The New Orleans Buccaneers were a charter member of the American Basketball Association . After three seasons in New Orleans, Louisiana , the franchise moved to Memphis, Tennessee , where it became the Pros , Tams , and Sounds for four years before an abortive move to Baltimore in 1975.
97-451: With the founding of the ABA on February 2, 1967, a charter franchise was awarded to a group of seven investors, including Morton Downey, Jr. The group obtained their franchise for $ 1,000 as opposed to the $ 30,000 fronted by most other original teams. Charles G. Smither , one of the seven owners, served as team president; another of the investors, Maurice M. Stern , was operations manager. The team
194-514: A disc jockey , sometimes using the moniker "Doc" Downey, in various markets around the U.S., including Phoenix (KRIZ), Miami ( WFUN ), Kansas City (KUDL), San Diego ( KDEO ) and Seattle ( KJR ). He had to resign from WFUN after drawing ire from the FCC for announcing a competing disc jockey's home phone number on the air and insulting his wife. Like his father, Downey pursued a career in music, recording in both pop and country styles. He sang on
291-467: A psychic communication with O.J. Simpson 's murdered ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson . His third – and final – attempt at a talk radio comeback occurred in 1997 on Cleveland radio station WTAM in a late evening time slot. It marked his return to the Cleveland market, where Downey had been a host for crosstown radio station WERE in the early 1980s prior to joining KFBK. This stint came shortly after
388-610: A talk show host at KFBK - AM in Sacramento, California , where he employed his abrasive style. He was fired in 1984, and was subsequently replaced by Rush Limbaugh . He also had a stint on WMAQ-AM in Chicago where he unsuccessfully tried to get other on air radio personalities to submit to drug testing. Downey's largest effect on American culture came from his popular, yet short-lived, syndicated late 1980s television talk show, The Morton Downey Jr. Show . On January 22, 1980, Downey,
485-664: A 2019 study by Sperling's BestPlaces , other notable Christian bodies in the area include Anglicans or Episcopalians , Pentecostals , Presbyterians , Latter-Day Saints , and Lutherans . Christians including Jehovah's Witnesses , the Metropolitan Community Church , Christian Unitarians , and the Eastern Orthodox among others collectively made up 14% of the Sperling's study other Christian demographic. Notable Anglican or Episcopalian jurisdictions operating throughout
582-584: A 2020 study by the Association of Religion Data Archives , Christianity is the most-practiced religion for the Baton Rouge area, being influenced by Catholicism and Protestantism . In 2020, ARDA reported there were 61 congregations and 174,410 Catholics within the metropolitan area. The Catholic population is primarily served by the Latin Church 's Roman Catholic Diocese of Baton Rouge —a suffragan diocese of
679-536: A bluff above the Mississippi". In the 1950s and 1960s, the petrochemical industry boomed in Baton Rouge, stimulating the city's expansion beyond its original center. The changing market in the oil business has produced fluctuations in the industry, affecting employment in the city and area. In 1953, there was a bus boycott by black riders who were forbidden to occupy seats reserved for whites, leading eventually to some improvement of their rights. On January 10, 1972,
776-580: A capitol in Neo-Gothic style, complete with turrets and crenellations, and stained glass; it overlooks the Mississippi. It has been described as the "most distinguished example of Gothic Revival" architecture in the state and has been designated as a National Historic Landmark . By the outbreak of the American Civil War , the population of Baton Rouge was nearly 5,500. The war nearly halted economic progress, except for businesses associated with supplying
873-606: A cigarette." His replacement was former WERE host Rick Gilmour. Following his death, news reports and obituaries incorrectly (according to the Orange County Register ) credited him as the composer of " Wipe Out ." As of 2008, Downey's official website (and others) continue to make this claim. Prior to Downey's death, Spin in April 1989 had identified the Wipe Out authorship as a myth. In 1984, at KFBK radio, Downey used
970-708: A devoted anti-abortion movement activist, hosted the California State Rally for Life at the invitation of the California ProLife Council and United Students for Life. At that time, he was also running for President of the United States, as a Democrat . The United Students for Life, at California State University, Sacramento helped organize his California presidential rallies. Downey worked to help promote anti-abortion candidates in California and around
1067-593: A distinct culture for centuries. From 1763 to 1783, Baton Rouge was part of the British North American colony of West Florida , though it was captured by Spanish forces in in September 1779 . During the first half of the 19th century, Baton Rouge grew steadily as the result of steamboat trade and transportation. Baton Rouge was incorporated in 1817. In 1822, the Pentagon Barracks complex of buildings
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#17328373124381164-452: A few records and then began to write songs, several of which were popular in the 1950s and 1960s. He joined ASCAP as a result. In 1958, he recorded " Boulevard of Broken Dreams ", which he sang on national television on a set that resembled a dark street with one street light. In 1981, "Green Eyed Girl" charted on the Billboard country chart, peaking at No. 95. In the 1980s, Downey was
