LSU star running back Leonard Fournette made it official today and announced that he will enter the 2017 NFL draft after the Tigers’ bowl game on December 31st. Fournette said he wanted to get it out there now, so that there wouldn’t be speculation and distractions while they prepare to face Louisville in the Citrus Bowl. Fournette also says he plans to play in the bowl game, despite a nagging ankle injury.

Louisiana Tech will play 25th ranked Navy in the Armed Forces Bowl, which will be played on December 23rd in Fort Worth, Texas. Bulldogs Athletic director Tommy McClelland says they also had an option to return to the Heart of Dallas Bowl, which they made an appearance in, in 2014…
cut 9 (09) “…three years”
Plenty of points should be scored in this one. The Midshipmen are averaging 39 points a game. Tech is averaging 44 a contest.

Coach Sean Payton was not a happy man after the Saints 28-13 loss to Detroit on Sunday. Payton says his players looked sluggish at the start of the game and he didn’t like seeing 10 penalties called against his team during the course of the contest. And he was especially not happy about reports before the game that the Saints were interested in trading wide receiver Brandin Cooks…
cut 18 (09) “…thanks”
Cooks expressed frustration in not having a bigger role in the team’s win last week against the Rams, had a team-high seven grabs in the loss to Detroit. One other note on the Black and Gold, tight end Josh Hill will reportedly miss the remainder of the season with a broken fibula.

Today was the first day of jury selection in the murder trial of fomrer Saints star Will Smith. Twenty-year-old Cardale Hayes has pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder in Smith’s death. Over 100 residents of Orleans Parish are in the jury pool.

LSU’s defense will face a good test in the Citrus Bowl against Lamar Jackson and the Louisville Cardinals. Jackson is considered a front-runner to win the Heisman Trophy. Interim Head Coach Ed Orgeron calls Jackson a dynamic athlete…
cut 20 (11) “….on defense”
Dave Aranda has reportedly signed a contract extension that keeps him as the Tigers defensive coordinator for the next three seasons. LSU’s defense is ranked sixth in the country.

A bunch of points should be scored when Louisiana Tech faces Navy in the Armed Forces Bowl in Fort Worth, Texas on December 23rd. The Midshipmen are averaging 39 points a game. Tech is averaging 44 a contest.

After a one-year absence, UL Lafayette is back in the New Orleans Bowl. The Cajuns will take on Southern Miss. Louisiana is 4-0 in this bowl game. The game will take place on Saturday night, December 17th.

The Saints are now 5-7 after an ugly 28-13 loss to Detroit yesterday. With four games left, it looks like New Orleans is headed towards its third straight 7-and-9 record. Coach Sean Payton is not happy with the inconsistent play of his team….
cut 17 (10) “…poor start”
The Saints face a must win situation this Sunday against Tampa Bay and the Bucs have been playing well, they defeated San Diego 28-21 on Sunday to move into a first-place tie with the Falcons.

In the NBA, the Pelicans got a good game from rookie Buddy Hield, but it wasn’t enough to help New Orleans defeat the Oklahoma City Thunder 101-92. Hield had 16 points and hit 4 three-pointers. New Orleans is back in action tonight as they host Memphis. It’s the second match-up of the season between the two teams, the Grizzlies won the first game 89-83.

The Saints appear to be heading towards another losing season as New Orleans played poorly in a 28-13 loss to the Detroit Lions. The Black and Gold committed 10 penalties and Quarterback Drew Brees threw three interceptions. Detroit jumped out to a 10-0 lead, which did not please Coach Sean Payton…:
Cut 16 (16) “lose that battle”
The loss drops New Orleans record to 5-7 as they next head to Tampa.

Payton also addressed the rumors that Brandin Cooks will be in off-season trade talks over the wide receiver’s frustration that he’d not been getting much ball time. Payton says it was a false report and, “garbage.”

