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…
Author: Ron Wynn
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.”…
By Ron Wynn NASHVILLE, TN — Jordan Peele’s string of successes continued this week as Amazon announced Monday that “Hunters,” the series he co-executive produces along with Win Fosenfeld under their Monkeypaw Productions banner has been renewed for a second season. David Weil created the series, and is another executive producer as well as co-showrunner along with Nikki Toscano. Other executive producers include Nelson McCormick, Sonar Entertainment’s David Ellender and Alfonso Gomez-Rejon, who also directed the pilot. Amazon and Sonar co-produce “Hunters”. The announcement ran first in Variety, and was subsequently picked up by other websites. “Hunter’s first season began…
By Ron Wynn NASHVILLE, TN — Disney is tapped the talents of Beyonce Knowles for the production of “Black Is King.” It’s based on the music from “The Lion King: The Gift,” and also stars many of the LPs top artists, plus some guest appearances. The film was produced over a one-year period, and according to a statement from Disney productions, is designed to highlight and recognize the unity and value of Black families. The main story focuses on a young king’s transcendent journey through betrayal, love and self-identity. His ancestors help guide him toward his destiny, and with his…
By Ron Wynn NASHVILLE, TN — One of the lesser publicized, but key figures in the Civil Rights Movement, is Robert F. Williams. He was president of the Monroe, North Carolina chapter in the early 60s. Unlike most other NAACP presidents, Williams believed in confrontation rather than non-violent civil disobedience. His 1962 book “Negroes with Guns” triggered FBI interest in and they began monitoring his activity. Eventually he was forced into exile. Williams went to Cuba, and developed a radio show that was getting so much international attention the government had the signal jammed. This week actor Barry Pepper’s company…
By Ron Wynn NASHVILLE, TN — The expectations are quite different this season for the Tennessee Titans, assuming of course that there will be a complete NFL year. Last Friday the league gave the green light to teams for reporting to training camps last week. Rookies and undrafted free agents were allowed to report last Thursday, while veterans were expected to be in camp Tuesday. After a run of consecutive 9-7 seasons topped by last year’s unexpected advance to the AFC title game, the Titans will no longer be regarded as a surprise team. They’re the highest rated AFC South…
By most measurements, 2020 is going to be the biggest and best year ever for the WNBA. As the league celebrates its 24th season, for the first time due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the women are playing at the same time as the men. They have their own bubble at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, where the abbreviated 22-game season began Saturday. More than half of their games are being nationally televised on ABC, ESPN, ESPN 2 or the CBS Sports Network. The league is also coming off a new collective bargaining agreement that guaranteed at minimum six-figure salaries for…