The first day of LSU fall football practice is in the books and five freshman got to work out with the veterans. All rookies the coaches allowed in were defenders: defensive backs Kevin Toliver II, Donte Jackson and Xavier Lewis and defensive ends Arden Key and Isiah Washington. Senior linebacker Lamar Louis on new defensive coordinator Kevin Steele…:

cut 17 (10) “all said and done”

Brandon Harris, Anthony Jennings and Brad Kragthorpe were the only quarterbacks working out in the morning group. Harris got the first rep with Leonard Fournette and J.D. Moore during play-action drills.

The FCS Pre-season Coaches Poll was released yesterday and a couple of state schools were voted into the top 25. Southeastern Louisiana comes in at number 19 while McNeese State secured the number 23 spot. The highest ranked Southland Conference school is Sam Houston State at number four.

The University of Louisiana-Lafayette football team will express their pride in their community on the football field this fall. Coach Mark Hudspeth says his team will wear Lafayette Strong decals on their helmets as a token of solidarity. Hudspeth says the inspiration for this comes from how the community came together after last month’s deadly Grand 16 Movie Theater shooting…

cut 13 (10) “the same way”

The Lafayette Strong decals will be same design as signs appearing throughout the area, the Acadiana flag inside an outline of the state of Louisiana.

NBA sources say the New Orleans Pelicans will open the 2015-16 against a formidable foe, defending NBA champion Golden State Warriors. The Pels will face league MVP Stephen Curry and the Warriors in Oakland on October 27th, opening night for the NBA season. Golden State will turn around and travel to New Orleans to face the Pelicans in their home opener on either October 30 or 31.

As LSU began split squad practices Thursday, five freshmen worked out with the otherwise veteran contingent who hit the field for the morning session. Senior linebacker Lamar Louis says playing for new defensive coordinator Kevin Steele brings that NFL feeling to the game…:
CUT 1 (09) “that you know”
Coach Les Miles anticipates a good number of freshmen getting on the field this year…:
CUT 18 (16) “be used”
Brandon Harris, Anthony Jennings and Brad Kragthorpe were the only quarterbacks working out in the morning group. Harris got the first rep with Leonard Fournette and J.D. Moore during play-action drills.

CBS Sports interviewed 42 SEC players, three from each team, and they were questioned on various subjects. The responses indicated Alabama is their favorite to win in the SEC, with LSU 7th. Nick Saban is their choice as best coach, with Les Miles ranking 4th. Tiger Stadium is their favorite stadium to visit.

The University of Louisiana-Lafayette football team will express their pride in their community on the football field this fall, in the wake of the deadly Lafayette Theatre shooting. Coach Mark Hudspeth says they will be wearing the Lafayette Strong decals on their helmets…
CUT 13 (10) Q: ‘ the same way”
The Lafayette Strong decals show the Acadiana flag inside an outline of the state of Louisiana.

The Miami Herald reports that the Pelicans are expected to take on the Miami Heat in one of the NBA’s showcase matchups on Christmas Day. The paper says a leaked version of the upcoming league schedule tentatively has the Pels traveling to South Beach for a noon tipoff.

The LSU Tigers begin fall practice today and head coach Les Miles says quarterback is the one position most unsettled. Anthony Jennings and Brandon Harris will spend the next month competing to be the starting quarterback. Jennings missed most of the summer, because he was suspended for an arrest, where the criminal charges were dropped. Defensive back Dewayne Thomas was also arrested with Jennings, but Miles made it sound like that both players will NOT be suspended for the season opener…

cut 17 (13) ” been derived”

The Tigers kick-off the season on September fifth against McNeese State.

It’s been announced that the LSU men’s basketball team will face Marquette in the opening game of the Legends Classic on November 23rd in Brooklyn, New York. Tipoff is scheduled for 6PM and the game will be televised on ESPN2. North Carolina State and Arizona State will also compete in the tournament.

In the wake of the Lafayette theater shooting, the University of Louisiana-Lafayette football team will express their pride in their community on the football field this fall. Coach Mark Hudspeth says his team will wear Lafayette Strong decals on their helmets as a token of solidarity …

cut 12 (10) “is unbelievable”

The Lafayette Strong decals will be same design as signs appearing throughout the area, the Acadiana flag inside an outline of the state of Louisiana.

The Miami Herald reports that the Pelicans are expected to take on the Miami Heat in one of the NBA’s showcase matchups on Christmas Day. The paper says a leaked version of the upcoming league schedule tentatively has the Pels traveling to South Beach for a noon tipoff. The NBA is expected to release its 2015-16 regular season schedule next week.

The LSU Tigers begin fall practice today and head coach Les Miles says quarterback is the one position most unsettled. Anthony Jennings and Brandon Harris will spend the next month competing to be the starting QB when the Tigers kick-off the season on September fifth against McNeese State. Miles says there’s enough talent around the quarterback position for that person to succeed…

cut 16 (17) “whoever he is”

Jennings missed most of the summer, because he was suspended for an arrest, where the criminal charges were dropped.

