Jim Irsay could end up spending more time in Nashville than his annual visit for the Indianapolis Colts game against the Tennessee Titans.
The Colts owner and CEO, who will be in town this week for Sunday’s Titans-Colts game at Nissan Stadium, is seeking a permanent home for his extensive collection of sports, music and historical artifacts and is considering Nashville.
Irsay’s is one of the most diverse privately owned collections in America.
“It’s deep and heavy in rock ‘n’ roll music, American history, fine books and manuscripts and what I call a fourth category of other memorabilia that lends itself toward movie scripts and other artifacts,” Colts vice president for special projects Larry Hall said. “It has a lot of breadth and depth and certainly merits a museum.”
Irsay also is considering New York or Los Angeles for his museum.
Irsay tested the waters in Nashville Saturday when he displayed a sub-collection of his artifacts at Loews Vanderbilt Hotel (6-9 p.m.) at an invitation-only event.
Among the sports items in the collection are Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig signed baseballs, a signed Jackie Robinson bat, the shoes Muhammad Ali wore in the Thrilla in Manilla, a Wayne Gretzky rookie game-worn jersey, a 2005 Masters pin flag signed by Tiger Woods and a game-used football from the 1958 NFL Championship between the Baltimore Colts and New York Giants known as The Greatest Game Ever Played.
Musical instruments and items include some owned and used by Bob Dylan, TheBeatles, Prince, Eric Clapton, Elton John, Jim Morrison, Jerry Garcia, Les Paul and Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour.
Some of the historical pieces include letters written by George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, and in the the pop culture collection are movie scripts from “Jerry McGuire” and “Monty Python and the Holy Grail” along with Mike Myers’ glasses from his Austin Powers movies and an Apple II manual signed by Steve Jobs in 1980, which Irsay purchased at auction in April for $787,484.
“Mr. Irsay knows that none of us are going to be around forever, and it is very important to him to preserve these items,” Hall said. “He has a passion for the items and the instruments and those things that have been used by great artists in music history and great writers. But it really comes down to his passion for people and wanting to share these artifacts with them.”
Titans get highest TV ratings for September game in 10 years
Television ratings for the Titans game at Seattle on Sunday were the highest in 10 years for a September game.
The overtime game scored a 29.4 local rating, according to WTVF-5 senior programming director Mark Binda.
That was the highest September rating for the Titans since their home game against Baltimore on Sept. 18, 2011, which was a 30.6.
It means 329,603 Nashville households tuned in to Channel 5 to see the Titans come from behind and beat the Seahawks 33-30 on a 36-yard field goal by Randy Bullock.
The week before, the Titans posted their highest TV rating for a season-opening game in six years in a 38-13 home loss to Arizona. That game earned a 25.2 rating.
Cane Ridge’s Adonai Mitchell is SEC freshman of the week
Former Cane Ridge star Adonai Mitchell, now at Georgia, was the SEC freshman of the week.
Mitchell, a wide receiver, had four catches for a team-high 77 yards and a touchdown in a 21-6 win over South Carolina.
Mitchell, who was the nation’s No. 6 wide receiver as a high school senior according to the 247Sports Composite and originally committed to Ole Miss, has six catches for 119 yards on the season.
Local players shine in OVC
Former Brentwood Academy linebacker Jack McDonald, now at Austin Peay, and former Overton linebacker John Ford, now at UT Martin, were the Ohio Valley Conference co-defensive players of the week.
McDonald had three tackles, a quarterback hurry and returned an interception 32 yards for a touchdown in a 59-35 win over Morehead State.
Ford had five tackles and a key interception as UT Martin won 35-10 at Northwestern State.
Vols transfer Ty Chandler has big day for North Carolina
Former Montgomery Bell Academy and Tennessee running back Ty Chandler, who transferred to North Carolina, rushed for 198 yards on 20 carries in the Tar Heels’ 59-39 win over Virginia.
Chandler also scored a pair of touchdowns on runs of 5 and 7 yards.
Chandler is North Carolina’s leading rusher on the season and third in the ACC with 322 yards on 45 carries and three touchdowns.
Belmont is a top 10 mid-major to watch
Belmont’s men’s basketball team is listed among “10 mid-majors to watch for the 21-22 season,” by College Hoops Today writer Jon Rothstein.
The teams were listed in no particular order.
“Every single player of significance returns from a team that finished 26-4 last season and lost in the OVC title game to Morehead State,” Rothstein wrote. “That type of player retention is very rare in today’s college basketball landscape.”
The other teams were BYU, Liberty, Oral Roberts, Iona, Drake, Loyola Chicago, Alabama-Birmingham, Cleveland State and UC Santa Barbara
Tennessee Tech announces 2021 hall of fame class
Longtime Tennessee Tech basketball coach and administrator Frank Harrell is among five individuals in the school’s 2021 athletic hall of fame class.
Harrell began his career on the basketball staff at Tennessee and has spent more than 40 years at Tech. He started out as an assistant coach on Tom Deaton’s staff in 1980 before replacing Deaton, who resigned abruptly during a tournament in Hawaii in the 1989-90 season.
Harrell transitioned to administration in 1997 when he was named associate athletics director and is currently special assistant to the athletics director.
Others in the class are Morris Irby (baseball, 1971), Leah Meffert (volleyball, 2010), Chad Oberacker (baseball, 2011) and Ashley Potts (softball, 2007).
