Tennessee’s thrilling 52-49 win over Alabama on Saturday at Neyland Stadium was the most watched sports event in the Nashville market this football season posting a score of 25.8, according to WTVF-5 senior programming director Mark Binda.
That means 289,244 local households tuned in to see the Vols knock off the Crimson Tide for the first time in 15 seasons when Chase McGrath made a 40-yard field goal as time expired.
With the Tennessee Titans on an open week Sunday the second-most watched sports event in the market for the week was the Buffalo Bills’ 24-20 win over the Kansas City Chiefs, which earned a 17.8 rating (199,556 households) and third was the Philadelphia Eagles’ 26-17 win over the Dallas Cowboys, which earned a 12.0 rating (134,532 households).
The Vols’ previously highest-rated game was against Florida on Sept. 24, which earned an 18.7.
The second most-watched game this season in the market was the Titans-New York Giants on Sept. 11, which earned a 23.4.
Nationally the game averaged 11.557 viewers and was the most-watched in the series on record and the most-watched college game on any network of the season.
The game peaked with nearly 17 million viewers, the most on CBS in three years since LSU-Alabama in 2019 peaked with 16.712 million viewers.
Darius Garland forms Nashville Youth Basketball League
Former Brentwood Academy and Vanderbilt star Darius Garland, now an NBA All-Star point guard, is launching a youth basketball league in Nashville.
Before Garland returned to the Cleveland Cavs for the 2022-23 season, he organized the Darius Garland Youth Basketball League.
It’s for boys and girls kindergarten through eighth grade and will be played at three sites – Brentwood Academy, Hillwood and Lipscomb Academy.
It is a unique concept, which tips off Nov. 19 and runs through Feb. 25.
“A lot of NBA players have their own AAU type programs or clinics, but we’re not sure any of them have a league that they’ve sponsored,” said Hubie Smith, who coached Garland at Brentwood Academy. “Darius is really excited about doing something different.”
Garland spent time over the summer putting the league together. When he left for the NBA preseason he turned it over to Smith and his parents Winston, a former NBA player, and Felicia, who serve as board members.
“It’s going to be a league spread out all over, Nashville trying to make it more diverse, trying to make it more of an upscale I would call mid- to upper-tier competitive level,” Smith said. “It’s going to be really good for the youth of Nashville because basketball shaped so much of who Darius is and he wanted to give back a league where the youth can play in and get better.”
The league will be made up of preformed teams. Coaches put together their own teams and then sign up at Garland’s personal website.
“It’s a bring your own team league,” Smith said. “That makes it more competitive because coaches are going to go out and find the best players to put on their teams.”
The most advanced players will play on the gold division and less advanced in the silver division.
Hillwood coach Pete Froedden will oversee the games at Hillwood, Lipscomb Academy coach Kevin Starks will over the games at Lipscomb Academy and former Maplewood star Spencer Richardson will over games at Brentwood Academy.
More than 100 teams are already registered. Smith said the league will accept about 50 more.
Coaches interested in putting together teams and signing up should contact Smith at hubiesmith10@gmail.com or visit Garland’s website dgthepg.com and click on “YBL Registration” in the upper left corner.
Players with local connections named to Lierberman award watch list
Three players with local ties – Tennessee’s Jasmine Powell, Belmont’s Destinee Wells and Mississippi State’s Anastasia Hayes, a former Riverdale standout who began her collegiate career at MTSU – are on the 2023 Nancy Lierberman Point Guard of the Year watch list.
Powell is a senior transfer from Minnesota, Wells was a two-time All-OVC first team selection and is the Missouri Valley preseason player of the year, and Hayes made the All-SEC second team last season.
Belmont receives votes in the AP Top 25 women’s poll
The Belmont women’s basketball team, picked as the favorite to win the Missouri Valley Conference, received 14 votes in the preseason Associated Press Top 25.
The Bruins are the only MVC program represented in the poll. The only other team from the state in the poll or among others receiving votes is Tennessee at No. 5.
Belmont also received votes in the preseason media poll in 2018-19 and 2016-17. The Bruins have spent five weeks in the AP Top 25, appearing in five polls during the 2017-18. On Feb. 26, 2018, Belmont reached a program-best No. 22 ranking in the poll.
The Bruins went 23-8 last season, won the OVC regular season and tournament championships and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament where they lost to Tennessee 70-67.
Sycho Sid and Commando Chaos coming to Hendersonville
Commando Chaos, featuring WWE legend Sycho Sid and presented by Pro Wrestling Entertainment, is set for Oct. 29 at Ellis Middle School. It starts at 7:30 p.m. and is a fundraiser for the Hendersonville baseball team.
PWE champion Chris Michael will also be in action along with Alex Taylor, Doug Gilbert and Damien Wayne and others.
For tickets or more information visit ProWrestlingENT.com.
Former Cincinnati Red and Nashville Vol Jim Bailey dies at 87
Jim Bailey, a major league baseball player who also played for the Nashville Vols minor league team, died on Oct. 12. He was 87.
Bailey, a native of Strawberry Plains, was a left-handed pitcher for the Nashville Vols from 1958-60.
He was called up by the Cincinnati Reds during the 1959 season. His brother Ed Bailey was his catcher during his time with the Reds.
Bailey retired in 1961 after a six-year career.
Adam Greeno leaving Tennessee PGA to take over Midwest
Adam Greeno, who spent the last 14 years with the Tennessee Section of the PGA, is the new executive director/CEO for the Midwest Section of the PGA.
He replaced Brad Demo, who will retire in December.
Greeno started with the Tennessee Section as an intern in 2009. Greeno went on to hold several leadership positions including field director, assistant tournament director, director of tournament 0perations, and most recently, tournament director.
Author will speak and sign Title IX book at Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame
Local author Mary Ellen Pethel, a Belmont professor, will speak and sign her new book, “Title IX, Pat Summitt, And Tennessee’s Trailblazers: Fifty Years, Fifty Stories,” Nov. 3 at the Tennessee Lottery Speaker Series at the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame.
The book details the role Pat Summitt and other women from Tennessee played in the Title IX legislation, which began 50 years ago.
The event is free and begins at 6:30 p.m.
MTSU’s Kyle Ulbrich receives Ray Guy Punter of the Week honor
Middle Tennessee State punter Kyle Ulbrich was named the Ray Guy Punter of the Week last week by the Augusta Sports Council and the Ray Guy Award.
Ulbrich punted nine times against Western Kentucky and had a gross average of 49.7 yards and a net average of 44.3 yards after having only three punts returned for 28 yards.
Four of his punts ended up inside Western Kentucky’s 20-yard line and he had a long punt of 72 yards.
If you have an item for Midstate Chatter contact Mike Organ at 615-259-8021 or on Twitter @MikeOrganWriter.
