LRN Sportscast 16:45 July 28

The Saints have arrived at their training camp facility in West Virginia. Tomorrow is the official reporting day, but some players have already taken physicals and one guy who did not pass was defensive tackle Broderick Buckley. He’s been released because of it.

Safety Jairus Byrd, wide receiver Marques Colston and defensive lineman Glenn Foster have been declared physically unable to perform. As soon as those players are healthy, they will be able to return to the field.

Linebacker Junior Galette will not be on the field for the Saints. The team formally released Galette yesterday and Coach Sean Payton said today on Pro Football Talk Live that more was expected from Galette off the field. It’s been reported that Galette rubbed several players the wrong way and actually got into a fist fight with former Saints defensive lineman Brandon Deadrick before a preseason game last year.

LSU men’s basketball coach Johnny Jones announced today he’s hired Brendan Suhr as an assistant coach. Suhr won a pair of NBA titles as an assistant for Chuck Daly, who guided the Pistons to world championships in 1989 and 1990. Suhr has also spent time as an assistant for the Raptors, Magic and Knicks. He’s most recently been an assistant at Central Florida and the New Jersey native has been busy with his speaking and consulting firm known as Off the Court.

The Ragin Cajuns have announced that baseball coach Tony Robichaux has signed a new five-year contract that keeps him in the UL Lafayette dugout through the 2020 season. The deal will pay Robichaux a base salary of 155-thousand dollars a year. He can also receive bonuses for winning Sun Belt championships and appearing in the NCAA Tournament.

The Greater New Orleans Sports Hall of Fame will present Grambling football coach Broderick Fobbs with the Eddie Robinson Award next month. That award goes to a sports figure in Louisiana who demonstrates the qualities most associated with legendary coach Eddie Robinson.

11:40 LRN Sportscast July 28

The Saints report to training camp tomorrow at their practice facility in West Virginia. The Black and Gold have officially released linebacker Junior Galette, as the off the field issues became too much for the organization. Galette denies that he slammed several players and coaches in a twitter rant that purportedly belonged to his girlfriend.

Former LSU baseball player Chris Sciambra will compete for a spot on the Nicholls State football roster. While Sciambra’s baseball eligibility is all used up, he can compete in another sport for one season, so he’s decided to compete as a placecker and punter for the Colonels. Sciambra says he can kick mid 50 yard field goals.

In high school football recruiting news…Rummel quarterback Chase Fourcade has committed to Nicholls State. He’s the nephew of former Saints quarterback John Fourcade. And St. James quarterback Lowell Narcisse has committed to Auburn over LSU. He’s ranked as the nation’s third best dual threat quarterback by 24-7 sports.

LSU baseball coach Paul Mainieri says infielders Grayson Byrd and Danny Zardon are transferring. Zardon is reportedly heading to Nova Southeastern, an NAIA school in Florida. Zardon hit .288 in a reserve role last season. Byrd hit just .212 and appeared in 24 games. He’s the son of former LSU star pitcher Paul Byrd.

Former LSU Tiger Kevin Gausman had one of his best starts as a major leaguer last night as he threw 7.2 shutout innings and struck out five, allowing six hits. Gausman received a no decision, but his Orioles defeated the Braves 2-to 1 in 11 innings on Matt Wieters walk-off home run.

The Houston Astros have promoted former LSU Tiger Alex Bregman to their High-A team in Lancaster, California.

On a conference call with reporters, Pelicans star Anthony Davis says he’s excited about the direction the team is heading and loves playing in New Orleans. Davis recently signed a five-year, 145-million dollar contract extension.

06:45 Sportscast July 28, 2015

LSU baseball coach Paul Mainieri announces that two players are transferring. Junior infielder Danny Zardon leaves the program for Nova Southeastern University. Zardon, who was never be able to lock down a spot in the starting lineup, will be immediately eligible to play for the Sharks. The other transfer is Grayson Byrd. Byrd had a .212 batting average appearing in 24 games last season. It has not been announced what school Byrd will attend.