Since the 2020 class induction did not take place because of COVID-19 that class will also be honored. It includes A.J. Kirby-Jones (baseball, 2010), Stephanie Place (cross country and track and field, 2010), Thomas Squires (football, 1987), and Borja Zarco (men’s tennis, 2008).
The induction ceremony is Nov. 12 at 6:30 p.m. in the University Center. Tickets are available through the Hooper Eblen Center ticket office by calling 931-372-3940 or by visiting TTUSports.com.
Both groups will also be recognized at the Nov. 13 homecoming football game against UT-Martin.
Tommy John will speak at Old Timers banquet
Tommy John, who spent 26 years as a major league pitcher, will be the featured speaker at the 84th annual Nashville Old Timers Baseball Banquet.
The banquet is Jan. 16 at the Sonesta Nashville Airport.
John, a lefty, pitched for the Cleveland Indians, Chicago White Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees (twice), California Angels and Oakland Athletics.
He led the American League in shutouts in 1966 (five), 1967 (six) and 1980 (six), and was selected as an All-Star in 1968, 1978, 1979 and 1980.
He is notable for a surgical procedure in 1974 performed by Dodgers team doctor Frank Jobe, in which a ligament in the elbow of John’s pitching arm was replaced with a tendon from his right forearm, commonly referred to as Tommy John surgery.
Tickets are $75. To order tickets or for more information about the banquet, call Carter Brown at 615-476-0271.
Father Ryan inducts 2021 class
Father Ryan inducted nine athletes and one contributor into the school’s athletics hall of fame.
The athletes were Raymond Dunning (2003), Dean Francescon (1987), Carmen (Mondelli) Lux (1991), John Sneed (1974), Jack “Red” Sullivan (1949), Jamie (Birdwell) Summers (1993), Derek Wigginton (1997), Bobby Young (1950) and George Zimmermann (1985).
The contributor was Eddie Krenson (1972).
Anderson steps down as TGA director
Chad Anderson resigned Monday as executive director of the Tennessee Golf Association effective immediately.
Anderson had held the position since 2017. In 2003 Anderson was named assistant tournament director for the Tennessee PGA and in 2007 became the first regional director for the TGA.
TGA senior director of rules and competitions Allison Brown replaced Anderson on an interim basis for the remainder of the year.
Ryan Terry finishes third in Mid-Amateur Championship
Ryan Terry from Nashville finished third in the TGA Mid-Amateur Championship at Oak Ridge Country Club.
Terry shot a 15-under 201 in the three-day tournament.
Todd Burgan from Powell was the winner at 23-under.
Adam Condello from Vanderbilt Legends Club and Travis Womble from Hillwood Country Club tied for seventh (11-under) with two others.
For the complete results, visit Mid-Amateur Championship.
Morris, Chappell and Ingram are top three in Senior Amateur
Kelly Morris from Franklin won the Tennessee Senior Amateur Golf Championship while Erica Chappell of Nashville finished second and Sarah Ingram, also from Nashville, was third.
Morris posted a 5-over 71 in the two-day tournament at Cleveland Country Club. Chappell was 2-over and Ingram was 3-over. Julie Carlton from Hermitage tied for seventh at 14-over.
Gena Ridings from Franklin was third (11-over) in the super senior amateur championship and Mary Kelly from Mt. Juliet was fourth (18-over).
Maggie Scott from Cleveland was the winner (1-under).
Chattanooga’s Blakesly Warren won the Mid-Amateur Championship (4-under). Andrea Cropper from Nashville tied for fourth (11-over).
Westhaven Golf Club reopens
Westhaven Golf Club in Franklin reopened Friday. The 18-hole course was closed for five months for greens renovation and an enhancement project.
The renovation included the redesign of six greens, a newly designed practice putting green, and a conversion of all putting surfaces to TifEagle Bermudagrass.
Golf course architect and former Augusta National superintendent Billy Fuller oversaw the project.
Phase II of the project will take place next summer when five green complexes will be redesigned and renovated.
Nashville marathon needs volunteers
Volunteers are needed for the St. Jude Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon, which is scheduled for Nov. 20.
The marathon originally was scheduled for April but was moved because of COVID-19.
Volunteer positions start on Nov. 18 at the Health & Fitness Expo and run until race day.
Anyone interested can register at competitorgroupinc.volunteerlocal.com/volunteer/.
TSU offers coaches clinic
Tennessee State will offer a free basketball coaches clinic at Gentry Center.
The clinic is scheduled for 10 a.m.-noon Oct. 3 and held in partnership with the Basketball Coaches Association of Tennessee.
It is open to all levels of coaches.
To attend or for more information, email [email protected].
Mt. Juliet Christian Academy golf tournament set for Oct. 21
The Mt. Juliet Christian Academy golf tournament Links for Legacy is Oct. 21 at Hermitage Golf Course.
There will be a 1 p.m. shotgun start. Registration begins at 11 a.m.
The cost is $125 per player and includes a meal, range balls, swag bags and prizes. Foursomes are also eligible. Proceeds benefit the school’s tuition assistance program.
For more information contact David Kitchen at [email protected].
If you have an item for Midstate Chatter contact Mike Organ at 615-259-8021 or on Twitter @MikeOrganWriter.
Sports on Nashville TV
The five highest-rated sports events locally for the week ending Sept. 19 in Nashville:
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