As cases continue to climb in several states, the concern grows that the college football season will be delayed, shortened or possibly moved to the spring. LSU Football Coach Ed Orgeron says his players will be ready for any scenario…
cut 14 (09) “>…go play”
Orgeron says his football team has seen a low number of cases after a spike that occurred in June that was tied to players going to off campus bars.

The Big 10 Conference has decided their schools will only play conference games this fall if they get to play at all. That means the Big 10 football season will consist of just conference games. Tulane was set to play Northwestern on September 12th. But that game will not happen anymore.

The A-C-C says fall sports will not start until September 1st.

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Several Republican lawmakers say they oppose State Senator Cleo Fields’ request for K-12 athletics to be cancelled in the fall. When asked about the letter sent by the Baton Rouge Democrat to BESE, Governor Edwards agreed with detractors in saying that it is too early to make that call. The LHSAA says they are fully committed to having a safe return of high school athletics in the fall. The association encourages member schools to folow LHSAA Sports Medicine Advisory Committee Guidelines to ensure the safety of student-athletes, coaches and administrators. The brief statements concludes by saying reoepning high school sports depends on all of us working together.

According to the U-S-A Today, Teurlings Catholic offensive lineman Jacob Lemaire has spent four days in the intensive care after being infected with COVID-19 and developing pneumonia. Lemaire’s mother tells the USA Today that her son is on oxygen, but he’s doing really well.

Members of LSU’s national championship football team have three championship rings commemorating their historic 2019 season. Special assistant to head Coach Ed Orgeron, Derek Ponamsky, says the players receieved their rings during a team meeting where they saw a video message from the players on LSU’s three previous national title teams and then Coach O told the guys look under your seat
Cut 11 (11) “…work.”
For the players and coaches who are no longer with the program, they had their rings shipped to them.

The Pelicans left for Orlando and head coach Alvin Gentry was with the team. ESPN reports Gentry was cleared to be inside bubble that the NBA has set up in Orlando for 22 teams to resume the season. Gentry is 65-years-old and the league is concerned about those over 65 entering the bubble. 67-year-old assistant Jeff Bzdelik is not joining the team.

Senate Education Chairman Cleo Fields of Baton Rouge has asked BESE to suspend fall sports for K-12 schools because of COVID-19. Catholic High football coach Gabe Fertitta says that request took him by surprise and seems like a knee jerk reaction, but he doesn’t have the answer at this point and continues to stress the importance of embracing each day to his players.
Cut 15 (07) “…what happens tomorrow.”
BESE President Sandy Holloway says local school districts will determine if sports will be played.

The Ivy League has determined that none of their schools will play sports ntil January 2021. But Ivy League athletic directors have reportedly not shut the door on the possiblity of football in the spring.

The NFL and its players association have begun discussing the rules for the likelihood of players opting out for the 2020 season. The Baltimore Ravens say if fans are allowed at their games, they’ll have no more than 14-thousand in the stands.

The 2019 LSU national championship football team is supporting new bling as they’ve received their rings for completing a perfect season. Special assistant to head coach Ed Orgeron, Derek Ponamsky, says each player and member of the staff received three rings to commemorate an historic season
Cut 9 (11) “…playoff tournament”
And don’t worry Heisman Trophy winner Joe Burrow got his rings, they were shipped to him in Ohio.

Many are wondering if we’ll see football in September. Catholic High of Baton Rouge football coach Gabe Fertitta says the state needs to move into phase three of its reopening in order for contact sports like football to be played…
Cut 14 (07) “…football in phase 2.”
Governor Edwards is set to provide a COVID-19 briefing this afternoon.

The Pelicans arrive in Orlando today to begin NBA bubble life in Orlando today. Matt Doyle reports some players are a bit uneasy about resuming play…
Cut 2 (30) “…I’m Matt Doyle”

There was some question on whether head coach Alvin Gentry would be on the sidelines for the games inside the bubble, but ESPN is reporting that Gentry has been cleared. Gentry is 65-years-old and the league is concerned about those over 65 entering the bubble. 67-year-old assistant Jeff Bzdelik is not joining the team.

