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The Adventures of Dale Brown
By Angela Lento
Rocky Dennis used pins to mark all the places on the map that he wanted to visit. Well if former LSU coach Dale Brown wanted to follow suit he’d have to borrow a few pins from Clive Barker’s “Hellraiser” character.
This modern day Ferdinand Magellan has journeyed to 85 countries and given new meaning to the expression ‘why not?’
“I’ve done a lot of adventurous things,” laughed Brown. “Some people may think I am a little eccentric and I probably am.”
The latter is debatable, but there is no mistaking his passion for living life to the fullest. And on a few occasions he put that passion to the test.
As a coach, Brown never shied away from an issue, often speaking out against the NCAA. On the court he won 448 games, went to the Final Four twice and took LSU to places they had never been before. Now it’s Brown who is venturing where few have dared.
“About 15 years ago I went on an expedition into the Amazon region,” said Brown. “I was the only one in my party that could speak English and the boat we were in was right out of the ‘African Queen.’ I was waiting for Humphrey Bogart to show up.”
Well that’s not exactly my idea of a cruise, but it sounded scenic and interesting. As long as nobody decided to go for a swim, how dangerous could it be?
“We had to cut the expedition short,” Brown said. “French missionaries who were traveling in the party ahead of us were killed by head hunters so I didn’t think it was a good idea to continue.”
A luxury cruise line is obviously not the preferred method of travel for coach Brown.
Prior to going down the Amazon, Brown ventured up the Matterhorn, in Switzerland. Brown, who one day would like to make the trek to the Himalayan Mountains in search of Yeti (Asia’s version of Bigfoot), encountered a grizzly sight on the slopes in Switzerland, but it wasn’t an abominable snowman.
“Several weeks before we made our climb a Japanese team had some of their climbers die on the mountain,” said Brown. “They hadn’t been able to get to them yet so they were still hanging from their ropes. It wasn’t a pretty sight.”
I’d think a prettier view of the Swiss Alps would be found from the comforts of a hotel balcony.
But most of Brown’s adventures were just a step above the conventional tourist and tour bus approach.
In the past 25 years basketball clinics, speaking engagements and accompanying his wife on research trips have taken Brown all around the globe. Brown’s wife, Vonnie is an international folk dance researcher who teaches at LSU.
He and his wife visited many places together, but undoubtedly there were a number of treks that he made without her, including one to British Columbia.
“I have been on two expeditions in search of Bigfoot,” Brown said. “I know a lot of people have disputed the evidence, but I really believe that there is not one, but many Bigfoot creatures. The area of British Columbia is bigger than Oregon, Washington, California and Idaho combined and three-fourths of the region is uninhabited by man.”
Brown’s first search took place seven years ago and two years later he ventured back to an area where there have been many sightings, but peering eyes never caught a glimpse of the legendary Sasquatch.
“I have visited with people who have tracked Bigfoot and I have seen the plaster casts of footprints,” said Brown. “There have been a lot of frauds, but the casts prove that they had to be made by a very tall creature weighing 700 to 900 pounds.”
It sounds to me like he was out looking for a replacement for Shaquille O’Neal.
Jungles, forests and mountains would be enough for a lot of people, but Dale Brown is not your every day, run of the mill type individual. How many people were fortunate enough to have met Mother Theresa?
“Our team Chaplin and a photographer in Baton Rouge knew Mother Theresa so I got a chance to meet her in Calcutta (India),” said Brown. “That was very special.”
Brown walked on the ‘Great Wall’ of China, visited the ‘Forbidden City’ and drove across one of the world’s largest glaciers in Iceland.
He’s been to the Kremlin, met with President George Bush in the Oval office and toured the castle of Vlad ‘The Impaler’ Dracula in Transylvania.
From the Pyramids of Egypt to the Berlin Wall and the 38th parallel in Korea, Brown has done just about everything, including getting away from the long arm of Baghdad just before war.
“I’ve always been fascinated with historical places,” said Brown. “Going to Damascus (Syria), the oldest city still inhabited was remarkable as were the ruins of the Tower of Babel in Babylon. In fact, we left Iraq just a week before the Iran-Iraq War (1980’s).”
So what’s next for this real-life Indiana Jones? He’s considering a run for a seat in Congress, where they might be very interested in his familiarity with the landscape of Iraq.
“The first two days after the terrorist attacks I was rather num,” said Brown. “Then I asked myself if I was honestly doing the best I can to make the world a better place to live in? That really bothered me. Then I asked myself if I could do more on the inside?”
Brown is considering moving back to North Dakota to run against incumbent Democratic Rep. Earl Pomeroy for North Dakota's lone U.S. House seat next year.
“I am still giving it serious thought and will make a decision on it very soon,” he added.
But there might be one last adventure before it’s off to the Nations’ Capital.
“A good friend of mine is an Archeologist and Anthropologist,” said Brown. “He recently asked me if I would be interested in going to look for Noah’s Arc. That’s something I would really like to do.”
From a distance, Brown may appear to many as an ex-coach who doesn’t know how to cope with being away from the game. Nothing can be farther from the truth.
Brown lived a very poor childhood and his father abandoned his mother just two days before he was born. He’s simply making up for lost time in a big way.
And in case you thought he might just be an overgrown child, think again. Brown is heavily involved in the ‘Boys & Girls Town’ in Nebraska, he is assisting in building another chapter in the New Orleans area and his own foundation has raised thousands of dollars for needy people.
Of all his conquests and accomplishments the former coach and teacher is most satisfied with his relationships with former players. Of the 160 players who suited up for Brown he remains in contact with 154 of them.
Congress would be a walk in your local park for Brown and don’t be surprised if he hasn’t strolled through your neighborhood.
Angela Lento is a big supporter of the “Bobbi Olson Foundation” and would like to urge you to make a contribution. For more information Click Here
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