RIP Don Allen

[GreatestStory]

RIP Don Allen.

One of the best to do it.

Thanks for the memories.

[Cajuns4me]

RIP Don. I have fond memories of growing up listening to him calling the Cajuns on my grandfathers old radio. Thanks Don!

[Turbine]

Don was an old school reporter who didn't mind telling the administration when they needed to step up their game.

For this he was (at times) treated persona non grata.

For instance he, wrote a story near the end of the Baldwin era that the University could no longer get away with just announcing that season tickets were on sale, more was needed. They obviously didn’t listen and attendance has never recovered.

He wrote a story on fan apathy (I will try to find it and post it)

Before the internet and before easy to scour databases he was great at identifying pivotal moments in sports history.

I thought he was (at times) condesending towards his color guys by not responding, but looking back he was there for one thing and they were there for another.

I thought then and think now Don Allen was one of the best.

He has been and will continue to be missed.

[CajunJack55]

Rip Don. Don also was a member of this site and posted from time to time.

I am thinking Eric Mouton and Bobby Neveau to take Jay's place.

Personally, my pick would be Ian Auzenne, he calls a fantastic play by play, local guy, very knowledgable but also without the strong Cajun accent.

We really have been with lucky with Don Allen and Jay. Hopefully Jay has another 20 plus years in him haha but i also would understand if he retired tomorrow...that schedule has to be rough.

[Turbine]

I want an announcer with more Cajun Accent.

I want a French broadcast.

[Cajunsmike]

Personally, my pick would be Ian Auzenne, he calls a fantastic play by play, local guy, very knowledgable but also without the strong Cajun accent.

We really have been with lucky with Don Allen and Jay. Hopefully Jay has another 20 plus years in him haha but i also would understand if he retired tomorrow...that schedule has to be rough.

Dawson Iserloh was chosen for women’s basketball. He does a great job in that role. He may in line for more responsibilities down the road.

[HelmutVII]

Don was great. He witnessed the highs with Basketball the lows with basketball and the extreme low with Jerry Baldwin with football. The Baldwin years must have been brutal.

[Cajun Monkee]

Back in the Blackham days, Don also wrote a sports-related op-ed for the Times.

After one particular game (might have been a UNO game that might have involved some particularly colorful exchanges with Tony Harris), Don wrote an article taking the students to task for our interactions with the bad guys (remember we sat on those wooden bleachers between the regular seats and the court itself).

After the game, I wrote some etiquette rules for students (The Duke Students' Guide to Polite Game Behavior, maybe?).

Among the suggestions were:

"Hey, Mister Official, might you remove your medulla oblongata from your anal orifice?"

"Please, when referring to the officials, remember to use appropriate names such as "Hey, Blivot!!!!)."

Passed out copies prior to the next game. One of my cohorts brought a copy to Don.

He read it, slowly turned to look in my general direction, got up and strolled down to our seats. Stared me down for a few seconds (it got pretty quiet), and stuck his hand out...."Put her there. That was some funny stuff."

His op-ed in the next Times, he printed my manifesto and said we should carry on.

Thanks for your contributions to U(s)L Athletics, Mr. Allen. You'll forever be a part of (dysfunctionally) formative years.

And by the way, a blivot is 200 lbs. of wet manure in a 100 lb. bag.

[CajunJack55]

I want an announcer with more Cajun Accent.

I want a French broadcast.

Thats why we have Gerald Broussard

[CajunJack55]

Don was great. He witnessed the highs with Basketball the lows with basketball and the extreme low with Jerry Baldwin with football. The Baldwin years must have been brutal.

Imagine something similar to this....

[CajunNation]

Don was an old school reporter who didn't mind telling the administration when they needed to step up their game.

For this he was (at times) treated persona non grata.

For instance he, wrote a story near the end of the Baldwin era that the University could no longer get away with just announcing that season tickets were on sale, more was needed. They obviously didn’t listen and attendance has never recovered.

He wrote a story on fan apathy (I will try to find it and post it)

Before the internet and before easy to scour databases he was great at identifying pivotal moments in sports history.

I thought he was (at times) condesending towards his color guys by not responding, but looking back he was there for one thing and they were there for another.

I thought then and think now Don Allen was one of the best.

He has been and will continue to be missed.

Agree with all of this.

He will never get the recognition he deserves.

His voice is burned in my memory. Don was on the level of Scully. If you disagreee, you don't know what you're talking about.

Don Allen was and will always be the GOAT.

[CajunNation]

Thats why we have Gerald Broussard

I love Gerald too, but most of the time he has a pretty noticeable redneck accent.