Sports

Marshall Tucker Band to Entertain at the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring

Published

2 years ago

November 20, 2024

FNN SPORTS

The Marshall Tucker Band will bring its brand of southern rock to Sebring International Raceway March 14 to perform the night before the 73^rd Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring.

While lead vocalist and founding member Doug Gray is the lone original member of the band, which got its start in Spartanburg, S.C. in 1972, the group continues to perform in front of sold-out crowds with guitarists Rick Willis and Chris Hicks, keyboardist Marcus James Henderson, bassist Tony Black and drummer B.B. Borden.

Perhaps the group’s most endearing and well-known hits – “Can’t you See,” and “Heard it in a Love Song,” both now sung by Gray, almost took a different path because of Gray’s reluctance to sing either of them.

Original member Toy Caldwell, who remained with the band until 1983, and was the main songwriter, wrote both songs. Caldwell and Gray disagreed on who should sing “Can’t You See,” with Gray never wanting to sing it given Caldwell’s delivery.

“Toy would come down and say, ‘Hey, take this song,’” Gray recalls. “He said, ‘I just don’t feel good, and I don’t want to sing.’ I told him, ‘You go into that studio and you sing.’ So he sang it two or three times all the way through and he got it. There ain’t no way I could compete with the intensity that he put in that song. That’s his song. He made it his song, and now it belongs to the entire world.”

“Can’t You See” has been streamed more than a billion times on Pandora.

It took Gray more time to warm to another major hit for the band – “Heard It in a Love Song.” “I love the song, but I have to tell you that I thought it was too wuss of a song when it was written,” Gray recently told a reporter at the Spokesman Review in Spokane, Wash. “I kept putting off recording it because I didn’t think it fit Marshall Tucker. But the guys said, ‘You got to put this on a record.’” It’s one of the band’s highest charting singles and is today as popular as it was when originally recorded in 1977.

For decades Gray and MTB have played those, and other singalong classics such as “Fire on the Mountain,” “Long Hard Ride” and “Ramblin,” among many others.

The Marshall Tucker Band incorporates country, pop and jazz into its sets. “We’ve always mixed it up,” Gray said. “That’s the way Toy wanted it.”

The 73^rd Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring will start on March 15 at approximately 10 a.m. As many as eight races and four full days of on-track activity will take place March 12-15, headlined by the iconic IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship event. Gates open to spectators March 11 at approximately 2 p.m. On March 12 and 13, following on-track racing activities, regional bands will perform in the Fan Zone with The Marshall Tucker Band headlining Friday night’s activities.

All Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring tickets, including one-day tickets, allow admission to The Marshall Tucker Band concert which will start at approximately 9:30 p.m. Guests with one-day tickets will be admitted to the raceway Friday evening prior to the concert. General admission tickets and parking passes can be purchased in advance online and free parking is available outside the main gate. Children 12 and under are admitted free with a paying adult.

Tickets are available for North America’s longest running and most historic sports car race by visiting www.SebringRaceway.com.

Central Florida News

Tampa Bay Buccaneers to Select 25 Coaches for 2027 Academy, Five for Fellowships

Published

17 hours ago

October 22, 2026

FNN SPORTS

The fourth class will receive scholarships for a weeklong program in Tampa, with five participants returning for training camp and preseason.

TAMPA, Fla. (FNN SPORTS) — The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are accepting applications for their 2027 National Coaching Academy, offering 25 finalists an opportunity to learn from NFL coaches and participate in rookie minicamp activities.

Applications close Dec. 31, 2026. The program uses rolling admissions, and applicants are encouraged to apply early, according to the team.

Presented by ReliaQuest, the academy was established by the Glazer family to create pathways for coaches seeking NFL opportunities. The upcoming class will be its fourth.

Eligibility and Scholarships

Applicants must have at least three years of coaching or work experience in a football program at the high school, college or semiprofessional level.

The 25 finalists will receive full scholarships covering costs while in Tampa for the weeklong academy.

After completing the program, five participants will be selected to return as fellows for training camp and the preseason.

On-Field Experience and Coaching Instruction

Finalists will attend team meetings and participate in on-field coaching sessions during rookie minicamp.

The program includes master classes led by Buccaneers coaches, along with Super Bowl-winning head coaches Jon Gruden, Bruce Arians and Tony Dungy, and Pro Football Hall of Famer Ronde Barber, according to the announcement.

