LRN Sportscast 16:45 for Aug 6

Today, the Saints go through their final practices before Friday’s preseason opener against St. Louis. Defensive Coordinator Rob Ryan likes the progress he’s seen from the defense and hopes it continues…
cut 18 (11) “…ever been around”
Coach Sean Payton said today a decision hasn’t been made over whether Quarterback Drew Brees will play on Friday night. He was not in pads again today, because of an oblique injury, but Payton says Brees is feeling better.

Saints spokesman Greg Bensel says Owner Tom Benson will NOT be at Friday’s preseason game in St. Louis. But Bensel says Benson is back in New Orleans and working in the office after having troubles breathing while watching practice yesterday morning.

LSU running back Leonard Fournette worked with the veterans during the morning practice today. Fournette had been practicing with his fellow freshmen in the afternoon. The first full squad practice is tomorrow.

ULM is working out in full pads today as they get ready to conduct scrimmage on Saturday. Warhawks Head Coach Todd Berry says they are still in the evaluation period of fall camp….
cut 28 (07) “…things look like”

In Lafayette, James Willis says he’s seeing a higher comfort level with the players in his second season as the Ragin Cajuns defensive coordinator…
cut 29 (11) “….in the system”
On the other side of the football….sophomore Brooks Haack is taking snaps as the number two quarterback. Coach Mark Hudspeth says he has confidence in Haack, if Terrance Broadway went down with an injury.

11:40 sportscast August 6

The Saints are back at it today in West Virginia as they get closer to Friday’s preseason opener in St. Louis against the Rams. Defensive coordinator Rob Ryan has been impressed with veteran cornerback Keenan Lewis. He thinks Lews is on the cusp of becoming an annual Pro-Bowl player. In fact, Ryan believes Lewis should have made the Pro Bowl last year…
cut 17 (13) “….knows that”

Quarterback Drew Brees was not in pads today as he continues to recover from an oblique injury. Coach Sean Payton says Brees is feeling better, but they’ve yet to decide if he’ll play Friday. And Saints spokesperson Greg Bensel says owner Tom Benson has returned to New Orleans after he was hospitalized yesterday for having trouble breathing. Bensel says Benson is feeling better.

The LSU Tigers hold their final day of split squad practices. Most of the freshmen class are working the afternoon and Coach Les Miles likes what he’s seen from the 2014 recruiting class…
cut 29 (12) “…than later’
Today, running back Leonard Fournette was working out with the veteran players. He highlights the 2014 recruiting class, which was ranked as high as second in the country on national signing day.

It’s in the early stages of preseason camp, but Louisiana Tech Head Coach Skip Holtz can already he has more talent than last year’s team. Holtz says he can see as the team goes through its passing drills…
cut 30 (12) “…accuracy”
Today’s practice will be the first in shells for the Bulldogs, while Friday the team will put the pads on.

LRN Sportscast 16:45

Saints owner Tom Benson was taken to a hospital in West Virginia during practice today. Michelle Southern has more…
cut 2 (27) “….reporting”

Saints Quarterback Drew Brees was not in pads again today because of that oblique injury, but he was seen throwing a football during the afternoon walk-through. Coach Sean Payton is not ready to say if Brees will play in Friday’s preseason opener…
cut 30 (07) “…smart though”
===================================

LSU freshman quarterback Brandon Harris worked out with the first-team offense this morning. Anthony Jennings worked out in the afternoon with the newcomers. Yesterday the roles were reveresed, as Jennings practiced with the vets in the morning and Harris was with his freshmen classmates in the afternoon. Neither quarterback is available to reporters, until Sunday’s media day, and Head Coach Les Miles explains why….
cut 29 (11) “…play football”

In Ruston, Head Coach Skip Holtz says redshirt freshman Ryan Higgins has an advantage over the other quarterbacks, becuase he started six games last season. But Holtz also said Cody Sokol, a transfer from Iowa, has shown he’s picking up the offense and he’s throwing the ball well.

In scheduling news…the Ragin Cajuns football program announces they’ll play at Texas A-and-M during the 2017 season. The ULM men’s basketball schedule is out. The Warhawks will visit Florida on November 21st.

11:40 Sportscast August 5

It’s day two of fall camp for the LSU Tigers. At wide receiver, sophomore Travin Dural has the most experience on the college level, but he says some of the incoming freshmen are more ready to play then he was last year….
cut 30 (14) “….it showed”
Several other players have also said Malachi Dupre looks good and is ready to contribute right away.

