Rainy Day in New Orleans

Today, a very special entry at the Hullabaloo Huddle.....

It's a rainy day in New Orleans in more ways than one.

Mrs. Hullabaloo spent the 10.5 hour drive back to New Orleans trying to console Mr. Hullabaloo after having bet on #16 in the Kentucky Derby. The safe bet. The horse that was in the lead coming around the last bend. The one that got left in the dust when the long shot plum took off like Secretariat out of nowhere. Sigh, our horse came in 2nd. Our original bet with Joe Talamo's horse was scratched. When the dust on the track settled, the entire Churchill Downs was silent. That is the sound of hundreds of thousands of people losing their bets. There were not enough betters on Calvin Borel's horse to make a dent in the silence.

Our friend Jason, however, walked away with $300 on a $2 bet on that one.

But all in all, Mrs. Hullabaloo really cannot complain when there are bigger things in life.

Like losing your athletic program. I get it. At the end of the day, school is, well, about school. Approving funding of $1.4million on the backs of students when you have to fire professors is lunacy. The purpose of universities is to be a center of knowledge and learning.

And for all of our complaints at Tulane about student apathy, nowhere was the tide harder in Southeast Louisiana than at UNO. Which is harder: an entire student body not from New Orleans who pick up stakes and move back to New York or Connecticut without a look in the rearview mirror or a student body made up of afternoon commuters whose priority in life is to provide a living for their families.

TJ Baxter: I am very sorry for my immature behavior cat calling you at third base. I wish I could take it all back. I might have to chew on that last bit a little bit longer. I'll get back to you on that.

And like losing someone like Drew Villar.

Tulane has had many special individuals pass through our community whether they be classmates, boosters or student athletes. My dear friend Gifford Riess. Dickie Monett. Ray Hester.

Mr. and Mrs. Hullabaloo were inspired to be more participatory in Tulane athletics during the Katrina season. That was no fun for anybody, much less for the students who are essentially entertaining us at no pay in exchange for a diploma. What is the point of passing through life without doing much of anything or knowing much of anybody.

When I read Fourth and New Orleans, I sobbed over the death of Brandon Spincer. Sat on my couch hunched over that book with a box of tissues. I never got the chance to know Brandon, but he was good people and did his best and that's important. According to the book, he even befriended a little boy up in Ruston who was also evacuated to the dorms. You see, Leaders emerge naturally.

He worked out for the Saints after graduation, he worked at the Boys and Girls Club which requires individuals who have the patience of a saint. He was walking his girlfriend up to her door after a date like a gentleman and loses his life.

And so today I find myself sobbing over the loss of Mr. Andrew "Drew" Villar.

Our favorite Tulane baseball player at the moment is Andrew Robinson. Robinson doesn't even bat. He is a warm-up catcher and waves to us when he runs in and out of the bullpen to left field practice mound. Occasionally tosses up a ball to a little greenie that might be in the stands. Always smiling! At the last UNO game played at Turchin, Robinson's name was called up to go to bat. Section 110 cheers. Pitch. DINK. Robinson cracks the bat. The ball ZOOMS like a lighting bolt out to centerfield. Section 110 ROARS. Boo-hiss, the ball gets caught by the player at 2nd base. But for half a second, Andrew Robinson was our hero.

Andrew Robinson and Drew Villar have been friends since childhood, having both attended East Ascension High School.

Drew was a recipient of the (wrongly and) much-maligned Legislative Scholarship given to young Louisianians to attend Tulane. One of my bridesmaids and best friends is a recipeint of the Legislative Scholarship. I have zero problem with the Legislative Scholarship. I think it's just much ado by jealous tiger fans who couldn't even spell Legislative if they were given a dictionary.

Drew, Tulane class of 2011, was class president at East Ascension all four years he was a student. He was Homecoming King, etc. He was passionate about intramural sports at Tulane which is extremely popular with the student body.

Drew tried out for the baseball team. According to Rick Jones, he really wanted to play football. So after discussion with Bob Toledo, Drew was the final cut when 2 more players were brought in to the baseball team. So Drew tried out in football and got a walk-on spot on football. He was 4th on the depth chart as a placekicker, but according to Bob Toledo he would play at any spot he was asked.

Ross Thevenot said that Drew would be the first player to congratulate a teammate or lift their spirits. He was a positive, fun, and energetic individual.

It's young adults like Drew whom I wish that more Tulane students would have had the chance to get to know, and God willing, someday emulate. Showing your school spirit and encouraging your classmates is more than sitting back, entitled, and demanding a win.

Bailing out is easy. Stampeding like a heard of uneducated sheep behind a bloated program while other state schools do more with less takes zero effort.

When Mr. and Mrs. Hullabaloo went on the field after the spring game to mix and mingle, I remember seeing Drew and wondering about him. His hair was longer, but he had a great smile on his face.

http://blog.nola.com/tulanebeat/2009/05/teammates_remember_tulane_walk.html

A memorial service will be held on campus in the LBC (old UC) in the Kendall Cram room (2nd floor) at 5pm on Tuesday, May 5.

"Roll, Green Wave, For you we have no fear. With every man in every play, We're bound to win that game today..... Hoorah for Olde Tulane..."