The LSU Tigers hold their first preseason practice this morning and because of a health scare involving one of their coaches, they’ve already had to shuffle the responsibilities within the staff. Coach Brian Kelly says defensive line coach Jimmy Lindsey has stepped away from the program because on a personal health matter. With Lindsey away, John Jancek hired to coach special teams, will coach the defensive line, and senior defensive analyst Bob Diaco, will coach the special teams. No word how long Lindsey will be out.

At ULM, senior Jiya Wright begins fall camp as the starting quarterback and coach Terry Bowden likes the depth that he has at that position…
cut 18 (15) “….that position”

Saints running back Alvin Kamara was not a practice yesterday. He was meeting with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell in New York City. Coach Dennis Allen says Kamara wanted to give his side of the story to what happened when A-K and three other men were arrested for beating up another man in Las Vegas in February 2022. Kamara pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor charge of breach of peace.

On the field, it’s expected that second year player Trevor Penning will be the starter at left tackle. Quarterback Derek Carr has faith in the people that put him there…
cut 20 (10) “…they’ve proven it”
The Saints are off today. Their first preseason game is August 13th against Kansas City.

The Associated Press is reporting the Big 10 is looking to expand again and they are looking at Oregon and Washington. With the PAC-12 falling apart, Oregon and Washington could join their current conference rivals, USC and UCLA, in making the move to the Big 10.

The LSU football team reported for camp today ahead of a season with high expectations following an SEC West title last year. The Tigers were picked to finish second in the division and many fans are hoping second-year head coach Brian Kelly can follow Kim Mulkey and Jay Johnson’s lead who both won national championships in their second season in Baton Rouge. Kelly has tried to taper expectations but Tiger Rag editor Todd Horne says the sentiment isn’t the same inside the locker room…

Cut 15 (14)  “…this year.”

Saints running back Alvin Kamara will meet with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell in New York today. Kamara faces a possible suspension under the leagues conduct policy after pleading no contest to a misdemeanor charge of breach of peace. Kamara faced felony assault charges after his involvement in a fight outside a Las Vegas night club in 2022, and would like to share his side of the story with Goodell before the NFL passes down a ruling on his suspension.

Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas will hope to make his return this year after playing just 10 games in the last three years after his record setting 2019 season. Thomas has been a full participant in training camp thus far and has established a good connection with new quarterback Derek Carr who says Thomas was part of the reason he came to New Orleans, but even the former All-Pro wide receiver knows he can’t just come back like he never left…

Cut 18 (25) “…chase perfection.”

The Saints announced a revised practice schedule for the remaining Open Practices on the training camp schedule due to excessive heat warnings for the New Orleans area. The outdoor portion of practice will be reduced to one hour starting at 10:00 and the earlier portion of practice will take place inside. Gates will open at 9:15

It’s reporting day for the LSU football team. Tiger Rag Editor Todd Horne says one of the biggest question marks is with the defensive secondary, which returns just two starters, Major Burns and Greg Brooks…
cut 14 (09) “…..in camp”
Linebacker Harold Perkins and defensive tackle Mekhi Wingo have been named to the watch list for the Bronko Naurski Trophy, which goes to the nation’s most outstanding defensive player.

The Saints have been in camp for a week, so how is the connection between new starting quarterback Derek Carr and wide receiver Michael Thomas? Thomas says everything is good so far…
cut 16 (14) “…job easier”
The Saints practice again today, but they’ve announced they’ll be spending less time outside because of the heat.

Sulphur tight end J-D LaFleur, who is the son of former LSU All-American tight end David LaFleur, has committed to LSU. He’s rated as a three-star prospect for the Class of 2025. The six-foot-six, 220 pounder also received interest from Florida and Texas A-and-M. His father was an All-SEC selection as a senior in 1996.