At Saints training camp today, Quarterback Drew Brees was on the practice field this morning, but not in pads. Wide receivers Joe Morgan and Andy Tanner, along with cornerback Champ Bailey were held out today. Another wide receiver, Nick Toon, was seen leaving practice today after a play in the end zone.
Saints Owner Tom Benson left practice in an ambulance after he reportedly had trouble breathing because fo the high altitude. Team officials say it was a precautionary move and the 87-year-old is said to be fine.

Work on expanding the seating capacity at Cajun Field is ongoing. UL Lafayette Coach Mark Hudspeth says the team is practicing around the construction and that’s a good problem to have….
cut 16 (16) “….love hearing those things”
The Cajuns open the season at home on August 30th.

Louisiana Tech will hold an open practice and meet-n-greet at Independence Stadium on Friday august 15th. Practice is scheduled to run from 3:15 to 4:30 PM and following the workout, Bulldog coaches and players will be available for an autograph session.

And one college football note..Southeastern Lousiaina is third in the F-C-S coaches poll. McNeese State is at number nine. the Cowboys visits Strawberry Stadium on November 15th.

11:40 Sportscat July 25

The Saints first training camp practice of the 2014 season took place this morning in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia. All-pro tight end Jimmy Graham was on the practice field for the first time since agreeing to a four-year, 40-million dollar contract. Graham missed all of the off-season workouts as he stayed away from the team during negotiations for a long-term contract. Coach Sean Payton has no problems with how the sitatuion was handled.
cut 17 (21) “…this training camp”
Newly acquired safety Jarius Byrd did not participate in team drills today. He  was at practice, but he’s still recovering from back surgery. Payton says they expect Byrd to return sooner than later.

Time Warner Cable and Bright House Networks have reached an agreement to carry the SEC Network when it launches on August 14th. With the addition of Time Warner Cable and Bright House Networks, the SEC Network will be available to about 60-million households nationwide. But there’s still no agreement with either Direct TV or Charter Cable.

The Pelicans have officially announced the signing of guard Jimmer Fredette. The BYU product holds a career average of seven points a game and he’s shot 40-percent from three-point territory. New Orleans has also finalized a deal with former Florida Gator Patric Young. The six-foot-nine, undrafated free agent, averaged seven points and eight rebounds a game for the Pelicans Summer League team.

The Pels also have announced they’ve re-signed free agent forward Darius Miller. New Orleans selected the former Kentucky standout in the second round of the 2012 NBA draft. Last season he averaged four points a game.

The annual International Grand Isle Tarpon Rodeo is underway and thousands of people are expected to descend on the coastal town to enjoy the festivities. Scott Carwile has more…
cut 1 (35) :…reporting”

LRN Sportscast 16:45

It’s reporting day for the Saints as players were expected to report to the team’s training camp facility in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia. The team will prepare for the upcoming season at the Greenbrier resort. They’ll spend three weeks there. They have three brand new football fields to work on and there’s plenty of meeting rooms. The first practice is tomorrow morning.

Elsewhere in the NFL….the Falcons have signed wide receiver Roddy White to a three-year contract extension, which will keep White with the Falcons for the next four seasons. White is 32-years-old and has been named to the Pro Bowl four times, but last year he was limited by a high-ankle sprain and hamstring injury.

And former John Ehret Star Reggie Wayne showed up to Colts training camp driving a two-seat Indy Car. Wayne says he did it, because he wants Indianapolis to get off to a fast start this season. Wayne will have to prove himself this season as he’s 35-years-old and coming off an ACL injury.

Time Warner Cable and Bright House Networks have reached an agreement to carry the SEC Network when it launches on August 14th. With the addition of Time Warne Cable and Bright House Networks, the SEC Network will be available to about 60-million households nationwide. But there’s still no agreement with either Direct TV or Charter.

In a poll of the league’s coaches and sports information directors, Southeastern Louisiana has been picked to win the Southland Conference. The Lions won the Southland last season and Head Coach Ron Roberts believes the Lions can do it again…
CUT 18 (19) “basis”
McNeese State is picked to finish second, Northwestern State fifth and Nicholls State is projected to come in ninth place.

