Then ... and now
Questions abound for sports world in wake of Katrina
Advocate staff report
Associated Press photo
Huge shafts of light strike the playing field of the Superdome on Friday. Debris litters the dome after serving as shelter for hurricane victims.
Nearly a week after Hurricane Katrina roared ashore, the impact continues to be felt keenly as it will be for untold days to come.
Though not as important as the life-or-death issues facing people from southeast Louisiana to southwest Alabama, Katrina has also impacted the Louisiana sports scene.
There are many questions. The Advocate sports staff has a attempted to answer some of the more pressing ones.
How was the construction on Tiger Stadium impacted?
The $60 million project to graft a new upper deck, club seats and press box onto the west side of Tiger Stadium suffered little if any damage from Hurricane Katrina's winds, LSU officials said.
"It definitely had an impact," said Herb Vincent, LSU associate athletic director for external affairs, "not from the weather but from the ability of many of the workers to come to work."
"The first couple of days we had a few less people on the crews," said Dan Radakovich, senior associate athletic director. "But the last couple of days they've been able to make significant progress."
Friday, workers were able to swing the last sections of seats into place at the north end of the upper deck.
Still, about 1,500 seats at that end of the upper deck aren't expected to be ready for use if LSU plays at home this Saturday against Arizona State because some restroom facilities won't be operational.
Asked if a drain on construction crews and material to rebuild southeast Louisiana might hamper plans to begin building new baseball and softball stadiums next year, Radakovich said: "We haven't thought that far ahead."
Scott Rabalais
Can the Sugar Bowl be played in the Superdome?
NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue has said he doesn't believe the Superdome will be fit for the Saints to play in this season -- their last home game would be played Dec. 24. However, Sugar Bowl President Mark Romig told BCS Commissioner Kevin Weiberg last week that it is too early to tell whether the Dome could be readied to host the Sugar Bowl, scheduled for Jan. 2, 2006.
Perhaps a more salient question is whether New Orleans could be equipped to host tens of thousands of visiting fans by then, given the damage inflicted by the storm.
BCS media coordinator Bob Burda of the Big 12 said there is nothing contractual between the BCS and the Sugar Bowl that forces the game to be played.
If the game can't be played there, then where? Sugar Bowl committee members are supposed to meet in a couple of weeks to begin discussing that very subject.
"We would wait to hear from them," Burda said, "then decide what direction to go in. Right now we're taking our cues from the Sugar Bowl."
LSU Athletic Director Skip Bertman said he is open to the game being played at Tiger Stadium. ESPN has reported that Alamodome officials in San Antonio have offered their facility.
As for the Dec. 20 New Orleans Bowl, Sun Belt Commissioner Wright Waters said Lafayette and Memphis, Tenn., have expressed an interest in hosting the game.
Scott Rabalais
Where are the Saints likely to play this season?
If they can't play any games in the Superdome, the Saints could become the vagabonds of the NFL.
Their "home" opener against the New York Giants will be played in Giants Stadium (likely on Sept. 19) with a portion of the proceeds going to the relief fund for Hurricane Katrina victims.
After the Giants' game, where the remaining seven home games will be played is nothing more that a guess at this point.
Baton Rouge, Shreveport, Houston, San Antonio, Birmingham, Ala. -- where do they go?
While there have been reports the NFL would like them to play in Baton Rouge or Shreveport, they may be able to do both -- playing four games in Tiger Stadium and three in Independence Stadium.
San Antonio and Houston may still be in the mix.
This much we know: with the game against the Giants being switched by the league Friday, it gives the Saints and NFL a little time to think about the next "home" game on Oct. 2 against the Buffalo Bills.
Sheldon Mickles
Where will the Bayou Classic be played?
Southern coach Pete Richardson said he thought the event should be played in a dome. That would leave the Reliant Stadium in Houston, which like the Superdome is managed by SMG, or the Georgia Dome in Atlanta.
Factors complicating the use of Reliant Stadium are a Houston Texans home game on Nov. 27 against St. Louis and the Astrodome, which is next door to Reliant and is at least for now being used for evacuees.
Dallas, Shreveport, Jackson, Miss., and even Birmingham could be possibilities, as could Tiger Stadium.
Richardson said the game would not likely be played at either Southern or Grambling.
The Bayou Classic has been played at the Superdome since 1975.
Joseph Schiefelbein
Where will the New Orleans Hornets go?
Although the New Orleans Arena didn't sustain the type of damage that the Superdome has, it's likely that it will be awhile -- and probably the entire season -- before the Hornets can host games.
NBA deputy commissioner Russ Granik sent an e-mail earlier this week advising all league teams to be prepared for the Hornets to not play in New Orleans this season.
In published reports, General Manager Allen Bristow said playing in Baton Rouge is a likely option. The Hornets could play at either the Pete Maravich Assembly Center or the River Center arena. The latter is managed by SMG, the same organization that manages New Orleans Arena.
As of Friday there had been no official contact between the Hornets and LSU. But LSU men's basketball coach John Brady said he and the Tigers are ready to do whatever they can to help.
"There are some challenges as far as working around all the different schedules, but we'd be happy to have the Hornets play in our arena if that's what they need to do," Brady said.
Hornets officials are expected to tour the city's two arenas some time in the near future.
The Hornets schedule includes 41 home games from early November to mid April. Three sports use the PMAC during the stretch: men's basketball (16-18 home dates), women's basketball (13-15), gymnastics (eight, including the 2006 NCAA Central Regional). LSU's volleyball team also has two home matches in early November.