1261-496: A generation of kids to think it was cool to smoke a cigarette. Kids walked up to me until a matter of weeks ago, they'd have a cigarette in their hand and they'd say, 'Hey, Mort,' or, 'Hey, Mouth, autograph my cigarette.' And I'd do it. He also blamed tobacco companies for lying to consumers about cigarettes. Released in 2012, the documentary film Évocateur: The Morton Downey Jr. Movie touches upon Downey's upbringing and formative years in radio and politics before launching into
1358-595: A hidden jersey. Morton Downey, Jr. Morton Downey Jr. (December 9, 1932 – March 12, 2001) was an American television talk show host and actor who pioneered the " trash TV " format in the late-1980s on his program The Morton Downey Jr. Show . Downey's roots were in show business; his father, Morton Downey , was a popular singer, and his mother, Barbara Bennett , was a stage and film actress and singer and dancer. Downey did not use his legal first name (Sean) in his stage name. His aunts included Hollywood film stars Constance and Joan Bennett , from whom he
1455-466: A large plant in Iberville Parish near Plaquemine , 17 miles (27 km) south of Baton Rouge. Shaw Construction , Turner, and Harmony all started with performing construction work at these plants. In addition to being the state capital and parish seat, the city is the home of Louisiana State University , which employs over 5,000 academic staff. One of the largest single employers in Baton Rouge
1552-563: A military and trading post. Since then, Baton Rouge has been governed by France, Britain, Spain, Louisiana, the Republic of West Florida , the United States, the Confederate States , and the United States again. In 1755, when French settlers in the colony of Acadia (known as Acadians ) were deported from there by British authorities, many took up residence in rural Louisiana, including Baton Rouge. Popularly known as Cajuns they maintained
1649-524: A multicultural region practicing many religious traditions from Catholicism to Protestantism and Louisiana Voodoo . Baton Rouge is a major, growing industrial, petrochemical , medical, research, motion picture, and technology center of the American South . It is the location of Louisiana State University —the LSU system 's flagship university and the state's largest institution of higher education. It
1746-410: A newscaster (a former colleague), and of indecently exposing himself to her and slapping her. Downey punched Stuttering John during an interview done for The Howard Stern Show , while also shouting verbal insults at John, referring to him as an "uneducated slob". The situation then began to evolve into a brawl between the two until Downey had to be pulled off of John by security; the entire incident
1843-470: A presence in the area. The Muslim population has grown out of Middle Eastern immigration and African American Muslim missionary work. The first Islamic private school in Baton Rouge was established in 2019. In 2019, Orthodox Jews made up 0.2% of Baton Rouge's religious population. 0.6% of the population identified with eastern faiths. including Buddhism and Hinduism . New religious movements including contemporary paganism have small communities in
1940-461: A result of suburbanization in 2019, to an estimated 854,884. In 2020, the metropolitan statistical area's population increased to 870,569 residents, reflecting southern Louisiana's population growth in contrast with northern Louisiana's stagnation and decline. In 2019, the city of Baton Rouge had a population density of 2,982.5 people per square mile. With the population growth of European and African-descended peoples in present-day Baton Rouge,
2037-604: A sizable international population of over 11,300 as of 2008, the largest groups were people of Hispanic and Latino, or Vietnamese descent. This contributes to Baton Rouge's unique culture and diversity. Baton Rouge has an expanding visual arts scene, which is centered downtown. Professional performing arts organizations include Theatre Baton Rouge, the Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra, Baton Rouge Ballet Theatre, Opera Louisiane and Playmakers—a professional Children's Theatre. This increasing collection of venues includes
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#17328373124382134-461: A surprise hit on some college radio stations. However, over the course of the 1988–89 television season, his TV show suffered a decline in viewership, resulting in many markets downgrading its time slot; even flagship station WWOR moved Downey's program from its original 9:00 PM slot to 11:30 PM in the fall of 1988. Beginning in January 1989, the time slot immediately following Downey's program was given to
2231-636: A violent shootout between members of the Nation of Islam (NOI) and the police ensued, which left two sheriff's deputies and two black males dead at the scene. 31 individuals were injured, including 14 police officers. In response, then-Louisiana Governor John McKeithen ordered 700 members of the Louisiana National Guard to patrol the streets to tamp down further intercity violence. Baton Rouge Mayor-President Woodrow Wilson "W. W." Dumas subsequently imposed an evening to early-morning curfew. On January 14,
2328-454: Is 68.4 °F (20.2 °C). The average temperature for January is 51.7 °F (10.9 °C) and July is 83.0 °F (28.3 °C). The area is usually free from extremes in temperature, with some cold winter fronts, but those are usually brief. Baton Rouge's proximity to the Gulf of Mexico exposes the city and metropolitan area to hurricanes. On September 1, 2008, Hurricane Gustav struck
