The LSU football team reports for fall camp today looking to improve on an eight-win season from a year ago. Tiger Rag Associate Editor James Moran says quarterback is once again a question mark for the Tigers, but whether it’s Anthony Jennings or Brandon Harris, the offense should be better than last year..

cut 16 (20) “to succeed”

Moran also expects LSU’s defense to be very good this year, even though John Chavis is no longer the defensive coordinator.

LSU has received another commitment for the 2016 class. His name is Connor Culp. He’s a place kicker from Arizona and according to 24-7 sports he’s the fifth best kicker in the country.

The LSU men’s basketball team is holding workouts as they prepare for an exhibition trip to Australia. The team leaves for the land Down Under on August 11th. They will play five games between August 15th and the 22nd. Coach Johnny Jones says he likes the mixture of vets and freshmen on his team. He say freshmen Antonio Blakeney and Brandon Sampson have a lot of tools on the defensive end.

Former McNeese basketball star Kevin Hardy has signed to play for a professional team in Romania this fall. Hardy has agreed to play for SCU Sibiu, which begins its season in October. Hardy averaged over 13 points a game last season for the Cowboys on his way to earning third team all-conference honors.

ULM Athletic Director Brian Wickstrom has applied for the same job at the University of Akron. The NewsStar reports that the school was in contact with Wickstrom over the weekend. Wickstrom came to Monroe in 2013 from the University of California-Riverside.

Last night in the majors, the Rangers squeaked past the Astros 4-3 and the Braves fell to the Giants 8-3.

No practice for the Saints today as the players got a day off from training camp. So far the big stories after five days of camp, safety Jairus Byrd is on the physically unable to perform list and first round pick, Andrus Peat, has struggled at offensive tackle.

The LSU football team will report for fall camp tomorrow. The Tigers will begin practicing Thursday morning. The first scrimmage is set for Saturday August 15th. Football media day and fan day will take place the next day on August 16th.

The LSU men’s basketball team held a couple of workouts today as they prepare for an exhibition trip to Australia. The team leaves for the land Down Under on August 11th. They will play five games between August 15th and the 22nd. Coach Johnny Jones says he likes the mixture of vets and freshmen on his team. He say freshmen Antonio Blakeney and Brandon Sampson have a lot of tools on the defensive end.

The annual Bayou Classic football game between Southern and Grambling will not be aired on network television this year. Instead the game will be shown on the NBC Sports Network and the kickoff time has been moved from the traditional 1:30 time slot to 4 PM.

LSU has received another commitment for the 2016 class. His name is Connor Culp and he’s a place kicker from Arizona and according to 24-7 sports he’s the fifth best kicker in the country.

But LSU fans are more concerned about the number one recruit in the Class of 2017. University High running back and linebacker Dylan Moses has de-committed from LSU as he wants to experience the recruiting process prior to national signing day in 2017. Derek Ponamsky of Bayou Bengals Insider-dot-com says Texas and Alabama will likely spend a lot of time recruiting Moses…
cut 30 (09) “….shape there’

The number one recruit for the class of 2017 has de-committed from LSU, which has some fans concerned. Dylan Moses from University High in Baton Rouge gave a verbal commitment to LSU as a 15-year-old nearly two years ago.Derek Ponamsky, of Bayou Bengals Insiders-dot-com, says Moses still considers LSU his first choice but wants a chance to enjoy the recruiting process…
cut 30 (10) “…in my opinion”
Moses has until National Signing Day in February 2017 to make his final decision.

LSU has received another commitment for the 2016 class. His name is Connor Culp and he’s a place kicker from Arizona and according to 24-7 sports he’s the fifth best kicker in the country.

The Saints players are enjoying a day off from training camp today. They’ll get back at it tomorrow morning.

The annual Bayou Classic football game between Southern and Grambling will not be aired on network television this year. Instead the game will be shown on the NBC Sports Network and kickoff time has been moved from the traditional 1:30 time slot to 4 PM.

FCS school UT Chattanooga has been added to the 2017 LSU football schedule. The Tigers are set to host Chattanooga on September 9th. The other non-conference games that season are Syracuse, Troy and BYU. LSU opens the season against the Cougars in a game that will be played in Houston.

In other college football news…ULM and Northwestern State both report for fall camp today. The Demons will kick off the season on September 3rd against Southeastern Louisiana, while the Warhawks who report today, will not actually hit the practice field until tomorrow.

In major league baseball…former LSU Tiger Mikie Mahtook’s two-out RBI single in the top of the ninth helped Tampa Bay beat the Chicago White Six five to four last night.