In college baseball, Calvary Baptist left hander Landon Fontenot has committed to Louisiana Tech. Fontenot was the state championship game MVP when the Cavaliers won the 2022 state title. Last season, he was 5-and-3 with a 1.15 ERA and had 78 strikeouts in 60 innings.

LSU men’s basketball will be in the Bahamas next week and is set to play three exhibition games. Coach Matt McMahon tells the Advocate that senior forward Mwani Wilkinson will be ready. Wilkinson had season-ending shoulder surgery in January.

The Southland Conference has released its conference basketball schedule. League games will be played on Saturday-Monday, instead of Thursday-Saturday.

The Saints were back on the field for training camp on Tuesday, and pro bowl wide receiver Michael Thomas has been continuously getting reps in with no playing restrictions. To help his return back into his all-pro form from just a few years ago he credits cornerback and Saints teammate Marshon Lattimore.

Cut 26 (06) “…going against him”

Lattimore has been performing exceptionally well head coach Dennis Allen says, and he anticipates that his success will translate to the regular season from having a good training camp.

Cut 17 (18) “…good to see.”

Starting left guard Andrus Peat was absent today due to an injury suffered on Monday. Despite missing practice Peat is expected to be okay.

Major League Baseball’s trade deadline is today at 5 pm CT, and the Houston Astros were buyers for pitcher Justin Verlander yet again.

The Astros have agreed to a trade with the New York Mets that will send the 3 time Cy Young winner back to Houston. Verlander won two World Series’ with the Astros including in 2022, and will be reuniting with former LSU infielder Alex Bregman along with many of the same faces that helped him earn those two titles.

LSU football’s 2023 fall practice schedule has been released with practice beginning on August 3^rd and will take place until the 19^th. LSU is set to play their first game of the season In Orlando against Florida State on Sunday September 3^rd.

The Louisiana High School Athletic Association is being sued by nine schools, six from Rapides Parish and five from Monroe. The schools are claiming that the LHSAA does not have the authority to alter the select/no select playoff format. The lawsuit says that the schools are seeking an injunction on this motion before the start of football season.

Saints running back Alvin Kamara is still facing a possible suspension after pleading guilty to misdemeanor charges stemming from his role in a fight outside a Las Vegas night club in 2022. The 28-year-old plans to meet with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell to give his side of the arrest. Under the NFL’s conduct policy Kamara is likely to see up to a six game suspension to start the season but Saints coach Dennis Allen says Kamara’s ready to get this behind him…

Cut 16 (16) “..this season”

Allen and Saints GM Mickey Loomis previously said they hadn’t heard anything from the league on Kamara’s suspension and a ruling could come at any time.

After seventeen shots and six on goal, the US Women’s National Team scraped out a 0-to-0 draw against Portugal to advance to the knockout stage of the World Cup. They finish as the runner up in Group E behind the Netherlands and will play again 4:00 A.M. Sunday.

Saints offensive guard Andrus Peat left practice with a quad injury yesterday. The severity of the injury is not yet known, but Coach Dennis Allen said it looked more like a strain than the season ending tear Trai Turner suffered last week. Turner has been placed on IR and New Orleans brought back Koda Martin who was waived to make room for Turner on the roster. The Saints also added former Jets defensive end Kyle Phillips after 25-year-old Jabari Zuniga unexpectedly retired.

Nine Louisiana high schools, six from Rapides Parish and five from the Monroe area, have filed a lawsuit over the Louisiana High School Athletic Association’s current select-nonselect playoff system. These schools are upset the LHSAA moved several non-select schools to the select side. They believe Executive Director Eddie Bonine didn’t have the authority to do this. The LHSAA says the executive committee made this decision and schools had the opportunity to provide input.

Four-time All-Sun Belt Hurdler Sydney Clemens signed a national-letter-of-intent with LSU. The Coastal Carolina senior will be joining an all-star casted hurdles group that includes three All-Americans in Alia Armstrong, Shani’a Bellamy, and Leah Phillips. This will mark a reunion for Bellamy and Clemens who were both previously teammates at Coastal.