Baton Rouge Senator Cleo Fields has asked the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education to cancel high school sports this fall because of the coronavirus pandemic. But the President of BESE, Sandy Holloway, says such a decision has to be made on a local level. According to the White House guidelines for reopening, Louisiana needs to be in Phase 3 for contact sports like football to be played. But with cases surging and hospitalizations and deaths rising, Louisiana remains stuck in Phase 2.

Redshirt freshman quarterback Peter Parrish is no longer listed on the roster on LSU’s website. That leaves Myles Brennan as the only Tiger quarterback with college playing experience. Parrish was suspended from the football team in mid-March for an unspecified violation of team rules. Parrish is from Alabama and we do know that a lawsuit has been filed against LSU by a football player from Bama because he believes is rights were violated.

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The Pelicans leave for Orlando tomorrow, where they hope to spend the next few weeks in the NBA’s bubble. New Orleans is set to play eight regular season games as it attempts to catch Memphis for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference. Today, the Wizards Bradley Beal said he’s not playing in Orlando. Washington is one of the eight teams on the Pels regular season schedule.

Jeff Tannehill is the new head coach at Neville High School replacing Mickey McCarty, who has been hired as the school’s principal. Tannehill is a Neville alum and he’s been assistant for McCarty on two different occasions. He’s also led St. Frederick to a state championship game appearance a few years back.

In basketball coaching news…Randy Carlisle is leaving Summerfield to be the new head coach at Anacoco. Carlisle coached both the boys and girls basketball teams at Summerfield and won five Class C Championships between the two programs. Amber Obaze-Ford has left Ouachita High School to be the new head coach at Summerfield. Chrissy Givens will be the new head coach at Ouachita.

An economist says an LSU football season without fans will cost the school and local economies millions of dollars. Financial statements indicate the LSU football team produced a profit of 57-million dollars for fiscal year 2019. Doctor Loren Scott says not having fans in the stands or no football at all, would severely impact the other sports at LSU…
Cut 14 (11) “…decision”
A rise in coronavirus cases is raising doubts the college football season will starrt on time. Major decisions are expected later this month from the leaders of the SEC and LSU regarding whether football will start Labor Day weekend and if there will be fans.

Plans are still on for LSU and Louisiana Tech to play each other in men’s basketball on November 24th at the CenturyLink Center. Officials announced today that tickets will go on sale for the game at 10 AM on Thursday.

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The Pelicans have added depth as they prepare to leave for the NBA’s bubble in Orlando on Wednesday. Forward Sindarius Thornwell has inked a deal with New Orleans and he’ll serve as a substitute player. The 25-year-old last played in the NBA G League, averaging nine points, five rebounds and five assists for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers.

One of the state’s most successful high school football coaches is leaving the sidelines. Neville’s Mickey McCarty has accepted the job as the school’s principal and former St. Frederick head coach Jeff Tannehill will replace McCarty as the Tigers new head football coach. McCarty spent 18 years as Neville’s head coach, winning 197 games and four state championships. Tannehill, who is a Neville grad, led St. Fred’s to a state title game in 2013.

And big news out of the NFL today as the Chiefs and quarterback Patrick Mahomes have reportedly agreed to a ten-year contract extension that will pay the superstar signal caller over 400-million dollars. Mahomes and the Super Bowl champion Chiefs will be in the Dome on December 20th to the face the Saints.

One of the state’s most successful high school football coaches is leaving the sidelines. Reports out of Monroe say Neville Head Coach Mickey McCarty has accepted the job as the school’s principal and former St. Frederick head coach Jeff Tannehill will reportedly replace McCarty as the Tigers new head football coach. McCarty spent 18 years as Neville’s head coach, winning 197 games and four state championships. Tannehill, who is a Neville grad, led St. Fred’s to a state title game in 2013.

