News of the day: NSU graduate, four-year Demon letterwinner, Top 100 Demon Football Player Ed "Be-Be" Orgeron -- better known as the recently deposed Ole Miss head coach, and the highly regarded defensive line coach and recruiting coordinator previously at Southern Cal -- was hired Wednesday as defensive line coach of the New Orleans Saints.
Demon head coach Scott Stoker told me so.
Soon after Orgeron's ouster at Ole Miss, Stoker predicted he would wind up in the NFL, as Be-Be's Demon teammate and former college coaching colleague Bill Johnson (Denver) did eight years ago.
The relative anonymity of being an NFL assistant coach has to be appealing to Orgeron, whose colorful background and personality made him a prime target for parodies and more vicious attacks from the comically-inclined to the sick and twisted segment of college fans.
Ed chuckled at some of the parodies, but the nature of some internet sites and content went far over the line. When the Demons played at Ole Miss in 2006 -- the first of a two-year deal, requested by Orgeron, netting $650,000 to his alma mater's athletic department -- he told former Demon teammate Britt Brittain that his kids showed him the funny parody video of a song composed by a Memphis disc jockey making fun of his thick Cajun accent. They were laughing, and he did, too.
There were many other examples, both on the internet and in person, where there was nothing to laugh about. Overzealous fans left decency at the curb and the exposure to that abuse no doubt pointed Orgeron in the direction of the NFL.
Anybody who coached with him raves about his football knowledge, especially as a defensive line coach, a role in which he helped Miami and USC win national championships. The same passion and energy that made him a prime target for comedic parody enhances his coaching ability, and despite what some skeptics will think, it will serve him well in the NFL.
There were a lot of LSU fans who were intrigued by the possibility of one of the nation's top recruiters joining the Tigers' staff. There should be a lot of Saints fans who are pleased to have one of college football's best defensive line coaches now working with the Black and Gold.
Congrats, Be-Be!
Doug Ireland, SID
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Monday, January 21, 2008
Update from Jumpin' Joe in Kenya
With apologies for this being a few days late, it got lost in my e-mail box while I was on the never-ending road trip to Corpus Christi and San Antonio with the Demon basketball team. True to form, former assistant coach and now missionary/teacher Joe Peterson took time to send me a happy birthday wish last week ... now, on to the scene in Kenya, in his words and others:
Ed. Note: Please feel free to view the article written about Joe's Kenya experiences that appeared in the Billings Newspaper.
http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2008/01/11/sports/local/21-rmcathlete.txt
Another day in Kenya and more protests are scheduled. What does that mean for most people throughout the country? It means people are imprisoned in their own homes, hoping that the crowds don't notice them. It means intermittent gun shots in the distance as police try to disperse the mobs because the government has said that all public rallies are illegal. It means all businesses are closed. It means there is no traveling at all because of the armed road blocks set up by the youth. It means that schools are closed for fear of retaliation from angry protestors. In fact most schools in Kenya have not opened the new school year which was supposed to have begun two weeks ago. Most school-going kids are stuck inside their small homes, bored to death, like it is a rainy day, but there is no precipitation.
Christ's Gift Academy did open yesterday for one day. On Monday evening we quickly passed the message to our students through word of mouth to come to school the next morning. About 60% of the students showed up. It was a shortened day designed to touch base with the students, let them know they still have a home and share with them about what is happening in their country from a Biblical perspective. It was a success, but now we have to wait and see what happens next. If the opposition decides to cancel any of the rallies over the next three days then we will try to come back to school. Otherwise, we will wait until Monday or longer if things are not peaceful. Schools throughout the country were supposed to open two weeks ago. It was then postponed to this week, but most parents in most parts of the country have not released their children to attend school which includes the boarding secondary schools or even the local primary schools in their areas.
Because of the disputed Presidential election held in late December, the opposition has called for country wide 'peaceful demonstrations" for the next three days (Wednesday, Thursday and Friday). They feel that it is the only way to make the country and the world hear the voice of the Kenyan people supporting their cause. The problem is that the government has outlawed such rallies so the "peaceful demonstrations" usually turn into violent battles.
The news reports are suggesting that over 500 have died in the election aftermath, with over π million being displaced from their homes. From the many people that have been displaced here locally in Mbita and what I have heard from our school staff and other friends about people that have died in the violence, I would say those estimates are pretty low. At least five have died in the small, rural town of Mbita in the past two weeks. Several more have died today in different parts of the country in the running battles with police. It has had a big impact on many, and has affected everyone in the country.
Sometimes achieving freedom and true democracy can come at a great price. Is it worth it? It is not an easy question to answer. Is it right for the government to outlaw "peaceful demonstrations?" Is it right to continue with the demonstrations when they are outlawed by a government you think is in office illegally? Is it right to paralyze an entire country by holding rallies to seek justice and truth? What is the solution? Power-sharing? Re-run of the elections? Re-tallying or re-counting the vote? Do you file a petition in a court system that is run by the government? Do we just put it all behind us and move on without ever discovering the truth and striving for justice? I have my own answers to most of those questions, but it is not easy. The one thing that is very cut and dry is that there is never a reason to attack innocent women and children or to destroy someone's property or steal from another person.