Saints running back Alvin Kamara plans to meet with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell as he’s facing a suspension for his involvement in a fight outside of a Las Vegas nightclub in February 2022. Kamara reached a plea agreement and plead guilty to a misdemeanor charge. He faces a possible suspension from the NFL.

Saints offensive guard Andrus Peat injured his quadriceps at practice yesterday. Severity of the injury is not known.

The Saints have signed defensive end Kyle Phillips. Phillips spent the last three seasons with the Jets and recorded 2.5 sacks and 65 tackles in 29 games.

First round pick Bryan Bresee (Bruh-zee) met with the media for the first time since training camp started and the defensive tackle says he’s focusing on technique…
cut 18 (14) “….long way”

Nine Louisiana high schools, six from Rapides Parish and five from the Monroe area, have filed a lawsuit over the Louisiana High School Athletic Association’s current select-nonselect playoff system. These schools are upset the LHSAA moved several non-select schools to the select side. They believe Executive Director Eddie Bonine didn’t have the authority to do this. The LHSAA says the executive committee made this decision and schools had the opportunity to provide input.

Natchitoches Central three-star offensive lineman Joseph Cryer has decommitted from Ole Miss and is now an LSU verbal pledge. He’s ranked as the 33rd best prospect in Louisiana according to 24-7 sports.

Former Louisiana Tech head coach Skip Holtz will serve as a special assistant to Northwestern interim head coach David Braun. The Wildcats program has been rocked by a hazing scandal.

In the NBA, former LSU Tiger and Pelican Garrett Temple has signed with the Toronto Raptors. It will be Temple’s 12th team during his 14-year NBA career.

It was the first day in pads for the Saints as they practiced outdoors in the oppressive heat this morning. The offense is trying to get on the same page with new quarterback Derek Carr. Recently signed tight end Jimmy Graham is hoping to make the Black and Gold a contender again…
cut 18 (21) “…..my career”
Saints Guard Andrus Peat suffered a quad injury at practice today. Coach Dennis Allen says it’s not as severe as Trai Tuner’s injury last week that will cost him the season.

The Saints are reportedly interested in signing former Jets defensive end Kyle Phillips.The former Tennessee Volunteer has 2.5 sacks and 12 tackles for a loss during his 29 game NFL career.

LSU has received commitments from a couple of three-star offensive linemen. Ory Williams from San Marcos, Texas, has committeed to LSU after also visiting Florida and Texas A-and-M.

And three-star offensive Guard Joseph Cryer from Natchitoches Central has de-committed from Ole Miss and is now committed to LSU. He’s six-foot-four, 300 pounds. Cryer’s verbal pledge gives LSU 22 commitments for the Class of 2024 and that inclues four offensive linemen.

Former LSU star Garrett Temple has signed with the Toronto Raptors for one-year, three-point-two million dollars. Temple spent the last two seasons playing as a reserve for the Pelicans. The Baton Rouge product is getting ready for his 14th season in the NBA.

And back to the NFL former LSU Tiger and Jesuit Blue Jay Deion Jones has signed with the Panthers. Jones played in eleven games for the Browns last season. He was a Pro Bowler in Atlanta in 2017.

Jimmy Graham’s old number 80 still fits like a glove after 8 years away from the Saints. The former first-team All-Pro tight end resigned with the team that drafted him in 2010 despite not having played football in two years. Graham was a standout for the New Orleans offense for years but the Saints traded him to Seattle in 2015. Graham says the move shocked and hurt him…

Cut 17 (21) “…for me.”

Graham spent 3 years with the Seahawks before joining Green Bay for two years and finally moving to Chicago in 2020 and 2021. The 37 year old hasn’t played an NFL down in two years but he’ll add some veteran experience to a young position group featuring 4^th-year tight end Juwan Johnson and ne free agent signing Foster Moreau who spent the first four years of his career with the Raiders behind Darren Waller.