In the NBA, the Pelicans fell to Oklahoma City 101-92 Sunday night.

The LSU Tigers will conclude the 2016 season by facing Louisville in the Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl on New Year’s Eve day in Orlando, Florida. LSU Head Coach Ed Orgeron is proud to represent the Bayou Bengals in the bowl game…:
Cut 19 (18) “at LSU”
It will be an early start on New Year’s eve day as the game will kickoff at 11 AM eastern, 10 AM central time.

Oklahoma will face Auburn in the Sugar Bowl in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on January 2nd. UL-Lafayette will play in the New Orleans Bowl once again, this year on December 17th against Southern Mississippi. Louisiana Tech accepted a bid to play in the Armed Forces Bowl on December 23rd against No. 25 Navy. Grambling will play North Carolina Central University in the Celebration Bowl December 17th in Atlanta.

Four state champs were crowned in high school football yesterday. In Division Four, Southern Lab won its second straight title beating Ascension Episcopal. In Division Three, Riverside won its first title by defeating parish rival St. Charles Catholic.

In Division Two, St. Thomas More Coach Jim Hightower finally won that elusive state title as the Cougars crushed Parkview Baptist. And In Division One, Evangel won its first state title since 2010 by beating Scotlandville.

In the non-select semifinals in One-A…Haynesville over Oak Grove and they’ll face Logansport in the title game. In Two-A Madison Prep we’ll face Sterlington who snuck past Many 40-37. Three-A, it will be Lutcher versus Amite after those two teams won last night, Karr and Neville will have a rematch for the 4A title and in Five-A West Monroe will head to the dome to play Landry-Walker on Saturday night.

The man who has admitted to fatally shooting former John Curtis star and NFL player Joe McKnight is a free man, but Jefferson Parish Sheriff Newell Normand says 54-year-old Ronald Glasser could still face charges. Normand says they are still trying to flesh out the details, as they have received different witness accounts. And we’ve learned Gasser had another road rage incident at the same intersection in February 2006, but charges against him were dropped.

Three college football games involving Louisiana teams today, Louisiana Tech takes on Western Kentucky in the Conference USA title game. A high scoring game is expected in this one after the Bulldogs beat the Hilltoppers 55-52 in October.

Grambling looks to beat Alcorn State for a second time this season in the SWAC title game in Houston and UL-Lafayette looks to become bowl eligible with a win over ULM.

Tomorrow it’s the Saints and Lions in the Dome. New Orleans running back Mark Ingram is questionable with a toe injury.

The Baton Rouge Advocate is reporting LSU head football coach Ed Orgeron will be paid a lump sum of $675,000 for serving as Tigers interim coach. They previously reported that as the permanent LSU coach, Coach “O” will make about $3.5 million per year under a five-year contract.

Today in the Dome, it’s the state select state championships. It all starts at 10 AM, as Southern Lab looks to repeat against Ascension Episcopal who is making its first appearance. in the division two game, St. Thomas More looks for its first state title against defending champ Parkview. Scotlandville also looks for its first state championship against Evangel.

Tonight in the NBA, the Pelicans will take on the Clippers in the Smoothie King Center. It’s the first of three matchups between Los Angeles and New Orleans during this month. Clippers coach Doc Rivers was fined $15,000 by the NBA for verbally abusing a game official and refusing to leave the court after his ejection in their loss to Brooklyn on Tuesday.

College hoops, Last night in the newly renovated Cajun Dome, UL-Lafayette trounced in-state rival Nicholls 101-69.

This weekend the NFL is allowing players across the league to wear cleats supporting their foundations or charity of their choice. In the game Sunday against Detroit, twenty Saints players will be wearing unique cleats that will likely be auctioned off to the public at some point to help support their charity.