The new Kenyan Parliament opened yesterday afternoon. There were many arguments and tense moments, but the main items on the agenda were electing the House Speaker and swearing in the newly elected members of Parliament. The opposition carried the day by electing their nominee for Speaker since they have the majority. It was a big psychological win for them after having lost the disputed Presidential election. It shows that the opposition does have some power by carrying the majority in Parliament. If things continue as they are, it will be a major stalemate for the next five years in Parliament. I have never heard of the opposition in a country being the majority.
So we wait longer. There doesn't seem to be an ending in sight. This could last for weeks, months or years. But we wait, trusting in God, knowing that He is in control.
JOe Peterson
Mbita, Kenya
Send Contributions to:Christ's Gift Academy P.O. Box 5073 N. Charleston, SC 29405-001 Include a note designating direction of funds (specific missionary, project, child, or general)
Ed. Note: Please feel free to view the article written about Joe's Kenya experiences that appeared in the Billings Newspaper.
http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2008/01/11/sports/local/21-rmcathlete.txt
Another day in Kenya and more protests are scheduled. What does that mean for most people throughout the country? It means people are imprisoned in their own homes, hoping that the crowds don't notice them. It means intermittent gun shots in the distance as police try to disperse the mobs because the government has said that all public rallies are illegal. It means all businesses are closed. It means there is no traveling at all because of the armed road blocks set up by the youth. It means that schools are closed for fear of retaliation from angry protestors. In fact most schools in Kenya have not opened the new school year which was supposed to have begun two weeks ago. Most school-going kids are stuck inside their small homes, bored to death, like it is a rainy day, but there is no precipitation.
Christ's Gift Academy did open yesterday for one day. On Monday evening we quickly passed the message to our students through word of mouth to come to school the next morning. About 60% of the students showed up. It was a shortened day designed to touch base with the students, let them know they still have a home and share with them about what is happening in their country from a Biblical perspective. It was a success, but now we have to wait and see what happens next. If the opposition decides to cancel any of the rallies over the next three days then we will try to come back to school. Otherwise, we will wait until Monday or longer if things are not peaceful. Schools throughout the country were supposed to open two weeks ago. It was then postponed to this week, but most parents in most parts of the country have not released their children to attend school which includes the boarding secondary schools or even the local primary schools in their areas.
Because of the disputed Presidential election held in late December, the opposition has called for country wide 'peaceful demonstrations" for the next three days (Wednesday, Thursday and Friday). They feel that it is the only way to make the country and the world hear the voice of the Kenyan people supporting their cause. The problem is that the government has outlawed such rallies so the "peaceful demonstrations" usually turn into violent battles.
The news reports are suggesting that over 500 have died in the election aftermath, with over π million being displaced from their homes. From the many people that have been displaced here locally in Mbita and what I have heard from our school staff and other friends about people that have died in the violence, I would say those estimates are pretty low. At least five have died in the small, rural town of Mbita in the past two weeks. Several more have died today in different parts of the country in the running battles with police. It has had a big impact on many, and has affected everyone in the country.
Sometimes achieving freedom and true democracy can come at a great price. Is it worth it? It is not an easy question to answer. Is it right for the government to outlaw "peaceful demonstrations?" Is it right to continue with the demonstrations when they are outlawed by a government you think is in office illegally? Is it right to paralyze an entire country by holding rallies to seek justice and truth? What is the solution? Power-sharing? Re-run of the elections? Re-tallying or re-counting the vote? Do you file a petition in a court system that is run by the government? Do we just put it all behind us and move on without ever discovering the truth and striving for justice? I have my own answers to most of those questions, but it is not easy. The one thing that is very cut and dry is that there is never a reason to attack innocent women and children or to destroy someone's property or steal from another person.
The new Kenyan Parliament opened yesterday afternoon. There were many arguments and tense moments, but the main items on the agenda were electing the House Speaker and swearing in the newly elected members of Parliament. The opposition carried the day by electing their nominee for Speaker since they have the majority. It was a big psychological win for them after having lost the disputed Presidential election. It shows that the opposition does have some power by carrying the majority in Parliament. If things continue as they are, it will be a major stalemate for the next five years in Parliament. I have never heard of the opposition in a country being the majority.
So we wait longer. There doesn't seem to be an ending in sight. This could last for weeks, months or years. But we wait, trusting in God, knowing that He is in control.
JOe Peterson
Mbita, Kenya
Send Contributions to:Christ's Gift Academy P.O. Box 5073 N. Charleston, SC 29405-001 Include a note designating direction of funds (specific missionary, project, child, or general)
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