Homecoming Issues

It’s mid October and time has come again for Homecoming on the Bluffs at Southern University. The annual time where friends, family, and alumni come back for a large scale reunion centered on the coronation of a Queen and the competitive nature of a football game.
So why is it every year that I can’t enjoy the game? Granted I was there to roam the sidelines with the fuzzy mic but it seems like there is always some issue that overshadows the contest on the gridiron. This year problem du jour was parking, or lack thereof. There were some angry peeps trying to get to the game but got nowhere close. Naturally they voiced their concerns to Ms. Mercedes and the weekend crew. After some more calls into the university’s relations department our email inbox popped out some answers.

Only question now is will followers of the Jaguar Nation like what they were going to hear.

Maybe next year they’ll figure out how to avoid all of the drama, did you know?

Character Welcomed

I knew I was going to make up for lost time after my phone was strangely, yet thankfully, quiet during my last two rotations as the call out guy. Eventually a voice was going to awaken what slumber I could amass with the urgency of someone or something causing a disturbance in the viewing area. Oh well, all good things must come to an end.

Turns out that someone forgot how to drive this morning as they tried to give a church an instant drive thru. I’ve been called out for some major stuff before but this seemed relatively calm. No injuries, no car, and no driver. All that was left was one big mess to clean up and some time to fill in the newscast. No problem. So, C-Line and I headed out to make sense out of all of this. Not only do we find the church but an interesting person taking care of the place.

Not the first time this has happened but things are much easier when you find that one good character to wrap a story around, did you know?

Duel In Death Valley

Any normal rainy Saturday would yield a sense of calmness. It would yield a sense of peace. It would yield some quiet time and stay indoors. This was NOT a normal Saturday. This was game day on the campus of the Purple and Gold. However, this one had a different feeling to it thanks to a sequence of events five weeks in the making. It all started with LSU stringing a bunch of wins together while constantly having to be bombarded with talk of how lucky you have been or how you do not deserve to be ranked in the top ten let alone the top five in the country. Then there are the Florida Gators. The defending National Champions, a team ranked number one in the country, and a group pondering whether their starting quarterback will play. All of this leads to one thing, we have a special to produce.

Therefore, as luck would have it, The Nubian Princess and I were to descend to the cauldron of RV’s, big screen TV’s, tons of raw meat, and a river of adult beverages. Yes we had to spice up, no pun intended, a tailgating story. A friendly get together of complete strangers with a common love of cooking and a symmetrical hatred of their rivals from the Sunshine State. Therefore, as we made our way through the endless line of mobile homes it is no surprise that we find the usual screaming fans dying to be on television wanting to deliver some smack to their upcoming opponents. It’s amazing how much influence a fancy cam & fuzzy mic can have on people. I'm even more amazed that most can speak coherently.

Much as I love a good party, I knew my limits and had to get out there. Besides this story wasn’t going to edit itself. After filling our segment, it was time to kick back & watch the final product then post some pics to the Flickr page. Too bad the home team couldn’t live up to their end of the deal.

Oh well, there is always next time.

Curb Your Enthusiasm

Everyone who is a football fan know the exploits of Bobby Hebert. Member of the New Orleans Saints, member of the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame, and broadcaster on New Orleans radio. It's no surprise that he is passionate about his football but when your a member of the press you may have to tone it down just a little, did you know?

xray ted Highlights

That was some great pigskin played on the college gridiron yesterday. From the long TD plays to the monster hits between lines. The constant one up manship to impresses the pollsters while appeasing the fan base. To some one win can jump start the run for a championship however one loss can spell impending doom to a season. So while I was watching LSU and Georgia partake in a 12 round slug fest I couldn't help but wonder how ol xray ted was doing. The season vet was down in the trenches of the game of the day going Mano a Mano with others trying to capture the defining moment for the evening highlight reel. Then it happened, I see the traditional white towel just opposite of the fancy cam roaming the sideline on every play. I get to thinking is xray in the right place at the right time or did he manage slide a few extra dollars to the technical director in the truck? He does have a knack for showing up in big time games.

