Natchitoches was a sweet spot to be this weekend, and I’m not talking about just enjoying the banana pudding at Lasyone’s. I’m talking about being in Natty for the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Induction Celebration.
For most of the last decade, Dad duties have had me at summer track meets during the last weekend of June, and the decade before that, summer workouts and various 7-on-7 tournaments.
I couldn’t have picked a better year to come back to the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame.
Nothing stopped me from attending in 1996 when my father received the Distinguished Service Award in Sports Journalism, the highest award a scribe can receive in the state of Louisiana. Introducing him that night was Teddy Allen, who – at the time – had already established himself as a rising star in the profession.
As he introduced my father, he talked about people “carrying pieces of Jerry Byrd” with them in their scrapbooks, or folded up in their wallets, or calling their friend to see if their friend had read what “Mr. Byrd” had written about the Dallas Cowboys.
But I guess it’s true what they say, that people will forget what you say, but they will never forget how you make them feel. I wasn’t sitting by my dad, but I was watching across the room when Teddy Allen walked over and had him autograph a baseball. I forgot most of what Teddy said about my father that night, but I will always remember the way it made me feel. Proud.
Saturday night at the Natchitoches Event Center, it was Teddy’s turn to enter the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame as a Distinguished Service Award winner. He actually pulled double duty serving as emcee and as inductee.
When he was interviewed as part of his induction, Allen told a story about a tipsy public address announcer urinating in the restroom-less press box at a Waterproof vs. Wisner high school football game.
While it was a great story, and got a roar from the crowd, I’ll probably forget all about the Waterproof-Wisner public address announcer. What I will never forget is a middle schooler doing his American history homework during a Thursday night prep tilt in the press box at Caddo Parish Stadium, now known as Lee Hedges Stadium.
How do I remember it being a Thursday night? Because one, it was a rare event that I even took my homework to the press box, and two, I never took my homework to a Friday night game. Weekend homework was saved for Sunday nights.
“What are you working on, Lil’ Jerry?” Allen said. Family, both blood and my Shreveport Journal family, called me ‘Little Jerry’ to distinguish between my father and me.
I told Teddy that I was working on a report about Andrew Jackson.
“Ol’ Hickory!” Allen said, giving me Jackson’s nickname.
It started a nice conversation which led us to discuss the merits of the Battle of 1812. In the press box at Caddo Parish Stadium.
For several years after that, whenever we met, we called each other “Ol’ Hickory.”
We were probably still calling each other Ol’ Hickory years later in the Food Court of Pierre Bossier Mall participating in a media taco eating contest. Teddy was representing the Shreveport Times. I had interned that summer for the Shreveport Journal and this was my last assignment. I was well qualified.
The judges, who were probably the managers for the Taco Tico, said we tied for first place, but gave me the nod because I didn’t leave any lettuce on my tray.
Teddy Allen may not dangle modifiers, but you have to watch him with his lettuce when a soft taco is in the equation.
Saturday night, he spotted me and my wife sitting in the back of the ballroom at the Natchitoches Events Center. It was my turn to get his autograph.
“Am I the only one who is going to be signing this baseball?”
“Yes.”
“Then I’m taking the sweet spot!”
Have it, big fella!
It wasn’t the only sweet spot Teddy made his mark on Saturday night. He now has one, permanently, at 800 Front Street in the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame. There is nobody any more worthy.
Contact Jerry at sbjjerrybyrd@gmail.com