The Saints could be without star defensive end Cam Jordan for Sunday’s game against the New York Jets. Jordan has tested positive for COVID-19, but since he’s vaccinated there’s still a chance he can play this weekend, if he tests negative twice for the virus. New Orleans is thin at defensive end as Marcus Davenport is hurt, Peyton Turner is on Injured reserve. So New Orleans needs someone to step up and third year player Carl Granderson could be that guy. Coach Sean Payton on Granderson’s development…
CUT 30 (15) “…for us”
Also, wide receiver and returner Deonte Harris will begin serving his three-game suspension after he was arrested over the summer for driving under the influence.

Southern University has a new head football coach. The school announced Monday it has hired Eric Dooley, a former longtime assistant for the Jags who just led Prairie View to a SWAC championship. He will be formally introduced today.

LSU legend Glenn Dorsey will be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame today. A native of Gonzales, Dorsey is the most decorated defensive player in school history and becomes LSU’s 10th player to the Hall.

Both LSU basketball teams have made it to the Top 25. Coach Kim Mulkey’s squad is now No. 24 in the AP poll, and Coach Will Wade’s enter the rankings right at No. 25.

ULM is reportedly bringing back former assistant Matt Kubik to be the offensive coordinator for the Warhawks.

Two Louisiana Tech quarterbacks have entered the NCAA Transfer Portal. First it was J-D Head and then Aaron Allen, who appeared in seven games this past season, is also looking for a new school. This results in just two quarterbacks left on the roster, graduate transfer Luke Anthony and redshirt freshman Caleb Holstein.

LSU will play Kansas State in the Texas Bowl in Houston on January 4th. Interim head coach Brad Davis will coach the team and not new head coach Brian Kelly. Davis is glad the Tigers have another 15 practices and another game to prepare for…
cut 19 (25) “…what we do
Kansas State enters the game with a 7-5 record and on a two-game losing streak, losing to Baylor and Texas.

The Ragin Cajuns will face Marshall in the New Orleans on December 18th. Also that day in Shreveport, UAB and Brigham Young in the Independence Bowl. New Year’s Day it will be Ole Miss and Baylor in the Sugar Bowl.

There’s a new leader of the Southern University football program. The Jaguars have hired former Southern assistant Eric Dooley, who as a head coach led Prairie View A-and-M to a SWAC championship this season.

New Iberia native and former Ragin Cajuns quarterback Michael Desormeaux is the new head coach of U-L Lafayette. The 36-year-old has been assistant for the Cajuns since 2016 and Athletics Director Bryan Maggard says Desormeaux is a man of unbelievable character and integrity and has a very high football acumen…
cut 17 (10) “…right now”

ULM is reportedly bringing back former assistant Matt Kubik to be the offensive coordinator for the Warhawks. Two Louisiana Tech quarterbacks have entered the NCAA Transfer Portal. First it was J-D Head and then Aaron Allen, who appeared in seven games this past season, is also looking for a new school. This results in just two quarterbacks left on the roster, graduate transfer Luke Anthony and redshirt freshman Caleb Holstein.

And both the LSU men’s and women’s basketball teams are now ranked in the Top 25.

LSU football will have another game this season as they will play in the Texas Bowl in Houston against Kansas State on January 4th. Baton Rouge native Brad Davis will serve as the interim coach, and he’ll be the first African American to lead an LSU football team in a game…:
Cut 18 (20) “right now”
The game will air at 8pm on ESPN.

Baylor will play Ole Miss in the Sugar Bowl on New Year’s Day in New Orleans, and UL-Lafayette will face Marshall in the New Orleans Bowl on December 18th. The Ragin Cajuns won their first outright Sun Belt Conference title with a 24-16 win over Appalachian State this past Saturday.

The Ragin Cajuns have promoted co-offensive coordinator Michael Desormeaux as U-L Lafayette’s new head football coach. Desomreaux set records when he was a quarterback for the Cajuns in the mid-2000s and he’s been on the staff the last six seasons. Athletics director Doctor Bryan Maggard says Desormeaux is the right leader for the program and the hiring has the recommendation of outgoing coach Billy Napier..:
Cut 16 (16) “…our roster”

The Carolina Panthers have announced the firing of offensive coordinator Joe Brady. Brady was hired by the team in 2020 after working at LSU.

