Saints running back Alvin Kamara attended his first NASCAR race yesterday as he was part of a small group of people who watched the race at Homestead-Miami Speedway in person. Kamara suddenly became a fan of the sport last week after NASCAR announced a ban of the confederate flag at all of their events.

C-N-N has hired Saints safety Malcolm Jenkins as a contributor. Jenkins will continue to play football, but he’ll make himself available to the cable news network to speak on racial and social justice issues.

Southern University athletics director Roman Banks has raised the possibility that the Bayou Classic might not be played in the Superdome in November. LSU’s Tiger Stadium, Shreveport’s Independence Stadium, and Southern’s home field have emerged as other options.

Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred could announce a return to play plan today after negotiations broke down with the players union. The regular season is expected to be about 50 games long.

A Louisiana Tech football player has tested positive for the coronavirus. The school says the student-athlete will quarantine for two weeks and they’ve also identified other players who may have been exposed and they will also spend 14 days in quarantine. The Bulldogs started their offseason workout program last week and Senior linebacker Ezekiel Barnett says he missed not being around the guys…
cut 18 (25) “….miss the guys”

LSU’s Zack Mathis and Saul Garza are leaving the Tigers baseball program as Mathis signed an undrafted free agent deal with the Padres, while Garza inked a deal with the Royals. Ragin Cajuns pitcher Brandon Young has signed with the Orioles.

Southern Athletics Director Roman Banks it’s possible the Bayou Classic will not be played in New Orleans this year and maybe in 2021 as well. But Banks says no final decision has been made. LSU’s Tiger Stadium, Shreveport’s Independence Stadium, and Southern’s A-W Mumford Stadium are possible options for the 47th Bayou Classic if the game can’t be played in the Superdome.

Denny Hamlin edged Chase Elliot to win NASCAR’s Dixie Vodka 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Saints running back Alvin Kamara was there to cheer on Bubba Wallace, NASCAR’s lone full-time black driver. Kamara became a fan of NASCAR after the sport announced it’s banning the Conference flag at all of their events.

And in baseball, LSU’s Saul Garza and Zack Mathis have signed undrafted free agent deals. Garza is now a member of the Royals organization and Mathis inked a deal with the Padres.

Louisiana Tech reports a football player has tested positive for COVID-19. The school says the student-athlete will self-quarantine for the next 14 days. Tech says they’ve identified additional players who could have been exposed and they will also be mandated to self-quarantine for the next two weeks.

The rest of the team will continue to go through the team’s voluntary offseason workout program. The Bulldogs are searching for a quarterback to lead the team this year. Tech Coach Skip Holtz says the battle for starting Q-B will not get going again until they get back on the field…
cut 17 (23) “….get there”
The three-man race is between Abilene Christian transfer Luke Anthony, redshirt senior Westin Elliot, and redshirt sophomore Aaron Allen.

One of the state’s top quarterbacks has committed to LSU. St. Thomas More’s Walker Howard announced his verbal pledge to the Tigers today. Even though he has yet to start a game on the varsity level, Howard is listed as the nation’s third-best pro-style quarterback in the class of 2020. His father is former LSU quarterback Jamie Howard, who played in the purple and gold from 1992 to 1995.

LSU and Southern University student-athletes will gather on the LSU campus tonight for an “Enough is Enough: Rally for Unity.” It will take place at free speech alley in front of the LSU student union.

Louisiana Tech has announced the addition of five transfers, quarterback Luke Anthony from Abilene Christian, wide receiver Jerrond Means from Tennesse, former LSU offensive lineman Donavaughn Campbell, former Texas defensive tackle Gerald Wilbon and defensive back Khalil Ladler from Virginia Tech.

Hard work paid off last night for LSU’s Cole Henry and Daniel Cabrera. They were selected in the second round in last night’s Major League Baseball Draft. Henry was selected by the World Series champion Washington Nationals, while the Detroit Tigers took Cabrera. Both are expected to sign professionally.

In the fifth round, Pittsburgh picked Northwestern State right-hander Logan Hoffman and Ragin Cajuns shortstop Hayden Cantrelle was selected by the Brewers. Cantrelle has told the Daily Advertiser that he plans to sign with Milwaukee.

Governor Edwards has signed the bill that authorizes Louisiana license plates that honor LSU’s national championship football season. Lafourche Parish Representative Reggie Bagala introduced the legislation but never had a chance to present the bill, because he died from complications of COVID-19 in April. The Office of Motor Vehicles has yet to say when the license plates will be available.

The son of former LSU quarterback Jamie Howard, Walker Howard, has announced he plans to follow in his father’s footsteps and play for the Tigers. Howard is getting ready for his junior season at St. Thomas More High School. 24-7 sports ranks Howard as the third-best pro-style quarterback in the nation for the class of 2022.

