The Saints are getting to play one of the hotter teams in the NFC this weekend. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have won four in a row and moved into a first place tie with Atlanta in the NFC South. New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees says Tampa Bay is doing a lot of things well on defense…:
Cut 16 (19) “opportunistic”
The Saints kick off against the Bucs in Tampa at 3:25 pm Sunday.

LSU announced the details of Dave Aranda’s contract and he is now officially the highest paid assistant coach in college football. In a three year deal, the defensive coordinator will make $1.8 million in 2017, $1.85 million the next year then $1.9 million in 2019. He also receives the title of associate head coach.

In the NBA, the Pelicans are will try to get back on track as they face the 76ers tonight in the Smoothie King Center. New Orleans has lost 5 of their last 6. Philadelphia is 4 and 18.

In college hoops, UL-Lafayette shut down Loyola New Orleans 94-60. Southern fell to Tulane 84-75. Tonight, Nicholls State travels to face Florida State.

The Jefferson Parish Coroner has released the body of Joe McKnight to the funeral home after another inspection and collection of tissue samples; but he downplayed reports that a third autopsy was performed Wednesday. The former NFL player and John Curtis star was killed in an apparent road rage incident, and the circumstances surrounding exactly where he was shot are at issue. JPSO said McKnight was killed by Ronald Gasser who is charged with manslaughter.

Former Saints running back Pierre Thomas took the stand Wednesday and described what he saw when Cardell Hayes shot former NFL player Will Smith last April. Thomas says he thought a heated argument had cooled down. But Hayes attorneys say he shot Smith, because the retired athlete went back to his SUV to get a loaded gun.

LSU released the details today of LSU defensive coordinator Dave Aranda’s three-year contract extension. He’ll be one of the highest paid assistant coaches in all of college football, making one-point-eight million dollars in the first year of the deal. Tiger Rag Editor Cody Worsham says whoever they hire at offensive coordinator will make a similar salary…
cut 12 (10) “…it is”

LSU has sold about half of its allotment of tickets for the Citrus bowl on December 31st. The school received nine-thousand tickets from the Orlando bowl. LSU ticket manager Brian Broussard says LSU fans shouldn’t let the 11 AM eastern time kickoff discourage them from going….
cut 18 (09) “…New Years”

Former Saints running back Pierre Thomas took the stand today in the second-degree murder trial of Cardell Hayes, who shot former NFL player Will Smith. The defense says that Hayes shot Smith, because he went back to his SUV to get a loaded gun. Thomas said he saw Hayes firing shots into Smith’s SUV after a argument that he thought had cooled down after the two vehicles were involved in a minor wreck.

Postseason awards were handed out by Conference USA today and Louisiana Tech quarterback Ryan Higgins was named Most Valuable Player, Carlos Henderson was awarded the offensive and special teams player of the year awards and Skip Holtz was named Coach of the Year.

Cajuns wide receiver Al Riles was named an All-Sun Belt first team offensive performer this season. On defense, Cajuns linebacker Otha Peters was a first-team selection.

In basketball, UL Lafayette hosts Loyola tonight while Tulane will host the Southern Jaguars. Tomorrow night, the Pelicans host the Philadelphia 76ers.

Third day of the Will Smith shooting trial is underway in a court room in Orleans Parish. There was emotional testimony from the widow of Will Smith, Racquel, who said strongly that her husband did nothing to provoke the shooting. Cardell Hayes defense team paints a different picture.

W-W-L T-V is reporting that the Jefferson Parish coroner’s office will conduct a third autopsy on the body of Joe McKnight, who was killed in a road rage incident last week in Terrytown. Authorities reportedly want to do more forensic testing. Ronald Gassser has been charged with manslaughter in the shooting death of McKnight.

Saints veteran safety Roman Harper has been nominated for the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award, which goes to the player who excels on and off the field. Harper has played mostly on special teams this season, while away from the game, he’s busy doing charity work. He has a reading with Roman program, which pushes students to read.

LSU has released details of defensive coordinator Dave Aranda’s new three-year contract that makes him the highest paid assistant in college football. Aranda will make one-point-eight million dollars in 2017 and his salary will go up to 1-point-nine million in the third year of the deal.

After two days of selling, the LSU ticket office has sold four-thousand tickets, which is about half of the school’s allotted tickets. LSU’s associate athletic director for ticket sales, Brian Broussard, says you can get a good seat at a good price…
cut 17 (13) “….lower levels”

Louisiana Tech’s Carlos Henderson has been named Conference USA’s offensive and special teams player of the year. Tech quarterback Ryan Higgins has been named the league’s Most Valuable Player and Skip Holtz has been named coach of the year.

