Former LSU Tiger Odell Beckham is facing a lot of criticism today for his performance in yesterday’s 38-13 playoff loss to Green Bay. Beckham dropped three pass, including a potential touchdown grab. He admits it could have been different story if the Giants scored touchdowns instead of field goals in the first half…
cut 30 (16) “….those plays”
Beckham’s former teammate at LSU, Jarvis Landry, had 11 catches for 102 yards, but Miami was no match for Pittsburgh yesterday as the Steelers easily beat the Dolphins 30-12.

Two New Orleans natives have been named as members of College Football Hall of Fame’s 2017 induction class. Peyton Manning and Marshall Faulk will go into the Hall along with Matt Leinart, Brian Urlacher, and coach Steve Spurrier.

Former Louisiana Tech head coach Sonny Dykes is out of a job. California has fired Dykes after four seasons and a 19-30 record. The Bears went 8-5 in 2015, but won only five games this past season. Dykes says he was surprised and disappointed by Cal’s decision to let him go.

Former Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams has been hired as the defensive coordinator for the Cleveland Browns. Williams spent the past three seasons with the Rams after he was suspended for 2012 season for his role in the Saints “Bountygate” scandal. Browns Head Coach Hue Jackson says Williams one of the better coordinators in the National Football League.

The Pelicans are in New York tonight to face the Knicks. New Orleans is looking to snap a three game-losing streak.

It’s National Championship Day as Alabama and Coach Nick Saban take on the Clemson Tigers tonight in Tampa. Over the past two seasons they’re the two top programs in the nation. The undefeated Crimson Tide is 28-1 and winners of 26 straight games, and the Tigers are 27-2 and trying to complete their second consecutive 14-1 season. Alabama won its 16th title and the fourth in the Saban Era last January. This morning former LSU Coach Les Miles will appear on the Mike and Mike radio show to give his take on the match-up.

In the NFL, last night Green Bay Quarterback Aaron Rodgers overcame a sluggish start and finished the rout of the Giants with four touchdown passes including a 42 yard Hail Mary at the end of the first half in the Packers 38-13 win. Green Bay will face Dallas in the divisional round. Also this weekend Atlanta hosts Seattle, Houston is at New England and Pittsburgh is at Kansas City.

LSU basketball fans who braved the cold to see the Tigers on Saturday afternoon in the Maravich Center saw Mississippi State warm up the nets quickly on the way to a 95-78 over the Bayou Bengals. The loss drops the Tigers’ record to 1-2 in the SEC, and 9-5 overall — and will hit the hardwood again on Wednesday when they visit Texas A&M.

The ULM men’s basketball team could not overcome a 12-point halftime deficit on Saturday night as they fell to in-state rival UL-Lafayette 69-60 inside the Cajundome.

Texas-San Antonio beat Louisiana Tech 69-68 on Saturday night. Erik McCree led the Bulldogs with 23 points.

Yesterday Tulane men’s fell to Memphis 80-59; and the women lost to Temple 86-71.

The LSU Lady Tigers had a nice one on Sunday rallying to beat Arkansas on the road, 53-52.

Today Grambling hosts Alcorn State, and Southern is at Jackson State.

In the NBA, The New Orleans Pelicans began a 5 game road stint Saturday and fell to Boston 108-117. The Pels travel to take on the Knicks today at 6:30.

The next time LSU Safety Jamal Adams plays football, it will be with an NFL team. Adams has made the decision to skip his senior season and enter the NFL draft, where it’s expected he’ll be selected in the middle of the first round. Adams gave a heart felt speech during a Friday morning press conference as he thanked everyone, including the fans….
cut 16 (12) “…geaux tigers”
A surprise guest to Adams’ announcement was former LSU Head Coach Les Miles, who recruited the future first round pick out of Lewisville, Texas. The 63-year-old says he wants to be a head coach again and he’s looking for a school where an athletic director and president want him. Miles says he’s had some interviews including one in the last 48 hours, but he’s not disappointed that he’s yet to find a gig.

