(Destrehan, LA)- The high school football playoffs have brought me to this New Orleans suburb for another TV assignment. It's strange, because I seem to do more sportscasting than I was doing when I was working full time as a sportscaster.
I had the opportunity to watch the top-ranked team in the state, the Destrehan Wildcats. 
Two of their offensive stars have commited to play college football at LSU, so maybe we have seen the Tigers' future. Destrehan won easily, 42-14.
Getting here was an adventure. The main east-west thoroughfare in south Louisiana, Interstate 10, is closed between Lafayette and Baton Rouge because of a gas well explosion.
It will, in fact, be shut down all weekend, we are told by the state police. So, I drove through parts of the state I have not previously visited. The good news is, I got nice food on this trip...south Louisiana stuff: excellent gumbo and jambalaya. I refused to stop at a chain burger joint. Nice payoff.
The bad news is, I have to take the same circuitous route home. I was orginally planning to attend the LSU-Ole Miss game on Saturday, but I'm aching to get back to the house. I'll watch it on TV and hope it's not much of a game so I won't regret my decision.
Saturday, November 17, 2007
The Long Way Home
Friday, November 02, 2007
Daddy D on the TeeVee
(New Orleans)- So, I'm back in New Orleans. Somehow it worked out that I got to be the play-by-play man for a couple of games on Cox Sports Television this season. It's an honor to be asked and my goals were simple: Don't embarrass the network, the schools or myself. Mission accomplished, I think. 
This was a strange experience. The game I was assigned earlier this season was at home, so I knew the coaches and the programs. Tonight's game involved two New Orleans Catholic schools. Walking through the stands of a high school stadium and realizing I didn't know a soul was sort of surreal. It was largely a solitary experience, even though I was surrounded by people.
The good news is I had a chance to concentrate on preparation. After all, this isn't something I do every day. The executive producer was hanging around the press box for most of the first half, which really was kind of nice. I hope he was evaluating the product. Afterward, everyone was kind of exhausted after a late broadcast. So, I went to the hotel all alone. It's actually kind of peaceful. I've really come to enjoy traveling alone, if it's only for a day or two.
The crew treated me with respect. My partner in the booth has been kind to me in our encounters over the years, and the sideline reporter was lovely.
So, thank you Ronnie Rantz and Brooke Erickson. I hope we get to do it again some time soon.