2425-624: Is a post painted red that the savages have sunk there to mark the land line between the two nations, namely: the land of the Bayagoulas which they were leaving and the land of another nation—thirty leagues upstream from the baton rouge —named the Oumas. The red pole was presumably at Scott's Bluff, on what is now the campus of Southern University. It was reportedly a 30-foot-high (9.1 m) painted pole adorned with fish bones. European settlement of Baton Rouge began in 1721 when French colonists established
2522-404: Is about 79 miles (127 km) from New Orleans , 126 miles (203 km) from Alexandria , 56 miles (90 km) from Lafayette and 250 miles (400 km) from Shreveport . It is also 173 miles (278 km) from Jackson , Mississippi and 272 miles (438 km) from Houston , Texas . Baton Rouge lies on a low elevation of 56 to a little over 62 feet above sea level . Baton Rouge
2619-735: Is also the location of Southern University , the flagship institution of the Southern University System —the nation's only historically black college system. The Port of Greater Baton Rouge is the tenth-largest in the U.S. by tonnage shipped, and it is the farthest upstream Mississippi River port capable of handling Panamax ships. Major corporations participating in the Baton Rouge metropolitan statistical area's economy include Amazon , Lamar Advertising Company , BBQGuys , Marucci Sports , Piccadilly Restaurants , Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers , ExxonMobil , Brown & Root , Shell , and Dow Chemical Company . Human habitation in
2716-548: Is developing a medical district expected to be similar to the Texas Medical Center . LSU and Tulane University have both announced plans to construct satellite medical campuses in Baton Rouge to partner with Our Lady of the Lake Medical Center and Baton Rouge General Medical Center , respectively. Southeastern Louisiana University and Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University both have nursing schools in
2813-545: Is syncretized with the African American Baptist culture of the Florida Parishes and South Mississippi . The city of Baton Rouge is a "college town" with Baton Rouge Community College , Louisiana State University , Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University , and Southern University located throughout the city limits; the students of Louisiana State University alone make up 20% of the city population. In
2910-587: Is the capital of Louisiana and the parish seat of East Baton Rouge Parish . According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has an area of 79.15 square miles (205.0 km ), of which 76.95 square miles (199.3 km ) are land and 2.2 square miles (5.7 km ) (2.81%) are covered by water. Baton Rouge is on the first set of bluffs north of the Mississippi River Delta 's coastal plains. Because of its prominent location along
3007-503: Is the capital city of the U.S. state of Louisiana . Located on the eastern bank of the Mississippi River , it had a population of 227,470 as of 2020 ; it is the seat of Louisiana's most populous parish (county-equivalent), East Baton Rouge Parish , and the center of Louisiana's second-largest metropolitan area and city, Greater Baton Rouge . The Baton Rouge area owes its historical importance to its strategic site upon
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3104-678: Is the state government, which consolidated all branches of state government downtown at the Capitol Park complex. The city has a substantial medical research and clinical presence. Research hospitals have included Our Lady of the Lake , Our Lady of the Lake Children's Hospital (affiliated with St. Jude Children's Research Hospital ), Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center , and Earl K. Long (closed 2013). Together with an emerging medical corridor at Essen Lane, Summa Avenue and Bluebonnet Boulevard, Baton Rouge
3201-562: The Tales from the Crypt episode " Television Terror " which utilized several scenes shot by characters within the story, a format which became popular in horror films a decade later with the found footage genre. In 1989, Downey released an album of songs based on his show entitled Morton Downey Jr. Sings . The album's single, "Zip It!" (a catch-phrase from the TV show, used to quiet an irate guest), became
3298-609: The Black Warrior River began to appear between about 1200 BC and 500 BC—a period called the Middle "Gulf Formational Stage". The Eastern Muskogean language began to diversify internally in the first half of the first millennium AD. The early Muskogean societies were the bearers of the Mississippian culture , which formed around 800 AD and extended in a vast network across the Mississippi and Ohio valleys, with numerous chiefdoms in
3395-491: The Brookings Institution . In 2009, the city was ranked by CNN as the 9th-best place in the country to start a new business. Lamar Advertising Company has its headquarters in Baton Rouge. Other notable companies headquartered in the city include BBQGuys , Marucci Sports , Piccadilly Restaurants , and Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers . Notable corporations which have established offices or distribution centers in
3492-637: The Church of God in Christ . Presbyterians are mainly members of the Presbyterian Church (USA) . In 2020, the Church of God in Christ was the area's largest Pentecostal denomination by membership. In 2019, the second-largest religion in Baton Rouge and its metropolitan area was Islam . In 2020, there were over six mosques in the Baton Rouge area, primarily affiliated with Sunni Islam . The Nation of Islam also has