Two LSU Tigers were selected in the second round of the Major League Baseball draft last night. The World Series Champion Washington Nationals used the 55th overall pick to select right-handed pitcher Cole Henry, while the Detroit Tigers took outfielder Daniel Cabrera with the 62nd pick. Both are expected to sign with their professional teams.

Also last night, Baltimore drafted Tulane outfielder Hudson Haskin early in the second round. In the fifth round. Pittsburgh picked Northwestern State right-hander Logan Hoffman and Ragin Cajuns shortstop Hayden Cantrelle was selected by the Brewers.

Two LSU Tigers were selected in the second round of the Major League Baseball draft last night. The World Series Champion Washington Nationals used the 55th overall pick to select right-handed pitcher Cole Henry, while the Detroit Tigers took outfielder Daniel Cabrera with the 62nd pick. Both are expected to sign with their professional teams and not return to LSU.

Also last night, Baltimore drafted Tulane outfielder Hudson Haskin early in the second round. In the fifth round. Pittsburgh picked Northwestern State right-hander Logan Hoffman and Ragin Cajuns shortstop Hayden Cantrelle was selected by the Brewers.

In college football, the NCAA is finalizing a plan that would allow college football teams to begin an extended preseason on July 24th. Starting on July 24th, coaches would be able to have two weeks of walkthroughs.

The NFL is committing 250-million dollars to social justice reform.

Legislation creating the framework to tax online fantasy sports passes a House committee and is headed to the House floor. The bill sets an eight percent tax rate on net revenue for the activity and mandates those funds must be spent on early childhood education. New Orleans Representative Jason Hughes applauds it.
Cut 16 (07) our state”
47 parishes approved cash prize based online fantasy sports gaming, an activity that is mostly limited to the sites DraftKings and FanDuel and if the tax plan passes in the special session, it could be up and running in time for the football season.

On Saturday and Sunday, you can fish in Louisiana without a license. Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries spokesperson Ed Pratt says they’ve seen an uptick in fishing since the COVID-19 pandemic, so he reminds anglers to keep their groups to ten people or less.

By tomorrow, LSU executive deputy athletic director Verge Ausberry expects every member of the football team will be registered to vote. Ausberry says it’s something the players wanted to do in response to the recent events in our country, but he says the school will not influence the decisions the student-athletes make….
cut 15 (06) “…to vote for”

The Major League Baseball draft continues tonight with rounds two through five. So far the only player taken with a tie to Louisiana is catcher Drew Romo from the Woodlands, Texas. The LSU recruit was selected by Colorado and is expected to sign with the Rockies.

The NCAA will allow college baseball teams to have rosters that are larger than the current maximum of 35 in 2021. But schools will still have just 11.7 scholarships to hand out.

Boyd Gaming has alerted the Louisiana Workforce Commission that it’s laying off 25 to 60-percent of their employees at Evangeline Downs Racetrack Casino in Opelousas. The U-S-A Today Network reports the exact number is 246 workers. They are among the 15-hundred that Boyd is laying off at their casino properties in Louisiana because of a significant loss in revenue due to COVID-19.

ESPN is reporting there are a faction of NBA players who are hesitant about restarting the season in a bubble environment in Orlando. One of the provisions is no visitors until after the first round of the playoffs that means nearly seven weeks after reporting for a mid-July training camp. It’s also been reported the NBA plans to resume games on July 30th, instead of July 31st.

Notre Dame catcher Maci Bergeron has been named the 2020 Gatorade Louisiana Softball Player of the Year. The sophomore hit 12 home runs in 12 games before COVID-19 ended her season.

The Associated Press reports that the NCAA’s football oversight committee will finalize a plan today that will allow college football teams to hold 12 unpadded walkthrough practices in a 14-day period before the normal 29-day preseason practice begins in August. Coaches say the additional time will be valuable for teaching schemes, not necessarily player development.

The NCAA will allow college baseball programs to carry an unlimited number of players next year, lifting the current 35-member maximum. Coaches can also offer less than 25-percent of a scholarship to accommodate the larger numbers, but schools still have only 11.7 athletic scholarships to give. LSU Coach Paul Mainieri was hoping for relief on the 11.7 as well.

LSU’s outfielder Daniel Cabrera and pitcher Cole Henry were not selected in last night’s first round of the Major League Baseball draft.

NASCAR is banning the Confederate flag from flying or being displayed at all of their venues. The historic announcement caught the attention of Saints running back Alvin Kamara, who tweeted when is the next race, with a popcorn emoji. No word on how NASCAR plans to enforce this ban.

The P-G-A tour holds its first event today since the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown as golfers have gathered in Fort Worth, Texas for the Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial. All of the players were tested for the coronavirus and there were no positive tests.