The Pelicans fell to the Houston Rockets 118-108 Sunday at the Toyota Center, despite a season high 40 points by Pels forward Brandon Ingram. New Orleans is now 7-19.

Saints Quarterback Taysom Hill threw four interceptions in last night’s 27-17 loss to Dallas. Hill injured the middle finger on his throwing hand in the first half and today NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports Hill may need surgery to repair that injured finger. New Orleans next game is December 12th against the New York Jets.

Public Service Commissioner Foster Campbell thinks it’s crazy to pay a football coach ten million dollars a year. While most of Brian Kelly’s compensation comes from private funding, Campbell believes investing over $100 million in a ten-year coaching contract sends a poor message about LSU…:
Cut 29 (11) “…I don’t agree.”
Campbell says LSU is paying millions for a new coach, while the school’s academic rankings continue to drop and the library on campus is falling a part.

The Ragin Cajuns will attempt to win their first Sun Belt Championship in football on Saturday when they host Appalachian State at 2:30. The key matchup U-L Lafayette averages nearly 200 yards rushing a game, while the Mountaineers have allowed a Sun Belt low 113 yards a contest.

Southeastern Louisiana visits James Madison in Harrisonburg, Virginia tomorrow in the second round of the FCS playoffs. The Lions lead the F-C-S in scoring, averaging 47 points per game, but S-L-U Coach Frank Scelfo says J-M-U has one of the best defenses in the country…
Cut 16 (16) “…heck of a matchup.”.
Kick-off is at 1 PM and you can watch the game on ESPN-plus.

For the first time in the Sean Payton era, the Saints have a five-game losing streak. New Orleans dropped its fifth straight last night, a 27-17 defeat to Dallas. Quarterback Taysom Hill threw four interceptions as the offense continues to struggle in the post-Drew Brees era. Hill played much of the game with a splint on his middle finger on his throwing hand. Coach Sean Payton on Taysom’s first start at Q-B of the season…
cut 30 (16) “….unfortunate”
The Saints are now tied with Carolina for last place in the NFC South. Each team is 5-and-7. New Orleans does not play again until December 12th when they visit the New York Jets.

Still no word on when Zion Williamson will play with the Pelicans. He’s feeling soreness in his surgically repaired right foot, but the team hopes it’s a minor setback. The Pels are at Dallas tonight.

The 24th ranked Ragin Cajuns play for a Sun Belt Conference championship tomorrow in their home stadium as they host Appalachian State at 2:30. U-L Lafayette Coach Billy Napier says there are a lot of schools wishing they could be playing for a title this weekend…
Cut 17 (20) “ of that”
App State is a three-point favorite.

The LSU men’s basketball team is 8-0 but Coach Will Wade is not happy with his team. He’s displeased with the 17 turnovers in Wednesday night’s 66-51 win over the Ohio Bobcats and the lack of offensive rebounding…
cut 20 (20) “…26 shots”
The Tigers’ next game is next Saturday in Atlanta against Georgia Tech.

The Saints will be short-handed once again tonight when they host the Dallas Cowboys. New Orleans is trying to snap a four-game losing streak, but running back Alvin Kamara will reportedly miss his fourth straight game and offensive tackles Terron Armstead and Ryan Ramcyyk are also not expected to play.

Taysom Hill is expected to start at quarterback. Hill, who has been battling a partial plantar fascia tear in his foot, says he’s excited for another chance to be the starting quarterback….
cut 20 (22) “….football games”
The Saints are trying to avoid their first five-game losing streak since 2005.

New LSU football Coach Brian Kelly says he had no plans on leaving Notre Dame, where he’s the winningest coach in school history. But Kelly says when LSU athletic director Scott Woodward described his vision for the future of LSU Football, Kelly says he wanted to be a part of it
Cut 17 (17) “ take on”
It appears none of Kelly’s assistants at Notre Dame will join him at LSU. Irish Offensive Coordinator Tommy Rees has announced he’s staying at N-D and defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman is reportedly in line to become of the next head coach of the Irish.

The Southland announces Chris Grant will take over as the league’s commissioner in the spring taking over for Tom Burnett who will be a full-time consultant to the commissioner. Grant takes over at a time when the Southland has lost several schools to other leagues.

And the Pelicans say Zion Williamson is experiencing minor soreness in his surgically-repaired fractured foot. The team is calling it a minor setback.

