No network has a bigger sports presence than ESPN. Conversely, no outlet finds itself in more thorny situations because ESPN wants to be both a journalistic center and a partner with various sports networks. That raises perennial conflict-of-interest problems, because inevitably something will happen that requires a more objective, potentially embarrassing approach than a league would prefer, or a commentator or guest will say something on air, in print or online that can be easily create a controversy. The latter happened last week when longtime Democratic Party strategist and rabid LSU sports fan James Carville was a guest on ESPN’s…
Author: Ron Wynn
Wyomia Tyus is among a special group of women athletes. They were and are the Tennessee State Tigerbelles. Under the leadership of longtime coach Ed Temple, these women were pioneering champions decades before there was any such legislation as Title IX. They excelled in an era when women’s sports in general got scant coverage, and the achievements of Black women athletes even less attention. A lot of HBCUs didn’t even have women’s teams, or for that matter sufficient track facilities period, when Ed Temple began building one of the greatest sports legacies in college sports history. Over a 44-year-period Temple…
NASHVILLE, TN — Nashville doesn’t have a Major League Baseball team, but there’s still a strong hometown feel to the upcoming World Series that began Tuesday night. That’s because the Boston Red Sox have two key players on their roster with definite Middle Tennessee roots who still spend a lot of time in the area during the offseason. Those players are right fielder Mookie Betts and starting pitcher David Price. Both will be central figures as the Red Sox try to cap a remarkable season that’s seen them win 108 games in the regular season, then dismantle the Yankees in…
By Ron Wynn NASHVILLE, TN — No track coach on any campus in this nation ever matched the record set by the legendary Ed Temple and his amazing Tennessee State Tigerbelles squads. Under his leadership, TSU had some 40 athletes achieve national glory, many of them winning not only NCAA medals and notoriety, but Olympic medals as well. In addition, Temple would attain international recognition as a coach, later serving on the coaching staffs of both Pan American and Olympic teams. Finally there’s now a film available about Temple’s exploits and it’s coming to town this week at the Main…
Expectations in professional sports for coaches and managers are often ridiculously high, but in the case of Los Angeles Dodgers’ manager Dave Roberts, they may be at the absurd level. Roberts, whose team at press tine was tied 1-1 with the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Championship Series, is essentially operating without a contract. His option has not yet been picked up for 2019, and there is not only talk that if the Dodgers don’t win the World Series he’s out, it’s been said on both ESPN and Fox Sports by broadcasters who are reportedly knowledgeable about the situation.…
Football fans all over the nation, indeed just folks period, were shocked and saddened last week upon hearing about the devastating head injury suffered by Tennessee State University linebacker Christion Abercrombie. Subsequently there have been stories in almost every major newspaper and on both broadcast and cable news programs. Prayer vigils have been held, and a wave of emails and online good wishes have come forward. At press time he remained in critical condition, but there were some small encouraging signs. TSU head coach Rod Reed on his radio show last week was very somber as he described the play,…
One month into the NFL season, the league has some reasons for optimism. Scoring is up at record levels, ratings are creeping back up, and there’s been far fewer player protests or controversy regarding them. ESPN and other networks have simply begun starting their telecasts later, not including the anthem segments, which means that even if players are kneeling or doing other visible signs of protest they aren’t being shown on television. That in turn greatly diminishes any political capital that people like President Trump would get out of mislabeling them, since he’s not going to take enough time or…
Only soccer surpasses basketball today as a global sport. The NBA has players from more than 40 nations, and it’s routine now for major American colleges to have on their squads representatives from a host of continents. Baseball and hockey also have substantial international impact, but neither matches basketball in terms of overall diversity, either racially or sexually. Still, one thing that is easily overlooked today due to the domination of African-Americans is the fact the sport had its growing pains in regards to racial issues, and took far too long to expand opportunities for women coaches and athletes. But…
By Ron Wynn NASHILLE, TN — The Nashville Predators will lose one of their top players for not only the entire preseason, but quite possibly 27 games of the regular season following last week’s suspension of forward Austin Watson. Watson was suspended following the completion of a league investigation into a domestic violence incident with his girlfriend. “I have determined that Nashville Player Austin Watson engaged in a physical confrontation with his domestic partner,” NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said in a league-issued statement last Wednesday. “Today’s ruling, while tailored to the specific facts of this case and the individuals involved,…
Considering how few top college football teams have Black head coaches, it’s never too soon to review their situations, especially at places that expect immediate and consistent progress. After only three games, it couldn’t look worse for Willie Taggart at Florida State, while despite a crushing loss Saturday night so far things look fairly good for Herman Edwards at Arizona State. It seemed like a great move last year when Willie Taggart signed a six-year, $30 million dollar deal to become Florida State’s new head coach. Taggart had enjoyed success at Western Kentucky and South Florida, and done reasonably well…