Tim Brando and Mike McConathy.
The Christus Schumpert Children’s Classic is a wonderful event for a great cause.
It’s headlined by three of the brightest names in Louisiana sports – pro golfers Hal Sutton and David Toms, both Shreveport-Bossier residents, and CBS sportscaster Tim Brando.
The annual event in Shreveport and Bossier City stretches over two days and generates financial support and awareness for the Sutton Children’s Hospital in Shreveport.
Golf, of course, is the centerpiece. Brando is a catalyst for the event organizers thanks to his widespread network of friends in the sports and entertainment world. Timmy B., as friends call him, was, after all, a serious candidate to host the NBC version of “Wheel of Fortune” in 1989.
Brando is also a friend and admirer of NSU basketball coach Mike McConathy, going back to Coach Mike’s days growing up in Bossier City when he was an All-American at Airline High School.
That combined with Coach Mike’s emergence on the national college basketball scene to net him an invitation to join with other sports and entertainment figures as celebrity participants in the Tim Brando Celebrity Shootout on Sunday and an 18-hole tournament alongside Sutton, Toms and other PGA players Monday at Olde Oakes Golf Course in Bossier City.
It was fun to reunite with Dennis Haskins, the actor best known for his role as “Mr. Belding” on the popular TV sitcom “Saved by the Bell.” Haskins, a former college basketball player, is a close friend of Brando’s who actually got a big lift to his acting career in Natchitoches. He was part of the cast in the mid-1970s Louisiana Outdoor Drama Association production of “Louisiana Cavalier” and has fond memories of Lasyone’s Restaurant and other local landmarks.
I first met Haskins in February 2006 in Houma, when he was staying at the same hotel where the Demon basketball team was posted up after a win over Nicholls State, awaiting a flight to play at Utah State in the BracketBusters. He was as pleasant and unassuming then as he was this weekend.
Among the basketball figures involved – giving their time for the cause -- were Bobby Cremins, the College of Charleston coach best known as the longtime coach at Georgia Tech; Tom Penders, the former Texas and Rhode Island coach now recharging the program at Houston; and new LSU women’s basketball coach Van Chancellor.
The longtime Ole Miss women’s coach, who spent six seasons as head coach of the WNBA’s Houston Comets and was head coach of Team USA, is as gracious and down to earth as it gets. He enjoyed getting to know Coach Mike and also had fond memories of match-ups and conversations with retired Lady Demon coach James Smith.
Smith went 1-2 vs. Ole Miss while Chancellor coached, with one of the losses in Oxford by a 74-73 margin.
“James Smith was a great, great coach,” said Chancellor. “I told him we couldn’t play Northwestern any more because they were too good and hardly anybody knew it. The SEC was tough enough without lining up against his teams.”
Former Demon football player John Evans hosted assistant athletic director for external relations Dr. William Broussard, Kendra (Peters) Broussard, Demon Sports Network play by play man Patrick Netherton and myself at the Sunday night dinner, concert and pairings party in the Riverdome of the Horseshoe Casino and Hotel.
No comments:
Post a Comment