The world of college athletics has changed dramatically over the last couple of years. The implementation of NIL (name, image and likeness) rules coupled with the transfer portal has created a situation for many colleges that resembles free agency in pro sports. Players can now be compensated, and can also leave one school, go to another and play immediately rather than sitting out a year. But for many HBCUs, these changes only add to their major dilemma: how do you maintain the traditional special qualities of an HBCU while simultaneously trying to get the same attention, exposure and fiscal opportunities…
Author: Ron Wynn
By Ron Wynn NASHVILLE, TN — While they don’t want to overlook the two games they’ve got to play before next Saturday, the Nashville Predators can’t help but anticipate their first Stadium Series contest. They’re scheduled to play the defending Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lighting Feb. 26 at Nissan Stadium. Crews have been working on putting in the special rink for the contest, but the biggest fears are weather related. Last week’s 70 degree days didn’t help matters, The advance weather report calls for temperatures in the mid-40s Saturday, with rain a possibility. The NHL’s Chief Content Officer Steve…
By Ron Wynn NASHVILLE, TN — Jordan Peele’s return to the horror genre will be this summer, but a new trailer is now available online that showcases his latest production. Universal Pictures chose last Saturday night//early Sunday morning and the eve of the Super Bowl to present the initial trailer for “Nope.” It’s Jordan Peele’s third film following on the heels of two successful efforts, “Get Out,” and “Us.” The studio isn’t revealing many plot details. But they have confirmed that Daniel Kaluuya, who received an Oscar nomination for his lead performance in “Get Out,” would reunite with Peele, and…
By Ron Wynn NASHVILLE, TN — Donald Glover has won industry and critical acclaim as well as awards for the series “Atlanta.” But Glover surprised many observers last week when it was announced that after next year’s fourth season “Atlanta” will end. The decision was revealed by FX chairman John Landgraf, even while celebrating the return of the program for a third season beginning in March. Glover later went into more detail about the decision while talking with the Television Critics Association. “To be honest, I wanted to end it after Season 2, and I think we had talked about…
With the Super Bowl in Los Angeles and the NFL completing another season, the league’s sorry record in terms of diversity and inclusion has been discussed at length. Former Miami head coach Brian Flores’ lawsuit put the issue squarely in the public discussion, and many feel it helped the coaches hired by Miami and Houston get their jobs. But there’s widespread agreement that things have reached the point where the current Rooney Rule mandating that at least one minority be interviewed for any coaching or managerial position has proven woefully ineffective. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell went public on the issue…
By Ron Wynn NASHVILLE, TN — Both the Tennessee State men’s and women’s basketball teams hope to rebound at home this week as the OVC race enters its final two weeks. Things didn’t work out well for either squad during Saturday’s losses to Austin Peay. It was a particularly rough loss for the men, who lost a 10-point lead in the final eight minutes, then lost 54-52 on a shot by Tariq Silver with three seconds remaining. The Tigers scored only two points over the last five minutes. The Tigers had four players in double figures, but neither team shot…
By Ron Wynn NASHVILLE, TN — The Nashville Predators began play in the second half of the NHL season in much better shape than many anticipated. They are in second place in the Western Conference’s Central Division at 28-14-4, eight points behind the Colorado Avalanche whom they defeated last month at Bridgestone Arena. Most predictions before the season had the Predators in the lower end of the Central Division, but they have surpassed expectations, and gotten strong seasons from several players. Goalie Juuse Saros was the team’s only selection for the NHL All-Star Game. He was voted the NHL’s Second…
NASHVILLE, TN — All season long Vanderbilt head coach Jerry Stackhouse has sought more offensive balance, not wanting his team to overly rely on leading scorer Scotty Pippen Jr. to carry the whole load. Now that he has Rodney Chatman back in the lineup, that seems happening more often. Saturday the Commodores played arguably their best game of the season, defeating the 25th ranked LSU Tigers 75-66 at Memorial Gymnasium. It was their fourth SEC win, the first time they’ve reached that mark since Stackhouse took over. It was also their first victory over a ranked team since in two…
By Ron Wynn NASHVILLE, TN — Last year was the biggest yet for country vocalist Mickey Guyton, and things only continue to improve for her career wise. Sunday she’ll be performing the national anthem at the Super Bowl in Los Angeles. “I am shook, I am grateful, I am praise dancing,” Guyton wrote last month in a tweet. “So excited to be singing the national anthem.” Guyton was already headed out to LA for Super Bowl week. Back in November, the 2022 Bud Light Super Bowl Music Fest announced that it will feature three nights of A-list stars taking the…
By Ron Wynn NASHVILLE, TN — For those interested in more about Kanye West than his current domestic troubles, Netflix has unveiled this week the full trailer of the Kanye West documentary “jeen-yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy.” It is a more complete presentation than the earlier one issued in January, and also gives a preview of all three parts of West’s epic journey. “When I first put the camera on this up-and-coming producer back in ’98, I knew he was destined for greatness. The goal would be to see how long his dreams would take him. But I had no idea…