The Saints made it official Friday afternoon with the announcement they’ve let five assistant coaches go, including longtime assistant Joe Vitt, who also served as assistant head coach. Special teams assistant Stan Kwan and special teams coordinator Greg McMahon were also let go. Saints sideline reporter Kristian Garic says you saw the hand writing on the wall with McMahon…
cut 18 (11) “…long term”
None of the assistants fired were on the offensive side of the ball.

In basketball…after losing to the Hawks on Thursday night, the Pelicans begin a five-game road trip in Boston on Saturday.

Also Saturday, The LSU Tigers are home to host Mississippi State. The Bayou Bengals are looking to improve to 2-1 in league play. The Ragin Cajuns will host ULM. Louisiana Tech will take on Texas San Antonio in Ruston and Southern will be at Grambling.

LSU All-American Safety Jamal Adams announces he’s skipping his senior season and entering the NFL draft. Adams held a press conference this morning to thank all of those who helped him become a likely first-round draft choice. Adams was emotional when talking about his parents…
cut 15 (15) “….thank em enough”
Adams joins running back Leonard Fournette and defensive tackle Davon Godchaux as LSU’s early NFL entrees. Still waiting to hear what wide receivers Malachi Dupre and DJ Chark will do.

Former LSU Coach Les Miles was in attendance for Adams’ announcement. There were reports he talked with Minnesota officials about the Golden Gophers vacant head coaching job, but that went to PJ Fleck, who just led Western Michigan to a Cotton Bowl berth.

The Saints are coming off their third consecutive seven and nine season, so changes had to occur. Five assistant coaches have been let go including assistant head coach Joe Vitt and James Willis. Both coached the linebackers. Saints Sideline reporter Kristian Garic says it’s not hard to see why they were given a pink slip…
cut 17 (08) “…linebackers coach”
Defensive line coach Bill Johnson will also not back and special teams assistant Stan Kwan and special teams coordinator Greg McMahon were also let go.

In basketball last night….Atlanta defeated New Orleans 99-94. Anthony Davis had 20 points for the Pels, Paul Millsap had 17 for the Hawks. In college hoops…Louisiana Tech trounced UTEP 64-44. Eric McCree had 19 points and 11 rebounds.

UNO now leads the Southland Conference with a 3-0 record. The Privateers defeated Lamar 66-62 in overtime last night. Southeastern, McNeese and Northwestern State all lost yesterday.

The New Orleans Saints have fired Joe Vitt, the longtime assistant head coach, and a number of other coaches. Sideline reporter on the Saints Radio Network, Kristian Garic, says Vitt has been with coach Sean Payton in New Orleans since 2006…:
Cut 16 (11) “says a lot”
James Willis who also coached the linebackers was let go. Defensive line coach Bill Johnson won’t be back, and special teams assistant Stan Kwan and special teams coordinator Greg McMahon is also out. The Saints are coming off their third consecutive seven and nine season.

In the NBA, The New Orleans Pelicans fell to the Hawks 99-94 last night. Atlanta has one of the highest rated defenses in the league and Pels star Anthony Davis was held in check. The Pelicans will now embark on the longest road trip of the season, a 10-day, five-game excursion.

In the Southland Conference college hoops, Southeastern fell to Houston Baptist 81-74. McNeese lost to Sam Houston State 74-67. UNO beat Lamar in overtime 66-62. Northwestern State didn’t get a conference win after losing to UIW, 84-80. In the third annual Red Out Game, Louisiana Tech slammed UTEP in Ruston, 64-44.

This morning at 10am, we’ll find out if LSU safety Jamal Adams will head to the NFL or return with the Tigers for his senior season.

It’s reported that former LSU head coach Les Miles with University of Minnesota officials about the Golden Gophers’ coaching vacancy. The Mad Hatter was fired mid-season at LSU in 2016 after a 2–2 start.