Former and current Saints players showed up for the first day of Will Smith’s murder trial. Halen Doughty has more…:
Cut 3 (30) “I’m Halen Doughty”

In New York last night, Former LSU quarterback Bert Jones was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. Jones finished fourth in Heisman voting in 1972, and left the Tigers as the school’s all time leader in passing yardage and touchdown passes. He’s better known nationally for being the Colts star QB who won the NFL’s MVP in back to back seasons in the 70s. Jones is LSU’s 11th addition to the College Football Hall of Fame.

In the shooting of former NFL player Joe McKnight in Jefferson Parish, 54-year-old Ronald Gasser is charged with manslaughter. So what might this trial look like? Legal analyst Tim Meche says the Jefferson Parish D-A’s office could let a grand jury have a say…:
cut 11 (11) “of him”
Beyond that, Meche says if Gasser makes a good case that he was scared of McKnight, he could be found not guilty.

Ticket sales are going slow on the LSU side for the Citrus Bowl in Orlando between the Tigers and Louisville on December 31st. LSU ticket manager, Brian Broussard, says the 11am eastern time kickoff shouldn’t scare fans away…:
Cut 18 (09) “New Years”
About 4200 of LSU’s allotment of 9500 tickets have been sold so far.

Today in college hoops, UL-Lafayette hosts Loyola and Southern is at Tulane.

54-year-old Robert Gasser has been charged with manslaughter in the shooting death of former NFL player and ex John Curtis star Joe McKnight. Jefferson Parish Sheriff Newell Normand says they waited to make an arrest, so they can talk with more independent witnesses and Normand defended the sheriff’s office handling of the case, even though there were groups calling for Gasser’s arrest last week…
cut 8 (09) “…now”
Normand says there’s also a chance the charge could be upgraded or downgraded based on further evidence.

Testimony began today in the Will Smith shooting trial. One of Smith’s former teammates with the Saints, running back Deuce McAllister, took the stand and called Smith a close friend. Prosecutors say Cardell Hayes did not act in self-defense when he shot Smith last April after a car accident. Hayes’ defense team says it was Smith who was the aggressor.

Star LSU running back Leonard Fournette will forego his senior season with the Tigers and enter the 2017 NFL draft after the Citrus Bowl. Draft Analyst Mike Detillier believes he has a shot to be the top overall pick…:
Cut 18 (15) “ Texas A&M”
Fournette battled an ankle injury since August, but when healthy during his sophomore season, he led the nation in rushing yards per game.

The R-and-L Carriers New Orleans Bowl is anticipating 40-to-45 thousand fans for the game between the Cajuns and Southern Miss. Jay Cicero is the president of the Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation says they are happy with the matchup….
cut 20 (19) “….Superdome”
Kickoff on December 17th is at 8 PM.

Jefferson Parish Sheriff Newell Normand announced today that the man who shot former John Curtis star and ex NFL player Joe McKnight has been charged with manslaughter. Normand defended the length of time it to took to book 54-year-old Ronald Gasser with the charge…
cut 30 (17) “…story”
The shooting happened last Thursday afternoon at a busy intersection of Terrytown. Normand says they interviewed 160 people as part of their investigation.

And Testimony is underway in an Orleans Parish courtroom where Cardale Hayes faces life in prison if convicted of a second-degree murder in the death of former Saints star Will Smith. Hayes attorneys are calling Smith the aggressor in the argument last April that followed a traffic crash.

NFL Draft Analyst Mike Detillier believes LSU running back Leonard Fournette will be a top five pick in the 2017 NFL draft. Fournette announced he’s turning pro after the bowl game, even though he struggled to stay healthy this past season, because of an ankle injury. Detillier says Fournette is still one of the top NFL prospects in the upcoming draft class…:
Cut 16 (10) “Johnathan Allen”
In 2015, Fournette was the first LSU back to achieve the NCAA FBS rushing title.

LSU senior Ethan Pocic is one of three finalists for the Rimington Trophy which is awarded to the nation’s top center. Tigers wide receiver Travin Dural accepted an invitation to the Senior Bowl.

In the NBA, the Pelicans fell last night in double overtime to the Memphis Grizzlies, 110-108. It was the third loss in a row for the Pels who next face the 76ers on Thursday.

Officials with the R-and-L Carriers New Orleans Bowl are expecting a big crowd for its bowl game on December 17th in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. On that night, the Ragin Cajuns will face Southern Miss. Jay Cicero, C-E-O of the Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation, says it’s a great match-up for their bowl…:
Cut 19 (19) “16 years”
The game is set to kickoff at 8pm.

College hoops, the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs had no problem taking over Alcorn State in Ruston, 98-65. Redshirt senior Erik McCree was named the LSWA men’s basketball player of the week.

The jury in the murder trial of the man accused of shooting and killing former Saints player will Smith has been selected. Lawyers say the trial of Cardell Hayes, who is charged with second degree murder, could last 7-10 days.

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.