LSU football coach Brian Kelly has started the process of bringing the next national championship football team to the Bayou State. LSU athletics director Scott Woodward has confidence Kelly will get the job done…
cut 28 (08) “…sustain it”
And Kelly believes the leadership at LSU will help him provide Tiger Nation with a consistent winner on the football field…
cut 18 (18) “….for me”
It doesn’t look like any of Kelly’s assistants at Notre Dame will follow him to LSU. Fighting Irish offensive coordinator Tommy Rees says he’s staying in South Bend and Notre Dame defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman will reportedly replace Kelly as N-D’s new head coach.

The Saints will be without three starters on offense when they host the Cowboys tonight at the Superdome. Running back Alvin Kamara will reportedly miss his fourth straight game with a knee injury. Starting tackles Terron Armstead and Ryan Ramcyzk are also reportedly out for tonight’s contest. That means James Hurst and former Louisiana Tech standout Jordan Mills will likely start at the two tackle positions. Kick-off is at 7:20.

LSU men’s basketball improved to 8-0 last night as the Tigers topped Ohio 66-51 in front of 11-thousand fans. Coach Will Wade was not happy with his team’s 17 turnovers and the 12 offensive rebounds that the Bobcats collected.

Louisiana Tech defeated Texas Southern 87-60 last night. It’s the fifth straight game the Bulldogs have scored 80 or more points. David Green led Tech with 19 points. Kenneth Lofton and Amorie Archibald each added 15 points.

Dallas shot a franchise-record 69-percent from the field as the Mavericks defeated the Pelicans 139-107. Brandon Ingram had 29 points in a losing effort.

Alignment was the big buzzword during Brian Kelly’s introductory press conference where he was introduced as the new head football coach of the LSU Tigers. Kelly says one of the reasons why he took the LSU job is that athletics director Scott Woodward’s vision for the future of LSU football aligns with what he wants to do as a head coach..
Cut 23 (14) “…fulfill that goal.”
Kelly says he has not made any firm decisions on his staff, but his two coordinators at Notre Dame are not following him to Baton Rouge. Irish offensive coordinator Tommy Rees is staying in South Bend and defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman is reportedly replacing Kelly as Notre Dame’s head coach.

There’s football in the Superdome tonight as the Saints host the Cowboys. Alvin Kamara, Ryan Ramczyk, and Terron Armstead are questionable for tonight.

New Louisiana Tech football coach Sonny Cumbie described his vision for Bulldog football during his introductory press conference on Wednesday. Cumbie is described as having an innovative offensive mind after serving as an offensive coordinator at both Texas Tech and TCU. The former Red Raiders Q-B wants La Tech to have an explosive and physical offense…
Cut 19 (26) “..make plays”

In basketball last night, LSU improved to 8-0 with a 66-51 win over Ohio. ULM crushed Centenary 104-67, La Tech topped Texas Southern 87-60, McNeese lost to Seattle 78-62 and Dallas shot 69-percent from the field as Mavericks defeated the Pelicans 139-107.

When country music star Garth Brooks plays his fan-favorite hit “Callin’ Baton Rouge” on April 30th, it will have extra meaning. Michelle Southern explains…

Cut 1 (35) “…I’m Michelle Southern reporting”

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Brian Kelly was introduced as LSU’s new football coach. Jeff Palermo has the highlights…

Cut 2 (30)…I’m Jeff Palermo.”  

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According to Louisiana Tech’s Center for Economic Research’s first Economic Abstract of the state’s economy, employment has increased but it’s not at pre-pandemic levels yet. Center Director Dr. Patrick Scott says there are two ways to possibly increase the workforce.

Cut 3 (12) “…policy response.”

Scott says he doesn’t see the pandemic resolving anytime soon.

Scott says in a recession you tend to see a decrease in the production of goods and services and personal incomes are also down but presently that’s not the situation with personal income. Scott says stimulus payments and generous unemployment payments increased the average income and the demand for higher wages.

While unemployment has improved the state is still down 132,000 jobs from pre-pandemic levels. Scott says estimates are that up to 85,000 have left the workforce in Louisiana.

Cut 4 (13) “…fundamentally.”

For much of 2020 and this year, there’s been a robust demand for housing, in part to low-interest rates, but Scott says the market is beginning to cool.

