The LSU Football team reports for preseason camp tomorrow and Coach Ed Orgeron will meet with the media tomorrow afternoon. The first practice is Monday, but the media is not allowed to watch. According to the Baton Rouge Advocate, LSU appears to be the only school in the SEC to not allow the media any access to practice.

Grambling State football is vacating its 2011 SWAC championship, because the school used ineligible players during the season and in the title game. It’s part of the Notice of Allegations that’s been issued by the NCAA enforcement staff that looked at variety of sports. The school was also placed on a two-year probation, fined 5,000 dollars and the men’s basketball program and men’s track have one-year post season bans. Some of the other violations include failing to certify athletes and allowing two dozen athletes to receive expenses without meeting amateurism certification requirements.

The Saints hold their first padded practice of training camp this morning. Running back Adrian Peterson is excited…
cut 28 (10) “…about it”
Coach Sean Payton said there were a lot of mental errors at the start of yesterday’s practice. Wide receiver Willie Snead says they are still trying to shake the rust off…
cut 29 (17) “….everything”
Fellow wide receiver Michael Thomas says the Saints cornerbacks have a chip on their shoulder at this camp…
cut 30 (19) “….next step”

Saints Quarterback Drew Brees says his contract status is a non-issue. The 38-year-old is entering the final year of his deal. He’s in tremendous shape as expected. Coach Sean Payton said Brees finished in the top two in Wednesday’s conditioning test. Brees says he takes pride in staying in great physical shape…
Cut 19 (16) “keep my edge”
Meanwhile, third year conerback Damian Swann was placed on the non-football injury list for failing a conditioning test. Swann missed all of last year with a groin injury.

Former LSU star and Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Junior says he wants to be the NFL’s highest -paid player. Beckham has two years left on his rookie contract.

LSU Head Football Coach Ed Orgeron says edge rusher Arden Key will miss the first half of fall camp as he continues to recover from shoulder surgery. Orgeron says they will not know Key’s status for the regular season opener until the end of August….
cut 29 (05) “…baby steps”
LSU football players report on Sunday. Other college programs will do the same. Here’s what Alabama Head Coach Nick Saban said about playing LSU this year in an interview with Leo Honycutt on Talk 107-3 in Baton Rouge…
cut 30 (16) “good program”

College football reporter Bruce Feldman reports former Louisiana Tech head coach Jack Bicknell has been hired as an offensive line coach for the Ole Miss Rebels.

LSU Head Football Coach Ed Orgeron says edge rusher Arden Key will miss the first half of fall camp as he continues to recover from shoulder surgery. Orgeron says they will not know Key’s status for the regular season opener until the end of August….
cut 29 (05) “…baby steps”

A recent study found brain damage in 99 percent of participating former NFL players, but some are skeptical of the findings. The report says CTE occurs after repeated blows to the head, and it causes things like memory loss, depression, and dementia. Tulane Institute of Sports Medicine director Dr. Greg Stewart hopes people don’t think that everyone who plays football is going to kill themselves..:
Cut 30 (10) “in this picture”
Saints Quarterback Drew Brees says his contract is a non-issue for him as he enters the final year of his deal. Brees also doesn’t seem to be worried if the Saints start a rookie left tackle in the regular season opener against Minnesota. Ryan Ramcyk is taking the first team reps at left tackle. It appears the rookie from Wisconsin is getting the first chance to start at that position for the injured Terron Armstead, who is recovering from a torn labrum. Brees looks forward to Ramcyk developing over camp…
cut 17 (20) “….can have”
The Saints have added some depth to the offensive line with the signing of Orlando Franlin to a one-year deal. The 29-year-old started 16 games for the Chargers at guard last season.

Saints Training Camp is officially underway, and New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees was asked by reporters about this being the final year of his contract. But the 38-year-old old says it’s a non-issue for him…:
Cut 18 (18) “team win”
Coach Sean Payton said Brees finished in the top two in Wednesday’s conditioning test.

The Saints added a veteran offensive lineman to the roster Thursday by signing Orlando Franklin. The 29-year-old played left guard for the Chargers the past two seasons and started all 16 games last year.

LSU head coach Ed Orgeron announces edge rusher Arden Key will miss the first half of the Tigers’ preseason camp, at the very least. Key is still recovering from shoulder surgery and his status for the September 2nd opener in Houston against BYU is not known at this time.

