The Saints and quarterback Drew Brees have reportedly agreed on a two-year, 50-million dollar contract. Brees is 41-years-old, but NFL analyst Mike Detillier says the future Hall of Famer gives New Orleans the best chance to win in 2020…
cut 13 (09) “…this league”
Backup Q-B Teddy Bridgewater is reportedly set to sign with the Panthers as Carolina is reportedly looking to trade Cam Newton. Newton said on Instagram that he never wanted to be traded and it’s the Panthers who forced this.

Could Tom Brady end up in the NFC South. Brady announced on social media today that he will play in 2020, but not with the New England Patriots. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Los Angeles Chargers are the most likely landing spots for the 42-year-old.

The Southeastern Conference announced today that the 2019-2020 athletic season is officially over as there will be no baseball or softball regular-season games. Spring football games and pro days have also been canceled. The league previously said that all competition was suspended until April 15th.

In a conference call with reporters, Athletics Director Scott Woodward says fans who had tickets to events that were canceled will get their money back, it just may take a little time…
cut 16 (08) “….refund your tickets”
Woodward says their focus also moves to the fall sports and the hope that football can start its season on time.

LHSAA Executive Director Eddie Bonine is still holding out hope that spring championships can be played and is willing to hold them in June if it is possible. Schools are shut down until April 13th so no games can be played until after that time.

Drew Brees and the Saints have reportedly agreed to a new two-year 50-million dollar contract to keep the future Hall of Famer in New Orleans. NFL analyst Mike Detillier says it’s the right move to re-sign the 41-year-old at an affordable price for a star quarterback…
cut 12 (10) “…some leeway”
The Saints have also re-signed defensive tackle David Onyemata after he had 32 tackles, three sacks and three tackles for a loss last season.

Elsewhere, Tom Brady has announced on social media that he’s leaving New England. Tampa Bay is reportedly interested. The Panthers are reportedly willing to trade Cam Newton and Carolina is said to be interested in Teddy Bridgewater. Newton said on Instagram that he never asked for a trade.

Saints linebacker AJ Klein has signed with Buffalo Bills.

LSU Athletics Director Scott Woodward says the coronavirus pandemic raises plenty of questions on the impact on LSU sports. Kevin Barnhart has the story.
Voicer 3 (28) “…I’m Kevin Barnhart”

The Sun Belt Conference has announced that spring sports have been canceled for the remainder of the year. Conference USA has made the same decision due to the Coronavirus pandemic.

LHSAA Executive Director Eddie Bonine is still holding out hope that spring championships can be played and is willing to hold them in June if it is possible.

The Saints have reportedly re-signed defensive tackle David Onyemata. The 27-year-old started a career-high 15 games last season and had a career-high eleven quarterback hits, had three sacks and 32 tackles. New Orleans has also re-signed long snapper Zach Wood to a four-year deal worth 4.78 million dollars.

But former Saints linebacker A-J Klein has agreed to a deal with the Bills. Klein has played in New Orleans for the past three seasons. Klein’s deal with Buffalo is for three-years and 18-million dollars.

Pelicans and Saints owner Gayle Benson has donated one million dollars to create the Gayle Benson Community Assistance Fund. In a statement, Benson says she wants to assist those who have been impacted in the community from the COVID-19 pandemic. Benson says she will also establish an Arena Assistance Fund for those who are impacted by the NBA’s decision to suspend the season.

LSU Athletics Director Scott Woodward says he wants to see the spring sports athletes get another of eligibility after seeing their seasons cut short as a result of the coronavirus. The NCAA has already indicated this will happen. Woodward says more discussion needs to take place for the same thing to occur for winter sports athletes. He says there are about 120 student-athletes remaining on campus and some services open to them, like the cafeteria…
cut 15 (13) “…as we are talking”

The Louisiana High School Athletics Asociation is still holding out hope that they can have championship events for spring sports. LHSAA Executive Director Eddie Bonine says there’s a chance the title games could be pushed to June.

The legal tampering period for NFL free agency is underway and Saints unrestricted free agent quarterback Teddy Bridgewater is getting a lot of interest. The Bears have spoken to Bridgewater’s camp, but multiple reports say a deal is not likely. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are also an option for Bridgewater according to NFL insider Peter King. Meanwhile, New Orleans needs to sign Drew Brees to a new contract.

The Cowboys have used the exclusive franchise tag on quarterback Dak Prescott. That means Prescott can not talk to other teams and Dallas has until July 15th to work out a long-term contract.

The Falcons have released two-time Pro Bowl running back Devonta Freeman with three years and 21-million dollars left on his contract. The moves saves Atlanta 3.5 million dollars towards the salary cap.

And Major League Baseball said it’s a season, which was set to start on March 26th, will now begin in mid-May at the earliest, based on the CDC’s latest recommendations.

Pelicans and Saints owner Gayle Benson has donated one million dollars to create the Gayle Benson Community Assistance Fund. In a statement, Benson says she wants to assist those who have been impacted in the community from the COVID-19 pandemic. Benson says she will also establish an Arena Assistance Fund for those who are impacted by the NBA’s decision to suspend the season.

