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Schutt McNeese State Cowboys Authentic Mini Helmet

Former American Press sportswriter Carl Dubois blogs about the games people play, in and out of sports, and the people you meet between and outside the lines.

Carl is an award-winning reporter and columnist based in Baton Rouge. He is associate editor of Tiger Rag magazine.

Cue-pon or coo-pon?

BATON ROUGE — How do you say it? I say it like it’s spelled: coupon.
But today I’m surrounded by the Cue-pon People.
(OK, I’m waiting for someone to reply that they say it as … “it.” But I sort of stole their thunder with this pre-emptive strike, didn’t I?)

Wait, there’s no foot in football?

BATON ROUGE — Something in the Sept. 21 issue of Sports Illustrated caught my eye. If you haven’t seen it, check out this story about a high school football coach who’s stopped punting and instead goes for it on fourth down — all the time.
I don’t have much to add, except to say this is [...]

Remembering Coach Vic

BATON ROUGE — I was here a year ago, so I didn’t hear about it until weeks later, but I wanted to acknowledge the passing one year ago today of longtime Southwest Louisiana football coach Charles Vicknair.
Coach Vic touched a lot of lives, as many of you know.
“He had a big impact on our community [...]

Cowboys, LSU sign deal to play in 2010

BATON ROUGE — The news comes from Louis Bonnette of McNeese sports information. The Cowboys and LSU Tigers have a signed contract for a football game between the two schools in Tiger Stadium on Oct. 16, 2010.
McNeese will become the first Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA) team from the state of Louisiana to play [...]

Cowboys win thriller, 40-35

Josh Lewis kicked an 18-yard field goal to break a tie with 4 seconds left, and Appalachian State’s multi-lateral kickoff return ended in a safety as McNeese State defeated the Mountaineers 40-35 in Boone, N.C.
The second half lived up to my expectations. McNeese’s staff made some gutsy calls and didn’t let itself become too conservative [...]

Good first half for Pendland, McNeese

BATON ROUGE — I’m watching the McNeese vs. Appalachian State game online, and I’ve been impressed with Cowboys running back Todd Pendland.
He’s scored both touchdowns for McNeese’s 14-7 halftime lead, and he’s looked sensational in doing so.
Appalachian State had a field goal attempt, a short one, hit an upright and elicit groans from the home [...]

Be like Mike?

If you read this writer’s take, you wouldn’t want to be.
If you read this point of view, you don’t get a flattering picture of MJ either.
Yet, apparently a lot of fans disagree with these takes on Michael Jordan’s Hall of Fame induction speech.
What do you think?

I think it was, like his short baseball career, a [...]

Brother, can you spare (another) dime?

BATON ROUGE — Late last night I walked out of a 24-hour-a-day drugstore and heard someone calling for my attention. When I turned, a gentleman around my age asked if I could help him.
He said he’d just lost his wife, he was from Bossier City, and he needed some money to help him get back [...]

Nine slash nine slash nine

BATON ROUGE — It’s a good thing Obama didn’t schedule his speech to school children for 09/09/09. It would have been interpreted as even more of a sign of the apocalypse than it was on a random Tuesday.
So, is Wednesday going to be more exciting and significant than 08/08/08 was? Or 07/07/07? This link will [...]