The Houston Astros have promoted former LSU Tiger Alex Bregman to their High-A team in Lancaster, California. Bregman hit .259 with a home run and 13 RBIs for the Quad City River Bandits. Another former LSU Tiger, Sean McMullen, has also been moved from Quad City to the Lancaster JetHawks. And the Pirates have promoted former LSU standout Jacoby Jones to double-A Altoona.

Former LSU pitcher Kevin Gausman pitched 7 scoreless innings helping the Baltimore Orioles upend the Atlanta Braves 2-1 in 11 innnings last night.

Rummel quarterback Chase Fourcade has announced his commitment to play college football at Nicholls State. The 6-foot, 180 pound senior is entering his third season as a starter for the Raiders. In his junior season, Fourcade threw for over 1,600 yards and 17 touchdowns. Fourcade is the son of former Ole Miss linebacker Keith Fourcade and the nephew of former Saints quarterback John Fourcade. Fourcade chose Nicholls State over McNeese State.

Former LSU baseball player, Chris Sciambra’s college athletic career may not be over, just yet. Scambria will be competing as a placekicker and punter for the Nicholls State football team this fall. After graduating LSU this spring, Sciambra still has one year of college eligibility remaining. He says he would regret letting his last year of eligibility go to waste. Sciambra was a walk-on for the LSU football team last fall, but never appeared in a game.

McNeese State quarterback Daniel Sams has been named to the 2015 FCS National Performer of the Year Trophy Watch List.

LRN Sportscast 16:45 July 27

The Saints have officially released Junior Galette and the pass rusher apparently went on twitter to bash his former employer. It’s believed that Galette used his girlfriend’s twitter account to say that Drew Brees’ arm strength is diminishing, wide receiver Marques Colston is washed up and he took some personal shots at Coach Sean Payton and his leadership style. Galette was released last week by the Saints as the team reportedly had gone tired of his act.

College football analyst Phil Steele says he expects LSU will surprise people in the upcoming college football season, but he still likes Alabama to win the SEC West. Steele says the Crimson Tide’s defense will be salty…
cut 19 (18) “….are going to emerge”
Steele says Alabama has won national championships before with first-year quarterbacks.

The Houston Astros have promoted former LSU Tiger Alex Bregman to their High-A team in Lancaster, California. Bregman hit .259 with a home run and 13 RBIs for the Quad City River Bandits. Another former LSU Tiger, Sean McMullen, has also been moved from Quad City to the Lancaster JetHawks. And the Pirates have promoted former LSU standout Jacoby Jones to double-A Altoona.

Former LSU pitcher Aaron Nola earned his first major league win yesterday, tonight another former Tiger takes the mound. Kevin Gausman looks for his second win of the year as Baltimore hosts Atlanta.

Two of the best LSU women’s basketball players are back on the same team again. Sylvia Fowles has been traded to the Minnesota Lynx of the WNBA, where she’ll team up with Seimone Augustus. When the two played together at LSU, they reached the Final Four every year. The Lynx begin the W-N-B-A’s second half on Wednesday against the Los Angeles Sparks.

In college football…McNeese State’s Daniel Sams has been named to the 2015 FCS National Performer of the Year Trophy Watch List.

LRN Sportscast 11:40 July 27

LSU’s quarterback battle will be the major storyline once the Tigers begin fall practice next week. College football anaylst Phil Steele anticipates sophomore Brandon Harris will win the job and perform well…
cut 18 (09) “….national title contender”
Steele believes the Tigers will be one of the bigger surprises, in a good way, during the upcoming football season.

The Saints are expected to officially announce the release of pass rusher Junior Galette today. News broke on Friday that Galette was let go and news reports came out this weekend, he was a problem in the locker room.

Former LSU star Aaron Nola earned his first major league win yesterday as he helped the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Chicago Cubs 11 to 5. Nola threw seven plus strong innings and also drove in a run at the plate.

