A tornado warning for west Natchitoches Parish came across about 20 minutes ago, and the storm seems headed to the Coushatta area and up toward Minden and Homer at 60 mph.
Amazing that some football fanatics, and I mean fanatics, are giving KSLA Channel 12 grief for going live with tornado tracking coverage -- they're doing a great job -- instead of showing the Georgia-South Carolina game at this point.
A reality check, please!
At the fieldhouse, Demon coaches are game-planning for Cal Poly while hoping the weather keeps the power on. So far, so good.
Winds up to 47 mph here on campus.
Going to venture cross town for a while, hope to check back later today. So far it looks good to kickoff tomorrow at 2! Smart move by both schools to sit Saturday out and still come back to play Sunday.
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Wind steady, power on at campus
Rural residents and some of us right outside the city limits have lost power, but the Natchitoches power grid seems solid and power is on across the NSU campus 15 minutes prior to what would have been kickoff today.
Up at Turpin Stadium, the south goal post is bent at a slight angle from the wind, which as of a few minutes ago was steadily around 26 mph with gusts up to 41 mph. The road signs are rattling and the stop lights are leaning strongly into the south wind, with a storm front closing in on the Natchitoches area. NSU22, the campus TV station, is doing the community a great service with its constant display of the Doppler radar which is tracking the weather in the region.
At the west side elevator of the stadium, I found athletic facilities director Alan Pasch, his predecessor and now university physical plant director Chuck Bourg, and Red River Sanitors campus manager James Jefferson conferring. James was sporting his ever-present Dallas Cowboys hat, and it wasn't blowing off his head.
Pasch reported that one man showed up at the stadium asking when the game was going to start.
So much for the mass media, huh?
Up at Turpin Stadium, the south goal post is bent at a slight angle from the wind, which as of a few minutes ago was steadily around 26 mph with gusts up to 41 mph. The road signs are rattling and the stop lights are leaning strongly into the south wind, with a storm front closing in on the Natchitoches area. NSU22, the campus TV station, is doing the community a great service with its constant display of the Doppler radar which is tracking the weather in the region.
At the west side elevator of the stadium, I found athletic facilities director Alan Pasch, his predecessor and now university physical plant director Chuck Bourg, and Red River Sanitors campus manager James Jefferson conferring. James was sporting his ever-present Dallas Cowboys hat, and it wasn't blowing off his head.
Pasch reported that one man showed up at the stadium asking when the game was going to start.
So much for the mass media, huh?
Windy morning
Wind guests up to 39 mph, with a steady stream of 24 mph winds, are helping validate the decision to move the NSU-Grambling game to Sunday. So far, so good, but to the west of us, it's getting pretty rough.
The power is on, and that means the NSU football staff is at work. What are they doing a day before the game? Probably working on the next game. The game change means the work they would ordinarily do on Sunday, finalizing the game plan for Cal Poly, probably needs done today. So the power staying on is very important today for the Demons.
The power is on, and that means the NSU football staff is at work. What are they doing a day before the game? Probably working on the next game. The game change means the work they would ordinarily do on Sunday, finalizing the game plan for Cal Poly, probably needs done today. So the power staying on is very important today for the Demons.
Friday, September 12, 2008
Moving quickly to beat the storm
A lot of fast moves were in progress Thursday and Friday as it became apparent Hurricane Ike was going to impact the sports weekend at NSU.
Athletic director Greg Burke and I became connected with the National Weather Service and the National Hurricane Center, and the entire administrative staff listened attentively at 8 a.m. Friday to a massive conference call with governmental leaders, law enforcement personnel and other decision makers being advised by the NWS as to the outlook for Ike's impact.
Thursday night at 11 and Friday morning at 4, there were new projected paths for Ike released by the National Hurricane Center online, and Burke was eyeing the info as soon as it was posted. Or so he says he did; I have an e-mail or two to prove it.
I couldn't take it and dragged out of bed at 4:15 to get a look myself. I was encouraged by what I saw but daunted by what I heard four hours later on the NWS conference call.