3589-814: The Detroit Pistons from 1960–1965. The Buccaneers finished the season in first place in the Western Division with 48 wins and 30 losses, putting them two games ahead of the Dallas Chaparrals and three games ahead of the Denver Rockets . The Buccaneers then defeated the Denver Rockets 3 games to 2 in the Western Division semifinals and then defeated the Dallas Chaparrals 4 games to 1 to win
3686-704: The Louisiana Public Service Commission in December 2022, many Baton Rougeans helped elect Davante Lewis —the first openly LGBT politician to the state government. On 28 April 2024, the Louisiana State Supreme Court gave the city of St. George the right to secede from Baton Rouge, in a 4–3 decision. The city of Baton Rouge lies on the banks of the Mississippi River in southeastern Louisiana's Florida Parishes region. The city
3783-662: The NFC South division. On December 10, 2008, in a game against the now Charlotte Hornets, then Charlotte Bobcats , the Buccaneers were for the first time "revived" by the New Orleans Pelicans, then New Orleans Hornets , the city's current NBA franchise, who played the game in 1967–68 styled Bucs throwback jerseys. The team's cheerleading squad was also dressed in Bucs throwback outfits, Bucs video highlights were played throughout
3880-528: The Old Huey Long Bridge because the clearance is insufficient. In addition, the river depth decreases significantly just to the north, near Port Hudson . Baton Rouge's largest industry is petrochemical production and manufacturing. ExxonMobil 's Baton Rouge Refinery complex is the fifth-largest oil refinery in the country; it is the world's tenth largest. Baton Rouge also has rail, highway, pipeline, and deep-water access. Dow Chemical Company has
3977-481: The Roman Catholic Metropolitan Archdiocese of New Orleans . The Southern Baptist Convention was the second largest individual Christian denomination with 208 congregations and 91,293 members. The United Methodists had 28,924 members. The National Baptist Convention had 15,532 adherents in 25 churches. Non-denominational Protestants were spread out in 270 churches numbering 102,500. In
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4074-757: The Shaw Center for the Arts . Opened in 2005, the facility houses the Brunner Gallery, LSU Museum of Art ; the Manship Theatre; a contemporary art gallery; traveling exhibits; and several eateries. Another prominent facility is the Louisiana Art and Science Museum , which contains the Irene W. Pennington Planetarium, traveling art exhibits, space displays, and an ancient Egyptian section. Several smaller art galleries, including
4171-522: The Union Army occupation of the city, which began in the spring of 1862 and lasted for the duration of the war. The Confederates at first consolidated their forces elsewhere, during which time the state government moved to Opelousas and later Shreveport . In the summer of 1862, about 2,600 Confederate troops under generals John C. Breckinridge (the former Vice President of the United States ) and Daniel Ruggles attempted to recapture Baton Rouge. After
4268-640: The Western Division championship . The Buccaneers then advanced to the first ever ABA Championship series, facing the Pittsburgh Pipers . The Buccaneers and Pipers split the first six games but the Pipers won the decisive seventh game 122–113 to win the 1968 ABA championship . Prior to the season the Buccaneers traded away Larry Brown and Doug Moe to the Oakland Oaks in exchange for Steve Jones and Ron Franz . New Orleans' Red Robbins and Steve Jones played in
4365-527: The 2010 U.S. census. After the extensive damage in New Orleans and along the coast from Hurricane Katrina on August 29, 2005, the city took in as many as 200,000 displaced residents. In 2010, Baton Rouge started a market push to become a test city for Google 's new super high speed fiber optic line known as GeauxFiBR. In July 2016, the Greater Baton Rouge metropolitan area was heavily affected by
4462-593: The 2020 United States census, Black or African Americans made up 53.55% of the city-proper's population. In 2021 census estimates, Black or African Americans made up the largest share of youths. The remaining racial and ethnic makeup for the city in 2020 was 34.22% non-Hispanic white , 0.17% American Indian and Alaska Native , 3.21% Asian , 0.03% Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander , 2.55% two or more races , and 5.94% Hispanic and Latino American of any race. The growing Hispanic and Latino population reflected increasing trends of nationwide diversification. Among
4559-550: The ABA All Star Game. The Buccaneers finished the season with a record of 46 wins and 32 losses which put them in second place in the Western Division, 14 games behind the Oakland Oaks who had posted a remarkable 60-18 (.769) record. The Buccaneers drew an average of 2,834 fans per home game. The Buccaneers met the Dallas Chaparrals in the Western Division semifinals and prevailed in a close series, 4 games to 3. Advancing to
4656-635: The ABA All Star game and Babe McCarthy coaches the West team in the game. Larry Brown was the Most Valuable Player of the inaugural ABA All Star game and led the ABA in assists that season en route to being named Second Team All ABA. Doug Moe was named First Team All ABA and Jimmy Jones made the ABA All Rookie Team. The Buccaneers recruited Jackie Moreland , originally from Minden , who had played for
