Mickey Guyton and husband Grant Savoy are expecting their first child.
Mickey shared the news via Instagram on Aug. 25, stating: “Even in times of darkness, like the ones we as a society find ourselves in today, God always finds a way to shine His light on the beautiful side of life, like the miracle of life itself. I’m so excited to announce that I’m having a baby! My life completely changed in an instant. Literally nothing else matters. I’m so excited and terrified all at the same time. I have no idea what I am doing but am so thankful that God chose me to be this baby’s mom.”
Mickey and Grant were married in June 2017.
Mickey will release a new six-song EP, Bridges, on Sept. 11. Mickey co-penned every song on the upcoming EP, which also features songwriters Karen Kosowski, Hillary Lindsey, Jesse Frasure, Nathan Chapman and Victoria Banks. The EP includes recent releases “Black Like Me” and “What Are You Gonna Tell Her?” as well as current single, “Heaven Down Here.”
ORLANDO, Fla. – The 2020 NBA playoffs are nearly through the first round. Here is a look at how four former Vol hoops standouts are faring in the bubble.
Despite being swept by the Boston Celtics in the first round of the NBA Playoffs, Tobias Harris was one of Philadelphia’s top producers in its first-round series.
He averaged close to a double-double, posting 15.8 points, 9.5 rebounds and 4.0 assists in four games against the Celtics. In the 76ers final game, on Sunday, Harris suffered a facial laceration after falling headfirst on the court. But he returned to the court and contributed in the game’s closing minutes.
Harris closed his first full season in the City of Brotherly Love averaging slightly less than 20 points and more than seven rebounds per contest, while starting in every game in which he appeared.
In his first season in Philadelphia, Josh Richardson was a key focal point in the 76ers’ game plan.
He started in all but two appearances for Philly this season and was relied upon heavily during the bubble restart.
Arguably, his most consistent stretch of games came in the playoffs, where he scored 15-plus points in all four games against Boston and was one of Philadelphia’s best performers on the defensive end of the floor.
Grant Williams took on a more advanced role for the Celtics during the playoffs, appearing in all four games against the Philadelphia 76ers and scoring in the final three contests of the series.
He put together his most complete performance for the men in green on Wednesday night in game two, when he came off the bench to score a bubble-high nine points in 21 minutes while pulling in six rebounds, dishing off two assists and blocking one shot. He also finished the night with an impressive plus/minus of +21.
Williams has also been perfect from behind the 3-point line in the postseason, knocking down all four of his attempts from beyond the arc.
The Celtics are set to play the second-seeded Toronto Raptors in the next round, with game one scheduled for Thursday at 6:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.
Kyle Alexander | Miami Heat Kyle Alexander has yet to appear for the Miami Heat in the 2020 Playoffs after logging minutes in a pair of games since the restart.
Miami swept the Indiana Pacers in its first-round series and will await the winner of the Milwaukee Bucks and Orlando Magic in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
VFL Team Schedule and Results
Boston Celtics
7/31 vs. Milwaukee Bucks, 119-112 Loss
8/2 vs. Portland Trail Blazers, 128-124 Win
8/4 vs. Miami Heat, 112-106 Loss
8/5 vs. Brooklyn Nets, 149-115 Win
8/7 vs. Toronto Raptors, 122-100 Win
8/9 vs. Orlando Magic, 122-119 Win
8/11 vs. Memphis Grizzlies, 122-107 Win
8/13 vs. Washington Wizards, 96-90 Loss
8/17 vs. Philadelphia 76ers, 109-101 Win (Boston Leads 1-0)
8/19 vs. Philadelphia 76ers, 128-101 Win (Boston Leads 2-0)
8/21 vs. Philadelphia 76ers, 102-94 Win (Boston Leads 3-0)
8/23 vs. Philadelphia 76ers, 110-106 Win (Boston Wins Series 4-0)
8/27 vs. Toronto Raptors, Gm. 1 6:30 p.m. ET ESPN
8/29 vs. Toronto Raptors, Gm. 2 TBD
8/31 vs. Toronto Raptors, Gm. 3 TBD
9/2 vs. Toronto Raptors, Gm. 4 TBD
9/4 vs. Toronto Raptors, Gm. 5 (if necessary) TBD
9/6 vs. Toronto Raptors, Gm. 6 (if necessary) TBD
9/8 vs. Toronto Raptors, Gm. 7 (if necessary) TBD
Philadelphia 76ers
8/1 vs. Indiana Pacers, 127-121 Loss
8/3 vs. San Antonio Spurs, 132-130 Win
8/5 vs. Washington Wizards, 107-98 Win
8/7 vs. Orlando Magic, 108-101 Win
8/9 vs. Portland Trailblazers, 124-121 Loss
8/11 vs. Phoenix Suns, 130-117 Loss
8/12 vs. Toronto Raptors, 125-121 Loss
8/14 vs. Houston Rockets, 134-96 Win