The fourth of July weekend was a busy time for LSU on the recruiting front as the Tigers received two verbal commitments from four-star prospects. Zachary wide receiver Chris Hilton announced his verbal pledge on Friday and that was followed up by defensive end Keanu Koht from Vero Beach, Florida.

Louisiana’s top prospect for 2021, defensive tackle Maason Smith, listed his top eight finalists and LSU is among that group along with Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Miami and Oregon.
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The Pelicans will have three exhibition games prior to the resumption of their season in Orlando. They’ll play the Nets on July 22nd, the Nuggets on the 25th and the Bucks on the 27th. Milwaukee has shut down its practice facility after new coronavirus test results. Teams will begin leaving tomorrow for the NBA’s bubble in Orlando. The Pels will stay at the Yacht Club Resort. Today is Zion Williamson’s birthday, he’s no longer a teenager as the rookie sensation turns 20 years old today.

Two former LSU Tigers have tested positive for COVID-19 as summer camp is underway for Major League Baseball. The two who tested positive are Yankees All-Star infielder D-J LeMahieu and Phillilles pitcher Aaron Nola. LeMahieu is said to be asymptomatic, while Nola’s case might be linked to a coronavirus outbreak last month at Philadelphia’s spring training facility in Clearwater, Florida. Meanwhile, the Astros and Nationals are several major league teams who have had to cancel workouts because of testing delays. M-L-B releases its schedule tonight. A 60-game regular season is scheduled to start July 23rd.

The fourth of July weekend was a busy time for LSU recruiting as the Tigers received two verbal commitments from four-star prospects. Zachary wide receiver Chris Hilton announced his verbal pledge on Friday and that was followed up by defensive end Keanu Koht from Vero Beach, Florida. Hilton is rated as the state’s fourth best prospect. Last season, Hilton hauled in 43 receptions for 846 yards and 11 touchdowns.

Also on the recruiting front, the nation’s top rated quarterback Caleb Williams committed to Oklahoma over LSU and Maryland. Louisiana’s top prospect, defensive tackle Maason Smith listed his top eight finalists and LSU is among that group along with Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Miami and Oregon.

In the NFL, the players association has reportedly let the league know that they think there should not be a preason. The league has suggested two preseason games instead of four.
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The Pelicans will have three exhibition games prior to the resumption of their season in Orlando. They’ll play the Nets on July 22nd, the Nuggets on the 25th and the Bucks on the 27th. Milwaukee has shut down its practice facility after new coronavirus test results. Teams will begin leaving tomorrow for the NBA’s bubble in Orlando. The Pels will stay at the Yacht Club Resort.

Two former LSU Tigers have tested positive for COVID-19 as summer camp is underway for Major League Baseball. The two who tested positive are Yankees All-Star infielder D-J LeMahieu and Phillilles pitcher Aaron Nola. LeMahieu is said to be asymptomatic, while Nola’s case might be linked to a coronavirus outbreak last month at Philadelphia’s spring training facility in Clearwater, Florida.

On the PGA Tour, the beefed up Bryson DeChambeau won the Rocket Mortgage Classice by three strokes for his first victory this season.

And Kevin Harvick won at the Brickyard, defeating Matt Kenseth as NASCAR ran in Indianapolis.

The NFL is reportedly cutting its preseason schedule to two games, week one and week four. Each team would play one home game and one on the road. ESPN reports training camps are set to begin around July 28th, but the first preseason games will not be played until August 20th to the 24th. The reason for the restructing of the preseason is so that players can get in better football shape since offseason conditioning programs were canceled.

Four-star prospect Naquan Brown from Vriginia Beach, Virginia is the latest player to commit to LSU as he joins the Tigers 2021 recruiting class. Brown is a six-foot-three, 205 pound outside linebacker-slash-defensive end. Tennessee, Michigan, Penn State and TCU are some of the other teams who offered Brown.