Cornerback Tre’Davious White has been selected to wear the coveted number 18 for LSU this season. The junior from Shreveport received the honor last night. For the past decade, jersey number 18 has been worn by a team member that best exemplifies what it means to be an LSU football player, both on and off the field.

The Miami Herald reports that the Pelicans are expected to take on the Miami Heat in one of the NBA’s showcase matchups on Christmas Day. The paper says a leaked version of the upcoming league schedule tentatively has the Pels traveling to South Beach for a noon tipoff. The NBA is expected to release its 2015-16 regular season schedule next week.

ULM has released their 2015-16 men’s basketball schedule. The Warhawks 11 game non-conference schedule sees the team hitting the road to take on Minnesota, Northwestern State, Houston, Penn State and West Virginia. ULM will kick their season off November 13 when they host McMurry University at Fant-Ewing Coliseum. The Warhawks returns four starters from last year’s team that went 24-14.

Saints training camp continues in West Virginia with safety Jairus Byrd still on the physically unable to perform list. It’s presumed that Byrd is still rehabbing a knee injury that ended his season after just four games last year. Coach Sean Payton says Byrd is progressing well and he’ll be back on the field, sooner rather than later.

LSU’s quarterback battle between Anthony Jennings and Brandon Harris resumes tomorrow as the Tigers begin fall camp. Jennings missed a good portion of summer workouts because he was suspended following his arrest for an alleged break-in. Coach Les Miles was asked today if Harris was able to get a leg-up on Jennings in the quarterback derby…
cut 30 (12) “….early and late”
Miles also said today that defensive lineman Maquedis Bain, who was arrested along with Jennings, was never reinstated to the team, which is why he is no longer on the team.

LSU comes in at number 23 in the Sports Illustrated preseason college football Top 25 poll. Tiger Rag Associate Editor James Moran believes LSU can win at least ten games this season…
cut 18 (11) “…from that”

After taking yesterday off, The Saints resumed training camp today in West Virginia with safety Jairus Byrd still on the physically unable to perform list. It’s persumed that Byrd is still rehabbing a knee injury that ended his season after four games last year. Coach Sean Payton says Byrd is progressing well and sooner rather than later, he’ll be back on the field.

Former Saints running back Pierre Thomas had a workout with the Houston Texans, but his agent says he will not be signing with the Texans at this time. Houston has a need at running back, because of a groin injury suffered by Arian Foster.

ULM athletics director Brian Wickstrom has reportedly spoke with the University of Akron about their vacant A-D position.

ULM men’s basketball released its 2015-16 schedule today. The Warhawks open the season on November 13th when it hosts McMurry University. The Warhawks will travel for non-conference games against Minnesota, Northwestern State, Houston, Penn State and West Virginia.

The LSU Tigers are reporting for fall camp today. The Bayou Bengals head into the 2015 season ranked 13th in the coaches poll. Tiger Rag Associate Editor James Moran expects LSU’s defense to be very good this year, even though John Chavis is no longer the defensive coordinator…
cut 17 (20) “….Ed Paris”
Moran believes LSU can win at least ten games this year.

The Saints were back on the practice field in West Virginia this morning after getting a day off from training camp yesterday. Safety Jairus Byrd remains on the physically unable to perform list. Coach Sean Payton said today that Byrd is progressing well and he hopes he’ll return to the field sooner than later.

ULM athletics director Brian Wickstrom is interested in the vacant athletics director job at the University of Akron. Wicksrom has been at ULM for about two years and during that time several of the athletic facilities have undergone some sort of renovations, including the construction of a four-point-one million dollar football end zone facility.

The Houston Texans are reportedly set to sign former Saints running back Pierre Thomas. Houston needs a running back, because Arian Foster is out with a groin injury. Thomas is 30-years-old and was let go by the Saints in March. Thomas played for eight seasons with the Black and gold and rushed for 37-hundred yards and 28 touchdowns.

A judge in Illinois has found a 58-year-old Saints fan guility of shoving Chicago Bears chairman George McCaskey to the ground last December. Richard Kohnke of New Orleans was found guility of a misdemeanor charge of battery and sentenced to six months of court supervision. Kohnke was sitting in McCaskey’s seats during last year’s Bears game at Soldier Field and Kohnke ended up pushing McCaskey to the ground.

The LSU football team reports for fall camp today looking to improve on an eight-win season from a year ago. Tiger Rag Associate Editor James Moran says quarterback is once again a question mark for the Tigers, but whether it’s Anthony Jennings or Brandon Harris, the offense should be better than last year..

cut 16 (20) “to succeed”

Moran also expects LSU’s defense to be very good this year, even though John Chavis is no longer the defensive coordinator.

LSU has received another commitment for the 2016 class. His name is Connor Culp. He’s a place kicker from Arizona and according to 24-7 sports he’s the fifth best kicker in the country.

The LSU men’s basketball team is holding workouts as they prepare for an exhibition trip to Australia. The team leaves for the land Down Under on August 11th. They will play five games between August 15th and the 22nd. Coach Johnny Jones says he likes the mixture of vets and freshmen on his team. He say freshmen Antonio Blakeney and Brandon Sampson have a lot of tools on the defensive end.