Defensive lineman Maquedius Bain announces on twitter that he’s no longer on the LSU football program. Bain was one of three LSU Tigers who was recently reinstated to the football team after charges related to an alleged break-in were dropped. The four-star recruit from Florida was expected to compete for playing time at defensive end. He’s the third defensive lineman to leave LSU this offseason.

While Bain is leaving, defensive tackle Mickey Johnson is returning to LSU. Johnson announced in the spring that he was leaving for Louisiana Tech, but Bain’s departure may have opened up a scholarship for Johnson, who has only six tackles in his LSU career.

One of the football’s top recruits for 2017 has decided to de-commit from LSU. University High linebacker and running back Dylan Moses says he still considers LSU his first choice, but he says in a post on social media that this is a once in lifetime deal and wants to live the process up to the fullest.

The Mercedes Benz Superdome turned 40-years-old today. The Dome has hosted seven Super Bowls, five Final Fours and a Wrestlemania. The general manager of the iconic building, Alan Freeman, is confident these kind of events will continue to be held in the Dome….
cut 30 (08) “….sporting events”
Freeman says the goal is to host a Super Bowl and a College Football playoff championship game in the next few years.

The Saints have announced that placekicker Morten Andersen will be inducted into the team’s Ring of Honor. Anderson played in the NFL for 25 years, 13 of those were with the Saints. No only is he the team’s all-time leading scorer, but he’s also the NFL’s all-time leading scorer with 2,544 points. He’ll be the fourth person to be placed into the Saints Ring of Honor, joining Archie Manning, Rickey Jackson and Willie Roaf.

The NFL’s all-time leading scorer, Morten Andersen, will be placed into the Saints Ring of Honor. Anderson was New Orleans’ kicker for 13 seasons and he was selected six times to the Pro Bowl and was named to the All-Pro team twice during his career in a Black and Gold uniform. He joins former Saints greats, Rickey Jackson, Willie Roaf and Archie Manning in the team’s Ring of Honor.

The Mercedes Benz Superdome turns 40 today. The home of the New Orleans Saints officially opened on August 3rd, 1975. General Manager Alan Freeman says upgrades to the Dome have kept it a viable venue to host big events. He says they are constantly looking at ways to enhance the fan’s experience at the Dome…:
CUT 30 (08) “the Saints”
Over the years, the Superdome has hosted seven Super Bowls, five Final Fours, and a WrestleMania, just to name a few. Freeman is confident all of these and more will return to the Dome

At Saints training camp, no sign of safety Jairus Byrd. The team’s big free agent acquisition during the 2014 offseason, still has not participated in training camp this season. He’s been on the physically unable to peform list. Today was the fifth straight day of practices in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia. The players will have tomorrow off.

The Bills have suspended their offensive line coach Aaron Kromer for the first six games of the season without pay. The former Saints assistant is receiving disclpline from the team after he allegedly punched a boy in the face over a dispute involving beach chairs. Prosecutors have dropped a battery charge against Kromer.

Southeastern Louisiana begins preseason practice today. The Lions return 15 starters from last year’s team that won Southland title.

Former Louisiana Tech basketball standout Raheem Appleby has signed with a professional team in Hungary. He’ll depart in a couple of weeks for traning camp with the P-V-S-K Panthers. The Arkansas native was a three-time all-conference selection and scored 17-hundred points during his career with the Bulldogs.

The Mercedes-Benz Superdome celebrates its 40th birthday today. Eric Gill reports…:
CUT 1 (28) “I’m Eric Gill”

According to a tweet by LSU Sports Information Director Michael Bonnettte, three suspended LSU football players, including quarterback Anthony Jennings, were reinstated to the team. The message also indicated Tiger head coach Les Miles says the players will report to camp on Wednesday, but will continue to undergo in house disipline. This comes after no formal charges were filed against the players for allegedly going into a house without permission in June.

LSU freshman pitcher Alex Lange has been selected as the male winner of the 2014-15 James J. Corbett Award presented by the Allstate Sugar Bowl. Lange won 12 games this season without a defeat, striking out 131 batters.

The East Baton Rouge District Attorney’s office announces that formal charges will not be pursued against LSU football players Anthony Jennings, Dwayne Thomas and Maquedis Bain. The D-A’s office says the decision is based on the request of the victim not to file charges and inconsistent and contradictory statements provided. The football players were arrested in June for allegedly breaking into an apartment and taking items that reportedly belonged to Jennings. The players, who were suspended, are expected to be re-instated to the team.

At Saints training camp…wide receiver Marques Colston has been moved to the active roster from the physically unable to perform list. Coach Sean Payton says they’ll be smart with Colston’s reps the rest of the way. The team’s all-time leading receiver is entering his 10th season.

