NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell says Saints Owner Tom Benson is in complete control. Goodell made the statement after he was asked about the lawsuit filed against Benson by three of his family members who claim the 87-year-old owner is not mentally fit to make important business decisions….
cut 30 (11) “…what he’s doing”
Goodell called the family dispute unfortunate.

In the NBA last night….the Pelicans were without All-Star Anthony Davis, because of a groin injury, but New Orleans still defeated the Los Angeles Clippers 108 to 103. Eric Gordon stepped up in Davis’ absence as he scored a season-high 28 points and hit five three-pointers. New Orleans is off the rest of the weekend and they’ll host Atlanta on Monday, who has won 18 straight.

The LHSAA will once again have nine state championships in football in 2015. But new executive director of the LHSAA, Eddie Bonine, plans to form a committee after the first of March to see if there is a way they can bring public and private schools back together again in the high school football playoffs…
cut 12 (10) “…many, many years”
Many principal Norman Booker had a proposal that would have split the playoffs in additional sports, but that measure failed in a vote by high school principals.

In college basketball…LSU is at Mississippi State. The Tigers are five and two in the SEC, the Bulldogs are two and five. LSU has won four straight over State. Tip-off is at 1 PM.

Louisiana Tech hosts Marshall at 4:30. The Bulldogs are tied for first in Conference USA and have won 23 in a row at home.

U-L-M hosts South Alabama at four o’ clock. The Warhawks are a half-game back of Georgia Southern for first place in the Sun Belt.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said today that Saints Owner Tom Benson is in complete control. Goodell made the statement after he was asked about the lawsuit filed against Benson by three of his family members who claim the 87-year-old owner is not mentally fit to make important business decisions….
cut 30 (11) “…what he’s doing”
Goodell called the family dispute unfortunate.

The high school football playoffs will remain split between select and non-select schools next season as the LHSAA has decided to give new executive director Eddie Bonine a year to solve the issues that created the split….
cut 14 (07) “…address them”
Bonine says one of his first acts when he officially takes over in March is to form a committee that will help develop possible solutions.

Pelicans All-star Anthony Davis is questionable for tonight’s home against the Los Angeles Clippers. Davis has a left groin strain. He’ll go through pre-game warm-ups, but head coach Monty Williams will make the final call on whether he plays. Tip-off is at seven P-M.

Sunday is Super Bowl Sunday as the Seahawks seek their second consecutive Lombardi Trophy. New England is no to stranger to the Super Bowl as well, but they have some new faces like former LSU wide receiver Brandon Lafell. JoJo says staying loose on game day will be one of his biggest challenges…
cut 18 (20) “….stay in the game”
Former Louisiana Tech punter Ryan Allen is also on the Patriots.

A proposal to split postseason play between other sports than just high school football failed at today’s Louisiana High School Athletic Association annual converence. The proposal was from Many prinicpal Norman Booker who tried to convince fellow members of the LHSAA that the problems that led to the split in football exisit with other sports. But new LHSAA executive director Eddie Boninie urged schools to give him more time to come up with a solution regarding the split playoffs in football and that’s what they are doing.

Big win for Louisiana Tech basketball last night as the Bulldogs beat Western Kentucky 69 to 56. That’s 23 straight wins for Tech at home and they move into a first place tie with the Hilltoppers in the Conference USA Standings.

In the Sun Belt…U-L-M snapped a two-game losing streak with a 58-55 win in overtime over Troy, while the Ragin Cajuns fell to five and five in league play with an 89-85 loss to South Alabama. The Cajuns have lost five of their last six.

Sunday is the big game, Super Bowl 49. The Patriots versus the Seahawks. New England wide reciever and former LSU Tiger Brandon Lafell is fired up for his first Super bowl….
cut 17 (17) “….to come”
Other Louisiana connections to the Super Bowl. Former Louisiana Tech standout Ryan Allen is the Patriots punter. Northwestern State product Jeremy Lane is a defensive back for the Seahawks. Former LSU Tiger cornerback Tharold Simon is also on Seattle’s roster.

One of the top offensive tackles in the country have given a verbal pledge to LSU. Chidi Valentine-Okeke has picked LSU over Alabama, Auburn and Georgia. He’s six-foot-six, 306 pounds and a native of Nigeria. He currently plays high school ball in Georgia and there are concerns over whether he’ll be able qualify academically.

Louisiana Tech can move into a first place tie with Western Kentucky in the Conference USA standings if they can beat the Hilltoppers tonight at the Thomas Assembly Center. Bulldogs senior guard Speedy Smith says the players are looking forward to tonight’s match-up….
cut 18 (15) “….big opportunity”
Tech has won 22 straight games at home. Tonight’s game tips-off at six P-M. Also tonight, the Ragin Cajuns are at South Alabama and ULM visits Troy.

An M-R-I has revealed that Pelicans All-Star Anthony Davis has a grade one strain to his groin. He’s listed as day-to-day. Davis injured his leg in last night’s loss to Denver. New Orleans hosts the Clippers tomorrow night.

Saints quarterback Drew Brees and former LSU star and Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Junior set the Guiness World Record for most one-handed catches in one minute. Beckham caught 33 passes with one hand from Brees during a taping on ESPN’s NFL live.