4753-465: The American Indian population declined to one of the smallest minority groups in the area. With the increase among people of color during the 20th century, Baton Rouge has also declined as a predominantly non-Hispanic white city, hastened by suburbanization, aging out, and white flight . In 1970, non-Hispanic whites were 70.5% of the population. In 2020, they were 34.2% of the total population. In
4850-547: The Baton Rouge area has been dated to 12000–6500 BC , based on evidence found along the Mississippi, Comite , and Amite rivers. Earthwork mounds were built by hunter-gatherer societies in the Middle Archaic period , from roughly the fourth millennium BC. The speakers of the Proto- Muskogean language divided into its descendant languages by about 1000 BC; and a cultural boundary between either side of Mobile Bay and
4947-538: The Baton Rouge area have included Amazon in 2021, and Microsoft . Chicago Bridge & Iron Company had an office in Baton Rouge before being sold in 2017. In 2023, Aldi established a presence in Baton Rouge. Baton Rouge is the farthest inland port on the Mississippi River that can accommodate ocean-going tankers and cargo carriers . The ships transfer their cargo (grain, oil, cars, containers) at Baton Rouge onto rails and pipelines (to travel east–west) or barges (to travel north). Deep-draft vessels cannot pass
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#17328373124385044-502: The Capital City Alliance. The area has grown a sizeable LGBT community, holding festivals such as Baton Rouge Pride. Native American religions and Afrodiasporic religions were commonplace alongside Christianity in Baton Rouge's early history. Due to French, Spanish, and British colonization and missionary efforts, in addition to American settlement, Baton Rouge became a predominantly Christian city and metropolitan area. In
5141-882: The Greater Baton Rouge area include the Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana aligned with the Protestant Episcopal Church of the United States ; and the Reformed Episcopal Diocese of Mid-America and the Anglican Diocese of the Western Gulf Coast aligned with the Anglican Church in North America . Baton Rouge's Pentecostal communities are mainly affiliated with the Assemblies of God USA and
5238-525: The Istrouma Bluff, the first natural bluff upriver from the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico . This allowed development of a business quarter safe from seasonal flooding. In addition, it built a levee system stretching from the bluff southward to protect the riverfront and low-lying agricultural areas. Baton Rouge has developed as a culturally rich center, with settlement by immigrants from numerous European nations and African peoples brought to North America as slaves or indentured servants. It
5335-488: The Southeast, as well. By the time the Spanish made their first forays inland from the shores of the Gulf of Mexico in the early 16th century, by some evidence many political centers of the Mississippians were already in decline, or abandoned. At the time, this region appeared to have been occupied by a collection of moderately sized native chiefdoms, interspersed with autonomous villages and tribal groups. Other evidence indicates these Mississippian settlements were thriving at
5432-463: The United States in 1803 was a catalyst for increased Anglo-American settlement, especially in the northern part of the state. In 1846, the state legislature designated Baton Rouge as Louisiana's new capital to replace "sinful" New Orleans . The architect James Dakin was hired to design the old Louisiana State Capitol , with construction beginning in late 1847. Rather than mimic the United States Capitol , as many other states had done, he designed
5529-434: The West team. The Bucs finished at .500 with 42 wins and 42 losses. This placed the team in fifth (last) place in that season's highly competitive Western Division, keeping the Buccaneers out of the playoffs. (In the Eastern Division that season that record would have tied them for third place and put them in the playoffs.) For the season, New Orleans averaged 2,599 fans per home game. The team picked up Wendell Ladner in
5626-442: The Western Division finals, the Buccaneers fell to the Oakland Oaks 4 games to none. The Buccaneers moved their home games to Tulane Gym (now known as Devlin Fieldhouse ) and the Municipal Auditorium for the season. Jimmy Jones suffered a knee injury in December that limited his action for the season; he was still selected to play in the ABA All Star game along with teammates Steve Jones and Gerald Govan. Babe McCarthy again coached
5723-428: The area, and a minority practice Haitian Vodou , Louisiana Voodoo , and Hoodoo . In Sperling's 2019 study, 31.9% of the population identified as either spiritual but not religious , agnostic , or atheist Baton Rouge enjoys a strong economy that has helped the city be ranked as one of the "Top 10 Places for Young Adults" in 2010 by portfolio.com and one of the top 20 cities in North America for economic strength by
5820-614: The boundary between the Houma and Bayagoula tribal hunting grounds. The French name le bâton rouge ("the red stick") is the translation of a native term rendered as Istrouma , possibly a corruption of the Choctaw iti humma ("red pole"); André-Joseph Pénicaut—a carpenter traveling with d'Iberville—published the first full-length account of the expedition in 1723. According to Pénicaut: From there [ Manchacq ] we went five leagues higher and found very high banks called écorts in that region, and in savage called Istrouma which means red stick [ bâton rouge ], as at this place there
