The Saints get back to work today as they report for training camp. New Orleans has failed to notch a winning record since 2013, because of problems on defense. Saints NFL analyst Mike Detillier says says it remains to be seen if the Saints defense has improved enough in the offseason to keep opposing offenses off the scoreboard…
cut 14 (12) “…on the quarterback”
The Saints will not have linebacker Dannell Ellerbe this season. There are reports the team will place him on injured reserve and then release him in three weeks once he is healthy. Ellerbe had four sacks in nine games last year, but injuries have forced him to miss a lot of games over the last two years.

Former LSU Tiger Booger McFarland will be seen this fall on ABC as an in-studio analyst. McFarland has been working at the SEC Network since 2014. At ABC he’ll work alongside Mack Brown and Kevin Negandhi.

All-Star Anthony Davis told the Associated Press the Pelicans are tired of losing, but they have the roster this season to do something about it. Davis looks forward to trying to make some noise in the loaded Western Conference as he believes the team looks good on paper. Davis has spent the offseason spending a lot of time working out with DeMarcus Cousins and A-D likes the addition of veteran point guard Rajon Rondo.

In major league baseball….the Astros blanked the Phillies 5-0 yesterday. Former LSU standout Alex Bregman had to leave the game with discomfort in his right hamstring. His status is day-to-day. Houston has a 17.5 game lead over Seattle for first place in the AL West.

Kerrick Johnson is the new head baseball coach at Southern University. Johnson replaces the legendary Roger Cador. This is Johnson’s first time as a head coach. He’s previously served as an assistant coach at Nicholls and played at Bethune-Cookman.

The Saints look to get back to the playoffs this season as they report for training camp. The New Orleans franchise has finished 7-and-9, the last three seasons. NFL analyst Mike Detillier projects the Saints will once again be solid on offense with Quarterback Drew Brees at the helm and an emerging pass catcher…:
Cut 13 (10) “it’s Michael Thomas”
The Saints have failed to notch a winning record since 2013 because of problems on defense. Detillier says says it remains to be seen if the Saints defense has improved enough in the off-season to keep opposing offenses off the scoreboard.

LSU announced Tuesday it’s 2017 home opener against Chattanooga on September 9th will kick off at 6:30pm. It will be televised on the SEC Network Alternate channel. It’s the first time ever LSU and Chattanooga have played each other in football.

The SEC announced the UL-Lafayette football game against Texas A&M on September 16th is scheduled for 11am. Coverage will be available on the SEC Network. The Cajuns season opener is on September 2nd against in-state rival Southeastern Louisiana. ESPN and the Sun Belt Conference will announce viewing access for games 12 days before they are scheduled.

New Orleans Pelicans forward Anthony Davis will be holding a basketball camp at UNO on August 7th and 8th for kids aged 7-15. The Pels star says it’ll be the first camp he’s ever held in The Big Easy during his time there, and he’s looking forward to spending some time with kids who are pumped about basketball.

In other Pelicans news, the club has reportedly waived guard Quinn Cook. It comes as a surprise as management priased Cook during summer league play.

Former LSU football stand-out La’el Collins has agreed to a two-year extension with the Dallas Cowboys, according to a report. It indicates the right-tackle will get $15.4 million dollars through 2019.

The Saints report for training camp tomorrow and the NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport is reporting the team is placing linebacker Dannell Ellerbe on injured reserve, because of a foot injury. Ellerbe appeared in nine games last season and recorded four sacks and only played in six games in 2015. Rapoport also reports the Saints plan to waive the veteran once he becomes healthy, which one source says will happen in a few weeks.

There are multiple reports that say former LSU Tiger La’el Collins has agreed to a two-year, 16-million dollar contract extension. It will make him one of the highest paid right tackles in the game.

Former Louisiana Tech standout and Ravens running back Kenneth Dixon has injured his knee and underwent surgery today. Dixon is expected to miss six to eight weeks. He was already set to miss the first four games of the season as he’ll serve a suspension for violating the NFL’s policy against PEDs.

LSU’s home opener against Chattanooga on September 9th will kick-off at 6:30 PM and it will be televised on the SEC Network Alternate channel. The SEC also announced the game between the Cajuns and Texas A-and-M on September 16th will kick-off at 11 AM and it will be shown on the SEC Network.

Jordan Davis has been named the starting quarterback for the Cajuns this season. Coach Mark Hudspeth is expecting a big year from the junior out of Texas…
cut 19 (19) “….security”
The Cajuns have seven road games on the schedule this year. Not only will they travel to College Station, they’ll also go to Ole Miss and Tulsa.

The Saints report for training camp tomorrow. The team has already placed starting left tackle Terron Armstead and center Max Unger on the physically unable to perform list. Armstead could miss the first half of the season with a shoulder injury, but Unger is hopeful to be back before the regular season as he recovers from foot surgery.

Other news, wide receiver Willie Snead has signed his tender as an excluse-rights free agent and he’ll make 615-thousand dollars this year. Snead and the Saints are expected to work towards a long term deal. And linebacker and special teams standout Michael Mauti has inked a one-year deal.

