Major League Baseball is seldom in a good public relations position when it comes to issues of diversity and inclusion, but seldom has the sport been cast in a worse light than the recent dust-up involving New York Yankees third baseman Josh Donaldson and Chicago White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson. In the midst of a dispute between the two, things accelerated fast and badly when Donaldson began mocking Anderson by calling him “Jackie.” This was, depending on who you chose to believe, either Donaldson playfully taunting Anderson or deliberately invoking Robinson’s name in an insulting, mocking manner to Anderson, denigrating…
Author: Ron Wynn
By Ron Wynn NASHVILLE, TN — Though he’s not in the film, superstar actor Denzel Washington had a major impact on the upcoming Baz Luhrmann film “Elvis.” That came in his influence and impact on the production’s major star Austin Butler. Butler openly credits and repeatedly cites Washington as a key figure in him landing the role. Luhrmann mentioned to Entertainment Weekly that Washington had sizable impact in Butler’s casting. “[Austin Butler] found me,” Luhrmann said. “I received this videotape of this young man in a flood of tears playing ‘Unchained Melody,’ and I thought, ‘Wow, what is that? How…
By Ron Wynn NASHVILLE, TN — BET+, the streaming end of BET, has plans for a full slate of summer shows as they battle to stay relevant in the increasingly competitive streaming world. A major item among these shows is the special “Martin: The Reunion,” as well as the return of another staple with “College Hill: Celebrity Edition.” But leading off the summer programs Thursday will be the third season of Tyler Perry’s “Bru.” A program that follows the adventures of five friends, the new season will follow them through new challenges while they try to maintain the bonds of…
By Ron Wynn NASHVILLE, TN — The Nashville Predators answered any questions regarding the team’s immediate future and direction last week by extending the contracts of head coach John Hynes and his assistants through the 2023-24 season. The Predators were swept in a playoff series for the first time in team history this season by the Colorado Avalanche, something that led some to question whether it was time for the team to think about a new head coach. General manager David Poile didn’t hesitate when questioned about the move. “I believe John and his coaching staff are the right move…
HBCUs in general, and their head coaches in particular, seldom find themselves the targets of attacks from their Power 5 peers. These teams don’t play each other except for those times when big schools schedule games against HBCUs because they view them as easy wins. In turn, the HBCU squads need the lucrative paydays that often can be the difference between a profitable season and a fiscally grim one. But Jackson State’s Deion Sanders found himself negatively mentioned last week in an epic rant from Alabama head coach Nick Saban, college football’s biggest figure, and until last week a colleague…
NASHVILLE, TN — The Tennessee Titans are getting more primetime exposure for the 2022-23 season than at any time in their history. The NFL released the new schedule last week and it showed that Tennessee would be featured in four primetime games. That includes two Thursday night games against the Dallas Cowboys at home and the Green Bay Packers on the road. They open the season with a team they’ve had good luck with in recent years, the New York Giants. Two of their three preseason games will be at home against Tampa Bay and Arizona, with a third against…
Though they didn’t go as far as they would have liked, the Memphis Grizzlies enjoyed a tremendous 2021-22 NBA season. They became the youngest team to win 55 or more game (56), finished second in the Western Conference and reached the second round of the Conference semifinals before losing to the Golden State Warriors in six games. They were hampered in that final series by the loss of their top player Ja Morant to injury, but overall it was a fantastic season for the Grizzlies. However there had been a cloud hanging over their heads and by extension the city…
By Ron Wynn NASHVILLE, TN — The career and accomplishments of vocalist Mary J. Blige were honored Sunday night as she received the Icon Award at the 2022 Billboard Music Awards. None other than former Icon Award recipient Janet Jackson presented Blige with the honor at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. “Mary J. Blige represents truth,” Jackson said. “Her work has always given us comfort because she sings me, she sings you.” Artists such as Queen Latifah, Missy Elliott and H.E.R. also congratulated Blige in a taped montage before the Icon took the stage. Blige in assessing…
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…
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.…