5917-652: The broadcast. During one controversial episode Downey introduced his gay brother, Tony Downey, to his studio audience and informed them Tony was HIV positive. During the episode Downey stated he was afraid his audience would abandon him if they knew he had a gay brother, but then said he did not care. The Washington Post wrote about him, "Suppose a maniac got hold of a talk show. Or need we suppose?" David Letterman said, "I'm always amazed at what people will fall for. We see this every ten or twelve years, an attempt at this, and I guess from that standpoint I don't quite understand why everybody's falling over backwards over
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#17328373124386014-519: The city and became the worst hurricane ever to hit the Baton Rouge area. Winds topped 100 miles per hour (160 km/h), knocking down trees and powerlines and making roads impassable. The roofs of many buildings suffered tree damage, especially in the Highland Road, Garden District, and Goodwood areas. The city was shut down for five days and a curfew was put in effect. Rooftop shingles were ripped off, signs blew down, and minor structural damage occurred. Prior to colonization, American Indians were once
6111-483: The city-proper's third historic high in 2010, to 227,470 at the 2020 census . The black population increased in Baton Rouge after the Civil War. Including the consolidated city–parish of Baton Rouge in 2019 ( East Baton Rouge Parish ), the American Community Survey estimated 443,763 people lived in the area. In 2020, the U.S. Census Bureau determined 456,781 people lived in the consolidated city–parish. The metropolitan population of Baton Rouge increased to 3.6% as
6208-442: The contemporary vernacular. He particularly enjoyed making his guests angry with each other, which on a few occasions resulted in physical confrontations. One such incident occurred on a 1988 show taped at the Apollo Theater , involving Al Sharpton and CORE National Chairman Roy Innis . The exchange between the two men culminated in Innis shoving Sharpton into his chair, knocking him to the floor and Downey intervening to separate
6305-461: The country. Downey headed to Secaucus, New Jersey , where his highly controversial television program The Morton Downey Jr. Show was taped. Starting as a local program on New York – New Jersey superstation WWOR-TV in October 1987, it expanded into national syndication in early 1988. The program featured screaming matches among Downey, his guests, and audience members. Using a large silver bowl for an ashtray , he would chainsmoke during
6402-403: The curfew was lifted. A building boom began in the city in the 1990s and continued into the 2000s, during which Baton Rouge became one of the fastest-growing cities in the Southern United States in terms of technology. Metropolitan Baton Rouge was ranked as one of the fastest-growing metropolitan areas in the U.S. (with a population under 1 million), with 602,894 in 2000 and 802,484 people as of
6499-415: The draft and rechristened itself the Louisiana Buccaneers, planning to play its home games throughout the state during the 1970–1971 season including in New Orleans, Shreveport , Lafayette , Monroe and Baton Rouge . Like most ABA teams, the Bucs were never on strong financial ground, and the move to the smaller Tulane Gym combined with the marked dropoff in their play caused revenue to dry up. It
6596-433: The game, and many of the team's past players and coaches were honored at halftime. The Pelicans would win the game 105–89. The Pelicans wore their Buccaneers throwback jerseys once again in a road game against the Cleveland Cavaliers on January 16, 2009, with Cleveland coming out on top 92–78. Notes: Note: W = wins, L = losses, % = win–loss % The Buccaneers' road uniform was featured in NBA Live 07 as
6693-484: The guy." The success of the show made Downey a pop culture celebrity, leading to appearances on Saturday Night Live in 1988, WrestleMania V in 1989 in which he traded insults with Roddy Piper and Brother Love on Piper's Pit , and later roles in movies such as Predator 2 and Revenge of the Nerds III: The Next Generation . He was also cast in several television roles, often playing tabloid TV hosts or other obnoxious media types. Downey notably starred in
6790-415: The history of The Morton Downey Jr. Show and Downey's influence on trash TV. The film also looks at Downey's relationship with Al Sharpton and other important 80s figures. Baton Rouge Baton Rouge ( / ˌ b æ t ən ˈ r uː ʒ / BAT -ən ROOZH ; French : Baton Rouge or Bâton-Rouge , pronounced [bɑtɔ̃ ʁuʒ] ; Louisiana Creole : Batonrouj )
6887-405: The medical district off Essen Lane. Louisiana State University's Pennington Biomedical Research Center , which conducts clinical and biological research, also contributes to research-related employment in the area around the Baton Rouge medical district. The film industry in Louisiana has increased dramatically since the beginning of the 21st century, aided by generous tax incentives adopted by
6984-505: The pair. Downey briefly took his show on the road in 1989, holding concert-like events across the country. Because of the controversial format and content of the show, distributor MCA Television had problems selling the show to a number of stations and advertisers. Even Downey's affiliates , many of which were low-rated independent television stations in small to medium markets, were so fearful of advertiser and viewer backlash that they would air one or even two local disclaimers during
