It was sad earlier this year when it was announced that Bossier City lost one of their gaming casinos. DiamondJacks Casino announced in May that they would not be reopening after the COVID-19 pandemic shutdowns. This has cost the community numerous jobs, and will cost the city, and Bossier Parish, in tax revenue.

But maybe we can find a little silver lining to this.

The road that the former DiamondJacks is on is appropriately named Diamond Jacks Boulevard. It's a very small stretch of road, basically going from I-20 to the casino grounds. Here's how short it is according to Google Maps

Maps.Google.com
Maps.Google.com
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On the other side of I-20, it's Hamilton Road.

Now this won't make much sense moving forward, whether a new owner buys the casino or not. To have Diamond Jacks Blvd without a DiamondJacks is probably something that Bossier City shouldn't consider having for a long period of time. Which is where this idea comes in.

Why not take this opportunity, with so much uncertainty and unrest around our state, and the nation, to celebrate one of the greatest achievements in Louisiana history. A Louisiana-born and raised coach, who's so Louisianian the national media loves to play his sound bites and try to impersonate him, just took the state's lead university to the National College Football Championship.

Ed Orgeron is as Louisiana as they come. He was born in Larose, Louisiana in Lafourche Parish. Where Bayou Lafrouche meets the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway. He played his high school football at South Lafourche High School with Bobby Hebert, and went on to play at LSU and Northwestern State. His coaching resume includes Northwestern State, McNeese State, Nicholls State, and the New Orleans Saints.

His sons Parker and Cody play football at McNeese State, while his step-son Tyler is on the LSU coaching staff as well. The whole family is Louisiana football.

Orgeron is Cajun, and oozes everything Louisiana...from his voice, to his work ethic, to his love of LSU. You take a guy like that, give him his dream job at LSU, and he turns it into a National Championship right away (well, pretty fast at least), this is a legendary tale that the state will retell for decades.

So, why not honor him in Bossier City? Especially at a time when we ALL need a smile, and something to be hopeful about.

It might not be a large stretch of road, but its right on I-20, and everyone driving through will have to be reminded of Coach O every time they come through Bossier Parish.

Sports Stars from Shreveport

 

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