By Ron Wynn NASHVILLE, TN — A very hard year for the Vanderbilt Commodores’ football team got even tougher this week with the Sunday announcement that head coach Derek Mason had been fired. With an 0-8 record and facing the distinct possibility of having the first winless season in the 117-year history of the program, the move was expected after the season. But few anticipated it would come just as the team heads to Athens this week for a game against the ninth-ranked Bulldogs. After seven years, the string ran out for Mason, someone universally respected around the nation as…
Author: Ron Wynn
Both the NCAA and the NFL have insisted on playing football this season despite the raging COVID-19 pandemic, and neither has opted to try putting its teams in bubble environments. They have continued with teams traveling and playing in various stadiums nationwide, though in most cases there are no fans. But still these teams are going into states where the virus has surged and infection rates keep rising. In the case of the colleges, some have students on campus and others don’t. Sometimes it has been players who get infected, and in other cases coaching staff or support personnel. All…
By Ron Wynn NASHVILLE, TN — Fresh off two strong road victories, the Tennessee Titans have another pivotal game Sunday at home against the resurgent Cleveland Browns. The Browns have the identical record as the Titans (8-3), and come off a narrow victory over AFC South cellar dweller Jacksonville. They are also very much in the playoff hunt, though the Pittsburgh Steelers remain well out in front in the AFC North. Still, this year’s Browns are doing what the team was expected to do two years ago, but flopped badly. The Titans will be coming into this game with their…
NASHVILLE, TN — Defense was the cornerstone of the philosophy that enabled Nashville SC to reach the MLS playoffs in their inaugural season, despite not landing a berth in the Welcome Back tournament due to COVID-19 player infections. That excellence was acknowledged last week when the leader of their defense, and by extension the entire team, was honored for his accomplishments by the league. Center back Walker Zimmerman was named the 2020 MLS Defender of the Year. Zimmerman helped Nashville SC become the sixth expansion club in MLS history to clinch a spot in the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs in…
By Ron Wynn It seems no matter how hard they try, the National Football League can’t quite get things right when it comes to issues of diversity, whether it’s head coaches or upper management. They’ve spent the past 10 months trying to figure out ways to improve their numbers, which remain awful for a league with a 75 percent Black playing membership. This season began with four teams having minority head coaches (three Black, one Latino), and just two with minority general managers. As the year has evolved, two more Blacks have inherited jobs via the interim route when white…
By Ron Wynn NASHVILLE, TN — Lebron James is keeping busy on and off the basketball court. While still basking in the glow from the Lakers winning the NBA championship, he’s also staying active with projects for his production companies. Along with their forthcoming Black Wall Street documentary, this week Uninterrupted, a division of James’ The SpringHill Company, announced their newest project. It covers the still controversial subject of high school athletes foregoing college for a professional career. The documentary “Gap Year” spotlights highly touted NBA prospect Darius Bazley. He is skipping college for a “million-dollar internship.”The film will be…
By Ron Wynn NASHVILLE, TN — It’s a busy fall season for vocalist Mariah Carey. Her newest book has just been released, and this week Apple TV+ announced the details of her upcoming Christmas special. It’s titled “Mariah Carey’s Magical Christmas Special.” It will debut on Dec. 4. The show spotlights a holiday crisis at the North Pole. Only one person in this situation can save the day. That’s Santa’s great friend, Mariah Carey. The special blends musical performances, dynamic dancing and groundbreaking animation. Carey as the undisputed Queen of Christmas jumps into action to create a holiday spectacular to…
Many people are aware of the long and distinguished Tennessee State tradition in football. Whether it’s the coaching excellence of such names as John Merritt or Joe Gilliam Sr., or the exploits of such players as Hall-of-Famer Richard Dent, Ed “Too Tall” Jones or Jim Marsalis, TSU football is a nationally known and greatly respected commodity. However the Tigers also have an equally impressive, though much lesser touted and recognized tradition of greatness in basketball. From the coaching genius of John McClendon to the on-court dynamic play of Dick “Skull” Barnett, Leonard “Truck” Robinson, Carlos Rogers and Anthony Mason, the…
By Ron Wynn NASHVILLE, TN — Steve McQueen has made history while arousing emotions and audience response in such past films as “12 Years a Slave” and “Widows.” He won an Oscar for the former in 2013, becoming the first Black director of an Academy Award winning film. But one thing that McQueen, who grew up in West London and whose parents are Grenadian and Trinidadian, had never previously done was turn his cameras inward and explore life in the world where he was born and raised. But that’s now changed with the debut of his anthology series “Small Axe.”…
Whether Nashville’s Mookie Betts wins the National League MVP award this week or not, he’s emerged this season as baseball’s top personality. This should not be confused with its best overall player, though a case could clearly be made as well for Betts that way. But after leading the Dodgers to their first World Series win in 32 years (and a good case could be made he should have been World Series MVP also) Betts has become a rare transformative player in a sport where few names are known beyond the circles of hardcore fans and those who root for…