8/17 vs. Boston Celtics, 109-101 Loss (Boston Leads 1-0)
8/19 vs. Boston Celtics, 128-101 Loss (Boston Leads 2-0)
8/21 vs. Boston Celtics, 102-94 Loss (Boston Leads 3-0)
8/23 vs. Boston Celtics, 110-106 Loss (Boston Wins Series 4-0)
Miami Heat
8/1 vs. Denver Nuggets, 125-105 Win
8/3 vs. Toronto Raptors, 107-103 Loss
8/4 vs. Boston Celtics, 112-106 Win
8/6 vs. Milwaukee Bucks, 130-116 Loss
8/8 vs. Phoenix Suns, 119-112 Loss
8/10 vs. Indiana Pacers, 114-92 Win
8/12 vs. Oklahoma City Thunder, 116-115 Loss
8/14 vs. Indiana Pacers, 109-92 Loss
8/18 vs. Indiana Pacers, 113-101 Win (Miami Leads 1-0)
8/20 vs. Indiana Pacers, 109-100 Win (Miami Leads 2-0)
8/22 vs. Indiana Pacers, 124-115 Win (Miami Leads 3-0)
8/24 vs. Indiana Pacers, 99-87 Win (Miami Wins Series 4-0)
Wynonna will release a new EP of cover songs, Recollections, on Oct. 30.
The five-song EP features Wynnona covering “I Hear You Knocking” by Fats Domino, “I’m a King Bee” by Slim Harpo, “Angel From Montgomery” by John Prine, “Feeling Good” by Nina Simone and “Ramble On Rose” by the Grateful Dead.
Wynnona recorded much of the album while quarantining on her Tennessee farm with husband, multi-instrumentalist and producer Cactus Moser.
“This EP was a labor of love without the labor,” says Wynonna. “As a songwriter, you can get bogged down in your own craft sometimes, but there’s something so liberating about letting go of all that and just inhabiting someone else’s writing.”
Below, listen to Wynonna perform “I’m a King Bee,” a half-century-old blues tune she and Cactus have been performing live for years.
Chris Stapleton teased a hard-hitting new release via his social media platforms on Aug. 24.
The 37-second clip was posted across Chris’ Facebook, Twitter and Instagram with the date “11.13.20.” Chris’ past social media posts were deleted to draw attention to the new clip, while his profile photo was replaced with a white backdrop featuring the scrawled words “Starting Over” and “Chris Stapleton.”
The intense video clip features Chris playing guitar, backup vocalists, wife Morgane, animals, insects, fire and more.
Chris hasn’t released a solo single since “Millionaire,” which dropped in April 2018. Chris’ most recent album was 2017’s From A Room: Volume 2. Chris collaborated with Pink for 2019’s “Love Me Anyway.” He teamed with Ed Sheeran and Bruno Mars for 2019’s “Blow.”
Stay tuned for more Stapleton details.
[update on Aug. 25 at 1 p.m. CT]
On Aug. 25, Chris noted via Twitter—accompanied by a 21-second audio clip featuring guitar strumming—that he will be releasing new song “Starting Over” on Aug. 27 at noon CT.
To align with state and local social-distancing guidelines for public gatherings, Tennessee Athletics has finalized its adjusted seating model for the 2020 football season at Neyland Stadium. Pending the status of the current pandemic, our hope is that this plan is only required for one season and that Neyland Stadium can return to its traditional seating model in 2021.
At the first home game of the 2020 season—Saturday, Oct. 3—gameday seating at Neyland Stadium will be approximately 25 percent of the venue’s full capacity. Capacity restrictions could change as the season progresses, based on statewide virus data and evolving recommendations of public health officials. Fans statewide are encouraged to do their part by wearing masks in public and practicing healthy habits.
“I can’t overstate how much I empathize with the thousands of fans who won’t get to experience gameday in Neyland Stadium this fall,” Tennessee Director of Athletics Phillip Fulmer said. “These circumstances are beyond our control, and we understand the importance of playing our part to keep our community healthy. For those who will be with us in the stadium this season, please know that we are committed to creating the safest possible environment in and around Neyland Stadium.”
Current UT students and active Tennessee Fund donors with season tickets will receive priority on 2020 football tickets. Tickets will be offered as season tickets based on Tennessee Fund annual gift amount and rank order. With the Vols scheduled to host five SEC opponents for the first time since 1959, the original season-ticket price has not changed.
Student seating sections remain the same as in past seasons (sections D-K). New, socially distanced student-seating guidelines (including capacity in those sections) will be determined by the UTK Office of Student Life. Students can request tickets—which will be issued on a game-by-game basis—via BigOrangeTix.UTK.edu starting on Sept. 23 for the first home game.
