The Black and Gold fan base has strong feelings about the report that Saints coach Sean Payton met with former Cleveland Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel, who is also a Heisman Trophy winner. Ian Rapaport with the NFL Network said Payton and Manziel had breakfast together during Super Bowl week. Manziel is infamous for having major off-field issues and he did not play in the NFL last season.

New Orleans has re-signed veteran defensive end Darryl Tapp to a one year contract. In his first season with the Saints last year, Tapp played in all 16 games an accumulated 33 tackles and a half sack in rotational back-up duty on the defensive line.

The Pelicans return to action tonight to take on likely MVP candidate James Harden and the Houston Rockets in the Toyota Center. New Orleans is chasing the No. 8 spot in Western Conference standings. They have 11 games left this season, 7 of those on the road.

LSU defensive lineman Isaiah Washington will miss the rest of spring practice after being ruled academically ineligible, according to reports.

The 4th ranked LSU Baseball team begins a three-game series against Florida tonight in Gainesville. The Tigers swept Georgia last weekend to begin SEC play, while the 11th ranked Gators were swept by Auburn. Junior right-hander Alex Lange starts on the mound tonight for LSU and knows Florida will be ready to play tonight…:
Cut 16 (14) “they got”
The last time LSU went to Gainesville, Florida swept the Tigers in a three-game series in 2014.

No. 15 UL-Lafayette will look to win its fifth straight weekend series of the season as the squad continues conference play with a three-game series at Troy.

Louisiana Tech is set to return to conference action with a three away game series against Charlotte kicking off this afternoon.

ULM will continue its four-game homestand this weekend welcoming Little Rock in the Warhawks’ first Sun Belt Conference series of the season.

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports Saints Coach Sean Payton has met with former Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel as Johnny Football looks to get back in the league after his poor choices away from the football field led to his release by the Cleveland Browns. ESPN’s Mike Triplett says there are no indications the Saints are planning to sign him.

The Saints have re-signed Darryl Tapp. The 32-year-old defensive end had 17 tackles last season.

Former LSU Tiger Ricky Jean Francois has signed a one-year deal with the Green Bay Packers. This will be Francois’ fourth team. He had a career-high 32 tackles with Washington last season.

Former Louisiana Tech standout Quinton Patton has signed with the Jets. He caught 40 passes during four seasons in San Francisco.

LSU third baseman Josh Smith went four for four with four runs driven in as the Tigers trounced Southeastern Louisiana eight to two last night. The Bayou Bengals left today for a three-game series against Florida. Game one in Gainesillve is tomorrow night at 6 PM.

Will Wade is settling in as the new men’s basketball coach for the LSU Tigers. One of the first things on his to-do list is to speak with Antonio Blakeney. The Tigers leading scorer could leave college early and enter the NBA draft. Wade says he looks forward to having that discussion with Blakeney…
cut 28 (23) “…for him”

Grambling is looking for a new men’s basketball coach. Shawn Walker has been fired after a 25-63 record in three seasons.

The Pelicans begin a three game road trip in Houston tomorrow. New Orleans is four-games back of Denver for the final playoff spot in the West.

The Saints have added linebacker Manti Te’o to their roster. Te’o starred at Notre Dame and was a runner-up for the 2012 Heisman Trophy. He was drafted by the Chargers in the second round and appeared in 38 games in four seasons. NFL analyst Mike Detillier says the Saints new linebackers coach Mike Nolan, was an assistant in San Diego and coached Te’o in 2015….
cut 20 (16) “….Te’o”
And the NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport says it appears Saints coach Sean Payton has taken an interest in free agent quarterback Johnny Manziel. The two were seen having breakfast together during the Super Bowl weekend. Rapoport goes on to say Payton could make the most of Manziel’s talent and Drew Brees would

Greg Deichmann drove in three runs and Josh Smith drove in four runs as the LSU Tigers topped Southeastern Louisiana eight to two. Deichmann hit his eighth homer of the season, while Taylor Schwaner hit is sixth homer of the year for the Lions.

Also last night…Nicholls upended Southern 10-9, Lamar doubled up Northwestern State 12 to 6 and Tulane topped the Cajuns six to four.

New LSU men’s basketball coach Will Wade says failure is not an option as he begins the difficult task of making the Tigers a consistent winner on the hardwood. Wade says his first priority is to change the culture…
Cut 16 (17) “anything you do”
The Nashville native believes the LSU basketball program is a sleeping giant.