Louisiana Tech football coach Skip Holtz is grieving over the loss of his mother. Beth Holtz, the wife of hall of fame coach Skip Holtz, has died at the age of 83 after a long battle with throat cancer.
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Pelicans guard Jrue (Drew) Holiday will travel to Orlando to finish out the season with his teammates inside the bubble. Holiday’s wife, Lauren Holiday, is pregnant with the couple’s second child and if you recall, Lauren had a brain tumor removed during her first pregnancy. But Jrue says everyone is healthy, so he’s ready to battle for a playoff spot. Holiday also thinks its worth re-starting the season, despite all of the challenges. He says the time inside the bubble will be a chance for the team to bond even more.

And ESPN reports it will cost over 150-million dollars for the league to complete the season and hold the playoffs at the Walt Disney Resort. The league projects a one-billion dollar revenue loss because of the coronavirus.

LSU pitcher Ben McDonald, second baseman Todd Walker and shortstop Alex Bregman have been named to the ESPN Greatest All-time College Baseball Team. LSU leads the nation with three players on the team. All three players were two-time All-Americans.

The Pelicans are 30 days away from returning to the court in Orlando and head coach Alvin Gentry hopes he’s on the sidelines coaching his team. Gentry is a 65-year-old cancer survivor, so according to the C-D-C he’s at the beginning of the high-risk category for severe illness from COVID-19. Gentry says the players battled for him during the season and he wants to return the favor…
cut 20 (28) “…this situation”
A league-appointed doctor will have to clear Gentry in order for him to be on the sidelines.

Pelicans Executive Vice President David Griffin says three Pelican players tested positive last week for coronavirus. They are in isolation and getting tested daily. But Griffin does not expect any players on the New Orleans roster not to go to Orlando. The 22 NBA teams that will be in the bubble will travel to Florida next week.

Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio reports there are some NFL teams thinking about traveling for road contests on the day of the game and then flying back. Former LSU Tiger and Chiefs All-Pro Safety said on Twitter heck no to that idea.

LSU linebacker Marcel Brooks has told the Athletic his decision to enter the NCAA transfer portal is because of family. Brooks was expected to play a big role on the Tigers defense in 2020, but it appears he’ll look to continue his college career at a school closer to his Dallas home.

And in a decision that should surpise no one, the minor league baseball season has been canceled because of COVID-19 pandemic.

New Orleans Pelicans executive vice president David Griffin said today that three Pelicans players tested positive for COVID-19 last week. The unidentified players are in self-isolation and are tested daily. They need to have two negative tests before they can play. The 22 NBA teams that will resume their season in Orlando, must turn in a roster by the end of tomorrow. Griffin does not expect any Pelicans player not to play. 65-year-old head coach Alvin Gentry, who is a cancer survivor, also said he plans to be in Orlando with the team. But Griffin says Gentry’s status is to be determined.

ESPN announced today that former LSU defensive lineman Marcus Spears will appear daily on NFL Live when the network relaunch’s the show in August. The sports network also says Spears has signed a new multi-year ESPN extension. The Baton Rouge native says it’s a pinch myself moment to talk NFL five days a week.

LSU linebacker Marcel Brooks has told the Athletic his decision to enter the NCAA transfer portal is because of family. But he didn’t elaborate in an article written by Brody Miller. Brooks was expected to play a big role on the Tigers defense in 2020, but it appears he’ll look to continue his college career at a school closer to his Dallas home.

Former LSU safety Eric Monroe has reportedly decided to transfer to Texas Tech. Monroe was a highly rated defensive back out of the Houston area. In three seasons at LSU, Monroe had 21 tackles, most of those tackles occurred during his redshirt freshman season.

The Monroe News-Star reports Ruston High School has suspended football workouts for two weeks after a player tested positive for coronavirus.