Ticket holders with seats in premium areas of Neyland Stadium will be notified of capacity reductions in those locations. Ticket holders with seats unable to be used in premium areas have been relocated to the main stadium bowl, leading to a domino-effect restructuring in the bowl area.
All ticket locations in the new, adjusted seating model are assigned by the Tennessee Fund according to mandated guidelines for social distancing.
Once seating in premium areas has been assigned, donors will be segmented according to their Tennessee Fund annual gift amount and rank order. Starting Thursday, donors in descending segments/groups will receive an email from [email protected] offering tickets in a specific location and a deadline by which they must accept or decline the ticket offer. If no response is received by the deadline, the tickets will automatically be accepted and charges will be processed. Please note that the deadline to respond will be 48 hours from when the email offer is sent. This group email process could take up to three weeks to complete but could conclude sooner. All donors and ticket holders are encouraged to ensure that [email protected] is an approved sender to avoid having the ticket offer email directed to a junk or spam folder.
Those who decline tickets will receive an email outlining options on how to manage the ticket and donation funds associated with their account. They will have the option to 1) donate their 2020 ticket payment and donation to the Tennessee Fund as a tax-deductible contribution, 2) have their 2020 ticket payment and donation carry over for the 2021 football season, or 3) receive a refund for the price of their tickets and donation.
Details about the Student-Athlete Volunteer Excellence (S.A.V.E.) Fund will be included in that email. Gifts supporting the S.A.V.E. Fund provide critical resources necessary to deliver a world-class experience to Tennessee’s more than 600 student-athletes—who will continue their academic pursuits in 2020-21 even if their sports’ seasons are canceled or shortened—while impacting the long-term success of UT’s comprehensive athletics program.
After each donor segment’s deadline passes, tickets will be offered and assigned to the next segment of donors. This process will continue until tickets offers are provided to all active Tennessee Fund donors or the adjusted capacity is reached. As donors decline tickets throughout that process, ticket-offer opportunities extend to more individuals. Any ticket inventory that remains after offers have been extended to all active Tennessee Fund donors will then be offered to season-ticket holders who are not active donors.
Regardless of their decision to opt in or out for this fall, everyone who purchased 2020 football season-tickets will retain their status as a season-ticket holder along with their seats of choice when the 2021 renewal process begins.
Tennessee Fund members giving at the Bronze Victor level and above are capped at eight tickets per game or their previous quantity of tickets held (whichever is fewer). Members giving at the Mountaineer Level and above are capped at four tickets per game or their previous quantity of tickets held (whichever is fewer). These ticket caps enable a minimum of 5,400 tickets per game for distribution to additional donors, increasing attendance opportunities for more households of Tennessee fans.
“We appreciate so much the many generous donors with high levels of historic giving who have been understanding and accepting of these one-year caps,” Fulmer said. “Those limits create thousands of opportunities for additional loyal fans to experience gameday with us at Neyland Stadium.”
For all tickets purchased on the secondary marketplace (tickets not purchased directly from Tennessee Athletics), Tennessee Athletics cannot guarantee that they will be socially distanced. Fans who purchase tickets on the secondary market may find themselves seated directly next to a stranger.
“Fans attending games this season are going to have to relearn much of the Tennessee gameday experience,” Associate Athletics Director for Fan Experience & Sales Jimmy Delaney said. “Education prior to arrival is key to ensuring that fans have a smooth experience once they get to campus. In the weeks to come, we’ll be sharing important messaging with ticket holders about mobile ticketing, stadium entry procedures, changes in and around the venue and much more.”
IMPORTANT REMINDERS
Regardless of whether or not they attend games this fall, everyone who purchased 2020 football season tickets will retain their status as a season-ticket holder along with their renewed seats (seats of 2020 intent) when the 2021 renewal process begins.
Capacity restrictions in place at the start of the football season could change as the season progresses. This emphasizes the importance of statewide behavior to combat the spread of COVID-19. Practicing healthy habits and adhering to CDC guidance could lead to opportunities for larger gameday crowds at Neyland Stadium.
Tennessee has outlined detailed guidelines for fan health and safety at Neyland Stadium this season. Those guidelines, which align with previously announced SEC guidelines, can be accessed HERE.
As soon as possible, fans who previously purchased 2020 Tennessee football tickets should ensure that [email protected] is recognized by their email client as a “safe sender” so that time-sensitive ticket-offer emails are not directed to a junk or spam folder.
Fans who receive ticket offer emails from [email protected] should be sure to look closely at the seat location listed in the ticket offer, as the location will be different than their original seats of intent.