Former Louisiana Tech standout and Ravens running back Kenneth Dixon has injured his knee and he’ll undergo surgery today. Dixon is expected to miss six to eight weeks. He was already set to miss the first four games of the season as he’ll serve a suspension for violating the NFL’s policy against PEDs.

LSU’s home opener against Chattanooga on September 9th will kick-off at 6:30 PM and it will be televised on the SEC Network Alternate channel. The SEC also announced the game between the Cajuns and Texas A-and-M on September 16th will kick-off at 11 AM and it will be shown on the SEC Network.

At Sun Belt Football Media Day in New Orleans, ULM players have a positive outlook for the upcoming season, despite winning just four games last season. Senior offensive lineman Frank Sutton says last year’s team performed better than most expected and they expect to do the same again this season…
Cut 16 (24) “from there”
The Warhawks were selected to finish ninth in the league this year.

At Sun Belt Football Media Day in New Orleans, ULM players have a positive outlook for the upcoming season, despite winning just four games last year. Senior defensive end Caleb Tucker says players got comfortable with Coach Viator’s staff in 2016…:
Cut 17 (15) “this year”

Mark Hudspeth is entering his 7th season as head coach of UL Lafayette. His team has seven road games this year and the coach says none of them will be easy..:
Cut 18 (24) “at a time”
The Cajuns are projected to finish in the middle of the pack in the Sun Belt.

Saints Wide receiver Willie Snead has signed his exclusive rights free agent tag with New Orleans, according to the NFL transactions wire, locking him in for one year at $615,000. Linebacker Michael Mauti is rejoining the Saints. The Black and Gold begin training camp tomorrow in Metairie.

Fans hoping to attend the free practice sessions this weekend are scooping up the tickets. The Saints announced Monday that all spots for Saturday’s practice have been claimed, but a very limited number of seats are still available for Sunday. Fans must claim tickets at neworleanssaints.com in order to attend.

According to sources, the Pelicans and forward Darius Miller have agreed to a deal for the former Kentucky Wildcat to return to the team. The report indicates Miller officially signed a two-year deal Monday, with the second year being a team option.

Former LSU football coach Les Miles has been very vocal in expressing interest to coach again in any Power 5 position, and USA Today’s Dan Wolken reports the Mad Hatter is extremely interested in the Ole Miss vacancy.

Researchers at LSU say the 2017 NBA All-Star game had a $44.9 million dollar economic impact to the state of Louisiana. The study said visitors spent an estimated $23.7 million.

The Saints open training camp later this week. Starting left tackle Terron Armstead will miss all of camp and is not expected back on the field until at least October because of a torn labrum in his shoulder. Head Coach Sean Payton appeared on a New Orleans radio station this morning and said the team is deeper at left tackle than probably any of the years he’s been with the Saints. But Payton says it’s devastating that defensive tackle Nick Fairley will not play this season, because of a heart condition.

In recruiting news…Rummel wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase has verbally committed to Florida. Chase also considered LSU and TCU.

The USA Today’s Dan Wolken says former LSU head coach Les MIles is extremely interested in the head coaching vacancy at Ole Miss. Miles has reportedly made his interests known to influential Ole Miss boosters. Miles is 63-years-old and has made it no secret that he would like to coach at another Power Five school again.

Lafayette native Andrew Stevenson becomes the 73rd former LSU Tiger to make the Major Leagues. Stevenson appeared in his first major league game after he was called up from Triple-A by the Washington Nationals. Stevenson played for the Tigers from 2013 to 2015 and was drafted in the second round by the Nationals in 2015. He came in as a pinch hitter yesterday and stayed in the game to play in left field and went 0-for-2 in the Nats six to two win over the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Former LSU All-American golfer Sam Burns finished tied for sixth at this weekend’s PGA Barbasol Championship. The Shreveport native had three straight rounds of five-under 66s to finish 18-under par for the tournament. Bruns is expected to turn pro in September.

Twenty-three-year-old Texan Jordan Speith won the British Open by three shots over Matt Kuchar. Speith has now three legs of a career Grand Slam and can win them all next month when he plays in the PGA Championship.

Former LSU outfielder Andrew Stevenson received a Major League call-up Sunday from the Washington Nationals, and made his MLB debut in the series finale with the Diamondbacks in Arizona’s Chase Field. The Nationals had 6-2 victory in the game. Stevenson, who started in 154 games in center field during his college career, earned 2015 first-team All-SEC and third-team All-America honors at LSU, and he was a two-time member of the SEC Academic Honor Roll. He went 0 for 2 yesterday.

4-star wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase committed to Florida over LSU and TCU on Sunday following a visit to Gainesville. The prospect out of Rummel is No. 21 in his position for the 2018 recruiting class on the 247Sports composite rankings. The service also ranked Chase as the No. 5 recruit in Louisiana in the Class of 2018. Chase can make his verbal commitment official in December during the NCAA’s newly implemented early signing period.

Sun Belt Media Day kick off today in New Orleans inside the Mercedes Benz Superdome. The UL-Lafayette football team was picked to finish 5th overall in the 2017 Sun Belt Conference Preseason Poll. ULM was chosen to finish ninth. Defending SBC co-champion Appalachian State is the favorite to win the conference championship for the second consecutive year. The Sun Belt’s annual media day begins Sunday.

