By Ron Wynn ESPN last week launched a new eight-part docuseries that celebrates the career of tennis star Serena Williams. “In The Arena” showcases milestones in her career that covered 27 years and saw her win 23 Grand Slam singles titles as well as Olympic medals. It also covers other milestones in her life while also pointing out some challenging moments. Each episode will air on ESPN + exclusively, which means that fans who want to see it must have a subscription to that ESPN streaming service. The eight episodes began July 10 and continue through August 28 every Wednesday…
Author: Ron Wynn
The quest of various Americans to win gold medals in track and field competition are far from the only big stories with the Olympics due to start July 26. Perhaps the biggest one away from the track is the return to Olympic competition of reigning world champion gymnast Simone Biles. She became only the fourth American woman in history to compete in three Olympic Games after she placed first in the all-round competition June 30 at the Trials in Minneapolis. While Biles became the most decorated gymnast in the history of the world championships after last year’s event, she also…
By Ron Wynn Though the film won’t be released until next year, there was still considerable excitement this Friday when the trailer was released for the newest edition to the Captain America franchise. “Captain America: Brave New World” features Anthony Mackie in his first time as Captain America. But Mackie has been part of the Marvel universe prior to this film, the fourth Captain America release. His character Sam Wilson was formerly known as Cap’s sidekick the Falcon. Mackie takes the Cap mantle over from Chris Evans’ Steve Rogers, who starred in the previous three “Captain America” movies and the…
By Ron Wynn NASHVILLE, TN — A pair of powerhouse jazz ensembles, one local, the other a Crescent City institution, will get the Under The Stars series at Cheekwood Estate & Gardens underway Friday night. Vanderbilt University’s Blair Big Band under the leadership of Director Ryan Middagh will lead things off, followed by New Orleans’ celebrated Dirty Dozen Brass Band. The Blair School Big Band features the music of undergraduate students whose disciplined, yet dynamic style flourishes thanks to trombonist/director Middagh. The 16-piece unit has won number of awards, including getting Outstanding Trombone and Trumpet Section honors as well as…
By Ron Wynn While he’s still entering tournaments periodically, it’s pretty clear that Tiger Woods’ days of dominating the pro tour are over. But he remains involved and active in several areas, with his newest being a venture with pop singer Justin Timberlake. The duo plan to open a sports bar in Scotland. Woods and Timberlake) will be teaming up to convert the New Picture House Cinema in St. Andrews into a bar called T-Squared Social according to the BBC. The duo are shareholders in Nexus Luxury Collection, the real estate company that will transform the theater into an establishment…
Track and field doesn’t get much exposure in America except in an Olympic year, but the upcoming Summer Games in Paris that begin July 26 have put some of this nation’s top track stars squarely in the spotlight. For at least the duration of the games they will be the nightly leads on ESPN, and NBC is using the Olympics to attract new subscribers to their Peacock streaming service. They’re putting numerous hours of live coverage on Peacock, and have already done a trial run by putting almost all the Olympic trial broadcasts on Peacock. The person who will be…
By Ron Wynn Musicians across the idiomatic spectrum are joining forces to rebuild a cultural shrine in Mississippi. That’s the 200-year-old former home of the great Mississippi John Hurt in Avalon. It had been restored and turned into a museum, but it was recently burned to the ground. While no culprit has yet been arrested, it has been widely seen as the work of racist vandals. The home contained rare recordings, guitars and more. Immediately after the disaster struck, Mary Frances Hurt, the artist’s granddaughter who is director of the non-profit Mississippi John Hurt Foundation and the primary curator of…
In a little less than a month the 2024 Summer Olympics begin in Paris. There is no global sports spectacle quite like them, although the World Cup comes close. But the difference is the Olympics offer topflight international competition in a host of sports. Track and field, gymnastics, swimming, even sports that you normally wouldn’t think of as Olympic events like baseball, golf, tennis and soccer, are part of the 2024 Summer Games, as well as longtime popular staples like basketball and volleyball. There are 40 sports in this edition, and some like Flag Football and Softball are recent additions.…
By Ron Wynn Shonda Rhimes has an extensive and impressive track record in Hollywood as one of the most prolific and outstanding producers and creators in television. Her many projects include the long-running ABC series “Grey’s Anatomy” and the big streaming hit “Bridgerton,” as well as the iconic “Scandal.” But another of Rhimes’ passions is golf, and last week she took it to another level. Rhimes became the owner of the Los Angeles Golf Club, the first team in the TGL league. On Instagram she shared, “I can’t wait to bring my passion for golf to this incredible venture. Joining…
By Ron Wynn Award-winning actress Uzo Aduba has an important and inspiring story to tell. She’s sharing it this fall with the release of her memoir “The Road Is Good: How a Mother’s Strength Became a Daughter’s Purpose” (Viking). The book is an homage to Aduba’s late mother Nonyem, who died in 2020. It includes anecdotes from her mother, aunts and uncles — as well as her findings from her trips to Nigeria and New York for auditions to tell a “unique coming-of-age story” and a “timely examination of Black immigrant identity.” “When I initially started thinking about writing a…