The football world is mourning the death of Joe McKnight, who was fatally shot in what authorities believe was a road rage incident in Jefferson Parish. McKnight was one of the top high school football players in the country coming out of John Curtis High School in 2006. His former head coach, J-T Curtis, says McKnight’s death is a senseless tragedy…:
Cut 18 (10) “ turned violent”
Sheriff Newell Normand has identified the shooter as 54-year-old Ronald Gasser..

The father of Five-star quarterback Tua Tagovailoa told S-E-C Country that his son remains fully committed to Alabama, even though he’s received an offer from LSU. And Tua’s dad says there are no plans for his son to visit LSU. And according to the story, the Tagovailoa family called LSU four-star QB commitment Myles Brennan and told him to give Lane Kiffen a shot, if he ends up coaching at LSU.

Louisiana Tech is getting ready for Saturday’s Conference USA title game against Western Kentucky. The Bulldogs are coming off a 39-24 loss to Southern Miss. Tech Head Coach Skip Holtz hopes a tough defeat to the Golden Eagles will pay dividends this Saturday….
cut 20 (17) “….last week”
Kick-off on Saturday is at 11 o’ clock from Bowling Green, Kentucky.

Two very good quarterbacks will face each other on Sunday when Drew Brees and the Saints host Matthew Stafford and the Detroit Lions. Stafford might be having his best season of his eight-year NFL career. He’s thrown for 28-hundred yards, 19 touchdowns and five interceptions. Payton says Stafford is doing a good job in spreading the ball around…
cut 18 (20) “…come then”

Jefferson Parish Sheriff Newell Normand says former prep football star and NFL player Joe McKnight was killed this afternoon in what authorities are calling a road rage incident in Terrytown. The 28-year-old played in the Canadian Football League this past season. He starred at John Curtis and later USC.

The Saints continue to get ready for Sunday’s home game against Detroit. In the past, when playing the Lions, teams had to prepare for Pro Bowl wide receiver Calvin Johnson. But he retired after last season. New Orleans coach Sean Payton says Detroit quarterback Matthew Stafford still has plenty of targets…
cut 17 (12) “…in space”
Also, Detroit quarterback Matthew Stafford might be having his best season of his eight-year NFL career. Kick-off is at noon.

Former Dutchtown High star Landon Collins has been named NFC Defensive Player of the Month. Collins had three interceptions in November and 30 tackles as the Giants extended their winning streak to six games.

Tonight, Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys look to extend their winning streak to 11 games as they visit Minnesota in Thursday night football.

Houston has reportedly contacted former LSU Coach Les Miles about its coaching vacancy. There also reports that Alabama offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin is a candidate for that job.

If UL Lafayette can beat ULM on Sunday, there are reports the Cajuns will play in the New Orleans Bowl on December 17th.

Grambling will play Saturday in the SWAC title game against Alcorn State. Today the league announced that Grambling QB Devante Kincade is the SWAC Offensive Player of the Year. Tigers defensive lineman Donovan McCrary won the defensive player of the year honors, while G-S-U’s Broderick Fobbs was named coach of the year.

In college basketball…the Ragin Cajuns host Nicholls State for the first game inside the newly renovated Cajundome. It cost 22-million dollars to improve the seating, lighting, restrooms and concession stands and the men’s and women’s hoops teams will be playing on a new floor.

Last night, Louisiana Tech lost on the road to California 68-59 in overtime.

The Saints are in the middle of preparations for the 7-4 Detroit Lions, who they host at noon in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on Sunday. Detroit has rallied from a deficit to win all seven of its games this season. Coach Sean Payton says the players are being made aware of the Lions ability to rally and win…:
Cut 16 (17) “prepare accordingly”
The Lions have only scored 30 or more points twice this season.

The LSU football program got some rough news as highly rated quarterback Myles Brennan decommits to the Tigers. Brennan made the announcement on Twitter after LSU offered a scholarship to another five-star quarterback who has committed to Alabama. The later move has some wondering if this means Crimson Tide offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin could be coming to LSU.