There is a lot of talk this week about a new study which found brain damage in 99 percent of participating former NFL players. Jeff Palermo reports some are skeptical of the findings…:
Cut 1 (30) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

Fun events are taking place throughout Sportsman’s Paradise this weekend. In Grand Isle, the Tarpon Rodeo is underway. It’s the oldest fishing tournament in the country in its 89th year. Nine tarpon were registered on the first day. Visit tarponrodeo.org for details.

The Saints had their first training camp practice of 2017 today. The team is gearing up for the upcoming season at the team’s training facility in Metairie. Coach Sean Payton says some of the toughest position battles will take place along the defensive line….
cut 30 (20) “…battles shape up”
Rookie cornerback Marshon Lattimore is trying to beat out P-J Williams for the starting cornerback job opposite of Delvin Breaux. If Lattimore wins that battle, expect to see Williams start at nickel back.

The Saints added a veteran offensive lineman to the roster today by signing Orlando Franklin. The 29-year-old played left guard for the Chargers the past two seasons and started all 16 games last year.

New ULM athletic director Nick Floyd met with the media today for the first time since he was hired. He takes over an athletic program that has the lowest budget out of the 128 FBS schools and the three major sports, football, men’s basketball and baseball all had losing records last academic year. But Floyd says it’s his goal to win at a high level….
cut 5 (09) “…best experience possible”
Floyd says his number one priority is to run an athletic program with the highest degree of integrity that also looks out for the well-being of the student athlete.

Louisiana Tech has set dates for football fan days. The first will happen on Friday August 18th at Freedom Fields in Bossier City and the second fan fest is the next day at the Thomas Assembly Center in Ruston.

Saints and Pelicans Owners Tom and Gayle Benson are getting into the beer business as they’ve announced the purchase of Dixie Brewing Company.

The Saints have their first training camp practice today. Coach Sean Payton says there’s a lot of work ahead for this team, because they play in a tough division and the beginning of the schedule is difficult. He looks forward to progress they’ll make during training camp….
cut 14 (09) “…especially early”
The Saints have finished seven and nine during the last three years. He says during this camp he wants to establish a certain amount of toughness and leave camp with some confidence.

LSU players report for camp on Sunday and Coach Ed Orgeron says the Tigers will practice very much like NFL players. He says each week of practice will conclude with a so-called preseason game in Tiger Stadium. Coach O’ also plans to have his guys practice outside as much as possible, so his players can use the heat to their advantage once the season starts.

Nick Floyd met the media for the first time today, since he was named athletics director of ULM. Floyd takes over an athletic program that is known as the lowest funded in the country out of the 128 FBS schools. He says fiscal responsibility is just the nature of the business…
cut 4 (12) “….manner possible”
Floyd has 33 years in collegiate athletics management. Since 2004, he’s served as the executive associate director of athletics at East Carolina.

Grambling says its new artificial turf at Eddie Robinson Stadium should be complete by August 25th. The old field has been excavated, a new retaining wall has been installed and there’s also a new drainage system.

Current UL Lafayette baseball coach Tony Robichaux will be inducted into the McNeese Sports Hall of Fame. Robichaux coached at McNeese from 1987 to 1994 and compiled the most wins in school history.

LSU head football coach Ed Orgeron spoke to the Baton Rouge Rotary Club today to give a preview of the 2017 season. Orgeron says the offense will look different under new offensive coordinator Matt Canada….
cut 13 (11) “…good”
It’s expected senior Danny Etling will be the Tigers starting quarterback. Orgeron says Etling will have to earn the job during preseason camp, which starts next week. He says the other quarterbacks on the roster will have a chance, including incoming freshman Myles Brennan…
cut 14 (08) “….when he’s ready”

In major league baseball…former LSU pitcher Aaron Nola and the Phillies take on the Astros tonight. No Alex Bregman for Houston. He’s out with a hamstring injury.

The football season is back as Saints players report for training camp today. One of the big off-season additions was the signing of future Hall of Fame running back Adrian Peterson. NFL analyst Mike Detillier says hopefully this means head coach Sean Payton will be more committed to the running game this year
Cut 30 (08) “off the field”

Former Louisiana Tech star Kenneth Dixon will miss the upcoming season. The Ravens running back underwent surgery this week for an injured meniscus. He rushed for 342 yards and 2 touchdowns last season.

McNeese announced today it’s latest inductees into the school’s sports hall of fame. Current UL Lafayette baseball coach Tony Robichaux is one of the inductees. Robichaux coached the Cowboys baseball team from 1987 to 1994 and compiled the most wins in school history. Also going are former football players Adam Henry and Toddrick Pendland. Henry is a former LSU assistant coach.

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.