The former head of the State Department of Wildlife and Fisheries says the allegations of misconduct during his tenure with the agency are fabricated. Robert Barham made the statements during the public comment period of LDWF’s Thursday meeting.

It’s a big night of basketball across the state. The Pelicans are home to take on the Atlanta Hawks. New Orleans beat Atlanta 112-to-94 earlier this season. Former Louisiana Tech star Paul Millsap is averaging 18 points and 8 rebounds a game for the Hawks.

Louisiana Tech will host UTEP in the third annual Red Out game at the Thomas Asembly Center. The Bulldogs will wear red jerseys at home for the first time this year.

In the Southland Conference…Southeastern, McNeese and UNO are all off to 2-0 starts in league action and they are on the court tonight. The Lions are at Houston Baptist, the Cowboys host Sam Houston State and the Privateers are at Lamar. Northwestern State seeks its first Southland win tonight when the Demons visit U-I-W.

Last night, LSU earned its first win in the SEC . An 88-77 victory over a bad Missouri squad.

Michael Kim with 120 Sports is reporting that former LSU head coach Les Miles flew to the Twin Cities on Wednesday and met with University of Minnesota officials about their head coaching job. Miles has said he wants to resume his head coaching career at a Power 5 school.

High school football news…Rodney Guin is the new head coach at Calvary Baptist. Guin was the Cavaliers wide receivers coach this past season and before that he was the head coach of Haughton for 16 years, where he helped Dak Prescott get a scholarship at Mississippi State.

East Ascension four-star offensive tackle Adrian Ealy says he plans on signing at Oklahoma, instead of LSU.

Tomorrow at 10 AM, we’ll find out if LSU safety Jamal Adams will turn pro or return for his senior season. It’s expected he’ll enter the NFL draft.

And ESPN announces Chris Berman will no longer host NFL Countdown as he’s taking on a more limited role with the network.

According to the NFL, TV viewership fell an average of eight percent this season. On average, one-point-four million fewer people watched a game this year than in 2015.

High school football news…Rodney Guin is the new head coach at Calvary Baptist. Guin was the Cavaliers wide receivers coach this past season and before that he was the head coach of Haughton for 16 years, where he helped Dak Prescott get a scholarship at Mississippi State.

The LSU Tigers men’s basketball team started playing defense in the second half and it paid off as the Bayou Bengals beat Missouri 88-77. The Tigers trailed 40-35 at halftime, but limited Mizzou to just one three-pointer in the second half and Antonio Blakeney heated up offensively for the Tigers and he finished with 24 points.

Grambling State snapped a three-game losing streak with a 69-67 win over winless Alabama A-and-M. Nigel Riberio had 31 points to lead the way. Southern lost to Texas Southern 80-73.

Tonight…Louisiana Tech looks to improve to 2-0 in Conference USA play when they host UTEP. The Miners are just 2-and-11 on the year.

In the Southland…Southeastern, McNeese and UNO are all off to 2-0 starts in league action and they are on the court tonight. The Lions are at Houston Baptist, the Cowboys host Sam Houston State and the Privateers are at Lamar. Northwestern State seeks its first Southland win tonight when the Demons visit U-I-W.

LSU trailed by 5 points at halftime and needed a spark. They got it from Antonio Blakeney who made his first five shots of the 2nd half and finished with a game-high 24 points to lead the Tigers to a 88-77 win over the Missouri Tigers. The win evens LSU’s SEC record to 1-1. 9-4 overall and snapped a two-game losing streak. LSU returns home to play Mississippi State on Saturday afternoon in the Maravich Center. The Bulldogs lost their SEC opener on Tuesday to Alabama.

Elsewhere around the state in college hoops last night, after rallying from a nine point second half deficit, Grambling beat Alabama A&M by a score of 69-67 to snap a three game skid. The Tigers are now 1-1 in the SWAC, and 6-9 overall.

Tonight, Louisiana Tech hosts UTEP. Southeastern travels to face Houston Baptist. McNeese takes on Sam Houston State at home. Northwestern State is at UIW.