The SEC announces its football media days will be completely online this year. Dates and times were not announced. Commissioner Greg Sankey says they look forward to returning to their traditional media days format in 2021.

LSU’s student-athletes plan to have their voices heard at the ballot box. LSU executive deputy athletic director Verge Ausberry says they are assisting all of their student-athletes to make sure they are eligible to vote.

The Southeastern Conference announces SEC Media Days will be conducted virtually for the first time ever. Commissioner Greg Sankey says a virtual format will provide an opportunity to manage the event in a healthy manner because of COVID-19. The virtual event will feature Sankey’s annual “State of the SEC ” address as well as media sessions with the conference’s 14 head coaches and select student-athletes from each school. The conference says the SEC Network will provide wall-to-wall coverage. The dates and times for the SEC Virtual Media Days have not been announced yet.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports Spike Lee was the guest speaker for the Saints’ team Zoom call yesterday. Schefter says Lee complimented Drew Brees for standing up to President Trump when he said Brees should not have taken back his opposition to kneeling during the national anthem. Lee also spoke for 45 minutes about his experience in race relations. One person on the call said the players loved it.

Tonight is the first round of the Major League Baseball Draft, which is just five rounds this year. In previous years, the draft has been 40 rounds. D-1 Baseball-dot-com draft expert Kendall Rogers expects LSU players Cole Henry and Daniel Cabrera will be selected in one of the five rounds. Rogers believes Henry is the better prospect…
Cut 16 (22) love his makeup”
The draft gets underway at six PM tonight on ESPN and the M-L-B Network.

Major League Soccer says it will return on July eighth. They will begin competition with what they are calling M-L-S is Back Tournament with all 26 competing at ESPN’s Wide World of Sports Complex near Orlando, Florida.

Tonight is the first round of the Major League Baseball Draft as LSU players Daniel Cabrera and Cole Henry are expected to be selected in the five-round draft. The high school Gatorade Player of the Year in Louisiana Brody Drost could also get drafted in the third or fourth round. The former Barbe standout is a left-hander pitcher and he can play in the outfield. Kendall Rogers with D-1 Baseball-dot-com says Drost is also committed to LSU, so does he want to play pro ball or go to school???
cut 18 (13) “…quickly”
Usually, the Major League Baseball Draft is 40 rounds, but this year only 160 players will get picked, compared to the 1,217 that were selected last year. Undrafted players could sign with a professional team for a maximum signing bonus of 20-thousand dollars.

The LSU football team began summer workouts yesterday, but also they held a team meeting to discuss the current civil unrest that’s come in the aftermath of George Floyd’s death while in the custody of Minneapolis police officers. The LSU football program has established a leadership council made up of coaches and players that will develop solutions to combat racism.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that Spike Lee was the guest speaker for yesterday’s Saints’ team Zoom call. Schefter says Lee complimented Drew Brees for how he stood up to President Trump and then spoke for 45 minutes about his experience in race relations. One person on the call said the players loved it.

Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas has teamed up with R-I-P Medical Dept to wipe out about two-point-three million dollars worth of medical debt for economically-challenged families in the greater New Orleans area.

Former Saints running back Reggie Bush will reportedly be welcomed back to the U-S-C family. Bush has been disassociated from the school since the Trojans were hit with numerous sanctions, including a two-year postseason ban because NCAA investigators found Bush and his family accepted cash, travel expenses and a home while he was a student-athlete.

Voluntary workouts began for the LSU football team today after spending the last eleven weeks away from the school’s weight room. LSU strength and conditioning coach Tommy Moffit says only 20 players are allowed in the weight room at one time and they are using state of the art sanitation and disinfectant equipment…
cut 18 (30) “….this facility”
Coach Ed Orgeron also allowed the players to use today to register to vote.

Former LSU pitcher Eric Walker has announced he’s transferring to Oklahoma State. The right-hander from Arlington, Texas had a great freshman season but never returned to form after Tommy John surgery on his throwing arm. He entered the NCAA transfer portal in mid-April. Former LSU pitcher Chase Costello has also announced he’s transferring to Stetson.

A five-round Major League Baseball Draft begins tomorrow. LSU players Daniel Cabrera and Cole Henry will probably not go in the first round, but they are expected to be drafted. Barbe’s Brody Drost is an LSU signee that could also get drafted. Dorst is a left-hander pitcher and outfielder and could be selected in the third or fourth round.

NASCAR announced today that it will have fans watching from the stands for Sunday’s Dixie Vodka 400 at the Homestead-Miami Speedway. But it will be a small group. Up to one-thousand South Florida service members will be allowed inside the track. The following Sunday at Talladega, five-thousand guests will be able sit in the grandstands and towers.