Construction on the interior of the PMAC was scheduled to be complied in late October. But that project may be delayed as long as the arena is being used as a medical triage location.
There are other in-state options. Louisiana-Lafayette's Cajundome seats 11,550. The CenturyTel Center in Bossier City has a capacity of 14,000 and will host the Hornets Oct. 25 preseason game against Miami.
Oklahoma City's 14,000-seat Ford Center, also managed by SMG, has been offered as a temporary home for the Hornets. Officials with the 19,000-seat Gaylord Entertainment Center in Nashville, Tenn., said it could accommodate as many as 12 Hornets home games.
The Hornets open training camp in Colorado next month.
Randy Rosetta
How will eligibility be affected for student-athletes changing schools?
The Louisiana High School Athletic Association paved the way for storm-displaced student-athletes to become immediately eligible at its other member schools by amending its by-laws during a Thursday conference call involving its executive committee.
In the fall sports season, only students moved to a site in another parish will be considered "homeless" and granted immediate eligibility at the first school he/she enrolls in the parish they move to or an adjoining parish.
Students must be displaced from schools that are located in a parish that is listed as a storm disaster parish by the Office of Emergency Preparedness and moved to another parish.
Should the student transfer to a second school, he/she would be ruled ineligible for one calendar year. Students displaced for a second time by storm-related hardships will be required to go through the LHSAA's hardship program to gain eligibility at another school. Any students who are eventually able to return to their original school will retain eligibility at their "home" school.
All transfer students should comply with the LHSAA's age rule, bonafide student rule, medical exam rule, eight semesters of eligibility rule and scholastic requirements.
The LHSAA will draw up special paperwork for the transfers, which must be filed before the student competes.
Private schools throughout the Baton Rouge area have been flooded with requests to enroll students since Wednesday.
Officials from the Orleans Parish and Jefferson Parish school boards are planning to set up offices within the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board office next week to ease the transition of public school students.
Robin Fambrough
What will happen to high school championships in New Orleans?
Six LHSAA championships events are scheduled to be held in the New Orleans area in 2005-06, including volleyball, swimming and football this fall.
The Nokia Sugar Bowl Prep Classic set for Dec. 9-10 at the Superdome is the marquee event. This is the 25th anniversary of the football championships in New Orleans and the LHSAA was planning activities to commemorate the event.
LHSAA Comissioner Tommy Henry said the chances the Prep Classic to be held at the Superdome are slim and has suggested the anniversary be delayed.
Henry listed LSU's Tiger Stadium as a possible site. Bertman said last week the university would be willing to help the LHSAA.
Since then, Shreveport's Independence Stadium has emerged as a possible alternative site as north Louisiana principals on the LHSAA's executive committee noting the region's traditional strength in the event.
However, last year only three of the 10 teams that participated ? Evangel Christian of Shreveport, West Monroe and Oak Grove -- were from north Louisiana.
The LSU Natatorium is listed as an alternate site for the LHSAA's State Nokia Sugar Bowl State Swim Meet set for Nov. 16-19 at the University of New Orleans' Kiefer Lakefront Arena.
No alternate sites have been listed for the State Farm/LHSAA Volleyball Tournament scheduled for Nov. 9-12 at Kenner's Pontchartrain Center.
Spring events scheduled for the New Orleans area are the State Wrestling Tournament at Kenner's Pontchartrain Center (Feb. 17-18), soccer at City Park's Tad Gormley Stadium (March 3-4) and the Class 5A baseball tournament at Metairie's Zephyr Field.
Robin Fambrough
What changes could be made to prep sports seasons?
No changes to the playoff system in any of the LHSAA's sports have been planned or announced. Henry has not ruled out possible changes.
Should New Orleans area and St. Tammany Parish schools be unable to play football this fall as many 22 of the 61 Class 5A schools could be affected. Up to 16 schools in 4A, eight in 2A and nine in 1A could be affected.
St. Tammany Parish President Kevin Davis has announced that its public schools, Covington, Mandeville, Fontainebleau, Slidell, Salmen and Northshore will all be closed until at least Oct. 1.
Possible options could include restructuring brackets for sports like football, basketball and baseball.
Sports contested in divisions which combine classifications could be consolidated even more. For example, soccer could be reduced to two divisions from three, while swimming could also be reduced to two or three divisions from four.
Some of the LHSAA's most successful sports programs reside in the New Orleans area.
Jesuit-New Orleans won last year's Southern Quality Ford Cup All-Sports Trophy by claiming state titles in baseball, cross country, wrestling, soccer, swimming and tennis.
Jesuit's swim team currently has the state longest string of state titles, winning 18 years in a row.
John Curtis-River Ridge has 19 state titles in football and was a heavy favorite to win the 2A title this season. Patriots' coach J.T. Curtis is Louisiana's winningest coaches with a 417-47-6 record.
Robin Fambrough
What about amateur sports events?
Dozens of activities planned for the Capital City area have been canceled or postponed. The Advocate Fun & Fitness Calendar will continue to update this recreational listing weekly, even daily when the need arises. The Advocate publishes the Fun & Fitness Calendar every Wednesday.
To add events and notices for activities ranging from baseball to basketball to horseshoe pitching to running, slowpitch softball, tennis and volleyball, send a fax to (225) 388-0318 or e-mail:
[email protected].
