loss. That completed a grueling eight-game road stint. The Galaxy had been threatening the entire evening. After a Galaxy corner kick, center forward Dejan Joveljić found the bottom right corner of the net in the 86th minute to seal the win.…
It’s become another of those self-fulfilling cliches that Blacks are no longer interested in baseball. The latest figures show only 7,8% of MLB clubs have Black Americans on the rosters. Despite the efforts for years of such organizations as RBI, Little League figures reflect a continuing disinterest in participation by Black youngsters. The growth of travel baseball, with its own set of expenditures, is widely viewed as another problem, while college baseball scholarships pale in comparison to what’s being offered in football and basketball packages, especially with the explosion of NIL (name, image, likeness) money available. But last week MLB…
By Ron Wynn NASHVILLE, TN — Though David Bowie achieved fame and greatness as a musician, he also did his share of acting. His most memorable role came in the film “The Man Who Fell To Earth,” a 1976 film inspired by Walter Tevis’ novel of the same title. The film had such impact that no one’s dared try to do a new version. But now Showtime is tackling it in a different way, by creating a series. Showtime’s “The Man who Fell To Earth” debuted last Sunday. It’s a 10-part series featuring Chiwetel Ejiofor in the title role as…