And when will the NBA return. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski says owners and executives have been told to brace for a mid-to-late June return as a best-case scenario. And when games do return to the court, they might not have fans in the arena. The league has also asked owners to look into securing arena venues into the month of August.

LSU athletics director Scott Woodward expects in the next few days that the SEC will announce that the league’s baseball and softball tournaments are officially canceled. Woodward says the focus going forward is the school’s fall sports and the financial impact of no spring sports is not their major concern right now.

The NFL players have narrowly voted to ratify a new collective bargaining agreement which means labor peace through 2030. It also means that starting next season, each conference will have an additional playoff team and only the top seed will receive a bye. And a 17-game schedule is coming to the NFL as early as the 2021 season.

In an exchange for a 17-game regular season, players are getting a larger share of the revenue, minimum salaries will increase, the size of the practice squad increases and the league is softening its drug policy.

A new league year is set to begin on Wednesday and the legal tampering window begins today. The Saints have their fair share of big-name free agents, quarterbacks Teddy Bridgewater and Taysom Hill. Safety Vonn Bell, linebacker A-J Klein, guard Andrus Peat and cornerback Eli Apple.

Coach Sean Payton said he thought the start of the league should be pushed back, but the NFL is moving on as scheduled.

Sources have told ESPN that NBA owners and executives are bracing for the possibility of mid-to-late June as a best-case scenario for the league’s return. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends no events or gatherings should include more than 50 people for the next eight weeks. The league has reportedly told teams that games would return without fans, teams have been told to search out arena dates well into August.

The NCAA decided against releasing a bracket on selection Sunday. But ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi released one and he had LSU as an eight seed playing Oklahoma in Spokane on Thursday.

The LHSAA Boys Basketball Championships were completed over the weekend without fans. Alexandria won its first state title in boys basketball. Peabody won its ninth, the eighth for hall of fame coach Charles Smith. Bossier won the three-A title, North Central repeated as One-A champs, Doyline knocked off two-time defending Class B champs Simsboro.

The fears over the coronavirus have resulted in the cancellation of the NCAA Men’s and Women’s basketball tournament. No March Madness and no College World Series or Women’s College World Series. The decision to cancel the College World Series caught many people in the college baseball world by surprise.

The SEC and many other leagues have already canceled all sporting events through March 30th, leaving open the possibility that spring sports can still be played. SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey held a press conference in Nashville, where the SEC Tournament was supposed to be played. He was asked if games could be played after March 30th, but he doesn’t know…
cut 12 (11) “…beyond”

Of course the NBA season has been suspended. The league owners have asked Commissioner Adam Silver to reevaluate the league’s suspension of play in 30 days. The Pelicans say they will provide updates to our fans, ticketholders and team partners as they become available.

The Major League Baseball has halted spring training and Opening Day which was scheduled for March 26th has been halted for at least two weeks.

There are games being played in the state today and that’s the high school basketball state championships. In Lake Charles yesterday, five teams advanced to state title games on Saturday. In One-A top seeded, North Central crushed Tensas 68-48. The Hurricanes will play Lincoln Prep after the Panthers defeated Grand Lake 61-55. In 3-A top-seeded Bossier beat Brusly 53-51. And the Four-A semifinals were played last night as Peabody and Breaux both advanced and they’ll play each other Saturday night at 8 PM.

The public health emergency we are facing means we’ll have to live without sports for awhile. Last night, the NBA made the decision to suspend its season. The NHL is doing the same and Major League Baseball is suspending spring-training games and delaying the start of the regular season by at least two weeks.

The SEC has canceled all games between now and March 30th. That includes the SEC Tournament in Nashville. The LSU baseball team was set to leave for Oxford to begin SEC play versus Ole Miss. But as soon as they got on the bus, they got off and were told there will be no games until at least March 31st. Coach Paul Mainieri understands why they need to halt play, but he’s still sad for his players, because they’ll never be able to relive this part of their life…
cut 14 (12) “….in the world”

Due to the coronavirus, the NFL has canceled its upcoming league meetings in Palm Beach, Florida from March 29th to April 1st. So any proposed rule changes will now be placed on the NFL spring meetings agenda on May 19th to the 20th.

The Southland and Conference USA have suspended their spring sporting events. Northwestern State, Nicholls and Louisiana Tech were all scheduled to play in tournament basketball games today, but those tournament games have been called off.

High school basketball games are being played in Lake Charles as the boys state basketball tournament continues at the Burton Coliseum. Earlier today, in Class One-A, top seeded North Central defeated Tensas 58-48. They will play the winner of tonights’ game between Grand Lake and Lincoln Prepatory School.

Last night, Alexandria and Bonnabel advanced to tomorrow night’s Class Five-A Championship game. The Trojans beat Hahnville 70-54 and the Bruins defeated Walker 65-60.