12 athletes, coaches, and journalists were inducted into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame over the weekend. The Class of 2023 was headlined by two-time Super Bowl MVP and New Orleans native Eli Manning. Five former Tigers were also inducted: College World Series champion Paul Mainieri, two-time track and field USA Olympian and world champion Walter Davis, All-American pitcher Paul Byrd, and LSU receiving legend Wendell Davis. Rounding out the class were WNBA legend Alana Beard, Tulane running back Matt Forte, 11-time state champion high school coach M.L. Woodruff, six-time national powerlifting champion Walter Imahara, long-time MLB player and coach Ron Washington, second-ever woman president of the state sports writers’ association Lori Lyons, and over 100-time LSWA honors winner Bruce Brown.

After a 3-0 victory over Vietnam to start the World Cup, the US women’s National Team came back to finish with a 1-1 draw with the Netherlands. The US and Dutch are tied at the top of group E with the Americans having the tie breaker. They’ll play their final game of the group stage against Portugal Tuesday morning. A win could give the team the easiest path through the knockout stage, but The US would still advance with a draw. They’ll kick off 2:00 A.M. tomorrow morning.

The Saints begin their first full week of training camp today and it’s still a little surreal seeing tight end Jimmy Graham back on the practice field and wearing Black and Gold. Graham signed with the Saints last week re-joining a franchise that drafted him in 2010, but traded him to Seattle in 2015…:
Cut 16 (20) “this city” (2x)
The 36-year-old was a two-time All Pro and three-time Pro Bowler who had 51 touchdowns during his five seasons in New Orleans, but he hasn’t had the same level of success in recent stints with the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears. Graham is now hoping to help make the Black and Gold a Super Bowl contender again.

The LSU Football Team landed another huge commitment with three-star offensive lineman Ory Williams joining the 2024 recruiting class. Williams, the number 40 offensive tackle in the country, becomes the 21st commit for next season and third on the o-line for the Tigers this recruiting cycle.

Twelve Louisiana legends from sportswriters, MLB players, basketball players and coaches highlighted the 2023 Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame class which was inducted over the weekend. They included longtime LSU baseball coach Paul Mainieri, Shreveport native Wendell Davis, who shattered LSU football receiving records before heading to the NFL. Also inducted on Saturday were two-time Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning and four-time WNBA All-Star Alana Beard.

Ascension Parish Little League baseball has captured the Louisiana state championship in the 12u division. The team will now represent the state in the Little League Southwest regional in Waco Texas. The winner will advance to participate in the Little League World Series in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania.

Tough news to hear about Saints Guard Trai Turner. The former LSU and St. Aug star is reportedly done for the season after tearing his quadriceps at practice yesterday. The 30-year-old was expected to provide depth at the guard position. He just signed with the team on Tuesday.

Also signing on Tuesday was 36-year-old tight end Jimmy Graham. It’s unkown if Graham will make the team, but according to fellow tight end Juwan Johnson, Graham has already made an impact….
cut 19 (29) “…to us”
And the Saints have signed long snapper Zach Wood to a four-year contract extension.

Cincinnati Bengals coach Zac Tayler says quarterback Joe Burrow will likely miss several weeks after suffering a right calf strain during practice on Thursday. It’s unclear if Burrow will return in time for the regular season opener on September 10th against Cleveland.

Tonight, the 2023 class gets inducted into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame. Eli Manning arrived in Natchitoches yesterday for the festivities. Joining the two-time Super Bowl champion Q-B is Paul Mainieri, Alana Beard, Paul Byrd, Wendell Davis, Walter Davis and few others. Former Tulane running back Matt Forte is also part of the class. The Slidell High graduate rushed for nearly 10-thousand yards and caught over 500 passes in the NFL…
cut 13 (12) “…..I had”
Louisiana Public Broadcasting will stream tonight’s induction ceremonies at 7 PM.