Leftover notes and quotes from this past weekend’s Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame ceremony in Natchitoches:
Eli Manning told a funny story about following his father, Archie, and his older brothers, Cooper and Payton, as Archie walked from the Superdome parking lot to the press box during his years as a color commentator for the Saints’ broadcasts.
At the time, Eli was about 5, 6 or 7.
“We’d go to the Superdome with him and every so often someone would ask Dad for his autograph, and he’d sign his name for them,” he said. “So when I went to the house of one of my friends, I’d immediately ask their dad for his autograph. I just thought that was what you did with other people’s dads.” …
Incidentally, when (or if) you watch the taped show on the induction ceremony to be aired on Aug. 15 at 7 p.m. on the LPB network, you won’t see a camera view of any of Eli’s famous family. Why not? A regrettable mix-up about the date of the ceremony on the family calendar, and, by the time it was realized, other travel, etc. plans couldn’t be changed. Nevertheless, Eli adjusted his schedule – missing only Thursday’s events and Friday bowling — and had a blast from Friday afternoon through Saturday night. …
As is traditional at these events, there was a period of silence during Saturday’s night’s ceremony to remember members of the LSHOF and special members affiliated with the Louisiana Sports Writers Association who had died within the past year, as photos of each are shown on the screen. This year’s deceased: Vida Blue, Jack “Britt” Brittain (LSHOF volunteer), Ted Castillo, Lee Hedges, Paul Hoolahan, Lucious “Luke” Jackson, Fred Miller, Charles “Cotton” Nash, Jerry Pierce, Willis Reed and Jerry Simmons. Veteran master of ceremonies Teddy Allen gave a brief tribute, highlighted by a quote from William Butler Yeats: “Think where man’s glory most begins and ends/ And say my glory was I had such friends.” …
Weightlifting legend Walter Imahara said after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, his Japanese American parents who were on the West Coast, “lost their 60-acre farm and they lost their dignity,” being forced with other Japanese Americans from that area to move inland with the rest of their families to work camps for 3 ½ years. “It was not terribly bad,” Imahara, who was 4 at the time, said. “We got over it.” …
For Ron Washington, the former major league player and Texas Rangers manager and current third base coach for the Atlanta Braves, Friday and Saturday nights marked the first time in more than five decades he had missed a game in which he was scheduled to play or manage or coach. …
Shreveport native Wendell Davis, the receiver from LSU, and Matt Forte, the running back from Tulane, each had NFL stints with the Chicago Bears, and both said they met their future wives in Chicago. …
Speaking of wives, Kym Byrd, the wife of LSU and major league pitcher and now Braves broadcaster Paul Byrd, made it to the ceremony despite a recent septic scare. Paul, a native of Louisville, talked how he and Kym established the Byrdhouse Ministries as a place where youths and adults who are having a tough time can spend time and reconnect to the world through equine therapy. “Studies show,” he said, “when you get within five feet of a horse, your heart rate lowers.”
Contact Bob at btompkins1225@gmail.com