I was impressed once again Friday to see NSU athletic staff securing their facilities and preparing for the worst, just in case. There was also work on adjusting schedules for the volleyball and cross country teams, who have lost competitions due to the weather; and contingency calls being made just in case the football team doesn't get to play this weekend and needs to play somebody on Oct. 4. Donnie Cox and coach Scott Stoker were consulting on that front.
Burke and President Dr. Randy Webb were discussing alternatives with their peers at Grambling or playing the big football game sometime this weekend. The Tigers' brass wanted to play as well and as soon as it was evident that the weather Sunday should be good enough, there was quick agreement Friday morning just before 10.
That also launched a massive and hurried effort to let the world know about the change, along with the small army of workers from all elements of the university and community who are part of the event staff for home games.
Something as simple as assuring the game officials could make a Sunday game had to be handled. There were many other hurdles to be cleared as soon as the decision was made. We got help from lots of "outside" associates such as the city of Natchitoches, the Natchitoches Chamber of Commerce, our broadcast partners at Baldridge-Dumas Communications, the Southland Conference office and the Southwestern Athletic Conference office.
I haven't had a chance to talk to anybody from the football team or head coach Scott Stoker today, but I know how disappointed they were Thursday evening at the prospect of not playing at all, which at the time seemed quite likely. I don't have to guess to know how excited they are about the chance to play Sunday.
Even now, with the clock at 7, SID administrative assistant Ronnette Pellegrin, her husband Charles and student worker Tracy Hall, along with her 2-year-old daughter. are polishing off copying the revised game notes and flip cards for use in the press box Sunday. We're going at it just as if we were supposed to be playing Sunday the whole time.
Meanwhile, assistant SID Matt Bonnette is in the office to do the story on the soccer win today by the Lady Demons at Grambling - hopefully the first of a sweep of Tiger teams this weekend!
Right now, Ruston High School and Natchitoches Central are taking the turf at Turpin for a district football game. Fans are enjoying seeing the new commemorative signage that went up underneath the west side (press box side) of the stadium in mid-week, and the wayfinder signage in the stands showing fans what section of seats they are near.
The Demons' great NFL lineage, and the rich 100-year tradition of NSU football, is celebrated with the signage, which adds vibrant color to the heretofore relatively bland undercarriage of Turpin Stadium. There are additional signs to be displayed in the near future, too.
It was fun to walk through the stadium with Athletic Association board members Joe Schellette and Tommy Chester, and Graduate N Club Hall of Fame member Emma Boozman, in the hour before the NCHS-Ruston game was to begin. They were enjoying the new signage, and you will, too.
We'll provide a little background on that project in another blog entry soon.
For now, it's time to duck and cover. Some are having hurricane parties ... I guess they're more prepared than I am at this stage.
The weather is overcast and damp and comfortable, after a band of heavy rain earlier this afternoon. There's not a lot of wind. Yet.
But around midnight, hunker down, according to the NWS.
Be safe and smart. Hopefully, we'll all see each other Sunday at Turpin!
Doug Ireland, SID
Athletic director Greg Burke and I became connected with the National Weather Service and the National Hurricane Center, and the entire administrative staff listened attentively at 8 a.m. Friday to a massive conference call with governmental leaders, law enforcement personnel and other decision makers being advised by the NWS as to the outlook for Ike's impact.
Thursday night at 11 and Friday morning at 4, there were new projected paths for Ike released by the National Hurricane Center online, and Burke was eyeing the info as soon as it was posted. Or so he says he did; I have an e-mail or two to prove it.
I couldn't take it and dragged out of bed at 4:15 to get a look myself. I was encouraged by what I saw but daunted by what I heard four hours later on the NWS conference call.
I was impressed once again Friday to see NSU athletic staff securing their facilities and preparing for the worst, just in case. There was also work on adjusting schedules for the volleyball and cross country teams, who have lost competitions due to the weather; and contingency calls being made just in case the football team doesn't get to play this weekend and needs to play somebody on Oct. 4. Donnie Cox and coach Scott Stoker were consulting on that front.
Burke and President Dr. Randy Webb were discussing alternatives with their peers at Grambling or playing the big football game sometime this weekend. The Tigers' brass wanted to play as well and as soon as it was evident that the weather Sunday should be good enough, there was quick agreement Friday morning just before 10.