And Grambling State has fired men’s basketball coach Shawn Walker. He had a record of 25-and-63 during three seasons as head coach.

The Pelicans are now 3.5 games back for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference after their big 95-82 win over the Grizzlies. DeMarcus Cousins had his best game since arriving in New Orleans, scoring 41 points hauling in 17 rebounds. The Pels next game is Friday at Houston.

Will Wade will be introduced to the public today as the new men’s basketball coach at LSU. ESPN college basketball writer Jeff Goodman says Wade sees tremendous upside with the LSU job and Wade believes he can recruit Louisiana and Texas.

There’s a big college baseball game tonight at Alex Box Stadium as 4th ranked LSU hosts Southeastern Louisiana. Freshman righthander Zack Hess will start for the Tigers. He’s 2-0 with a 3.26 ERA. The Lions have won 10-of-their last 11 and they are led by third baseman Taylor Schwaner, who is hitting .362 with five home runs and 30 RBIs. First pitch is at 6:30.

Free-agent cornerback Sterling Moore is returning to the Saints as he’s agreed to a one-year deal with the Black and Gold. Moore started 12 games last season for New Orleans and intercepted two passes and had 13 pass break ups.

Former LSU linebacker Kevin Minter has signed with the Cincinnati Bengals. The 2013 second round pick of the Cardinals, made 37 starts in Arizona and had 174 tackles and five sacks.

LSU football coach Ed Orgeron says running back Derrius Guice was not at practice yesterday, because of an ankle injury. But he says it’s not serious. Orgeron says they are still waiting to see how serious the injury is to Sci Martin, who is an edge rusher that was hurt in a scrimmage on Saturday.

In college baseball last night…Houston blanked the Cajuns four to nothing. Louisiana committed two errors and was held to five hits. ULM downed Grambling seven to one. Tulane trounced McNeese State 10 to two and Louisiana Tech lost its fourth straight as they fell to Stephen F Austin six to two. It’s just the second time the Bulldogs were held to two runs or less.

LSU will officially introduce its new men’s basketball coach, Will Wade, during a news conference today at noon. Wade, whose hiring was announced late Monday, comes to LSU after serving as head coach at VCU for the two years where he led the Rams to 51 wins and back-to-back appearances in the NCAA Tournament.

In the NBA the Pelicans playoff hopes got a boost last night with the help of impressive action by Demarcus Cousins. In the 95-82 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies, Cousins scored 41 points and the Pels are now within 3.5 games of the of the Denver Nuggets for the eighth and final playoff seed in the Western Conference Playoffs.

Black and Gold officials held a private workout with Texas Tech QB Pat Mahomes II on Tuesday. Mahomes finished his college career with 11,252 yards passing and 93 touchdowns and is expected to be a late first- to second-round pick. The Saints and cornerback Sterling Moore have agreed to terms on a one year contract according to his agent. Moore appeared in 13 games last season with two interceptions. Also Tuesday, the Saints agreed to terms on a two year contract with veteran linebacker Manti Te’o.

Around the diamond, 15th ranked UL-Lafayette was shutout by Houston 4-0 Tuesday. The Cougars have won their sixth straight and outhit the Cajuns 11-5, but it was UL-Lafayette miscues that gave Houston its first two runs. The Cajuns host Tulane at 6 today in a rescheduled game after a rain out in New Orleans last week. McNeese State was upset by the Green Wave last night 10-2. ULM began a four-game home stand with a 7-1 victory over Grambling in Monroe.

The Southeastern Louisiana baseball team is taking the trip down I-12 today to face No. 4 LSU at Alex Box Stadium today. The Lions and the Tigers first pitch is slated for 6:30 in Baton Rouge. LSU won four of five games last week, including a three-game sweep of Georgia to open SEC play. Southeastern has won 10 of its past 11 games.

LSU and McNeese will play each other in football in 2021. The two schools are scheduled to face-off on September 11th in Tiger Stadium.

Southern Football Coach Dawson Odums has signed a contract extension through 2019.