Also tomorrow, the Class C title game between district rivals Pleasant Hill and Hicks. And in Two-A, Rayville will face Port Allen in a rematch of last year’s title game won by Rayville.

The Pelicans were all set to play the Sacramento Kings last night, but New Orleans never came out for its pregame warm-up. That’s because one of the referees worked a game earlier this week that involved Rudy Gobert. The Utah Jazz center tested positive for the coronavirus, which resulted in the NBA suspending its season until further notice.

As of now, the NCAA Basketball Tournament is set to be played, but fans will not be allowed. That includes the women’s final four in New Orleans April third and fifth. Conference tournaments will go on without fans. The SEC has also decided to keep fans away for its contests until March 31st.

The LHSAA boys basketball state tournament in Lake Charles will continue today with fans, but that could change. Here are your winners from yesterday, Wossman, Simsboro, Doyline, Alexandria, and Bonnabel. The Trojans and Bruins will meet Friday night in the 5A championship game.

Former LSU defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey will be inducted into the college football hall of fame in December. The unanimous all-American helped the Tigers win the 2007 national title Dorsey was a unanimous first-team All-American that season and remains the most decorated defensive player in LSU history.

In the last game in front of fans until at least March 30th, the 19th ranked LSU baseball team beat South Alabama four to one. Freshman second baseman Cade Doughty had three hits and Cade Beloso hit his first home run. The Tigers begin SEC play on Friday at Ole Miss.

The 5th ranked Rebels won their 16th straight yesterday as they defeated ULM 18 to seven. Ole Miss hit five home runs on the day.

Elsewhere…UNO defeated Southern 11 to five, Tulane doubled up Lamar six to three, and Nicholls banked Mississippi Valley State.

At the Southland Conference Basketball Tournament…Northwestern State advanced with a 79-62 win over Texas A-and-M Corpus Christi, McNeese lost to Lamar 80-59. Nicholls plays Lamar tonight.

The Pelicans continue their four-game road trip tonight as they visit Sacramento. The two teams share identical records and are 3.5 games back of Memphis for the final playoff spot in the West. The tip-off is at 9:30.

19th ranked LSU hosts South Alabama tonight before it begins SEC play this weekend versus the Rebels. Looking ahead, Coach Paul Mainieri says Landon Marceaux will start game one to give Cole Henry an extra day after experiencing some arm soreness after his last start…
cut 18 (20) “…not throwing”
First pitch is at 6:30.

Nicholls completed a midweek two-game sweep of Mississippi Valley State with a one to nothing victory today.

Former LSU defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey has been elected to the college football hall of fame. He’s the most decorated defensive player in school history and a two-time first-team All-American. Dorsey helped the Tigers win a national championship in 2007 and that year he was named SEC Defensive Player of the Year and was a finalist for the Bednarik Award.

Louisiana Tech announces construction has begun to rebuild the athletic facilities destroyed by a tornado almost a year ago. The university expects new baseball, softball and soccer stadiums before the 2021 seasons for each sport.

The Lady Techsters upset UAB 66-63 in the first round of the Conference USA Tournament today. La Tech will face Middle Tennessee tomorrow. Tomorrow night, the men’s team will face either UTEP or Marshall.

The Southland Tournament gets underway today in Katy, Texas as Northwestern State versus Corpus Christi and McNeese battles Lamar.

The Pelicans have a big game tonight in Sacramento as they continue their push to make the playoffs. New Orleans and the Kings have identical records and they find themselves 3.5 games back of Memphis for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference. This is game two of a four-game road trip that also includes contests against the Jazz and the Clippers.

The Southland Tournament gets underway today in Katy, Texas as Northwestern State hosts Corpus Christi. McNeese will face Lamar. The Cowboys just beat the Cardinals on Saturday to get in the tourney. Nicholls will play tomorrow night.

Last night, Southern advanced to the semi-finals fo the SWAC Tournament with a 67-53 win over Alabama State. The Jaguars will face Texas Southern in the semis, who eliminated Grambling State 75-62.

And big news from LSU, former defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey has been elected to the college football hall of fame and he’ll be enshrined later this year.

The LSU baseball team looks to extend its winning streak to five games when they host South Alabama. Last time out the Tigers rallied to beat U-Mass Lowell thanks to two home runs from Gavin Dugas. The Houma native is hitting .250 on the season and he hopes the playing time will come more frequently after a break-out performance…
cut 17 (13) “….in baseball”
First pitch is 6:30.

Also today in baseball…ULM hosts eighth-ranked Ole Miss at 4 PM. Last night, the Rebels beat the Warhawks six to three. The Cajuns shutout McNeese seven to nothing, Northwestern defeated Grambling four to one and Tech defeated Southeastern Louisiana 14 to 3.

Louisiana Tech announces construction has begun to rebuild the athletic facilities that were destroyed by a tornado almost a year ago. The university expects competition of a new baseball, softball and soccer stadiums before the 2021 seasons for each sport.