NASHVILLE, TN — The tradition and glory of HBCU football is well known, and their basketball legacy has also been frequently chronicled. But one sport that doesn’t get much coverage or attention in terms of Black colleges remains baseball, even though there’s been an equally long history of outstanding athletes who made it to the majors from HBCU’s. Brandon Rembert wants to change that situation. Rembert’s a top prospect who hasn’t made his name at Arizona State, USC, Vanderbilt or any of the well known college baseball schools. Instead, he’s been a star at Alcorn State. He’s also trying to…
Author: Ron Wynn
The 2020 college football season can’t end soon enough for either Vanderbilt or Tennessee. This SEC year for the local college teams has been far bleaker than either anticipated. Its already resulted in one head coach being fired, and another one definitely on a super hot seat. After the SEC decided to adopt a conference-only football schedule, no one assumed that either Vanderbilt or Tennessee would win a league title. But the feeling was Vanderbilt could at least win four, maybe five games, and Tennessee would improve with the momentum generated by last season’s stretch of winning games capped off…
By Ron Wynn NASHVILLE, TN — It’s been a rugged year and no loss has been more keenly felt than the premature and surprise death of actor Chadwick Boseman. Multiple entertainment awards programs have paid homage to him, and Sunday night it was MTV’s turn. Two of his fellow actors who also portrayed Marvel superheroes recognized their fallen comrade. Robert Downey Jr. and Don Cheadle posthumously presented Boseman the “Hero for the Ages” honor at MTV’s Move & TV Awards; Greatest of All Time ceremony. Boseman died at 43 in August from colon cancer. Because he didn’t disclose his illness,…
By Ron Wynn NASHVILLE, TN — There aren’t many things that happen in today’s music world that surprise folks, but Bob Dylan’s selling his catalog clearly qualifies as one. In a blockbuster deal Monday, Universal Music Publishing Group announce it had purchased Dylan’s entire catalog of songs, from 1962 to the present, directly from him. The terms of the deal were not disclosed, but the acquisition includes both publishing rights and Dylan’s “writer’s share,” which together would conservatively be worth at least $100 million. Dylan’s publishing is currently administered in the U.S. by the Bob Dylan Music Company and elsewhere…
By Ron Wynn If it seems like the 2019-20 NBA season just ended, that’s because it really did less than two months ago. When the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Miami Heat in Game 6 of the NBA Finals, it occurred on October 11. That was 377 (12 days longer than a calendar year) days since the opening preseason game, and concluded what was easily the longest season in NBA history. While that certainly wasn’t the plan, considering the impact of COVID-19 on both the nation and world as a whole, perhaps the most impressive thing is that the league…
By Ron Wynn NASHVILLE, TN — The ranks of those accusing the Grammy awards of multiple flaws and problems continue to grow. The latest is the vocalist Halsey who used Instagram to blast the Recording Academy over its exclusion of several artists, herself included. Halsey joined Drake, Elton John, Kid Cudi, Charlie Puth and others. Her comments were later carried in numerous entertainment publications and on the Variety website. The Weeknd got things started last week when he ripped the Academy for not including him in any of multiple categories despite the huge commercial success of his latest recording. He…
By Ron Wynn NASHVILLE, TN — Though he’s now passed, memories of the impact and importance of actor Chadwick Boseman remain strong. Now Disney has ensured he’ll be remembered for many days and months to come. They announced Monday that the company had redesigned the Marvel Logo’s introduction to Black Panther on Disney Plus. This was done in honor of what would have been Boseman’s 44th birthday Sunday. Boseman will next be seen posthumously in an upcoming August Wilson adaptation Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom on Netflix. He died on August 28 following a four-year battle with colon cancer. Boseman never…
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…
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…