Will Wade is the new men’s basketball coach at LSU. He’s 34-years-old and the last two seasons he led VCU to the NCAA Tournament. Tiger Rag Editor Cody Worsham says Wade will bring some much needed energy to the program…
cut 3 (11) “…get a kid”
Wade has been a head coach for four years. His first two years were at Chatanooga and the last two seasons were at VCU and he’s compiled a 67-percent winning percentage,

The Saints have reportedly signed linebacker Mati Te’o. He had a stellar career at Notre Dame, but he’s battled injuries in the NFL. The 26-year-old only played three games last season with the Chargers because of a torn Achilles.

Southern football coach Dawson Odums has received a contract extension that keeps him on the Jaguars sideline through 2019 season.

Sterlington football coach Jason Thompson has stepped down after leading the Panthers to the Class Two-A state championship. Thompson is leaving football to take an administrative role at the school.

Former LSU quarterback Brandon Harris is still looking for a school to play at next season. The University of Texas has emerged as a possible candidate. Head Coach Tom Herman has confirmed that they are recruiting Harris, but there’s no word when he’ll visit the school. North Carolina and Arizona are other potential landing spots for the former Tigers starting QB.

In college baseball today…the 15th ranked Cajuns host a red hot Houston team. The Cougars have won five in a row, while Louisiana went 2-and-2 last week. ULM hosts Grambling, McNeese State, which has won nine of its last ten is at Tulane and Louisiana Tech looks to snap a three-game losing streak as they visit Stephen F Austin.

And in basketball…LSU-Alexandria lost in the NAIA semifinals 65-63 to Life University and the Pelicans host Memphis tonight.

LSU Athletics Director Joe Alleva announces former Virginia Commonwealth University head basketball coach Will Wade will lead the men’s hoops program. This is the third head coaching stop for the 34-year-old from Nashville. His winning percentage after four seasons as a head coach is .669, and the past two seasons he led VCU to the NCAA Tournament. Even though Wade is a Clemson grad, he’s reportedly called LSU his dream job.

The Saints are reportedly near making a deal with free-agent linebacker Mantei Te’o who could sign today, according to ESPN. The 26 year old is best known for being the victim of a “catfishing” hoax than for football; but has 222 tackles, 2 interceptions and 1.5 sacks in 38 career games, however does have trouble staying healthy.

In the NBA, the Pelicans return home to face the Memphis Grizzlies at 7pm. The Pels enter tonight’s contest 4 games behind the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference with 12 more to go.

College hoops, LSU-Alexandria took the court Monday in the semifinals of the NAIA Tournament, and saw their perfect season come to an end dropping a stunner to Life University by a score of 65-63. The top-seeded Generals, who finish 34-1, were hoping to become just the third unbeaten team in history to win an NAIA Tournament. Three time champion Life will try to become the second school to win four titles.

Today in college baseball, 15th-ranked UL-Lafayette will host Houston at 6 p.m. The Ragin’ Cajuns are coming off of their fourth series win of the year taking two of three games from Appalachian State. Tulane will then travel to the new M.L. “Tigue” Moore Field at Russo Park tomorrow. The Green Wave takes on McNeese State tonight in New Orleans.

ULM hosts regional foe Grambling tonight. The Warhawks are 1-2 in the Sun Belt. The Tigers lost all three games at Dallas Baptist over the weekend.

Louisiana Tech’s Diamond Dogs travel to face Stephen F. Austin tonight. Tech dropped three close games to Southern Miss over the weekend to start C-USA play.

On UNO’s first road swing of the season, The Privateers take on Missouri State today, then Arkansas tomorrow.

LSU head coach Ed Orgeron announces Senior defensive end Christian LaCouture has been awarded the NO. 18 jersey for the upcoming season.

The LSU Tigers completed a three-game sweep of Georgia with a seven to six win over the Bulldogs yesterday . Gred Deichmann drove in a pair of runs, Eric Walker was the winning pitcher and Caleb Gilbert earned his second save. The Tigers also got two good innings of relief from Matthew Beck. Coach Paul Mainieri likes what he saw from the Alexandria native…
cut 20 (17) “….we can count on”
Sophomore left fielder Antoine Duplantis was named SEC Player of the Week. The Lafayette native drove in 14 runs last week.

McNeese third baseman Matt Gallier is the Southland Hitter of the Week. The Lake Charles native hit three home runs in four games. Southeastern’s Corey Gaconi was the Southland pitcher of the week. The junior from New Orleans tossed a complete game in a victory over Lamar on Saturday.

