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,…
Author: Ron Wynn
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…
By Ron Wynn NASHVILLE, TN — Nashville percussionist Tom Larson has been actively involved in a very special cause the past four years: helping find ways to protect schools and churches in Uganda from prevalent lightning strikes. He witnessed the problem first hand in 2014 after appearing at a festival in Kabale, Uganda produced by the Global Livingston Institute. There he learned that the local school was frequently hit by lightning, and things were so bad that not only had many children been hurt, but there were times when the schools had to shut down. Larson joined forces with Patrick…
The opening of the NFL season last week was overshadowed by a marketing decision that has been alternately praised and criticized. Nike Corporation decided to make Colin Kaepernick the focal point (though not the only part) of its latest “Just Do It” campaign, emphasizing the fact he was willing to sacrifice his career and then comparing him to other noted athletes who’ve paid the price for their decision. Interestingly, the way some people have responded, they act as though somehow Nike just pulled this out of the air, while some others lauding the company are overlooking some key facts regarding…
By Ron Wynn NASHVILLE, TN — The Tennessee Titans truly hope that preseason play means nothing, because they ended it 0-4 following their final 13-3 lackluster loss to Minnesota at Nissan Stadium August 30. Fortunately every game from this point counts, and the Titans announced the 53-man roster last Friday with a couple of surprises, both in terms of those who made it, and those who didn’t. The Titans won’t go with three quarterbacks, an unstated assumption that their offensive line will be able to prevent another injury to starter Marcus Mariota. Blaine Gabbert didn’t overwhelm anyone during the preseason,…
This hasn’t been an especially good year for MLB, despite the surprise performances of some teams like the Boston Red Sox, Atlanta Braves and Philadelphia Phillies. The sport’s endured among other things a silly feud between its Commissioner and arguably its best player (Mike Trout) over whether he’s doing enough to support their marketing efforts. Ugly racist tweets from players have surfaced multiple times, in each case the players apologizing for actions done in their younger days and seeking forgiveness for their bigoted expressions. One of the best rookies in either league, the Braves’ Ronald Acuna, has twice been targeted…
By Ron Wynn Dr. Johnny Kline, initially known for his athletic feats but throughout his later years much more for extolling the values of education and history, died July 26 in Lebanon at 86. Kline had become well known in Nashville and throughout the Mid-South for his lectures on basketball history, as well as the importance of athletes also getting their education. Though a historic figure as a member of the Globetrotters in the ‘50s, he preferred to stress his later exploits as an educator and a curator of early Black basketball heroics. The six-foot-three Kline earned the nickname “Jumpin’…