Cut 5 (07) “…relatively well.”

He says most of the housing movement is in existing homes, not new housing starts which has pushed prices higher than what they should be.

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Garth Brooks, one of the hottest acts in country music, makes his return to Baton Rouge next year for the first time in 24 years. Paul Arrigo, CEO and President of Visit Baton Rouge, says the superstar is set to play Tiger Stadium on April 30^th and expects a spectacular turnout that’ll put a spotlight on the city.

 Cut 6 (10) “..over the world.” 

Tickets for “Callin’ Baton Rouge” starring Brooks will go on sale through Ticketmaster on Friday, December 10 at 10 a.m. for an all-inclusive price of 94.95 each with a purchase limit of eight tickets per caller.

Arrigo says the concert by Garth Brooks will be great all around.

Cut 7 (05) “…for the region.”  

Brooks LSU appearance will mark his only concert in the Louisiana/Mississippi area in 2022.

Arrigo is hoping for an all-seats-filled Death Valley for Garth’s “Callin’ Baton Rouge” concert.

Cut 8 (09) “…those seats filled.”

He notes that Brooks’s concert coincides with the first weekend of Jazzfest in New Orleans and hopes that will draw even more fans to Tiger Stadium to hear the country superstar.

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Former St. Tammany Parish Sheriff Jack Strain is facing up to ten years in a federal lockup after pleading guilty today to one of 16 corruption counts in a kickback scheme related to his privatizing of an inmate work release program. Loyola University law professor, Dane Ciolino, says Strain’s plea comes as no surprise.

Cut 9 (09) “…these federal charges.”

Strain is facing multiple life sentences after being earlier convicted in state court on multiple sexual assault charges, some of the victims children.

Ciolino says Strain’s federal plea may have been an attempt to avoid going first into the state’s prison system.

Cut 10 (13)  “…state court system.”

Ciolino doubts that will happen.

Ciolino says there wasn’t much to gain by forcing Strain to plea to more than one federal corruption charge.

Cut  11 (07)  “…scheme to defraud.”  

He says he wasn’t at all surprised by the single-count plea.

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LSU introduced Brian Kelly as its new head football coach today. Kelly has spent the last 12 years at Notre Dame and LSU fans have only been able to watch his work from afar as Kelly has coached his whole life in the Midwest. LSU athletics director Scott Woodward expects Tiger Nation will love him because he wins…

Cut 12 (07) “..is win”  

When you combine Kelly’s victories in Division one and two, he has more wins than any active coach in major college football.

Kelly says one of the reasons why he took the LSU job is that he admires athletics director Scott Woodward’s desire to be excellent in everything…..

Cut 13 (14) “…fulfill that goal.”

Kelly says he’s looking forward to his first experience in Tiger Stadium, but he understands the fans are expecting a winner…

Cut 14 (14) “…the field.” 

New LSU football coach Brian Kelly arrived in Baton Rouge yesterday and dozens of fans were there to welcome him to his new home. Kelly will speak publically for the first time since his hiring at LSU when he’s introduced as the Tigers’ new coach at noon.

There are some fans who are still shocked Kelly will lead the Fighting Tiger program…
cut 8 (11) “….I’m excited”
Details of Kelly’s 100-million dollar contract have been released. It contains six-figure bonuses for playing in bowl games and winning SEC and national championships. He also receives two courtesy vehicles, an interest-free loan of up to one-point-two million to buy a home, and 50 hours of travel on LSU’s private planes.

Kelly will also be introduced to Tiger fans during halftime of tonight’s men’s basketball game against Ohio.

Louisiana Tech’s new football coach is 40-year-old Sonny Cumbie who was an offensive coordinator at Texas Tech and T-C-U. He served as an interim coach for Texas Tech this season, leading the Red Raiders to a 1-and-3 record in their last four games. He also played quarterback at Texas Tech in the early 2000s.

Tomorrow night, The Saints are looking to break a four-game losing streak when they face the Cowboys. Coach Sean Payton says every NFL season has its bumps in the road…
Cut 18 (20) “..kind of thing”
It’s expected that Taysom Hill will start at quarterback, even though he’s battling a foot injury. Payton says the injury is getting better. Running back Mark Ingram says he’s playing, while Alvin Kamara has been limited at practice this week.