That also launched a massive and hurried effort to let the world know about the change, along with the small army of workers from all elements of the university and community who are part of the event staff for home games.
Something as simple as assuring the game officials could make a Sunday game had to be handled. There were many other hurdles to be cleared as soon as the decision was made. We got help from lots of "outside" associates such as the city of Natchitoches, the Natchitoches Chamber of Commerce, our broadcast partners at Baldridge-Dumas Communications, the Southland Conference office and the Southwestern Athletic Conference office.
I haven't had a chance to talk to anybody from the football team or head coach Scott Stoker today, but I know how disappointed they were Thursday evening at the prospect of not playing at all, which at the time seemed quite likely. I don't have to guess to know how excited they are about the chance to play Sunday.
Even now, with the clock at 7, SID administrative assistant Ronnette Pellegrin, her husband Charles and student worker Tracy Hall, along with her 2-year-old daughter. are polishing off copying the revised game notes and flip cards for use in the press box Sunday. We're going at it just as if we were supposed to be playing Sunday the whole time.
Meanwhile, assistant SID Matt Bonnette is in the office to do the story on the soccer win today by the Lady Demons at Grambling - hopefully the first of a sweep of Tiger teams this weekend!
Right now, Ruston High School and Natchitoches Central are taking the turf at Turpin for a district football game. Fans are enjoying seeing the new commemorative signage that went up underneath the west side (press box side) of the stadium in mid-week, and the wayfinder signage in the stands showing fans what section of seats they are near.
The Demons' great NFL lineage, and the rich 100-year tradition of NSU football, is celebrated with the signage, which adds vibrant color to the heretofore relatively bland undercarriage of Turpin Stadium. There are additional signs to be displayed in the near future, too.
It was fun to walk through the stadium with Athletic Association board members Joe Schellette and Tommy Chester, and Graduate N Club Hall of Fame member Emma Boozman, in the hour before the NCHS-Ruston game was to begin. They were enjoying the new signage, and you will, too.
We'll provide a little background on that project in another blog entry soon.
For now, it's time to duck and cover. Some are having hurricane parties ... I guess they're more prepared than I am at this stage.
The weather is overcast and damp and comfortable, after a band of heavy rain earlier this afternoon. There's not a lot of wind. Yet.
But around midnight, hunker down, according to the NWS.
Be safe and smart. Hopefully, we'll all see each other Sunday at Turpin!
Doug Ireland, SID
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Special visitors
More on this later, but what a pleasure it's been this afternoon to welcome the great grandson and the great great grandspn of H. Lee Prather are here in Natchitoches.
Tuesday, September 09, 2008
SLCTV taping Tuesday
The SLCTV network crew was on campus Tuesday, making preliminary preparations for their telecast of Saturday afternoon's football game in Turpin Stadium, and taping segments for the October SLC magazine show on the network.
Interviews taped were with head coach Scott Stoker, senior tight end Kedrin Seastrunk, punters Bradley Russo and Nic Russo, and volleyball coach Brittany Uffelman and two of her top players, preseason first-team All-SLC pick Yelena Enwere and Megan Dockery.
Also included - an impromptu opening to the show with a group of Demon football players in the football office lounge, and a great sight gag by redshirt freshman quarterback Adam Fayard. I am not going to spoil the surprise, except to say you won't recognize him!
Interviews taped were with head coach Scott Stoker, senior tight end Kedrin Seastrunk, punters Bradley Russo and Nic Russo, and volleyball coach Brittany Uffelman and two of her top players, preseason first-team All-SLC pick Yelena Enwere and Megan Dockery.
Also included - an impromptu opening to the show with a group of Demon football players in the football office lounge, and a great sight gag by redshirt freshman quarterback Adam Fayard. I am not going to spoil the surprise, except to say you won't recognize him!
Skipping ahead in the story
Wireless connection issues in the visiting radio booth at Baylor sidetracked Saturday night's in-game blogging after one entry. Maybe a sign of things to come that night ...
Anyhow, back to blogging now and lots of info to pass along this week.
Anyhow, back to blogging now and lots of info to pass along this week.
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