Tennessee does not anticipate offering any single-game tickets this fall unless tickets allocated to the visiting team are returned.
Tennessee Athletics cannot guarantee that tickets purchased on the secondary market will be for seats that are socially distanced from strangers.
Morgan Wallen’s new song, “7 Summers,” which was released on Aug. 13, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart (streaming, sales and airplay-based) .
“7 Summers” is only the fifth song in the 62-year history of the chart to debut at No. 1, and the first since “Meant to Be” by Bebe Rexha and Florida Georgia Line in December 2017.
Co-penned by Morgan, Shane McAnally and Josh Osborne, “7 Summers” is expected to be part of Morgan’s upcoming sophomore album. Morgan initially teases the song via Instagram, before it began making the rounds on TikTok, which ultimately convinced Morgan to release the breezy tune.
“‘7 Summers’ is a song that originally I didn’t even know if it was going to make my album or if I was ever going to put it out,” says Morgan. “But when quarantine first started, I was challenged to do a demo on Instagram, so I put out the first verse and chorus of ‘7 Summers.’ I heard a lot of good feedback from it on Instagram, and then it started making the rounds on TikTok—I saw how much the song was getting played and how much people were enjoying it, even just the first verse and chorus. Social media played a huge part in me releasing this song, especially this early. It’s a cool thing—me being on the fence about it, then being able to put it out and get people’s feedback. Seeing the response played the biggest part in this release. I think that speaks to just how much fans mean to me and fans mean to music. I’m glad I’m getting to put it out and glad people are loving it, I can’t wait for y’all to hear the full version.”
Garth revealed plans for a Legacy Collection 2 on his Inside Studio G Facebook series on Aug. 24.
Garth released The Legacy Collection in November 2019. The seven-disc vinyl collection featured five albums—No Fences, The Chase, In Pieces, Fresh Horses and Triple Live—available in three different packages: Analog, Remix-Remaster and Limited. Fans had the option of choosing a personalized six-digit issue number when they pre-ordered the package.
“There will be a Legacy 2,” said Garth on Inside Studio G. “When? It’s coming. I gotta tell you, we kinda shut down the vinyl places all around the globe, so it’s probably going to be in the next year or two, Good Lord willing.”
With 11 studio albums, two holiday albums, four compilation albums, two live albums and more, Garth has no shortage of albums to release as part of Legacy Collection 2.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – LVFL Candace Parker has been named WNBA Western Conference Player of the week, the league announced on Monday.
The Los Angeles Sparks standout led her team to a 3-0 record during the week, averaging 18.3 points, 11.7 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game during that span.
Thanks to an active seven-game winning streak, the Sparks are tied with the number two record in the WNBA at 10-3 and stand alongside Las Vegas in second place in the Western Conference. They are just a half game back of the Seattle Storm (11-3).
The 13-year veteran tallied 16 or more points in all three games last week and recorded a pair of double-doubles. She had 16 points, 12 rebounds, four assists, two steals and a block in the win over Phoenix on Aug. 19. She followed that with 17 points, nine rebounds, five assists, two steals and an assist vs. Atlanta on Aug. 21. Parker closed the week with season highs of 22 points and 11 rebounds while chipping in six assists and a block vs. Dallas on Sunday.
Through 13 games, Parker is averaging 14.0 points, 9.8 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.2 blocks while shooting 47.3 percent from the field and 38.5 percent on threes. All of those numbers are improvements over her statistics from 22 games a year ago.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – For the 42nd time in its illustrious history, Tennessee football will open a season ranked in the Associated Press Top 25 as the Vols enter Week 1 at No. 25 and one of six Southeastern Conference programs in the poll.
Tennessee received 133 points in the poll and will face five teams in the top 15, including No. 3 Alabama, No. 4 Georgia, No. 8 Florida, No. 11 Auburn and No. 13 Texas A&M. Three of those opponents will visit Neyland Stadium. The Vols are also receiving votes in the preseason Coaches poll.
It’s the first time Tennessee has been ranked since Sept. 10, 2017, (No. 23) and also the first time the Vols will start a season ranked since that same year (No. 25). Tennessee’s 42 preseason AP poll appearances rank 10th all-time nationally and second among SEC programs. The Vols’ 583 all-time AP Top 25 appearances rank 14th nationally.
Tennessee is entering its second week of preseason practice as it prepares for a Sept. 26 opener at South Carolina.
Others receiving votes: Memphis 86, Virginia Tech 85, Boise State 68, Arizona State 66, Miami 42, Louisville 32, Appalachian State 26, Washington 21, Kentucky 20, Indiana 19, Baylor 15, California 11, TCU 9, Virginia 7, Navy 6, Florida State 6, SMU 3, Mississippi State 3, Air Force 3, Northwestern 1, UAB 1.