Former LSU golf star Sam Burns spent the entire day on the leaderboard Sunday at the PGA Tour Barbasol Championship. The Shreveport native, who is expected to turn pro in September, finished the 72 holes in a tie for 6th. After the final round, Burns sent out a tweet thanking fans for their support on a great final day of the tour which was also his 21st birthday. As a professional, Burns would have earned more than $113,000 yesterday.

In the British Open, it was Jordan Spieth claimed the win by three shots closing with a 1-under 69.

College football continues to buzz over the sudden resignation by Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze, who was forced out after university officials found a “pattern of personal misconduct.” The school reportedly looked at Freeze’s phone records and found several concerning calls to numbers connected with escort services. Co-offensive coordinator Matt Luke has been named the interim coach. He’s a former offensive lineman at the school. There’s speculation Ole Miss will talk with former LSU Coach Les Miles, but at this time that remains speculation.

Cajuns defensive lineman Joe Dillon has been named to the preseason All-Sun Belt Conference first team. The sophomore from Mississippi led the team in tackles for losses and sacks last season. UL Lafayette kicker Stevie Artigue also made the first team. The junior was 19-of-24 on field goals last year. Sun Belt Media Day is Monday.

Big news out of the NBA as ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reports Kyrie Irving has asked the Cavaliers to trade him after meeting with team officials last week. According to Windhorst’s sources Irving wants to be the focal point and no longer wants to play alongside LeBron James.

Also in the Association…San Antonio has reportedly re-signed veteran skilled big man Pau Gasol to a three-year deal.

Former Louisiana Tech baseball coach Greg Goff has found a new job as he’s been named an assistant at Purdue. Goff was unemployed when Alabama fired him after just one season as their head coach. Goff lead the Diamond Dogs to 42 wins and an NCAA Tournament appearance in 2016.

The wildlife and fisheries department announces the red snapper recreational season will continue off the coast of Louisiana this weekend. The state agency says anglers have caught about 655-thousand pounds and the plan is to end the season when over one million pounds is caught.

The big headline in sports news today is that Ole Miss Coach Hugh Freeze has suddenly resigned. It’s reported that the school found at least one call from Freeze to an escort service on his University-issued phone. Ole Miss Athletic Director Ross Bjork said in a news conference following the announcement Thursday evening that something was brought to their attention that prompted the school to investigate Freeze’s phone records:
CUT 25 (22) “admitted the conduct”
The NCAA is investigating Ole Miss into at least 21 rules violations, but Bjork says that Freeze’s resignation had nothing to do with that.

The UL-Lafayette football team was picked to finish 5th overall in the 2017 Sun Belt Conference Preseason Poll. ULM was chosen to finish ninth. Defending SBC co-champion Appalachian State is the favorite to win the conference championship for the second consecutive year. The Sun Belt’s annual media day begins Sunday.

Redshirt-sophomore outside linebacker Isaiah Washington is leaving the LSU football program and intends to transfer, he announced via Twitter on Thursday. Washington, who missed all of last season due to a torn ACL suffered in fall camp, ran into academic trouble during the spring. He appeared in six games during the 2015 season.

Former LSU offensive lineman Trai Turner has agreed to a four-year extension with the Carolina Panthers. Turner played for the Tigers from 2011-2014.

LSU is making a major upgrade to the Pete Maravich Assembly Center with the installation of the largest center hung video board in college basketball.

Outside linebacker Isaiah Washington announced on Twitter today that he intends to transfer from the LSU footbal program. Washington didn’t play last season after he tore his ACL in preseason camp. He also missed much of spring practice because of academic issues. The former Karr standout played in six games during his freshman campaign in 2015.

The Carolina Panthers and former LSU Tiger Trai Turner have agreed to a four-year contract extension. The deal is worth a reported 45-million dollars and there’s also a 15-million dollar signing bonus. Turner will be the third highest paid offensive guard this season.

The Pelicans have announced the signing of Rajon Rondo. The veteran point guard will reportedly receive three-point-three million dollars for the 2017-18 season.

And LSU says its new video board they are installing in the PMAC will be the largest in a college arena that hangs over the center of the floor.

Sam Houston State has been picked to repeat as Southland Conference champs as the Bearkats received all possible first-place votes. Central Arkansas is picked to finish in second. McNeese is predicted to finish third after a 6-5 2016. Southeastern Louisiana and Nicholls were picked to finish fourth and fifth. Northwestern State 10th in the 11-team league.

Appalachian State is the favorite to win the Sun Belt Football championship according to the league’s 12 head coaches and selected members of the media. The Ragin Cajuns received one first place vote and is picked to finish fifth, while ULM is projected to finish 9th in the 12-team league.

Cajuns men’s basketball will tip-off the 2017-18 season on the road against Ole Miss on November 10th. The night before the two schools are scheduled to play each other in football.

Louisiana Tech has named Cory Barton as its new pitching coach. Barton spent the past three seasons at McNeese as the Cowboys pitching coach and recruiting coordinator.