March musings on Books, TV, Sports and Life When I was in college last century at Middle Tennessee State University, I wrote a (mostly) sports column “Wood Peckings” for the student newspaper Sidelines. But I also made observations about campus life, sports, entertainment and other topics of interest. I’m returning to that format this month, discussing various topics. BOOKS: Below is an excerpt from Five-Star Amazon review of Continue reading
A New Year Blossoms With Big Changes I’m pretty busy this month trying to get Turn to Stone finished while starting a new screenplay, so I don’t have a lot to say about either of those projects right now. What I do want to mention are the big changes that are in store this year for a couple of television shows filmed in Music City. Nashville Continue reading
South California Purples (2017) By Baron R. Birtcher 248 pp. The Permanent Press, $28 cloth Full disclosure: I finally got to meet Baron R. Birtcher at the 2016 Killer Nashville writers convention in Franklin, Tennessee. We had both been attending for years, and Baron’s book Rain Dogs (2013) was nominated for the conference’s annual Claymore and Silver Falchion Awards. But our paths never crossed until last Continue reading
By Tom Wood NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Zach Johnson watched his Florida Gulf Coast basketball team squander a big first-half lead. And with another meltdown a real possibility, the sophomore guard wasn’t about to let it happen again. Thanks in large part to Johnson’s big plays down the stretch, the Eagles (14-5, 3-0 ASUN) hung on for an 84-80 victory over scrappy Lipscomb (10-10, 2-1) on Continue reading
By Tom Wood NASHVILLE, Tenn. – When one team’s shooting is red-hot from outside and the opponent goes ice-cold, the final result can be pretty lopsided. That was certainly the case yesterday at Allen Arena as the FGCU women (13-6, 2-0 ASUN) rolled to a 90-63 victory over host Lipscomb (3-14, 0-2). The Eagles shot 52.2 percent (12-23) from 3-point range while limiting Lipscomb to Continue reading
Of Bowls and Books: A Fun Way to End the Year What a way to wrap up 2016. Most of last week was spent writing for the Nashville Ledger about how the Vanderbilt football program has fared under third-year coach Derek Mason, who this season got the team to the Independence Bowl in Shreveport, La. The package of articles are now in the Dec. 16-22 print edition Continue reading
By Tom Wood Arrive early. Not too soon. But promptly. That’s the ticket to becoming the millionth fan to attend the Music City Bowl. At least that’s my strategy going into Friday’s 2:30 p.m. (CST) kickoff of the 19th annual Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl between Tennessee (8-4) and Nebraska (9-3). The game begins at 2:30 p.m., and will be televised on ESPN. Gates Continue reading
By Tom Wood “I spent the last 24 months driving past this orange mailbox, and I wanted to hit it every day. Every day. Sometimes I’d swerve and I’d pull back and just keep going. Now I don’t have to hit it. I just wave at it.” — Vanderbilt coach Derek Mason on his team’s win against rival Tennessee In these heady times – rich Continue reading
By Tom Wood You might not know this, but Vanderbilt football coach Derek Mason has a lot in common with Nashville Criminal Court Judge Randall Wyatt. Both believe in Commodore football. And like the well-respected judge, Mason has a background in law. The Phoenix native earned a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Northern Arizona in 1993. Of course, the two men practice their specialties Continue reading
By Tom Wood Ardent Vanderbilt football fan Mike Harris patiently waited in line for nearly a half hour to spend a few minutes talking with Vanderbilt coach Derek Mason. It was Dec. 4, and the Commodore faithful had gathered at the Student Life Center on campus to hear players and coaches discuss the team’s upcoming Independence Bowl trip to Shreveport, Louisiana, to play North Carolina Continue reading