06:45 Sportscast July 27, 2015

College football analyst Phil Steele believes the LSU Tigers will be one of the surprise teams in the upcoming college football season. Steele says LSU’s defense will be fast and one of the best in the country and he likes the offensive line…

cut 17 (12) ” the job”

But Steele is predicting that Alabama will win the SEC West.

Aaron Nola picked up his first career Major League Baseball victory Sunday as he lead the Philadelphia Phillies to an 11-5 win over the Chicago Cubs. The former LSU pitching ace gave up four runs on five hits in 7.2 innings, striking out six. Nola also helped his own cause at the plate as he picked up his first major league RBI. Nola is expected to start again Saturday against Atlanta.

The Yankees have called up former Tiger pitcher Nick Goody. Goody has a career 2.35 ERA in the minor leagues.

The Saints have released linebacker Junior Galette, apparently as the result of his recent off the field incidents. Galette has 22 sacks over the last two seasons and signed a lucrative four-year deal last September. In January, Galette was arrested on domestic violence charges, but the criminal charges were dropped. A Youtube video also recently surfaced that purportedly showed Galette swinging a belt at people during a brawl on a beach in Florida. He’s also been recovering from a torn pectoral muscle. By releasing Galette, the Saints may have rid themselves of a potential cancer in the locker room, but his contract will also cause salary cap problems over the next couple of seasons.

St. James High School quarterback Lowell Narcisse will announce his college commitment today. Narcisse is ranked by ESPN as the number one dual threat quarterback in the country for the class of 2017. The junior says his final four schools are LSU, Alabama, Auburn, and Clemson. In his sophomore season, Narcisse threw for over 3,100 yards and 31 touchdowns and rushed for over 1,400 yards and 18 scores. Narcisse will miss his junior season after tearing his ACL during St. James’ spring game.

LRN Sportscast 16:45 July 24

The Saints have reportedly released their top pass rusher Junior Galette, apparently after the result of his recent off the field incidents. Galette has 22 sacks over the last two seasons and signed a lucrative four-year deal last September. Galette was arrested on domestic violence charges in January, but the criminal charges were dropped. A Youtube video also recently surfaced that purportedly showed Galette swinging a belt at people during a brawl on a beach in Florida. He’s also been recovering from a torn pectoral muscle. By releasing Galette, the Saints may have rid themselves of a potential cancer in the locker room, but his contract will also cause salary cap problems over the next couple of seasons.

A Buffalo television station is reporting that the Bills will likely let offensive line coach Aaron Kromer go. The former Saints assistant was arrested earlier this month after he allegedly punched a minor in the face during a dispute over beach chairs.

Some of the top high school football prospects in the country are at LSU’s elite camp this weekend. Bayou-Bengals-dot-com publisher Derek Ponamsky says this camp gives the coaches a chance to evaluate blue-chippers up close…
cut 30 (13) “…LSU does”
Felipe Franks one of the top quarterbacks in the country, who is already committed to LSU, is at the camp.

Notre Dame of Crowley Football Coach Lewis Cook has presented a proposal to end the public-private split of the high school football playoffs. Cook’s idea would separate the playoffs between metro and rural areas and have divisions based on enrollment. Cook says the proposal is receiving positive reviews.

11:40 LRN Sportscast July 24

A lot of eyes are on Lafayette today as a result of last night’s theater shooting that resulted in three fatalities and the injuring of nine others. On twitter, Ragin Cajuns Coach Mark Hudspeth said that he’s praying for peace and healing for their community.

A bunch of the top high school football prospects are on the LSU campus today for what is known as the Elite Camp. Some of the guys attending this camp are players who LSU would like to be part of the 2016 recruiting class that’s currently ranked as the best by 24-7 sports. Next year’s class already has 17 commitments and Bayou Bengals Insider dot com’s Derek Ponamsky is not expecting a bunch of new additions in the coming days…
cut 17 (11) “…see mode”
One of the players at the camp is Felipe Franks, who is one of the top high school quarterbacks, already committed to LSU.