The Colonels are coming off a four and eight season. Head Coach Charlie Stubbs says Nicholls goes into the season with Tuskani Figaro as its starting quarterback, but Breaux Hebert and Kalen Henderson will also compete for the job.

In Lake Charles, Cowboys Coach Matt Viator has to find a replacement for Cody Stroud, who threw for nearly 3-thousand yards and 28 touchdowns last season. Former Kansas State QB Daniel Sams goes into camp as the favorite to win the starting QB job.

LRN Newscall July 24 PM

Over 60-thousand Louisiana residents who purchased insurance through the marketplace set up by the Affordable Care Act are facing a rate increase in the double digits. Jeff Palermo has the story…

CUT 1 (30) “reporting”

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The National Weather Service in Shreveport says a bad storm that blew through northwest Louisiana last night left thousands without power and claimed the life of one person. Michelle Southern reports…:

CUT 2 (33) “reporting”

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State Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon says 60-percent of the Louisiana residents who purchased insurance through the marketplace created by the Affordable Care Act face a double-digit rate hike next year. Donelon says that’s based on paperwork filed with the state’s insurance department

CUT 3 (11) “for the subsidy”

Donelon says 101-thousand Louisiana residents have health care through the individual marketplace and they anticipate the average rate increase to be about 12 to 13 percent

CUT 4 (11) “10-percent”

Donelon says the double-digit rate hike is the result of a federal premium tax that’s been placed on the policies and the rates have been capped for the elderly and least healthy….

CUT 5 (15) “national average”

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The National Weather Service in Shreveport says a bad storm that blew through northwest Louisiana last night left thousands without power and claimed the life of one person. Senior Meteorologist Jason Hansford says they saw 60-70 mile per hour winds which downed numerous trees and power lines…:

CUT 6 (07) “without power”

Hansford says as of early this morning there were still over 50,000 people who did not have power. He says one woman even lost her life…:

CUT 7 (09) “yesterday evening”

Hansford says the victim was walking down a street during the height of the storms when the winds really started picking up…:

CUT 8 (12) “to her injuries”

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A commitment is in place to produce more workers for the Gulf of Mexico oil and gas industry. Higher education leaders, state officials and representatives from the oil industry have formed a long-term public-private partnership to come up with solutions to meet with workforce needs. Louisiana Mid Continent Oil and Gas Association President Chris John

CUT 9 (12) “that’s workforce”

John says about 40-percent of the workforce that’s experienced in the Gulf of Mexico will retire in the next ten years. He says that’s a concern, especially since deep water exploration and production is expected to increase.

CUT 10 (09) “out in the Gulf”

John says this Memorandum of Understanding between the various entities will come together to form a curriculum so prospective gulf of mexico oil workers could be certified in two years….

cut 11 (09) ” well paying job

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Louisiana State Police say two women died in a crash just after midnight in Rapides Parish and they weren’t buckled up. Trooper Scott Moreau says they responded to the crash in Alexandria on La Hwy 1205 around 12:15am and learned a Honda was being driven by 31-year-old Heather McComic of Boyce…:

CUT 12 (10) “collided with a tree”

Moreau says after McComic ran off the road and crashed into a tree, she was transported to a local hospital where she was pronounced dead…:

CUT 13 (08) “under investigation”

Moreau says the only passenger in the vehicle, 29-year-old Ashley Gallien of Pineville, was pronounced dead at the scene. He says neither woman was restrained at the time of the crash. Moreau says properly wearing your seatbelt will dramatically reduce your chance of being killed in a crash…:

cut 14 (10) “any other factor”

1140 Sportscast July 24

Today’s reporting day for the Saints as training camp will get underway tomorrow. The team will spend the first three weeks of training camp in West Virginia at the Greenbrier Resort. The 55-thousand square foot training facility has three practice fields. Coach Sean Payton and General Manager Mickey Loomis will speak with reporters later today.

Former LSU Tiger Tyrann Mathieu will watch the start of training camp from the sidelines as the Cardinals put the dynamic defensive back on the physically unable to perform list. Mathieu is still recovering from a major knee injury last December. There’s no timetable on when he’ll return.

In news out of the NFC South…the Falcons announced they’ve signed wide receiver Roddy White to a three-year contract extension, which will keep White with the Falcons for the next four seasons. White is 32-years-old and has been named to the Pro Bowl four times, but last year he was limited by a high-ankle sprain and hamstring injury.