Middle linebacker Donnell Ellerbe did not practice with the first team on Friday because of an undisclosed injury. That means rookie Stephone Anthony ran plays and drills with the first team.

LSU Baseball Coach Paul Mainieri says next season, they want to have an established third starting pitcher and maybe even a fourth starter as well. Mainieri says the last couple of years, they’ve had a hard time winning in the postseason, because they only had two starters they count on.

He says several pitchers on last year’s roster are performing well in summer ball…
cut 20 (15) “….up there”
Mainieri also announced that Austin Bain underwent shoulder and he will not be available for fall practice.

Louisiana Tech infielder Mason Paxton was named the offensive player of the year in the South Florida Collegiate Baseball League. Paxton hit .402 in 35 games for the Pompano Beach Clippers. The Texas native also drove in 36 runs and had eleven doubles.

Former Saints linebacker Junior Galette has signed a one-year deal with the Washington Redskins. Galette was cut a week ago today by the Black and Gold, because of several off the field incidents. Galette recorded 10 sacks for New Orleans last year and is said to be grateful for another opportunity. The Saints visit the Redskins on November 15th.

Saints Quarterback Drew Brees is entering his 15th season in the NFL. The 36-year-old says he’s excited about another camp beginning….
cut 17 (14) “…full again”
Brees also says he hasn’t heard any of the talk that suggests that his best days on the football field are behind him.

Saints wide receiver Marques Colston was back on the practice field today after spending the first day of camp on the physically unable to perform list.

LSU baseball has added 16 new players to its roster. Many of them will get a chance to play right away, because the Tigers are returning only one position player from a season ago. Coach Paul Mainieri also says they would also like to develop a third and fourth starting pitcher. Mainieri says having only two starters to count on the last couple of years, hurt them in the postseason….
cut 19 (15) “…we can”
Mainieri says starting pitcher Austin Bain had surgery on his shoulder and he’ll miss fall practice. He says left-hander Jake Latz is making progress after missing all of last year with arm trouble.

Today is the Major League Baseball trade deadline. Former LSU Tiger Jacoby Jones was sent from the Pirates organiziation to the Tigers minor league system in a deal that resulted in Pittsburgh acquiring reliver Joakim Soria.

Saints quarterback Drew Brees is set to begin his 15th season in the NFL. There are some who say the 36-year-old’s best days are behind him, but Brees doesn’t pay attention to any of that talk…

cut 16 (14) “this season”

Training camp is once again in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia and Greenbrier County Convention and Visitors Bureau Spokesperson Kristi Godby says it’s not too late fans to come and check it out. She says they do have a local airport which puts you 10 minutes away from the Saints training camp location…

cut 12 (09) “get here”

The drive to White Sulphur Springs is 13 hours from New Orleans.

LSU Baseball Coach Paul Mainieri has finalized his incoming freshman class. Many of them will get a chance to play since the Tigers have to replace their entire infield and only one starting outfielder is back and that’s Jake Fraley. Mainieri says two kids from Lafayette Parish, Antoine Duplantis and Brennan Breaux could get a chance to start in the outfield

cut 18 (19) “this class “

Mainieri says as he gets ready for fall practice to begin in September, one thing they would like to do is develop a third and fourth starting pitcher.

UL-Lafayette star softball catcher Lexie Elkins is named the 2014-15 female winner of the James J. Corbett Award. The award is handed out annually to the state’s top male and female amateur athletes. Elkins’ school record and nation’s best 32 home runs helped the Cajuns softball team make it the super regionals for a third year in a row.

The first training camp practice of 2015 is in the books for the Saints. A steady rainfall fell through the first half of practice today, but Coach Sean Payton says the team did ok in the wet conditions….
cut 28 (13) “…is important”
According to Saints sideline reporter Kristian Garic, he says the play of the day was a diving interception by defensive back Keenan Lewis on a pass thrown by quarterback Ryan Griffin. Lewis also had a nice deflection of a pass thrown by Quarterback Drew Brees.

Even though training camp is a grind, especially for older players. Brees says he comes into camp excited…
cut 17 (14) “…fun again”

The LSU football team is ranked 13th in the preseason coaches poll which came out today. The Tigers go into this season with a new defensive coordinator, Kevin Steele, who replaces John Chavis. ESPN.com’s Chris Low says Steele and new defensive line coach Ed Orgeron are good additions to the staff and should provide results…
cut 11 (09) “…those guys”
Quarterback Anthony Jennings remains suspended from team activities because he was arrested in June, but it’s likely the charges could be dropped soon. Coach Les Miles says competition in practice between Jennings and Brandon Harris will determine who will start…
cut 20 (20) “…the best quarterback”