Sorry
http://www.southerndigest.com/vnews/.../433b38833b545
False reports stir rumors again
by NIKKI G. BANNISTER
September 28, 2005
Fans of Southern University and Grambling State football may have to wait a few more days before making arrangements for the 32nd State Farm Bayou Classic on November 26.
Despite published reports the event would be in Houston, a decision still has not been made, said Bayou Classic coordinator Ralph Slaughter.
An article released Tuesday on
www.nola.com the Web site of the New Orleans Times-Picayune, said Houston’s Reliant Stadium would be the site of the 2005 State Farm Bayou Classic.
“There will be a decision made by early October,” Slaughter said.
This is the second time Houston’s has been named prematurely and incorrectly as the location for the Bayou Classic. Two weeks ago, an e-mail authored by Texas Southern University’s alumni national president incorrectly confirmed the city to be the host site for the game.
“I think it really should be in Houston,” said motivational speaker and Southern alumnus Dennis Brown. “The city is very familiar to both schools and both teams have a strong alumni base here.
“The city is very receptive of both teams and both Southern and Grambling State will receive a first-class welcome.”
If Houston is to be chosen, Southern and Grambling State are two of the four black colleges scheduled to play a “classic” there. Texas Southern and Prairie View A&M are also scheduled to play each other in their rescheduled Labor Day Classic, on the Friday before the Bayou Classic in the same stadium. Their original game was cancelled due to Hurricane Katrina.
“I don’t think lodging and accommodations will be a problem for Bayou Classic fans because most of TSU’s and Prairie View’s fans are already in the area,” Brown said. “No disrespect to those two teams, but there is only one Bayou Classic.”
Houston is still a possibility for the game, but other cities, including Jacksonville, Fla., Orlando, Fla. and again Los Angeles have presented strong proposals to host the only black college football game played on national television.
Head coaches of both Grambling State and Southern, Melvin Spears and Pete Richardson, respectively, have suggested they want to play in dome-style stadiums.
Shreveport, the only instate option, was a strong candidate as a site for the game, but the inability of the city to reserve at least 9,000 rooms for the Bayou Classic and its other related events during the weekend made the city–s chances slim.
Also, there is still the issue of the city not paying a debt of over $100,000 to Southern for two games that were played.
Speculation about the possibility of the game being played in Baton Rouge, while fans stay in New Orleans – where the related events would be held – came after the New Orleans Metropolitan Convention and Visitor’s Bureau reported the French Quarter was now running on full electrical power and so were the Convention Center, Marriott, Hilton, Sheraton, Hyatt Regency and W hotels.
“I can see the possibility of that happening,” said Jai Miller of Baton Rouge, who attends the event but not the game itself. “But I just can’t see myself having a good time before the entire city can bounce back. I don’t even know if the water is clean enough to drink.”
New Orleans’ recovery efforts were well ahead of schedule, the bureau said, and five airlines had resumed service at Armstrong International Airport.
But having power and planes still may not be enough to help boarding issues. Crews from FEMA and other recovery teams are staying in the available hotel rooms. According to the New Orleans visitor’s bureau, hotels such as the Marriott, Omni, Sonesta, Hilton and InterContinental projected Jan. 1 as their opening date for visitors.
The Starwood Hotels and Resort Group, whose brand names include Sheraton, W and Westin Hotels, have projected openings no earlier than April 1, 2006. Meanwhile, the Hyatt Regency New Orleans, the only Hyatt property in the state, has projected its opening to be as late as Jan.1, 2007.
While the 2005 Bayou Classic is just under two months away, the 2006 game has also promoted food for thought. The timetable at the Hyatt, a hotel that plays a major role in the Bayou Classic and its activities, has already caused speculation about the location of the 2006 Bayou Classic.
The update by the visitor’s bureau in New Orleans says though rumors saying about tearing down the Louisiana Superdome are false, baseline analyses for the stadium will not be completed until next month. A hint on just how long the recovery of the dome will take could be taken from the projected time it will take to get the New Orleans Arena online, which is by the second quarter of 2006.
Not worrying about next year, Brown said time is of the essence for the 2005 Bayou Classic.
“People need a decision as soon as possible because the Bayou Classic is just that, a ‘classic,’ ” he said. “People use their vacation time to come to this game. No doubt, the earlier we get a decision, the better.”