"Lagniappe"
is an expression used in South Louisiana that
means "something extra". Each
year the local schools get a day off from
school. It's called Lagniappe Day.
Here is the second World Cup Trampoline Competition that I have commentated for Acrobatic Sports TV. Enjoy all the thrills by clicking the link below (Note that the audio & video in the first event, Women’s Synchronized, is not … synchronized.):
The sport of trampoline lost a luminary yesterday. George Nissen, often referred to as the “Father of Trampoline” and inventor of the first competitive trampolines used in sports today, passed away. He was 96 years old and was likely still able to do handstands.
Mr. Nissen sponsored my travel to several international athletic events, including trips to Egypt, Russia and South Africa. I have too many wonderful memories to limit to one little blog post.
Several days ago while walking in the neighborhood, I spotted this cross on the front doors of Our Lady of Good Counsel Catholic Church on Louisiana Avenue, another joyful surprise on the colorful streets on this festive city. I snapped some shots and left them in my iPhone. However, because of a subsequent death of my dear Uncle Pete a couple of days later on March 5th (Mom’s birthday), I look at the photos and think of him.
My uncle was a relic of an era gone by. An era of farming. An era of rural America. An era of small-town religion and politics. An era of back-breaking work. An era of modesty. Even an era of sports. A devout “Bapti-costal,” Uncle Pete, also known as J.W., loved God, life and family. He also loved his team. In his final days on Superbowl Sunday, his five loyal children gathered in his hospital room to enjoy the big game with him. They cheered their favorite team together for three happy hours. As the game was winding down, Uncle Pete asked one of his kids, “How much time is left?” “Ten minutes, Paw Paw,” she answered, “Ten minutes.” With wet eyes and slight smile, he looked up and said, “OK, I think I’ll live that long.”
He knew his life on Earth was coming to an end and he made it. He had lived to see the day. Born in 1918, one of Uncle Pete’s last joys with all his children together was to witness one more unexpected miracle. A WWII vet (which I only learned about at the funeral, hence the flag-draped coffin), hard-working farmer who never missed a church service, pillar of Winfield, life-long Democrat,
unassuming cousin of Louisiana’s legendary Long family, dedicated husband of 51 years, widower for 14, proud father of five, loving grandfather and great-grandfather of dozens, he was a simple man with few needs who lived to celebrate every moment that he could squeeze out of his full life.
I never got to tell my uncle that even as a small child I always admired him. He was a decent and humble man. Although he wasn’t Catholic, I thought how he would have appreciated this sight.
This Mardi Gras season with the Saints Superbowl win has exhausted me. As fun as it was, I’m ready to get back to work. It’s like Lent for a non-Catholic.
That said, here’s one last video from the crazy 2010 Mardi Gras season. We took our dog to the Krewe of Barkus parade which was held on the afternoon of Superbowl Sunday. I made a video featuring him while harnessing the theme of the parade and finding a funny narrative.
Tuesday, the Tuesday before Mardi Gras in New Orleans, will forever be known as Dat Tuesday from here on out by the WHO DAT NATION. Another nickname for the occasion is Lombardi Gras. It was the day the Crescent City held it’s first ever Superbowl Victory Parade for the New Orleans Saints. A Mardi Gras style parade of marching bands and floats loaded with festive Saints players, coaches and staff traveled through the streets of the Big Easy to a cheerful crowd of 800,000 fans celebrating their 43 year climb to become the Superbowl Champs for the first time ever. It was undoubtedly the biggest Superbowl Victory parade in the history of the Championships because this town knows how to throw a parade best!
But, this event is bigger than a sports victory. It’s a mix of life lessons. Here’s a few: Never give up on your dreams. In life, you must take chances to succeed. Those who are willing to succeed work hard, perpare diligently, focus on execution and not fear failure. There are many more. But, it is also a message to a troubled city devastated by the blow of Katrina and poverty. New Orleans is a city of winners. This Championship season has lifted the spirits of the hopeless and given faith to the believers. The Saints Franchise understands that their function as ambassadors and role models is a responsibility to their fans and to the people of New Orleans. They fulfilled their mission flawlessly and are greatly appreciated for it.