The LSU baseball team announced the hiring of former Tiger relief pitcher Nate Fury as the coordinator of baseball operations. The staff is now filled after Coach Paul Mainieri announced that pitching coach Alan Dunn has been promoted to associate head coach.

In the NBA, the Pelicans return home to take on the Atlanta Hawks in the Smootie King Center tonight. The Hawks enter the game as the league’s No. 5 defensive efficiency, allowing just 103 points per 100 possessions. Tip off is 7pm.

LSU linebacker Tashawn Bower has been named to the Associated Press All-Bowl Team after a dominating performance against Louisville in the Citrus Bowl. Arden Key received honorable mention honors.

Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge was vandalized this week according to the LSU Police Department. They say nothing was permanently damaged, and they are in the process of investigating the incident. There is currently no information being given on the extent of the damage, suspect or motive. The field was covered by a tarp on Wednesday.

Former Saints Kicker Morten Andersen along with ex-LSU stars Kevin Mawae and Alan Faneca are among the 15 finalists that could be named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame this year. It’s the fourth time Andersen has been a finalist, while Faneca and Mawae were among the best offensive lineman during their long careers in the NFL.

LSU says All-American Safety Jamal Adams will announce Friday at 10 AM on whether he’ll enter the NFL draft or come back for his senior season. If he decides to go pro, he could be a Top 15 pick in the first round.

Dunkin Donuts will have a bigger presence in Louisiana thanks to Saints quarterback Drew Brees. Marketing manager with Dunkin’ Donuts in Louisiana, Erin Sheeran, says with Brees backing, nearly 70 Dunkin Donut shops will open in the coming months…
cut 11 (09) “..to do”
Brees’ other business endeavors include being a Jimmy John’s franchisee and co-owning Walk-On’s Enterprises.

LSU Baseball Coach Paul Mainieri announced that pitching coach Alan Dunn has been promoted to associate head coach. Dunn is entering his sixth season in the Tigers dugout and has produced 14 LSU pitchers that were selected in the Major League Draft. Mainieri has also announced that former Tiger pitcher Nate Fury has been named coordinator of baseball operations.

In basketball….the Atlanta Hawks will reportedly retire “Pistol” Pete Maravaich’s number 44 jersey that he wore for the NBA team from 1970-74. The Hawks franchise has also retired the jersey of another LSU legend, Bob Petit’s number nine hangs from their arena’s rafters.

The LSU men’s basketball team visits Missouri at 8 PM tonight. The Tigers will try to end a two-game losing streak. In those two losses against Wake Forest and Vanderbilt, each team hit 16 three-pointers and the Tigers allowed 110 and 96 points respectively. Mizzou is a bad basketball team as they have a five and seven record.

There are 15 finalists for the Class of 2017 NFL Hall of Fame and three of them have ties to Louisiana. Former Saints kicker Morten Anderson is a finalist for a fourth time. He spent his first 13 seasons in New Orleans and finished his 25 year career in the NFL as the league’s all-time leading scorer.

Former LSU Tigers Alan Faneca and Kevin Mawae are also among the finalists. Faneca was named to the All-Pro team eight times and won a Super Bowl with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Mawae played for 16 seasons in the NFL and started eight games. He blocked for 13 1,000 rushers during his career.

The LSU men’s basketball team is at Missouri tonight for an 8:00 tip-off. The Bayou Bengals are looking to snap a two game losing streak. In both games, they’ve been torched for 16 three-pointers. But they face a Missouri team that ranks 13th in the league in scoring and they have an overall record of 5-7.

In the SWAC tonight…Grambling is at a winless Alabama A-and-M team while Southern hosts Texas Southern. Both teams are 5-9 on the year.

The Pelicans are off tonight, but tomorrow the Atlanta Hawks make their only appearance in the Smoothie King Center. The Pels Buddy Hield was named the league’s Rookie of the Month for his performance in December. He averaged nearly 11 points a game and shot 48-percent from three-point territory