The NFL’s competition committee will reportedly recommend using full-time refs for the 2017 season. The league will first work on making referees full-time, instead of working other jobs during the week.

ESPN’s Mike Triplett reports a Saints-Patriots trade for cornerback Malcolm Bulter is still in play, but the process of making what would be a complicated could still go either way, acccording to sources. Butler and the Saints have to first work out a long-term contract.

There’s also a report the Saints are close to signing former Notre Dame and San Diego Charger linebacker Manti Te’o, who has had trouble staying healthy during his NFL career.

LSU Football coach Ed Orgeron announces fifth year senior Christian LaCourture will wear number 18 for the Tigers.

KNOE in Monroe reports Sterlington High Football Coach Jason Thompson is stepping down as head coach of the Panthers to take an administrative role at the school. Thompson led the Panthers to the 2A state championship this past season.

In the D-1 baseball rankings, LSU has moved up two spots to number five after sweeping Georgia. Tigers Coach Paul Mainieri says anytime you can sweep a team in the SEC, you have to be happy…
cut 19 (19) “…scoring”
LSU scored 34 runs during the three game series. This week, LSU hosts Southeastern Louisiana on Wednesday and visits Florida this weekend. The Gators dropped to 11th in the D-1 poll as they were swept by Auburn.

Speaking of getting swept, Louisiana Tech had a tough series against Southern Miss. The Golden Eagles took all three games, winning yesterday’s series finale by the final score of eight to five.

McNeese is now 6-0 in the Southland after the Cowboys swept Stephen F Austin. Yesterday, the Cowboys won 11-1 as Ricky Ramirez drove in four runs. Nicholls and Southeastern Louisiana are 5-1 in league play. The Colonels edged Houston Baptist three to two yesterday, while the Lions lost to Lamar 13-5.

In the Sun Belt, the Cajuns took two of three from Appalachian State, while ULM lost its series over Arkansas State.

Tiger Rag dot com reports Will Wade and LSU are in discussions as the Tigers search for a new men’s basketball coach. Wade is 34-years-old, a native of Nahsville. He’s led VCU to the NCAA Tournament the last two seasons and was 40-25 at Chattanooga.

In football…The Saints are reportedly talking with Chase Daniel about returning to the Black and Gold. Daniel spent his first four seasons in the NFL in New Orleans, before leaving for Kansas City in 2013. He was recently released by the Eagles.

The sixth ranked LSU baseball team finished off a sweep of Georgia with 7-6 win on Sunday at Alex Box Stadium. Kramer Robertson drove in four runs and Greg Deichmann drove in two. Freshman pitcher Eric Walker struck out eight in six innings to improve his record to 3-0. Coach Paul Mainieri…:
Cut 18 (19) “our winning”
The Tigers are now 16-5.

In the Sun Belt, No. 14 UL-Lafayette defeated Appalachian State 4-3 at home on Sunday and the Cajuns claim the 4th straight series victory of the year.

ULM got off to a strong start but it wasn’t enough as Arkansas State handed the Warhawks an 8-3 loss.

In C-USA action, Louisiana Tech fell to Southern Miss yesterday 8-5 and the Golden Eagles went on to take the series in Ruston.

The McNeese Baeball team completed a three game Southland Conference sweep of Stephen F Austin on Sunday with an 11-1 run-rule victory.

Southeastern’s win streak stopped at 10 as the Lions fell to Lamar in a 13-5 comeback win for The Cardinals. SLU is now 14-5 on the year and 5-1 in conference action.

Tulane got the 8-7 win yesterday over Columbia and the Green Wave took the series.

UNO edged Abilene Christian 9-8 and the Privateers complete the conference sweep.

Nicholls State got by Houston Baptist, 3-2, to also complete a Southland sweep.

What a win for the New Orleans Pelicans Sunday. Anthony Davis put up a stellar 28 points and 12 rebounds to lead the Pels to the 123-109 win over Minnesota. DeMarcus Cousins added 15 points and 11 rebounds in his return from a one-game absence. New Orleans hosts the Memphis Grizzlies tomorrow.

According to sources, the Saints are hosting backup quarterback Chase Daniel for a visit. New Orleans is looking for someone to compete for the backup job with Luke McCown.