New Orleans has gown crazy over the Saints Superbowl win last Sunday night. New Orleans is such a unique place. It has celebrated it’s underdogs for over 40 years, always believing. Finally, their faith paid off and it’s a heartwarming story. Never a big football fan personally, I ALWAYS loved the Saints. Once I sat on the 50 yard line in Washington, D.C. cheering the Saints as they played the then Superbowl Champion Redskins knowing the Saints would get squashed – and they did. But I cheered my heart out! So, for all of us, even the un-football fans, this is a great moment for those who believe, have goals, have faith and never give up on a dream.
Here’s what it looked like minutes after the Saint’s Superbowl win last Sunday night just a couple blocks from home. ENJOY in the CELEBRATION! (and more videos to come …)
The video doesn’t do the vision of our hike from our steading to the Balfour estate any justice. Nature is just far more beautiful. However, please enjoy.
Because of my commitment to keeping the production’s stunt budget in check and to cultivating Louisiana talent, I hired Louisiana-local stunt people to perform the stunts on Somnambulist.
The wonderfully talented stunt performers I hired on Somnambulist were Danny “Cosmo” Higginbottom, Jessika Brodosi and Raion Hill. Cosmo, the one with the most stunt experience, is a daredevil who broke a world record for “Highest Dive into Shallowest Water” diving 28 feet into 12.5 inches of water. Jessika, fairly new to stunts, has been doubling Gabrielle Anwar on Burn Notice in Miami. While Raion, a former LSU football star and professional player for the Buffalo Bills, performed his first stunts on camera doubling Gbenga Akinnagbe who plays Alex, one of the leads. No surprise, Raion made it look easy.
In all future shows that I am fortunate enough to coordinate stunts in Louisiana, I will continue to do all I can to use Louisiana-local stunt performers. There is an abundance of talent here that makes Louisiana “Hollywood South.”
I just recently returned to Los Angeles for the filming of MTV’s Ultimate Parkour Challenge in my new capacity as VP Talent Management & Stunt Liason for the World Freerunning & Parkour Federation (WFPF). That’s a info-overload because I don’t now whether to blog about the show or the WFPF.
Here’s the upshot: Two dear friends sold a show to MTV featuring the hot new urban gymnastics movement called Parkour. They traveled the globe seeking outstanding athletes for the show. In their travels, they developed a passion for the sport and great respect for the athletes. Their natural progression was to form a Parkour league and management firm, the WFPF. Since we have a positive history developing shows and I have a knack for gettin-things-done, they asked me to join their team in the agency.
So – Please watch MTV’s The Ultimate Parkour Challenge on April 26th. You’ll not only see amazing athletics, you’ll meet eight incredible young men who are role models for all of us. For more, go to the World Freerunning & Parkour Federation website, which goes live in conjunction with the show in a couple of weeks: www.wfpf.com
Perhaps my most coming-of-age experience (next to my first trip to Russia) was a trip I took to Egypt with a group of American trampolinists and gymnasts to promote our sports. The lessons I learned would befit a novel. But, appreciation for the opportunities young Americans have ranked among the most valuable.
I recall a young Egyptian gymnast who recorded her floor-exercise routine music straight from television. It was the music from Nadia Comanici’s 1976 Olympics floor exercise final routine, including commentary, applause and all. The national Egyptian gymnastics program was in its most infant stage then, with minimal financial resources, modern equipment and knowledge. Therefore, it was no surprise that the girl’s choreography was sophomoric and her tumbling skills were nill. However, Islamic Arabic countries discourage women from participating in sports. So, I realized that it took a lot of courage for this girl to practice and perform gymnastics in public, particularly in a revealing leotard and with nominal ability. I admired her heart and I really appreciated the opportunities that I have been afforded.
There is no video of the Egyptian girl, but there are plenty of Nadia. Remember this?
