Garth Brooks was a standout college athlete, but as any standout college athlete will tell you, that doesn’t necessarily translate to success at the professional level. Garth will tell you that too.

Garth’s level of fame gave him an opportunity few earn: two invitations to Major League Baseball  Spring Training, for the San Diego Padres and the New York Mets. Garth was never a threat to make the roster of either team, going a combined 1-for-39 at the plate. But it was his presence in the field that made one major leaguer totally rethink the way he batted.

Craig Counsell, former major leaguer (and now manager of the Chicago Cubs) tells the story of how he himself was in a very “Garth-like” slump at the plate in spring training, going an abysmal 0-for-44 at the plate. In the 44th plate appearance, Counsell hit a sharp line drive down the left field line. “I hit a line drive in spring training, and I was like ‘yes, first base hit.’ I put my head down and started running to first. The crowd in Port St. Lucie goes crazy. They go absolutely crazy. I look up and Garth Brooks had made a diving catch in left field to extend my ‘o’fer’ streak. I was released the next day. I had a talk with myself and said ‘why can’t you get any hits?’ And that led to me putting my hands way up in the air (for my batting stance). So I like to blame Garth Brooks for a horrible batting stance.”

The Internet can be a wonderful thing, especially for music fans. Music at your fingertips, for example, and artists seeing the benefits of keeping their fans engaged by communicating with them directly, and in some cases, dropping some new unreleased music on them. While fans are still wading through Morgan’s epic “One Thing At A Time” album, he’s working on the next thing. He dropped an audio clip on Instagram of a new demo version of a song he’s been working on for fans over the weekend, “I Guess.” While fans were digging having something new from Morgan, peers were quick with praise as well. Parker McCollum commented under the clip,

 

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A man named Jason DeFord appeared before Congress yesterday to talk about the raging fentanyl epidemic in this country, and to urge legislators to pass a bill to combat the supply and distribution of the synthetic opioid. DeFord, better known by his stage name Jelly Roll, has more than enough personal experience to speak on the subject.

At the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee hearing on what’s known as the FEND Off Fentanyl Act, the country/rock star spoke passionately about the issue, explaining that he knows how grave it can be from his firsthand experience. And he wasted no time. “I think it’s important to note that before I start, in these five minutes I’ll be speaking that somebody in the United States will die of a drug overdose and it’s almost a 72-percent chance that during those five minutes, it will be fentanyl-related.”

“At every concert I perform, I witness the heartbreaking impact of fentanyl. I see fans grappling with this tragedy in the form of music…that they seek solace in music and hope that their experiences won’t befall others,” said Jelly Roll, who has spoken often about his past struggles with addiction and arrests and incarceration for drug-related charges earlier in his life. “These are the people I’m here to speak for, y’all,” he continued. “These people crave reassurance that their elected officials actually care more about human life than they do about ideology and partisanship.”

“I’ve attended more funerals than I care to share with you all [on] this committee,” the singer went on. “I could sit here and cry for days about the caskets I’ve carried of people I loved dearly, deeply in my soul – good people, not just drug addicts. Uncles, friends, cousins, normal people, some people that just got in a car wreck and started taking a pain pill to manage it. One thing led to the other and how fast it spirals out of control – I don’t think people truly, truly understand.”

Jelly wrapped up his five minutes by saying, “I stand here as a regular member of society. I am a stupid songwriter, y’all, but I have firsthand witnessed this in a way most people have not. I encourage y’all to not only pass this bill, but I encourage you to bring it up where it matters – at the kitchen table.”

Jelly Roll posted his appearance on his Instagram with the caption, “Thank you to the Chairman Senator Brown And Senator Scott for allowing me to speak on behalf of the broken in today’s hearing. I pray this message is the beginning of a real change and awareness when it comes to Fentanyl and Drug Addiction in America.”

Source: People

The Super Bowl is often referred to as “The Big Game” – and in advance of the big game, there’s a big concert featuring a very big star.

The night before, the BetMGM Big Game Bash concert will be held at The Chelsea at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas – and like everything else Super Bowl weekend in Vegas, the headliner is big as well – Luke Combs.

And, like everything else Super Bowl weekend in Vegas, the concert’s gonna set you back. Tickets start at $400 (not including applicable tax and fees) and go on sale to the public tomorrow at 8 am PT exclusively on the BetMGM app.

Source: TheMusicUniverse

On Christmas Day, Kane Brown and Katelyn Brown announced on their socials that they were expecting. The family of four was about to grow by one. Yesterday, we (along with the Brown family) learned a lot more, as the family posted a video of their gender reveal.

At the beginning of the clip, Katelyn asks Kane if he had a prediction. “It’s a girl,” he grins – probably going on the couples track record, as both their kids are girls. Then Katelyn explains to their oldest daughter Kingsley about the gender reveal. “We have a surprise. We know if the baby in mommy’s tummy is a boy or girl. Do you want to find out?” Of course, Kingsley says yes.

“See that cake right there, so it’s either pink or blue in the middle. Do you want to cut into it with us?” Katelyn asks. With Kodi Jane on Kane’s lap, the whole family cuts into the cake, which is decorated in a bee theme and reads, “What Will Baby Bee?” They immediately see the inside of the cake is blue. At the sight of the blue cake, Katelyn can be heard screaming while Kane throws his hands in the air with excitement. “Baby Boy Brown” will make his appearance presumably by late summer. Congratulations to the Brown family!