7081-583: The population of the city and metropolitan area, a substantial number identify as Cajun or Louisiana Creole . During the middle of the 20th century, The Advocate and other region-wide newspapers discriminated against the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. In 1969, the Krewe of Apollo—an LGBT social club originating from nearby New Orleans—developed a sister branch for Baton Rouge. Its annual drag balls were targets of further discrimination. Since then, other organizations have been established, such as
7178-560: The possibility of damaging winds and tornadoes yearlong. The area's average precipitation is 61.94 inches (141.1 cm) of rain and 0.1 inches (0.25 cm) of snow annually. With ample precipitation, Baton Rouge is fifth on the list of wettest cities in the United States. Snow in the Baton Rouge area is usually rare, although it snowed in three consecutive years at the first decade of the 21st century: December 11, 2008, December 4, 2009, and February 12, 2010. In 2017, Baton Rouge received snow again. The yearly average temperature for Baton Rouge
7275-590: The primary residents of present-day Baton Rouge. With the coming of European colonization , and the migration of American settlers after the Louisiana Purchase , European and African-descended peoples became the predominant groups in the area by birth rates and immigration to a 1860 population of 5,428. Since reaching its first historic high of 220,394 residents at the 1980 U.S. census , the city's population has expanded and contracted twice: from 219,531 in 1990, to 227,818 in 2000—the second historic high—and 229,493,
7372-574: The river and on the bluffs, which prevents flooding, the French built a fort in the city in 1719. Baton Rouge is the third-southernmost capital city in the continental United States, after Austin, Texas , and Tallahassee, Florida . It is the cultural and economic center of the Greater Baton Rouge metropolitan area. Baton Rouge has a humid subtropical climate ( Köppen Cfa ). It has mild winters, hot and humid summers, moderate to heavy rainfall, and
7469-413: The shooting of Alton Sterling . His death led to multiple protests and the shooting of police officers . President Barack Obama also made remarks on the shooting of Alton Sterling. By February 2021, Sterling's family was given a $ 4.5 million settlement to settle a wrongful death lawsuit. In August 2016, the city and metropolitan area were severely flooded . During the runoff for District 3 of
7566-400: The show and blow smoke in his guests' faces. Downey's fans became known as "Loudmouths", patterned after the studio lecterns decorated with gaping cartoon mouths, from which Downey's guests would go head-to-head against each other on their respective issues. Downey's signature phrases " pablum puking liberal " (in reference to left-liberals) and "zip it!" briefly enjoyed some popularity in
7663-634: The state in 2002. In September 2013, the Baton Rouge Film Commission reported that the industry had brought more than $ 90 million into the local economy in 2013. Baton Rouge's largest production facility is the Celtic Media Centre, opened in 2006 by a local group in collaboration with Raleigh Studios of Los Angeles. Raleigh dropped its involvement in 2014. Baton Rouge is a culturally distinct area of Louisiana, where Cajun and Creole Catholic culture from Greater New Orleans and Acadiana
7760-477: The surgery for lung cancer that removed one of his lungs. At WTAM, Downey abandoned the confrontational schtick of his TV and previous radio shows, and conducted this program in a much more conversational and jovial manner. On August 30, 1997, Downey quit his WTAM show to focus on pursuing legal action against Howard Stern . Downey had accused Stern of spreading rumors that he had resumed his smoking habit, to which publicist Les Schecter retorted, "He hasn't picked up
7857-421: The swastika was painted in reverse, suggesting that Downey had drawn it himself in a mirror ), and the failure of the police to find supportive evidence, led many to suspect the incident was a hoax and a ploy for attention. In July 1989, his show was canceled, with the owners of the show announcing that the last episode had been taped on June 30, and that no new shows would air after September 15, 1989. At
7954-548: The then-new Arsenio Hall Show . Following Hall's strong early ratings, however, the two series swapped time slots several weeks later, thus relegating Downey to 12:30 AM in the number-one television market . In late April 1989, Downey was involved in an incident in a San Francisco International Airport restroom in which he claimed to have been attacked by neo-Nazis who painted a swastika on his face and attempted to shave his head. Some inconsistencies in Downey's account (e.g.,
8051-528: The time of its cancellation, the show was airing on a total of 70 stations across the country, and its advertisers had been reduced primarily to "direct-response" ads (such as 900 chat line and phone sex numbers). In February 1990, Downey filed for bankruptcy in the US Bankruptcy Court for the District of New Jersey. In 1990, Downey resurfaced on CNBC with an interview program called Showdown , which
8148-400: The time of the first Spanish contact. Later Spanish expeditions encountered the remains of groups who had lost many people and been disrupted in the aftermath of infectious diseases, chronic among Europeans, unknowingly introduced by the first expedition. French explorer Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville led an exploration party up the Mississippi River in 1698. The explorers saw a red pole marking