Can't wait to see the rest of the highlight reel when he gets back to the Raggedy however I'll handle all of the smack he's going to bring also.

Got Hitched

Not since Luke & Laura or Victor & Nikki has there been this much fanfare for the pending nuptial for the Big Raggedy alums, Avery Davidson & Lauren Mendes. He rose through the ranks of producer, to reporter, to manning the weekend anchor desk. She went from student to part time employee to full time producer of the news. This union had to have followed a rundown sheet of emotion. Go to work, produce some newscasts, start dating, crank out some live shots, pop the question, work on some sweeps stories, she says yes, write some teases, he jumps for joy, edit some bumps, and send out the breaking news alert of love.

Alas, the invites were sent and the day has come. Time for two lives to become one. I knew this was going to happen. I had to be there especially since there were no fancy cameras allowed within a 20-mile radius of the place. However the memories of this day will last a lifetime, everything was beautiful.

To Mr. and Mrs. Davidson, I was honored that you allowed me to come celebrate one of the biggest events of your lives. I wish you both nothing but happiness in the future. Always be there for each other and everything else will take care of itself, did you know?

Cyndi LeftCoast

I have had the privilege of meeting many people during the decade of legislation however, this is the first time I had to say farewell to someone twice.

Intelligent, beautiful, fun loving, and a good storyteller. Those who know, and have worked with, my west coast gal Cyndi Nguyen can insert a number of good adjectives to describe one of people on the planet and in journalism. It was 2003, when a young caterpillar landed in a north section of the Boot called Monroe, talk about a culture shock. From the sand & surf of Cali to a more conservative structure way of life. I’m sure she had no idea what she was in for however she continued to perfect her craft. Cranking out stories for the local station while waiting patiently for her next step of her career. Soon she played her cards and was able to cash in an opportunity to join the staff of the Big Raggedy. Now she was on her way.

By 2004 that caterpillar had morphed into butterfly ready to handle the challenges of the Raggedy. Her charm and her left coast wit added a new flair to the asylum. Still adjusting to her surroundings, she made new friends who enjoyed making good television while having a good time doing it. Whether it was a weekend travel story or the time we lost one of our men in blue she did everything she could to make the story memorable. There was never a shortage of love, admiration, and bunch of jokes with her. Fortunately some peeps down in the Big Easy took notice as she was whisked away to break new ground on the anchor desk down there. The folks in that newsroom got a great addition. Bringing the same fire and passion down there despite having to wake up early. I would see her occasionally especially when they were shorted staffed and needed her to dawn the reporter hat. Nothing had changed, same old Cyndi. Always pleasant, always run up to hug, always giving her best in what ever she did. Like I said she played the cards she was handed and she played them nicely.

Fast forward to present day, Big Moo gets a call then hands me the phone it’s Cyndi on the other end. When get to talking for a little while then she asks am I coming to her going away party. I knew she was leaving to head home but this caught me guard. I asked when the party is and she tells me that it was Friday night & that she’s leaving for the left coast the next day. I have to tell her that I worked the night shift, I can tell she’s a little sad but she understands the cards I was dealt. However I play to win.

So after doing a live shot and shooting a couple of high school football games I make my way to the Big Easy. It’s NOLA, no party ends early down there. I find the guest of honor and seeing her smile made the trip worth it. Her bodyguard she dubbed me, I had to protect her from the masses of inebriated while shooting the endless number of tailgating stories. Despite a long workday with a quick turn around I was not going to miss saying farewell.
Cyndi I can’t list the infinite number of adjectives to describe you. Please know this your will forever be my friend and I will never forget all of the good times that we shared while you down here. I wish you nothing but happiness as you write the new chapter of life. Take care and God Bless you, kiddo.