After years of bad publicity and attention regarding the low participation of American-born Blacks in their sport, MLB is starting to make progress. This season, which was delayed for months due to the impact of COVID-19, has seen a slight increase in Black players, though the numbers are nowhere near what they were in the ‘60s or even the early ‘70s. But the 80 players on MLB rosters constitute 7.8 percent of the league, not an impressive total, but still an improvement. There are some who think that folks who continue to dismiss any desire by MLB for more Black…
Author: Ron Wynn
By Ron Wynn NASHVILLE, TN — An inability to protect fourth quarter leads proved the ultimate downfall for the Memphis Grizzlies Saturday, as they lost 126-122 to the Portland Trailblazers in the play-in game for the eighth spot in the NBA playoffs. The Grizzlies led by eight with less than 10 minutes remaining, but could not hold on as Portland rallied led by the heroics of CJ McCollum, Damien Lillard and Jusuf Nurkic. McCollum was particularly devastating with five late points, scoring 29 in all. Lillard led Portland with 31, while Nurkic had 22 points and 21 rebounds. Carmelo Anthony…
By Ron Wynn NASHVILLE, TN — Aunjanue Ellis is one of Hollywood’s busiest and most versatile actress, very much in demand for either drama or comedy, films or television. She’s currently starring in HBO’s “Lovecraft Country.” But last week her role as Dr. Mattie Moss Clark in Lifetime’s “The Clark Sisters: First Ladies of Gospel” didn’t earn her a Best Actress Emmy nomination in a Limited Series or Television Movie category, even though many in the industry thought she was a lock to get one. While Ellis hardly needs any validation or recognition at this stage of her career, she…
It’s not often that the dominant voice and face of a professional sports league openly dismisses the opinion of the nation’s president, and adds that his entire league doesn’t care whether he follows them or not. But that happened last Wednesday when Lebron James responded to Donald Trump’s continuing litany about how players who knelt during the national anthem were disrespecting the flag, and he would not be watching any more NBA games if they did. “I really don’t think the basketball community is sad about losing his viewership,” James told Yahoo Sports. “That’s all I got to say. I…
By Ron Wynn NASHVILLE, TN — No one can say for sure if there will be an NFL season, but at least the Tennessee Titans have resolved their two biggest question marks. Last week outside linebacker Vic Beasley finally reported to training camp, even though he was two days late. The Titans last Friday shifted Beasley from the reserve-did not report list to the active list. Why he reported late remains a mystery, at least to the public. Beasley had to take and pass three negative COVID-19 tests over a four-day period before he could enter the team’s facility. The…
By Ron Wynn NASHVILLE, TN — The Southeastern Conference finalized their schedules for all schools last week, and Vanderbilt’s is among the toughest. The SEC decided to forego non-conference games and play a 10-game schedule. That decision eliminated at least two and maybe three games Vandy had a good shot at winning. If Derek Mason can lead the Commodores to a winning season with this slate (assuming there will even be a season) it will be his finest coaching job since taking over the program. They begin the year at home, which is the about the only good thing that…
By Ron Wynn NASHVILLE, TN — The powerhouse sounds of Louisiana-infused rock, plus aspects of R&B, jam band fare and blues, make “Creole Skies,” the newest release from the band Johnny & The Mongrels, a delight. It predominantly features the energetic lead vocals of Johnny Ryan, who either singly or co-wrote seven of the disc’s 10 selections. The others include a fine cover of Tony Joe White’s “Saturday Night in Oak Grove Louisiana,” plus bassist Jeff Bostic’s “Hard Way,” and keyboardist Bill McKay’s “Just Keep Walking.” There’s a prominent blues feel in such tunes as “True Life,” the title selection…
By Ron Wynn NASHVILLE, TN — The Titans’ hopes for adding free agent pass rusher Jadevon Clowney to their lineup haven’t changed. There’s been no progress made in getting him signed, and according to most reports, he’s not going to make a decision anytime soon. Most players have reported to training camp now, but Clowney remains unsigned. The need for Clowney was already high, as the Titans traded one of their top pass rushers from last season Jurrell Casey. Plus a free agent that they have signed specifically to address that need has yet to appear in camp. Former Atlanta…
By Ron Wynn The Vanderbilt Commodores added a former star to their 2020 football staff last week, while also getting news that their schedule, if there is a season, will be much tougher. The SEC announced that they were going to a total conference-only slate for this season, eliminating non-conference contests, an area where Vanderbilt has traditionally been able to get the majority of its wins. That eliminates Mercer, Colorado State, Louisiana Tech and Kansas State from the schedule, replacing them with the likes of Alabama and Mississippi State among others. The good news is they’ve added to their offensive…
By Ron Wynn NASHVILLE, TN — Pop and country superstar Taylor Swift took immediate action last week to quell any lingering controversy over whether she copied the logo of a prominent Black fashion designer as part of the campaign for her new LP “Folklore.” Swift announced last Friday she was donating to Amira Rasool’s company and the Black in Fashion Council, and that she had changed the design. The controversy began when Rasool wrote on Instagram July 24 that, “This morning, it came to my attention that musician #TaylorSwift is selling merchandise to go along with her new album “Folklore.”…