By Ron Wynn NASHVILLE, The Vanderbilt Commodores are technically defending national college baseball champions because the pandemic wiped out last season’s College World Series. While the season is far from over, the Commodores thus far have looked even more formidable than usual. They begin the week ranked number one in the nation, have posted a 23-3 record and completed a weekend sweep over number 25 LSU Saturday. They have won nine straight games, and in two of last weekend’s three games scored double digit runs. The first thing that frightens most teams that face the Commodores is the strength of…
Author: Ron Wynn
By Ron Wynn NASHVILLE, TN — Whether this will be a harbinger for the Oscars no one can say, but history was clearly made Sunday at the Screen Actors Guild Awards. For the first time in its 27-year history, every one of the four main film acting awards was won by a person of color. Three Black actors and one Asian swept the film categories. Viola Davis and Chadwick Boseman took home both lead actor awards for their performances in “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.” Daniel Kaluuya was awarded for his supporting role in “Judas and the Black Messiah,” while “Minari’s”…
By Ron Wynn NASHVILLE, TN — One of the greatest jazz drummers and scat singers, not just in Nashville history but across the board, will be remembered this weekend by friends and colleagues. The Nashville Jazz Workshop is celebrating the life and times of Duffy Jackson with an online memorial tribute Saturday night. Jackson became a huge contributor to the NJW faculty as well as the Music City music community from the time he arrived here from Florida in the late 2000s until his premature passing March 3 at age 67. The NJW has gathered clips from his host of…
No matter which teams eventually win the NCAA men’s and women’s Tournaments, the biggest stories this year for different reasons focus on a pair of coaches. One is in their first year of college coaching, the other now an established mainstay within their conference. But if either or both can lead their teams to NCAA titles (at press time both were in the Elite Eight), then something rare will happen in college basketball: both champions will be lead by Black coaches. Juwan Howard has already had a great season in his inaugural year at Michigan, irregardless of how the Wolverines…
By Ron Wynn NASHVILLE, TN — The Tennessee State University Tigers still have major goals they want to accomplish during this spring season, among them regaining the York Trophy, and having a winning year after a tough start. They’re hoping that the good things they saw during Sunday’s 26-24 victory over UT Martin at Hale Stadium continue during this Sunday’s road game against Tennessee Tech. They got several excellent individual offensive and defensive efforts, and averted a last second collapse by stopping a two-point conversion attempt in the final minute that would have forced overtime. Offensively, they again got a…
By Ron Wynn NASHVILLE, TN — Lifetime previously enjoyed both strong ratings and critical acclaim for its film on the Clark Sisters, so they’re hoping the same thing happens this weekend with the debut of “Robin Roberts Presents: Mahalia.” This is a long-awaited production covering the life of the woman many consider the finest individual vocalist in gospel music history. She also was extremely active in the Civil Rights Movement, both with personal appearances and through monetary contributions. There’s quite a prolific cast involved. SAG Award and Grammy Award-winning actress Danielle Brooks (“Orange is the New Black”) has the title…
By Ron Wynn NASHVILLE, TN — Lawrence Otis Graham made writing about the Black upper class a passion and the subject of 14 books. He combined that career with being a corporate lawyer at Weil, Gotshal & Manges as well as a real estate attorney at Cuddy & Feder. Graham passed away in February at 59, but one of his best-selling works is now slated to become a television series. Our Kind of People: Inside America’s Black Upper Class (HarperCollins) was a New York Times, Los Angeles Times and Essence Magazine bestseller, as well as a selection of the Book…
By Ron Wynn NASHVILLE, TN — The Lady Volunteers made history Tuesday, but not in the manner they hoped. Seeking to reach their first Sweet 16 since 2016, instead they were defeated 70-55 by Michigan. It was that program’s first Sweet 16 berth, and the fourth straight NCAA Women’s Tournament where the Lady Vols have failed to advance beyond the second round. The number three seeded team, Tennessee finishes the year 17-8. They were unable to overcome the offensive problems that saw them fall behind by 19 points at one stretch in the second half. The Lady Vols made only…
One of the best, if not the top, stories among the host of March Madness tournament results was Georgetown’s blowout 73-48 victory over Creighton last weekend that returned the Hoyas to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2015. Georgetown was picked to finish last in preseason polling of the “experts,” and before the tournament began there were questions about whether Patrick Ewing, now in his fourth season as head coach, was the right man to return them to the prominence they’d enjoyed when he was their center in the 80s. Instead, Ewing became the first person in history…
By Ron Wynn NASHVILLE, TN — Despite a disappointing SEC Tournament semifinal loss to Alabama, the Tennessee Volunteers are back in the NCAA Tournament. It was announced Sunday that the 18-8 Volunteers would be facing Oregon State (17-12), the surprise winners of the Pac-12 Tournament, Friday in Indianapolis. The Volunteers are seeded fifth in the Midwest region, Oregon State 12th, although this year despite the various regional designations, all the games are in Indiana. Most will be played in Indianapolis, with others at scattered sites in the state. Tennessee had eventual SEC Tournament winner Alabama on the ropes, but blew…