Left-handed pitcher John Valek is reportedly transferring to LSU after spending the last three seasons at Akron. Valek was looking for a new school after Akron decided to cut its baseball program, because of financial reasons. Last season, Valek had a 6-6 record with a 3.25 ERA.

The LHSAA is still looking at ways they can solve their split playoff issue in football. Notre Dame football coach Lewis Cook has proposed a plan to divide the schools for the postseason by enrollment and whether they are school in a metro area or a rural area. Cook says his proposal is receiving positive reviews.

The Sun Belt Conference is reportedly looking at two schools that could be added to the league’s membership. They are Eastern Kentucky and Coastal Carolina. Commissioner Karl Benson has confirmed that Eastern Kentucky has contacted the Sun Belt. The addition of Eastern Kentucky or Coastal Carolina would give them at least 12 teams for basketball and baseball.

06:45 Sportscast July 24, 2015

Some of the top high school football players in the nation are on the LSU campus this weekend for what is known as LSU’s Elite Prospect Camp. Derek Ponamsky, publisher of Bayou Bengals-dot-com, says headlining the talent is quarterback Feleipe Franks, who is committed to sign with LSU next year…

cut 16 (17) “in New Orleans”

Some of the guys attending this camp are players who LSU would like to be part of the 2016 recruiting class that’s currently ranked as the best in the country by 24-7 sports.

The Sun Belt Conference is reportedly looking at two schools that could be added to the league’s membership. They are Eastern Kentucky and Coastal Carolina. Commissioner Karl Benson has confirmed that Eastern Kentucky has contacted the Sun Belt. The addition of Eastern Kentucky or Coastal Carolina would give them at least 12 teams for basketball and baseball.

Three jockeys at the Evangeline Downs Race Track in Opelousas have been arrested and face charges for their roles in alleged race fixing scheme. Trooper Brooks David says 46-year-old Joseph Patin Junior, his 51-year-old brother, Billy Patin and 24-year-old LeSean Conyers engaged in questionable riding tactics, like pulling the reins, which affected the outcome of a race on June 19th…

cut 24 (09) “…any time”

The Patin brothers also face charges for using an illegal shocking device on horses during two races on July 4th.

East Feliciana High School lineman Tra’Vontae Booker has announced his commitment to play college football at UL-Lafayette. The 6′ 4″ 310 pounder has been a standout on the Tigers’ offensive line, where he has started for three seasons and earned first team All-District 6-2A honors. Booker is the 10th commitment in the Ragin’ Cajuns recruiting class. Booker is a projected defensive tackle for the Cajuns.

LRN Sportscast 16:45 July 23rd

Three jockeys at the Evangeline Downs Race Track in Opelousas have been arrested and face charges for their roles in alleged race fixing scheme. Trooper Brooks David says 46-year-old Joseph Patin Junior, his 51-year-old brother, Billy Patin and 24-year-old LeSean Conyers engaged in questionable riding tactics, like pulling the reins, which affected the outcome of a race on June 19th…
cut 13 (09) “…any time”
The Patin brothers also face charges for using an illegal shocking device on horses during two races on July 4th.

 

The Sun Belt Conference is reportedly looking at two schools that could be added to the league’s membership. They are Eastern Kentucky and Coastal Carolina. Commissioner Karl Benson has confirmed that Eastern Kentucky has contacted the Sun Belt. The addition of Eastern Kentucky or Coastal Carolina would give them at least 12 teams for basketball and baseball.

 

Louisiana Tech football led the FBS last season with 42 takeaways. Bulldogs Head Coach Skip Holtz seems confident they can duplicate those results, if they put pressure on opposing quarterbacks…
cut 18 (17) “…of defense”
That sound is courtesy of the Conference USA.

 

LSU’s live on-campus mascot, Mike the Sixth, turns ten years old today. Ginger Guttner, with the LSU Vet school, says Mike is in the prime of his life as Bengal tigers in captivity typically live about 16 years…
cut 4 (06) ‘…while longer”
For his birthday, Mike ate a cake made of meat, wrapped in bacon, topped with boiled eggs and hardened goats milk to create the number 10.