The National Football League (NFL) and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) both hoped that they could get through full seasons without the COVID-19 pandemic affecting them, a notion that was problematic from the start, and at best illogical. Now that pro and college football teams are dealing with outbreaks, it’s clear whatever policies the NFL and NCAA had previously implemented have to be consistently examined, updated and overhauled. It’s also clear that at least in the NFL, some teams either aren’t fully paying attention to protocols, or just deliberately ignoring them. The Titans’ situation has drawn national attention because…
Author: Ron Wynn
By Ron Wynn NASHVILLE, TN — The reshaping of the Nashville Predators got underway in major fashion last Friday as they announced the signings of two free agent defensemen. The main signing was Mark Boroweicki, who is now on board for two years at four million dollars. The other is defensman Matt Benning. He also signed for two years, but for two million. They are both expected to add depth and toughness to the defensive corps, but are only part of the general makeover of the organization after a very disappointing loss to the Arizona Coyotes in the Stanley Cup…
By Ron Wynn NASHVILLE, TN — Given how special “Lovecraft Country” has been this season, it’s not a surprise that an unconventional and highly distinctive artist would be featured in a highly unusual concert special. Actress/vocalist Janelle Monae will perform a one-of-its-kind VR concert special to mark the season finale of the HBO series. HBO will conclude the first season with “Lovecraft Country: Sanctum,” a series of exclusive virtual reality that transports invited guests into a world inspired by the show, with the social VR experience Music of the Cosmos. For the final VR experience via the Oculus Quest headset,…
The careers of the greatest sister act in tennis are nearing their end. If these were ordinary times, that would be major news in the sports world. But the COVID-19 pandemic has turned everything upside down, including the sports scene. With pro basketball and hockey playoffs extended into the fall, the baseball season reduced to 60 games, and both pro and college football battling outbreaks and postponements, tennis has also seen its season completely altered. There was no Wimbledon this year, and no fans allowed at the US Open. Then last week at the French Open both Serena and Venus…
By Ron Wynn NASHVILLE, TN — This year’s 54th annual Country Music Association (CMA) Awards will make some history. The show will air live from the Music City Center in downtown Nashville from 7-10 p.m. CST Nov. 11. The co-hosts will be Reba McEntire and Darius Rucker. It’s McEntire’s fifth hosting stint and the first for Rucker. It’s also the first time a Black performer has co-hosted the CMA Awards since Charley Pride joined Glenn Campbell in 1975. “I’m thrilled to be back hosting the CMA Awards and even more thrilled that I get to share the stage with Darius…
By Ron Wynn NASHVILLE, TN — Nashville vocalist Brauninger McDaniel’s distinctive mix of jazz, blues, and soul influences has already won her many fans throughout the Middle Tennessee area, but now she’s added a new title to her resume – award-winning vocalist. McDaniel recently won the International Singer-Songwriter Association’s (ISSA) 2020 Gold Female Vocalist of the Year award. This follows her triumph last year as their Female Songwriter of the Year. “It’s quite an honor and very rewarding,” McDaniel told the Tribune. “It’s a realization that the hard work is playing off.” McDaniel’s vocal talents come quite naturally. Her uncle…
Many players are good. A select bunch are great. But there are even fewer who are special, and Gale Sayers was one of them. Sayers, who died last Wednesday at 77, was an artist on the football field. He brought a grace and flair to the running back position that remain unequaled many decades after his retirement. Even though his career was short due to injury, it was so amazing in its entirety that Sayers was eventually voted into the Hall of Fame as the youngest player ever at 34. He was nicknamed “The Kansas Comet,” and he blazed into…
By Ron Wynn NASHVILLE, TN — The ratings may have been lackluster, but Sunday night’s Emmy Awards were special in one regard – the number of Black actors and/or projects featuring people of color that were winners. A record 10 of the 19 performer category awards went to Black actors. Leading the way was Regina King, who earned her fourth Emmy for “Watchmen,” while Zendaya, the star of “Euphoria,” shocked everyone by becoming both the youngest person to win Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama series and the second Black actress to win the award. Other winners included “Mrs. America’s”…
By Ron Wynn NASHVILLE, TN — Coming one year after the best season in school history, the Austin Peay Governors are no doubt thrilled that the fall portion of their current football season is over. Whenever the OVC resumes play, the Governors will begin with an 0-3 mark following a disastrous road game at 14th-ranked Cincinnati. The Bearcats gained nearly 500 yards of total offense and controlled things from start to finish on the way to a 55-20 win in what was Cincinnati’s home opener. The Bearcats QB Desmond Rider completed 13 of 19 passes for 196 yards and two…
Despite the fact it’s 2020 and women have occupied prominent roles in sports journalism now for decades, there remain fossils within the sports world always ready to demean and criticize them. This past week ESPN’s Maria Taylor, a rising star who’s a prominent part of both the network’s NBA and NFL, as well as college football coverage, twice found herself the subject of cheap, sexist commentary that absolutely never would have been aimed at a man. First, a longtime Chicago radio host eventually was fired after he tweeted that what Taylor was wearing in her inaugural appearance as a sideline…