Additional sessions cover film review, media training, business insights and networking.

Program Draws International Interest

The academy has attracted more than 3,000 applicants from 22 countries over its first three years, the team said. Dozens of previous finalists have since earned new positions or promotions at their institutions.

Applications for the 2027 class are open now until Dec. 31, 2026, with a rolling admissions program. Applicants are encouraged to apply early. More information can be found HERE.

Central Florida News

Orlando Magic Expand ThreatLocker Partnership With Warmup Branding, Cybersecurity Campaign

Published

22 hours ago

October 22, 2026

FNN SPORTS

Orlando Magic, ThreatLocker Add Cybersecurity Awareness Campaign and Courtside Branding

ORLANDO, Fla. (FNN SPORTS) — The Orlando Magic and Orlando-based cybersecurity company ThreatLocker have expanded their partnership to include player warmup branding, courtside signage and a cybersecurity awareness campaign, the team announced Oct. 21.

ThreatLocker’s branding will appear on the Magic’s player warmup shirts for all home and away games, as well as front-row courtside seatback covers at Kia Center.

Campaign to Share Online Safety Tips

Timed to coincide with Cybersecurity Awareness Month in October, the awareness campaign includes an opening-night commercial featuring ThreatLocker CEO and co-founder Danny Jenkins.

The spot will offer tips to help fans and Orlando-area residents protect themselves online, according to the announcement.

“As a Magic Champion of the Community partner since 2023, ThreatLocker has demonstrated a strong commitment to the local community,” Magic President of Business Operations Charlie Freeman said. “We’re excited to help raise cybersecurity awareness and continue growing their brand and our collective community impact.”

Branding Extends Across Games and Broadcasts

The agreement also includes a season-long commercial campaign and a custom-branded broadcast feature. ThreatLocker will receive exposure through MagicTV 27 in Central Florida and the team’s regional over-the-air broadcast network.

Warmup shirt branding will give the company visibility during pregame activities, player-focused content and game broadcasts, according to the announcement.

“We’re delighted that this partnership will help fans stay safe online,” Jenkins said. “And with October being Cybersecurity Awareness Month, it’s a great opportunity to share a few simple steps everyone can take to better protect themselves and their families.”

Central Florida News

Orlando Magic Exercise Team Options on Jase Richardson, Tristan Da Silva

Published

23 hours ago

October 22, 2026

FNN SPORTS

Orlando Magic Tristan da Silva. Photo by Harry Castiblanco / Florida National News

Magic Keep Jase Richardson, Tristan da Silva Under Contract Through 2027-28

ORLANDO, Fla. (FNN SPORTS) — The Orlando Magic have exercised their third-year team option on guard Jase Richardson and fourth-year team option on forward Tristan da Silva, keeping both players under contract through the 2027-28 season.

President of Basketball Operations Jeff Weltman announced the moves. Financial terms were not disclosed, per team policy.

Richardson builds on rookie season

Richardson appeared in 54 games during his rookie season, averaging 4.4 points, 1.2 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 10.9 minutes per game, according to the team.

He scored in double figures seven times, including a career-high 20 points against Washington on Jan. 6. He also scored six points in his lone playoff appearance.

Before joining Orlando, Richardson averaged 12.1 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.9 assists during his freshman season at Michigan State in 2024-25. He shot 41.2% from 3-point range and earned third-team All-Big Ten and conference all-freshman honors while helping the Spartans reach the NCAA Tournament’s Elite Eight.

Richardson wears No. 11.

Da Silva provides scoring and shooting

Da Silva played in 77 games, including 34 starts, last season. He averaged 9.9 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 24.7 minutes per game, shooting 37.4% from 3-point range and 88.4% from the free-throw line.

He scored in double figures 38 times and reached 20 points five times, including a career-high 26 against Washington on March 12. In seven playoff appearances, he averaged 4.1 points and 2.9 rebounds.

Orlando selected da Silva with the 18th overall pick in the 2024 NBA draft. Through two seasons, he has appeared in 151 regular-season games, including 72 starts, averaging 8.6 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.6 assists.

The Germany native played four seasons at Colorado, earning first-team All-Pac-12 honors in 2022-23 and second-team recognition in 2023-24. He wears No. 23.