One of the top offensive tackles in the country gave his verbal pledge to sign with LSU today. His name is Chidi Valentine-Okeke and he’s from Stockbridge, Georgia. He picked LSU over Alabama and Auburn. He’s listed by scout-dot-com as the seventh best offensive tackle prospect in the country.

Last night in college…LSU won their third straight, beating South Carolina 64-58. The Tigers are now 5-and-2 in the SEC in a four-way tie for second place. The Bayou Bengals are at Mississippi State on Saturday.

And LSU quarterback Brandon Harris has no plans on transferring that’s according to his high school coach David Feaster. Feaster admitted in a radio interview that he encouraged Harris to leave LSU, because of lack of playing time.

The LSU men’s basketball team won its third straight last night as they defeated South Carolina 64-58. The Tigers finished the game by scoring 12 of the final 14 points. Josh Gray had seven points, and had a critical three-pointer down the stretch. Tim Quarterman had 16 points to lead LSU in scoring. Jordan Mickey had 14 points, six rebounds and six blocked shots, two of them coming on South Carolina’s final offensive possession.

Tonight, Louisiana Tech looks for its 23rd straight win at home as they host Western Kentucky. Bulldogs Coach Michael White says tonight is about protecting their home floor against a really good team…
cut 17 (10) “….the opportunity”
A win for Tech and they move into a first place tie with Western Kentucky in Conference USA. Tip-off is at 6 PM.

Saints Quarterback Drew Brees appeared on Conan O’ Brien last night and of course he was asked about Deflategate…
cut 30 (20) “….laughter

Now to a not so much laughing matter. The Pelicans Anthony Davis will undergo an MRI today on his groin. He sustained the injury in last night’s 93-85 loss to Denver. Davis suffered the injury in the third quarter, but came back in the fourth quarter. Coach Monty Williams removed Davis from the game in the final minute, after noticing that he was dragging his leg. New Orleans hosts Chris Paul and the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday.

And LSU quarterback Brandon Harris has no plans on transferring that’s according to his high school coach David Feaster. Feaster admitted in a radio interview that he encouraged Harris to leave LSU.

Louisiana Tech and Western Kentucky will battle for first place in Conference USA when the two basketball teams meet tonight in Ruston. Tech is 6-and-1 in conference play, while the Hilltoppers are 7-and-0. Bulldogs Coach Michael White says Western Kentucky is good in all areas and they have two players who are tough to stop

cut 16 (20) “George Fant”

Tech has won 22 in a row at home and White says tonight is about protecting their home floor against a really good offensive team.

Last night, LSU improved to 5-2 in the SEC after holding off South Carolina 64-58. Tim Quarterman lead all scorers with 16 and Keith Hornsby added 15 as the Tigers have won 8 of their last 10. LSU is tied for second in league play and travel to Mississippi State Saturday.

The Pelicans four game winning streak came to an end last night as the Denver Nuggets pulled out a 93-85 win at the Smoothie King Center. Tyreke Evans lead all scorers with 25 while Anthony Davis added 24. Davis left the game late in the third quarter after a collision with Kenneth Faried appeared to injure his groin. Davis did return in the fourth quarter. An MRI is scheduled today. The Pels are off today, but return to action Friday in Los Angeles to take on the Clippers.

It’s reported that LSU quarterback Brandon Harris’ high school football coach at Parkway in Bossier City, recommended that Harris transfer from LSU after his first semester. David Feaster says after Harris’ playing time dropped, he was trying to talk him into transferring to a junior college for one year and then begin the recruiting process all over again. Harris decided to stay and will compete for the starting quarterback positon this spring. Feaster later admitted that Harris was right about staying at LSU.

The legal back and forth continues between Saints and Pelicans owner Tom Benson and his children and grandchildren. In a court filing, Benson explains further his decision to put his wife, Gayle, in control of the professional franchises after his death, because Renee Benson, along with Rita Leblanc and Ryan Leblanc never rose to the occassion. Meanwhile, lawyers for the estranged heirs filed court documents pushing for Mr Benson to undergo a psychiatric evaluation.

The Louisiana High School Athletic Association’s annual convention is underway and the top agenda item is the controversial split of the football playoffs. New LHSAA executive director Eddie Bonine says he wants more time to dive into issues which created the split and work with schools on a plan that will make it more equitable for teams to win a championship…:
CUT 15 (05) “trial on”
Votes on various proposals are scheduled for Friday.

After winning two games on the road last week, the LSU men’s basketball team hosts South Carolina tonight, looking for their third consecutive win. Sophomore forward Jarell Martin is looking forward to playing in front of the home folks…
cut 30 (10) “….want to see”
Tip-off is at six o’ clock.

At seven o’ clock in the Smoothie King Center, the Pelicans, who have won four in a row, host Denver, who has lost seven straight.

The Ragin Cajuns have been picked to repeat as Sun Belt champs. Junior shortstop Blake Trahan was named as the league’s preseason player of the year. U-L-M is picked to finish ninth.