Second year Louisiana Tech head coach Skip Holtz told reporters at Conference USA Media Day that he expects a better season this year after going four and eight in 2013. Holtz says they have more speed at the wide receiver position and some new additions on defense, like defensive end Houston Bates, who is a transfer from Illinois….
cut 17 (15) “….football team”
Louisiana Tech opens the season against Oklahoma on August 30th.

Southeastern Louisiana has been picked to win the Southland. That’s according to polls of the league’s coaches and sports information directors. Lions Head Coach Ron Roberts likes the idea that his team will have a bulls eye on their chest this season….
cut 19 (20) “…2014”
McNeese State has been picked to finish second in the Southland race. Northwestern State fifth place and Nicholls State ninth place.

LSU freshman defensive tackle Trey Lealaimatafao (Lay-ah-lah-ee-mahta-fow) has been released from the hospital after being treated for a cut in his arm he got from punching in a window at the school’s weight room on Monday according to multiple sources. Officials say he will remain on the team.

LRN Sportscast 16:45 July 23

NFL training camps are opening across the country. Saints players are scheduled to report to the team’s new training camp facility in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia by tomorrow Most of the players were seen rolling into town today. Coach Sean Payton and General Manager Mickey Loomis are scheduled to address the media tomorrow afternoon.

In Arizona, the Cardinals have announced former LSU star Tyrann Mathieu will start camp on the physically unable to perform list. Mathieu is still rehabbing a serious knee injury that took place last December. There is some concern that the Honey Badger will not be when the regular season starts.

Southeastern Louisiana has been picked to win the Southland Conference. That’s accoring to a poll of the league’s coaches and sports information directors. McNeese State is picked to finish second, Northwestern State fifth and Nicholls State is projected to come in ninth place.

Expectations are not overly high in Monroe for the Warhawks football team. ULM is picked to finish fifth in the Sun Belt, but head coach Todd Berry says they can surprise some people if they stay healthy…
cut 19 (17) “…be sidelined”
The Warhawks begin the season on Thursday August 28th at home against Wake Forest.

The Pelicans Anthony Davis says he’s excited about the acquisition of Omer Asik. Davis says Asik will help his game a lot, because he likes playing power forward instead of center.

College basketball….Ragin Cajuns shooting Kevin Brown told his followers on twitter that he’s transferring to UNO. Brown started 13 games for the Cajuns last season and averaged 5.5 poitns a game. He’ll be able to play right away for the Privateers as a graduate student.

11:40 Sportscast July 23rd

We are 38 days away from the first Saturday in college football. On that day, the preseason favorites in the Sun Belt, the Ragin Cajuns will host Southern, who is expected to win the SWAC West Division. When these two teams met in 2009, 41-thousand attended the game at Cajun Field. UL Lafayette Head Coach Mark Hudspeth is expecting a bigger crowd this time…
cut 17 (20) “…to town”

The Southland Conference Media Days are being held in Lake Charles today. According to a poll of the league’s coaches and sports information directors, Southeastern Louisiana is expected to finish the league. McNeese State finished second in the polls.

Most of the Saints players will arrive today at the team’s training camp facility in West Virginia. They are required to report tomorrow and the first practice is set for Friday. Two players have been added to the roster. Nose tackle Tyrone Ezell and linebacker Marcus Thompson. Ezell played at the University of Pittsburgh, while Thompson is an undrafted free agent out of Rutgers.

Today, Quarterback Drew Brees is serving as a honorary mayor for Comfort, Texas, as a part of a promotion with Wrangler Jeans. Brees has told reports that he’s excited the Saints and tight end Jimmy Graham have agreed to a long-term contract.

Some sad news to report out of the NFL,…former Cowboys fullback Robert Newhouse has passed away. Newhouse had been battling cancer and died at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota at the age of 64. Newhouse rushed for nearly five thousand yards and 31 touchdowns and helped the Cowboys win Super Bowl 10.

In Major League Baseball Action…former Ragin Cajuns star Jonathan Lucroy hit two home runs to help the Brewers beat the Reds four to three. Lucroy’s second home run was in walk-off fashion.

Former LSU Tiger Aaron Hill drove three runs last night as the Diamondbacks beat the Tigers five to four.

And the Pelicans Anthony Davis he’s excited about the acquisition of Omer Asik. Davis says As\ik will help his game a lot, because he likes playing power forward instead of center.