NASHVILLE (AP) – To hear Darius Rucker tell it, there are really only two seasons of the year – not four: “football season and waiting-for-football season.” And once the football season gets under way, he is “always excited.” That should be no surprise if you remember Rucker from his Hootie and the Blowfish days. There’s the lyric in “I Only Want To Be With You” when he complains that his girlfriend thinks he’s “a baby ’cause the Dolphins make” him cry. Rucker says he appreciates American football more as he gets to sample sports in other countries. He says whenever he visits a new country, he tries to check out the national sport. Now that he’s been around some, he declares: “I honestly believe that football is the greatest sport in the world.”

Join fans of 99 KZ Country on Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/99KZCountry

Condolences to Sammy Kershaw, whose brotherMinos Cashat, Jr. passed away Friday afternoon (9/27). “The world lost a good-hearted guy today,” Kershaw posted on Facebook. “But heaven gained an awesome soul.” The funeral service was Monday.

Join fans of 99 KZ Country on Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/99KZCountry

PORT CHESTER, New York (AP) – Willie Nelson’s shoulder wasn’t the only thing that had a quick recovery in recent days. Last week, it was reported that a stuffed armadillo that belonged to a member of Nelson’s audio crew had been stolen from a theater in New York State. You’ll be pleased to know that the toy has been returned – unharmed. The toy animal known to the band as Ol’ Dillo disappeared after a September 19 show in Port Chester, New York. Security video showed a woman taking it. An official with the theater says a different woman returned the toy this past Friday in a sealed box. The theater manager says staffers believe they know who stole the stuffed armadillo – but the Nelson’s crew member won’t press charges. Last week, Nelson was told to rest his ailing shoulder – but later announced that he would perform this past Saturday at a music festival in Nashville.

Join fans of 99 KZ Country on Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/99KZCountry

SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) – Billy Currington has skipped being hit with a jail term after pleading no contest to a run-in with a boat skipper. The country singer copped the no contest plea to a charge of abuse of an elderly person. The charges stem from an incident where the tour boat came near Currington’s waterfront home. The singer chased the tour boat captain with his own boat and after the tour boat reached its destination, Currington threatened to kill him. He gets five years of probation and a $1,000 fine. He has also been ordered to undergo anger-management counseling and to steer clear of the boat captain. In exchange for the plea, prosecutors have dropped a charge of making terroristic threats. Each count had a possible sentence of up to five years in prison. The court action comes as Currington dropped a new album, “We Are Tonight,” last week.

Join fans of 99 KZ Country on Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/99KZCountry

Jason Aldean will engage fans via Facebook, Instagram,CMT and Palladia during the premiere of his concert film Night Train To Georgia. The DVD will be available in stores Oct. 15, but on Oct. 14 Aldean will stream a “special version” on his Facebook page, allowing comments to create a live chat. In advance of the stream, fans will be encouraged to use Instagram to post videos of themselves dancing marked with #JasonAldeanDVD. CMT will premiere the film Oct. 19 and Palladia will air it Oct. 20. More here.

Join fans of 99 KZ Country on Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/99KZCountry

NASHVILLE (AP) – Jennifer Nettles says she loves hosting “CMA Country Christmas” because it’s the closest she gets to those old classic TV variety shows. Nettles will host for the fourth time. Performers include Nettles, Trace Adkins, Luke Bryan, Sheryl Crow, Lucy Hale, Jake Owen, Kellie Pickler, Rascal Flatts, Darius Rucker and Michael W. Smith. The show will tape in Nashville on November 8 and run in December on ABC.

Join fans of 99 KZ Country on Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/99KZCountry

ASPEN, Colo. (AP) – A larger-than-life bronze statue of John Denver is being relocated. It’s being moved from a property the singer donated for a foundation near Aspen to the Colorado Music Hall of Fame in the city of Denver. The foundation is selling the land – so the statue had to go. Denver was the first person inducted into the Colorado Hall of Fame when it was formed in 2011.

Join fans of 99 KZ Country on Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/99KZCountry

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – Don’t know what Willie Nelson was taking or doing for his sore shoulder – but he sure has gotten better in a hurry. A day ago, he was supposed to be laid up a week because of his shoulder – and among the gigs he would miss was a music festival tomorrow in Nashville. But now comes word that Nelson will do Zac Brown Band’s Southern Ground Music & Food Festival after all. Warren Haynes will sit in with Nelson and his band for part of the performance. Just as there was no explanation about the details of the shoulder injury, there was no explanation for how Nelson was able to get back to work so soon. He apparently isn’t 100 percent though. He will still miss three other dates he was to do – but will make those up.

Join fans of 99 KZ Country on Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/99KZCountry