Legendary LSU baseball coach and Athletic Director Skip Bertman died at the age of 88 early this morning. Kace Kieschnick reports.
Cut 1 (40) “…I’m Kace Kieschnick.”
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The Attorney General’s office launched a new website with resources for athletes, agents, schools and families on the state’s new N-I-L and athlete agent laws. Andrew Greenstein reports.
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LSU legend Skip Bertman passed away early this morning at the age of 88. Bertman led LSU Baseball to five College World Series titles and 11 trips to Omaha and hired four national championship-winning coaches as Athletic Director. Former LSU pitcher Ben McDonald says Bertman transformed LSU into the greatest baseball program in the country.
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McDonald says Bertman was years ahead of his peers in every facet of the game. He was a master tactician, marketer and motivator. McDonald, who played for Bertman from 1986 to 1989, says he didn’t appreciate his greatness as an 18-year-old, but he does now.
Cut 4 (13) “…he was best at.”
Bertman’s reign as LSU baseball coach began in 1986 and lasted 18 seasons. He holds the highest winning percentage in SEC history and was a six-time national coach of the year. Tiger Rag Editor and author of Bertman’s biography Glenn Guilbeau says it’s been 25 years since Bertman coached a game, but he is still revered by college baseball fans.
Cut 5 (08) “…in Louisiana.”
Guilbeau says Bertman had the Midas touch as Athletic Director from 2001 to 2008, revolutionizing LSU athletics fundraising and ticket sales. As a coach, he cared deeply about his players. Guilbeau says ex-LSU outfielder Rich Cordani confirmed just that.
Cut 6 (10) “…were his sons.”
Bertman produced 41 players who reached Major League Baseball. One of them was Todd Walker, who ended up in the College Baseball Hall of Fame. Walker remembers he was a little intimidated by Bertman when he showed up on campus as a freshman after LSU won the 1991 national championship and never knew his relationship with Skip would grow immensely…
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Walker says Bertman was the ultimate motivator and fondly remembers his pre-game talks in front of the whole team…
Cut 8 (11) “..play like champions.”
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This could be the hottest weekend of the summer. LSU Health Climatologist Barry Keim says an area of high pressure in the Gulf of Mexico will drive up temperatures and humidity levels.
Cut 9 (08) “…the next week.”
And when you add those high temperatures and those humidity levels, Keim says those are going to yield some outrageous heat indexes which are going to linger for days with no relief in sight.
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As for the tropics, we’re now approaching the peak of hurricane season, although the current El Nino weather pattern will point to a below-average season. Keim says forecasters at the National Hurricane Center are keeping an eye on a pair of disturbances in the Atlantic, but neither one is expected to impact us here.
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Louisiana’s new N-I-L and athlete agents website is live. It provides information for athletes, families, schools and agents on the state’s new NIL and athlete agents laws. Attorney General Liz Murrill says Act 895 requires agents to register with the state.
Cut 12 (12) “…integrity and character.”
Agents in existing representation agreements were required to register by August 1.
The portal is the most significant regulation included in Act 895. Murrill says the new law extended existing athlete agent oversight to N-I-L agents and gave student-athletes the power to sue agents for damages, attorney fees and other compensation.
Cut 13 (08) …interests at heart.”
Murrill says lawmakers collaborated with the LHSAA and its member schools to help protect high school athletes. She says once students are adults, they can represent themselves.
Cut 14 (11) “…for everybody.”
Visit A-G-Liz-Murrill-dot-com-slash-page-slash-athlete-agents.
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The Louisiana Public Service Commission heard from several citizens this week concerned their energy bills will go up as a result of Meta’s 50-billion dollar AI data center in Richland Parish. Governor Jeff Landry was a guest on WRKF’s Talk Louisiana and says Meta is paying for its own power use, and their investment will improve the electric grid’s resiliency…
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Landry says the data center being built in Richland Parish is part of the biggest construction boom the state has ever seen, and he says these jobs are here to stay…
Cut 16 (12) “…coming to Louisiana”