Sam Houston State has been picked to win the Southland by the league coaches. Southeastern, Northwestern, Nicholls and McNeese projected to finish in third through sixth place.

And Louisiana Tech has been picked to finish in last play in Conference USA.

The Louisiana High School Athletic Association’s annual convention is underway and the main agenda item is the current split of the football playoffs. LHSAA Executive Director, Eddie Bonine, believes since he’s new on the job, the best course of action is to stay with the split football playoffs for another year, to give him more time to work on a better solution…
cut 14 (09) “thing right”
The LHSAA voted in 2013 to split the football playoffs, because of concerns private schools had certain advantages over public schools.

Saints and Pelicans Owner Tom Benson has responded to a lawsuit filed by his daughter and two grandchildren. In a court filing, Benson says for years he attempted to groom Renee Benson and his two grandchildren to take over the professional franchises once he dies, but they never rose to the task. He adds the decision for his wife to take control of the teams following his death was a deliberate and reasoned decision.

After picking up two wins on the road last week, LSU is home tonight to take on South Carolina at six P-M. The Tigers are 4-and-2 in the league and a win tonight, puts them in a four-way tie for second place. The Gamecocks are one and five in the SEC.

The Pelicans are seeking their fifth straight win of the season tonight when they host the Denver Nuggets. Meanwhile, Denver is trying to avoid it’s eighth straight defeat. Tip-off from the Smoothie King Center is at 7 PM.

McNeese State released its 2015 football schedule today. The Cowboys will kick-off the season at LSU on September fifth and return home the next week to play against Incarnate Word. The Pokes will play five home games, including a match-ups with Southeastern Louisiana and Northwestern State in October.

Louisiana Tech has been picked to finish in last place in Conference USA by the league’s baseball coaches.

U-L Lafayette has been picked to repeat as softball champions in the Sun Belt.

Split high school football playoffs will be the main topic for discussion as the Louisiana High School Athletic Association begins its annual convention today. There is a proposal to expand the postseason split of public and private schools to other sports. But new LHSAA executive director, Eddie Bonine, is asking schools to give him a year to come up with a proposal that a bulk of schools are pleased with….
cut 13 (07) “….state again”
Bonine, who was hired in December, has spent the last couple of weeks talking with schools and getting their input. High school principals will vote on Friday on a variety of proposals.

Tom Benson fires back at his daughter and two grandchildren who are attempting to get a judge to declare the Saints and Pelicans owners is not competent to make sound business decisions. In a court filing, Benson says he tried to groom Renee Benson and Rita and Ryan Leblanc, but they never rose to the task.

After winning two games on the road last week, the LSU men’s basketball team is back home tonight to host South Carolina. The Tigers are 4-and-2 in league play, while the Gamecocks are 1-and-5 and have lost three in a row.

In action last night…Tulsa topped Tulane 62-55.

Tonight at the Smoothie King Center, the Pelicans go after their fifth win in a row as they host the Denver Nuggets. The last time these two teams played each other, the Nuggets won by 20 points over New Orleans. But Denver has lost its last seven, coming into tonight’s game.

Former LSU pitcher Anthony Ranaudo has been traded by the Boston Red Sox to the Texas Rangers. Ranaudo was 4-and-3 with a 4.81 ERA in seven starts with the Red Sox last season. Boston receives left-handed pitcher Robbie Ross in the deal.

LSU defensive back Jalen Mills’ trial for misdemeanor simple assault will take place April eighth, which is about ten days before the spring game. Mills is accused of punching a woman in the mouth.

Saints and Pelicans Owner Tom Benson, through his attorney, has filed a response to the lawsuit filed by his daughter and two grandchildren. In the filing, Benson says for years he attempted to groom Renee Benson and his two grandchildren to take over the professional franchises once he dies, but they never rose to the task. He adds the decision for his wife to take control of the team following his death was a deliberate and reasoned decision.

LSU defensive back Jalen Mills’ trial for misdemeanor simple assault will take place April eighth, which is about ten days before the spring game. Mills is accused of punching a woman in the mouth, which allegedly occurred last June. Mills has entered a plea of not guilty and his attorney claims it was actually Mills’ girlfriend who hit the woman.

The LSU Board of Supervisors is expected to approve a two-year, two-million dollar contract for new defensive coordinator Kevin Steele when the board meets Friday in Shreveport.

In the NBA, the Pelicans are off tonight. They won their fourth in a row last night, beating the lowly 76ers 99-74. Tomorrow, New Orleans will host Denver, who is 18-and-27 season on the season. The Pels are a game and a half back of Phoenix for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference.

In college basketball…Southeastern Louisiana, Nicholls State and McNeese State all continue to fall towards the bottom of the Southland standings as they all lost last night. The Colonels were blown out by Northwestern State 80-51. The Demons are 5-and-3 in the league and they are at Southeastern Louisiana on Saturday.

In recruiting news…Neville standout Kavonte Turpin has decided he’ll play his college football at TCU. The Ragin Cajuns 2016 baseball recruiting class has been rated as the best in the Sun Belt Conference, according to Perfect Game. Two of the top players in that class are from Louisiana, including Hogan Harris, a left-handed pitcher at St. Thomas More.