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…
Author: Ron Wynn
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.…
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,…