Former McNeese basketball star Kevin Hardy has signed to play for a professional team in Romania this fall. Hardy has agreed to play for SCU Sibiu, which begins its season in October. Hardy averaged over 13 points a game last season for the Cowboys on his way to earning third team all-conference honors.

ULM Athletic Director Brian Wickstrom has applied for the same job at the University of Akron. The NewsStar reports that the school was in contact with Wickstrom over the weekend. Wickstrom came to Monroe in 2013 from the University of California-Riverside.

Last night in the majors, the Rangers squeaked past the Astros 4-3 and the Braves fell to the Giants 8-3.

No practice for the Saints today as the players got a day off from training camp. So far the big stories after five days of camp, safety Jairus Byrd is on the physically unable to perform list and first round pick, Andrus Peat, has struggled at offensive tackle.

The LSU football team will report for fall camp tomorrow. The Tigers will begin practicing Thursday morning. The first scrimmage is set for Saturday August 15th. Football media day and fan day will take place the next day on August 16th.

The LSU men’s basketball team held a couple of workouts today as they prepare for an exhibition trip to Australia. The team leaves for the land Down Under on August 11th. They will play five games between August 15th and the 22nd. Coach Johnny Jones says he likes the mixture of vets and freshmen on his team. He say freshmen Antonio Blakeney and Brandon Sampson have a lot of tools on the defensive end.

The annual Bayou Classic football game between Southern and Grambling will not be aired on network television this year. Instead the game will be shown on the NBC Sports Network and the kickoff time has been moved from the traditional 1:30 time slot to 4 PM.

LSU has received another commitment for the 2016 class. His name is Connor Culp and he’s a place kicker from Arizona and according to 24-7 sports he’s the fifth best kicker in the country.

But LSU fans are more concerned about the number one recruit in the Class of 2017. University High running back and linebacker Dylan Moses has de-committed from LSU as he wants to experience the recruiting process prior to national signing day in 2017. Derek Ponamsky of Bayou Bengals Insider-dot-com says Texas and Alabama will likely spend a lot of time recruiting Moses…
cut 30 (09) “….shape there’

The number one recruit for the class of 2017 has de-committed from LSU, which has some fans concerned. Dylan Moses from University High in Baton Rouge gave a verbal commitment to LSU as a 15-year-old nearly two years ago.Derek Ponamsky, of Bayou Bengals Insiders-dot-com, says Moses still considers LSU his first choice but wants a chance to enjoy the recruiting process…
cut 30 (10) “…in my opinion”
Moses has until National Signing Day in February 2017 to make his final decision.

LSU has received another commitment for the 2016 class. His name is Connor Culp and he’s a place kicker from Arizona and according to 24-7 sports he’s the fifth best kicker in the country.

The Saints players are enjoying a day off from training camp today. They’ll get back at it tomorrow morning.

The annual Bayou Classic football game between Southern and Grambling will not be aired on network television this year. Instead the game will be shown on the NBC Sports Network and kickoff time has been moved from the traditional 1:30 time slot to 4 PM.

FCS school UT Chattanooga has been added to the 2017 LSU football schedule. The Tigers are set to host Chattanooga on September 9th. The other non-conference games that season are Syracuse, Troy and BYU. LSU opens the season against the Cougars in a game that will be played in Houston.

In other college football news…ULM and Northwestern State both report for fall camp today. The Demons will kick off the season on September 3rd against Southeastern Louisiana, while the Warhawks who report today, will not actually hit the practice field until tomorrow.

In major league baseball…former LSU Tiger Mikie Mahtook’s two-out RBI single in the top of the ninth helped Tampa Bay beat the Chicago White Six five to four last night.

Defensive lineman Maquedius Bain announces on twitter that he’s no longer on the LSU football program. Bain was one of three LSU Tigers who was recently reinstated to the football team after charges related to an alleged break-in were dropped. The four-star recruit from Florida was expected to compete for playing time at defensive end. He’s the third defensive lineman to leave LSU this offseason.

While Bain is leaving, defensive tackle Mickey Johnson is returning to LSU. Johnson announced in the spring that he was leaving for Louisiana Tech, but Bain’s departure may have opened up a scholarship for Johnson, who has only six tackles in his LSU career.

One of the football’s top recruits for 2017 has decided to de-commit from LSU. University High linebacker and running back Dylan Moses says he still considers LSU his first choice, but he says in a post on social media that this is a once in lifetime deal and wants to live the process up to the fullest.

The Mercedes Benz Superdome turned 40-years-old today. The Dome has hosted seven Super Bowls, five Final Fours and a Wrestlemania. The general manager of the iconic building, Alan Freeman, is confident these kind of events will continue to be held in the Dome….
cut 30 (08) “….sporting events”
Freeman says the goal is to host a Super Bowl and a College Football playoff championship game in the next few years.

The Saints have announced that placekicker Morten Andersen will be inducted into the team’s Ring of Honor. Anderson played in the NFL for 25 years, 13 of those were with the Saints. No only is he the team’s all-time leading scorer, but he’s also the NFL’s all-time leading scorer with 2,544 points. He’ll be the fourth person to be placed into the Saints Ring of Honor, joining Archie Manning, Rickey Jackson and Willie Roaf.