8245-609: The war, New Orleans temporarily served as the seat of the Reconstruction era state government. When the Bourbon Democrats regained power in 1882, after considerable intimidation and voter suppression of black Republicans, they returned the state government to Baton Rouge, where it has since remained. In his 1893 guidebook, Karl Baedeker described Baton Rouge as "the Capital of Louisiana, a quaint old place with 10,378 inhabitants, on
8342-399: The word "Chinaman" while telling a joke. His use of the word upset portions of the sizable Asian community in Sacramento . One Asian-American city councilman called for an apology and pressured the station for Downey's resignation. Downey refused to apologize and was forced to resign. Downey was sued for allegedly appropriating the words and music to his theme song from two songwriters. He
8439-506: Was caught on camera. When an Inside Edition camera crew approached Downey in 1989 to question him about his involvement in an alleged business scam, Downey grabbed the boom mike and struck the soundman 's head with it. In his later years, Downey expressed remorse for some of the extreme theatrics of his TV show, as well as various incidents outside the studio, including the Inside Edition confrontation. However, he also said his show
8536-532: Was completed. The site was used by Spanish, French, and British authorities and was occupied by both the Confederate States Army and United States Army . It was also part of the short-lived Republic of West Florida. In 1951, ownership of the barracks was transferred to the state of Louisiana. In 1976, the complex was listed on the National Register of Historic Places . Acquisition of Louisiana by
8633-468: Was diagnosed with lung cancer and had part of his right lung removed. His views on tobacco use changed substantially, going from a one-time member of the National Smokers Alliance to a staunch anti-smoking activist. He continued to speak against smoking until his death from lung cancer and pneumonia on March 12, 2001. After being diagnosed with lung cancer, he commented: I had spawned
8730-554: Was estranged, and his maternal grandfather was celebrated matinée idol Richard Bennett . Born into a wealthy family, he was raised during the summers next door to the Kennedy compound in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts . Downey attended New York University . He was a program director and announcer at radio station WPOP in Hartford , Connecticut , in the 1950s. He went on to work as
8827-439: Was followed by three attempted talk radio comebacks: first in 1992 on Washington, D.C. radio station WWRC ; then in 1993 on Dallas radio station KGBS , where he would scream insults at his callers. He was also hired as the station's VP of Operations. The following year, he returned to CNBC with a short-lived television show, Downey , which was also carried by some broadcast stations; in one episode, Downey claimed to have had
8924-531: Was hoped that becoming a "regional" franchise would provide more capital. However, on August 21, 1970, the franchise was purchased by a new owner and ten days later it was moved to Memphis, Tennessee and renamed the Memphis Pros . The Buccaneers nickname was picked up by a new NFL expansion team in 1976. Since 2002, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New Orleans Saints have competed against each other in
9021-591: Was named the New Orleans Buccaneers and former Mississippi State University head coach Babe McCarthy was signed as its first coach. Among the team's first players were Doug Moe , Larry Brown , Gerald Govan , Jimmy Jones and Red Robbins . The Buccaneers played their home games at the Loyola University Fieldhouse during their first season and averaged 2,337 fans per game there. Doug Moe, Red Robbins, Larry Brown and Jimmy Jones played in
9118-516: Was of a higher quality than and not as "sleazy" as Jerry Springer 's show . Downey was married four times and had four children from three of those marriages. With wife Helen, he had daughter Melissa; with Joan, he had daughters Tracey and Kelli; and, with fourth wife Lori, he had daughter Seanna Micaela. He and Lori met when she appeared as a dancer in a show he attended in Atlantic City . According to Terry Pluto 's book, Loose Balls , Downey
9215-716: Was one of the owners of the New Orleans Buccaneers basketball team in the American Basketball Association in the late 1960s. He was also president and co-founder of the proposed World Baseball Association in 1974. In 1998, a Golden Palm Star on the Palm Springs, California , Walk of Stars was dedicated to him. Morton Koopa Jr. of the Nintendo video game Super Mario Bros. 3 is named after him. In June 1996, while being treated for pneumonia , Downey
9312-428: Was ruled by seven different nations: the French, Spanish and British in the colonial era; briefly the Republic of West Florida ; the United States as a territory and a state; the Confederate States of America ; and the United States again since the end of the American Civil War . Throughout the governance of these various occupying national governments of Baton Rouge, the city and its metropolitan area have developed as
9409-400: Was sued for $ 40 million after bringing then-stripper Kellie Everts onto the show and calling her a "slut", a "pig", a "hooker", and a "tramp", saying she had venereal diseases , and banging his pelvis against hers. In April 1988, he was arraigned on criminal charges for allegedly attacking a gay guest on his show, in a never-aired segment. In another lawsuit, he was accused of slandering
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