NATCHITOCHES, La. — Eight more Louisiana sports legends were inducted into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame last month at the Natchitoches Events Center and for the sixth consecutive year, COX Sports Television will show the highlights of induction weekend beginning Friday at 6 p.m.
The one-hour show, which will air six times during the months of July and August, is hosted by CST’s Lyn Rollins and longtime Louisiana television personality Tammi Arender-Herring. Kent Lowe, the president of the parent organization of the hall, the Louisiana Sports Writers Association, handles interviews and commentary.
Inducted into the hall this year was NBA superstar Karl Malone, football stars Leonard Marshall and Aeneas Williams, baseball’s Darryl Hamilton, Olympic strength and conditioning guru Gayle Hatch and former longtime commissioner of the Louisiana High School Athletic Association, Tommy Henry. Also inducted in the old-timers category were the late amateur golfer, Barbara Fay White, and the sensational high school girls coach at Jena High, the late “Jelly” Piggott.
The Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame ceremony this year was presented by La Capitol Federal Credit Union and the broadcast was also sponsored by some 50 State Farm Insurance Agents from throughout the state along with the Natchitoches Historic Development District.
“All of the Hall of Fame ceremonies that we have televised over the past years on CST have had their special moments and this year will be no exception when you watch our show,” said Lowe, finishing his two-year term as president of the organization. “Most importantly, we will take you back to January to one of the most important moments in the Hall’s nearly 50 years of existence, the ground breaking ceremonies for the new permanent building for the sports hall of fame.”
The induction brings the total number of Hall of Famers now to 261. The Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame members are selected by a 30-member committee made up of state media and historians.
Also on the broadcast will be the presentation of the annual Distinguished Service Awards in Sports Journalism that was presented to R. L. Stockard, who is believed to have been the first African-American to have a byline and photo as a sportswriters for a mainstream major daily paper in the nation, at the Tallahassee Democrat in 1953. He also served as the first SID at Southern, worked for the Baton Rouge State-Times and the New Orleans States-Item and later became SID for the Southwestern Athletic Conference.
Also honored with the award was the family of the long-time Associated Press staffer Ed McHale, who passed away last year at the age of 70 after a distinguished career at the New Orleans Bureau.
Dr. James Andrews, the world-renowned orthopedic surgeon, earned the prestigious David Dixon Sports Leadership Award, for his contributions to the cutting edge technology today that extends the careers of many of sports’ elite figures.
Other air times after Friday’s premiere are as follows (times listed are Central Daylight Time): July 15 (Noon); July 27 (6 p.m.); Aug. 3 (6 p.m.); Aug. 16 (5 p.m. and Aug. 28 (Noon).