Louisiana Tech will attempt to win its first Conference USA title on Saturday when they face Western Kentucky in the league title game. The Bulldogs won the West Division to play in their second CUSA title game in three years. Tech Coach Skip Holtz says a key for them on Saturday will be not to give up the big play…:
Cut 19 (13) “explosive players”
The game in Bowling Green will kickoff at 11am on ESPN.

Last night in college hoops, Southeastern ran past Maryland Eastern Shore 85-75. Louisiana Tech fell to California in overtime 66-59. Also in OT, Grambling State barely fell to Miami Ohio 78-76.

In other Tigers’ news — Grambling State announces they’ve hired Paul Bryant to be the school’s athletic director. It’s the first time Grambling gets a permanent AD since 2014.

LSU has lost one of its two quarterback commitments. Myles Brennan from Mississippi posted on social media that he is re-opening his recruiting process. This news comes one day after LSU offered a scholarship to five-star quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who is an Alabama commitment. LSU’s offer raises the speculation that Crimson Tide offensive coordinator Lane Kiffen could be coming to LSU.

Les Miles is reportedly a candidate to be the next head coach at Houston. The chairman of the Houston board of regents said Miles is among a list of candidates to replace Tom Herman, who left for Texas.

The Saints are getting ready to host the Lions this Sunday. Detroit is 7-4 on the year, but they’ve only scored 30 or more points twice this season. New Orleans running back Mark Ingram has been named NFC Offensive Player of the week. Ingram had 14 carries for 146 yards and a touchdown. He also caught a 21-yard touchdown pass. Ingram did not practice today, becuase of a toe injury.

It’s UL-Lafayette versus ULM this Saturday. The Warhawks are coming off a bye week, so with this being the final game of the regular season, Head Coach Matt Viator says they are treating this game like a bowl game…
cut 19 (15) “…about it”
It’s been reported that if the Cajuns can win this Saturday, they’ll head to the New Orleans Bowl.

Grambling State has hired Paul Bryant to be the school’s athletic director. Bryant is currently the A-D at South Carolina State and also served in that capacity at Stillman College and Eureka College. Grambling has not had a permanent A-D since 2014.

Tonight in college basketball…Grambling is at Miami, while Louisiana Tech visits California. Cal has won 23-straight games at home.

Last night in college hoops, LSU beat Houston 84-65.

It’s been reported Saints receiver Brandin Cooks is frustrated with his role in the offense. Cooks didn’t catch a pass last week in the win over the Los Angeles Rams. Coach Sean Payton was asked about it today and says he’s not concerned. Payton says they’ll keep working and finding opportunities for Cooks to catch passes.

During the Saints 49-21 win over the Rams the theme song from the “Lion King” was played after New Orleans successful trick play that saw Willie Snead throw a touchdown pass to Tim Hightower. Payton also referenced the “Circle of Life” song in a postgame tweet. Offensive Tackle Zach Strief is not saying why this song is so important to the team…
cut 17 (19) “….LA Rams”
This Sunday, the Saints host the Detroit Lions.

LSU has reportedly offered a scholarship to Alabama commitment Tua Tagovailoa, who is a five-star quarterback from Alabama. LSU has two committed quarterbacks in their 2016 recruiting class. Lowell Narcisse from St. James, who was visited by Head Coach Ed Orgeron and running backs coach Jabbar Juluke. And there’s also Miles Brennan from Mississippi, who recently picked up an offer from Oklahoma State.

The LSU men’s basketball team won easily 84-65 over the Houston Cougars last night. It was Houston’s first loss of the season. Antonio Blakeney had a game high 23 points and the Tigers shot 44-percent from three-point range. Also last night, UNO beat Tulane 74-59 and Texas State topped McNeese State 80-68. Tonight, Louisiana Tech is at California.

Anthony Davis had 41 points and 16 rebounds as the Pelicans drained the Lakers 105-88. New Orleans is now 5-2 since Jrue Holiday returned.